In the February CLASSICS catalogue, we have two beautiful wines for your drinking pleasure! Although stylistically quite different (one is white and one is red), both wines are terroir driven wines, bursting with personality.
Domaine Marcel Deiss is an ambassador of the Alsace region of France to the world. During my recent trip to France last week, I met with Matthieu Deiss, son of winemaker/owner Jean-Michel Deiss. Before we tasted any of the wines, he started a passionate conversation about how the French Appellation system started, and why it continues to thwart the potential of wine and winemaking in France. It was a lot to take in, but it made a lot of sense. Despite Alsace’s recent history of being a region known for labeling their wines by varietal, the region is historically known for their field blends. The Huebuhl is an aromatic blend of Pinot Gris and Muscat, and because of its residual sugar, is highly versatile with a variety of dishes, like pork, spicy Asian food and charcuterie.
Cantina del Pino is a small, family owned winery with generations of historical roots planted in the Langhe area of Piemonte, Italy. In fact, it was their Ovello vineyard which first put the wines of the now famous Barbaresco region on the map, as it was the first wine made from the Nebbiolo vineyards surrounding the village. This vineyard has incredible exposure and limestone soils, which consistently make for wines of elegance and intensity.
Purchasing wines through the Classics catalogue has evolved, and you can now either call in your order or you can order online, on a first-come, first-served basis. Ordering will begins Thursday, February 5 at 8:30am. Click HERE for details.
Sincerely,
Le Sommelier
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TASTING NOTES
Domaine Marcel Deiss Huebuhl 2008
Terroir of Marls – at the top of the small hill which separates Bergheim from Ribeauvillé, Huebuhl (literally, the precocious and wet place) has a slight depression and gently slopes towards the south, joining Gruenspiel to the west and Rotenberg to the east. You will find a wine enveloped by almonds, citrus zest, grilled meat, fat and acid structure deeply marked by lacustrine clays in the cold and windy autumn, which generally initiate the Noble Rot.
Aging potential of 15 years. If served now, decant 1 hour before serving.
Review: “From a blend as simple by estate standards as it is curious – Pinot Gris and Muscat – Deiss’s 2008 Huebuhl smells of cherry liqueur, herbal essences, musk, peach preserves, and marmalade of Seville and blood oranges, impressions reinforced by the wine’s noticeable residual sugar and glycerin-richness. Here is one of those 2008s that manages remarkably to be both soothing and stimulatingly vivacious. It should be fascinating to follow, not to mention remain seductively luscious for at least the next 12-15 years.” Score: 92 – David Schildknecht, erobertparker.com, May 2011
Varietals: Pinot Gris and Muscat
Region: Alsace, France
Price: $59.00 (per bottle)
LCBO#: 400457
Click here to buy directly from LCBO Classics.
Cantina del Pino Barbaresco Ovello DOCG 2008
100% Nebbiolo, Ovello is one of the premiere sites in the entire Barbaresco wine growing region. Perfectly situated in the hills above the Tanaro River with S/SW exposure and limestone and sandy soil give this wine both elegance and intensity. Delicious now and will age well.
Review: “Layers of sweet, Pinot-like fruit emerge effortlessly from the 2008 Barbaresco Ovello. Incredibly refined from the very first taste, the Ovello impresses for its overall balance and sense of harmony. Expressive floral notes reappear on the finish in a Barbaresco that is unusually refined for this site, where the wines are typically a bit more taut. Elements of the sweetness of 2009 and the structure of 2010 linger on the perfumed, silky finish. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028.” Score: 94 – Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, Oct. 2012
Varietal: Nebbiolo
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Price: $65.00 (per bottle)
LCBO#: 206938
Click here to buy directly from LCBO Classics.
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