Marquis Wine Cellars

Tasting in Napa

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:54:00 -0800

My latest trip to Napa Valley:

I have had the distinct pleasure of traveling to and tasting in Napa Valley for over 20 years now. It’s always a pleasure to head down there and see old friends and enjoy some of the greatest wines that the world has to offer. Napa is an enigmatic place, it’s place with a long history, but a short memory, and of deep traditions and quick fads. It’s a place where on one hand you have huge money, inflated egos and serious price tags. On the other hand though, you have a small group of winemakers with a long standing connection to the land and place, who craft beautiful wines, and charge a fair price for them. These are winemakers who make wine out of passion and who are doing it for the love of their art, not as an attempt to make some overpriced trophies and trying to achieve fame and fortune. It’s the latter I’ve always been interested in, and it’s this group of passionate artisans I call my friends and whose wines I always love to drink.

Napa is an easy drive from San Francisco, with traffic permitting you can be there in about an hour and half. It’s a picturesque drive, where shortly out of the city you’re surrounded by pristine agriculture land and a gorgeous, Mediteranean-esque landscape. For the most part, Napa Valley has maintained most of its agricultural roots and has through good fortune and prudent planning avoided becoming a bedroom community of San Francisco. Nowhere in such a small area (keep in mind, the Valley is only 174 km²⁾is there such an immense diversity of wines, and brilliant restaurants ranging from delicious and authentic local Taco stands to the legendary and world famous French Laundry.

Most wine lovers tour the more well known wineries along highway 29 or the Silverado Trail. But the true spirit, authenticity and flavour of the Valley is located in the hills of Napa Valley, where there are little or no signs marking the wineries. These are the wines that are made by long time residents of the valley who are more concerned about making great wine rather than getting their winery in Architectural Digest. The proof of a world class wine is in the bottle, not in the building.

My first stop was to check into my hotel, the John Muir Inn, a great spot on the corner of HWY 29 and Trower in the town of Napa. The prices here are reasonable, the location central and easy to access and room nice and comfortable. If you stay here though, make sure to ask for a room which does not overlook the highway unless you want to be woken up at 6:30am by trucks gearing down. The added perk of staying here is the five dollar coupon they give you for Marie Calanders restaurant, which is a mere fifty or so paces across the parking lot and a great little diner. If you like pies, you’ve come to the right place, as the pies here are fantastic and worth a visit alone.

After breakfast I wandered around town and re-familiarized myself with the area. My first stop was at one of my favourite grocery stores, Dean & Deluca in St. Helena. I love the merchandising, the array of food, the wooden floors and of course, the wine selection. I checked out the labels for awhile, seeing who some of the new names in the valley were and checking out my friends labels as well. The selection here is great, and I always get a kick out of checking out other bottle shops. It’s a pity these types of stores are illegal in British Columbia, wouldn’t it be great to be able to buy a nice bottle of wine and get a delicious sandwich under the same roof?

The Tastings:

Hendry Ranch Wines:
The Hendry farm/homestead has been in his family since 1933, a short period of time when compared to European standards, but quite lengthy for California. The Hendry Ranch is located in the southern part of Napa Valley, on the way up to Mt Veeder. This is a cooler climate sight by Napa standards, some 10 degrees cooler than Oakville and 15 degrees cooler than Calistoga in the north.

Hendry’s web site not only understates George and Mike’s sheer brilliance, but also their dedication to the art of crafting high quality wines. George Hendry for example, “divided his time between the vineyard and the design of cyclotrons” according their website. Think about it, when George isn’t doing work in the vineyard, he’s building cyclotrons! That’s intense; George is a seriously smart guy. Mike, who is George’s nephew and since 2001 the vineyard manager there, grew up in Canada (could be why he’s such a likeable chap) and has degrees in physics and engineering. As you can ascertain, this is a smart family, with a keen brain for science, but what makes them really special is their ability to marry science and art, and that’s the angle they take when crafting their wines.

Prior to starting their winery George sold his cabernet grapes to Robert Mondavi. It was these grapes that made up the reserve program and were used for Opus One. With their scientific background they have mapped their entire vineyard and divided into 50 different blocks, (see high res map, http://www.hendrywines.com/vineyard.htm) carefully documenting the growth, yield and grape quality. The result is great wines of uncompromising quality, because making great wine starts in the vineyard.

2007 Pinot Gris – tasted out of Screw Top & cork closure
I tasted the two wines side by side and the result was nothing less than profound. The screw top wine was clean, fresh and vibrant, while the cork finish wine was a bit flatter and sad to say, a bit duller as well. The Hendry Pinot Gris is the standard bearer for this grape in the Napa, and while both bottles were delicious, hats off to the screw top.

2008 Albarino
I love producers who think outside the box, try new things, and experiment with different grape varieties. Although I have not been that impressed with California’s previous attempts at Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, this Albariño really impressed me. I love Spanish Albariño and this wine delivers all of the qualities I look for. It’s fresh, zippy and full of explosive fruit flavours, with a little bit of classic varietal saline note to it. A real lovely wine to enjoy with fresh seafood.

2007 Unoaked Chardonnay
This is generally how I like my Chardonnay. I prefer this styles of wine in which the fruit is not over-powered by oak. This is like a good, if not great Mâcon. It has a nice leanness to it, yet still displays intense flavours. Very nice indeed.

2005 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
People think that when a wine says barrel fermented all of it is barrel aged, not the case, this is a non-malolactic wine with just 50% new wood. This Chardonnay has more volume than their unoaked version, and this case the oak is not overwhelming at all. Still, this is a rich, elegant, thoughtful Chardonnay, the way it should be when oak is involved.

2006 Pinot Noir
A surprise for me after the mediocre 2005 vintage, half new French barrels partial whole berry, no racking, and limited maceration. I was quite enamored with this wine, very well crafted, the Pommard clone gives the wine some backbone, a beautiful lift of fruit, with some rustic earth notes, very smooth and well integrated, well crafted, very pleasing and pleasurable.

2006 Block 7&22 Zinfandel
One note before I go on about the wine. Zinfandel as a grape usually has a muted colour, yet many of the Zinfandels on the market are quite dark in colour. This is because many producers blend in some Petite Sirah to give the wine some extra colour.
Muted black in colour, made with 100% Zinfandel, an earthy note to the wine with lifted berry fruit aromas, spicy notes – anise, pepper etc, rich but not over powering even with 15.6% alcohol.

2005 Block 5 Zinfandel
This block is planted to a clonal selection from the Brandlin vineyard on Mount Veeder. This wine is darker, deeper and more profound than the aforementioned wine, a big style of zin but again crafted in a thoughtful drinkable style – it is not big for the sake of being big. Excellent and enjoyable now, this will age nicely.

2006 Primitivio
This is a B-I-G wine, no lack of anything here. You like flavour and intensity? Here you are, the wine for you. The wine clocks in at 16.3% alcohol, and would work well with chocolate. A big, brooding wine with deep and intense flavour, not an everyday drinker, but a great little treat none the less.

2005 Hendry Red Wine
(30% Petit Verdot, 26% Malbec, 14% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Note the blend, a Bordeaux blend, yes, but going the opposite way from usual. This is a very interesting (and delicious) take on a time tested old formula. For me this was my favourite of the lot, but that is just me speaking. Earthy, intense, smooth, rich with great density of fruit, but not overpowering at all. This is lovely stuff here folks, and a great California take on a Bordeaux blend.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
The star of the line-up here, I mean after all, we are in Napa here so eventually we’d have to get to some killer Cabernets. Deeply coloured, with an intense nose and layers and layers of fruit to it. This wine has a freshness to it I find almost invigorating it’s big and dense, sure, but very complex and well rounded. A brilliant example of Cabernet Sauvignon, and a world class wine.

*A wide range of Hendry wines are available in store now.

Peter Franus Wine Company:
Peter Franus has been making wines in Napa Valley for over 30 years now, and is a guy who goes about his business making great wines, all the while flying under the radar and avoiding the random trends that come and go through the valley. I’ve always thought that Peter has a distinct style of winemaking, with his aim is to create rich, textured wines that allow the decadently ripe California fruit to shine through into the bottle. For those of you who have not tasted his wines in the past you will certainly be rewarded and maybe even a little surprised. His forte is with Zinfandel, but there are no weakness’ in his stellar line-up that include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and a tasty little red blend to round out the impressive line-up of wines.

2006 Merlot
This wine is one of the reasons why Merlot became so popular, and why for a time Merlot was so in vogue with winemakers and drinkers alike. This is a stunning example of what the grape can achieve when it is put in the hands of a good winemaker. Opaque, black in colour, with lots of deep black fruit tones, and framed by soft and smooth tannins. The palette is seamless, rich, chewy and opulent. This is an exceptional buy.

2005 Red Wine
85 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance being Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine has lots of structure, with the Cabernet France giving the wine an added dimension of herbal black olive tapenade notes. Structured and dense, the wine has a lingering complex finish.

2006 Brandlin Zinfandel
For those of you how have been following these wines you will know Franus’ signature wines are his Zinfandels. The Brandlin ranch sits on Mount Veeder, and Peter has a way of taming mountain fruit without losing its sense of identity. Tasty wine, rich and powerful. This is a great example of why California wines can be so fun to drink.

*These wines are on the way and should be in the market soon. Marquis has stock on Franus wines from previous vintages

Neyers Vineyards:
Bruce Neyers has been the national sales manger for Kermit Lynch for around ten years, now. His travel schedule makes mine look like a family holiday; he is always on the road, if not in France somewhere in the United States. I remember him telling me one of the ways he keeps his wines reasonable, at least by Napa standards, is he is not solely dependent on the winery for income. The wines were initially made by Ehren Jordan long time wine maker at Turley. Ehren has slowly backed away from the day to day task of being Neyers’ head wine maker and now consults at critical times of the year. Both Bruce and Ehren have worked for Kermit Lynch and spent a lot of time in France. The Neyers wines are California in body, but French in spirit and soul.

2006 Tofanelli Vineyard Zinfandel
Explosive aromatics of bright fruit and cedar shavings. A full bodied wine, but not thick and over extracted. This wine does an amazing job of hiding it’s ripeness, and displays an elegance that is not generally seen from this grape variety.

2006 High Valley Vineyard Zinfandel
This is in Chiles valley and is farmed by Jay and Pam Hemingway who also own the Green and Red winery. The vineyard is located between1800 and 2000 feet in elevation, and this makes a dramatic difference in the wine produced from this vineyards grapes. This wine has a more restrained style to it, with dark fruit and spicy notes being the predominant features.

2006 Pato Zinfandel
The Pato vineyard is in Contra Costa County, just outside the city of San Francisco itself. There are some great old vineyards around here, some of them being 80+ years old. Unfortunately these beautiful old vineyards have a knack for being ripped up due to urbanization, although this has slowed down thanks to the economy. Let’s hope that when things get back to normal down here they at least slow down ripping out these great relics, and living pieces of history. Back to the wine though. This is a stylish Zin, packed with dense Saskatoon berry flavours, backed-up by pie spice and anise notes.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
The vineyards is in Conn Valley, and was planted by famous viticulturalist David Abreu (Wines from his own winery sell for $500 a bottle). This wine reminded me of a very European styled cabernet sauvignon, subtle and elegant with tight fruit, cedar and currant overtones. I quite liked this wine but if you are expecting a Napa power house this wine is not for you.

2006 'AME' Cabernet Sauvignon
From the same home ranch vineyard that Bruce and his wife own in Conn Valley, these grapes are from the highest part of their vineyards. The grapes from this section always seemed to have a darker, richer colour so they decided to make a separate bottling for it. It does not disappoint, while most definitely bigger than the regular cabernet bottling it is done so in a thoughtful manner. A cool climate styled Cabernet, with savoury notes and just the right amount of fruit and acidity. Lovely stuff – I love mountain wines from Napa valley. Only 550 or so cases are made of this gem.

*Currently, we have the ’06 Tofanelli Zinfandel in store, with the other wines listed above in store, but of different vintages.

Cafaro Cellars:

Joe is one of the quiet giants in Napa valley, and has been making wine here for over 40 years. He has a wealth of knowledge seldom seen around here. If you ever have the chance to meet and taste with Joe, you will see how the wines reflect the man, quiet, thoughtful, understated and elegant, that is Joe and that is how his wine are made. I had not tasted with him for a few years and was I had almost forgotten just how good they really are. They are all now from his own estate just above Chimney rock winery on Silverado Trail. Production is down from a high of 3500 cases to under 3000 for 2009. Joe is not the flavour of the month, never has been and has no desire to ever be. The simple fact is that he has been around too long, like Ridge vineyards in Santa Cruz, they do not make great press, but they do happen to make great wine and that is fine with me.

2005 Merlot
Wow, what a wine, this is simply stunning; this wine will get you back in the Merlot camp (why did we stop loving this grape again?) Deep colour, deep fruit, chocolate and dusted coco power notes, honestly I cannot think of having a better merlot at twice the price. Incidentally, I do have this wine on order, ball park it to be around $45, which is a steal.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
This is the bread and butter of the winery. Deep colour, with deep complex fruit and displaying notes of coffee, anise and vanilla all interwove in a long elegant manner. A tour de force indeed. I dare you to find another Napa wine of this quality for this price – I don’t like your chances.

2002 Ata Terra
This is all from Joes estate vineyards; he picks part of the cabernet later, extended maceration 20 months in barrel and 4 years in bottle before release. Bring on the cult wines, this will blow them and you away. Awesome stuff, I can’t wait to get in store and into your cellars.

*These wines are on order and will arrive in store later in the fall of ‘09

Ritchie Creek Vinyeard:
Owner Pete Minor is now 75 years young, and he has been making wine here since 1974. He purchased the land in 1966, and planted four acres. He makes uncompromising wines of authenticity and purity; I love the wines and what they stand for.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Pure black in colour, there is no light getting through this glass. Deep dense flavours with pencil lead, blackberries and mocha. This wine has amazing concentration and is a benchmark for Spring Mountain Cabernet and is a Napa Valley classic.

Mayacamas Vineyards:
This was my first visit here in almost 15 years. The land was purchased in 1889 by a German immigrant by the name of John Henry Fisher, he purchased the land as a get away from city life in San Francisco. What amazes me is that even today the winey is in the middle of nowhere with a twisted and curvy paved road which turns into a dirt road a little ways in. How a person would even find a place such as this back then is beyond comprehension. Needless to say, the setting is spectacular in its solitude and setting, and is a great place to taste wine and contemplate life.

The wines produced here are uncompromising, and is truly a modern Stone Age winery. The bottling line was purchased in the 1940’s and it still employs the William press that was purchased in 1958. These wines are what legends are made of and where California made is reputation. I would feel very conformable comparing these wines to anything from Bordeaux. Not for the faint of heart but pure to the art of winemaking. These wineries are a dying breed, but for everyone’s sake I hope this one still has a long life ahead of it.

Philip Togni
Philip has been in Napa Valley since the late 1950’s, with his first stop being at the above mentioned Mayacamas. Philip also started Chalone, has worked for Gallo, Ingelnook, Chapallet and Cuvaison to name a few, He eventually started his owned winery in 1983 and has been making noteworthy and incredibly long lived Cabernets under his own name since then. A spry and witty 81 years old, Phlip, his wife Birgitta and their daughter, Lisa, run the 10.5 acre estate. Year after year they continue to craft stunning age worthy wine which will compliment the most discerning cellars.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
As dense, pure and focused a wine as you will ever come across. This is a tightly knit wine, giving off powerful aromatics and displaying flavours of cassis, Loganberries, cedar and along the edge some black olive like notes. This is another classic crafted by the deft hand of Philip Togni, and I Have no doubt that it is capable of aging for 25 years.

*Currently we have the ’05 in stock (a blockbuster of a wine as well), and I would expect the ’06 to arrive early next year

Spottswoode
I am somewhat biased when it comes to Spottswoode. I have been bringing the wines in since the 1986 vintage, their first being the much vaunted 1982. Their history is a model of a family sticking together when adversity strikes. The Novacks father passed away at an early age, mid 40’s I believe, leaving his wife Beth with a young family to raise and a vineyard to run. They sold fruit to Duckorn, Shafer and many other top end houses in the valley. Everyone commented on how good the fruit was and their peers suggested they make their own wine. The legendary Tony Soter (who now makes some incredible Pinot Noir under his own label up in Oregon) was their first winemaker. Through nothing short of hard work and determination, Spottswoode is what it is today. I have immense respect for the entire family and what they have achieved and there are few wineries in Napa Valley which have 25 years of wine making history crafting wine from the same vineyards plot.

2006 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon 25^th Anniversary
Simply spectacular, this was a life affirming wine, and indeed the kind of wine that made me remember why I got in the wine biz in the first place. Dense blueberry and currant flavors are followed up with earth and tree bark notes, and some minerality on the back end. The team here has once again produced an invocative and thought provoking wine and simply put, this is the quintessential California wine, period, enough said.

* I expect this wine to arrive in store near Christmas time, so keep an eye open for it, Spottswoode’s never stick around on the shelf long.

And with that, my week ends with a sentimental favourite. My week in the valley was an incredible time as always, full of great wines and even greater friends. As Napa continues to grow and evolve it’s always a relief know that there is still a constant here in the valley, and that a handful of legendary, world class producers still exist here, who’s wines are as classic as always. I’m honoured to be able to sell their wines in my store and to be able to offer them to wine enthusiasts of British Columbia.
- John Clerides, Owner of Marquis Wine Cellars

Bullies in the playground - Selling wine in BC

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:51:00 -0800

Selling wine British Columbia – the harsh reality of it all.

This article was hatched out of two conversations I had a little while back, both related to business. The first dealt with a course on Japanese business practices and philosophy, while the other a conversation I had on the issues we have as an industry in the wine business. Both these conversations took places months apart but they are, at least in my opinion, related.

Unbeknownst to British Columbians, we are forced to drink swill or trade down in the quality of wine we purchase and consume. The main reason for this is the absurdly high taxes we are forced to pay on wine. For those of you unfamiliar with the BCLDB’s tax on wine, it’s 115%. This tax is applied after the importer puts on his costs and profit, so the mark-up is actually at least 147%.

Importers, consumers, and retailers are all looking for that exciting new discovery in the $9.99-$19.99 range. For all concerned these are the magic price points and where anything above that price point the sales (and interest) diminish. Most of us are painfully aware of some the great bottles of wine one can buy south of the border or in the UK for a very reasonable price. As an example, I was in a grocery store in McMinnville, Oregon not long and was wandering around the wine section. Not only could I buy wine in a grocery store, but the prices there were shockingly reasonable. Wines that sell here for $15 were available at $5.99-$7.99 a bottle. These sorts of sights always make me cringe, and that’s even before I get to the beer section.

The question arises, why it's so difficult to find that fabulous new wine here in BC? As mentioned above we have this onerous tax of 117%. When I find a wine that I like and it meets all of my mental check marks all wines I import must pass (great flavour, great quality, farmed properly and with good packaging) I used to get really excited. But after years in the business I have learned to temper my enthusiasm. The first question I ask is “what’s the price?” Quality European wines usually run in the 5 euro to 7 euro range, this translates to $26.00 to just a hair over $30.00 in BC, not exactly a sweet spot for an everyday wine. While an importer or retailer might still bring in a wine it would be at significantly less quantity.The distribution would then be restricted to a handful of restaurants, liquor stores, and if the monopoly buyer at the BCLDB might allow the importer to allocate the wine to a handful of private retailers.

Now just imagine for a second that our mark-ups were more reasonable, say 80%-90% (which is what most of the other Provincial monopolies charge) the same bottle of wine would retail for between $15-$20. Now you are getting a wine with flavour, style and distinction and at a price point which is consumer friendly and readily available.

Importers and retailers are forced to trade down when seeking out new wines, the end result is that consumers are forced to drink lower quality wine, thus a person whose budget dictates that they can only afford wines under $15 in BC will have little chance to experience a wine that is at all interesting. In most other jurisdictions in North American $14 can in fact get you a decent, interesting bottle of wine. So what does this have to do with a seminar on Japanese business philosophy. Allow me to explain.

I am always looking at ways to improve what we do at Marquis Wine Cellars, and a member of the business group I belong to invited me to a day long work shop at the Boeing plant in Everett on this very subject. After our seminar we had a tour of the Boeing airplane factory. Over the past several years they have implemented LEAN business principles in the assembly of their aircraft. It takes about a year or so for them to fly in, ship or build some of the six million parts that go into building a commercial passenger plane, but once they have all on site it takes them, depending on the size of the plane three to six days to assemble it. This statistic simply amazed me, the power of possibility. I began to think how this could be applied to our industry.

The first example that came to my mind was actual ordering of wine. We are only allowed to order wine once a week, Mondays for Thursday delivery, fair enough and this works alright for us. Within the context of our order are wines which are not carried in government stores (these wines are called speculative items, aka spec listing). The wines are stored in a bonded warehouse on Annacis Island and they have to be transferred to the LDB main warehouse and then loaded on a truck and delivered with our regular order. One would think we could get these wines by Thursday but they usually arrive on our next delivery two weeks after we placed the order. This led me to the conclusion that if the policy makers within our liquor system were responsible for building aircraft we’d all be stuck on the ground staring up at the sky.

I have a tendency to think about things for a long time, read, ask my peers in business and consult with my staff. I am always looking for different ways to improve the services that I offer to my customers and to be more productive and efficient while doing it. What does not work provides me with a body of knowledge to move forward and mitigate or minimize futures errors. There is only so much an individual can accomplish within the context of their own business. Improvements happen all they way down the supply chain with people understanding issues at hand and working towards a common goal. My/our biggest supplier and partner is the government (who is also the competition). I call them the billion dollar gorilla or bullies in the playground.

There is no doubt in my mind that within a billion dollar organization better delivery of services, cost savings and other efficiencies can be achieved. The arrogance which comes with being the biggest (and a monopoly at that) is frightening, just ask GM. I can only sit back and ponder what if? What if I could offer more quality wines at fair prices to my customers? What if I were actually allowed to sell to restaurants? And the biggest what if, what if the regulator for my business wasn’t also my chief competitor? For my sake, and the sake of the wine enthusiasts of British Columbia, I would love to have those questions answered, or even better than answered, resolved.

An evening with Isole e Olena, one of Tuscany's finest producers

Thu, 28 May 2009 10:39:00 -0800

An evening with Paolo de Marchi, winemaker and owner of Isole E Olena Tasting @ Cibo restaurant, Vancouver, BC. May 19^th 2009

It's evening like this that really make me wish I was a better writer so I could really capture and relay the feeling and presence of tasting such amazing wines with one of Italy’s most respected, thoughtful and intelligent winemakers.

When I first met Paolo de Marchi in Verona at VinItaly in 1989, I was struck by his charm, wit and enthusiasm. I developed a great appreciation for his from the start, but their was a catch. He didn’t make much wine, and never seemed to have any to sell to me. Each year I kept coming back to Vin Italy pleading my case until one year he had a bit more production and I was able to secure some wines for my store. What I enjoyed about his wines were the purity, honesty and sense of place they convey, a rather refreshing alternative to many of the institutionally made wines many critics raved about and consumers fought over. He was then, and still is honest about his wines, perhaps too much so, but that is why every time I open a bottle of Isole e Olena I know he did his very best in whatever the vintage gave him with no manipulation or skullduggery, which is refreshing way of doing things and sadly, a bit of an anomaly in today’s market.

Paolo’s ascent in becoming one of Italy’s most respected winemakers crafting some of Tuscany’s best Chianti Classico was not easy. He arrived at the family domain in 1976 after having graduated from school in Torino. Ready to apply his knowledge and put his youthful ideology to good use, 1976 and 1977 turned out to be disastrous vintages. What compounded the issues was Italy had just come out from a medieval economy, new ideas were taking hold but the powers that be attempted to enforce polices clearly enshrined in the past. Vineyards in Tuscany had to planted with a mixture of red and white varieties, entrenching mediocrity. Unlike the French they had not recognized the value of 'terroir', and if not for a few iconoclasts that were willing to push the boundaries of what Sangiovese could offer, profound wines with a sense of origin would not have been crated.

Travelling every weekend from Tuscany to Piedmont, a 500 kilometer trip, Paolo spent a lot of time thinking about the winemaker's role in wine and his wines in particular. His personal paradigm is this; The soil, which cannot be changed, means a winemaker has to work with what they have. Weather, you can't predict or control it, but has the most profound effect on the grapes, so each year is different and will always be different, and one has to do his best to mitigate any extremes. Genetics, man has a role in this and this can affect the quality of the wine long and short term for the worse and better. Man, who makes it, Paolo has a style and his son who will one day take over has a style, and lastly, all men before and after. This closes his paradigm.

Chianti has many terroirs, hillsides, micro and meso climates and interpretations of Sangiovese. It really has been only since the mid to late 1970’s that some of Tuscany's elite winemakers and thinkers started to figure out what its role is in the wine world should be. Clearly it was these producers who were pushing the authorities to allow them to have up to 40% other varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to start. The authorities in Chianti clearly do not get it, or have any idea why they should update their rules. Imagine the world with one wine, one person and one colour, what use would there be to travel, read, meet new people and discover. Fortunately we have people like Paolo de Marchi, who was crucial in shaking up, and modernizing not just Tuscan wines, but Italian wines as a whole. For what you've done Paolo, a world of wine lovers thanks you.

And now the wines:

2007 Chardonnay
This is the first time in years I have tasted his Chardonnay. Paolo first planted chardonnay to boost his Trebbiano and Malvasia; it was so good he decided to bottle it separately. His 20 year experimentation has finally paid off. A wine, and coming from a Burgundy lover is saying something, has a sense of place fresh mineral, not overly oaked, great density and balanced, fresh and long well done.

2005 Chianti Classico
A hall mark of a great winemaker is what do they do in a difficult vintage, such is the case for the 2005 CC. Beautifully translucent, a berry freshness to the wine with a mineral note, compact and rich, the acidity is in perfect balance and has a long, brilliant finish. Please note this wine is not plumped up with Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon; it has a sense of place. 85% Sangiovese, 12% Caniolo and 3% Syrah

2006 Chianti Classico
Darker and more intense, brooding and deep without being overblown, the freshness and acidity bring life to the wine. Outstanding wine now, but if you have the patience, give this a few years in the cellar.

2004 Ceparello
When Paolo first made the wine, 1980, it was a Vino da Tavloa, and one of the first 'SuperTuscans' to gain international fame. Initially the wine had a bit of a funky nose, but it blew of after fifteen minutes or so, and when it did, the wine revealed its flavour. Deep thoughtful concentration and elegance, it's wines like this that makes us remember why we love Italian wines.

2005 Ceparello
Sandwiched in-between the 2004 and 2006 is not fair to the wine as one compares all three together. The 2005 is definitely lighter but the wine has grace, elegance and a lot of charm. I realy enjoyed this wine. Their is 10% Cabernet in the wine.

2006 Ceparello
A tour de force, and awe inspiring to say the least. Dark, deep and intense, this '06 Ceparello has great purity of flavour, insane complexity and dazzeling aromatics. A truly superb wine from an excellent vintage

The Vin Santo

Tuscany’s gift to the dessert wine world. I have always looked for that second great Vin Santo but never seem to have found it. Please do not be fooled by lesser priced Vin Santos or ones in full bottles at one third the price, this is the real deal, avoid being disappointed. When I initially tasted Paolo’s Vin Santo I foolishly assumed all other Vin Santos tasted the same. I spent years looking for another Vin Santo which could measure up to his. This was a monumental waste of time as I went through dozens of wines and I was unable to find another which even came close.

The method in which the wine is made is quite magical. It's made with Malvasia “Chianti”, unique to Tuscany and Trebbiano, The grapes are picked and left on mats in an open barn until February, the sugars are concentrated and intense, the grapes are then pressed and the yeast or 'mother' is taken from another barrel and the fermentation then begins. The barrels are then sealed and left for seven years to ferment.

The barrels are then opened and a sample is taken from each barrel. Paolo then smells and tastes them and separates them into different categories, ones with high volatility, high or low sweetness, and high tannins. He takes what he likes and begins to blend. If he likes the outcome, great then he has a wine. If not, say it is missing some sweetness he then re-blends and adds more of the sweet reserve to the wine until he gets what he wants. It took him a number of years to come to this system but the end result is nothing less than stunning.

Thanks to Paolo for coming to Vancouver and sharing his wisdom and his wines with us. It was great evening, and I look forward to my next chance to see him, hopefully soon as I am running a bit low on his Vin Santo.

- John Clerides

Meo Camuzet Dinner

Wed, 20 May 2009 12:41:00 -0800

April 13th, 2009 - Meo Camuzet vertical of Nuits Saint Georges Murgers

On April 13th Jean Nicolas Meo, the proprietor of Meo Camuzet, paid his first visit to Vancouver for a dinner at the Five Sails restaurant. The dinner was a stunning display of Vancouver’s culinary talent paired with one of Burgundy’s most thoughtful and respected producers.

Before I describe the wines I would like to mention the Five Sails Restaurant. Located in the Pan Pacific Hotel, the restaurant is run by the husband and wife team of Gerry Sayers and her husband and chef Ernst Dorfler. I have dealt a bit with Gerry in the past and I know Ernst by reputation only. I am somewhat sheepish, leading to being embarrassed to say this was the first time I had the opportunity to dine at their restaurant, a pity indeed. I have eaten at most of Vancouver’s top restaurants including some of the most recent arrived celebrity chef entries in the Vancouver market. I have to tell you the food and service at Five Sails is nothing less than spectacular. The dinner was superbly executed, the service spot on and the food brilliant. If you are entertaining an out of town guest the view is without a doubt the best in the city with nary a bad seat in the house, well worth the visit indeed.

The pedigree of the wines was nothing short of pristine. They were imported directly from Meo Camuzet by Marquis Wine Cellars and sold to the Vancouver chapter of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin over the years. The other wines to fill the holes in the tasting were supplied directly from the Meo Camuzet cellars.

2004 Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges aux Murgers
Lightly coloured, not as dark as the 2003, mineral notes on the nose, with a nice aromatic lift of dried underbrush notes, not overwhelming but pleasantly balanced and enticing. On the palette the wine has a nice angularity with the just right amount of fruit. A balanced and very pretty wine

2003 Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges aux Murgers
Deeply coloured, muscular yet refined and balanced, a deft hand is evident given the ripeness of the vintage. Densely coloured, black fruits on the nose which follow through on the palate, yet the wine has freshness of acidity and length, not over blown, a deft hand indeed.

2002 Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges aux Murgers
This was an interesting wine, a combination of 2004 and 2003. A pronounced gun flint nose, fruit compote, tight with a hint of soy Asian notes, with dried herbs on the finish.

2001 Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges aux Murgers
Initially the wine was hard to assess as the glass was not as clean as it should have been. The gun flint is also shows through giving the wine a unique and beautiful aromatic lift, a bit more muscular on the palate and a bit four square, soft black fruits with leather saddle notes, not as deep and structured as the first three wines.

1998 Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges aux Murgers
There is little sign of age in this wine, the gun flint note is quite strong coupled with a bit of salinity to it which lifts the wine, beneath there is dried herbs, with an Asian soy note. The finish is long, complex and savoury. This is a delicious wine.

1999 Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges aux Murgers
Slightly darker in colour, more on the blackish end of the spectrum with red currant fruits on the nose. The gun flint note takes a secondary role in this wine as it is more in the back ground, the leathery saddle notes show through. Not as angular as the '98, and with more breadth to the wine. This wine still has a way to go as there is layers of fruit and hidden spice beneath the initial nosing.

2000 Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges aux Murgers
Lovely elegant nose, a myriad of baking spice, Christmas cake nose, mouth coating and pure there is a lifted spicy mineral note to the wine with hints of rose petal or rose water, brilliant!

1993 Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges aux Murgers
This wine was a bit difficult to taste as it had a wealth of sediment in it, I am not certain if I received the end of the bottle or not? A bit muddled in colour, not clear, a tightly wound wine. Closed with mineral underpinnings, still the wine had intrigue and flavour, a hint of green leaf. Give it another five years perhaps?

1995 Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges aux Murgers
A subtle and elegant wine, with red fruit tones and lots of sous bois. This wine is ready to drink.

1996 Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges aux Murgers
Still youthful, densely coloured and focused wine, this wine is still and baby and needs another 8 years to reveal what it has to offer, excellent

A couple of special treats, The Cortons:
1990 Corton
A big year, quite hot, initially unforgiving and not generous at all in the glass, meaty savoury notes to the wine, the wine is still quite structured, intense and balanced, needs another six years or so

1993 Corton
This wine is more open and than the closed 1993, there is bold and dominant mixed red and black fruits on the wine, concentrated yet refined, with a mixed spice subois notes, starting to be have more secondary notes, classic iron fist in a velvet glove, five plus years.

- John Clerides, Owner of Marquis Wine Cellars
John@marquis-wines.com