Tasting Note: Vinaceous "Raconteur" Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Vinaceous Raconteur Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa 2009

Here is an interesting new release available in the BCLDB.  

This wine must have one of the most whimsical labels to come from Australia in a long time.  The wine in the bottle, however, is serious stuff.

Vinaceous is the relatively new venture of Michael Kerrigan of Hay Shed Hill and Nick Stacey of West Cape Howe, both in Western Australia.

The Vinaceous wines, however, are from various places across South Australia, selected as "the best regions suited to the chosen varietals".

Vinaceous "Raconteur" Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 is a full-throttle Barossa Cabernet, a pleasurable wine at a price that isn't too hard on the wallet.

"Deep garnet color.   Rich nose shows ripe cassis, vanilla, and baking spices.  Very fresh, plush, and ripe on entry; sweet fruit flows over the palate, with dark chocolate appearing on the long finish.  Fuller bodied, but not jammy or hot - has decent balance, with mild acid and tannins.  A delicious, fruit forward, "Drink Me Now" style.  Very tasty."  Recommended.  14.5%, Stelvin, and only $22 at BC Liquor Stores.

Check out the website at www.vinaceous.com.au, it's just as whimsical as the labels.

-Randy Saunders

100% Official - "Howl with Wolf" on September 24th

Wolf Blass in his element

Well, it is 100% official - the dinner with Wolf Blass is definitely on!

This will probably be his last visit to Canada - this dinner is not to be missed.

It is being held at the Listel Hotel in the Impressionist Gallery on September 24th.

Executive Chef Chris Whittaker has put together another fantastic pairing dinner for us, to compliment the fabulous wines.  (Recently, AWAS did a wine dinner at the Listel with 4 wine Principals from NZ, and one of them said it was "the best wine dinner I have been to all year!".  That says a lot!)

Registration is now available online at Karelo by clicking here.  This event will sell out fast, so don't wait.  Seating is limited.

If you want more information, including the food and wine pairings, it is available by clicking HERE.

See you there!

-Randy Saunders

Newsflash - Wine Dinner with Wolf Blass

Wolf Blass' Biography
"Behind the Bow Tie"

We haven't even got to the official start of the 2011/2012 season and we're already changing the calendar!

Wolf Blass, renowned wine maker and bigger-than-life Australian, is coming to Canada for his final visit, and has put aside Saturday, September 24th for a fabulous dinner with us.  We're working to finalise the menu and wines for this event as quickly as we can, but wanted to give you a heads-up now so you can put aside the date. 

Yes, we aren't kidding.  Yes, THAT Wolf Blass!  What a way to start our 30th anniversary season!

Seating for this dinner will be limited, so you should act quickly once the event notice arrives and reservations open.  We hope to have the notice out to you next week.  We don't have the pricing set yet, but expect it to be in line with our gala-type dinners.

As a result of the dinner with Wolf Blass in September, we will be rescheduling the “Blends & Beyond” tasting for Spring 2012.

- Sean Haffey

Tasting Note - Bleasdale "The Old Press" Cabernet Malbec 2006

The Potts family has been making wine in the Langhorne Creek region of South Australia since the 1860's, making Bleasdale the second longest running family owned winery in Australia, after Yalumba.

Their wines always seem to provide excellent value for money, and this wine continues that tradition.

Cabernet and Malbec have been blended together for some time in Australia, particularly in this region and also in the Clare Valley.  Bleasdale "The Old Press" Cabernet Malbec Langhorne Creek 2006  shows the brilliance of this combination.  I highly recommend it.

"Deep garnet color.  High-toned aromas of cassis, smoke and blueberry preserves on the nose.  Medium bodied, with good fruit concentration.  Provides a very polished and silky feeling on the palate, showing flavors of dark fruits with a hint of minerality.  Chocolate comes through on the long, refreshing finish.  Wonderful blend, tastes really great.  Ready to go right now."  76% Cabernet, 24% Malbec.  14.5%, Stelvin.

Available at Kitsilano Wine Cellar for the extremely fair price of $23.

www.bleasdale.com.au

-Randy Saunders

"A Spring Walkabout" - Held March 8th, 2011

(This post is part of our ongoing review of events from the 2010/2011 season.)

This event just gets better and better every year!  We enjoy putting on a walk around tasting each Spring to showcase affordable wines that our members and friends are likely to enjoy for everyday drinking.  

Through the generosity of the Agencies in BC, we were able to amass 38 wines from 18 agents for the enjoyment of everyone involved.  We appreciate the help of the agents, without whom this event would not have been possible.  Many, many thanks to all who contributed wines for the tasting.

Talk about value - 38 wines for $40, including an excellent cheese plate for each participant!  We were proud to be able to do this, and the full tasting room was proof positive that this level of value was appreciated by all.

The tasting was focused on value-priced wines, with a nod to quality.  The one thing clearly evident was just how good a job Australia and New Zealand still do providing amazing value, even at lower price points.  Most of the wines had retail prices under $25 yet still showed tremendous quality.  Better yet, a large number were single region wines and they did a great job of showing the typical regional characteristics we would expect.

Overall quality was excellent, but here are a few to remember:

Standout Wines:

- Chapel Hill "The Parson's Nose" Shiraz McLaren Vale 2009

- Evans and Tate Chardonnay Margaret River 2009

- Peter Lehmann "The Futures" Shiraz 2006

- Tyrrell's "Rufus Stone" Shiraz Heathcote 2006

- Cooralook Pinot Noir 2008

- Xanadu "Next of Kin" Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River 2008

- Taltarni Brut Tache 2008

- Some Young Punks "Battle Island" Shiraz/Cab Clare Valley 2009

- Digger's Bluff "Stray Dog" GSM Barossa 2006

- Kim Crawford Pinot Gris Marlborough 2009

- Greg Norman Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir NV

-Randy Saunders

Tasting Note: Middle of Everywhere Shiraz 2006

Well, here's a label I simply couldn't leave in the store.  My thinking was that if the wine in the bottle was anywhere near as interesting as the label was, I would have something worth drinking.

Upon closer examination, I discovered that Ad Hoc "Middle of Everywhere" Shiraz Frankland River 2006 is made by Larry Cherubino.  Larry has extensive winemaking experience, first with Hardy's Tintara, then with Houghton in Western Australia, and now is on his own producing wines of distinction.  Along the way he also spent some time as a "Flying Winemaker" in many regions of the world.

Larry has received many awards for his work, culminating with his winery recently being named "Winery of the Year" in James Halliday's Wine Companion 2011.

This wine is very sophisticated in style.  It is somewhat different than what you might expect an Aussie Shiraz to be, however, I think that wines like this will help redefine what can be done with wine in Australia.

"Medium garnet color.  Meaty, earthy scents emanate from the glass, along with white pepper, smoke, and plum jam.  Medium bodied, elegant, and refreshing, this bone dry wine has excellent structure and refinement.  Chocolate comes out on the long finish, accompanied by fine tannins.  Northern Rhone body double.  Excellent.  Ready to go right now. "  14.5%, Stelvin, $28.

Available at Everything Wine and other private outlets.

- Randy Saunders

www.larrycherubino.com

Tasting Note: Frisk "Prickly" Riesling 2010

Here is an interesting new release.

Australian wine makers continue to re-invent themselves in a competitive marketplace, and this wine is a great example of this type of Aussie wine ingenuity.

Frisk "Prickly" Riesling 2010 is the from the Alpine Valleys subregion of Victoria.  The upper reaches of the valleys provide one of the coolest grape growing areas on the Australian continent.  It is here that the grapes for this wine are harvested early, then made into an off-dry, low alcohol style of Riesling.

This wine is really fun - and really quite good.  I can see it paired with Indian or Thai food, or your favorite cheeses.  Or, simply chilled down and then sipped on the patio on a warm summer evening.

"Pale straw color.  Scents of honey, flowers and lemon on the aromatic nose.  Lightly effervescent, with lemon and peachy fruit on the off dry palate.  Has a slightly syrupy, luscious mouthfeel, with a bit of acid binding things together.  Fresh and fruity, fun and easy to drink.  Only 9% alcohol, Stelvin.  Perfect summer party wine."

Available with wide distribution in the BCLDB, and for only $15 it provides great value.  The packaging is very attractive and you'll be happy to put this bottle on your table.

www.friskwines.com

- Randy Saunders

Penfolds Hawksworth Dinner, held July 27th

Recently our President Tony Beatty attended a special wine dinner put on by Penfolds Wines.  This was held at Hawksworth Restaurant.

You may have noticed on our recently released 2011/2012 Schedule that we are also holding a very special dinner at Hawksworth in October.

Dining Room at Hawksworth

This city is all abuzz regarding its' recent opening.  Although new, Hawksworth has been years in the making; David Hawksworth was previously the Executive Chef of West Restaurant, and while he was there it was considered by many to be the best restaurant in the city.

Executive Chef David Hawksworth

We are thrilled to be able to arrange a dinner there in the near future.  In the meantime, enjoy reading Tony's comments below about his recent dinner there.  In addition, for a sneak peak at the restaurant, watch an interesting video by clicking HERE.

Penfolds Wine Dinner held at Hawksworth Restaurant, July 27th, 2011

"The Penfolds Wine Dinner at Hawksworth was a big success. It was hosted by Treasury Wines and featured Peter Gago, Senior Winemaker at Penfolds as the guest speaker.

It was an unusual format, as each couple had to bring a bottle of Penfolds to the table. With good organisation from Chris at Everything Wine, each table ended up with a good variety of wines. Ours was a "young" table, but all the wines showed extremely well:

Treasury provided the Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling 2009, which was very fresh and clean with good citrus notes and a lip-smaking acidic finish. Having just has a 1999 Penfolds Riesling, I can recommend buying this vintage for drinking over the next 10 years!

Similarly, the Yattarna for the first course was provided. The 2008 is so pure, and it blurs the lines between Australia and the top Burgundies. A beautiful Chardonnay, so well balanced with very subtle oak and tannins adding complexity. Finish was lovely and long.

Then to the individual bottles:

We started with the 2006 Bin 707, which was very fruit forward, but drinking well for such a young Cabernet. Again, very well balanced - you will hear me say that about virtually all of the wines - lots of black fruit character with a long finish.

Our "extra" wine was also a Bin 707, from 2007. Such a contrast from the last one, even though just a year apart. Much more intense, with big tannins (although not harsh) and more depth. This one did show its youth.

Then came the 2008 Magill Estate Shiraz. Lots of juicy plum flavours with tons of oak. Tannins were surprisingly smooth given the young vintage. Some savoury characteristics coming through all ready. A lovely wine.

I brought the 2000 RWT Shiraz, which is definitely at its peak. Red fruit aromas with a little earthiness in the background. Redcurrant and cherry flavours with soft tannins and some savoury oak. Lighter than expected, but probably due to the vintage. Still a great wine.

Last, but definitely not least, was the 2004 Grange! This was very interesting as the drinking window from Penfolds Rewards of Patience suggested 2016 to 2050!! A terrific vintage which helped this wine show so well in spite of its youth. Big and powerful with tons of blackberry fruit, but super well balanced. A very rich wine - gorgeous!

To finish, we were treated to the Grandfather Tawny.  This comes from a "Solera" method, and features wines over 12 to 20 years. Shiraz, Mouvedre and Grenache grapes are used in the blend. The finished product is a beautiful tawny, with complex dried fruit and butterscotch flavours with a touch of "rancio" - a term used to describe the sweetness, balanced by the alcohol, acidity, oak nuances and volatility. A great end to a fabulous evening!

Hawksworth's menu was outstanding: 

- Yellowfin Tuna Tartar, avocado, yuzi and crispy rice with the Yattarna. 

- Slow roasted Alberta striploin, chanterelles and jus naturael, smoked potato press with our individual bottles. 

- Finished off with a dark chocolate cremeux, sweet potato and maple syrup to compliment the Grandfather Tawny.

The AWAS anniversary dinner will be at Hawksworth in October, and, judging from this dinner, I think I can hardly wait to go again!"

- Tony Beatty 

Hawksworth Restaurant in the new Rosewood Hotel Georgia