What exactly is dry farming? When I got my invitation to the Montes tasting hosted in Toronto on March 2, 2015 Three vintages of the Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon were presented. This was interesting because starting with the 2012 vintage we are seeing the results of “dry farming”. The long and short of it is that Montes is using less water in their grape growing process. The end product is lower yields on the vines and smaller berries but the quality of the fruit is much higher. When I spoke with winemaker Aurelio Montes he explained to me that while Montes wasn’t doing organic farming they believe in low intervention in the vineyards.
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I tasted 1999, 2011 and 2012.
1999 – ****+ – This is balanced and ready to drink. Flavours of Cedar, Smoke are front and centre. Once the smoke rises you find raspberry and cherry. As the fruit rolls off the back of your tongue you’re left with a strong tobacco note on the finish. This wine will still last for another 3-5 years … but it won’t last forever. For a wine where the current vintage is listed at just under twenty dollars this is fantastic value!
2011 – **** – There are lots of Raspberry, Strawberry, Blackberry and Currant in the glass. Once the fruit is done being center stage you finish with licorice and mint notes. This is very well made Cab Sauv and should easily age as well as the 1999.
2012 – ****+ – There is noticeably more concentration in the fruit flavours in the wine. Lots of Strawberry, Raspberry, Cassis and Blackberry that is followed up by Tobacco and Mocha notes. This wine easily outperforms it’s price point and it will easily age as well as the 1999 if not longer. If this is the product of dry farming I am looking forward to future wines from Montes.
The Cab Sauv flight easily highlighted both the quality of the wines prior to and after the implementation of dry farming. To be honest every wine on the panel was affable and easy to drink. The Sauv Blanc and Cinsault were both fantastic.
2013 Montes Outer Limits Sauvignon Blanc – Vintages 389643 – $19.95 – **** – This Chilean Sauvignon Blanc could go toe to toe with any New Zealand offering and hold it’s own. The nose is intense gooseberry and grassy notes and it definitely leaps out of the glass. The flavours are loads of tropical fruits – passion, pineapple and lime underneath a refreshing herbaciousness that is begging to be paired with grilled chicken or pork.
2014 Montes Outer Limits Cinsault – **** – What would Beaujolais Villages taste like if it came from the southern hemisphere? This wine has gone through carbonic maceration that brings out sour cherry on the nose and lots of sour cherry on the palate. Light and refreshing with clean acidity this wine is almost as food friendly as a well put together Rosé
Lastly I got a chance to taste through the ultra permium offerings from the winery.
2012 Purple Angel – Vintages 62364 – ****+ – The nose and palate on this wine is all fruit on the nose and in the mouth. This is drinking dangerously easy even though the wine is still young. Your first sip of the wine will be a giant fruit bomb in your mouth. The second sip will show you the structure of the wine and you will find the acidity and caramel on the finish. This should age 15-20 years.
2007 Taita – ****1/2 – ($350CDN approx) Taita is going to be the halo wine from Montes. There are supposed to be 35 bottles released in Canada. This is the sort of wine that could age for 15-30 years easily (in a proper cellar). The nose is very intense mexican vanilla with very ripe blueberry, raspberry, cassis layered over cedar, tobacco and mocha. To steal a line from Ferris Bueller “Should you have the means I highly recommend it”
