In addition to the weekly wine review and the various other, usually wine related, articles I write for My Van City, I am going to include a new one that will appear from time to time. I’m calling it, ‘From the Cellar’.
It will be much like the wine reviews, except that it will feature wines that have been aged.
It came to my attention that in an earlier review, I included a wine that is no longer made by a certain winery. They were very happy with the mention and my positive comments, but they were concerned someone might try to track down a bottle and be disappointed when they found it wasn’t being produced any longer. So, from now on I will keep the ‘Wednesday Wine Review’ to recent vintages that should still be available and ‘From the Cellar’ for those that I have to blow the dust off of. There are no hard and fast rules. I recently bought a couple of reds at my local VQA store that were 2010 vintages (a great deal in my eyes). While most people drink what they buy in a matter of days, if not hours, more and more people are realizing the benefits of holding on to some of their wines and are enjoying the benefits of doing so.
Prices indicated are the costs when purchased.
2009 Signature (Bordeaux Blend)
Clos du Soleil
Keremeos, BC
$39.90
This wine has aged beautifully. The 2009 vintage was a blend of 41% merlot, 28% cabernet franc, 20% cabernet sauvignon 7% petit verdot and 4% malbec. The colour is brick red leaning towards mahogany. The nose is rich and layered with aromas of tar, soy, leather, ripe plum and cassis. Well balanced with velvety smooth ripe tannins. The flavours follow the nose and the finish is long and lingering. Very Bordeaux-like.
2003 Chateau Fonbadet
Pauillac, France
Price not available
Garnet red with a hint of brick and medium-deep intensity. Dried fruit and forest floor on the nose. Good balance with medium plus body. The palate shows flavours of dried fruit, soy and tar followed by a medium finish.
2003 Bordeaux
Chateau Marsau
Cote de Francs, France
Garnet/black with deep intensity. Tar, earth, dark fruit, dust and cocoa on the nose. Good balance with smooth ripe tannin. The flavours reflect the nose followed by a medium-plus finish. Nicely aged.
2012 Petales d’ Osoyoos
Osoyoos Larose
Osoyoos, BC
$25.00
This is a classic five grape Bordeaux blend led by merlot. Garnet red with deep intensity. Aromas of raspberry, vanilla, sweet spice and earth. Very good balance with smooth tight-grained tannins. The flavours echo the nose followed by a medium-plus finish. This wine is always enjoyable upon release; however, it always pays to let it age for three to eight years plus.
2011 Merlot
8th Generation
Summerland, BC
$18.70
I last opened a bottle of this vintage in 2015 when the wine was four years old and it was very good. However, I am very glad I saved another bottle. At eight years old, this wine was spectacular. Garnet red with medium-deep intensity. The nose is rich and layered with red and black berries, plum, dark cherry, spice, earth and a hint of chocolate. Well balanced with smooth ripe tannins. The flavours echo the nose followed by a medium-long finish with lingering fruit flavours. Unfiltered, this wine did have a bit of sediment in the bottom of the bottle – a very positive sign. I wish I had a lot more of this one, but with only 673 cases produced, it is long gone. I’ll be checking out the new vintage soon and buying a lot more.
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