This is the second amazing Aussie wine from the Liberty Ireland wine tasting earlier this year
Shaw + Smith “M3” Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2022
Messrs Shaw and Smith are cousins as well as being partners, having joined forced in 1989. Their wines are mainly from the cool climate Adelaide Hills regions, with a newer outpost in the even cooler Tasmania. The varieties they grow are suited to their sites, with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling the whites and Pinot Noir and Shiraz the reds. For me it’s their Chardonnays which top the bill – this “M3” and the flagship Lenswood Vineyard. “M3” is in quotation marks not just because it’s a name, but the original vineyard from where fruit was sourced has been sold on in favour of sites with different clones and locations. In fact, much of the grapes in M3 now come from the high altitude Lenswood vineyard which S+S bought in 2012, plus their Piccadilly and Lobethal sites.
After hand picking, the grapes are cooled then pressed in whole bunches. The juice is then transferred to French barriques (1/3 new, 2/3 pre-used) to undergo alcoholic and malolactic fermentations. Maturation is over nine months, with some bâtonnage, before blending in steel tanks then bottling.
The 2022 M3 has a fabulously funky nose, yeasty and reductive. Flowers and fresh citrus too. Even smelling it is a treat. The palate has great texture, with creamy notes from MLF and oak. There are stone fruits added to the citrus that comes through from the nose.
For such a young wine this is already showing so well. The price in Ireland has risen somewhat over the last few years (what hasn’t?), but it remains a classy wine and represents good value.
No Shake n’ Vac required here, the freshness is already there – it never left! Here are three of my favourite Italian reds that I tried at the GrapeCircus portfolio tasting earlier this year.
Fattoria San Lorenzo Rosso Piceno “Burello” 2013
Yes there’s a pretty bunny on the front label but this is far from a “critter wine”. Rather than simply to look good on a shelf, the picture represents Natalino Crognaletti’s love of the animals which reside on his family’s estate and are part of the wholistic view they take. Based in the Marche, San Lorenzo produces whites made from Verdicchio and a range of red blends using Montepulciano and Sangiovese. All are organic and biodynamic.
The Burello is made from Rosso Piceno DOC fruit in the proportion 60% Montepulciano and 40% Sangiovese. Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks but maturation is for 18 months in stainless steel for the Sangiovese and oak for the Montepulciano. The size and age of the oak vessels is not given but this is not an oak dominated wine so we’re not talking 100% new barriques here.
It may be just my perception but I tend to think of Sangiovese being a more noticeable or expressive variety than Montepulciano, so it shines through in this blend, though tamed by the Montepulciano. The nose has dark fruit and tobacco; black berries and black cherries dominate the palate with hints of herbs and tobacco again. There’s lovely texture here and high-ish acidity which keep the whole thing fresh.
Cantina Sampietrana Primitivo del Salento “I Saraceni” 2018
Cantina Sampietrana has been making wine in Puglia since 1952. They very much follow their maxim “Loyal to tradition, but always moving with the times”, with the local varieties Negroamaro, Primitivo and Malvasia to the fore, trained in the “alberello pugliese” method (which they translate as “Apulian small tree”). They also have smaller plots of Susumaniello, Aglianico, Montepulciano, Lambrusco, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Fiano and Verdeca.
This Primitivo is a fruit-driven wine, full of plums, prunes and blackberry. The palate is mouth-filling and warming, a real winter wine. In fact there’s so much big juicy fruit that it tastes more like 14% than 13% abv, though it doesn’t finish hot. This is a great value, crowd pleasing wine that deserves a try.
Another from Cantina Sampietrana, this Negroamaro is the big brother of the Primitivo above. Despite these varieties’ propensity to produce lots of sugar and hence alcohol, the location of the vineyards close to the coast helps to keep things cool and balanced. We’re a long way from Cali Zins with 16% and upward of (potential) alcohol.
True to its name, this Negroamaro is black and bitter! It has smooth, voluptuous black fruit with spicy and a savoury, herby edge. This would be a very versatile food pairing wine – anything from charcuterie, winter stews, steaks or Moroccan lamb.
Champagne Laherte Frères is based in the village of Chavot, a ten minute drive south-ish of Epernay. The estate was established in 1889 by Jean-Baptiste Laherte and was expanded incrementally over the generations. The estate is named after sixth generation brothers Christian and Thierry, though I couldn’t confirm if they were the first to make the big leap from growing grapes to making their own Champagne. Thierry’s son Aurélien has been a part of the firm for the last fifteen years.
Laherte’s 11.38 hectares of vineyards are covered in detail on their website. The majority are in villages of the Coteaux Sud d’Epernay, split 4.22 ha planted to Chardonnay, 3.88 to Pinot Meunier and others 1.18 ha. A further 1.48 of Pinot Meunier is in the Vallée de la Marne and 0.62 of Chardonnay on the Côte des Blancs. They have identified 75 different plots which are vinified separately; 80% of the wines are fermented and matured in wood barrels or casks.
Credit: Laherte Frères
Since 2011 Laherte has also bought in grapes from growers who farm around 4 hectares in the Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Blancs; of course these growers share the same philosophy.
This is our way of celebrating the terroir: by respecting differences, promoting uniqueness, and letting the soil express itself.
In his excellent book on Grower Champagne “Bursting Bubbles”, Robert Walters makes some excellent point about the style and quality of Grower Champagnes in general. Firstly, many who make Champagne under the Récoltant-Manipulant (RM) label are simply much smaller versions of the big Houses; it is those who focus on their terroir and allowing their wines to express it that can make great Grower Champagnes. Secondly, small producers who take such care but also buy a small amount of grapes from close contacts – and therefore have the Négociant-Manipulant (NM) label – can also make excellent terroir Champagnes.
Aurelien Laherte was noted as a promising grower in Bursting Bubbles, but of course as the firm now buys in grapes they are classed as NM. Walters specifically mentions Jacquesson & Fils as an example of terroir focused small houses, but I believe that Laherte Frères would also qualify for that accolade.
Laherte make a large number of different wines, grouped into three different types. The wines in blueare reviewed below.
Ultradition: Brut, Brut Rosé, Brut Blanc de Blancs
Special & Original Cuvées:Ultradition Extra Brut, Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature, Rosé de Meunier Extra Brut
Terroir Fundamentals Cuvées: Les Beaudiers (Rosé de Saignée Meunier), Les Longues Voyes (Blanc de Noirs 1er Cru), Les 7 (all 7 Champagne grapes in a “solera” system), Les Vignes d’Autrefois (Old Vine Meunier), Les Grandes Crayères (Vintage Blanc de Blancs)
Champagne Laherte Frères “Ultradition” Extra Brut NV
This is a blend of the three main varieties: 60% Pinot Meunier (60%), Chardonnay (30%) and Pinot Noir (10%). 40% of the total is from reserve wines which are kept in barrel and add complexity. Malolactic fermentation is blocked for a portion of the base wines to give a mix of roundness and freshness. Those base wines also spend six months on their lees while maturing.
Ultradition Extra Brut has an amazing nose of lifted floral, citrus and pear aromas; so lifted, in fact, that you feel like you’ve got the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building. In the mouth it pulls off the trick of being both creamy and fresh, briochey and citrusy, with a lively mousse and a satisfying, fresh finish.
Champagne Lahertes Frères Rosé de Meunier Extra Brut NV
This is a “Rosé d’Assemblage”, incorporating both saignée and pressée techniques. Made solely from old vine Pinot Meunier, it consists of 30% macerated wine, 10% red wine and 60 % white wine. 40% of the later is from reserve wines aged in barrels. Vinification is the same as for the Ultradition Extra Brut, though dosage is even lower at 2.5 g/L.
The nose is full of juicy red fruits that leap out of the glass. On the palate they are further defined as strawberry, cherry and raspberry. The dosage is low, even for an Extra Brut, but the quality of the fruit and the fact they are picked when fully ripe means that more is not required. The fruits are so fresh and vivid that, if tasted blindfolded, you’d be peeking to see if any berries were floating in your glass.
Champagne Lahertes Frères Blancs de Blancs “Les Grandes Crayères” 2014
This is a single vineyard, single variety, single vintage wine made from one of Laherte’s best sites. As you might be able to guess from the name “Les Grandes Crayères” the vines are grown on chalky soils. Not in the Côte des Blancs, however, but rather in their home village of Chavot where the chalk in some plots is only 20 cm down. Unlike the other cuvées above, MLF is totally blocked for this wine to preserve acidity as the wine ages over the years.
The Champagne geeks among you might wonder what the single variety is; for the vast majority of Blanc de Blancs Champagnes this would automatically be Chardonnay, but when a producer makes a wine with all seven permitted varieties (five white, two black) then it could be any one of five. But it’s Chardonnay!
And what a Chardonnay! The nose has layers of flowers, lime and toast plus a little candied peel. In the mouth it is creamy yet fresh and refined, with mineral notes and a certain tanginess. This is an amazing wine that could be nothing else than a Blanc de Blancs Champagne.
Part 1 covered French wines and Part 2 some Portuguese and NZ whites. Now for some Italian reds, plus an interloper from Croatia – though, to be fair, made with a grape that has Venetian origins:
A few firsts for me with this wine. Firstly, it’s from the Croatian province of Istria, and although I’ve had Croatian wines before, never (knowingly) one from Istria. Secondly, 30% of the blend is contributed by a grape I’ve never heard of – Teran – though I have heard of the Refosco family of which it is a member. The remaining components are much more familiar – Merlot (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) – as are the French barrels in which the wine is matured for 15 months. The vineyard is located in Brdo (surely a place name with too few vowels) in Central Istria. The winemaker is pioneer and living legend Ivica Matošević.
The French and local varieties complement each other well – the Merlot gives plum and dark chocolate notes, filling the mid palate, while the Teran gives fresh, ripe-but-tart forest fruits. Overall, it’s velvety smooth goodness all the way.
Though I’m far from an expert in Piedmontese wines, it’s easily understandable that there are differences even within DOC and DOCG areas. Franco Massolino sources his Nebbiolo grapes from several plots in the Commune of Serralunga d’Alba at an altitude of 320m – 360m. The soils are mainly limestone and the vines age from 10 up to 60 years old. Serralunga d’Alba is regarded as one of the best parts of Barolo and produces well-structured wines that can age for decades, so it’s a little surprising that this 2014 is already so accessible – softer and more approachable, in fact, than Massolino’s 2016 Langhe Nebbiolo. The nose is floral with forest fruits and the palate has rich, smooth black and red fruits, kept fresh by a streak of acidity.
One of the unique things about this producer is that they have reduced their output over the last twenty years, more than halving production from 180,000 bottles to 80,000 bottles from the same 25 hectares of vines, all with an eye to improving quality. It seems to have worked! Established by Aldo Conterno himself in 1969, nowadays his son Stefano is the winemaker, with his other sons running the business. The Cicala name comes from the single vineyard where the grapes are sourced from. This 2014 is half a percent lighter in alcohol than other recent vintages, but it’s no lightweight – it’s an immense wine, though not impenetrable. The nose is enticing and rewarding; it’s worth just enjoying the rose and tar aromas for a while before even taking a sip. On the palate there’s still plenty of oak evident, but balanced by ripe fruits. This is an “Oh wow” wine.
The Petra estate is large compared to the Barolos above at 300 hectares. It was created close to the Tuscan coast by the Moretti family of Bellavista fame (particularly known for their Franciacorta). This is Super-Tuscan territory, borne out by the blend: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Sangiovese. However, this is not a Bordeaux copy; it has some similarities with Médoc wines but tastes Italian – whether due to terroir or the 10% Sangiovese is up for debate. With ripe red and black fruits framed by tannin and acidity, this is a well put-together wine that offers better value than most Bordeaux at this price.
This is the Petra estate’s top wine, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. The must is fermented in open top 100 hl vessels, then matured in barriques, of which 30% are new. It has a highly perfumed nose, full of violets and a whiff of vanilla. There’s lots of structure here, but also juicy cherry, blackberry and blueberry fruit. At five years old this is still in the flushes of youth, so I’d expect it to keep evolving and improving over the next decade or so. A Super-Tuscan which is expensive, but doesn’t cost the earth.
Last – but no means least – of our awesome foursome from Spit is GrapeCircus. Enrico’s wines are the most “edgy” of the whole gang (if you’ve got a moment, some are edgier than U2’s guitarist walking along the side of the Cliffs of Moher watching Tom Cruise film “Edge of Tomorrow” on his Samsung phone.) This means that even open minded wine geeks such as myself won’t necessarily likeevery wine in a tasting line-up, but it’s highly likely that we will lovelots of them!
Founded in 1889, Laherte Frères is now in the hands of the sixth and seventh generation of the family. The latter is represented by Aurelien Laherte who has spearheaded the estate’s move to organic and biodynamic practices. A key strength is their use of over 350 old oak barrels to ferment each parcel separately, giving lots of options when putting together each cuvée.
“Ultradition” is of course a portmanteau of “ultra” and “tradition”, though at 4g/L the dosage is extra brut rather than ultra brut. The blend is 60% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir (including 40% reserve wines). The nose is quite floral with a touch of biscuitiness. Fresh red and citrus fruit dominate the palate
Xarel-lo is best known as one of the three traditional Cava grapes, along side Macabeo and Parellada. Agustí Torelló Matá does indeed make Cava but this is a single varietal still offering designed to be fun and drinkable. It does drinkable in spades, so delicious and moreish! The palate abounds with fresh quince, apple, grapefruit and lime. This is a stunning wine that really drinks ahead of its price point.
So now to Austria’s Burgenland and an aromatic white blend from biodynamic producer Meinklang. And it’s aromatic as hell! Enrico made sure I tasted this when he showed it at the Ely Big Tasting as he knew it’s my kind of wine (he’s a shrewd man). A blend of 50% Grüner Veltliner, 40% Welschriesling and 10% Muscat, this is just a downright delicious liquid that puts a smile on your face when you sniff it and a sh*t-eating grin when you drink it!
Welschriesling’s origins have yet to be discovered. Also known as Riesling Italico, Olaszrizling, Laški Rizling or Graševina, it is unrelated to “true” (Rhine) Riesling or Schwarzriesling (better known as Pinot Meunier).
Le Due Terre “Sacrisassi” Bianco 2014 (13.0%, RRP €49.00 but on-trade only at the moment)
This wine is exactly why independent wine festivals like SPIT are important – they give trade, press and public an opportunity to try wines that they otherwise would not have the chance or the yen to try. The hefty price tag and lesser known region of production might put many off, but this is a wine that, once tried, goes straight into the “special treat” category.
A blend of 70% Fruliano (the grape formerly known as Tocai) and 30% Ribolla Gialla, on tasting this wine has the “wow factor”, such depth of flavour. It shows wonderful soft stone fruit at the core, surrounded by an envelope of sea-spray freshness.
Paolo Veglio follows the traditional “hands off” winemaking practices of Barbaresco, making wines that would be considered by many to be “natural” (though more on that another day.) As well as their overall quality, Paolo’s wines are known for their drinkability and their texture. Too often (for me at least), 100% Nebbiolo wines are too tannic and a little on the thin side, even though they might have prodigious levels of alcohol. At Roccalini they use a traditional third way of extracting colour and flavour from the grape skins; instead of punching down or pumping over, they wedge sticks in the top of the concrete fermenters which keep the cap submerged
This is a thick, chewy, viscous, amazing Barbaresco that needs to be tried!
