A mix of New and Old World producers were in town this week hawking their wines to the trade and the public in what was a busy week of tasting in Vancouver.
Some brought new wines, others old brands with new labels, but each had a story to tell.
Perhaps the most intriguing is the change afoot at the normally staid French wine house of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, producers of one of the first global wine brands, Mouton Cadet.
Apparently the Medoc-based producer has had enough of watching its once considerable market share, worldwide, give way under a stampede of New World labels and a decision has been made to fight back.
After conducting a global survey of wine consumers, the French have discovered (surprise, surprise) that modern-day wine drinkers prefer fruitier white wines and less tannic, suppler red wines.
In some ways it's shocking to think BPR needed the survey in the first place, but they listened and the wines are changing for the better.
The new Mouton Cadet Blanc 2003 mixes a little less semillon with a little more sauvignon blanc and a dash of muscadelle and frankly it is fresher and fruiter. There are more mineral notes mixed with lanolin, grassy, grapefruit, lemon and kiwi fruit. It's typically dry but with a slightly oily texture and plenty of grapefruit, mineral, fig and melon flavours underneath. Very smart for the price and as modern as it gets for basic white Bordeaux. It's a shame they missed the opportunity to go screw cap and send a serious message about change.
The company's other goal was to soften up its red wine and that they have done by upping the percentage of merlot they mix with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. There is a definite peppery, spicy, dill edge to the Mouton Cadet Rouge 2002 all laced with savoury, spicy, cherry, cedar, olive, and dill flavours. Again, like the white, the red is constructed well. A bit more ripeness to accompany its new soft demeanour will really help this wine in future years.
Chilean wine guy Eduardo Chadwick made a long overdue stop in Vancouver and announced his "long thin country" will focus more firmly on the Canadian market in the coming years.
Chadwick, who recently climbed Mount Aconcagua (the highest peak in the southern hemisphere and the backdrop to his vineyards) is the owner and president of Vina Errazuriz and Vinedos Chadwick and makes a joint venture of super-Chilean wine tabbed Sena with California legend Robert Mondavi.
Two standout wines at his tasting would make a fine pairing for the dinner table. First up was a delicious Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc 2003. A cross between the Loire Valley and the northern New Zealand sauvignon blanc, this is an attractive seafood wine with ample acidity and bright flavours of green apple, green kiwi mineral with just a hint of bell pepper. Mussels and or clams would be a great match.
Even more charming is the Errazuriz Cabernet Sauvignon Max Reserva 2001. Yes, there is a bit of the unique eucalyptus and mint "Maximiano Vineyard" nose but it was more than compensated by the rich black cherry, leather, tobacco and pepper fruit flavours and aromas. It's as rich and as round as any Errazuriz red I can remember, with more cherry jam, mocha, vanilla and peppery coffee flavours in the finish. Well made and serious value.
Meanwhile, Penfolds winemaker Peter Gago entertained a sold-out dinner crowd, at West Restaurant, that gathered to taste some of the winery's very best labels paired with chef David Hawksworth's menu. They weren't disappointed but it was a pre-dinner tasting that revealed two up-and-coming stars that are affordable that should appeal to an even broader audience.
The Thomas Hyland Chardonnay 2003 may be the best $20 chardonnay on the planet. Sourced primarily from the Adelaide Hills, with components from other premium, cool-climate, viticultural regions such as the Eden Valley and Robe, it is simply delicious. The flavours are elegant and fresh with mineral, citrus, green apple, buttery spice throughout and killer textures found only in much more expensive white wine.
The bookend red is the Thomas Hyland Shiraz 2002 that mixes select parcels of shiraz, predominately out of the Barossa Valley (32 per cent), McLaren Vale (29 per cent), Upper Adelaide and the Adelaide Plains. Gago mixes French and American oak to shape this rich red and give it a coffee, vanilla, spicy, blackberry jam nose with gamey, licorice aromas and flavours. The result is juicy smooth well balanced shiraz that kicks butt.
Weekend Wine Tasting - New World Versus Old
Wine Mouton Cadet Blanc 2003, Bordeaux, France
Price $12.95
UPC 0839601444045
Score 88/100
Remarks The new Mouton Cadet release sports fresh mineral, grapefruit, lemon, kiwi fruit.
Wine Mouton Cadet Rouge 2002, Bordeaux, France
Price $14.95
UPC 0839601444014
Score 86/100
Remarks Savoury, spicy, cherry, olive dill flavours.
Wine Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc 2003, Valle del Curicó, Chile
Price $13.40
UPC 089046777329
Score 87/100
Remarks Lemon, green apple, green kiwi flavours - very Sancerre/Loire Valley.
Wine Errazuriz Cabernet Sauvignon Max Reserva 2001, Valle de Aconcagua, Chile
Price $19.90
UPC 089046777336
Score 88/100
Remarks Cassis, black cherry jam, mocha, vanilla and warm peppery flavours.
Wine Thomas Hyland Chardonnay 2003, South Australia
Price $19.99
UPC 012354071940
Score 89/100
Remarks Atypical fresh appealing Oz chardonnay with fruit and texture.
Wine Thomas Hyland Shiraz 2002, South Australia
Price $21.99
UPC 012354071988
Score 88/100
Remarks Rich, fairly unctuous structure with blackberry jam and licorice.
