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

 

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.

The second wine I tried is the same age, by the same producer made this time from the Verdelho grape variety. It is somewhat darker in colour with a brilliant bronze tinge and a hint of pink. According to the label, this wine is semi-dry, compared to the last wine which was described as fully dry. Usually known as the main grape for Vinho Verde in portuguese table wine, it makes an effervescent, appetising companion for shellfish. Here it is similarly rich, with aromas of light fruits, peaches, melons, but in general, it is somewhat muted in comparison with the Sercial. It's as mouth filling as the Verdelho but the flavours aren't quite as defined. Although it is a bit sweeter, there is almost a metallic bitterness to the finish.

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.

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

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