SAQ Wine and Spirits

Bought a Prugneto Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore 2014 to cook and drink a bit while I cook (http://www.saq.com/page/fr/saqcom/vin-rouge/prugneto-sangiovese-di-romagna-superiore-2014/11298404?selectedIndex=2&searchContextId=9524956819204643502 )

The attack and the nose is pretty interesting, very good acidity mixed with a bit of fruitiness. Nice and proper peak in the middle of the mouth where the fruit and acidity meshes in a very pretty way. Unfortunately, the aftertaste leaves a bit to be desired. Once you go past the middle of the mouth, sandalwood leads you to gripping tannin which I do not find enjoyable.

Its a nice bottle of wine but I would not buy it again.

I am currently drinking (get this… it is as pretty impressive word salad) a viognier and gewurzstraminer bulgarian agrobiologic blend (white wine, of course!)

The 750ml bottle was 17.35$

I admit it, I bought it because I was fascinated by the concept. I thought it was hilarious and desperately wanted it to be good. (how cool would it be to have a pocket bulgarian white?)

Its not that good.

The attack is pretty inexistent. You have to wait until it ramps up to the middle of the mouth to get citrus (lemon/grapefruit) and grassy notes. Its a bit tart and angular. The finish is pretty thin.

Overall if I wanted to play with those notes I’d go for a vinho verde. Its cheaper. (the Aveleda is 12$)

I’m on my second bottle. Just opened a St.Urbans-Hof 2014.

Oh, riesling how I love thee!

I don’t often buy bottles that have less residual sugar than spatlese because I like botherysed rieslings too much to spend my money on anything else.

Sometimes, however, I’ll make an exception.

This one is a Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete from the Mosel region.

It is an unctuous wine that starts pretty tame and goes on a crescendo to the middle of the mouth to a creamy, soft, acid and fruity finish. Hints of apple/peach/pear? Lots of finesse and layers to this wine.

Will buy again. A fantastic find and a great deal at 20$.

I always had a healthy respect for Lenz Moser Prestige Burgenland Trockenbeerenauslese. For those not fan of german style rieslings, trockenbeerenauslese is the single sugariest bothyrised german style riesling on the oechsle scale (which goes from kabinett at approx 9 grams of sugar per liter to trockenbeerenauslese at approx 300 grams of sugar per liter ). It is also extremely expensive since grapes of riesling chosen for trockenbeerenauslese have barely any juice left.

Consequently , the germans trockenbeerenauslese are way too expensive for any occasion (care for a 375ml bottle of Kunstler Hochheimer at 211$? Its on sale at 75$ off!). Austrian trockenbeerenauslese like the lenz moser will set you back only 20$ for a bottle of 375$, which is an incredible deal.

So.

When I saw a bottle of Lenz Moser riesling Q.b.A at 19.20$ I was curious. The SAQ representative confirmed that it was a good bottle so I bought one to try.

The attack is pretty front and central in acidity and pithy citrus bitterness. It ramps up pretty quickly. There is a slight effervescence of a pretty young wine along the way, especially in the finish. The acidity takes a backside to the bitterness towards the middle of the mouth and goes on a crescendo. The finish is pith, effervescence and citrus.

I did not find it pleasant. I will not buy it again.

Second wine of the night is a Clos Saragnac Avalanche 2012.

Clos Saragnac is apparently the one who introduced ice cider in Quebec. You get a 200ml bottle for 27$, so approx a big standard glass of wine or 2 glasses of fortified wine, if you are more reasonable.

The ice cider is pretty sugary, very textured and has a lot of layers. It start with big fruit, a lot of berries in maple syrup, the middle of the mouth is slight acidity, candied apple (mcintosh) combined by a big dose of candied sugar, the finish is berries that ends in barley sugar.

11% alcohol, very sweet but not cloying. Drink it in porto glasses or fortified wine glasses and you’ll thank me later. A nice product, maybe for those who tried neige, cryomalus, domaine labranche, domaine lafrance, domaine pinnacle and is looking for something more refined with more layers.

Currently trying a Fernand Engel riesling réserve 2013. Got it for 18.80$ for a bottle of 750ml at the SAQ.

Pretty smooth beginning and ramps up pretty quick in acidity in the middle of the mouth, where the acidity tapers off very politely to leave a crisp apple finish. Its lively, nuanced, pretty balanced and fresh… its a very nice discovery! Fresh but not as young as a vino verdhe, layered but not as complex as a german riesling… there’s something that reminds me of a more mature and sophisticated bourgogne aligoté. Its a very polite wine!

Would buy it again and introduce to friends!

Currently drinking Domaine Steinbach Riesling Kabinett 2014

Pretty strong barnyard on the nose. Relevant with bothrytis and not alarming.

Hints of barnyard in the attack, acidity present but tame, not a ton of sugar (it IS a kabinett). Pretty young wine, slight fizzle on the tongue (you know that Vinho Verde fizzle?). The wine is pretty wide but doesn’t have a lot of depth. Falls flat somewhere around the middle, a hint of acidity in the end but nothing remarkable. Pretty weak body. Notes of pear, a bit musty. Overall lack of body and complexity.

Would not buy again.

Currently drinking a Cortez de Cima Chaminé 2013, 14.05$ at the SAQ and recommended by a SAQ employee at the SAQ Forum on St-Catherine.

To be honest, I was looking for a white douro but could not find any so I asked for a rec. So its one of those “chateau au hasard” I so often try.

This is a very compact wine. There is a good length to it and the flavors a bit hard to pick off individually. There is not a lot of distance between the attack and the middle of the mouth. It all kinda come off together. There is acidity, floral notes, citrus pith, a certain minerality, there is a hint of pear somewhere…hidden in the back. It is astringent and somewhat aromatic.

I would not buy again because there is too much citrus pith in there.

Currently drinking Ramos Pinto Lagrima, Ramos Pinto’s white port offering.

There are not a ton of white port at the SAQ so I’m very happy to have found this bottle.

Its 23.05$ for a 750ml bottle. I’ve heard that portuguese drink it cut with mineral water but I like this as it is as a dessert wine.

There is a strong pear presence in the attack, sugar and a bit of alcohol at the tail end. It is a very long and very wide port.

If I had a dessert to pair it with i’d do something like this:

Its a great port but I’d like a bit more acidity or fruit.

Overall I’d buy again but I still prefer the (more expensive) ice ciders like Neiges in its category. To pair with pear however, it is a peerless choice. (ho ho!)

Currently drinking a Balthasar Reiss Troken 2014 (20.65$, 750 ml)

Its a pretty balanced offering, not very long or very wide but that has a good presence in the middle of the mouth.

A bit herbal, a bit grassy, a bit of citrus, its somewhat mellow without being too thin. At its core there is that piney “white wine” taste people who don’t like wine complain about. I don’t find it a flaw but its definitely there.

Its not bad… I’d buy it again but its a bit too expensive for what it brings to the table (to me it taste like a 16-18$ price point) and at the same price point the St.Urbans-Hof completely blows it out of the water.

I would buy it again but might look somewhere else first.

Currently drinking a Brudlmayer Kamptaler Terrassen Grüner Veltliner (with Dalida in the background)

This wine is 25$ for a 750ml bottle.

A very smooth and long attack that’s plastic and lean. The middle of the mouth is somewhat off center with a noticeable peak of lemon oil and pith. The second half of the wine has a small backdrop of pith and minerality that’s not unpleasant. The wine leaves on the back of the mouth a cleaning feel of astringency. This is a wine that really opens up (and the attack is very small) if you roll it in your mouth but it can be enjoyed straight and smooth for more simplicity. The wine is pretty long and narrow.

Overall a very delightful wine that I would buy again. I think the Bernard Ott Fass 4 had more layers to it however.
( http://www.saq.com/page/en/saqcom/white-wine/bernhard-ott-fass-4-gruner-veltiner-2015/12088636 )

Just writing a note to remember to check out François Chidaine Chenin Blanc (a recommendation from the advisor).

I went in looking for Épaulé Jeté from Catherine and Pierre Breton (thanks again Mr.F!) http://www.saq.com/page/en/saqcom/white-wine/catherine-et-pierre-breton-epaule-jete-2014/12103411

My hearth stopped when I saw a bottle from Patrick Beaudoin (http://www.saq.com/page/en/saqcom/white-wine/domaine-patrick-baudouin-anjou-effusion-2014/11909498)

The wine the advisor recommended was Les Choisilles 2014. http://www.saq.com/page/en/saqcom/white-wine/francois-chidaine-les-choisilles-2014/13004431

2nd bottle of wine of the night is a Weingut Emrich-Schönleber Riesling Nahe Trocken 2015.

Its 22.30$ for a 750 ml bottle.

This wine is very special. The experience is pretty short but quite intense. Its not very long and everything is front loaded but the first sip makes you go “wow!”. The dominant note that comes through like a crystal bell is pineapple. Behind that note is a cacophony of flavours that bleeds into each other, like the wall of sound, wine edition. There is a slight fizz that comes from young wine (vinho verde style).

The wine cuts very sharply and doesn’t have a lot of aftertaste (its like if the soup nazi made a wine: NO MORE TASTE FOR YOU!). In a sense its refreshing because the cut is very clean and prepares the palate for the next sip.

What’s behind the pineapple note? That’s asking for a lot. A bit of lemon pith, citrus notes, a hint of minerality, maybe a bit of apple or melon? (I’m reaching here). Suffice to say it is very very nice.

A kaleidoscope of flavours, a short, efficient jab, less layered than the St.Urbans -Hof (my current riesling favorite) but no less interesting (which is a LARGE compliment).

I would buy it again and share with friends.

Great thread!!

My favorite thing about SAQ (which I greatly miss in CA) was their lenient returns policy - bring back any sealed bottle and as long as they have an inventory scan, they’ll allow you to exchange for equal value. This used to be a godsend when I worked in elem. school and used to get loaded up with hundreds of dollars worth of mediocre wines around the holidays. I’d make several SAQ runs and cash them all in for a couple of really special bottles. I’d also constantly be swapping out bottles from my folks wine cooler, trading in 4-5 bottles for a couple of highlights, usually of older vintage. Such a great resource that I miss dearly… of course, I have K&L wines now which I treasure, but the cheap abundant selection of European imports from the SAQ was really a treat that’s not to be taken for granted.

I do admit that were tend to take SAQ somewhat for granted. You can’t help but look at the choices and the prices in a city like manhattan and be a bit jalous of out american friends, especially for more obscure bottles…

Almost 6 years later, but we’ve been shopping at SAQ (Atwater Market & rue de la Montagne), so I figure the thread’s due for an update. And maybe it’ll bring Captcrunch on line again. :smirk:
First of all, let me point out that Manhattan is NOT a city. It is but one “borough” of 5 in NYC. You probably know that, but us Brooklynites are sensitive souls so let’s not mislead your fellow Canadians. Secondly, Aperol is mentioned upthread as having a “burnt orange” taste. Its main ingredient is rhubarb.
Okay, so let me get back to SAQ: Inniskillin Ice Wine is currently not easy to find by my friends at home, so we’re bringing some back. The Reisling is especially desirable and the SAQ on rue de la Montagne has plenty of it.The Cab Franc is not available anywhere. Too bad. I’m also impressed that they have the Freakshow and P’tit P’tit from Michael David, 2 wines that we drink at home and like a lot. Their variety of Sancerre labels has also helped me drink my way thru the month. I like this place.