Barrel upon Barrel:

Last night I have a couple over for dinner who really enjoy their wine. This was the perfect opportunity for me to open a couple of wines to compare together. I chose three wines to compare, the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Double Barrels from Smith & Wilson. George and Mary Jane have a knack for making remarkably consistent wines. The 2004 was one of the first wines they released when they opened the winery. Today it is drinking very well with a beautiful tobacco nose with ripe plums and hints of black and bell pepper. The 2005 (which is still on the winery shelves) is much rounder than the 04 (due to the longer hotter growing season); with cedar on nose and a similar ripe plum and black pepper flavors. The 2006, which was just bottles about 6 weeks ago and not expected to be released until September, is just in its infancy but showing signs that it is not going to have a problem filling the shoes of the 2004 and 2005. It is similar in body to the 2004 with hints of young strawberry and hints of oak. As the wine opened the plum and black pepper flavors came through and rounded into a very good, approachable wine. I don’t think that any of these three wines are meant for long term aging with best enjoyed within 4-8 years.

We all agreed that the 2005 was the best of the three vintages having much more concentration and body. We finished off the night with a couple of dessert wines from Erie Shores. Their Winter Harvest Vidal is full of brown sugar and peaches with a little bit of spritz. After being opened up awhile caramel apple flavors began to appear. The 2004 Erie Shores Vidal Ice Wine was a traditional syrupy wine with stone fruit and brown sugar. Both wines complimented the fresh fruit pizza we enjoyed for dessert, but the unanimous choice as favorite was the Winter Harvest Vidal. Not that I don’t like Icewines, but after a big meal the lighter late harvest styles seem to be much more enjoyable.

"Better than reading a James Harriot Novel.”

That is what one of the guests said about Harold Wagner last Wednesday evening when he hosted a winemaker’s dinner at Stargazers. Not only did the wines shine through the evening, but Harold’s storytelling ability is second to none. For two and a half hours Harold entertained with stories about his horses, apples (and visiting kindergarten classes during harvest), and his foray into winemaking. If you missed the evening the next event is scheduled for April 24th and features Bernie Gorski, Owner and Winemaker at Colchester Ridge Estate Winery (CREW).

Bernie has a different story to tell. Bernie is an entrepreneur who has a passion for wine. Beginning as an amateur winemaker, Bernie has built Colchester Ridge from the ground up… starting with good grapes and a lot of TLC in the winery. It is my understanding that CREW is Bernie’s retirement project, a business that he loves and can focus his attention on when he decides to step down from his other businesses. I am sure that Bernie will be just as entertaining as Harold, just in a different way. Similarly, Bernie’s wines have a different personality to them than Harold’s.

CREW’s wines are big and powerful. His whites are bone dry and have some really interesting characteristic. His 2005 Chardonnay was really non-descript, but his 2006 is stellar! It has a crisp apple nose, with a full creamy body and a hint of anise that really adds some interest. His Gewurztraminer is a dry Alsatian style with sweet candy nose (just like Pez right out of MJ’s Lightning McQueen dispenser), with a dry lemony finish, but it is the reds that stand out at CREW.

All of Bernie’s red wines are built on big structure… ripe fruit with lots of tannins and generous use of oak. Both the 2005 Cabernet Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are big wines that need some time to balance out the tannins. The Cabernet Merlot has a waxy crayon aroma with deep current and black pepper flavors. The Cabernet Sauvignon is more elegant with a blueberry nose, creamy cassis flavors and rich firm finish.

Bernie has also just released his first Ice Wine. I would describe his 2006 Vidal Ice wine as an Icewine for those who don’t really like Icewines. It has the stereotypical brown sugar aromas but instead of being sweet and syrupy, it is warm and racy with acidity. The flavors range from grapefruit to mango with a healthy dose of eucalyptus thrown in.

We have prepared a stellar menu for the night featuring Blue Marlin paired with the Gewurztraminer, and Elk with a blueberry jus complimenting the Cabernet Sauvignon. I would recommend making reservations for this event early as we are intent on keeping this an intimate evening and limiting the number of seats available. To book your spot call me at (519) 351-9351.

WINEMAKERS DINNER
Hosted by Bernie Gorski
Colchester Ridge Estate Winery

Thursday April 24, 2008
7:00

CHICKEN SATAYS
Served with a tarragon cream
Chardonnay 2006
(Crisp apple nose with lively acidity. Full creamy body with a hint of anise)

*****
GRILLED BLUE MARLIN
Infused with coriander on a romaine leaf with a citrus salsa
Gewurztraminer 2006
(Sweet Pez candy on the nose with a dry lemon and citrus flavors)
*****
DOUBLE SMOKED BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONION TART
In a house made pastry shell with hints of blue cheese
Cabernet Merlot 2005
(A Huge full bodied wine waxy crayons aroma with deep currents, black pepper and wood. The tannins are quite pronounced but do balance out with time in the glass.)
*****
LEMON& MINT SORBET
*****
GRILLED ELK
On sautéed red skin potatoes with a blueberry demi glace
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
(A well structured cabernet Sauvignon with blueberry nose,
creamy cassis on the palate with a firm creamy finish)
*****
MANGO FLAN
Ripe mangos glazed over a shortcake shell
Ice Wine 2006
(Brown sugar nose with eucalyptus, mango and grapefruit.
Very warm with a racy acidity without being too sweet or syrupy)

$75
Per person