Wednesday, 19 April 2006
Reported by Mike Cowen

We tried something new during the course of the evening. Each taster was provided with a quiz sheet where they were required to determine whether the wine was new world or old and then take a stab at identifying the varietal, country of origin and appellation. Points were assigned for each correct answer. A “winner’ was determined for each flight and then the grand taster of the evening was determined. It should come as no surprise that we have some fine palates in the Guild. At the top of the heap reigns the champion—Steve Elder, followed by Rutha Astravas and Lucie Guay. It did add an extra element of fun to the evening and caused us to focus our senses and brains to the task at hand.

And, what about the wines? Fourteen reds, fourteen appellations, ten different countries with an average retail value of $65—what was there not to like?

In the first flight, the surprise favourite was from Niagara, the Hillebrand Trius Gand Red 2000 that showed rich fruit interlaced with dill and green pepper. Of note, the only wine that garnered not a single vote as ‘best of flight’ was the $79 Burgundy, again highlighting the difficulty in selecting wines from this region.

In flight two, it was a battle between a Barolo, a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and a South African wine. Again, a bit of a surprise in that the Rust en Vrede Estate 2001 from Stellenbosch reigned supreme showing luscious dark fruit and a finish that went forever.

In flight three, a BC Shiraz and a wine from Portugal based on the traditional Port grapes were at the top of the heap, out distancing the Bordeaux Fifth Growth Clerc-Milon 2001. In the end, the most votes went to the Prats and Symington “Chryseia” which really did echo the basic “port” profile of the underlying grapes.

In the concluding flight, the two favourites were the Aussie Mitolo Shiraz and the Nicolas Catena Malbec/Cab blend from Argentina. The Nicholas Catena may have been the “wine of the evening” judging from the effusive comments from the audience. It had superb balance with dark, rich fruit, fine tannin, tart acid, and a finish that went on and on—proof that the Argentinian wine industry is making great strides in the premium wine category.

Flight 1
Bouchard Pere and Fils les Cailles Nuits Saint Georges, 2001, Burgundy, France, 13% alc. $79.00
San Felice, Poggio Rosso, 2000, Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy, 13.5% alc. $55.00
Hillebrand Trius Grand Red, 2000 Niagara 12.5% alc. $63.00
Verite Archipel, 2001, Napa Sonoma California, 14.1% alc. $58.00

Flight 2
Chateau La Nerthe, 2001, Chateauneuf-du-Pape France 13.5% alc. $59.00
Rust en Vrede Estate, 2001, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 14% alc. $45.00
Rivetto, Barolo Leon, 2000, Piedmont, Italy, 14.5% alc. $75.00

Flight 3
Chateau Clerc-Milon, 2001 5th. Pauillac, France, 12.5% alc. $69.00
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Shiraz Sun Rock Vineyard, 2003, 14.6% alc. $30.09
Prats and Symington Chryseia, 2003, Douro, Portugal, 14% alc. $75.00

Flight 4
E. Guigal Brune at Blonde, 2001, Cote-Rotie, Rhone Valley, France, 13% alc. $79.00
Vina Sena, Sena, 2001, Aconcagua Valley, Chile 13.5% alc. $75.00
Nicolas Catena Zapata, 2001 Mendoza Argentina 14% alc. $80.00
Mitolo Shiraz Savitar, 2003, McLaren Vale, Australia, 15.5% alc. $75.00