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Today’s Vintages Pinot Noir Release
Miguel Torres 2004 Mas Borras Triumphs!
©
Michael Vaughan 2006
National Post
Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist
Saturday,
July 22, 2006
To see this article as it appears in the National Post click here
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Of all wines, those based on Pinot Noir are the most challenging to make. Referred to as the "heartbreak" grape, good ones are hard to find, great ones very rare. Today's Vintages release highlights 28 Pinot Noir, including an attractive sparkler from Spain.
After tasting all but two of these wines, I have come to the sad
conclusion that variability and mediocrity now rule at Vintages. Perhaps
the LCBO has pushed "low price points" too far as witnessed by
last month's Alsace release. In addition, the LCBO's heavy-handed
"suggestion" that producers advertise upcoming releases in the
Vintages Catalogue rarely produces the best crop of possibilities.
Pro-active trade buyers, who personally visit producers and buy on the
spot, always scoop top quality wines.
By contrast, LCBO buyers determine when and if wines can be submitted and tasted. This passive approach is doomed to failure. Worse yet, this monopoly buyer arbitrarily penalizes suppliers (by discounting invoices 25%) when wines don't sell at least 75% during the first 90 days! And even if a wine succeeds, there is rarely any continuity. As a result, many producers no longer offer their best wines to the LCBO. As long as the LCBO rakes in more money, they don't care. All this means that consumers have to buy carefully. Knowing what to avoid can be as important as knowing what to buy, here are my reviews.
Starting
with six Burgundies from the home of Pinot Noir, I was dismayed to
discover that there really isn't anything worth running out to buy! My
bottom line recommendation is Maison
Champy 2004 Signature Bourgogne Pinot Noir
(001149) at $19.95, which shows good typicity with its harmonious,
slightly spicy, plummy, red cherry flavours. This decently-priced,
ready-to-drink value would go well with a rib steak.
Searching
for a highlight from this year's Vintages release of 29 Burgundies, only
one turned up. Prince
Florent de Merode 2003 Pommard Clos De La Platière
(681841) at $45.95 is one of those juicy, delicious Burgundies that makes
the investment and effort of tracking one down worthwhile. Released on
April 29, 2006, it is still available at a number of stores, including 44
bottles at Bayview Village.
From French houses that usually produce good wines, other Vintages pitfalls include an Albert Mann Pinot Noir at $24.95 from Alsace from the challenging 2004 vintage and a rather lean, tart, Pinot Noir from the Loire - Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rouge at $21.95. I wish I could say that today's in-store discoveries were a refuge of quality. It is a mystery why another 50 cases of the aging, dusty, stewed Guillaume 2002 Pinot Noir a Franche-Comté VdP, which appeared here a year ago at $17.95 and is now back at $15.95.
Moving
to Canada, we have a single ambering effort from the Okanagan Valley. For
my palate, Tinhorn Creek 2003 Pinot Noir at $16.95 is also best avoided.
If you have a hankering for something from BC, try Mission
Hill 2004 Five Vineyards Pinot Noir Bin 99
(118844) at $13.85 (General List) with its bright, dried ripe red cherry
flavours along with hints of oak and vanilla.
Moving
on, there are few mandatory detours with most of the other Pinot Noir
available. On the six New Zealand entries, my choices are the harmonious,
ripe Mt.
Difficulty 2004 Pinot Noir (994251) from Otago,
which isn't exactly cheap at $37.95. More reasonable is the solid Margrain
2004 Rivers Edge Pinot Noir (684258) at $26.95,
which comes from Martinborough. Look for fairly intense, very slightly
sweetish, baked plum and dried black cherry flavours.
Thankfully,
redemption comes to those who have patience. The best Pinot Noir of the
group, indeed, the best red of the entire release comes from Spain. Miguel
Torres 2004 Mas Borras Pinot Noir (673483) at
$25.95 is without peer. The terrific, well-structured, ripe plum and
elegant black cherry flavours linger sublimely on the palate. Hints of
lime-tinged, vanilla custard dance on the finish. An amazingly fine best
buy at only $25.95, you should move quickly because all 150 cases will fly
off the shelves.
Miguel Torres is justifiably proud of this wine. At last January's Madrid Fusion, Torres revealed the secret to the high quality of Mas Borras: very low yields from well-established high vineyards in the highest locations of the Penedes region. It is aged in classy French oak (50% new) for 12 months. Delicious to drink now, it will hold well for the next year or two.
Finally,
today's sleeper (because the LCBO prohibits wine writers from tasting open
bottles) is one of those hidden ISDs (in-store discoveries), which no
longer appears in the Vintages Catalogue. Breaking tapas with young
Chilean winemaker Adolfo Hurtado Cerda
at Casa Barcelona, I was able to sample today's ISD Viña
Cono Sur 2003 Pinot Noir 20 Barrels (684530) at
$24.95. This Burgundian-styled, solid, well-structured, intense, dried
ripe cherry flavoured red is a perfect food wine that opens with
decanting. Only 18 cases are available.
Pick of the Week
Move
over Twin Fin Pinot Noir, just one taste of South Africa's recently
released Ubuntu
2004 Shiraz (665281) at $10.90 (General List)
and you will ready to abandon the Twin Fin ship. Ubuntu's smooth, easy to
drink, juicy, ripe black cherry flavours come from the Western Cape
region. Share it with friends while feasting on smoky, hot-off-the-bbq
ribs.
2001-2002-2003-2004-2005-2006
Tasting Note Database
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