Surrender to summer: it's time for white wine.

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PEC (Prince Edward County) is almost exactly two hours east of Toronto. Somehow, even though there are dozens of counties in Ont., it is "The County", and it's also Ontario's newest wine area.

It's a great place to visit - imagine a giant Toronto Island with farms - and there are some good wines to try too. Considering its long and proud history stretching back to the United Empire Loyalists, who fled the rebelling 13 American colonies so they could remain "British", the County is surprisingly uncrowded. Indeed there are a number of abandoned farms and houses sprinkled around. Picton is a lively hub, with good restaurants, shopping and other diversions, but mostly it's pure country: get off the main highways (there are only three traversing several hundred square km) and you'll be pretty much the only vehicle on the straight and narrow country roads.

The Wines of Prince Edward County
One simple piece of advice would be "stick to the whites". Another would be "like high acidity". There's a signature note of minerality running through the wines as well - the limestone-rich soil is responsible for that. Norman Hardie says it reminds him of Burgundy, though Huff Estates' Frederic Picard, from Burgundy, is not so sure. Picard does agree about the minerality however, and also favours whites. There's some good rose too - Huff Estates and The Grange in particular. A number of the wineries contract to buy grapes from Niagara, either to add to the relatively small quantities available from the newer County vineyards, or just to get riper fruit to blend in with the sharper, leaner local product.

The Wineries
Huff Estates is developing into one of the flashier "destination" wineries - so much so that you can stay there in the extremely comfortable inn. It looks like a correctional facility from the outside (and is H-shaped, recalling a certain Australian soap opera from the 80s), but don't worry about vicious lesbians duking it out for Queen Bee status - everything's correct on the inside. Expect a flat screen TV, private patio, cool shower, vaulted ceilings, high-speed internet, a superb breakfast and friendly staff who really want you to enjoy your stay. Better quality (and pricier) whites are the hallmark of Huff Estates' winemaker Frederic Picard (pictured).

Waupoos Winery, at the far eastern end of the County, is in a beautiful setting and features the cheapest wines around, including the rarely seen red St. Laurent - how often do you get to try an Austrian wine with a French name? It's very light.

Another showpiece is Carmela Estates, which is a big wedding destination with great vineyard vistas and a reasonably impressive garden. Carmela Estates wines are also varied and inexpensive - but the pinot gris is definitely worth checking out and the chenin blanc was a very nice surprise too.

The Grange of Prince Edward County is the best place to go for a selection of good, well priced wines. The Trumpour's Mill series has just been picked up by the LCBO for the General List and is now available in small quantities throughout the province. The Grange is run by the no-nonsense Caroline Granger, pictured left: she had to interrupt the tasting to negotiate with a gentleman who wanted to sell her advertising for a local events program, and I got the distinct impression that if I was across the negotiating table from her, I'd concede more than I'd planned. The Granger family family has owned the property for several generations: "During the depression, this farm produced canned chicken for Eaton's in Toronto and kept a lot of people employed," Caroline explained. The land grant was issued in 1805 and one of the barns still standing was built in 1826. It houses the tasting room under a soaring ceiling and is completely lacking in urban chic: real country.

Norman Hardie's operation is small and stylish - making good use of the county rocks, both on the tasting bar and in the barrel storage cellar. The staff, including Norman, are extremely dedicated and really do want to the best they possibly can: you can feel it. Pricey though, and Norman's high standards mean he's only willing to produce a few wines, and only if he can do them well. Click here for Norman Hardie's story.

Closson Chase is one of the more established County wineries, and it's really the epitome of relaxed rural cool (if there is such a thing). The tasting room is in a barn (of course) but it's a terrific combination of indoor/outdoor space, with cool art, chairs and sofas to lounge on, and a great garden with more art. They're also at the pricier end (like, yikes!) but they do have Niagara star winemaker Deborah Paskus at the winery helm and if you buy the wines, you will like them. 

Located just near Norman Hardie and Carmela Estates, Rosehall Run is worth a visit too. It's unprepossessing in a dammit-I-want-to-start-a-winery sort of way, but there is a nod to style in the form of an ancient rusted tractor artfully placed out front. Dan Sullivan has worked with a number of wineries in both Niagara and the County, and he staked his own claim in 2001 and has adding equipment and facilities ever since.

Around the bend south of Hilier are By Chadsey's Cairns and Sandbanks Winery, both of which have a couple of interesting whites - and By Chadsey's Cairns offers the added bonus of an onsite cemetery.

Selected County Wines
Huff Estates Lighthall Chardonnay 2006
This premium chard from Huff will sadly be no more soon: Frederic Picard has diverted the grapes into the production of a sparkling wine (which should be good when it's released). Meanwhile, enjoy the slightly floral nose with very muted fruit notes. Acidity is very high, but the mouthfeel is creamy thanks to the extended time on the lees and the oak treatment. There are butter and lemon notes as well as some white fruit, and there's a nice buttery finish. 88/89 points.

Huff Estates Pinot Gris 2006
A rather minerally nose on this one. It's also fresh and a bit citrussy. The acidity is very high and there is a hint of the pinot gris "undertone". On the whole it's very light, refreshing and pleasant. Nice finish. 87 points.

Huff Estates Riesling Reserve 2006
Great muted riesling nose, gently aromatic and with a bit of petrol. Very sharp acidity, but nicely balance by the fruit, faint though it is - look for some nice lemon. On the lingering finish of this austere, manly riesling is a nice hint of yellow plum. 88 points

Huff Estates Riesling Off Dry 2007
This one contains Niagara fruit and it shows: bigger nose with more aromatics and fruit. Very fruity on the palate, with tropical fruit, citrus and ripe melon. Feels sweeter than off dry and it's not as acidic. OK finish. 87 points. 

Trumpour's Mill Riesling 2007
Fresh fruity nose with light apricot notes. Light and fresh on the palate, with more white fruit and some citrus, including lots and lots of lime on the finish. Very refreshing. 87/88 points. 

Trumpour's Mill Pinot Gris 2006
Very rich golden colour - the 12 hours of extra skin contact time Caroline says it got during the maceration worked miracles. Super aromatic nose with slight late-harvest honeyed notes. Very fresh acidity on the palate, which has light white fruit. Nice lingering finish with some plum. Interesting. 87/88 points

Victoria Block Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2006
Very nice light oak touch with notes of vanilla over light whte fruit. Zippy acidity and more light fruit on the palate, which also has honeysuckle and a nice blast of smoke. Medium to fuller bodied, this is a more serious chard. Nice smoky finish with a bit of lemon. 89 points. 

Trumpour's Mill Rose 2007
The men involved in the operation poo-poohed rose as a wine "for girls", but it's a good thing Caroline went ahead anyway. Light, bright and almost alarmingly pink, there's bright, fresh strawberry on the nose of this 50/50 gamay/pinot noir rose. There's the usual County acidity, but the fresh yet ripe enough fruit stands up to it, with more strawberry on the palate. Caroline says that "by Christmas it'll be all cherries when the pinot takes over," but who could hang on to it that long? Not me. 88 points.  

Trumpour’s Mill Gamay Noir 2006
Very light red colour and light strawberry fruit on the nose to match, with mild earthy notes under. “I wanted to make a peasant wine,” said Caroline about this one. To many that means a bit rough and rustic,but this is very fresh and fairly fruity – red berries/strawberries, but nice earthy/funky notes and a fresh finish. Simple but good – and it probably would work well with heavy foods. 87 points.

The Terrace restaurant overlooks Mission Hill winery and has a superb view of the hills of the Okanagan. Travel & Leisure magazine recently rated it among the top five winery restaurants in the world. With that kind of attention to food, Mission Hill's owner and founder Anthony von Mandl chose one of Toronto's top restaurants to host a tasting for an assortment of Ontario wine and foodservice professionals.

Mission Hill President Daniel Zepponi raises a glass at Canoe, on the 54th floor of the TD Bank tower.

Founder Anthony von Mandl established the Mission Hill Family Estate back in 1981, when the Okanagan was awash with nasty hybrid grapes and cheap plonk, with privileged access to the domestic market guaranteeing sales. The sprawling hilltop winery of today, located in the Westbank suburb of Kelowna, B.C. has been gradually built over the years, and has benefitted from Anthony van Mandl's single-minded approach to being the best: "whatever it takes," he says is his response most of his winemaker's and viticulturalist's requests for quality boosting improvements.

Selected Mission Hill Wines @ Canoe. July 9.

Some of these wines are available at Vintages. Prices given where known. For more info contact Peter Wille at 250-542-6514 / pwille@missionhillwinery.com

Select Lot Collection Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2006. $29.95 (for 2005 vintage)
The classic white Bordeaux blend, BC-style. Though it's 84% sauvignon blanc and the bold nose has tropical fruit and herbaceous notes, it doesn't scream sauv blanc. Very fresh on the palate, which is medium bodied. Citrus fruit, vanilla hint and a bit of toast are the flavours, with vanilla and melon on the finish. Very smooth, very nice, very interesting. The semillon is both taming and enriching it, but its contribution is tactically limited to good effect. 89 points. 

Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay 2006.  $21.95
This is delightful. The nose is very fruity for a chard: worryingly fruity, in fact, with too much fresh honeydew melon and citrus. However it is smooth and rich on the palate, and obvious vanilla and smoke notes from the oak tame the fruit nicely and the overall feel is dry. Some mineral notes emerge and you forget about the initial fruitiness and enjoy the complexity. Nice lingering finish with sweet lemon and more oaky notes interplaying. More Burgundy than Cali in style, though neither really - BC perhaps? Very nice at a good price. 90 points.

Select Lot Collection Syrah 2004 (circa $40)
Inky dark ruby colour and a very rich fruity nose. Another nod to France here with the very Rhone-style white pepper, cassis and dark plum aromas dominating. Also Old Worldish in that it's less fruity than expected on the palate. However, the fruit that is there is rich and ripe (take that Niagara!) and there's more white pepper and some spicy notes. It's all nicely complex and there are even some floral notes too. Nice finish, rather Old World all round. 90 points.

Oculus 2004. $70
The high end Bordeaux blend of Mission Hill, Oculus is mostly merlot (about 75%), but there's cab sauv, cab franc and petit verdot as well. Uber-wine consultant Michel Rolland (the micro-oxygenation man with the magic touch) has been consulting for Mission Hill for the last four years and advised on this one. Another very rich nose here, with dark cherry and berry fruit and secondary hints of mint and chocolate. It's nicely rich on the palate, but still feels very youthful, with high acidity and very grippy/powdery tannins. There's good ripe red fruit as well as earthy notes that edge towards woody with a slight roughness: this one still needs more time, but there's enough ripe fruit for improvement. Good lingering finish, with more cherry and berry fruit, but a little more muted. 89 points.

Select Lot Collection Rielsing Icewine 2005
Super rich nose on this award winning icewine. David Lawrason noted that it ranked number one in a recent comprehensive tasting for Wine Access magazine. Honeyed raisin and sweet pineapple dominate on the nose. On the palate it's fresh because of the great acidity - sweet lemon and lime notes on the fairly full body lead into an almost candied finish of lemon drops, cut perfectly by the high acidity so it's not cloying. 90 points.

The wines chosen for the very creative and stylish five-course dinner were superb - a terrific preview for my forthcoming visit to the property... next week. Stayed tuned for more info on Mission Hill and its wines.

Tasting @ Stratus, May 20

Niagara's most stylish winery hosted a tasting, tour and lunch on one of the nicer days in May.

Stratus was established in 2000 and is in one of the best locations in Niagara - just outside Niagara-on-the-Lake, right on Niagara Stone Road. Winemaker J-L Groux, originally from the Loire Valley but a fixture on the Niagara scene for quite some time, is lively, expressive and loves to talk about wine. He took us through the tasting, explaining his assemblage approach to winemaking: in other words, he's all about blending. In rather a bold move for a market that is obsessed with grape varietals, Stratus has focused its efforts on wines simply called "White" and "Red". Taking the French tradition of varying the percentage of each grape used each vintage a step further, Groux will also introduce different grapes if they perform well in the vineyard.

In a climate as temperamental as Niagara's, not all grapes do well all years. In its 55 acre vineyard in the "Niagara Lakeshore" sub-appellation, Stratus plants a lot of different grapes. To make its "White", Stratus grows chardonnay, gewurztraminer, saugivnon blanc, semillion and reisling, and Rhone whites marsanne and viognier. This year, they have also released a single-varietal gewurztraminer.

For the "Red", there's cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, gamay, malbec, merlot, petit verdot and syrah, with tempranillo, tannat, sangiovese and mourvedre also in the ground. In 2005, a cabernet franc single varietal was released.

The tasting room and store - the most chic in Niagara - offers a menu of five wines and guests can choose a flight of any three for $10. The wines of Stratus are pricey, ranging from the high teens to the low forties, but the quality is there.

The Wines of Stratus

Stratus Gewurztraminer 2006. $32
Super bold nose showing great characteristic aromas - rich tropical fruit and floral notes. Very fresh and light on the palate, which is nicely dry even though the nose suggests otherwise. Some peach and lemon, fairly full bodied and a nice finish that follows through. A fine, fresh, dry gewurz. 89 points.

Stratus White 2005. $44
Lovely gold-tinted and bright colour. Very aromatic nose with a melange of peaches, tropical fruit, caramel and butterscotch. Acidity is crisp and the oak is evident, adding a richness to the medium bodied palate. Very oaky finish, but then some of the wines in the assemblage were barrel fermented and aged in wood for up to two years. Very nice for oak lovers. 88/89 points.

Stratus Red 2005. $44
Nice medium ruby colour and there's a good nose of rich red fruit, muted berries, some earthiness and cherry. Acidity and tannins are both high (JL says this one will age for at least 15 years), but it's surprisingly light and elegant on the mid-palate, where some red plum emerges. OK finish and this one should improve with time. 88/89 points

Stratus Cabernet Franc 2005. $36
Rich and somewhat extracted nose of dark red fruit with some bell pepper and herbaceous notes, including dill: pretty characteristic of the varietal. Quite smooth on the palate, though both acidity and tannin levels are high. The red fruit on the palate is lighter than expected and there's some cherry. OK finish. 88 points.

Norman Hardie @ Somewhereness, April 22

Norman Hardie (at right) with his viticulturalist/associate Benjamin Simmons and an assistant at the Somewhereness event in Leslieville.

Robert Mondavi Vertical @ Fairmont Royal York. April 28

Robert Mondavi recently died, at age 94, and the winery has released an obituary of the great American winemaker.

Napa Valley pioneer Robert Mondavi struck out on his own after a breach with his family in the mid-1960s and was among the first people to start making "serious" wine in the then-sleepy backwater of Napa. His best wines are definitely worth waiting for.

Dedicated to the highest quality from the beginning, Mondavi followed European traditions of studying the land and winemaking techniques to get the best results - and creating wines of different levels of quality (i.e., keeping the best separate). Today, his wines come in three categories: Napa Valley Wines at entry level, $20 to $30, District Wines from specific vineyards at around $30 - $50, Reserve Wines from the best hand-sorted grapes at around $125 for the cabernet (US prices).

Mark De Vere, resident Master of Wine at Robert Mondavi winery, was in town to host a vertical tasting of cabernet reserves as part of the California Wine Fair.

Originally from Oxford, De Vere has been in Napa with Mondavi winery since the mid-90s and was a great guide to take us through the tasting. He gave background information on vintages, blends of other grapes (some include cab franc, for example) as well as a summary of different vintages.

De Vere spoke a little about rising percentages of alcohol in California's wines and, surprisingly, did not blame global warming. "We just don't know why," he concluded after pointing out that wines made after hot summers 20 or so years ago had lower alcohol levels than wines made in cooler summers recently. Because California's labelling laws require wineries to state which side of 14% their products are on, there is a lot of figure-fudging to keep it lower. Not naming any names, De Vere said he observed a lab test of eight wines to determine adherence: "two out of the eight wines were compliant on the alcohol labelling," he said. That said, De Vere feels higher alcohol wines can age well "if balanced properly." If a wine is not well balanced, the alcohol can become more noticeable over time, giving it a "hot" (as in "firewater") edge.

Rising alcohol levels are not just talk: note the steady climb in alcohol levels on Mondavi's finest: the same wine made from the same grapes from the same vineyards rises from 12.7 to 15% over a 17-year period. Very curious.

The Wines

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1987
This was a highly rated vintage and it has stood the test of time. Dark ruby colour, with just a little bit of orange on the rim (an age-giveaway: the more orange/brown, the older), so it looks younger than it is. Rich and still-fruity nose, but with great secondary notes of herbal over jammy berry fruit, cassis. Very mouth filling, with lots of acidity. Not too fruity on the palate, which has nice cedar notes and a bit of iodine. The acidity is still very fresh and the overall feel is super smooth. The finish is excellent and lingers. A terrific wine. 94 points. (12.7% alc.)

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1993
Just a hint of orange on the rim of this one as well - is the fountain of youth in Napa? Mature nose of dried fruit, with a rich cooked quality (but in a good way). There's some bell pepper in there too, and it turns out this one has cab franc in the blend. Big fresh palate, with muted but ripe cherry fruit and great secondary notes of tobacco and cigar box. There are more tannic and darker notes in the middle, and a great finish, that lingers. 91 points. (13.8% alc.)

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1997
Rich red colour with another slight hint of orange. The nose had lots of dark red fruit with a slightly cooked note and was more muted than expected. Big and fresh surprise on the palate though - lots of big red fruit, including blackberries, again with a slightly stewed character, and yet a smooth, supple elegance. Gentle secondary notes like cigar box and cedar provide a great underpinning in both the middle and the lengthy, lingering finish. 93 points. (alc. n/a)

De Vere told us that the 97 was "highly rated when it first came out, but then it went through a dumb phase, but it's definitely come out of that now, and just recently too." Nothing dumb about it is far as I was concerned - though perhaps the fact that the nose was more muted than expected is a legacy of the "dumb" phase.

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2001
Deep ruby colour, no orange at all on the rim even though it's entering its seventh year... Rich fruity nose with some great secondary notes of pine and cedar. Very mouth-filling, with lots of dark red fruit, all fresh. Secondary notes include tobacco and a hint of mint. Even though it's a big New World cab with lots of fruit, the overall feel is relatively delicate. This one contains 10% cab franc, which I suspect is responsible for some of the secondary notes and the lighter than expected mid-palate.  92 points.  (14.6% alc.)

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2004
Bright red ruby all the way through on the baby of the bunch. Big full nose of dark red fruit, and notes of cough candy and vanilla too. Super rich on the palate, which is packed full of red berry fruit. Not a huge amount of secondary notes, but that's probably due to the relative youth of this one. Tannins are high and acidity is about medium. Some other, darker flavours emerged and continued into the decent finish and included notes of tar. 91 points. (15% alc.)

Availability
Unfortunately, it's not that easy to get older vintages. But according to the LCBO website, there is a tiny amount of 1998 available: four bottles in Port Carling, two at Meadowvale Town Centre and one bottle at Rideau St. in Ottawa. Price: $167.60. The 2004 will be released later this year at a price TBD, but probably around $150. Contact agents Churchill Cellars for more information. Tel: 416-368-5108.

How gay? Well, it's not only pink, its name is pansy. Or rather, Pansy!

Kim Crawford's wife's name is Erica. He's not a lesbian and neither is she, but they have a lot of gay friends and have for many years enjoyed a drink at a local Auckland gay bar. On a visit to Toronto last summer, Erica Crawford explained the name: "One night there was a group of us and someone said 'you should make a gay wine' and someone else said 'yeah, and it's gotta be called Pansy!"

Pansy! is quite probably the only "gay" wine in the world but,  "it wasn't at all thought through or researched," said Erica. "We just did it. Gays have always been in my life. When I lived in Cape Town I shared a flat with a flaming queen from the Bronx."

For winemaker Kim Crawford it was obvious that a "gay" wine should be a rosé and he made the first one in 2002. The grapes vary from year to year and are sometimes blends - the 2007 is all merlot, for example.

Another of Kim Crawford's wines sounds suspiciously like a nightclub where the homosexually inclined might be found dancing with their shirts off, but that's not why it's called "Boyszone". The name is in fact a memorial to one of the Crawfords' main grape grower's sons. The family had four boys, all of whom helped out in the vineyard. The youngest, then 19 years old, was using a tractor on a hillside when it tipped over, pinned him down and he died. The block of vines he was working on had been managed exclusively by the boys and was called the "boys' zone". Kim Crawford has named the pinot gris that comes from it Boyszone in his honour.

At the recent New Zealand Wine Fair at the Design Exchange, four Kim Crawford wines were on display. Though he's well known for his fine sauvignon blanc, which is a Vintages Essential and is usually in good supply, Crawford was showing off some of his others.

Pansy! and other wines by Kim Crawford

Pansy! Rosé 2007. $16.95
Gisborne, North Island
Bright pink colour and a bold nose of red berry fruit and a hint of floral. This merlot-based rosé has zippy acidity and lighter red fruit, though it's quite full bodied. Nicely smooth, there's a bit of a sweet note detectable and there's a nice long finish. 88 points.

Boyszone Pinot Gris 2006. $29.70
Marlborough, South Island
Characteristic pinot gris here - muted but aromatic nose with ripe peach/pear notes. Very fresh and lively on the palate, which has lots more fruit, including some tropical notes. Fairly full bodied with a great mouthfeel and a nice finish. 89 points

Kim Crawford Pinot Gris 2007. $19.95
Marlborough, South Island
Fruitier nose, more in your face. Tropical notes of papaya and pineapple. Very full and fruity on the palate, which shows some plum notes too. OK finish. 88 points.

Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay 2007. $24.95
Marlborough, South Island
Quite fruity nose for a chardonnay, with lemon, apple and pineapple, and even a floral note too. Super full and ripe on the palate, which of course has no oak notes: this is pure chardonnay at its fruitiest, so if you want to take it bare, no oak masking it, this is the one to try for the fruit flavours. 89 points.

>>>

Pansy! is available now and there's a bit of Boyszone kicking around. To check availability near you, copy the name of the wine and paste it into the product search window in the top left corner of this page.  

The others should be available soon, or contact Crawford's Ontario agent colin.brodie@vincor.ca for more information or to order.

Bouchard & Fils @ Royal Canadian Yacht Club, April 17

Luc Bouchard of Bouchard & Fils.

In business - and run by the Bouchard family - since 1731, Bouchard & Fils is one of the finest and most reliable producers in Burgundy. They only do what they do best: chardonnay and pinot noir. To find out more about the company and its history, visit their website.

I wish I could say that they are not on the ball financially at Bouchard & Fils and that the best one is the cheapest, but I can't. There seems to me a pretty solid correlaton between price and quality...

All wines by Bouchard & Fils, and all are the 2006 vintage.

The White Burgundies

Bourgogne Les Coteaux de Moines. $29
Muted nose of white fruit. Smooth and fresh on the palace. Acidity is crisp and the fruit flavours are there, but muted on the palate. Elegant. 89 points.

Mersault Les Clos. $61
Lovely nose of floral and oaky notes. Super smooth and elegant on the palate. Very clean and with some minerality too. Acidity rises nicely towards the finish, which includes butterscotch. 93 points.

Mersault Les Gouttes D'Or. $114
Richer nose with light fruit and butterscotch. Very rich yet fresh on the palate. Smoky notes and butter and a super smooth fresh finish that just goes on. 94 points.

Mersault Genievrieres. $114
More muted nose with smoky oak dominating. Rich and smooth on the palate, which has more smoky notes over white fruit. Fuller body. Terrific lingering finish that stays fresh. 95 points

Mersault Perrieres. $117
Smooth and complex nose, mineral notes as well as oak inspired notes of butter and toast. Super smooth and elegant on the palate. Perfect acidity, incredible finish. 95 points.

Corton-Charlemagne
One of the most famous white Burgundies, Corton-Charlemagne is "the best of the best" grand cru areas for chardonnay. Divided between the communes of Ladoix-Serrigny and Aloxe-Corton in the Cote de Beaune, there are a number of producers, and all of their wines are pricey. Bouchard's delivers both the high price and superb quality expected.

Corton-Charlemagne. $200
Super clean and fresh nose with lots of light white fruit aromas and maybe some honey notes too. Super smooth and medium-full on the palate with a sleek and delicate mix of flavours, including lemon and toast. Excellent lingering finish. I wrote "as good as it gets". 96 points

Montrachet
Another famous sub-district of Burgundy, Montrachet is also in the Cote de Beaune and is split into two areas - Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. Hint: don't pronounce either "t". Bouchard's is from Puligny-Montrachet.

Chevalier-Montrachet. $394
Very rich yet fresh nose with muted floral notes as well. Fresh and punchy on the palate, even though the white fruit notes are very rich. There's some toast and butter in there too and the expected great, lengthy finish. 96 points.

The Red Burgundies

Bourgogne Les Couteaus des Moines. $29
Somewhat closed nose, but the rich red fruit is there, including cherries and cassis. Smooth and easy on the palate, the red fruit carries through, though again muted. Nice finish. 88 points.

Beaune Clos de la Mousse. $65
Very ripe nose with good red fruit and a slight animal note. Super smooth on the palate, which is full of fresh cherry fruit. Should become more complex as it ages Good finish. 91 points

Beaune Teurons. $64
Muted nose with dark red fruit and nice oaky notes evident. Super smooth on the palate, which is light even though the tannins are still high. Very muted and elegant red berry fruit, this one will get better as the tannins calm down. 92 points.

Volnay Caillerets. $96
Lovely pale ruby colour. Very fruity and spicy nose followed by lots and lots of dark red fruit on the palate. Acidity and tannins are both very high - and evident - so this one really isn't ready yet. It will age beautifully - hang on to it for three or more years and then try it. 93 points.

Volnay Clos de Chenes. $78
Rich nose of dark red fruit with some nice earthiness developing. Fresh on the palate, which is lightly fruity with lots of toasty, woody notes. Seriously nice finish that lingers. 94 points.

Gevrey-Chambertin. $62
Fresher and more intense nose of bright red fruit - there's even a slight candy note, which is usually bad, but which is good here. Earthy secondary notes are emerging nicely and acidity and tannins are still high - this will develop into a classic Burgundy pinot. Buy some and cellar it for a few years. 93 points.

Chambole-Musigny. $68
Super pale ruby colour. Quite fruity nose with little secondary development as yet. Super smooth and elegant on the palate, which is very fruity and has some spicy notes. Tannins and acidity still high, this is a terriic Burg that will age well. Loved this one and, relatively speaking, a bargain. 94 points.

Nuits -Saint-Georges Les Cailles. $126
The wistful memory of the lovely dinner at a cool yet "neighbourhood" restaurant in the 11th Arrondisement when it was just getting trendy, at which I first tasted a Nuits-Saint-George, means I pretty much love every wine from the commune. I loved M. Bouchard's effort too. Rich bold nose of dark red fruit with some nice secondary notes under. Richer than expected on the palate, where there's plenty more fruit and the secondary notes are just getting started. Acidity and tannins both high still, this one will be better in a few years. 93 points.

Clos-Vougeot. $210
Very elegantly pale ruby, which foreshadows the muted nose of lighter red fruit. There are already some earthy secondary notes under, but also muted. Acidity and tannins are high but balanced and there's smooth dark red fruit on the palate. Little secondary development yet, but this should be very fine indeed in a couple of years or more. Great finish. 94 points.

The wines of Bouchard Pere & Fils are distributed by Woodman Wines & Spirits. Call 416-767-5114 or visit their website.

Austrian Wines @ Rosehill Venue Lounge, April 15

The annual Austrian Trade Wine Fair rolled into town and of course had more than gruner veltliner on offer, but this is a focused report. The event was big and well attended, and a decent cross section of Austrian wines were available.

Austria is a cool climate region, with most of the wines produced in the less mountainous east of the country - actually pretty much along the borders with Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia. There are lighter bodied reds like Blaufränkisch (Lemberger in Germany) and Zwiegelt, which can be nice if, well, which can be nice... but Austria does best with whites. Look for decent rieslings and, most importantly as it's the country's signature varietal, gruner veltliner.

Gruner Veltliner
It doesn't trip off the English tongue and sounds a bit like a diagnosis for a foot condition, but gruner veltliner is a terrific, zesty white. Usually very well priced, it's Vienna's white wine of choice. Gruner characteristics include the higher acidity and lower alcohol you'd expect from a cool climate, and typical fruit expressions include apple, honeydew melon, yellow plum and lemon. There are also often spicy and floral notes, and the overall feel is light and fresh.

It's a great summer/patio/sipping wine and would make a logical change from sauvignon blanc if you're looking for something similarly fresh and sharp, but, you know, different. Most of these are not available on a retail basis, but I include the notes to give a flavour of the styles of gruner velt. Excepting the first selection, prices, where available, are either estimates or the consigment price for restaurants when purchased by the case.

Sal'Mon Groovy Gruner Veltliner 2007. $12.95 (Vintages Release, May 24)
Krems
Well it's a clumsy attempt to join the fading "critter wine" trend ("I love salmon fish! They're so cute!"), and don't know what's up with the "groovy" as "gruner velt" is the abbreviation of choice here... Anyway, this wine  would actually go well with salmon, among other fish. Great characteristic nose with aromatic/floral notes and fresh citrus. The acidity is there, but it stays smooth on the palate, which has some yellow plum fruit. Dry, crisp and an OK finish. A good intro to Gruner Veltliner at a great price. 87 points.

High End Gruners

Nicolaihof  Gruner Veltliner 2005. $28.95
Wachau
Here's the high end - a richer and darker nose, though the spice and aromatics are there. Light and fresh on the palate though, with great acidity, nice lemon fruit and a terrific lingering finish. 90 points.

Nicolaihof Gruner Veltliner 2006. $69.95
Wachau
Muted nose, but rich with white fruit. Smooth and fresh on the palate with great acidity, good structure and a lively finish with a bit of toast on the finish, which lingers. 90 points.

Weingut Angerer Kurt Gruner Veltliner 2007.
Kamptal
Beautiful fresh nose with spicy notes as well as floral. Rich on the palate with good white fruit and some nice complexity under, good acidity keeping things fresh. Nice finish. 88 points

Weingut Durnberg Gruner Veltliner 2007. $12-14 (no Ont. representation yet: advice to agents - sign them up!)
Weinviertel
Their entry level gruner is everything it should be: fresh, simple and fun. Lots of acidity, clean fresh taste, a muted but decent amount of fruit and a nice finish. A great bet for restaurants to buy on consigment: triple the price of this one no problem. 87 points.

Weingut Durnberg Gruner Veltliner 2007. $14-15
Weinviertel
Fresh and lively nose with lemon and white fruit. Rich and fruity on the palate with more lemon notes over a solid amount of white fruit. Nice finish. 88 points

Winzer Krems Sandgrube 13 Gruner Veltliner 2007. $11
Niederosterreich
Fresh light nose with white fruit and floral notes. Good acidity. This one's a little low key all round, but a good introduction to the grape. OK finish. 86 points

Winzer Krems Sandgrube 13 Edition Chremisa Gruner Veltliner 2007. $20
Niederosterreich
Lovely muted nose with spicy and mineral notes. Nice body with a richer, softer palate. It's still fresh though, with some lemon notes and yellow plum. Nice finish. 89 points.

Weingut Loimer Gruner Veltliner 2007. $28
Kamptal
The expected fresh and fruity nose with floral notes on this pricier example of the grape. Rich and fruity on the palate - definitely more full bodied than most, which perhaps explains the price. The heavier fruit is balance by creat acidity and there's a nice finish with a hint of spiciness. 88 points.

Weingut Polsterer Gruner Veltliner 2007. $16.50
Wagram
Fresh and spicy nose with white fruit and floral notes as well. Fresh and lively on the palate, though a bit round. A good match with mild cheese. OK finish. 87 points

Weingut Allram Range - $22 to 25.

Alte Reben Strasser Hasel Klassik Gruner Veltliner 2007. Nice nose of rich white fruit, fresh and zesty on the palate. Very light bodied and the alcohol is a bit evident. OK finish. 87 points.

Strasser Gaisberg Klassik Gruner Veltliner 2007. Very fresh nose with apple, plum and spice. Full on the palate, which has more floral and spice. A bit simple, but very nice. OK finish. 88 points.

Strasser Gaisberg Klassik Gruner Veltliner 2006. Lightly aromatic nose with muted floral notes. Fairly full on the palate with muted white fruit, lemon notes and good acidity. The alcohol again is a bit evident, but nice finish. 88 points. 

Strasser Gaisberg Klassik Gruner Veltliner 2005. Smoother, richer nose with more muted floral aromas. Acidity very fresh still and more floral notes and a bit of citrus on the palate. OK finish. 88 points.  

Weingut Zahel Gruner Veltliner 2006. $19.40
Wien
A capital example from the capital. Bolder nose with lots of white fruit and a bit of spice. Smooth and rich on the palate, but the fresh acidity is there. Apple fruit and nice lemon notes too. Good finish. 89 points.

Weingut Leth Gruner Veltliner Klassik 2007.
Wagram
Very muted nose of light white fruit. There's a bit of an undertone on the palate, but good acidity and some spiciness. OK finish. 87 points.

Weingut Leth Gruner Veltliner Brunnthal Reserve 2007
Wagram
Very muted nose on this one, made with grapes from 35-40 year old vines and harvested later than usual. It's richer on the palate, and though the alcohol is 13.5%, it's not obvious. There is some white fruit and lemon too. OK finish. 87 points.

Weingut Manfred Felsner Gruner Veltliner Moosburgerin 2007. $19
Neiderosterreich
Light, fruity nose with honeydew melon and apple. Fresh, smooth, light. Good acidity, OK finish. 87 points

Weingut Manfred Felsner Gruner Veltliner Alte Reben 2007. $25
Neiderosterreich
Manfred's step up is more muted on the nose and richer on the palate. There's nice fresh green apple fruit on the palate, good acidity and a nicer finish. 88 points.