Hey Everybody,
Today's wine is a common theme on this blog; Sijnn. I'm just putting in a brief tasting note as I revisit this monopolic gem from the Western Cape. As I sit here in my couch less (there are cushions on the floor) Brooklyn residence I am happy to report that this wine along with several other South African beauties has arrived into my current place of employ- September Wines in the Lower East Side.
I was somewhat surprised to discover, however that the current vintage in the US is the inaugural 2007 release. A bit of a stunner as the wine is so difficult to come across anywhere else, so I can only assume that Sijnn is yet to make significant inroads into the US. Hopefully that will change and we can move onto the 2008 at some point in the near future!
At any rate I took a bottle home for my churrasco tonight and popped it open to see what it's been doing these past seven years. I last checked in on the 2007 last year at the Malgas property with winemaker David Trafford and it was showing beautifully. A year along I am impressed once again. A touch of a brickish rim around the inky core is a mere hint towards approaching maturity.
Aromas of blackberry jam and cassis liqueur waft out alongside polished leather, dusty earth and gentle spices. It is surprisingly restrained initially considering it's age but it does develop nicely in the glass offering up notes of forest floor, black olive and stewed plums. Just a touch of oak ties it all together and serves as a frame.
The palate is firm, tannins have held up nicely and acidity is still keeping everything tightly wound. The palate needs a bit longer to open up but when it does, its very deep and beautifully layered. Flavours are rich, with a dark chilli chocolate character coming out in the mid palate transforming into a satisfyingly bittersweet finish.
I predict that this wine is not even half way to being past it's time. I'll certainly be checking in on this vintage and the others regularly for some time.
Much Love,
G
Friday 28 March 2014
Wednesday 5 March 2014
3 Malbecs
This evening I am writing to you regarding a trio of Mendoza Malbecs I have tried over the past few days. They represent three separate price points and in fact three styles that I find essential to Argentine wine. The best things tend to come in threes, so why shou
ldn't Argentine wine follow suit?
I'll distil how I feel about these three wines into very straightforward terms here; the chocolate covered sour cherry; the smoke from the parrilla; the Parker-pointer.
1. Malbec 2011 from Argento- This is a Malbec which (perhaps inadvertently) harkens back to Argentina's past. The colour is bright and pretty, not opaque in the slightest but certainly deep. The aromas are of sour cherries initially and while they hold up, the nose picks up some dusty cocoa and earth along the way. For me that is Italian all the way. It reminds me of some lovely Barbera d'Alba. It is delightful and begs for a burger off the grill. Even a bolognese would suit it just fine. Its a wonderful wine for a great price.
2. 154 Malbec 2011 from Alberti- I'll go ahead and call it fitting, but there is a remarkable aroma drifting off the glass which makes an impression before I've even properly had a look at the colour. Smoked pork. Bacon or sausage or even grilled lamb chops... At any rate it evokes mental images of the grill and coming from a nation so thoroughly entrenched in it's outdoor cooking traditions, this makes perfect sense. The primary fruit is restrained but the secondary aromas are forward and intriguing. Smoky and appetising, a glass of this before attacking the Churrasco... there will be nothing left on the plate!
3. Malbec 2011 Primus- This is the Parker wine! Inky colour introduces a nose of big, bright blackberry and blackcurrant fruit jumping out of the glass alongside some lovely smoky spices. there is a note of leather but it remains confidently in a supporting role, as the earthiness holds back as well. After a while the barrel and overt fruit aromas blow off a bit and the wine becomes a bit more Bordelaise in style (or perhaps Cahors would be a better comparison). It is elegant and balanced and with time a certain gravel driven minerality emerges which even begs a comparison to Graves or Madiran.
All three are exceptional wines for their niches. They are all undeniably Malbec, but they all fill a separate role in their approach to the variety. The more I read and learn about Argentine wine and the journey of Malbec, the more I come to love the variety. I'll leave you with this delightful picture which should remind us all just what Malbec is really for!
Much love,
G
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| My food photography skills leave something to be desired but this mini-asado was awesome! |
Arrival Notes- New York City
Hey Everyone,
After a long absence I am returning to the wine trade in New York City with a fabulous company named September Wines. Located in the Lower East Side, they are a great group of people with a real passion for their product. No one word describes the range of wines on offer at September, but 'exciting' scratches the surface.
Though I am overwhelmingly excited about returning to the US wine trade to work with an exciting and energetic company, I have my concerns about my newfound market. They are far from unique an in fact mirror the problems facing the UK wine trade.
One of my main reservations about wine consumption amongst both the casual drinker and the more curious wine-lovers around the world is that there is often a positive prejudice towards certain wines that leads to the neglect of a vast world of excellent produce. In my last establishment in Britain we were able to stock a selection of nearly a hundred Australian wines, fifty South Africans, and over one hundred Italians. That all pales in comparison with the quantity of French wines from across the major regions.
While there are token wines from Jura and Savoie and other minor appellations, the omission is in these examples. It's not that there are no wines from Cahors, it's just that there is so little demand for them in favour of Australian Cabernet or Argentine Malbec that the only Cahors on offer is a lonely little £10 bottle that is rarely in stock. Meanwhile in the US I have worked in three wine companies and saw a grand total of 6 wines from South Africa on offer. 5 of those are at September wines meaning one company completely neglected a country with some of the most historically revered wines in the world.
If the tastes of the UK and the US wine trades could somehow be combined, I feel that there would be no region left out in the cold. It is the demand for new experiences which lead to the surge in popularity among Prossecco, Sancerre and Riesling. The greatest danger to these gains is feeling like the customer's potential experience is maximised. The important thing to remember is that there is always more wine. New vines are cultivated every day, new regions will emerge on a yearly basis, old regions long dormant will resurge and the old favourites will fade into the past.
Its all about education and the most exciting thing about wine is that if a new experience is placed before you why not take it? There is so much to experience in the wine world (this goes for the rest of the world as well) and once you find a nice place to pick up a bottle of something new, I say go for it! It will be well worth your while.
Much Love,
G
After a long absence I am returning to the wine trade in New York City with a fabulous company named September Wines. Located in the Lower East Side, they are a great group of people with a real passion for their product. No one word describes the range of wines on offer at September, but 'exciting' scratches the surface.
Though I am overwhelmingly excited about returning to the US wine trade to work with an exciting and energetic company, I have my concerns about my newfound market. They are far from unique an in fact mirror the problems facing the UK wine trade.
One of my main reservations about wine consumption amongst both the casual drinker and the more curious wine-lovers around the world is that there is often a positive prejudice towards certain wines that leads to the neglect of a vast world of excellent produce. In my last establishment in Britain we were able to stock a selection of nearly a hundred Australian wines, fifty South Africans, and over one hundred Italians. That all pales in comparison with the quantity of French wines from across the major regions.
While there are token wines from Jura and Savoie and other minor appellations, the omission is in these examples. It's not that there are no wines from Cahors, it's just that there is so little demand for them in favour of Australian Cabernet or Argentine Malbec that the only Cahors on offer is a lonely little £10 bottle that is rarely in stock. Meanwhile in the US I have worked in three wine companies and saw a grand total of 6 wines from South Africa on offer. 5 of those are at September wines meaning one company completely neglected a country with some of the most historically revered wines in the world.
If the tastes of the UK and the US wine trades could somehow be combined, I feel that there would be no region left out in the cold. It is the demand for new experiences which lead to the surge in popularity among Prossecco, Sancerre and Riesling. The greatest danger to these gains is feeling like the customer's potential experience is maximised. The important thing to remember is that there is always more wine. New vines are cultivated every day, new regions will emerge on a yearly basis, old regions long dormant will resurge and the old favourites will fade into the past.
Its all about education and the most exciting thing about wine is that if a new experience is placed before you why not take it? There is so much to experience in the wine world (this goes for the rest of the world as well) and once you find a nice place to pick up a bottle of something new, I say go for it! It will be well worth your while.
Much Love,
G
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