Browsing Category

Reviews

Best Sparkling Wines for the Holidays 2024: Picks for Every Palate

Posted on December 5, 2024

How to choose sparkling wines for the holidays in 2024? Every year I get asked for my top picks. Happily, over the past couple of months, I have tasted a wide range of great sparkling wines, at all price points, for every palate preference. Check out my recommendations, tasting notes, and sparkling wine videos below.

Tis the season. Time to stock up on sparkling wines for the holidays. Festive gatherings abound this time of year and nothing sets a merrier tone that a nice bottle of fizz. They also make excellent gifts. After all, who doesn’t want a bottle of bubbly? Nobody…that is who.

Everyone’s needs are different when choosing sparkling wines for holiday gatherings – from budget-friendly options to supply big parties, to top of the line Champagnes for special occasions. And, we all have quite varied tastes. With this in mind, I have tried to make my recommendations as comprehensive as possible. There are categories for more affordable bubblies, mid-range sparkling wines , value Champagnes, and a few top drawer, premium Champagne – in everything from bone dry, to fruitier, natural to more classic styles.

Of course, there are so many other great sparkling wines out there. I would be remiss not to mention the fantastic Champagnes from Laherte, Dhondt-Grellet, and Deutz. Or, the fantastic Crémant wines from the likes of Stéphane Tissot and Domaine Pignier (Jura) or Domaine la Taille au Loups (Loire). We also have many delicious Canadian sparklings, though sadly these are not as well represented as they should be here.

But for now, the “Sparkling Wines for the Holidays 2024” list below should cover your festive feasts. Once you have made your selections, scroll to the bottom of this post for some bonus videos. A few years back, I made a series of sparkling wine videos. They offer helpful buying tips and a little education on what makes these wines so interesting. Check them out if you want to impress you friends at you next holiday gathering.

SPARKLING WINES FOR THE HOLIDAYS 2024: THE LIST.

Great Value (Under $25) Sparkling Wine for Any Occasion

Federico Paternina Cava Brut Rose 2019 – 88pts. VW (Penedès, Spain)

Pleasant aromas and flavours of crushed strawberry and rhubarb, with creamy undertones. Light and lively on the palate, with tangy red berry notes and a smooth finish. A simple, easydrinking rosé.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($17.25)

Fiol Prosecco – 89pts. VW (Veneto, Italy)

This is a clean, classic, well-made Prosecco with fine bubbles (no explosively frothy, “hamster cheek” bubbles here). Discreet aromas of spring blossoms, white pear, and anis lead into a light bodied palate with fresh, rounded acidity and a dry finish.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($18.05)

Vignato Primo Incontro Garganega Vino Frizzante – 92pts. PW (Veneto, Italy)

A natural, pét nat from the Veneto region with lots of personality for the price! Attractive earthy, sourdough bread, raw honey, and baked apricot aromas on the nose. Crisp, dry and nervy on the palate with soft bubbles, and lingering earthy/ savoury hints over tangy apple flavours.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($23.50)

Bailly Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Réserve – 89pts. PW (Bourgogne, France)

A smooth, crowd pleasing style of Crémant. This Pinot Noir dominant blend has charming, upfront orchard fruit and shortbread biscuit notes on the nose. The palate is fresh and broad, with big, rounded bubbles and a brut (aka fruity, rounded but not sweet) finish.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($23.85)

Juvé & Camps Reserva de la Familia Brut Nature 2019 – 91pts. PW (Penedès, Spain)

Inviting on the nose, with a nice balance of earthy, savoury, and citrussy notes, underscored by tempting hints of brioche. Crisp, medium-bodied, and layered on the mid-palate with pleasant sweet-and-sour citrus, apple notes, and a dry finish.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($24.50)

Mid-Range Sparkling Wine to Step up Your Game

Vincent Carême, Vouvray Brut 2022 (Loire, France) – 90pts. PW

Inviting nose of acacia, ripe lemon, quince, and hints of anis for this Loire Chenin Blanc bubbly. Crisp and dry on the palate, with nice tension, and quite vibrant mousse. Easy-drinking, refreshing style with a rounded, supple finish.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($27.70)

Domaine Bergeville Le Blanc Brut 2022 – 90pts. PW (Québec, Canada!)

The sparkling wine scene here at home is, well… pretty effervescent, with stand out wines from coast to coast (check out my Canadian sparkling wine article here). It is definitely worth seeking out sparkling specialists like biodynamic estate, Domaine Bergeville, who have been honing their craft for over a decade. The Blanc Brut is light, nervy, and taut with piercing, crystalline acidity, pure green fruit flavours and a dry finish – a perfect accompaniment for oysters.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($31.50)

Domaine Baud “Cuvée S” Crémant du Jura Brut – 93pts. PW (Jura, France)

A Chardonnay dominant blend, with Pinot Noir, aged for over two years on the lees. Really harmonious on the nose and palate, with pleasing notes of marzipan and ripe orchard fruit, a creamy, textural palate balanced by refreshing acidity, and smooth, persistent bubbles.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($32.75)

Vignoble des 3 Terres Mann Crémant d’Alsace Brut 2020 – 92pts. PW (Alsace, France)

This vivid, hightoned Crémant d’Alsace is made in large part with the local Pinot d’Auxerrrois grape. Initally discreet, notes of chalk and white flowers broaden to include ripe yellow apple and plum aromas with aeration. The palate is firm, yet juicy and long, with elegant, fine bubbles.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($40.25)

Affordable Luxury: Best Value Champagnes

Champagne Tarlant Zero Brut Nature – 92pts. PW

This cuvée from Tarlant is an excellent value for lovers of bone dry, zéro dosage style Champagne. Enticing gingersnap, baked apple, preserved lemon, and subtle nutty nuances on the nose. Bracing acidity sets the palate off with a zing. Offers vigorous fine mousse, lots of tension, and an austere, yet flavourful finish with lingering lemony, earthy, sourdough notes.

Where to buy: SAQ ($60.00)

Champagne Henriot Brut Souverain – 94pts. PW

The Brut Souverain from Henriot is a regular contender for best value Champagne, for my palate. An elegant, vinous bubbly with ultra fine bubbles, racy acidity, and a subtly creamy, layered mid-palate. Aromas of wet stone, brioche, hazelnut, and red apple give this quite classic appeal. Well balanced throughout, to its extra-brut finish.

Where to buy: SAQ ($63.75)

Champagne Forget-Brimont Brut Rosé Premier Cru – 93pts. PW

Pretty pale salmon in colour, this rosé Champagne has discreet aromas of elderflower, red currant and cinnamon on the nose. The palate is lithe and sleek with racy acidity, and lovely vibrancy. Finishes smooth.

Where to buy: SAQ ($63.75)

Champagne Drappier Brut Nature Pinot Noir Zéro Dosage – 92pts. PW

This Blanc de Noirs from Champagne Drappier is always an elegant option, buzzing with lively tension on the palate, in a long, vertical, bone dry style lacking austerity. Attractive red berry, white mushroom, wet stone, and ginger notes echo on the nose and palate.

Where to buy: SAQ ($65.75)

Posh Champagne to Treat your Guests (and Yourself)

Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut – 94 pts. LW

You really can’t go wrong with Bollinger’s Special Cuvée. This Brut NV offers fantastic balance of heady, indulgent flavours – shortbread, baked apple, yellow pear, with lively lemon and subtly mineral undertones. Creamy and textured on the palate, with balanced freshness, and a smooth, long finish.

Where to buy: SAQ ($97.50)

Champagne Dame de Carreau Cuvée Bâtarde 2015 – 93pts. LW

This is an interesting cuvée from a small grower Champagne house in the Côte des Bar. A blend of 60% Pinot noir, 20% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot blanc, from 50 year old vines, grown on Kimeridgean soils (ie. the very same soils found in Chablis). The nose is quite delicate and pretty, with citrus blossom, wet stone, and white mushroom. The palate is crisp and textural, with tangy citrus, nutty, and toasty aromas, and a long, vertical finish.

Where to buy: SAQ ($109.75)

Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Brut Rosé – 93pts. LW

Medium salmon in colour, the Laurent-Perrier Brut Rosé is immediately appealing, with its vivid strawberry, raspberry, red currant, herbal, and creamy notes. The palate is broad and harmonious, with smooth bubbles, bright red fruit flavours, and a long, lifted finish.

Where to buy: SAQ ($116.50)

Egly-Ouriet Brut Grand Cru – 96pts LW

Incredibly complex and powerful, the Egly-Ouriet Brut Grand Cru is most definitely a Champagne to serve with food. This barrel aged (10% new) Pinot Noir dominant blend is made of almost 50% reserve wines, giving pleasing tertiary notes, lots of weight, and textural appeal on the palate. The nose is commanding, with chalky, mineral-focused aromas and underlying notes of green almond, apple, ripe lemon, and toasted nuances.

Where to buy: SAQ ($162)

Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Itération No. 26 Brut – 95pts. LW

The iconic Grand Siècle Itération No. 26 Brut from Laurent-Perrier is a blend of three exceptional vintages (2012, 2008, 2007) of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from eight Grand Cru villages, aged 10 years on the lees, and a further few years in magnum.

The nose is incredibly elegant, with flinty, earthy intial notes, giving way to richer gingersnap, honeycomb, toasted almond, and lemon peel notes. Racy and lifted on the palate, becoming increasingly expansive to the creamy, layered core. Finishes bone dry with hints of toasty oak and savoury nuances, and a long, saline finish. Gastronimic and still quite youthful.

Where to buy: SAQ ($346.25)

^{Sparkling Wines for the Holidays 2024}

Reviews

Introducing the New Pouilly-Loché & Pouilly-Vinzelles Premier Cru Terroirs

Posted on November 29, 2024

Nearly a decade in the making, the Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles Premier Cru terroirs are finally approved. From the 2024 vintage onwards, four climats can proudly bear the 1er Cru mention on their labels.

In an exciting development for the Mâconnais region, Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles Premier Cru climats have have officially been granted, elevating some of the appellations’ finest vineyards to the ranks of Bourgogne’s most distinguished terroirs.

Four years after the granting of Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Crus, the best climats of Pouilly-Vinzelles and Pouilly-Loché have finally joined their ranks. This long-anticipated recognition is part of a broader initiative to refine the identity of the Mâconnais, a region historically overshadowed by its northern counterparts in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.

The Newly Recognized Pouilly-Loché & Pouilly-Vinzelles Premier Crus

Pouilly-Loché is celebrating its first Premier Cru with the approval of Les Mûres, an 8-hectare site. Known for its limestone-rich red soils soils and southeast exposure, Les Mûres produces wines with distinctive freshness, precision, and lingering salinity, setting a high standard for the appellation.

In Pouilly-Vinzelles, Premier Crus were awareded to three climats: Les Quarts, Les Longeays, and Les Pétaux. Together, these vineyards cover 22 hectares. Les Quarts is revered for its powerful, structured wines derived from its rocky limestone terroir. Les Longeays, with its gentle slope and cooler microclimate, produces more refined, mineral-driven expressions, while Les Pétaux, known for its slightly deeper soils, offers a balanced, fruit-forward profile.

Stricter Production Rules for Premier Cru Sites

With Premier Cru status comes a heightened level of rigour in vineyard and winemaking practices. Yields are now capped at 56 hectolitres per hectare, lower than the 60 hl/ha allowed for village-level wines, ensuring concentration and complexity.

Additionally, the minimum alcohol requirement has been raised, and stricter pruning and vine density regulations have been introduced to enhance quality. Manual harvesting is also obligatory. These measures align Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles with the prestigious standards of Bourgogne’s other Premier Crus.

Why Did Recognition Take So Long?

The road to Premier Cru status for Mâconnais wines has been a slow journey, in part due to historical and geopolitical reasons. During World War II, the line of German occupation—the “Vichy Line”—divided France. With the German army controlling the northern part of France, there was a pressing need to protect the identity and value of Chablis and Côte d’Or vineyards.

By formally naming and classifying the best climats as Premier Crus, winemakers could establish a legal framework that safeguarded their wines from being commandeered or devalued by occupying forces. The southern Mâconnais region, situated in the Free Zone, did not face the same immediate threat. Consequently, the urgency to classify its vineyards was far less pronounced.

This delay in recognition left the Mâconnais overlooked for decades, with its vineyards remaining unclassified despite their potential. Only in recent years, after a push to highlight the region’s unique terroirs and elevate its reputation, has the Mâconnais begun to catch up.

Moreover, the Mâconnais was traditionally seen as a source of simple, affordable wines rather than prestigious terroir-driven bottlings. It wasn’t until the 1980s and 1990s that growers began focusing on quality over quantity, shifting perceptions and prompting the region to seek recognition for its unique vineyards.

A New Chapter for the Mâconnais

The formal approval of these new Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles Premier Cru climats signifies a growing acceptance of the Mâconnais as a serious player in Bourgogne’s hierarchy. This recognition not only elevates the status of Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles but also paves the way for future Premier Cru classifications in nearby appellations like Saint-Véran and Viré-Clessé.

Reviews

Ornellaia 2021 Vintage Release: Tasting the Latest & Looking Back

Posted on July 17, 2024

Ornellaia 2021 is as powerful and generous a vintage as its cuvée name suggests. Over the years, this iconic Super Tuscan house has achieved a the fine balancing act of consistency and evolution. I recently sat down to taste through three vintages (2021, 2012, and 2006) – three snap shots in time.

My palate was initially formed by diametrically opposed influences. On the one hand, my father’s carefully curated Bordeaux and Bourgogne focused cellar, and on the other, my copious consumption of cheap Chilean jug wines sold at Québec corner stores.

A few years later, when I started working in restaurants, I discovered a “middle road” in fine wines. It offered the same depth, grip, and polish of good Bordeaux with a riper fruited, more opulent style straddling Old World and New. This was the early 2000s, when Super Tuscans were still a relatively new phenomenon.

Though I couldn’t hope to afford the likes of Ornellaia, Sassicaia, or Tignanello, the names filled me with quiet reverence. I was always grateful to accept a glass when wealthy patrons offered. Happily, with the advent of the Toscana IGT appellation in the 1990s, and the modification of Bolgheri DOC rules, many of these illustrious estates multiplied their offerings to include more affordable second and third wines, such as Ornellaia’s Le Serre Nuove and Le Volte.

Over time, the term “Super Tuscan” has faded from many experts’ lexicons, as many of these iconic labels have adopted appellation status, and their styles have evolved and diversified. As with many a premium red wine region, the past twenty years has seen a move to more restrained winemaking. The fashion for ultra-ripe, heavily extracted reds has passed, allowing terroir differences between top more ample expression in the glass.

In May, I had the opportunity to revisit the wines of Ornellaia with the estate’s North American director, Alessandro Lunardi. The focus was the Ornellaia 2021 vintage release, with two contrasting older vintages, to show how the wine evolves over time.

A Conversation between the Sea and the Land

The vineyards of Ornellaia stretch inland from the Tyrrhenian coast to beyond Bolgheri’s famous cypress lined avenue. This area of northern Maremma, in Tuscany, has predominantly marine-origin soils of sandy marl, with more clay-dominant areas strewn with pebbly limestone at higher altitudes. Original owner, Lodovico Antinori planted Ornellaia’s vines in 1981, releasing the first vintage in 1985.

The diversity in soil compositions, altitudes, and mesoclimates – between the more inland areas, and those closest to the sea – allow a wide number of varieties to flourish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the estate’s flagship grapes, blended with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in the eponymous Ornellaia and its associate wines; exclusively Merlot for the powerful Masseto. In cooler coastal areas, white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, Viognier, Verdicchio and Vermentino.

Consistent Forces and a Changing of the Guards

In 1991, the estate engaged the services of consulting oenologist, Michel Rolland, a role the Bordeaux native he still holds today. “Michel has an encyclopedic memory of every Ornellaia vintage and an incredible sense of how best to express the variations from one season to the next” explains Lunardi.

When Ornellaia changed hands in the late nineties, to Mondavi, and later Frescobaldi, Michel Rolland was integral to maintaining the wine’s signature style. Rolland’s role as a consistent influence in changing times was once again called into service last year.

In 2023, longtime estate director, Axel Heitz, and Ornellaia winemaker, Olga Fusari, both left the estate to pursue new projects. What’s more, Ornellaia CEO Giovanni Geddes announced his retirement at the year’s end. When asked about the possible ramifications of these hugely significant departures, Lunardi was nonplussed.

“Winemaking at Ornellaia is a hugely exacting process, overseen by a highly skilled team. They have been well trained (by Heitz and Fusari). Quality will not be affected by this change in management” he assures me. All the same, it will be interesting to see the personal touch that recently appointed winemaking director, Marco Balsimelli, of Château Gruard-Larose fame, will bring to the wines.

Stylistic Shift over Time

Looking back on Ornellaia’s earliest bottlings, it is interesting to see how the blend has evolved. While the vintages of the 1980s and 1990s were heavily Cabernet Sauvignon dominant, the early 2000s brought a gradual move to greater proportions of Merlot, and secondary blending grapes, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in the wines.

“Cabernet Franc is a fantastic grape for Bolgheri” according to Lunardi, praising the freshness and red fruit perfume it brings to Ornellaia blends. Indeed, this is an increasingly popular opinion, reflected in increased plantings across the region.

Another important change highlighted by Lunardi, was the move to double sorting in 2016. “We introduced optical sorting, as well as manual, and it has been a game changer” he said. Other changes, identified via a quick study of technical sheets dating back to the 1990s, include the introduction of concrete tanks alongside stainless steel, cooler fermentation temperatures, to a maximum 30ºC, and shorter macerations.

The 2021 Vintage

At Ornellaia, each vintage is given a cuvée name to reflect the growing season conditions and the resultant wine style. The Ornellaia 2021 name was “La Generosità”. The winter was mild and quite wet, allowing the soils to stock up on moisture reserves, which proved a boon through the hot, dry summer. Cooling sea breezes tempered warm weather during harvest, dropping nighttime temperatures and prolonging the growing season.

“We call it an ‘à la carte’ vintage” explained Lunardi, “because we were able to pick each plot at optimal ripeness. We weren’t rushed. The conditions were perfect”. The Ornellaia 2021 vintage name, generosity, thus applies not only to the ample, ripe style but also the benevolent growing season.

The critics seem to agree with Lunardi’s enthusiasm for Ornellaia 2021, as top scores range in the high 90s, making it a favourite on wine investment platforms.

Ornellaia 2021 Bianco, Bolgheri DOC – 93pts. LW

Attractive Graves-like Sauvignon Blanc with layered aromas of currant bud, nettles, passion fruit, and lemon zest with underlying hints of wet stone. The palate is crisp and highly textural, with zesty citrus fruit and herbal nuances giving way to smoky, toasted oak nuances on the finish. Long and expansive.

Ornellaia 2021″ La Generosita”, Bolgheri DOC Superiore Rosso – 97pts LW

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot

The inky dark, fuscia rimmed colour gives a clear indication of the youthful, powerful nature of this red. The nose is utterly seductive, with heady floral notes, ripe blueberry, and cherry essence grounded by undertones of Mediterranean herbs and cedar. Very fresh on the palate, balancing the bold, very dense core. Despite its youth, the tannins are fine grained and the creamy, toasted oak is remarkably well integrated. Hugely concentrated and ripe. Already approachable but best with 8 – 10 years additional cellaring.

Ornellaia 2012 ‘L’ Incanto’, Bolgheri DOC Superiore Rosso – 93pts LW

The 2012 vintage was dubbed, “the enchantment” (L’Incanto) for its plush character, after a warm, even growing season. After over a decade the wine is still very youthful, with a Bordeaux-like aromatic profile of cassis, plum, licorice and cedar – in a slightly riper frame. Velvetty on the palate, with ripe, plummy fruit and hints of dried orange adding lift. Finishes with marginally chewy, hard-edged tannins.

Blend: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot

Ornellaia 2006 ‘Esuberenza”, Bolgheri DOC Superiore Rosso – 95pts. LW

In Lunardi’s opinion, the 2006 vintage is a prime example of how the 2021 is likely to develop, as growing conditions were similar. The 15-year-old “Esuberenza” has a lovely harmony of tertiary prune, truffle, mocha notes, with fresher dark fruit and minty, balasamic aromas. The palate is full-bodied and broad, with attractive, dried red fruit flavours giving way to lingering earthy, savoury tones. Fine, subtly chalky tannins frame the long finish.

Blend: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot

To purchase, enquire with agent : Mark Anthony

Reviews

The Volcanic Wines of Pantelleria : Off-the-Beaten Track in Sicily

Posted on June 20, 2024

Pantelleria is a rugged, volcanic island known for its abundance of seafood, its capers, and its famous sweet wine made from Zibibbo, Passito di Pantelleria. In May 2024, I hopped on a plane in Trapani to check out the volcanic wines of Pantelleria.

The island of Pantelleria lies 100km to the southwest of Sicily, closer to Tunisia than Italy. As our plane from Trapani made its descent, the rugged hilly landscape, sculpted by lava flows and dotted with scrubby vegetation, stood out against the endless blue sea.

Despite its abundant waters, Pantelleria is focused on agriculture. Olive groves, citrus trees, caper bushes, and vineyards all thrive in its nutrient-rich volcanic soils. As much as I love good olive oil and salted capers, it was (of course) the wines that had drawn me to the island. My fellow travellers and I had come to discover the famous Passito di Pantelleria and the increasing trend for dry white wines.

The island is planted entirely to the Zibibbo grape (aka Muscat d’Alexandrie). Until the 1980s, some 5000 hectares of this aromatic, fruity variety were grown across the island – produced for sale as table grapes, wine, and raisins. However, with the arrival of cheaper, seedless, international varieties like Thompson seedless, Pantelleria’s vineyard acreage has dwindled to just over 400 hectares today.

^{Zibbibo vineyards & coastal views. Photo credit: Donnafugata}.

^{Alberello Pantesco vine training system}

This is a challenging place to grow grapes or indeed any agricultural crop. The original Arabic name for the island was Bint al-Riyāḥ, which means, daughter of the winds. The climate is decidedly hot and dry during the growing season, and the vineyards are constantly buffeted by strong sea breezes; mainly the Sirocco (a hot, dry Saharan wind) and the Mistral (a cooler northerly gale).

To adapt to their environment, the farmers of Pantelleria have developed a number of ingenious cultivation techniques over the centuries. The vineyards are low-lying bush vines, each cradled within a circular hollow that acts as both a wind barrier and a basin to capture ambient moisture. This Alberello Pantesco vine training system is recognized by Unesco as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Citrus trees are grown within circular, walled shelters. These Giardini Panteschi (Pantellerian gardens) slope inwards from the top to draw down fog to water the plants. The branches of young olive trees are weighted down with heavy rocks to train them to grow in a downward arc, low to the ground. And all across the island, a network of 7,000 kilometres of dry lava stone walls form terraces to limit soil erosion.

Olive trees on Pantelleria — ^{Weighed down olive tree. Photo credit: Isobel Salomon}

Giardino Pantesco — ^{A single orange tree growing in a Giardino pantesco}

In this hilly landscape, agricultural work is largely carried out by hand. Caper bushes are visited daily to pluck ripe buds. The grape and olive harvests are also manual. In the past, famers carried out these back breaking efforts independently, tending to their small holdings alone. Now, as the region strives to reverse a trend of declining cultivation, collective work is prioritized.

Vineyards dot the island, in small plots grown at sea level, all the way up to 600 metres in altitude. Our guide, José Rallo, owner of top Sicilian winery, Donnafugata, explained that – given the diversity of altitudes, orientations, and so forth, the Zibibbo harvest on Pantelleria often spans several months, from early August into October. Rallo is well placed to understand Pantelleria grape growing, with Donnafugata’s 68-hectares of vineyards spread over 16 different districts.

The grape drying process for Passito di Pantelleria lasts from a couple of weeks to just over a month. However, new batches are regularly brought in for drying as different plots attain ripeness. The vinification process is therefore quite long, with newly raisined grapes added to fermenting musts a number of times.

*^{Passito grapes. Photo credit: Donnafugata}*

While many producers still age in barrel, Donnafugata chooses to mature its iconic Ben Ryé cuvée in stainless steel and bottle, to preserve freshness and aromatic appeal. Our evening meal was capped off with the hedonistic 2014 vintage. A dessert on to itself, the Ben Ryé offered a pretty golden amber colour, candied citrus, caramel, raisin, and roasted, nutty flavours, a velvety texture, and luscious sweetness.

Seductive as a fine Passito di Pantelleria may be, there is growing recognition among Pantelleria’s wine producers of the niche interest for such wines today. In response, a growing contingent are producing dry Zibibbo white wines.

The combination of aromatic grapevines, plunged into volcanic sands, buffeted by briny sea breezes, and surrounded by wild oregano, rosemary, and other dry maquis, gives a compelling result. Dry Zibibbo wines from Pantelleria have the hallmark floral, grapey, peach notes typical of Muscat, with underlying herbal hints, crisp acidity, and subtle salinity that refreshes the finish. Donnafugata’s Lighea cuvée was a perfect foil for a lunch of fresh-caught sea bream sipped a few metres from the eastern shoreline.

After such a short visit, it would have been easy to leave with a romantic view of the struggles and glory of grape growing on Pantelleria. But, in reality, the labour-intensive nature of its viticulture, the difficult climate, and lack of local educational facilities have been driving younger generations off the island for decades.

To stem the flow, a voluntary consortium for the protection and enhancement of Pantelleria DOC wines was set up. Their goal is to increase production and entice young people back to the land, through a series of scholarships, training programs, and financial incentives.

Only time will tell if the initiative is a success. In the meantime, I shall seek out the thirst quenching, dry whites and cellar worthy passito di Pantelleria to encourage them in my humble way.

This Zibbibo & Volcanic Wines of Pantelleria piece was first published in Good Food Revolution. Check out this excellent publication for the latest on artisinal wines, spirits, beers, and food.

Reviews

California Wine in 2024: Sustainability, New Wines, and Old Vines

Posted on May 2, 2024

Go big or go home. This is the “America” portrayed in our media. Risk-takers, visionaries, scrappy dreamers building empires, unabashed displays of prosperity. Big houses, big cars, big companies, big wines… Does the stereotype still hold true for California wine in 2024?

Yes and no.

Much has changed stylistically over the past twenty years. The ultra-ripe, extracted, oaky wines that defined premium California in the late 1990s and early 2000s still exist. However, an increasingly large contingent of California’s best producers are striving for fresher, more balanced wines.

California wine still has a big personality, but this largesse is channelled more into its numerous sustainability and climate smart initiatives, its proliferation of new cool climate appellations, and growing diversity of wine grapes.

Large Scale Sustainable Solutions

Sustainability certifications abound in California. Certified California Sustainable, Lodi Rules, Napa Green, Sustainability in Practice, Fish Friendly Farming, USDA Organic, Demeter, Regenerative Organic Certified, the list goes on and on.

This proliferation of organizations may seem overwhelming, but it has its merits. Each one is dedicated to the specific needs of a growing area or the specific tenets of an agricultural system. Overall, it shows that California’s wine producers aren’t content with simply farming more sustainably. They are holding themselves accountable; allowing their practices to be measured, analyzed, and regularly audited.

Today, over 60% of California’s vineyard acreage is certified sustainable and over 80% of its wines are produced in sustainably certified wineries. The region’s main sustainability manual, the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing is the only best practices guide of its kind to achieve gold standard equivalency to the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Farm Sustainability Assessment.

This is not to say that California’s efforts are more impressive than those of other sustainable wine champions like New Zealand or Chile. However, it is worth considering the sheer scale of their production. According to the California Wine Institute, the state has just under 250 000 hectares under vine. This is more than New Zealand’s and Chile’s vineyard acreage combined.

When we see articles about sustainable, organic, regeneratively farmed, or biodynamic wineries around the world, they tend to focus on the romantic ideal of small estates. In California, sustainability stories champion the efforts of the little and the large – from the massive solar power investments of winery giants like Treasury Americas to Monarch’s MK-V electric tractors tested at Wente Vineyards to Jackson Family’s achievements in waste water reduction.

^{Monarch MK-V electric tractor at Wente Vineyards. Image Credit: Monarch Tractor}.

The Rise of Cool Sub-Appellations

California hugs the Pacific Ocean coastline, spanning 1,300km in length. The California current, brings frigid waters southward from British Columbia to Baja. The ocean temperature off the California coast rarely exceeds 18˚C, even in the heat of summer.

As warm air rises in the hot interior Central Valley, a vacuum is created, which pulls in cooler coastal breezes. This causes thick banks of fog to form, settling over coastal areas and sneaking through mountain gaps to penetrate certain inland areas overnight. These cooler nights, coupled with hot, dry days, are the key to California’s fresh, ripe wine styles.

Increasingly, grape growers are working to isolate the coolest growing areas, separating them from larger appellations with hugely variable climate conditions. In 2022, the West Sonoma Coast AVA was born, delineating the steepest, most directly coastal vineyards of the vast Sonoma Coast. That same year, the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA emerged, hugging the coastline for 15km from Monterey to Santa Barbara.

In the warm Napa Valley, many of the coolest vineyard sites are to be found higher in altitude. The famed region will soon see its first new sub-AVA in over ten years. Crystal Springs borders Howell Mountain, with shallow, rocky soils and vineyards perched up to 400 metres above sea level.

Growing Beyond Big Cab

Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay remain the undisputed stars of California’s vineyards. Along with Pinot Noir, this powerhouse trio accounts for over 50% of the state’s plantings. In fact, 90% of California’s acreage is dedicated to just nine grapes.

That being said, the number of different grapes grown and interest for these small-scale plantings is rising rapidly. Ten years ago, movements like the Seven Percent Solution were established to champion the 7% of wines from outside the big eight that made up 93% of plantings. Today, the number of “other grapes” has risen to 10% and is comprised of over 90 different varieties.

The up-and-coming small producers that emerged in the early 2010s, championing new varieties, lesser-known terroirs, and minimal intervention winemaking, have definitely moved the needle and mentored a new generation to carry their work forward.

The reaction of sommeliers and wine lovers alike to the wines of those “modern California” pioneers like Steve Matthiasson, Pax Mahle, or Arnot-Roberts galvanized the industry, much in the same way the region’s climate imperative spurred a powerful action plan for sustainability.

California wines have never been better. The watchword of winemakers, big and small, is freshness. The term may not mean the same thing to all wineries, or be interpreted the same way in all appellations, but the impetus is there. Now, we just need to get more of these lighter, brighter wine styles across the border.

This “California Wine in 2024” article was originally published on Good Food Revolution. If you enjoy reading about artisinal food, wine, and spirits, check out this excellent online publication.

Reviews

Why Most Restaurant Wine Lists Drive me Crazy…

Posted on April 10, 2024

Restaurant wine lists are often infuriatingly opaque, and – in my opinion – getting increasingly so over time. Too often they simply list a producer name, a wide, generic designation (Vin de France, anyone?), and a vintage. We are already losing a new generation of wine drinkers. These menus aren’t helping…

How would you react if you were handed a walked into a restaurant tomorrow and the menu read like this:

“Hare & leek, Smith Farm, Little Valley, 2024“

You would know that you were being offered a dish of rabbit and leeks. You would know the name of the farm they came from, and where that farm was located – though, this information would hold little relevance to most patrons. And, you would know that the food was fresh.

What you wouldn’t know is anything even vaguely useful in determining whether you would like this dish. What cooking techniques have been used? What seasonings will affect the flavours? How will the food be served?

It would be understandable if you felt a rising sense of irritation while waiting for the server to come over and enlighten you. After all, what is the point of being handed a menu if it doesn’t provide a means of choosing for oneself. Why bother?

Enter the wine list…

The Age-Old Love Affair between Restaurant and Wine

Countless articles, global statistics, and studies all show that wine consumption is in decline, especially among younger people. There are many reasons for this slump: perceived healthier living choices, cost concerns, attractive alternatives in craft beer, ciders, and cocktails, and so on.

To ensure a bright future for our proud, ancient tradition of winemaking, redoubled efforts are required to court new wine enthusiasts and keep those already cuckoo for Cabernet.

Restaurants are the ideal setting for such noble vinous pursuits. People are out enjoying a bit of a treat, trying dishes they wouldn’t cook at home. They are a ready and willing audience. Cue the gleaming stemware, the gentle pop of the cork, and the romantic terroir tales. A delicious wine, that pairs perfectly with the food, can make an evening out.

But how can diners find that special wine? Simple. They just need to either: a) have explicit knowledge of a vast number of regions, sub-regions, wine producers, vintages, and grape varieties, b) randomly choose, then pray that they won’t spend the evening vaguely annoyed to be spending $100 on a wine they dislike, or c) wait for a sommelier, if the restaurant has one, to come and bestow their wisdom.

Were Restaurant Wine Lists Always this Infuriating… or are they Getting Worse?

It is easy to shrug and say, “twas always thus, and always thus will be.” Restaurant wine lists are notorious for being intimidating and opaque. But in my opinion – somebody who spends their days living, breathing, (and drinking) wine – the problem is only getting worse.

I used to love studying restaurant wine lists. I could spend ages looking for bargains, seeking out regions I hadn’t tasted in a while, trying to spot older vintages that might be hitting their stride. Now, I spend that same amount of time desperately looking for a single recognizable feature that will help narrow down my options.

As I wrote in a frustrated rant on cryptic wine lists a couple of years ago:

“Ordering wine in a restaurant has become an experience fraught with potential disappointment. Not only are obscure sub-regions, or worse, vast generic appellations often given as the only indication of a wine’s origin, but even if the list offers greater detail, there is no guarantee that the wine in question will taste anything like what is (or once was) typical for said place”.

The wine-producing world is expanding, and it is up to me to expand my frame of references, sure. But if I feel this way as a wine professional, I can only imagine how daunting the restaurant wine list must be for the average wine drinker.

It is of little use for such customers to look for winery names they may be familiar with from wine shops or glossy magazines. Restaurants want to offer original choices; wines that aren’t seen on the high street. They also don’t want their patrons to compare prices.

I understand and applaud a sommelier’s desire to step away from the mainstream when crafting a restaurant wine list. Give people an experience. Broaden their horizons to include up-and-coming new wine producers, interesting wine regions, under-the-radar grapes…but do it in a way that rouses curiosity and gets people excited.

And, as a side note, offer some stylistic diversity! A whole list of high acid, lean, funky, savoury edged, bone dry wines is a bit dull no matter how many countries and producers they come from.

Describing Wines like Food

Food menus explain their dishes. They tell us that the rabbit was braised, and that it will be served in a rich gravy, with a side of poached leeks. These details allow us to imagine how the dish will taste. Why not convey the flavour profile of a wine in a similar way?

Riesling, Cave Spring, VQA Niagara Peninsula, 2021 (Canada): A light bodied, refreshing, lower alcohol (11%) white wine with vivid notes of citrus, apricot, and wet stone. Unoaked, with high, tangy acidity balanced by a subtle touch of fruity sweetness.

A description like this isn’t just a laundry list of aromas, as I have seen countless times. It gives the reader key information about the wine’s structure: that the wine is light, low in alcohol, high in acidity, unoaked, and subtly off dry. These are all elements that are essential to successful food pairing.

Of course, restaurant wine lists of this sort already exist. This is not a novel concept that I am proposing. However, their language is often overly obscure – more concerned with clever word play, or romanticizing terroir. Or they give way too much information. My example might lack a bit of poetry or wit, but at least it is clear.

Descriptive wine lists are also quite rare, perhaps because of the work involved. Presumably, though, a restaurant wine list author has tasted all their selections. Providing descriptions shouldn’t be all that difficult then – at least for a subset of by-the-glass offerings and by-the-bottle focus wines.

Why not just let sommeliers give these descriptions table-side? Because many restaurants don’t have a sommelier, or not one that works every night. And, because many people don’t want to interrupt their dinner conversation to have a lengthy chat about the wine selection. Also, some diners don’t feel comfortable bothering a busy sommelier for too long.

By giving restaurant patrons the ability to easily narrow down their options, the sommelier can then come along for a brief and pleasant chat, weighing in on the final wine choice and providing additional insights to ramp up their guests’ enthusiasm.

50 Ways to Liven up a Restaurant Wine List

Maybe descriptions aren’t the way to go for some restaurants. Perhaps all that is needed is a simple line of text that recommends the best food pairing for each wine. Or a brief, “drinks like…” comment to indicate other, similar wine styles.

There are so many ways to create a more exciting restaurant wine list. Just look at the entertaining and information-packed menus curated by Paul Grieco’s staff at the Terroir wine bars in New York. They may be a little more than a novice wine drinker can handle…but they definitely make you want to pull up a glass.

Education Wines

Abruzzo Wines: Exploring the (Under-Appreciated) Italian Home of Montepulciano

Posted on January 17, 2024

Abruzzo wines are often consumed as a cheap and cheerful pizza pairing but this mountainous region on the Adriatic coast has undergone an impressive quality revolution in recent years. Learn all about what makes Abruzzo wines so interesting in my latest video!

Montepulciano is the second most planted red grape variety in Italy. It thrives in the mountainous region of Abruzzo. While the Montepulicano d’Abruzzo DOC is one of the most productive appellations in the country, the region remains little known among wine lovers internationally.

Quality is skyrocketing, from the region’s larger co-operatives and wineries, to a new generation of independent growers. Learn all about Abruzzo’s grapes, appellations, terroir, and food scene in this short, Abruzzo Wine 101 video.

Education Reviews Wines

Your Holiday Sparkling Wine Style Guide

Posted on December 22, 2023

Browsing the sparkling wine aisle in December can be a daunting prospect. The shelves seem to groan under the weight of the vast selection. Quality has never been better at every price point, but good sparkling wine is still a premium purchase. Knowing a little bit about the different styles will help ensure you buy a bottle you will love.

First consider the sweetness level. Most sparkling wines use the same terminology.

Brut nature or Zero Dosage: no dosage (added sweetness). Bone-dry, often quite taut, perception of acidity is often heightened.
Extra Brut: Very subtle dosage. Dry. Slightly less austere on the palate than a zero dosage.
Brut: Subtle dosage. Still quite dry, but more rounded and fruitier.
Extra-Dry: Confusingly this term actually means off-dry (subtly sweet).
Dry: Semi sweet sparkling wines with pronounced fruitiness

Then, think about the origin or production method. Some of the most popular sparkling wines include:

Prosecco: The Party Favourite

Prosecco, from the north of Italy, is an affordable option for holiday parties. The style is fresh and light (11% – 11.5% alcohol) with a subtle pear drop, peachy, floral perfume. It drinks well on its own but also works well in Mimosa-type cocktails.

Its bubbles are generally softer and frothier than traditional method sparkling wines (like Champagne or Cava). This is due to the winemaking process – whereby bubbles are formed during a brief passage in large, pressurized tanks before early rapid bottling.

For the best quality Prosecco, look out for the top tier DOCG mention on the label, which is helpfully accompanied by the term Superiore. These Prosecco wines hail from the region’s best growing areas.

Recently tasted recommendations:

Fiol Prosecco DOC Extra Dry rosé ($20.25 at the SAQ) – pretty in pink, good value, fruity, easy-drinking, smooth bubbly

Canavel Campofalco, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Superiore ($30.75$ at the SAQ) – dry, elegant, and well-balanced, with a discreet orchard fruit, floral perfume

Cava: The Oft Underrated Option

Cava hails from the Catalonia region in northeastern Spain. It is produced using the same “traditional method” as Champagne. After an initial fermentation, wines are bottled and dosed with yeast and (usually) sugar to provoke a second fermentation in the bottle. Carbon dioxide released during this process is trapped in the bottle and dissolves into the liquid, forming bubbles.

Cava has two key differences from Champagne: firstly, the grapes in the blend are not the same, and secondly, the grape-growing climate is warmer. This translates as a broader sparkling wine, with softer acidity. Green apple, lemon, and earthy flavours are common. Most are very dry, in the Brut Nature to Brut range.

The longer a traditional method sparkling wine remains in contact with the yeast cells (called lees) after the second fermentation, the more complex the wine can become, developing a creamier more layered texture, finer bubbles, and toasty, nutty flavours. Longer-aged Cava wines are called Reserva or – for the longest aged tier – Gran Reserva.

Recently tasted recommendations:

Muga Conde de Haro Brut Reserva 2020 ($23.10 at the SAQ): Surprisingly textural and persistent for the price, with vigorous bubbles, and tempting baked apple, biscuit, earthy notes.

Juvé y Camps Reserva de la Familia Brut Nature ($23.95 at the SAQ), Juvé y Camps Brut Cava Rosé ($24.50 at the SAQ) – consistently good value Cava in a very dry, textured, lively style

Mestres Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2016 ($38.00 at the SAQ) – Complex, nutty, rich, and layered. Bone-dry without austerity. Lovely freshness and verve.

Crémant & other non-Champagne Traditional Method Bubblies : The Affordable Luxury

Crémant is a name given to sparkling wines from 7 French regions outside of Champagne including: the Loire Valley, Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Jura, Limoux and Die. The grape varieties vary depending on the region.

Crémant wines often have bigger, more rounded bubbles than Champagne, making them feel a little rounder and more ample on the palate. The most affordable Crémants also tend to be fruitier as they are rarely aged for more than a year on their lees.

Recently tasted recommendations:

Louis Bouillot Perle Rare Crémant de Bourgogne 2019 ($24.45 as the SAQ) – broad, rounded, and fruity, in an easy-drinking, smooth style.

Domaine Vincent Carême Brut Vouvray mousseux 2021 ($25.65 at the SAQ) – clean, zesty citrus, honeyed undertones, fine, lively mousse, and zippy acidity

Domaine Baud Brut Sauvage, Crémant de Jura ($31 at the SAQ) – delicate floral, lemon, and brioche nuances, vibrant freshness, and a dry, earthy finish.

Side note… There are many countries producing first-rate traditional method sparkling wines outside of Spain and France. Canada is making excellent bubblies from coast to coast. Some of my favourite producers include: Lightfoot & Wolfville, Benjamin Bridge, Hinterland, Cave Spring, Henry of Pelman (Cuvée Catherine), Hidden Bench, Tantalus, Blue Mountain, Fitzpatrick Winery, and the list goes on!

Pét Nat: The Wild Child

Pét Nat stands for Pétillant Naturel (or naturally sparkling wine). It might seem like a recent trend, but the technique to make Pét Nat wines is actually the oldest sparkling wine process in the world. It is called the Ancestral Method.

The Ancestral Method, used for Pét Nat wines, consists of bottling a wine partway through its initial fermenting, as compared to the secondary fermentation of traditional method sparkling wines. There is quite a wide array of Pét Nat styles out there so they are hard to define.

They do tend to be quite low in alcohol (9.5 – 11%), with less vigorous bubbles, and flavours that are often more savoury, mineral, or herbal than fruity. Many are unfiltered so can be quite cloudy.

Recently tasted recommendations:

Domaine Fouet Pour Ma Gueule ($23.10 at the SAQ) – invigorating, ultra thirstquenching, bubbly with a rounded mid-palate and dry finish

Les Tètes, Tète Nat’ 2022 ($23.95 at the SAQ) – tangy green fruit flavours, piercing acidity, bone dry, precise palate with fine, well formed bubbles.

Francesco Cirelli Wines of Anarchy Frizzante ($25.10 at the SAQ) – earthy, savoury flavours mingle nicely with bright orchard fruit on this textural, bracing frizzante.

Champagne: The Luxury Choice

Champagne remains the obvious choice for special occasions. While many worthy contenders are cropping up from other wine regions, a well-made Champagne is still hard to beat in terms of its overall finesse.

What sets the best Champagnes apart? Firstly, the quality of their bubbles: ultra-fine, lively, and persistent. Secondly, the complexity of their aromas, blending mineral notes (flint, wet stone), with lees-aged nuances (brioche, biscuit), subtle florality, and tart fruit undertones.

The creamy, layered core of long lees aged Champagnes tempers their typical racy, high acidity, giving the wines a very harmonious mouthfeel. The long, vibrant finish of fine Champagne is another of its defining features.

Recently tasted recommendations:

There are so many lovely wines that I could list here, but I will stick to those sampled in the past few months that offer particularly good value for their price.

Champagne Fleury Blanc de Noirs Brut ($59.75 at the SAQ) – consistently good value blanc de noir with vivid fruit, smooth bubbles, a dry finish, and pleasing satin-like texture.

Champagne Ayala Brut Majeur ($68.50 at the SAQ) – attractive floral, orchard fruit nuances, ultra-fine mousse, lingering savoury, saline finish. Bone dry.

Champagne Palmer & Co Brut Réserve ($79.00 at the SAQ) – heady, tempting patisserie nuances balanced by racy, refreshing citrussy notes, lots of finesse.

Whether you choose to sip on light, fruity Prosecco, splash out on top Champagne, or venture further off-the-beaten track, I wish you all a very merry holiday season!

This Holiday Sparkling Wine Guide was originally published on Good Food Revolution. If you enjoy reading about artisinal food, wine, and spirits, check out this excellent online publication.

Life Reviews Wines

How Much are You Willing to Pay for a Bottle of Wine?

Posted on December 5, 2023

How much would you pay for a bottle of wine? It is a question that avid wine enthusiasts get asked all the time. And it isn’t an easy one to answer. After all, the notion of worth is deeply personal and depends on so many factors.

An invitation to attend a press screening of Wine Masters TV’s new film, “”The Most Expensive Wine in the World,” has me pondering the subject. The documentary follows the story of Loïc Pasquet, controversial Bordeaux winemaker.

The famous Left Bank classification of crus classés wines from Bordeaux dates back to 1855. Aside from the addition of the Château Cantemerle and promotion of Château Mouton Rothschild, the rankings have not changed in almost 170 years. But the wines have…

This is Pasquet’s premise. The wines ranked by request of Napolean III carry little resemblance to today’s versions. Many of the grape varieties used then are no longer commonly grown, and Bordeaux’ vines are now grafted onto American rootstocks.

Pasquet therefore set about replicating pre-Phylloxera conditions in his Graves vineyard: planting 20,000 vines-per-hectare, individually staked, ungrafted, with both well-known grapes, such as Petite Vidure (aka Cabernet Sauvignon), and quite rare, ancient Bordeaux grapes like Pardotte, Castet, and Tarney.

The wine, Liber Pater, sells for somewhere in the neighbourhood of $50,000 CAD/ bottle.

When people gasp at the price, as you may have just done, Pasquet is ready with any number of replies. In the documentary trailer he says, “What is the price we are ready to pay to have dinner with Napoleon”?

He attributes historical importance to his project, and claims he is “saving the taste of Bordeaux”. For Pasquet, the wine, its ethos, its craftsmanship, its label, everything about it is art. No one balks at a prestigious painting fetching far higher prices than this.

In essence, the story of Liber Pater has all of the necessary attributes to create a cult following… A sense of being part of something important, bigger than all of us, rare, unique, exciting. Whether you believe the hype or not, you must admit that it is intriguing.

The idea takes me back to a conversation I had a few months ago with Jermaine Stone (aka the Real Wolf of Wine). Stone is a hip-hop artist, turned fine wine auction director, turned fine wine importer in New York.

We discussed the notion, often expressed in the media, that wine is becoming too expensive, and that younger people can no longer afford to drink it. In Stone’s experience, this is simply not true. “People have the money” he insists. “They just don’t have the reverence for the product”.

“Do you think Millennials just woke up wanting to buy Balenciaga bags for $9000?” he adds. “My son is 16. He’s spending $750 on a pair of yeezy sneakers that he’s already outgrown”. For Stone, it is all about educating people, showing them what is special about a wine to create that sense of desire.

At a recent sneak preview of fine wine lots from an Iron Gate auction, I got a chance to witness the power of creating reverence first-hand. Collectors had gathered from across the province to taste the wines and trade anecdotes about their most memorable wines.

They seemed to feed off each other’s passion and enthusiasm, each wanting to tell their stories and talk about the time and energy they put into building their collections. Their eyes shone as they listened to the sommeliers describing the wines to sample.

It brings me back to my original point about how personal the notion of worth can be. At the end of the day, we all have items that we are willing to splurge on and others for which we bargain shop. Wine and food will always be a worthy expense for me…though my idea of a splurge will likely never hit the four-figure (or even the high three figure) mark per bottle.

In the meantime, here are some of the stand out luxury wines that I have had the good fortune to taste recently. Sadly, they are all

Yalumba “The Caley” 2018, Australia – 96pts. LW

This is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon from Yalumba’s prized Menzies vineyard in Coonawarra, with 20% Shiraz mainly from their Horseshoe vineyard in the Barossa sub-region of Eden Valley. The wine is matured for almost two years in new, one, and two-year old French oak barrels.

Heady notes of exotic spice and licorice mingle with wafts of red currant, black plum, spearmint, and cedar on the nose. The palate is bold yet refreshing, with lovely tension and impressive concentration. Velvety, well-formed tannins frame the long finish nicely.

Where to Buy: SAQ (2016 vintage, $515), inquire with agent: Elixirs Vins & Spiritueux

Renato Ratti Barolo “Rocche dell’Annunziata” 2016, Italy – 97pts. LW

The Rocche dell’Annunziata vineyard is one of the most revered crus of La Morra. The southwest facing hillside forms a natural amphitheatre. Its terroir of sandy soils gives a very perfumed, elegant expression of Barolo, according to the team at Renatto Ratti.

The 2016 vintage is spectacular: powerful and hugely complex. Layers of dried flowers, provençal herbs, red cherry, and orange peel emerge with aeration, underscored by earthy, savoury notes. Brisk acidity lifts the weighty palate, giving an impression of finesse throughout. Already approachable with well integrated, fine-grained tannins.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($121, sadly sold out. Inquire with agent: Montalvin)

Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard 2019, Argentina – 94pts. LW

The Nicaisa vineyard is located in the southerly region of Altamira, in the La Consulta district of the Uco Valley. The massal selections of Malbec planted here grow at a towering 1,095 metres altitude on gravelly, loam rich soils with excellent drainage.

A truly hedonistic nose, with its aromas of blueberry pie, plum jam, violets, baking spice, and underlying hints of thyme. In contrast, the mouthfeel is pleasingly brisk and taut with excellent depth of flavour and notable peppery spice. Needs a few years cellaring to tame its muscular tannins.

Where to Buy: Inquire with agent: Elixirs Vins & Spiritueux

Champagne Palmer “Grands Terroirs” 2015 – 94pts. LW

This vintage cuvée, sourced exclusively from 1er and Grand Cru terroirs, is only produced in the best growing seasons. It is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir, and 12% Meunier, with six years ageing on the lees. The maison calls it their “homage to the Montagne de Reims”.

Tempting aromas of roasted hazelnut, brioche, citrus blossoms, and baked apple feature on the nose. The palate boasts great tension and fine, lively bubbles, ably balancing the creamy, layered core. A bold, structured style of brut Champagne, with lingering tangy green fruit and nutty undertones.

Where to Buy: Inquire with agent: Vins Arterra

Champagne Ayala “La Perle” 2013 – 95pts. LW

The “La Perle” cuvée from Ayala is mainly composed of Chardonnay, with a small portion of Pinot Noir from the estate’s Grand Cru holdings in Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Aÿ. The wine was aged for almost nine years on the lees. Each bottle was hand riddled and manually disgorged.

The 2013 is electric in its vibrancy. Intense notes of lemon zest, peach, exotic spice, hazelnut, and savoury nuances play across the nose. The mousse is quite subtle, giving a vinous style on the palate. Initially racy and taut, broadening and deepening on the mid-palate to culminate in a very long, dry saline finish with attractive citrus and sourdough hints.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($172.75, low stocks, inquire with agent: Sélections Oeno )

This article is taken from a piece initially written for Good Food Revolution. If you love reading about artisinal wines, beers, and foods, check out this excellent website!

Education Wines

The Wines of Vinho Verde: Rustic Reds to New Wave Whites

Posted on November 22, 2023

The wines of Vinho Verde are often described as light, bright, and easy-drinking. White wine lovers enjoy their low alcohol, refreshing, subtly sparkling palate, with just a touch of fruity sweetness on the finish. An affordable option in a sea of increasingly expensive wine choices.

This highly stereotypical description has been used for decades to sum up the wines of the verdant Minho region of northwest Portugal. The consistency and unique personality of Vinho Verde wines made for a simple branding message that has long resonated with casual wine drinkers around the world.

This global success has been a boon to the region, allowing for expansion, modernization, and most importantly, a wave of quality-focused winemakers. Today, the wines of Vinho Verde are far more than a one-trick pony (stylistically speaking).

From Rustic Reds to Vibrant White Wines

Winemaking is not a new activity for the Minho area. The first literary references date back to the first century AD. The old Minho province was officially recognized as a wine region in 1908. At that time, and well into the latter half of the century, red wine dominated.

The agricultural focus was on dairy and corn. Vineyards were an afterthought, grown on the edges of fields, up trees or in overhead (pergola) canopies. The dense shading of these training methods, with cool winds and steady rain from the nearby Atlantic Ocean, made ripening a challenge and rot an ever-present concern. The wines were often thin, tart, and rough around the edges.

All that started to change in the late 1970s, with the advent of more modern winemaking practices including the introduction of inert tanks, temperature control, and a greater emphasis on cellar hygiene. This brought about a radical shift – to clean, fruity white wines with a subtle spritz of injected carbon dioxide to heighten their lively, early-drinking appeal.

The Blend & the Sum of Its Parts

While the Vinho Verde name has gained recognition among white wine lovers, the grapes that make up its blends have not. Over 45 different varieties are planted in the region. For white wines, the most common are Loureiro, Alvarinho, Arinto (aka Pedernã), Avesso, Azal Branco, and Trajadura.

Each grape had its role to play in the blend, Loureiro for its pretty floral aromatics, or its broader structure, Alvarinho for its vibrancy and its array of citrus, stone, and tropical fruit flavours, Arinto for its nervy minerality, Avesso for its creamy texture, Trajadura for its steely structure and so forth. However, the focus has traditionally always been the blend and not its component parts.

Fast forward to the late 1990s and all this began to change.

Vinho Verde’s Terroir Pioneers

The turn of the century brought with it a wave of new energy in Vinho Verde. A handful of respected winemakers, like Anselmo Mendes, Quinta da Soalheiro, and Quinta do Ameal, started setting their sights on more complex, age-worthy wines.

The vineyards of Vinho Verde are divided into nine sub-regions separated by the Minho, Lima, Cávado, Ave and Douro Rivers and their many tributaries. Each area is unique in its proximity or distance from the Atlantic, the influence of its waterways, its undulations, meso-climate, and so forth. Granitic sandy and loam-rich soils dominate throughout Vinho Verde, but several veins of schist traverse the region from south-east to northwest, and stony outcrops also exist in several areas.

Mendes and his contemporaries sought to dial into these sub-regional differences by creating specific blends or single variety bottlings that best expressed their place. In 1998, Mendes, a renowned Portuguese consulting winemaker, returned to his native Monção with this goal in mind.

The Vinho Verde sub-region of Monção and Melgaço is located in the northern reaches of the denomination, along the inland banks of the Minho River. Lower annual rainfall and warmer summer temperatures here create rich, structured Alvarinho wines with fragrant peach and exotic fruit notes.

Further south, other grapes found their groove. The Lima Valley proved an ideal terroir for single variety Loureiro, with its highly refreshing, floral expression. The inland sub-region of Baião has more continental influences with warmer summers. Here, the late ripening Avesso grape shines; developing notable body and depth.

Terroir-focused single variety bottlings, as well as blends, have become increasingly prominent in recent years. Winemaking practices vary from traditional, unoaked, early bottled styles to longer aged, discreetly oaked wines.

Map credit: *Comissão* de Viticultura da Região dos *Vinhos Verdes*

Beyond White Wine

Once a second-class crop relegated to the periphery, Vinho Verde vineyards now span some 16 thousand hectares. The wines are produced by 370 wine bottlers across the region. White wine remains the undisputed focus accounting for over 85% of sales, but Vinho Verde rosé and red wine are gaining a niche following.

Sparkling wine from Vinho Verde – not the subtly spritzy – but properly effervescent espumante wines made using the tank, traditional, and now Pét Nat methods are also generating buzz, though they remain difficult to come by in most export markets.

Quinta da Soalheiro was the first in the region to produce traditional method Alvarinho sparkling wine back in 1995. Almost thirty years later, they remain a reference for quality espumante, encouraging many to follow suit. Loureiro and Trajadura are also common choices for sparkling Vinho Verde.

Looking to the Future

Rainfall is high in much of Vinho Verde. While this makes for a lush, green landscape it also means that fungal disease is a constant threat. Despite this, some of Portugal’s leading names in biodynamic and in organic winemaking are based here.

In 2003, Vasco Croft took over abandoned family-owned vineyards in the Lima Valley. By year three he began converting the property to biodynamic farming and grew to over 20 hectares. The success of his estate, Aphros Wines, alongside fellow biodynamic great Fernando Paiva of Quinta da Palmirinha, is an inspiration to younger generations.

The list of certified organic wineries continues to grow, led by estates and négociants like Casa de Mouraz, Quinta das Arcas, Quinta de Santiago, and A&D Wines. Their efforts go far beyond prohibiting chemical vineyard treatments, to biodiversity initiatives, conservation initiatives, and an overall commitment to lowering carbon footprint.

A Tale of Two Vinho Verde

Those that love the simplicity of a crisp, light, spritzy Vinho Verde will not be lost in this brave new world of Vinho Verde wines. The region’s iconic style still makes up the brunt of its production. However, it is exciting to see how multi-faceted Vinho Verde wines have become.

New names of top Vinho Verde producers – from classic to avant-garde, traditional to natural – are cropping up all the time. Racy high acidity remains a hallmark of the region, across its sub-regional and single variety bottlings as well as its blends. However, fruit expressions, texture, and body vary more widely than ever before, offering something for every palate.

This article on The Wines of Vinho Verde is taken from a piece initially written for Good Food Revolution. If you love reading about artisinal wines, beers, and foods, check out this excellent website!

Older Posts

Reviews

Keep up to date! Join our mailing list.