December Wine Focus: Home for the holidays!

I think my entry is kind of marginal, but on a personal aspect, it fits the bill. My wife is abroad and I would just love to have her share the wine I opened tonight. So it really is a wine I would love to offer a very special someone a taste of.

Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon, Macon-Uchizy, Les Maranches, 2008

The nose is dominated by green apples, with hints of bananas and tropical fruit, and a welcome helping of chalk/sea-shells/whatever-you-call-it-that-you-smell-in-Chablis (that expands even more with an hour or so of air). The palate follows suit flavor-wise and is crisp yet smoothed by a saline finish that recalls a very brothy, chicken-based dish (having just returned from a traditional Iraqi-Jewish dinner might have affected my associative sensibilities, but I think not). Anything is lacks in complexity is made up by graceful poise that goes hand-in-hand with a striking, yet subtle punch. My benchmarks for value Bourgogne whites were until now the Villaine and Deux Montilles wines from Rully - but this beats them handily - it's probably not that much more delicious it seems to focus everything it's got so much more brilliantly that it really soars beyond its AOC. This is really almost ethereal wine-making. 140 NIS (40 USD more or less but great value for imported wines in Israel).

Domaine des Baumard makes a pair of Cremant de Loire Sparkling Cabernet Franc wines that are lovely (Carte Corail and Brut Rose) and shouldn't be too hard to find for those who are interested.

Cheers,
Bill

Sounds great Bill. Something different indeed but guess might be tough to find up here, LOL.

I have a rhubarb wine at the ready here, now that is different but not maybe that vinous.
Its a tad slow this month eh.

Freedom Run was one of the wineries we visited during the (2009 NiagaraCOOL, Freedom Run). They started up about 5 years ago and have a beautiful facility. The name is derived from their location on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. It was a stop between Lockport, via the Erie Canal, and the Niagara River crossing to Canada.
Coming in the door, I started off with the 2009 Estate Riesling - light straw color, but the nose seemed muted. However, I think it was too cold, as it opened up after some time in the glass. Dry, juicy, with good acidity and about 1% RS. This is still too young. I followed that up with 2008 Estate Pinot Noir– light ruby color, cedar and raspberries, acid is the first mouth impression (probably due to following the Riesling), but mellows with a medium, drying finish.

Curt, the cellar master and Brian, the wine maker, then encouraged everyone to fill their plates and take a seat at the arranged tables. I loaded up from a generous spread of artisanal NY State cheeses; Raw Milk Cheddar from Meadow Creek Farms in Interlaken, Harpersfield Cave Aged Tilsit from Brovetto Dairy Farm and Hudson Valley Camembert that was very creamy and tangy (hint of horseradish perhaps?). Also on the spread were some fine dried sausages, garlic bread and crackers.
2008 Estate Chardonnay – Un-Oaked, light gold, with a generous nose of apples and pears. Dry, juicy good acid, full in the mouth with a medium-long finish.
2008 Estate Riesling – Medium straw, hints of anise, full, long finish. Curt mentioned this was to be a Mosel-style.
2008 Estate Cabernet Franc Reserve – Deep color with slight purple tinges, cigar box and shoe polish, full medium long finish with nice tannins. Aged for 18 months in a mixture of new French and Hungarian oak and used barrels. I’d like to try this again in 2017.
2008 Estate Meritage – a blend of CF, CS & Merlot, very deep color, shoe leather and black cherry, medium finish, stronger in the mid-palate.
2007 Estate Pinot Noir – Good color (for PN), ruby, very aromatic with hints of butterscotch and chocolate, full, medium-long finish – very nice wine.
2007 Estate Cabernet – 65% CF, 35% CS, deep garnet, very aromatic, dominated by cocoa and pencil shavings, with a big, full, long finish. More Chinon-like and for that reason it was put into Burgundy bottles. (WS 90pts), my WOTN – I bought a bottle, discounted to $36.
2006 Estate Cabernet Franc – This was made before their own grapes were producing, so the grapes for this wine and the following Meritage were sourced from Long Island. Deep ruby, throwing some sediment, cherries and shoe polish, chewy, tannic, with a medium-long finish.
2006 Meritage – 45% CF, 45% Merlot, 10% CS (LI fruit) Deep ruby, generous, complex aroma with hints of cigar box, fennel, cloves – chewy and tannic, long finish.

We ended the evening with a 2005 Sparkling Chardonnay. Although they are planning to produce sparkling wines, they do not have the equipment in place yet for riddling and freezing the necks, so this is an early experiment. The bottles were still under crown cap and Curt demonstrated his prowess by sabreing two bottles, using a large butcher knife. I tried to take a picture, but timed it wrong. Medium gold color, good mousse, apricots and good acidity. I brought along a bottle of my “Rosé the Riveter” 2008 sparkling Pinot Noir, which was also opened. Folks seemed to like it. Some Ice wine was also poured, but, somehow I missed it (busy sipping bubbly). My only disappointment of the evening, was that since it was billed as a barrel tasting, we might taste some of the 2010 wines, but that didn’t happen – too early perhaps. It was a fun evening of good wines from one of the best new wineries in our area.

great notes Howie!

This is perhaps the best NC wine I've tried so far (although that is not saying a lot.) 10.5% alcohol. Priced at $9.99 at the grocery store, reduced from $13.99. Synthetic cork. The back label gives a number scale for body and sweetness. This was scored 4 of 10 as light-bodied and 6 of 10 between medium dry and slightly sweet. Medium-gold color--quite a bit of color for a young Riesling. On the palate more green granny apple than pear or peach. It was a food-friendly light wine without layers or complexity. I liked it better the second night. I'm not sure if I was in a more receptive mood of if it improved with some aeration. Good pairing with stuffed chicken breast and broccoli with cheese sauce one night and with pork and shrimp egg rolls another night. I don't buy many wines around the $10 mark so would consider this good QPR.

I have a bottle of 1990 Seppelt's Show Sparkling Shiraz that really needs to be opened this Christmas. It will go on ice for Boxing Day lunch when we get together with the Francophile's offspring and their respective partners.

I went shopping for the holiday wines this morning and was delighted to find the first Seppelt's Silverband Grampians Sparkling Shiraz that I've seen for sale outside the winery - I bagged three bottles. Also purchased a bottle of 2004 E&E Black Pepper Sparkling Shiraz (for the Christmas Day chicken) and a bottle each of Peter Rumball NV Sparkling Shiraz and Sparkling Merlot.

These should keep the party season fizzing.

[James Roscoe]

Howie, great notes on Freedom Run. They make some good wines. Cool climate PN and Rieslings are the stars of the Lake Ontario bench. Chardonay and Cab franc do well there too.

In October, I crossed the bridge to Canada with my son, Dan, to buy a few pails of Merlot must to add to my Cabernet Franc. The press house is right around the corner from the Inniskillen winery, so we stopped there on the way home and tasted a few wines. For those of you not familiar with Inniskillen, they were one of the pioneers of Ontario ice wine and they make a large selection of wines. I picked up a bottle of 2008 Inniskillen Cabernet Franc - Two Vineyards and had it with tonight's dinner of Delmonico steaks, fresh baked bread, brown rice w/mushrooms and vegetables. Deep crimson with a slight touch of purple. A moderate nose of cigar box and raspberries and a somewhat disjointed, medium length finish. While the acidity was noticeable, it did not have a juiceyness one usually associates with an acidic red and combined with the rough tannins, it seemed a bit odd. Certainly drinkable (Tim and I did finish the bottle), but not very impressive. I've had many other, much more enjoyable, local Cab Francs.

WTN: 2007 Deer Run Winery Corot Noir
This is my first exposure to this grape. It's a red hybrid developed at Cornell and named in 2006 http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hort/faculty/reisch/bulletin/Corot_noir.pdf. I'm interested in planting this in my back yard vineyard. Closed with synthetic cork. Fairly deep color, with a purplish hue. Based on general descriptions I've read, this is much darker than I expected. On the nose, no distinct hybrid aromas whatsoever. Cedar, cocoa, black cherries and some earthy notes. The label says 11.3% ABV, but it tastes much richer. Full, but medium-short, dry finish. Not a lot of tannin, but a nice, juicy acidity. If someone poured me a glass of this blind and asked me to identify the grape, I'd say it resembles Pinot Noir, but with a bit less character, like someone blended Pinot Noir with a more neutral grape. Quite enjoyable! This is also my first experience with the winery. It is located on Conesus Lake, the westernmost of the Finger Lakes - about 30 miles south of Rochester, about 60 miles from my home. I plan on trying other wines made from this grape.

Howie, Long Time no speak. At least here... I visited today and saw this post. I am very happy with Corot Noir. I got a small harvest this year - my first humble harvest, but what I have tasted of corot noir and my other grape varieties, I am very happy. And especially being the first time ever from fresh grapes, let alone mine. I did make a nicely colored and aromatic rose. Intense strawberries and other aromas. I hope to make a more darker deeper tasting corot noir this next growing season. I highly advise this grape. I have also used it in a variety of blending combinations: ready --- i had a small load of concord from a neighbor. He meant well, so i started with them. The small batch of wine need topping and threw a lot of lees. So I used a bottle of corot noir and a bottle of Marquette as well as a bergamais I made - gamay. I read about adding some sugar to concord - so i did - and it turned out very nice and a bit sweet. I also used a small amount of corot noir and marquette with a large batch of foch that has remnants of pinot noir in both taste and aroma/nose. So in these various blendings and uses, it is a versatile grape. With all of your skill/craft/knowledge and blending skills it would be a great addition to your vineyard. I have been impressed with every grape i have planted - The only exception for the moment is DeChaunac which I did not get any harvest due to black rot.

I must also add - the grapes this year were minimally tainted with any pesticides. I only sprayed a few times for the terrible Japanese beetles we get down here. No fungicides, or anything else. I used mostly organic approved-based sprays for the beetles. So I believe that that could have a bit to do with the intense tastes and aromas I have gotten. I am still trying to learn about each of the grapes.

Sorry for the long-winded post.

Rhubarb!

No, I am not commenting on Norman`s post, just to say that I have just opened an `09 Calypso Rhubarb wine from en Sante Winery here in Alberta. North east of Edmonton in fact, all fruit is certified organic.

Here is their website for all those interested.....>

http://www.ensantewinery.com/history.php

WTN: `09 Calypso Rhubarb en Sante Winery Brosseau Alberta.

12.5% alc, natural wine, Diam-like cork, around $20 Cdn I think?

The appearance is almost rose-like, touch of salmon. Does not look like rhubarb!!! Could be a nice pinkie from the Loire (just to please all Loire-heads reading this!). The nose is pretty restrained, opened 30 mins. Fresh, almost berryish and does not have aroma of Auntie`s baked rhubarb pie. Nice refreshing on the palate, off-dry, well-made, would be great on the patio with some tropical fruit kebabs. So-so mid-palate but nice crisp finish. Obviously a fruit wine, rhubarb can be bittter but this natural wine isn`t. I read somewhere that it is best to freeze the rhubarb before making wine but not sure how this was vinified? It is quite berry-like, very enjoyable.

This months theme is "home for the holidays", pour this to fool them!

I picked up a bottle 2008 Rief Estate Gamay Rosé VQA - Niagara Ontario at the winery a few months ago, wondering how it might compare to the legendary Bone Jolly. I took it to my Mother-in-Law's to serve with a Christmas ham dinner. Closed with composite cork. Pretty pink color, a whiff of SO2 on the nose, that blew off quickly, leaving a light bouquet of strawberries. Very light bodied, dry and soft, with none of the juiciness I was hoping for. 2008 was a very thin year in the area, but I was expecting more. While it had no flaws, it was a lightweight.