What is a cru? It is many things: soil composition, slope, exposure, micro-fauna, climate, appropriate intervention (such as wood/oak, yeast choice, technqiues, elevage, trellising, spacing, harvesting and other in-vineyard decisions). A cooler or warmer climate can change how a fruit tastes. Cool yields less ripe fruit, which is lower sugar and higher acidity, lower alcohols, less body. Warmer means riper fruit, higher sugar, lower acidity, higher alcohols, more body. Old World is often the cooler climate, New World is often warmer climate. So Old World is often that Terrior/earthiness, New World has often delicious fruit notes.
We went across a world of wine to see Cru’s specialty. Classic Terroirs in the red category consist of Northern Rhône, Barolo and Barbaresco, Chianti/Tuscany, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Douro reds. In the white, it is Burgundy, Sancerre, Riesling, White Rhônes, Grüner Veltliner, and Loire Valley Chenin Blanc. New World reds are Napa & Sonoma Cabernet/blends, South Australian “old vine” Shiraz/Grenache, Washington Syrahs, Old Vine zinfandel, Uco Valley Malbec. Whites are high-altitude mountain whites, cool climate Rieslings, Hunter Valley Semillon.
A few of my favourites in this seminar were:
Clos du Soleil Estate Reserve, which hails from Similkameen Valley Canada. It was a vintage 2013, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Vedot and Malbec.
Coronica Gran Teran is a lovely red from Istria, Croatia. It is also 2013 and it is 100% Teran.
A third contender out of the long list was Bodega Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard River Stones Malbec Malbec, from Mendoza, Argentina. It is 100% Malbec and one heck of an expensive wine (for me at least, it is $175.00. That’s why it is so smooth and full-bodied, I suppose)
Featured wines:
Bodega Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard River Stones Malbec 2016
Tyrrell’s Wines Winemakers Selection Vat 1 Hunter Semillon 2014
Clos du Soleil Winery Estate Reserve Red 2013
Viña Carmen DO Quijada Semillon 2017
Coronica Wines Gran Teran 2015
Jean-Luc Colombo Terres Brulées Cornas 2016
Carpineto Poggio Sant’Enrico 2010
MASI Agricola Brolo di Campofiorin Oro 2014
Fonseca Vintage Port 2017
Marqués de Riscal Finca Torrea 2016
Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, ToKalon Vineyard, Napa Valley 2016
Wines of Substance Substance Vineyard Collection – Jacks Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
For more information on the seminar and the Vancouver International Wine Festival, check out their website here: https://vanwinefest.ca/event/the-global-cru/
