Respect for the environment is part of the ethic of the Zinck family. For that reason, the winery is heading progressively towards organic agriculture on nearly all of the surface area. Today, the vines are grown respecting a belief in sustainable production, along with organic and biodynamic agricultural methods.  In the Vineyard, the growth of natural grasses is encouraged in order to get the deepest root growth from the vines and also to deal with extreme weather conditions. The expression of the soil and the flavours it provides is optimal. 

Today, the winery, headed by Philippe and his wife Pascale covers 20 hectares and produces three complete ranges of wine, all regularly awarded by the professionals: the Portrait, Terroir and Grands Crus, topped off by the Crémant and Crémant rosé. 

Pinot Noir - Portrait    Alberta CSPC  >  Tasting Notes 

Pinot Noir - Terroir    Alberta CSPC  >  Tasting Notes

Soil Type: gravel over deep clay and gravely sand with chalky clay. Average age of vines: 30 years Pruning: double Guyot Hand picking: 100% De-stemming: 100% Ageing: 12 to 14 months in oak barrels Age of barrels: between 40 - 50% new

The red-wine appellation of Haut-Médoc is home to some of the world's greatest wines. All the great communes of the Left Bank fall within its boundaries: Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac and St Estèphe, as well as the up and coming Moulis and Listrac. These are labeled under their own more illustrious and expensive appellation names. 

Vignoble Responsable: Translates to "Sustainable Vineyard," and guarantees the right balance between quality, pleasure, and social awareness. It is granted after examination of all of an estate's practices and functioning, and paves the way for tomorrow's vineyards thanks to values and actions in favour of sustainable, reliable, and committed viticulture.

Château Tour des Gendres is a household name found on virtually every fine wine-list in France, yet it is little-known in North America. The de Conti family has run the farm here since the early 1900s, but only in 1986 did Luc de Conti and his brother, Jean, decide to plant the vineyard and embark on a new adventure of viticulture and winemaking. In 1994, they became the first in the region to move away from pesticides and chemicals and turn to 100 percent organic farming.

This centuries-old stronghold of classic French food and wine culture is located on the bank of the Dordogne River, a 90-minute drive east of Bordeaux. The wines of Bergerac are often all but forgotten, thanks a host of confusing names and sub-zones, not to mention its proximity to Bordeaux. But persevere, and you’ll find some of the best value wine in France. The regionis known as the Périgord, but is often referred to as the Dordogne after its main river.

La Vigne d'Albert - Red   Alberta CSPC   British Columbia CSPC > Tasting Notes

With family roots going back three centuries, the Despagnes know a thing or two about Bordeaux. The estate as we know it today dates back to 1875 when vines were planted by the Constant-Pineau family, and it was replanted by Louis Rapin and expanded upon by Gerard Despagnes to its current size of 40 hectares, 32 of which are under vine. Nicolas Despagnes is now at the helm of the estate and has worked tirelessly to obtain organic certification (Agriculture Bio and BioCoherence in 2008 and 2010, respectively) and ultimately biodynamic certification by Demeter in 2013. 

The vineyards, which average 45 years of age, mostly planted to old varieties of Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, are situated on the gentle slopes of the plateau in Montagne, Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Libourne. The soils here are clay-based, and provide the best raw material possible to make the classic wines of the region. As previously stated the are farmed with the strictest organic principles, with harvesting done by hand.

Vinifications here are straightforward and no-nonsense compared to more “modern” estates in Bordeaux, with native yeasts carrying out all fermentations in tank before being racked into a combination of new and used oak barrels where the wines rest for up to 18 months depending on the cuvée. Very little sulfur is added. 

DOMAINE DE L'ABBAYE DE SANTENAY 

Domaine Michel Clair & Fille – This domaine was created in 1985 by Michel Clair who inherited from part of the family domaine (Domaine François Clair). Domaine François Clair was split into two (1 part was given to his son Michel and the other part was given to his son Denis). In 2001 Michel inherited from his uncle Louis Clair who had no children. A new domaine (combining the two structures) called Domaine de l’Abbaye de Santenay was thus created. Domaine de l’Abbaye de Santenay (of 14 hectares) is now run by Ludovic Pierrot. Ludovic and his team carry on the effort and maintain the vines in a rigorous way to obtain every year high quality fruits.The philosophy of the domaine is to get the best of the terroirs, respect nature and preserve the finesse of the wines. Biodynamic principles are here implemented. Grapes and viticulture are certified organic.

Bourgogne Pinot Noir Hautes Côtes de Beaune    British Columbia CSPC  >  Tasting Notes

Rouge 1er cru Clos de Tavannes    British Columbia CSPC  >  Tasting Notes

Santenay Croix Sorine   Alberta CSPC  >  Tasting Notes

Domaine Louis Carillon is perhaps the finest estate in Puligny-Montrachet, not surprising, as the Carillon family has been making wine in Pulingy since at least 1520. Few estates in Burgundy produce great wines as consistently as Domaine Louis Carillon.

The domaine is named after Louis Carillon, who oversaw the transition from selling in bulk to estate-bottling. Up until the late 1950’s, most the Carillon production was sold to merchants, and a small amount was reserved for private customers. The domaine was further extended when Louis married; his wife was from Chassagne-Montrachet.

The couple's sons, Jacques and François, continued in the family tradition, with Jacques making the wines and François looking after the vines. In 2009, the brothers decided to separate the domaine. The 2009 vintage was the last under the shared domaine, and 2010 was the first vintage where the wine was made in separate cellars.

The Givry 1er Cru are made in a traditional method. After stemming, the maceration takes place for about two weeks in wooden vats. Then the wine is aged partly in oak barrels (5% new oak) and partly in foudre for 24 months. Light filtration. Bottling in November 2014.

The family company of L. Tramier et Fils was founded in 1842 by Louis Tramier. Situated in the village of Mercurey in the heart of the Burgundy wine region, the company is still owned and run by the Tramier family, with now over 170 years of passionate wine-making experience.

The company is both a négociant and vineyard owner, allowing the company to market a wide range of wines and presenting multiple benefits for clients.

The family owns vineyards from the appellations of Mercurey up to the Grand Crus of Burgundy.

Their wines are still produced in the estate's original buildings, overlooking the Mercurey vineyard, and our wines mature in vaulted cellars dating from 1830. They are the only Mercurey cellars to be entirely built in the rock face, thereby ensuring a constant temperature and exceptional aging conditions for all vintages. 

Tramier Pinot Noir (South of France)    Alberta CSPC  >  Tasting Notes

The entire winery works by gravity, avoiding unnecessary manipulations of the fruit or pumping of juices. Grapes are brought directly from the fields and put into pneumatic presses. The juice is then left to settle for more 12 hours before being stocked in stainless steel tanks with individual temperature controls. 

AVAILABLE IN ALBERTA ONLY

Stretching just southwest of Bordeaux – hence the name – to the Atlantic Ocean, and bordering the Pyrenees to the south, the South West is a varied terroir that offers a slew of grape varieties and wine styles. Colombard is the offspring of Chenin blanc and Gouais blanc and was traditionally grown for distilling into Congnac and Armagnac, and in Gascony for it's Vins de Pays. Gros Manseng is one of the key white grape varieties from the Jurançon region.

La Vie en Rose   Alberta CSPC  >  Tasting Notes

Pays de Cocagne   Alberta CSPC   British Columbia CSPC  >  Tasting Notes

Le Nozay is a 17th century small chateau, close to the village of Sainte Gemme-en-Sancerrois, north of Sancerre. Acquired by the De Benoist family at the end of the 19th century, the area became a vineyard in 1971 when Philippe and Marie-Helène decided to plant vines. Today, 15 hectares of Sauvignon blanc surround the castle. This isolated and preserved environment is an exception in the Sancerre region.

Fragmentation of production in Val de Loire has long been a challenge to bringing these wines to the international market, with many growers owning a few hectares here and there. With some 1,700 growers of Loire Vin de Pays wines, it is really only the negociants, who buy fruit from many growers, who can bottle significant volumes of wine under one label.  

Wines have been produced in the region since pre-Roman times, and those from the right bank were the favourite wines of kings and the papal community in Avignon at the time of the schism.

In the mid 17th century the right-bank district of Côte du Rhône had issued regulations to govern the quality of its wine and in 1737 the king ordered that casks of wine shipped from the nearby river port of Roquemaure should be branded with the letters CDR to introduce a system of protecting its origin. The rules for its Côte du Rhône thus formed the very early basis of today's nationwide AOC. The name was changed to Côtes du Rhône when the left-bank wines were included in the appellation some hundred years later.

“We have great terroir in the Languedoc, but we are young—it took 1,000 years for regions like Burgundy to become what they are today. We in the Languedoc should make good wines that are good values as well,” Lafon says.

Partnering with Francois Chamboissier with his many years of sales in Champagne and Rhone, the duo have created Nos Vins du Sud, dedicated to the best winegrowers and the best grapes throughout the region.

Region: Languedoc