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| Between the Lines |
October 2021
Between the 30th and 50th parallels that we find the ideal climates for producing Fine Wine.
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It is time to think about Gifts for the Holidays!
We suggest you order now for all of your personal and corporate needs. Global Supply Chains are challenged this year, order ahead and we will customize your gift giving and arrange the timely deliveries.
Please contact us now for your Fine Artisanal Wine suggestions.
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by Eric Gennaro
Clank was the first thing I heard and then I saw the curly hair and striped zebra velvet suit of a long time wino friend who had entered the bar. He dropped a bottle on the counter and whispered to one of the servers, “Tell him to try it.”, then quickly left. Being a busy Saturday night, and since it was not an ”out of the ordinary” occurrence, I dismissed it as another quirky episode in a wine friendship that has spanned almost two decades. Later that night, when the restaurant had died down, I took a minute to examine the dusty wine bottle. The torn label simply read: 1986 Piemonte Cortese. I stood there experiencing both a mixture of shock and swirling wonder pondering if my artist friend had spent too much time in the studio with the toxic fumes from open paint cans. A 30 year old bottle is not something you hold every day, let alone a white wine from a rather obscure grape variety in the north west region of Italy.
When talking about ageing wine, it is worth mentioning that only, approximately, 1% of the world’s wine production is meant to age. That is to say that not every wine produced will get better as it gets older. My apologies to all the die-hard romantics out there but when you think about winemaking, historically, it was the annual production that was consumed. The grapes were harvested in September and October, crushed and fermented and bottled. The fresh wine was tasted on the second week of November, judged alongside your peers and the stock was pretty much consumed through the growing season. The cycle then continued to make room for the new vintage.
In all honesty, I forgot about this bottle and it sat in the wine fridge for about a week. I guess I was thinking, in the back of my mind, that its drinking window is so far closed that there is no rush to crack the cork. But days later, the moment did arrive and what followed was truly something special. The cork was in pristine condition and I kind of shrugged it off as I was not prepared for what was to come. The colour of the wine was that of a light single malt scotch and the nose was of honey dipped flowers, crushed stones and toasted hazelnuts. Spellbinding. The palate was a mix of tart apple, chalky brown sugar and again wild flowers. It reminded me of Riesling and Chenin Blanc but was distinctly Italian in its bitter stone fruit pit character. In retrospect, my only regret was opening this alone partly because I felt I should be sharing this with someone but also because no one will believe me without a witness to corroborate my story. Another crazy thing to note is at the time of purchase this wine was barely $20!
As I enjoyed this rare beauty, I began to consider what makes a wine age and what I have in my cellar that I would like to taste in 30 years. Being a student of Normandy’s finest wine teacher Jacques Marie, I thought of his Holy Trinity: sweetness, acidity and tannin, characteristics that allow a wine to age gracefully. I have come to realize that a wine not only has to have these components to age but it is the balance between them that is the most important element for development. I think of the bottles of Barolos and German Rieslings stacked, like skinny sardines in wooden crates, in my basement’s cold cellar waiting for their turn to take the stage. And I think about the changes wine goes through, that I love, from the colour turning brown or amber, to the fruit taking a back seat to more tertiary flavours and the juxtaposition between sweet, sour, spice and earth.
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2019 Gavi di Gavi ‘Tuffo’, Morgassi Superiore
Piedmont Italy
A dry, medium bodied and crisp expression of Cortese; tart lemon and lime citrus zest and pulp, with crunchy green apple and bosc pear. Beyond the fruit is an underlying note of fresh white acacia and Hawthorn flowers, almond peel and a crushed rock minerality. The wine finishes fresh and precise.
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2020 Pinot Blanc ‘Seeberg’, Weingut Prieler
Burgenland, Austria
A fresh and mineral-driven Pinot Blanc; it is medium bodied with refreshing acidity and layers of texture. Tart and ripe orchard and citrus fruit define the wine; Meyer lemon zest, bosc pear, and green apple. There are beautiful notes of dried acacia flower with sea spray and savory parmesan cheese (from the extended lees contact). The wine is dry, with perfect complexity and balance.
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2015 Briego Reserva, Bodegas Briego
Ribera del Duero, Spain
Tempranillo in its purest expression from Ribera del Duero; the fruit is ripe red and black cherry with dried fig and raisins. Distinct notes of crushed violet petal, crushed vanilla bean and toasted coconut. Cedar spice, liquorice root and tobacco leaf fuel the palate with an underlying presence of smoked meat. The wine is dry, full-bodied with firm and nicely integrated tannins.
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2017 Barbaresco, Castello di Verduno
Piedmont, Italy
A great example of Nebbiolo; full-bodied, elevated tannins with refreshing acidity. The fruit is tart and ripe showing red cherry, red currant, cranberry. There is a dried earth and leather quality to the wine with an underlying note of crunchy red rose petals and black tea leaves. A highly complex and beautifully balanced expression of Barbaresco.
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Special Holiday Offer from our ‘Case By Case’ Wine Club Experience
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In December we are offering you the opportunity to send our ‘Case By Case’ Holiday edition as a gift. This issue was curated with the 2021 Holidays in mind. There is a choice of a six, or twelve, bottle case. Please order now, there are limited cases available.
For an even more spectacular gift, our Wine Club offers bi-monthly curated boxes of wine delivered to the door. With a choice of a six, or twelve bottle, case the ‘Case By Case’ Experience offers a gift that keeps giving all year long! Winery and tasting notes are included.
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Exploring
the Artisanal World of Wine one case at a time
Please contact us now for details on our Holiday offer.
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A Juicy Thanksgiving Pairing
by Nelson Abreu
When deciding on the wine to complement the Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner it often becomes a decision between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, or both. Finding a white wine for the rich, meaty texture of turkey requires choosing one that has enough body. Chardonnay is the easy choice. Roasted turkey presents a savoury, earthy flavour profile that lends itself to the richness of Oaked Chardonnay unlike the lean, crisp and refreshing acid-driven whites, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, that generally do not have the weight to stand up to the quality of turkey.
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When it comes to choosing a red wine Pinot Noir works well with its light and savoury fruit and low tannin profile. Tannic reds can easily overpower the delicate flavours of roasted turkey. Bold tannins tend to dry out the palate and tannic reds create a chewy experience specially when matched with the breast meat. Lighter bodied, fruit forward reds, such as Gamay and Pinot Noir, are the preferred choices as their high toned, less intense fruit profile complements, or layers well, with the subtle flavours of turkey. Similarly, the low level of tannins in these wines allow the fruit to predominate which enables the wine to enhance the meat’s characteristics.
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Whether you choose red or white wine your choice will enhance your experience if it is ‘juicy’; meaning if it hydrates your turkey experience. This year I put a little effort into thinking outside the box. I recently received my annual case of Gewürztraminer Riserva ‘Frauenrigl' from Peter Zemmer, who is located in the Alto Adige. I immediately thought this wine could make for a great turkey pairing since Gewürztraminer produces lower acid and viscous, higher alcohol wines. This is a single vineyard bottling that is produced from low yielding old vines, is rich and expressive and should make for an interesting match. We were not disappointed! The 2019 vintage proved to be full bodied, bursting with apricot, yellow apple, floral and ginger spice. Not only did it stand up to our BBQ rotisserie turkey but it also took on the sautéed Brussel sprouts, baked sweet potato and herbed chestnut stuffing side dishes that accompanied the festive meal.
If you would like to share your Thanksgiving wine pairing, please email us and even send a picture!
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2018 Chardonnay *Best Value*
Peter Zemmer. Alto Adige, Italy
$17.95/btl
Vintages #17742
91 Points, James Suckling
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2019 Pinot Grigio
Peter Zemmer. Alto Adige, Italy
$18.95/btl
Vintages #95802
91 Points, James Suckling
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30.50 Imports Inc. 226 Christie Street Toronto, ON M6G3B7 t: 416.915.9463 e: info@3050imports.com www.3050imports.com
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