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LE CLOS JORDANNE: IS IT ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE?
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
Le Clos Jordanne wines from
Born of a partnership between Vincor, Canada’s largest wine producer, and Boisset, the major French producer originally based in Burgundy, Le Clos Jordanne winery crafts high-end Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines—elegantly labeled and masterly marketed.
Admittedly, I have heard of these wines but haven’t had a chance to taste the full range until yesterday, after receiving the bottles from the winery’s VP of Marketing. I opened them with keen anticipation and—sound-the-gong—mindful focus, eager to learn if these wines are indeed all they’re cracked up to be. Afterall, at $30 to $70 a pop, they’re not cheap. So without further adieu, here are my thoughts.
The $30 Wines
Village Reserve Chardonnay 2006 (released December 6, LCBO #33936). This wine shines clear and bright pale straw in the glass. Understated minerals and lemon on the nose leads to a silky palate of lemons and cream, vanilla and spice. Fairly Burgundy-like, meaning it’s considerably restrained rather than overly fruited and brings together body, structure, fresh fruit and warm wood to create quite a delicate and tight balance. Not terribly complex but otherwise fairly impressive and, yes, worth the price.
Village Reserve Pinot Noir 2006 (released December 6, LCBO #33894). This pale ruby wine exudes clean fresh fruit aromas of stewed raspberries and strawberries edged with vanilla and spice. On the palate, clean, fresh, ripe flavours of poached raspberries and strawberries. Bone dry with hints of vanilla and spice again. Silky texture with enough acidity to cleanse the palate and stand up to food. Soft, ripe tannins. Elegant. Well-balanced and medium bodied with fairly long length. Indeed good value.
The $40 Wines
Claystone Terrace Chardonnay 2006 (to be released March 24, LCBO #36806 $40.00 for 750ml, $95 for 1.5L). Baked apple with a smidge of freshly grated nutmeg on the nose and palate with sharp lemon squirt acidity that’s too acerbic for the wine putting it slightly out of balance. Overpriced.
Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 (to be released March 24, LCBO #33910 $40.00). I immediately noticed the alcohol to be too high in this wine for the fruit, leaving an unpleasant burning sensation in the back of the throat. Not up to snuff for $40.00 per bottle.
Claystone Terrace Pinot Noir 2006 (to be released March 24, LCBO #33951). This wine is the most interesting one of the lot, I think, but it won’t appeal to everyone. The wine is already showing maturity with a russet coloured rim and a pale ruby core. The flavours and aromas ring of caramelized meat drippings, smoked meat, and crushed redcurrants. Balanced, silky, and crisp. Worth the price if you’re into this style of Pinot Noir but it doesn’t have the depth of fruit needed to improve with age so drink up.
Le Petite Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 (to be released March 25, LCBO #33944). Confected aromas on the nose reminiscent of bubblegum. Bone dry palate that tastes of mixed berries and violets. Sadly though, the wine is a little thin for the 13% alcohol, making it a little unpleasantly hot in the throat. I feel obliged to note, $40 is too steep.
Le Clos Jordanne Pinot Noir 2006 (to be released March 24, LCBO #33902). Very
pale ruby colour with attractive clean cooked cranberry aromas but, on the palate, the wine is thin, lacking the fruit intensity to stand up to the searing acidity. Not good value.
The $65 Wine
Le Grand Clos Chardonnay 2006 (released November 8, LCBO #34561). Spiced apple pie aromas and butter on the nose followed by a silky texture with citrus, cooked apple and spice on the palate. Nicely balanced and well-made, but not as concentrated, complex, or long as I would have hoped for a $65 wine.
The $70 Wine
Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir 2006 (released November 8, LCBO #34553). Another savoury Pinot Noir here with a nose that reminds me of duck confit and smoke. Then on the palate, more of the same layered with salt spray and red meat. Clean, crisp, well-balanced, and long. This one will keep for another year but doesn’t have sufficient extract to improve with age. In the end, I would have to say it’s overpriced.
If you’re interested, all of these wines are available at www.leclosjordanne.com as well as through the LCBO.
Value of the Week
Canadian wine writer Richard Best just released a great little book titled, The Frugal Oenophile’s Winegrape Primer. This alphabetical listing of grape varieties and their flavours is incredibly useful given about 90% of a wine’s flavour comes from its grape type. Merlot tastes like cherries, Riesling like lime, Cabernet Sauvignon like blackcurrant liqueur, and Assyrtico like… what? Right then. This guide will tell you. And it’s small enough to slip into the back pocket of your blue jeans. Pick it up at www.frugalwine.com for $12.95.
This column is distributed privately, appears in Outreach Connection weekly, and is posted at www.wine-tribune.com. Seasoned journalist and qualified sommelier Carolyn Evans-Hammond has written for several major publications including Decanter Magazine, The Times newspaper, and Wine & Spirit International magazine in the U.K., as well as Maclean’s magazine, Taste magazine, Tidings magazine, The Toronto Star and The Province in Canada. Her bestselling book, 1000 Best Wine Secrets, is available at most major bookstores, and signed copies are available through her website.