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Eau de Vie "Pearfection"
Spirited Thanksgiving Choices
© Michael Vaughan 2004
National Post Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist
Saturday, October 9, 2004

LIVE WINE LINK
www.winefind.ca
(CLICK ON THE NAME - All listings are automatically linked to the LCBO database)
If there is a product that interests you, just click on the name below and you will instantaneously connected with the LCBO database. The product will appear in blue and all you have to do is click on the name again and then the next screen will provide details along with the store search. Just click on store search. The number of bottles in each store is updated nightly. You should call the store first to see if stock still remains (each store phone number is listed).

After health, one of the greatest things we are blessed with today is choice. Even if the Ontario pumpkin harvest is devastated by hailstorms, our ability to source anywhere in the world means that we will still have lots to choose from. The urban shift has, no doubt, made us less thankful as most families are now far removed from rural weather-driven calamity. While today’s key challenge is economic survival, Thanksgiving provides us with the opportunity to sit down with family and reflect on basically how well off we are in global terms.

Digging into this month’s Vintages catalogue, there are over 300 items scattered throughout its 76 pages. The first six pages are devoted to spirits that apparently are “too good to mix.” This hodgepodge of 13 contains two very expensive Cognacs, which together cost more my brand-new Torino GT convertible back in 1970! How times have changed.

On page 40 there is another dozen “in-store discovery’ spirits and, finally, in the section dealing with the October 23 release, 7 more. To address this spirited jambalaya, National Post readers can access the complete list of all 31 spirits, sorted by type and release date on my website - all linked to the LCBO database. Better yet, I have also posted my detailed evaluations. To see the list click here. To see the detailed evaluations click here.

As for the task at hand, my choice for the perfect Thanksgiving spirit is Damblat Eau de Vie Poire William (622415) at 49.95 per 500 ml from the Armagnac region of France. Despite its 44% alcohol, this clear coloured elixir has a very intense, fresh ripe pear purée nose. It is dry and perfectly balanced with fresh ripe pear purée flavours and a lingering finish. Sheer pearfection!

Damblat is distilled single-handedly by Jean Delpont, who is now in his 70s and was shown originally trained by his father when he was 14 years of age. All the fully-ripe pears are sourced locally from the Baise and Garonne river vallies. The fruit is crushed and fermented with the pulp and juice being distilled in the four traditional old red copper alambic stills that were built in 1937. It takes some 109 thousand kilos of pears to produce a mere 8,000 bottles - almost 14 kilos of fruit per 700 ml bottle. The reason so much fruit is used related to the fact that no inferior coarse distillation “heads” or “tails” are used. This slow manual distillation focuses exclusively on the “heart” or the eau de vie de coeur.

If fans of pear eau de vie can’t track down the latter, here are two other Vintages choices. First, is a fine buy at only $26.95 for 500 ml. From Switzerland Original Willisauer Poire Williams (998773) will definitely hit the spot. It is just a tad more peppery than Damblat, with a fairly intense, spicy, sweet, ripe pear purée nose and dry, medium bodied and well balanced taste with slightly spicy, dried ripe pear flavours.

Somewhat more expensive is an excellent Austrian effort Distillerie Franz Bauer Williamsbirnen (620039) $54.95 for 500 ml. It has a spicy, sweet, warm, fresh Anjou pear purée nose and tangy, bright, fairly dry but balanced, ripe, slightly sweet, Anjou pear flavours with very good length.

If pear isn’t at the top of your list, check out a new colourless elixir from Germany. Alfred Schladerer Black Forest Woods Himbeergeist (622423) at $49.95 can be traced back to 1844 when perfectly ripe wild raspberries were gathered in the Black Forest uplands and slowly macerated in virtually pure alcohol. The liquid was then distilled in a hand-wrought, copper still and the alcohol level is adjusted down to 42% just prior to bottling.

The result is wonderful: an incredible essence of sweet ripe raspberry aromas captivates your senses. On the palate it is dry and yet gently viscous and with some pointy edges. The delicious, intense, ripe raspberry flavours dance on the tongue. You can served it after dinner in a small snifter or you might want to spoon some on rich vanilla ice cream.

Those searching for a Champagne-styled bubbly at everyday prices can’t miss with a great effort that recently popped up in Vintages. This French Crémant d’Alsace is made in exactly the same method with the secondary fermentation occurring in the bottle. Dopff au Moulin Cuvée Julien Brut (641365) at $18.95 is very effervescent with bright, very dry, tangy, dusty dry lemon-orange citrus flavours, which would be perfect with oysters. Better yet, it comes in halves (641373) at $10.95.

Moving on, there are many fine white values in today’s release. For starters, I highly recommend the fresh palate pick-up qualities of a dry Riesling and Wynns Coonawarra 2003 Riesling (528216) is a gem at only $14.95. Swirl the glass and you senses are stirred by ripe lemon-lime fruit, which is accompanied by classic, mineral-tinged, schisty notes. Dry, crisp and bright, the ripe lime flavours dance on the tongue. It may not be the perfect foil for turkey, but it will certainly work with most starters and spicy dishes.

Those fortunate enough to have attended this week’s Spanish wine fair will make a beeline to two new best buy releases from the Rueda region. The first is 2003 Aldor Verdejo (671198) at $12.95, which is dry, well balanced and easy to drink with bright, ripe apricot and orange citrus flavours. The second is bit fruitier and has a subtle hint of sweetness.  Bodega Hermanos Lurton 2003 Rueda Blanco (608901) at $13.95 shows slightly honeyed peach-pear flavours and will hit the spot - anytime, anyplace.

Moving on to reds, the winners are those with lots of fruit to go with the stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, etc. With an eye on value, you can’t beat D’Ardenberg 2002 The Stump Jump (606236) at $13.95, which is a stirring McLaren Vale GSM blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre. The nose is very juicy, brimming with strawberries. On the palate you tune into those gently sweetish, plumy, strawberry flavours fruit. It finishes dry with good lifted acidity - perfect for your turkey.