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Seriously Cool Chardonnay
No less than three sommelier picks
by Anne Popoff
In case you have not heard about this phenomenon yet, Seriously Cool Chardonnay is an Ontario venture to promote Canadian VQA Chardonnay, first in England and then in New York City this March (www.coolchardonnay.ca). It is the brainchild of Bill Redelmeyer from Southbrook Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL). The wines were tasted by esteemed wine media in the UK and got rave reviews last spring. So this year, the Americans will get a chance to taste our Canadian Chardonnay goodness.
I had the opportunity to taste most of them yesterday and I must say the one is better than the other! All of them are different, thanks to regional terroir, winemaking skills and micro-climates, but the end result is always delicious. Let me pass a few of the wines in review, in no particular order.
First, a 100% Chardonnay based sparkling wine, well worth-mentioning , not only because it hails from Prince Edward County, but because it is truly delicious! Huff Estates Winery produces the 2006 Peter F. Huff Blanc de Blancs ($39.95 retail). The sparkling is made in the méthode champenoise and spends three years on lees before its release. It is crisp, refreshing, with mineral and apricot notes, a hint of toastiness and very tasty on its own. The 2007 will soon be released – I recommend a visit to the winery to taste it and Huff Estates’ other wine offerings! (www.huffestates.com)
Colaneri Estate Winery is a brand new winery in NOTL, soon to open its doors to the public. In the meantime, a lovely Chardonnay was on offer at the tasting: the 2008 ‘Paese’ , a wine made in the appassimento manner (where grapes are left longer on the vine, then manually harvested and put out to dry on straw mats to concentrate the sugar content and the flavours). This delightful wine has aged 13 months in old and new French oak barrels – hence the butterscotch, creaminess and smokiness on the palate. A balanced wine with a hint of lime on the finish, it retails for $34.95 on line (www.colaneriwines.com)
And lastly for today, as there will be a part two to this post, here is the 2008 Mottiar from Malivoire Wine Company (www.malivoire.com), situated in Beamsville. This limited edition Chardonnay is from a single vineyard, clean, with excellent balanced acidity, good minerality, with baked apple, pear, some smokiness and a nice hint of caramel . At $29.95, this is a perfect example of a white Burgundy made in Ontario.
The prices of these wines may seem a little intimidating, but the reality is if you were to pay the same for a premium Chardonnay from Burgundy or California , transportation costs enter seriously into the final price. Whereas here in Canada, we know our climate and our soils, the end product is local, reflects our heritage and tastes darn good!
I’ll keep you informed on the best wines, noteworthy restaurants and occasionally, I’ll talk about a great book or neat travel destination. All things I am passionate about. As a former investment banker, I had the good fortune to be able to switch careers and became a certified sommelier here in Toronto. This has led me to get involved with the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and I am now the President of the Ontario Chapter (www.capsontario.ca). Anne Popoff
by Editor
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Loading ...Bubbly for Valentine’s
Celebrate in style – under $40
by Anne Popoff
Just in time for Valentine’s Day! A most tasty Champagne has made its way to the General List offering at the LCBO. Not that one needs an excuse for Champagne, but this is the perfect occasion to try a new one. At $39.95, Champagne G. H. Martel & Co Cuvée Victoire Prestige Brut (LCBO # 190025) has arrived in a liquor store near you.
The history of this particular house is fascinating. The Rapeneau family hails from the Marne. Family members have been involved in the wine-trade since the first half of the 19th Century. In 1925, Ernest Rapeneau established a Champagne négociant company and ever since, the Rapeneau focus has been exclusively on champagne.
Most Champagne producers buy all or most of their grapes from independent growers. The Rapeneau family has taken a different tack, re-investing much of their profits in acquiring premium vineyard sites. In this way, they have better control of the cost of raw materials as well as their quality. Included are vineyards originally planted by Charles de Cazanove in the early 1800’s as well as G.H. Martel, Château Bligny and others.
With 420 acres of family-owned vineyards and a further 2000 acres under their control, the Rapeneau family is France’s largest independent vineyard-owner and producer of Champagne. In addition, the family maintains the largest collection of Champagne glassware in the world, with over 1000 unique examples of stemware used in the service of champagne.
Up until five years ago, all of the company’s growth has come from the domestic market of France. Now, there are Rapeneau family champagnes sold in the United Kingdom and Asia. And in the past two years, Jean-Rémy Rapeneau has begun to develop their brands in the United States- and now in Canada. As a result, Rapeneau family champagnes hold down the #6 world ranking for champagne sales.
Tasting notes
This delicious Champagne is composed of the classic trio: 65% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay. Creamy and soft with smooth flavours of brioche, strawberry and lemon curd, it will accompany any of your Valentine’s Day gourmet recipes or even on its own, to start the celebration!
I’ll keep you informed on the best wines, noteworthy restaurants and occasionally, I’ll talk about a great book or neat travel destination. All things I am passionate about. As a former investment banker, I had the good fortune to be able to switch careers and became a certified sommelier here in Toronto. This has led me to get involved with the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and I am now the President of the Ontario Chapter (www.capsontario.ca)
by Editor
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(2 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5) Loading ...[Tags: celebration, champagne, Sommlier, Valentine's Day, white wine, wine, Wine Blog, wine tasting notes]
