Pepe Mendoza makes fascinating wines in his home region of Alicante. To understand the wines we must first understand the region and the man himself. We will look at the range of wines he makes followed by tasting notes of one of them.
Alicante DO
Where is Alicante? I wouldn’t have been able to place it accurately on a (blank) map, so here’s an annotated map:
Alicante wine comes from the province of the same name in south eastern Spain. As you can see on the outline map above (Credit: Té y kriptonita), there are two separate and distinct sub-regions:
Vinalopó which follows the banks of the river of the same name
La Marina which is a newer, smaller region by the coast
Monastrell is the major grape planted in Alicante – especially in the more developed and warmer Vinalopó – as it is in other wine regions in this part of Spain. A long-standing speciality of the area is Fondillón wine, a late-harvest red wine which is left in barrel for extended periods – similar to the way that Tawny Port is matured, though Fondillón is not fortified.
La Marina is cooler and has more rainfall, and so is more suitable for white grapes – Moscatel is prevalent.
Another historical wine style which was once more common is Brisat wines, i.e. skin-contact wines made using amphoras.
Señor Pepe Mendoza
José (Pepe) Mendoza grew up learning about vines and winemaking in his father’s eponymous firm Bodegas Enrique Mendoza, founded in 1989. Pepe was closely involved in the vineyard and the winery, then the overall running of the family firm with his younger brother Julian. In addition to this large concern – it covers 500 hectares and produces 250,000 bottles annually – Pepe and his wife Pepa Agulló also founded their own boutique operation Casa Agrícola.
From the beginning of 2021 Pepe stepped away from the family firm to concentrate on Casa Agrícola and a new consultancy business – Uva Destino – aimed at helping “vineyards that strive to express themselves”.
Pepe Mendoza Casa Agricola Wine Range
There are four distinct wine ranges within the Casa Agricola portfolio:
“Landscape” wines
These are Pepe’s entry level wines which blend local varieties and are designed to be fresh but easy drinking:
Paisaje Mediterraneo Blanco: Moscatel 40%, Macabeo 40%, Airén 20%
Paisaje Mediterraneo Tinto: Monastrell 70%, Giró 25%, Alicante Bouschet 5%
Single Varietal wines
There is currently just one wine in this range:
Pureza Moscatel Anfora:100% Moscatel (see below)
Terroir wines
These are also single varietal wines but made with grapes sourced from a single terroir, one which allows the variety to thrive:
Giró de Abargues:100% Giró from Marina Alta
El Veneno Monastrell:100% Monastrell from Alto Vinalopó
Small Production wines
These are experimental wines which act as an R&D lab for Pepe to try out new styles:
Mares de Luz Coupaje: a blend of Monastrell from Vinalopo and Giró from Marina Alta
Giró-Gironet Ánfora Velo Flor: 2 different Giró clones fermented under a veil of flor
Blanc Brisat Moscatel “La Solana”: a 100% Moscatel skin contact wine aged in amphoras
Pepe Mendoza Casa Agricola Pureza Moscatel Anfora 2019
The vineyard where the grapes for this wine are sourced from is only two hectares in area and was planted in 1943. It is farmed without irrigation and according to organic principles but is uncertified. Wine making takes an additive-free approach: yeast is indigenous and there are no enzymes, acid, sugar or other additives used.
The grape variety used is 100% Moscatel de Alejandría (Muscat of Alexandria) which is common all across the Mediterranean. It is sometimes regarded as inferior to other Muscats – principally Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains – but in the right setting it can deliver very good wines.
The juice is fermented on skins in amphoras of 220, 250 and 350 litres, with macerations two to three times a day. After alcoholic fermentation of around ten days, the wine is matured in the same amphoras for six months, without lees stirring, then in bottle for a further five.
Although classed by some as an “orange” or “amber” wine, this is more of a deep lemon colour. The nose shows grapes as expected from a Muscat, but also orange blossom and citrus peel. When tasted, at first it shows delicacy and poise, dancing on the tongue. There’s a fleshy sweetness to the mid palate, but this is followed up by some grippy tannins and an oh-so-dry finish.
This is a highly individual and unusual wine, completely out of the mainstream. It’s not one I would drink regularly on its own – it would surely blossom even more with food – but it’s very well done and deserves consideration for a wine which activates your senses and stimulates your brain.
ABV: 13.0%
RRP:€29.95
Stockists: The Wine Pair; Higgins Off-Licence; Redmonds of Ranelagh; The Corkscrew; Sweeney’s D3; Deveney’s Dundrum; SC Grocer Monkstown
Source: media sample
Other Pepe Mendoza Casa Agricola wines available in Ireland
In addition to the Pureza Moscatel Anfora, the following Pepe Mendoza wines are available in Ireland:
Paisaje Mediterraneo Blanco 2019 (RRP €24.95) Stockists: Avoca; Baggot St Wines; Blackrock Cellar; Deveney’s Dundrum; Sweeney’s D3; McHughs; SC Grocer Monkstown; The Wine Pair; Thomas’s Foxrock.
Paisaje Mediterraneo Tinto 2019 (RRP €24.95) Stockists: Avoca; Baggot St Wines; Blackrock Cellar; Deveney’s Dundrum; Sweeney’s D3; McHughs; Mitchell and Son.
El Veneno Monastrell 2018 (RRP €43.95) Stockists: Avoca; D-Six Off-Licence; Redmonds of Ranelagh; The Corkscrew; Sweeney’s D3; Deveney’s Dundrum
Two different styles of Gewurz from the Lidl Easter Wine Cellar
I recently posted a review of two easy drinking whites from the Lidl Easter Wine Cellar. Now it’s time to look at two different Gewurztraminers, hailing from different countries and made in very different styles.
Traminer Aromatico Friuli 2019
This wine is from the north eastern Italian area of Friuli, part of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region that borders Slovenia to the east and Austria to the north. The name Traminer Aromatico is simply the Italian for “Aromatic Traminer” rather than “Spicy Traminer” which is the literal translation of its full German name.
“So when did Italian Gewürztraminer become a thing?” you might ask. Well the grape actually has its origins in Italy, in the South-Tyrolean1 village of Tramin. A couple of mutations during its travels around Europe turned it pink and made it very aromatic. In Jura the pink but non-spicy version is known as Savagnin (Rose); in a few villages in the north of Alsace the same grape is responsible for the mouthful that is Klevener de Heiligenstein.
When poured this Traminer does actually have a tinge of colour, unlike many other aromatic wines which can be water white. The nose is restrained but has touches of Turkish delight and lychees. The palate is something of a surprise, with crisp, green notes and no rich oiliness. Whereas Gewurz usually shows exotic spices this has more of a herb garden to it.
This is a gentle wine that, for me, has more in common with a good Argentinian Torrontés or a Jura Savagnin than a typical Gewurz; the 12.5% alcohol is a good indicator of its weight.
ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €8.99
Stockists: Lidl Ireland stores from Thursday 25th March 2021
Source: Media sample
Camille Meyer Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg Gewurztraminer 2018
There are records of wine grapes being produced on the Mambourg hillside dating back to 783. Situated by the town of Sigolsheim, this Grand Cru vineyard is over 1.3 km across and nearly 62 hectares in area. Gewurztraminer is the main variety grown but there are also plantings of the other three noble grapes: Pinot Gris, Muscat and Riesling. Being such a large Cru means that quality might vary from plot to plot. The celebrated Marcel Deiss makes a fantastic Grand Cru Mambourg blend which shows that it can make stunning wines.
Whereas above we looked at a wine in the style of Traminer and Savagnin Rose, full-on spicy Gewurztraminer is one of the most recognisable wines from Alsace – and this bottle from Camille Meyer is exactly that. The nose is very expressive, so you can tick off the typical notes of lychee, rose petals and Turkish delight. There are a few herbal notes on the palate but spices are to the fore, particularly ginger.
There’s a decent level of residual sugar in this wine – which is a big positive for me in an Alsace Gewurz – and a finger in the air figure of 25 g/L is my guess. The sugar does mask a lack of complexity, and the level of oiliness is lower than many.
I believe that Camille Meyer is a private label owned by Lidl, and given the price it’s totally understandable that this wine doesn’t have the class that I’d expect from a Grand Cru wine. Indeed, there are non Grand Cru Gewurztraminers that are significantly better than this wine – Meyer Fonné comes to mind – but they are also significantly more expensive. This bottle therefore represents very good value for money.
ABV: 13.5%
RRP: €14.99
Stockists: Lidl Ireland stores from Thursday 25th March 2021
Source: Media sample
Conclusion
Although ostensibly made from the same grape variety these two wines are totally different in style. If you are already a lower of good Gewurz then it’s the Alsace bottle that you should put in your trolley. If you prefer drier, more restrained wines than give the Italian bottle a try. And if you’re not sure, buy both and compare for yourself!
The full list of wines included in the Lidl Ireland Easter Wine Cellar is below, with links to reviews as applicable.
1 The South Tyrol (Südtirol in German, Alto Adige in Italian) was formerly part of Austria-Hungary but annexed by Italy at the end of the second World War. After many deliberations and consultations since then, it is now fully bilingual and has a large degree of autonomy.
Two Easy Drinking White Wines From The Lidl Easter Wine Cellar
Lidl Ireland are set to release a dozen wines onto their shelves on Thursday 25th March, just in time for Easter. Consisting of six white and six reds – see the list further down – the wines will be available in limited quantities.
Here are my brief notes on two of the whites which will be included in this event.
Giulio Pasotti Lugana 2019
A brief search indicates that this wine may only be available from Lidl stores in various countries, so Giulio Pasitto is quite possibly a private label (though happy to be corrected). For those not familar with it, Lugana is an Italian wine region in the Veneto on the shores of Lake Garda – see my review of Cà dei Frati I Frati for more details.
This Lidl Lugana pours a pale lemon and has spicy orchard fruits on the nose. The palate is lithe, easy drinking, with a little bittersweet grapefruit. It’s perhaps a little lacking in acidity for my tastes, but it serves as a good introduction to the wines of the region.
ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €9.99
Stockists: Lidl Ireland stores from Thursday 25th March 2021
Source: Media sample
Patricius “Vicarius” Tokaji Furmint 2019
Dry Furmint is becoming less the exception and more the rule in Tokaji, as climate change has led to far fewer vintages with sufficient botrytised grapes to make the region’s famous sweet wines.
The Patricius estate extends to an impressive 85 hectares and has seven historic first-growth vineyards. The winery is run by father and daughter team Dezső and Katinka Kékessy who come from long lines of winemaking stock. They are very proud of their dry Furmint as well as their Aszú sweet wines, with each plot being vinified and matured separately.
The Vicarius appears to be their entry level wine. It’s made in a fresh, easy-to-drink style but still is a great showcase for dry Furmint. The nose is very expressive, with stones and smoke drifting over melon and citrus. These notes continue onto the palate which is framed by intertwining minerality and acidity.
ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €9.99
Stockists: Lidl Ireland stores from Thursday 25th March 2021
Source: Media sample
Conclusion
Both of these wines are made in a simple, easy-drinking style; they are pleasant to drink and give a good representation of their respective regions and grapes without reaching the levels of more expensive examples. At €9.99 both would be fine for a mid-week tipple, though the extra freshness of the Furmint makes it the winner for me.
The full list of wines included in the Lidl Ireland Easter Wine Cellar is below, with links to reviews as applicable.
Aligoté is on the comeback trail, a grape which used to looked down upon for its acidity and rusticity is now producing treasured wines, especially in its homeland of greater Burgundy. I recently praised one inexpensive specimen of Bourgogne Aligoté from Lidl, but now we have two more accomplished examples from well reputed producers:
Maison Ambroise Bourgogne Aligoté 2017
Maison Ambroise have been a favoured Burgundy producer of mine for several years. The family grow and source grapes from 20 hectares split over 20 different appellations. Of those available in Ireland, the Hautes Côtes de Nuits white and Côtes de Nuits Villages red are excellent mid range wines. The entry level here is the red and white pair of Lettre d’Eloïse, while there are other treats available such as the stunning Nuits-St-Georges “Haut Pruliers”.
Ambroise’s Aligoté tucks in just behind the Lettre d’Eloïse Chardonnay in the range. It has an intriguing nose of pear, citrus and herbs. Textbook strong acidity make this a fresh wine, but fleshy texture and ripe citrus notes also give it some body. There’s also a strong mineral streak which is almost metallic in character. This is a tangy, mouth-watering and delicious example of the grape. Ambroise themselves suggest pairing it with fish, and especially Sushi.
ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €20
Stockists: The Wine Pair; Avoca; Le Caveau Kilkenny; MacGuiness wines; Redmonds of Ranelagh; Martins Off License; Station to Station wines; Listons
Source: purchased from The Wine Pair
Domaine Michel Lafarge Raisins Dorés Bourgogne Aligoté 2018
If Ambroise is small with 20 hectares, then Domaine Michel Lafarge is even smaller at about half the size. Based in Volnay, the Domaine is now run by Frédéric and his daughter Clothilde, the second and third generation respectively. The estate is certified organic and biodynamic, with a low-intervention approach to winemaking.
Whereas Ambroise’s vines are 40 years old, Lafarge’s Aligoté vines are more than twice that. After whole-cluster pressing, fermentation takes place spontaneously with wild yeast in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then matured between three and six months in older oak barrels, depending on the vintage. Before bottling the wine may be fined and / or filtered, again vintage-dependent.
I don’t think I’m doing this bottle of Raisins Dorés (Golden Grapes) a disservice by saying that it’s fairly similar to the Ambroise, but more so: aromas and flavours are much more concentrated, there’s more smoke and fleshy texture, and such a long finish. It’s almost as though this is the wine that Riesling and Albariño want to be when they grow up.
ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €32
Stockists: the current allocation of 32 bottles for Ireland has already sold out.
Source: media sample
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that the Lafarge is the better of these two wines in my eyes (or should that be “in my mouth”?), but the real question is their comparative quality to price ratio. Which is the better value for money? The extremely low availability of the Lafarge take it out of the buying equation right now, but I’d say that the two wines are equal in the VFM stakes. If you just want to spend €20 then buy the Ambroise, but if you can spend just over €30 and can find the Lafarge wine then snap it up!
When it comes to naming New Zealand’s wine regions, the significant region which is most often forgotten or overlooked is North Canterbury, close to the major city of Christchurch on the South Island. North Canterbury includes the sub-region of Waipara which is more often seen on wine labels (though not to be confused with Wairarapa which is at the bottom of the North Island and includes Martinborough). I’m not sure why Canterbury is overlooked – perhaps because it doesn’t specialise in Sauvignon Blanc? – but some great wines are made here.
Not too dissimilar to Marlborough which is further north on the South Island, Waipara is situated in the rain- (and wind-) shadow of the Southern Alps and is close to the sea, giving temperate summers with cool nights and dry autumns which allow grapes to achieve full phenolic ripeness as their own pace. The most important varieties here are Riesling and Pinot Noir, though other aromatic whites and Chardonnay also do well.
To show how the terms can be used interchangeably, note that the sign above mentions Waipara whereas the website banner states “Fine North Canterbury Wine” under “Pegasus Bay”
Background to Pegasus Bay
It started with a doctor reading a book. The doctor was Neurologist Ivan Donaldson and the book was one of Hugh Johnson’s wine books, “Wine”, given to him by his then girlfriend Christine. The book lit a fire within him; he journeyed round many of Europe’s well-established wine regions, and on his return he planted Canterbury’s first vines in 1976. This first vineyard was in Mountain View, just south west of Christchurch, and was very experimental in nature. Ivan managed to fit in his wine hobby in between hospital and private consulting work.
Almost a decade later, Ivan and Chris decided to make the jump from a hobby to a proper enterprise. By now they had four sons, so it was a combined family effort to plant vines in the Waipara Valley. They named their winery Pegasus Bay after the large bay running from the City of Canterbury up to the mouth of the Waipara River.1
The first vintage was 1991 which Ivan made in his garage. The family gradually expanded the winery, cellar door, restaurant and gardens. All four sons are now involved in the winery, with the eldest – Matthew, a Roseworthy graduate – being chief winemaker. As well as estate wines under the Pegasus Bay label the Donaldsons also make Main Divide wines from bought in fruit.
Pegasus Bay Wine Styles and Philosophy
In a nutshell, Pegasus bay wines have something of a Burgundian sensibility but they reflect Waipara and the vintage in which they are made. In a interview that Ed Donaldson gave for the Wine Zealand Project2 in 2016 he expounds the family’s philosophy:
So what drives us is – hopefully – making better wine all the time
One of the advantages [we have is that] my brother Matt’s taken over the winemaking so he has a lot of time to experiment, and to tweak, and to change, and see the wines age, and the vines getting some vine age, and just seeing what works and what doesn’t work, and continually trying to evolve and make better wine.
Our winemaking style is to be true to ourselves, not trying to emulate anything. We have a lot of respect for the old world and its wine styles. We as a family drink a lot of wine from all over the world but we’re not necessarily trying to emulate them, we’re trying to make the best example of what we think expresses the region and the season as best we can. Trying not to follow trends, we try to make the best wine we can and find a home for it.
We’ve been members of the Sustainable Winegrowers Programme pretty much since its inception, and we make wine as naturally as possible.
Pegasus Bay Wine Ranges
There are two main ranges, Estate and Reserve. The Estate wines are (obviously) made only with their own fruit, and although they are perhaps the junior wines in the Pegasus Bay portfolio they are not what you or I would call “entry level”, which has connotations of lower quality, simpler wines for drinking very young. Make no mistake, the Estate wines are seriously good.
The Reserve range is a significant step up again, in both quality and corresponding prices. This range includes two botrytis sweet wines; a Semillon Sauvignon blend reminiscent of Sauternes and a Riesling which evokes the Rhine. The Reserve wines are named with an operatic theme as Chris Donaldson is an opera devotee.
The Vengence range has just two experimental wines whose composition varies from year to year. They are totally different in style from the main two ranges; they are fun and quirky rather than being serious. They give the winemakers the opportunity to play around with different vineyard and winery choices that they couldn’t just jump into with the main ranges.
Reserve: Bel Canto Dry Riesling, Aria Late Picked Riesling, Virtuoso Chardonnay, Prima Donna Pinot Noir, Maestro Merlot/Malbec, Encore Noble Riesling, Finale Noble Semillon Sauvignon
Vergence: Vergence White (Semillon blend), Vergence Red (Pinot Noir)
Wines in bold are reviewed below
Pegasus Bay Chardonnay 2017
As with most of Pegasus Bay’s vines, this Chardonnay is harvested from vines which are mainly ungrafted. The vines now average 30 years old and are planted on rocky soils which are free draining and low in fertility. These facts all lead to lower yields but with concentrated flavours. The climate is warm, rather than hot, yet with cool nights, so the growing season is long.
I mentioned above that there’s a Burgundian sensibility to Pegasus Bay wines, but in the case of this Chardonnay the winemaking is definitely Burgundian in nature. Multiple passes were made to hand harvest the fruit at optimum ripeness. The grapes were whole bunch pressed then transferred to 500 litre oak barrels, 30% new and 70% used. Spontaneous fermentation took place in these puncheons and the young wine was left to mature on its lees over winter and spring. Malolactic fermentation started naturally into the summer months, with the winemaking team halting it based on regular tasting to get the balance between fresh malic and round lactic acids.
When poured this Chardonnay is a normal lemon colour. On the nose there are citrus fruits but they initially take a side seat to outstanding “struck-match” reductive notes. There are also soft yellow fruits and a stony mineral streak. The palate is magnificent, a really grown up Chardonnay that balances fruit, tanginess, minerality, freshness, texture and roundness. This is one of the most complete Chardonnays I’ve had the pleasure of trying in many years.
ABV: 14.0%
RRP: €38
Stockists: Donnybrook Fair, Donnybrook; The Corkscrew, Chatham St.
Source:media sample
Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 2016
This 2016 pours a medium intensity ruby red, consistent across the glass. The nose has lots of fruit, more black than red; the black fruits appear at first (blackberry and black cherry) but gradually cede attention to red (red cherry and pomegranate). Enticing savoury notes and spice complete the olfactory picture. It’s a very sophisticated and complex nose that deserves – nay demands – frequent revisits.
The palate is savoury and fruity in taste. Those same black fruits come to the fore but with black liquorice and black olive counterpoints, Fine grained tannins and acidity provide a fantastic structure, but this is a supple and sappy wine, not austere.
The alcohol is little higher than we usually see in a Pinot Noir, but the 14.5% does not stick out at all when tasting. This is a well-balanced wine, albeit a powerful one. When it comes to food pairing, Pinot Noir is often matched with mid level meats such as veal or pork – and to be fair this would be excellent with charcuterie – but this has the weight and intensity to match well with game, lamb or even beef.
ABV: 14.5%
RRP: €45
Stockists: 64 Wine, Glasthule; World Wide Wines, Waterford: The Corkscrew, Chatham St; Donnybrook Fair, Donnybrook; La Touche Wines, Greystones; D-Six, Harolds Cross
Source:media sample
Pegasus Bay Encore Noble Riesling 2008
Pegasus Bay have four Rieslings in their portfolio, as befitting a top Waipara producer:
The Estate Riesling is produced every year
The Bel Canto (Reserve) Dry Riesling has a little botrytis and is made in two out of every three years, depending on vintage conditions
The Aria (Reserve) Late Picked Riesling is a late harvest style that often has a small proportion of Botryis grapes and is made roughly one on two years, vintage dependent
The Encore (Reserve) Noble Riesling is only made with fully botrytised berries, often requiring multiple passes, and of course when there are sufficient grapes in a particular vintage.
Only in very exceptional years such as 2008 and 2014 are all four styles made. The Riesling vines are on a rocky outcrop which has warm days but very cool nights, helping to maintain acidity and thus preserve freshness.
As the pure botrytis (and therefore sweetest) Riesling in their range, Pegasus Bay liken it in style to a Séléction de Grains Nobles (SGN) from Alsace or a Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) from Germany. When harvested the grapes are totally shrivelled and so produce a very small amount of juice – but such luscious juice! After clarification the juice is allowed to ferment naturally; when the yeast finishes its task there is plenty of residual sugar, though the precise figure is not published.
On the nose it’s instantly identifiable as Riesling, but with honey and tropical fruits to the fore. In addition to the pineapple, mango and grapefruit there are also hints of mushroom. The palate is beautiful but perhaps confounding for the uninitiated – it’s rich and sweet yet full of acidity, giving your palate a smorgasbord of experiences. The finish is amazingly long.
At 13 years of age this bottle has had plenty of development, possibly rounding off the acidity slightly while also tapering the apparent sweetness to some degree (the mechanism for which is not yet understood). It still has plenty of life left though – it could easily keep to the end of this decade.
ABV: 11.0%
RRP: €35 for 2016 vintage (375ml bottle)
Stockists: currently no retail stockists, but available in some restaurants
Source: own cellar
Other Pegasus Bay Wines available in Ireland
In addition to the three wines reviewed above there are three further Pegasus Bay wines available in Ireland
Sauvignon / Semillon: RRP €29, Stockists: Barnhill Stores, Dalkey; The Corkscrew; Jus De Vine, Portmarnock
Bel Canto Dry Riesling: RRP €35, currently no retail stockists, but available in some restaurants
Prima Donna Pinot Noir: RRP €75, Stockist: The Wine House, Trim
Frankly Wines and Pegasus Bay
Now, those who follow me on Instagram may realise that I live in the Dublin suburb of Glasnevin, also home to the National Botanic Gardens, the Irish Met office and the large Glasnevin cemetery. It was therefore a huge surprise when, while touring New Zealand on honeymoon, we suddenly realised that we were driving through Glasnevin, Canterbury. And where was our first stop? Pegasus Bay, of course!
Yours truly, about to go through the entire Pegasus Bay range at their Cellar Door.
…and afterwards, very happy with his purchases to be supped on the journey round the South Island.
1Ironically Pegasus Bay was originally known as “Cook’s Mistake” – I’m glad I didn’t find that out on my honeymoon!
2Taken from the YouTube video A Day In Pegasus Bay Any transcription errors are my own.
When particular wines become a commodity it can be hard for quality producers to sell their wines for a price that reflects their efforts and costs. One rule of thumb is that, if there is a “Tesco Finest” example of a wine then it’s already close to a commodity. Two principal ways of overcoming this barrier are:
Brand marketing
Stand-out quality
Brand marketing is expensive and really only worthwhile to large scale producers. These producers will often have distinct quality levels among their wines. Brancott Estate and Villa Maria of New Zealand spring to mind.
By “stand-out quality” I mean that a producer who focuses on improving quality year on year may – eventually – be sought out as one of the best examples of their particular wine. One example is Villa des Crois Picpoul de Pinet. Before tasting this I couldn’t have imagined that premium Picpoul could exist. In fairness, it is still modestly priced for a quality white wine, but it does command a premium over other Picpouls.
So now we move onto the questions: What is Pecorino like? Where is Pecorino grown?
Pecorino
According to Jancis, Julia and José’s book Wine Grapes1, Pecorino is a very old grape from the Marche in central Italy, possibly even domesticated from wild grapes of the area. The wine has no connection with Pecorino cheese; the cheese is just made from sheep’s milk and the grapes are said to have been popular with grazing sheep (Pecora)2. It was widespread up to the end of the 19th century but fell out of favour.
The story of the rediscovery of Pecorino in the last quarter of the 20th century has a few different versions. Luigi Cataldi Madonna (see below) claims that his friend Vincenzo Aquilano found some 80 year old vines in 1983 and that he (Luigi) was bowled over by an experimental wine made from it in 1990. Wine Grapes credits Guido Cocci Grifoni as resurrecting the grape in the 1980s, though that producer’s website gives 1975 as their first year of making Pecorino wines.
One of the main characteristics of Pecorino is its high, sometimes bracing, acidity. It naturally produces low yields (which is a likely reason it fell out of favour) but is strongly resistant to both downy and powdery mildew.
Cataldi Madonna
Cataldi Madonna is located on the “Forno d’Abruzzo” plateau, a hot subregion which receives cooling downdrafts from the most southerly glacier in the northern hemisphere. The vines cover 30 hectares and are situated between 320 and 440 metres above sealevel.
The business was founded in 1920 by Baron Luigi Cataldi Madonna, but didn’t bottle wine until 1975 under the founder’s son Antonio. Antonio totally modernised the vineyards and production facilities, bringing it right up to date. The next generation saw Antonio’s nephew Luigi take over the business in 1990. He transformed the house even further and made it one of the best respected wineries of Abruzzo.
As mentioned above, Luigi first tasted Pecorino in 1990 and immediately planted his own vines. The variety became a calling card of Cataldi Madonna and is currently available in three versions. Luigi’s daughter Giulia became the fourth generation of the family to run the business when she recently took over the reins.
Cataldi Madonna Pecorino Giulia 2019
This is the middle Pecorino of Cataldi Madonna, with a bag-in-box base wine and the SuperGiulia premium wine. They are all Pecorino IGT Terre Aquilane. Giulia was created by Luigi to celebrate the 18th birthday of his daughter Giulia. The wine is 100% Pecorino from vines planted in 2001 at 380 metres on clay loam soil.
Opened young and straight from the fridge, this wine is somewhat muted on the nose, with light citrus notes to be found. The palate is dominated by bright, I mean BRIGHT citrus notes and a real zap of acidity. But then, if you’re not a complete amateur like me, given some time and air it opens up a little on the nose and especially on the palate. The acidity settles down, remaining fresh but not jarring. The citrus notes unfurl into lime, lemon and grapefruit, and are accompanied by some pear and tropical fruits.
This wine loves to take you on a journey, and the delicious destination is worth the price of the ticket!
ABV:13.5%
RRP: €25
Stockists: Deveneys, Dundrum; McHughs, Kilbarrack; D-Six Off Licence; Baggot Street Wines
Source: media sample
1Wine Grapes: A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours – Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, José Vouillamoz
