Berserkers,
Fellow board member Peter Papay and his wife Nasrin opened their home and their newly renovated backyard deck and swimming pool for their many friends and wine geeks. It was a great followup get together after Mike Grammerâs MEOW 2022 event. The day began with swimming, sushi and the introductory guest contribution wines. The next period was followed by poolside games, smoked ribs, seafood linguini and of course the stars of the show, the long lineup of 2014 Chablis wines. The last period was those of us who straggled behind to enjoy the hot tub, sauna, more swimming, desserts, cigars and late night snacking. Big thanks to Peter and Nasrin for the hospitality, and everyone else for the very generous contributions. Given the sheer quantity of wine, I once again turned on the wine superhero mode so I could get through everything. Iâll break the notes up into distinct phases.
PHASE I: CHAMPAGNES, REDS, ROSES AND GUEST WINES
HIDDEN BENCH 2013 RIESLING: 2013 was a terrible year overall for Ontario wine though the extremely cool weather ended up benefitting a few specific types, especially our sparkling wine and our Riesling. This was tart, quite rich for Ontario Riesling and had bracing acidity. Aged very well.
BOTT-GEYL 2016 GALETS OLIGOCENE PINOT NOIR: Light and fruity sour cherry flavors are complimented by classic smooth Alsacian body and texture. Very strong graphite and tannins on a slightly bitter finish, but overall I loved this.
LEANING POST 2017 PINOT NOIR: Leaning Post is one of my favorite Ontario red wine makers, they always get a superb structure with a smooth mouthfeel out of Ontario fruit that I donât get from any other winery here. My fellow TWEC ⢠members are nowhere near as enamored of their wines as I am which really puzzles me. They enjoy and drink red wine far more than I do but seem to snub their noses up at Leaning Post. Ah well, more for me to enjoy. This wine maintains their standards, with dark cherry flavors riding their tell-tale smooth mouthfeel and gentle texture. In fact, remarkably similar to the Bott-Geyl in this respect. Finish is much less harsh, however, with very little tannin and graphite on it. This is a great Ontario Pinot Noir and 2017 isnât even one of our good years.
TAWSE 2017 SKETCHES RIESLING: This is standard Ontario Riesling. Tart, refreshing and a short finish. Itâs decent.
PEARL MORISSETTE 2012 CABERNET FRANC: An Ontario Cab Franc from one of the better hotter years weâve had, this had a surprisingly light body and was redolent with fresh strawberry flavors. I really donât care for Cab Franc and I really enjoyed this. Speaks very highly of their early accomplishments and their faith in and ability to bring Ontario fruit and wine up to a much higher level.
MOUTARD NV GRAND CUVEE CHAMPAGNE: A supremely chalky Champagne. Worked exceptionally well with the sushi and seafood. Not sure I would enjoy it on its own as the chalkiness is near overwhelming, almost making the Champagne a one trick pony.
HUIA 2017 BLANC DE BLANCS: A New Zealand crack at vintage Champagne, this was extremely bright and airy. Very enjoyable.
GLORIA FERRER BLANC DE NOIRS ROSE: A very refreshing sparkling wine with big bubbles and sweet watermelon and cranberry flavors. Almost a soda pop version of Champagne and I mean that as a complement. Completely crushable wine. Finish is a bit short but this was eminently drinkable and great for a hot day.
MOET & CHANDON NECTAR IMPERIAL ROSE: Sweet brioche and cranberry flavors in the riche style of Champagne. Fine mousse and texture. This was nowhere near as sweet as Iâd feared it would be, making it very drinkable. Texture is much heavier than the Gloria Ferrer. I wonder if thatâs due to the high sugar dosage. This very much has the standard homogenized taste of Moet & Chandonâs non-vintage house style of Champagne. Which is to say that itâs good but not mind-blowing or terribly nuanced. Thatâs far more of a knock against this than its sweetness is.
CONTADI CASTALDI FRANCIACORTA ROSE: This Italian traditional sparkler has a light body, crisp watermelon flavors and a bit of a short finish. ON par with the Gloria Ferrer, though Iâd rack the Gloria Ferrer as better.
JIL ACARIES NV BLANC DE BLANCS: Crisp tart and chalky Champagne. Much more intensity than the Huia but still very light on its feet.
ERNEST BURN 2010 PINOT GRIS: Iâve drunk several bottles of this over the years and it was a pleasant surprise to see it again at this event. Absolutely nothing has changed here. As Mike Grammer put it when he tasted it, itâs a sugar bomb. Yep, it is. It may as well be a dessert wine. When his friend Cat who was visiting from Pennsylvania tasted it, she looked at me said that it was a baby Sauternes. Again: Yep, it is. Still has the strong smokiness and tell-tale crenshaw melon flavors of Pinot Gris. Quite strong ones, actually. Delicious as ever. But please, donât treat this as a table wine. I really canât see anything other than Thai or Hunan food thatâs burning the taste buds off of your tongue standing up to this. Better to pair with dessert.
JAFFELIN 2014 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY: Refined, light sour cherry flavors with a very strong finish. Delicious stuff.
VINA TODONIA 2010 RESERVA ROSE: Smooth texture, redolent with fresh cranberry and watermelon flavors, some creamy tannins on the finish, all on a very light and crips body. This was absolutely delicious!