deVine Thoughts

Author: Ed Fong

Visual Artist Nosheen Pervez will be having an art show at deVine Wines on Saturday, Nov 3 between 4 PM and 6 PM. This will be a fun opportunity to meet Nosheen and view a portfolio of her striking and richly textured art. To see Nosheen’s works, please visit her site at www.nosheenpervez.com

To add to the fun, Jenn Fulford from Crimson Imports will be sampling 3 wines. Jenn will be featuring a sparkling wine from the Loire Valley, a Spanish red and a crisp, zesty New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Also joining us is Travis Watt from Rare Drams. Travis will be pouring a range of whiskies, including Single Grains from Sovereign and drams from Carn Mor, Old Perth and The Big Strand..

This event is in support of Edmonton Food’s Bank. Please find it in your heart to bring a food donation.

For those of you coming to the Whiskies of the World tasting and gala fundraiser that evening that starts at 7pm, you are also welcome to this free drop-in meet and greet. Although this event is sold out, those who really want to come to the gala/fundraiser can bid on a pair of tickets (bidding ends at midnight Oct 28 for these tickets) in our Auction for the Food Bank and the Neon Museum – you can go to the auction page here..

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Author: Dirk Chan

Domaine de la Pousse d’Or (translates to Golden Earth) is located a few kilometers from Beaune, in the commune of Volnay. It has an enviable position of being an oenophile collector’s favourite for expressive and memorable Burgundies without having to empty the bank account. In 1855, this winery was part of a larger domaine that included the famed Romanee-Conti and Clos de Tart. Originally called La Bousse d’Or until legend Gerard Potel took it over. With 13 hectares of vineyard spread amongst Volnay, Chambolle Musigny and Corton, they have been their own brand since 1964.

Known for their strict selection and seamless and elegant wines, these are tremendous values in the cadillac 2015 vintage, stash them in your cellar for a decade or more.

Pictured left to right:

2015 La Pousse d’Or Volnay Premier Cru en Caillerets (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $131.99

2015 La Pousse d’Or Volnay Clos de la Bousse d’Or Monopole Premier Cru (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $156.99

2015 La Pousse d’Or Volnay Clos d’Audignac Monopole Premier Cru (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $154.99

We’re getting to the end of the buying window for the stupendous 2015 Red Burgundy vintage. With only Jadot to come, we’re now seeing the 2016’s start drifting in. So, we’re advising if you’re interested in having some of this legendary vintage in your cellar to buy sooner than later.

The hype is certainly well deserved, the 2015 Red Burgs are without a doubt the best since 2005 (with even less production) and probably as good as 1990, and some old vigneros comparing it to 1929 that they drank in their youth – high praise all around. We’ve not had a disappointing one yet, even at the lowest Bourgogne level – it is a no-brainer vintage and as with all great years, the pricing will escalate for what is available as the years go by.

Here is a complete list of what’s available from 2015:

2015 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Chambolle Musigny Premiere Cru (Burgundy – Cote de Nuits, France) – $334.99

2015 Domaine Pavelot Savigny les Beaune Premier Cru La Dominode (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – 1.5L – $159.99

2015 Domaine Herve Sigaut Chambolle Musigny Premier Cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes (Burgundy – Cote de Nuits, France) – $134.99

2015 Daniel Rion et Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Vignerondes Premier Cru (Burgundy – Cote de Nuits, France) – $109.99

2015 Domaine Pavelot Savigny les Beaune Premier Cru La Dominode (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $79.99

2015 Domaine Roux Pere & Fils Aloxe Corton Les Boutieres (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) $77.99

2015 Domaine Lucien Jacob Savigny-Vergelesses Premiere Cru (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $55.99

2015 Domaine Arlaud Roncevie Bourgogne (Burgundy, France) – $49.99

2015 Paul Garaudet Cuvée Paul Monthelie (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $49.99

2015 Domaine Pavelot Savigny les Beaune (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $44.99

2015 Paul Garaudet Bourgogne (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $39.99

2015 Maison Lejeune Bourgogne Passetoutgrain (Burgundy, France) – $29.99

2015 Alain Geoffroy Bourgogne (Burgundy, France) – $27.99

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Author: Dirk Chan

The 2016 Port Vintage is the first general declaration since the 2011. With the 2016s, they are definitely going to make a splash – the growing season got off to a late start, following a very rainy spring that would make the different later during harvest time. As is typical of the Douro Valley, they entered into its typically hot and dry period in June and July, the vines had enough water reserves to help them along, with only a few areas suffering from hydric stress. A light rain came in a timely fashion on Sept. 13, to give the vineyards a freshening, and with the vintage running a week behind, growers could take advantage of ideal weather conditions into October, picking the later-ripening varieties such as Touriga Franca at optimum quality.

The 2016 Vintage Ports really are exceptional, with some of the most refined tannins ever, supporting gorgeous red fruit flavours while being extraordinarily intense, purple colour. The wines have impressive structure and balance, with Baumés, acidity, tannins and colour in rare and perfect alignment. This is certainly a vintage to include in your cellar to enjoy in your later years or to celebrate a significant year.

Production of each of the 2016 Vintage Ports is approximately 1/5 below the previously declared 2011’s with a very rigorous selection by most houses.

As is customary, deVine welcomes world renown Port expert Roy Hersh from Seattle here for a sit-down tasting of seven 2016 Vintage Ports on the Remembrance Day Friday, November 9 at 7:30 – $105/person.

We special order small amounts of half bottles (splits) of both the Taylor and Fonseca 2016, and those who attend the tasting will have first dibs at the smaller format, which wil drink at peak sooner, and better suited for smaller size gatherings.

Rumours are circulating quietly about a general declaration for 2017 – if so, it would be a first to have back to back vintages declared – you can ask Roy about this.

Book your seat here..

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Author: Dirk Chan

My last visit in the huge Campania region involved driving for a couple of hours Northwest of Salerno (instead of northeast as per previous winery visits), past Naples to visit at Villa Matilde (on a sunday afternoon no less) with Sommelier Andrea del Mastro, who is also leaning some of the Export Director role duties as well. He first took me on his truck through some rocky terrain to reach the main vineyards of Villa Matilde.

Villa Matilde is in the northern part of Campania which has a different climate than the south. Their Falerno del Massico wines are surrounded by ex-volcanoes on all sides, and because of this, the Aglianico grapes are bigger than those visited in Vulture, they are also picked 3-4 weeks earlier as well. Famed enologist Riccardo Cotarella has been consulting here since 1996.

The Falerno del Massico Bianco is floral giving the illusion it should be sweet on the palate, but no, its got some angular fruit with a surprising saline finish – would be amazing with a deep fried fish mixed plate and some freshly squeezed lemons!

Their single vineyard bottling Vigna Camarato Falerno del Massico was impressive, 80-20 Aglianico and indigenous and intriguing Piedirosso (the latter very black curranty, juicy and no tannin) grape made for a most intriguing mix – graphite, minerals yet beautiful currant fruit! Love the Piedirosso wines, will be bringing some in.

I then had a lovely three course lunch at the outdoors restaurant on the site. So pleasant, the food marvelous – a melt in your mouth parmigiana, a assorted mushroom and string bean vegetarian lasagna and a bbq’s steak and potatoes – another wonderful hour and a half with of course more Matilde wines. Well worth the two hour drive.

We have the lovely Falerno del Massico Bianco available for your consideration at the store, with a couple more to come:

2017 Villa Matilde Falerno del Massico Bianco (Campania, Italy) – $29.99