Anthony Gismondi: Fall reds to remember
Credit to Author: agismondi| Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2019 18:00:17 +0000
As the 2019 harvest winds down across the province, many wineries are struggling to get to the finish line.
Rain, rot and freezing temperatures have conspired to turn an excellent summer into a disastrous fall for late-ripening reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The best way to describe the situation is tense as growers evaluate the probability of their fruit ripening before the leaves fall off the vines or rot sets in; either way, September and October have been tough on B.C. wineries.
Experienced producers have been dropping fruit and spraying for diseases for a while, but it does not make it much fun. Most certainly, volumes will be down across the region. It’s not all bad news, white wines and earlier ripening reds like Pinot Noir are showing exceptional promise. In the end it is farming, and that means just about anything can happen until that fruit inside the winery.
While we wait for a final verdict on the 2019 harvest, we have decided to share some of our favourite fall reds from a new breed of B.C. labels that are quickly becoming flagship reds. In the face of an expensive, smoked-shortened California red crop (2017), just coming to market this fall, now may be the time to stock up on local offerings released in 2015 and 2016.
I can’t say enough about the quality of the 2016 vintage, and while 2015 was abnormally warm, some labels profited from the kind of heat we seldom experience in B.C.ere’s a personal top 10 list that will serve you and or your cellar well over the next five to 10 years. Prices are winery direct unless the wine is sold in B.C. Liquor stores.
In alphabetical order they are:
• Blue Mountain Reserve 2016 Pinot Noir, $39.90. A consistent performer in an understated manner, it is “B.C.” Pinot Noir you can drink at release or hold for two to five years.
• C.C. Jentsch 2016 Syrah, $31.90. Look for a bit of black pepper, licorice, plums and leather; you can drink it now with rich dishes or cellar a decade.
• CheckMate Artisanal Winery 2015 Silent Bishop Merlot, $85. Silent Bishop is made with cooler western bench fruit in the south Okanagan under Mount Kobau. Merlot for doubters.
• The Hatch 2016 Dynasty Red, $46.99. Dark, dense and ultra-ripe plummy flavours dusted with Syrah’s cracked black pepper, pipe tobacco fragrance from Malbec and roundness from the Merlot.
• Hester Creek 2016 Garland, $55.99. Unheralded, yet, this may be the best wine they make at Hester Creek. Sleek, dry and age-worthy with stylish black fruit and polished tannins.
• LaStella 2016 Fortissimo,$29.99. A riot of black and red fruits, the latter adding a juicy aspect to a classy red that finishes dry with nutty, umami note — Merlot, Sangiovese, Sab Sauv and franc.
• Meyer Family Vineyards 2017 Pinot Noir Micro Cuvée, $60. Winemaker Chris Carson’s take of his best barrels loaded with Bing cherries, plums and a hint of stony minerality and sweet tannins.
• Moon Curser 2017 Touriga Nacional, $39.99. One of a handful of platinum award winners at the 2019 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada, and should age effortlessly through 2027.
• Painted Rock 2016 Malbec, $44.99. A blockbuster Skaha Malbec that is awash in black fruit and spice. Big, boisterous and ready to go, we suggest a leg of lamb or another decade in the cellar.
• Phantom Creek Estates 2016 Cuvée No 21 Phantom Creek Vineyard, $100. Phantom Creek picked a great year to release a blend containing all the red grapes they grow. It is collector worthy.
Hillside Gewürztraminer 2018, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
$19.12 I 88/100
UPC: 00626990019138
There’s a reason why the Hillside Gewürztraminer is so fragrant; it’s from five Naramata vineyards. But it’s equally exotic too, packed full of spice and sweet fruits. This off-dry, lychee, tangerine, pink grapefruit party-in-a-glass makes for a fun patio sipper. That said, you can chill it down and put it work with any number of spicy South Asian dishes, including your favourite curry. Super value drink all winter and spice up your life.
Santa Julia Pinot Grigio Julia Zuccardi 2018, Mendoza, Argentina
$12.49 I 87/100
UPC: 7791728005103
I want to say this Argentine Pinot Grigio is more reminiscent of the B.C. style, but I’m not sure anyone knows what that is except for British Columbians. This is slightly more intense than expected, with bright fruit and even a little stony minerality. The palate is medium long, salty, dry, to a lightly bitter finish. Serve with your favourite seafood entrée that you can squeeze some lemon over — terrific value.
Pirramimma Pirra Cabernet Merlot, McLaren Vale, South Australia
$17.99 I 89/100
UPC: 9315785000635
Cool is a relative term, but in 2016 you could describe the vintage as moderate for Australia, bringing brighter fruit to the sorting table. Five different vineyards made it into this classic Oz blend that is designed to be drunk on shipment. The attack is full-bodied with ripe, warm, juicy, black fruits with jammy textures. The finish is smooth and long with spicy highlights. Best with ribs, hamburgers or lamb chops. Good value and widely available at a fair price.
Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2016, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United States
$45-$59 private wine shops I 91/100
UPC: 748252065797
The Brewer-Clifton Pinot is an assembly of three Sta. Rita Hills AVA sites: 3D (Swan, Pommard and 667 clones), Machado, and Hapgood (Merry Edwards clone). The style is in-your-face Pinot with full-on fruit aromas and flavours. It may be intense from a European standpoint, but it is restrained by New World standards. The nose is a dusty mix of sandalwood, brown spices, and tea leaf undercut by an earthy/forest floor, raspberries and pomegranate. The fruit rests in all neutral barrels; stems are an essential part of the structure and earthy characters of the Sta. Rita Hills fruit. Warm, mouth-filling and ready for rich duck or pork dishes.
Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley, California, United States
$57.99 I 92/100
UPC: 015917026968
Freemark Abbey is enjoying a renaissance of sorts under the ownership of Jackson Family Wines. The Napa label is sizable at 24,000+ cases, but it remains a ‘reserve’ style in taste and quality. The nose and the attack are fresh and vibrant with spicy black fruit, umami-like savoury, tobacco and cedar mixed into a warm, mineral, floral undercarriage flecked with cloves and cinnamon. It’s just settling in at the five-year mark, but there is plenty more to come. Ready to drink too.
Mussels smoked in pine needles from Smokehouse Handbook by Jake Levin.
This is a show-stopping party trick that couldn’t be easier to pull off, if you have a flare for the dramatic and a good supply of dry pine needles. Jake Levin’s new book Smokehouse Handbook is a blend of time-honoured barbecue technique combined with some genuinely out of the box thinking. A delicious combination. The smoky, resiny aroma of pine is the perfect balance to the sweet, briny flavour of the mussels, a woefully underappreciated shellfish.
2 lbs (900 g) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
Place the mussels in the sand (or on a sheet pan or large smooth stone) hinge side down. It is best to group them in a circular formation. If you are having a hard time balancing them so they stay upright, use another stone in the centre of the formation to prop the mussels up against. Completely cover the mussels with a 6-inch-thick layer of dried pine needles.
Get a garden hose ready, just in case your fire spreads. Keep the burning bed well away from anything flammable.
Light the needles on fire either with a match or lighter or by placing a burning coal on them. Let the needles completely burn out, about five minutes or so. The mussels should have opened up and are ready to eat.
Makes 4 servings.
Recipe match
I’m a fan of mussels and Sauvignon Blanc, but you might be surprised how well B.C. Sauvignon Blanc has progressed of late.
Township 7 Sauvignon Blanc Blue Terrace Vineyard 2018, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, $18.97
A refreshing, ready to drink, tropical and gooseberry Sauvignon that would be perfect with mussels.
Screaming Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, $18.99. For Anthony Gismondi on Oct. 20, 2019.
Screaming Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, $18.99
Expect a crisp, dry, fresh, bright citrus style with notes of nettle, melons, stone, and chalk that will easily tame a dish of steamed mussels.