Dark ruby color. Nose of dark berries, spices, earth and dried flowers. Silky on the palate with fruit flavors, spices note, drinks quite easily and is very enjoyable, especially for its price! Good (87)
Made of sangiovese. Alcohol level of 13%
Available at the SAQ for 12,15$ (Code SAQ : 10966765)
Podere Castorani’s website: poderecastorani.it
Sample proposed by Les Sélections Fréchette: selectionsfrechette.com
Bright and medium dark ruby color. Nose of crushed berries, then spices, leather and a mix of meat, herbs and fresh green bell pepper. Same flavors on the palate, drinks quite easily being tasty and have a good acidity level. The finish did brought peppery notes and some green pepper too. Good+ (88)
Made of cabernet franc. Natural winemaking. Aged in wood taks. Alcohol level of 12,5%
Availablein small quantities in SAQ stores for 23,80$ (Code SAQ : 12877256)
Domaine Catherine et Pierre Breton’s website: domainebreton.net
They are represented in Québec by Oenopole: oenopole.ca
Medium dark purple color. Nose of dark berries, spices, earth then some flower notes. Round on the palate with ripe fruit flavors, the wine is tasty and seductive, true to the vintage it’s coming from. There is also a hint of acidity that brings some freshness on the finish. This is a good example of why we should not forget about bigger houses when looking for wines of good value. Good+ (88)
Made of Gamay grapes. Alcohol of 13%
Available in SAQ stores for 21,25$ (Code SAQ : 00515841)
Maison Louis Jadot’s website: ouisjadot.com
Sample proposed by les Sélections Fréchette: selectionsfrechette.com
Medium dense garnet color. Nose of smoke, spices, oak, fresh and sun loaded red berries with earth notes. This is a deep and pretty nose. Palate goes forst on strawberry notes, then comes the spicy and smoky flavors, oak, then earth and crusehd rocks. You can feel the warmth of the climate, but also there is a good acidity level, all mastered in the winemaking. Again, I liked the depth, the complexity and the lenght of this wine. Great one! Excellent (91)
Made of 100% pinot noir. Bottle closed by a DIAM cork. Aged 12 months in a mix of 25% new oak and older barrels, then 6 months in tanks prior to bottling. Alcohol level of 13,5%
This wine under the 2013 vintage is currently available at the SAQ for 35,25$ (Code SAQ : 12582984)
Hidden Bench’s website: hiddenbench.com
Hidden Bench is represented in Québec by Le Maître de Chai: maitredechai.ca
You can also find my post on a visit I did at the winery HERE
Still shows a dark color with brownish rim. The nose is clearly on evolutive notes such as dry leaves, tobacco, earth with some alcohol. More expressive on the palate, this wine pairs a good acididy with some back bone and a long lasting finish. Of course the aromas are also on the registry of evolved ones, but that’s exactly what’s charming about this wine, that with the opportunity to open a bottle of mature wine without having to broke. Good+ (88)
Blend of Merlot and Cabernet. Alcohol level of 12,5%
Available through private import for around 33,00$ with Agence Boires:
Pale color with green hue. Very lemony nose with salty notes that brings up lot of freshness. Bright and also refreshing on the palate, this wine is tasty with flavors of lemon with a salty and enjoyable green touch. We want summer to fully enjoy this wine on the patio! Good+ (88)
Made of 100% Albarino grapes. Aged in tanks. Alcohol level of 12,5%
Available in SAQ stores for 15,95$ (Code SAQ : 13089868)
Bodegas Paco & Lola’s website: pacolola.com
This producter is represented in Québec by Les Vins Dupré: lucdupre.wixsite.com
Dark cherry color. Nose of balck berries, spices, leather, aromatic herbs and something oily. Rustic on the palate at first, with just a touch of alcohol, there is fruit flavors, spices, some herbacious notes as there was some on the nose. Quite long finish, this wine is tasty and will make a perfect pairing with grilled meat dishes when the sun will be out and ready for summer! Good (87)
Made of 40% Aragonez (Tempranillo), 25% Syrah, 20% Touriga Nacional, 10% Alicante Bouschet, 5% Trincadeira, Tempranillo and Syrah. Alcohol level of 13,5%
Available in SAQ stores for 13,65$ (Code SAQ : 10403410)
Cortes de Cima’s website : cortesdecima.com
They are represented in Québec by Vins Balthazard : vinsbalthazard.com
Lightly colored with green hue. Salty and herbacious nose with citrus fruit and flower notes. Enjoyable acidity on the palate with flavors of citrus fruit, herbs, green apples and a great intensity and finish lenght. This is really well made! Very good (89)
Made from 70% sauvignon blanc and 30% sauvignon gris. Aged in stainless tanks. Alcohol level of 13%
Available at the SAQ for 16,70$ (Code SAQ : 10863281)
The Château’S website: cailleteau-bergeron.com
Represented in Québec by VINS FINS l’Agence: sdvf.ca
Rain, in January, this is so crazy! But it could be worse, cause I see something good coming. I had the privilege, on that grey day, to meet at the vineyard François Morissette. François is the man behing the wines of Pearl Morissette, pioneer in living wines making in Niagara.
François uses many types of containers as these old cask from Alsace
I had many times Pearl Morissette wines in my glass. Following my passion, I want to meet the person behind the wine I’m having and I want to meet them. I know that after these meetings the wines taste sometimes even better as I understand them differently cause I can get the vision that led to them and why they were made that way.
I first saw François at the Raspipav event, a wine show on private import products in Montréal. I promised him that I would come by the winery and visit him. I was there, on his field of work and he’s making all these wine come true. I wanted Pearl Morissette living wines!
While drinking François words, his vision came to me; his desire to make good wine while not interfering with this ‘natural’ evolution. He uses many types of container to age his wines, but all in a way to let the soil, the vines and finally the wines to express themselves.
Understanding the climate, the soil, the vines then the resulting wines are not an easy task. Many experiences were made and makers were identified from vintage to vintage, then creativity could be expressed properly without endangering the results. Science does have its role here and that’s what creates those useful markers or requiered data to monitor the wines as they evolve to become the wines that we’ll drink. That’s why he can make wines that are clean while vibrant and alive while not shadowing the their true originality.
Pearl Morissette – Custom made egg shape concrete tank
One thing is clear for François is that any kind of intervention, even when you don’t, have effects on the final product. He don’t beleive then in the “let everything go natural wine” principle. The primary matter is transformed and shaped by these decisions and manipulations. That’s why understanding the results of any actions made on the wine, as minimalist they are, is critical as it can overcome his vision on how he want his wines to be… That’s exactly why he doesn’t like the “natural” wine thing as it doesn’t mean anything and doesn’t offer the warranty that the fruit itself will be good prior to the winemaking process.
His experience acquiered while working at the best wineries of Burgundy is then useful. This allows him to master the classical grape varieties with which he’s working while still being creative.
To face the rising demand for his wines, the risk coming from the weather and the various conditions of each vintage, he buys grapes from other producers of the area. He makes sure to get fruits that are farmed with the same vision as his, on how they’re growned and how the vines are taken care of.
While touring the place and talking, we did taste many wines, all from the 2015 and 2016 vintages that are still under ageing process. We had both wines from his vineyards and from bought fruits. Sample were took of stainless tanks, egg shaped and regular concrete tanks, then from barrels of different ages and even from old Alsacian casks of 50 years+ !
Their orange wine!
We had Rieslings made dry so vibrant, refreshing and so deep (especially the Cuvée Black Ball – see the story between him and the VQA system behind this wine). Then very fine Pinot Noir and even a “en primeur” fruit foward one made to drink young and on its primary fruit profile. Impressive Chardonnays with amazing texture, having the core to support oak ageing, Cabernet Franc so tasty and Gamay wines that have everythin to please the writer of these lines. Not to forget or let behind is their orange wine made of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling that spent 3 months on the skin. To end that tasting, a “Solera” type of wine from a cask that see it filled with remaining juice François have or from what’s left in barrels after bottleing. This wine, made from all type of grapes is blended with juice going back to the 2008 vintage, is so complex and stunning. This one is François’s study coming from his appreciation of Xeres wine. We can only hope that it’ll be bottled one day…
I was so pleased with this visit and tasting.
Can’t wait to be back there to meet again that epressive, creative and such a nice man. It would also be a great opportunity to visit all the installation as they have all kind of animal on their farm and this place is just so beautiful that just looking at it will make the next visit worthy.
I also can’t wait to talk about his other project, a vineyard he’s working on in Calfornia in the Sonoma valley! But this is another story / blog post. If you’re interested of learning more on these new wines, you can still order them through the Courrier Vinicole from the SAQ…
Pearl Morissette’s website : pearlmorissette.com
They are represented in Québec by La QV : laqv.ca
Now, what are we drinking?
Medium dark and slightly purple color. Spicy nose with dark berries, leather and grilled bell pepper. Smooth on the palate with a good amount of fruit flavors, it ends in a finish where a light bitterness and green pepper give some strenght. Drinks pretty easily. To pour over meat or lasagna dish. Good (87)
Made of Cabernet-Sauvignon from vineyards in Swartland and Robertson. Fermentation and ageing goes in tanks with French oak staves contact for 3 months. Alcohol level of 14%
Available in SAQ stores for 10,15$ (Code SAQ : 12383248)
Douglas Green vineyards website: douglasgreenwines.com
Sample proposed by VINS FINS l’Agence: sdvf.ca
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