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The Spicy Whites of Spring ~ Getting The Jump on Summer
Their
Rutherford reds have almost always been praised by the cognoscenti of wine.
It’s quite remarkable, however, how this spicy, faintly sweetish, very fruity,
oaky white blend commands such a serious price and loyal following. Caymus
winemaker Jon Bolta does an annual juggling act, blending separate lots of
Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Chardonnay, Viognier and Muscat Canelli. The latter
grape that gives the lychee flavours, while Sémillon provides orange citrus.
The final result, however, varies considerably from year to year. Having
tracked this wine from its inception in 1989, my impression is that this 2000
has moved in much more spicy direction, shedding its toasty, Chardonnay clothes
that characterized some vintages such as 1996, which sold for $29.95 in Vintages
exactly four years ago. Indeed, the 2000 has honeyed, lychee, rose petal notes
that leave me wondering exactly where it fits in terms of my dinner menu.
Too sweet and toasty for seafood but not enough sustaining grip for white
meats and poultry. My local sommelier confides “it’s the perfect upscale
quaffer for folks who really don’t like wine!” Perhaps that says it all. Fortunately,
there are numerous, deserving, less expensive, whites crowding Vintage’s
shelves. All too often they are easily missed. While not at all in the same
league as Conundrum, for instance, Vallformosa 2001 Claudia Parellada Muscat at $9.95 is worth
considering. It’s light bodied, dry and crisp without a hint of oak.
Nevertheless, this spicy Spanish white has lime-lychee flavours that make it an
interesting refresher capable of accompanying a variety of dishes at a price
that most can afford.
Even
Italy has a spice wine contender. From the northern reaches of Sudtirol region
we have a unique clone of the Traminer grape, which is named after the town of
Termeno. The unoaked, very dry, honeyed, floral, lychee-citrus flavours of the Vinicola
La Vis 2000 Traminer Aromatico at $14.65 make it a perfect match for
seafood. There
is even a Canadian spice wine entry worth considering. Think of tangerines and
marmalade with hints of ginger and honeysuckle. From British Columbia we have Mission
Hill 1999 Pinot Gris Reserve at $15.95. It is on the dry but tasty side with
a touch of refreshing tartness on the finish.
It’s
back - my final recommendation Errazuriz 1999 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc at $12.75 per half
bottle. This used to be a general listing but thanks to the LCBO, it didn’t
make quota and was delisted. Why? Because customers couldn’t find where it was
located in their LCBO stores. Well worry no more. The sweet, honeyed, tropical,
peach purée flavours caress the palate. While admittedly it’s not as good as
the previous vintage – the alcohol has dropped from 13% to 11% - it still
makes for a delicious dessert wine. Coming up next Tuesday, April 30th is the German Wines & Jazz Festival at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel from 6:30 - 9 pm featuring the wares of 31 producers. Tickets are $45 - call 905-815-1581.
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Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada
2004 |
It’s
amazing how the big splashy mainstream labels attract the wine lovers like moths
to a flame. Well move over Icewine, April's spice wines are in! You don’t have
to be a rocket scientist to know that Caymus 2000 Conundrum even at $39.75 is going to fly off the
shelves. And why not?
Moving
up more than just a notch, there is a Hungarian barrel-aged Pinot Gris that
might well hold the Conundrum to ransom. Don’t miss trying Domaine
Szeremley 2000 Badacsonyi Szürkebarát whose honeyed, just off-dry, floral,
smoky, peach-citrus flavours are bound to delight Conundrum fanciers even if
they can’t pronounce the name. At only $11.30, I marked this one a best buy! I
know it sounds evil, but the only way you will likely get label fanatics to try
this wine is by decanting it into one of those empty highbrow bottles. Indeed,
this is my best buy of the today’s spice selections.
From
Argentina we have another spicy contender whose smell reminds me of Orange Crush
of yesteryear – the one that used to come in those small old brown ribbed
bottles. Michel Torino 2000 Torrontes de
Cafayate has very bright, dry, spicy, dried lychee flavours with a long
somewhat peppery (14.5% alcohol) finish. At $13.45, it’s the kind of wine I
would throw at a pork roast where the wine and meal can go snout to snout!
Of
course, if you are not overly fussy about spicy wines, let me suggest a great
alternative - the wonderful, spice-free Vineland Estates 2000 Sauvignon Blanc. At only $11.95, this charmer is very bright and dry with grassy,
green peach flavours that scream for seafood. There is not a drop of cat’s pee
here (the disparaging term that is usually applied to the highly herbaceous
notes found in some Sauvignon Blancs). Indeed, this charmer finishes with a
delightful flourish of tangy fresh grapefruit.