With warmer weather in full bloom, here are some sippers to share with your friends over outdoor parties and barbeques. Start the celebration with a glass of Champagne from the highly esteemed family-owned House of Henriot. Winemaker Joseph Henriot p refers to maintain a unique personal style, despite having been instrumental in steering Veuve Cliquot and others to the mass-market. Henriot’s vineyards lie in France’s Côtes de Blancs district where they
concentrate on Chardonnay, although they have plantings of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier as well. During a recent tasting of Woodman Wines & Spirits extensive portfolio, we had the rare opportunity to taste Henriot Champagne Cuvee des Enchanteleurs 1995 (Classics Catalogue Vintages #83774; $195.00; 12%). A blend of 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir, it is amazingly fresh and lively for its age. It displays a golden colour, persistent mousse, and a compelling bouquet of brioche, lemon curd and white grapefruit, with a hint of roasted hazelnuts that carries through on the palate and lingers in the frothy, creamy finish. On hand to explain the Henriot champagnes was Export Director Anne Deraisme. This champagne is a perfect accompaniment to a platter of freshly shucked oysters and cherry stone clams topped with grated horseradish and a mildly spicy seafood sauce and New Zealand green-lipped mussels with lime aioli sauce.
For a delightful, more affordable alternative, try Pierre Sparr Brut Rose Cremant d’Alscae (V39016; $19.95) from northeastern France. Medium salmon in colour, it offers forward scents of wild strawberries and red currants, with an intense frothy character and lovely acid core and a hint of residual on the palate. This makes it an ideal partner with lobster bisque, grilled octopus and a main dish of whole oven baked red snapper sprinkled with toasted pistachio nuts on a bed of linguine.
Henry of Pelham Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2007 VQA (V268342; $19.95; 13.5%) from Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment, comes from an excellent year. Fermented in French oak barrels, a third of which were new, followed by seven months in wood, it is lemon yellow, with telltale green highlights indicating its youth. Forward aromas and flavours of ripe pears and apples, vanilla, toasty oak and spice are underpinned by a distinct mineral undertone, reflecting limestone characteristics of this unique terrain. Try it with grilled prawns brushed in a lemon white wine vinaigretteic and dill, followed by roasted chicken breasts topped with a medley of grilled julienned vegetables on a bed of aged Basmati rice. Deinhard Green Label Riesling 2007 Qualitatswein (# 8094; $11.95; 10%) c o m e s f rom Germ a n y ’s Mosel-Saar-Ruwer district. Deinhard, whose history dates back to 1794, has won accolades for consistent quality. This wine is pale lemon in colour, with distinctive notes of lemon zest, orange blossoms and crisp apple in the nose that carry through on the palate. Its underlying mineral character is supported by a fine stream of acidity and a delicate residual sugar component, touched with ginger spice notes in the finish. It pairs well with pan-seared tilapia filets and a side of baby artichoke hearts and asparagus spears, both often often challenging to match with a wine. It would equally enhance a Thai inspired dish of stir fried shrimp, hearts of palm and toasted sesame seeds in a coconut lemongrass broth on a bed of Jasmine rice. Acacia Chardonnay 2007 (V80556; $36.95; 14.4%) is straw yellow. This winery is recognized as a pioneer in California’s Carneros region, which joins the southern tip of the Sonoma and Napa Valley two miles north of San Pablo Bay. San Fransisco lies just across the bay. Here, cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean allow the grapes to ripen to full maturity, despite the daily heat and intense sunshine. Aromas of ripe Bosc pears, nectarines, and golden delicious apples are underpinned by scents of acacia honey and ginger. The same flavours play out on the palate, with additional traces of dried apricots, toasty oak and roasted nuts. This wine is a wonderful accompaniment to lobster thermidor, grilled prawns topped with spicy mango chile pepper chutney, or grilled Mahi Mahi steaks served on a bed of coconut green lentils. Feudo Montoni Grillo 2007 IGT (V116319; $13.95; 12.5%) from Sicily is made 100% from the indigenous Grillo varietal. This varietal rarely sees our market, making it well worth seeking out for its unique character. Pale lemon, with a touch of straw, it is brimming with perfumed scents of white flower blossoms, peaches and lemon. All of this flows through onto the palate, supported by a lovely acidity and nuances of ginger and canned pears in the luscious finish. It is a showstopper with a tuna, halibut, swordfish and shrimp kebob with grilled fingerling potatoes and heirloom tomatoes.
Artesa Pinot Noir 2006 from California’s Carmeros district is another gem from the Woodman Wines & Spirits portfolio. Cool breezes off the Pacific Ocean help to mitigate the intense heat that builds up during the daytime hours in the vineyard, giving the vines time to rest. This allows the buds to ripen to maturity, without the build up of vegetal characters that are often found in warm climate wines. Expect to find a cherry plum purple colour, with forward aromas of ripe Bing cherries, Damson plums and a streak of sweet vanilla, with traces of cinnamon and earth on the palate. The high acid lift in the finish will complement a coriander flavoured cuttle fish and scallop risotto Château Hauchat 2005 (V123489; $15.00; 13%) comes from Bordeaux’s lesser known Fronsac district. This lies on the banks of the Dordogne River, directly west of the famous Saint Emilion and Pomerol districts. J e a n - B e rn a rd Saby is the eighth generation in this family owned operation. The grapes are grown in the commune of Saint-Aignan, from low-yielding 55-year old vines on well-drained clay and limestone soils. This 100% Merlot is a fine example of the finessed wines that come out of the Fronsac area. It exhibits a garnet brick colour with a bouquet of damson plums and vanilla, cedar and toast nuances that are complemented by hints of cocoa and cinnamon on the finish. It will enhance a strong meaty dish such as roast venison steaks topped with a red wine juniper berry reduction, served with roasted baby red beets and steamed collard greens.
Sebastiani Merlot 2005 (V219162; $25.95; 13.5%) from California’s Sonoma region is a unique wine. Deep garnet in colour, with attractive notes of ripe cherries, purple plums, licorice, and mocha, it has a streak of earth in the lengthy, generous finish. This delicious, mouth filling wine gathers momentum on the palate, due to the addition of small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec grapes (all components in Bordeaux wines), with the added profile of the spicy Syrah grape. Its juicy, textured character complements rich game dishes, such as medallions of elk, bison steaks, or wild boar chops on a bed of tagliatelli egg noodles and a medley of grilled woodland mushrooms, flavoured with roasted garlic and dash of white truffle oil. Louis Latour Marsannay 2006 AOC (V110379; $26.95; 13.2%) comes from one of Burgundy’s most respected negociants. Latour vineyards span the length of the region, and Marsannay is the most northerly village of the Cotes de Nuits. This warm, fragrant Pinot Noir is medium garnet red in colour and offers a delicate aromas and flavours of plums, cherries, vanilla bean, cedar and wafts of earth. These are framed with soft tannins and fleeting notes of cinnamon and Amaretto liqueur in the gentle finish.It pairs beautifully with a mixed grill of quail legs, strips of sirloin steaks, and lamb chops, peppers, zucchini and eggplant. Fattoria di Magliano’s `Heba’ Morellino di Scansano 2006 DOC (V123596; $27.95) comes from their Heba vineyard in Italy’s Tuscany region. The Morellino grape is the local name for Sangiovese. Grown on the Morellino hills, the Morellino di Scansano wine was awarded DOCG status in 2007. This winery has become known for producing powerful examples of this varietal, which show its intrinsic tremendous body and character. Expect to find sweet ripe cherry and forest berry fruit scents and flavours, with compelling notes of cedar, vanilla and underbrush that linger on the palate. This is a winner, with veal and ricotta cannelloni in a tomato sauce topped with fresh sage leaves.