The 2001st Bottle - Quite the Odyssey

Six and a half years later and here we are: time to add the 2001st - and, therefore, final - wine to The List. As the journey behind this blog has always been to celebrate the places and the people that we sipped away at and with, I think it's fitting that we reach our goal with a very special gathering of our Dinner Club.

I've personally been in a dinner club of one sort or another since university days - and that's over 30 years ago. However, our current gang (with a few changes along the way as significant others appeared and one couple retired from the club) is coming up on twenty years. Indeed, one of my earliest posts on this Odyssey was at a Dinner Club gathering at Chez Tyrant.

And the memory of that dinner and others makes tonight's feast and post all the more special. Not only am I able to pull the cork on the "last" bottle but I get to share it with friends who have been with me all along the journey. Further, we all got to raise our glasses in a heartfelt toast to Tyrant - our dear friend who passed away a couple of weeks ago. I know Tyrant was looking forward to the 2001st bottle almost as much I was because we'd been talking about pulling a few special treats from his cellar. And I do mean "cellar" in Tyrant's case. As a little example, he'd generously brought along a bottle of 1982 Grange to my 50th birthday party and it remains one of the most memorable wines I've been fortunate enough to enjoy. Unfortunately, that bottle was before I'd started the blog and, therefore, not on The List.

I'll never know the wine Tyrant had tentatively earmarked for tonight's dinner but we all managed to find a few noteworthy bottles for the occasion to knock back with him in mind.

N.V. Lanson Black Label Brut (Champagne AOC - France)

2014 Domaine L'Ostal Cazes Rosé (Pays d'Oc IGP - France)

It turns out that we had more than enough wines this evening to reach bottle number 2001. So, it was of no concern that our first two wines were ones that had already been added to The List. One of the "rules" that I had set out for myself at the start of the blog was that I couldn't add the same vintage of the same bottle more than once to The List. Lanson Black is one of my favourite Champagnes and, being a non-vintage wine, the first bottle of this baby made it to the blog long ago.

The Rosé was a recent discovery but a pleasant one all the same. The wine had been recommended at a local government liquor store when I was picking up wines for this year's Giro di Burnaby viewing party. It was a hit then and I'm more than happy to join in on a glass whenever it shows up. I often tried to avoid revisiting a bottle that I'd previously enjoyed simply because I wouldn't be able to add it to The List. Guess that won't be so much of a concern anymore.

Tonight's Dinner Club was being hosted by Lady Di and She Who Must Be Obeyed and the menu was classically inspired as Lady Di was looking to put some of the skills she'd been picking up at various cooking classes to good use.

On any normal evening, I could have easily been sated with the bubbly, the Rosé and the fresh burata served with the tastiest of heirloom tomatoes. As if that was ever going to be the full extent of a Dinner Club though.

1997.  2013 William Fevre - Petit Chablis (Petit Chablis AOC - Burgundy - France)

Unoaked Chardonnay and Oysters Motoyaki. I don't think anything else needs to be said. Seafood, acidity, cream.

I mentioned Lady Di was going after some classic dishes and pairings tonight. Two for two so far in my book.

1998.  2007 Rolf Binder - Heinrich Shiraz Mataro Grenache (Barossa Valley - Australia)

1999.  2008 Langmeil Orphan Bank Shiraz (Barossa Valley - Australia)

It turned out that our wine choices were a little more red-centric than the menu was but that can happen when we all take such pleasure in not disclosing the Dinner Club's bill of fare in advance. The Gazpacho wouldn't normally scream big, juicy reds, but there wasn't a single complaint to be heard until there was no more wine to be poured. I suppose it goes to show that sometimes an unforeseen pairing can work out far more favourably than you might expect.

Then again, it's entirely possible that these two wines could have been paired with a slice of toast and some Vegemite and we still would have raved. Langmeil is another favourite of mine - although we don't usually splurge on the more premium Orphan Bank Shiraz. If I had to pick an Aussie house wine (and was only allowed to spend $30), the Langmeil Valley Floor Shiraz would very likely be my first choice. The Orphan Bank is just that much more layered and nuanced.

I don't think I'd tried the Heinrich before but this is a GSM (or SMG) blend that brother and sister winemakers, Rolf and Christa Binder, named in memory of their father. I don't know if Jeaux and Matinder were aware of that fact when they chose this wine but it seems uniquely appropriate for a Dinner club in Tyrant's memory.

With these two wines, there was no doubt that we were partying like it was 1999 - because, indeed, this course served up bottle #1999 on The List.

2000.  2003 Baron Philippe de Rothschild - Cabernet Sauvignon (Vin de Pays d'Oc - France)

The next step to happiness was beef tenderloin - cooked to order - served with baked kale and mushrooms in a wine reduction. The girls definitely had a challenging go of it with the timing on the cook of the beef since they had to juggle Jeaux and Matinder's penchant for blue steak through to Boo's more pedestrian medium cook.  But, of course, they were more than up to the task and my rare-medium-rare arrived spot on.

The tenderloin was paired (by happenstance) with two Rothschild wines - albeit from slightly different ends of the spectrum. It's a rare occasion that I get to try a $15 bottle side-by-side with its more well-heeled "cousin."  While Tyrant likely had some actual Mouton Rothschild in his cellar, a bottle of Le Petit Mouton was the best that I could come up with for the occasion.

2001.  2006 Mouton Rothschild - Le Petit Mouton (Pauillac AOC - Bordeaux - France)

As I knew this bottle would officially be number 2001 on The List, I was hoping for a bit of "knock 'em out of the park" sip. The Wine Advocate declared that "the 2006 Le Petit Mouton is the finest example of this cuvée I have tasted." The winemaker noted, "Aromas of berry fruit, vanilla and spice reflect its great complexity. Round, lush, full-bodied and supported by fine tannins, it is long and ample on the palate."

Not too bad as far as pedigrees and reviews go. Amen to that. Sounds like just the wine to hit the blog's final target and goal with.

Funny thing is that, the Petit Mouton didn't really speak to anyone at our table - even when paired with the tenderloin. The wine might be right on point for the pros but, as much as we might have wanted it to, it didn't titillate our palates - at least not to the extent that many of the other wines gracing our table did.

I suppose that's part of the joy of trying wines of every stripe. The best way to discover a wine that moves you is the try as many as you can.

2001+  2012 Tenuta Sette Ponti - Crognolo Toscana (Toscana IGT -Tuscany - Italy)

2001+  2010 Fontanafredda - Serralunga D'Alba Barolo (Barolo DOCG - Piedmont - Italy)

As previously mentioned in this post, some of the night's pairings weren't what you'd call classic. By the time our dessert of Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta with chocolate pebbles arrived, we were down to a couple of big Italian reds - a Supertuscan and a Barolo. I suppose that the unorthodox pairing was of no concern though. By now, we were simply taking in the evening and these beauties were bonus wines for The List anyhow.

Noticing that the wines had been poured as a trio of national pairings, we held a little poll of the table. The Aussies came out on top as our favourite wines of the evening, followed by the Italians and then the French. Not that there was any grand international tasting or bragging rights at stake. After all, there were (surprisingly) no Okanagan wines poured with dinner.

So, the latest round of the Dinner Club came to a close - as has the formal task of this blog. Having added the 2001st wine to The List, I now get to take some time and decide the direction the blog might take in the future. It's been quite the Odyssey. No doubt about it.

The wines. The people. The events.

It's made for an incredible adventure and, to be honest, a whole lot more work than I'd ever envisioned when I decided to upload that very first post. Drinking the wine was easy. No doubt about that. Writing the posts was a whole other exercise. Boo has called himself a "blog widow" for years - and there's a lot a truth to that.

And so, as I happily brace myself to hit the "Publish" and finish The List and my formal Wine Odyssey, I figure this won't be the end of the blog. It will definitely take a different - and not so demanding - structure but I'm hardly done with my love of wine. And that indulgence and amusement is something that will still drive me to put finger to keyboard now and then.

In the meantime, I need to send out big bouquets of gratitude to everyone who's encouraged, commented on, participated in - and endured (right Boo?) - my indulgence. It's been the most extraordinary learning experience.

I toast all of you.

And, as a final act of appreciation, I raise my glass to Tyrant. Having shared his humour, his generousity, his friendship and many a fine wine, it's a joy to share the 2001st bottle with you in mind. I wish you'd been there in person but you were definitely there in our hearts and minds. Skoal, dear friend.

Office Holiday Party Time

I know that the holiday season is in full swing when I have to miss a big BC Wine Appreciation Society tasting because it's being held on the same night as my office holiday party. Only to have just enough time to recover and finish preparing for THE annual social event in our neighbourhood the next night - which would only lead into our curling league's Ugly Christmas Sweater party the next day.

Yes, it's one of those weekends and, as such, I was hoping to stay on a pretty even keel at our office dinner - even though it was R-Bone's last day with the firm and that was as good of an excuse as any to repeatedly raise our glasses to toast this and that.

Considering we'd returned to Ciao Bello for an Italian repast, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that I'm adding a couple of Italian wines to The List tonight. It's far more surprising - to me at least - that I'm only adding two bottles. The Boss likes throwing out a good selection of wines at the start of the evening - a couple of this and two or three of that - but I didn't start on the wine until we sat down to dinner. I'd joined Boo in a Gin & Dubonnet cocktail and that kept me going for quite awhile.

1820.  2012 Barone Ricasoli - Campo Ceni (Toscano IGT - Italy)

There were a couple of wines - both red and white - at our table when I joined R-Bone and gang but I jumped right into a red. I'm not sure how I got to share R-Bone's table with him on his final night but he said that Boo and I were a special request of his wife's. It was an offer that I couldn't refuse, particularly since there was no mistaking the fact that the table was well on its way to a fun evening.

I think it's safe to say that none of us was paying much attention to the wine being poured but this entry level Super-Tuscan seemed to be the pour of choice. Easy drinking - and fruit forward - for an Italian wine, I just noted that I'd had the previous vintage at last year's C&C holiday do. The bottle proved more popular tonight than it did last year though.

1821.  2012 Fontanafredda Briccotondo - Barbera (Piemonte DOC - Italy)

The Barbera was a bit simpler in profile but seemed to go down easily enough. Considering how much Briccotondo was being quaffed back by the gang, I'm surprised that I don't have a picture of the bottle - except for one of our table with an unfocused bottle calling out to folks. What can I say? I must have been enjoying the chat and banter that happens outside of the office setting because it would have to take something major to get my mind off the blog. I should know those priorities by now.

Indeed, if I'd really been thinking, I could have taken a picture and included a Guest Alcohol to this entry as well. The Boss sent along a round of Limoncello to cap off the evening but that addition to the blog just wasn't to be. That sip was enough to cap off my evening as it was. Despite my calling it a night, I understand a healthy number of couples simply moved the party on to a neighbouring hotel and kept the holiday spirits flowing until well into the morning. There was talk of Boo and I taking a few interested (though straight-laced) folk to a leather bar not far away but my guess is that there hadn't been enough wine to fully fuel that folly.

Thankfully.

There are definite benefits to be had by bidding one's "adieus" and getting out while the going is good - particularly when you want to live to write about it.

A C&C Christmas

In what's become a bit of a tradition, the gang from work gathered for a holiday dinner party at Ciao Bello for some laughs and many a plea for everyone to "Mangia. Mangia."

It's always a bit of a surprise to find out what wines The Boss has picked for the night. I made the wine arrangements for a couple of years but Boss has taken a bit of a shine to wandering the aisles at the liquor store to come up with an array of wines - particularly when he thinks that he has some choices that will surprise me a bit. I totally appreciate the fact that he checks the blog before making a purchase so that I get the chance to add some new bottles to The List - as well as join in with the troops.

1485.  2012 Masi Masianco (Pinot Grigio e Verduzzo delle Venezie IGT - Italy)

I cottoned onto one of the whites The Boss picked - forgetting that I'd bought a bottle for home myself - because I saw that it was a blend featuring the Verduzzo grape. Since Verduzzo Friulano is definitely a new grape for my Wine Century Club tally, I'm not going to care that I could have zeroed in on a different white and saved this one for quaffing at home. When it comes to increasing my grape variety tally, sooner is always better.

Masi has been making the Masianco blend for a decade now and they refer to it as their white "Supervenetian" and a counterpart to Masi's well known red "Supervenetian" wine, Campofiorin. I gather it is the blending of these two grapes that takes this wine out of the more historically approved D.O.C. wines and into IGT territory. I understand that the wine does very well for Masi and I guess that this might just go to show that innovation can have its place even among regions caught up in centuries' worth of tradition.

Another different aspect in the production of Masianco is that the Verduzzo grapes (which make up about a quarter of the wine) undergo some additional drying out - the "appassimento" method - to enhance and concentrate the body, flavours and aromas. This approach doesn't appear to be unique to Masi as the grape is also used by regional producers to make a sweeter dessert wine. An alternative method that leads to a similar result is that the grape's growers will leave the bunches hanging on the vine to bring in for a late harvest wine. There are, apparently, some wineries making straight, dry varietal wines with Verduzzo but I don't think many of them travel much. Jancis Robinson's "Wine Grapes" states that the grape is grown primarily in North-East Italy (with a couple small pockets in Slovenia and one producer in Australia) but that overall plantings are gradually declining.

Good thing I'm adding it to my tally now.

Unfortunately, our dinner group was missing a few of our bigger personalities this year. As such, there was no Bollywood-style bhangra or dancing on the tables. In fact, there was no dancing at all. Just plenty of eating and drinking and moving from table to table in between courses.

Some of our colleagues were a little more adventurous than they might usually be with their drinks over the evening. So, I introduced a handful of them to dirty martinis, to the joy that is Prosecco and a couple braver souls to a Prosecco Spritzer when I saw a bottle of Aperol at the bar. It's getting to be common enough now to find Aperol in Vancouver bars and restaurants. Hard to believe that it was only five years ago that Boo and I came home from Venice and couldn't find a bottle anywhere in the city.

Despite making suggestions to other folks, I was good and stuck to wine though.

1486.  2010 Emilio Moro Bodegas - Finca Resalso (Ribera del Duero - Spain)

The second bottle being added to The List saw The Boss veer a bit away from his almost "all-Italian" selection for the evening - by adding in a Spanish wine that I hadn't run across before. He said that he wanted to grab it because it's supposedly a rare find in Vancouver. The wine is apparently the entry level wine for Emilio Moro Bodegas and it's made from 100% Tinto Fino (another name for Tempranillo) in the Ribera del Duero region. The wine is named for the Finca Resalso vineyard that has been in production since 1933; however, the grapes for this wine are from the vineyard's youngest vines - being between 5 and 15 years of age.

The Moro family itself has been involved in the winemaking business in Ribera del Duero for three generations now but they've only been releasing their wines under this brand since 1982.

I'm not sure that our Italian server was impressed much by a Spanish wine on the table but I think this was probably my fave for the night. Bigger and fruitier than many of the entry level Tempranillos I tend to run across, maybe the Italians should be a little worried.

1487.  2011 Barone Ricasoli - Campo Ceni (Toscana IGT - Italy) 

I was intrigued to see that The Boss brought along a Ricasoli wine as well since Boo and I had opened a bottle not too long ago. This was more of an entry level wine though. I'd grabbed a higher end bottle from (if memory serves) the Vancouver International Wine Festival and it was way bigger than this one.

Don't be fooled by the fact that I took a picture of the bottle with my tiramisu. I'd been drinking the wine earlier in the evening and I'd just forgotten to take a picture for the blog. I wouldn't exactly recommend the Campo Ceni with tiramisu though. It wasn't the worse combination ever but I think you could easily come up with a better pairing. Like the coffee I was now sipping on.

The Super Tuscan - Sangiovese, Merlot and Cab Sauv blend - didn't go over incredibly well at our table. People tended to gravitate to other options. I didn't mind it myself but entry level Sangiovese isn't generally my first wine of choice.

I think The Boss had a much bigger list of wines but I just didn't get around to checking out the others. Boo had experienced a tough day at work and he asked that we head out a little earlier than I might have usually. I likely would have been able to add another bottle to The List but sometimes a clear head in the morning is worth that lost bottle.

Besides I'd already received my early Christmas present by being able to add grape #166 to my Wine Century Club tally. The rest of the evening was all bonus.

Pizza and Penelope

We found ourselves heading down the street tonight to watch Penelope - the play "re-telling" the efforts of courtship from the final four suitors of Queen Penelope's hand while her King, Odysseus, is off fighting in the Trojan War and trying to make his way back to her.  The play is kicking off the Vancouver East Cultural Centre's 40th anniversary season and I figured it was time that Boo and I made the short walk to take in a show. Considering how close we live to the Cultch, it's a shame that we don't patronize it more often.

Since Via Tevere is right on the way, we took a chance that we might be able to get in - even though that can be next to impossible without an interminable wait on a Friday night. As suspected, there were no tables available but, luckily, we were able to grab a couple of seats at the bar.

1436.  2011 Barone Ricasoli - Brolio (DOCG Chianti Classico - Tuscany - Italy)

Via Tevere has a decidedly limited wine list; so, I generally like to bring a BYO bottle (despite their relatively onerous $25 corkage fee). We weren't sure that we'd get in tonight though and, accordingly, we decided to simply choose a bottle off the restaurant list rather than tote one around with us all night should we not be able to get in. (I'm sure that would have been a great explanation at the theatre as to why we had a bottle of wine with us. "Truly, ma'am, we're not trying to sneak a bottle into the performance with us.")

I wasn't familiar with the Ricasoli bottle that we picked but the winery website says that Ricasoli is the oldest winery in Italy, the fourth longest-lived family business in the world and the second longest-lived in the wine sector.

With the Ricasoli name having been linked to wine since 1141, I think they just might have had a bit of time to master the art of winemaking. Indeed, the site claims that "Chianti was born" in 1872 when "after more than thirty years of research and experiments, Baron Bettino Ricasoli wrote down the formula in a famous letter addressed to Professor Cesare Studiati at the University of Pisa: '...I verified the results of the early experiments, that is, that the wine receives most of its aroma from the Sangioveto (which is my particular aim) as well as a certain vigour in taste; the Canjuolo gives it a sweetness which tempers the harshness of the former without taking away any of its aroma, though it has an aroma all of its own; the Malvasia, which could probably be omitted for wines for laying down, tends to dilute the wine made from the first two grapes, but increases the taste and makes the wine lighter and more readily suitable for daily consumption..." Chianti production rules have since been modified as Malvasia is no longer used but Sangiovese remains the primary grape - with other red grapes only permitted to be added to the wine to a maximum of 20%.

Although labeled as a Chianti Classico, this could almost be seen as a Super Tuscan in that the wine consists of 80% Sangiovese with 15% Merlot and 5% Cab Sauv.

We thought the Sangiovese certainly showed through on the palate. I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of Chianti as a wine at cocktail parties and this one didn't wow either Boo or I. We both agreed, however, that the wine was far tastier once our pizza arrived. (Mind you I'm pretty sure that Via Tevere's pizza can't help but make everything taste better.) No doubt the wine would have been more enjoyable if we'd had a little action on the nose as well. For me, it's unfortunate that the restaurant has opted to serve their wines in tumblers rather than wine glasses. Tumblers may be a long-standing tradition in Italian trattorias but I tend to think that might be based on those trattorias serving a humble village wine rather than the more modern - and expensive - wines being produced nowadays.

Tumbler or not, we finished our 'za and our Chianti and moved on the The Cultch. Penelope is largely centred around men behaving badly - in between each of the four suitors having an opportunity to woo the Queen - but I have to say that the scene of the alpha male suitor performing the five greatest love stories of all time was enormously entertaining. Who knew "re-enactments" of Napoleon & Josephine, Rhett & Scarlett, Romeo & Juliet and JFK & Jacquie could be so sidesplittingly funny? You say, "but that's only five great romances?" The fifth was going to be our protagonist and Penelope. Smart guy.

Pizza. Chianti. Cultch. Laughs. I definitely need more nights like this.

The Old Alumni Christmas Dinner

This is going to feel like such a naked post.  I was in such a rush to get out the door that I forgot to take my camera along to the evening's par-tay and I couldn't get a shot worth keeping on my phone (I really need an upgrade).  A couple of the guys took some shots on their phones but none of the shots got forwarded to me and darned if I have the slightest idea who's phone they were taken on.  Oh well. I'll just have to paint a vivid enough picture of the night that actual photos won't be necessary.

My days at the Deke House are well behind me now but I still try to make it to the alumni night at the House and to the Christmas Dinner - although it was more like a cocktail party this year.  This year's meet was arranged for Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar in Gastown.  There was a sizeable bunch of the bro's in attendance and it allowed for plenty of wining - whether or not you were heavy on the dining.

1296.  2009 Michael David - Seven Deadly Zins Zinfandel (Lodi - California)

Not fully knowing what was in store for us, I ordered a bottle of stand up easy drinking, but Deadly, Zin to keep at the ready on the bar.

1297.  2009 Cycles Gladiator Cabernet Sauvignon (Central Coast - California)

The Zin was soon joined by Tyrant's Gladiator Cab. (I couldn't help but be a tad concerned that the crowd around me might break into one of the old rugby tunes of yore if they only knew what was being poured.  I know it was the first thing I thought of.  How the hell did we ever get away with songs like that?  Maybe we didn't really after all.)

Beamer pretty much kept to beer; so, these two bottles were equal to the task of keeping me occupied for the evening.

That is, until both bottles had been emptied and there were enough of the boys left - that hadn't moved on to the next bar or run home to wives - to tackle another bottle.  It might have been a mistake to order what was arguably the nicest bottle of the evening right at the end.  The fact was that Rogue has a standard policy of only adding $20 to the base price of every bottle of wine on their list.  So, the end price for the wine wasn't bad at all for restaurant/bar prices.

And what's a seasonal get together with the old gang if it isn't an excuse for a little splurging on the wine?

1298.  2008 Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso - Il Bruciato (Bolgheri DOC - Tuscany - Italy)

This is a Super Tuscan blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot and Syrah and I only wished that I'd ordered it earlier in the evening - when we might have actually made some decent mental notes about the wine.  It just means that I'll have to find a bottle for a more gentile evening.

It didn't take too long to finish off that last bottle and, for the second year in a row, we headed straight to a street vendor for a late night smokie.   And, then, I discovered the night had again slipped right by and Skytrain transit had already shut down for the night.  I must have walked a couple of rain-soaking miles before I finally came across an available cab.  I'd seriously thought about calling to wake up Boo to beg him to come and get me but I thought better of it when I realized that he was going to have to get up in about three hours to get ready for work.  Best not push anyone's patience this close to Christmas.

Except for the walk, it was a great little night.  Looking back on the evening, maybe it's a good thing that there aren't any photos around.  If any incriminating evidence manages to surface, it just won't have been me posting it this time around.  Not that I think there is any.  Really.  At least not by the time I headed home.  And I'll leave it there.

The Arrival of Fall

OK, I guess Fall has officially arrived.  It's getting darker earlier, leaves are changing colour and it's definitely cooling off.  Cooling off enough that we had our first stew of the season.  That hearty stew called for something equally as hearty and we pulled out another vintage of an old fave.

1255.  2003 Sandhill three (VQA Okanagan Valley)

three is part of the Sandhill Small Lots Program and you can find a fair bit written about Small Lots elsewhere on this blog.  Accordingly, I won't go into the program in any detail this time around.  Suffice it to say that, with this '03 vintage, "small lots" means only 424 cases.

three is winemaker Howard Soon's take on a SuperTuscan wine.  The '03 was a blend of 53% Barbera, 21% Cab Sauv, 13% Sangiovese and 13% Merlot and I think it's fairly certain that no one else was making anything like this wine in BC in those days.  In fact, I'm not so sure that anyone else is working with Sangiovese and Barbera even still.

Still a keeper, but I think we might have enjoyed it more a couple of years back.  Boo's stew wasn't much more than meat, potatoes and tomatoes and it could have handled more oomph than showed up in the glass.  I think that oomph would have been there some years back though.  As it was, the tannins and fruit had faded more than the acidity.  Not a bad weight for Indian Summer overall.  Just a tad shy with the beef-cutting tannins.

Or we could just bring on a pizza.  After all, you know that something's pretty much guaranteed to go with Sandhill one way or another.

Daveyboi. Mr. D. Dinner

I'm all over invitations to dinner, especially when I'm the invitee and not the cook. Daveyboi called up to say he missed our smiling faces ever so and that we absolutely had to come over to his place so that he could lavish us wildly with gourmet fare. Okay, maybe that's not the exact wording, but there was a dinner invite in there and he did say that it'd had been too long - and that we were as good an excuse as any to start up the BBQ for the season.

Mr. D. got the call as well and was able to join us. It might have been the day after Valentine's and there might not have been any romance in the air, but there was plenty of wine and vodka and I figure that makes us a foursome to be reckoned with.

As is often the case, I didn't know much about the wines that were opened until I looked them up after they had been polished off. Turns out we had a couple of "little brothers" tonight. Both bottles are from wineries with some serious cred or bragging rights.

1064. 2004 Shingleback Cabernet Sauvignon (McLaren Vale - Australia)

I grabbed the Shingleback because I thought it'd be a good lead up to Boo's and my impending trip to Oz. We've got a quick visit planned to the McLaren Vale, south of Adelaide, and I don't really know much about the area except for the name. I have to admit that I was a tad apprehensive about Shingleback's label. A first glance comes awfully close to the whole "critter wine" dilemma - the range of wines that many claim are trying to capitalize on the popularity of [yellow tail] wines. They generally feature cute animals on the label, are widely available, inexpensive and are filled with an easy drinking wine that is approachable to consumers that might not otherwise know their way around the bottle shop. Critter wines are not always taken that seriously by folks that fancy themselves wine connoisseurs.

Good thing I got past any critter scare because this is far from a wine that is simply seeking out international branding. Indeed, the 2005 D Block Cab Sauv, the next level up of Shingleback wines, won the 2006 Jimmy Watson Trophy - perhaps the most coveted Aussie wine award. The Jimmy Watson is awarded to what is deemed the best one-year old red wine in Australia and its list of winners is legion when it comes to iconic Aussie wines.

Tonight's wine may not have been that big winner for Shingleback - different vintage and approach to what makes the wine - but it is the same varietal, from the same vineyards and should be a good indication of the direct the winery likes to take. And, most importantly for us, it matched up wonderfully with Daveyboi's steaks. I have to admit that the man has a way with meat.

A relatively new winery, Shingleback released its first vintage in 1998, it now produces 100,000 cases annually, with a good proportion being sold in export markets. I don't know if their more premium wines make it to Vancouver shores; however, I know their more entry level label, Red Knot, is available in our market and seems to be well received. Red Knot might be more on the level of a critter wine, but I think I'll have to give it a whirl - and we'll have to keep an eye open for the winery when we hit McLaren Vale.

1065. 2009 Tenuta San Guido - Le Difese (IGT Tuscany - Italy)

Mr. D. brought our second bottle and it's a little brother to Sassicaia, one of Italy's most iconic wines. Le Difese is the third (and newest) wine from Tenuta San Guido - the winery that many feel created the whole concept of the Super Tuscan wine when the 1968 vintage of Sassicaia was first sold in the open market.

Although Rochetta family roots go back to the Medieval and Renaissance periods of Italian history, the estate's history as a winery really only started in the late 1940's. Situated in Bolgheri, a coastal region of Tuscany, there was no history of Cab Sauv as a local wine as Tuscan tradition means Sangiovese. When Mario Rochetta looked at the family vineyards, he felt that the lay of the land and the soils bore a great similarity to the vineyards of Bordeaux and he dreamed of creating a quality wine based on the ideals of a great Bordeaux. Bolgheri, and Tenuta San Guido in particular, is now considered to be the cradle of Italian Cabernet.

Through the 50's and 60's, Rochetta's Cab-based wines were considered inferior and estate wines were limited for family consumption. The family began to see that the wines benefitted from ageing and they began bringing in renowned consultants to improve production standards and the quality of the wine. When the wine was finally deemed worthy of sale on the open market, the new Cabernet wine had to be sold as "table wine" as the non-use of Sangiovese meant that the wine didn't fall within the rules and regulations of local winemaking authorities. When the Cab-based wines started outshining many of the traditional Sangiovese wines, both in international acclaim and price, Italian authorities had to come up with a new classification - IGT or wines displaying typical characteristics of a geographic region - for the newly named Super Tuscans.

Le Difese isn't meant to challenge Sassicaia (or its $190 price tag in government stores), but its being a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese qualifies it as a prime example of what the whole Super Tuscan movement was - and remains - about. The winery looks at Le Defise as being a softer, smoother alternative to Sassicaia - one that is meant to be enjoyed without any need for ageing. I can't say that I recall ever having had an opportunity to try Sassicaia but I'm certainly glad that Mr. D. (and his contacts at Marquis Wines) introduced us to the younger brother. It didn't have the degree of fruit that the Aussie Cab had but I wouldn't turn a bottle away from our dinner table.

Being a school night, I needed to bow out on the evening but "Cheers" to a great dinner, little brother wines, and my brothers in booze, Daveyboi and Mr. D.

Fortissimo

One of the Okanagan wineries - or should I say two - that I've been wanting to learn more about are LaStella and Le Vieux Pin, sister wineries that started up around five years ago. Although I've tried some of their wines at various tastings, I've only added one bottle from either winery to The List so far (Le Vieux Pin's entry level white blend, Petit Blanc at #778). Until now.

Back in September, I finally joined up with the BC Wine Appreciation Society's annual Bus Tour and, during one of the extra days I managed to fit in, I made it a priority to drop in to the two wineries. Both LaStella and Le Vieux Pin are boutique operations - each producing only 3000 to 3500 cases of wine. The Salem family is the driving force behind both of the wineries and the wineries are located more-or-less just down the road from each other. Le Vieux Pin is on the Black Sage Road and LaStella is just below the Golden Mile on the shore of Lake Osoyoos.

One looks to produce wines in more of a French style, while the other looks to Italy for inspiration. I think you can determine which is which.

With their various vineyards being found on the northern tip of the Sonoran Desert, the annual rainfall averages around 8 inches a year. LaStella still chooses to primarily dry farm its established vines. This results in production levels that can be substantially less than those of the neighbouring vineyards. The yield for LaStella icon wine, Maestoso, is under one ton of grapes an acre. I generally think a winery is aiming for high quality, low cropped fruit when they look at two to three tons an acre. That's LaStella's average yield.

Intensely farmed grapes, not surprisingly, lend themselves to the creation of more powerful wines. But, fewer grapes also means a lower volume of finished wine which, itself, results in higher prices. Hence, the primary reason it's taken awhile to get around to adding some LaStella to The List. $35 for a "premium" wine is pretty standard for BC pricing, but it makes it a little more difficult to pop a cork on a Tuesday night - particularly when that premium wine is the winery's entry level red. No one says that passion comes cheap though.

1041. 2008 La Stella Fortissimo (VQA Okanagan Valley)

Intense Merlot wines are the stars at LaStella but the winery is capitalizing on the lure of La Dolce Vita with a homegrown version of a Super Tuscan. Equal portions of Merlot and Cab Sauv (at 42% each) are blended with 8% each of Cab Franc and Sangiovese Grosso. This is the first vintage that the Sangiovese is included as part of the blend - but that's simply because that most Tuscan of grapes was planted after the winery purchased its vineyards and the vines are only just starting to yield fruit that is ready to be made into wine.

Vintages of Fortissimo to come may see a higher percentage of Sangiovese as the vines mature; however, there are many who think that the viability of growing Sangiovese in the Okanagan is tenuous at best. The length of the Okanagan growing season is questioned when one considers the varietal's need for a later harvest date if it's going to fully ripen. Perhaps the folks at LaStella are thinking that a little more global warming might come in handy. The winery has stated that it isn't their intent to produce a 100% varietal Sangiovese wine though. Rather, the starting premise is to use the higher acidity and structure of the Sangiovese to frame the Merlot and to add another level of complexity to the wine.

On a different front, La Stella looks to engage the wine drinker with names that evoke the romance of the wine in the bottle. There are no simple "Merlot's" or "Meritage's;" the wines are named after Italian musical notes. Fortissimo was chosen to capture the boisterous nature of the Super Tuscan wine.

In my desire to try some LaStella, I might have opened this bottle a little bit early as it could easily handle some ageing. I think, with a year or two, all the components might integrate a little more cohesively, but that's where big, old meatballs and tomato sauce can assist the present day. And a boy can only wait so long.

As a definite tip of the hat to the wine and winery, Fortissimo was chosen as the "mystery wine" at the 2011 Canadian Culinary Championships for the opening night competition that saw the eight Gold Medal Plates winners from across the country be given an unlabelled, anonymous bottle of wine and $500 to shop and prepare a dish (for 350 folks) to pair up with the wine. Chef Jeremy Charles from Raymonds in St. John's, Newfoundland, won this challenge by assembling a "composition of creamy polenta, finely chopped bittersweet rapini with lemon, chili and garlic nuances, braised beef short rib, a potato ravioli topped with tomato concassé and a dab of a profound, almost offaly jus."

Thoughts of Tuscany, music, Okanagan sun, great food. What more can you ask of from a glass of wine? I'm going to look forward to some more LaStella down the road.

Wine Boyz - A New Year's Eve Edition

Poor Boo. He got scheduled to work New Year's Eve - after having to work Christmas Day as well. And for the second year running, I'd have work a little to find a means to a kiss at midnight. Luckily, Skipper stepped into the breach and suggested that he host a special edition of Wine Boyz - Ringing in the New Year. GQ was going to be in town and they needed an excuse to show off the new dining room light fixture.

Our concept for Wine Boyz is that everyone brings a wine according to a pre-announced theme but they keep the wine literally under wrap (in a paper bag) so that we can have an innocent bystander pour the wines into a carafe and no one knows what wine they're tasting. Some of our regular attendees were going to be out of town but it's been almost a year since our last Wine Boyz tasting, so we decided to go with it anyhow. To top it off, Skipper thought that New Year's Eve called for a lifting of the traditional $25 cap on the bottle price. A "big" night called for even bigger wines.

Seeing as how Skipper and GQ had a Italian treat hanging around from their visit a couple years back, he thought Tuscan Reds would make for a great theme. We ran into a bit of problem in that one of intended guests only drinks white wine. So, the compromise was five Tuscan reds and three BC whites.

N.V. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin (AOC Champagne - France)

Is there any better way to start off New Year's Eve off than with a bit of bubble? Skipper wisely decided to open the real Champagne while we were still sober enough to truly enjoy it. The Veuve was non-vintage and it had already been added to The List (at #385) when we were celebrating the Canadian Men's Hockey Team's 2010 Olympic win; so. we started the evening off with a wine that doesn't even make The List. But, celebrations like gold medals and new years are few and far between, so I think this pointed us in the right direction for a pretty decent evening of our own.

After blind tasting each of the wines - with and without nibblies - the Wine Boyz (and Grrrlz) all rank the wines from favourite to least. Then we count up the points and low score wins. Although all three of our whites went in different directions, there was very little to choose between them. After one sip, you'd like #2. With another, you'd move on to #3. I think the fact that all three wines scored within 2 points of the others confirms that.

1031. 2010 Ganton & Larson Prospect Winery - Ogopogo's Lair Pinot Grigio (VQA Okanagan Valley)(13 points)

1032. 2010 Road 13 Stemwinder (VQA Okanagan Valley)(14 points)

1033. 2010 Orofino Riesling (Similkameen Valley - BC)(15 points)

Ganton & Larson walked away with the win, but I think it'd be easy to call this a statistical tie - given a margin of error for the number of glasses consumed. If memory serves (which might be a questionable issue), each of the three wines got at least one first place vote.

There's more of a variance in the scores for the red wines. I find myself at a bit of disadvantage when writing this entry. By the end of the evening's fun, it didn't even dawn on me to bring my tasting notes home with me. Skipper, being the fastidious cleaner that he is, had tossed the notes by the next morning. So, I can't elucidate on how I responded to each of the wines - except that I know my favourite of the evening went completely against the grain of all the other Wineboyz.

1034. 2008 Gianni Brunelli Rosso di Montalcino (DOC Rossi di Montalcino - Tuscany - Italy)(13 points)

1035. 2005 Fanti Tenuta San Filippo - Rosso di Montalcino (DOC Rosso di Montalcino - Tuscany - Italy)(14 points)

Another statistical tie if you ask me. One different vote and the order could be completely askew. I'd brought along the Fanti Tenuta so it's in my best interest to push that position - not that I knew anything about the wine or the producer beforehand, but bragging rights for the top pick go a long way with this crew.

I enjoyed the fact that there was a bit of variance in the type of wines that were tasted. All of the reds were Tuscan but there were four different styles and sub-regions represented. It's even more interesting to me that the two Rosso di Montalcino's - or Baby Brunello's - were the general favourites.

1036. 2007 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Riserva (DOC Chianti Classico - Tuscany - Italy)(18 points)

1037. 2008 Tenuta Sette Ponti - Crognolo (IGT - Tuscany - Italy)(21 points)

1038. 2007 Poliziano Mandrone di Lohsa Rosso (IGT Maremma - Tuscany - Italy)(26 points)

I also find it interesting that the two Super Tuscans were the gang's least favourite wines. The Tenuta Sette Ponti and the Poliziano were the two wines that made use of grapes that were not traditionally allowed in Tuscan wines (hence the IGT designation). The Crognolo is Sangiovese/Merlot blend and the Mandrone di Lohsa is predominantly Cab Sauv with additions of Alicante, Petit Verdot and Carignan.

My personal pick of the night was the Poliziano; however, every other person ranked it as their least favourite. I find that somewhat ironic that Skipper announced that it was the most expensive wine of the night (by at least $20). Just goes to show - no, not that I have the most sophisticated palate - that price doesn't mean everything when it comes to pleasing the masses. The good news for me was that I got to drink as much of the bottle as I liked. While the others scrambled for the other wines, I got to sip away on the big gun all to myself.

The fact that I get to add the Alicante varietal to my Wine Century Club list is an added bonus. Perhaps I subconsciously knew that the wine was blended with a new grape and, as a result, my pleasure zone was just tweaked into a higher gear.

NV. Bastianich Flor Prosecco (Veneto - Italy)

When midnight finally rolled around, the cork was popped on another bottle of bubbly. Again, it was a non-vintage bottle that has already been added to The List (#409). So, we ended the evening's wines like we started - with a bottle that doesn't help me get any further to my goal of 2001 different bottles.

That might have been the end of opening new bottles but it certainly wasn't an end to the evening's festivities. And, despite what you might think about the accompanying picture, things didn't get nearly as out of hand as it might appear. The picture was staged, honestly - whether you care to believe it or not - indeed, GQ doesn't even really like white wine that much. So, he'd never guzzle it like that.

Skipper's home has a sizeable deck with a lovely view of False Creek and the downtown Vancouver core - and it became an impromptu dancefloor that beckoned two different sets of neighbours. A bloody freezing dancefloor, no doubt, but a dancefloor all the same. And what's a little chill on New Year's Eve? I will point out that there were some pictures of the skyline without the squiggly lines. I just chose this shot for artistic merit - as we tried to determine how to get a shot without a tripod. It wasn't just the wine. Scout's honour.

All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable start to 2012. New Year's Day was perhaps a little more challenging, but I just have to face it that there are going to be a few occasions where I'll have to sacrifice myself a bit to ensure that this little Wine Odyssey reaches a conclusion. Big thanks to Skipper and GQ for playing such a big part in helping out with that quest.

I suppose it's a no-brainer that I should set a resolution to keep more up-to-date with my postings. I'll give that a whirl - but it's a good thing I don't actually make resolutions anymore.

Happy Happy for the upcoming year! Here's to an abundance of great wines in 2012!

Solstice

Throughout the ages, the Winter Solstice has been a central inspiration for cultural mythologies and traditions. We may not be able to regularly jet off for Stonehenge, Machu Picchu or any one of a number of mid-winter festivals, but our December calendar is inevitably set to celebrate the lengthening days to come at Tyrant's annual Solstice bash.

The inconsistency of December 21 or 22 to regularly align itself on a weekend can prove troublesome to my mornings after. The brilliant food, wine and company always makes it difficult for me to take an early leave in an attempt to remain bright and chipper for work in the morning - but I suppose we all have our crosses to bear.

Tyrant's swank Coal Harbour digs are the normal gathering place but a water leak put the kibosh on that plan. Luckily for Tyrant - and even luckier for us - Boo2 stepped up to the plate and offered his home for the traditional celebration. (Once again, for the record, Boo2 isn't the same as my Boo who's mentioned in every other blog post. I know it's confusing but how do you give someone a different nickname when you've called them one thing for over 30 years? What's up with twins and the nickname "Boo" anyhow?)

The home was awash with friends old and new. I can't often arrive at soirées nowadays and know the better part of the guests. Tyrant makes it easy to fit in a whole batch of seasonal greetings in a fell swoop. That's another bonus of the Solstice party - not to forget the great assortment of wines that Tyrant always serves.

There seemed to be a bigger than usual selection this year, but I centred in on just two wines. Tyrant was serving some high end BC wines but I was pretty familiar with the Marichel and Howling Bluff offerings and they've been added to The List already. Sometimes it's tough to pass up on a known - and tasty - sip, but a limited number of glasses on a Wednesday night (even if that limit is self-imposed) begs me to go with the bottles that can keep me moving on this Wine Odyssey.

1021. 2008 Brancaia Tre (IGT Tuscany - Italy)

Having passed on the BC wines, it might seem a little contradictory to gravitate to the Brancaia Tre - seeing as how this the third vintage of Tre to be added to The List. Seeing as how the '06 vintage was added at #213 and the '05 is found at #884, I won't go into the wine much here. I rambled on a bit about this blend of predominantly Sangiovese (80%), Merlot and Cab Sauv on those other posts. I'll still repeat that I think it's a bright concept to call the wine Tre (Italian for "three") since it incorporates the three varietals, is sourced from the winery's three estates and was the third wine that Brancaia produced. And here we are with a third addition of Tre to The List.

I mentioned in those other posts that I prefer this blended Sangiovese to most of the Chianti's I've tried in our market. It's an easy drink at a cocktail party - especially here where it matches up nicely with the abundant nibblies. The Merlot and Cab seem to add a little something more approachable in fruit to the wine.

I'm only showing the one plate of food but I figure it'll give you an idea of the range of goodies available. Tyrant's love of fishing guarantees an equally expansive seafood platter and the steady stream of hors d'oeuvres makes it easy to keep washing the food down with more wine.

I'm not entirely sure how I managed to get through the evening without a shot of the Tyrant himself, but you'll have to be satisfied with some of the regular suspects. Gotta give it to Matinder. Where does one find a brilliant Santa Hawaiian shirt? Everyone should have one! I suppose he and Jeaux are just getting into the mood before they run off to Antigua. They're doing their best to talk us into joining up with them there for some libations on the beach - wine, rum, whatever. "There's plenty to be had" they assure us.

For the moment though, we'll have to settle for the cool climes of Vancouver - as warmed up by a touch of Spain.

1022. 2009 Bodegas La Candaleria - Cubo Tempranillo Selección (VdT Castilla la Mancha - Spain)

Tyrant was one of the first wine lovers I know that gravitated to Spain and its new and improved position on the world wine stage. I always like to see what little treasures and bargains he might have uncovered. The Cubo Tempranillo is new to me and I quite enjoyed it.

I couldn't find out much about the winery but it appears to be a collaborative effort between four former members of a regional collective.

The VdT - or Vino de la Tierra - designation indicates a level of wine that is higher than basic table wine but hasn't been recognized by the more more stringent controls of the (supposedly) more premium, regional appellations (DOC or Denominación de Origen). I didn't find any site that explained the wine's VdT designation instead of a DOC label but Castilla La Mancha is the region located in the heart of Spain, largely surrounding Madrid.

Unfortunately, the time passed far too quickly. With the days starting to get longer now, it just meant that the morning was going to approach that much faster. But it was a wonderful celebration of the season. Many thanks to Tyrant and Boo2. Here's an early RSVP to next year's bash (hopefully).

Naughty Popes and Wild Geese

In an effort to do a little catch-up, I'm just going to briefly add two wines that we had mid-week at home. No time to try and find any deep, dark and juicy info - this time.

747. 2006 Donatella Cinelli Colombini - Leone Rosso (IGT Tuscany - Italy)

With a rampant red lion being featured on the label ("Red Lion" being the translation of "Leone Rosso"), this should be a natural fit for an old time Deke like me. I may not fit most of the shirts, featuring the Deke Lion, that I used to have back in university days, but at least I can have some rampant lion in my glass.

This is a Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese and Merlot from a fairly new winery - at least by Italian standards. Set up in 1998, both the proprietor and the vineyards have long pedigrees in Tuscan lore. Donatella Cinelli Colombini was born into and worked for many years in her family's Brunello estate before she set out to create her own winery. She's also been in the forefront of the "wine tourism movement" in Italy and has used the history of her two wineries to great advantage.

Leone Rosso is made at the Fattoria del Cole winery in the Chianti region and the property's storied history involves a 12th Century hermitage, a rumoured love affair involving a future Pope and the owner's wife, heretics, excommunication and confiscation and that doesn't even cover the re-emergence of the lands as a famous hunting lodge for the rich and famous - including the Emperor of Austria (who was rumoured to womanize to great extent on the estate). Makes you want to just tour the lands and pop a cork.

Not being a huge fan, in general, of Chianti, the Merlot fleshed out the wine and there was no problem finishing off the bottle along with our spaghetti and meatballs.

748. 2007 Wild Goose - Stoney Slope Riesling (VQA Okanagan Valley)

Wild Goose may not have quite as rambunctious a history as to include Popes and Emperors, but they do have quite an accomplished story when it comes to white wines in BC. I can't say that Boo and I drink much Wild Goose and that's likely a shame. I suppose it's because it's often quite difficult to get your hands on their prized Gewurztraminers and Rieslings - and the fact that we don't tend to drink much Gewurtz in any event.

We grabbed this bottle after a BC Wine Appreciation Society tasting that featured the winery. The winery then went on to be named Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest in 2009. Quite the accomplishment!

I think I might need to grab a few more bottles.

Charity Dinner

For the last so many years, the firm where I work has had an annual silent auction as a charitable fundraising activity. The donated items go all over the map - from bottles of fine Scotch to a girls' night of cocktails and nails to throwing a pie in the face of a co-worker. Much to Boo's great delight (yeah, right), I've donated a wine dinner for four at our place. It's proved popular on the bidding front and we finally managed to find an evening that would work for last year's high bidders.

It just happened that The Boss inched up the bid one last time and ended up winning. He said that he was going to leave it to the next bidder to win - but that bidder didn't show up in time. So he was stuck with us. I warned him during the week leading up, though, that I was going to have to behave myself since the company was entering a team in the Sun Run the next morning and - whether he was going to show or not - I had to be able to at least make it to the start line. Accomplishing that feat might mean hustling him out the door before he was ready to hit the road. Forewarned is fore-armed, I figure.

A couple of days before dinner, he advised me that he was bringing along some wine. I told him that the prize included wine with dinner, but he was adamant that he had already picked some out. They have a place up in the Okanagan that's only about a mile from the nearest winery; so, I figured he was bringing along some Blasted Church or wine from a neighbouring vineyard.

Turned out that he and Bosswoman thought it'd be more fun to head to one of the specialty shops in town and find some wine that I might not have run across before. Boss knows about this blog and made it a bit of an evening's fun and a challenge for the wine clerk. He did a good job; I tell you. We opened one of the bottles he brought as our first of the evening.

441. 2006 Firriato Harmonium Nero d'Avola (IGT Sicily - Italy)

I wasn't quite sure what we were going to get when I opened the bottle. I generally think of Nero d'Avola as a Southern Italian grape that is used in entry level wines. This was no entry level wine. That's for sure. There was lots of fruit and structure and it's given a whole new appreciation for what is possible with Nero d'Avola. It wasn't too much of a surprise that it sells for $50 a pop in VanCity. All the same, it was one of the favourite wines of the evening.

The weather was totally cooperative and unexpectedly nice, so Bosswoman, The Duke and Duchess all thought we could do appies in the garden. I grabbed the Sicilian red since we were serving up peppered pecorino cheese drizzled with truffle honey and were taking advantage of the occasion by pulling out the salt block and "grilling" thinly sliced lamb and quail eggs. How can you go wrong with al fresco steak and eggs?

Once the temperature started getting a bit nippy without coats, we moved inside and the first course was a favourite of mine - Soupe aux Moules - a Provencal mussell soup made with plenty of wine and saffron. When I think Provence, I think Rose.

442. 2008 Domaine de La Renaudie Perle de Rosee (AOC Touraine - France)

This Rose isn't actually from Provence but I'd picked it up with an assortment of Rose wines for the upcoming summer season. Not only did the wine go wonderfully with the soup, but it turns out that I get to add another varietal to my list for the Wine Century Club. The wine is made from the Pinot d'Anuis varietal - one that I'm definitely not very familiar with. Wikipedia says that the varietal was a favourite of Henry Plantagenet (England's King Henry III); so, I suppose it's sensical that we were serving it to a Duke and Duchess.

443. 2008 Fairview Cellars Sauvignon Blanc (VQA Okanagan Valley)

We stuck a little closer to home with the next wine, but the fact that it's from the Okanagan doesn't necessarily mean that it's an easy find. I was actually quite surprised to see a bottle on the shelf at Everything Wine (one of my favourite places to pass an hour or two); so, I just grabbed it.

Bill Eggert of Fairview Cellars is known for his big reds, but, for the last couple of years, he's been offered a small amount of Sauvignon Blanc that he's blended with an even smaller amount of Semillon to produce his "oyster wine." We didn't serve it up with seafood, but we did match it up with another classic pairing - goat cheese - which formed the base of the sabayon cream that we served on the asparagus.

So far, so good.

444. 2002 Cedar Creek Platinum Reserve Pinot Noir (VQA Okanagan)

The main course was duck confit; so, I pulled out one of our favourite local Pinot Noirs - the Cedar Creek Platinum. Boo doesn't often reach for Pinot Noir when he has a choice, but he immediately fell for this wine when we first tried it a couple of years ago. When available (the winery doesn't necessarily produce the Platinum wine every year), I think it usually clocks in around $40. As such, it's a special occasion wine - as befitting an evening like tonight - and a bargain when compared to top flight Pinot Noir from around the world (not that I want to encourage the folks at CedarCreek need to rethink their pricing).

We finished this bottle off rather quickly, however, so I grabbed another from the wine that Boss had brought along.

445. 2006 Frescobaldi - Tenuta di Castelgiocondo - Lamaione (IGT Tuscany - Italy)

Good Boss. I think we could have cellared this bottle for some time to mellow it out some, but, after having polished off four bottles already, I can't say that I paid a whole lot of attention to what I was about to open. Again, The Boss succeeded in bringing along a wine that I wasn't familiar with. I will be now.

Lamaoine is a Frescobaldi Super Tuscan from the Castelgiocondo vineyards and winery. Located in the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG region, it's a wine made with 100% Merlot. Since it's not a Sangiovese varietal wine, it therefore, has to be an IGT wine and can't be denoted as a traditional wine for the Montalcino or even Tuscany region. It doesn't matter that this wine was rated given a 95 point score by Wine Spectator. Technically, it is not a traditional appellation wine and is labelled with the "lesser" IGT designation.

A single vineyard Merlot, Lamaione is said to be the first of its kind to be produced in Montalcino and was only started well after the Frescobaldi family purchased the old "Happy Castle" in 1989. Legend has it that the old estate is where the Mona Lisa was painted and, hence, the castle's name was born. It's bottles like this that made this dinner and our home into a happy castle.

446. NV (Series 122) Seppelt Para Aged Tawny (Australia)

A star from the land of "stickies." I've been waiting to serve up this bottle for some time now. I figured that this was a great occasion, especially when matching it with Elzee's famous Torte di Mele con Pinoli e Uvetta (Apple Torte with Pinenuts and Raisins) and a cheese plate.

An SGM blend (Shiraz, Grenache & Mataro/Mourvedre) - unctuous, luscious, rich - call it what you may, Seppelt is a (if not "the") personification of Aussie fortified wines. However, that "is" might be a "was." In the mid-2000's, Seppelt was sold to the Fosters group and they, in turn, sold the collection of fortified wines to Kilkanoon. Fosters kept the name "Seppelt" though. So, you won't find any new series of this wine beyond Series 226. There is a Para Tawny being made but it's now produced by Seppeltsfield.

Luckily, I didn't have to shoo The Boss out the door in order to get the needed sleep before the big race. Bosswoman did a pretty good job of doing that herself. All in all, I think the dinner was a grand affair - hopefully, worthy of a high bidder. I figure it was a pretty darned good collection of both folk and wine. If nothing else, it's a great addition of six wines to The List.