Single Bottle Review

Wine Review: Gai’a 4-6H Nemea Rosé 2020

Gai’a is one of the best known Greek producers in these parts, primarily due to their magnificent Wild Ferment Assyrtiko; this brilliant wine has featured several times on Frankly Wines going back as far as My Top 10 Whites of 2014. They also make a simpler Assyrtiko called Monograph which was one of My Top 10 Value Whites of 2017 Monograph is made in Nemea which is more famous for reds based on Agiorgitiko, an indigenous Greek variety. Indeed, Gai’a make a number of different Agiorgitiko-based wines, many of them single varietals but also a few blends.

Gai’a was founded just in 1994 by locals Yiannis Paraskevopoulosan and Leon Karatsalos. They decided to focus on Greece’s top red and white varieties and locations, namely Assyrtiko from Santorini and Agiorgitiko from Nemea, with a winery subsequently built in each location. For the latter they chose Koutsi, a high altitude location with poor soil fertility to give cool nights and well-drained root systems.

As well as the reds made in Nemea Gai’a also produce three rosés. The first was 14-16H, so named as the juice spends between 14 and 16 hours in contact with the skins. The second rosé in the Gai’a range is the 4-6H; it isn’t stated but I therefore infer that the 4-6H spends between four and six hours macerating on the skins.

Gai’a 4-6H Nemea Rosé 2020

Gai'a Nemea Agiorgitiko Rosé

The Agiorgitiko (literally: St George’s grape) vines for this rosé are between 15 and 30 years old and are grown on at an altitude of 450 to 550 metres ASL. The soil has a shallow clay layer over free-draining limestone subsoil and has a 15% slope (so I would imagine hand-harvested!)

The 4-6H rosé is on the pale side but not quite the virtually colourless pale wine that is currently in fashion. The nose is joyously fruity with lots of red fruit notes. The palate is…simply delicious! The finish is crisp but not sharp. If tasted straight out of a domestic fridge this is still fruity but on the redcurrant and cranberry side; as it warms up a little the fruits move across the red spectrum yet remain fresh and tasty. When left out even longer it could even double as a light red.

This wine is modestly priced but is the most enjoyable rosé I have tried this year. I could see it pairing well with a wide variety of foods but most importantly it is extremely gluggable all by itself.

  • ABV: 12.5%
  • RRP:  €15.95
  • Source: sample*
  • Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

*Though I liked it so much that I bought myself another bottle.

Opinion

Frankly Wines Top 10 Whites of 2016

Now it’s the turn for white wines to shine – here are ten of the best still dry whites which shone in 2016:

10. Feudo Luparello Sicilia Grillo – Viognier 2015

feudo_grilloviogner-cropped

A novel blend of indigenous Sicilian and international grapes, this wine is more than the sum of its parts.  Local Grillo is fresh and textured, more dry than fruity, whereas Viognier adds a voluptuous touch.  This is how blended wines should work!

See here for the full review (and the Nero d’Avola – Syrah blend!)

9. Nugan Estate Riverina Dreamer’s Chardonnay

nugan-personality-dreamers-chardonnay-label-small

A “supermarket wine” made from “unfashionable” Chardonnay in a region known for its bulk wines, on paper this wine should be pap – but it works, in fact it works a treat!  In Ireland (at least) the main parameter for wine consumers in supermarkets in price, especially if a promotional offer is involved.  Given the high rates of duty and tax squeezing the cost side of the equation it’s not easy to find everyday wines that are actually enjoyable (though plenty are drinkable).

Nugan Estate’s “Personality” Single Vineyard series ticks all the boxes for me, and this was narrowly my favourite of the lot.  See here for my review of the full range.

8. Angel Sequeiros Rías Baixas Albariño “Evoé” 2013

2016-08-13-15-51-28

Although the label might look like an impressionist’s take on Health & Efficiency, the wine inside is fantastic – great with seafood, but gentle and fruity enough to be enjoyed on its own.  If only all Albariños were this good!

See here for the full review.

7. Goisot Bourgogne Aligoté 2014

aligote

The “other” white grape of Burgundy (ignoring the small amounts of Pinots Blanc and Gris) which is definitely a second class citizen, and is so poor on its own that the Kir cocktail was invented to find a palatable use for it – or so the received wisdom goes.

There’s some element of truth in this, but Aligoté is usually grown on less-favoured sites and with a focus on yields rather than flavour, so it takes a brave producer to break out of this cycle and give the grape the attention it deserves.  The Goisot family are such a producer, based in the Sauvignon Blanc outpost of Saint-Bris.  This Aligoté is unlike any other I have tasted – it actually has colour unlike most which are like pale water, and an intensity of white flower and spicy pear flavours which reveal the age of the vines.

6. Gaia Wild Ferment Santorini Assyrtiko 2013

l-asyrtiko-en

When I put together a “wild” wine tasting for DNS Wine Club last year, there were a few obvious candidates that couldn’t possibly be missed from the line-up – this being one of them.  I had recommended it several times in the past so I was hoping it would live up to its reputation – especially tasted blind – and it certainly did!  Overall this was the favourite wine of the tasting, showing the funky flavours of wild yeast fermentation but still plenty of lovely citrus fruit and crisp acidity.

5. Tinpot Hut Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016

tph

A common complaint levelled at New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc – and Marlborough in particular – is that “they all taste the same”.  There is some truth in this – the aromatics are generally recognisable before the first glass has even been poured and they are never short of acidity – but if you taste different examples side by side then there are clear differences.  The alternative styles of SB are another thing, of course, with wild yeast barrel fermentation and oak ageing used to make a different type of wine (see this article for more information).

4. Suertes del Marqués Trenzado

2016-05-27-19-11-42

This isn’t a wine for everybody, but it’s a wine everybody should try at least once.   Based mainly on Listan Blanco grapes from ten plots in Tenerife’s Valle de La Orotava, it’s so different that at first it’s hard to describe using everyday wine terms – it’s not fruity or buttery – perhaps nutty and waxy?  Sounds strange, but it’s an interesting and very enjoyable wine.

3. Domaine Zinck Grand Cru Eichberg Riesling 2014

2016-10-13-22-04-20

Domaine Zinck’s Portrait Series wines are fine examples of regular AOC Alsace wines and show the town of Eguisheim in a good light.  Take the step up to the Grand Cru Eichberg Riesling, however, and you move into different territory; not just in terms of the elevation of the vines, but a much more intense catalogue of aromas and flavours.  Even a young example such as this 2014 is delightful, but with the capacity to age for a decade or two and continue developing.

2. Sipp Mack Grand Cru Rosacker Riesling 2011

2016-08-30-15-23-19

Narrowly pipping its countryman, Sipp-Mack’s Grand Cru Riesling is from another exalted site: the Rosacker vineyard near Hunawihr, in between Ribeauvillé (where Trimbach is based) and Riquewihr (home to Hugel).  It has both primary fruit and mineral notes, and performs fantastically at the table.

For such a stunning wine it is relatively inexpensive at around €30 retail.  See here for the full review.

1. Shaw + Smith M3 Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2014

m3

When I have favourite wines that I taste regularly over the years, I try not to repeat myself too much in my Top 10 review articles.  Given that I am lucky enough to taste several thousand wines over the course of an average year, it’s not such a difficult line to take…apart from M3!!  The 2014 is still very young, but it’s a delight to drink now.  Adelaide Hills is now possibly second to Tasmania for trendy cooler climate Aussie wines, but for me it’s still number one.

Make Mine A Double

Make Mine a Double #08 – Aromatic whites from Marks and Spencer

I have to confess I’m not that familiar with the current wine range at Marks and Spencer but I’ve heard good things recently.  When I lived in Paris I would drop in to the food and wine section of one of the large stores there to get my fix of Australian wine and Indian food, though not necessarily together…

The good folks at M&S Ireland recently sent me a few bottles to try, of which I particularly enjoyed the following pair of aromatic whites:

Bidoli Friuli Grave Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (€14.79, Marks and Spencer)

Map of Friuli wine region
Map of Friuli wine region

The far north east corner of Italy was once part of the Venetian Republic, with some sections under the influence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for some time, and so the wines of the region have noticeable Slavic and Germanic influences. Like many parts of Italy, the mere word “Italian” does not do justice to the culture here.

Bidoli Winery was founded in 1924 by the grandparents of the current owners. The vineyards are situated in a valley that benefits from high diurnal temperature variation (hot days and cool nights) which encourages slightly thicker skins in the grapes and hence deeper flavours in the wine. The soil has lots of stone – similar name and similar soil to the Graves in Bordeaux – which reflects the sun’s rays during the day and releases accumulated heat overnight.

Bidoli Friuli Grave Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Bidoli Friuli Grave Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Even on the nose it is unmistakably a Sauvignon Blanc, though of a completely different style than NZ – more akin to a Quincy or Reuilly from the Loire. There’s attractive citrus and gooseberry – not exotic or tropical fruit – plus fennel and other herbs. I’m not a salad fan but I think this would be the perfect wine to match. A long finish on top means it’s great value.

Argyros Estate Santorini Atlantis 2013 (€15.49, Marks and Spencer)

Santorini
Santorini

Santorini is the name of a wine region, an archipelago north of Crete and the main island within it.  In ancient times it was known as Theira, and was a reasonably large volcanic island before one of the biggest recorded eruptions shattered it around 3,600 BCE.  The resulting tsunami is thought to have brought down the Minoan civilisation of Crete which is only 110 km due south, and may also have given rise to the myth of Atlantis.

Due to the warm climate, sweet wines were often made – Santorini is alleged to have given its name to Vin Santo which is made in Tuscany.  The main grape here is of course Assyrtiko, which makes fresh zingy whites or traditional floor cleaner flavoured Retsina.  It fares particularly well on Santorini as the volcanic soil helps it maintain its acidity, even when fully ripe.

Argyros Estate Atlantis Santorini
Argyros Estate Atlantis Santorini

This white blend consists of 90% Assyrtiko, 5% Athiri (lemony, used for Retsina on Rhodes) and 5% Aidani (floral, mainly grown in Santorini) [no I hadn’t heard of the other two before, either!]  The Argyros Estate was established in 1903 and is situated in Episkopi, where it encompasses some of the island’s oldest vines – another reason for the concentration of flavour.  If you’ve read through the notes above you will see where the name Atlantis comes from!

It’s a racy, refreshing wine, but has lots of lemon and floral character – very enjoyable on its own, but would pair with seafood or other lighter dishes.  Moreish!