Hey Everyone,
I know it's been a good long while since I've posted and now that I'm comfortably relocated to Brooklyn I'm happy to be writing again. One of the things that I've noticed since moving and checking out the shops here in New York, even the specialists is the complete lack of representation of one of my favourite wine-producing countries; Portugal.
Now aside from producing what is arguably one of the greatest wine styles in the world, Portugal is remarkably varied for such a small country and produces a bewildering range of wines. Beyond the noble Port houses and their legendary fortified sweet red wines, wine makers in Portugal offer nearly everything a discerning wine-lover (I don't like the word oenophile) could desire. From a range of light refreshing whites with effervescence perfect for seafood to rich, powerful reds worthy of laying down for decades, Portuguese wine is in every sense a world-class product.
Let's start with what we know. So Portugal is easily most famous for it's fortified wines from Porto and the Madeira Islands in the Atlantic. With Madeira the range is as varied as Spanish Sherry, so you are not looking at a single style of sweet dessert wines. There are dry Madeiras, sweeties and everything in between, with some very interesting aged wines. I wrote on this subject a few months ago so by all means have a look at this old posting on wines by Barbeito. Port on the other hand is a mixed bag of basic ruby ports and LBVs for under £15 right on up to some of the most reliably long-lived wines of impeccable quality.
But beyond all that familiar stuff, there is a huge array of interest for those looking for wine for the table. Lets say you're into your Sauvignon, or Grüner Veltliner or even the ever more popular Albariño from Spain and really want something refreshing and easy drinking. The north of Portugal, near the country's border with Spain is the aptly named region of Vinho Verde (literally 'Green Wine'). Here, Alvarihno grows in conditions very similar to those of Galicia to the north and results in a very refreshing youthful wine with plenty of light citrus fruits and a very enticing palate with high acidity, minerals and a slight spritz.
Other whites such as regional blends from the Tejo can be a bit fleshier and more forward with their fruit characters and can be slightly reminiscent of Australian VIognier or Rhône whites. Here the winemakers are pretty willing to try experimentation with some new world techniques and styles, so you will be likely to encounter some big fruit bombs just as you can find more traditional bottlings.
As can be expected, the finest wines of Portugal are likely to have garnered the most of this limited load of attention, not least of all because they so happen to share the vineyard lands which yield the grapes for Port. The Douro valley (same as Spain's Duero running through that country's finest regions) is very much parallel to Bordeaux. Here wines are produced with Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira and Touriga Franca among others making for a wine with a similar tannin and acid structure to wines of Bordeaux, complimented by intricate aromas of herbs, black currants and complex rusticity. The more inexpensive wines here are approachable, fruit forward and easily paired to a wide array of foods. The best examples, however, are age worthy and interesting wines that stand shoulder to shoulder with the most serious wines in the world.
For some of these serious wines, one looks to the producers with the longest traditions. Port houses going the extra mileage to put out a range of table wines have resulted in the Batuta, Charme and Robustus wines from Niepoort, excellent examples of long lived table reds. Other producers, however are dedicated to table wines, such as Quinta de Macedos and Quinta da Romaneira. All of these and many more produce wines of impeccable quality and should satisfy the most demanding palates.
I am a huge fan of Portugal's wines and believe that they deserve far greater consideration for the qualities they exhibit. If you find yourself in a shop with an interesting selection from this gem on the Atlantic fringe, be sure to give it a try. If you're unsure, ask someone at the shop what is most likely to be to your taste, because I am sure you will be happy you gave it a shot.
Much Love,
G
Monday 3 December 2012
Posted with Blogsy
Sunday 4 November 2012
American in Paris (Drinking Wine)
Hey Everyone,
Today I am writing to you all on the last night of my trip to Paris, where I've been wandering aimlessly and without itinerary for about 4 days now. No agenda, no contacts and no travel companions has led me to realise that my best friend in this city right now is a good bottle of wine and I am happy to report that I have been spoiled rotten.
Before I get into the more enjoyable parts of my visit and talk about the wine one can find in Paris, I will acknowledge the shortcomings of the French wine market. While this country produces more wine than any other apart from Italy and is known around the world for leading the rest in quality and fame for it's producers, there is a lack of context for it all. I mean to say that I have seen exactly one bottle of Spanish wine (2007 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva) and not much else from outside of France.
What I lamented in particular was the absence of many interesting wine regions of this very country. In my visit to many different caves in the city I came across one Bandol, one Cumieres, one Cahors and two Juras (a red and a white from the same producer next to each other on the shelf). I was hoping for a chance to find a selection of unique French wines I may not have heard of, but by and large all that was on offer consistently was very recent Bordeaux Supérieur, Dotes du Rhone, Bourgogne Aligoté (oddly enough) and a large amount of Petit Chablis. Then of course there was the ocean of Beaujolais. I've come to the conclusion that Paris is less concerned with the variety and more focused on a consistent selection.
That said, I was lucky enough to find two or three very good shops in Paris and I was able to grab a couple of nice bottles during my time here. One such shop, identified only by the titles "Cave des Cigares, Cave des Vin" was a shop very much up my alley. Aside form finding a myriad selection of cigars from some of my favourite houses at a fraction of the British price, I also found an interesting assortment of Bordeaux and Rhone. I could count perhaps 40 wines in total but the selection was an exciting one. With under twenty Euros I was able to grab a 2000 Saint-Émilion which was really fabulous stuff as well as a brilliantly concentrated 2009 Cahors.
I've never had a good Cahors and this one for under ten quid was a nice cheapie. It was rich and had a thick layering of black currant, smoke, flint and really firm tannins. I know why this stuff doesn't come often to the UK seeing as it is somewhat impenetrable for all that tannin and acidity, but when you get your palate to grips with it, it's like gaining a taste for cask strength whisky; it pleases on a whole new level.
Just on the other side of the hill of Montmartre and the Sacre Couer lies the neighbourhood of Abbesses; the only part of town where people would put up with my poor French and encourage me along. The Cave des Abbesses is pretty much a hall way lined with shelves and bottles and here I found a wide selection of mature wines for a damn good price. From 2001 alone I found bottles of Cornas, Côte-Rotie, Bergerac, Pomerol and half a dozen other amazing appellations allowing the drinker the chance to buy wine ready to go or age depending on preference. A nice collection of white Burgundy, white Rhône and bordeaux blanc (I treated myself to a bottle of white Graves for the composition of this post) made for an interesting range of whites, especially for the oak-crazy palate I get at this time of year.
The one to take the cake and eat it too, however was the Épicerie Legrand Filles et Fils, located on Rue de la Banque in the 2nd Arrondissement may be a bit out of the average price range, and in particular seeing as I was on my own, however it was a uniquely engaging place. A good selection of Wines from pretty much every major appellation as well as a great selection of half bottles including Chateau Gazin, Beychevelle and others made for interesting browsing. Of particular interest to me was the wide selection of top notch growers' champagnes and a fair selection of single malt. The shop itself was never overly self conscious with the newer parts being evidently new but tasteful and the older rooms showing their age gently, and none of the faux-olde-worlde look a lot of wine shops go for.
The tasting room was more of a bar with the sort of feel that it could equally welcome a business lunch as it could host a couple of curious twenty-year-old oenophiles. The selection of first growths in magnum, double magnum and larger was certainly inspiring.
As my bottle of Graves grows more and more empty I am afraid I am becoming sentimental about my trip to Paris. Rarely does one spend so long without conversation, or so much time within one's own thoughts, yet I find the situation invigorating. While I can tell that Paris is a city for pairs, it isn't all bad for ones, and if you can find a spot in the big city for yourself you will enjoy your stay to be sure. I look forward to returning to Paris with company and to venture more regularly into the wine world of this city but for now I leave you with these bits of wisdom from a wine-loving traveller; look high and low in Paris and you will certainly be rewarded with some of the best wines you can find.
Much Love,
G
Today I am writing to you all on the last night of my trip to Paris, where I've been wandering aimlessly and without itinerary for about 4 days now. No agenda, no contacts and no travel companions has led me to realise that my best friend in this city right now is a good bottle of wine and I am happy to report that I have been spoiled rotten.
Before I get into the more enjoyable parts of my visit and talk about the wine one can find in Paris, I will acknowledge the shortcomings of the French wine market. While this country produces more wine than any other apart from Italy and is known around the world for leading the rest in quality and fame for it's producers, there is a lack of context for it all. I mean to say that I have seen exactly one bottle of Spanish wine (2007 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva) and not much else from outside of France.
What I lamented in particular was the absence of many interesting wine regions of this very country. In my visit to many different caves in the city I came across one Bandol, one Cumieres, one Cahors and two Juras (a red and a white from the same producer next to each other on the shelf). I was hoping for a chance to find a selection of unique French wines I may not have heard of, but by and large all that was on offer consistently was very recent Bordeaux Supérieur, Dotes du Rhone, Bourgogne Aligoté (oddly enough) and a large amount of Petit Chablis. Then of course there was the ocean of Beaujolais. I've come to the conclusion that Paris is less concerned with the variety and more focused on a consistent selection.
That said, I was lucky enough to find two or three very good shops in Paris and I was able to grab a couple of nice bottles during my time here. One such shop, identified only by the titles "Cave des Cigares, Cave des Vin" was a shop very much up my alley. Aside form finding a myriad selection of cigars from some of my favourite houses at a fraction of the British price, I also found an interesting assortment of Bordeaux and Rhone. I could count perhaps 40 wines in total but the selection was an exciting one. With under twenty Euros I was able to grab a 2000 Saint-Émilion which was really fabulous stuff as well as a brilliantly concentrated 2009 Cahors.
I've never had a good Cahors and this one for under ten quid was a nice cheapie. It was rich and had a thick layering of black currant, smoke, flint and really firm tannins. I know why this stuff doesn't come often to the UK seeing as it is somewhat impenetrable for all that tannin and acidity, but when you get your palate to grips with it, it's like gaining a taste for cask strength whisky; it pleases on a whole new level.
Just on the other side of the hill of Montmartre and the Sacre Couer lies the neighbourhood of Abbesses; the only part of town where people would put up with my poor French and encourage me along. The Cave des Abbesses is pretty much a hall way lined with shelves and bottles and here I found a wide selection of mature wines for a damn good price. From 2001 alone I found bottles of Cornas, Côte-Rotie, Bergerac, Pomerol and half a dozen other amazing appellations allowing the drinker the chance to buy wine ready to go or age depending on preference. A nice collection of white Burgundy, white Rhône and bordeaux blanc (I treated myself to a bottle of white Graves for the composition of this post) made for an interesting range of whites, especially for the oak-crazy palate I get at this time of year.
The one to take the cake and eat it too, however was the Épicerie Legrand Filles et Fils, located on Rue de la Banque in the 2nd Arrondissement may be a bit out of the average price range, and in particular seeing as I was on my own, however it was a uniquely engaging place. A good selection of Wines from pretty much every major appellation as well as a great selection of half bottles including Chateau Gazin, Beychevelle and others made for interesting browsing. Of particular interest to me was the wide selection of top notch growers' champagnes and a fair selection of single malt. The shop itself was never overly self conscious with the newer parts being evidently new but tasteful and the older rooms showing their age gently, and none of the faux-olde-worlde look a lot of wine shops go for.
The tasting room was more of a bar with the sort of feel that it could equally welcome a business lunch as it could host a couple of curious twenty-year-old oenophiles. The selection of first growths in magnum, double magnum and larger was certainly inspiring.
As my bottle of Graves grows more and more empty I am afraid I am becoming sentimental about my trip to Paris. Rarely does one spend so long without conversation, or so much time within one's own thoughts, yet I find the situation invigorating. While I can tell that Paris is a city for pairs, it isn't all bad for ones, and if you can find a spot in the big city for yourself you will enjoy your stay to be sure. I look forward to returning to Paris with company and to venture more regularly into the wine world of this city but for now I leave you with these bits of wisdom from a wine-loving traveller; look high and low in Paris and you will certainly be rewarded with some of the best wines you can find.
Much Love,
G
Friday 19 October 2012
Putting my money where my mouth is- Taste Off!
Hey Everyone,
I admit that I am sometimes guilty of prejudice. I just tend to favour certain brands over others and sometimes without good reason. This case occurred most recently with the fabricated competition between St. Andrews' two breweries.
I decided today to take account for what I've been saying, and have a blind taste of comparable beers side by side. I will qualify this by saying that neither of these beers was bad, but two of them did not find their way to my palate. I undertook this tasting with several friends of mine and we came to a surprisingly uniformed consensus. Here are our findings
Blind Taste Comparison... St. Andrews v Eden.
Gold 1- Very clean nose, with a hint of copper oxide. Neutral ish with a gentle spice character. Finish is short, and a touch metallic. Not bad; over all refreshing. I prefer this.
Gold 2- much richer, a bit of vanilla and a strange sharpness of aroma; vom? Palate is yeasty? strangely sweet but also bitter, a bit confused, with a short finish but awkwardly lingering aftertaste. Not as refreshing, but bigger in flavour. Not terrible but not as good. Why no bubbles?
Dark 1- Head is a bit darker, creamy in colour: Coffee and bitter chocolate aromas a hint of brine and a touch of smoked fish. A bit of a richer palate, touch of smoke. I prefer this one.
Dark 2- White-grey head. Cleaner, not as rich in aroma, lightly toasty. Palate is as light as the nose. Pleasant but not quite big enough for me.
The beers, in order were as follows: St. Andrews Brewing Co. Fife Gold, Eden Brewery St. Andrews Gold, Eden Brewery Porter, and finally St. Andrews Brewing Co. Oatmeal Stout. So, basically, the score was 1-1. I chose Fife Gold and Seggie Porter as the better of the four. Each brewery had it's strengths and I liked all the beers well enough. We even put the tasting to a few customers who were similarly split on these beers.
What this tells me is that this town is big enough for the both of them, so I think that this bodes well for the future of St. Andrews' beer culture!
Much Love,
G.
I admit that I am sometimes guilty of prejudice. I just tend to favour certain brands over others and sometimes without good reason. This case occurred most recently with the fabricated competition between St. Andrews' two breweries.
I decided today to take account for what I've been saying, and have a blind taste of comparable beers side by side. I will qualify this by saying that neither of these beers was bad, but two of them did not find their way to my palate. I undertook this tasting with several friends of mine and we came to a surprisingly uniformed consensus. Here are our findings
Blind Taste Comparison... St. Andrews v Eden.
Gold 1- Very clean nose, with a hint of copper oxide. Neutral ish with a gentle spice character. Finish is short, and a touch metallic. Not bad; over all refreshing. I prefer this.
Gold 2- much richer, a bit of vanilla and a strange sharpness of aroma; vom? Palate is yeasty? strangely sweet but also bitter, a bit confused, with a short finish but awkwardly lingering aftertaste. Not as refreshing, but bigger in flavour. Not terrible but not as good. Why no bubbles?
Dark 1- Head is a bit darker, creamy in colour: Coffee and bitter chocolate aromas a hint of brine and a touch of smoked fish. A bit of a richer palate, touch of smoke. I prefer this one.
Dark 2- White-grey head. Cleaner, not as rich in aroma, lightly toasty. Palate is as light as the nose. Pleasant but not quite big enough for me.
The beers, in order were as follows: St. Andrews Brewing Co. Fife Gold, Eden Brewery St. Andrews Gold, Eden Brewery Porter, and finally St. Andrews Brewing Co. Oatmeal Stout. So, basically, the score was 1-1. I chose Fife Gold and Seggie Porter as the better of the four. Each brewery had it's strengths and I liked all the beers well enough. We even put the tasting to a few customers who were similarly split on these beers.
What this tells me is that this town is big enough for the both of them, so I think that this bodes well for the future of St. Andrews' beer culture!
Much Love,
G.
Thursday 11 October 2012
Breaking Bad (preconceptions)- Bourbon
Hey Everyone,
It has been four years since I moved to Scotland, and therefore, nearly all of my experience with any sort of alcoholic beverage has been influenced by this tiny country with a highly disproportional influence on the drinks business. Living here, I have had much more contact with Traquhair House beers than Budweiser (which I do not lament) and have understandably given much more thought and attention to Whisky here rather than international variants. I've had my share of J.D. and wasn't impressed. I've tried a few bourbons here and there and at best found them not particularly interesting but pleasant, and at worst to be sickly sweet, boozy abominations which can fill no other purpose than to make Coke alcoholic without any noticeable change to the soft drink's flavour.
Today, however I am attending a tasting of the portfolio offered by the respectable distiller Buffalo Trace which includes a bit of a biographical experience, as it includes some of their 'White Dog' which, in Scotch-speak is basically new make, and in America would be considered more or less Moonshine. I have tried several such spirits, including new make from Balvenie, Ardbeg, Glenglassaugh and Bruichladdich and have found them often to be unpleasant, but a recognisable forerunner to the aged spirit years down the line. FOr a run down of my tasting notes, for the individual whiskies, have a look here.
Anyways, Jim Murray, the guy who puts out the Whisky Bible each year and makes tremendously sweeping statements about whisky, which can only be explained by a very specific and difficult to understand set of tastes, freaking loves this stuff. I don't really know what has made him fall so in love with American Rye whiskey, as he consistently gives rye and bourbon very generous scores, whereas single malts from Scotland draw more stringent criticisms. My only reasoning is that he either doesn't see the point in criticising a nation of such one-dimensional whiskies, or he doesn't understand them.
Either way, my experience today revealed to me that while there is a pleasant and sweetly fragranced world of bourbon and rye whiskey out there which lends itself so spendidly to session drinking, contemplating the world, and cocktails, the whiskey itself does not take long to get your head around. Sure there are different aspects to the individual bottlings, and even some traits which can pass for a fleeting complexity, but the truth, in my eyes, is that all of these whiskies had an overriding flavour of woody vanilla, banana and booze, leading inevitably to an alcoholic, watery finish.
I am not saying I didn't enjoy these whiskies... I most certaily did, but I did not see any kind of weight or body which didn't rely on either wood or alcohol content. And while I liked the blender a lot and enjoyed his presentation, I don't believe that Buffalo Trace's whiskey is what the campaign says it is. If this is the best of American whiskey, then I don't think Scotland really needs to be concerned about it's position as the king of distillation.
By all means, enjoy some good bourbons, and definitely enjoy some Buffalo Trace, because for what it is, it is good. But I'm just not really convinced.
Much Love,
G
It has been four years since I moved to Scotland, and therefore, nearly all of my experience with any sort of alcoholic beverage has been influenced by this tiny country with a highly disproportional influence on the drinks business. Living here, I have had much more contact with Traquhair House beers than Budweiser (which I do not lament) and have understandably given much more thought and attention to Whisky here rather than international variants. I've had my share of J.D. and wasn't impressed. I've tried a few bourbons here and there and at best found them not particularly interesting but pleasant, and at worst to be sickly sweet, boozy abominations which can fill no other purpose than to make Coke alcoholic without any noticeable change to the soft drink's flavour.
Today, however I am attending a tasting of the portfolio offered by the respectable distiller Buffalo Trace which includes a bit of a biographical experience, as it includes some of their 'White Dog' which, in Scotch-speak is basically new make, and in America would be considered more or less Moonshine. I have tried several such spirits, including new make from Balvenie, Ardbeg, Glenglassaugh and Bruichladdich and have found them often to be unpleasant, but a recognisable forerunner to the aged spirit years down the line. FOr a run down of my tasting notes, for the individual whiskies, have a look here.
Anyways, Jim Murray, the guy who puts out the Whisky Bible each year and makes tremendously sweeping statements about whisky, which can only be explained by a very specific and difficult to understand set of tastes, freaking loves this stuff. I don't really know what has made him fall so in love with American Rye whiskey, as he consistently gives rye and bourbon very generous scores, whereas single malts from Scotland draw more stringent criticisms. My only reasoning is that he either doesn't see the point in criticising a nation of such one-dimensional whiskies, or he doesn't understand them.
Either way, my experience today revealed to me that while there is a pleasant and sweetly fragranced world of bourbon and rye whiskey out there which lends itself so spendidly to session drinking, contemplating the world, and cocktails, the whiskey itself does not take long to get your head around. Sure there are different aspects to the individual bottlings, and even some traits which can pass for a fleeting complexity, but the truth, in my eyes, is that all of these whiskies had an overriding flavour of woody vanilla, banana and booze, leading inevitably to an alcoholic, watery finish.
I am not saying I didn't enjoy these whiskies... I most certaily did, but I did not see any kind of weight or body which didn't rely on either wood or alcohol content. And while I liked the blender a lot and enjoyed his presentation, I don't believe that Buffalo Trace's whiskey is what the campaign says it is. If this is the best of American whiskey, then I don't think Scotland really needs to be concerned about it's position as the king of distillation.
By all means, enjoy some good bourbons, and definitely enjoy some Buffalo Trace, because for what it is, it is good. But I'm just not really convinced.
Much Love,
G
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Drone Strikes vs. Carpet Bombing- A Merchant's Dilemma
Hey Everyone,
The other day I made my way down to London for a tasting hosted by wine merchants, Bibendum, showcasing the most interesting wines from their list. The last time I was at a Bibendum Tasting (the Just Add Bibendum Tasting) the multiple rooms of a massive venue were packed with row after row of tables occupied by producers showing up to ten bottles each. There were thousands of wines and thousands of people all cramming to get to the table to try their £10 shiraz or somesuch.
The same sort of thing goes for massive events such as the SITT Tastings, which I attended in Manchester and the Liberty Tasting in Edinburgh, where a tight venue in the form of an old library was used to showcase around 1,500 wines. At these tastings, I tend to find that about 30% of the wines shown are pretty poor with a larger level of decent/ passable wines and a small percentage of awesome wines. This tasting, however was different; gloriously different.
40 producers, a strictly limited invite list and two smallish rooms in the Gallery Soho provided the story line for the evening. Top sommeliers from Michelin starred restaurants don't want to bother sifting through the endless lakes of crappy wine to find themselves with a handful of good bottles. They don't need a cheap wine with a value reflected in it's quality. They need proper wine that they can put down on a table that can carry the reputation of the establishment. In essence, they rely on the wine to no let the side down. This tasting was for 'Artisan wine' meaning that everything there was carefully chosen and, indeed, carefully made. It was an exercise in a wine merchant doing what is most important in the trade. That is avoiding the temptation to carpet bomb their customers with overwhelming choice and lazily say 'Look how much choice we offer, we're obviously the best.'
A good wine merchant is more precise, and while variety is important, I have seen time and time again as a customer wanders into a wine shop and becomes paralysed by selection. What is even the most experienced drinker supposed to do when you have the option of 7 Alsatian Rieslings all between £10 and £15? It should be the responsibility of the merchant to find the wine in that price range, made with the most care and quality and put that to their customers. This tasting showed me just how accurate a merchant's selection can be. Rather than carpet bombing, this was a drone strike. 1/20th of the wine as the usual tasting, but still a wine to fit each price range, from a £15 bottle of delicious Sicilian Rose, to a £100 bottle of Daguenau Pouilly-Fumé, and what's more; every bottle chosen was good.
Now some of these wines weren't necessarily to my taste, but I could easily see the merits of each of them in their own style. For example, I'm not really a fan of Australian shiraz, as popular of a wine as it is, but the ones on display were true to style and, for a shiraz drinker they were clearly worth every penny. At the average trade tasting I could go through 10 Shirazes before I settle on 1 solid example. Not the case here. A wine merchant doesn't need a shop filled with thousands of wines with thirty of each style and multiples in each price range. What they need is precision. One good £15 bottle of chardonnay that can be replaced regularly with an exciting rotation of stock is infinitely preferable to mountains of stagnant variation.
The merchant's job is to facilitate the relationship between the producer and the consumer and to help the latter by doing half of the deciding. A respectable wine company should be a guarantee that every bottle on the shelf is a good example of what the label says. It comes down to the consumer to buy with confidence and enjoy a good glass of wine, not go through trial and error to finally get there.
Much love,
G
The other day I made my way down to London for a tasting hosted by wine merchants, Bibendum, showcasing the most interesting wines from their list. The last time I was at a Bibendum Tasting (the Just Add Bibendum Tasting) the multiple rooms of a massive venue were packed with row after row of tables occupied by producers showing up to ten bottles each. There were thousands of wines and thousands of people all cramming to get to the table to try their £10 shiraz or somesuch.
The same sort of thing goes for massive events such as the SITT Tastings, which I attended in Manchester and the Liberty Tasting in Edinburgh, where a tight venue in the form of an old library was used to showcase around 1,500 wines. At these tastings, I tend to find that about 30% of the wines shown are pretty poor with a larger level of decent/ passable wines and a small percentage of awesome wines. This tasting, however was different; gloriously different.
40 producers, a strictly limited invite list and two smallish rooms in the Gallery Soho provided the story line for the evening. Top sommeliers from Michelin starred restaurants don't want to bother sifting through the endless lakes of crappy wine to find themselves with a handful of good bottles. They don't need a cheap wine with a value reflected in it's quality. They need proper wine that they can put down on a table that can carry the reputation of the establishment. In essence, they rely on the wine to no let the side down. This tasting was for 'Artisan wine' meaning that everything there was carefully chosen and, indeed, carefully made. It was an exercise in a wine merchant doing what is most important in the trade. That is avoiding the temptation to carpet bomb their customers with overwhelming choice and lazily say 'Look how much choice we offer, we're obviously the best.'
A good wine merchant is more precise, and while variety is important, I have seen time and time again as a customer wanders into a wine shop and becomes paralysed by selection. What is even the most experienced drinker supposed to do when you have the option of 7 Alsatian Rieslings all between £10 and £15? It should be the responsibility of the merchant to find the wine in that price range, made with the most care and quality and put that to their customers. This tasting showed me just how accurate a merchant's selection can be. Rather than carpet bombing, this was a drone strike. 1/20th of the wine as the usual tasting, but still a wine to fit each price range, from a £15 bottle of delicious Sicilian Rose, to a £100 bottle of Daguenau Pouilly-Fumé, and what's more; every bottle chosen was good.
Now some of these wines weren't necessarily to my taste, but I could easily see the merits of each of them in their own style. For example, I'm not really a fan of Australian shiraz, as popular of a wine as it is, but the ones on display were true to style and, for a shiraz drinker they were clearly worth every penny. At the average trade tasting I could go through 10 Shirazes before I settle on 1 solid example. Not the case here. A wine merchant doesn't need a shop filled with thousands of wines with thirty of each style and multiples in each price range. What they need is precision. One good £15 bottle of chardonnay that can be replaced regularly with an exciting rotation of stock is infinitely preferable to mountains of stagnant variation.
The merchant's job is to facilitate the relationship between the producer and the consumer and to help the latter by doing half of the deciding. A respectable wine company should be a guarantee that every bottle on the shelf is a good example of what the label says. It comes down to the consumer to buy with confidence and enjoy a good glass of wine, not go through trial and error to finally get there.
Much love,
G
Tuesday 21 August 2012
Growers Champagnes- Ode to the Recoltant!
Hey Everyone,
We are currently experiencing an explosive boom in the beer industry and thousands of small scale, independent microbreweries are cropping up everywhere in the UK from St. Austell's to St. Andrews, making for a very exciting time to be a beer drinker. When was the last time we saw such a revolutionary expansion in the wine world? When Australia broke onto the scene? When the Californians won the 1976 Paris Tasting? Believe it or not, a revolution is now upon us. All we have to do is look beyond the labels of some of the most resonant names in the wine world. Thereby we may be shocked by the potential excitement being generated by what may be the world's most familiar yet beguiling wine region, if we only let it enthral us as much as it should.
Several hours northwest of Paris, situated in and around the towns of Épernay, Bouzy, Dizy and Cumières, there is the historic and magnificent region of Champagne. With grand, palatial mansions and some of the most beautiful vineyard vistas you could imagine, Champagne is quite possibly the beating heart of the wine world. A stroll down the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, is like a review of the red carpet of wine. Perrier-Jouet, Moet & Chandon, Pol Roger and so many others escort you to the centre of town and in their houses stand like behemoths facing one another, each at the centre of an intricate web of growers and wine producers.
But it is beyond these massive companies and their branding that one looks for the next great source of excitement in wine. Those lower down on the ladder. Those farmers and their personal wineries which make up most of Champagne's vineyard space are the ones pushing the limits of Champagne consumption beyond the traditional occasions. These so-called 'Grower's Champagnes' are very much akin to the Microbrewery in the beer world. They are largely independent, they pay close attention to detail and their wines are often excellent value. They worry less about their image and more about the product, which must speak for itself in lieu of mass-market advertising.
When you pay for a bottle of Joseph Perrier champagne, which may be about twenty-eight pounds, you are paying for the professionally designed boxes, the research team which maps out product placement, the payment for placement and so on. With such an army of research, management and executive individuals, very little comes down to the actual wine. Compare that to Guy de Chassey, an independent grower situated on 9 hectares near the town of Louvois. Made entirely of Premier Cru and Grand Cru grapes, the basic Champagne is comparable in quality to Pol Roger and Bollinger, and without a doubt superior to many priced well above it's modest price tag of 20 pounds! It is fresh on the nose with plenty of bright fruit, hints, but no more of creamy richness, but lots of cherry and gooseberry, showing great quality from the Pinot Noir used in the blend. That's another thing; Guy de Chassey uses 75% Pinot Noir, generally a more expensive grape, and yet here it is in a high proportion, with great execution and at a lower price. Anyone tasting Guy de Chassey will quickly realise the quality and that branding is non-essential for a great bottle of wine!
The best part of these small growers, is that they are just about endless. An enthusiastic traveller to the region would require years to visit each independent grower and try the wines they have to offer. You could quite feasibly go through a different Champagne each week for over a decade and not taste the same bottle twice. They offer value that makes their enjoyment a relatively affordable experience, so you don't need to wait for an occasion like a birthday or New Year to open a great bottle of Champagne. Now, the great bottle of Champagne can be a regular occasion in itself; one of life's small but regular pleasures. After all, that is how the Champenois live. Just as we might spend 20 pounds on a lovely bottle of wine to treat ourselves and our friends or family to a nice experience, the residents of Champagne will do so with their local wine. Now that more and more growers are finding their way onto the shelves of our wine shops and online merchants, it is becoming more and more possible to enjoy a beautiful bottle of Champagne without spending more than 20 pounds (or a bit more for a really cracking bottle!) for a priceless experience.
Of the small proportion of growers represented on the UK market, some of them can be presented as an alternative to a more famous and more expensive house. For example, Le Mesnil shares vineyards with the formidable Krug, Veuve Fourny also bears similarities to the same. Pierre Peters reminds me of Pol Roger and Chassey has something of Bollinger's power behind it. Another point is that the independent growers of Champagne still offer great value compared with comparable wines from English producers and until we see such good value low cost English bubbly on the market, they are a great value.
Sure, there is something to be said for the fact that they can be hard to find consistently. One week it may be tough to get a hold of the Chassey or the Le Mesnil, but then the drinker can go for something different. When it comes to great wine, why not seek out new experiences? Change is the spice of life and just as craft beer drinkers seek out beers they've never had, perhaps Champagne drinkers should do the same and try as many different producers as they can rather than sticking to one for life. I know many wine drinkers who have placed themselves in a camp and stayed there. Whether you're a Bollinger guy who always liked James Bond and anything James Bond likes, or Ace of Spades because you'll do whatever Jay-Z says, you may actually find yourself gaining more pleasure in the drinking experience if you ditch the big names and spring for the independents. Its like the difference between Tesco and the local butcher. Which one will care more about your enjoyment?
Champagne is a great wine. While there are good, bad and middling Champagnes out there, the style and the region is undoubtedly one of the world's finest, with a strong claim to the top spot. It is not often that an established and reliable institution comes along and presents the world with a whole new bag of tricks and says, "Oh by the way, I also have all this fun stuff!" so I think we can call ourselves lucky to have a bevy of new Champagnes to look forward to.
One last thing; these growers are not new. Some are centuries old, and their heritage goes back well beyond the currently fashionable big brands. They have been growing the grapes for ages while the Négociants have been taking the credit. There are two little letters on each bottle of Champagne that can tell you whether the producer bought in grapes and ready-made wine or grew their own grapes and made their own stuff. 'RM' for Recoltant Manipulant and 'NM' for Négociant Manipulant. Time to give the Récoltant his credit where credit is due!
Much Love,
G
We are currently experiencing an explosive boom in the beer industry and thousands of small scale, independent microbreweries are cropping up everywhere in the UK from St. Austell's to St. Andrews, making for a very exciting time to be a beer drinker. When was the last time we saw such a revolutionary expansion in the wine world? When Australia broke onto the scene? When the Californians won the 1976 Paris Tasting? Believe it or not, a revolution is now upon us. All we have to do is look beyond the labels of some of the most resonant names in the wine world. Thereby we may be shocked by the potential excitement being generated by what may be the world's most familiar yet beguiling wine region, if we only let it enthral us as much as it should.
Several hours northwest of Paris, situated in and around the towns of Épernay, Bouzy, Dizy and Cumières, there is the historic and magnificent region of Champagne. With grand, palatial mansions and some of the most beautiful vineyard vistas you could imagine, Champagne is quite possibly the beating heart of the wine world. A stroll down the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, is like a review of the red carpet of wine. Perrier-Jouet, Moet & Chandon, Pol Roger and so many others escort you to the centre of town and in their houses stand like behemoths facing one another, each at the centre of an intricate web of growers and wine producers.
But it is beyond these massive companies and their branding that one looks for the next great source of excitement in wine. Those lower down on the ladder. Those farmers and their personal wineries which make up most of Champagne's vineyard space are the ones pushing the limits of Champagne consumption beyond the traditional occasions. These so-called 'Grower's Champagnes' are very much akin to the Microbrewery in the beer world. They are largely independent, they pay close attention to detail and their wines are often excellent value. They worry less about their image and more about the product, which must speak for itself in lieu of mass-market advertising.
When you pay for a bottle of Joseph Perrier champagne, which may be about twenty-eight pounds, you are paying for the professionally designed boxes, the research team which maps out product placement, the payment for placement and so on. With such an army of research, management and executive individuals, very little comes down to the actual wine. Compare that to Guy de Chassey, an independent grower situated on 9 hectares near the town of Louvois. Made entirely of Premier Cru and Grand Cru grapes, the basic Champagne is comparable in quality to Pol Roger and Bollinger, and without a doubt superior to many priced well above it's modest price tag of 20 pounds! It is fresh on the nose with plenty of bright fruit, hints, but no more of creamy richness, but lots of cherry and gooseberry, showing great quality from the Pinot Noir used in the blend. That's another thing; Guy de Chassey uses 75% Pinot Noir, generally a more expensive grape, and yet here it is in a high proportion, with great execution and at a lower price. Anyone tasting Guy de Chassey will quickly realise the quality and that branding is non-essential for a great bottle of wine!
The best part of these small growers, is that they are just about endless. An enthusiastic traveller to the region would require years to visit each independent grower and try the wines they have to offer. You could quite feasibly go through a different Champagne each week for over a decade and not taste the same bottle twice. They offer value that makes their enjoyment a relatively affordable experience, so you don't need to wait for an occasion like a birthday or New Year to open a great bottle of Champagne. Now, the great bottle of Champagne can be a regular occasion in itself; one of life's small but regular pleasures. After all, that is how the Champenois live. Just as we might spend 20 pounds on a lovely bottle of wine to treat ourselves and our friends or family to a nice experience, the residents of Champagne will do so with their local wine. Now that more and more growers are finding their way onto the shelves of our wine shops and online merchants, it is becoming more and more possible to enjoy a beautiful bottle of Champagne without spending more than 20 pounds (or a bit more for a really cracking bottle!) for a priceless experience.
Of the small proportion of growers represented on the UK market, some of them can be presented as an alternative to a more famous and more expensive house. For example, Le Mesnil shares vineyards with the formidable Krug, Veuve Fourny also bears similarities to the same. Pierre Peters reminds me of Pol Roger and Chassey has something of Bollinger's power behind it. Another point is that the independent growers of Champagne still offer great value compared with comparable wines from English producers and until we see such good value low cost English bubbly on the market, they are a great value.
Sure, there is something to be said for the fact that they can be hard to find consistently. One week it may be tough to get a hold of the Chassey or the Le Mesnil, but then the drinker can go for something different. When it comes to great wine, why not seek out new experiences? Change is the spice of life and just as craft beer drinkers seek out beers they've never had, perhaps Champagne drinkers should do the same and try as many different producers as they can rather than sticking to one for life. I know many wine drinkers who have placed themselves in a camp and stayed there. Whether you're a Bollinger guy who always liked James Bond and anything James Bond likes, or Ace of Spades because you'll do whatever Jay-Z says, you may actually find yourself gaining more pleasure in the drinking experience if you ditch the big names and spring for the independents. Its like the difference between Tesco and the local butcher. Which one will care more about your enjoyment?
Champagne is a great wine. While there are good, bad and middling Champagnes out there, the style and the region is undoubtedly one of the world's finest, with a strong claim to the top spot. It is not often that an established and reliable institution comes along and presents the world with a whole new bag of tricks and says, "Oh by the way, I also have all this fun stuff!" so I think we can call ourselves lucky to have a bevy of new Champagnes to look forward to.
One last thing; these growers are not new. Some are centuries old, and their heritage goes back well beyond the currently fashionable big brands. They have been growing the grapes for ages while the Négociants have been taking the credit. There are two little letters on each bottle of Champagne that can tell you whether the producer bought in grapes and ready-made wine or grew their own grapes and made their own stuff. 'RM' for Recoltant Manipulant and 'NM' for Négociant Manipulant. Time to give the Récoltant his credit where credit is due!
Much Love,
G
Sunday 5 August 2012
Liberator, Episode 3- the Bandolier
Hey Everyone,
Today's wine is a rather lovely little bottle of South African red from a producer which I've had little experience with, but of which I am fast becoming a fan. Each bottle from Liberator wines is known both by a title and an episode number, and the winery's website has a short comic strip to correspond. The one I'm trying this week, called the Bandolier is a blend of two of my favourite grapes; Mourvédre and Syrah.
The name 'Bandolier' (which is actually word refering to a cross-the-body ammunition belt à la Pancho Villa) is clearly reminiscent of the style of wine this bottle is attempting to invoke. Bandol, in Provence is the only appellation in the world which is predominantly Mourvédre, and traditionally makes big, spicy, herbal wines with great character and longevity. This wine, with it's engaging style and wide appeal is a great introduction to this old school style and, though it's marketing is a tad cheesy, I think it is an all around excellent expression of the grape.
It is deep and intense in colour with a hint of purple at the centre, clearly displaying the characteristics of the grapes it is made from. Both are thick skinned and produce dark wines.
It has aromas of deep spice and hints of rosemary and pepper. The nose develops over time and notes of damson and black cherries come through alongside a gamey richness like the smell of roasting meat and vegetables. I even got a fleeting hint of cinnamon or clove just as I took my nose away from the glass.
The palate has a lovely tannic style with a velvety texture that sits oh so nicely on the tongue. As I hold it there, it feels so satisfying and complete. Definitely a mouth filling wine and for the price tag, sitting just under 15 pounds, its definitely worth the money.
This is a wine which I like quite a lot and I'm always looking for good value wines in the sweet spot between 8 and 15 pounds per bottle. This is square in the middle of that range and offers excellent value for money. I hope you get a chance to try this delightful little wine, you will not be disappointed!
Much Love,
G.
Today's wine is a rather lovely little bottle of South African red from a producer which I've had little experience with, but of which I am fast becoming a fan. Each bottle from Liberator wines is known both by a title and an episode number, and the winery's website has a short comic strip to correspond. The one I'm trying this week, called the Bandolier is a blend of two of my favourite grapes; Mourvédre and Syrah.
The name 'Bandolier' (which is actually word refering to a cross-the-body ammunition belt à la Pancho Villa) is clearly reminiscent of the style of wine this bottle is attempting to invoke. Bandol, in Provence is the only appellation in the world which is predominantly Mourvédre, and traditionally makes big, spicy, herbal wines with great character and longevity. This wine, with it's engaging style and wide appeal is a great introduction to this old school style and, though it's marketing is a tad cheesy, I think it is an all around excellent expression of the grape.
It is deep and intense in colour with a hint of purple at the centre, clearly displaying the characteristics of the grapes it is made from. Both are thick skinned and produce dark wines.
It has aromas of deep spice and hints of rosemary and pepper. The nose develops over time and notes of damson and black cherries come through alongside a gamey richness like the smell of roasting meat and vegetables. I even got a fleeting hint of cinnamon or clove just as I took my nose away from the glass.
The palate has a lovely tannic style with a velvety texture that sits oh so nicely on the tongue. As I hold it there, it feels so satisfying and complete. Definitely a mouth filling wine and for the price tag, sitting just under 15 pounds, its definitely worth the money.
This is a wine which I like quite a lot and I'm always looking for good value wines in the sweet spot between 8 and 15 pounds per bottle. This is square in the middle of that range and offers excellent value for money. I hope you get a chance to try this delightful little wine, you will not be disappointed!
Much Love,
G.
Sunday 8 July 2012
Chateau Peyrassol & Domaine Peyrassol
Hey everyone,
This week, I had the opportunity to try a few wines which do not often chance to cross my path. Being that I work in a well supplied wine shop, I get the chance to taste a lot of nice wines and some very interesting ones as well. That said, I am somewhat limited by my own selection and do not often taste outside our range. Coming home however, I am often presented with some really interesting bottles selected by my elder brother, who has developed an eclectic taste.
The second wine was definitely intended to be a more structured and refined style, but I'm not so sure it really lived up to that standard. Instead of a bright pinkish colour, the Chateau Peyrassol was decidedly more of a silvery salmon hue with a beautiful luminescent character in the glass. The nose was refined and balanced a moderate fruitiness with a hint of spice and herbs (perhaps a bit more mourvedre in this blend).
It wasn't quite as good of a match with the big rack of spicy barbecue ribs and ended up serving the same purpose as a glass of cold water. Although I prefer the more restrained style of rose that this wine displayed, it just didn't stand up to the food and could have done with a bit more fruitiness and acidity. In essence this wine's own classy character got in the way of it being a good pair, but on its own it was a delightful glass of wine.
As neither of these wines are what I would consider overly expensive, both being in the sweet spot between £9-20, I would consider them both bargains and good wines for the price and their class. Alongside many wines from the south of France making it to our shelves they offer good quality for their price. I'm a huge fan, and I think they deserve more attention as the daily drinking quality wines they are.
I hope you're all drinking well these days, whether you're enjoying the cool summer weather in Britain or the sweltering heat in America, where I am right now. Sometimes a nice cheap, fruity rose is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Much love,
G
This week, I had the opportunity to try a few wines which do not often chance to cross my path. Being that I work in a well supplied wine shop, I get the chance to taste a lot of nice wines and some very interesting ones as well. That said, I am somewhat limited by my own selection and do not often taste outside our range. Coming home however, I am often presented with some really interesting bottles selected by my elder brother, who has developed an eclectic taste.
Among the selected wines were a pair of Provençal roses, from the same producer; Domaine Peyrassol, one being a standard affordable rose and the other a bit more elegant and classy.
The first wine, simply named for the Domaine, was fruity, fresh and pleasant. Accompanying burgers and hot dogs off the barbecue, it was perfectly suited to the occasion. Not too powerfully fruity, with a good profile of strawberry and raspberry, it was balanced by a nice level of acidity. A hint of tart cranberries came through as well on the finish giving it a touch of complexity in an otherwise simple, straightforward wine.
The first wine, simply named for the Domaine, was fruity, fresh and pleasant. Accompanying burgers and hot dogs off the barbecue, it was perfectly suited to the occasion. Not too powerfully fruity, with a good profile of strawberry and raspberry, it was balanced by a nice level of acidity. A hint of tart cranberries came through as well on the finish giving it a touch of complexity in an otherwise simple, straightforward wine.
It wasn't quite as good of a match with the big rack of spicy barbecue ribs and ended up serving the same purpose as a glass of cold water. Although I prefer the more restrained style of rose that this wine displayed, it just didn't stand up to the food and could have done with a bit more fruitiness and acidity. In essence this wine's own classy character got in the way of it being a good pair, but on its own it was a delightful glass of wine.
Personally, I preferred the cheapie for the enjoyment factor.
As neither of these wines are what I would consider overly expensive, both being in the sweet spot between £9-20, I would consider them both bargains and good wines for the price and their class. Alongside many wines from the south of France making it to our shelves they offer good quality for their price. I'm a huge fan, and I think they deserve more attention as the daily drinking quality wines they are.
I hope you're all drinking well these days, whether you're enjoying the cool summer weather in Britain or the sweltering heat in America, where I am right now. Sometimes a nice cheap, fruity rose is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Much love,
G
Thursday 5 July 2012
Champagne Visit #2- Pol Roger
Hey everyone,
So today I am writing about a trip which may have been the most enchanting experience since I began my journey in wine. For four years, that is ever since I began competitive wine tasting in St. Andrews, I have been aware of the champagne house, Pol Roger. I have ever since been a huge fan of this house, mostly because it sponsored the competition which I have been so fortunate to have been a part of. I only came around to champagne as a wine style in the last two years and having done so, my experience at the actual Maison of Pol Roger went from delightfully enjoyable to truly sublime.
Without the same cache enjoyed by names such as Moët & Chandon, Bollinger and Roederer, Pol Roger is a relatively small production compared with the bigger names known around the world. It has always produced for the British market, which is more interested in the richer flavours of the more mature wine included in Pol Roger's wines. That maturity, which extends to its vintage wines as they are often among the last champagne houses to release their vintages, definitely sets them apart. When I first came round to champagne, I noticed the richness and purity of green and light red fruits in their basic wine. As someone not necessarily in the know on champagne, that says a lot. It is appealing. It is delicious champagne.
Their style extends beyond the wine in the bottle, which is exceptional of course. They are a house of great generosity and dedication, which clearly translates into the final product. They care about their wine, their traditions and their customers as well as the experience and context with which we engage their wine. We walked through the cellars, cut deep into the chalk earth beneath the house, cellars which wind for kilometres housing decades of wine, some bottles over a hundred and twenty years old. The history of it all truly strikes the imagination of the visitor.
Believe it or not, Pol even has an element of mystery within its vaults. A semi collapsed cellar beneath the house itself has entombed a vast number of bottles sealed off forever. There it will remain, for excavation of the cellar would lead to the collapse of the house above. Like a Champagne version of Rosslyn Chapel's role in the Da Vinci Code, this vault could contain some of the oldest champagnes ever made by Pol Roger to bestill in existence. According to a member of the family, the characterful Hubert de Billy, the storage conditions would be perfect so the is no reason that the wine should not be perfectly maintained.
Whilst there, we were allowed to try an excellent array of the house's wines. The full range of Non-vintage including the Rich Demi-sec, the Pure extra-brut and the standard reserve all showed excellently, with the Rich being a delightful accompaniment to desert, and the pure serving as a wonderfully appetising wine on its own. The vintages (in particular Sir Winston Churchill) were all excellent and really beautiful wines, but the stars of the range, for yours truly, was the one-two punch of the Blanc des Blancs 1999 and the 2004 vintage Rose. The former being a stellar wine by any standards, and the Rose giving me a great surprise, showing me that a rose can be among my favourite wines; a supposition which I would not have believed before this past week? For a more detailed description of the wines themselves, have a look at my good friend's blog for his analysis.
In short, I firmly believe Pol Roger to be the best champagne on the market, for all around satisfaction. Each wine in the range filled a purpose perfectly and some were truly stunning to be sure. For hospitality, Pol is generous beyond reasonable expectations and even if their wines were not truly magnificent, which they are, they would have a loyal customer for life in this wine lover.
I hope you get a chance to try out some of the amazing wines by Pol Roger especially this summer in the sunshine. What better way to watch Wimbledon than with a great bottle of bubbly? I can think of none!
Much Love,
G.
P.S. Cogratulations to the St. Andrews Tasting team on winning this trip. It was well deserved. As for you Ranald... Congratualtions on successfully free loading. It was great to have this last experience with you all at the sunset of my university career! Thank you for the experiences my friends! Good luck next year!
So today I am writing about a trip which may have been the most enchanting experience since I began my journey in wine. For four years, that is ever since I began competitive wine tasting in St. Andrews, I have been aware of the champagne house, Pol Roger. I have ever since been a huge fan of this house, mostly because it sponsored the competition which I have been so fortunate to have been a part of. I only came around to champagne as a wine style in the last two years and having done so, my experience at the actual Maison of Pol Roger went from delightfully enjoyable to truly sublime.
Without the same cache enjoyed by names such as Moët & Chandon, Bollinger and Roederer, Pol Roger is a relatively small production compared with the bigger names known around the world. It has always produced for the British market, which is more interested in the richer flavours of the more mature wine included in Pol Roger's wines. That maturity, which extends to its vintage wines as they are often among the last champagne houses to release their vintages, definitely sets them apart. When I first came round to champagne, I noticed the richness and purity of green and light red fruits in their basic wine. As someone not necessarily in the know on champagne, that says a lot. It is appealing. It is delicious champagne.
Believe it or not, Pol even has an element of mystery within its vaults. A semi collapsed cellar beneath the house itself has entombed a vast number of bottles sealed off forever. There it will remain, for excavation of the cellar would lead to the collapse of the house above. Like a Champagne version of Rosslyn Chapel's role in the Da Vinci Code, this vault could contain some of the oldest champagnes ever made by Pol Roger to bestill in existence. According to a member of the family, the characterful Hubert de Billy, the storage conditions would be perfect so the is no reason that the wine should not be perfectly maintained.
Whilst there, we were allowed to try an excellent array of the house's wines. The full range of Non-vintage including the Rich Demi-sec, the Pure extra-brut and the standard reserve all showed excellently, with the Rich being a delightful accompaniment to desert, and the pure serving as a wonderfully appetising wine on its own. The vintages (in particular Sir Winston Churchill) were all excellent and really beautiful wines, but the stars of the range, for yours truly, was the one-two punch of the Blanc des Blancs 1999 and the 2004 vintage Rose. The former being a stellar wine by any standards, and the Rose giving me a great surprise, showing me that a rose can be among my favourite wines; a supposition which I would not have believed before this past week? For a more detailed description of the wines themselves, have a look at my good friend's blog for his analysis.
In short, I firmly believe Pol Roger to be the best champagne on the market, for all around satisfaction. Each wine in the range filled a purpose perfectly and some were truly stunning to be sure. For hospitality, Pol is generous beyond reasonable expectations and even if their wines were not truly magnificent, which they are, they would have a loyal customer for life in this wine lover.
I hope you get a chance to try out some of the amazing wines by Pol Roger especially this summer in the sunshine. What better way to watch Wimbledon than with a great bottle of bubbly? I can think of none!
Much Love,
G.
P.S. Cogratulations to the St. Andrews Tasting team on winning this trip. It was well deserved. As for you Ranald... Congratualtions on successfully free loading. It was great to have this last experience with you all at the sunset of my university career! Thank you for the experiences my friends! Good luck next year!
Friday 15 June 2012
Young Bloods
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Once again, I am writing to you all about a subject which is not necessarily about wine or other grape-stuff for that matter. It is of the juice of the barley which I write today. And the youthful spirit at that; how often does a new outfit get started in an industry devoted to the art of patience?
Think about it this way? In Britain, or Scotland for that matter, or even Fife to be extra-specific, the brewing industry is going through a boom and some are wondering when the bubble wil burst on this new upswell in the industry. Ale, however, can be made in two weeks and a good ale at that. With the whisky industry, the time constraints mean that investment is key to the development of a new single malt and, for many investors, the returns are just too long coming. The past few years have seen efforts in setting up new operations, the revival of old distilleries into glorious reincarnations and a few confusing experiences for the consumer.
For example, a nearly defunct distillery int he early 90's was turned around and has now become the glorious success that just bottled it's latest special edition, the illustrious Ardbeg. This goes to show that even in the slow moving world of Scotch Whisky the greatest things cann happen relatively suddenly.
Though it has remained largely mysterious to me, the Abhainn Dearg (pron. Avann Jarreck) operation is very exciting. As a Lewis Single Malt, I am curious as to what the style may be like. Will it be a peaty monster, a light Arran or Jura sort of thing or a spicy power house like Talisker. Hell it may be something hugely different. Initial reports from the website indicate that we're looking at a surprisingly sherried, highland style malt. It'll defintiely be interesting to see what becomes of this brand new busy-body in the outer Hebrides!
Other distilleries popping up include the Speyside-based Huntly Distillery, the massive Diageo-owned Roseisle and the Bruichladdich owned Port Charlotte. All have a good amount of financial backing and a clear set of goals for productivity, style and promotion. These distilleries are more or less secure in their future, however the future for recent start-up known as the Harris Distillery Co. based in Edinburgh is less certain. Looking for massive £10 million investment to build a distillery on the Isle of Harris, it seems that the concept is a more promising idea than the actual execution. As it isn't even built yet, we'll wait to look into it all further.
The master-class in poor distillery set-up was the so-called Blackwood's "Distillery" which got everyone's hopes up for a Shetland single malt. Nothing came of it but a few batches of tasty-ish gin and 'meh' vodka, which billed itself as a transition business for a later arriving single malt. While I thought this idea of making a gin or vodka while the whisky matured was a mature alternative to sending out new-make spirit and selling non-whisky for £50 per bottle, it seems that I was wrong. For those who cannot afford to hold onto their stuff for a decade before making a penny like the new Daftmill Distillery in Fife, the only alternative is to release young spirit. For some that's not a bad thing.
Tonight I'm having a dram of the young Kilchoman Islay Single Malt. It's a 3-year-old with a lot of promise and more than that, a lot of character. Like the label says, it is in fact, "Uniquely Islay". The nose is almost half way between the cinnamon and pepper of Talisker and the clean peat-smoke and iodine of Laphroaig. But I hesitate to make that comparison, because this profile is truly it's own creature with a nice clean finish and a surprisingly smooth palate. The palate is refreshingly crisp, making me think that I like the lack of maturity. Fair enough, with Islay whisky, I generally prefer younger whisky with fire to the mature stuff with richness. Case-in-point, Laphroaig Quarter Cask versus the 18-year-old.
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| 3-y/o Machir Bay from Kilchoman |
It is refreshing in more than just flavour and I am a huge fan already and can only look forward to the future for this bright young star in the already jeweled Islay crown. In short, the future is very promising for whisky. The very nature of the industry demands that it be a patient effort. I am excited to see what Scotland's young distilleries come out with in the next decade or so, and if I am writing in ten years time, expect to see a very interesting update!
Get yourself a hold of a dram of this tasty farm-distilled Islay whisky and see for yourself that older is not necessarily better!
Much love,
George
Sunday 10 June 2012
Art Series Wines
Hey everyone,
Today I'm writing for the first time in a while, and I've had a couple of interesting bottles over the past weeks. Looking back I found that I had accumulated a streak of wines which I believe can be best considered "Art Series" wines. These all have stand out labels but the wines inside are less consistent. Just to show off, I'll chuck in a note on another artist label wine I had at Christmas time. So I ask, "what does the Artist Label lend to the overall experience of a wine?"
Grover Cabernet/ Shiraz Art Series - Though I've tried this wine before, I recently revisited just to refresh my memory, and to (slightly ironically) match a nice juicy steak. This is an Australian style blend, which I usually avoid as being a bit too predictable and boring, but when you read a label stating "Wine of India" the interest is bound to be piqued.
When I first tried this wine a year and a half ago at a trade tasting in London, I felt that I had for the first time recognised the character of a place translated into the bottle. The nose evoked many of my preconceived notions of this massive country, and in particular the northern region of the Nandi Hills. It was warm and spicy with plenty of dusty, wooly aromas. It's a fragrant wine with a cedar woodiness reminding me a bit of incense. Possibly Nag Champa but maybe that's in my nose because I want it to be.
All in all, it's a damn good wine for a country relatively new to modern winemaking. More than that, it's a good wine all together. Especially for the light price tag it carries. One thing that pleases me greatly reading back on this tasting note, is that I haven't mentioned the label, which is a rather nice piece but one that only adds to the bottle. The wine justifies itself, and the label is secondary. Looking for something to surprise you a bit? Check out this tasty Indian bottle for just about a tenner.
The next few wines I tried were more shocking than surprising. Another "art" series of wines from southern France, by Christian Audigier sported some of the most garish, patronising labels I have ever seen in wine. I can appreciate the label for Grover, because it's well done, it's the kind of art you could feasibly see hanging on a wall rather than just on a bottle.
If the wines were anything special, I'd be willing to forgive the bottle-covering plastic coats with which they had been plastered. Conversely, if they didn't have these ridiculous eye catchers, and cost a bit less, they'd be perfectly acceptable wines. The Sauvignon Blanc was generally poor, the Cabernet was alright and the Syrah was okay, but as a whole, they weren't good enough to support the silly advertising campaign they were obviously attempting. At the price tag they demand, they do not justify the ridiculosity of their branding.
Some wines that go for a stand out shelf appearance are tough to get behind. Dinastia Vivanco Rioja is a good example of a patronising bottle shape that is saved by the fact that actual wine in the bloody thing is a decent, friendly and affordable Rioja. The Audigier collection, however is not. Though it would sell from our shelves based purely on the eye catching factor, it would fail to attract a repeat customer because they would realise that it is in fact a bad wine. In short, it is a dishonest way to sell your product.
The next artist label wine I tried is the Leeuwin Estate Riesling. I'm a big fan of Leeuwin estate and I am a bigger fan of riesling so it may come as no great shock when I say that I liked this wine and I like the branding. Though it is an art series label, the piece on the label is very subtle and understated. It may well be a winery's standard branding device for its simplicity. That said it adds a nice bit of uniqueness to the vintage.
The wine itself was a tasty, engaging example of an Australian Riesling. I believe that with its bright pear aromas and rubbery, viscous texture, I would happily say that it is worth the considerable but relatively modest £17 asking price. This is a classy version of the art series concept. Make a good wine. Then make an attractive labeling scheme. The other way around is like coming up with a music video before the song is written. Leeuwin did it the right way around.
The last wine I'll mention here won't take up many words, mostly because it was too special an occasion for me take notes and I can only remember the basics as well as how I felt. Still grippy despite thirty years ageing, this was the original art series wine, with some vintages sporting labels from some of history's most famous artists. Warhol, Picasso, Dali and Miro to name but a few of the most illustrious names, as well as a surprisingly nice label by Prince Charles. The wine was fantastic, so much character and truly satisfying making for one of the best wines I've ever had. The wine stands alongside the art and the two are fitting for each other. A great artist doing the label for a great wine. In this case, as the king of the art series, Chateau Mouton Rothschild reigns supreme.
Much love,
G
Today I'm writing for the first time in a while, and I've had a couple of interesting bottles over the past weeks. Looking back I found that I had accumulated a streak of wines which I believe can be best considered "Art Series" wines. These all have stand out labels but the wines inside are less consistent. Just to show off, I'll chuck in a note on another artist label wine I had at Christmas time. So I ask, "what does the Artist Label lend to the overall experience of a wine?"
Grover Cabernet/ Shiraz Art Series - Though I've tried this wine before, I recently revisited just to refresh my memory, and to (slightly ironically) match a nice juicy steak. This is an Australian style blend, which I usually avoid as being a bit too predictable and boring, but when you read a label stating "Wine of India" the interest is bound to be piqued.
When I first tried this wine a year and a half ago at a trade tasting in London, I felt that I had for the first time recognised the character of a place translated into the bottle. The nose evoked many of my preconceived notions of this massive country, and in particular the northern region of the Nandi Hills. It was warm and spicy with plenty of dusty, wooly aromas. It's a fragrant wine with a cedar woodiness reminding me a bit of incense. Possibly Nag Champa but maybe that's in my nose because I want it to be.
All in all, it's a damn good wine for a country relatively new to modern winemaking. More than that, it's a good wine all together. Especially for the light price tag it carries. One thing that pleases me greatly reading back on this tasting note, is that I haven't mentioned the label, which is a rather nice piece but one that only adds to the bottle. The wine justifies itself, and the label is secondary. Looking for something to surprise you a bit? Check out this tasty Indian bottle for just about a tenner.
The next few wines I tried were more shocking than surprising. Another "art" series of wines from southern France, by Christian Audigier sported some of the most garish, patronising labels I have ever seen in wine. I can appreciate the label for Grover, because it's well done, it's the kind of art you could feasibly see hanging on a wall rather than just on a bottle.
 |
| Do drinkers need such incredible phaff to sell them on a bottle? |
If the wines were anything special, I'd be willing to forgive the bottle-covering plastic coats with which they had been plastered. Conversely, if they didn't have these ridiculous eye catchers, and cost a bit less, they'd be perfectly acceptable wines. The Sauvignon Blanc was generally poor, the Cabernet was alright and the Syrah was okay, but as a whole, they weren't good enough to support the silly advertising campaign they were obviously attempting. At the price tag they demand, they do not justify the ridiculosity of their branding.
Some wines that go for a stand out shelf appearance are tough to get behind. Dinastia Vivanco Rioja is a good example of a patronising bottle shape that is saved by the fact that actual wine in the bloody thing is a decent, friendly and affordable Rioja. The Audigier collection, however is not. Though it would sell from our shelves based purely on the eye catching factor, it would fail to attract a repeat customer because they would realise that it is in fact a bad wine. In short, it is a dishonest way to sell your product.
The next artist label wine I tried is the Leeuwin Estate Riesling. I'm a big fan of Leeuwin estate and I am a bigger fan of riesling so it may come as no great shock when I say that I liked this wine and I like the branding. Though it is an art series label, the piece on the label is very subtle and understated. It may well be a winery's standard branding device for its simplicity. That said it adds a nice bit of uniqueness to the vintage.
The wine itself was a tasty, engaging example of an Australian Riesling. I believe that with its bright pear aromas and rubbery, viscous texture, I would happily say that it is worth the considerable but relatively modest £17 asking price. This is a classy version of the art series concept. Make a good wine. Then make an attractive labeling scheme. The other way around is like coming up with a music video before the song is written. Leeuwin did it the right way around.
The last wine I'll mention here won't take up many words, mostly because it was too special an occasion for me take notes and I can only remember the basics as well as how I felt. Still grippy despite thirty years ageing, this was the original art series wine, with some vintages sporting labels from some of history's most famous artists. Warhol, Picasso, Dali and Miro to name but a few of the most illustrious names, as well as a surprisingly nice label by Prince Charles. The wine was fantastic, so much character and truly satisfying making for one of the best wines I've ever had. The wine stands alongside the art and the two are fitting for each other. A great artist doing the label for a great wine. In this case, as the king of the art series, Chateau Mouton Rothschild reigns supreme.
Much love,
G
Sunday 27 May 2012
Summer Reds
Hey everyone,
Now that summer has arrived in Scotland, and the sun seems a bit more willing to show itself, it's time to start thinking about summer-time drinking. You know it's summer when your wine purchases are becoming more and more white-heavy. You'll be craving the crisp whites chilled in the fridge as you sit in the sunshine on the lawn or on the beach. No doubt you'll be looking to pick up some Marlborough Sauvignon or Chablis, but what about those who prefer a glass of red? Or are getting a bit bored of the daily whites? Perhaps it's worth considering which reds are suitable for drinking on a warm summer evening.
Basically, you'll want the lighter reds without the big full tannic structure of a Cabernet Sauvignon, or Shiraz. Reds with a purity of fruit and a pleasant acidity can even be chilled for drinking on a warm day though some of the more complex wines may see their characteristics muted somewhat. That said, some Beaujolais-Villages, light Pinots from Australia, and some other fruitier wines from warm regions can show nicely when lightly chilled.
It's nothing new to be chilling red wines. Some regions produce wines meant almost exclusively to be drunk on the cold side. Cabernet Franc from Chinon in the Loire Valley is light, aromatic and fruity and perfect to chill down a touch and drink over the course of a sunny afternoon. Everyone who remembers the nineties and the annual Beaujolais Nouveau parties will remember the cool, nearly weightless wines quaffed by the gallon. Of course I only remember this as my parents went to the odd release party with their friends.
However, I'm today trying a few light reds which I put in the fridge and chilled a bit. I'm tasting a 2009 Beaujolais-Villages from Louis Jadot, a varietal Frappato from Baccaria and a familiar Pinot Noir from Pirie in Tasmania. All of them were at the very least refreshing; one of them was a bit of a new experience to be sure.
I was interested by the Frappato, being one of those relatively unknown Sicilian grape varieties and one of the grapes I've never tried on it's own. Cold though it was, it's nose was full of bright fruit, but also a burnt element reminiscent of sulfur. While that was initially a bit off putting, I know that Sicily is essentially a volcanic island, and this burnt aroma is in fact the unique minerality of the soil. The junky I am for wines reflecting their region, I actually came around to this glass after a bit of thought. The burnt, ashy character was definitely interesting, and chilled, this wine offered a lot to be enjoyed. Then again, I feel that this isn't the best that this grape can be and perhaps that burnt element was a bit over powerful.
The Beaujolais and the Pinot offered no real surprises, and nothing which was hoped for was left out. They were both light, soft and had pure fruity noses. It is possible, in the case of the Pinot that the chilled temperature hid some of the more undesirable 'cheap Pinot' characteristics. Either way they were both pleasant enough.
Overall, I like the idea of chilled reds for summer drinking alongside the chilled whites. I'd like to look into trying some wines from Chinon and see how they compare with the wines I tried today.
I hope you all enjoy some interesting bottles as we move into summer...
Much love,
G
Now that summer has arrived in Scotland, and the sun seems a bit more willing to show itself, it's time to start thinking about summer-time drinking. You know it's summer when your wine purchases are becoming more and more white-heavy. You'll be craving the crisp whites chilled in the fridge as you sit in the sunshine on the lawn or on the beach. No doubt you'll be looking to pick up some Marlborough Sauvignon or Chablis, but what about those who prefer a glass of red? Or are getting a bit bored of the daily whites? Perhaps it's worth considering which reds are suitable for drinking on a warm summer evening.
Basically, you'll want the lighter reds without the big full tannic structure of a Cabernet Sauvignon, or Shiraz. Reds with a purity of fruit and a pleasant acidity can even be chilled for drinking on a warm day though some of the more complex wines may see their characteristics muted somewhat. That said, some Beaujolais-Villages, light Pinots from Australia, and some other fruitier wines from warm regions can show nicely when lightly chilled.
It's nothing new to be chilling red wines. Some regions produce wines meant almost exclusively to be drunk on the cold side. Cabernet Franc from Chinon in the Loire Valley is light, aromatic and fruity and perfect to chill down a touch and drink over the course of a sunny afternoon. Everyone who remembers the nineties and the annual Beaujolais Nouveau parties will remember the cool, nearly weightless wines quaffed by the gallon. Of course I only remember this as my parents went to the odd release party with their friends.
However, I'm today trying a few light reds which I put in the fridge and chilled a bit. I'm tasting a 2009 Beaujolais-Villages from Louis Jadot, a varietal Frappato from Baccaria and a familiar Pinot Noir from Pirie in Tasmania. All of them were at the very least refreshing; one of them was a bit of a new experience to be sure.
I was interested by the Frappato, being one of those relatively unknown Sicilian grape varieties and one of the grapes I've never tried on it's own. Cold though it was, it's nose was full of bright fruit, but also a burnt element reminiscent of sulfur. While that was initially a bit off putting, I know that Sicily is essentially a volcanic island, and this burnt aroma is in fact the unique minerality of the soil. The junky I am for wines reflecting their region, I actually came around to this glass after a bit of thought. The burnt, ashy character was definitely interesting, and chilled, this wine offered a lot to be enjoyed. Then again, I feel that this isn't the best that this grape can be and perhaps that burnt element was a bit over powerful.
The Beaujolais and the Pinot offered no real surprises, and nothing which was hoped for was left out. They were both light, soft and had pure fruity noses. It is possible, in the case of the Pinot that the chilled temperature hid some of the more undesirable 'cheap Pinot' characteristics. Either way they were both pleasant enough.
Overall, I like the idea of chilled reds for summer drinking alongside the chilled whites. I'd like to look into trying some wines from Chinon and see how they compare with the wines I tried today.
I hope you all enjoy some interesting bottles as we move into summer...
Much love,
G
Tuesday 8 May 2012
Madeira: Too Often Overlooked
Hey everyone,Today I am trying to find out some stuff about Madeira. I know Madeira as a sweet fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name. Although I've had a bit of Madeira in the past, I never really got my head around it as a wine, and always thought of it in the same way I thought of sherry before I made an effort to understand it. As I sit down with a couple samples of quality Madeira, I have every expectation that my horizons will be suitably expanded as was true when I set my mind to sherry.
It originally came as something of a surprise when I learned that not all Madeira is sweet. I usually assume that the fortification process is intended to stop fermentation while the wine still has a large amount of sugar in solution, and thereby maintain sweetness. Oh, how wrong I was!
The very first wine I am trying is expressly dry. Made by Madeira Barbeito from a single grape variety, Sercial, being the classic ingredient for Madeira, this is very much a dry wine which reminds me somewhat of some drier Marsala. It is definitely an appealing glass of wine. It is fragrant with hints of orange peal, lemon zest and pineapple as well as a touch of vanilla from the toasty oak. The palate is far from boozy. It carries it's 19% ABV with a good bit of grace. Te palate is big and mouth-filling with plenty of almond and fig flavour. Ten years of barrel ageing has turned this bright crisp wine into a rich, dry and almost nutty bottle of very appetising wine. It would be perfect with a bowl of roasted almonds, olives or other finger foods before a big dinner.
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Now onto the third example of Barbeito's 10-year-old Madeira, this time made from the Boal grape. Labelled as semi-sweet, the nose is laden with a bit more of a floral profile. It smells a bit of lychee, lemon, furniture polish and perhaps some violets. The furniture polish and the lemon are a bit bigger than the other aspects, but the nose is appealing for sure. The palate is definitely sweeter. It is nutty, tasting of roasted almonds and has a rather more viscous texture. Not quite the accompaniment to dessert I tend to associate with Madeira, but it could definitely do nicely with some crumbly cheeses and biscuits.The fourth and final ten year old Madeira, made from the classic grape, Malvasia, is labelled as being quite sweet. The colour is lighter than the rest, being sort of light copper in hue. The nose is quite lit and delicate with a perfume of flowers and citrus. Not as much roasted nuttiness as I got from the others, but a hint of almonds nonetheless. The palate is citric, with enough acid to go well with some heavier creamy desserts, the orange zest comes back in this one and I think it is a very complete wine. I would put it at the top of the list for today's tasting. It is a bit more viscous feeling with a nice rich palate and I think that while it is far from the big sweetness of PX Sherry or many ports, it is definitely an interesting and satisfying wine.
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The main character I am getting from my educational tasting of Madeira is that the wines are consistently more-ish. They have a hint of maritime saltiness that is so appetising and makes you want to refill your glass again and again. Another nice thing is that they are really very affordable. At £30 per bottle, these can be opened and tasted and then kept as long as you like. They behave rather like ruby port in that you don't need to drink it all in one go. If you decide to go for a Madeira, I highly recommend the malvasia, as it's sweetness makes it both appetising and satisfying.
I do hope you'll get a chance to treat yourself to some nice Madeira and expand your horizons as I did today.
Much Love,
G
Tuesday 1 May 2012
Some Interesting Spanish Treasures
Hey Everybody,
I apologise for the long gap spanning between the last two posts; a fortnight in the world of blogging is kind of an eternity, I know. I thought I'd fill you in on what I've been doing, aside from spending large parts of this weekend immensely humbled by a smacking from the dueling glove of inconvenient illness. Having now triumphed I can reflect on the past week of wonder. In my last post I was remarking on the unbearable generosity of Champagne Bollinger in their thorough hospitality during our visit to Paris and Ay. Today I must say the same for a champagne house to which I have long been beholden.
Pol Roger, of Epernay is a producer of Champagne which taught me for the first time that I actually enjoyed fizzy wine. Without the sex-appeal of Bollinger (being of course the fizz of James Bond), Pol often slips comparatively under the radar, yet, it is truly a great champagne. I am definitely looking forward to the 2002 with massive anticipation! So before I get on with this post, I must give a hearty thanks to Pol Roger for their hospitality and their encouragement over the years in the competition they've hosted. They are the company which has stoked my passion for wine, and the reason I have devoted much time over the past year along with my colleagues on the tasting team. The end result was a well-earned victory against our friends (and usual victors) at Edinburgh. Thank you Pol!
Now, onto my topic of the day. I am often banging on about my passion for the wines of the south of France and from the lesser-known regions of places like Bergerac, Jura and the Languedoc-Rousillon. I believe that they offer the drinker an affordable, unrestrained and classic example of French wine that is delightfully unaware of itself, and is just simply good wine to drink. I thought to myself this past week, if this principle applies to France, with Bordeaux and Burgundy being the prohibitively expensive regions for wine, why then could it not apply to other countries? The most famous wine-producing regions in countries like Australia and South Africa (I.E. Barossa and Stellenbosch) produce not only the finest examples of their nations wine, but also the cheapest bin-enders. What I am looking for is a European equivalent... A country with a famous heartland, or two, and a patchwork of under-appreciated regional gems.
I found it in Spain. With a region bearing so sonorous a name as Rioja, inseparable as it is from wine, many drinkers barely think of Spanish wine as being anything but Rioja. Granted, there are emerging regions and wines from Catalunya and Galicia are being recognised for their own unique qualities, but there are so many small regions to look to for interesting, exciting wines.
Jumilla, with it's old fashioned approach to the grape Monastrell (pron. monastrey) produces a deep inky black and tannic expression which is somewhat reminiscent of Bandol in Provence. True enough, in this country of misleading grape synonyms, Monastrell and Mourvedre, of Bandol fame is one and the same grape. Some believe that the grape originated in this region of Spain, where it has been widely planted for over 400 years. Two wins in particular have frequently crossed my radar form this region, the popular 'Las Hermanas' with it's 70-30 blend of Monastrell and Syrah is incredibly easy to enjoy, and more recently the Luzon Verde Organic varietal Monastrell. The latter is more interesting for me, to see a quality example of Monastrell acting on it's own outside of France. Both, as a regional wine should be, are pretty darn cheap for the quality of the wine.
Further north, in the uplands around the towns of Zamora and Toro, is the wine region named for the latter. A rapidly expanding wine town, Toro is to Rioja what Bergerac is to Bordeaux. Perhaps less restrained, less elegant, but it's full-blooded wines are instantly appealing, bold expressions of the Tinto de Toro grape (local Tempranillo). Though slightly more expensive than some of the cheaper Rioja wines, the delights of Toro wine are tough to match if you're looking for a big, warming red to go with some northern Spanish dishes like Wild Boar or mutton.
There are countless wine regions dotted around Spain, and to list them all and do them justice would require a well thought-out and carefully planned book or series of books. Just to name a few, there is always Navarra, Somontano, Valencia and so many more which offer great wines that have not yet found their way in quantity onto our shelves. I can only hope that they do. What I see is that eventually the regional wines of Spain will follow the regional French wines in becoming interesting, carefully made alternatives to the big names we already know.
Much Love,
G
Friday 20 April 2012
Taste of the Place
Hey Everyone,
My favourite thing about wine is always its ability to express a region. My favourite advertising campaign, for sheer irony's sake, is Anakena saying that their wine is an expression of the people. If so, it does not bode well for the people of Chile. Fortunately, there are better wines from the narrow stretch of land between the Andes and the sea. That said, they are right that a wine should be an expression of people, but it should also be an expression of the place. Though I usually disregard the notion of "Old World/ New World" distinctions, there is one consistency which I find appealing and that is the expression of soil found in Old World wines.
This all came on me as I am trying to revisit those classic regions which I tend to neglect in my pursuit of finding new wines from interesting parts of the world. I recently had a beautiful bottle of Mercurey (Red Burgundy) which tickled my fancy as being a true classic of it's appellation. Big juicy raspberry fruits, plenty of bracing acidity and a hint of tannin all made for a complete wine which I feel truly expresses the character of this very specific region of Burgundy.
While I was in Champagne last weekend, visiting the premises of Bollinger in Ay, I was allowed to try some truly beautiful wines made to express the soil and the atmosphere around the vines. The environment which sustains and gives life to the vines should be present in the final bottle of wine and no country more so than France shows this in the glass. The house's own wines, in particular the more recent vintage, the Grande Année 2002, showed a beautiful character of chalky texture and aroma which is just so definitive of the Champagne region alongside the hints of green pepper and bright green fruit which makes young vintage champagne just so quaffable.
During the competition we were once charged with the identification of three red wines. We were provided with the context that one wine was French and the others should be identified with their appropriate regions. Upon smelling these wines, the three presented very different styles, but the first and the third wines gave themselves away. The third, clearly a jammy Australian Shiraz, told no lies. It was open with it's fruit and it's deep blueberry body. The first one, smelling of a bit of cracked black pepper and a lot of a maritime breeze jumped forward as a classic Syrah form the Northern Rhone. Though we guessed Crozes-Hermitage and it turned out to be the appellation down the road at Saint Joseph, we knew exactly why we selected France as it's country of origin.
In the Northern Rhone Valley, the most striking character of the wines, which sets them apart from 'New World' Shiraz/ Syrah is that lovely elegant aroma and texture given by the dusty, rocky soil. The effect of this so-called 'minerality is the sensation of tasting a smooth river-stone in your mouth. While that may not sound great in writing, it is genuinely a pleasing characteristic in a quality red wine. In this particular wine, it was a thing of beauty.
In the tie breaking final round, the red which was presented to us, a Chateau Palmer 1998 from Margaux in Bordeaux, leapt forward as a bottle of minerality. Though I personally thought it to be a Cabernet Franc/ Merlot blend from Saint-Emilion on the other side of the Gironde, it's stoney texture and smoothly slate-like tannins were definitely a mark made upon the wine by the soil. While this is a supremely expensive bottle of wine, you can f course get ahold of some lovely wines with the expression of the soil in the glass. Check out my earlier post on a nice affordable Crozes-Hermitage form Paul Jaboulet-Aîné. Similarly, Chablis is a good place to start for picking out the chalky wonders possible in a good Chardonnay.
Basically I love the idea of being able to experience a place in the wine. When you are unable to go to taste a wine in the region of it's production and smell all the aromas of the vineyard, the next best thing is to taste it in the glass. I hope you all get the chance to try out something unique, which celebrates it's place of origin.
Much Love,
G
My favourite thing about wine is always its ability to express a region. My favourite advertising campaign, for sheer irony's sake, is Anakena saying that their wine is an expression of the people. If so, it does not bode well for the people of Chile. Fortunately, there are better wines from the narrow stretch of land between the Andes and the sea. That said, they are right that a wine should be an expression of people, but it should also be an expression of the place. Though I usually disregard the notion of "Old World/ New World" distinctions, there is one consistency which I find appealing and that is the expression of soil found in Old World wines.
 |
| Chateau Palmer 1998 Margaux |
While I was in Champagne last weekend, visiting the premises of Bollinger in Ay, I was allowed to try some truly beautiful wines made to express the soil and the atmosphere around the vines. The environment which sustains and gives life to the vines should be present in the final bottle of wine and no country more so than France shows this in the glass. The house's own wines, in particular the more recent vintage, the Grande Année 2002, showed a beautiful character of chalky texture and aroma which is just so definitive of the Champagne region alongside the hints of green pepper and bright green fruit which makes young vintage champagne just so quaffable.
During the competition we were once charged with the identification of three red wines. We were provided with the context that one wine was French and the others should be identified with their appropriate regions. Upon smelling these wines, the three presented very different styles, but the first and the third wines gave themselves away. The third, clearly a jammy Australian Shiraz, told no lies. It was open with it's fruit and it's deep blueberry body. The first one, smelling of a bit of cracked black pepper and a lot of a maritime breeze jumped forward as a classic Syrah form the Northern Rhone. Though we guessed Crozes-Hermitage and it turned out to be the appellation down the road at Saint Joseph, we knew exactly why we selected France as it's country of origin.
 |
| St. Andrew's Tasting Team at Bollinger |
In the tie breaking final round, the red which was presented to us, a Chateau Palmer 1998 from Margaux in Bordeaux, leapt forward as a bottle of minerality. Though I personally thought it to be a Cabernet Franc/ Merlot blend from Saint-Emilion on the other side of the Gironde, it's stoney texture and smoothly slate-like tannins were definitely a mark made upon the wine by the soil. While this is a supremely expensive bottle of wine, you can f course get ahold of some lovely wines with the expression of the soil in the glass. Check out my earlier post on a nice affordable Crozes-Hermitage form Paul Jaboulet-Aîné. Similarly, Chablis is a good place to start for picking out the chalky wonders possible in a good Chardonnay.
Basically I love the idea of being able to experience a place in the wine. When you are unable to go to taste a wine in the region of it's production and smell all the aromas of the vineyard, the next best thing is to taste it in the glass. I hope you all get the chance to try out something unique, which celebrates it's place of origin.
Much Love,
G
Monday 16 April 2012
It's good to have friends.
Hey Everyone,
Today I'm writing to you from one of the most lovely neighbourhoods I've had the pleasure to visit in many years. I woke up this morning to the lovely sounds of church bells, my favourite alarmer. I can hear the sounds of Sunday morning in the city outside and a beautiful sense of peace and calm pervading. I am sitting in a small but cosy flat here in the heart of Montmartre. I often marvel at the good fortune which comes my way, even if it comes along with some rather embarrassing lost in translation moments.
I came to Paris with three friends, two on the Univeristy Wine Tasting Team with me to compete in the Sciences Po International Tasting competition. The competition was amazing and the wines we tried were delightful. The questions were challenging and the results for the team were exhilarating. Overall the most interesting bit was how friendly the people involved were. The people at Bollinger, the hosting Champagne house in Ay, were incredibly welcoming, were generous with their wine, giving us the chance to try four different vintages of their champagne as well as plenty of their basic rose and non vintage.
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| Bollinger RD |
By the time we left the winery, those hosting our visit were eager to stress that we were welcome to come visit anytime, that we could come experience a harvest in September and that we were always welcome to stay in Ay. From what I've been told, these offers are not hollow promises and once you are brought into the fold with someone like Bollinger you are always welcome to come again. For this visit, I cannot sing the praises loudly enough for the hospitality of Sciences Po and Bollinger. I am truly fortunate to be in this kind of trade. Sometimes I am nervous about my choice of career, but when I see that's will be working with people this friendly, I can't help feel I've made the right decision.
 |
| Delightful Grand Année |
The champagnes were Bollinger RD 1995, Bollinger RD 1996, and Bollinger RD 1997.
The whites included a 2004 Vouvray, Chilean Chardonnay 2009, and an Alsace Riesling 2008
The reds were Saint Joseph 2009, Chilean Syrah 2009, and an Australian Shiraz 2009
The final three teams were given a Bollinger Grande Annee 2002 and a 1998 Chateau Palmer.
So a huge thanks to Bollinger and to Sciences Po for hosting this truly enjoyable competition. It was a great opportune to meet people with similar interests and to see a beautiful place.
Much love,
G
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| Photography compliments of George Flickinger |
Tuesday 3 April 2012
The Season for Barbecues
Hey everyone,
Today I'm writing to you from what appears to be a wintry relapse in the UK, following close on the heels of a week of amazing, summery weather. Sitting outside in the sun on days off seemed almost too good to be true in March in Scotland, and lo and behold it was. On the day of a much anticipated barbecue planned amongst friends to celebrate one of our number's time in St. Andrews before his return down south we were met with an amount of rain and wind which can only be described as typical. Classic Scotland.
Rain or shine, it is the season for barbecues. Nothing screams fun afternoon like a grill, an easy burn bag of charcoal and a bottle of wine. I've done my fair share of barbecues, sometimes with over a hundred people present and it can be a bit stressful making sure everyone gets fed. But for a small number of people, limited to close friends there's nothing quite like a cook-out to feel the lightness of spring and summer.
Despite the weather, we pressed on with the affair, the brave troopers we are and not only cooked food in the damp weather, but we cooked for seven hours producing a steady stream of burgers throughout the day, culminating with a particularly magnificent double rack of ribs. Marinating with a heavily peated whisky sauce for several hours these ribs were delicious and warming in the fresh climate we occupy. The best part though? Obviously the wine. Pairing wine with a barbecue is one of my favourite things because it's just so fun. Nearly anything works really. I mean, you could happily drink a cold white on a hot day for a barbecue, just as you could enjoy a big, jammy Shiraz or Cabernet. It's all about the context and what your feeling.
We had a lovely, and truly unique bottle of South African red to match our ribs. The 2008 Sijnn red blend is a smashing concoction of Shiraz and Mourvedre, a classic pairing with an inspired cameo appearance by the Portuguese varieties, Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira, with just a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon in the mix perhaps for a bit of added complexity. It was herbal, almost feral on the nose and for some of the tasters present it took sometime for them to decide whether they actually liked it. I definitely did and it matched the ribs and burgers perfectly. It also suited the after party rather nicely as we sat sipping from nice big glasses around the bonfire staying warm.
A barbecue is a great way to get your friends around and make a regular day into a great event. I definitely encourage you to regularly throw together a nice cook-out this spring and summer and if necessary take up the mantle of Master Barbecuer if necessary. It requires strong shoulders but the rewards are many and worthwhile. I hope you all find time to get outside and open a nice bottle of something you really enjoy with your friends.
Much Love,
G
Saturday 31 March 2012
Made by the Sea
Hey Everyone,
I was thinking today, that the very basic purpose of water is to maintain us in our pursuit of food. As evolution has led us to find more elaborate combinations to the point where I can discuss whether or not Cabernet Franc from South Africa matches better with Lamb or Pork (as in this recent post) I have found that certain foods and indeed certain drinks just seem to work better with certain moments in our lives than others. Theres nothing quite like an ice cream cone on a sunny day when you're feeling like being a kid for a bit. Theres nothing like a chocolate cake to make your birthday feel special and theres nothing like a nice glass of red wine by the fireside in the winter.
I love the idea of pairing an album of music with a glass of something which just plain works. Imagine the mental satisfaction of that great album of complex sounds and tonal texture alongside a glass of complex flavours and layered intricacy. It is a great feeling and the two sensations, of pleasures both musical and flavourful, coming together is really something to enjoy.
I can cite a few great parings. Nearing perfection in pairing music and booze is a simple bottle of beer, may well be just a Sam Adams Boston Lager (or in my personal Pennsylvanian case, Yuengling Amber Lager) with "Blood on the Tracks" by Bob Dylan. It's my favourite album by far. I think it just feels great listening to it, with the weight of the musical talent from the local musicians Dylan had to get a hold of at the last minute and the raw lyrical beauty of Dylan, it all just works. That considered, it is surprisingly simple, and I just love laying on a couch in silence listening to my dad's old pressing scratching away on the beautiful set-up he's put together in the attic.
I just love Bob Dylan and though he might not approve of a boozy drink with his music, I think he could at least appreciate the idea of pairing two significant things in ones life together like this. For me, I love the craft of music. It occupied most of my youth (there may still be a myspace page with my music up somewhere) and I am happy to say that it is still one of the most important things to me and I hold music very close to my heart indeed. Put that next to the things in my professional interests today, in my early maturity, such as wine and beer, and I see that as the sum total of my passions and I think that is an idea that anyone can relate to.
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Tonight however, I am making an interesting pairing. I remember some very good friends of mine informing me of the magical and unlikely pairing of California Zinfandel and "Heatwave Doritos," and in a way tonight's pairing is similar but in the end, it does make sense. I'm listening to a collection of songs by the Canadian musician Stan Rogers sipping a glass of my favourite whisky, Ardbeg "Uigeadail". Sort of a Canadian Nick Drake, he died well before his time in a bizarre plane accident, he embodied the folk-voice of his country and may never truly get the credit he deserves outside of his genre-circle of musicians.
As the songs progress, they begin openly brazen and brisk and they are over all bold with his classic song Barrett's Privateers and the bright Watching the Apples Grow. The whisky begins openly powerful and peaty with big smoky character to match the songs' strength. With Barrett's Privateers, there is a hint of the old-school sea shanty which matches the maritime character of this malt as you can smell the sea spray, seaweed and the ropes of the rigging in the whisky.
It is brooding and stormy as well as deceptively balanced and matched with the haunting lament Maid on the Shore, which tells of the troubled life of a captain bound to the sea, fooled by a mysterious maid on the rocky shore. The whisky develops as your nose gets used to the power and becomes sweet and subtle just as Stan's big baritone voice sings the heartbreaking ballad, Forty-Five Years and dedication of the long life he would never have to his beloved wife.
The finish is balanced and provides an encore for all the beauty of the malt which had previously taken the stage and the peat, smoke, tar and brown sugar take a final bow. It all settles down beautifully into a balance, with Stan Rogers' requiem Northwest Passage, in which he considers his place in history giving his humble admirations to those brave adventurers in the great wilds of Canada's Northwestern Territories looking for the Passage, a way to solve the savage wild. I do not believe anything created by man, even this beautiful dram of whisky, can match the natural bravery of the adventurous hearts which choose their destiny and gamble all on it as do the characters in the songs by this Canadian poet. But as I sit in my comfortable chair in my comfortable corner of Scotland in my comfortable place in the world, I can send my thoughts across the wide reaches of the world to those distant lands and those magnificent deeds of brave explorers.
I didn't expect the music to overwhelm me as it did. I expected the whisky and the songs to match like rum and a couple of sea shanties, but it became so much more. I sat down to have a dram of whisky with some folk songs and I have found my imagination drawn to places of amazing beauty and complexity. Next time you have the chance to have a quiet evening in, try putting on an album you love and have a glass of something you love and see how it works together. For me it was really very special.
Much Love,
G
I was thinking today, that the very basic purpose of water is to maintain us in our pursuit of food. As evolution has led us to find more elaborate combinations to the point where I can discuss whether or not Cabernet Franc from South Africa matches better with Lamb or Pork (as in this recent post) I have found that certain foods and indeed certain drinks just seem to work better with certain moments in our lives than others. Theres nothing quite like an ice cream cone on a sunny day when you're feeling like being a kid for a bit. Theres nothing like a chocolate cake to make your birthday feel special and theres nothing like a nice glass of red wine by the fireside in the winter.
I love the idea of pairing an album of music with a glass of something which just plain works. Imagine the mental satisfaction of that great album of complex sounds and tonal texture alongside a glass of complex flavours and layered intricacy. It is a great feeling and the two sensations, of pleasures both musical and flavourful, coming together is really something to enjoy. I just love Bob Dylan and though he might not approve of a boozy drink with his music, I think he could at least appreciate the idea of pairing two significant things in ones life together like this. For me, I love the craft of music. It occupied most of my youth (there may still be a myspace page with my music up somewhere) and I am happy to say that it is still one of the most important things to me and I hold music very close to my heart indeed. Put that next to the things in my professional interests today, in my early maturity, such as wine and beer, and I see that as the sum total of my passions and I think that is an idea that anyone can relate to.
.JPG)
Tonight however, I am making an interesting pairing. I remember some very good friends of mine informing me of the magical and unlikely pairing of California Zinfandel and "Heatwave Doritos," and in a way tonight's pairing is similar but in the end, it does make sense. I'm listening to a collection of songs by the Canadian musician Stan Rogers sipping a glass of my favourite whisky, Ardbeg "Uigeadail". Sort of a Canadian Nick Drake, he died well before his time in a bizarre plane accident, he embodied the folk-voice of his country and may never truly get the credit he deserves outside of his genre-circle of musicians. As the songs progress, they begin openly brazen and brisk and they are over all bold with his classic song Barrett's Privateers and the bright Watching the Apples Grow. The whisky begins openly powerful and peaty with big smoky character to match the songs' strength. With Barrett's Privateers, there is a hint of the old-school sea shanty which matches the maritime character of this malt as you can smell the sea spray, seaweed and the ropes of the rigging in the whisky.
It is brooding and stormy as well as deceptively balanced and matched with the haunting lament Maid on the Shore, which tells of the troubled life of a captain bound to the sea, fooled by a mysterious maid on the rocky shore. The whisky develops as your nose gets used to the power and becomes sweet and subtle just as Stan's big baritone voice sings the heartbreaking ballad, Forty-Five Years and dedication of the long life he would never have to his beloved wife.
The finish is balanced and provides an encore for all the beauty of the malt which had previously taken the stage and the peat, smoke, tar and brown sugar take a final bow. It all settles down beautifully into a balance, with Stan Rogers' requiem Northwest Passage, in which he considers his place in history giving his humble admirations to those brave adventurers in the great wilds of Canada's Northwestern Territories looking for the Passage, a way to solve the savage wild. I do not believe anything created by man, even this beautiful dram of whisky, can match the natural bravery of the adventurous hearts which choose their destiny and gamble all on it as do the characters in the songs by this Canadian poet. But as I sit in my comfortable chair in my comfortable corner of Scotland in my comfortable place in the world, I can send my thoughts across the wide reaches of the world to those distant lands and those magnificent deeds of brave explorers. I didn't expect the music to overwhelm me as it did. I expected the whisky and the songs to match like rum and a couple of sea shanties, but it became so much more. I sat down to have a dram of whisky with some folk songs and I have found my imagination drawn to places of amazing beauty and complexity. Next time you have the chance to have a quiet evening in, try putting on an album you love and have a glass of something you love and see how it works together. For me it was really very special.
Much Love,
G
Monday 26 March 2012
Beaujolais- Not to be taken lightly.
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| FlickingerPhotography |
Hey Everyone,
Today's post comes to you after a prolonged period during which I have been in constant, coincidental contact with wines from the Beaujolais region of France. I can't honestly say that I've ever been a huge fan of the wines of Beaujolais, generally considering them, along with many to be second-rate wines, forever to be overshadowed by the much more complete, serious wines of Burgundy. This being put down to the commercial preeminence of the mass-produced, unaged wine made from the fruity-forward Gamay grape, many consider the wine of Beaujolais to be inherently inferior to it's northern neighbour in Burgundy.
Interestingly enough, history has similarly conspired to limit the achievements of the Gamay grape, with successive dukes of Burgundy outlawing the vine in their prized vineyards, in favour of the more elegant Pinot Noir variety. Fair enough, this tactic paid off in the end, as the finest red Burgundies, such as those of Chambertin and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti can fetch unimaginable prices and in the words of Edward Scissor-Hands (ie Johnny Depp), they achieve the closest thing to nirvana in wine-form.
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| Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent & Morgon |
This all reached a head at the turn of the millenium and Beaujolais, with it's inexpensive masses of fruity jug-wine, there came the inevitable strike of the fickle consumer. With over a million cases produced in 2001, there was a huge overstock and drinkers went elsewhere for their cheap fruity wines, after all, Chile was cheaper. I believe that in large, this may have caused some soul-searching for the wine-makers in Beaujolais, perhaps they realised that all along this was what they wanted; a reason to make wine they could be proud of. The punches a prize-fighter threw five years ago have grown old and they need to learn new moves. Certainly these beautiful crus in Beaujolais are punchier and more serious, and they have put the fight back into the winemakers from Beaujolais.
This week, however, I have been given the chance to see just what Beaujolais can be. Sure the best of Beaujolais are made as attempt to achieve the glory of Burgundy, and in some ways cru Beaujolais is essentially Burgundy-lite, in complexity and in price, but in truth there are some very satisfying wines to be found. Made as more concentrated expressions of the Gamay grape, they can rest for a few years and gain a beautiful terra-cotta tinge and have all the florality of a decent pinot as well as a bit of that mature farmyard character. While Fleury is no Volnay, nor is Moulin-à-Vent anything to challenge Mercurey, they are sturdy, expressive wines in their own right, showing off a good local character unique to their part of the world.
Case in point: Château des Jacques 2002. This wine is elegant, it is complex and it is dusty. It is made in a serious style intended for a decade of rest and with that time under it's belt, I believe it's done very well. It is cheesy like an old Pinot Noir but still has the strawberry aromas of a young Gamay balancing it all out. It is a unique expression of Beaujolais and I think it is a lovely bottle, definitely something to behold and take into consideration as a serious wine.
Also, there are the great wines of Fleurie and Morgon; elegant, feminine and fragrant with bright aromas of pure strawberry, red cherries and floral perfume and a lovely, silky smooth palate. Over all, well balanced and intriguing. Put away your preconceived thoughts of those Beaujolais smelling of bubblegum/ candy-floss etc. While that may be the case for the Nouveaux, these wines are serious, elegant and respectable alongside their northern neighbours.
You know what Gamay makes me think of? It's like the Patrick Stewart of wine. A perfectly capable grape that has been far too often typecast into the role desired by it's devoted cult following. If Patrick Stewart could overcome his typecasting as Jean-Luc Picard/ anything sci-fi related, I see no reason why the popular conception of Gamay cannot become that of a serious grape variety. It is a great grape and in the hands of a caring, aspiring wine-maker, it can achieve great things, far surpassing it's chequered history. Perhaps Duke Philippe of Burgundy should have had more foresight than to ban Gamay in his best vineyards. Afterall, seeing what Gamay has achieved in the past ten years, who knows what it could have done with 600 years of appreciation.
Why not grab a nice bottle of Cru Beaujolais? Usually, they can be found in the sweet spot of £10-20 for a great example, so you needn't break the bank. I do hope some of you can find a new place in your heart for good Beaujolais, it's definitely worth a visit.
Much love,
G
Thanks to my collegue, George Flickinger, who has been a great helping hand in regards to photos of my subjects. His work can been seen in greater detail at www.flickingerphotography.com.
Monday 19 March 2012
Loire Valley
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| Great examples of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé |
Hi Everyone,
Today's post comes to you as I am currently exploring
the under-appreciated valley of the Loire. I know that many of
us are introduced to the Loire through it's most popular district, Sancerre, but
there is so much to be found as well as this full-flavoured Sauvignon Blanc.
The Loire is renowned throughout the world for so many reasons
beyond it's great wines. It is the very landscape of history, speckled
with countless châteaux of the most stunning grandeur and beauty. Some of
the great marvels of European architecture, such as Château de Chaumont and the
magnificent Chenonceau, dominate the towns and farmlands of this picturesque
river valley. The Loire itself is a beautiful river, flowing more than
1,000 miles from the south of France, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at
Saint-Nazaire.
The wines of this region are as numerous and varied as the spires
of the noble châteaux which dot the landscape, from the crisp Sauvignon Blancs
of Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre to the full sweet Chenin Blanc of Vouvray.
Not to be forgotten of course are the reds, with the noble grape Cabernet
Franc dominating alongside a couple of Pinot Noirs. As I look more and
more into these wines, I realise that the Loire Valley is home to some truly
great wines, exuding minerality, balanced acidity and overall class and
elegance.
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Predictably for me, I love the Loire for it's willingness to
embrace it's classic traditions. For a region so visibly steeped in
history, prominently exhibited in it's castles and mediaeval market towns, it
is natural that the wine-making should follow suit and embrace it's own unique
gifts. Here, wine grows up around towns and gains a reputation for it's
individual style. For example, the wines of Pouily-Fumé, from the
vineyards surrounding the town of Pouilly-sur-Loire have developed a
delightful, crisp minerality which resembles a struck flint or wet stones.
The wines around the village of Saumur include some delightful
reds and some wonderfully balanced whites, from Cabernet France and Chenin
Blanc, respectively. One producer in particular, La Cabriolé makes a
great value pair of wines. The red is freshly acidic, with light tannins
and between bright fruits and herbs. While they aren't necessarily
the world's most perfect wines, nor will they be aging for decades,
they are well-structured and show an engaging set of flavours, aromas and
acidity.
Another interesting wine which oes not get nearly the attention it
deserves are the reds from around the town of Chinon. Fresh, light and
friendly wines made also from Cabernet Franc are delicious on a summer's day
and, in my humble opinion, vastly superior to the similarly light and fruity
Beaujolais Nouveau, which serves a similar purpose. It can be drunk in
easily and has a fruity simplicity which makes it perfect for sitting on the
porch, watching a summer rain shower.
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| Saumur, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc |
So many of these delicious wines clock in under £20, in fact many cost less than £15. The Loire must be under-appreciated because so many of these wines could easily be sold for more (indeed many worse wines are sold for more). Not only are they good value wines, but they're also good food wines, matching pretty much anything you'd have. A nice oaky Savennieres suits perfectly to a roast chicken, while a Muscadet Sevre et Maine can be a perfect companion to mussels and oysters. If you're celebrating try a sparkling Crémant de Loire, a traditional fizzy wine blending Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc along with many other permitted grapes. Its a nice cheaper alternative to the consistently pricey Champagne.
All this leads me to describe one of my favourite wines under £20.
The red wines of St Nicolas de Bourgeuil, made from Cabernet France with
perhaps a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon are beauties for depth, complexity and
finesse. One example, Yannick Amirault La Mine, averaging around £15, has
full blackberry flavours with some hints of licorice and a sprinkling of
marjoram backed up by hints of bell-pepper. Alongside a bit of grilled
lamb, this wine is absolutely delightful and should be given the credit it
deserves.
Though the wines of the Loire speak for themselves, it seems that
often their packaging is a bit old-fashioned and off-putting. They don't
jump out from the shelves as anything interesting. They tend to look
dated and tired, with old-fashioned labels coming between drinkers and a wine
they may well enjoy greatly. Case in point, Cour-Cheverny is a perfectly
enjoyable white wine but the label is so dull and off putting, that very few people
looking for an interesting wine they've never had would give it a try.
There are a few great gems in the Loire, and if we can get past the old-fashioned look of the bottles there is a bounty of great wine to be found within.
Much Love,
G
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