Great Finds from NZ & OZ

This Spring, I was lucky enough to attend the New Zealand tasting and a Grant Burge tasting in very short order. These tastings reminded me about the quality wines that come out of Australia and New Zealand. We all know the big names but beyond these there are some really wonderfully crafted wines to be had. From Summer-fresh Sauvignon Blanc to a hardy Rhone blend, they have it all...

TL Wine Co - East Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2011, New Zealand - $16.95
Tropical and stone fruit on the nose. Richly-layered palate that lingers. A beaut for the price!

http://www.tlwineco.com/

Giesen Estate Pinot Noir Marlborough 2010, New Zealand - $19.95
Bright red fruit - strawberry and red currant. Well balanced with lasting finish.

http://www.giesenwines.com/

Grant Burge - Holy Trinity Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre 2008, Barossa, South Australia - $33.95

Popular Rhone-style blend. Rose petal, red cherry (almost red licorice) on nose. Extremely well integrated (although you do feel a bit of heat from climate/alcohol). Lots of ripe fruit but good tannin/acid backbone. A must try!

http://lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=GRANT+BURGE+THE+HOLY+TRINITY+GRENACHE%2FSHIRAZ%2F&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN

www.grantburgewines.com.au/

Grant Burge - Summers Chardonnay 2010, Adelaide Hills/Eden Valley, South Australia - $19.95

I loved this wine. It was refined and complex. Very well made especdially for the price. The oak is very subtle and well-integrated so that the wonderful citrus and stone fruit shows through.

http://lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=GRANT+BURGE+CHARDONNAY&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN

www.grantburgewines.com.au/

Treasures from Trimbach

I often marvel at how I can let things get way from me. It has been almost two months since my fabulous trip to Alsace and yet I have not uploaded any photos or commented beyond some obvious QPR treats. This flies in the face of how extraordinary my visit was, with an especially interesting stop at Trimbach.

The Trimbach's have been making wine in Alsace since 1626 and I was lucky enough to tour and taste with the very knowledgeable Anne Trimbach. There is something special about working in a long-standing family business and choosing to take up that calling. It is not so hard to believe if the business is wine and it does validate tradition.

Anne, like other women in wine that I have had the pleasure of meeting - Valerie Castan of the Domaine Castan (Beziers) & Kathy Benziger of Benziger in Sonoma - has a strong tie to family and is proud of the wines that they create. This adds a personal touch to any tour or tasting. Similar to the other two women, she is very PR & social media savvy and keeps the family business in the public eye. All three of them have passion, incredible energy and approach wine with unbridled enthusiasm. This is infectious and I believe makes the wine taste better.

Below are a few of the wines that stood out for me and seemed an accessible value. Any food pairing suggestions are Anne's. By the end of the tasting, I was so hungry from her descriptions that I quickly asked for a suggestion of where to eat. I was directed to Au Relais des Menetriers, and had the most fabulous of meals (Matelote de Sandre), but that is another story...

RÉSERVE RIESLING 2009 - $26.00 
Elderflower, fresh lemon nose - good acid backbone with lingering finish. Would complement a fish with cream sauce or partner nicely with oysters.

CUVÉE FRÉDÉRIC ÉMILE RIESLING 2006 - GRAND CRU-  35.00E ('05 $69.00 - LCBO)
Complex nose of honeysuckle & lemon with a slight hint of petrol. Very complex wine that opens up as it develops - give it lots of air and enjoy!

RÉSERVE PINOT GRIS 2008 - $23.00
Very fresh wine that would pair beautifully with Mushroom Risotto and could stand up to ginger, wasabi or soy sauce.

RÉSERVE PERSONNELLE PINOT GRIS 2005 - GRAND CRU OSTERBERG - $ 37.00
Shy nose but elegant lemon-lime palate, rich mouth-feel - long minerally finish. Matches creamy lobster and Anne suggests it could age 15-20 years. Lucky I have a few bottles now!

GEWURTZTRAMINER - CUVEE DES SEIGNEURS DE RIBEAUPIERRE- 2005
Mature nose of rose petal & lychee but not the heavy perfume sometimes associated with this varietal. The palate was equally as refined and was so well integrated I had trouble pulling out single descriptors. Like most of the other wines I tasted there was a gentle minerality that adds to the complexity.

PINOT GRIS - VENDANGES TARDIVES - 33.50E
Honeyed nose with a touch of orange rind (I am told there is some B.A.). Honey & marmalade on the palate too. Sweet but not cloying due to a wonderfully cleansing streak of acid to balance.

http://www.maison-trimbach.com/gb/wines.html

http://lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=Trimbach&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN

http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?Table=Notes&szSearch=trimbach

 

This month's theme is "something for everyone from everywhere". The best value QPR Wines that I have had over the last month. This is a bit of a cop out as I have been to a myriad of tastings and had a wonderful visit to Alsace. Each of these experiences deserve their own blog, and this will happen; but although rich in wine, I wasn't so wealthy with time.

Since I had the most fabulous visit, of my Alsatian tour, at Trimbach; I thought I would start there and point out the great value in their #1 US seller.

Trimbach - Pinot Gris - Reserve - 2008, Alsace, France -$18 - 24.00
Fresh nose and palate of elderflower and lime. Beautifully, complex wine!

http://www.maison-trimbach.com/gb/-pinot-gris-reserve.html

http://lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=971762

http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-23425-2008-f-e-trimbach-pinot-gris-reserve-alsace-france



Closer to home, from Niagara, is the remarkably priced Kacaba Cab Franc.

Kacaba - Single Vineyard - Cabernet Franc - 2008, Niagara, Canada - $18.95
Perfumed nose of red flowers, spicy dark fruit. Medium mouth feel. Good complexity for price.

http://lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=KACABA+SINGLE+VINEYARD+CABERNET+FRANC+2008&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN

http://www.kacaba.com/index2.html



There was so much to choose from at the New Zealand tasting, that highlighting just one is a challenge. I chose one that was hitting LCBO general list in June to balance things out as some of these may be a challenge for Ontarians to find.

Giesen - Estate Riesling - 2011, Marlborough, New Zealand - $15.95
Honeysuckle with a touch of tropical fruit on nose. Lemon-lime palate. Med sweet wine but beautiful acid balance. Lingers...

http://www.giesen.co.nz/Our-Wines/The-Estate/Giesen-Wines-Our-Wines-Estate__I.16922



A blogger tasting of Grant Burge was special experience with a surprising Napa-style Cab.

Grant Burge - Corryton Park - Cabernet Sauvignon - 2009, Barossa, Australia - $33.00
Classic nose of blackberry, cedar, tobacco. Rich mouth feel and long finish. Well integrated.


http://www.grantburgewines.com.au/thewines/?wine=65


Churchill Cellars had their annual tasting and what stood out for me was a wine I had, tasted, owned but had completely forgotten to write about. More fabulously priced French bubbly.

Vincent Raimbault - Vouvray - Method Traditionelle - Brut - $17.95
Lovely pear, stone fruit, with a touch of biscuit. Delicate, persistent bubbles give nice creaminess.

http://lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=VINCENT+RAIMBAULT+BRUT+VOUVRAY&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN

http://www.domainedelarobiniere.com/historique-viticulteur-vouvray-2.html



Finally, a ZAP - California Zinfandel, tasting hit Toronto. A dream come true and a chance to really compare the styles of Zins. Starting here with an accessibly priced, good quality wine.

Ghost Pines - Winemaker's Blend Zinfandel - 2009, Sonoma County, California - $19.95
Well structured, fruitforward but not jammy, lots of blackberry. Quite elegant especially for the price.

http://lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=GHOST+PINES+WINEMAKER%27S+BLEND+ZINFANDEL+2008&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN

http://www.ghostpines.com/zinfandel.asp

Great wines from LENS & PEC

Recently I attended two tastings - The Taste of the County & the Ontario Wine Society's Shores of Lake Erie tasting - that allowed me to access two Ontario Wine Regions that I don't give enough space in my blog. This is not because I don't think the wines are wonderful, but is simply due to accessibility. I split my time between Toronto and Niagara which means I seldom travel to LENS or PEC. There were so many nice wines, this may just be part one!

Here are some standout QPR wines:

Lake Erie North Shore
Muscadere - Pinot Noir - 2009 - $25.00 - strawberry, red flower, gentle earthiness, nicely integrated.

Muscadere - Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - $30.00 - Herbaceous, blackberry & plum, full bodied & elegant.
http://muscederevineyards.com/ourwines/



Prince Edward County
Norman Hardie - County Pinot Noir, 2009 - $35.00 -  Bright Strawberry, integrated minerality - long finish!
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=125310
http://www.normanhardie.com/winelist.html


Karlo Estates - Riesling, 2010 - $22.00 - stone fruit & citrus nose some flint, complex, extended finish.
http://karloestates.com/buy-wine/

Uncharted Austria

Aside from the ever-trendy Gruner Veltliner, I am only vaguely acquainted with the wines of Austria. I am quite taken with the wines that the St. Laurent grape makes. There were all sorts wonderful wines at the Austria tasting, sadly in my neck of the woods they are hard to get your hands on. I hope you have better luck.

Laurenz V - Friendly - Gruner Veltliner 2010, Niederosterreich - $18.95
Complex citrus and mineral with a vibrant palate

http://www.laurenzfive.com/friendly.12.0.html

Laurenz V - Forbidden - Gruner Veltliner 2011, Niederosterreich
Off-dry, white peach, honeysuckle, slight minerlity with a long finish.

Domane Wachau - Klassik Terrassesn -Muskateller 2011, Wachau
White peach, lemon on the nose. Light but complex palate.

http://www.domaene-wachau.at/Einzellagen.435.0.html?&L=2

Domane Wachau - Federspiel - Gruner Veltliner 2011, Wachau -$17.95
http://www.domaene-wachau.at/2011-Gruener-Veltliner-Feder.500.0.html?&L=2

Andert - Barrique - St. Laurent 2008, Burgenland - $20.00
Plum, red flower, slight spice and toastiness no the nose. Rich and complex palate. elegant

http://www.austrianwine.com/producers-market/producers/details/betriebe/weinbau_andert_wein-100808/

Andert - Beerenauslese - Scheurebe 2010, Burgenland
Gorgeous, voluptuous med-sweet wine with a honeysuckle and lemon-lime nose. Great acid balance with a finish that seemingly never ends.

http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/andert+josef+beerenauslese+cuvee