Without a doubt one of the most rewarding aspects of my life as a young sommelier is the opportunity to work alongside the Halpern Wine Agency when they host their frequent tasting showcases at One Restaurant. They are some of the best people in the wine trade and their portfolio is second to none in the Canadian market. I'm not going to lie there are worse things in life than stepping off of a plane from Cuba, and stepping into a tasting featuring the majestic Alexander Cabernet from Silver Oak. California cabs are probably the most overplayed wine style in North America (thank you Bay Street), but the iconic producers shed some light on this fascination. Given the right production, and enough time in the bottle, a top drawer California Cabernet delivers the type of complexity reserved almost exclusively for lighter bodied pinots, nebbiolos and sangioveses. Yet this trip through fancypants boulevard is driven by the most delicious of ripe fruit that draws so many to the world of full bodied reds. The Silver Oak, while definitely a wine priced for the One Percenters, most definitely qualifies. If you want to experience this trip on a budget, despair not however my frugal commrade, for Vintages just released the Duckhorn Decoy Cabernet. Approachable at $32, this guy will deliver in the same vein. Or you can meet in the middle with the new vintage of The Caymus Cabernet, also newly released by Vintages (though my advice with the Caymus would be to cellar for at least 3 years before drinking....all that ripe fruit needs to simmer down before really spreading its wings as a world class wine).
This week, the Halpern team delivered an even more exhilerating tasting event with their showcase of the Rhone Valley in France. 5 of the Rhone's top producers crossed the pond to deliver their wines to the Toronto market and it was one of my favourite wine events in recent memory. The inescapable buzz of the afternoon surrounded the accolades accompanying the 2009 Pegau Chateauneuf Du Pape, which Robert Parker has described as a hypothetical blend of the 2000 & 2003 vintages, scoring a nearly unprecedented 97 points. Laurence Feraud's new blockbuster was certainly up to the hype. Even in its relative infancy (Chateauneufs are amongst the longest legged animals in the world wine. These wines are so dense they need at least 5 years to begin to show their true colors, at least for a young a pallette as my own) this wine burst out with the rustic charms that encapsulate the epitome of the style. Smoked herbs and garrigue drive a bottom end that acts as Atlas to a globe of rich cassis, blackberries and kirch with a polar cap of peking duck. Laurence herself was every bit the equal as ambassador to her majestic wine. It was wine geek nirvana to get notes on the 2007 Feraud Chateauneuf I had tucked in my home cellar and to spend a few minutes waxing poetic on my favourite red grape, grenache. Its nice to hear that the product of generations of esteemed french winemaking shares your passion for the wines of Priorat, and it was invaluable to hear her insights into enjoying the grenache driven wines of the Southern Rhone. I confessed to my ideal preference of drinking Chateauneufs between the ages of 10 and 15. She challenged me to try them out at 20-25 to really see some magic. I dont know that I have the patience.
All this talk of Chateauneuf's still detracts from the greatest gift of the Rhone, which is truly rich value wines. While not Bentley's of the wine world, Chateauneufs are certainly the cadillacs, and the rest of us deserve a good drive now and again. Thankfully the Rhone is the ideal test drive in that regard.
Cotes Du Rhone is the primary example of value driven grenache-based french reds that continually provide the wines of the elite to the huddled masses. Examples from Feraud and Domaine De Crista were sterling tastings under the $20 mark. Yet the Southern Rhone's best value was presented by Michel Gassier. Unbelievably rich Gigondas and Vacqueyras were buzzing around the room, but for my money their real stars were their Costieres De Nimes. In particular the mourvedre dominant 2007 vintage, which was about as complex a wine as I have experienced under the $50 mark (way under). Both the 2007 & 2009 vintages, selling as low as $19 were simply stunning beyond their class.
Of course, you cannot talk Rhone Valley without talking the Syrah's of the North. This is where the wines of Paul Jaboulet took the stage. Its no surprise given the reputation of Jaboulet in the world of wines. Their Parallel 45 Cotes Du Rhone is one of the few LCBO General List wines I allow in my personal collection. At one point Michel Gassier himself came to their table confessing to have adored his trip to their house the previous year. Their Crozes-Hermitages and Petite Chapelle Hermitages were archetypal hommages to their respective terroirs. Unrepressive minerality and varietal specific pepper abound throughout notes of dark cherries and ripe berries. Yet perhaps the secret weapon was the only white wine of the day, the Jaboulet Crozes Hermitages Les Jalets Blanc. 100% Marssanne, this was a wine all about lucious velvet on a bed of sharp minerality. One of the best whites I have ever had under $30, its exactly why more people need to discover rhone valley whites. Bored of white burgundy? Give this a run for your money.
Bases on the response of the liscensees in attendance, these wines will be littered all over the wine lists of Toronto's best restaurants in no time. Do yourself the favour of getting onboard.
In closing, its great to be back. Drinking all that wine means nothing if I cannot share it with at least a few of you. Stay tuned as we are on the verge of announcing our second annual whiskey tasting featuring the best of Kentucky Bourbon and single malt scotch. You want to be there. And dont miss United's clash against Anfield scum Saturday morning. After the exalting comeback from 3 goals behind at Stamford Bridge last Sunday, the Red Devils are staring down their 20th English title. Believe.
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