Clos du Soleil

A couple of weekends ago I had the privilege of meeting the owner of Clos du Soleil at a Saturday Village Wines tasting. Spencer Massie, a fairly new face to the B.C. wine industry has managed to preserve old world integrity without having to sacrifice new world style. The wines are reminiscent of a Bordeaux backbone, interwoven with the fleshy flair that is B.C.

The Clos du Soleil White 2007, at $26.92, is a blend of 95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Semillion. The grapes were whole cluster pressed, fermented in stainless steel and then aged in neutral barrels for 12-18 months.
The nose on this wine is simply tantalizing. Aromatics of citrus, Meyer lemons, and grapefruit mingle with the rich aromas of tropical fruits, followed by an underlying layer of wet stone and very subtle petrol notes. The palate is consumed by tangerine and a bite of lemon meringue pie with a touch of spice. The mouth feel is smooth and soft along the edges. The fruit and acid are beautifully balanced, a complex profile with great concentration and definitive elegance. This is a fabulous Sauvignon Blanc and I'm relieved to say, not another watery glass of green. In fact it's quite the opposite.

The Clos du Soleil Red 2007, at $38.92 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Franc. This wine has spent 18 months in 80% French and 10% American oak. The nose on this wine is vibrantly complex, expressing nuances of smokey cigar box, wet leather, ripe black cherries, cassis, red licorice, all sprinkled with a pinch of fresh cracked pepper, followed by a sweet vanilla finish. This wine proceeds to explode on your palate with flavors of red cherry, cassis, black berry all interwoven with spicy black pepper and cedar. The higher acid and medium (+) tannin in this wine is a sure candidate for your cellar. Don't be afraid to sit on it for 5-10 yrs. Like the great Bordeaux wines, this baby has been strategically constructed for ageing, if you so desire. Don't be discouraged however, decant at breakfast and you'll have a more elegant, approachable version to enjoy with your lamb shank or prime rib. This is a serious wine and should be taken on as such. It's a fantastic example of having both worlds in one glass. Who said you couldn't have your cake and eat it to. I'm calling it a BC Bordeaux.

Clos du Soleil is the paradigm of how quantity almost always does not equate to quality in the wine world. They focus on their white and red blends and with that have only produced 450 and 270 cases of the two, respectively. Low yields, greater concentration, higher quality wines. It's that simple.

Stay tuned for their up and coming full Bordeaux blend, their young Malbec and Petit Verdot vines are on their way. A Sauternes as well- a lil something I heard through the grapevine...pardon the pun :)

They're located in Keremeos, of the Similkameen Valley. For more info visit them at www.closdusoleil.ca

Never a fly in my Champagne!

Yes, as illustrated above, Veuve Cliquot is my Champagne of choice. I know there's other jems out there but my taste buds will not be privy to that information until I'm well on my way to Wine Stardom haha. That being said, there is something very exciting and endearing about honoring all those beautiful sparklings out there. Do NOT discredit bubbles because they originate from a place other than Champagne. Just to reiterate, anything effervescent produced outside the Champagne region of France cannot legally be referred to as Champagne. Rather it is titled sparkling, more precisely "Crémant" or "Mousseux" if the origin is French (bar Champagne).
As we head North East over to Germany and Austria, sparkling wines are known as Sekt.

One of my favorite Champagne alternatives is "Cava", Spain's excellent rendition of French Champagne. Why is it my favorite you ask? Being that is produced using the same "Traditional Method" as Champagne, the wine takes on that signature autolytic character from being aged on dead yeast cells. It's not as morbid as it sounds. The mouthwatering aromas of fresh baked bread, toasty caramel, and Bartlett pears, it takes my breath away with every waft. What could be more pleasurable than the endless flow of tiny bubbles, baked bread and the essence that is Champagne, all for the fraction of the price? Well I suppose drinking Champagne in Champagne would qualify but that's besides the point. It's Champagne on a budget!

Oh and let's not forget the Vihno Verde from Portugal, I know it's not fully effervescent but they do inject the wine with a dose of carbon dioxide after fermentation, producing a very light, refreshingly crisp wine that tingles your tongue with citrus notes and tiny bubbles. It's low in alcohol so you can get away with drinking a fashionably acceptable yet copious amount without falling on your face. So much fun! I tried one at my sommelier tasting class last night and I had visions of me frolicking in a sunlit field of lavendar...for whatever reason.
The name of the wine is Gazela Vihno Verde DOC and the best part, it's only $9.99! The perfect summer sipper!

BLOOM CONTINUED...Stag's Hollow

Another winery that I must mention for your own benefit is Stag's Hollow. I have met the winemaker and owner Larry now a few times and I have to say it's truly refreshing to speak to someone as humble as he is about what he does. I can tell that for each of his wines, he expresses a paternal affinity for, and proudly acknowledges each of their strengths and individuality. A proud father he should be.

The '08 Sauvignon Blanc is a real surprise. You're expecting a subdued aroma profile, citrus and wet stone coming from BC...well think again! The nose displays vivid expressions of tropical fruit, mango and a hint of pineapple, with underlying nuances of grapefruit and that characteristic petrol and touch of grassiness that we eagerly await for in a New Zealand Sauv Blanc. The palate is higher in acid which is well balanced by the predominately riper citrus and grapefruit flavors. It finishes with a lingering, very subtle grassy note. This wine is a beautiful example of Sauvignon Blanc, not for just a B.C. Sauv Blanc, it deserves far more Merritt and undoubtedly can compete with the cooler wine regions of New Zealand.

The '08 Chardonnay contains a hint of Muscat (2%), and has spent time in 40% American Oak. On the nose there are soft vanilla and honey aromas, working harmoniously with tangerine peel, Bartlet pear and stone fruit. On the palate the aromas transfuse into taste and you experience the sweet tang of tangerine and pear combined. The mouthfeel is rounded, with a slightly viscous weight that lightly coats the palate. This wine is a perfect example of using oak appropriately, it works not against but with the wine, helping to accentuate it's delicate profile.

The '06 Heritage Block 1 Cab Merlot contains approximately 48% Cab, 48% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. It has been aged in equal parts of American and French oak. This is probably the most approachable of the reds, meaning you can pop off the cork, pour, and drink. This red beauty is full of unrelenting cassis, coco and red licorice on the nose, with a touch of toastiness. The palate revisits the prominent cassis, along with black cherry and silky vanilla. It's nothing short of fabulous!

The '07 Cabernet Sauvignon contains 9% Syrah and has been aged 18 months in both American and French oak. The nose of this wine speaks loudly of red cherry, cranberry, black pepper, wet leather, and underlying meaty layers of game. The tannins are there but only moderate as they are softened by the ripe cassis, black cherry and soft cedar with hints of sweet vanilla.

The '06 Renaissance Merlot contains 5-8% Cabernet Sauvignon and the two varieties were co-fermented, meaning they were harvested at the same time and then vinified together. This accounts for alot of the structure that is apparent in this age worthy wine, as the Cab Sauv, receiving less hang time would be capable of providing the necessary backbone to support the meaty, lucious fruit offered by the Merlot.

This primary aromas of this wine first reminded me of Ribeena, the black currant fruit drink that my mom used to give me when a was a wee one. There are layers of baking spices, vanilla, and rose petal, all intermingled with ripe prunes and dried black fruits. The palate is juicy without being confused with Jammy. The Wine holds its structure on the palate and thus the fruit, although ripe is supple, not sloppy nor provocative. The mouth feel for this wine is best described as being almost chewable. Voluptuous Plums, blackberry, and spice, how could you go wrong? The wine is elegant and silky. Don't be afraid to lay this one down for a few years. It will only get better with age. IF you can't wait, like me, decant for breakfast and drink for dinner...YUM!

I have to say that at the moment, Stags Hallow has moved into my top 3 BC wineries to choose from. The whites are fresh, crisp and fruit apparent. The reds are remarkably delicious and hearty! How they're doing it, I don't know! Be sure to give them a whirl.