I don’t often write about past vintage wines that I taste. I know that my podcast co-host Michael Pinkus enjoys writing about his “taste it again” selections. I know with the wildly popular Two Guys Talking Wine we frequently raid his cellar – but going through his collection is often a minefield. We often need to open a half dozen bottles to find a gem. My own collection is a risky investment – I don’t have proper temperature control or humidity control where my wines are stored. But, I continue to build my collection nonetheless – and do the best I can to keep the temperature steady. During the COVID-19 Pandemic I have been drinking many of my stored bottles. If the world is ending I want to go out drinking the good stuff. One recent bottle I opened was the first vintage of Les Etoiles I bought. From the hot 2010 vintage I know that many winemakers had to fight with the fruit to make sure they held onto their acids. It appears that Jonas Newman from Hinterland didn’t get the memo. Here are my notes on this stunning wine.
2010 Les Etoiles – ***** – What happens when you have a bit of patience and a bottle of sparkling wine? Turns out it’s magic. I always knew that Jonas Newman was a talented winemaker – but nothing could have prepared me for this. In Ontario we are looking at a trend of wineries aging their sparkling wines on lees for longer periods of time, and wineries experimenting with barrels for their base wines. It turns out the missing piece of the puzzle is patience. When I opened this wine nothing could have prepared me for the depth within the bottles. I have had the opportunity to taste a few icon champagnes over the past year, and this ranks with the best of thm. I am grateful to have a few subsequent bottles of Les Etoiles in my cellar because for upcoming special occasions I will have a bottle of VQA Prince Edward County bubbles that will put to shame French wines that cost four or five times the price. Rich notes of brioche and hazelnut with hints of vanilla and baked apple on the nose and palate. The texture of this wine is massive on the back palate but ephemeral as it is met with searing acidity thanks to the cool climate growing conditions of the county. Everything was right about this wine – the only thing that hurts is knowing this was my last bottle. If you have any in your cellar enjoy now – or hold until 2023.
