When wine agents have new products to release they often host a trade tasting. Those in the hospitality industry, liquor stores, restaurants and bars as well as the media are invited to come and taste their wares.
Just the other day I was invited to such an event hosted by the Mark Anthony Group, who are agents for a diverse portfolio of wines from BC and around the world. The Waterview is a beautiful venue overlooking a False Creek marina.
For four hours I worked my way through most of their offerings. There were wines from, Argentina, Australia, BC, California, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Oregon, Portugal and Washington. I started out with the bubbles, moved on to Chardonnays and a few other whites, took a break for some bread and cheese and then started in on Pinot Noir and the other reds.
As always when attending such events, I was spitting, not swallowing, and so was able to taste my way through a lot of wines. There were many pleasant surprises and I was grateful to taste many expensive wines that I would never get a chance to otherwise. The biggest surprise was a few very expensive wines that were not at all impressive, but might or might not improve with further aging. It must be said, of course, that such comments are based solely on my palate and there were colleagues there who certainly had different opinions.
Here are my standouts of the day without factoring in the cost of the wine. In other words, yes it was good, but was it worth the money? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. Likewise, I’m not going to mention the wines I was disappointed with, since I know many might disagree. Sometimes, it was because the wines were much too young, regardless of their age, and at other times because the price and the quality didn’t match at all.
Lanson Extra Age Blanc de Blanc $149
Beautiful toasty nose and citrus flavours
Lanson Brut Rosé $68
Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, lots of mousse, lots of red fruit flavour
Lanson Vintage Collection 1990 $800 (1.5 litre)
Amazing! Rich honey and toasty lees. Wow!
Chateauneuf du Pape Domaine Barville Roussane $50
Unusual to see Roussanne by itself and not in a blend. Big and round in the mouth, good flavour. Why don’t more wineries make it?
Chateau Larogue Saint Emilion 2009 Grand Cru $67
Excellent complex nose, needs a little more time to age
Hospices de Beaune Meurault “Cuvé Goureau” 2011 $92
Absolutely delicious, a little oaky, but one of my favourites
Nackenheim Rothenburg Riesling Trocken $65
Excellent nose, well-balanced, good mouthfeel and classic flavours
Rotlack Kabinett QMP $40
Rich and elegant, classic Riesling character
50 Degree Riesling $21
rich nose, honeyed on the palate, elegant
Mission Hill Family Estate Quatrain 2010 $170 (1.5 litre)
Complex nose, great Bordeaux blend, lingering finish
Dona Paula Alluvia Parcel Selection Malbec $78
High altitude, great structure, spicy layered nose and flavours
Santa Rita Pehuen Carmenere 2007 $71
60-year-old vines, nicely aged, impressive example of this varietal
Adlschiem Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2012 $31
Very good, Alsatian style, dry with lots of stone fruit
Poets Leap Riesling 2012 $35
The pourer told me I HAD try this one. She was right. Beautiful Riesling.
Rodney Strong Russian River Pinot Noir 2012 $28
MUCH better than most Cal PN. Burgundian in style, great fruit and balance
Tyrrells Vat 74 Chardonnay 2009 $60
Not a typical Aussie Chard. Great balance, aroma and flavour. Yum!
I saved the ports until the end of the evening. And I must admit, these I did not spit. All were impressive.
Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny $67
Rich, elegant unctuous
Graham’s 1983 Vintage $124
Rich, layered nose, nutty flavours, beautiful
Graham’s 2000 Vintage $123
Rich, luscious, lingering finish
Thanks to all the folks at Mark Anthony for putting together a wonderful event that was at a great venue and wasn’t too crowed. They were all friendly, informative and worked very hard. I really appreciated having lots of time to taste and never felt rushed. I can’t imagine a nicer way to spend an afternoon.
