TNs: TWEC (TM) Nicklicious 2017 UPDATED WITH PICS: Champagne, Climens, Deiss, Meursault & More

Berserkers,

The Toronto Wine Elitist Cabal ™ gathered for a summer potluck as the kickoff to Nicklicious 2017, the annual weekly visit of American TWEC ™ inductee Nick Christie who sojourned in from North Carolina to Toronto. Fittingly, the event was held at our American transplantee member Tim Burnett’s home. The day was beautiful with lots of sunshine and we played with Tim and Alyssa’s kids while nibbling away and drinking before sitting down to a mostly homemade dinner. Pics have now been added. Here’s what we drank:

Beaumont des Crayeres 2006 Champagne – I had a bit of cognitive dissonance and couldn’t quite place the fruit until I discovered this sparkling house tends to favor Pinot Meunier over Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but uses all three in its champagnes. All biscuit nose, flavors of biscuit and particularly bright fruit flavors of green apple and lemon with a slight bitterness to the finish. High quality tasty vintage Champagne, I polished off 2 glassfuls and a bit.
Carlise 2011 The Derivative Sonoma County -- I loved this. White Bordeaux quality, California fruit flavor, and huge value. Semillon, Muscadelle and Palomino based dry wine with a bit of Palmonio and Colombard. Creamy banana and pineapple tropical fruit and vanilla flavors marked by very high acidity. Literally tastes like a dry Sauternes in a lighter body. A huge QPR steal at a mere $30 US.

Marcel Deiss 2008 Huebuhl – This Frankenstein monster of an Alsacian white blending all the Pinots (Blanc, Gris and Noir) is in a perfect spot right now. Sweet but not overwhelmingly so with smooth flavors of rich honeydew melon and kumquats. The body and texture were particularly striking, pretty much perfect. Glides like glycerin down your palate and gullet. Went well with both our savory dishes and my store bought cupcakes. As Mike put it, a very adaptable wine. Sad to see my last bottle go, but it was sacrificed for a worthy cause.

Butterfield 2012 Meursault – So I requested some sparkling and a Chablis or Meursault 'cause I am far, far too manly to drink Rosé. Jay delivered this, which we have had before and my opinion remains unchanged: it’s quite a bit disjointed for a Meursault. The nose is all gunpowder, the palate is all faded green apple with a slight touch of butter and gunpowder. High acidity, but this only serves to make the wine more disjointed in this case because the other flavors are not as strong to balance it out. Just when I’d given up hope, however, I tried this with our Caprese salad and brie turnovers and it was a perfect match! The wine became creamy and flinty, the fruit shone through more, and the acidity helped cleansed the fat out of the palate. Definitely a charcuterie and cheese platter wine.

Pearl Morisette 2011 Cabernet Franc – This rich tannic wine with heaping red fruit was nearly as big as the Sonkin. Amazing that this was gotten from the horrible 2011 vintage here in Ontario, Canada. Unfortunately, it is not as balanced at this stage and I felt it was opened way too young and needs more time to smooth out. It really needed beef or lamb to pair up with and we had neither. CF is never my favorite to begin with, but take a bottle that needs more time and add it to a refreshing meal on a hot summer day and you’ve got a huge mismatch. We should’ve had this in cooler weather anchoring a different meal.

Louis Jadot Moulin-a-Vent Clos de Rochgres – The best way I can describe this well-aged Gamay-based Beaujolais is to say it’s exactly what you’d get if you blended a Cabernet Franc wine with a Pinot Noir wine. It has the full tannic body of the former but all the fresh sour cherry fruit flavors of the latter. Really makes me intrigued to explore more Beaujolais.

Sonkin Cellars 2013 Unmasked Mendocino County Syrah – Exactly what I would expect it to be, big red fruit flavor with big tannins and black pepper and tobacco flavors but all perfectly balanced. Big but not a fruit bomb by any means. Good match with the veal. Considering the much lighter wines surrounding it being drunk on a hot 28 degree summer day, this came off very well.

Aris 2006 Petite Syrah Port – This wine has sweet plum fruit and spicy black pepper flavors and a slight touch of roasted coffee bean from the Petite Syrah. Technically faultless but at the same time didn’t really excite me. I respect what they did, but wonder if maybe they should have either gone the Pedroncelli route and actually planted Portuguese grapes or made a blend from the many other varietals they grow. This said, quality cannot be knocked and I would love to try their Vermouth style aperitif wine which is made from fortified Chardonnay and botanicals.

Chateau Climens 2010 Barsac – A perfect Barsac from a great vintage. Rich opulent body and tastes of roasted pineapple, lemon drop and orange peel flavors with a nice vanilla oak backdrop.

A controversy erupted at the table due to its high 13.5% ABV. Nick felt this was indicative of the wine being far too big and over the top and contrary to what Sauternes/Barsac is supposed to be, surpassing the standard 12% of most others and even the ABV level of arguably more opulent and sugary TBAs and Aussie/NZ stickies. Michael and I were perfectly happy, feeling this was punching far above its already considerable weight class so to speak where it was challenging Yquem for supremacy. I also felt it had not strayed too far over into TBA/stickie territory and was still pretty exemplary of Barsac/Sauternes and magnificently so. Easily one of the best if not the best non-Yquem I’ve ever had.

Dinner began with a pair of amouse-bouches. Tim made some Brie turnover pastries and a traditional Caprese salad of tomatoes, mozzarella, basil leaves and balsamic and olive oil dressing.

I’m getting much lazier than I used to be at scribbling. Ah well. A fun time was, of course, had by all. It was great to have Nick meet Tim and Alissa.

2006 Beaumont des Crayeres Fleur de Prestige Champagne

A solid 06 from a producer I’ve never had. Good sweet-tinged brioche scents, that very slight hint of sweetness carries onto the palate, but it’s roundness is offset by requisite bubbles and lift. Nice way to start the night, I agree with Tran that the fruit is in ascendancy here.

2011 Carlisle Derivative

Neither Tim nor I have had one this aged. It has a lacing of honeycomb but is essentially more about a structured straight-line white fruit-based presentation, with a bit of oiliness. Idiosyncratic in some ways, which is what I like about what Mike plays around with in his whites. I might even be tempted to think along the lines of a Savagnin for comparison

2008 Marcel Deiss Huebuhl

Very generous bring from Tran. Nick commented to me later that he wasn’t at any time in the night able to catch it at the right coolness of temperature. Me, I liked this a lot, but I am one who has gotten with the richer style that often typifies Deiss wines. This also has a sunniness to the melon and kumquat tones that reflects the 08 vintage. Nice wine and a little more length the next night with some chill to it.

2005 Jadot Clos de Rochegres Moulin-a-Vent

An older Moulin or Beaujolais is always fun to try. Blind, I really don’t know where I’d be in identifying a grape here. There’s a certain dryness now to the fruit, not even so much in texture as in taste. Bits of earth and cocoa reinforce this. Decent structure, a wine of interest but not one I’d run after. Still, much thanks to Tim for opening.

2011 Butterfield Meursault

I have it marked in as an 11 and I’m pretty sure that’s correct. Even with a little air time, this was shy in coming out, especially in the nose. It had a flinty quality for sure and as time went on began to develop some apple/pear/nuttiness that I look for sometimes in Meursault. I think this does have a ceiling but it also deserves more time in bottle. Some 11s may be going to sleep…

2013 Sonkin Cellars Unmasked Syrah

This is from Loren’s Mendocino-sourced vineyards. In the style I would expect, big but not too big, both nose and mouth are expressive, with plenty of red fruit and some attractive baking spice notes. More up-front and “tasty” than the Persona cuvee, which I find needs more time and has more overall to give to a taster. Good wine, though it didn’t make it out to the 2nd day (admittedly in a semi-warm car trunk for much of that).

2011 Pearl Morissette Cuvee Persephone Cabernet Franc

I am in agreement with Tran and disagreement with some of the others that night that this still has a long way to go. Even with the decanter, for me it stayed reserved and never really came out to play. That said, there are sleek and almost stately lines and hints of tastes to this that presage some good things to come. I will try to leave my next bottle at least 3 years.

2010 Chateau Climens

Nick noticed the alcohol when he tasted this and it does check in at a big number–13.5%. I will allow that the usual sublimeness of elegance that accompanies Climens isn’t to be found here. That said, it’s a delicious romp through pineapple, fig, vanilla and apricot sniffs and flavours. Now, I won’t say this is anywhere near a “classic” Climens that does indeed sometimes come up to d’Yquem standards. But Nick challenged me to say whether blind I’d peg it as a Sauternes. I think I would be able to do that here. I just might have guessed Suduiraut instead. The botrytis is nicely controlled as well.

2006 Aris Petite Sirah Port

A curiosity, and very generous of Tim to open this, but either it’s past or had little to offer in the first place. Either way, just didn’t make any impression, either as to grape typicity or overall presentation.

a bientot,

Mike

For dinner, Mike made some Amarula veal piccata while Alyssa boiled up some penne to go with it; Tim grilled up a mustard and spice topped salmon; Jay provided some beautiful swordfish ceviche, grilled rosemary focaccia bread and an Ontario burrata salad courtesy of Ufficio restaurant; and I did the walk of shame to a local Loblaws and picked up some pre-made chocolate and vanilla iced cupcakes.

Our thanks to Tim and Alyssa for graciously hosting on a Monday night and to Ufficio restaurant for helping out Jay’s sorry non-cooking ass out.

It was a fun night. Tran’s mention of “playing with Tim’s kids” is an understatment—dinner at Casa Burnett East is an experience: there are a lot of us and not that much space. That the TWEC™ has no problem rolling with this makes Alissa and I very happy.

I didn’t take notes (shocking) but here are my recollections:

The Beaumont was very nice and fit the bill, but didn’t hold my attention. Might be worth grabbing one more to hold for a while though.

The Butterfield was a clearly well-made White Burg, but a touch underwhelming, given the appellation.

The Diess lived up to expectations, concentrated honey and apricot, though not overbearing or overly sweet. If only Tran had more, it has another 3-5 years in it easy.

The Derivative was my favorite, holding up superbly, but having evolved so much from its early days when it tasted much more like a standard mid-grade white BDX. Citrus, honey, and a lot more. Wish I had more, and the two 2012s downstairs will be held 2-3 years.

I only had one taste of the Sonkin, but I thought a lot of potential. Tasty now, but many tasty Cali Syrahs don’t evolve—they just vaguely taste a little older each year–this one should.

The Pearl Morissette Cab Franc was similar to me on Monday. Tasty, but hinting at a lot more However, I half bottled what was left. On Thursday night it was much more expressive, singing even. I went to see if they still had some for sale. Since I pondered buying some in three prior PM orders, I feel like the wine gods are scolding me.

The Rochegeres stood out, if only because it was as the oldest by a good margin and was going strong. But while I enjoyed it, it was mostly just a mature wine that has held together well. I didn’t get the distinctive gamay notes, which is too bad for an ‘05.

The Climens was really, really tasty, but at least at this stage it was a bit dense for me. Assuming it holds together it might become a classic. In a couple decades.

The Aris was a last minute pull and wasn’t up to the task. I bought a bunch in a fit of early opening exuberance 5 years ago and it used to show more promise. I don’t think it’s past or overly oxidized, it’s just a dessert wine that showed a lot of promise young and, while it still tastes fine, hasn’t really gone anywhere interesting. The rest is still sitting in my fridge.

The 2014 Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout, which seems to have been forgotten (not everyone has a flexible palate and steel trap memory) was the actual last bottle opened. It was just killer on the nose and through the mid-palate: coffee, vanilla, a little toast and even a subtle tangy note. Alas, the finish was notably clipped, probably partly due to following wine, but also because it just is short. Oh well, I still gave it 4.5 Untapped stars.

Great to meet Nick, and great to have this bunch over. Wine nerds, 3 kids and 2 dogs don’t always pair well, especially in a small Toronto house, unless said wine nerds are these Canadians. Cheers guys.

If I don’t taste it, it doesn’t get recorded Which is standard for me and beer

Again, so happy we could come and visit with you guys. Nick was very happy to have some pooches to spoil.

A likely story…kidding. I think Tran partook?

Anyway, hope Friday night was fun and hope Nick got home safe, sound and not too hungover.

Me? Partake of beer? Pfft. The only good beers I have ever had in my life were all called Speyside Scotch whisky. And Dark Lord. Otherwise beer is just a testament to man’s genius – we have figured out how to produce a liquid that looks, smells and tastes exactly like urine without having to pass it through a human body first to produce it. Blech.

Sorry to slight your reputation.

But Dark Lord. Nice.