Wow, what a rush. I finished my cost benefit analysis exam last night at 6, then hurried back to Toronto to attend to a bank issue, then hurried right back to Waterloo early Friday. I should say today, but its 4 am Saturday already.
Anyways, on the way back, I stopped by the LCBO at Waterloo, where I found..........a Flat Rock Cellars Gravity pinot noir!! This is their top of the line pinot noir, which I've been waiting for, for quite some time now. It cost $29.95, and I hope it's worth every penny. I also bought a bottle of 2004 Le Galantin Bandol. I have a bottle in my cellar already, but just want to try it. It's unfortunate that LCBO carries very little of Bandol wines, which is why I picked this bottle up immediately, a couple of months ago.
Upon opening the Le Galantin Bandol, I had this strange feeling about how it smelled. And then I realized - it smelled like a barnyard! I'm not kidding, it smells like a farm, a mixture of hay and dung. It smells like shit, quite literally. But not in a disgusting way, I'm enjoying this bottle. Yes, I'm finishing the entire bottle for my own good, because I have another exam coming up soon. It has bright fruit notes, of cherry and candied apple but this barnyard smell is quite dominating. This is the first time I've noticed this in any wine I've tasted, which is quite interesting. Also, on the tongue, there's this slight feeling that the wine is still carbonated - like when you try making wine at home and you havn't fully removed the yeasts. Very very interesting experience.
I don't know if this is a result of lazy winemaking or a natural effect of the mourvedre grape. I asked my roommate to take a sniff and my thoughts on the barnyard effect was confirmed. I enjoy this wine though, really interesting to taste this and remember it. By the way, it's quite strong, at 14.5% alcohol. Price went down a bit. I bought a bottle at $21.95 several months ago, and now, it's at $18.50.
LCBO sometimes pisses me off. I bought a bottle of Chateau L'Arrosee, a St.-Emilion Grand Cru Classe at $65 a bottle one year ago, just before Christmas. The same vintage, a 2003, sells for $61.95. Not a big difference but still, what the hell?
Anyways, it's late and I need to finish my wine and get to bed. A big weekend ahead of me, lots of work and studying to do! If you're interested in tasting what a dung-smelling wine tastes like, get the Le Galantin! You might not like it, but it's interesting for sure!!
Anyways, on the way back, I stopped by the LCBO at Waterloo, where I found..........a Flat Rock Cellars Gravity pinot noir!! This is their top of the line pinot noir, which I've been waiting for, for quite some time now. It cost $29.95, and I hope it's worth every penny. I also bought a bottle of 2004 Le Galantin Bandol. I have a bottle in my cellar already, but just want to try it. It's unfortunate that LCBO carries very little of Bandol wines, which is why I picked this bottle up immediately, a couple of months ago.
Upon opening the Le Galantin Bandol, I had this strange feeling about how it smelled. And then I realized - it smelled like a barnyard! I'm not kidding, it smells like a farm, a mixture of hay and dung. It smells like shit, quite literally. But not in a disgusting way, I'm enjoying this bottle. Yes, I'm finishing the entire bottle for my own good, because I have another exam coming up soon. It has bright fruit notes, of cherry and candied apple but this barnyard smell is quite dominating. This is the first time I've noticed this in any wine I've tasted, which is quite interesting. Also, on the tongue, there's this slight feeling that the wine is still carbonated - like when you try making wine at home and you havn't fully removed the yeasts. Very very interesting experience.
I don't know if this is a result of lazy winemaking or a natural effect of the mourvedre grape. I asked my roommate to take a sniff and my thoughts on the barnyard effect was confirmed. I enjoy this wine though, really interesting to taste this and remember it. By the way, it's quite strong, at 14.5% alcohol. Price went down a bit. I bought a bottle at $21.95 several months ago, and now, it's at $18.50.
LCBO sometimes pisses me off. I bought a bottle of Chateau L'Arrosee, a St.-Emilion Grand Cru Classe at $65 a bottle one year ago, just before Christmas. The same vintage, a 2003, sells for $61.95. Not a big difference but still, what the hell?
Anyways, it's late and I need to finish my wine and get to bed. A big weekend ahead of me, lots of work and studying to do! If you're interested in tasting what a dung-smelling wine tastes like, get the Le Galantin! You might not like it, but it's interesting for sure!!
hmmm, LCBO only carries one Bandol, which is really sad. I never developed a liking for barn flavors, but the review from the winelibrary and your blog seem to be quite positive =). I"ll give it a shot after the exams.
ReplyDeleteWell...too be truthful I didn't so much enjoy it as I found it to be fascinating. If I had to make a wild guess - the odour comes from the barrels that they're using. Either that or the yeast, it really smells strong. And the most curious thing is that it feels a bit carbonated on your tongue! It's terrible that we don't see Tempier Bandol but for now, this is going to have to suffice.
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