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Moon Curser bold, tenacious and inspirational
The Chef and the Grape
By Chef Kristof Gillese
“To boldly go where no one has been before!”
How is it possible that the tagline from the original Star Trek series can directly reference the work of a winemaker? Well the answer is an easy one if, perhaps, not so simple: I admire people who are willing to, as Frost put it “take the path less trodden.” When we taste a Chardonnay, for example, it’s difficult not to compare versus the dozens hundreds of other Chardonnays we’ve had. Of course we do this – it’s human nature.
What about the last Tannat you had? Or Nero de Troia? Or Arneis?
For me, when I try these rarities, I am so busy trying to learn the nuances of the grape that I (usually) forget to compare it against any other version I may have had… I’m too busy, you see, enjoying the experience. A shame that the human condition prevents us from always approaching wine with that kind of open mind.
Well today I have the privilege of tasting some of the 2014 release from Chris and Beata Tolley of Moon Curser vineyards, winemakers I know and respect from the Oliver region of the Okanagan Valley DVA in British Columbia.
…and so I knew it was going to be a joyous kind of work as I pulled several treasures from the shipping box and lined them up for  a long afternoon. As always, it was a learning experience.
2013 Afraid of the Dark
blend: Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier
$22, 90+ points EXCELLENT VALUE
Not everyone’s cuppa tea, but if you love this style of blend then it is almost impossible to find in B.C. for such a reasonable price. From the first gentle splash into my glass, aromas of summer flowers, apricot compote, warm peach cobbler and slightly salty mineral tones warmed the air. The palate is brisk; medium+ to full melon and apricot acids dance on the taste-buds and yet are very well balanced. There is excellent concentration of flavors that mimic well the bouquet and the structure offers a good length to savor. Beautiful on it’s own, this wine pairs brilliantly with roast/grilled poultry and in our house is commonly served with a *(somewhat) traditional Lyonaise styled dinner: Meaux mustard, garlic and fresh rosemary grilled chicken, roast gold and purple beets, baby spinach tossed with garden tomatoes, organic peashoots and house-pickled cucumbers
2013Â Arneis
*Osoyoos East Bench vineyard
$22, 89+/90 points Very Good Value
This wine is tricky for me to score because, to the powers of my fading memory, this may be the first and only Arneis I have ever had: what a beautiful bouquet; ripe melons and pear add dimension to piercing salty mineral tones, the food-friendly medium+ acids convey layers of lemon zest and juice which make me yearn for the sounds and smells of fresh fish frying on a campfire, lathered in butter and some tinfoil roast potatoes to accompany. The balance of the wine is quite good, but as indicated will benefit from having food beside it much like a great Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige *(the Arneis is also an Italian varietal). Very good concentration already – I happen to know that these are very young vines and as such I have high expectations of subsequent vintages!
2013 Nothing to Declare rosé
100% Syrah; saignee method
119 cases produced
$22, 90+ 91 points EXCELLENT VALUE
So pretty and yet so serious! This cheeky rascal is spring in a bottle with perfumed aromas of slightly candied fresh strawberries, ripening red raspberries and dried cranberries… yet in the background lurk more serious tones of wild scrub-brush and the ever-present Moon Curser sea-salt minerality. The palate is a sommelier’s dream with crisp, tight, lean, focused cranberry and red currant medium+/full acid playing a merry tune with great balance, concentration and length on the palate. A delight to enjoy on its own, save as much as young can for Thanksgiving because this is one of the wines to pair with turkey! Everything about this wine will play off the traditional feast and, should you not be able to wait, barbeque some salmon with brown sugar and soy sauce, perhaps a hint of dark rum in the marinade, and prepare to be delighted!
2012Â Tempranillo
100% estate fruit
223 case produced SOLD OUT
$29, 90+Â points EXCELLENT VALUE
Dark, sultry, earthy goodness; this wine is terroir. The concentration of aromas is nothing short of beauty; a symphony of dark floral tones (irises, roses) blending with crushed peppercorns and a background of warm cigars and red currant jelly cooking on the stove. Impeccable balance, the light-weight of the wine will surprise considering the bouquet but, remember, this is a cool-climate wine! Enjoy the brightness, the freshness, the “tastes like more” as a mentor continually reminds me he’s looking for in great wines. This is a natural for Christmas dinner my friends: look for the same qualities in this to play off roast turkey and stuffing that you find in great Pinot Noir or, for the adventurous, Gamay Noir… bright, light, fresh red berry acids and finely integrated tannin. Perfect!
2012Â Carmenere
100% estate fruit, second ever single varietal bottling of Carmenere for MC
192 cases produced, SOLD OUT
$38, 91+ points:Â BEAUTIFUL
SILVER MEDAL – 2014 NATIONAL WINE AWARDS OF CANADA
SILVER MEDAL – 2014 INTERVIN INTERNATIONAL WINE
**MERITS SERIOUS DECANTING OR TWO RUNS THROUGH AERATOR**
Musky, heady spices straight from the Souq (market). Tints of sandalwood, rugged B.C. garrigue (wild savoury herbs). Saskatoons ripening in August sun; the bouquet of this wine is not only brilliantly articulate but spectacularly unique. I’ve only ever come across a Carmenere like this once before and it, too, was from British Columbia. I will forgo the usual analysis/critique and instead share with you a short string of thoughts that I had considered turning into a single article about this most singular expression of varietal.
When Jacques Cartier explored the wilds of Canada there was a sense of respect for the work he did. I doubt anyone looked at his; some of the first maps of this New World, and said, “Listen here Jacko-me-boy! Your maps are pretty and all but the lines are rough, the lettering archaic and I just don’t like the shade of pencil you used!”
No.
This was an innovator, a pioneer, a forward-thinker. Because of this we remember Jacques Cartier and teach our children to honour his courage.
The world of wine is no different. Right now there are innovators, leaders, pushing the boundaries of what conventional wisdom holds to be possible… like growing Carmenere in Canada.
One of the original six varietals in the sacred Bordeaux red blend and, more recently, come to greatness on the fertile slopes of Chile. Carmenere can carry the plush mouth-feel of Merlot with the warm earthy tones of Shiraz and its own distinct green bell pepper aromas.
The ever-innovative team at Moon Curser vineyards led by Chris and Beata Tolley have now coaxed the capricious Carmenere from their cosy property in Oliver. Though not the first to plant the grape in the vastness of this most northerly growing region, they are one of only a small handful attempting a single varietal bottling and, to my mind, to great success.
This isn’t the first time I’ve praised Moon Curser for their boldness: their tenacious quest to test the limits of what is or is not possible is nothing short of inspirational.
And so, should you be enticed to try this novel interpretation I hope you will reserve judgment. Allow yourself to enjoy, appreciate and perhaps even be inspired a little by the Tolley’s courage.
Many thanks to the Tolley family and Moon Curser vineyards for taking the time and expense to send these lovely wines to me.
As always you can find more recipes, free wine reviews and my notes on premium distillates and cigars: on Twitter @AStudentofWine and on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape
– Kristof Gillese: Trained chef, certified wine steward and proud journalist. To chef Kristof it is the story that takes priority: to tell the tale of common people accomplishing uncommon goals. In the world of wine these tales are prolific. It is chef Kristof’s privilege to have worked with, and/or told the story of, luminaries such as Pierre-Henry Gagey of Maison Jadot, Nik Weis of St Urbans-Hof, Ray Signorello of Signorello Estates and Ezra Cipes of Summerhill Pyramid Winery; leaders in the industry. With almost three decades of experience working with the magical synergy between food and wine, chef Kristof is proud to share the stories of these amazing stewards of the land. These articles showcase a respect for the balance between our current mercantile economy and the-now-in-vogue ancestral farming methods/biodynamics/organic farming principles. All articles are written with a profound reverence for the family aspect to winery culture as, to this writers understanding, nothing has ever had a more far-reaching effect than the love and devotion for a parent to a child. All great wineries are built by parents for their children and grandchildren and it is because of this that chef Kristof writes.
You can read more of his rants-on-wine including full portfolio reviews, interviews with winemakers and notes from the illustrious #WineTastingCircle on his website www.TheChefandTheGrape.com and his blog www.AStudentofWine.blogspot.com.
