Wine Trade Winds Diary for February 2005
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2005
Copping a ride to Brock this early AM to partake in the Larry Patterson Show aka 2005 Bordeaux - Ontario Challenge. Larry has always believed that good Ontario Meritage can't be differentiated from Bordeaux; both are cool climate wines. He proved it once again. A major blind tasting of Ontario Cab Merlots and Classed Growth Bordeaux was held at Brock University. The 51 tasters included 8 members of the Wine Writers Circle of Canada, 20 members of the Wine Judges of Canada, 8 people from Ontario wineries (owner/winemaker etc), 12 students and professors from The Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University and 3 other experienced tasters (Larry, a wine steward, and Steve MacAdam). Results and an article are posted online at www.littlefatwino.com/scores.html (scroll down to Feb 27, 2005). The sixteen wines included Chateau Branaire Ducru 1999 ($67 and placing 6th), Chateau Camensac 2000 (7th), and Chateau Lynch-Moussas 1996 ($79 but 11th) Chateau Haut-Bages-Liberal 1995 ($85 but 12th). The top wines were all from Ontario: Colio Estate CEV Carlo Negri Signature Cabernet Merlot 1999 (first! $50 in 2003), Thirty Bench Benchmark Blend 1998 (second and $35 in 2000), Stoney Ridge 1995 57% cabernet franc 43% merlot (third), Cave Springs Cabernet Merlot 1998 (4th), and Henry of Pelham Cabernet Merlot Unfiltered 1998 (5th). We all had fun tasting and assessing the wines. We were asked to identify which wines were Bordeaux, a spectacular disaster. There were four wines, nobody won. In fact, only seven tasters could finger two of the wines as being French, with 22 others identifying ONE wine. A light lunch was served. After lunch, Larry began a series of exercises, comparing additives in wine to wines without additives. We roamed through Tanin Plus, chocolate syrup, AR 2000, and Optired. We certainly need more of these, also some wines with faults. My thanks to the Wine Judges of Canada, CCOVI, Brock University, Sadie Darby, my ride Tom Ostler, and, of course, my Little Fat Wino Mister Larry Patterson, the heart and soul of Ontario wine.
As a quality wine event, this one rates a 8.8 out of 10.
