Hobo Wine Company Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Sonoma 2013

Hobo Wine Company Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Sonoma 2013

Hobo Wine Company Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Sonoma 2013

Dark cherry color. Nose of wild berries, spices and just a hint of old wood. So good and smooth on the palate, one could say it’s dense and chewy, but it drinks so well and feels like pure silk! This is a classy California wine made from a grape variety too often used in industrial wines. Liked it a lot and this is probably my favorite Zinfandel wine other than the top wines from Ridge Vineyards, my personal refrence for that type of wine. Excellent (91)

Made of 92 % Zinfandel, 5 % Petite Sirah, 3 % Carignan, Chesselas, and Riesling. Aged in used French and American oak barrels. Alcohol level of 13,8%

Hobo Wine Company’s website: hobowines.com

Some wines from Hobo (like this Zinfandel) are available for purchase through prinvate import in Québec at Agence Boires: agenceboires.com

Closson Chase The Brock Chardonnay Niagara River VQA 2014

Closson Chase The Brock Chardonnay Niagara River VQA 2014

Closson Chase The Brock Chardonnay Niagara River VQA 2014

Bright gold color with green hue. Mineral nose with pineapple and mapple water, then pear, apples and spices. The oak does show, but with some air did blended nicely with the fruit. Flavorful and deep, this feels so young! Flavors are accurate to what was on the nose with a narrow but long finish. Different from the International and typical Chardonnay, but true to what I’ve tasted yet coming from Ontario. A good product offered here and very well priced and won’t be afraid of being cellared for a few years. Very good (89)9)

Made of 100% Chardonnay from rented vines in Niagara. Got no information about its ageing, but have seen oak. Alcohol level of 13,5%

Available in SAQ stores for 23,10$ (Code SAQ : 12855516)

Closson Chase’s website: clossonchase.com

They are represented in Québec by Sélection Caviste: selectioncaviste.com

Ijalba Genoli Rioja 2015

Ijalba Genoli Rioja 2015

Ijalba Genoli Rioja 2015

Lightly colored with freen hue. Fresh on the nose with lemon, minerality, some saltyness and herbs. Medium concentration on the palate, finesse is leading with lemon, fresness, mineral and a good finish lenght. Good (87) 

Made of 100% Viura. Aged in tanks. Alcohol level of 13%

Available at the SAQ for 15,95$ (Code SAQ : 00883033)

Viña Ijalba’s website: ijalba.com

Represented in Québec by Charton Hobbs: chartonhobbs.com

Finca Villacreces Pruno Ribera del Duero 2014

Finca Villacreces Pruno Ribera del Duero 2014

Finca Villacreces Pruno Ribera del Duero 2014

Dark cherry color. Nose of black berries, savory herbs, spices, it’s fresh and almost feels finesse coming from the glass. Explosive palate, mouth coating with pretty flavors of black berries, then spices and a hint of vanilla. Well made even if in a seductive style, but still this will hold many years. Very good (89)

This wine is considered by Robert Parker Jr. as the best Spanish wine under 20$ (US). This wine is made of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 12 months in 3 wine use French oak barrels. Alcohol level of 14%

Available at the SAQ for 24,05$ (Code SAQ : 11881940)

Finca Villacreces website: villacreces.com

Sample proposed by Réserve et Sélection (Trialto): trialto.co

My tasting note on this wine from the 2012 vintage

Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2014

Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2014

Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2014 

Pretty bright ruby color. Nose of flowers, berries, some aromatic herbs, then earth and spices. Charming nose of natural Gamay wine at its best. There is so much fruit notes in that wine! It’s sappy, enjoyable, thirst your quench for sure, then show some structure with spicy and mineral notes. It will be hard no to drink quickly the bottles I have… Very good+ (90)

Vineyard of 8ha of vines from 10 to 90 years of age. Aged 6 to 9 months in used oak barrels that were previously used to age Burgundy wines. Alcohol level of 12,5%

Available through private import with réZin Sélection: rezin.com

More on Foillard :

kermitlynch.com

crushwineco.com

Here is a link to my tasting note on this wine from the 2010 vintage

Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2014

Diamond Cabernet-Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace Napa 1996

Diamond Creek Cabernet-Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace Napa 1996

Diamond Creek Cabernet-Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace Napa 1996

The Californian Diamond Creek Vineyards, which name comes from the place where it stands, the Diamond Creek Canyon, is made of different types of soil vineyards, bottled separately, ranging for 3 to 4 different wines depending on the vintage. One more thing that makes Diamond Creek different from the others wineries of that area, especially when it was founded in the late 1960’s, is the fact that it’s planted only with Cabernet-Sauvignon, from vines coming from First Growth Bordeaux Château.

Having a great capacity to age, these wines fully shows themselves when mature at around 20 years of age while holding a lot more. It is always a Great moment to enjoy these wines in that stage of development, which I did again! I had the opportunity over the years to drink few “old” or mature wines from Diamond Creek, as the 1979 and the 1992 also noted on my blog.

Here is now my note on this 1996 Red Rock Terrace:

Very dark garnet color. Nose of berries, leather, tobacco with fine spices and oak, showing clearly what Cabernet-Sauvignon wines can do best, while having great resemblance with left bank Bordeaux wines. This had such a beautiful nose! Flavors of the same kind of what was on the nose with the additional minerality, still showing structure even if polished in a long silky, fine, balance and savory finish. Liked it a lot! Superb (92)

Made of Cabernet-Sauvignon from vines planted on steep hillside made of red clay mixed with iron deposits. Aged in new French oak barrels. Alcohol level of 12,5%

The 2011 and 2012 vintages are currently available in some SAQ stores. For older vintages, some were previously sold through special release from the SAQ, so look for them of shop south of the border in US wine shops.

Diamond Creek Vineyards website: diamondcreekvineyards.com

They are represented in Québec by Réserve et Sélection / Trialto: trialto.com

Domaine Laurent Martray Brouilly Combiaty 2014

Domaine Laurent Martray Brouilly Combiaty 2014

Domaine Laurent Martray Brouilly Combiaty 2014 

Already the 3rd vintage to be reviewed on the blog! Looks like this is a wine I like year after year…

Ruby color with purple hue. Nose where red fruits blossoms with cherries, berries, then spices and earth. Chewy and tasty fruit folloewd by spices flavors, a good concentration while staying fresh and juicy. An other nice wine in a more expressive and savory style, true to my impressions on 2014 Beaujolais wine I had yet. Very good (89)

Made of Gamay from 40 years old vines. Partially destalked and aged in oak cask and barrels, partially new. Alcohol level of 12,5%

Available at the SAQ for 20,60$ (Code SAQ : 10837373)

Laurent Martray’s website : domainelaurentmartray.com

Represented in Québec by Le Maitre de Chai : maitredechai.ca

Vietti au M Mme

Vietti at M Mme wine bar

Vietti at M Mme wine bar

Having an history spreaded over five generations (from 1873), it’s only in 1919 that Mario Vietti produced the first wines under the name Vietti. He did have to change the farming they were doing on his family property, plant vines and buy more land.

Since his desire was to own his land, he did what he wanted and bought plot on as many areas possible in the Piedmonte. That explains why Vietti is one of the owners from the area that have the most vines on so many appellation, having vines on 15 different vineyards for a total of nearly 35ha.

Besides making wines from classic Piedmonte grapes varieties, they even started to make a white wine in the 1960s, the Roero Arneis.

Some of the wines currently available were previously made for their personal consumption as the Scarone Barbera, which reflects the fact that they do not produce huge amount of each wines.

That’s why one could consider their total production as small, especially when compared to some of their neighbours, even if they have 25 employees to take care of their vineyards on one of the 3 facility they have.

Here is the approximate amount of vines they have by region:

Dolcetto: 2,5ha

Barbera d’Alba: 6,25ha

Barbera d’Asti: 8ha

Barolo: 11ha

Moscato: 3,5ha

It’s Luca Currado, Luciana Vietti’s son that runs the place since 1990 as Chief Winemaker and Vineyard Manager, having previousy acquired experience in Bordeaux and California.

This event was leaded y Elena Currado, Luca’s wife, Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator for Vietti. She presented us some of their wines available here in SAQ stores or by private import.
Vietti Roero Arneis DOCG 2014

Vietti Roero Arneis DOCG 2014 (28,90$ – SAQ Code : 12098201)

Fine nose of flowers, it’s salty, have fruit and rocky notes. Finesse drives the wine again on the palate with flowers, pear and salty water. Very elegant and I liked that!

Made of 100% d’Arneis. Aged in stainless steel tanks. This grape variety used to be called White Nebbiolo.

Vietti Tre Vigne Barbera d’Alba DOC 2014

Vietti Tre Vigne Barbera d’Alba DOC 2014 (28,80$ – SAQ Code : 11863282)

Dark ruby color. Nose and flavors of red berries and floral notes. Slightly spicy with some earth, the fruit is shining!

Made of 100% de Barbera. Aged in a blend of Slovanian and French oak barrels and stainless tanks.

Vietti Vigna Scarrone Barbera d’Alba DOC 2013

Vietti Vigna  Scarrone Barbera d’Alba DOC 2013 (52,00$ – SAQ Code: 12900102)

Dark cherry color. Nose of spices, black berries and oak. More serious and showing depth on the palate, this as strenght and structure. Even if this is quite young, it can be enjoyed if paired with a dish that stands up the wine. Nice potential.

Made of 100% de Barbera. Aged in French oak barrels for 15 months. The vines for this wine are located on Barolo land.

Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo Langhe DOC 2013

Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo Langhe DOC 2013 (31,25$ – SAQ Code:  10861031)

Medium garnet color. Nose of dried flowers, earth cherries, citrus fruit peel and rocky-sandy-earthy soil! Good acidity and more serious and austere than the Barbera wines with its leather and dry fruits notes, it stays drinkable and quite good actually.

Made of 100% de Nebbiolo. Aged 4 months in oak barrels, then 20 months in oak cask. This wine is made of the barrels that will not go into the Castiglione Barolo.

Vietti Castiglione Barolo 2012

Vietti Castiglione Barolo 2012 (will be available in private import)

Medium brick garnet color. Pretty nose of fruit, flowers, fine spices and leather. Fine, fresh and typical of Nebbiolo wines. Charming on the palate with balance between finesse and rusticity. Flavors of wild berries, dried flowers, leather, sweet spices, all this in a long lasting finish! Will be a Grand vin for sure and is drinking beautifully from now. Can’t imagine this wine but coming from a better vintage! Tastedwith Elena Penna Currado from Vietti. Excellent!

Made of Nebbiolo. Aged 26 months in cask then 8 months in stainless tanks prior to bottling. Alcohol level of 13,5%

 

I liked these wine and they confirm why I was buying them long before this event. Won’t stop buying either!

 

Vietti’s website : vietti.com

These wines were tasted during an event hosted by Réserve et Sélection / Trialto : trialto.com

This event was held at M Mme, a very classy and pretty wine bar: mmme.ca

 

Note: At the moment to publish this blog post, the news just came out that Vietti waas sold to an American, Kyle Krause. What’s known for now is that the team in place will stay and that Luca Currado will keep his place of CEO and Chef Winemaker. Here is the article from Wine Spectator reporting the news: Barolo’s Vietti Winery Sold to American Businessman 

 

 

Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2015

Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2015

Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2015

Dense ruby color pith purple hue. Nose of earth, savory herbs, cherry pits, gooseberry and some flower notes. Wide and tasty on the palate, the wine feels juicy, sun loaded (fruit ripeness can be feeled), then spices and earth flavors on a present acidity, but far from being bright or sharp. A good Lapierre, but not the best I’ve had. Very good (89)

Made of Gamay. Aged 8 months in 216l oak barrels. Alcohol level of 13,5

Available at the SAQ for 32,25$ (Code SAQ : 11305344)

réZin Sélection is the agency representing Lapierre in Québec : rezin.com

Chevalier de Dyonis Pinot Noir Dealu Mare 2014

Chevalier de Dyonis Pinot Noir Dealu Mare 2014

Chevalier de Dyonis Pinot Noir Dealu Mare 2014

Very light ruby color. Subtle nose of cherries and strawberry fruit, then earth and spices notes. Very light on the palate on the first sips, it narrowed over time on a rustic finish, helping filling the mid-palate that was a little thin. Still, this is enjoyable and fresh. We have to remeber that 10$ Pinot is hard to find! Good (87)

Made of 70 % Pinot noir and 30 % Merlot. Alcohol level of 13% 

Available in SAQ stores for 10,95$ (Code SAQ : 00554139)

Made from purchase grapes in Romania by: serve.ro

Represented in Québec by Univins: univins.ca