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!!

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.

WOW! This past week and a bit has been so exciting that I do not even know where to begin. Let’s start off on Saturday evening when I received a surprise dinner in my house. A fully catered 14 person epicurean delight! Duck terrine, pork belly, marinated pork shoulder, and more. Wow cant even begin to describe my delight. My wife is so good to me and I had no idea she was even planning it.

I guess I should mention the wines as well. J We began the night with classic martinis from the bartender (my great friend Brent @brentschaitel ) We then Moved on to a flight of fantastic wines such as (in no particular order and I may have missed a few) – My notes are blurry and messy but here is what I remember.

 2006 Mount Boucherie Melange Noir ( one of my favourite blends from this winery)

2006 Wayne Thomas Petit Verdot (just delightful),

2007 Glorioso Rioja Crianza (just a great ripe tempranillo),

2005Marques du Riscal Rioja Reserva (wow a picture of old rioja. I could have consumed this whole bottle myself)

2003 domaine Vieille Julienne Chateauneuf du Pape (sandy gravely tannins. A delight)

2006 Deerfield Old Vine Zinfandel (a thick and syrupy concentration of zin. Delicious)

2008 Enkidu Diener Ranch Zinfandel

2007 Cave Spring Late Harvest Riesling- (Great acidity to balance out the candy sweetness)

It is Crazy that this post does not end there. But no I then go on to a Canadian wine tasting on Tuesday Night hosted by a Long Time Friend Phil Greet @philgreet. Linda Beth (his wife) and his daughters travelled to the Okanogan and brought back some lovely wines to share. They are all great pictures of the quality of wines that should be shared from the Canadian Market. Again short notes but ill share what I have.

2009 Mt Boucherie Chardonnay – UnOaked. Bright and clean with a blast of citrus. Still had a thick mouth feel well suited to food.

2009 OakBay Merechal Foch -  Concentrated aromas of black fruit and tobacco. Short pallet and finish with lighter tannins

2006 Quails Gate Reserve Foch – Blast of Cigar Box, ‘Animal’, wet leaves (in a good way). This was a delight to drink. Great depth and character on the pallet with a balanced acidity and long finish.

2008 Red Rooster Reserve Meritage – This was a Cab Franc, Merlot and Malbec blend. Heafty oak but was one of the most intriguing of the night with reductive fruits and mushrooms on the pallet.

We had a pair of Poplar grove wines. Always a great treat in my book (secret fan!)

2007 Poplar Grove Merlot- Rich and deep with blackberry, cassis, and hints of chocolate. Yum

2006 Poplar Grove Cab Franc- I stole these notes of their website as I could not have said it any better, This is a stellar wine and most people in Canada should be proud to have these in their cellars.  “…almond, vanilla and black forest cake. Blackberry and chocolate with Sage and toast. Silky Tannins“

By the End of the night I was absolutely convinced of the quality of wines in my own back yard!