Friday, June 6, 2014

Report from ... Osoyoos Larose Meet Mathieu Mercier Dinner - January 14, 2014

Osoyoos Larose came to town for a little meet and greet with their new winemaker ... here's what we tasted, ate and a look at the new man in charge of one of British Columbia's iconic wines:

The Start ...

Opening the evening with a little Steller's Jay sparkling from Sumac Ridge
Looking over the menu waiting for our host and the man of the hour.
The (New) Winemaker ...

Meet Mathieu Mercier, Osoyoos Larose's new winemaker who took over
in March 2013 after stints in Napa, Chile and Bordeaux.
Mathieu's pedigree is that his family has been in the wine business "forever";
he was also trained in Cognac (France).
The Wines ...

2009 Petales (second wine) - majority Merlot
Nose of anise, black cherry, blackberry, violets and coffee;
Palate  is floral, cedary, cran-cherry, earthy with gentle spice and
good acidity with a smoky, woodsy, coffee grounds finish.
All indicators point to what this wine will become, not what it is not.

2010 Petales (surprise addition - only one bottle present)
lighter, fruitier yet still with a powerful cedary side which detracts
from the fruit a little ... seemingly simplistic at this early date.
2008 Le Grand Vin
big and black fruited with intense raspberry, black cherry; thick and rich in the mouth,
aggressive wine that shows the alcohol - hoping it will settle with age.
2009 Le Grand Vin
This is the bomb: nose lures, palate intrigues, wine delivers
Great structure, nice acidity, well-rounded fruit; this continues
to get better and better the longer it's open and the more it's sipped.
The Big Guns in Glass
The Food - (Nota Bene Restaurant, Toronto) ...

Matzo Ball Soup 
chicken broth, shaved perigord truffle, parmigiano
Grilled Striploin (bonus: fries and onion rings)
chickpea fritter, bell pepper & chorizo sauce, chimichurri
Michel Cluizel Chocolate Cake
with s'more ice cream

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