CHANSON PERE & FILS BOURGOGNE 2007

Pixed this up at Brix in the South End. Looking for a nice sipping Pinot Noir, and this was recommended as a bottle you could take home and drink right away. It has a very nice ruby colour with hints of redish brown right at the very edges. The nose is a bit earthy, with a bit of apple spice that reminded me of autumn. This wine is very well balanced with strong tannins and a bit of a bite of alcohol, making me thing this wine could be aged a little longer.

JOSEPH FAIVELEY BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY 2006

Part 2 of our tour-de-Bourgogne. This chardonnay has a nice pear nose with notes of banana, maple, and cat pee on the palate. Still holds acidity without a lot of the honeys, caramels and vanillas we get in other Chardonnays. C'est manifique!

LOUIS LATOUR MARSANNAY 2006

I am currently reading Red, White, and Drunk All Over by Natalie MacLean. The book starts with a description of the Burgundy wine region, one of the coldest in France. Burgundy is famous for pinot noir, a seductive, fragile, temperamental grape that is often the favourite of sophisticated wine aficionados. It is extremely sensitive to growing conditions thanks to its thin skin, earning the nickname “heartbreak grape.” Its fragility adds to its allure. Most Burgundois wine makers, however, seem to focus on the terroir – the soil, the vineyard, the region – which adds minerality and complexity to the wine.

In the spirit of this first chapter I decided to pick up a couple bottles from Bourgogne. We first drank the Louis Latour ’06 from the Marsannay appellation. This wine made a big first impression on me, but not for the reason you might think. I cut off the foil, about to remove the cork, and I noticed the foil was THICK. It was firm to bend, almost like a thin piece of steel. Next, I opened the bottle, and I noticed the cork was (a) real, and (b) in pristine condition. I have had some bad luck with corks recently, including one that was rotten resulting in corked, undrinkable wine that tasted like vinegar. This bottle, on the other hand was sealed with quality. A great first impression.

Oh, and it tasted good too! Despite its light, strawberry juice colour, the nose on this wine reminded me of a deep inky smell like when my pens used to break in elementary school. I could also smell a lot of alcohol. This wine was silky on the tongue, and Julia picked out flavours of black currants. It reminded her of a Gamay we had a few months ago. Overall, a delicious, complex Burgundy that I would happily drink again.

Christmas Tastings

Christmas is a time to enjoy friends and family, and what better way to celebrate the season than with a glass of wine. I've had a few nice wines over the last few days.

CHABLIS 1ER VAILLONS - CHRISTIAN MOREAU CUV GUY MOREAU 2005
For Christmas Eve I decided to try something special to go with the Dungeness Crab that my Dad was preparing. I decided to go with a nice Chablis, a white from Burgundy, which consists of the Chardonnay varietal. It was nicely balanced, quite acidic, and was reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc. I felt it lacked finish. Aged in 60/40 stainless/barrel, yet not very oaky.
Chablis known for best value Burgandy white. According to Jancis Robinson, author of How To Taste - A Guide To Enjoying Wine, young Chablis shows high acidity, and then goes through a five or six year period of maturation, afterwhich the beauquet opens up in complexity. I would like to try this same wine in about 2012.

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POACHERS BLEND - ST.HALLETT 2006
When the Chablis ran out, Dad popped open a bottle of Poachers Blend. I had been wanting to try this as it had recently been named best value blended white by Wine Access magazine. Very fruity. Reminded me a bit of champagne.

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SATURNA ISLAND VINEYARDS - PINOT NOIR 2006
Accompanied turkey dinner on Christmas night. Colour of raspberries. Very light, flavour of raspberries and cranberries. Overall, lacked depth.

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Kettle Valley Winery - Pinot Noir 2005
Smokey and earthy. Blackberries, currants. Deep, rich red colour. Solid tannins. Level of acidity to be expected in Pinot Noir. Long finish. Very nice.

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Note: you have probably noticed the new ratings system. I think that the 100 point rating system used by many publications is dumb since they only seem to give ratings over 80 (granted, they tend not to publish any ratings less than 80). One would think that you would want to stay away from anything rated lower than about 75. Furthermore, how can you really tell an 88 from an 89? Therefore, I tried to simplify my ratings to three simple choices. Wines rated one wine glass are ones I would tend to pass over in favour of trying something else. A two wine glass rating is a solid choice. A three wine glass is really great wine that is worthy of cellaring or opening for a special occasion.