Mendoza! Vino Uco Valley

So on our recent wine trip to South America we decided to go to Mendoza for a few days. We flew into Santiago, thought we could drive to Mendoza and then drive back to visit Chile's Wine regions. I had heard that the drive to Mendoza is one of the most beautiful drives. It was. Close to 30 of the most intense hairpin tuns, steep inclines and sharp cliffs make it an adrenaline rush to the top. The border crossing was not. Long lineups and chaos in the lines. People were so disorganized and not sure what was going on. At one point someone ran away with my passport and documents. I had to chase him down to find out he needed to make a copy of them for our rental car. 1.5 hrs of chaos and we made it out of there. The drive lost some of its luster.  Then we got lost trying to find our hotel. 2.5 hours of driving around. Duplicate street names and lack of sign posts made for a difficult time. Siri and google could not even help me get there. After that long I really needed a glass o' wine. It had better be good.

Day one in Mendoza. We started with AltaVista. Beautiful garden, winery, and wine. OK, maybe this is worth the drive. The French owned winery has 80+ year old vines and a restored facility that was impressive. Most of all the wines were great. 100% concrete fermentation in epoxy lined tanks. Varying in size and shape in relation to the quality of the wines. The wines that stood out to me were the 2010 Bonarda and the 2007 ALTO. The Bonarda was full of Juicy red fruit, medium to medium low tannins and just and easy excellent drinking wine that was a pleasure. Sometimes it is just nice to drink a wine for the sake of consumption :) Next was the ALTO. A wine full of structure. Big tannins and full of complexities. Deep Ruby in colour. Vanilla, chocolate, plums and Cherries.  Long finish with round tannins and subtle baking spices. This was a wine I could keep smelling for hours.

Next tasting was off to Luigi Bosca. Beautiful facility. Hand carved plaster art everywhere. Mix of concrete and steel fermentation tanks. Concrete only for the lesser quality wines. Lots of modern technology. Here they were experimenting with Russian and Chinese oak barrels to for the malbecs. So far no luck but as we are running out of french oak we may need to look for more alternatives soon.  The wines that we enjoyed here were the Gala 4 and the Icono. The 2008 Gala 4 was a blend of 4% Malbec and 95% Cabernet Franc. Beautiful wine with red fruits from the malbec and pretty floral and Purple notes from the Cab Franc. The well structured wine is one that was hard to judge at this point and need some time for a real test. 8-10 years :)  Next was the 2008 ICONO. Signature wine from Luigi Bosca. At first i thought the wine was a bit too soft and easy on the pallet. It certainly was a drinking kind of wine. After going back i realized  the wine did have a good amount of tannin but they were very well integrated and made for a easy drinking impression. The fruit was very prominent and was full of cherry, and plum with black pepper and leather adding to the wine.  The smell was intoxicating. This was a wine I would be excited to taste again in 5 anos.

Drive up to Catena Zapata

Day Two Mendoza. Off to Catena Zapata. While the reception was less than inviting we did get in and get to taste the Angelica Chardonnay, 3 Malbecs and 1 Cabernet Sauv. The 2010 Angelica Chardonnay was fantastic. Rich mouth, dairy but not oaky. You could barely tell the influence of the oak in the taste but in the mouth feel, It was full of citrus and peaches and had a beautiful creaminess. Almost Creamsicle.  The other wine that stood out to me was the 2007 Adrianna Malbec. Grown at 1500 meters this wine shows complexity and concentrations of flavors  Feminine on the nose but Masculine on the pallet. This was a truly interesting wine. Floral vs Spice. Cherry vs Tobacco. I could not stop going back to this wine. I certainly will be bringing this wine home with me :)  The other malbecs were fantastic as well but i could not stop going back to this one and smelling vs tasting.

Andaluna Lab - The kids loved all the science labs!

After this tasting we were headed to Andaluna. We were told that if we turned south we would get to it but it took up over 2 hours and after getting lost 3 times we finally ended up in the Uco Valley. I had thought we were going to stay just outside of Mendoza but here we were so we made the best of it. 4 wineries later we were spent. We visited Andeluna, Tupengato, Azul and Salentine.
Bodega La Azul. A refreshingly small winery with only 4 stainless fermentors and approx 12 oak barrels. We tasted 2 malbecs and one Cab Sauv and they were all very well made. Their Grand Reserve Wine was all sold out so they offered to taste out of the barrel   I will never say no to tasting out of the barrel ! I wish i could bring back cases of this wine.
Andaluna- Large winery. Is owned by Mr. Frito Lay. Usually i stay away from large wineries like this but we found the locals recommended this winery above any other ones to visit. So we trecked there and were pleasantly surprised by the wines. Sitting in the shadow of the Andes mountains the air felt thin but the concentration of flavors in the wine were certainly not.  We tasted 5 Wines. 2012 Torrontes, Altitude Chard 2011, Altitude Cab 2006, Altitude Malbec 2010, Pasionado Quatro Cepas 05. I left this winery with all 5 wines. Many did not even make it home. Extremely well made wines with distinct character. The Quatro Cepas was Rich and full bodied, subtle vanilla with dark cherry and blackberries. The texture was very velvety. YUM!

Side note- While we were in the UCO valley the wind began to blow from the mountains. This was an extremely strong wind and was uprooting trees and bending the vines over. The locals call this wind the 'SONDA' and were not expecting it during this time of year. They say it is very common in the spring and fall but not summer.

Salentine Entrance

 Salentine- This large and well known winery has a beautiful facility. The hospitality on the other hand was less than welcoming. We felt as more of a nuisance than a guest and had to remind the staff multiple times we were waiting for a tasting. I think this winery had outgrown its capacity to host people. I had all but written this winery off until the wines finally came. They were delicious. I tasted the Primus Pinot Noir (07), Malbec (07), and Merlot (05). Probably because we were in Malbec country I was in awe of that wine the most but I would say I was shocked to find a pinot of that quality here. Worth a visit but don't expect a friendly welcome.

Packing for a wine adventure

So I am days away from a new wine adventure. Chile! I am there for 19 day and hope to visit as many wineries as I can. This will certainly be an adventure for us because there are no Spanish speaking people traveling. :) I guess we will just talk with our hands and iPhones. Ha ha.
So what to pack on a wine adventure. We have a 22hr trip so I want to keep it to a minimum. I have a wine traveler that I am using as a suitcase so I can bring as much wine home as possible. The weather is beautiful right now in chile so I think all I need is thin light clothes. I am bringing my WSET text and some other wine books. Some comfy shoes for walking and plenty of power converters for all the phones, laptops, 3DS, and other gadgets.
I did download a new blog app so I can post wine notes on the go. Hopefully this means I can post much more regularly on my trip and not have to wait till I get home. I guess we will have to see how available the Internet and cell service is once we are down there.
When it is -24c and winter is everywhere I usually crave full bodied reds to keep me warm but I think my body knows we are heading south because all week I was hunting Sauvignon Blancs and other lighter reds. I did enjoy one full bodied red from chile that certainly deserves a mention. 2008 Encierra - a blend of 50% Cab Sauv, 40% Syrah, 8% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. This rich viscous red was mouth filling. Dark fruits and baking spices linger while a clean acidity keeps it balanced. Drinking this wine made made me even more excited to go! See you in chile. :)

TERRASOLE - Winemaker Mario Bollag

Terrasole Wines

TERRASOLE - Winemaker Mario Bollag



I had an opportunity to taste the current release of the Terrasole wines this week. Terrasole is represented by Fluid Imports in Alberta and Jason Sanwell is a good friend of mine and he generously invited me to be there.

06 Brunello di Montalcino

The wines we tasted  were the 2007 Rosso di Montalcino, 06 Brunello di Montalcino, 06 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, 06 Coldoro (merlot), 06 Solista (Syrah), 06 Pasticcio (Cab Franc, Merlot, Sangiovese) and finished with the Grappa di Brunello Riserva.
It was a treat to see the parallel comparisons of the same vintage across the flight.
Starting with the Juicy fruit, fresh Rosso and moving into the holy grail of Sangiovese; the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, all the Sangiovese wines were a clear expression of the quality wines that Mario is committed to make.  The 06 Brunello and the 06 Riserva show beautiful tar, leather, and spice with large amounts of tannins and acidity to last in the cellar. These are not wines to be opened immediately. They will likely mature for 10-15 years before showing signs of decline.

Coldoro Merlot
 

As delicious as the classic Sangiovese wines were, the wine that stole the show for me was the Merlot. I have not had the opportunity to taste many Italian merlots to compare to but I have to say that this one was attention grabbing from the first smell. Very feminine and delicate off the nose that deceptively pulls you into a rich and meaty pallet of spice, plums and grippy tannins. Mouth watering acidity and lingering finish confirmed that this truly is a fantastic food wine.  I was so impressed with this wine that I started hunting down more Italian merlots immediately. 


For More info about the wines please visit.
http://www.terralsole.com/

Carpe Vinum!!

Hanzell - Sonoma

Hanzell-

 I am going to begin a small series on wineries I have visited. I thought I would start with one of my most memorable ones. Hanzell.

 

Hanzell was started in 1957 by Ambassador Zellerbach. The ambassador was a key figure in the development of the Marshall plan and was asked by President Truman to travel to Europe and execute it. During that time he was living in Rome. This allowed him opportunity to explore Burgundy’s Domains in great depth. During his time in Europe he purchased land in the Mayacamas Range overlooking the town of Sonoma and began to plan out his vision at home;

Ambassador Zellerbach told people his goal was “to make California wine as good as the best of Europe.”

Hanzell’s first release was in 1961 and has since then only produced top quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. When I say top quality, I am (personal bias) talking about the worlds finest.

We were in Sonoma last fall and I was so excited to have the opportunity to visit this winery. To get to the winery you have to pass the world famous gates and drive above Sonoma to the top of the range. We had rented a convertible mustang and we certainly scraped the bottom of the car on the way there. Don’t tell the rental company!! Ha

We pulled up to the winery and met with our ‘Ambassador’ Zack and he gave us a tour of the vineyards. We climbed into his car and drove up the hill even higher to the top of the range. The view was amazing. They even had picnic tables set up to enjoy the view from.  He showed us individual plots of land and you could see the clone number and names tagged on the end of each row.

The next stop on our tour was the wine cave. We drove back to the main building area and began to walk down a flight of stairs into the side of the mountain. The addition of this cave barrel cellar was a more modern one but still carried the feel of the whole place. “Quality” The tunnel was impressive and bright. The barrels neatly stacked along the sides of the wall.

 

As we emerged out of the tunnel we ended up in the open air crushpad. There was a de-stemmer, sorting table and below was rows of temperature controlled fermenters.  Just as ambassador Zellerbach was a leader and visionary, this spirit remains. The fermentation tanks are an amazing marvel. They are not only temperature controlled but the temperature is constantly recorded and sent to the winemakers mobile phone so that 24hrs a day the wine is being monitored to ensure the correct temperatures can be maintained.

Next stop- Wine Library. Wow, I could have spent hours in this room. They have bottles of every single vintage they have ever made, catalogued and organized. Good thing they didn’t leave me alone in this room. J  

Moving upstairs in the old winery building you could see that back in 1957 this was a gravity fed winery. They were green before it was even cool to be green. You can still see the old fermenting tanks and the bottle filling invention that was the first of its kind. Hanzell was the first winery to use inert gas to fill the bottles before filling them with wine. This is to minimize the amount of oxygen that can get at the wine at all times. This is now common practice world wide and we can certainly thank Hanzell for this.

The last stop on our tour is to the tasting room which was the old lab for the winery. The room is filled with momentos of the past. Photos, documents, maps, and laboratory equipment are all well documented.  We tasted the Sebella Chardonnay and the current release of the Hanzell Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Though it is unfair to judge these wines so young as they are not intended to be opened so early you could still enjoy the quality and care that is evident. In some words you can taste how the wine will develop over time.   

Notes on the wines:

2009 Sebella Chardonnay – Bright clean citrus with a bold minerality are balanced by a rich creamy texture. Acidy is vibrant (medium plus) with notes in the mouth of lemon peel and crisp apple. This balanced wine would rival a Cru Chablis.

$36.00

2009 Hanzell Chardonnay – Brilliant Gold in color with glints of green make this wine look electric in the glass.  The nose comes across as more floral in character and then transitions into the lemon zest and melon.  Youthful and tightly wound the bold minerality is backed by lemon, pears and tropical fruits. Hints of coconut remain. What captured my heart was the texture. Rich and full. This is a wine that if given enough time to develop will be a show stopper.  Decanting two to three hours before serving is recommended.

$75.00

2008 Hanzell Pinot Noir - Red fruit aromas of cherry and pomegranate are enhanced by scents of pipe tobacco, woodsy forest floor. With time, the wine unfolds to reveal orange peel and cardamom. Surprising tannins and balanced acidity sustain the persistent fruit through a long finish. The concentration of the characters show the time needed to fully integrate the wine as a whole.  From the first sip to the last the wine had developed into a new entity. This wine will require 5-10 years to fully be appreciated.  Decanting one to two hours (or the night before) is recommended.

$95.00

Beronia Gran Reserva 2004

So my blog has been really slacking lately.  Sorry to those loyal readers that are hoping for more regular posts J

Unfortunately my day job prevents me from keeping this up. Spring is my craziest time making signs and therefore I need to take a break here and there to do actual work. J I am still drinking lots of wine but unfortunately only time to make ‘mico blogs’ aka tweets, about them.

Here is my attempt at getting back into the real blogging!

Beronia Gran Reserva 2004

SKU: 200782 | 6 per Case

 This wine is a wonderful example of how time can play such a role in wine development.

Gran reserva wines in Rioja require a minimum of 60 months of aging (24 of it in oak).

This is certainly evident when you first open the wine and smell notes of oak and cedar coming through quite predominantly. Given an aggressive decant or time in the glass you will begin to notice the fruit coming through. Dark earth gives way to dried cherries and plums. Cedar turns to blackcurrant leaf. Vanilla beans follow. Silky (medium) tannins and mouth-watering (medium+) acidity balance out this rich (medium+) body wine.

Still a bit young for my drinking style with a few hours of decanting this wine is very apt to develop into a beautiful evening J Drink now till 2017

Available in Edmonton at Vines of Riverbend –

 (780) 434-9444   -2331 RABBIT HILL ROAD NW

California Dreaming

California Dreaming: A Wine Showcase

Come and Sample over 150 different wines from over 30 producers Friday April 13, from 6:30 to 9:30 at the Royal Glenora Club, to help raise money for The Royal Glenora Gymnastics Club and KidSport Edmonton.

Enjoy light appetizers while tasting wines from the following Golden State producers:

Ottimino Wines www.ottimino.com
Parallel Vineyards www.parallelwines.com
Lyeth www.boissetfamilyestates.com/products/BrandDetails.aspx?BrnId=60
Pine Ridge www.pineridgevineyards.com
Little Black Dress www.littleblackdresswines.com
Sebastiani www.sebastiani.com
Delicato Family Vineyards www.delicato.com
Beringer Wines est 1876 www.beringer.com
Chateau St Jean Sonoma www.chateaustjean.com
Cellar #8 Winery www.cellarno8.com
Noble Tree Wines www.nobletreewine.com
Laird Family Estate www.lairdfamilyestate.com
Murrieta’s Well www.murrietaswell.com
Hayes Ranch www.hayesranchwines.com
Apothic Wines www.apothic.com
Louis M Martini Winery www.louismartini.com
Cupcake Vineyards www.cupcakevineyard.com
Big House Wines www.bighousewines.com
Mi Sueno Winery www.misuenowinery.com
Peju Family Wines www.peju.com
Insatiable Wines www.nexuswines.com/our-wines/insatiable/
Bliss Family Wines www.blissvineyard.com
Sterling Vineyards www.sterlingvineyards.com
Kenneth Volk Vineyards www.volkwines.com
Top Chef Quickfire Wines www.quickfirewines.com
Jack Nicklaus Wines www.terlatowines.com/wines/california/nicklaus
Luke Donald www.terlatowines.com/wines/california/luke_donald
St Supery Vineyards & Winery www.stsupery.com

Tickets Available online http://californiawine.eventbrite.com/

Friday, 13 April 2012 from 18:30 to 21:30

Royal Glenora Club
11160 River Valley Road
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

Free Parking is available. We encourage designated drivers or alternate transportation

WIne Century Club!

Well its now official. I am a member of the Prestigious Wine Century Club. To become a member of  this club you need to drink at least 100 different varietals of wine. Im a seasoned wine drinker so this should be easy?
Its not.
First time i tried to fill out the form i only came up with 65. I then took on the long journey of hunting down specific and rare varietals. This was difficult in my home market as many wine retailers do not like to stock things like 'blaufrankish' and 'Dzhani' etc. I had to start hunting things down. Once i thought i had tried enough new varietals i refilled out the application again. Only 85. Boo
Thats when i decided to look at the wines i was drinking even closer. I thouught about things like Tokaji. It includes 6 varietals such as Harslevelu and Furmint . Thats easy. With that and a few closer looks at portugese wines i was easily up to 104. Application mailed in.
6-8 weeks later I'm in. So excited!
A big thanks to Steve De Long and Deborah De Long for inclusion in theis group.
I will display this certificate with pride.