This past summer I had an opportunity to interview Andrzej Lipinski for Two Guys Talking Wine to get his history on tape. What wasn’t reflected in the interview was the number of wines I had the opportunity to taste. When you start tasting through wines with Andrzej it’s like hanging out with a kid who’s just had a birthday. He just wants to show off all the new toys he’s got – only, instead of toys it’s wines. When Michael and I were thinking of leaving the winery I think we got a good half dozen “just one more…” wines. Here’s the thing about Big Head Winery – the reputation is well earned. Andrzej is a talented winemaker, but the portfolio is never treading water.
When I first discovered Big Head the wines were being made behind Cornerstone winery. The feather in the cap of Big Head at it’s foundation was that the wines were all appassimento, and I remember the portfolio being very strong. If we fast forward to today things are still very creative with the Raw series of wines being very popular at wine bars in Toronto. On the day I stopped by the winery I got a chance to taste more than a few wines – here are some of the many, many highlights.
2017 RAW Syrah – $65 – ****+ – Whole cluster and carbonic maceration made using the concrete vessels that seem to multiplying with every vintage at big head. Rich and complex with virtually every flavour you can imagine from great Syrah climbing out of the glass. Smoked meat, licorice, cassis, and cracked pepper all play in perfect harmony. Tannin is well integrated making this ready to drink now but should evolve in a cellar over a decade or more.
2017 RAW Chenin Blanc – $45 – ****½ – While Chenin Blanc isn’t exactly something that jumps to mind when you think of VQA wines – but Big Head has a way with this grape. If this wine isn’t already sold out – it will be soon – but I would be running to get my hands on the next vintage without needing to taste it. The aromas and flavours are honeyed and floral. While this feels sweet in your mouth it is a dry wine. My favourite element of the Chenin is the rich texture on the palate. The finish is long and a floral note that lingers.
2018 Gamay – $25 – **** – This was fermented using carbonic maceration the resulting wine is brimming with very fresh aromas of cherry, raspberry, and somehow some bubble gum is also in the bottle. In spite of its freshness I wouldn’t call this wine elegant – but that’s not a bad thing – a little rustic with black pepper that creeps through the aromas and finish of this wine. The flavours on the mid palate are a polar opposite of the nose – dark cherry, and blackberry dominate these flavours. I imagine this will evolve over the next 3-7 years but the longer you wait the less fresh it will be.
2015 Biggest Red – $70 – ****+ – The appassimento reds from Big Head were the wines that really hooked me in the first place when I made my first visit years ago. And while I’m still remaining sceptical of appassimento in Ontario the wines from Andrzej Lipinski are definitely one of the reasons I’m on the fence about this style. The blend is 50% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. This spent 40 days on skins, and 34 months in barrel before being unleashed on the world. Loaded with plush red and black fruit – tannin is already integrated and ready to enjoy now.
2017 RAW Malbec – $65 – ****+ – There is a lot going on in this bottle – thanks to carbonic maceration the fruit is bright and juicy on the nose. On the palate this is brooding and loaded with heavier cassis, cherry, raspberry, and strawberry. There’s a bit of smoke, and the tannin is still chunky on the finish. If you decide to open this young it will need some serious time in a decanter – or you can be patient and wait 2-3 years for the tannin to start to relax before enjoying this bottle.
