Cellar master's page

 

- Watch this space for information on recent cellar acquisitions -

Beginning my second year as cellar master I think that our branch has some pretty decent wines. My predecessor, Sleiman Zairoubi, was able to render years of “little black books” into useable data and I in turn made a living spreadsheet complete with tasting notes for organizers to access at any time. This Google spreadsheet also shows us where we stand in terms of rounding out our varietal selection or completing a vertical collection for a tasting.

At this time I am asking members to look in their cellars and see if there are at least 6 bottles of Saint Estephe, Haut Medoc or Pauillac from 2000 – 2002 that they would be willing to sell to the cellar for an upcoming tasting.

The cellar stands at a respectable 635 bottles with a total price of $23,507, the value of these wines being far greater. Our oldest wines, to use in a Century Club Tasting that is still in the works by Pierre-Marc Lariviere, Ted Pearson and Carola Price, are from Madiera and include single bottles of an 1835 Blandy’s Sercial Solera, 1916 Cossart Malmset and 1934 Cossart Bual. Our youngest wines are still in barrel in Bordeaux and were picked for their incredible cellaring potential as well as their pedigree. These are the Sociondo-Mallet, Les Ormes de Pez, Chateau Carbonnieux and Le Croix de Gay from the 2012 vintage and will be shipping out in summer of 2015.

We are scouring the private importers portfolios for highly regarded and, above all, interesting wines. This philosophy has led us to acquiring wines well before their medal placement at various award events all over the globe. I am pleased to say that a winery-only purchase of Canadian Pinotage garnered a Gold Medal at the National Wine Awards of Canada run by respected on-line magazine Wine Align, as well as the platinum award Norman Hardie County Pinot Noir that we had a chance to taste with the man himself at Etat Major in April. Also winning Platinum was the Val Ambre from Domaine Acer that was the dessert wine at the l’Orignal event just last month. The cellar committee will taste and buy with gusto in order to bring you the best wine and food experience.

Have a good winter and enjoy all of the wines there are out there. Tasting wine with food in good company is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

- Carola Price -