Uncorked

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Memorable mouthfuls

Pop a cork, or unscrew a cap, and raise a glass to 2009's notable wines

By: Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson

2/01/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 1

It's awards season, so critics have been putting together lists of the best in their respective fields, etc. So while I'm a little late to the ball, I thought I'd mix it up a bit and combine my "2009 notables" list with a general "notables of the (not-quite-done) decade" -- best not to call them the "best," as some of them are far from that. Wines listed are available at Liquor Marts and beyond unless otherwise noted.

Best trend of the decade: Screwcaps

This has been a huge game changer -- at least some producers in every wine-producing country have adopted the screwcap closures. Proponents like that they seem to reduce the incidences of spoiled wine and are quite easy to open. Detractors argue that despite what many think, they're not more environmentally friendly (more production is involved than with corks), as well as the fact that the romance of popping the cork on a bottle is lost. There's a time and a place for a cork, but there's room for the screwcap too.

Runner-up: Wine blogs

Worst trend of the decade: The anti-Merlot movement

It didn't come along until halfway through the decade, but this movement, spearheaded by the breakout 2004 movie Sideways, brought sales of this once-popular grape variety to its knees. Like all trends, the backlash against Merlot is dissipating, but for years a great number of fabulous wines were shunned simply because of the grape in the bottle. Here's hoping there aren't any more grape-bashing flicks coming down the pipe (although I might get behind an anti-White Zinfandel movement).

Runner-up: Critters on wine labels

Wine personality of the year: Gary Vaynerchuk (www.winelibrarytv.com)

In 2009 Gary moved way beyond his online video wine blog, producing the first of his multi-book, million-dollar deal with HarperStudio. Crush It: Why Now is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion is more business-related than wine-focused, but tells his riveting story of working in his Belarusian father's discount liquor store in New Jersey, not even of age to drink, when he realized people collected wine like he did baseball cards. Among numerous TV appearances and book signings, he found time to produce his own wine and a kid, too.

Runners-up: Robert Parker, Tyler Colman (a.k.a. Dr. Vino -- www.drvino.com -- who has a similar poll on his website)

Here's a quick snapshot of some of my favourite wines I tried this year.

BEST BUBBLIES

Hillebrand Trius NV Brut (Ontario -- $22.49): Tastes like an entry-level French Champagne at half the price.

Edoardo Miroglio 2006 Brut Rosé (Bulgaria -- $22.45): An under-the-radar pink gem that, like the Trius, could pass for a French Champagne if tasted blind.

Concha Y Toro 2007 Casillero del Diablo Brut Reserva (Limari Valley, Chile -- $16.95): The Casillero del Diablo line brings great value overall, and the bubbly is no exception: racy, balanced and extremely drinkable.

NOTABLE WHITES

Tantalus 2008 Riesling (Okanagan Valley, B.C. -- $30.21): Great complexity, very vibrant, and on par with some of the world's best Riesling.

Kim Crawford 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand -- $21.99): Textbook New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: lemon-lime, grassy, clean, a bit steely and absolutely mouth-watering.

Hahn 2007 "SLH" Pinot Gris (Santa Lucia Highlands, Calif. -- The Winehouse, around $34): A luscious and elegant white, the Hahn demonstrates what can be done when Pinot Gris is taken seriously.

NOTABLE REDS

Peter Lehmann 2001 Stonewell Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia -- $81.49): I tasted 20 vintages of the Stonewell in October. The current vintage in Manitoba is elegant, extremely smooth and complex.

Tolaini 2005 Picconero (Tuscany, Italy -- Banville and Jones, $140): Sampled at Wine Stage Manitoba, thankfully not too early -- this profound super-Tuscan would have made everything after taste average or worse.

Errazuriz 2006 Kai Carmenère (Aconcagua Valley, Chile -- $74.99): The best Carmenère retains the lightest hint of green while delivering deep black fruit and chocolate notes. The Kai does so masterfully.

BEST VALUE: RED

Montalto Nero 2008 D'Avola-Cabernet Sauvignon (Sicilia, Italy -- $9.71): My overall pick for value of the year, the Montalto is my current "house wine."

BEST VALUE: WHITE

Pierre Sparr 2006 "Extrem" Riesling (Alsace, France -- $16.67): A great example of the dry Alsatian style of Riesling -- extremely chalky and refreshing.

NOTABLE BEERS

Estrella Damm (Spain -- $2.16/500ml): My new favourite beer.

Half Pints St. James Pale Ale (Manitoba -- $9.24 for 6x3341ml): My new favourite beer. OK, it's a tie.

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Wine website of the year: Cellartracker (www.cellartracker.com)

Simply the best place for wine lovers to share reviews, info and more. It's ugly as sin (and its app for mobile phones is even uglier) but overall it's by far the most functional aggregator of wine reviews and information online.

uncorked@mts.net www.twitter.com/thegrapenut

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 2, 2010 F4

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1 Comments

Posted by: Philip Woodrow

January 4, 2010 at 12:47 PM

Thanks for selecting our Hahn SLH Pinot Gris as a memorable mouthful for 2009! We are quite flattered to be included on your short list, as I'm sure you've tasted more wines than you can count this past year.

Best, and Happy New Year!

Philip Woodrow
Hahn Family Wines