Adam’s Cellar Notes
AN ITALIAN GRAPE VARIETY GROWING IN PEC? Adam Delorme
I recently hosted a tour with a group whose wine knowledge ranged from beginner to intermediate. One person in particular worked at an Italian restaurant in London Ontario. If I could remember the name, I would give them a plug (it’s not a restaurant chain.)
This person has been studying wine for about a year. Those visitors are fun because they’re sponges when it comes to wine knowledge and it also keeps me on my toes.
We went through some wines like Cab Franc and Pinot, but not the Gamay. They asked to try the ’08 Gamay in particular so I obliged. They commented that it reminded them of Sangiovese, how right they are! It is like Sangiovese. Light to medium bodied with bright cherry and spice with earthy undertones. Like the Italian varietal, it is extremely versatile with food. It has beautiful acidity to stand up to Momma’s pasta or even meats that your neighbor just cured. It can also be enjoyed at lunch in a bistro glass, room temperature or slightly chilled.
So thinking back, Gamay is similar to Sangiovese, the pride of Tuscany. And come to think about it, there are many similarities between Tuscany and Prince Edward County. Sans hills of course, unless you include McCauley Mountain…Salute!
Notes from the cellar
LIQUID GOLD – Adam Delorme
Here at the Grange we constantly strive for excellence. In order to achieve that level of quality, one must experiment and closely monitor the results. A great example of this is our Sauvignon Blanc. Our first vintage, the 2009 was fermented in oak with great results. The 2009 Fume Blanc is a wonderful wine with clearly defined fruit and a touch of spice, largely due to the use of oak. There is a little of it left in the tasting room but it won’t last long.
The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc crop was extremely small 700kg but with highly concentrated sugar 27.5 brix or the potential to make a wine with 16% alcohol. I didn’t think that would be wise. Instead, we brought it in with full intention of making a dessert wine, which was very exciting as it would be the first for the winery. As the fruit was pressed, only drops would come out, much like Icewine. The flavors were Sauvignon Blanc but with the highest concentration.
The resulting wine (to be bottled soon in 500 mL bottles for release in June) is quite viscous with aromas of apricot and tropical fruit. It repeats on the palette with great acidity balancing it out. The finish lingers for some time. I look forward to see what then 2011 Sauv Blanc has in store, a sparkling wine maybe?
Cellar Notes
SPRINGTIME
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 10 years since the Chardonnay went into the ground. Since that time the vines have been very good to us. It makes such a nice wine, both oaked and un-oaked. Our oaked Chardonnay’s are very outgoing. We are very vigilant in our barrel program and over the years have found the best barrels most suited to our fruit. The result, wines with a solid fruit core with the most amazing secondary flavors and aromas. These include caramel, butter, nutmeg, vanilla, white pepper, lanolin and on and on.
Un-oaked on the other hand is tricky. Believe it our not, it’s a difficult wine to make. We’ve had great success with our Trumpour’s Mill un-oaked Chardonnays. Typically these wines display aromas of orchard fruit with a repeat on the palette and a beautiful, intriguing apple and mineral finish.
But just what is minerality? Grapes and the wines made from them like to exhibit many of the characteristics associated with their life; Sunshine, rain, temperature and especially soil. Here at The Grange the soils are limestone based and produce wines with this minerality. This minerality can usually be detected in the mid-palette and finish, that is to say when the wine is in your mouth and once you’ve spat/swallowed. It’s perceived as somewhat spicy, slightly acidic with a chalkiness. Envision taking a drink from a fresh stream. It contains flavors that are sometimes difficult to describe. Another example might be licking a stone, something you probably haven’t done since you were a child.
Next time you enjoy a County Chardonnay, especially an un-oaked, take a moment to think about the textures and flavors in the wine. Could it be terroir?
Adam’s Cellar Notes
2009 GAMAY NOIR PROFILE – March 12, 2011
In PEC words like Terroir, Pinot and Chard are ubiquitous. What is often overlooked is Gamay. Originally from Burgundy, Gamay Noir is an important grape in Prince Edward County. Arguably, Gamay Noir represents the terroir and vintage more than any other varietal. What’s neat is you can look at a glass of Gamay and know what the growing season was like. Darker in hot years, lighter in wet ones; Gamay hides nothing. At The Grange of Prince Edward our Gamay is multi-purposed. It contributes to the beautiful Rose, and as a stand alone varietal with only one degree of separation from Pinot Noir.
The 2009 Trumpours Mill Gamay Noir has a dark ruby/purple colour indicating a long sensible grow season. The aromas are dominated by chocolate covered cherries and spicy strawberry. The palate over-delivers with firm tannins on a solid fruit core ending with a medium, balanced finish. With the 2008 almost sold through, keep an out for the 2009.
Adam’s Cellar Notes
2010 PINOT NOIR PROFILE – March 4, 2011
Though I mentioned last week that Cabernet Franc might be my favorite red we produce, I love Pinot Noir. I spend hundreds of dollars every year on bad Pinot from around the world just to see how different climates affect the varietal. Prince Edward County can produce fine Pinot Noirs and the Grange is no exception. 2010 was a great year for Pinot. With high sugars, the wines are averaging 13% alcohol au natural. The colour is pure Pinot, not too light yet not too dark. The primary aromas (as the wines are still young,) are typical Pinot. Bright cherry, cranberry, beetroot etc…But a neat aspect to the 2010 Pinots are the additional aromas. They show cinnamon and a slightly floral note, which I’ve never seen so early in the game. Maybe ’07 had some of these traits, but I’m telling you 2010 is the year of Pinot.
