Time for the inner economist in me to go on a little rant. I have been in the Big Apple (Big Grape?) for a fortnight, and am just dismayed at the differential in wine pricing between the U.S. and Canada--especially given that the currencies are now at par.
Here in NYC, you can get a very good (typically French) bottle of wine at a great restaurant for $80-100. No offense to B.C. wines, but during my last trip to Vancouver, for that price one was getting fair B.C. wines (perhaps an Ossoyos Larosse or something of that inky ilk).
When I arrived in the city, I promptly ordered a half-case of wines from Gotham wines:
-2 bottles of 2006 Jaboulet Parallel-45 rose
-1 bottle 2005 Parallel-45 Red
-1 bottle of a 1995 St. Emillion
-1 bottle of 2003 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape
-1 bottle of 2005 Perrin Cote du Rhone Reserve
Ticking through this list, you can see that these are all pretty damn nice wines, ranging from "table" to "special occasion". (Incidentally, one of the least expensive, the Perrin, was one of the most oustanding--the Chateau de Beaucastel lineage certainly shines through!)
Now what do you suppose Gotham charged me, delivered right to my apartment? You will no doubt be as shocked as I was: $115!!
Clearly, there is something broken when it comes to wine pricing in Canada. $115 might get you 3 or 4 bottles of a Burrowing Owl--not a terrible wine, but certainly not in the realm of (m)any of the above.
I am not sure whether it is import duties or excessive taxation or excessive retail mark-up (I think we can all agree that restaurant mark-ups in B.C. are criminal!)
Thoughts, fellow bloggers? Corked and Sommelier, as you are about to descend upon Gotham, I urge you to dig--er, drink--into this pricing disparity more deeply!
-Screwtop
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Summer's Lees (hath all too short a date)
Sitting in damp autumnal Vancouver it might be a good moment to look back at the wines of the summer. Already the hot July days of the annual pilgrimmage to South West France are receeding into hazy memory. But not the whites we tasted, some of which stand out as highlights of the year's imbibing. First, the trip to Bordeaux's Vinoteque - surely one of the great wine shops of the world. A mixed case of good white wine was selected - to accompany the sardines and les huitres, the favoured staples of summer dejeaner sur l'herbe. And a few reds for later in the day to usher in the cheese.
Chateau Doisy Daene 2002 was the first choice. A family favourite over many a summer, but (like the eponymous swan) was a shadow of its former self. Pierre Dubordieu, a legendary winemaker, (held by my parents in appropriately named proximity to God) has retired, it seems, and his son Dennis does not have the magic touch. Famed for his Barsac/Sauternes, Doisy Daene Sec used to be an extraordinarily complex and fragrant white with all the Semillion flavour coming through and balancing the acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc. But not any more. This, alas, was nearer to a straight Entre-De-Mers than an extremely good value white Pessac.
Clos Floridene 2003, a white Graves from the stable of the Dubordieus as well, was also a much lesser whine then before. Much pricier than the Doisy Daene you have a right to expect a serious wine, layered and refined. Again (in the hands of le fils Denis) it has flattened out into something standard and unexceptional.
However, La Tour Martilliac 2005 did not disappoint. All the hallmarks of a complex Pessac - a slightly gravel taste and almost a petrol quality but also the strong fruit and the delicate balance. A lovely lingering finish. The perfect lunch time bottle and still remembered by Tawny as part of a near illicit afternoon's pleasure in Bordeaux. Better than the 2001 white Pessac from the Lurton brothers (leading 'negotiants' much reviled by my parents for their zealous commerciality) as La Tour de la Louviere was one dimensional compared to the Martillac
But another old family favourite, Chateau Le Portail Rouge 2004 - an excellent value Loupiac - was still the gateway to fine drinking. Tawney was even prevailed upon to accompany the bottle with one of her signature dishes - tarte au citron. Truly a marriage made in heaven (the wine and dessert that is, of course). Loupiac provides great value in desert wine - often less than half the price of a good Sauternes but its near equal in quality.'
And now we move to the cheese stage. A very pleasant St Julien (perhaps my favourite appelation of all), Chateau Gloria 2003. A cru bourgeois so nothing excessively pricey it was warm, robust, earthy and had enough strength to linger well into the evening. It put to shame the rather thin Chateau Reynon 2003 a red Graves from Vielles Vignes by that now mistrusted figure of Denis Dubordieu who it seems it exerting a kind of reverse alchemy. Also worth of a mention in dispatches is Chateau Maucaillou 2004 a Moulis-en-Medoc which I've always found excellent value and a very well structured, well made wine.
And so, mes amis, we come to the end of our lengthy repas d'ete. Fall in North America has its compensations. Pumpkin pie and Halloween. Or the release of the 2004 Bordeaux vintage. Take your pick. Mine is a mixed case.
Chateau Doisy Daene 2002 was the first choice. A family favourite over many a summer, but (like the eponymous swan) was a shadow of its former self. Pierre Dubordieu, a legendary winemaker, (held by my parents in appropriately named proximity to God) has retired, it seems, and his son Dennis does not have the magic touch. Famed for his Barsac/Sauternes, Doisy Daene Sec used to be an extraordinarily complex and fragrant white with all the Semillion flavour coming through and balancing the acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc. But not any more. This, alas, was nearer to a straight Entre-De-Mers than an extremely good value white Pessac.
Clos Floridene 2003, a white Graves from the stable of the Dubordieus as well, was also a much lesser whine then before. Much pricier than the Doisy Daene you have a right to expect a serious wine, layered and refined. Again (in the hands of le fils Denis) it has flattened out into something standard and unexceptional.
However, La Tour Martilliac 2005 did not disappoint. All the hallmarks of a complex Pessac - a slightly gravel taste and almost a petrol quality but also the strong fruit and the delicate balance. A lovely lingering finish. The perfect lunch time bottle and still remembered by Tawny as part of a near illicit afternoon's pleasure in Bordeaux. Better than the 2001 white Pessac from the Lurton brothers (leading 'negotiants' much reviled by my parents for their zealous commerciality) as La Tour de la Louviere was one dimensional compared to the Martillac
But another old family favourite, Chateau Le Portail Rouge 2004 - an excellent value Loupiac - was still the gateway to fine drinking. Tawney was even prevailed upon to accompany the bottle with one of her signature dishes - tarte au citron. Truly a marriage made in heaven (the wine and dessert that is, of course). Loupiac provides great value in desert wine - often less than half the price of a good Sauternes but its near equal in quality.'
And now we move to the cheese stage. A very pleasant St Julien (perhaps my favourite appelation of all), Chateau Gloria 2003. A cru bourgeois so nothing excessively pricey it was warm, robust, earthy and had enough strength to linger well into the evening. It put to shame the rather thin Chateau Reynon 2003 a red Graves from Vielles Vignes by that now mistrusted figure of Denis Dubordieu who it seems it exerting a kind of reverse alchemy. Also worth of a mention in dispatches is Chateau Maucaillou 2004 a Moulis-en-Medoc which I've always found excellent value and a very well structured, well made wine.
And so, mes amis, we come to the end of our lengthy repas d'ete. Fall in North America has its compensations. Pumpkin pie and Halloween. Or the release of the 2004 Bordeaux vintage. Take your pick. Mine is a mixed case.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
In my cups...
It is more in sorrow than in anger that I have to issue a rebuke to fellow NON-bloggers.
The point of blogging is that it must be regular. This is not a difficult concept for anyone to grasp, let alone alumni of ancient universities. Pick up the gauntlet! To do so, you only need to pick up a glass and then do some merry tip-tapping on the keyboard. God knows, I am busy too. Step up to the plate. Show us what you're made of. COME ON!
Frankly, I just blether on and so does Corked...
Screwtop, I found you witty and entertaining, but I am now cast down and disquieted. WHERE'S THE BEEF? Sommelier, get a new filing system. Corked, remember to put titles on your posts. But then at least there was a post!
To console myself, I have had to open a bottle of Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon, from the Domaine Christian Moreau - 2005.
Nice, buttery, coats the glass beautifully and I drink alone.
I may never recover. Although gestures towards reparation might include arriving with a mixed case for my delectation...in fact a bottle would do.
The point of blogging is that it must be regular. This is not a difficult concept for anyone to grasp, let alone alumni of ancient universities. Pick up the gauntlet! To do so, you only need to pick up a glass and then do some merry tip-tapping on the keyboard. God knows, I am busy too. Step up to the plate. Show us what you're made of. COME ON!
Frankly, I just blether on and so does Corked...
Screwtop, I found you witty and entertaining, but I am now cast down and disquieted. WHERE'S THE BEEF? Sommelier, get a new filing system. Corked, remember to put titles on your posts. But then at least there was a post!
To console myself, I have had to open a bottle of Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon, from the Domaine Christian Moreau - 2005.
Nice, buttery, coats the glass beautifully and I drink alone.
I may never recover. Although gestures towards reparation might include arriving with a mixed case for my delectation...in fact a bottle would do.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Well, I can announce to our never-converted enthusiasts that a few bottles of similar cab-merlot are languishing in the garage of my latest lodging. And, should they play their cards well (the ne'er converted, not the patrons, who, by the way, are well converted and count Nota Bene amongst their favourite companions, to whom they have in the past magnanimously introduced me on more than one occasion), I would invade their collection (I rack it) with a bottle or two to give them some sense of connection to their new world.
So it is noted, kudos to Tawney for keeping the spirit of the bottle well slaked. I could not help but notice, that, in our inaugural The Bottle evening spent languishing on the heights of Burnaby mountain, dining on some fine pork belly and Chateau Brown, that the voices responsible for enological verbosity around the table were very same that are incomprehensibly silent in this forum. Does this expertise need a challenge?
I will admit, though, that these voices did order up some pretty tasty stuff.
So it is noted, kudos to Tawney for keeping the spirit of the bottle well slaked. I could not help but notice, that, in our inaugural The Bottle evening spent languishing on the heights of Burnaby mountain, dining on some fine pork belly and Chateau Brown, that the voices responsible for enological verbosity around the table were very same that are incomprehensibly silent in this forum. Does this expertise need a challenge?
I will admit, though, that these voices did order up some pretty tasty stuff.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Bill lines up.
I keep trying to persuade myself I’m not a competitive person, but when push comes to shove, I am the first to post! Ha!
I am intending to discuss one bottle consumed and am giving the rest of you the chance to pick one other from the four sampled. I would like to read your posts within 48 hours or you will be receiving a large black mark this end.
That being said, thanks are due all round to fellow bloggers. Screwtop for sharing, Corked for chauffeuring and Sommelier for choosing…
I get to do the Okanagan. I am pleased to announce that Bill Eggert – Fairview Cellars 1994 – is doing something right. Exhibiting much more complexity than I have come to expect from Okanagan wines, this Bordeaux style blend made for very pleasant drinking. And at $25 I would buy it, if I could get hold of it. Ah there’s the rub…
Bill’s bottle does prove that, with judicious blending and ageing, making quality wines in the Okanagan is a possibility. Apparently Fairview sits on a golf course. Bill is most definitely hitting more birdies than bogeys. Bravo!
I am intending to discuss one bottle consumed and am giving the rest of you the chance to pick one other from the four sampled. I would like to read your posts within 48 hours or you will be receiving a large black mark this end.
That being said, thanks are due all round to fellow bloggers. Screwtop for sharing, Corked for chauffeuring and Sommelier for choosing…
I get to do the Okanagan. I am pleased to announce that Bill Eggert – Fairview Cellars 1994 – is doing something right. Exhibiting much more complexity than I have come to expect from Okanagan wines, this Bordeaux style blend made for very pleasant drinking. And at $25 I would buy it, if I could get hold of it. Ah there’s the rub…
Bill’s bottle does prove that, with judicious blending and ageing, making quality wines in the Okanagan is a possibility. Apparently Fairview sits on a golf course. Bill is most definitely hitting more birdies than bogeys. Bravo!
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