TRADE REVIEW: Wines from Brazil

The Time and Date: Friday, September 14, 2007, 11 AM to 2 PM
The Event: a tasting of wines, sponsored by "Wines from Brazil", for the
media and for the trade.
The Venue: Toula, 38th Floor, Westin Hotel
The Target Audience: wine press.
The Availability/Catalogue: superb notes from the seven wineries, all
marshaled together by the organizer Sheila Swerling-Puritt. US prices were
quoted as most of the wines were not repped in Canada.
The Quote: "It is hot as hell in here" - the air circulation system didn't
kick in for about an hour, making the seminar of chewy red wines a tough
slog...
The Wines: we started with seven wines, one from each winery, as a media
seminar. A rep from each establishment presented the wine, and was available
for questions. About two dozen wine press were there.

* Miolo Merlot Terroir 2005: this was a wine to savour and to cellar, $45 US
retail, good depth but needing time. Michel Rolland is an adviser to the
winery.
* Mioranza Cabernet Sauvignon 2005: $15 US, spicy fruit, good oaking from
six months in French oak.
* Casa Valduga Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva 2004: $32 US: hard oak, red
fruit, still needed time.
* Pizzato Concentus 2004: $25 US, very good concentration, one of my top
picks of the afternoon. It was 40% merlot, 40% tannat, and 20% cabernet
sauvignon, barreled in 50 - 50 French and US oak.
* Panceri Pisani and Panceri Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2004: $18.50
US, and a bargain. Grapefruit, red fruit, oak tones, higher acid on the
finish for food. French oak.
* Boscato Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2002: $80 US. Gold medalist, oaky,
plummy, saturated, delivers the goods with flavours, but pricey.
* Don Laurindo Gran Reserva 2002: $105 US. Bordeaux-styled blend, only made
in special harvests (1999, 2002, 2005). New French oak dominates.

Other wines in the show included a variety of chardonnays (the more it cost,
the better it tasted) and sparkling wines. The sparklers were good value,
especially the Panceri Espumante Moscatel for $6 US. In the reds, I enjoyed
the Casa Valduga Cabernet Franc 2004 ($14US) and their Duetto Cabernet
Sauvignon/Merlot 2004 ($14US), Don Laurindo Reserva Malbec 2005 ($45US),
Miolo Lote 43 2004 ($35US) with its 50-50 merlot and cabernet sauvignon done
up in US oak, and both the Pizzato Reserva Merlot 2004 and Cabernet
Sauvignon 2004 ($14 apiece).

The Food: The Toronto Brazilian restaurant Caju did the catering, supplying
(at room temperature) fish balls, meat in puff paste, cheese and bacon
balls, various small empanadas. They all went extremely well with the food.
The Downside: it was initially very hot.
The Upside: a great opportunity to taste the other wines later, about 30 in
all.

The Contact Person: spuritt@sympatico.ca
The Effectiveness (numerical grade): 90.

More trade reviews at
www.deantudor.com