Dana Rajotte (Roy + Co Selections) and Augustin Letondot (Meukow Cognac) at the Marc.
“Cognac is about sharing,” says Augustin Letondot from Meukow Cognac. A quick refresher—Cognac is a spirit, double distilled in copper pot stills, then aged in specific oak barrels for a minimum of two years. The production is limited to 80,000 hectares in six cru—Bois Ordinaires, Fin Bois, Bon Bois, Petite Champagne, Grande Champagne and the Borderies (the smallest cru)—surrounding the town of Cognac. The traditional and historic rules regarding Cognac production are key to the quality and viability of the region. The final Cognac blends, of eaux de vie from different cru and of varying ages, depend on the skill and experience of the cellar master. Meukow’s is Anne Sarteaux, the only female (for now) cellar master in Cognac.
“In France we say the best time to taste Cognac is at 11am,” says Augustin as we sample through the range. We’re not far off as we tuck into lunch at the Marc while Augustin talks about Meukow (pronounced moo-koff). “Did you know that Finland has the highest per capita consumption of Cognac in the world?” he asks. “We are number one there.” Meukow was founded by two brothers from Silesia in 1862. It was bought in 1979 by the Coste family with the aim of producing elegant and powerful Cognac. The award-winning bottle design was created in 1993.
The VS, sourced from Fin Bois and Bon Bois, is a fresh and fruity young Cognac with a fine balance between freshness and power. It’s mouth filling, not spiritous—love the powdered ginger and citrus aromas and the full and round mid palate, not always found in young Cognac.
VSOP Meukow Superior possesses complex flavours and aromas, a hint of orange and a haunting sweet note like marshmallows on the long finish. It’s Agustin’s favourite. “The VSOP has a nice maturity with some nice spice, well-balanced and fun to play with.”
The XO is fireplace, après-ski, contemplative, it needs time to make and to enjoy. It would be way too easy to drink way too much, it’s less spiritous, yet powerful, with a hint of chocolate on the finish. Beautifully made, subtle and elegant.
“In France cognac is part of the culture,” says Augustin. “And now the demand is coming from the cocktail menu. You can treat it like a whiskey, make an Old Fashioned or a Sazerac.”
What makes a great cognac? Alluring aromas, elegance, complexity, long finish, personality. Meukow Cognac have that in spades. Some Cognac can be harsh and spiritous, especially in the VS range. Meukow is seamless. From VS to XO, there is beautiful flow across the palate, refined, with no harsh edges.
Girolamo Russo ’a Rina Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy. This bottling from Girolamo Russo elevates Nerello Mascalese to something for contemplation—a beautiful wine with power and elegance, tasting of luscious red tree fruits, backed by velvety tannins and balanced acidity. This could be this winter’s red. From the website: “a wine that carries the breath of the volcano: a blend of smoke and ashes and ripe, fragrant fruit.” Wish I’d said that. Not much of this lovely volcanic wine is made, so if you see it, grab it!
We are tasting Rioja wines with Jose Luis Navarro, export manager for La Rioja Alta. The company, based in Haro, has four wineries—in Galicia, Ribera del Duero and two in Rioja, one in Alavesa and one in Alta. Wines from Spain are generally a bargain and these are no exception, a lot of wine for the money. The Finca San Martin (Alevesa, 100 per cent Tempranillo) is the only Crianza (aged for a minimum of two years) we tasted. It’s deliciously fruity, tasting of ripe plum, coffee and black spices. Enjoy by the glass at Bodega Downtown. The Finca Martelo Reserva (85 per cent Tempranillo, with Mazuelo, Garnacha, and the white grape Viura) is juicy and delicious, with silky tannins. The Viña Alberdi Reserve (100 per cent Tempranillo) is drinking well right now, have with roast pork or Christmas turkey. The flagship is the Viña Ardanza Reserve (80 per cent Tempranillo with Garnacha), full-bodied and graceful with silky tannins, gorgeous restraint and power.
Here is a unique way to celebrate Chinese New Year, with Wu Liang Ye or Flamma.
Baijiu, China’s national spirit, has a centuries-long history. It’s made from LAB fermented grains such as sorghum, corn, wheat, glutinous rice and rice. Long brewed, fermented, distilled and aged in underground terra cotta. Wu Liang Ye has China’s oldest fermentation pits (or crypts), dating from the Ming Dynasty. There are five categories—Strong, Sauce, Light, Rice and Mixed Aromas, depending on where it’s made, the base grains and length of aging. Wu Liang Ye is a strong aroma baijiu made in southwestern Sichuan in the south west. It’s made from millet, corn, glutinous rice, long grain rice and wheat.
Historically, baijiu is drunk neat at room temp as a small shot, with several rules of etiquette. It’s drunk as a toast, all together and never before the host. And, it’s not drunk alone. Now however, baijiu is showing up in cocktails and drunk more casually. The Flamma is designed to fit in a pocket. The smaller size is less expensive too, making it popular with younger drinkers in China.
The flavours are really different for someone accustomed to wine or whisky. Earthy, pungent and savoury, with lots of umami—think soy sauce and you are on the right track. Tropical fruit and citrus play a role as do mushrooms, caramel and herbaceous notes such as fennel.
It’s fun to find an Alberta-made, non-alcoholic cocktail that tastes great.
Calgary’s Dalia Kohen created Wild Folk out of her love of gardening, foraging and the Prairies. She uses hand-harvested organic herbs to create the drinks, based on popular cocktails—Bee’s Knees (fresh notes of clover, lemon and honey); Sparkling Negroni (zesty star anise, rhubarb and hint of grapefruit) and the Vermouth Spritz (calming chamomile, ginger, coriander). There is another botanical cocktail on the way this spring. We love the not-too-sweet, complex flavours, $22/four pack, at drinkwildfolk.com, Color de Vino, Sherbrooke and Biera.