Despite its long and thin, North-South orientation, probably the most significant compass direction in Alsace is East – West, as going East takes you closer to the plainsby the Rhine (not that great for quality wine production), whereas heading West takes you into the foothillsof the Vosges mountains (where most of the Grand Cru vineyards are located).
However, latitude does have an appreciable effect, with the richest wines being made around Guebwillwer and Thann in the south, and lighter styles in the northern villages such as Barr (where I stayed for a week a few years ago).
Very close to Barr is the village of Andlau, home to Domaine Rémy Gresser, a small family-owned producer. They have a total of 10.3 hectares under vine, split across plots within the Grand Crus Kastelberg, Wiebelsberg and Moenchbergplus the Lieux-dits (recognised vineyards that do not have Grand Cru status) Brandhof, Brandbergand Kritt. The family’s vinous links to Andlau have been documented as far back as 1520 when Thiébaut Gresser (himself a viticulturalist) was appointed prevost.
Domaine Rémy Gresser Gewurztraminer “Kritt” 2015 (13.5%, £21 from Top Selection)
On opening the bottle there’s no doubt what the grape is, before a glass has even been poured – white flower blossoms and lycheesunfurl into the room.
Unusually above I have put photos of both the front and back labels up: two key figures are revealed on the back, being 13.5% alcohol and a sweetness of 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. So, it’s fairly high in alcohol (though not untypical of Gewurz) which gives it some body, but off-dry in sweetness (compare to the medium and medium-sweet pair I reviewed here).
On the palate it is again distinctly Gewurz, but with a lightness and elegance that is remarkably refined. If you find many Gewurz to be too full on – especially for pairing with more delicately spiced food – then this could be the wine you have been looking for!
Stylistically, Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa is somewhere between New Zealand and the Loire Valley – just as its Shiraz / Syrah is often between Australia and the northern Rhône. Nederburgcite their founding back in 1791 by Philippus Wolvaart, but this is a thoroughly modern Sauvignon.
Credit: Wines Of South Africa (WOSA)
The Manor is is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc grapes from vineyards in Darling(area 3 in the map above), Paarl(area 9) and Philadelphia(within Durbanville, area 4) – fairly close to the coast for the longer growing season required to develop the aromatic compounds in the wine.
After popping the cap, typical Sauvignon aromas burst into the room, with Loire grassiness joined by Kiwi tropical notes. These are reflected in the mouth with plenty of zest and vigour. Perhaps my expectations weren’t that high, but this wine really impressed me – I would definitely order it again.
Hunter Valley Semillon is rightly regarded as an “Australian Original”, with magnificent examples coming from Tyrrell’s, McWilliam’s and the like. Picked early in the harvest season it is generally light and fairly modest in alcohol – and, it has to be said, somewhat simple in flavour when young. However, over time it grows in complexity with layers of honey and toastiness added to the primary citrus. It often tastes oaked when it has been nowhere near an oak barrel.
Barossa Semillon, made around a thousand miles to the west, is a different beast entirely. The grapes are usually picked when fully ripe and maturation in oak barrels is common for Semillon, just as for Shiraz, Cabernet and Chardonnay.
The Barossa Valley is based around the small towns of Tanunda, Nuriootpa and Angaston, north east of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It’s a very picturesque area – well yes, most wine regions are – but in particular shows the rich Germanic heritage of the area. The small village of Bethany is the home of Bethany Wines. It was the first part of the Barossa to be settled, with the Schrapel family planting their first vines in 1852. The family firm is now run by brothers Geoff and Robert Schrapel from the 5th generation and some of their children now forming the 6th generation.
Among the Bethany portfolio is this delicious Semillon. The alcohol is not that high at 12.5% but is a few pips higher than a traditional Hunter Valley Sem. During maturation it spent some time in French hogsheads which is definitely discernible, though not at all overdone. In both aromas and flavours there’s a blend of fresh citrus and mellow honey – and it’s totally delicious!
It’s sort of like drinking a dry Sauternes – which might sound funny, but actually makes a bit of sense when you consider that Semillon is one of the main grapes in Sauternes and is often barrel aged. And the G6 monicker? That refers to the 6th generation of the Schrapel family of course!
As it’s the long Eostre / Easter weekend my wife suggested roast lamb, which got a thumbs up from me as I’m very partial to lamb (sorry Flossie). There are a few classic wine matches for lamb; Saint-Emilion or Crianza / Reserva Rioja. As I happened to have a sample bottle of Crianza Rioja to hand the game was afoot!
Sierra Cantabria Rioja Crianza 2010 (14.0%, €17.95, O’Briens)
Rioja is traditionally made with a large majority of Tempranillo grapes, supported by small amounts of Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo. American oak is typically used for maturation before bottling, with the length of time linked to classification as Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva. All this together gives a “strawberries and cream” effect, especially for Crianzas.
But this wine didn’t taste like that at all!
Rather than strawberry or any other red fruit, the palate had dark, black fruit – blackberry and damsons. Instead of creamy vanilla there was a smoky, savoury edge. If I had been given this wine to try blind I think the closest I would have guessed would have been Ribero del Duero, not Rioja at all.
However, I should have read the “small print”. Not all Rioja Crianzas are supposed to taste like strawberries and cream! Modern style Rioja is often made with French oak (which gives smoky rather than vanilla flavours) and the grapes are well macerated to extract lots of colour and tannin.
So this is a lovely wine, and would actually go better with a steak than with lamb – but I’m not complaining, not me!
Q: When is a variety not a variety? Bear with me, for I have an answer…
Having unexpectedly won Monthly Wine Writing Challenge #19 (#MWWC19) with this entry on choosing a Burgundy, I was given the winner’s prerogative of choosing the theme for #MWWC20. The least I could do is enter myself – and it has pushed me into finally starting on a topic I have been meaning to explore for nearly two years – clones. In the fullness of time I will get into more detail (and that article will of course be called “Attack of the Clones”), but for now here’s an introduction.
“Variety” has lots of different meanings, even within the sphere of wine. The most common usage is for a type of grape, cépagein French. Thankfully, Jeff the Drunken Cyclist has already dealt with my bête noir of confusing variety (grape type) and varietal (wine made from a particular grape). The most technically correct term is actually cultivar, as pretty much all wine is made from cultivated grapes, but variety works for me.
Why is variety so important? Overall, it’s the single most important factor affecting the taste of a wine. Yes, terroircan be very important, but that’s actually shorthand for a whole host of factors. Additionally, (and subsequently), the way many wine drinkers outside Europe express their vinous preferences is by grape – and a fair share of those within Europe as well.
However, there are different versions of most grape varieties, and they are known as clones. These clones have subtly different characteristics, often adaptations from centuries of growing in particular places. Sometimes grape growers assist in this process by taking cuttings from the best performing vines and propagating them.
The last few decades have seen an increasingly scientific approach taken, with institutions and nurseries classifying existing and developing new clones which will thrive best in different soils and climates, or give a particular style of wine at the end. For example, producers aiming to make a richer, buttery style of Chardonnay might often chose to plant Mendoza Chardonnay clones, as their thicker skins and smaller berries make them suitable for a Meursault style.
So now for a varietal wine which involves a lot of variety from within a single grape variety (it will make sense, I promise):
Quinta da Falorca is one of four vineyards which are part of the larger Quinta Vale Das Escadinhas in the Silgueiros sub-region of Dão in central Portugal. It was established on south-facing steep banks of the river Dão over a century ago by the Costa Barros de Figuerido family.
The Dão wine region in central Portugal (Credit: Elapsed)
The Dão is home to dozens of indigenous grapes varieties, with the most popular being Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Jaen, Alfrocheiro Preto and Encruzado. Indeed, the region is actually the original home of Touriga Nacional which is so vital in the Douro. To honour this fact the Dão DOC regulations require a minimum 20% of Touriga Nacional in red wines.
Quinta da Falorca T-Nac 2009
So it’s a good producer, but what’s so special about this bottle? The name “T-Nac” gives us a clue that it’s made from Touriga Nacional, but that’s just the start. It’s made from 100% Touriga Nacional, but 31 different clones of that variety! It says something of the history of the area that over 30 clones of a single grape have been identified, and a lot more about a producer that can grow and vinify them!
Unlike some traditional style Dão wines it isn’t chock full of tannins from over-extraction, nor is it sullied by oak like some of the more modern style wines. Instead it plots a happy medium course with excellent juicy black fruit fruit and fine-grained tannins that give it a real savoury edge. This is a wine to pair beautifully with a steak or a hearty beef stew – in fact, a small glass in the stew would be perfection.
My thanks for the sample to JN Wines who will be showing this (and many other wines) at their Portfolio Tasting:
Time: Friday 6th November 18.00 – 20.00
Venue: Smock Alley Theatre, 6-8 Exchange Street Lower, Dublin 8
As I frequently say, to those who will listen (and even those who won’t), Pinot Blanc is an under-rated grape. It is most widely produced as a varietal in Alsace, Northern Italy (as Pinot Bianco) and Germany (as Weissburgunder), though often plays an unheralded part of blends there as well. Even the English are getting in on the act (yes Stopham Estate, I’m looking at you!)
When made in a sympathetic way, Pinot Blanc can be both fruity and fresh, with a little bit of body, making it very versatile at the table. Unfortunately, the powers that be in Alsace (primarily the CIVA and INAO) don’t allow Pinot Blanc wines to be granted Grand Cru status when made on the best sites, yet Muscat (in my opinion not as good a grape in Alsace) based wines are permitted under Grand Cru appellations.
Might other Pinot Blanc regions have an answer to this quality dilemma?
In advance of their Meet the Winemaker Portfolio tasting on Friday 6th November (also more details here), JN Wines kindly sent me a bottle of German Pinot Blanc, labelled of course as Weissburgunder (the white grape from Burgundy). It’s quite simply the finest example of the grape I’ve ever tasted!
From the Kaisterstuhl (the “Emperor’s Chair”) hills in the wine region of Baden comes Weingut Salwey, producer of several Burgundy varietals. The Reserve Salwey range is made with fully ripe grapes from older vines, vinified to dryness (Trocken is helpfully stated on the back label). White wines are matured in a mixture of large vats (80%) and barriques (20%).
Salwey
The oak ageing is perceptible on the nose, but doesn’t dominate the apple and citrus aromas. These all flow through to the palate, which is given additional weight by the micro-oxygenation from time spent in wood. It’s a lovely wine which is very enjoyable on its own (just don’t drink it too cold!) or paired with lighter fish and poultry.
Considering the quality, this is an absolute bargain!
Minervois is one of the names I remember from when I first got into wine as an impecunious student living in France for a year. Back in 1993 the appellation was still less than ten years old, and the wines were a small step up from the Vin de Pay d’Oc bottles on nearby shelves, but they were noticeably different from Bordeaux, Chinon and the like.
I was recently given a sample of Minervois to taste by the folks at Molloy’s Liquour Stores (an Irish off licence chain) so I thought I’d do a quick recap on some facts the Minervois delineated area:
One of the biggest wine areas within the Languedoc-Roussillon region with around 15,000 ha under vine.
Of this around 5,000 ha grow grapes for AOC wines, with the rest mainly Vin de Pays..
Historically, the region’s capital has been the village of Minerve
In addition to the main AOC Minervois there is also the longstanding AOC Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois (a vin doux naturel from the north east of the Minervois area) and the more recent AOC Minervois – La Livinière.
AOC Minervois covers 61 communes (villages, 16 in the Hérault and 45 in the Aude)
Maximum yields are 48 hl/ha
AOC regulations require the wine to be blended, so single varietals are necessarily Vin de Pays.
The vast majority of production is Red (84%) with some Rosé (13%) and a little White also made (3%)
The main grapes for red and rosé are Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre
The main grapes for white are Grenache, Bourboulenc, Maccabeu, Marsanne and Roussanne
Languedoc Wine Areas
Château du Donjon AOP Minervois Blanc 2014 (€12.95 Molloy’s)
Château du Donjon AOP Minervois Blanc 2014
So to the wine itself. And the first surprise for me, given my experience, was the colour – a rare Minervois Blanc! Before doing a bit of research I hadn’t even known about the whites, shame on me. The producer’s name translates as “Castle of the Keep” rather than directly relating to dungeons, but it’s pretty cool anyway.
Their Minervois Blanc is a blend of Vermentino and Roussane. Vermentino originally hails from Sardinia, though is also known as Rolle in the South of France, as Favorita in Piedmont. Roussane is well known in the Rhône and the rest of Southern France.
This is a fairly straight forward wine with lots of citrus and stone fruit, plus pleasant herb notes. It has good acidity which make it refreshing on a summer’s day, and could partner well with seafood or salad. Perfect for a summer picnic!
