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The big bird cometh!
Discovering an inexpensive gem from Chile
©
Michael Vaughan 2001
National Post Weekly Wine & Spirits
Columnist
Saturday,
September 29, 2001
It’s
hard to believe that a week Monday will be Thanksgiving. When it comes to
my feathered friends, I lean towards fleshy, fruity wines – especially
new world Syrah and Zinfandel. To my taste, drier reds be it Beaujolais or
Bordeaux don’t work as well!
Last
Saturday’s September 21st
Chilean Vintages release of 16 wines has a gem that will bring any
bird to its knees. It’s the absolutely delicious Morandé
2000 Pionero Syrah from the Central Valley. It’s well
balanced, harmonious, gently smoky, ripe black cherry and fresh beefsteak
tomato flavours will sweep you off your feet. At $10.80 it’s an absolute
steal. Fortunately the LCBO has some 600 cases available. The best
website for searching out Chilean wines is http://www.chilevinos.com
(it’s in Spanish but it’s great for researching). There is an
American and Chilean website for Morandé: www.morande.usa.com
or www.morande.cl
From
the same release for white wine fans is another bargain Santa Alicia 2000 Chardonnay Reserve at $10.50
from Chile’s Maipo Valley. It’s very bright on the palate with gently
cedary, fresh melon flavours that will go with pretty much anything. Half
the wine was aged in French and American oak barrels with malolactic; the
balance was fermented and stored in stainless steel tanks with no malo. www.santa-alicia.com
If
you are fishing for something bigger, the creamy, rich, ripe peach-pear
purée flavoured Casa
Lapostelle 1998 Chardonnay at $21.90 is sure to hit the spot.
For details on this wine see http://www.casalapostolle.com/index2.html
Next
Saturday’s Vintages Release!
As
for next Saturday’s Vintages
October 6th Release also has some truly exciting wines out
of the 158 on offer. Perhaps the most unusual are two native Italian
varietals produced by Jim Clendenen, winemaker at California’s esteemed
Au Bon Climat. The red Terzetto 1998 Barbera
($24.80) from the Central Coast Bien Nacido vineyard seriously outperforms
many of the LCBO’s genuine Italian entries. The
gently earthy, spicy, very tangy, ripe raspberry-cherry-cranberry fruit
flavours dance on the tongue – perfect for fall poultry. Only 66 cases
are available.
Now
if you haven’t heard of Terzetto, you’re not alone. Terzetto is a
musical term, which means an operatic or instrumental trio. According to
the label, “Terzetto Wines are the
brainchildren of Peter and Scott, gently raised by Jim.” It depicts
three guys enjoying a game of bocce. In this case the players are
winemaker Jim Clendenen along
with Toronto’s own Scott Wilson (third
horn at the TSO) and his neighbour Peter
Warrian an economics professor at the U of T. This trio has introduced
three wines: Barbera, Teroldego and Tocai Friulano. All come from single
vineyards and only 150 cases (six barrels) of each varietal were produced.
Their
white Terzetto
Tocai Friulano at $24.60
is also a possible poultry partner. It’s very fragrant, honeyed,
wildflower aromas which are perhaps more reminiscent of Viognier than
Tocai and more Alsatian than Italian.
It’s surprisingly intense and dry with citrusy, wildflower-melon
flavours and excellent length. For further information call (416) 465-2648
(email doublehorn@sympatico.ca).
In
defense of Italian wines, I must tip my hat to one of the best value
Sauvignons I have tasted this year. Fattoria Il Palagio 1999 Sauvignon Blanc
at $13.45 is loaded with
refreshing, kiwi-gooseberry flavours. A definite best buy at the price,
only 150 cases are available so act quickly. Keep in mind that with this
level of crispness, it’s more of an aperitif white, better with oysters
and seafood than poultry. See
http://www.zonin.it/english/estates/palagio.htm
Eau
de vie makes for a great after-dinner palate cleanser and the upcoming André
Blanck Poire William at
$29.90 per half bottle is a beauty. Clear in colour, the intense, fresh,
sweet pear nose is followed up by refined, dry, pear essence flavours.
It’s amazing that they can get this much flavour into a bottle. But then
again, Alsace stipulates than a minimum 28 kg of ripe, locally grown pears
must be used to make a litre of spirits!
Classics Catalogue Ordering!
For
those planning their purchases from the upcoming Classics
Fall Catalogue (advance fax
and mail orders commenced September 24 and continue until October 10) I
want to suggest one terrific buy. But first, I am happy to report that you
still have a chance of getting what you want as “orders
will be entered by random selection rather than by the date of receival.”
There are a total of 489 products in the Fall Catalogue of which 198 or 40% are old listings which have appeared before, while 60% or 291 are new of which 100 are subject to limited sales. Of the preview tasting of 19 wines, a definite best buy is a neat, spicy, ready-to-drink Rhone Les Galets Rouge 1999 Chateau Morgues de Gres ($13.00) from the Costières de Nimes region. The well-balanced, slightly smoky, very fruity flavours were napped with just the right amount of vanilla. Detailed notes on all Classic wines tasted will be posted on this Web site next Tuesday. To check out the Fall Classics Catalogue Click Here.
From
the Classics Catalogue
LES GALETS
ROUGE 1999
Costières
de Nîmes, Château Morgues de Gres
725606
(XD) $ 13
MAKE TIME FOR NÎMES
Costières de Nîmes is a
small appellation lying between the Rhône river to the north and the
François Collard’s
Morgues du Grès, produces the most concentrated, intense, full-bodied
Tasting note: Bright
blackberry, some baked raspberries, plum, strawberryr, licorice and
Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada
2004
Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
(electronic or other wise) and or quotation.
Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net