Jancis Robinson On Canadian Wine

Jancis Robinson, surely England's brightest wine scribe, was in Ontario, at the behest of Toronto-based sommeliers Zoltan and John Szabo to taste a selection of top Canadian wines.

The tasting, supported by the Canadian Vintners Association, the Wine Council of Ontario and the British Columbia Wine Institute, offered Robinson a look at about 70 wines and she reported on her experience last Saturday in the Financial Times. There were no big surprises, but it was her accompanying remarks that should give Canadian producers pause for reflection.

She set the stage by saying, "In my experience no nation is more defensive about their wines than the Canadians, perhaps because they have so little vineyard, less than, say, Slovenia or Japan. Every time I go there to launch a book, usually a reference book about the wines of the world, I am berated for not having devoted more space to the land of maple syrup."

She suspects "this is partly because Canadians tend to be fed stories which rather overstate Canadian wine's place in the world of wine. Every time a Canadian wine achieves anything outside Canada, this is made the subject of a major news story, and the Canadian wine industry seems to delight in perpetuating similarly flattering propositions." She's on the money, although it's mostly the non-wine press that is guilty of the cheerleading.

Robinson writes she was told at least eight times on her last short visit that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario is the world's largest single buyer of wine, but wonders exactly how that can be.

"For example," she says, "while the LCBO retails wine to fewer than 13 million people, of all ages, whose average annual wine consumption is 11 litres, the leading British supermarket Tesco has a 25 per-cent share of the retail wine market in a country of 60 million people, so in effect supplies 15 million people whose average annual wine consumption is 22 litres." Yikes, another zinger.

Okay, about the wines tasted. Robinson called 17 "world class wines from any point of view." Those included a number of B.C. wines from the Okanagan Valley that she characterized as different from the rest of the country, "arguably a more mainstream style of wine -- much more obviously fruity, pungent and New World. Ontarians call it, not exactly neutrally, West Coast." Shame on us unsophisticated fruit lovers.

B.C. labels that favourably impressed Ms. Robinson are: Sumac Ridge White Meritage 2003, Wild Goose Mystic River Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2005, Mission Hill Oculus 2004, Osoyoos Larose 2004 and Tantalus Vineyards Riesling 2005.

She also complimented Clos Jordanne, the Boisset of Burgundy Vincor Canada pinot noir collaboration in Niagara and Osoyoos Larose the Vincor Chateau Gruaud Larose project in B.C. along with Canada's best-travelled winemakers.

Robinson did take issue with the lack of speed Canadian wine producers and our monopolies have approached "full truth in the labelling and merchandising of wine." She was horrified "to see in the LCBO's flagship store in Toronto how many of these blends were displayed on shelves all mixed up with VQA wines under the large banner 'Ontario.' No Canadian I showed these bottles to realized that they contained anything other than their own wine."

The funny thing is Canadian wine writers have been making the same argument of years. Maybe now that a foreigner has said it, the federal government will be forced to address the whole issue of truth in labelling, but don't hold your breath.

Back to wine. Today we look at six new releases featured prominently at many local B.C. Liquor Stores.

We begin with Leopard's Leap The Lookout Chenin Blanc -- Chardonnay -- Colombard 2006. A clean, fresh nose with flavours of citrus, green apple and honey. A dry, lip-smacking finish suggests oysters, clams or simple white fish dishes.

The bookend Leopard's Leap The Lookout Cabernet Sauvignon -- Shiraz -- Cinsault 2005 mixes cabernet sauvignon/shiraz/cinsault in a soft, peppery, resiny, meaty red with a touch of leather spice. Simple, soft and affordable.

The Nine Stones Hilltops Shiraz 2005 hails from New South Wales. Its best feature is its smoky, roasted bell pepper, floral, black cherry nose. A touch lean, the blueberry, licorice, cola fruit flavours finish just a bit acidic. Served with rich, fatty meats.

Another big savoury red from Argentina is the Chakana Syrah 2005. Smoky, spicy, savoury, chipotle aromas mix with black cherry, rootsy, coriander flavours. Steaks, anyone?

Cabs Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux 2005 is a 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Look for a dry, resiny entry with tomato leaf and black fruit flavours, firm acidity and a dry finish. Best with barbecued back ribs.

I really enjoyed the Jean Bousquet Malbec 2005 from the Tupungato Mendoza region. Bousquet's organic grapes, grown at 1,200 metres, produce a tasty, ripe malbec with hints of toast, savoury black fruit and mocha notes. It's fine value in an everyday New World red style.

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LEOPARD'S LEAP THE LOOKOUT CHENIN BLANC - CHARDONNAY - COLOMBARD 2006, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA
Price $11.99
UPC 00108916730025
Score 86/100
Remarks A dry white for oysters or clams.

LEOPARD'S LEAP THE LOOKOUT CABERNET SAUVIGNON - SHIRAZ - CINSAULT 2005, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA
Price $11.99
UPC 00108916730018
Score 85/100
Remarks Simple, soft, affordable red.

NINE STONES HILLTOPS SHIRAZ 2005, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA
Price $16.95
UPC 089419579031
Score 86/100
Remarks Fresh palate with savoury flavours.

CHAKANA SYRAH 2005, LUJAN DE CUYO, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
Price $14.99
UPC 7798108620055
Score 87/100
Remarks Big savoury, menthol, black cherry red.

CABS PREMIERES COTES DE BORDEAUX 2005, BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Price $15.99
UPC 03760086433013
Score 85/100
Remarks Dry entry with tomato leaf flavours.

JEAN BOUSQUET MALBEC 2005, TUPUNGATO, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
Price $15.99
UPC 0879716000013
Score 87/100
Remarks Good value in an everyday New World red.