Jordan Carrier

Piedmont Personalities: Small Batches of Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera

Hi everyone!


Very excited to share these wines with you, I’ve been collecting them for a while, now, in small quantities. Over the past year, I’ve been turned on to some teeny-tiny Piemontese producers, just as some of the small-to-medium houses have released some of their best wines in a decade (indeed, I’ve already written about some of them, including my potential W.O.T.Y. Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ovello). I’ll have one major “Back-Up-The-Truck” Barbera arriving in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, I’d like to tell you about some of the smaller lots of Piedmont I’ve accrued of late:


Cappellano. Although the Cappellano story goes back 5 generations, it was Teobaldo Cappellano, Italian by heritage but born and raised in the horn of Africa, who put the family back on the map when he arrived in Barolo after his father’s untimely death in 1955. Although the Cappellanos had been famous/notorious for making Barolo Chinato in the late 19th century (Chinato is when crazy people add quinine bark and herbs to Barolo, placing it somewhere between “Aperitif” and “Potion”), the wartime years saw the family sell off their grapes to bulk producers, and adopt the “if it grows, spray it” mass-agricultural ethics of the more industrialized countries.


What Teobaldo did makes sense in a 21st century fine wine context, but it seemed like mad abandon to contemporary 1960s common-sense viticulture: he reduced the family’s vineyards to only 4 hectares (madness! How will you eat?), sold off the French Barrique barrels in favour of large, neutral Botti (are you crazy? The Americans won’t buy it!), ended the use of pesticides and herbicides in the vineyards and stopped adding sulphites in the winery (but chemicals are fine! –  cough). Perhaps the most notable act that Teobaldo did towards cementing his crazy-hermit-cave-kingdom reputation was to ban all wine journalists from his property unless they agreed to never assign a numerical score to his wines. Teobaldo passed away in 2009, but his son Augusto carries all these traditions on to this day.

Cappellano still makes only 800 cases of wine per year, and it’s incredibly hard to get, to my knowledge only Quebec and B.C. get any in Canada, and the U.S. is largely ignored – the majority of their production is sold locally and in France and Germany. Augusto carries on his dad’s traditions of long macerations and fermentations with no added yeasts (no added anything, unless you count bottles and corks), and I’m proud and honoured to offer their wines:


Cappellano Barolo “Otin Fiorin” Pie Rupestris 2013. From the Gabutti cru in Serralunga d’Alba, in fact the labels used to say “Gabutti” on them but Teobaldo removed the name in protest of the cru’s expansion (and instead included the name of the land’s previous owner, Otin Fiorin). This is surprisingly drinkable and generous considering the Pre-WW1 methods, the fruit is present and vibrant in a way that resembles Grand Cru red Burgundy – crystalline precision of fruit and concentration that (at least right now) outshines the considerable tannins. Let’s not confuse “traditional” for “funk”, just because Augusto makes his wines the way The Lorax would doesn’t mean there’s any barnyard going on – there’s a purity of fruit and earth that is direct and piercing. 2 6-packs available, $107.99 +tax


Cappellano Barbera d’Alba Gabutti 2012. Planted in the non-southwest-facing parts of the Pie Rupestris vineyard (the parts where Nebbiolo isn’t planted), this firecracker of a Barbera is a study in balance: the softer fruits and medium body are electrified by the streak of glorious acidity, but they also keep the acidity from taking the paint off your house. Floral and spice elements invade the red-fruit-driven nose, and the body vibrates with energy – see for yourself when we pour it in the River District Vintage Room at 3pm this Saturday. 2 cases available, $57.49 +tax


Elio Filippino. The 50th anniversary of the Filippino family’s winery this year was enough to propel the charming but hermetic Elio to travel the world – I met him in the springtime here at the store. Elio contains 0% English so he travels with a translator, an impeccably dressed older Italian lady who seemed forlorn that she couldn’t smoke anywhere. Also following the ethic of not submitting for numerical scores, Elio largely makes wine from only two hills near Nieve, Serra Capelli and San Cristoforo, and practices a vineyard management style so brutal it’s lucky for him that grapes can’t have lawyers. Concentration and longevity are his goals, and his Barbarescos are statuesque and powerful, especially:


Elio Filippino Barbaresco Serre Capelli Riserva 2013. Hide your kids. Reminds me of the Elio Grasso Runcot Barolo, in that it’s unapologetically aged for 2 years in new French Barriques and it drinks like it just wrestled a bear and won. The nose is gorgeous, floral and generous, and drinks at the upper limits of what body you can wrest from Nebbiolo – a loooooong finish with fireworks. Shades of minerality persist and the acidity checks the weight, this is, in fact, in balance, but the glory days for this rock star start in 2025. Stellar vintage from a stellar vineyard, what more can one ask? First time ever in B.C. 2 wooden 6-packs available, $74.49 +tax


Beni di Batasiolo. The Dogliani brothers started Batasiolo in the 1950s, and have specialized in bringing wines from the Barolo DOCG to us at reasonable prices – in fact they’ve been in our market so long, it’s likely that the first Barolo you ever tried was by them. We’ve managed to find some back vintages that have both feet in the zone, drinking-wise:


Batasiolo Barolo Vigneto Boscareto 2006. The notoriously tight Boscareto cru in the Serralunga d’Alba commune generally takes several years in bottle to lose its baby teeth, but the nice folks at Batasiolo have done that for us. This Boscareto is firmly in Act One, there are tertiary notes of leather surrounding the primary bright red fruits and spicy beef broth, with cigar box, dried flowers and happiness. The body and finish are still bulletproof. 92 points Wine Spectator, 2 6-packs available, $75.49 +tax


Batasiolo Barolo Riserva 2007. All hail the Lord Mayor of Gulp Town. This gathering of various Barolo crus is drinking like an elephant hug right now – the grip is perfect and the nose is amazeballs. Dried fruits, dried lavender and Cherry Coke beneath some dusty topsoil and burnt orange. Enough tannin to remind you that it is, indeed, Nebbiolo, but nothing is poking out past the supple body. Fully in the zone, not sure why it’s this cheap. 95 points Decanter Asia, 2 cases available, $54.99 +tax


I’ll be back tomorrow with a Back Up The Truck California Cab!!


Happy Drinking!


 


Postscript: Rome doesn’t get a lot of rain, so the nice Italian folks that built Rome’s Airport forgot to tell their roof what to do with it. My right foot found a puddle on the floor of an airport walkway (we Vancouverites have 26 words for puddles – it didn’t occur to me to avoid this one) and it kept sliding, my left foot stayed in place but twisted in a way that feet don’t. The resulting sprain didn’t keep me away from the store when I got home, but it should have cuz I think I made it worse by walking on it.


To point: I won’t be in the store much in the coming days (I’m here today only briefly), but I’ll still be writing emails – I have too much great wine to tell you about and frankly I get bored just sitting at home with my stupid foot in the air. My overworked but understanding team here at Everything Wine River District will be helping me out by getting your orders ready – if you want some of these (or other) wines please reply by email (not phone) so I can instruct them on what to put together. Thanks, and Ow.


Post-Postscript: Decanter Asia is an adjudication put on by Decanter Magazine in Hong Kong, considered to be the top wine competition in Asia (and judged by the top Asian wine experts), but distinct from regular Decanter points, which are awarded in London.

Back Up The Truck! 95WS Tuscan Stunner for $41!

Hi Everyone!

I’m back home after a whirlwind tour of Italy with my mother and brother; we went to Montalcino, San Gimignano, Panzano in Chianti, Florence and Rome, eating and drinking the whole way. It was resplendent in many shades of awesome. I’ll have some tales to tell down the road, but today I’m writing about an amazing wine from a Tuscan village I didn’t quite make it to on this trip: Montepulciano.

I have to stop referring to specific small Tuscan villages as “walled, hilltop towns” as if that’s a distinguishing characteristic. They all are.  After spending a week in the Tuscan countryside, I can testify that I never spent any time in a valley, either driving or visiting, because the towns and roads are all in the hills. If you told me that Tuscan vampires came out at night but only in the valleys, I’d believe you because everything is built to avoid those vampires.

That said, Montepulciano is a walled hilltop town, surrounded by vineyards that grow a particular clone of Sangiovese called Prugnolo Gentile (there is a Southern Italian grape that’s actually called “Montepulciano” but it’s confusingly never grown in Montepulciano – I had a dream where I brought the grape to the town and created a wormhole). In contrast to Brunello’s Sangiovese Grosso and Chianti’s Sangiovese Piccolo, Prugnolo Gentile (meaning “plummy and soft”, kinda) is richer and generally less acidic, and the building block for one of Italy’s great wines: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Nobiles often nose like Chianti Classicos but drink like Brunellos, large and long-lived, but their lesser lore makes them far more affordable for wine drinkers, especially compared to Brunellos.

Although Carpineto has been quietly producing wines from all over Tuscany for over 50 years, it’s their Vino Nobiles that have always captured my attention – structured like linebackers but still graceful and gorgeous, and the stars aligned for this amazing 2013 Riserva. Simply put, it’s the best points-to-price ratio I’ve seen in years. If this wine doesn’t place highly on the WS Top 100 this year…  I’ll be wrong.

Behold this handsome beast: richly layered and tightly strung with black fruits and slow, deliberate deployment, some mineral notes. Drinks like twice the price, lovely mix of masculine and feminine on the nose with violet and cedar, the tannins are firm but don’t poke out past the ample body. Aged a year longer than the DOCG requires, drinking now but could go a decade standing on its head. Whatever you buy of this, you’ll wish you bought more (I do). If there’s any left by Saturday we’ll pour it at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room.

Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2013. 95 points Wine Spectator, 15 6-packs available, $40.49 +tax

Start your engines, and Happy Drinking!

The 2015 Bordeaux Offer

The more Bordeaux I drink, the smarter I get, I think.

When considering a region that is so strictly terroir-based, i.e.: whatever happened to that farm that year happened to the wine, the variance between vintages is pronounced and easy to compare. In fact, the more you taste of the last bunch of vintages, the more the personality of each year emerges. I’ve taken to thinking of recent Bordeaux vintages like strolling past various birds in an aviary; each year is a different bird. Hey, the aviary is open, come stroll with me!

2009 is a lusciously feathered, prize-winning peacock, whose luminous tail contains all the colours of the rainbow. He’s gotten kind of fat because we keep giving him celebratory biscuits, but he’s still beautiful and shiny and omg I wanna give him another biscuit.

2010 is an eagle. A majestically strong, stoic eagle of regal stature who will outlive me and you and the building we’re in. Some people get weirded out because the eagle doesn’t seem to move, but he actually does – just not when you’re looking. I am not worthy enough to gaze upon the eagle any longer. Also, I am crying.

2011 is a handsome falcon who obeys orders and tastefully fulfils all expectations, but you can’t see him because he’s behind the eagle.

2012 is two feet and a beak poking out of an egg. We don’t really know what kind of a bird it’ll be yet; It’s a really nice beak so things might turn out great, but man that bird is taking its sweet time to come out.

2013 well, damn. That’s not even a bird, it’s a platypus. What the hell.

2014 is a healthy, fluffy pigeon. He can move cars with his mind and witness several dimensions in unison, but everyone walks by him because he’s a pigeon. The pigeon is Zen so he understands and does not mind.

2015 is the last bird on our tour, and worth the wait because she has the best attributes of all the other birds (except the platypus, who has now soiled his own bed). She’s strong like the eagle, shiny like the peacock and possesses powers we are only starting to understand.

We didn’t think we’d see another classic Bordeaux vintage for a while, let alone another one-two punch like the dynamic duo of 2009/2010, but the 2015/2016 vintages have added new pages to the book of legends. If we’re being granular the right bank (St. Emillon, Pomerol, Merlot-based wines etc.) made out slightly better, but 2015 was a tide that lifted all boats, and the quality was superb up and down the ladder.

But every silver lining comes with a cloud, and the bad news is that the prices are back up to the “no-I-meant-what-is-the-price-for-one-bottle” level of the 09/10 vintages. At the end of this month the government will release their list of 2015 classified growths. We’ll have a handful of those too, but not until a bit later because for some reason our classified growths were held up at the LDB (running private wine retail in BC is like playing cards against one who is both player and dealer).

Collecting Bordeaux can stretch our collecting budgets well beyond comfort and reason, and it can present a dilemma: How can you possibly buy smart and wide, instead of putting all your eggs in just a couple of gilded baskets? Well, like this:

Our talented and attractive buying team (take me with you next time, guys!!) has found lesser-known but well-rated 2015s from all over Bordeaux, all for under $100. Some are collectable, some are glugable, but they are all 2015s and available right now. We’ll be pouring many of these on Saturday at 2pm if you’d like to try them. To the juice:

 

LEFT BANK: MEDOC

Chateau Greysac 2015, Médoc. For the French in Bordeaux, driving past a historical estate must be like driving past a barn in Chilliwack for us – you really don’t think much about who built it or when, and you only care if it grows something you want. Likewise, nobody cared about the 1700s-era Greysac estate until the Angelli family (one-time owners of Fiat and Chateau Margaux) bought it in 1975, modernized the facility and started to squeeze good juice. Situated near the top of the Médoc, Greysac is more influenced by the whims of the Atlantic so vintage variance is pronounced but this 2015 is way-fab. Nearly equal Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, a medium-to-full body with soft but pronounced tannins and baking spice. A tad randy now, but we don’t want to lose those blackberries so a 5-year nap will get us to the sweet spot. 91 points Wine Advocate, $54.99

Aurore de Dauzac 2015, Margaux. I picture wine from Margaux as a bouquet of lavender wrapped around a pencil, after that pencil has murdered a box of blueberries. Aurore is the Second Wine to the 5th Growth Chateau Dauzac, Cab dominant with just enough Merlot to fill all the holes. The Floral and fruit elements are here as well as tobacco and oaky vanillin – this is a ripe and quite drinkable Bordeaux but could still mellow out a smidge with time. Layered and exciting. Whereas many Second Wines are built from the passed-over barrels for the Gran Vin, Aurore is selected geologically, from grapes on mineral-rich deep gravel. Good structure and a generally good attitude, if you don’t drink Aurore you could hire it. 92 points James Suckling, $75.99

Chateau Lilian Ladouys 2015, St. Estèphe. Consistently one of my favourite houses (within the realm of affordability) and a living example that you should always get your homework handed in on time. Just a few hundred metres from Lafite, the 19th-century owners of this 16th-century house failed, as legend has it, to get their certifications to the adjudicators in time to qualify for placement in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Now co-owned with Chateau Margaux by the Lorenzetti family, the 21st century has seen a renaissance in quality at Ladouys, and the Merlot-driven wines this Cru Bourgeois has offered in the last 2 decades have been at or above the quality level of Classified Growths (IMO), but without the accordant prices. As frame-forward as any St Estèphe, with deep mineral postholes and bright red fruits with white blossoms and toast. Tight now, Approachable in 5 years, singing in ten. Buy everything you can, this sleeper wakes up as a knight. 92 points James Suckling, $75.99

La Devise de Lilian 2014, St. Estèphe. The Second Wine to the above Lilian Ladouys made about as soft and inviting as a St Estèphe can get, like dressing a wolverine in a Spongebob costume. Cabernet-driven and quite a bit more approachable than the Grand Vin, with generous black fruit and bits of smoky caramel leading the way, this is elegantly drinkable and more than a bit floral. Rich and delicious but it’s still a St. Estèphe and it still doesn’t trust you, so decant it long enough for it to get used to your scent. $51.99

Chateau le Pey 2015, Médoc. Another Cru Bourgeois northern-Médoc 50/50 Cab/Merlot blend with great value from the Compagnet family – Father, Mother and both sons run nearly everything (not to be confused with the much larger, more commercial Ch. Pey La Tour). Ripe blue fruit dominates this 2015, with chocolate powder, plum, blackberry, firm tannins and a dusty finish. Everything is good to go but the finish, it’s still kind of angular and needs the soft rub of a couple years to smooth it out. $39.99

Chateau Peyrabon 2015 MAGNUM (1.5L), Haut-Médoc. One of the few estates that straddle two Bordeaux appellations, Haut-Médoc and Pauillac. This Cru Bourgeois is from the Haut-Médoc side, a large plot of 40 hectares from where dark, plummy, spicy Cab-driven wines spring forth. One of the only houses to ever sue to get accepted into the 1855 Classification (the suit was filed in 1869, they were refused), Peyrabon smells like smarties (no kidding) and drinks like an excellent idea, soft and approachable even in youth, the fact that we’re selling this gulper in Magnums is deliciously frightening. 91 points Wine Enthusiast, $99.99

LEFT BANK: GRAVES

Le Dauphin d’Olivier 2015, Pessac Leognan. The Second Wine to Chateau Olivier, a Classified Growth of Graves (The wineries of Graves/Pessac, Bordeaux’s oldest growing region on the eastern side of the city, have their own classification system apart from/in tandem with the 1855 table. Don’t worry, it’ll all sort itself out). Nobody is entirely sure how old Olivier is, the running guess is that it dates back to the Plantagenets and has a credible claim to be the oldest wine estate in Bordeaux, and is also one of the few “Chateaux” that is, in fact, an actual castle (moat and drawbridge included). The estate itself is quite large, boasting forest, prairies and vineyards, and owned by the same family since the mid-1800s, making Merlot/Cabernet wines that teem with blackberries and raspberries locked in a cigar box. The Dauphin has always had a rep for being uncannily close to its bigger brother in quality. $59.99

Le Dauphin d’Olivier Blanc 2016, Pessac Leognan. The white version of the above (many Pessac houses are as well known for their whites as their reds), a blend of 50/50 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon. Floral and stone fruit notes reign over lesser toasty bits. Delicious now, will get better in 5 years and then will get weirder. Weighty and powerful, not a “patio” wine unless your patio is made of dragons. $55.99

Clos des Lunes Lune d’Argent 2015, Bordeaux Blanc. A Semillon-driven hellcat from 30-year-old organic vines, this is a dry white wine made in Sauternes by Domaine de Chevalier, the bonkers-good (and expensive) classified growth of Graves. Thick and viscous with fantastic, layered acidity; pear, honeysuckle and citrus on the nose. If I have any left of this after this weekend then everyone is very silly. 93 points James Suckling, 92 points Wine Spectator, $39.99

RIGHT BANK

Chateau Haut Brisson 2015, Saint Emillon Grand Cru. An elegant, restrained Emillon with a medium body and good aging potential. Leathery raisins swirl around the nose with strawberries and sweet oak, creamy palate and lively finish. As such I was surprised to learn that winemaking consultant/arsonist Michel Rolland (Masseto, Oculus, Pedestal, land mines, booster rockets, etc.) was involved in this, the style is far more graceful than what he’s known for. Gorgeous and inviting, 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. 95 points James Suckling, $84.99

Chateau Tour Saint-Christophe 2015, Saint Emillon Grand Cru. Ok, here’s the bunker-buster Michel Rolland wine I was expecting (he consults on this also, he is busy), 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and somehow 5% Napalm. This is the biggest boy in today’s sandbox, rich, textured and gloriously boozy; the nose is like a blueberry bagel and a slice of Christmas cake started playing leapfrog (that is a weird descriptor but try it on Saturday and tell me I’m wrong). Although robust, the wine is mostly in balance with itself, the tannins are a tad pokey but with food you won’t mind. Will be spectacular in 5 years. Probably the best value in this offer. 96 James Suckling, 95 Jeb Dunnuck, $89.99

Chateau de Pitray 2015, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. A robust, grippy affair, boasting a saline, almost sandy nose over lower notes of chocolate syrup and blackberry jam. Boasting a family history going back to the 1500s and an absolutely marvelous Chateau, the Pitray estate has been a getaway for the wealthy for centuries, wine until very recently was a secondary pursuit. 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, the tannic finish is still a little out of step with everything else but this’ll all come together gloriously in 3-4 years. 90 points Wine Enthusiast, $39.99

B.C. wineries need us to drink their wines to offset losses of wildfire season

There isn’t a corner of this province unaffected by this summer’s wildfires, but as bad as the air quality has been in Metro Vancouver, the interior of B.C. has had it far worse, and our wine growing regions (Okanagan, Similkameen) have been hit especially hard. While I haven’t heard news of any vineyards burning, the smoke has been acute enough to keep wine lovers away, and I’ve heard estimates from friends up there that business is down as much as 80% in some wineries.

It looks like we coasties will get at least a temporary reprieve from the smoke this weekend, but that’s only because maritime winds are pushing it back into the interior, and although I hear you can now see the other side of the lake from Naramata, the upcoming Labour Day weekend – usually a key wine holiday – may end up a wash this year. Remember when Alberta was going to ban BC wine and all of us were going to band together and drink up the slack? This is more dire. The BC wine industry needs our help: if we’re not gonna go drink it up there, we in Metro Van gotta drink it down here.

With that in mind, I’d like to recommend a few faves; wines to drink over the next couple of weeks while we wait for cooler (and wetter) skies to prevail.

Kettle Valley Gewurztraminer 2016, Naramata. Pretty pretty pretty, then kapow. A generous, ornate nose of lychee and honeyed flowers precede a 2-plane-seat body and a gingery finish with a whiff of glorious booze. Alsace is clearly the inspiration but this is lighter on its feet and cleaner, the hedonism is all on the front end. This wine hopes you order spring rolls. $20.49 +tax

Desert Hills Gamay 2017, Black Sage Bench. A spicy firecracker of red fruit and insolence. Wee snaps of vanilla and ash surround the nose, but the fruit is the story here and the fruit came to party. Black pepper on the finish, paired with enough acidity to balance the weight but not enough to make the cool kids sit at your table. Will barbeque the chicken for you. $29.99 +tax

Black Hills Tempranillo 2016, Black Sage Bench. It may come as a surprise to many, but the cult winery Black Hills does, in fact, make wines that aren’t Nota Bene. Tempranillo isn’t widely planted outside of Spain and almost never planted in B.C., which is a shame because this fab: a bright, ultra-present body of cherries and red apple, interwoven with a nose of roses, cinnamon and fine black pepper. A long hot finish and fine tannins – made for espelette-rubbed pork or chicken. $56.99 +tax. Be sure to stop by our South Vancouver location on Saturday, September 1st at 3pm to taste this BC gem!

Under the Tuscan Salad: Part Two

Our second dip into the Tuscan pool, a liquid soundtrack for these last lazy hazy days of summer. To the juice:

Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Pianrosso 2012, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. An unusually terroir-driven offering from the brother-and-sister team of Paolo and Lucia Bianchini. Although the regular Ciacci can often seem like the rotund winner of a “Stuff That Brunello” contest, the single-vineyard Pianrosso is decidedly more elegant, age-worthy and less fruit-driven. The dried red berry notes are balanced by savoury herbs and leather, giving one the impression of a thirsty cherry lost in the desert wearing only a belt. Stones and spikes frame the impressively long finish, focused and powerful. True to the house this drinks now but will likely reach peak awesomeness around 2025. James “are-you-drinking-that” Suckling rated it #3 for the vintage. 97 points James Suckling, 95 points Wine Enthusiast, 94 points Robert Parker, 11 bottles available, $121.99 +tax

Le Macchiole Paleo 2009/2011 Toscana IGT. Earlier this year we hosted Cinzia Merli Campolmi, Macchiole’s matriarch, for a Collector’s Tasting and we had an amazing time – the only way it could have been better is if Cinzia showed up (she missed a connecting flight). We drank well, though, because her wines are the stuff of legends, and this Cabernet Franc from her estate in Bolgheri coaxes the minerals out of the soils to weave a hammock that cassis, tobacco and dried flowers can float effortlessly down into. Cab Franc adopts the personalities of its regions – in Napa it watches Netflix all day while it pretends to look for work, in austere Chinon it barks orders at you until you get a second job, but in Bolgheri it finds a beautiful balance between bones and flesh, a classically structured red wine with fruit and body. Outrageously civilized.
Paleo 2009: 98 points Wine Enthusiast, 5 bottles available, $145.99 +tax
Paleo 2011: 95 points Robert Parker, 10 bottles available, $170.99 +tax


Altesino 2013, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. No stranger to these pages, Altesino’s gulpable, modern Brunello is getting as many raves for this 2013 victory lap as it did for the stellar 2012 vintage that warranted it. Bursting with cola, eucalypt and sage, swirling around pomegranate and happiness. One could well put this down for a decade’s nap, but I won’t do that and neither will you (if you still have some 2012, you are stronger than me). Altesino is racy, big and delicious in youth, which you can judge for yourself when we pour it this Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room. If I still have any. 95 points Wine Spectator, 4 cases available, $58.99 +tax

Until next time, Happy Drinking!

Postscript:

In January I wrote about OSAR, the 100% Oseleta from Masi, and admittedly the reaction was greater than I expected – I sold out instantly. Oseleta is the rare, deeply pigmented Veneto grape that Amarone houses employ in small percentages to deepen their blends. It’s rarely made into a straight varietal wine, and it’s totes awesome. If I had a rain check with you, you should have already heard from me, but I got a couple more cases in, let me know if you’d like some (or like some more). $65.49 +tax

Under the Tuscan Salad: Part One

Throughout the year I tend to collect small batches of yums – not a big enough buy to write a whole story about, but supremely tasty finds none the less. The time has come to show my cards and spill the beans: I’m sitting on a pretty tidy Tuscan Salad right now. I’ve Supertuscans and DOCG wines, some to drink and some to time-capsule, some are returning champions and some are newbies - since it’s a long list I’ll get right to part one:

Piaggia Il Sasso 2015, Carmignano DOCG. Is this Tig at less than half the price? Carmignano, that ancient village north of Florence, is less famous today than it was during the Renaissance, when it was the pastoral playground of the ruling Medici family.  Despite its local renown (it was the first Italian village where Cab was allowed under DOCG regs) its wines have been largely absent from our shores, which is a shame because here be dragons. Spark, sizzle and heft, 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon (similar to Tignanello’s make-up). Some Carmignanos want to turn you into a better, leaner soldier but Il Sasso just wants to give you a neck rub and hear about your day, the body here is more luscious than usual and the floral, dark fruited nose doesn’t require a degree in Latin to get. If I still have some, we’ll be pouring this on Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room if you’re curious. Herbs and cocoa powder round off the finish, holy cheese-balls 2015 was a great vintage there. 95 points Vinous, 3 6-packs available, $48.99 +tax

Canalicchio di Sopra 2013, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. A returning champion (in boxing announcer voice): the “Magic From Montalcino”!! The “Presto right from the UNSECO Site”!! My allotment of this iconic, traditionally modern (modernly traditional?) Brunello shrinks every year, and every year my lucky International Cellars agent gets to hear what I think about that. Whereas many of the 2013 Brunellos are accessible a tad earlier than the 2012s, Canalicchio di Sopra does Opposite Day and proves to be a little tighter than last year. The intensity is nearly identical (perhaps more so), ripe red fruit with burnt orange and black twizzlers, but the supporting frame is poking out at the moment and will need a couple years’ education to unlock fully. I hate being this guy but I’ll have to limit this to one 6-pack each for the first 3 respondents. Seems fairest? 97 points Wine Spectator, 96 points Robert Parker, 3 6-packs available, $90.49 +tax

Canalicchio di Sopra Riserva 2012, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. Everything I just said times five. This Riserva doesn’t always come to BC, and those of us who get some dare not divulge the dirty deeds we did to get it. Built like a truck, decidedly longer maceration and darker pigment, here, everything would collapse on its own tent poles if it weren’t for that filament streak of acidity that elevates the body and electrifies the finish. Not sure why you’d throw dark cherries on the BBQ but that’s a start? Outstanding balance between Monument and Pleasure Dome. 96 points Wine Spectator, 2 wooden 6-packs available, $181.49 +tax

Rocco di Montegrossi Geremia 2013, Toscana IGT. A bear that was raised by ducks. An outstanding Chianti house in its own right (their sweet Vin Santo is to die for), Montegrossi grows Merlot and Cab (85/15) in the middle of Chianti Classico, ages it in French oak for 2 years, then unleashes it into society without any regard to public safety. Sweaty blackberries are fanning themselves with sprigs of rosemary, unaware that the reason they’re so hot is that they’re on fire. A classical minerality reminds you that this is indeed Tuscany, the plums and massive body tell you that this is indeed Merlot The Giant, and it sits wherever it wants. If quantities hold, we’ll be pouring this on Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room if you’d like to taste. 97 points Vinous, 2 cases available, $70.99 +tax

Casanova di Neri Cerretalto 2012, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. I got one of only 2 3-packs that came into BC. The Cerretalto vineyard, east of Montalcino, forms an eastern-facing natural amphitheatre that cradles the morning sun, only to let the heat slowly dissipate as evening falls, and nights here are cold. The barely decomposed, iron-rich soil is so poor that the Sangiovese Grosso vines (Brunello in local parlance) can only muster sparse, small, straggly bunches of grapes, packed with super-human phenolics and fruit-weight. Things should not grow here, and the things that do should scare you. The downscale 2012 Brunello from Casanova di Neri placed #4 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 this wine is several Bowser Castles up from that. The stressed vines throw everything they have at these grapes because they have to: crushed rocks, spiced cherries, orange tobacco - but the concentration, achieved entirely in the vineyard, is the stuff of legends. 98 points Wine Spectator, 98 points Robert Parker, 3 bottles available, $607.99 +tax

Hope to see you Saturday, until next week (for Part Two), Happy Drinking!!

The very best Rosé for hot, hot, HOT summer days!

Heat, heat, burning heat,
Melts the soles under my feet,
Look at this! It’s kinda neat:
I’m frying an egg on the street!

Looking for delicious ways
to temper, soothe and cool the blaze
and chill throughout this summertime?
Well, looky here folks, here’s some wine:

 

Ombre Rosé 2017, Collines de la Moure, France: From a remote area northwest of Montpellier. I’ve never seen a strawberry creamsicle, but if it exists it smells like this. Pale and light with notes of citrus and happiness, it goes full-grapefruit in the mouth, towards a quick, clean finish. Swipes right on chips and salsa. Looks and smells like Provence Rosé (it’s no doubt the inspiration) but tastes like its own party, and given that it’s five to ten dollars less than most Provence bottles, it’s cheap enough to put it on you as well as in you, should the rising temperatures necessitate such an action. $18.99

 

Chateau Le Puy Rosé-Marie 2016, Bordeaux, France: A Rosé that isn't. Ever wonder why the Brits call Bordeaux “Claret”? I’m gonna tell you anyway: because it wasn’t its current colour when they named it that. Back when the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine joined Bordeaux and England to form the Angevin Empire, the wines of Bordeaux weren’t red, they were a deep, electric pink, just like this rare offering from Chateau Le Puy’s winemaker Jean-Pierre Amoreau. The 13th Century English had never had a steady supply of good wine before, and they excitedly named this dark Rosé “Claret”, after the intense “éclair” of colour. Over subsequent centuries the wines reddened and darkened but the name stuck, even as the original Claret style passed into legend. But did it?  Mr. Amoreau, already renowned for his pre-20th-century methods and style, makes this robust, floral, beautifully rustic throwback by running off Merlot juice during fermentation (saignée method, for those taking notes) and keeping it in old oak for almost a year, no added sulphites, no pesticides, farmed by horse. It’s more funk than fruit, big and round in the mouth. Very cool, very rare. $77.98

Why is Cabernet Sauvignon the King of Red Wine Grapes? Ask Phylloxera. Or, maybe don’t.



If you ever met Phylloxera you’d punch him in the face. That situation won’t happen, the insect is far too small, but he sure is punch-ably nasty, and rather hard to kill because of the species’ ninja-like adaptability. In nymph form, he bores into a vine’s root, secreting a poison that prevents the plant from healing (thus killing the vine), and in winged form he travels to the next vine, the next vineyard, or the next town.

Native to North America, where he spent centuries trying to bore into the thicker roots of our own grape species Vitis Riparia (he still can’t because our winters made the roots too hardy), Phylloxera got his big jailbreak when he stowed away upon a cutting of Riparia that was commissioned by the Royal Botanical Gardens in England. I’m not sure if they were collecting the world's species because they were building some sort of Ark (if you’ve ever doubted the British habit of going everywhere and bringing back one of everything, I present to you: The British Museum), but I’m sure that they had no idea what they were about to do.

Phylloxera spread through Britain’s vineyards like a plague and took very little time spreading to the European mainland (at the time, 98% of the world's wine came from Europe). The Euro species Vitis Vinifera (i.e. the grapes you make wine from) had never seen anything like this bug, and Phylloxera sliced through it like cheese. By the time they figured out that you could beat the louse by grafting Vinifera onto American rootstock, it was too late, nine-tenths of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. By the end of the 19th century, some wine regions had let a generation go by without being able to grow wine grapes.

And Port cities like Bordeaux were hit earliest and hardest. Fortunes were lost, farms were boarded up, vineyards lay fallow. Once Bordelais growers were able to replant, there was a palpable desperation to turn crops into dollars, pronto, so priority was given to those varieties that would make good wine, quickly. Where the pre-Phylloxera Bordeaux wines were a pretty even, the pastoral mix of Carmenere, Malbec, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and the fledgling Cabernet Sauvignon (then an also-ran), the results-driven re-plantings were all about economics, and getting that wine train running on time again.

Being the somewhat recent child of the ancient Cabernet Franc and the white Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon was only about 200 years old and full of Hybrid Vigor (Heterosis), so the plants were hardier, healthier, and bent on growing. The variety also budded later in the season, after the potentially crop-destroying frosts, and the thick berry skins – besides contributing considerable tannins and flavours to the resulting wine – were unusually resistant to rot and other vineyard pests. For vignerons in Bordeaux’s Left Bank, this was a no-brainer, and the variety quickly became the pragmatic, dominant grape there.

And all of this was happening in the early 20th century, as the eyes of the emerging New World wine regions turned to Bordeaux for inspiration and instruction. Fledgling winemakers from Argentina, America, Chile, Australia and South Africa were sent there to apprentice in the vineyards and cellars, and they returned home with state-of-the-art skills, and cuttings of this delicious, adaptable grape called Cabernet Sauvignon.

And unlike other varietal transplant attempts, Cab took to everywhere. As long as your growing region had a nice, warm autumn to accommodate its late-ripening tendencies, Cabernet Sauvignon would thrive there, and although the wines would certainly reflect your specific Terroir, the variety would remain distinctively itself; French Syrah and Australian Shiraz share identical genetics (they are the same grape) but very few characteristics, whereas Cab makes Cab wherever you grow it, albeit with telltale regional calling cards. Cabernet Sauvignon, due to its ease of cultivation, its longevity, and its transnational idiosyncrasy, became THE wine of the 20th Century, even eventually adopted by Old World regions like Tuscany and Catalonia.

But what about the 21st century? Speaking popularly, Merlot peaked and ebbed, as did Chardonnay (as will Malbec, mark my cryptic words), but Cabernet Sauvignon continues its steady climb, making both solid inexpensive juice and consciousness-changing premium wines. Pivoting between near-magical longevity and promiscuous drinkability, Cabernet Sauvignon is the core of many of the world’s cult wines, be they the classified growths of Left Bank Bordeaux, the silken body-bombs of Northern California, or the flagship wines of countless other regions, who vie for a seat at the grown-ups table by daring to produce the King Of Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon.


 

A Sip of History - Gambero Rosso

Ever wonder why pre-20th-century children’s fiction is so strangely gothic and brutal? It’s because it was never intended to entertain them. The stories were largely morality lessons, meant to impress consequence into young minds via easily digestible (and memorizable) literary snacks. The protagonists of those stories invariably paid a price, sometimes the ultimate one, for their transgressions, and the audience of freshly tucked-in kids would presumably drift towards an anxious sleep, punctuated by the twitches of someone who is dreaming about getting deservedly eaten by wolves.

The concept of children’s literature – the kind they would actually enjoy – was foreign to Carlo Collodi when he wrote the first version of Pinocchio in 1883. In the original story, the Fox and Cat take the puppet/boy to dine at the “Red Prawn Inn” before betraying him and leaving him to hang, where he justly dies because of his many faults. Paw Patrol it was not. An enterprising publisher convinced Collodi to change the story so that Pinocchio is saved by the blue fairy, and returns home to become a real boy. The new version was incredibly successful and ushered in a new genre of children’s stories that actually made kids feel good when they were over.

It is strange indeed that the “Red Prawn” (“Gambero Rosso” in Italian) would become the name of a food and wine publication, but that’s what happened in 1986, and it has since become the authoritative critical voice in Italy, carrying more weight with many Italians than Parker or Spectator. The Gambero Rosso is Italians rating Italian wine for Italians, and instead of using the 100 point scale, they award uno, due or tre bicchieri (one, two or three glasses) that roughly translate to Bronze, Silver and Gold. The majority of wines submitted don’t get any bicchieri at all.

Gambero Rosso came through Vancouver a couple weeks ago, showcasing some of its Tre Bicchieri selections, but here are a couple of top-tier wines that they didn’t pour that day:
Montenidoli “Carato” Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2010, Tuscany. Although the white grape Vernaccia is found in pockets all over Italy, it’s in the hilltop town on San Gimignano, which looks ripe for a dragon attack, where it truly shines. Grown in sandstone-rich vineyards and coming in oaked or unoaked styles (this “Carato” is aged in neutral oak), Vernaccia di San Gimignano is perhaps the premium Tuscan white wine, and the wines produced by Sergio Muratori, who took over the Montenidoli estate – fallow for 20 years after WW2, are at the top of the heap. Floral, with checked minerality and flashes of tropical fruits, the palate is rich and creamy but pulls together beautifully at the end with an expressive, kinda explosive finish. If you’re a fan of Italian whites, stop reading about this and start drinking it. Seriously. Tre Bicchieri – Gambero Rosso, $53.99 +tax

Castello di Radda Chianti Classico Riserva 2012, Tuscany, Italy. More serious than Latin Class, this Chianti Classico Riserva aims well above its station, cellar-wise. Frame-forward and conservative on the nose, the telltale licorice and red berries emerge with some coaxing (and decanting/shaking), followed by some baking spice and vanilla notes. After a couple of hours open, all of the shy flavours start to dance with each other, but the post-palate structure plays Stairway To Heaven and brings the dance to a close. Impressive and austere now, this old-school Chianti starts to sing in 2019, I reckon. Tre Bicchieri – Gambero Rosso, $38.99 +tax

People are finally getting over what Paul Giamatti said about Merlot

When Paul Giamatti’s Sideways character Miles said “we are not drinking any <bleep> Merlot”, the wine industry watched helplessly as sales of this noble grape plummeted. It was as if James Bond walked up to the casino bartender in a movie and said “you know what? Vodka’s actually kinda gross, got any Fanta?”

 

That quote crystallized what people were already feeling: that Merlot had become passé. After a heyday in the 90s, where the opening of Chile’s markets coincided with a general preference shift from white to red (because of newly reported health reasons) and everyone discovered the great new, affordable “it” grape called Merlot, the pendulum swung the other way. Following a decade of producers undercutting each other in price and quality, the race to the bottom led to the inevitable: a market full of weak, cheap Merlot that tasted like a dilution of plum jam and sadness. New wine drinkers trying Merlot wondered what the hype was about. By the time Sideways came out, that quip was just the nail in the coffin.

 

And totally unfair. Merlot is one of the great red grapes of the world: in Bordeaux it is the flesh to Cabernet’s bones, in Tuscany it betrays the dusty soils faithfully and beautifully, in California it provides comfort-food-like body (the influential Wine Spectator crowned a Cali Merlot Wine of the Year 2017), and in Washington it creates powerhouses that are often bolder than that state’s Cabernets. Along with Syrah, Merlot is one of the best ways forward for BC’s wine journey, as it ripens well here and can achieve an almost Old World structure with the right oak aging. Merlot is a world citizen, and the postcards that it sends us from all points are unique and often amazing. Here are some powerful examples:

 

Thorn 2014, Napa Valley. Predominantly Merlot with a garnish of Malbec from Napa Valley floor and Carneros, made by the folks who make The Prisoner, Thorn is the Hulk of Merlot. Strong, weighty, uber-thick, not particularly delicate or even articulate – jury’s out on whether it can understand basic commands – but it can find all of the corners of your mouth and beat them up. You don’t pour this wine from the bottle, you parole it. All the naysayers who told you that Merlot made weak wine aren’t saying that anymore because Thorn ate them. In any tasting line-up, Thorn must be served last, because – and this is very important – Thorn can’t know about the other wines. $63.49 +tax

 

Tenuta Sette Ponti Orma 2014, Tuscany. There is just something that Merlot can draw out of Tuscan soil that’s so idiosyncratic: change the grape or the dirt and you don’t have it. It’s a minerality that you don’t find anywhere else, and here Merlot leads the dance with Cabs Sauv and Franc following suit. Cherry, leather, dried fruit and dried tobacco surround a firm body that screams “loud” more than “big”. Less tannic than you’d expect on the finish, given the powerful front-of-mouth delivery. $94.99 +tax

 

Little Engine “Silver” Merlot 2015, Naramata Bench, B.C. I visited the French family’s winery in September, and although the whole lineup impressed, it was actually the entry-level “Silver” Merlot that turned heads, mostly because of the great value, there’s a lot packed into here. This is a nicely balanced BC red, with black fruit and vanillin over stones and dried spice. Nicely built, this can go a few years lying down and emerge better for it, but not too long – I don’t want to lose the friendly fruit on the nose. $35.99 +tax