This past week the team from World Wine Synergy arrived in Victoria with some exceptional wines; winery ambassadors Bernard Duseigneur, Domaine Duseigneur; Camille Giai, Château Roquefort and a professor, Dr John Volpe.
Thursday was a walk around tasting of the wines later tasted on Friday at a sit-down seminar event. Both features the same wines but the seminar was the more comprehensive presentation.
The wine seminar event was titled Expressions of Origins of Indigenous Varieties: Invisible Forces – Pathways to Terroir. In the tasting notes I will share the information provided by Ecogastronomy/University of Victoria.
This was an extremely interesting seminar with a format that was taylored to the wines. Quite different and very well executed. As always the wines and presentation by World Wine Synergy is thoughtful, consistent and excellent.
The Framework – 3 Drivers and What You Taste
3 DRIVERS
WHAT YOU TASTE
WATER
ACID (Malic vs Tartaric)
Fresh to Round freshness / tension
TEMPERATURE
PHENOLICS (tannin, skins)
Light to Structured structure / grip
HUMAN DECISIONS
AROMATICS (thiols, pyridines, esters)
Green to Ripe to Savoury
identity / character
SHORTCUTS
Cooler site / close to water
lighter acid, fresher, lighter
Warmer site / drier
Riper fruit, more body, more structure
Water stress
Smaller berries, greater concentration and phenolics
Volcanic soils
vintensity, minerality, salinity
Winemaker freedom
More personality, less rooted identity (predictable)
FLIGHT 1
ASSYRTIKO
MOUNTAIN VS ISAND
FLORINA (MOUNTAIN)
Assyrtiko “The North” PGI 2024
KIR-YIANNI
Aromas of dustiness with stone fruit. Very floral. Delicious scents that suggest the potential of the wine.
The wine is light and refreshing with stone fruitiness. Nice acidity, aromatic and lingering with a spicy finish. Deliciously crisp and zesty. Light but very pleasant.
SANTORINI (VOLCANIC ISLAND)
Santorini Assyrtiko PDO 2025
SIGALAS
The scents were very expressive, dusty with jasmine, rose, peach, green apple and lemon. Very floral with some grapefruit.
Zingy in the mouth, so rich and ripe with peaches, melon and fabulous acidity that is so smooth. Lingering and very flavourful. Super spicy. A delicious wine. Fruit forward would be nice alone or paired with food.
If you enjoy full flavour wine this one is for you.
FLIGHT 2
LES ROCHES BLANCHES (MORE MARITIME)
Bordeaux Blanc AOC 2024
100% Sauvignon
Lovely floral scents, dusty with stone fruit. Very expressive on the nose. Some tropical notes, scent of dark fruit, plum torte. A sweetness to the aromas.
The body is sightly lighter with both hints of minerality and salinity. In the mouth velvety smooth and lingering. Excellent acidity and good balance.
Refreshing, an excellent wine.
RIVAS
ENTRE DEUX MARS
80% Sauvignon Blanc 20% Semillion
Slightly darker in colour. Scents of mandarin oranges, red grapefruit. The scents are bold. Quite fruit forward with citrus notes. Beautiful bold. Aromas of peach.
Some feeling of density in the mouth with complexity. Citrus notes. Very flavourful, fresh and spicy. Nice body and lingering on the palate.
FLIGHT 3
Scents seem bolder with notes of oak, cinnamon, apple sauce. Rich fruit scents, apple pie, sweetness on the nose. Continuing to scents of dark honey, brown sugar and ripe red apple.
Interestingly the scents follow the nose to the palate with herbaceous notes. The wine is dense with medium body. Underlying spice with a mellow finish.
La Coutte du Seigneur
Côtes du Rhône
This wine was quite distinctive when compared to the other wines already tasted. A touch of stink and egg on the nose. Citrus is in the background and as it sits in the glass the scents are more floral and very pleasant with notes of stone fruits.
High acidity with nice stone fruit, including peach. Medium body. The wine is very nice and flavourful. Very drinkable on its own.
Domaine Duseigneur
Châteuneuf du Pape
Beautiful scents of ripe, dark fruit including plum and blackberry.The wine is savoury with spice and tobacco with hints of minerality.
A style I favour for its rich and ripe notes with full body. Delicious and quite fruity with tangy acidity. Somewhat sharper but with well integrated tannins. A spicy finish that is both fresh and rich.
La Gout du Seigneur
Côtes du Rhône
On the hose a touch of toastiness with scents of dark, rich, ripe fruits. A touch of old world on the nose.
The wine is somewhat lighter, tart with grilled asparagus. Heavier in the mouth. Good acidity and quite lean. Fairly high acidity with the backyard onthe nose following to the palate.
SAKURA Rouge
Darker in colour. Opening with dusty notes. The aromas are very floral underlined by a toastiness.
In the mouth there are very ripe and pleasing dark fruits. Plum and rip blackberry. Nice acidity with light tannins. Very fruit forward and quite tasty.
FLIGHT 4
L’Esprit du Lac 2024
Dry Rosé
Mingling scents of brioche and fruit with a touch of funk. Very pale in colour.
Lovely fruity with medium body and great acidity. Very nice and fairly complex. Lightly flavourful with fresh fruit. Refreshing and very drinkable.
KIR-YIANNI
KALI RIZA 2022
Medium colour with a burnished tinge. The wine presents as quite fruity, clean and fresh, quite surprising in a pleasant way.
Light but delicious. Lean with good structure. Medium body and has an unexpected freshness. The fruit follows to the mouth but is not heavy. With approachable tannins it would make an excellent pairing wine. Nicely mellow.
KIR-YIANNI
RAMNISTA 2021
A bit darker than the previous wines with a very slight old world scent on the nose. Good depth with some floral notes.
The wine is fresh and very rich, especially ripe with pronounced tannins. Dark fruit forward. Tasty with good acidity and a spicy finish. Very pleasant.
We partner with exceptional boutique wineries that embody passion and environmental stewardship. By cultivating strong relationships with these families, we can offer you exclusive and extraordinary wines for your pleasure.
By focusing on wines crafted from indigenous varieties, we honour the heritage and history these grapes embody, fostering a deeper appreciation for the local ecosystems and communities that nurture them.
Together, let’s celebrate the stories, cultures, and philosophies that make our drinking experiences profound and heartfelt.
Assets courtesy of Dr. JohnVolpe, Ecogastronomy/University of Victoria. My notes (in bold italics) Feature image: MyVanCity
With thanks to World Wine Synergy for the invitation to the walk-around tasting and seminar.