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Will that be
Ribs or Steak?
New Vintage Reds for the BBQ ~ Whites that go both ways ©
© Michael
Vaughan 2001
National Post Weekly Wine & Spirits
Columnist
Saturday,
August 11, 2001
Every summer I’m
inundated with requests for the best barbeque reds. Answering these
questions isn’t easy because ultimately it comes down to personal taste.
Nevertheless, I want to reiterate my observation that when serving meats
slathered in sweetish red sauces – dry, austere reds generally do not
work. Nothing kills the thrill of a great Barolo or the finesse of a
Bordeaux quicker than a heaping plate of sweet, succulent,
finger-licking-tasty ribs.
These statuesque reds
simply require an unadorned, succulent, fork-tender, crisp-on-the-outside,
rare-on-the-inside rib steak. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to achieve
this with thin-cut, barely-hung, tasteless steaks found at most grocery
chains. It’s the fat marbling that act as mini conveyors of flavour.
You’ll need a thick cut of true premium beef and a very hot grill to
achieve the perfection I describe.
On today’s release we
a have a few ideal candidates to set your ultimate steak ablaze. My first
choice is probably irrelevant unless you have recently inherited a wad of
money. It’s the 2ième cru Saint-Julien 1997
Château Léoville-Las-Cases at $199 (only $175 at the
Montreal’s SAQ). Now I must admit I was pleasantly
surprised that this gem was put out for evaluation. But then, at this
price shoppers aren’t likely going to be breaking down the doors to buy
the 135 cases the LCBO has on hand.
I have always liked this
Château and am seriously impressed with how much better it is today, than
even say some illustrious releases of yesteryear, including 1970. It has a
deep intense purple-red colour and a very fine, complex, rich, plum-lime
purée nose. On the palate, it’s medium-full bodied and
well-proportioned, with gently spicy, elegant, sandalwood and ripe plum
purée flavours.
Returning
to the realm of financial reality, thankfully Vintages has brought it back
a terrific red from its Cellar Direct program (where you were compelled to
buy a minimum three bottles at a time). Now, lo and behold, the deeply
coloured Colio Estate Vineyard 1998 Merlot Reserve
‘CEV’ takes center stage. And it even tastes better today!
The nose is truly outstanding - intense, expansive, slightly smoky and
cedary with ripe plums and cherries. On the palate it’s tangy and
surprisingly rich with hints of coconut, lime and citrus melded with dusty
plum-red pepper purée flavours. A very fine effort that is reminiscent of
a fine Bordeaux with a long, lingering, vanilla-sandalwood finish. A
definite release best buy at only $23! (www.colio.com)
From
Italy, this month’s attention grabber may not be cheap but it’s
excellent. Il
Poggiolino 1997 Chianti Classico Riserva at $27.95 fully
expresses what a great Tuscan red is all about. It’s robust, rich,
mouthfilling but well-balanced, baked ripe plum flavours caress the palate
along with its long chocolaty finish. Absolutely super stuff that got
better as the bottle was left open. (www.ilpoggiolino.com)
Unfortunately the same
can’t be said for the totally disappointing (both bottles) Ruffino
1996 Chianti Classico Reserva Ducale
‘Gold Label’ which
is mature and seriously overpriced at $39.70. Normally terrific, this
unquestionably the greatest letdown of the release. (www.ruffino.com)
As
a great fan of Pinot Noir, I openly lament how difficult it is to find
decent examples of this grape. Well despair no more; this month’s
Vintages release has a winner. From California’s Sonoma Russian River
Valley comes Kenwood
Vineyards 1999 Pinot Noir at $29 (full bottle) and $15.95 half.
It’s great to be able to get it in “splits” which often are slightly
more forward (or mature) in terms of taste than their larger 750 ml
brothers. Reason? All wines age more quickly in smaller bottles. (www.kenwoodvineyards.com)
Here’s a red, which
goes both ways –steak (preferred) or ribs. The nose is surprisingly
intense with lots of toasty, Burgundian, sundried tomato, cherry and sweet
beetroot notes. On the lighter side of medium-bodied, it’s spicy, ripe
beefsteak tomato flavours show nice length and balance. Give it two hearty
yums!
Moving
on to barbeque ribs where more cedar and sweeter fruit are the order of
the day, Vintages “Wine of the Month” is a good candidate. Raimat
1998 Abadia at $15.50 comes from Spain’s inland, desert-like
Catalonia Costers del Segre region. This blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon,
20% Merlot and 15% Tempranillo was aged for 18 months in American oak. The
complex, sweetish, cedary, ripe raspberry nose carries over nicely on to
its well- structured palate.
Those
who aren’t into wood and are seeking for tad more finesse and depth, are
well advised to try Bodegas Faustino Martinez 1995 Faustino V Rioja
Riserva, which was released last month at only $19.35. It was
one of thirty-one July Vintages releases, which the LCBO didn’t present
for evaluation. The bottle tasted was provided local agent Celebrated
Cellars! (www.bodegasfaustino.es)
This
excellent year has finely focused fruit featuring ripe plums and
raspberries with good balance and ripe but still firm tannins. The
lingering finish shows some complexity along with some bright tomato and
dusty sandalwood flavours. While it’s drinkable today, it will likely
benefit from an additional year or two of aging. With these flavours, I
wouldn’t feel sheepish about recommending a rack of lamb.
Finally, a good, robust,
fruity Syrah is always great. My recommended winner from California is Cline Cellars 1998 Los Carneros Syrah
at $26.50. It’s concentrated, mouthfilling, cedary, minty, stewed prune
and raspberry compote flavours are sufficient to tame the smokiest of ribs.
(www.clinecellars.com)
Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada
2004
Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
(electronic or other wise) and or quotation.
Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net