One of the things I really enjoy about wine is how it changes between pour and finish — the evolution of wine. This might be as simple as a bit of air opening up the fruity flavours of something simple, or observing a tightly wound young red unfurl its wings.
For this reason, when I know I’m going to have more than a single glass in a bar or restaurant, I will order several different wines at the same time. With whites, temperature is key…as a wine warms up its flavours become more expressive, acidity slowly takes a back seat, and any residual sugar will become more apparent.
If you love Alsace Riesling as I do, the difference between a producer’s standard offering and one from a Grand Cru vineyard will become more obvious. If the wines are too cold eg straight from a domestic fridge – then you might not think there’s much of a difference. “Why the fuss?” you might ask. Once they get to 10℃, you’re thinking “Now I see the difference”. And a few more degrees higher, “Wow, I’m over the regular stuff, Grand Cru is where it’s at!” is what you’re saying.
In my imagination, anyway.
For dry wines, obviously sweetness doesn’t come into it – actual sweetness doesn’t, that is; some wines can taste sweet if they are particularly fruity. Where a wine has been oaked in some way (see upcoming post on oak in wine), then if served too chilled it can taste bitter. For me, 10C is too cold, but if it gets poured at that temperature then the changes in the glass can be thrilling.
Here are 3 fantastic Chardonnays sold by the glass at Ely Wine Bar in Dublin:
Domaine Marc Colin et Fils Saint-Aubin La Fontenotte 2011
Shaw + Smith Adelaide Hills M3 Chardonnay 2012
Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay 2011
For reds, temperature is also very important, but so is exposure to oxygen. If you have a decanter, or even a basic glass jug, you can get so much more taste (and therefore value) out of a full bottle if you decant it.
Of course, if you’re at an establishment which has a great selection by the glass, you won’t have to do that – pouring into a glass is sort of a mini version of decanting anyway.
Tasting wines at the same time gives you the opportunity to see how they evolve side by side – give it a try!
Part One introduced the different types of producer, the grapes and the main areas of Champagne. Now we look at different grower Champagnes from different subregions of the area.
Wine Workshop Grower Champagne Tasting
In mid August I ventured again to The Wine Workshop in Dublin for a fab tasting of Grower Champagnes, hosted by Morgan VanderKamer. Thanks to my friend Una who helped with the photos!
Réné Geoffroy “Expression” Cumières 1er Cru NV (Vallée de la Marne)
Réné Geoffroy Expression 1er Cru NV
Champagne Réné is now run by Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy, son of Réné and grandson of Roger who first moved from just producing grapes to making Champagne. Although they have an elegant maison in Aÿ, 14 out of their total 17 hectares under vine are in the Premier Cru village of Cumières, in the heart of the Vallée de la Marne. The family can trace their roots in the same village back to the 17th century. Production volume is 9,000 cases per year of which 500 are vintage.
This is the top cuvée made by Geoffroy, always made from a blend of two different years. The assemblage is given as 50% PM 30% C 10% PN – though that would leave me feeling a little short-changed. All the grapes are hand picked and a traditional “Coquard” press is used. Parcels are fermented separately to help decide on the blend furether down the line. Malolactic Fermentation (MLF) is blocked to retain fresh acidity. A proportion of the reserve wines are aged in oak to add texture.
Compared to many sparkling wines this tasted a little less fizzy – more like a Perlé style, which used to be known as Crémant before that was appropriated for traditional method sparkling wines from other French regions.
Roberdelph NV Charly-sur-Marne (Vallée de la Marne)
RoberDelph NV
All because…the lady loves…RoberDelph! This was my friend Una’s favourite of the evening. The most Pinot Meunier-biased Champagne of the tasting (the assemblage of the current bottling is 75% PM, 16% C, 9% PN, though it may fluctuate a little), it had a certain earthiness…it would be amazing with Mushroom risotto.
As a NV it is usually based substantially on one year with around 30% reserve wines from three previous years.
RoberDelph have just 5 1/2 hectares under vine round the village of Charly at the western end of the Vallée de la Marne (the Marne of course being the river after which the Département is also named). Their vineyards are composed of 20 different small parcels with different soils and are farmed using “lutte raisonné” methods – think similar to organic but pragmatic rather than dogmatic. They are now run by the 5th and 6th generations of the Robert family.
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Cuvée Cuis 1er Cru NV (Côte des Blancs)
Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Cuvée Cuis 1er Cru NV
Olivier and Didier Gimonnet are the grandsons of Pierre Gimonnet who expanded the family business from grape growing to producing their own Champagne in 1935. They have been growing grapes in Cuis since 1750.
They have 28 hectares of Chardonnay within the Côte des Blancs (plus a couple of small plots of Pinot Noir elsewhere):
– Cuis and Vertus Premiers Crus
– Cramant, Chouilly and Oger Grands Crus
They make a single non vintage (for which they use the more romantic term Sans Année) and five different vintage cuvées which aim to maintain the house style while showcasing the great terroirs of the Côtes des Blancs. Above all they value elegance, finesse, minerality and freshness, with everything in balance.
The high percentage of old vines at this estate sets it apart from many others. There is always a trade off with vine age – yields tend to decline with age, but the resulting juice becomes more and more concentrated – it’s quantity versus quality.
This NV is a personal favourite – it showed very well at the Glasnevin Fizz Fest last year.
Watch out for their Spécial Club bottlings which are Gimonnet’s flagship – grapes are selected from their oldest vines, go through MLF and then over five years ageing on the lees.
Varnier-Fannière Cuvée St-Denis Grand Cru NV, Avize, (Côte des Blancs)
Varnier-Fannière Cuvée St-Denis Grand Gru NV
I’ve been a fan of Denis Varnier’s Champagnes since I first visited him in Avize in early 2012. I sneaked this into the tasting and it threw some of the tasters. It had much more body and texture than usual for a blankety blank. Oak? No, that would be the five years (minimum) on the lees.
Denis eschews oak and blocks MLF to keep the wines as fresh and pure as possible. The grapes for this bottling are grown in a walled vineyard in Avize called Clos du Grand-Père, named after Denis’s maternal Grandfather Jean Fannière who became a Champagne producer when already in his 50s.
V-F produce another premium Chamapgne called Jean Fannière Origine – it’s a similar style and quality level to St-Denis but made with grapes from Cramant and a lower dosage.
Jacquinot et Fils Blanc de Noirs NV (Cote des Bar)
Jacquinot & Fils Blanc de Noirs Brut NV
The Côtes des Bar is a Pinot Noir stronghold – it accounts for 87% of the vines there. This is a 100% Pinot Noir so it has some real guts – layers of red fruit with enough body to accompany the main course of a meal.
The Jacquinot estate dates back to the French revolution. Pierre Jacquinot expanded the family vineyard holdings just after first world war, at the same time becoming a grape broker and Champagne wine merchant, adding his own pressing centre in 1929 and starting to make wine. In 1947 with his 2 sons Jacques and Jean-Guy he created the brand Champagne Jacquinot et Fils. Jacques looked after sales and Jean-Guy developed the vineyard. Jean-Manuel Jacquinot, Jean-Guy’s son, Oenologist in charge of production since 1998 is now running the Estate with the help of François Nicolet, Jacques’s son- in-law.
Other Jacquinot wines of note include the White Symphonie which has 10 years on the lees and their top bottling Harmonie which has 14 years!
Dravigny-Godbillon “Cuvée Ambre” NV, Ecuille
Dravigny-Godbillon Cuvée Ambre NV
What a delightful label! *cough* But hey, if people aren’t going to buy it because of the cover then there’s more to go round for those of us who value the contents! The good folks at Ely Wine Bar in Dublin obviously share the same opinion as it’s on their list next to the big guns of Taittinger and Bollinger. As it’s a small producer they only export to two countries – Denmark and Ireland!
The blend is 70% PN, 25% C, 5% PM, so there is plenty of strawberry goodness but wrapped in a lemon envelope. The Chardonnay keeps it fresh enough that it doesn’t tire after a few glasses.
Guy Charlemagne Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Grand Cru 2004 (Côte des Blancs)
Guy Charlemagne Mesnillésime 2004 Grand Cru
Did anyone else get the pun? Mesnillésime is a portmanteau of Le Mesnil sur Oger, the Côte des Blancs village where Champagne Guy Charlemagne is based, and Millésime, the French word for vintage. Krug’s super-premium single vineyard vintage Clos Le Mesnil comes from the same village – it’s probably the best source for Chardonnay in the whole of Champagne.
This is the firm’s top bottling, being 100% Chardonnay from having spent spends six years maturing on the lees before disgorgement, and gets a light dosage of 4g/L so qualifies as extra brut. The mousse is more persistent than Jeremy Paxman…it’s so creamy and goes on and on. Lemon meringue, crème fraîche, the flavour keeps on coming.
Although this was by some distance the most expensive Champagne at the tasting, in the not-so-humble opinion of this taster it was the best value of all!.
It’s a wine made in a certain way from grapes grown in a delimited area.
That’s it. Yes it’s a load of fun, often a part of big celebrations, a bit of bling in a nightclub, or even launching a ship (don’t know about you but I alwaysuse Champagne when launching a ship), but for me they are secondary to Champagne’s identity as a wine. Also, there is Increasing recognition that Champagne can play a part in accompanying many – or all – courses of a meal, as well as being an apéritifor a vin de plaisir.
Of course the luxury image of Champagne is no accident, it’s down to the marketing prowess of the Grandes Marques over the last century or so. In their quest for a reliable, consistent wine the big houses buy grapes from all over the Champagne region, and blend them to create an ongoing house style – particularly with the non-vintage (NV) wines which are the vast majority of the bottles produced.
Thus, apart from a few ultra rare and ultra expensive select bottlings, Champagne made by the big houses doesn’t reflect a particular vineyard site.
Step up the Growers! Despite the high capital costs of setting up, Champenois grape growers are increasingly setting up to produce their own Champagne – see RM in the box above. They maintain a close link between the place the grapes are grown – the terroir – and the final product in your glass.
Grapes – The Big 3 Stars
Most new areas producing quality sparkling wine will use the big three Champagne grapes, whether we’re talking Tasmania, Marlborough or Sussex.
Chardonnay (C) gives lifted lemon citrus notes, which make it the lightest grape out of the three. All-Chardonnay cuvées need some serious ageing on the lees to gain complexity – they can be pleasant but rather simple if they are disgorged and released straight after the legal minimum ageing (15 months for NV). Approx. 29% of total vines
Pinot Noir (PN) gives red fruit aromas and flavours – particularly strawberry and raspberry – just as you get in a still red Pinot Noir. It also gives body and richness – sometimes even chewiness. It’s this Pinot whose colour is used for rosé Champagne. Approx. 38% of total vines
Pinot Meunier (PM) is often regarded as the ugly sister of the big three, and while it might be true to say that it doesn’t hit the heights of the other two on its own, it can play an excellent supporting role. It tends to show soft fruit characteristics such as pear and lychee when young, and then a certain earthiness with more age. Approx. 32% of total vines
Grapes – The Supporting Cast
If any of you did the maths from the three grapes above you will have noticed that the total proportion of Champagne’s area under vine represented by them is 99% – so what is planted in the remaining 1%?
These are four traditional grapes that have fallen out of favour in the area, but where they are planted the owners can keep on farming them. Such minuscule amounts means the wines are very hand to get hold of, but if you fancy trying something different then Laherte Frères make a Champagne from all seven grapes.
Pinot Blanc is often a component of Crémant d’Alsace and Franciacorta (where it is known as Pinot Bianco. It gives soft apple and citrus flavours.
Pinot Gris sometimes hides in Champagne under the pseudonym Fromenteau – but it’s really the same grape which does so well in Alsace and still pops up occasionally in Burgundy. When picked early it (as is often the case in Italy) it can show high levels of acidity which of course make it ideal for sparkling wine.
Petit Meslier is an appley variety that has a flagwaver based in – rather bizarrely – South Australia’s Eden Valley! In a region best known for dry as a bone Riesling, Irvine Wines make a varietal Petit Meslier sparkling wine which they claim was the first to be commercially bottled anywhere in the world
Arbane also has a champion, but this time in Champagne itself. The house of Moutard Père et Fils make the only varietal Arbane Champagne. Their vintage wine spends over 6 years on the lees so it’s the yeast rather than grape variety which are most apparent.
Home Ground
Champagne has a single Appellation for the whole region, but there are recognised sub regions within it. They can be grouped as:
The Vallée de la Marne is the most equally balanced between the three main grapes – 24% Chardonnay, 36% P Meunier and 40% P Noir
The Montagne de Reims is the large hill (mountain is pushing it a bit!) just south of the city of Reims. Here Pinot Meunier has the lead with 62% of the total.
The Côte des Blancs (which also has the more southerly Côte de Sezanne grouped with it for statistical purposes) is a chalky slope which majors in Chardonnay (82% overall and 95% in the central Côte itself – hence the name.
The Côte des Bar is the most southerly and highest of all the Champagne areas. Pinot Noir is the king down here with 87% of the land under vine.
Part two will look at some specific grower Champagnes.
Earlier in the year I was invited to the trade and press tasting held by Le Caveau in the function room at Fallon & Byrne in Dublin. When I say invited, I sort of invited myself, but they were a very welcoming bunch.
Originally starting out with a retail outlet in Kilkenny in 1999, Le Caveau specialises in importing artisan wines directly from small, family-operated vineyards from around the world. The following year they added a wholesale arm to supply the on- and off-trade throughout Ireland, and of course they have a website.
As you might see from my selection, the husband and wife team of Pascal and Geraldine Rossignol take great pride in the “hand-made” aspect of small producers, though they offer a few bigger brands here and there to broaden out their range.
So let’s begin at the beginning – it’s the fizz!
Meyer-Fonné Crémant d’Alsace NV
Meyer-Fonné Brut Extra Crémant d’Alsace NV
Meyer-Fonné are one of the many excellent family vineyards in Alsace. Having tasted a couple of their wines a Sweeney’s Wine Merchants in Dublin, when I organised a family holiday to Alsace in 2012 I made sure I included them in the itinerary. And they were incredibly warm and welcoming – without any pressure to buy the poured me a taste of every single wine they make – so we’re talking over fifteen here. Thankfully my wife could drive us back to our gîte – and I did buy a fair few bottles anyway!
So how is their fizz? This would never be mistaken for Champagne – but it’s not trying to be Champagne so why should it apologize? Like many Alsace Crémants it is predominantly made from Pinot Blanc, though apparently it also contains some Pinot Meunier (the third of the traditional Champagne grapes, though very unusual for Alsace!) and Pinot Noir.
As a Crémant it is made in the same traditional way as Champagne, though without the “C” word on the label it comes in at around half the price of some well known marques. It has been such a success in France that it is now the second best selling type of sparkling wine after Champagne.
Meyer-Fonné Crémant has lovely fresh citrus and apple notes, with just a touch of balancing residual sugar apparent – it would make an excellent aperitif or partner well with white fish and seafood.
Philipponat Royale Réserve Brut NV
The predominance of red fruit (strawberry, raspberry, redcurrant, red cherry…) over citrus (lemon, lime…) and the chewy texture made me think that Pinots make up the majority of the blend. And so it transpires…it’s made from the first pressing (the cuvée) of Pinot Noir (usually 65%), of Chardonnay (30%) and of Pinot Meunier (5%).
The Pinot Noir mainly comes from Philipponnat’s own vineyards, located in Ay (sounds painful in French!) and Mareuil-sur-Ay. As a non-vintage Champagne, each bottling is based on a particular year’s harvest but with reserve wines added from previous years – depending on the quality and style (this is very important) of the vintage, between 25% to 40% of the total is made up of reserve wines. These are blended again every year in a “solera” fashion in order to incorporate older wines without loosing freshness.
The aromas and flavours are definitely reflective of the blend; citrus and red fruits plus fresh bread on the nose. In the mouth the there’s a dash lime on the attack and then softer red fruits and apples – sumptuous!
Champagne Gobillard Grande Réserve 1er Cru NV
Champagne Gobillard Grande Réserve 1er Cru NV
Don’t mind the battered label – that’s what happens when a bottle is left in an ice bucket and lots of winos help themselves to a taste!
Only 44 out of the 319 Champagne villages are classed as Premier Cru (1er is the French abbreviation). A further 17 are classed as “Grand Cru”, though the luxury cuvées that the grapes usually go into rarely advertise their provenance – it’s all about the brand. So it’s often at Premier Cru level where quality and value are to be found.
The assemblage is a third each of the three traditional Champagne grapes, sourced from Hautvillers (on the southern side of the Montagne de Reims), Cumières (also Montagne de Reims) and Dizy (Vallée de la Marne). Two full years on the lees have imparted a creamy, bready character behind the red berry and citrus fruit.
Watch this space for the next installment – Le Caveau whites!
Not really. Continuing from part one’s look at Peter Lehmann’s Barossa offerings, we now turn to a major producer from Chile whose flagship white I am a big fan of, plus a Spanish Bodega I hadn’t heard of before making top quality traditional-style reds.
Casa Lapostolle
Going under the tagline “French in essence, Chilean by birth” the house (“casa” of course) of Lapostolle is a Chilean outfit owned by the French Lapostolle-Marnier family, famous for the Grand Marnier liqueur. Even before founding their Chilean outpost twenty years ago, the family was heavily involved in wine, particularly in the eastern Loire.
Regular readers will know that I really rate their Cuvée Alexandre Chardonnay (in fact I made it one of my favourite whites of 2013), how does the rest of the portfolio stand up?
Casa Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc 2012
This is not your bog-standard Chilean Sauvignon, which can sometimes even be made with the inferior Sauvignonasse (or as I like to call it, Sauvignonarse) grapes. For me this is where the French influence really shines though, it’s a great everyday-drinking bottle but would be fine to serve to guests at the weekend too.
Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay 2012
Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay 2012
The baby brother of my favourite below, how does it compare? Well it tastes exactly like a junior version – gently toasted oak in the background and luscious tropical fruit in the mid-palate. Grapes are sourced from the Casablanca Valley, fermented in stainless steel and then matured for seven months in a mix of old and new French oak barrels. Bravo!
Casa Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Chardonnay 2011
Casa Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Chardonnay 2011
Nectar of the gods! Melon and pineapple sing but grapefruit keeps it from getting out of hand. Plenty of acidity to keep it from getting flabby and low residual sugar giving a dry finish. The 2011 had 75% of whole cluster pressing and 25% of maceration into the press before fermenting. 50% was fermented in French barrels and 56% was aged in French barrels for 8 month (part news and part used) and 44% in stainless steel tanks. The wine didn’t go through malolactic fermentation which accounts for the strong streak of acidity.
Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
As any wine student will tell you, wines sold in the EU have to have a minimum of 85% of the stated varieties, and therefore don’t have to tell you about the other 15%. This Ribena-special Cabernet actually has 7% Carmenère, 3% Merlot, 3% Shiraz and 1% Cabernet Franc in the blend – and is probably all the better for it. Cabernet can have a great attack and great finish but be a bit hollow in the middle – it sometimes gets called the “doughnut grape”.
All the grapes are harvested by hand and fermented with the native yeasts of the area (the subject of a future geeky blog post). Maturation included six month in oak, 55% of the wine was aged in new barrels and the balance in second and third fill barrels. If you like this style of wine (which I do), this is a steal! Mint and chocolate really come through on the palate; tasted blind I might have guessed at my favourite red wine region of Coonawarra.
Casa Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
Casa Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
Whereas the baby brother Cabernet above was made from grapes grown in the Rapel Valley, the Cuvée Alexandre Cabernet was grown in Lapostolle’s Apalta Vineyard in the Colchagua Valley. Cabernet vines were planted here from imported French clippings in 1920 – makes a mockery of the term “New World”
The assemblage for 2011 was 88% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Syrah. It changes from year to year depending on how different parcels perform and hwo they work when blended together. The vineyard is certified Organic by CERES, if you pay attention to that sort of thing.
100% of harvesting is by hand, then triage is done partially (77%) by optical sorting machines and the remainder (23% for those who can’t count) is hand de-stemmed. Only wild yeasts are used for fermentation; this, and the relatively shaded nature of the vineyard mean that alcohol is a relatively sensible (for such a warm climate) 14%.
So how does it taste? It’s definitely a Cabernet, tannins are present and correct, but they are fine. It’s approachable now but needs several more years to blossom.
Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2008
Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2008
This is Lapostolle’s flagship wine, one might even use the unloved term “icon wine”, with a price tag to match. Why is it so expensive, and is it worth the money?
The idea behind the wine is to use the best quality grapes available, give them the most painstaking manual treatment, and intervene with the winemaking process as little as possible. For example, the fruit is harvested by hand very early in the morning (so that temperatures are still fairly cool) and then stacked in small 14 kilos cases (so there’s less chance of grapes bursting and either spontaneously fermenting or spoiling. On arrival at the winery the grapes are 100% destemmed and sorted by hand.
After pressing, French oak fermentation vessels are filled by gravity which is the gentlest way to handle the must. The native yeast strains that arrived with the grapes are left to their own devices, apart from temperature control keeping a ceiling of 26C. Manual punch downs (as opposed to pumping over, for example) are used to extract colour, tannin and flavour from the macerating grapes over four to five weeks.
The juice is then racked into 100% new medium toast French oak barrels and left to go through malolactic fermentation. After 22 months maturation the wine is bottled by gravity “without any treatment or filtration” – I don’t know if this precludes a dose of sulphur at bottling or not, but it does mean no cold stabilisation.
You might have noticed that the grape variety is absent from the front of the bottle. The blend for 2008 was 73% Carmenère (Chile’s signature grape), 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. This is significantly different from year to year (another good reason not to put it on the front) – for example 2011 has only 57% Carmenère, 2009 has a dash of Petit Verdot (another minor Bordeaux grape).
And what is the result from all this care and expense? It’s a monumental wine, huge, powerful and packed with flavour. Keen tasters will notice the results of the heavy extraction process. Although we are now over six years from the 2008 harvest, this still needs a long time to unfurl and even out. If you want to try it now then I’d suggest several hours in a big decanter ahead of serving. Personally, I’d buy a case and forget about it for five years!
Ochoa
Still in the Spanish speaking world, we now head to Navarre in northern Spain. At one time considered part of the Basque Country, Navarre is now a separate autonomous community from an administrative point of view, sandwiched between the Basque country and La Rioja.
From a vinous point of view, it’s slightly more complicated as DOCa Rioja wine can include grapes from some parts of Navarre and the Basque province of Álava. DO Navarra is for wines made in the southern part of the autonomous community, principally in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Navarre used to be well known for its rosado wines, but now whites and especially reds are more common. With slightly more relaxed regulations than Rioja next door, international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are fairly common.
Ochoa are a crowd I hadn’t heard of before, but when looking at their website I learned that they are a family business who have been making wine for over six centuries – not newcomers then! They make three distinct ranges:
Javier Ochoa – traditional range created by the current head of the family 25 years ago
The following three wines are from the latter range.
Ochoa Tempranillo Crianza DO Navarra 2010
Ochoa Tempranillo Crianza 2010
Made from 100% of the early-ripening Tempranillo, this has spent twelve months in 225 litre American oak barrels (the same size as Bordeaux’s barrique) – double the minimum of 6 months for a Crianza. The grapes come from the Santa Cruz estate in Traibuenas.
It’s full of voluptuous red fruit – cherry, strawberry, redcurrant, plus delicious vanilla from the oak. Ochoa give food matching suggestions of grilled meat, stews and cured cheeses, but to be honest it’s might fine drinking on its own.
Ochoa Reserva DO Navarra 2007
Ochoa Reserva 2007
Now we have the Reserva level which means wines have to be aged for at least three years before release, of which at least one has to be in barrel. Ochoa go a little further and have a minimum of fifteen months in oak. As there’s a step up in quality and price, they also use more expensive French oak along with the American oak.
Rather than being a single varietal, the Reserva is a blend of Tempranillo (55%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Merlot (15%). The palate moves on from just red fruit to a blend of red and black – this makes perfect sense when it contains Cabernet. There’s also a touch of mocha which I reckon comes from the toasted French oak.
Ochoa Gran Reserva DO Navarra 2005
Ochoa Gran Reserva 2005
I tend to steer clear of Gran Reservas. I often find them far too woody and far too dry – a result of being aged for far too long in oak. Don’t get me wrong, I like oak if it’s done well – but if there isn’t the fruit to support it in the first place I will happily leave it to others.
The general rules for Spanish Gran Reservas require a total ageing of five years before release, of which at least eighteen months has to be in barrel, and thirty six years in bottle. Ochoa mature theirs in French and American oak for two years, and don’t filter, fine or cold stablilise to preserve as much of the flavour as possible.
The Gran Reserva is a Tempranillo – Cabernet – Merlot blend just as the Reserva was. It’s a step-up in intensity of flavour and body. Black fruit has almost totally replaced red fruit, and the mocha tones are right up front. It’s a gorgeous drop, and I don’t find it in the slightest bit “woody” – hurrah!
Update: Stockists
In Ireland, Lapostolle wines are stocked by (amongst others)
They say “Planning Prevents Poor Performance” – but sometimes it’s better to be a bit more spontaneous. And so when my wife Jess suggested having a late-notice drinks party at the end of June, I chimed in with agreement.
Below are a few of the bottles which grabbed my attention – many of which were kindly brought by guests (you see what nice friends we have?)
A Starter For 10 – Sainsbury’s Blanc de Blancs Champagne Brut NV
Sainsbury’s Blanc de Blancs Champagne Brut NV
In the run up to Xmas 2012 this delightfully light and crisp Champagne was on double-bubble reduction – I ended up paying about £11.50 per bottle which is an absurdly low amount, especially when you can pay over twice as much for a very ordinary big brand. At that price you don’t mind how many you open over the Xmas period!
The extra 18 months or so bottle age has helped add a little more funky complexity – it’s even better now, but I wouldn’t hang on to it until next summer.
The Blanc de Noirs from Sainsbury’s is great as well – especially with 25% off – and give more of a voluptuous red fruit vibe rather than citrus.
Random Light Whites
Random Light Whites
In a previous post on the Wine Society’s American Dream Tasting I mentioned Viña Litoral Sauvignon Blanc from the Leyda Valley in Chile. That time it was the 2013, but the 2012 (on the right above) shows that well made Sauvignon Blanc doesn’t fade after a year in bottle.
The Muros Antigos Alvarinho is an Albariño-beating wine made just across the Portuguese border from Riax Baixas. When showing it compared to some slightly pricier Spanish competitors at a tasting some years ago, even the Spanish attendees grudgingly admitted it was great. This is probably a year or so older than you might normally drink it, but again age has been kind. Available from Sweeney’s of Glasnevin.
And finally, the beast in the middle – not a light white at all! This is unreconstructed oaky Chardonnay, so beware if you don’t like that style. The Montes Alpha range is great across the board (well done Liberty Wines), but in my biased opinion the Chardy is the best of the lot.
Riesling – The Prince Of Grapes
Riesling, Prince Of Grapes
Some people remain unconverted by Riesling, but that leaves more for the rest of us. The awesome foursome hail from the steep slopes of Alsace and the southern climes of Tasmania.
The latter was the oldest and the leanest of the lot. Tazzie is generally the coolest state in Australia which has made it a perfect location for sparkling wine production. It is now spearheading the cool-climate Chardonnay revolution as Penfold’s now source the majority of the grapes for their “white Grange” Yattarna from Tasmania, and Shaw + Smith bought a fantastic Chardonnay vineyard not too long ago. Sauvignon Blanc has already found a home there, so why not Riesling?
South Pirie Riesling 2007 was lean and racy in the Eden Valley style – lime with a sideorder of lime! Can be a little bit austere for the feint-hearted, but well worth a try.
I had seen a few of Domaine Muré’s wines in the past but it was luck and happenstance that I (almost literally) fell into their outlet in the centre of Colmar last year. This Clos Saint-Landelin is from their own walled vineyard within the larger Vorbourg Grand Cru. To be honest, it was nice but would really benefit from a few more years to balance out and open up.
I’ve already waxed lyrical about Bruno Sorg’s Séléction de Grains Nobles, but here we have a pair of just-off-dry Rieslings from the Grand Cru sites of Florimont (straddling the villages of Ingersheim and Katzenthal) and Pfersigberg (located close to Sorg’s home village of Eguisheim). They aren’t sweet, but the little bit of residual sugar really balances the striking acidity and brings out the pure fruit.
A Brace Of Contrasting French Reds
Ladoix and Cahors
A delicate Pinot Noir from Burgundy and a stonking 15.5% Malbec from Cahors provide proof that wines can really vary within the same country.
The Ladoix was quite flat for a good time after opening but eventually blossomed, showing red fruits sitting in a light crème anglaise. It’s part of the Côte de Beaune, the sourthern part of Burgundy’s heartland the Côte d’Or.
The Cahors is a recent favourite from Sweeney’s of Glasnevin (it was my wine of the night at the MackenwayFrench tasting). Tasted blind you would probably guess the big plum and bramble flavours were the producer of Argentina rather than south west France.
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
In fairness these wines aren’t a couple – just slightly off the beaten track compared to some of the more well-known bottles.
Wagner-Stempel Rosé Rheinhessen 2013 (available from The Corkscrew) has previously come close to wooing me before, but as my buddy Tara brought it round I had to give it a go. Chris – you were right, it’s lovely. I’m not generally a Rosé drinker, but more of this please!
Albert Mann’s Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives Altenbourg 2008 is a mouthful in more than one way – this is exactly how I like my Gewurz. This late harvest beauty is something you could sit and savour at any time of the year.
The Grande Finalé
Belle Epoque & Dom Pérignon
Pretty bottles! Belle Epoque is Perrier-Jouet’s prestige cuvée – it almost seems a shame to open such a lovely bottle.
Dom Pérignon needs no further introduction (otherwise why are you reading this blog?), but this 1995 example showed why mature Champagne is such a treat.
Following on from my favourite reds and favourite whites of 2013, here are a few of the sparklers which grabbed my attention last year. There are a few patterns you might discern:
They are all traditional method sparkling wines – I’ve had a few drinkable Proseccos, but nothing that has ever made me want to go and buy another bottle. Although it appears on the face of it to be an inefficient production method, second fermentation in bottle seems to be the best way of making quality fizz.
They are heavily weighted towards Champagne – this reflects that region’s preeminent standing in the world of sparkling wine and the fruits of several visits in person. Franciacorta and decent Cava are on my 2014 Wine Resolutions.
Dom Pérignon 1999
Dom Pérignon 1999
Possibly the most famous Champagne in the world, and definitely the biggest production of any prestige cuvée Champagne, Dom Pérignon is a byword for luxury. However, behind all the razzmatazz, it’s still a wine (though not a…erm…still wine, obviously).
1999 was only the second time in the history of DP that three consecutive vintages were declared (I’m looking forward to a mini-vertical of 02/03/04 someday!) It’s relatively full bodied in the mouth, almost a meal in itself (well it did replace bacon butties on Christmas morning!) but still with a citrus spine to the exotic fruit body.
Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2003
Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2003
I finally supped my last bottle (for now) of this tropical wonder. If you cast your mind back a decade or so, 2003 was the summer of heatwaves across Europe. In some parts of France, the heat was such that vines just shut down. In Champagne, the extra ripe grapes made for a very different vintage – if indeed a vintage was declared at all. Bollinger called their release “2003 by Bollinger” instead of the usual “Grande Année” and Krug only decided to release a vintage at all last month.
So how did the 2003 heatwave affect the sprinkling of vines in southern England? In pretty much the same way, but because the climate is slightly cooler, the resultant wines still held on to some acidity. The Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2003 is of course 100% Chardonnay, which tends to be on the lemon and lime side of the fruit continuum™, but here it also gives delicious tropical notes of pineapple, grapefruit and mango – almost like Lilt Champagne! (and yes that’s a good thing in my eyes.)
Louis Roederer Cristal 2005
Just a glass of this was enough to confirm why the luxury cuvée created for Tsar Alexander II is still so highly regarded. The name comes from the flat-bottomed, transparent lead-crystal bottle – it has been suggested that this design made regicide by poison more difficult, though the lack of a punt underneath means that the bottle has to be made of thicker glass to withstand the pressure, and when on display Cristal is often wrapped in a decorative cellophane wrapper which blocks harmful ultraviolet light.
The 2005 vintage is still a baby – after all it has spent over five years maturing on the lees and a further eight months resting in bottle post disgorgement before release – so expect it to evolve for another five to ten years. When tasted at the Dublin Wine & Fizz Fest hosted by Deveney’s of Dundrum, it showed lots of chewy brioche character with fresh lemon through the middle – a consequence of time on the lees and a little more Chardonnay (45%) than usual in the blend.
Varnier-Fannière Brut Zero NV*, Grand Vintage 2006* & Cuvée St Denis NV
Varnier-Fannière Grand Cru Brut Zero NV
Three wines from my favourite grower in Champagne, Denis Varnier, based in Avize on the Côte des Blancs.
The staple of any Champagne producer is their non-vintage (NV) Brut, which should be fairly dry. The Brut Zero is made in exactly the same way as the regular Brut NV but without any sugar dosage in the liqueur d’expédition, the top up of wine after the dead yeast sediment has been expelled from the bottle. This is a very fashionable style at the moment, dubbed “skinny Champagne” by some because of the lack of residual sugar, but it doesn’t always work; there has to be enough flavour from the underlying fruit and / or some autolytic character from the yeast to make it interesting, otherwise a Brut Zero can be table-grippingly acidic without anything to balance it.
Thankfully Denis has got it right! This was served as an aperitif with olives, and was a perfect match; it didn’t feel it was lacking anything without added sugar. It is pure and linear, with delightfully fresh citrus from the 100% Chardonnay grapes.
Varnier-Fannière Grand Vintage 2006
So what’s the difference here? The most aromatic grapes from old vines are selected when the overall quality is good enough to make a single vintage wine. After the second fermentation the minimum ageing is 36 months, though this is exceeded. Production is much smaller than the NV and so allocations are limited to a dozen bottles per customer each year.
And finally, the Cuvée St Denis which is a non-vintage, though Monsieur Varnier probably regards it as a “multi-vintage”. It is made exclusively from the first (and best) pressing of 65+ year old vines in a single vineyard in Avize called “Clos du Grand Père”. However, the Clos is apparently is being ripped up and replanted (possibly because yields have fallen so low) so there won’t be any more Cuvée St Denis produced for the next decade or so – get it while you can!
Cave de Turckheim Confidence Crémant d’Alsace NV
The precise blend of grapes in this Champagne method sparkler is a secret, but it most probably has a majority of Chardonnay (allowed in AC Crémant d’Alsace but not AC Alsace) plus a splash of Pinot Blanc. It is thus a blanc de blancs, but a very different BdB from the Pierre Gimonnet below – it is fresh, floral and citrus-driven, and so could be a perfect aperitif. At €39.75 for three bottles direct from the winery it is also something of a bargain!
Those of you familiar with French wine may notice the “Cave de” at the beginning of a winery name, meaning cellar but nearly always signifying a cooperative. The wine from some coops can be dreadful, just made with volume in mind and very little attention paid to quality. The Cave de Turckheim (and several others throughout Alsace) have much more rigorous standards, with several quality levels ranging from basic everyday drinking (just one or two glasses, of course!) to Grand Cru stunners. Furthermore, they produce different cuvées based on the type of soil in the vineyards that contribute grapes, whether it’s granite, clay and calcium or sand and pebbles. You can test the effect of terroir for yourself!
Pierre Gimonnet Premier Cru Cuis Blanc de Blancs NV
Pierre Gimonnet 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs
I bought a case of six from The Wine Society as a relatively inexpensive fizz as it was on a case discount. However, despite its modest price it turned out to be excellent fizz – it showed very well at a Sweeney’s-On-Tour summer barbecue and was one of the stars of the 2013 Glasnevin Fizz Fest. The winery is in the premier cru village of Cuis where Didier Gimonnet’s family has been growing grapes since 1750, though they also own vines in other grand and premier cru villages. As always with France, if there’s a blend of different quality levels then the lower level is what goes on the label.
This is unmistakably a 100% Chardonnay such is the streak of lemon and lime through it, though it has obviously spent more than the minimum of fifteen months ageing on the lees as there are lovely bready characters as well. A typical Non-Vintage cuvée can contain as many as five different years’ wines; reserve wines are stored ready-blended in bottle to make future assemblage easier.
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When you have your first taste of wine, and it’s good, you might nod appreciatively or even exclaim “mmm, that’s nice” (which my Mum says to everything from JP Chenet to Grange). But when we tasted this fine, fine example of Alsace Pinot Gris the reaction was an astonished “oh…” around the room as everyone stared at their glass and wondered how much depth of flavour could possibly come from a glass of wine. It was almost like being told an age old secret about life, it was a moment I will never forget. Like many Alsace Pinot Gris this was off-dry, very rich and almost oily in viscosity. It wasn’t a perfect match for the starter it was paired with, but that didn’t matter – it was happy by itself. Zind-Humbrecht is one of the most quality-conscious houses in the region, run on biodynamic practices by the brilliant Olivier Humbrecht MW. It has plots within several of the best Grand Cru vineyards, though this is a simple “lieu-dit”.
Ata Rangi Craighall Chardonnay Martinborough 2011
Ata Rangi Craighall Chardonnay Martinborough 2011
One of the top few Chardonnays from New Zealand and a personal favourite; I try to taste one bottle of every vintage, but sometimes I don’t succeed – it’s several! This wine featured in my post on the New Zealand Trade Tasting – I make no apologies for repeating myself, it deserves the plaudits. Open a bottle from the fridge and see how it evolves over the next hour or so, if you are able to resist drinking it quicker than that.
Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Valley Semillon 2000
Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon 2000
When Neil McGuigan, 2012 International Winemaker of the Year in the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC), gave a tutored tasting at the pop-up vineyard in Temple Bar, he stated that Hunter Semillon is one of the two wine styles original to Australia and not reproduced elsewhere in the world. The other is the less well known liqueur Muscat from Rutherglen (perfect with Xmas pudding!)
I agree with him there, though he also provocatively called Sauvignon Blanc a “second rate grape” (I think there’s a lot of jealousy of Marlborough’s success with savvy). The beauty of Hunter Semillon is that it can be drunk young as light, fresh and citrus, but it also ages and develops magnificently over time. Often light in alcohol but not the worse for it, it develops toasty notes with time in bottle. For me, it’s a waste to drink it young.
The originator of the style is Tyrrell’s, one of the big names of the Hunter. Almost causing a family feud, the head winemaker of the time kept back a batch of the company’s best Semillon and released it at six years of age. Thankfully (for us all) it was a success, and now Vat 1 has a claim to best varietal Semillon in the world.
I opened this bottle at the end of last year, so it was over thirteen years from harvest – and it still tasted young and fresh, though with plenty of toast and honey coming through on the nose and palate. I think this would continue improving for another five to ten years.
Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay Adelaide Hills 2010
Despite all the ABC (“Anything But Chardonnay”) naysayers, Aussie Chardonnay goes from strength to strength. It has moved with the times, so more (relatively!) cool regions are used, picking is earlier, malolactic fermentation can be partially blocked and the use of oak is more judicious. Margaret River has the Leeuwin Estate Art Series and Cullen Kevin John superstars, Penfolds maintains a multi-regional blend for its “white Grange” Yattarna and Victoria’s Giaconda produces fabulous Chardonnay near Beechworth. This is the star of the Adelaide Hills and comes from a family firm
Trimbach are one of the oldest houses in Alsace, and also one of the biggest. Like many of the larger producers they offer different quality levels at different price points. The undisputed heavyweight champion is Clos Ste Hune Riesling, from a single walled vineyard within the Rosacker Grand Cru, up on the hills overlooking Ribeauvillé (probably my favourite town in Alsace). This is a contender for best dry Riesling in the world and is “indestructible” according to Finian Sweeney of Sweeney’s wine merchants in Dublin. This is a wine for the long haul, and has a pretty eye-watering price compared to most Alsace Riesling, though looks somewhat reasonable next to any Grand Cru Burgundy. Much more accessible and better value is the Riesling from the next tier down, the gold labelled Reserve Personnelle range’s Cuvée Frédéric Emile. This is made from ripe low-yielding 45+ year old vines in the Geisberg and Osterberg climats, fermented to full dryness. It has a mineral edge and an acidic backbone, but much more body and citrus flavour than the standard yellow label range. This 2004 example was bought with birthday wine vouchers (you see mes amis, I am not that difficult to buy for!) and was showing plenty of development – the colour had deepened, the nose had started showing diesel notes on top of the citrus, and the palate opened out. Friends who tasted this with me called it “the best Riesling they had ever tasted” – and I’d have to agree (so far). Great value for money!
Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Casablanca Valley Chardonnay 2011
This is an old-fashioned premium Chilean Chardonnay. I’m a sucker for the style in general, as long as it’s well executed. The 2011 is still very young, and it would benefit from a couple of years so the oak and fruit integrate more. This is a polarising wine.
Interestingly on Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages it receives two very differing reviews:
Oaked like its going out of fashion. Which it is. Old fashioned new world Chardonnay – all tropical fruit and sweaty oak. (15/20) [Richard Hemming]
Sweet and spicy. Quite substantial but very satisfying. Finishes slightly suddenly after a great start. (16.5/20) [Jancis Robinson]
So, like a lot of issues in wine, it comes down to taste (sorry!) and personal preference.
The New Zealand wine industry is in rude health. It is still a minnow compared to many other countries, even its close neighbour Australia, but the commitment to quality is unmatched. A few years ago there was a small dip as large amounts of dilute Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from excess production were offloaded cheaply though UK supermarkets. That imbalance seems to have been corrected and hopefully we have seen the last of that swill.
Last month I attended the Annual New Zealand Trade Tasting in Dublin (with thanks to Jean Smullen for the invitation!) including the Sauvignon Blanc masterclass. I got to taste virtually all the wines there, though of course there were lots of wineries not represented. This post (and part 2, to come) reflect my views on the wines I particularly liked, or at least found interesting.
A brief recap as to the wine regions of New Zealand (with the major ones in bold):
Wairapa & Canterbury
Martinborough & Wairarapa
Central Otago
Marlborough
Nelson
Hawke’s Bay
Waitaki
Auckland, Matakana, Waiheke & Kumeu
Gisborne
Northland
Waikato & Bay Of Plenty
Sauvignon Blanc Masterclass
L-R: Matt Thomson, Kevin Judd, Jamie Marfell
I got a spot on the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Masterclass, given by Matt Thomson (Saint Clair), Jamie Marfell (Brancott Estate) and the “godfather of Marlborough Sauvignon”, Kevin Judd (with Cloudy Bay for maaany years and now running his own label Greywacke). Not only did we get a tutored tasting of eight different wines, but there was also lots of interesting information: SB accounts for ~66% of wine production in NZ but ~84% of exports; therefore the the High Commissioner of New Zealand to the UK was probably right that the UK doesn’t get the best NZ Chardonnays see article.
Although the first Sauvignon vines were planted in 1973, the vast majority of current vines were planted in the last decade or so; not only is this due to expansion in the area under vine, Phylloxera hit Marlborough in 1990 so existing vines had to be pulled up and new vines plants (presumably on American rootstocks). Vintage does matter in New Zealand due to the marginal climate – even for whites. It was so cold in 2012 that the grapes were nowhere near ready around the normal harvest time, so winegrowers just had to wait and wait. As Marlborough is dry and windy there is little risk of botrytis. 2012 wines often have green gooseberry flavours rather than the more common tropical and passionfruit characteristics.
So much Sauvignon, so little time…
In Hawke’s Bay (and to a less extent Wairarapa and Nelson), SB is picked earlier to maintain acidity; hence, flavour is usually less intense than in Marlborough. In particular the cool nights in Marlborough mean the growing season is a long one, and thus more flavour and sugar develops while the acidity slowly drops. As the wines are fermented until technically dry (< 3g RS) they tend to have slightly higher alcohol than other regions. The vast majority of SB is machine harvested so that it can be picked very quickly and at night when temperatures are low (sometimes as cool as 5C). Winemakers are continuously experimenting with the techniques used for the standard, well-recognised style of Sauvignon and are also making alternative styles (see below).
Selected Wine Highlights
I’ve grouped some of the wines I liked best (or found most interesting) by grape rather than producer or importer.
Sauvignon Blanc (An asterix * indicates the wine was part of the Masterclass)
Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2013*
The majority of the fruit comes from the Southern Valleys, a different microclimate from the Wairau “Plains”. Kevin likes to have a fairly open canopy so that sunlight gets to the grapes. 90% fermented in stainless steel with cultured yeast, 10% fermented in old oak barrels with wild yeast. Smooth and balanced.
Greywacke Wild Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2012
Partially hand picked, and fermented in (mainly) old French oak barrels with naturally occurring yeast. Occasional batonnage and two thirds go through MLF for softness (this is usually avoided for regular Sauvignons) and additional maturation on the lees for creaminess and complexity. Note the current release is usually a year later than the standard Sauvignon.
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 18 Snap Block Sauvignon Blanc, Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2012*
This was one of the most successful 2012s shown at the tasting. Sourced from a single vineyard, it was pressed quickly in small presses and 100% fermented and matured in stainless steel. Just lovely.
Hunter’s Kaho Roa Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2012*
OK, this is where it gets complicated: 25% was fermented in new French oak barrels, 75% fermented in stainless steel. Of the latter, half (37.5%) was transferred into barrel for maturation and the remainder was left in stainless steel. Nice and round in the mouth with subtle oak/vanilla notes. Tohu Mugwi Reserve Awatere Valley, Marlborough 2012* The most subtle of the alternative style Sauvignons. Being from the cooler Awatere Valley it has pronounced minerality. 80% goes through MLF to soften it out, but it remains so zesty that if I was told there was 10% Riesling in the blend I would have believed it.
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2013
The original premium Sauvignon that created such a buzz about Marlborough is still a fine drop, though it has plenty of competition nowadays. The 2013 is smooth in the mouth and has mouth-watering acidity without being sharp.
Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Possibly the most alternative of all the alternative Sauvignon offerings. The grape variety isn’t even mentioned on the front label so that consumers don’t pick it up thinking it’s a regular style. Another winemaker mentioned that their oaked Sauvignon “doesn’t think it’s a Chardonnay” – which could reasonably be levelled at Te Koko – but I love it!
Villa Maria Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Clifford Bay 2012
This is one of my personal favourites (it was the white wine served at my wedding), it really punches above its price point. The 2012 is turning slightly vegetal with asparagus notes but remains delicious. I’d be very interested to try the latest vintage as a comparison.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is really coming on in New Zealand, especially as vines attain ten years of age or more. For a detailed review check out Jamie Goode’s New Zealand Pinot Noir e-book. Martinborough has been the pioneer of excellent Pinot in New Zealand, and some of the older vineyards are producing lovely wines. Central Otago makes a very different style of Pinot – although the temperature can be very low at night, the region gets lots of sunshine so the grapes get thicker skins and high potential alcohol, adding to the colour and body. Marlborough Pinot is also on the up as vines are now planted on more appropriate sites, rather than just where convenient or next to Sauvignon vines.
Matua Lands & Legends Pinot Noir Central Otago 2012
This is real Central Pinot, darker in colour and bigger in the mouth than Marlborough Pinot Noir; not as subtle but a very enjoyable wine – a Pinot Noir for winter.
Delta Hatters Hill Pinot Noir Marlborough 2009
A step up from the regular Pinot, this is grown on the slope of a hill (hence the name!) rather than in the valley.
Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir Marlborough 2012
On top form with this vintage, fabulously perfumed red fruit on the nose.
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir Martinborough 2011
The Daddy! One of New Zealand’s top Pinot Noirs, powerful but silky smooth. My favourite Pinot of the tasting. For a less expensive taste try Ata Rangi’s Crimson, made from younger vines and so not quite as intense.
Te Pā Pinot Noir Marlborough 2011
A relative newcomer, made in a minimal-intervention way, and sulphur only added just before bottling. Grapes are sourced from the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. Matured for 10 months in large new French barrels. Pinot Noir can often taste of tinned strawberries and raspberries, but this tasted of fresh fruit – just so alive.
Te Pā Rosé Marlborough 2013
After seven days of soaking the crushed grapes, 20% is bled off as a rosé. This is just delicious – who needs insipid, off-dry rosés when they can drink a real wine? A secondary effect of making this is of course to concentrate the colour and flavour of the juice that’s left – the full-blown 2013 Pinot Noir will be something to look forward to!
Chardonnay
Although it will never be loved by some, I believe Chardonnay is New Zealand’s best variety; some fine examples are grown in every wine region of significance, from Kumeu and Waiheke near Auckland down to Central Otago. Kiwi Chardie is often oaked, with a medium to high toast on the barrel, but even the more tropical versions possess a mineral streak and plenty of acidity which make them interesting and fresh.
Ata Rangi Craighall Chardonnay Martinborough 2011
Recently compared by Anthony Rose in the UK Independent to a Meursault, this is made from 28 year old Mendoza clones (look out for a forthcoming post on clones) which gives a forward, ripe and buttery flavour. This could be kept for up to two decades – who says New World whites don’t age?
Cloudy Bay Chardonnay Marlborough 2012
For me this has long been the best wine produced by Cloudy Bay, especially in the periods when the quality of the Sauvignon has wavered slightly. For a Euro or two more it offers far more complexity and will develop nicely over several years.
Man O’War Valhalla Chardonnay Waiheke 2011
Being so far north, and therefore closer to the equator, gives added intensity to the tropical fruit; being on an island helps produce refreshing acidity at harvest. Alcoholic fermentation is with wild yeast and malolactic fermentation is blocked.
Greywacke Chardonnay Marlborough 2011
My tasting note for this wine was unprintable – it’s that good!
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay 2011
Relatively restrained compared to some of the other Chardies mentioned here; poured by the son of winemaker John Hancock.
Tohu Chardonnay Rapaura Marlborough 2013
If I had tasted this blind then New Zealand would have been way down the list of countries I’d have guessed at. Fermentation and maturation in neutral stainless steel means there is no oak influence. It goes through full malolactic fermentation and then batonnage (lees stiring) twice weekly for six weeks, adding complexity and body. If you like really good 1er Cru Chablis, give this a go!
Riesling, Pinot Gris, Syrah, Cabernet and others will be covered in Part 2
The Wine Society is a mutually-owned wine buying club based in Stevenage in England. Since its inception in 1874 as The International Exhibition Co-operative Wine Society Limitedits aim has been to buy wines direct from growers to ensure their authenticity and quality and to offer them to members at fair prices.
The Society has over 120,000 active members in the UK and Ireland which gives it great purchasing power and a licence to list more unusual bottles. They run various tasting events throughout the UK and one in Dublin most years. The most recent one focused on wines from the Americas, and below are my personal highlights. Our hosts were the charming Simon Mason and the lovely Isobel Cooper.
Viña Litoral Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda Valley, Chile 2013
Leyda Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Leyda is situated close to the Pacific coast (as you might guess from “Litoral”) with its cooling sea breezes and thus is well suited to Sauvignon Blanc. This example has ripe grapefruit and gooseberry balanced by refreshing acidity. The 13.5% abv gives it a generous roundness in the mouth.
Concha y Toro Corte Ignacio Casablanca Riesling (Chile) 2013
From a very cool, top vineyard in western Casablanca, this is a
medium-dry riesling with about a third of the harvest affected by
noble rot, overlaying a lovely light honeyed aroma and flavour
over a bright, fresh palate. Drink now to 2018. 12%
Primus Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile) 2011
Primus Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon
A textbook example of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, not terribly complex but bursting with fruit and the beginnings of cedar and tabacco notes. Drinkable on its own mid week or with a medium rare steak.
Faldeos Nevados Torrontés (Argentina) 2013
Valdeos Nevados Torrontes
Torrontés is Argentina’s signature white grape, with aromas and flavours somewhere between Muscat, Gewurztraminer and Viognier. At 14% abv it has plenty of body to match the bold grape and stone fruit flavours.
Norman Hardie Chardonnay Unfiltered, Ontario (Canada) 2011
Norman Hardie Chardonnay
The first Canadian wine I have tasted that wasn’t an Ice Wine. The aim here is more Burgundy than California – it has a modest 12.5% abv and a streak of minerality through the middle. It reminded me most of Premier Cru Chablis. In my view a little less oak would let the fruit shine more.
Weinert Carrascal (Argentina) 2008
This is a blend of 40% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, all Bordeaux varieties, although of course Malbec is mainly reduced to a minor supporting role in Bordeaux nowadays. No shrinking violet, this is a big, rich, in-your-face wine with a velvety finish. Great for cold nights or with red meat.
Ravenswood Lodi Old-Vine Zinfandel (USA) 2011
Ravenswood Lodi Old-Vine Zinfandel
Ravenswood make some fantastic Zin; big, bold and very gluggable. Their Lodi Old-Vine is slightly more expensive but more concentrated, higher in alcohol and will live for longer. It’s a world away from “blush” white Zinfandel.
Ridge Geyserville (USA) 2011
Ridge is almost legendary among Californian producers. This is a Zinfandel-Carignan(e) blend based on some of California’s oldest vines; the youngest are 10 years old, the oldest over 120 years, with 60% 40 years old or more. It is very dense at first – takes a while to open up in the glass – then the powerful dark black fruit comes through, wrapped in vanilla. This will surely continue to develop over the next 10 years.
Quartet Anderson Valley Brut Roederer Estates (USA) NV
Quartet Anderson Valley Brut, Roederer Estate
For me this was the star of the whole event. It is a traditional method sparkling wine from Mendocino County in California. The grapes are sourced from four separate vineyards (hence the name) in the northern Anderson Valley, cooled by the proximity of the Pacific Ocean. On the palette the 30% Pinot Noir initially gives lots of soft strawberry flavours and then the 70% Chardonnay comes through as bright citrus. The finish has classic brioche richness from ageing on the lees. Wonderfully balanced and put together.
