Thursday, 8 June 2006

Reported by Jim Gallivan

VPRs may be described as the Guild’s investment club. Sometimes you make your initial investment back (cost of admission) because you decided that the wine that you were going to buy on Saturday wasn’t worth it, and sometimes you find a bargain that will provide excellent dividends in the taste category. The June VPR was no exception.

The first flight was the obligatory whites. The Domaine Servin Chablis was the overall favourite of the flight. It had ripe apple and slight caramel notes on the nose, with medium body, good acid, and a touch of minerality on the finish. The Genetin Pouilly-Fumé had a ripe citrus nose with some honey, lanolin notes, and a touch of grass. It finished with high acid, and was more reminiscent of Chenin Blanc than Sauvignon Blanc. The Evans & Tate Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc was funky. The nose had smoke, unripe peaches, and canned fruit characteristic of oaked Semillon. Again it had high acid.

The second flight were the rosés. The Tavel, the darkest of the flight, was a bright fluorescent pink with aromas of strawberry and bubblegum, and a dry dusty finish. The Tommasi was pink, but definitely not fluorescent. There was a slight spiciness with anise, strawberry, and banana on the nose. On the palate there was good balance and long clean finish. The Val Joanis was a pale salmon colour. Initially it was closed, but opened up with spicy orange, cherry notes. On the palate it was light body and somewhat sweet, with good acid and a long finish, but a touch of bitterness. The flight favourite was the
Bonny Doon. The colour was the depth of the Tommasi, but was tending towards salmon. The nose was slightly herbal initially, with rhubarb and bell pepper, but opened to more fruity aromas and a touch of white peach. With a clean finish and high acid, this is a wine for the barbecue.

The third flight featured two rosé champagnes. The Laurent-Perrier definitely did not show well, with a lack of bubbles and slight cheesiness indicating a damaged wine. The Lanson Brut had a fine mousse, with watermelon and floral aromas, and a slight yeastiness. It had a refreshing finish, and would make for pleasant sipping with hors d’ouevres before a summer dinner.

The last flight featured five reds. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape was a light ruby with a medicinal sulfur nose initially that gave way to aromas of plum, prune, licorice, and spicy smoke. It had a light body and dry finish. The overall impression was that this wine was much older than its stated age, suggesting ripe fruit. The Poggio CenninaToscana was a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon from a ripe year. It was a bright opaque red with a nose of ripe red berries. In the mouth it was soft and slightly sweet, but finished with good tannin and acid, and a slight Italian dustiness. Neither of the first two reds were hits with the crowd. The Chateau Clarke was red-purple. The initial nose was oak and coconut, but this overshadowed a base of ripe fruit with slight herbal notes. On the palate it was medium bodied with high level of ripe tannin. This is a wine to keep for a few more years. The Geyser Peak was the overwhelming favourite—opaque purple, coconut, vanilla, gobs of sweet fruit, big bodied, high acid, and lots of ripe tannins—a well-balanced wine that will keep for a few years or more. The Richard Hamilton Shiraz was massive oak, with ripe plums, dark berries, mint, and a definite floral aroma reminiscent of a Shiraz/Viognier blend. In the mouth it was big and sweet, with high acid and soft tannins. Robert Parker classified this wine as medium-bodied—it would be interesting to see what he classifies as heavy.

As usual, there were a few winners and a few losers, and Rutha Astravas, new Guild Director, is to be congratulated for organizing an interesting tasting that reflected the Saturday offerings.

Flight 1
Domaine Servin Chablis, 2004, AC, France 525394  $19.95
Tinel-Blondelet Pouilly-Fumé Genetin, 2004, AC, France 653154  $24.95
Evans & Tate ‘Classic’ Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, 2005, Margaret River, Western Australia 684027  $15.95

Flight 2: Rosés to Knock Back
Tommasi Chiaretto, 2005, DOC Bardolino Classico, Italy 685057  $11.95
Château Val Joanis Côtes Du Luberon Rosé, 2005, AC, France 707281  $14.95
Château D'Aqueria Tavel Rosé, 2005, AC, France 319368  $18.95
Bonny Doon ‘Vin Gris de Cigare’, 2005, California, USA 707018  $17.95

Flight 3: Rosé Champagnes to Savour
Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut Champagne, AC, France 158550  $79.95
Lanson Brut Rosé, AC, France 172130  $54.95

Flight 4: Big Reds to Relish
Domaine Des Relagnes Châteauneuf-Du-Pape, 2003, AC, France 982900  $33.95
Poggio Cennina ‘Borgo Cennina’, 2003, IGT Toscana, Italy 687285  $37.95
Château Clarke 2001 AC Listrac-Médoc France 733410  $38.95
Geyser Peak ‘Block Collection' Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002, Kuimelis Vineyard, Alexander Valley, California, USA 904490  $39.95
Richard Hamilton ‘Gumprs’ Shiraz, 2002, McLaren Vale, Australia 6900122 $19.95