Month: December 2014

Quaffing

Cantina Valpantena 2012 “Torre del Falasco” Valpolicella Ripasso

Posted on by Josh

Cantina Valpantena 2012 "Torre del Falasco" Valpolicella RipassoFor some reason I’m never drawn to Valpolicella these days – or ever, really – but I hear its name pop up more than I’d expect. I can see it becoming a trendy wine in Vancouver (if not already), it being a middling restaurant-friendly red with a spiffy name and style versatility.

It’s been a while since I’ve had actively had one. More than two years ago. (Ew.)

Black cherry and cola are the main stars here, and there’s a subtle dried herby undergrowth on the nose. Sage, I think. I learned well about herbs that one time I bought a bunch of them to bake chicken, and there was that one golden moment where I’m sure I made the ghosts in the house laugh when I accidentally snorted dried marjoram.… read more

Life · WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 9: Workshop #2

Posted on by Josh

Okay, let’s be real here: it’s the holidays, and during the entirety of the WSET diploma, there was inevitably going to be at least one class that combined horribly with a hangover, and that day was today. I’m stubborn and quasi-meticulous: I’ve never missed a class nor have I ever not written about a wine we tried, but I just don’t have the willpower to give birth to separate posts this time around. Not that anyone’s really counting on me, anyways. Insert booing crowd here.

The last workshop we had consisted of one flight of three wines and some written practice. Today consisted of two flights of wine and no written practice (thank the gods), and we promised our instructor that we would practice on our own as if we were promising our parents to not have a house party while they were gone for a week.… read more

WSET Diploma

“Hot & Bothered” – Oh Land: Jean Foillard 2011 “Côte du Py” Morgon

Posted on by Josh

Jean Foillard 2011 "Côte du Py" Morgon[Tasted during WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 8: Burgundy]

There’s something really funky and weird about this wine, in an awesome way (though what isn’t funky and weird in Racine’s portfolio?). It’s strange for it to be introduced in class as our benchmark example of Beaujolais, with this eccentric combination of raspberry lambic beer, garden soil, a mouthful of red fruit, and a hint of spice and dirty socks. Not typical or traditional, in my opinion, but really cool, and I most certainly hope that something funky and sort of new age, for Beaujolais, strikes the fancy of more consumers. A pipe dream, perhaps, because I’ve heard this described as a wine that would get hipsters in New York hot and heavy.… read more

WSET Diploma

Overcast diamonds: Domaine Latour-Giraud 2011 “Genevrières” Meursault

Posted on by Josh

Domaine Latour-Giraud 2011 "Genevrières" Meursault[Tasted during WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 8: Burgundy]

The first time I’ve had a Premier Cru Burgundy was in WSET Intermediate class years ago – it was the Latour-Giraud 2008 Meursault-Perrières. Looking at my notebook, I don’t seem to have much to say about it. I mean, good for you if you’re bedazzled by young and amazing white Burgundy at age 19, but I guess I needed more convincing.

The second time I’ve ever had a Premier Cru Burgundy was in WSET Advanced class, where it looks like I was really unimpressed. Just earlier this year I realized how amazing it was that I tried a Meursault and I back-pedalled hard, but retrying this helps me understand my past self.… read more

WSET Diploma

Black Swan: Joseph Burrier 2012 “Sur La Roche” Pouilly-Fuissé

Posted on by Josh

Joseph Burrier 2012 "Sur La Roche" Pouilly-Fuissé[Tasted during WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 8: Burgundy]

If Chablis is the personification of pristine and pure Chardonnay that tastes of river stones and crisp fruit, with a balance of concentration and finesse that needs time to blossom, then Pouilly-Fuissé, at the other end of Burgundy, is a ballsier expression of quality white Burgundy.

More obvious fruit, here, with crushed pears and applesauce rather than freshly sliced green fruit, along with a vivacious touch of something Bed Bath & Beyond-esque, like a soapy lemon-lime candy. It’s the Black Swan to the White Swan we tried earlier in the flight. It’s just more willing to do MDMA on Sunday night but still have its shit together to do ballet the next morning.… read more

WSET Diploma

Audrey Hepburn: Domaine Tortochot 2010 Chambertin Grand Cru

Posted on by Josh

Domaine Tortochot 2010 Chambertin Grand Cru[Tasted during WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 8: Burgundy]

This was spectacular. Apparently only two cases were directly brought into the province, and they went quickly. A great price, from what I can tell, but I’m not gonna pretend that I’m a huge connoisseur of Grand Cru Burgundy. Like, if you were to open one in my presence, I’d definitely force us to light candles and do a Gregorian chant before uncorking it.

Pinot Noir from the Côte de Nuits, of the north half of the Côte d’Or, is said to be more structured, deeper, perhaps darker in its fruit, and have a protracted maturation window compared to the wines of the Côte de Beaune. So, compared to the lighter Savigny-Lès-Beaune we had just before, this wine exuded more dark fruits, more brooding notes in the form of forest floor, mushroom and leather, and some oak, where there were well-integrated murmurs of mocha and sweet spice.… read more

WSET Diploma

“There’s Too Much Love” – Belle and Sebastian: Phillipe Girard 2010 “Les Lavières” Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru

Posted on by Josh

Phillipe Girard 2010 "Les Lavières" Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru[Tasted during WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 8: Burgundy]

The next two wines we tasted were both Pinot Noirs from two different halves of the Côte d’Or – this one was from the Côte de Beaune in the south, while the next one was a Chambertin from the Côte de Nuits in the north.

Lighter and more driven by flowers, strawberries, and red cherries compared to the Chambertin. It’s often said that Pinot Noir from the Côte de Beaune creates wines that are lighter, fruitier, and prone to earlier maturation than that of the north. Much more pure in fruit than the basic Burgundy we tried a couple of wines before, if you were to compare the first wine to blurry vision à la Velma losing her glasses, and then this wine to putting on a stylin’ pair.… read more

WSET Diploma

White Swan: Domaine Christian Moreau 2012 Valmur Chablis Grand Cru

Posted on by Josh

Domaine Christian Moreau 2012 Valmur Chablis Grand Cru[Tasted during WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 8: Burgundy]

Chablis, to me, is the pinnacle of perfection: not so much in a sense that it’s a wine that’s perfect and orgasmic, but more the fact that it strives to be something so pristine, crisp, calm, and complex, not unlike a snowflake.

The White Swan i.e. Nina Sayers comes to mind, where perfection is bitingly found but the wine is almost too young and needs lots of time to develop. Crisp notes of mineral, green apple, pear, a hint of oak (purportedly), cream, and something reminiscent to Loire Chenin that’s very wool and mushroom-like are found on the nose, and the palate reverberates the flavours with more intensity.

There’s a beautiful juxtaposition of young richness and brisk acid; a concentration of flavours that have lots of finesse.… read more

WSET Diploma

A scratched Frank Sinatra record: Vignerons de Buxy 2012 Buissonnier Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Pinot Noir

Posted on by Josh

Vignerons de Buxy 2012 Buissonnier Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Pinot Noir[Tasted during WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 8: Burgundy]

Not bad, at first glance, but then wildly simple when compared to the Savigny-Lès-Beaune and Chambertin. Much more charming on the nose than on the palate, where simple red fruits, earth, and a bit of flowers and vanilla were a bit more shrouded and quiet on the palate.

Similarly to the first wine, there was a bit of sulphited character that was more evident compared to the other red wines in the flight, but it also could have been so because of the lack of intensity. Not really noticeable until we did a side-by-side sort of thing.

Sort of like a faded Sinatra record, where there are hints of allure but you don’t really get the true magic of the grape.… read more

WSET Diploma

Staff paper: Louis Latour 2012 Bourgogne Chardonnay

Posted on by Josh

Louis Latour 2012 Bourgogne Chardonnay[Tasted during WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 8: Burgundy]

We kick off our Burgundy sesh with two basic, well, Burgundies, in order to prime our mouths and ideas as to what Burgundy is and what the basic examples taste like compared to more premium examples.

Neutral, but irritatingly so. We kept samples of this wine when we tasted other whites, and it seemed like this wine had just a bit more of a sulphited character (matchsticks et al) in comparison – though perhaps it was just the lack of concentration on the nose that made it more evident.

I’m bad at picking up oak, but apparently there were bits of it on the nose, along with mineral, vague hints of green fruit, green apple, pear, and citrus.… read more