Gang of Pour - Alan Kerr's Tasting Notes


Alan’s March 15, 2008 Vintages Release Tasting Notes
	There is nothing but snow, snow and more bloody snow. This winter is tiring. It is March, and St. Patrick will soon be knocking. I should be drinking Guinness while thinking about getting my garden ready for spring. It may be a while before my garden, currently buried under countless metres of snow, gets any attention. On the topic of Guinness, did you know, per pint, draught Guinness has 210 calories while one pint of 2% milk has 260 calories and one pint of orange juice tips the scale at a whopping 220 calories. I know what I will be drinking on the 17th. I don’t have a lot of wines to report on for the March 15th release as few were available to try at the tasting. In the spirit of St. Pat, this Irish single malt, which was actually released on March 1st, but I somehow neglected to post, is still around in stores. If you want to wake up on the day after toasting the good saint, feeling like an assiduous leprechaun who spent the night locked in Dublin’s Guinness brewery, this is the drink for you. 913400 CONNEMARA CASK STRENGTH PEATED SINGLE MALT IRISH WHISKEY (Cooley Distillery) $79.95 This peaty smoke laden viscous liquid attacks both the palate and senses. I can’t recall ever having anything this intense and powerful pass my lips. My eyes water as I sniff the nose. The palate starts sweet, full of caramel and treacle. Then the 58.9 degrees of alcohol lets its presence be known, like a Red Savina pepper, it completely over powers the mind, body and soul. Dangerous stuff! 626325 OSOYOOS LAROSE LE GRAND VIN 2004 VQA Okanagan Valley British Columbia $ 39.95 Very Bordeaux in style and character with up front lead pencil and forest floor notes followed by layers of cherry and cassis. The wine has spent 18 months in French Oak, 60% new and 40% one-year old. If this is to eventually come around, it will need much time to evolve. The palate is tight and a touch stemmy. The tannins are really astringent and allow no place for the fruit flavours to play. Find this wine
24950 FIFTH LEG RED 2005 Western Australia, Devil's Lair Vineyard $19.95 This “Ozzietage” blend of 46% Shiraz, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc is showing well with lots of dark fruit, spice and smoke aromas. The palate flips to red fruit, lively acids and sweet milk chocolate. Its finish has blackberry, chocolate and dusty cocoa tannin. Quite delicious. Find this wine 937276 GRANT BURGE CAMERON VALE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004 Barossa, South Australia $21.95 Not showing much, a little tea, dark chocolate and some buried dark fruit on the nose. The palate does give nice currant, plum and cassis flavours with plenty of fleshy acids. Tight right now, but give it time and that good concentration and balance will shine. Find this wine 704486 ONYX SHIRAZ 2005 Darling Cellars, South Africa $21.95 Damson, dates, plum skin, blackberry and sweet milk chocolate all come together in the glass and turn creamy on the palate. It has a coffee note on the finish along with plenty of fruit. Find this wine 663583 CHÂTEAU FOUGAS MALDOROR 2004 Côtes du Bourg $33.95 I can’t find anything that excites me here. The nose seems constrained; the palate is tight and astringent. After a while a little fruit does show through, but nothing noteworthy. The wine has been Parkerized and Parker was impressed enough to say “the 2004 Fougas-Maldoror exhibits ripe tannin as well as attractive notes of fudge intermixed with black cherries and currants. It is medium-bodied, elegant, and silky enough to be drunk upon release and over the next 5-6 years”. Score - 87-88. I just can’t see it! Find this wine 960310 CHÂTEAU ST. GEORGES 2003 St-Georges-St-Émilion $35.95 A pleasing blend of old world/new world aromas featuring ample whiffs of sweet and creamy black cherry, black toffee, hay, coffee grounds and white mushroom. It is ripe and full on the palate, acids manage the sweetness and the tannin has the power to last. Find this wine 682492 CHÂTEAU L'HOSPITALET LA RÉSERVE ROUGE 2005 La Clape, Coteaux du Languedoc $18.95 Generous notes of cake spice, prune, mocha and sweet black fruit on both the nose and palate. The blackberry fruit is creamy; the oak is gentle, as are the tannins. It has balance, power and loads of luscious fruit. Find this wine 48892 CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL BLANC 2006 $32.95 Viognier, Marsanne, and Bourboulenc and a dash of Clairette combine to make an interesting wine with good depth and power. I like the upfront ripe baked pear, clove and cider apple notes, but more so I love the enticing secondary layers of papaya, honeysuckle and dried tangerine. The palate is rich and almost oily with lovely fruit, mild citrus acids and a long finish. Find this wine 996199 CHÂTEAU ST. ESTÈVE D'UCHAUX GRANDE RÉSERVE 2005 $17.95 If and when the snow melts, here is a simple wine to keep one warm during the yearly spring-cleaning of the barbeque. This Cote du Rhone is elegant and clean showing flavours of raspberry, black cherry and blackcurrant. The fruit is soft on the palate, but it shows decent concentration and it is ready open and consume. Find this wine 48884 CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL 2005 $29.95 Aromas of black olive, wood varnish, cedar, smoked meat and black fruit pie lead to a palate full of rich dark fruit, just enough acids and tannin to let it rest a while. Find this wine 617456 MIGUEL TORRES MAS LA PLANA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2003 $44.95 Leathery notes, tar, pure black fruit extract and spice on the nose. The palate has super concentrated blackcurrant fruit, a creamy texture and dark chocolate tannins. Don’t be in a rush; this will only get better. Find this wine Cheers CZ BACK TO THE TOP Alan Kerr's Home Page and Main Index

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Alan’s March 15, 2008 Vintages Release Tasting Notes