Wine Maven

Enguerrand Baijot is on a roll to reintroduce his family’s Champagne house to thirsty bubbleheads across Canada. The Lanson Black Label Brut has an effortless lightness on the palate yet is rich and complex in flavour, with zesty acidity and strawberry, yuzu citrus and honey flavours. It achieves its harmony thus—a high proportion of Pinot Noir sourced from 50 per cent Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards and the wine does not go through malolactic fermentation, keeping a pleasingly fresh acidity and a crisp mouth feel. It’s also a brut on the dryer side (8 grams sugar per litre) with oysters being an ideal partner. The Rosé is equally elegant and has the advantage of being pink.

Enguerrand also brought along something new. Chanoine was a very old Champagne house dating to 1730, given a rebirth by the family in 1992. It has subtle sweetness on the palate and a very nice autolytic (brioche) quality. This is a great price for quality Champagne. Have with afternoon tea sandwiches, shrimp, runny cheese.

2015 Nautilus, Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) New Zealand.

Back in 1985 New Zealand was just beginning to become the wine export juggernaut that they are today. One of the first Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough to arrive was Nautilus. Now, 30 years later, it’s still a delicious example of kiwi sauv—beautiful elderflower and citrus aromas, lively acidity, with enough body and elegance to have with dinner. Spot prawn season begins May 3; think salad with fresh springy green peas, goat cheese and lightly steamed spot prawns.

Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest 1966 Vintage Port (Portugal) $250
Just in time for father’s day and a top-notch 50th birthday gift, Taylor’s Single Harvest 1966 Vintage Port is sure to satisfy. Or, it’s an opportunity to drink something born before you were—that doesn’t happen every day. Port aficionados agree the 1966 is a knockout now, perhaps overshadowed in its youth by the legendary 1963. It displays all that is magical about vintage port, the brazenness of youth quieted by age, yet still shimmering with subdued fire. Taste the amazing transformation 50 years can bring.

Sandra Oldfield, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, was in town to give a master class with YEGWomen in Wine, attend a Crush Club dinner and talk about what’s up in the southern Okanagan.

The weather: “We are having an early bud break, in the vineyards, usually it’s May 1.”

The vineyards: “We are planning to plant more Cab Franc and we planted Roussanne where the Kerner used to be.”

The bears: “The bears eat the Malbec but we’d rather they eat the Gewurztraminer. We have more of that.”

The wines: “2014 was the first vintage made by our new winemaker Andrew Windsor. The Gris is the most wine we make, 8000 cases a year. It spends some time in stainless and there is some lees stirring for richness.”

2014 Pinot Gris, ($23) full-flavoured, with white peach and apricot stone fruit flavours along with some buttery vanilla spice notes, nice tension, fresh with a long finish.

2014 Gewürztraminer ($22) is off dry with a subtle spiciness, very easy to enjoy and the 2012 Cabernet Franc ($25) possesses juicy acidity, firm tannins with tasty meaty notes and red fruit.

Laurent Drouhin visited the Marc for a tasting of his family’s wine from Burgundy and to talk about why they have made the move to organic fruit.

“We are at the service of the terroir. I’m fourth generation, my job is to preserve for the next generation,” says Laurent. “We want to highlight terroir and organic is the only way to get the message of the soil, of the terroir, of the climat.” We heard the message loud and clear from Chablis, Meursault, Volnay, Gevery Chambertin and Cote de Beaune.

2012 Beaune Clos des Mouches ($135) is red fruits wrapped in velvet—expressive, extremely tasty. Very small production, drink now or keep up to 15 years. “The name makes you smile, the taste makes you cry,” -Jean Coutu.

For everyday drinking, Drouhin’s La Forêt does not disappoint. The 2012 LaForêt Bourgogne Pinot Noir (Burgundy, France), $22. Straightforward red fruit, berries, earth, a little smoky. Chill slightly and drink with duck terrine or pork tenderloin.

2013 Drouhin LaForêt Blanc (Burgundy, France). $22. Enjoy this little black dress of a Chardonnay, the quintessential lunch wine, crisp and fresh with lovely citrusy notes. Partner with roast chicken, cheese and crackers.