Tasting Events

Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitiness (part 2)

Part 1 covered some fantastic northern Rhône reds to try this autumn.  Now we move onto the most famous appellation of the Rhône – and possibly the whole of France – Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Although aspects of quality are built in to the AOC rules, it doesn’t mean the wines are always great – some negotiants have released wines which aren’t balanced and do the CNDP name little good – they are usually found in discount supermarkets.  Thankfully there are quality conscious producers who make outstanding wines that show why Châteauneuf is held in such high regard.

Mas Saint-Louis Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012 (14.0%, RRP €36.00 at Searsons)

chateauneuf-du-pape mas saint louis

Tasted among its peers this wine stands out for its lightness and elegance rather than its power – in fact its appellation would be a surprise to many as it is perhaps more like a Pommard than a typical blockbuster CNDP.  The blend here is 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah and the remaining 15% a mix of Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Picpoul Noir.

Red and black fruits abound, but it is the beguiling manner of their delivery which is so compelling.  With a touch of spice and a long finish, this is the Châteauneuf that you will want to keep as a secret!

Domaine Roche-Audran Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012 (14.0%, RRP €49.00 at 64 Wine)

Roche Audran Chateauneuf du pape

Domaine Roche-Audran was set up as recently as 1998, but began biodynamic practices soon after in 2006.  They have three distinct terroirs, and it’s the third of a hectare in Châteauneuf-du-Pape which concerns us here, described as “molassic sand covered with round pebbles originating from the river Rhône”.  Sand loses heat quickly so the vines get something of a rest at night, helping to preserve acidity and delicacy.

Quite unusually for CNDP the Roche-Audran vineyard is 100% Grenache – it’s only due to the sandy soil that it doesn’t become over-ripe and over-alcoholic.  The vines are 60 years of age and cropped at 28 hl/ha.

The result is a gentle, enticing, inviting and seductive wine.  It slips down the throat and demands another glass be consumed.  Although the alcohol is not that high for the area it’s an intoxicating wine.

Domaine André Brunel “Les Cailloux” Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2013 (14.0%, RRP €45.55 at Karwig Wines)

Andre Brunel CNDP Les Cailloux

“Cailloux” are river-rounded stones, not quite as big as the famous “galets” pudding stones of the area, but serving a similar function of maintaining easy drainage and thus keeping the vines on their toes.

The Brunel family have been making wine in the area since the 17th century, but things were put on a more serious footing in 1954 when Lucien Brunel set up the Les Cailloux label.  His son André took over in 1971 and expanded the family’s holdings into other Rhône areas, but also introducing several innovations – he among was the first in CNDP to do away with chemicals in the vineyard and also created the super-premium “Les Cailloux Cuvée Centenaire”.  André’s son Fabrice joined in 2012 to keep the family tradition going.

Les Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre; my tasting notes for this wine are compact and bijou – bloody amazing!  It’s smooth and fluid, a real pleasure to drink and it doesn’t bash you over the head!

Domaine de Mourchon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2014 (15.0%, RRP €39.00)

Mourchon CNDP

Situated just outside the beautiful village of Séguret, Domaine de Mourchon has vines around the winery and in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  Their flagship wine is 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah – a slight re-ordering of the typical GSM blend.  The vines range from 60 to 80 years old and are planted on sandy soils and in “le Crau” lieu-dit.  Maturation is for 12 months split between demi-muid 600L barrels (70%) and concrete tanks (30%).

This is an amazingly perfumed wine – one that you hesitate to taste as it would interrupt your appreciation of the aromas – but once you have tasted you delight in its lithe red fruit and exotic spices.  The stated alcohol is fairly punchy at 15%, but it never stands out as the wine wears it very well.  Such a fine wine!

Tasting Events

Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitiness (part 1)

With apologies to Keats, autumn is the time when many light wines are forsaken and more substantial wines are poured in their stead, especially fruity and more generous reds.  Rhône Valley reds fit the bill perfectly!

This first part looks at some of the best northern Rhône reds, while part two will consider a selection from the southern Rhône.

Domaine Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 2016 (13.0%, RRP €35.00 at SIYPS)

Domaine Graillot Crozes Hermitage

Crozes-Hermitage often lives in the shadow of Hermitage proper, both literally and quality wise.  There are often good value wines to be had but they can be disappointing compared to their big brother on the hill.  Domaine Graillot is an exception – an exceptional wine no matter how humble its origins.

This is a rich, dense, chewy wine full of black fruits, spice and tapenade savoury character.  It’s closer to a serious Saint-Joseph than any other Crozes I’ve tried!

Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin Côte Rôtie Champin Le Seigneur 2012 (13.0%, RRP €49.99 at JN Wine)

Gerin Cote Rotie

Côte Rôtie is the most northern of the northern Rhône’s eight crus and possibly the most famous.  It is also the origin of adding a dash of Viognier into Syrah to soften it and add floral aromas to the wine – a practice that has been followed in the new world, particularly South Africa.  Traditionally, the two grapes were planted together, then harvested and vinified together – extracting more from the Viognier skins than if they had been fermented as white wine and then blended in.

Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin was set up as recently as 1983 but the family has lived in Ampuis for six generations.  The first vines planted were in Côte Rôtie but the Domaine has since expanded beyond that appellation’s boundaries.  Champin Le Seigneur is the more affordable of Gerin’s Côte Rôtie wines, though obviously everything is relative!  With 5% Viognier added to the Syrah it has an ethereal quality – that indefinable lightness and sophistication that makes wine so special.

Cave de Tain “Grand Classique” Hermitage 2007 (13.0%, RRP €55.00 at O’Briens)

Cave de Tain Hermitage

From the only co-operative in Hermitage, this 2007 is absolutely à point, a perfect example of northern Rhône Syrah.  Relatively light, it still has some fine tannins and plenty of acidity – a fine structure.  There’s still plenty of fruit, too – both red and black – but also savoury notes which enhance its appeal.  Get yourself a thick piece of rib-eye steak and a super evening awaits.

Domaine Marc Sorrel “Le Gréal” Hermitage 1997 (13.0%, RRP €98.65 at Karwig Wines)

Marc Sorrel Hermitage

Those who have read Dan Brown’s Da Vinci code book or seen the subsequent film may remember that “Le Gréal” is “The [Holy] Grail” which is possibly Marc Sorrel’s way of telling us that this wine is rather good – though more prosaically it is also a portmanteau of  Les Greffieux and Le Méal, two of the best plots from which grapes are sourced for this premium bottling.  Sorrel is a traditionalist, with mainly whole bunch fermentation in old oak, and his wines need some age before they are at their best.

The 1997 here has had plenty of time, but is still lively and has some years ahead of it.  10% Marsanne was added in the 1997 vintage (15% being the maximum per AOC regulations) which adds elegance.  There’s still power, but tempered by time, resulting in one of the smoothest wines known to man.

Tasting Events

Holiday (Wine) Romance

As has become traditional, the first event back into the autumn / winter tasting season at DNS Wineclub follows a holiday theme, or more precisely wines that we have been drinking over our summer holidays – hopefully where the wine is actually produced!

Here are three that stood out at our most recent event:

Batistic-Zure Grk “Bartul” Zure 2017 (13.0%, ~ €19)

zure grk bartul

Grk is a grape that’s hard to pronounce but even harder to grow.  It’s home is in the sandy soils of Lumbarda on the Dalmatian island of Korčula but is rarely happy elsewhere.  The even trickier part is that Grk is not self-pollinating, i.e. there are no fertile male flowers to pollinate its female flowers (a condition which apparently affects only 1% of all wine grapes).  The work-around is to co-plant 10% – 20% of local cross Plavac Mali (Crljenak Kaštelanski x Dobričić if you must know!)

The aromas of this Grk are very much reflective of its island home with a lovely saline quality over citrus.  There’s citrus on the palate too, and a curious waxy quality that is rather appealing and reminds me of the Suertes del Marques Trenzado.  Try with smoked salmon, lemon and capers.

Fattoria Mondo Antico Croatina Agenore 2015 (14.0%, the 2009 is available in the UK from Drink Italy)

Croatina_Agenore

Fattoria Mondo Antico has 26 Ha in Oltrepò Pavese near Pavia in Lombardy, though only 4 Ha are planted with grapes, making production volumes very small indeed.  Viticulture and vinification are biodynamic and low intervention, with only a small squirt of sulphur at bottling.  The Agenore is 100% Croatina, a local grape which is said to have similarities to Dolcetto, and is also found in parts of Emilia Romagna, the Veneto and Piedmont.

Even for an Italian red, this has deep colour, lots of tannin and high acidity, but all as the backbone against plentiful red and black fruits.  There’s a slightly wild, sous-bois element to it, which fits with the low intervention winemaking, but doesn’t dominate.  It’s an exciting wine – and the world needs more of those!

Domaine Pieretti Vin de Corse – Coteaux du Cap Corse 2017 (16.0%, €26.90 the Muscat du Cap-Corse is also available at Yapp Wines)

Muscat du Cap Corse Domaine Pieretti 2017

Cap Corse is the northern-most part of Corsica, a narrow peninsula sticking out towards France above the city of Bastia.  The south west of the cape has the AOC Patrimonio (mainly reds) and the north east tip has Vin de Corse-Coteaux du Cap Corse where sweet wines are made from Muscat or local black grape Aleatico.  Covering the whole of the peninsula is Muscat du Cap-Corse, a Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) made entirely from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

As with other VDNs, very ripe grapes are late harvested, crushed and fermented at low temperatures.  Fermentation is then stopped by the process of mutage as a precise volume of high alcohol grape spirit is added to the wine to kill off the yeast.  The locals take it as an aperitif when well-chilled and with desserts if allowed to warm a touch (which brings out the stone fruit and the sweetness).

This is hands-down the best Muscat VDN I’ve ever tried, and was the overall favourite wine of the night by a country mile!

 

Thanks to all the DNS members who brought their holiday wines!

 

 

 

Tasting Events

Biodynamic Beauties from #Spit18

Spit Festival is an annual event showcasing some exceptional wines from four of Ireland’s key boutique wine importers.  Most of their wines are from small, family run wineries who practise organic, biodynamic or natural techniques.

Here are just of few of the biodynamic wines I loved from the 2018 event (# number refers to the trade tasting booklet):

#23 Domaine Turner Pageot Le Blanc 2017 (RRP ~€23 WineMason)

Turner Pageot Le Blanc

A previous vintage of this wine was a favourite of mine at the WineMason portfolio tasting and it’s great to see the 2017 is also showing very well.  A blend of 80% Roussanne and 20% Marsanne, the later undergo contact with their skins for around a month.  This gives lovely mouthfeel and a bit of grip – it’s not a full orange wine, but it gives you a good idea of what to expect from the full blown orange experience (aka “Les Choix”!)

#35 Champagne Leclerc Briant Brut Réserve NV (RRP ~ €62, Nomad Wine Importers)

Leclerc Briant

Leclerc Briant was the first organic and biodynamic producer in Champagne (Demeter certified in 2003) – no easy feat considering the marginal climatic conditions there.  They are based in the Vallée de la Marne so it’s no surprise to see that Pinot Meunier is a large component of the blend (40%) along with Pinot Noir (40%) and Chardonnay (20%).  The grapes come from a single harvest, despite no vintage being declared on the bottle, and lees ageing is well in excess of the 15 month minimum for an NV (in fact it’s around the minimum 36 months required for a vintage Champagne).  Dosage is very low at 4 g/L; it could be labelled as Extra Brut” if they so desired.

Thanks to the majority of black grapes, it’s red fruit that really comes to the fore on the nose and palate, with raspberry, redcurrant and even cranberry making an appearance.  There’s also a lovely brioche character from the time on the lees, and a crisp lemony finish from the Chardonnay.  Some fantastic elements, but taken together the whole package is even better!

#81 Bodegas Ponce Reto 2017 (RRP ~ €21.50, Vinostito)

Reto

Bodegas Ponce (probably sounds more dignified in Spanish) is based in Manchuela, a high altitude region east of Madrid, which also happens to be one of the main homes of the Albillo/Albilla grape.  It’s a highly aromatic grape, sometimes being added in to reds from Ribero del Duero for extra fragrance and elegance.  With the extended cool growing season in Manchuela it shows green apples and a touch of spice, with lots of texture – even being slightly waxy.  A brilliant match for shellfish, veal or pork.

#105 Monte dei Roari Custoza “Boscaroi” 2017 (RRP ~€18, GrapeCircus)

Monte Dei Roari

This Venetian beauty is a blend of four grapes:

  1. Trebbiano di Soave (famous for Soave, obviously!)
  2. Garganega (also Soave)
  3. Fernanda (aka Cortese – best known for Gavi)
  4. Trebbianello (another version of Trebbiano)

…all gently fermented in amphorae, and bottled without fining or filtering.  The result is dry, pale and interesting – more subtle than most, but beautiful nonetheless.  The nose is floral and there is an array of fresh, juicy fruits on the palate, particularly grapefruit and other citrus.  Would be amazing paired with a delicate white fish.

Single Bottle Review

The Only Way Is Up! [Frankie’s Single Bottle Review #19]

In the search for cooler sites, particularly in these days of noticeable climate change, vignerons have a number of options open to them:

  • Head north: more northerly climates tend to be cooler (note the Champenois taking a keen interest in southern England).
  • The north face: vineyards with a northerly aspect receive less sun than those facing south, making them a little cooler.
  • To the coast: large bodies of water – such as oceans, seas and even lakes – moderate land temperatures – even more so if they help generate a bit of fog.
  • Where the wind blows: even if not that close to the coast, having regular strong winds helps to keep the temperature down, for example in the northern Rhône

Of course, the first two points are reversed for the southern hemisphere!

El Coto 875m Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2017 (12.0%, RRP €18.99 at Vintry Rathgar, DrinkStore Stoneybatter, McHughs Malahide Rd & Kilbarrack Rd, O’Donovans Cork, World Wide Wines Waterford, Sweeney’s, Gibney’s Malahide & Deveneys Dundrum)

Global Image Projects S.L.

In Rioja, the four options above aren’t readily available, so for its new plantings of Chardonnay, major producer El Coto followed a different path: the only way is up (the mountain)!  As highlighted on the label, the vineyard is at 875 metres, the highest point in the whole of Rioja.  The altitude promotes acidity and minerality, while the longer growing season allows some light tropical notes to show through.  The barrels used for fermentation are not toasted (steam is used to bend them into shape instead of a fire) so the oak notes are not overly prominent, with just a touch of vanilla added to the citrus.

This is no Meursault wannabe, it’s far more subtle than that.  Keeping with the Burgundy parallels, I’d say a closer description would be Chablis 1er Cru from a warm vintage – a great effort indeed for a new variety in Rioja!

Rioja

And for those who may remember it, here’s the track I referenced in the article title:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjD3EVC1-zU&w=560&h=315]