New Weekly Feature: What We Drank

It seems like we're always trying new things here on LENNDEVOURS, and here is yet another (I hope) weekly feature that should be a lot of fun -- What I Drank.

In a nutshell, I've asked each of the site's contributors to send me a quick note on Sunday night/Monday morning telling me about a wine (or other beverage) that they tasted over the weekend that stood out. It won't necessarily be the best wine they tasted though. It could be the most interesting, the most unique, a new wine that either impressed or disappointed. Oh, and the wine needn't be local, another diversion from the norm here on LENNDEVOURS.

This week, I'm actually going to take a step back and not highlight a wine (you'll be reading about the wines I tasted in other posts) because Bryan and Evan sent along some great stuff.

From Bryan Calandrelli: Thirty Bench 2006 Triangle Vineyard Riesling

On Sunday, my wife and I were invited to a fellow wine geek’s house on the Niagara River for a Memorial Day BBQ. He opened a few bottles of local stuff as well as a Pouilly Fumé, but I was most interested in the Thirty Bench 2006 Triangle Vineyard Riesling.

This “Beamsville Bench” appellation wine from Niagara, Ontario was brought over by a Sommelier Certification classmate of the host. I was expecting concentrated stone-fruit flavors but it turned out to be quite lean with a slight hint of petrol and an unmistakable minerality. Thirty Bench has won quite a few accolades for this wine and rightfully so. It’s not easy to find the best Ontario wines on this side of the border, so any chance to try them here is appreciated.

From Evan Dawson: Movia 2000 Puro

This wine is nearly as fun to open as it is to drink. That's because winemaker Aleš Kristančič of Movia does not disgorge the wine before release. Kristancic's vineyards, which straddle the border of Italy and Slovenia, are farmed in pure biodynamic fashion (he has become a kind of charismatic spokesman for biodynamic winemaking). Per his suggestion, we stored the bottle upside down and disgorged it underwater, allowing the yeast plug to shoot out before turning the bottle rightside up. My wife handled that process, and the wine came out gorgeously clear. I was almost disappointed that there wasn't a trace of yeast in the glass.

 

Movia Puro is certainly a richer wine than most sparklers; it lacks some of the minerality of its French cousins but I admired its personality. It smells like a butternut squash puree dotted with creme fraiche and varied nuts, with perhaps a slight zest of lime. It tastes even creamier, like someone converted a bag of assorted nuts into a coffee creamer, then added chunks of peach, apricot, and squash. There is a distinct character in both of the bottles of Movia that I have now enjoyed (we opened a bottle of 2004 Ribolla last fall), and coupled with the story of a man who buries the cow horn, worships the moon, and believes in sustainability to its core, it's easy to love these wines.

Comments

[Evan Dawson]

Bryan,

What does that wine retail for?

[Lenn Thompson]

Bryan: I'd also love to know where I might be able to get my hands on some.

[mydailywine]

I have been hearing about Movia all year. Time to find it and drink it...not crazy about possible exploding cork scenario but sounds worth it.
Cheers
Amy

[Morgan Dawson]

I can tell you all that opening it was a breeze - and totally cool. I'd love to do it again, but I'll definitely let someone else experience it next time.

Since I don't have four hands, Ev was the photographer that night - and did a great job. I've posted a few more pics to my Facebook page if you want to check them out. http://snurl.com/mdawsonphoto

Cheers!
Morgan

[Bryan]

Thirty Bench Riesling sells for $35 CA at the winery. 262 cases produced and dare I say none are exported to USA.

Sadly the only wines from Ontario I've seen in US are Cave Spring, Henry of Pelham, Inniskilin and a few others that are large enough to sell bulk.

The Beamsville Bench is one of several sub appellations on the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario, its limestone bedrock is ideal for lending serious minerality to its wines, especially in older vines.

Movia stuff rocks, I've only been able to get my hands on a the Vila Marija merlot and a pinot grigio.

[Evan Dawson]

Bryan,

Wow, I was mistaken about Movia. We enjoyed a bottle of Pinot Grigio last fall (it was spectacular, and I don't much care for that varietal), and a bottle of Ribolla this past winter (a bit of a letdown, if only because of the sky-high expectations). Puro was a blast. How was the Merlot?

[Bryan]

Evan,

Glad you asked.

http://snurl.com/iv7uu