Le Clos Jordanne: 2005s

Overall I was slightly less impressed with the 2005 vintage than I was the 2004, but found that the same high quality remained. I’m sure that with some cellaring these will come together nicely. I thought that there was a bit of sourness in the nose coming from elevated volatile acidity, but far from the point of being a flaw. Maybe this sourness was what David Lawrason was referring to in his Toronto Life blog, “…they’re youthfully nervy, bordering on sour and tannic”. I will refer to Lawrason’s scores throughout as DL score: abbreviated tasting notes. I read his notes after I had assigned my scores so it’s interesting to see where we agree or differ.

Village Reserve Chardonnay
Creamy oak, tropical fruit (pineapple), biscuit, butterscotch, hazelnut, good green apple acidity and mineral linger on the finish. With some air I smell faint lanolin. Pretty good value by Niagara standards. DL 90: very good value, pineapple, lemon, butterscotch, lemony acidity and hazelnut cream on the finish. Our notes are surprisingly close other than the green apple acidity I got that he noted as lemon. $25 89

Village Reserve Pinot Noir
A bit mushroomy at first, candied cherry, mild oak spice, watery mid-palate and finish. I noticed some red apple skin, almost like the apple cider note which I get frequently in Bourgogne. The finish is slightly short. For me the 2004 was better (I scored it 89). DL 88: black cherry-currant nose, cedar, chocolate, touch of mint, grippy, dry and sourish, very good length. Our notes couldn’t be more different (especially the length), but we scored the wine similarly. $25 87

La Petite Pinot Noir
I noticed a funky, almost cheesy, aroma that blew off with some vigorous swirling. I found it slightly floral with sweet perfumy strawberry, rhubarb, and sour cherry. As expected it was the most delicate (some might say feminine) of the lot. There are light vanilla tones which give way to a floral spiciness, somewhat like Grains of Paradise. Nice finish with lingering fruit. The 2004 was better. I think the growing conditions in 2005 did not bring out the best aspects of this vineyard. DL 88: “Nose is lifted, very spicy and savoury with ripe sour cherry (not big black cherry) and a touch of earthy beetroot character”. $35 89

Claystone Terrace Pinot Noir
Immediately I sense more depth and black fruit than the previous wines. There is a subdued gamey note, plum and black cherry, and beetroot, with a mineral core that underpins the fruit. To me it’s not particularly complex at this point but still good. Gordon Stimmell writes in the Toronto Star “This Niagara winery's pinots rival Burgundy's best. The nose shows classic beetroot, vanilla wafer and big black cherry. The vanilla-laced flavours unfold with black cherry and earthy wood smoke. Overall, rich, suffusive and delicious. 92” DL 90: cherry-raisin, plum, gentle spice, nougat, leather, chocolate, fairly tannic and blunt. Looks like my score falls right in between. $35 91

Grand Clos Pinot Noir
For me it has a silky texture and depth that clearly separates it from the other wines. I would say it’s the best of the lot. It is rounder and fuller in the mouth and as I’ve noticed before great length. Not as dark as the Claystone; the fruit is a balance of red and black. Sweet cherry, red apple/cider, savoury notes, perhaps a bit sour at the moment. The sweet perfume lingers on and saturates my senses when I exhale through my nose. Some minerality to round things up too. I noticed some barnyard while sniffing the dregs of the glass. It has the power of the Claystone with some of the sweet perfume of La Petite. DL 92: black cherry, currant, cedar, meat, mint, some chocolate, dense and elegant, outstanding length. Again our ratings are within 1 point of each other. $60 93

There was has been some debate between tasters as to whether the 2005 Claystone or the Grand Clos is better, but personally I think the Grand Clos had more depth, better texture, and the finish lasted much longer. The Grand Clos is better now and it will be even better with some time in the cellar. However, considering that the Claystone is almost half the price of the Grand Clos the quality to price ratio makes the Claystone the better buy of two.

I can’t wait to taste the 2006s from the bottle!

Le Clos Jordanne Intro: 2004s

Up until I tried the wines from Clos Jordanne I was consistently unimpressed with the quality of the Pinot Noir coming from Niagara. I always thought that there was a lot of unrealized potential and couldn’t understand why so many watery, boring wines were being produced; after all, the climate and soil seem well suited to Pinot and the latitude is close that of Burgundy. I was hoping at some point someone would get serious and raise the bar, but I wasn’t expecting it anytime soon.

For me, as for most people who tried the first released vintage (2004), tasting the wines of Clos Jordanne for the first time marked a new era for Niagara wine. I was excited that someone was finally making Pinot Noir here that I actually liked, and better yet the wines had distinct terroir. From what I’ve read I think most wine critics would agree that Le Clos Jordanne has set the benchmark for the varietal in Niagara.

My favourite press quote from the first release:
“The room was buzzing—Bachelder’s rich baritone couldn’t corral us. That wine was unlike any the province had ever produced. I knew at that moment that a page in On­tario’s wine history had just turned.” The Grape’s Progress, Toronto Life, David Lawrason.
You can find the rest of the article here.

For more rave reviews.

The wine maker, Thomas Bachelder, is an enthusiastic proponent of terroir so I think it’s appropriate to start with my general impressions of the distinguishing characteristics I have noticed between the different vineyards.

The Pinot Noir Vineyards

Talon Ridge: The grapes from this vineyard comprise a majority of the Village Reserve. Not the most refined of the vineyards, but by no means poor in any way. I frequently get cherry cola, a faint floral perfume, and an underlying earthy minerality.

The Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs

La Petite Vineyard: This vineyard is a favourite of mine, although those who like bigger darker pinot may overlook it. It is the most elegant and floral with the fruit leaning toward the red spectrum.

Claystone Terrace: This vineyard is often a favourite because of its burly frame and extract leaning toward black fruits and a strong mineral backbone. Big, but with some poise.

Le Clos Jordanne: Mineral, spice and earth with well defined fruit. Almost as big and dark as the Claystone, but with more perfume. Mix of the elegance of La Petite with the brawn of Claystone.

The flagship Grand Clos

Le Grand Clos: This is a block of Le Clos Jordanne that was kept separate for its special qualities. The thing that struck me immediately in every vintage I tried was the amazing length of the finish and the velvety texture. Similar in character to Le Clos Jordanne, but with added complexity. The wine maker and numerous wine critics have also remarked on the exceptional palate persistence of this cuvee.

Not too surprisingly my impressions of the various vineyards match up very well with what other wine writers and the winemaker have noted, which goes to show that these differences are quite obvious and don’t require a wine expert to tell the difference. All the wines are vinified the same way and a mix of Pinot clones is used to remove the effects of clonal variation, so it is safe to say the unique characteristics are derived in the vineyard. This is probably one of the best examples of the affect terroir can have in Niagara.

The 2004s
Both of the Village Reserve wines tipped the scales at around 14% alcohol.

Village Reserve Chardonnay
Oak is evident (vanilla, maple syrup) but not overpowering because there is plenty of acid to balance things out. Nutty notes of pecan/cashew, citrus (grapefruit), with good weight. Not bad value when compared to other wines in the Niagara Chardonnay class. Tony Aspler gives this 4/5 stars: caramel, vanilla, orange peel, peach. $25 89

Village Reserve Pinot Noir
Not overly complex or weighty, but there is a nice minerality, structure, and concentration I have never seen in a Niagara Pinot in this price range. Toasty cracker, sour cherry, and best of all a bit of that lovely Pinot perfume I crave (floral, violets). The oak is not overdone here, only 30% new I’m told. Tony Aspler gives this 4.5/5 stars: earthy, beetroot, violet, raspberry. $25 89

In Brief -
Press reviews for the other single vineyard ($35) and Grand Clos ($60) Pinots were very positive. La Petite was scored 91 by Wine Access: lightest and most elegant of the single vineyard Pinots, floral perfume, cherry-cranberry, almost silky. I couldn’t agree more. The Claystone Terrace was rated 4.5-5/5 by Aspler: minerally, raspberry, mint, firmly structured. The Clos Jordanne rated a 90 by Wine Access: ripe cherry, moving into medium body range. Le Grand Clos was rated 93 by Wine Access: better fruit definition, “the best length I can remember from Pinot Noir in Canada or many other places”, beetroot. Gordon Stimmel of the Toronto Star also rated Le Grand Clos a 93 and proclaimed that it was the best Canadian Pinot Noir he had ever tasted. Of all the reviews I agree with David Lawrason’s (Wine Access) notes the most, our palates seem to be quite similar.

Next Post: Le Clos Jordanne 2005s

Below is a picture I took of the open-top oak fermentors at Le Clos Jordanne .

Vintages Burgundy Pre-Release Tasting 2007

Up until now I have had very limited experience with wines from Burgundy, mostly because they are in a price range I seldom venture into. But now, for the reasonable fee (considering the amount of selection) of $95, I was able to select from a wide range of wines from all over Burgundy. The tasting was held at the Fairmount Royal York, which I think was a great venue. My only complaint is that I wish I had more than 2 ½ hours on a weekday night to get to taste all the wines I was interested in. In the end I managed to scribble 22 tasting notes down, a few I didn’t bother writing up. It would have been nice to have a few more Grand Cru Pinots on hand to try as well. Overall though, I think it was a thoroughly satisfying evening.

I’m going to break down my tasting notes by appellation since the best part of enjoying Burgundy is getting to experience the differences in the wines produced by each.

Chablis
Arguably home to the best unoaked Chardonnay in the world.

2004 Chablis Côte de Léchet Réserve - Domaine Bernard Defaix (1er Cru)
This perfumed 1er Cru has faint lychee nut, floral, stone and heavy clay elements with a great silky mouthfeel. Burghound rates it a 91 noting its round yet ‘well delineated’ flavours. $32.95 91

2004 Chablis Bougros Côte Bougerots – William Fèvre (Grand Cru)
This wine has impeccable balance and finesse displaying hazelnut, lime, and light smoke notes. Not overly oaked at all. $64.95 92

2004 Chablis Beauroy – Domaine Pommier (1er Cru)
It seems I disagree with the critics on this one, but it could be more a matter of personal taste in this instance. It is rated 90 in the Toronto Star and 91 by the Wine Advocate. It’s not bad with buttery pear and a pure minerality, but didn’t quite do it for me (especially when compared to what I tried before it). It is clean and pleasant, but doesn’t “explode from the glass” like Pierre Rovani describes in the Wine Advocate. $32.95 88

2004 Chablis Côte de Léchet – Domaine Pommier (1er Cru)
Less buttery oak than the Beauroy (above), more flinty mineral, green apple acidity and a slightly bitter nutty finish. I agree a little more with the Wine Advocate score of 91 here, but I’m not sure what “liquefied stones” taste like. This wine comes from the same vineyard as the first Chablis by Bernard Defaix. $32.95 89

2005 Chablis Le Clos – Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils (Grand Cru)
It’s lightly oaked and smokey, with hazelnut, apple and light citrus elements. It has plenty of weight giving it good mouthfeel. Nice balance. $59.95 90

2002 Chablis Bougros – Domaine de Vauroux (Grand Cru)
Thankfully this Chablis is not overly oaked and has interestingly fruity (apricot) and smoky notes. Very well balanced with great mouthfeel and acidity. $46.95 91

Côte de Beaune
It isn’t as blessed with as many Grand Crus as the Côte de Nuits (only one), but it doesn’t mean there aren’t good wines to be found. I certainly wasn’t disappointed. On average the wines of Beaune are rounder and less robust than those from Nuits.

2004 Beaune Les Vignes Franches - Domaine Michel Bouzereau et Fils (1er Cru)
This wine is redolent with cherry, earth and a pleasant smokiness. There is an apple cider like note on the nose to me, as well as a few green notes that I don’t like, but overall not bad. Rated 90 on Burghound ‘subtle earth…cherry infused’ – I agree. $63.95 88

2004 Beaune Bressandes - Domaine Albert Morot (1er Cru)
Some Macintosh apple, a little green, nothing that really distinguishes it from the other wines. I think it needs at least 2 years to settle. $49.95 88

2003 Beaune La Montée Rouge - Domaine de la Vougeraie (1er Cru)
It has great weight yet it almost evapourates off the tongue leaving flavours of cherry and well integrated smoky oak. After the tasting I found out that it got a 91 form the Toronto Star ‘Smokey purity’ and 91 from Wine Spectator ‘round and fleshy…like silk...black cherry’. I agree. $44.95 90

2004 Beaune Clos de la Mousse - Bouchard Père & (1er Cru)
Quite a hefty wine with plum, raspberry, blueberry and pomegranate fruit make for a heady slightly perfumed aroma (I love that Pinot perfume). I wish I could air it out and see how it develops. Not terribly complex right now but it should develop nicely in the next 3 years. Rated a 90 in the Toronto Star. $45.95 88-91 (depending on how it ages)

2004 Beaune Clos Saint-Landry - Bouchard Père & (1er Cru)
(White wine.) The oak is a little too much despite what the representative says about it being balanced (it doesn’t have enough acid to manage the oak). Golden Delicious apple notes. It’s simple (certainly not properly reflected in the price). $54.95 88

2002 Chassagne-Montrachet Abbaye de Morgeot - Château de Sully (1er Cru)
(White wine.) Nice toasty (not in an overly oaked way) and floral aromas, but it’s a little overdone on the sweet fruit and finishes a touch hot. With a little more balance it would be better, but who am I to say? Some tasters more familiar with Chassagne-Montrachet thought it wasn’t bad so don’t take my word alone. $74.95 88

2004 Corton Les Bressandes - Domaine Prince Florent de Merode (Grand Cru)
A little green/vegetal for me but still nice since there are solid beetroot, loam/earth, and sweet strawberry elements to carry it through. A silky mouth feel and long finish with lingering plum complete the package. If the greenness dissipated with age I would improve the score. 90 from Burghound, Meadows notes it has less mineral and more earth than usual. Price is decent for a Grand. $65.95 89+

2003 Volnay Santenots - Domaine Georges Glantenay et Fils (1er Cru)
I learned that Volnay Santenots actually lies in neighbouring Meursault’s boundries, but Meursault is only allowed to make whites (by AC rules), so reds get labeled as Les Santenots. Trivia aside, this wine is has sweet cherry and plum in a ripe but still elegant package. It is elegant like the Brouillards, also from Glantenay (below), but has a bit more extract. There is a hint of sweetness, prune and heat from the warm vintage but this doesn’t detract from the overall impression. The finish is long. $59.95 91+

2004 Volnay Brouillards - Domaine Georges Glantenay et Fils (1er Cru)
Rounded and loaded with Pinot perfume of cherry and beetroot. There is a balance of fruit and earth that is quite nice. It’s elegant and feminine just like I’ve heard Volnay described (perhaps a stereotype, but its true here). Quite seductive! $59.95 90

Côte de Nuits
This part of the Côte d’Or is home to the best Pinot Noir in the world. The best wines are big and of unparalleled depth. The highly coveted wines made by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti come from here (my ultimate wine goal is to try one of these some day).

2004 Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes - Domaines François Labet Château de la Tour (Grand Cru)
This was one of only two Grand Cru reds available for tasting so I had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, it was probably the largest let down of the evening. I’ve since read that Clos Vougeot is one of the largest Grand Crus and can vary a lot in quality with the best producers being at the top of the slope. It smells lightly of canned vegetables and something herbaceous (to me it’s definitely dill but the guy doing the pouring didn’t think so). There is some light oak and red fruit to save this one somewhat. It has some structure for aging, so maybe this one will improve in time? The price in out of whack. $149.95 86

2002 Morey-Saint-Denis - Maison Joseph Drouhin
This is quite nice with light sandalwood and spice (cloves, licorice), followed by lower notes of cherry and earth. A slightly sweet vanilla and coffee edge complete the profile. More subdued than the Gevrey-Chambertin by Drouhin. For some reason it didn’t impact me very much, but this was later in the tasting. $55.95 88

2004 Morey-Saint-Denis Chenevery - Grands Vins de Bourgogne Alain Jeanniard (1er Cru)
A full and brawny wine that needs a few years in the cellar (it would also benefit from some time in the glass). Raspberry and red fruits. It’s good but not a standout. $69.95 89

2003 Gevrey-Chambertin - Maison Joseph Drouhin
When tasted back to back with the Morey-Saint-Denis of the same producer it comes across as fuller with more tannins, but also a little coarser. The heat of the vintage certainly shows in the riper fruit (faintly pruney, not overripe though). It is a masculine wine with a sweet edge. $60.15 89+

2004 Chambolle-Musigny Vieille Vigne - Domaine Pierre Naigeon (1er Cru)
Chambolle-Musigny is sometimes referred to as the Volnay of the Côte de Nuits, and I’d have to say that out of all the wines from the Nuits I tried it was the most Volnay like (silky, feminine). This wine was a highlight of the evening for me, it had huge weight in the mouth for a Pinot, it was silky and almost too thick and mouth coating. It coated the mouth with a perfume of earthy beets and ripe black cherry. Despite the weight it didn’t come across as off balance. Other tasters were quite impressed with this one too. $69.95 92

Côte Châlonnaise
Just south of the Côte d’Or this region has five AC villages, of which Rully is one.

2005 Rully – Maison Pierre André Château de Corton André

Definitely different than what I had all evening, it’s very ripe and a little candied (maple syrup). Peach, slight tropical fruit with some balancing acid, but not to my tastes though. $29.95 87

Bourgogne
Simple, less expensive wines from all over the region.

2005 Bourgogne Pinot Noir - Domaine Parent
This wine offers good value in a field of mostly over priced wines. Perfumed with spicy plum and a little mustiness this wine had a medium body for a Pinot. If you want a taste of Burgundy but without the financial damage consider this wine. $19.95 88

A Pinot Noir Trio

Pinot Noir is known for being a tricky grape to grow and make wine from, but when it achieves its ultimate expression it can be a most complex and profound wine. Yes, I used ‘profound’ to describe a wine. This might sound silly, but if you ever get the chance to experience the depth of sensory involvement while drinking a superb Pinot you might be inclined to agree. Good Pinot also evolves in the glass (with exposure to air) which adds another dimension to the experience.

The three Pinots reviewed here may not be profound but they sure were unique and tasty. They provide a good introduction to the world of Pinot at a reasonable price (except for the Silver Stone). The Cabernet trio consisted of New World wines as is the case with these.

2004 Central Coast, Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir – Five Rivers
The colour is a light ruby with brown hues, not purple or inky. The aroma is somewhere between cherry and strawberry. There is an elusive earthy spice that is very satisfying, like clay and cinnamon (this becomes more like dried leaves with breathing – it reminds me of Fall). There is a sweet edge to it and some oak influence is apparent. 4/5 from www.winecurent.com. A lot of Pinot character for the money. $19.95. VG

2001 Chualar Canyon Vineyard Pinot Noir – Silver Stone
Typical light Pinot colours and a nose of cherry spice, loam, and marjoram, but it doesn’t quite deliver on the palate. The alcohol (14.2%) seems to wipe out the subtleties. Sweet cherry leads into a pleasant enough blueberry finish that lingers. Air time brought out a few hints of bacon and coffee, which suggests this wine could age a few more years. If only the alcohol was more in check. $29.95. VG-G

2004 Pinot Noir – Babich
This wine comes from Marlborough, New Zealand. NZ is getting more recognition for their Pinots, and rightly so. A sweet cherry core surrounded by balanced acidity and underpinned by notes of forest floor and beetroot (how’s that for pretentious?). Pomegranate and blueberry linger on the finish. It has the high notes (red fruit) and low notes (earthy) blended together nicely. As with decent Pinot it responds well to breathing, although too much air brings out the barrel toast (which I personally don’t like). There’s even a certain perfume in there that reminds me of pomelo rind. 4/5 from www.winecurent.com. 19.95. VG

The Babich and Fiver Rivers are great values and will give an idea of what Pinot is about without hurting the wallet. I highly recommend both.

In the future I hope to have some Oregon and Bugundian Pinot reviews as well. So much wine so little time!