Laughing Past the 10-year Mark
You can expect that there’s a little extra spring in the respective steps of Cynthia and David Enns this summer. The owners of British Columbia’s Laughing Stock Vineyards, where Cynthia manages the vineyards and David heads up the winemaking, are not only celebrating the 10th vintage of their iconic Bordeaux-inspired blend, ‘Portfolio,’ but their trophy shelf is growing at a commendable pace.
Their 2011 Syrah recently nabbed the Regional Trophy for Best Canadian Red at the Decanter World Wine Awards, while their 2011 Portfolio was just named a recipient of a Lieutenant Governor Award for Excellence in BC Wine. In honour of the upcoming 10th anniversary release of Portfolio, they’ll be doing a cross-country tour hosting winemaker’s dinners in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal, giving attendees an opportunity to get to know them a little better while sipping various library vintages alongside many a course by some of the country’s best chefs. Click here for more details.
While their 2011 Syrah has come and gone, their 2012 version is now available (including right here on My Wine Canada) and I’m loving the brambly, forest-floor notes with currants, plums and mulberries, all sailing along with a few fresh-torn leaves of sage, basil and mint. In homage to the classic French Côte Rotie style, there’s a smattering of Viognier co-fermented within, allowing all of the fruit to bloom with bright elegance.
As they gear towards the autumn release of their 2012 Portfolio, a smart bet would be to grab some of the 2011 while you still can. A mix of 42% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc , 7% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot comes together as a cornucopia of dark chocolate, espresso, blueberries, blackberries, spearmint, and a dash of fresh-ground pepper. While showing quite well at the moment (especially after a good decanting), it’ll cellar for at least seven or eight years.
If you’ve had their wines before, you know how consistently well-crafted they are. If you’ve never had the opportunity, well, now’s a good time to jump on ‘em so you don’t miss out on the next ten years!
Kurtis Kolt is a Vancouver-based wine consultant, writer, competition judge and enthusiast. He’s not half as fancy/boring as that sounds. He Tweets and Instagrams @KurtisKolt.
