Please excuse us as we catch our collective breaths after a very busy last week that included snow removal, a 45% off sale, a second visit and tasting from our cheesemaking friends at Firefly Farms, a meet and greet with Peter Martin of Martin & Keegan Tours and a stirring USA victory over Canada in ice hockey. While the last bit might not have anything to do with what happens in our shop, it does let you know we do something other than pour, drink and talk about wine…we watch TV. Even though it wasn’t in HD. Just saying. We hope that this week will return to business as usual, starting with a tasting of six very unique bottles of wine, two of which are almost 50% off the regular retail price. The Lineup:
Domaine Remi Jobard Bourgogne Blanc 2006, SALE $18.14/btl, Regularly $32.99 – Burgundy, France – 100% Chardonnay – 13% abv – The 2006 Bourgogne (which receives essentially the same upbringing as his Meursault) offers aromas of orange blossom, honeysuckle, lemon oil, and toasted nuts. Grapefruit, lemon, orange, and nuts make for a bright and piquant palate, but with a sense of textural richness and chalky buffering acting as a foil to the penetrating citricity. This well-concentrated Bourgogne should be worth following for several years. Remi Jobard began harvesting September 25 – two days later than even Francois and Antoine Jobard – yet the two collections are dramatically different. These wines – which display uniformly prominent acidity – came out of barrel (generally 12-15% new) after a year, and were then given six months in tank (whence I tasted them) to permit stabilization and some evolution and, in Jobard’s words, “to preserve aromatic freshness and vivacity.” There are hints of botrytis here and there, but Jobard insists it was at a level of around 5%, in his opinion obviating any need to remove it. – WA (87-88) points
Domaine Schoffit Pinot Gris Colmar Tradition 2007, $24.99/btl – Alsace, France – 100% Pinot Gris – 13.8% abv – This inviting Pinot Gris has a lively golden hue and an open-knit texture. The round mouthfeel holds flavors of Gala apple and apricot, underscored by a light smoky minerality. Delicious. Drink now through 2012. 50 cases imported. – WS 89 points
Tement Gelber Muskateller Steirische Klassik 2006, $22.99/btl – Styria, Austria – 100% Muscat – 11.5% abv – Tement’s expansion has not stopped at the Slovenian border, and in 2006 he acquired the neighboring holdings of the Carmelites – where his father long worked as winemaker – and since replanted their 90 year old patchwork of vine varieties to insure more Zieregg Sauvignon for the future. Tement has begun using glass stoppers on his wines in lieu of corks. Given the extent of his offerings and given that I travel to Styria only every other year, I cannot pretend to have tasted Tement’s entire 2005 and 2006 collections, but only the subset (perhaps half) that he chose to show me in the time we had available. Tement is modifying his approach with Sauvignon – especially in the top sites – having decided that lower yields and the consequent ability to harvest somewhat earlier are more advantageous (not to mention less risky) than the long hang time he has traditionally practiced with this variety.
Domaine Bertagna Bourgogne Les Croix Blanches 2006, $22.99/btl – Burgundy, France – 100% Pinot Noir – 13% abv – Sweet spice notes add interest to the tart cherry flavor in this red. Firm but fresh, with a lingering finish. Drink now. 175 cases imported.
Vial-Magneres Collioure Les Espades 2007, $27.99/btl – Roussillon, France – Cuvee Les Esperades is a dry red wine, warm and potent, which should be saved for roasts and game but goes well with flavourful Mediterranean fish too.
Domaine Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Villages La Torre 2006, SALE $27.49, Regularly $49.99 – Roussillon, France – 70% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 10% Carignan – Luscious, rich and ripe, with concentrated flavors of dark plum, blackberry and kirsch that are supported by fine-grained tannins and powerful structure. The long finish is filled with dark chocolate and mocha. 20 cases imported. – WS 93 points
