C297-AB: Languedoc, Provence, Loire and Cognac

CELLAR

AB 297

ORDER JULY 12 – AUG 15, 2022

LANGUEDOC, PROVENCE, LOIRE & COGNAC Jean-Marc Astruc and Katie Jones in their faithful Citroen Dyane. photo: nigel bradbury

OPIMIAN.CA

SENSE OF PLACE & PASSION

LOT 3527

DOMAINE JEAN-MARC ASTRUC HERBARIUM GRENACHE, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2020

GRENACHE Translucent ruby in colour, this wine has intense pungent aromas of blackcurrants. It is supple and smooth, light- to medium-bodied and well balanced. The Herbarium wines are inspired by the large number of wildflowers and herbs found in the vineyards around Tuchan, including rosemary, lavender, poppy and olive. Grenache was grown on 25-year-old vines in schist soils.

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

Languedoc-Roussillon is a large region in southern France, stretching along the Mediterranean coast from Provence and the Rhône in the east, to the Pyrénées Mountains and the border with Spain. Much of the coastal area is flat. Further inland, the terrain becomes rocky with the Cévennes Mountains, the Montagne Noire standing at over 1200 metres and Pyrénées mountain range offering respite from the heat. The climate is Mediterranean, with lots of sunshine and low rainfall with low disease pressure, making it pretty easy to ripen grapes. This is the reason Languedoc is the largest producer of organic wines in France. The flatter regions produce simple, easy-drinking wines. The best wines tend to come from higher, cooler sites influenced by altitude, wind and exposition. A large proportion of wines produced are IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée), with the region also home to 23 Appellations. The largest one, AOC Languedoc, covers ten subregional Appellations including Minervois, Corbières, and Limoux. Driving around the Languedoc, you will often come across the Canal du Midi – a feat of engineering built between 1667-1694, linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with 360 kilometres of network with 328 structures - locks, aqueducts, bridges and tunnels.

$18/750 ML $108/CASE OF 6

DELIVERY WINTER 2023

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE COLOURS OF THE GARRIGUE

Blackcurrant, pungent

Smooth

2022-2024, M8 D9

18°C

14%

Grilled fresh sardines with lemon and garlic

EDITORIAL

Value With Every Page

Michael Lutzmann and Greg Rinehart, Opimian Managing Directors

Opimian's connection with Masters of Wine dates back to the very beginning. First Ken Christie MW and then Jane Masters MW have ably provided us with the guidance necessary to be and remain Canada's Wine Club.

Over the last several years, the number and scope of MWs around the world have changed dramatically. There are now well over 400 Masters of Wine and that number is growing. Included in this prestigious list are more than ten Canadians. You will have noticed that over the past year or so, we have included the writing of many of them much to the delight of the Membership. We then added Louise Wilson MW as our full-time Senior Manager of Procurement.

As we continue to add to the expertise and diversity that Masters of Wine provide, Jane Masters MW will be pursuing other opportunities closer to home and around the world. We are so very grateful for Jane's support of Opimian over the past twelve years. You never know – you may just see her as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2023.

As this is written, a busload of Opimian Members is visiting BLB Vignobles for their first stop in Languedoc-Roussillon, having spent time in beautiful Provence, Rhône and Champagne.

Opimian’s return to wine travel has been exciting and educational, but we’ll have to leave the Loire for another visit!

Opimian Members love Languedoc-Roussillon wines for their price to quality ratio. Our partners in this region – BLB Vignobles, Château Canet and Domaine Jones – have harnessed this natural bounty to provide Opimians with exceptional wines year after year.

Katie Jones and her husband Jean-Marc Astruc have been given some special attention this year. Not only is Jean-Marc’s Herbarium Grenache our feature wine, one of Katie’s is a Coup de Coeur.

OPIMIAN SUGGESTS.................................................................................. P5 COUPS DE COEUR....................................................................................... P7 DOMAINE JONES & DOMAINE JEAN-MARC ASTRUC....... P8 CHÂTEAU CANET........................................................................................ P14 CHÂTEAU JOUCLARY.............................................................................. P20 Domaine d’O...................................................................................................P25 Domaine La Voûte du Verdus............................................................P26 Domaine Parpalhòl....................................................................................P27 TOP VALUE WINES................................................................................... P28 DOMAINE DE LA JASSE........................................................................ P30 PROVENCE.......................................................................................................P36 Domaine Tour Campanets...................................................................P37 Château Maïme........................................................................................... P38 Domaine Dupuy de Lôme...................................................................P40 Château d’Ollières.......................................................................................P41 MAISON FOUCHER-LEBRUN.............................................................P42 CELLAR UP!.................................................................................................... P50 Marquis de Goulaine..................................................................................P51 DOMAINE ÉLISABETH.............................................................................P52 COLLECTOR’S CORNER....................................................................... P54

Our growing subscription programs Founders Choice and The Masters Case both come from Domaine de la Jasse (BLB Vignobles). These programs are the perfect way for you to get to know a producer and their wines.

You will find your Loire favourites well represented: Sancerre, Vouvray and Pouilly Fumé, among others. Maison Foucher-Lebrun finds and offers many fine, small producers for you to choose from.

Our offer from Provence, a region famous around the world for its rosé, has been enhanced this time around. Domaines Tour Campanets and Dupuy de Lôme return by popular demand, and new partner Château Maïme has impressed the Master of Wine.

We proudly present them to you for your drinking pleasure.

Our intent is to provide value with every page. In addition to the listings where you get far more information on the wines than from any other Canadian source, we offer serving suggestions, educational articles, producer profiles and everything you need to know to make the most of your Membership. Cheers to Canada’s Wine Club!

Michael & Greg

4

CELLAR 297 — EDITORIAL

OPIMIAN SUGGESTS OUR PICKS FOR THIS CELLAR

MANAGING DIRECTOR

GREG RINEHART

Greg's wine style gravitates towards less serious styled rosés and whites. He believes that all events should start with a glass of bubbly! However, when done right, there is no better red grape for producing lighterbodied wines of elegance and complexity than Pinot Noir.

LA PERLE RARE JONES SYRAH, VIN DE FRANCE, 2018, LOT 3538, P54

MAÏME HÉRITAGE ROSÉ, AOP CÔTES DE PROVENCE, 2021, LOT 3539, P38

CHÂTEAU CANET, AOP MINERVOIS, ROUGE, 2021 (MAGNUM), LOT 3543, P16

CÉCILE LEBRUN SANCERRE BLANC/POUILLY FUMÉ CASE, LOT 3589, P45

KATIE JONES ROUGE, VIN DE FRANCE, 2021, LOT 3531, P10

DOMAINE DUPUY DE LÔME, ROUGE, AOP BANDOL, 2019, LOT 3585, P41

MANAGING DIRECTOR

MICHAEL LUTZMANN

Michael has level 3 training from WSET. Before discovering more about wine through training, he only drank heavy reds. While those are still favourites, his palate pleasers now include the full spectrum with dessert/ fortified wines edging toward the top of his list. The expanded selection of Beaujolais has him looking to add fantastic lighter reds to his collection.

— CELLAR 297 OPIMIAN SUGGESTS

5

MASTER PIECE

What Opimian Has Meant to Me Jane Masters MW is Opimian’s Master of Wine

As Opimian’s Consultant Master of Wine, over the last twelve years I have tasted my way through tens of thousands of wines and selected the best.

Since my first Cellar Offering in 2010, Cellar 198, my aim has consistently been to source the best wines possible in terms of quality and value for money for Members. Wines which are good quality, reflect their provenance and style and which are distinctive, whatever the price level, from simple everyday drinking wines to complex wines for cellaring and special occasions.

Wine producers are an essential part of Opimian, with good wines made by producers who are passionate and knowledgeable about their land and environment and who have a questioning attitude to driving wine quality. I am fortunate that in my professional life, I have visited all major wine-producing regions around the world. Over the years, the Opimian supply base evolved quite substantially, as quality producers making interesting new wines were introduced to complement longstanding relationships. I have visited most Opimian producers, many of which are small independent family affairs, gaining insight into their wines and focus as well as what is happening in their regions. I know many Members enjoy travelling and visiting wine regions for similar reasons. While nothing can substitute a first-hand visit, my aim has been to share my experiences with Members in

6

CELLAR 297 — MASTER PIECE

COUPS DE COEUR THIS CELLAR'S HIGHEST SCORING WINES

EVERYDAY DRINKING DOMAINE DE LA JASSE RÉSERVE D'EXCELLENCE, HOMMAGE, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2020, LOT 3571, P34

describing wines and sharing the stories and passion of the producers.

As a Membership organization, you the Members are the raison d’être for Opimian’s existence. My responsibilities for sourcing wines on behalf of Members meant that most of my time was spent with producers and doing tastings; however, I have shared memorable moments with Members on visits far and wide within Canada and internationally, and discovered many wonderful places. I have seen icebergs in Newfoundland, enjoyed live bands along George Street in St. John's, experienced torrential rain in Fort McMurray (where I was guaranteed it never rained), visited wineries in Okanagan and Niagara, ate lobster on Prince Edward Island, indeed, eaten wonderful meals throughout! It was a pleasure to meet Members in Calgary, Charlottetown,

CELLARING POTENTIAL CHÂTEAU JOUCLARY TRADITION, AOP CABARDÈS, FAMILLE GIANESINI, 2021, LOT 3549, P21

JONES VINEYARD COLLECTION CARIGNAN, VIN DE FRANCE, 2020, LOT 3536, P13

Edmonton, Fredericton, Fort McMurray, Gatineau, Halifax, Kitchener, Moncton, Montreal, Niagara, Ottawa, Quebec City, Regina, Saskatoon, St. John's, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg (apologies if I have missed any). These trips were hard work but fun, and everyone was always so generous. Thanks to all of the people that organized these trips and hosted me over the years. Wine is made to be enjoyed: it creates community and I have indeed made many friends.

Today, high-quality wines are made in many places around the world. However, the global wine trade faces some serious challenges not least that of climate change. This is of particular concern to wine, as the best quality wines are so intimately linked to their terroir and climate. Wine regions around the world are experiencing climate change in terms

JANE MASTERS MW is one of Opimian's Masters of Wine, who taste and select Opimian's wines and spirits for quality and value.

DOMAINE LA VOÛTE DU VERDUS, CUVÉE LE GRAND SAUT, AOP LANGUEDOC, 2019, LOT 3558, P26

not only of warmer growing seasons leading to earlier ripening but more frequent extreme weather events extended periods of drought, increased wildfires, severe spring frosts and floods.

Wine producers have to adapt to and mitigate these. Wine has been made and enjoyed for millennia and has seen periods of crisis in the past. This decade is crucial for action. As a Master of Wine, I sincerely hope that as a trade we will rise to the challenges before us and I am working towards that. I hope that you, as wine consumers, will continue to enjoy and discover new wines and to share experiences in a vibrant wine community.

I raise a glass and toast you all the best.

Cheers!

— CELLAR 297 COUPS DE COEUR

7

FRANCE

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON Having lived and worked at the local cooperative in Tuchan for many years, Katie Jones felt she could not stand by and watch plots of old vines, planted over 100 years ago, simply go to rack and ruin. She determined to breathe life into, and bring value to, the old vineyards around her. She started by buying a small inaccessible plot on a steep slope at high altitude: the locals thought she was mad. No one wanted the hassle of tending vines in such a difficult place. Her husband Jean-Marc is from a local family of wine growers, who for generations had brought grapes to the cooperative in Tuchan. Jean-Marc withdrew from the coop and created his own estate. Some of the villagers have still not forgiven him, so it has not been easy. The couple have persevered and as the years go by, their wines continue to improve.

Domaine Jones now has a total of 15 small vineyards, all old vines at high altitudes.

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CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

photo — The bright yellow of broom announces spring in the vineyard in Tuchan, Languedoc.

AOP FITOU

Domaine Jones & Domaine Jean-Marc Astruc

Fitou is an Appellation in Languedoc in the hills of the Corbières massif. It has two distinct regions: Fitou Maritime on the coast and Fitou Haut, an enclave around Tuchan, on schist slopes with little topsoil or organic matter. This is where Katie Jones is based. Fitou was the first region in the Languedoc to gain Appellation status and has some very old vines producing mainly red wines.

TUCHAN

3528

DOMAINE DES REBOULS, FAMILLE ASTRUC, AOP FITOU, 2017

Carignan, Syrah, Grenache

$ 21

$ 126

A fully mature wine, it is deep in colour with aromas of chocolate, coffee, black treacle and mulberries. Juicy fruits, raspberry and bitter cherry shine on the palate. It is dense in structure with a firm grippy finish.

Produced from a blend of 50% Carignan, 30% Syrah and 20% Grenache.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Chocolate, coffee, mulberries, treacle

18°C

Raspberry, bitter cherries

14%

Tourte Lorraine with puff pastry

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON DOMAINE JONES & DOMAINE JEAN-MARC ASTRUC

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3532

ALONG CAME JONES LLEDONER PELUT HAIRY GRENACHE, VIN DE FRANCE, 2021

Lledoner Pelut

$ 26

$ 156

NEW LOWER PRICE

3529

DOMAINE JEAN-MARC ASTRUC HERBARIUM CARIGNAN, IGP PAYS D’OC, 2021

Carignan

$ 20

3531

KATIE JONES ROUGE, VIN DE FRANCE, 2021

Grenache, Syrah

$ 120

A dense opaque wine with deep black cherry colour. It has restrained aromas of brambles and coal, which lead to a silky texture with more tart fruits – blackberry and raspberry – emerging. Carignan grapes were grown on 25-30-yearold vines on colluvial clay, limestone and schist soils.

$ 16

This is a round smooth wine which is quite rich on the palate and very more-ish to drink. Produced from a blend of 70% Grenache with 30% Syrah, it is deep ruby in colour with plummy fruits complemented by an herbal edge.

2022-2024, M8 D9 Brambles, coal

18°C

Tart blackberry, raspberries

14%

Steak frites with herbed truffled fries

10

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

$ 96 Intense blackcurrant cordial aromas are complemented with wild herbs. It is supple with a linear structure revealing juicy red fruits and a grainy finish. Just a small amount of this wine is produced each year from Lledoner Pelut – a Grenache mutation.

Never one to follow a trend, Katie was intrigued by the local grape variety that had been shunned in recent years. After her first attempt to make a wine with it in 2015, she went a bit quiet, having been disappointed with the results. The following year, she tried a different vinification technique limiting the time the juice is in contact with the grape skins to just four days. Et voilà!

It was a success! Katie named it her “Hairy Grenache”, as the underside of the leaves are covered in soft down.

2022-2024, M8 D9

2022-2024, M8 D9

Plummy fruits, herbs

18°C

Blackberry cordial, herbs

18°C

Sour cherry

14%

Red fruits

14%

Rigatoni with creamy three-mushroom ragù

Grilled lamb kebabs with chimichurri

photo — Jean-Marc Astruc repairing the fence to keep the wild boars from nibbling the ripe grapes coming up to harvest.

NEW

3530

KATIE JONES BLANC, VIN DE FRANCE, 2021

Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Macabeu, Muscat DON'T MISS DOMAINE JONES' LA PERLE RARE WINES ON PAGE 54 .

$ 20

$ 120 2022-2023, M8 D9

Apples and pears

6°C

Nectarine, citrus, [1.00]

13.5%

Intense and flavoursome, Katie Jones Blanc 2021 has aromas of apples and pears leading to a supple, smooth palate. Citrus and nectarine flavours come through in the wine, which is round in structure with a refreshing crisp finish. There is just a touch of Muscat in the blend.

Vineyards planted to white grapes are pretty rare in Tuchan, as many have been ripped out and replaced with red varieties. Katie has bought whatever white grape vineyards she could find on one proviso: they must be at least 50 years old.

Nut-crusted baked goat cheese

3533

JONES GRENACHE NOIR VIEILLES VIGNES, IGP PAYS D’OC, 2021

Grenache

$ 24

$ 144

Lots of sweet, ripe mulberry fruits and floral notes with a touch of nettle herbaceousness, which adds interest in this wine. It is supple and round on the palate,medium-bodied with flavours of cherries and bitter fruits. Grenache grapes come from 90-year-old vines in a small plot near the village of Maury. The plot is overlooked by the Quéribus castle, perched atop the highest peak for miles around; it was one of five castles strategically located and built in the 10th century to defend the French border against Spain. This plot is where it all started for Domaine Jones when Katie purchased the site with 8,000 vines on dark black slate soils. Some grapes from her Rebouls vineyard were also used in the Grenache Noir Vieilles Vignes 2021.

2022-2025, M8 D9 Sweet ripe fruit, mulberries, floral, nettle

18°C

Cherries, bitter fruit

14.5%

Chicken liver pâté parfait with grilled toast points

photo — An evening tasting on The Rock high above the village of Tuchan.

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON DOMAINE JONES & DOMAINE JEAN-MARC ASTRUC

11

Q&A

Katie Jones Domaine Jones

Katie Jones and Jean-Marc Astruc make wines in Tuchan, a small village in the Languedoc, where Jean-Marc is from and where Katie bought a plot of old vines in 2009.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE LANGUEDOC IN THE FIRST PLACE? WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT WINEMAKING IN THIS PARTICULAR REGION?

TELL US ABOUT THE TWO COLLECTOR'S CORNER WINES FROM LA PERLE RARE RANGE. WHAT INSPIRED THE NAME, AND HOW ARE THEY BEST ENJOYED?

YOU RECENTLY HOSTED SOME OPIMIAN MEMBERS FOR A LUNCH IN TUCHAN. WHAT DOES YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CLUB MEAN TO YOU?

I was looking for the real France, la "France profonde", where I could live my dream: a remote place, far away from the hustle and bustle of the towns. I have no experience of winemaking anywhere else, so it is difficult to compare. I know that here it is very difficult because of the stoney soils and lack of water, but old vines love that and Domaine Jones is made up of 95% old vines.

The Perle Rare wines are very, very rare and very special. I only make a couple of barrels of each, but each wine is aged 100% in oak barrels. The red spends 24 months in barrels and the white is a blend of vintages, but the youngest vintage is four years old. The white shows the potential of the Grenache Gris grape to age in oak and turn into a beautiful and unique style of wine - so complex, rich and with a lovely freshness. The red shows the potential of the Syrah grape when planted on the correct soils that retain moisture. For both, yields are low, but concentration high.

It was a pretty emotional moment to welcome 32 Canadians to my Domaine in Tuchan. We are in a very remote area of France, so we really appreciate that you came to see us. We kept things simple with a vineyard picnic. We love that we are able to communicate with Opimian Members on social networks and that we are able to have our wines available in each province. But it is more than that — there is the human element too!

WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVOURITE VARIETALS TO WORK WITH AND WHY?

Grenache Gris, as white wines from my area are totally underrated. The variety has a lovely freshness and minerality, especially when it comes from old vines. My vines are over 50 years old and there is a lovely concentration in the wine. I also prefer to make white wines and really believe in their potential.

LA PERLE RARE JONES GRENACHE GRIS, VIN DE FRANCE , LOT 3537, P54

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CELLAR 297 — Q&A

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE WINE OR WINE TASTING EXPERIENCE?

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR THE NEXT VINTAGE?

When the last grape has been picked and it is all safely fermenting in our wineries.

Tasting the first-ever wine I made — a Grenache Gris from the first old vine vineyard I purchased back in 2009.

READ MORE OF OUR Q&A WITH KATIE ONLINE ON OUR BLOG.

3536

JONES VINEYARD COLLECTION CARIGNAN, VIN DE FRANCE, 2020

Carignan

$ 27

3534

DOMAINE JONES VIEILLES VIGNES, AOP FITOU, 2020

Carignan, Grenache, Syrah

$ 26

$ 156

3535

$ 162

JONES VIEUX CÉPAGES SYRAH, VIN DE FRANCE, 2019

Syrah

$ 27

$ 162

A savoury wine with aromas of wild herbs, dried fennel and balsamic notes over a blackberry background. It is medium to full-bodied with some firm but ripe tannins and juicy mulberry flavours.

Katie has a total of 15 small vineyards, all at high altitude and all old vines. Her 2020 Fitou is a blend of 40% 100-year-old Carignan, 30% 40-year-old Syrah with 30% 100-year-old Grenache.

Fresh earth and mushroom aromas combine with dark fruit. This is a medium-bodied wine with lots of depth leading to a tangy, smoky finish.

Syrah was grown at two sites between Tuchan and Paziols.

One vineyard is at 350 metres, the other in the valley at lower altitude. Grapes were handharvested and fermented in small stainless steel vats in the winery. A quarter of the wine was matured in oneyear-old French oak barrels.

2022-2026, M7 D9

2022-2026, M8 D9

A concentrated wine with mellow black fruit aromas, smoky bacon and some bramble leaf. It is medium-bodied, supple and smooth with a balanced acidity and good depth. Carignan was grown in two small vineyards both planted over 100 years ago.

The vines’ roots are so well established that even in very dry years, the vines look lush.

They don’t produce much yield but what they do is concentrated and high in quality.

2022-2026, M7 D9

Wild herbs, balsamic, blackberry

18°C

Mushroom, silt, dark fruit

18°C

Mellow black fruits, bramble leaf, smoke

18°C

Mulberries

14.5%

Blackcurrant, smoky

14.5%

Blackberries

14.5%

Ras el hanout seasoned grilled chicken

photo — One of Katie Jones' 117-year-old Carignan vines, named Fernande.

Roast leg of lamb

Five-spice roasted pork

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON DOMAINE JONES & DOMAINE JEAN-MARC ASTRUC

13

FRANCE

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

Château Canet RUSTIQUES

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CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

Château Canet at Rustiques is just an hour drive from Tuchan where Katie Jones is based, but there is a very different feel. The estate, to the east of Carcassonne, was purchased by Floris and Vicky Lemstra some 15 years ago with their first vintage produced in 2007. The property dates back to 1126 when Lord Bernard de Canet built his Château on the site. Surrounding their family home are 115 hectares of vineyards, olive groves and woodland. The pair work tirelessly on the estate, so each time I visit something new has appeared or been improved – the most recent is the creation of Floris’ “clos,” a small walled area planted to vines. In addition to making Château Canet estate wines, Floris has invested in vineyards in Limoux and has a small négociant business.

photo — A small glass of rosé en famille.

NEW LOWER PRICE

3540

VICTORIA FAVORITE SELECTION CHARDONNAY, IGP PAYS, 2021

3539

PICPOUL DE PINET, TÊTE DE CUVÉE, AOP PICPOUL DE PINET, 2021

Chardonnay Picpoul

$ 18

$ 108 $ 18

A medium-bodied Chardonnay with toasty, caramel and toffee characters, with 40% of the wine fermented and matured with oak.

The remaining 60% was tank-fermented.

Bitter smoky fruits and cedary notes linger on the finish.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Toffee, caramel, pears

6°C

Toast, smoky fruit, [2.00]

13.5%

Cheese course

$ 108

A subtle wine which is light on the palate, it has delicate apple blossom, honeydew melon and herbal characters with a crisp lemon finish. The Picpoul de Pinet Appellation is located behind the Étang de Thau – a saltwater lagoon close to Sète. The lagoon, roughly 20 kilometres long by eight kilometres wide, is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow strip of land and is an area for fishing and shellfish cultivation – and in particular oysters. The Appellation sits behind the lagoon, making refreshing dry white wines from the Picpoul grape. It is one of the few Appellations in Languedoc to focus solely on white wines, thanks to the grape’s ability to ripen late and retain high natural acidity.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Apple blossom, spring meadow

6°C

Honeydew melon, herbal, lemon, [2.00]

12.5%

Raw oysters with mignonette and soy-ginger sauce

photo — Victoria blending her New Zealand heritage and French roots in her Favorite Chardonnay.

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON CHÂTEAU CANET

15

MINERVOIS The Minervois Appellation in the western Languedoc lies to the east of Carcassonne, north of the Corbières massif with the Montagne Noire to its north. The region produces wines in all three colours, but mainly red wines.

It is divided into five climatic zones, depending on altitude and degree of influence of opposing forces from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Château Canet lies on Les Terrasses du Minervois, the more moderate climate of the region thanks to the influence of the Atlantic wind, the Cers. This allows Château Canet to produce 30% white wines instead of the regional average of 3%. Its Minervois blanc is a good example with a delightful freshness.

CHÂTEAU CANET, AOP MINERVOIS, ROUGE, 2021

Syrah, Grenache

$ 21

3542

$ 126 $ 39

3543

$ 117 2022-2025, M8 D9 Green salad leaves, chocolate, cherry

18°C

Spicy fruit

14%

Cassoulet with duck confit

A mellow, smooth wine made from 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache, it is vibrant in colour with aromas of chocolate, fresh spinach, cherries and spices. Grapes were harvested at night and cooled to 8°C for four days with skin contact prior to fermentation. Only a small part of the wine was matured with oak using one-year-old barrels made from Vosges oak.

3541

CHÂTEAU CANET, AOP MINERVOIS, BLANC, 2021

Roussanne, Vermentino, Bourboulenc, Muscat

$ 21

$ 126

A savoury wine with exotic notes over elegant white fruits. It is light-bodied, smooth and easy drinking, produced from a blend of 40% Roussanne, 30% Vermentino, 25% Bourboulenc and a touch of Muscat.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Wood, savoury, white fruits

6°C

White fruit, [2.00]

13%

Artichoke risotto

16

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

photo — Château Canet carries a wide range of wines.

NEW LOWER PRICE

3545

VIGNOBLES CANET MERLOT CABERNET SAUVIGNON, SPECIAL OAK RESERVE, IGP PAYS D’OC, 2021 Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

$ 16

3544

$ 96

CANET FAMILY RESERVE, AOP MINERVOIS, 2021

Syrah, Grenache

$ 22

$ 132

Produced from the family’s preferred barrel selected from the cellar each year, it is dense in colour with aromas of cooked apple and blackberry fruits combined with nutmeg and cinnamon.

It is a blend of 85% Syrah with 15% Grenache, giving a smooth medium-bodied wine with red fruits, cherries and plum flavours. It has a grainy texture, finishing on notes of sweet vanilla and blueberry.

Lots of oaky notes of cinnamon and cloves lie over ripe black fruit and soot. On the palate, sweet black fruits are swiftly followed by the oak, with cinnamon and some drying tannins, creating a chewy finish.

2022-2025, M8 D9 Cooked apple, blackberries, nutmeg

18°C

Cinnamon, black fruits

16°C

Red fruits, cherries, vanilla

14.5%

Sweet forest fruits, wood

12%

Pot au feu beef and vegetable stew

photo — Nelson, keeper of the bottle. One of the Canets' “Winemaraners.”

2022-2024, M8 D9

Beef Bourguignon

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON CHÂTEAU CANET

17

THREE BOTTLES EACH LA CHAPELLE & LES EVANGILES

MIXED CASE 3546

CHÂTEAU CANET MIXED CASE (WOOD CASE)

$ 35

$ 210

CHÂTEAU CANET LES EVANGILES, AOP MINERVOIS, CUVÉE SYRAH, 2020 CHÂTEAU CANET LA CHAPELLE, AOP MINERVOIS, CUVÉE GRENACHE, 2019

Grenache

Spicy garrigues aromas, dried wild herbs, blueberries and plums are all apparent in the bouquet. The palate has tangy redcurrants, cranberry and raspberry flavours offset by hints of green herbs. It is linear in structure with good acidity and a grainy finish. The Grenache grapes come from the estate’s oldest vineyard planted over 70 years ago on the site of a 12thcentury chapel. The old gnarled and twisted vines are what Vicky calls her “old ladies.”

Despite the fact that yields are desperately low, neither Floris nor Vicky can bring themselves to pull them out and replace with new more productive plants.

Brimming with blueberries, cooked blackberries, cherry jam, vanilla and caramel.

Initially soft, 2020 Les Evangiles becomes more grippy in the mouth with juicy fruits mid palate. Apple and blackberry flavours combine with toffee and a toasty finish. Les Evangiles is a plot of old Syrah vines planted on the highest point of the estate. Vines are cultivated on deep clay and limestone soils. It was fermented in a small tank with grape skins trodden by foot each day and matured in a combination of 30% new, 40% one-year-old, and 30% two-year-old oak barrels. While writing this Cellar Offering, I stopped by Château Canet, and Floris opened a bottle of 2007 Les Evangiles – particularly special as it was their first vintage at Canet.

The 2007 was delicious with mellow complex fruit and coffee aromas.

2022-2027, M7 D9

2022-2028, M7 D9

Spicy, dried wild herbs, blueberries

18°C

Blueberries, blackberries, vanilla

18°C

Redcurrant, raspberry, herbs

15%

Apple, blackberry, toffee apple, toasty

14.5%

Rôti de chevreuil

18

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

Syrah

Baby back ribs with blueberry-balsamic glaze

photo — View of the Pyrenées Mountains from the Canet vineyards.

3547

ALTERNATIVE CHARDONNAY, IGP PAYS D’OC, 2021 (WOOD CASE)

Chardonnay

$ 39

$ 117

A barrel-fermented Chardonnay with spicy oak, pencil lead and cedary notes. It is supple with tropical fruit and pineapple characters.

After macerating on skins, grapes were pressed and half was fermented in new oak barrels while the other half was fermented in one-year-old barrels. Floris uses barrels made from oak forests in the centre of France – Nevers and Bertrange – which have a tight grain giving a more elegant character.

2022-2026, M8 D8 Spicy oak, cedar

6°C

Pineapple, sweet fruit, [2.00]

13.5%

Pan-seared trout with noisette butter

3548

DOMAINE LA COMBE GRANDE RUBIS, AOP CORBIÈRES, 2021

CORBIÈRES The Corbières Appellation is located south of Minervois and the Canal du Midi and across to the coast. The landscape is arid, rocky terrain. Domaine la Combe Grande is at Camplong d’Aude in the north of the Appellation, not far from the boundary with Minervois. It is an 80-hectare estate owned by the Sournies-Tibié family.

Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache

$ 19

$ 114

The Combe Grande Rubis has sweet fruits and black-cherry yogurt aromas. It is supple with good mid-palate weight leading to a dense finish. Grapes were harvested by hand and a carbonic maceration with wholebunch fermentation was carried out.

2022-2025, M8 D9 Black cherry yogurt

18°C

Sweet fruits

14%

Red wine-braised beef short rib

photo — Floris Lemstra getting a small bottle from the private cellar to celebrate the weekend.

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON CHÂTEAU CANET

19

20

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

photo — Three and a half generations of the Gianesini family at Château Jouclary.

FRANCE

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

Château Jouclary CABARDÈS Cabardès is a small Appellation in the hills north of Carcassonne, at the western extreme of the Languedoc. This is where the Atlantic and Mediterranean influences converge against the foothills of the Montagne Noire. The Cabardès Appellation covers the production of red and rosé wines. Permitted grape varieties are those commonly found in Languedoc and the Rhône: Grenache and Syrah as well as typical Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Château Jouclary is in the east of the Cabardès Appellation, at Conques-sur-Orbiel, close to the border with Minervois. The estate has 60 hectares of vineyards in the lower foothills of the Montagne Noire.

Vines are planted on ancient terraces of infertile stony soils with little organic matter. An old property dating to the 16th century, it has been owned by the Gianesini family since the 1970s.

3549

CHÂTEAU JOUCLARY TRADITION, AOP CABARDÈS, FAMILLE GIANESINI, 2021 Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Grenache

$ 132

$ 22

A hugely characterful wine which is dense in colour: this was an immediate Coup de Coeur. It has smoky aromas with crushed blackberries and herbs. It is full-bodied, revealing more sweet, ripe forest-fruit flavours followed by some rustic chewy tannins. Woody and bitter cherry flavours linger on the finish.

Produced from four grape varieties, each was picked and vinified separately undergoing a long, slow fermentation and maceration of 30 days on skins.

2022-2026, M8 D9 Smoky, crushed blackberries, herbs

18°C

Ripe forest fruits, bitter cherry

13.5%

Beef Wellington

3550

CHÂTEAU JOUCLARY CUVÉE LES AMANDIERS, AOP CABARDÈS, FAMILLE GIANESINI, 2020

Merlot, Syrah

$ 26

$ 156

Another high-scoring wine in the tasting, it's deep purple in colour and has cooked blueberry, blackberry, smoke and coconut aromas. It is medium-bodied with fresh fruit flavours and a juicy acidity. The texture is grainy with a tangy finish.

2022-2026, M8 D9 Blueberry, blackberries, smoke, coconut

18°C

Juicy fruits

14%

Pork and sausage casserole

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON CHÂTEAU JOUCLARY

21

Le BOTTLE SHOP! WEB EXCLUSIVES DOWNLOAD THE PDF ON THE WEBSITE FOR THE FULL TASTING NOTES

Armagnac Cugnac Collection, Taste 20 Barrel, AOC Armagnac, Maison Ryst-Dupeyron LOT 3524

Domaine de Sauvis Armagnac Case Jewelry Collection - 1 Bottle each.

Domaine la Voûte du Verdus, AOP Languedoc, 2020

LOT 3526 - MIXED CASE

LOT 3559

ARMAGNAC

$108 $108

SYRAH, GRENACHE CARIGNAN, MOURVÈDRE

ARMAGNAC

$100

$24

$300

$144

The Armagnac region in Gascony in southwest France makes distinctive brandies from grapes. The family farm grapes for distillation, biodynamically following the lunar cycle, using their own composts and with no pesticides or herbicides.

A medium- to full-bodied and wine with nice bitter fruits on the finish.

Intense, with crushed fruit aromas of raspberry, mulberry & sweet strawberries.

Marquis de Saint-Loup Calvados, Sélection, AOC Calvados

Fleur de Charlotte Merlot, IGP Pays d’Oc, 2021

Domaine Peirière Réserve Sauvignon, IGP Pays d’Oc, 2021

LOT 3525

LOT 3565

LOT 3577

Cuvée 20 is a blend of 20-year-old Armagnacs. It is a deep, bright amber colour and has mellow vanilla and orange peel aromas. On the palate, cooked pear fruit flavours linger with some bitterness on the finish.

CALVADOS

MERLOT

SAUVIGNON BLANC

$57

$13

$15

$114

$156

$180

Smooth initially with pungent apple flavours which linger.

A medium- to full-bodied Merlot with damson jam, juicy black fruits and leafy characters.

It is smooth and round with a clean, fresh crisp acidity. Fresh green apples, apple blossom and lime aromas continue onto the palate.

Domaine Peirière Réserve Viognier, IGP Pays d’Oc, 2021

Maison Belleroche Cabernet Sauvignon, IGP Pays d'Oc, 2021

Maison Belleroche Malbec, IGP Pays d’Oc, 2021

LOT 3578

LOT 3579

LOT 3580

VIOGNIER

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

MALBEC

$15

$14

$14

$180

$168

$168

The 2021 has intense aromas of apples, pears and mango. It is medium-bodied and well balanced with good depth and length.

A medium- to full-bodied Malbec, it has mellow, dark fruit flavours and some chewy tannins.

This is an easy-drinking, medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with ripe concentrated black fruit flavours.

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3551

DOMAINE JOUCLARY VIOGNIER, IGP PAYS D'OC, FAMILLE GIANESINI, 2021

Viognier

$ 25

$ 150

NEW

3552

DOMAINE JOUCLARY SAUVIGNON, IGP PAYS D'OC, FAMILLE GIANESINI, 2021

Sauvignon Blanc

$ 20

3553

DOMAINE JOUCLARY GRENACHE GRIS, IGP PAYS D'OC, FAMILLE GIANESINI, 2021

Grenache Gris

$ 120

$ 25

$ 150

Pears, pear drops and nectarine aromas lead to a smooth palate. It is mediumbodied, balanced with similar flavours in the mouth and some length on the finish.

An unusual wine, full of personality. It is intense with aromas of coconut, aniseed and blackcurrant with a grapey edge. It is mediumbodied with flavours of pink grapefruit and cassis which linger on the tongue.

2022-2023, M8 D9

2022-2023, M8 D9

Well-made Viognier with typical aromas of nectarine, yellow plum, mandarin and creamy notes. It is smooth, with more peach and nectarine flavours leading to a crisp finish. A subtle, perfectly balanced wine and one of my favourite whites in the lineup.

White wines are not covered in the Cabardès Appellation, hence the IGP Pays d’Oc classification for the estate’s white wines.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Nectarine, yellow plum

6°C

Pear drops, pears

6°C

Coconut, aniseed, grapey, blackcurrant

6°C

Mandarin, peach, [2.00]

13%

Nectarine, [2.00]

13%

Cassis, pink grapefruit, [2.00]

13%

Thai-spiced shrimp and noodles

photo — Vineyard in the rolling hills of the Cabardès.

Halibut lime ceviche

Grilled vegetable medley

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON CHÂTEAU JOUCLARY

23

FRANCE

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

France's Largest Winegrowing Region The Limoux region, south of Carcassonne, has some of the Languedoc’s highest altitude and therefore coolest vineyard sites. It produces distinctive wines that reflect the cool conditions. Vines are planted on the foothills of the Pyrénées on rocky ground with clay, sandstone and limestone soils. The area was traditionally known for producing sparkling wines, but more recently it has been producing still wines from cool climate varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

24

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

photo — Oliver's version of a Sun Salutation.

3556

DOMAINE D'O PINOT NOIR, IGP HAUTE VALLÉE DE L’AUDE, 2021

Pinot Noir

$ 20

$ 120

Translucent brick in colour, it has savoury aromas of woodlands and earth. It is relatively light on the palate with some bitter fruit and meaty flavours leading to a firm finish.

It was matured in tank and new French oak barrels for eight months.

2022-2024, M8 D9 Savoury, woodlands

18°C

Bitter fruit and meaty flavours

13%

Pan-seared salmon with roasted fall root vegetables and quinoa

3555

DOMAINE D'O Attracted by the cool climate of Limoux, this estate was purchased by the Lemstra family in 2017. Renamed as Domaine d’O, it is run by Floris’ son Oliver. Having been born in Burgundy’s famous Hospices de Beaune and raised at Château Canet, Oliver has wine culture pumping through his veins.

Located south of SaintHilaire, the estate has 12 hectares of vines planted at 400 metres on clay, limestone and gravel soils.

Like many of the younger generation of vinegrowers, Oliver has a strong focus on the environment and climate change. From the start, his aim was to produce not only quality wine, but also carbonfriendly wines.

DOMAINE D'O CHARDONNAY, IGP HAUTE VALLÉE DE L’AUDE, 2021

BULLES D'O, AOP BLANQUETTE DE LIMOUX, TÊTE DE CUVÉE, 2019

Mauzac, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay

Chardonnay

$ 20

3554

$ 120

$ 22

$ 132

Nutty white fruits and vanilla custard aromas lead to a supple palate. This is a fine-grained wine with complementary oak and fruit finishing with a nice lemony flavour. Grapes were harvested at night, underwent some skin contact then gently pressed.

After fermentation, a partial malolactic fermentation was carried out in oak barrels followed by maturation.

The monks at the Saint-Hilaire monastery invented sparkling Blanquette de Limoux in 1531, a full 150 years before sparkling wines became de rigueur in Champagne.

Blanquette de Limoux is made using the Mauzac grape, known locally as Blanquette, blended with Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. Bulles d’O has some hoppy aromas with white fruits and a hint of cheese rind. On the palate, it has a fine creamy mousse and good balance.

2022-2024, M8 D9

2022-2023, M8 D9

Nutty white fruits, vanilla custard

6°C

Hops, white fruits, savoury edge

6°C

Lemon, oaky, [2.00]

13%

Creamy texture, [7.00]

12%

Vegan cold cucumber soup

Flourless chocolate torte

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON DOMAINE D'O

25

3558

DOMAINE LA VOÛTE DU VERDUS, CUVÉE LE GRAND SAUT, AOP LANGUEDOC, 2019 Carignan, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache

$ 38

$ 228

3557

DOMAINE LA VOÛTE DU VERDUS

A complex wine with huge appeal, it has aromas of vanilla oak, spice, dark fruits with a touch of soot. It is light to mediumbodied with more sweet dark fruits on the palate. Blackberry and apple flavours cede to a savoury finish. Carignan and Mourvèdre form the backbone of the wine with some Syrah and Grenache. Each variety is handpicked, destemmed and undergoes 3-4 weeks fermentation and maceration on skins. It was matured in French oak for 12 months in the vaulted stone cellar, kept naturally cool and humid.

2022-2026, M7 D9 Dark fruits, spice, soot

18°C

Sweet blackberries, apple, savoury

15.5%

Grilled lamb chops with blackberry-red wine sauce

26

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

I first tasted the wines from Domaine La Voûte du Verdus during the lockdown in 2020 and was immediately impressed: in the two following years, I have never been disappointed. The Domaine, in the village of SaintGuilhem-le-Désert, is located 30 kilometres northwest of Montpellier in eastern Languedoc. The village is in a narrow valley of the Gellone River at the foot of the Causse de Larzac limestone plateau which rises to 800 metres. The Bonnet family have been grape growers there for generations.

They were original founding members of the local cooperatives in Aniane and Montpeyroux. In 2011, they started producing a small quantity of their own wines, spurred on by their daughter Mélanie, a consultant oenologist, and son-in-law Pierre, also a qualified winemaker. Grapes from two selected two-hectare plots are used. Their wines are intense and concentrated.

They are made in an old stone building built by their ancestors in 1800 which they have converted to a winery.

DOMAINE LA VOÛTE DU VERDUS BLANC, IGP SAINT-GUILHEM-LEDÉSERT, 2021

Colombard, Vermentino

$ 25

$ 150

Made from an unusual combination of grapes, yet it works. The wine has mellow aromas with lemon curd, white fruits, pears and yeasty notes. It is smooth and round with fresh white fruit flavours and a nice length.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Lemon curd, white fruits

6°C

Pears, yeasty, [2.00]

13%

Grilled fish tacos al pastor

photo — Sylvie Bonnet & Mélanie Estival, two generations of wine passion.

NEW

3515

NEW

PARENTHÈSE, IGP PAYS D'HÉRAULT, DOMAINE J & S, 2020

Grenache, Syrah

$ 24

PRÉFACE, IGP PAYS D'HÉRAULT, DOMAINE J & S, 2018

Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah

$ 144

A dense wine with aromas of coffee liqueur, vanilla and condensed milk. It is mediumbodied and smooth with sweet, red fruit flavours coming through on the palate and leading to a red cherry and roasted coffee finish.

2022-2024, M8 D9 Coffee liqueur, condensed milk

18°C

Red fruits, coffee, bitter cherries

13.5%

Steak and kidney pie

3516

$ 27

$ 162

An intensely concentrated wine with fresh blackcurrant and smoke aromas. It is well balanced and smooth with a fine texture.

Produced from a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with 40% Syrah, grapes were organically grown on 25-year-old vines on stony lime and clay soils. 50% of the wine was matured in two-year-old French oak barrels, 50% in tank.

2022-2025, M8 D9 Blackcurrant, smoke

18°C

Dark fruit

14%

Grilled Portobello “burger” with garlic butter

DOMAINE PARPALHÒL Domaine Parpalhòl is a 30-hectare estate on the cool hills above the Orb Valley at Corneilhan north of Béziers. Béziers was a hub of the French wine industry in the 18th and 19th centuries, aided firstly by the construction of the port of Sète and the Canal du Midi. The railway lines in the mid-19th century made access to Paris and the north even easier.

Julien took over the family vineyard in 2006 and farms the vines organically with Serge, who has a restaurant background. Cover crops are allowed to grow, creating natural habitats and encouraging biodiversity. Parpalhòl, meaning “butterfly” in Occitan, is a reflection of their philosophy.

photo — A Syrah vine plant from the Parpalhòl vineyard.

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON DOMAINE PARPALHÒL

27

3560

FLEUR DE CHARLOTTE CABERNET SAUVIGNON, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Cabernet Sauvignon

$ 13

$ 156

3561

FLEUR DE CHARLOTTE CHARDONNAY, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Chardonnay

$ 13

Ripe black fruits, yeasty bready notes and a touch of soot precede a medium-bodied wine. It is supple with a grainy texture.

A versatile and flavoursome wine which scored highly in the tasting. It has aromas of poached pears, lemon, spices and sponge cake. It is medium-bodied with some depth with fruit and savoury bready notes.

2022-2024, M8 D9

2022-2023, M8 D9

Yeasty, black fruit

18°C

Poached pear, lemon, sponge cake

6°C

Soot

13.5%

Bready notes, white fruit, [2.00]

13.5%

Ginger and five spice-roasted quail

28

$ 156

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

Sashimi with a touch of wasabi

FIND FLEUR DE CHARLOTTE MERLOT AS A WEB EXCLUSIVE, LOT 3565.

TOP VALUE 3562

WINES FOR YOUR EVERYDAY DRINKING

FLEUR DE CHARLOTTE SYRAH ROSÉ, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault

$ 13

$ 156 3564

Pale in colour, it has redcurrant, herbal and pine characters with a firm acidity on the finish. It was produced mainly from Syrah grapes from younger vines on the estate.

Grapes were picked, immediately pressed and fermented at low temperature.

FLEUR DE CHARLOTTE VIOGNIER, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Viognier

$ 13

$ 156

Floral notes of peach blossom and white lilies lead to a smooth, round wine. More pear aromas come through on the palate.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Floral, peach blossom

6°C

Pear drops, [2.00]

13%

Shrimp pad Thai

NEW

3563

FLEUR DE CHARLOTTE SAUVIGNON, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Sauvignon Blanc

$ 156

$ 13

A soft, approachable Sauvignon with appealing chocolate-lime aromas with vanilla; on the palate, lime and a touch of passion fruit. Picked early, a short skincontact maceration was carried out before fermentation at low temperature. It was matured for six months with a touch of oak.

2022-2023, M8 D9

2022-2023, M8 D9

Herbs

6°C

Chocolate limes, vanilla

6°C

Redcurrant, [2.00]

12.5%

Passion fruit, [2.00]

13.5%

Shrimp and avocado salad with lemon and dill

Lyonnaise quenelles in cream sauce

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON TOP VALUE WINES

29

FRANCE

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON BLB VIGNOBLES

Domaine de La Jasse COMBAILLAUX Domaine de la Jasse sits in the hills behind Montpellier in the foothills of the Cévennes Mountains in eastern Languedoc. The vineyard was established in Combaillaux in the 1960s by clearing the natural woodland and dynamiting the rocky ground. Bruno Le Breton arrived at Domaine de la Jasse as winemaker. Employed by the then proprietor Hans Walraven, his mission was to make Cabernet Sauvignon wines to rival the Cru Classés of Bordeaux.

When Walraven retired in 2008, Bruno and his wife, Francoise, purchased the property. He continues to run the estate with his daughter Morgane. Domaine de la Jasse produces high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines with a strong focus on the environment and sustainability.

PRODUCER FOR THIS CELLAR

PRODUCER FOR THIS CELLAR

30

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

photo — Domaine de la Jasse is all about "vignes et garrigues" (vines and scrubland). For one hectare of vine, one hectare of permanent meadow is planted.

NEW

3566

BLANC DE BLANCS DE LA JASSE, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Chardonnay, Viognier, Vermentino

$ 21

$ 126

A refreshing wine with fresh apple, blossom and floral aromas. Lemon and other citrus shine on the palate leading to a crisp finish.

Bruno, originally from the Loire, has been blending Chardonnay and Viognier for 20 years, enjoying citrus and apricot aromas in Viognier complemented with the structure from Chardonnay.

Vermentino has been included in the blend in 2021 for the first time due to the spring frost in April 2021, which reduced yields.

3568

CŒUR DE CUVÉE ROSÉ DE LA JASSE, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Syrah, Grenache, Merlot

$ 21

$ 126

$ 22

$ 132

Caramel and toffee characters dominate white fruit aromas. More toasty flavours on the palate are complemented with roasted pineapple and ripe tropical fruits. It is well balanced with good presence on the palate and just the right level of astringency on finish, giving length. It was matured for eight months in French oak barrels produced specifically for white wines.

2022-2023, M8 D9

Apple, blossom

6°C

Floral, leaf

6°C

Lemon, [1.00]

13%

Redcurrant, [1.00]

13%

Crab cakes with lemon and white wine cream sauce

BARRIQUE BLANC DE LA JASSE, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2020

Chardonnay

A weighty rosé, it has presence on the palate. It is a pale salmon pink, with floral and leafy aromas.

Syrah, Grenache and Merlot grapes were picked and immediately underwent a gentle and slow pressing, then were fermented at cool temperature.

2022-2023, M8 D9

3567

Grilled trout with thyme and lemon

2022-2023, M8 D9 Caramel, white fruit

6°C

Roasted pineapple, toasty, [1.00]

13%

Creamy root vegetable crumble

photo — The LeBreton family in the Vermentino plot, where five rows of trees were planted in the vines to help create synergies between species.

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON DOMAINE DE LA JASSE

31

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3571

DOMAINE DE LA JASSE RÉSERVE D'EXCELLENCE, HOMMAGE, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2020

Cabernet Sauvignon

$ 21

$ 126

3569

TÊTE DE CUVÉE DE LA JASSE, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2020

Cabernet Sauvignon

3570

VIEILLES VIGNES DE LA JASSE, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Patrick Léon was known and respected throughout the Bordeaux wine community as well as internationally. Not surprising given that he was Technical Director at Château Mouton Rothschild – a first growth in Bordeaux for decades – made wine at Opus One in California and developed the wines at Château d’Esclans in Provence among others. Despite this, he was an unassuming and modest winemaker.

Patrick worked with Bruno at Domaine de la Jasse for around 10 years and together the Réserve d’Excellence cuvée was developed.

It always shows well, but I have to say that I think 2020 is one of the best ever produced. The mellow bouquet has aromas of blackcurrant and vanilla with a touch of sweet pipe tobacco and smoke. It is elegant, linear in structure with sweet black fruits, vanilla and caramel flavours.

A medium- to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with nice blackcurrant aromas.

It is structured with some firm tannins, complemented by savoury meaty flavours.

Tête de Cuvée is a parcel selection in the vineyard on Oligocene limestone soils. It is often one of the last plots to be harvested, allowing Cabernet Sauvignon to reach full maturity and expression. It was partially matured in oak.

Another high-scoring wine, it has intense aromas of sweet ripe black fruits, spices and pâtisserie. It is round and smooth on the palate with lingering flavours of wood, spices and black fruits.

Vieilles Vignes is the heart of Domaine de la Jasse production, made to reflect Cabernet Sauvignon grown on limestone soils. Cabernet Sauvignon was blended with 10% Merlot.

2022-2025, M8 D9

2023-2027, M6 D8

2022-2025, M7 D9

$ 132

$ 21

$ 126

Blackcurrant, vanilla, pipe tobacco

18°C

Blackcurrant

18°C

Sweet black fruits, pâtisserie

18°C

Vanilla, caramel

14%

Savoury meaty, black fruit

14%

Wood, spices, black fruit

13.5%

Roast lamb leg with thyme and rosemary and dried-fruit bulgur

34

$ 22

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

End-of-meal cheese course

Parmentier de confit with a watercress salad

photo — Réserve d'Excellence Hommage is a tribute to wine, friendship and Cabernet Sauvignon.

NEW

3574

NEW

DOMAINE DE SAINTE-CÉCILE OPUS, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

CHÂTEAU BOISSEZON-GUIRAUD, AOP SAINT-CHINIAN, 2019

Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre

Cabernet Sauvignon

$ 21

3575

$ 126

Deep and vibrant in colour, aromas of violets mingle with a certain herbaceousness with grass and leafy notes. It is medium-bodied, structured with good mid-palate and black fruit flavours.

2022-2024, M8 D9 Violets, grass, leaf

18°C

Black fruits

14%

$ 20

$ 120

A medium-bodied wine showing some development. It is brick ruby in colour with aromas of cassis and coffee beans. More chocolate and praline flavours emerge and linger on the smooth palate. SaintChinian is a subregional Appellation for red, rosé and white wines in the western Languedoc located to the east of Minervois.

Sitting at the southern end of the Massif Central, it has some hilly terrain rising to 600 metres. Produced from a blend of 40% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Carignan and 10% Mourvèdre.

Gorgonzola

2022-2024, M8 D9 Coffee beans, cassis

18°C

Chocolate praline

13.5%

Cocoa-rubbed elk loin with red-wine chocolate sauce

photo — Frédéric Glangetas is the winemaker at Domaine Sainte-Cécile.

— LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON DOMAINE DE SAINTE-CÉCILE, CHÂTEAU BOISSEZON-GUIRAUD

35

FRANCE

PROVENCE

The Land of Rosé Provence, in southeast France, is best known for its rosé wines. Stretching around Marseille and Aix-en-Provence, it is a varied terrain with rocky slopes on the numerous mountain ranges and in hidden valleys. It has lots of sunshine (3,000 sunshine hours a year) and relatively low rainfall. Wine has been made here since the Ancient Greeks founded the city of Marseille in 600 BCE. For anyone that has seen the film “Jean de Florette,” this is Marcel Pagnol country. The region has also attracted numerous artists for the quality of its light and diverse scenery.

Natural landmarks such as Mont SainteVictoire captured on canvas are on display in galleries around the world.

Provence’s wines match well with local dishes such as soupe de poisson and bouillabaisse laden with garlicky rouille.

Within Provence, there are nine main Appellations including Côteaux d'Aix-enProvence, Côtes de Provence as well as smaller, more specific Appellations like Bandol which specializes in wines made from the Mourvèdre grape.

In the west of the region, to the northeast of the city of Aix-en-Provence is the Côteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Appellation. The Appellation starts south of the Durance River and extends to the Mediterranean coast. The climate is the most influenced by the north mistral wind in Provence which comes down the Rhône Valley.

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CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

CÔTEAUX D'AIX-EN-PROVENCE DOMAINE TOUR CAMPANETS The Domaine Tour Campanets estate is a gem set in the hills north of Aixen-Provence. The property is in its own bubble surrounded by woodlands and overlooking the Luberon hills.

Winemaker Emmanuelle Baude gave up her notary career when her family purchased the estate in 2012. She gradually restored the vineyard and converted to organic viticulture. The winery, built in 1966, is a tower with four levels. The interior wooden structure is unique and was revolutionary in its day, allowing wine to flow down by gravity during the winemaking process.

NEW LOWER PRICE

3581

DOMAINE TOUR CAMPANETS ESPRIT, AOP COTEAUX D'AIX EN PROVENCE, 2021

Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault

$ 21

3582

DOMAINE TOUR CAMPANETS, TOUR CAMPANETS, AOP COTEAUX D'AIX EN PROVENCE, 2021

$ 24

DOMAINE TOUR CAMPANETS BOIS DES FÉES, ROSÉ, AOP COTEAUX D'AIX EN PROVENCE, 2021 Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache

Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault

$ 126

3583

$ 144

$ 29

$ 174

Very pale in colour with an onion-skin hue, Esprit 2021 has fresh white fruit aromas with nuts, fennel and delicate floral notes. It is medium-bodied and smooth with cola flavours and good depth. It is a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 20% Cinsault. The juice was left to macerate briefly on skins.

A more zesty style with a tangy acidity, it is pale salmon in colour with red berry fruit and pear aromas.

Pale salmon colour, it has mellow aromas of nectarines, strawberries and herbs with touches of oregano and mint. It is supple and smooth with a rich midpalate and flavours of cassis.

It is a blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Grenache. This is a rosé with depth and weight.

2022-2023, M8 D9

2022-2023, M8 D9

2022-2023, M8 D9

Floral, white fruits, nuts

6°C

Red berries, floral, pear drop

6°C

Nectarine, strawberry, herbs

6°C

Cola, fennel, [0.80]

12.5%

Zesty citrus, [0.80]

12.5%

Cassis, [0.80]

13%

Cherry tomato and tapenade tart

photo — Emmanuelle Baude is the owner and winemaker of Tour Campanets.

Balsamic-marinated strawberries with basil

Pan-seared scallops with chive and pink peppercorn citrus sauce

— PROVENCE DOMAINE TOUR CAMPANETS

37

NEW

CHÂTEAU MAÏME HÉRITAGE ROSÉ, AOP CÔTES DE PROVENCE, 2021

3517

Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah

$ 198

$ 33

Pale in colour, this is a medium-bodied rosé which is both approachable and has nice depth. Produced from a blend of 45% Cinsault, 45% Grenache and 10% Syrah, the Grenache and Syrah grapes underwent some skin contact prior to pressing. This is a refined vinous rosé style typical of Provence.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Subtle herbal fruits

6°C

Crisp, fresh, [2.00]

12.5%

Seared tuna salad Niçoise

NEW

3518

MAÏME PROMISE ROSÉ, AOP CÔTES DE PROVENCE, 2021

Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault

$ 26

$ 156

Spice and incense notes lead to a supple attack on the palate. It has an onion-skin colour and some good mid-palate weight – a perfect wine for bouillabaisse with all its accoutrement, namely garlic rouille, croutons and Gruyère cheese. A higher proportion of Syrah in the blend at 20% with equal parts of Cinsault and Grenache to give extra body and length.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Incense, spices

6°C

Winey fruits, [2.00]

12.5%

Bouillabaisse with rouille and crisp toast points

38

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

CÔTES DE PROVENCE CHÂTEAU MAÏME Provence’s largest Appellation, Côtes-de-Provence, specializes in rosé wines. It is a diverse region stretching from north of Marseille, across the southern slopes of Montagne Sainte- Victoire around Saint-Tropez to the east of Fréjus. There are four geographical subregions, each with its own characteristics. Château Maïme, located close to the town of Sainte-Maxime, is in the foothills of the Massif des Maures. The 16-hectare property has been revived by Jean-Louis Sibran and Brice Garcia over the last 20 years.

The team replanted local vines on hillsides along the Argens River and the path of the Roman “Aurelian Way,” one of the most important roads of the Roman Empire which was built from Rome to Arles around 270 BCE. The property consists of two neighbouring sites, one on micaschist soils, the other sandstone and sand.

NEW

3519

NEW

CHÂTEAU MAÏME ORIGINE BLANC, AOP CÔTES DE PROVENCE, 2020

Rolle, Sémillon

$ 42

CHÂTEAU MAÏME HÉRITAGE ROUGE, AOP CÔTES DE PROVENCE, 2019

Syrah, Grenache

$ 252

$ 33

$ 198

Origine is the premium wine range produced at Château Maïme from a selection of the best grapes. Made from a blend of 90% Rolle (a.k.a. Vermentino) with 10% Sémillon, it has subtle aromas of white blossom, honey with a hint of cocoa powder. Oak shows more on the palate – it was fermented in large 600-litre barrels known as “boutes” made of Allier oak.

It is smooth and round with layers of texture and lingering bitter white fruits.

A predominantly Syrah wine, 2019 Héritage Rouge is medium-bodied with black fruits and some dusty notes. It is nicely mature, supple with coffee flavours leading to a warm grippy finish. Grapes grown on both schistose mica and sandstone and sandy soils were de-stemmed and fermented in concrete vats.

2022-2023, M8 D9

2022-2025, M8 D9

White blossom, honey, cocoa powder

6°C

Candy floss, dusty black fruit

18°C

Bitter white fruits, toast, [2.00]

13%

Coffee

13%

Fried clams with aioli dipping sauce

photo — The Château Maïme's family house overlooks the vineyards.

3520

Vegetable tian with grated Parmesan

— PROVENCE CHÂTEAU MAÏME

39

BANDOL DOMAINE DUPUY DE LÔME The Bandol Appellation in Provence lies inland from the Mediterranean port of Bandol, east of Marseille and close to the port of Toulon – a large naval base. Bandol is most famous for its red wines produced from Mourvèdre grapes. It is the only Appellation in France to specialize in this late-ripening variety and requires at least 50% of the blend to be Mourvèdre. This grape makes spicy, savoury structured wines. Bandol’s southfacing hillsides form a natural amphitheatre which, together with the arid conditions and well-drained soils, are perfect for ripening the heat-loving Mourvèdre. A large proportion of the Appellation’s production is rosé, with some white wine production.

Domaine Dupuy de Lôme is a family estate at Sainte-Anned'Évenos run by Laurence Minard. The 80-hectare Domaine sits against the Gros Cerveau massif and looks on to the Cimaï cliffs and the military fort of Pipaudon built in late 19th century. Indeed, the history of the domaine started with maritime engineer Stanislas Charles Henry Dupuy de Lôme, responsible for developing the world’s first steamship and submarine among other things. The estate has 18 hectares of vines facing mainly north. These are organically farmed

by Dupuy de Lôme’s descendants: Benoit Cossé and Geoffroy Pérouse. A large proportion of the vineyard – known as La Toulouzanne – is cultivated on grey limestone soils facing north, 30% on clay-limestone with a southern exposition.

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CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

3584

DOMAINE DUPUY DE LÔME, ROSÉ, AOP BANDOL, 2021

Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault

$ 32

$ 192

A medium-bodied wine with hints of cassis aromas. It has nice, sweet mid-palate fruit balanced by crisp acidity. It is a blend of 70% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache and 10% Cinsault grown on 20-year-old vines.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Cassis

6°C

Sweet-sour impression, [2.00]

13%

Grilled chicken breast with herbes de Provence

photo — Dupuy de Lôme's Bandol vineyard, facing hillsides, is located in a natural amphitheater.

NEW LOWER PRICE

3585

DOMAINE DUPUY DE LÔME, ROUGE, AOP BANDOL, 2019

Mourvèdre, Grenache

$ 37

$ 222

OUR MANAGING DIRECTOR'S PICK FOR THIS CELLAR!

CHÂTEAU D'OLLIÈRES NEW

Gamey aromas, typical of the Mourvèdre grape, combine with smoky characters.

Fresh dark fruits emerge on the palate which has good mid-palate weight to balance the tannins. This is a structured savoury wine, developing some nice complexity and has the potential to cellar.

A blend of 90% Mourvèdre with 10% Grenache, grapes were grown on 30-yearold vines on the north-facing Toulouzanne slopes. Grapes were picked by hand and manually sorted on a sorting table, destemmed and fed by gravity into tanks.

Fermentation and maceration on skins for four weeks was followed by maturation in old oak foudres for 18 months.

3521

CHÂTEAU D'OLLIÈRES CLASSIQUE ROSÉ, AOC COTEAUX VAROIS EN PROVENCE, 2021

Grenache, Cinsault

$ 156

$ 26

An aromatic rosé with fennel, apples and pear aromas. It is quite light with lemony finish. A 50:50 blend of Grenache and Cinsault, grapes were grown at between 350-400 metres in the Côteaux Varois.

2022-2028, M8 D9

2022-2023, M8 D9

Game, smoke

18°C

Fennel, apples pears

6°C

Dark fruits, meaty

14%

Lemon, [2.00]

12.5%

Barbecued venison steaks with Portobello mushrooms

photo — Charles Rouy is the owner and winemaker of Château d'Ollières.

Halloumi vegetable skewers with lemon and rosemary

— PROVENCE DOMAINE DUPUY DE LÔME, CHÂTEAU D'OLLIÈRES

41

FRANCE

THE LOIRE VALLEY

Maison Foucher-Lebrun ALLIGNY-COSNE

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CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

Maison Foucher-Lebrun is a small wine company specializing in Loire wines based close to Sancerre. The company was established in 1921 by a local cooper who started growing his business by selling wine in his barrels to local cafés and restaurants. Marc Vappereau works with growers across the region to source grapes from specific plots and makes wines at Alligny-Cosne.

photo — The village of Sancerre. The town and its surrounding hamlets are famous for their wines as well as their cheeses.

NEW

3586

CÉCILE LEBRUN CRÉMANT DE LOIRE BRUT, AOC CRÉMANT DE LOIRE Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

$ 23

3587

CÉCILE LEBRUN CRÉMANT DE LOIRE BRUT ROSÉ, AOC CRÉMANT DE LOIRE Pinot Noir, Pinot d'Aunis, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau

$ 138

Creamy in texture, this Crémant de Loire has intense honey aromas with fresh apple and mimosa. It is smooth with some savoury characters complementing white fruit flavours and a slight bitter fruit finish giving length. Crémant de Loire is predominantly based on Chenin Blanc, which in this case makes up 50% of the blend with 25% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir. Grapes were grown around Montlouis and Lussaultsur-Loire in the Touraine region.

$ 24

Pale salmon colour with redcurrant aromas, the rosé Crémant is made from Pinot Noir with 30% Pinot d’Aunis, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Grolleau. It is smooth and crisp with nice mid-palate leading to tart red fruits on the finish. Grapes were handpicked into small crates and pressed. The first fermentation in stainless steel tanks was followed by fermentation in bottle and maturation on lees for 12 months.

2022-2023, M8 D9

2022-2023, M8 D9 Honey, mimosa

6°C

White fruits, savoury notes, [10.00]

12%

Shortbread cookies

$ 144

Redcurrant

6°C

Crisp fruits, [12.00]

12%

Meringue nests with white strawberries and nectarines

MIXED CASE 3588

CÉCILE LEBRUN CRÉMANT DE LOIRE BLANC & ROSÉ CASE

$ 24

$ 144

THREE BOTTLES EACH

BRUT & BRUT ROSÉ

— THE LOIRE VALLEY MAISON FOUCHER-LEBRUN

43

WINE TOURISM

The Garden of France

By Igor Ryjenkov MW

The Loire is the longest river in France, dotted with numerous historic castles and picturesque landscapes. Its region, a day trip from Paris, is dubbed the Garden of France and draws millions of visits by Parisians and tourists alike every year.

The Loire is a world of wines of every colour and style, all in the fresher, cool-climate spectrum thanks to its latitude, the cooler maritime and, further inland, continental influences. It has four distinctive sub-regions with their own unique styles. Most Loire whites are single varietals, and reds wholly or partly rely on Cabernet Franc. Several Loire wines are benchmark expressions of the grape or style. Top reds and Chenins reward cellaring, but none require it as the vast majority of wine is meant for early enjoyment. Let’s take a whistle-stop tour of the Loire’s vinous highlights.

Going from west to east, upriver, we find ourselves in Pays Nantais, Muscadet country, with Sèvre-et-Maine as its prime zone. It is soft-spoken aromatically, light to medium-bodied with a nice brace of acidity. Often, depth and richness are added by the extra prescribed time on the lees, hence the “Sur-Lie” designation.

Next, we enter the Anjou-Saumur sub-region, where Anjou specializes in Chenin Blanc-based dry and sweet wines, while Saumur focuses on Cabernet Franc reds. Saumur-Champigny, Anjou and Cabernet d’Anjou all hail from here, where the latter is a rosé blend of both Cabs, but the Franc, for a change, plays the leading role in them all. Cooler provenance shows here in medium bodies, fresher acids, often with signature notes of cassis, bell pepper and minerality.

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CELLAR 297 — WINE TOURISM

Next – Touraine, with its own very distinct expressions of the same two grapes. Vouvray is 100% Chenin grown in the area’s unique “tuffeau” soil, a volcanic chalk which imprints a chalky note on the grape’s quince and mushrooms aromatics. Cab Franc dominated Chinon and St Nicolas de Bourgueil (and Bourgueil) show a greater grip and mineral elements against Saumur reds.

Finally, we reach the Central Vineyards. Sauvignon Blanc rules here with Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé as its benchmark expressions: lifted acidity, gooseberry, grassy, citric notes with Fumé showing an additional smoky – “fumé” – dimension thanks to the presence of flint in the soil here.

To those not yet familiar with the region – you are in for a treat.

The wines are bright, rarely oaked and fresh, the style du jour, and are highly food-friendly. For those who are already fans – welcome back!

CÉCILE LEBRUN CHINON, AOC CHINON, 2021, LOT 3593, P47

Toronto-based Igor Ryjenkov MW was the first in Canada to earn the prestigious Master of Wine credential in 2003. His wine business expertise has been informed by 24 years with the LCBO, first in retail, then in key buying positions, and lastly, in projects, most notably, developing the new 5-dot wine style matrix.

CÉCILE LEBRUN SANCERRE, BLANC, AOC SANCERRE, 2021

Sauvignon Blanc

MIXED CASE 3589

A subtle wine with discrete aromas of greengage and floral notes, it is quite light in body. The little town of Sancerre on the left bank of the Loire River has been recognized the world over for its unoaked white wines made from Sauvignon. No doubt its proximity to Paris and presence in the capital’s bars and brasseries helped its exposure to the world.

3,000 hectares of vines are cultivated on the region’s limestone soils.

2022-2023, M8 D9 Floral, greengage

6°C

Elderflower, [2.00]

12.5%

CÉCILE LEBRUN SANCERRE BLANC/POUILLY FUMÉ CASE

$ 34

$ 204

THREE BOTTLES EACH SANCERRE & POUILLY FUMÉ

Grilled red mullet with tomatoes, olives and fennel

CÉCILE LEBRUN POUILLY FUMÉ, AOP POUILLY FUMÉ, 2021

Sauvignon Blanc

Across the river from Sancerre, the town of Pouilly-sur-Loire makes very similar style Sauvignon wines. Cécile Lebrun Pouilly-Fumé 2021 has elderflower and nettle aromas. It has substance and depth on the palate with flinty characters, citrus flavours and a sour lime finish. Sauvignon was grown on two terroirs: Portlandian limestone and flinty clay.

2022-2024, M8 D9 Elderflower, nettle

6°C

Flinty, lemon & lime citrus, [2.00]

12.5%

Oyster tartine with lemon, chives and ginger

— THE LOIRE VALLEY MAISON FOUCHER-LEBRUN

45

3590

CÉCILE LEBRUN TOURAINE SAUVIGNON, AOC TOURAINE, 2021

Sauvignon Blanc

$ 20

3591

CÉCILE LEBRUN TOURAINE, AOC TOURAINE, 2021

Cabernet Franc, Côt

$ 120

$ 18

CÉCILE LEBRUN VOUVRAY, AOC VOUVRAY, 2021

Chenin Blanc

$ 108

Touraine is in the central Loire Valley wine region, sitting halfway between Sancerre and Nantes on the Atlantic coast.

Touraine white wines are most often based on Sauvignon Blanc, which is planted across a wide area. The wines have a similar flavour profile to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, although tending to be lighter.

The best examples offer great value for money. A high-scoring wine, the 2021 is restrained and complex with elderflower, fennel and lemon aromas.

Fresh lemon and lime flavours linger on the palate leading to a crisp, sour citrus finish.

Redcurrant and black cherry aromas are complemented by a hint of coconut. The palate is supple with fresh, ripe black fruits and sour blackberry.

Grapes were harvested by hand and fermented in tank to retain freshness. Côt is the same grape as the more widely known Malbec associated with Argentina. The variety, which originated in southwest France, was widely planted in Bordeaux in the 18th and 19th centuries but very little exists today. A small amount is cultivated in the Loire, where it ripens earlier than Cabernet Franc.

2022-2023, M8 D9

2022-2024, M8 D9

Elderflower, fennel, lemon

6°C

Redcurrant, black cherry, coconut

18°C

Lemon, [2.00]

12%

Blackberry

12%

Roasted golden beet salad with goat cheese

3592

$ 21

$ 126

Within the Touraine growing region, to the east of Tours, Vouvray is an Appellation based around the eponymous town on the north bank of the Loire River. Vouvray wines are made from 100% Chenin Blanc in a range of sweetness levels from bone dry to sweet dessert wines. The best can be aged for decades, remaining fresh and vibrant due to the high natural acidity. This is a medium-sweet version with earthy spices and honeyed aromas. Grapes were grown on a plot known as Les Sablons, with soil varying from clay and limestone to clay and silica on tufa subsoil. It was slowly fermented and the fermentation arrested by dropping the temperature, leaving 20g/l of natural residual sugars. The sweetness is offset by a bitter peach character on the finish.

Fettuccine with San Marzano tomato sauce

2022-2023, M8 D9 Honey, beeswax

6°C

Peach, [20.00]

12.5%

Fish terrine with dill

46

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

photo — The Chenin Blanc harvest at Maison Foucher-Lebrun.

FOUNDED IN 1921, MAISON FOUCHER IS CELEBRATING 100 YEARS.

3594 3593

CÉCILE LEBRUN CHINON, AOC CHINON, 2021

DOMAINE DE LA BRETONNIÈRE MUSCADET DE SÈVRE ET MAINE, SUR LIE, AOC MUSCADET SÈVREET-MAINE, 2021 Melon de Bourgogne

Cabernet Franc

$ 21

$ 19 $ 126

$ 114

Fresh green leaves and floral violet aromas typical of Cabernet Franc are all present.

2021 Cécile Lebrun Chinon is mediumbodied, a supple wine with a juicy acidity yet dense with some firmness on the finish.

Grapes, grown on sandy terraces and calcareous soils, were fermented and aged in vat with no use of oak.

Appealing and intense fresh apple and pear aromas precede a supple attack. More fresh apple flavours are present in the mouth leading to a long crisp finish. Muscadet is made from Melon de Bourgogne grapes grown at the far eastern end of the Loire, close to the point where the river empties into the Atlantic. Domaine de la Bretonnière is located in Le Landreau and the wines are vinified by the Charpentier brothers.

2022-2025, M8 D9

2022-2023, M8 D9

Leafy, violet

18°C

Apples, pears

6°C

Juicy dark fruit

13%

Crisp mineral, [2.00]

12%

Rosemary-Dijon lamb lollipops, duck-fat roasted potatoes and asparagus

Broiled lobster tails

— THE LOIRE VALLEY MAISON FOUCHER-LEBRUN

47

3596

CABERNET D'ANJOU, EN MIREBEAU, AOC CABERNET D'ANJOU, 2021 NEW

Cabernet Franc

$ 18

3597 $ 108

ANJOU CABERNET FRANC, LE BOIS PRIEUR, AOP ANJOU, 2021

Cabernet Franc

An off-dry rosé made from Cabernet Franc, it has earthy aromas of beetroot combined with floral and leafy notes. Sweet red berry and apple flavours are complemented by a savoury finish. Grapes were grown in the northeast of the region on the right bank of the river on gravelly soils. Anjou wines are produced close to the city of Angers. Cabernet d’Anjou is an Appellation specifically for rosé wines produced from Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Cabernet Franc, which can be off-dry or even semisweet.

A vibrant wine, light to medium-bodied with aromas of redcurrants, Bitter cherries and sour cranberries come through on the palate with a smoky edge. Cabernet Franc was grown on clay soil with schist and vinified in tank with no use of oak.

2022-2023, M8 D9

2022-2024, M8 D9

$ 120

Beetroot, floral

6°C

Redcurrant, leafy, forest floor

18°C

Red berries, savoury finish, [20.00]

11.5%

Cranberry, smoke, bitter cherry

12.5%

Bruschetta board

48

$ 20

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

Bulgur with roasted eggplant and chermoula

MIXED CASE 3595

LES 7 ARPENTS/SUR LE TUFFEAU CASE

$ 22

$ 132

Touraine’s Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny are two of the Loire’s best regions for red wine, both produced from Cabernet Franc.

THREE BOTTLES EACH

ST-NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL & SAUMUR CHAMPIGNY

ST-NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL, LES VII ARPENTS DE LA CHAPELLE AUX VIGNES, AOP SAINT-NICOLAS-DE-BOURGUEIL, 2021

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc

A light style, fermented and matured for six months in tank. It is bright in colour with lots of appealing raspberry, red fruits and wine gum aromas with a leafy edge. It is elegant and smooth with a fine texture and tangy herbal finish. It was made from Cabernet Franc grapes cultivated from sandy, gravelly soils.

Perfect for drinking early. Saint-Nicolas-deBourgueil is on the right bank of the Loire River. The Appellation is one of Touraine’s best for red wines, alongside Chinon.

A more substantial wine with earthy red fruit aromas. It has layers of flavour with good depth of fruit and a supple finish.

Cabernet Franc vines are on limestone and tufa soils on the south bank of the river.

It was aged in vats to preserve the fruit.

The town of Saumur sits on the river Loire roughly halfway between Angers and Tours.

Around it lies the Cabernet Franc vineyards of Saumur-Champigny Appellation on both sides of the river.

2022-2024, M8 D9

2022-2025, M8 D9

Raspberry, wine gums, leaf

18°C

Earthy red fruits

18°C

herbs

12.5%

Smooth

13%

Braised veal shoulder with root vegetables, rosemary and olive oil

photo — Marc Vappereau, winemaker at Maison Foucher Lebrun, joined the winery in 2001. He shapes the cuvées with a sustainable approach to viticulture.

SAUMUR CHAMPIGNY, AOP SAUMURCHAMPIGNY, 2021

Roast pheasant with wild mushrooms and wine sauce

— THE LOIRE VALLEY MAISON FOUCHER-LEBRUN

49

CELLAR UP! WINES TO SHAPE YOUR CELLAR

While some sources place the earliest wine cellars in Israel, the French are the first to purposefully dig subterranean 'caves' to protect their wine as it ages. As a result, French wines were the first to be stored in this way and continue to be the most common wines found in cellars of all descriptions. When we talk to Opimian Members throughout the country, the same holds true. Our wine collections, both big and small, feature many of the wines you'll see here. Our suggestions here are a sure-fire way to add both value and diversity to your very own selections. Take some or all of our recommendations, and when it comes time to choose and open a bottle, you'll simply not be able to make the wrong choice. Each and every one of these bottles is intended for that drinking occasion.

SPARKLING Pairs with anything, celebrations, romance CÉCILE LEBRUN CRÉMANT DE LOIRE BRUT, AOC CRÉMANT DE LOIRE, LOT 3586, P43

Crémant is essentially sparkling wine made in France, anywhere but Champagne. Made in the same traditional method, Crémant de Loire exhibits the same fine mousse and sensory characteristics as its Champagne cousin – just at a much lower price.

LIGHT-BODIED WHITE White/light fish, sipping on its own PICPOUL DE PINET, TÊTE DE CUVÉE, AOP PICPOUL DE PINET, 2021, LOT 3539, P15

Château Canet figured out Picpoul before many others. Rarely produced in a single varietal, this unique white comes in a bottle designed specifically for this AOC. The well-balanced, dry wine inside is worthy of the special bottle.

ROSÉ Most appetizers, sipping on its own, the back deck DOMAINE TOUR CAMPANETS BOIS DES FÉES, ROSÉ, AOP COTEAUX D'AIX , LOT 3583, P37

While Provence is no longer just rosé, there is a reason it’s known for it. The terroir and the climate are perfectly suited to produce this dry wine with a kiss of colour from the skins of the grape. Rosés are gaining traction with wine drinkers worldwide. Let this lovely bottle transport you to the countryside of southern France.

MEDIUM-BODIED RED Versatile; many meats without heavy sauces, casseroles CHÂTEAU CANET, AOP MINERVOIS, ROUGE, 2021, LOT 3542 AND 3543, P16

Minervois takes its name from its Appellation. Well known in LanguedocRoussillon for its lovely nose and smooth palate, this Syrah and Grenache blend will become a go-to wine in your cellar for a wide range of occasions.

The magnum is an affordable way to make a splash the next time you entertain.

...AND FOR YOUR BAR Cognac COGNAC CHÂTEAU BELLEVUE, VIEILLE RÉSERVE NO. 1, AOC COGNAC, LOT 3522, P52

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CELLAR 297 — CELLAR UP!

As spirits and cocktails continue to trend upward, Cognac is no longer just for sipping in an overstuffed wingback chair with a cigar. Every bar should include a bottle of Cognac in the mix.

This icon of brandy has been a premium selection for ages.

MARQUIS DE GOULAINE

NEW

3576

A pungent Sauvignon with nettles and gooseberry aromas. It has an earthy, mineral palate complemented by passion fruit, lemon and lime fruits. The HautPoitou Appellation lies around the city of Poitiers in western France roughly halfway between the Loire and Bordeaux. Vineyards are planted on an undulating plateau on limestone soils.

MARQUIS DE GOULAINE, SAUVIGNON BLANC, AOP HAUTPOITOU, 2021

Sauvignon Blanc

$ 21

photo — The Château de Goulaine was built in the 17th century and has been classed a historic monument since 1913.

$ 126

2022-2023, M8 D9 Pungent nettles, gooseberry

6°C

Passion fruit, flinty, lemon, [2.50]

11.5%

Crab and saffron risotto

— THE LOIRE VALLEY MARQUIS DE GOULAINE

51

SPIRITS

COGNAC

Domaine Élisabeth VIROLLET

The Cognac Appellation in southwest France, north of Bordeaux, makes some of the world’s finest and most renowned brandies.

Cognac must be made from specified grape varieties, mainly Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard. The wine must be doubledistilled in traditional swan-necked copper pot stills and aged for a minimum of two years in large French oak casks made of oak from the Limousin or Tronçais forests.

CHÂTEAU BELLEVUE

3522

COGNAC CHÂTEAU BELLEVUE, VIEILLE RÉSERVE NO. 1, AOC COGNAC

Cognac

$ 198

40%

$ 396

Every year, I taste the Bellevue Vieille Réserve, and every year I fall in love with it again. The 108-hectare estate is enclosed within dry stone walls with at its heart a 19th-century Château. Vieille Réserve N°1 was matured for over 60 years beneath the Château in the vaulted stone cellar. It is amber in colour with a sweet mellow bouquet with notes of bitter orange, vanilla, caramel, spices and wood. It is complex with warm flavours and lots of appeal while having elegant fruit and vanilla and is super smooth.

Produced from a blend of Folle Blanche, Colombard and the now rare Montils grape.

52

CELLAR 297 — ALBERTA

photo — Jean-Guy Arrivé, owner and Cellar Master

of Château Bellevue.

ELISABETH VS FINE COGNAC, AOC COGNAC FINS BOIS

Cognac

ELISABETH XO FINE COGNAC, AOC COGNAC FINS BOIS

40%

Golden in colour, it has grapey fruit aromas with a pungent alcohol. The palate is sweet with lingering mellow grape flavours. It was made from 30% Colombard and 70% Ugni Blanc and was aged initially in new Limousin oak barrels, then in older foudres for a minimum of four years – longer than the specified minimum for VS Cognac (which stands for Very Special).

MIXED CASE 3523

ELISABETH FINE COGNAC CASE

$ 89

$ 267

Cognac

ELISABETH VSOP FINE COGNAC, AOC COGNAC FINS BOIS

40%

Cognac

A deeper orange amber colour, it is a little subdued on the nose at first. With some air and warmth, it shows mellow, rich candied fruits and spices with vanilla and chocolate. Élisabeth XO (Extra Old) was matured for more than 15 years.

Domaine Élisabeth is a family property which has been growing grapes and making Cognac in the Fins Bois subregion since 1767. It has 50 hectares of vines which are farmed organically on clay limestone soils typical of Fins Bois. Cognac must be aged in oak for a minimum of two years, but many are aged a lot longer. Cognacs are classified according to the length of maturation in oak. As it ages in wood, the spirit softens, becoming less fiery, and develops mellow and complex flavours. Limousin oak has a larger grain than oak used for wine maturation. Alcohol evaporates into the atmosphere creating what is known as the “Angels’ Share,” at the same time it becomes more concentrated and richer in flavour and takes on colour.

40%

This VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) has more vanilla aromas and is mellow with raisin, cooked fruit and woody flavours. On the palate, it has good weight and depth with baked apple-strudel character and a long woody finish. Matured in a similar fashion to the VS, it spent a minimum of eight years in oak.

ONE BOTTLE EACH VS, VSOP, XO

— COGNAC DOMAINE ÉLISABETH

53

54

CELLAR 297 —

photo credit — nigel bradbury COLLECTOR’S CORNER

COLLECTOR’S CORNER

RARE FINDS TO ENHANCE YOUR CELLAR

NEW FROM DOMAINE JONES

3537

LA PERLE RARE JONES GRENACHE GRIS, VIN DE FRANCE

Grenache Gris

$ 78

$ 78 2022-2026, M8 D9

Woody, spice, nutmeg, cooked fruits

6°C

Complex, lemon curd, wood, [1.00]

14%

Magret de canard with balsamic-berry reduction and caramelized shallots

3538

A standout wine from Katie Jones in the western Languedoc. It is complex with woody aromas, cooked fruits, smoke, nutmeg spice and lots of personality. It was made from Grenache Gris grown on dark-black slate soils near the village of Maury in Roussillon.

In 2009, Katie had a barrel of Grenache Gris that she found too oaky and so left it to one side in a corner of the winery, occasionally topping it up with other leftover wines. On tasting it four years later, she was amazed at how the wine had developed and decided to bottle it. Katie now keeps three barrels in the winery from different vintages, topping up the oldest vintage with the younger wines and bottles just one barrel each year to produce 300 bottles. In total, the wines have each spent at least three years in oak. The palate is supple with similar aromas as the bouquet complemented by lemon curd and a tangy acidity. It is firm with lingering flavours – an absolute treat!

LA PERLE RARE JONES SYRAH, VIN DE FRANCE, 2018

Syrah

$ 78

$ 78

2022-2026, M8 D9 Dark fruits, smoke, oak, tobacco

6°C

Woodlands, smoky fruit

14.5%

Pan-seared venison with blackberry sauce

Deep in colour, this Syrah has intense aromas of dark fruit and oak, smoke with a hint of tobacco and great depth. It is supple and smooth with woodlands character and a long smoky finish. Syrah grapes came from a single vineyard planted by Katie's husband Jean-Marc in 2009. The vines planted were from a “massal selection” (replanting new vineyards with cuttings from exceptional old vines) done in Côte-Rôtie in the northern Rhône – you can’t get more pedigree than that. Planted close to the village of Tuchan on chalky clay and schist soils, the vines produce low yields of loose bunches. These were picked and fermented on skins for five weeks then aged for 24 months in new French oak barrels.

— CELLAR 297 COLLECTOR’S CORNER

55

Web Exclusives Please visit Opimian.ca for your province's pricing on these wines.

NEW

3524

ARMAGNAC CUGNAC COLLECTION, TASTE 20 BARREL, AOC ARMAGNAC, MAISON RYSTDUPEYRON IRIT Armagnac

$ WEB

40%

$ WEB

The Armagnac region in Gascony, in southwest France south of Bordeaux, makes distinctive brandies from grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle Blanche and Ugni Blanc. While Armagnac and Cognac share some similarities, different grapes varieties and a single distillation in a column still are traditionally used for Armagnac, creating a more earthy character. Cugnac at Condom, is in the heart of the Armagnac Appellation. The family-owned distillery, established in 1905, is run by JacquesFrançois Ryst and his cellar master.

Armagnacs are preserved and matured in old oak foudres and barrels. Cuvée 20 is a blend of 20-year-old Armagnacs. It is a deep, bright amber colour and has mellow vanilla and orange peel aromas. On the palate, cooked pear fruit flavours linger with some bitterness on the finish.

56

CELLAR 297 — WEB EXCLUSIVES

3525

MARQUIS DE SAINT-LOUP CALVADOS, SÉLECTION, AOC CALVADOS

Calvados

$ WEB

40%

$ WEB

Pale yellow colour, intense fresh apple aromas, lemon, citrus, elegant, clean.

Smooth initially with pungent apple flavours which linger. Cristian Drouin is the third generation of his family to produce Marquis de Saint-Loup Calvados. It is distilled from cider made from 30 varieties of Normandy and Brittany apples. These are harvested in September when the apples naturally drop to the ground when they are ripe. The distilled spirit is aged in small oak casks, many of which have been used for sherry or port maturation. These impart fewer bitter tannins and retain its light colour and refined texture.

MIXED CASE 3526

DOMAINE DE SAUVIS ARMAGNAC CASE - JEWELRY COLLECTION

WEB $

WEB $

The Armagnac region in Gascony in southwest France makes distinctive brandies from grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle Blanche and Ugni Blanc. Aside from using some different grape varieties, it also differs from Cognac in that a single distillation in a column still is traditionally used.

Domaine de Saoubis is in the Bas-Armagnac at Ayzieu. The family farm grapes for distillation, biodynamically following the lunar cycle, using their own composts and with no pesticides or herbicides.

ONE BOTTLE EACH TOPAZE, SAPHIR & AMBRE

SAUVIS TOPAZE IMPÉRIALE, BASARMAGNAC, AOC ARMAGNAC, HORS D'AGE, 2006

Armagnac

42%

Produced from 100% Folle Blanche. Topaze is bright golden colour, fresher fruit aromas, less complex/mellow wood character, and youthful, fiery character in the mouth.

Distilled in 2005, it was matured for 14 years in 400-litre oak barrels.

SAPHIR JAUNE, BAS-ARMAGNAC, AOC ARMAGNAC, VSOP, DOMAINE DE SAOUBIS, 2012

Armagnac

46%

This is a bright golden yellow with fruity aromas. More wood comes through on the palate. Using wine made from 100% Baco, it was distilled in November 2012 and aged in oak.

SAUVIS AMBRE ROYALE, BAS-ARMAGNAC, AOC ARMAGNAC, X.O., 2009

Armagnac

49%

Amber in colour, it is mellow with some vanilla character. At 49%, it is high in alcohol yet smooth. Made from 100% Folle Blanche with a fresh, grapey finish. Distilled in 2007 and matured in oak barrels until 2019.

— CELLAR 297 WEB EXCLUSIVES

57

3559

DOMAINE LA VOÛTE DU VERDUS, AOP LANGUEDOC, 2020

Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre

$ WEB

$ WEB

3565

FLEUR DE CHARLOTTE MERLOT, IGP PAYS D’OC, 2021

Merlot

DOMAINE PEIRIÈRE RÉSERVE SAUVIGNON, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Sauvignon Blanc

$ WEB

$ WEB

An intense wine, it has crushed fruit aromas of raspberry, mulberry and sweet strawberries. The palate is smooth and rich with an unctuous feel to it. This is a medium- to full-bodied wine with nice bitter fruits on the finish.

Essentially a blend of Syrah and Grenache, just a small amount of Carignan and Mourvèdre were added.

A medium- to full-bodied Merlot with damson jam, juicy black fruits and leafy characters. Grapes were grown around the city of Carcassonne. A range created by Charlotte Lemstra, Floris and Vicky's daughter, at Château Canet – the wines are perfect for everyday drinking.

2022-2026, M8 D9

2022-2024, M8 D9

Crushed raspberry, mulberries, strawberries

18°C

Leafy, damson jam

18°C

Crushed fruits

15%

Black fruits

13.5%

Baked goat cheese and raspberry compote in puff pastry

3577

$ WEB

$ WEB

Lots of flavour in this Languedoc Sauvignon produced by Olivier de Mandeville at Domaine Peirière. Fresh green apples, apple blossom and lime aromas continue onto the palate. It is smooth and round with a clean, fresh crisp acidity.

Barbecued spareribs with mixed-berry sauce

2022-2023, M8 D9 Green apple, lime

6°C

Smooth, crisp, [5.00]

12.5%

Veggie noodle bowl with cashew dressing

58

CELLAR 297 — WEB EXCLUSIVES

3578

DOMAINE PEIRIÈRE RÉSERVE VIOGNIER, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Viognier

$ WEB

3579

MAISON BELLEROCHE CABERNET SAUVIGNON, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Cabernet Sauvignon

$ WEB

$ WEB

3580

MAISON BELLEROCHE MALBEC, IGP PAYS D'OC, 2021

Malbec

$ WEB

$ WEB

$ WEB

Olivier’s father was one of the first vignerons to plant Viognier in the Languedoc.

The 2021 has intense aromas of apples, pears and mango.

It is medium-bodied and well balanced with good depth and length.

It has blackberry aromas with some doughy notes. This is an easy-drinking, medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with ripe concentrated black fruit flavours.

A medium- to full-bodied Malbec, it has mellow, dark fruit flavours and some chewy tannins. Vines are planted around Béziers on chalky hillside sites with a light subsoil and lots of pebbles.

2022-2023, M8 D9

2022-2024, M8 D9

2022-2024, M8 D9

Apples, pears

6°C

Blackberry

18°C

Dark fruits

18°C

Mango, [2.00]

13%

Black fruits

13%

Chewy tannins

13%

Fish in meunière sauce

Braised ox cheeks with blackberry sauce

Stir-fried eggplant with plum sauce

— CELLAR 297 WEB EXCLUSIVES

59

2022 Cellar Schedule C290: Burgundy, Australia & New Zealand Opens November 9, 2021 Last day to order: December 13, 2021 Mail form by: November 30, 2021 Expected release: Spring 2022

Legend

C291: South Africa & Tuscany Opens December 14, 2021 Last day to order: January 17, 2022 Mail form by: January 3, 2022 Expected release: Summer 2022

Red - White - Rosé - Sparkling - Port/Dessert - Spirit

Bottle size

C292: Argentina, Chile & Alsace Opens January 18, 2022 Last day to order: February 21, 2022 Mail form by: February 7, 2022 Expected release: Summer 2022

Number of bottles in case

Aroma

C293: Rhône, Chablis, Champagne & Scotland Opens February 22, 2022 Last day to order: March 28, 2022 Mail form by: March 14, 2022 Expected release: Summer 2022

Taste

Serving temperature

C294: Spain & Austria Opens March 29, 2022 Last day to order: May 2, 2022 Mail form by: April 18, 2022 Expected release: Fall 2022

Percent of alcohol1

Ideal with Evolution Drink this year Will develop, drink within 2 years Meant for cellaring

C295: Bordeaux, Bergerac, Beaujolais & Cognac/Armagnac Opens May 3, 2022 Last day to order: June 6, 2022 Mail form by: May 20, 2022 Expected release: Fall 2022

Body Light - Medium - Great

C296: Veneto, Puglia & Northern Italy, Germany & Corsica Opens June 7, 2022 Last day to order: July 11, 2022 Mail form by: June 27, 2022 Expected release: Winter 2023

Oak Light - Medium - Heavy

C297: Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire & Provence Opens July 12, 2022 Last day to order: August 15, 2022 Mail form by: July 29, 2022 Expected release: Winter 2023

Organic2

Limited quantity

Vegetarian2

Overall top 10 from last year

C298: The United States, Portugal and the Port Bottle Shop Opens August 16, 2022 Last day to order: September 19, 2022 Mail form by: September 2, 2022 Expected release: Winter 2023

Medal winner

C299: Piedmont, Sicily, Le Marche, Abruzzo & Canada Opens September 20, 2022 Last day to order: November 7, 2022 Mail form by: October 25, 2022 Expected release: Spring 2023 1 2

If you have any questions or want to order, contact us: MemberService@Opimian.ca or 1 800 361-9421

M—Degree of Maturity (1-10) M1 = lay down M10 = fully mature

D—Degree of Drinkability (1-10) D1 = needs time D10 = ready to drink

Residual Sugar Dry = 0-10g/l Semi dry = 11-30g/l

Semi sweet = 31-50g/l Sweet = 51+g/l

The alcohol percentage value is subject to change before delivery.

This information is provided by our producers and may not reflect Canadian norms.

Ordering Made Easy 1. SELECT YOUR WINES Let yourself be inspired by Opimian’s Master of Wine, Jane Masters MW, and her detailed descriptions included in the Cellar Offering.

Our custom chart on the reverse side features a list of symbols to help guide your selection.

Still unsure which wines to order? Contact us!

2. PLACE YOUR ORDER There are four ways to order. The last day to order for each Cellar Offering can be found listed on the reverse. No orders will be processed after this time.

Full name _________________________________________________ Telephone ________________________________________________ Member no. ________________________________________________ Payment Methods

l Cheque Opimian.ca

1 800 361-9421

MemberService@Opimian.ca

Mail this form 14 days before end of the Cellar to Opimian Wine Club de Vin 300 - 2170 René-Lévesque West Montreal, QC H3H 2T8

l Use of wine credits

l Use credit card on file. Please go to your dashboard at Opimian.ca to update your credit card on file or contact Member Service.

Cellar Number Lot

Description

Date Number of cases

Cost/case

Total

3. LET US HANDLE THE REST The wines featured on this Cellar Offering are still at the producers’ wineries when you order them, so it is normal that the process takes a bit of time and effort on our side.

Release dates are dependent upon actual arrival dates, distance from port of entry to liquor board and processing time required by each liquor board. For this Cellar Offering, the expected release date is listed on the reverse.

Once the wine arrives at your local liquor store or distribution centre, you will receive a Pick-up Notice with the specified date (the Release Date) and your pick-up location.

Conditions of Purchase • Accepted payment methods: Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), wine credits or cheque payable to Opimian.

• Prices include all applicable federal and provincial markups and taxes.

• A valid membership card is required to order.

• Bottle prices are for reference only. In the case of any price discrepancy between printed materials and the website, the price published on the website prevails.

• All orders are by the case, with no minimum required.

Notes, as required by the law in the Province of Quebec • A member ordering from this Cellar Offering requests that Opimian acts as the member’s agent in ordering the wines from the Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) and requests that Opimian remits the funds enclosed (minus any administration fees) to the SAQ to pay for the wines ordered.

• The prices as shown are the estimated costs to be charged by the SAQ plus an administration fee and consolidation charges.

Notes, as required by the law in the Province of Alberta • All purchase transactions are completed pursuant to the laws in the Province of Alberta and are between you as the customer and Rocky Mountain Wine, Spirits & Beer (“Rocky Mountain”), an independent third party of Opimian Society (“Opimian”). All charges will appear on your credit card statement as Rocky Mountain.

• You hereby acknowledge and agree that your dealings with Rocky Mountain which are not related to an Opimian purchase, including payment and all other terms, conditions, representations and warranties related to such transaction, whether implied by law or by expressed agreement between you and Rocky Mountain, are solely between you and Rocky Mountain and not Opimian. You hereby acknowledge that Opimian is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of, or in connection with, or a resulting transaction, and you hereby release and waive any claims you may have against Opimian in connection thereof.

TOTAL

Notes to Member Service ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY Processed on ________________________ (date)

Initials __________________

Look for a complete range of vintage Armagnacs from the prestigious Maison Ryst-Dupeyron starting Monday, July 18 for a limited time and online only.

Dubbed the “Haute-Couture” of spirits, these exceptional Armagnacs have never been blended with other eaux-de-vie. They are preserved in 30-litre demi-johns and bottled by hand to order.

! p u op

WEB

P

OPIMIAN.CA LOT 3514

For a limited time starting with Cellar 297, Members will have the opportunity to order even more exclusive bottles, online only.

CHECK YOUR INBOX

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OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

uly 18, Starting J nal ptio these exce intages v c a n g a Arm le online b a l i a v a are only t time! for a shor

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