vendredi 28 décembre 2007

Vendredis du Vin no 9 - Le vin à l'affectif

Alors que nous sommes en période de ralenti, qui favorise la réflexion et le souvenir, et que nous sommes entourés de ceux qu'on aime, le sujet de M. Slurp, top blogueur-blagueur, tombe pile-poil : le vin à l'affectif. Décrire un vin qui nous a touché non seulement pour ses qualités intrinsèques de bon vin, mais pour des raisons toutes autres, de sentiments, de souvenirs, d'étiquette extraordinaire ou de nom évocateur. Comment refuser cette invitation à ce souvenir d'un moment heureux.

Je vous parlerai donc d'un vin-monument, d'un vin qui m'a coupé le souffle et qui m'a rendue triste à l'idée que j'avais passé, jusque-là, ma vie sans en connaître l'existence. Je me trouvais bien loin de l'atmosphère chaleureuse d'une maison, entourée d'amis amoureux de la bonne chair et du vin. Le local blanc et stérile de la Wine and Spirit Education Trust était peu propice au grand coup de coeur : les néons crachaient leur lumière intransigeante au-dessus des têtes d'une quarantaine d'étudiants, assis en rangs d'oignon, venus assister à la leçon sur les vins de Xérès et de Porto. N'ayant jamais été attirée par les vins mutés, c'est avec un intérêt purement didactique que je me trouvais là.

De plus, sans m'en rendre compte, j'avais le crâne bourré de freins et d'obstacles, qu'on appelle communément des préjugés. J'imaginais encore que les vins de Xérès n'étaient bu que par des grand-mères recherchant un peu de chaleur et d'engourdissement alcoolique dans cette boisson sucrée d'un rouge profond. J'allais en prendre plein le goût, sans le savoir, avec le deuxième xérès dégusté ce soir-là, un Amontillado de Miguel Fontadez Florido, pharmacien, collectionneur d'antiquités et almacenista de Jerez de la Frontera, en Andalousie.

Le vin, d'un bel ambré scintillant, n'était pas du tout sucré mais plutôt salé, il sentait la noix de Grenoble et le caramel à plein nez. Riche, complexe et d'une longueur incroyable, avec des notes fortement oxydées, ce vin d'une autre galaxie ouvrait la porte à de nouveaux horizons. Je n'avais jamais rien découvert de pareil, et j'étais loin de m'imaginer qu'un vin puisse goûter ainsi. Ce vin provient de l'arrière-boutique de Don Miguel Fontadez Florido, pharmacien de profession. Le jeune Miguel a hérité de la bodega de son grand-père et à continué à s'occuper des Solera pour passer le temps! Quel chance que Don Miguel ne soit pas de la génération Nintendo (rien contre, d'ailleurs, ça me fait penser que je n'ai pas encore rechargé mon DS) comme on peut le constater sur la photos à droite. Depuis, Don Miguel est devenu l'un des producteurs Almacenista (petite production privée) les plus réputés de Jerez. C'est grâce à Lustau, grande bodega jerezanaise, qu'on arrive aujourd'hui à se procurer ce vin vénérable au Royaume-Uni, le seul pays où il est disponible, hors Espagne.

Comme l'Espagne risque d'être plus près pour un bon nombre d'entre vous, vous pouvez visiter la pharmacie cum bodega de Don Miguel qui se trouve sur la Plaza de las Angustias à Jerez. Il semble qu'il faut passer d'abord par la pharmacie pour atteindre la sacristie, un amalgame de pièces contenant un amoncellement d'antiquité de toutes sortes. Puis, on soulève un rideau et on ouvre une vieille porte en bois et on se retrouve dans la petite bodega d'environ une vingtaine de fûts, un endroit mythique que je rêve de visiter un de ces jours. Un dernier petit conseil si vous planifier un visite, vérifiez les heures d'ouverture de la pharmacie et goûtez d'abord l'Amontillado, vous vous passerez peut-être de médicament!

mardi 25 décembre 2007

Le Père Noël n'est pas une ordure

Ce matin, 24 décembre, nous avons eu la visite un peu prématurée du Père Noël et de son lutin. Pas de sons de clochettes pour annoncer sa venue, mais plutôt une sorte de cri de baleine comme le fait le frein d'un camion. Il faut me comprendre, je viens tout juste de déménager. Je suis plus sensible aux sons des camions et à la dimension des boîtes de carton qu'aux cantiques de Noël et aux emballages cadeaux. Voici en partie la raison de mon long silence, la vie dans les boîtes ne prête pas à bloguer.

J'allais donc sauter dans la douche quand j'entends le camion. Mon Daniel, encore plus à l’affût, voit qu'il s'agit d'un camion de la ville qui se prépare à vider une benne pleine de déchets de construction. Il se précipite pour tenter sa chance : ce monsieur, s'il est gentil, accepterait-il de prendre la cinquantaine de boîtes et les dix sacs d'ordures qui envahissent notre nouvel appartement? Nous nous étions résignés à vivre emmurés dans les boîtes pendant toute la période des fêtes. Mais, en silence, pour ne pas nous décourager, nous fomentions des plans d'évacuation de boîtes et rêvions d'un beau grand feu sur le bord d'une rivière, comme il y en avait jadis au Québec, qui nous aurait permis de faire une flambée de ces boîtes.

Mais le miracle est apparu sous la forme de ce monsieur, gentil et rondouillet comme Saint-Nicolas, et de son fils. Il a accepté de prendre toutes les boîtes et m'a même souri lorsque que je suis ressortie avec mon vieil aspirateur, le tuyau autour du cou. Maintenant, grâce à ce Père Noël qui aime les ordures, je peux me concentrer sur ce que nous boirons au réveillon. Joyeux Noël!

lundi 3 décembre 2007

Canadian Wine Club - the Stickies and my favourite Wine of the Evening

Most of the producers of the Canadian Wine Club Tasting (see previous post) had a sweet wine, if not several, to taste. Sweet wines, and particularly ice wines, have built up a reputation for the Canadian Wine industry, both at home and abroad. After all, no other country can produce these lusciously sweet wines every year. Thus, it is easy to understand that pioneer wineries Château des Charmes and Inniskillin only had sweet wines to taste, as these may be the only wines selling successfully and finding their way onto the UK market.

Château des Charmes showed a Riesling late harvest 2006 that is absolutely delicious. This is textbook Riesling and Riesling at its best, delicate yet tight and extremely youthful and vibrant, with a concentration and a level of acidity that will ensure its development over the next decade, or even more. At £11.70 the half bottle, it is the perfect hostess gift for a dinner party. It is bound to impress and I give it the highest score of any wine that evening, at 18.5/20. Château des Charmes' 1998 Paul Bosc Riesling Ice Wine (£35.00/half bte) is an eye-opener. It is believed that ice wine from Canada, unlike its rival from Germany, is best drunk in its youth because it has no capacity to age. This Riesling showed no sign of giving up, and will probably last for a good ten years. That said, there is a considerable difference between a Riesling and a Vidal ice wine, and Vidal, which is not as ageworthy as Riesling, probably has to assume most of the responsibility for this belief. Of the Vidal wines available, it was Inniskillin's Vidal Gold Ice Wine 2005 (£50.00/half bte) that showed the most compexity. For a review of 20 Bees' Late Harvest Vidal 2005, also included in the tasting, click here. For a review of the dry still wines of the Canadian Wine Club Tasting, click here.

Canadian Wine Club - The Tasting

Last Thursday, the inaugural tasting of the Canadian Wine Club, an offshoot of the Canada Shop selling Canadian products to Londoners since the summer of 2001, took place at the Little Ship Club in London. This new initiative is greeted with a warm welcome for all of the activity surrounding Canadian wines in the UK these past few years has consisted mostly of downsizing. The extremely competitive UK market and the relatively high cost of production of Canadian wines explain the reduction in the number of Canadian wines available on the UK market. But there is hope on the horizon.

That evening, 20 Bees and Pelee Island wineries have shown that Canada can produce well made wines that can deliver great value for money. 20 Bees joined the ranks of Ontario wineries in 2004 when 19 growers decided to use their home-grown fruit to make wine themselves, and enlisted the help of the young and very talented winemaker, Sue-Ann Staff. There was definitely a buzz at the end of the 20 Bees table and of the six wines presented that evening, the most striking was the crisp and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc (see notes below). Their friendly, low-alcohol Baco Noir also stood out, for it was a well made example of that typical Canadian hybrid variety. It says on the label that the bees aim at producing unpretentious wine at affordable prices, and that is just what they do, with all four still dry wines at £8.39 a bottle.

The wines of Pelee Island Winery showed very good consistency. The unoaked Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Reserve are both good examples of their respective grape varieties, but the star of the show, without a doubt, was the Eco Trail Chambourcin-Cabernet Franc. I remember tasting a previous vintage of this wine and not thinking much of it, but the 2006's fruity, concentrated and very modern style won my vote. As it is made from a hybrid variety and is the result of a very unusual blend, it wins maximum points for originality. Its name, Eco trail, reflects the winery's concerns for the preservation of the natural beauty of Pelee Island, which is bound to appeal to the customer. Here as well, prices will not break the bank.

I should not forget to mention Cave Spring's utterly satisfying Riesling H. P. It is light, off-dry and very lively, and I would be happy to sip this well-crafted wine on its own, any day of the week.

I have now found enough good examples of Canadian wines in the UK to hold a tasting and introduce Canadian wines to fellow British tasters. I still hope that one day, the Canadian Wine Club will get its hands on some of the wines from British Columbia's smaller wineries, such as Black Hills, Burrowing Owl and Cedar Creek, for all to enjoy a more complete overview of the Canadian wine scene.

Below are my notes for the still dry wines presented that evening. A much succinct report on sweet wines and my favourite wine of the evening can be found here.

20 Bees Baco Noir 2006, Ontario VQA

Light refreshing nose of the sort you get from simple wines in France, fruity; mainly sour berries, very light, at 10 . 5 % alcohol. Light and fruity, it is the perfect afternoon tipple. Made from one of the hybrids that is unique to Canada, it is definitely original. 16.5/20, £8. 39

20 Bees Cabernet/Merlot 2006, Niagara Peninsula VQA

Unusually fresh and light for such a blend, very mineral, perhaps a little too light but balanced and well made. 16/20, £8.39

20 Bees Riesling 2006, Niagara Peninsula VQA

Bright; very closed; a little sweetness and a waxy texture, light, clean, with a certain minerality, not hugely long but well made. 16/20, £8.39

20 Bees Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Ontario VQA

Very bright; enticing floral character that is far from extreme greenness, some anise seed, aromatic but gentle; very crisp and refreshing, clean, good fruit concentration and length. Well done! 17/20, £8.39

Cave Spring Riesling Estate 2006 , Beamsville Bench VQA

Closed only just a slight flinty whiff; off dry with a very limey attack, rubbery mineral and grapefruit notes, very fresh. 16.5/20, £10.13

Cave Spring Riesling H. P. 2006 , Niagara Peninsula VQA

The nose is limey, flinty and mineral; off - dry and very satisfying, good balance and weight, lively acidity, some floral notes, sort of a half way house between Germany and Australia. Very good! 17.5/20, £8.49

Mission Hill S. L. C. Chardonnay 2004, Okanagan Valley VQA

Closed but soft and enticing buttery nose; a little too oaky and buttery but a lively acidity and some minerality are keeping it balanced; better than the Sauvignon Blanc. 16/20, £17.95

Mission Hill S. L. C. Merlot 2003, Okanagan Valley VQA

Youthful and closed; nice whiff of smoky oak, easy to drink as it is devoid of rough edges so in that sense, very Merlot, but much better than most uncomplicated and gluggable examples of the same variety . Good! 17/20, £19.95

Mission Hill S . L . C . Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon 2004, Okanagan Valley VQA

Sauvignon and its green aromas on the one side and Sémillon's typical fatness on the other, but not so together, seems to be lacking the concentration to match the oak. 15.5/20, £17.95

Mission Hill S. L. C. Syrah 2003, Okanagan Valley VQA

Youthful with grainy tannins and green sappy finish, smoky oak, restrained style with slight austerity; definitely needs time. 16.5/20, £19.95

Pelee Island Winery Unoaked Chardonnay 2006, Niagara Peninsula VQA

Mainly citrus fruits and some of Chablis' steeliness; good weight and length; Not spectacular, but a good wine. 16.5/20, £8.95

Pelee Island Winery Eco Trail Chambourcin /Cabernet Franc 2006, Ontario VQA

The nose is a little numb and hides what the palate has in store: juicy sour red berries in excellent concentration and some floral notes; not so big yet holds its place, very long. A fruit bomb style staying clear of heaviness and over extraction. Delicious, a winner! 17.5/20, £8.95

Pelee Island Winery Pinot Noir Reserve 2005, Pelee Island VQA

Gently perfumed with a typical lead pencil aroma; plenty of juicy fruit, very soft and well - made. Charming and not too expensive for a Pinot Noir. 17/20, £10.95

Southbrook Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA

Bright, with hints of flint; bone dry, very fresh, even a little demanding. To have with food.

16/20, £16.00

Southbrook Chardonnay 2004, Niagara Peninsula VQA

Slight oxydation on the nose and may not have been the best bottle to taste, not appealing, too much oak, plenty of citrus fruit, definitely needs time . 15/20, price not available

Southbrook Triomphe Chardonnay 2000, Niagara Peninsula VQA

Very appealing evolved nose of white pepper, butter and oak, some finesse; oak still very present and persists on the finish, good weight; a good glass of wine. 16.5/20, £16.95

Summerhill Pyramid Winery Meritage 2001, Okanagan Valley VQA

The nose is gentle and integrated with smoke and lead pencil and some floral aromas; very presentable, good length. 16.5/20, price not available

Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Alchemy Chardonnay 2000, Oakanagan Valley VQA

Cooked fruits, flat and not very appealing; strange mix of cheese and sweet notes followed by a very bitter finish; the wine was too old or out of condition. 14.5/20, price not available