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Marisa D'Vari visits Freixenet and is impressed by their attention to detail... |
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Andrew Nugent, Winemaker and Viticulturalist at the Bird In Hand Winery gave a Cool Climate Winemaking seminar in September. Linda Simpson reports... |
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Anthony Stockbridge visits Gerd Seibert in Mosel... |
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With the festive season just around the corner, what better time to read Debra Meiburg MW's guide to hangovers...and how to avoid them... |
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This year's UK Champagne Ambassador Laura Clay had an exciting time at the European Final - read her story here... |
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The complex role of Flor in the production of Sherry is explained by Nick Adams MW... |
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September's CWW Trip to Virginia included visits to Veritas and Kluge . Susan Hulme MW reports... |
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Wink Lorch and Brett Jones take up the Snowdonia Challenge for charity... |
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The notion of Quality in Wine was examined from all angles at Keith Grainger's Quality Seminar. Quentin Sadler was there... |
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Marisa D'Vari got the chance to study harvest time in Bordeaux, Tokaji and the Languedoc - all on one trip! Here is her report... |
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If you thought the Semillons were something to do with grapes, Laura Clay will enlighten you... |
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Quentin Sadler charts the history of wine in Virginia... |
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Paul Quinn's recent trip to the Greek island of Kefalonia took in a visit to the Robola Wine Cooperative... |
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In some ways this Winter issue of the AWE newsletter is like an old-fashioned Christmas stocking, stuffed with a variety of things to tide you over (or get you through) the festivities.
We have the traditional appearance of Sherry with Nick Adams’ very informative article on the subject - a must-read for all MW students. If you’re looking for last minute gifts we have reviews of wine-related books and apps. Then as an antidote to any over-indulgence, you might be advised to read Debra Meiburg’s useful hangover advice. And when too much food and drink is getting the better of you let Wink Lorch’s Snowdonia piece inspire you, both to get active and to give to others.
Laura Clay will entertain you with her account of the Semillons and there are topics for discussion such as Keith Grainger's thought-provoking seminar on wine quality, a 'Cool Climate Winemaking' presentation, as well as highlights from recent trips to Virginia, Germany, France and Spain amongst others.
But amidst all the rushing around, shopping, cooking, eating and drinking, I hope you will have a moment of stillness to take stock of last year and look forward to the next. I’d like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2011.
© Susan Hulme MW 2010
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There seems to be so much going on with the AWE at the moment that I thought it would be best to use this column to summarise a few of the main happenings – all of these in addition to the regular programme of seminars, trips and sponsored tastings:
As a result of discussions at May’s AGM, there are three key initiatives being pursued:
At the time of writing, there are promising discussions with M & S with a view to the AWE providing presenters for wine tastings at M & S stores around the country on an ongoing basis. There is a possibility that these could get off the ground before Christmas, in which case you may well know the details by the time you read this.
And it has been exciting to see AWE members being successful in so many areas: Keith Grainger giving an excellent AWE seminar on wine tasting, following publication of his book “Wine Quality – Tasting and Evaluation”; Angela Reddin organising a highly successful and widely reported tasting of Pinot Noirs from around the world; Trevor Elliott having his book on Madeira published (and reviewed in this newsletter); Linda Simpson being featured in an article in the Daily Express about women who have successfully changed career; Debra Meiburg MW, Chairman of the judges at the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition: Laura Clay winning the UK Champagne Ambassador 2010 title and representing the UK in the European finals in Epernay; and, collectively, an invitation from the CIVB to some of the Accredited Bordeaux tutors within the AWE to judge the CIVB’s selection of wines for Everyday Bordeaux 2010 (the AWE also features on their website 'Good Food Would Choose Bordeaux').
And while all that has been going on, Michelle Cherutti-Kowal, Lindsay Oram, Sophie Rudge, Natasha Hughes, Marisa D'Vari and Ray O’Connor have all been pursuing their MW studies (apologies to any others doing the same, whom I have omitted).
On a personal note, many thanks to all members of the new Council for being so willing to be delegated to!
© Richard Bampfield MW 2010
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Chairman’s Column by |
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Ferrer Family History As in a best-selling novel or glittering television soap opera, the founding of Freixenet goes back to a late 19th century wedding celebration joining two wealthy and prominent Spanish wine families, the Ferrers, owners of La Freixeneda, and the Salas, wine exporters to Latin America.
Visit the Freixenet winery and you can see black and white photographs of the couple who seemingly had no idea of how their small Cava company would turn into such a successful global operation.
Pedro Ferrer and his talented winemakers have made it their mission to find properties in the best wine regions in Spain, making improvements in the wineries and hiring some of the most talented young winemakers in the country.
Rioja – Solar Viejo
Ribera del Duero - Valdubon Judit Llop is the young winemaker for both brands in the Spanish DOC of Priorat. Here the winery is modern, built in 1997, yet the vineyards that surround it are much older. Much of the fruit comes from select hillside vineyards with vines between 25 - 40 years old, and some almost 80 years. The elevation here is between 550 - 700 feet, with the winery’s name taken from the name of the highest hill in the area. Yields are low, with the estate producing about 3,300 cases annually. The soil located in the vineyards near the winery is clay, though Priorat’s hillside vineyards are well known for their llicorella soil that gives the grapes unique characteristics.
Freixenet acquired Segura Viudas, a rival Cava company, some time ago, with the grape reception area located on the Segura Viudas property. My visit coincides with the harvest, and it is interesting to note the dozens, even hundreds, of trucks that arrive filled with grapes.
What’s notable about this winery is that the growers are instructed to pack the grapes in shallow 25 kilo baskets to prevent bruising and oxidation. The grapes are measured for sugar, various acids, and other key points in a sample taken by a robotic arm, with a print out of the results available within seconds.
Grapes are crushed here, with fermentation taking place at Freixenet, notable throughout the world for its yeast collection. Native yeasts are taken from the property and cultured in the in-house laboratory (pictured right) to ensure a correct fermentation.
The Future
The wineries are still young, yet the brands are slowly developing brand recognition. I sampled wines from all the brands during my travels, and could literally “taste” the quality I saw in terms of careful grape selection, quality of oak barrels, and the intense devotion of the winemakers who, to my eyes, seemed obsessed with really putting their wine on the world
map.
Photos & Text © Marisa D'Vari 2010
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The Wines of Freixenet by Marisa D'Vari |
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A+Australian wine presentation - ‘COOL CLIMATE WINEMAKING’, Monday 27th Sept. 2010 With Andrew Nugent, Winemaker and Viticulturalist at the Bird In Hand Winery In Adelaide Hills, South Australia.
AWE members enjoyed an informative and interesting seminar and tasting on Monday night at the WSET offices. Joined by the Wine Australia team and their guests, we enjoyed a generous flight of 12 wines split into 3 varietal categories of 4 of each of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Shiraz. Andrew’s wines were joined by other Adelaide Hills producers, all admirably expressing the cool climate regionality but each with their own winemakers stamp and individuality. A free pour tasting of 9 wines concluded the evening.
Linda Simpson, AWE member, welcomed guests and introduced the Wine Australia team, Regan, John, Camilla and Louise. A short introduction to the tasting was followed by a welcome to Andrew, Bird in Hand Winery plus Paul Dunn from Connect Wine.
Overview Andrew gave us all an insight into the winery location, climate and terroir.
Vines are situated 400 metres above sea level and benefit from the altitude and relatively cooler micro-climate. Significant diurnal fluctuation occurs, with day and night temperatures ranging between 31 to 12 degrees. Frost is not uncommon in the autumn and winter and lower areas can be prone to frost damage.
First plantings were approximately 130 years ago but this region is still seen as relatively young.
Sauvignon Blancs tend to show a tropical fruit style.
Chardonnay has improved immensely over recent years due to the use of new clones (Benard 76 and 96), providing more subtle, leaner, elegant styles of wine with more ageing potential. There are some distinct variations in style between the different Chardonnays due mainly to winemaker preference.
Shiraz here is cooler, leaner with pencil shaving characters as well as spice and pepper. It is a relatively cool climate for Shiraz. The heat of the 2008 vintage shows on those wines.
Vintages 2007 – Severe drought 2008 – Hot 38 degrees or above for many days 2009 – A very good year for Chardonnay (one day spiked to 41 degrees, however the diurnal drop plays a major part in keeping the wines elegant and fresh)
The Tasting We kicked off with a refreshing welcome glass of Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir 2009 The wine is tank fermented, Andrew is looking to retain freshness and avoid autolysis characters for this wine. |
Cool Climate Winemaking by
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Andrew, as we have found with other Australian winemakers, was very approachable with a refreshingly honest and open, relaxed manner.
Questions Plenty of questions came flooding in right from the start from the audience and some lively discussion followed.
It is always a real treat for our members to be able to meet the winemaker personally and we all enjoyed the chance to talk one on one and drill down on the detail. The usual popular subjects such as clones, malo, yeasts to name but a few, came up!
The evening concluded with the free-pour tasting, an added bonus to an already generous tasting.
Free-pour Croser Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2007 / Bridgewater Mill Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Chain of Ponds ‘Black Thursday’ Sauvignon Blanc 2009 / Bird in Hand Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Wolf Blass ‘Gold Label’ Chardonnay 2007 / Leabrook Estate Chardonnay 2006 Wakefield Estate Pinot Noir 2008 / Bird in Hand ‘Nest Egg’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Wolf Blass ‘Gold Label’ Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc 2001
Thanks again to Wine Australia and Andrew for presenting us with a fabulous view of the Adelaide Hills and ‘Cool Climate Winemaking’.
Text © Linda Simpson 2010 Photos © Brett Jones 2010
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If you, like many others, wrote off German wines for their medium-dry mediocrity, then look again: Gerd Seibert is making crisp, dry wines in the modern style at his winery at Neumagen-Dhron in the middle Mosel.
Oldest Neumagen, situated on the right bank between Trittenheim and Piesport, is the oldest wine making village in Germany. By 16BC, when the Roman Empire extended to the northern extremity of what is now France, they set up a chain of forts and fortified settlements from which to defend the eastern boundary of their empire along the Rhine, controlled from the capital at Trier.
Artefacts One of these settlements was at Neumagen and, to this day, artefacts from the first century are constantly being found. One of these, a detailed stone model of a Roman wine ship, unearthed in 1878 is now displayed at the museum in Trier. Accurate reproductions adorn the mantelpiece of many an illustrious burger in the village and a full-sized wooden model (pictured below) is moored beside the Mosel, as it would have been 2000 years ago.
Gerd’s family has been tending vines on the steep slopes surrounding Neumagen for more than 400 years from the time when a French physician, Phillipe Seibert, married the daughter of a Neumagen winemaker.
Best local sites Today, the various parcels comprise about 5 ha, including some of the best local sites: Rosengärtchen, Engelgrube and Dhroner Hofberger where he grows Riesling on the steep, Devonian slate slopes (see right) whilst Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) ripens on the gentler inclines of the upper slopes where the weathered slate is mixed with clay.
On the low land, by the river, he has planted Rivaner (Müller-Thurgau) from which he produces Rivaner Classic.
Dornfelder A law introduced in 1933 forbade the growing of all but white grapes in the Mosel but when the prohibition was lifted in 1987, Gerd seized the opportunity of planting the red-juiced Dornfelder, a Helfensteiner/Heroldrebe cross bred in 1956.
Pinot Noir Success with Dornfelder and the effects of climate change led him to plant Pinot Noir in 2000. From this, he makes a red and also a blanc de noirs. He is reluctant to include it in his Sekt, which continues to comprise Riesling and Weissburgunder.
Esca I visited Weingut Seibert in early September 2009 and again in the second week in September 2010. On my first visit, Gerd brought my attention to Riesling vines with yellowing leaves (see left), a sign that they were being attacked by Esca, a disease new to the area although it is common in the south-west of France.
There are two forms of the disease: one in which yield is reduced as the woody parts of the vine are destroyed, with the plant dying over several years; in the faster form of the disease, no fruit is formed and the vine dies in the same year.
Remedy The only known remedy is sodium arsenite, but this has been banned as a carcinogen. Dr. Philippe Larignon, of the French Institute of Vines and Wine, who has been researching Esca for the past 25 years, said that a replacement for sodium arsenite will be found, but not in the immediate future. Until then, the unfortunate growers can only root up infected vines in the vain hope that it will not spread.
Bone-dry What impresses me most about the Seibert trocken wines is their fresh-fruit, yet bone-dry style, much attuned to the modern UK palate and not at all the much maligned sweeter style that, to many, is synonymous with German wine.
Ageing All Seibert wines undergo a period of ageing in old (2 to 3 years) small oak casks after fermentation in stainless steel vats. This period will depend on the grape and the year but is generally about six months. 2009 was a good year for Seibert wines - excellent ripening conditions saw Pinots Blanc and Gris achieving 100o Oechsle while Pinot Noir reached 115o.
Gerd does not have a distributor in the UK so the prices are ex-cellar in euros.
Amongst the 2009 Neumagener wines we tasted were; Engelgrube Weisser Burgunder Trocken 4.60 euros Crisp, dry Pinot Blanc but with that typical Seibert fruit.
Rosengärtchen Spätlese Riesling Trocken 5.20 euros Wonderfully juicy fruit with refreshing, clean finish.
Rosengärtchen Auslese Riesling 8.00 euros Gerd does not wait for noble rot, but this late harvested Auslese ticks all the right boxes. Showing quality in youth, this will be stunning in a few years time. I’ll be drinking it with my Christmas pud for twelve years from 2012. Ask me how it develops. I am expecting great things from it. Text & Photos © Anthony Stockbridge 2010
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A German Winemaker With a Mind of His Own by |
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Congratulations, apparently you’re semi-vertical and able to read. Even so, you might be suffering from what is known medically as veisalgia, which is an amalgamation of the Greek word algia (pain) and a Norwegian word (kveis) with too many consonants to pronounce this morning, which means “uneasiness following debauchery.”
Elusive The cure to alleviating “uneasiness” is as elusive as the Holy Grail and remedies run the gamut from crushed swallows’ beaks mixed with myrrh, tea made from rabbit droppings or raw egg concoctions, such as the ever-popular prairie oyster. Log on to university sites and the student solutions are endless. And then there’s the pharmaceutical industry, which touts Berroca (an Aussie favorite), Sob’r-K Hangover Stopper, Chaser and Uncle Rummie’s Hangover Helper to name a few.
Cocktail The cure proves so elusive because a hangover is actually a cocktail of symptoms, which vary from person to person depending on the type, quantity and pace of alcohol drunk and the metabolism, health, weight, gender of the sorry drinker. And hangover symptoms include, well, I don’t need to tell you the symptoms, do I? But they are caused primarily by these five factors: alcohol breakdown, dehydration, nervous shock, nutrient depletion and stomach irritation.
Surprisingly, it is not alcohol that bangs us on the head, but the by-product of its breakdown, a devilish little substance called acetaldehyde (ass-it-all-duh-hide). A couple of sexy substances tucked away in our liver, glutathione and cysteine, find this nasty little toxin attractive and together they tame it into harmless vinegar. Unfortunately our stores of these playful substances quickly run out, leaving acetaldehyde hanging around in our system longer than it should.
Vasopressin By the time we start chortling at our own jokes, alcohol has suppressed the production of a vital hormone called vasopressin. Without vasopressin, our kidneys stop reabsorbing liquid into the body, sending it instead directly to the bladder which gives us a pressin’ need to visit the loo. Requiring fluids to function safely, our panicked organs ransack the body for water, ultimately pilfering it from our stupefied brains. With the loss of water, our brains contract, painfully pulling on the membrane attaching it to the skull.
While acetaldehyde is wreaking havoc with our brains, a host of depleted minerals are short-circuiting our nervous system. The loo visits expelled salts and potassium and vital nutrients needed for muscle and cellular function. Alcohol also breaks down our glycogen supply, shipping it faster than DHL out of our body. Without glucose we are weak, fatigued and lacking in the coordination needed to mix up a Bloody Mary.
The Shakes! Few good relationships end without the rebound effect. And in trying to recover from its brief courtship with alcohol, our body rebounds by producing too much glutamine, which is a natural stimulant. The result is sleeplessness and nervous shakes.
Alcohol also stimulates excessive acid production. And because alcohol is absorbed through our tummies, it doesn’t take long for our stomach linings to become irritated. Our exasperated stomachs adeptly signal the brain to induce nausea to get rid of the poison pronto!
Replenishing the nutrients The most effective hangover plan is to avoid excessive alcohol consumption, but your heads are screaming at me, “It’s too late, you fool. Just tell me how to fix it.” Begin the battle with eggs as they contain large amounts of cysteine, which helps mop up the toxic acetaldehyde. Bananas, sports drinks and kiwis (the fruit, not the people) replenish essential nutrients and help the body rehydrate. Fruit juices will restore energy and vitamins, but if your tummy is suffering, avoid acidic citrus-based drinks.
Hair of the dog Athletic-types swear by morning-after-exercise as it revs up the metabolism, helping to move the poison out of the system. And while more alcohol only prolongs the problem, the “hair of the dog” brings temporary relief because the body processes the new alcohol, suspending its activity with the noxious acetaldehyde. There is a theory that greasy food and light alcohol consumption throughout the day delays the painful toxicity until one’s fast asleep. But I didn’t tell you that.
© Debra Meiburg MW
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I have just experienced one of the most exciting weeks of my life. I may not have returned triumphant in terms of winning the title of European Champagne Ambassador but in every other sense I feel hugely jubilant! I gained a vast amount of knowledge, tasted the most exquisite and varied champagnes, made great contacts amongst the producers we met and, most importantly, made life-long friends with the candidates from the other countries.
Pluck There is no doubt that you do have to have some pluck to enter the competition as if you make it to the UK final then you have to present, basically act, in front of a panel of 5 high-profile wine luminaries in the salubrious surroundings of the Dorchester Hotel, and then, should you succeed through to the European final, you have to do it all again, twice, in front of 9 judges with simultaneous translation!
But clichés such as ‘you can’t win it if you’re not in it’ and ‘no pain, no gain’ spring to mind and I would urge all AWE members to enter in 2011. It is no surprise that we do well in this competition as we are skilled in presenting and know a thing or two about Champagne and only once has the UK been represented from someone outside of the AWE membership!
Experience & Kudos I did not enter for the prizes (which is just as well as it turns out!!) but for the experience and kudos it gave me. It doesn’t hurt sometimes to push the boundaries of one’s comfort zone and those nerves I felt facing the panel of judges in Epernay for the final were strangely uplifting!
VIP treatment But, believe me, the prizes are also worth having! 24 champagne glasses together with a case of champagne will come in very handy for tastings, and the week in Champagne (which you can read about in more detail on the AWE blog) was truly amazing - we ambassadors were royally looked after and highly regarded wherever we went – we were treated like VIPs. Did I mention we were filmed throughout our visits? Every time you turned around there was Thierry, our cameraman! The
result was premiered at the Awards dinner – a rather cringing experience, especially listening to one’s dodgy French accent and worse grammar! What’s involved? Arriving early at the CIVC (I can’t say fresh as a daisy after the week we had had!), you are introduced to the judges and draw lots as to the order of the presentations. When it is your turn for the gallows, you are offered three envelopes; you select two, read them and choose the question you want as the basis of your 15 minute presentation. You are given 30 minutes to prepare. 15 minutes in front of the judges seems both an age and no time at all!
I began comfortably enough but found the sea of expressionless faces, with no interaction whatsoever, threw me and half way through my presentation started to flounder a bit. It wasn’t a disaster but equally not my best performance, but as the Italian candidate, Marco Chiesa, wisely said, ‘You have to be able to deal with whatever audience you have’. How true – perhaps that is why he won!
Tasting After lunching with the judges, which seemed quite strange, the afternoon brings the tasting part of the presentation. You must assess and present three champagnes as if to a class of students who know very little about wine.
Nerves Again the judges merely watch and listen (some are listening to you via simultaneous translation, the translator being just to your left, curiously unobtrusive!) and don’t even taste with you. Like any exam, if you are well-prepared and can tame the nerves, then you can enjoy yourself. I was able to accomplish this in London much better than in Epernay.
Full of passion I can’t deny that I would have loved to have won but I was very gratified by an email from the President de Jury, Laurent Champs of Vilmars, who assured me that my presentation had been very enjoyable, full of passion, sincerity and warmth and that I make a great ambassador for Champagne – so that’s good!
Krug tasting l-r Dani Corman, Violaine de Caffarelli, Laura Clay. Photo © Marco Chiesa 2010
Winning depends on many things – obviously how you perform on that one day, who your competitors are that year, what the judges are looking for that particular year, and if, like me, you don’t manage to succeed, the CIVC still believe you to be a vital part in sharing the joys of champagne. © Laura Clay 2010
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European Champagne Ambassador Competition by |
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The appropriately named Antonio Flores (Gonzálaz Byass winemaker for the last 30 years), with UK’s managing director Martin Skelton, led a truly excellent tasting of Sherries from the Domaine in London on the 29th September 2010. The focus and theme was the role of Flor and its influence not only on Fino Sherry, but as a prelude to the production of aged Amontillados in particular.
7 wines were tasted, from the embryonic Palomino Mosto 2010 to a 60 year old Solera 4 Palmas. Along this route the role and influence of Flor was examined and exampled. Distilled from the bevy of salient information was the realisation that these little yeast are actually more complex and influential than an experienced Sherry drinker like myself originally realised.
Sacchromyces Beticus Although there are a number of yeast strains involved in the fermentation of the Palomino grape into a base wine, it is Sacchromyces Beticus that is the most important – not only its role in this stage but, more importantly, as Flor in the ageing process. Antonio explained that it changes its shape and in creating an autolytic “crust” on the wine forms a waxy shell which actually pushes, or repels, the wine away.
Random He confirmed that this process remains relatively random, but that fortification to between 14.5 and 15.3o abv encourages maximum concentration of these yeast and also their capacity to reproduce. This not only increases the potential depth of the crust in a single barrel, but boosts the chances of “cross pollination” to other neighbouring casks, which is rather important when you are managing around 20,000 barrels of Tio Pepe at any one time!
Careful consideration Clearly the barrels are not filled to the top, but space (about 100 litres spare capacity) is left to encourage further population growth.This involves careful consideration for fortification, when you consider that the average “Mosto” – ie base wine from the Palomino grape – is around 12.3o abv when first fermented. In addition, malolactic is generally blocked with this wine as it has a naturally low level of acidity (which was clearly evident when we tasted the Mosto 2010 sample).
Change of character This covering of yeast acts as an initial protector from oxidation but, more importantly, it lives on the wine and completely changes its character. Feeding on the amino acids, nitrogenous material, vitamins and residual sugars, the yeast population positively explodes and evolves into the vital semi-reductive layer which is the essence of Fino Sherry’s style.
Transformed Along this path, the yeast also starts to oxidise the ethanol into increasing levels of (acet)aldehydes. Very importantly, in feeding on both the residual sugar and glycerol in the wine it creates the intensely bone-dry character of Fino which we have come to associate so much with its style. In tasting the Solera Tio Pepe after 2 years under Flor it was remarkable how the wine had transformed so much from Mosto into the style we would associate with the finished Tio Pepe.
Nuances As the wine ages it not only becomes much drier, but acetaldehyde proportions start to rise dramatically – another essential element in the style. In just two years (from the Mosto stage) these levels increase from 70-80mg/l to 350mg/l in the (now) Solera Tio Pepe. At this stage the residual sugar level has fallen to below 1g/l and the wine has taken on the nearly complete profile of what we would recognise as being Tio Pepe Fino Sherry. The (2 year old Solera) sample shown on the day clearly demonstrated this remarkable transformation. For the first time nuances of nuttiness and even a little volatile acidity are there as well - as a tease to the potential Amontillado style, which might also evolve from this wine.
Bone-dry A Criadera 3ª Viña AB – a young Amontillado at 7/8 years old – exemplified the transition between a Flor based Fino and an evolving Amontillado, with its tightrope walk between autolytic Flor notes, aldehyde overlay and lifted VA. In addition, Flor’s capacity to consume alcohol – along with natural evaporation - had lifted the wine’s abv to 16.5o. The wine was by now bracingly bone dry and tangy. Antonio said that as any Sherry reached 16.0o abv (whether through evaporation or fortification) the capacity for Flor to survive – let alone flourish - diminished dramatically. Therefore after the wine has been clarified in the winter, taking the level of fortification to no more than 15.0o is essential - with a view that the natural processes will increase this potentially to 15.5o, as the Flor consumes another ½ degree of alcohol.
Essential By the time we tasted the Solera Viña AB (around 10 years old), Amontillado del Duque (30 years) and Solera 4 Palmas (60 years old) the oxidative process and ageing was not unsurprisingly the dominant feature. VA had increased from 0.35, to 0.8, to 1.3g/l respectively, with total acidity at over 8g/l – in effect double its original level vis-à-vis initial fermentation. But as Antonio stressed, it was absolutely essential that these wines had enjoyed an initial 10 year period under the influence and result of Flor ageing – without which they simply would not have evolved into the style and quality of wine we enjoyed on the day.
As he summarised, there were “5 Pillars” to the production of fine Sherry:
Consistent It struck me on the day that however large the scale of production of Tio Pepe is, it remains one of the world’s fine wines - and at under £10 a bottle at retail in the UK one of the highest quality to price ratios you will find. Antonio was modest and engaging, and it was heartening to think that he had followed his father into the role some thirty years ago – leaving you with a conviction that there was a correlation between expertise and experience, resulting in a direct and consistent translation to the wine itself.
As Martin Skelton said (who lived in the region for 16 years), the locals always revered the Fino style above all others – because that was where the true hard work, skill and spirit of Sherry really lay.
© Nick Adams October 2010
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CWW trip to Virginia - September 2010
Growing Sauvignon Blanc in Virginia? We’d been told it was impossible because of the climate but here was a winery not only doing it but doing it very well. Here it seems vintages can be swelteringly hot and early (as 2010 was turning out to be), or cold, wet and late (and all else in between).
Petit Verdot Perhaps less surprising, given Virginia’s aptitude for the variety, Veritas also make an excellent Petit Verdot. In fact it was partly their Petit Verdot that had brought me here in the first place; it was the star of a Virginian wine tasting the year before held by the Oxford Wine Company. I had always believed from the Bordelais that this variety was notoriously difficult to grow. It requires a certain boldness and courage to begin with but Veritas have been growing it since 2001. Not only that but they are making some really high quality wines.
The soil is made up of degenerate granite which also helps. Existing vines are being replaced by a more aromatic clone called Musque which has an intensely aromatic ‘New World style’.
Family affair At dinner the night before I had been seated next to the very affable Andrew Hodson, owner of Veritas. A leading paediatric specialist, he had moved from the UK with his wife Patricia to work in California many years before. After a very successful career as a doctor, Andrew and his family decided to take on a vineyard and Veritas was established in 1999. It is very much a family business: Patricia looks after the vineyards and Andrew and his daughter, Emily Pelton (National Woman Winemaker of the Year in 2007), look after the winemaking; son-in-law Edward Pelton is in charge of the tasting room and events. Their first vintage was 2001 and produced only 2000 cases; their present production is 12,000 cases.
Arriving on a bright, sunny morning in September we stood on the wide wrap-around veranda admiring the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. We were then gently ushered inside for a seated tasting which included some of their older vintages.
Elegant We tasted a comprehensive selection of Veritas wines: a rosé; 5 whites (a Viognier, two Chardonnays of differing styles and a very interesting Petit Manseng, all 2009 vintage); five reds showing different vintages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot going back to 2002. All of the wines were at least very good and well-crafted and were beautifully textured and elegant in style. Here are a few comments on some of the wines which, for different reasons, really stood out.
The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve had a very good balance between classic SB aromatics without overdoing the herbaceous/green pepper aromas, but instead showed a more tropical passion fruit fragrance. On the palate, vibrant acidity was balanced by good flavour intensity and a fairly rich texture. (50% was in neutral barrels to give it a rich texture and mouth-feel)
2008 Petit Manseng (50g/l RS) This was an interesting wine with a fragrance of quince and honey. On the palate there was a delicious balance between sweetness and vivid acidity, green plum & quince notes contrasting with ripe honeydew melon flavours.
2002 Cabernet Franc Vintner's Reserve - 18 months in oak. The second vintage made here and drinking beautifully now. This was a real treat to taste and stood out for its supremely silky, melt-in-the-mouth texture, neither a big wine nor light, just beautifully poised and balanced. This is Cabernet Franc at its best with heady perfumed, violet notes as well as dark plum and cherry qualities to the fruit.
This was a really stylish and well-made wine with a lovely richness and depth of flavour without being heavy, again showing a wonderful melting texture with very clean, pristine fruit and high quality oak, as yet a little prominent in this still young wine.
They make good sparkling wine too in collaboration with Claude Thibaut, 1200 cases in all – a white called ‘Bubbly’ and ‘Scintilla, a rosé ‘Mousseux’, both Methode Traditionale.
© Susan Hulme MW 2010
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In Vino Veritas by
The name Veritas, latin for truth, in part derives from family values but also from the motto of Harvard University which was attended by the previous owner.
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CWW trip to Virginia - September 2010
Kluge Estate must be one of the most well-connected and well-heeled of the wineries we visited in Virginia; it has deservedly a big reputation for sparkling wine - both the Kluge NV Sparkling and Kluge rosé were drunk at this year's Clinton wedding. Patricia Kluge had been married to MetroMedia billionaire John Kluge, (at one time the richest man in America) and was granted this estate as part of their divorce settlement.
No Expense Spared On our visit there was a feeling that no expense had been spared on hiring the leading French names as consultants and on lavishing attention on the vineyard. Indeed it was Patricia’s friend, Robert Mondavi who suggested that Michel Rolland should consult for Kluge. This he has done for the last 6 or 7 years. This was deemed quite a coup as Kluge is the only East Coast winery he consults for. I had very high expectations of the visit so I was surprised when some of my colleagues and I were left feeling a little underwhelmed by some of the reds.
Sample tasting We were met and hosted for the first part of our visit by CEO and owner Bill Moses (Patricia’s husband), his director of winemaking, Gregory Brun, and a team of helpers. We were taken into the vineyards for a small sample tasting of four of their wines. It was late afternoon in early September, so a vineyard tasting should have been perfect but in this ‘exceptionally warm and early’ vintage, it was still far too hot to stand in direct sunlight so we dodged the intensity of the light and looked for shade under a large tree.
Largest On their magnificent 900 acre estate in Middlesburg, Virginia, 220 acres are planted under vine, making them one of the largest producers in Virginia. Gregory explained that the vineyard plantings are divided almost equally between varieties for their red wines and those used for sparkling wines - 120 acres planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for their sparkling wine, and 100 acres planted with red Bordeaux varieties. Their Chardonnay comes under the Monticello AVA.
Soil variety Gregory Brun arrived from the Mâconnais 3 years ago with the particular aim of micro-managing the different vineyard plots. He explained that, while the topsoil is comprised of red clay and sandy loam, it varies in depth from 1 to 4 feet; also the sub-soils vary greatly in composition, being either impenetrable basalt or schist where the roots can go very deep. As vigour varies considerably, they use GPS to micro-manage individual vineyard plots and determine how to treat them and when to harvest etc.
Subdued With all this intense attention to detail I was expecting great things of the wines but found the two red wines back in the tasting room were a little subdued and flat, with somewhat rustic tannins (the Albermarle 2006 and Kluge Estate 2006 pre-release, both Bordeaux blends of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Malbec). It may be that not all of the wines were freshly opened.
Fine-tuning Admittedly we did try the 2006 vintage and when I asked Gregory when the effects of all the changes and fine-tuning in the vineyard would be reflected in the wines he said not until the 2007 vintage. Unfortunately we were not able to taste any barrel samples so I look forward to seeing what the 07’s are like.
French Connection Kluge are most famous for their sparkling wine, and are probably the most renowned in the state for this style. While Jonathan Wheeler is the director of the sparkling wine programme, the French connection is continued with consultant Laurent Champs, owner of Vilmart et Cie in Champagne. These wines are mostly a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir although they also make 200 cases of sparkling Pinot Noir which from this vintage will be kept on the lees longer, 3 years instead of the previous two year regime. Gregory said they may even keep it for 4 years on the lees. We weren’t able to taste a barrel sample of this to get an idea how good it was or was likely to be.
The wines we tasted in the vineyard were all good, fresh, lively and appealing:
Kluge Sparkling Wine - 8g/l r/s Mid-gold, lovely ripe apple and ripe yellow plum aromas on nose, creamy texture balanced by refreshing acidity. Kluge Sparkling Blanc de Blancs, 20% fermented in old oak. Lovely rich brioche and pastry aromas and flavours combine with a creamy texture. For me the best wine we tasted here. Albermarle 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, vines planted in 2006, $18 This was was crisp and lively on the palate with green apple flavours and a hint of tropical ripeness, though it was just a little short on the finish. Albermarle Rosé 2009 (saignée) It was a deep salmon colour with green and red apple aromas; a good round, smooth mouth-feel, balanced with fresher, green apple flavours. © Susan Hulme MW 2010
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Kluge Estate Winery & Vineyard by |
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In retrospect, it was a mad idea, but we were lucky, really lucky… Brett Jones and I enjoy walking in the Alps and had never done any serious walking in Britain, so when we saw the The Snowdonia Challenge advertised to raise funds for the Benevolent (www.thebenevolent.org.uk) we thought it would be fun, and that it would be a good way to raise funds for the trade’s charity.
Between us, we have worked in some way connected with the wine business for more than 70 years, so it seemed like we should support the charity. Why was it so mad? Well, it’s the combination of the notorious bad weather in North Wales and the fact that, even though lots and lots of friends and relatives told us they knew many people who had hopped, skipped or run up Snowdon, we really weren’t that sure.
Relentless No, the climb isn’t technical, but the route up the Pyg track, which we did in the end, is quite relentlessly steep with some minor scrambling and lots of big stone steps. In rain/mist, I’m not sure if I could have motivated myself to continue.
As it was, the day dawned cold, windy and bright – bright being the saving grace. Wrapped up with hat and gloves (plus spares in the back pack as instructed by event organisers, along with an orange survival blanket, a whistle, lots of water, snacks and lunch…) we met at a civilised 9.15am.
Well, fairly civilised. We had been warned that the only suitably-timed bus from Betws-y-Coed, where we were staying, got very full, so we had started much earlier. The Pen y Pass car park, at the bottom of the Pyg and Miners tracks, fills up even earlier and costs £10.
Thousands The only downside of the fine weather on a weekend is the – literally – thousands of people who climb Snowdon in these conditions.
We were in the slow group, thank goodness, and neither of us was the oldest for our sex, which we both thought we might be.
Stunning We had a brilliant guide, all that a mountain guide should be – sympathetic, supportive, informative, pleasant to chat with and thoughtful (“why not stop now for a snack, you’ll need to recharge for the next bit”). The Pyg track had stunning views all the way, and as we reached the ridge it was stupendous, with 360° views, to Anglesey and much of North Wales.
We took the longer but easier route down, the Llanberis path, which had an added bonus for train-spotter Brett: much of it goes in parallel with the steam train track.
Benevolent One person we walked with was Karen, an ex-social worker who works part-time for the Benevolent as a welfare officer in the north of England. Her job involves ‘vetting’ and supporting applicants who apply for help because of illness or old age, or for a place in the sheltered housing run by the Benevolent.
Buddies We also walked with John Comyn with whom I had chats about Savoie wines (which he has represented occasionally), but also about the Benevolent – he is a volunteer chairman of the northern homes committee and a staunch supporter. Most of the younger crowd walking that day were part of the Benevolent Buddies, set up in 2005 and who run and participate in various fund-raising events.
It was good to hear how things worked for the charity we were supporting. In the evening, somewhat aching and, being in the slow group, with time only for a quick shower, we met up for a convivial dinner, wine and chat with people from the other two groups including Eleanor Perry, the event organiser, and Cheng Loo, chief executive of the Benevolent. Cheng was unable to walk with us because of injury but had enjoyed a solitary train ride up and down (she is also doing some sort of sponsored silence for the Benevolent that I never got to find out about, as she was talking too much…).
We stayed in an excellent guest house (www.aberconwyhouse.co.uk), had a couple of decent meals and spent the next day in a leisurely fashion visiting Portmeirion, again in fine weather, so all in all we had a great weekend.
Through our Just-Giving page (www.justgiving.com/wink-lorch), we have raised £687.50 between us (plus some extra tax) and the Benevolent hopes to raise more than £5,000 from the day’s event. Our page will stay open for another couple of months should anyone wish to donate.
Text © Wink Lorch 2010 Photos © Brett Jones 2010
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The Snowdonia Challenge by |
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Keith Grainger, founding member of the AWE, highly-respected wine educator, award-winning author for his book Wine Quality Tasting and Selection, ran an excellent AWE seminar on ‘Quality in Wine’ in September.
What is quality? The theme was pretty straightforward and was summed up by Keith’s opening remark - ‘We can all define wine, but what about quality?' If we have quality, can we have consistency too? Big brands will tell us that you can, and talk up the quality of their product when its key feature is really consistency but to aim for consistency, as many producers do, means that the winemaker is not quite aiming for the best that can be achieved and thus consistency must come at a cost to quality.
Business There are, of course financial constraints on almost any product. Very few things are made with no regard to cost, so sometimes the reality of the balance sheet is a limiting factor. This is true for producing wine as well as selling it. In the UK in particular, the supermarkets have a stranglehold on the wines that most people drink and they guard their margins carefully - a winemaker cannot lavish love and care on a wine that no one will get a chance to buy or that makes him a loss.
Can we be objective? Quality has to be assessed in order to be seen to exist and so the question of objectivity was discussed. Is it possible for us to be, not only objective, but consistently unbiased in how we see things? Keith made many interesting points about this to demonstrate that being objective and unbiased is ‘framework dependent’. This is what he meant:
In the past, the ‘chicken shit’ character in Burgundian Pinot Noir, brettanomyces, was considered a good thing and part of the terroir - now it is thought of as a fault by most people. Similarly, the petrol-like character of Rieslings is not widely approved of anymore, so sometimes the parameters change and a formerly sought-after attribute comes to be seen as a fault or flaw.
Older vs Younger Both of the examples above are easy to understand, as modern wines are expected to be more fruit-forward and brighter than those in the past.
So the age of a wine matters too - some tasters just appreciate older wine more than others. To some people, quality is easier to appreciate in younger, fruitier wines, whereas others want to taste the wine several years down the track.
Hostage Remember too that, however objective a taster strives to be, he is hostage to his history, culture and training. So a Burgundian oenologist who studied at the Université de Bourgogne will assess a Meursault very differently from a Davis trained California winemaker.
Typicity Another framework is typicity. Keith rightly said that a wine does not need to be typical to be of good quality, but we all know many French people who would question that view and will, at least in part, judge the quality of a wine by how typical it is. This, of course, ties in with the fact that AOC laws, and similar, are not guarantees of quality, despite legally defining levels of ‘quality wine’.
Technically correct, but... Keith also made the point that a great deal of emphasis is nowadays given to technical analysis in a laboratory, in order to get technically correct wine. That really has nothing to do with quality as we traditionally understand it - a wine can be technically correct in every way, but still be dull, whereas a wine can have questionable attributes, but still have those flashes of brilliance that make it stand out. A Beaucastel or a Musar spring to mind.
Consistency Wine assessors should be consistent and Keith made the point that a wine critic should be assessing the absolute quality of a wine or vintage and should therefore not re-evaluate quality on each tasting of the same wine - if he did it right in the first place, the maturity changes, not the quality. Kevin Powell asked, “Of all Robert Parker’s 100 point wines, which is the best?”!
Wine Tasting Keith asked some very interesting and far reaching questions:
Can we see quality? Even cheap modern wines look bright, which might imply high quality to consumers. We do seem to associate bright wines with quality, but does that mean that a wine that isn’t bright is not of good quality? Surely not, too many great Burgundy wines of the past would have fallen by the wayside if that were true.
Tricks Intensity of colour is something that many modern consumers associate with quality as well, in Virginia recently a wine maker told me of his Nebbiolo that, ‘customers used to Cabs and Merlots tell us these wines aren’t dark enough to be any good.’ However, we all know that lightly coloured wines from a wide array of grapes can be of excellent quality. As Keith also pointed out, it is something of a concern that producers occasionally resort to tricks such as using Constellation’s megapurple or some juice from teinturier grapes to darken the colour of a wine so that it more accurately meets a consumer’s inaccurate expectations - so further strengthening the myth that dark wines are good wines.
Can we smell quality? Sadly, it seems that there is too much going on for this to be a definite yes, although there can, of course, be hints towards finding out. It would make sense that a wine with complex aromas is more likely to be of high quality, but that it isn’t a given by any means.
Differences It would again seem to depend on that old framework thing. In my youth, tasters were looking for different things from today. People want brighter, fresher wines with more emphasis on fruit and vivid characters than they used to. Different nationalities and types want different things in their wines; I generally look for elegance and balance, European tasters seek typicity, whereas winemakers and technicians hunt for faults - perhaps they listen to the sound system, rather than the music!
Can we detect quality on the palate? Again many modern consumers confuse concentration for quality - and more than a few winemakers too. Of course a dilute wine is, almost by definition, not good quality, but the reverse cannot be true. Also, tasting conditions can be a problem, as can sheer tasting skill and consistency. It is very easy to be inconsistent when tasting, particularly when your palate is tired after 20-30 wines.
Of course, the length or finish of the wine has always been regarded as the final arbiter of quality, with Keith reckoning that any finish over 30 seconds is great.
Can the winemaker create quality? Soils, it seems, give differences rather than quality, although Keith did say that well-drained soil was inherently better than not.
The age of the vines failed to impress him as well, the balance of the vine being much more important. This goes for vineyard practices too - a green harvest is all very well, he said, but if the plant was in balance then it wouldn’t be needed. Generally, Keith is of the opinion that it is the care taken in the vineyard and winery rather than the methods used which is responsible for quality.
Can the winemaker undermine quality? Keith was certainly of the opinion that faults and flaws are a major problem and informed us that TCA - 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole - only appeared after World War Two as a consequence of using cheap insecticides. We have to assume, therefore, that the concept of a corked wine in the distant past was different and referred more to a failed cork that had allowed the wine to oxidise.
Brettanomyces Keith was particularly critical of the presence of brettanomyces in wines, regarding it as a flaw. The very best wines that clearly display this seem very antiquated, like the wines we read about in nineteenth century books.
Reduction A more modern flaw that received the full brunt of the Grainger fire, is reduction. There seems to be an increasing trend to excessive, almost burnt reduction characters that refuse to dissipate. Keith thinks this is taking over from cork taint as the number one wine fault - although sadly many consumers do not seem to consider it a problem. Perhaps they even think they like it.
I would personally add bottle variation to this list when it comes about because of the corks. Not cork taint, just using corks that are not good enough stop the wine being as bright as it ought.
Skills and diligence So, perhaps this is the crux of the matter - all those buzz words, concentration, canopy-management etc. are just so much garnish. Perhaps true quality stems simply from good-old fashioned attention to detail, skill and diligence in the vineyards and winery.
Assessing quality It is no use achieving ‘quality’ if no one knows, so only summing up the impression of the wine can, in the end, indentify quality. A great taster can recognise subtle differences between wines, supply a context and put them into words as well.
In talking about ‘quality’, Keith meant good quality, or even great quality. However, he kept referring to another quality - how enjoyable a wine is. He was refreshingly forthright that not enough mention is made of how enjoyable and drinkable a wine should be and I, for one, intend to follow his lead.
© Quentin Sadler 2010
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Quality In Wine Seminar
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In October five lucky winners (including myself) of an essay competition for Master of Wine students sponsored by AXA Millésimes were invited to spend a week as a group visiting their properties in Bordeaux and Tokaji, with the option of
adding other estates in France and Portugal to their visit after the formal tour had ended. The visit was arranged to coincide with the harvest, so that we could see the entire process of winemaking during this time. Ever wanted to sleep in an room with a turret? All of us had our chance at Château Pichon Longueville, where we stayed during our time in Bordeaux. The first morning began with a vineyard tour with Jean-Rene Matignon, the technical manager who has been at Château Pichon Longueville since 1985. The vineyard was flooded with Spanish pickers and the selection tables were a frenzy of activity as the luscious blue-purple grapes were brought to reception.
After the double sorting, the winery’s new optical sorting machine selected the most picture-perfect grapes, resulting in berries so gorgeous, round, and delectable they seemed destined for a food magazine cover. Afterwards, we tasted wine in the interior laboratory, and then were privileged to have a vertical tasting of Pichon-Longueville 2000 – 2009 with Christian Seely.
Visiting Château Suduirant
In past centuries, the Disznoko estate had been an icon of Tokaji wines. It had fallen into disrepair after the socialist era, and since AXA acquired it in 1992, it received the investment necessary to bring it back to its former glory.
Lazlo Meszaros (pictured right) is the Technical Director here, and he is passionate about his wines and like all the other AXA team, took every opportunity to give us a brilliant education. At Disznoko, the proportion of native grape varieties mirrors that of the wine region as a whole:
60% Furmint: this noble variety gives firmness and strength to the wine. It ripens late, has a lively acidity. 9% Zeta: a cross of Furmint with Bouvier.
1% Yellow Muscat: an aromatic variety.
The Harvest Earlier, before botrytis, Furmint, Harslevelu, and Muscat grapes had been harvested to make dry wines which will later
be used in the Tokaji’s production.
Now, in mid-October, it is the time to harvest the Aszu grapes. Local pickers are out in force, and we grab pails to pick the grapes. The grapes are taken to a large container, where a man steps inside and stomps on them to reduce volume and begin the release of free run juice. This juice is pumped out to become Essencia, leaving the residual pulp for masceration with a base wine. Base wine is created from berries remaining after the picking, and fermented about 14 degrees for three weeks. Then the Aszu berry pulp and the base wine are mascerated for 48 hours in ratios of 1 kg to 1 litre in stainless steel tanks that can hold quantities in multiples of 140 litres. For example, 140 kg of Aszu (7 puttonyos of 20kg each) when mascerated with 140 litres of base wine becomes 4-0 litres of 7 puttonyos wine.
Skill The Aszu is run off to casks, and a slow second fermentation takes place for at least two years in underground cellars. During this time the Aszu wines come down to the 5 or 6 puttonyos level. The skill of creating the best Aszu wines is in the blending, which is where Lazlo shines.
Languedoc: Visiting Mas Belles Eaux Daniel Llose, a key member overseeing the AXA team of winemakers among other responsibilities, and Mas Belles Eaux Technical Director Cedric Loiseau, showed me around the newly built, gravity-fed winery and the hectares of land. Colorful charts showed the way that Daniel, Cedric, and the AXA team replanted so that the appropriate vines grew on the most appropriate soil.
As we taste through the wines, I’m struck by the quality and affordable
price. The Languedoc is a tricky region, as “know your producer” is paramount. Given Cedric’s talent and his state-of-the art winemaking facilities and technology even within the vineyard, the brand is sure to go far.
Text & Photos © Marisa D'Vari 2010
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AXA Visit by Marisa D'Vari |
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There were several reasons why Linda Simpson and I attended The Semillons in July:
And that is what we told we told our husbands.
Of course, the actual reason for going was to catch a glimpse of Tim Atkin, Anthony Rose, Michael Cox and others in the buff!
Whoever still believes the world of wine to be stuffy and snobby should have been at Vinopolis that night. An evening of theatricals, thrills and thongs (though thermals might have been more appropriate in some cases!) kept us entertained all night.
Money well spent As a woman, I had had to pay over £30 for my ticket (it was less for men) but I can assure you this was great value and money well spent! It included a glass of bubbly on arrival, many wines to taste and drink, very substantial canapés, the ‘entertainment’ and a disco! All our very basic needs were met!
After half an hour of socialising and pretence that we were all serious wine-professionals, there for the reasons given above, the men in the audience suddenly disappeared. I have no idea where they went and care less – it was Game On for the girls!
Six Pack Our very own Honorary President, Charles Metcalfe, appeared on stage in a DJ and very impressive six-pack (see right).
Later the DJ was replaced by a different suit – think lime green, Borat-style swim wear. No photo included as no self-respecting wine educator should have to see this sight. But if you really must, check out www.semillons.co.uk!).
Topless As you would expect, Charles hosted the evening fantastically, first introducing a bevy of beautiful boys, all young men in the wine trade, topless and tanned who topped up our glasses of champagne magnificently! I wish my champagne was always poured for me thus!
Dirty Dancing A moment to recover ourselves, catch our collective breath, then Guy Woodward was on stage wearing nothing but a Decanter pinny (I cannot report on his purpose or role - I was a tad distracted and have absolutely no idea what he said, forgive me!), and a bid was made for a chance to do a bit of dirty dancing with Gerard Bertrand, former French rugby international and Languedoc wine producer. He didn’t bare all but his hip-swinging was to behold! The crowd (feeling a bit more like a pack by now) was ready for some serious action......... and on they came!
Entertaining Now I know the members of The Semillons are not known for their shrinking-violet qualities, but this still must have taken an awful of guts. And work-outs. And rehearsals. And ........make-up! The guys, including those already mentioned above, as well as the Italian Stallion, Michael Palij, Gearoid Devaney, Andrew Shaw, Rupert Ellwood and Barry Dick (I resist. Please fill in your own double-entendre!) deserve to be very proud of themselves. Their dancing (for it is this of which I write!) was well-choreographed, pretty well-executed, in sync, and entertaining.
Linda and I had positioned ourselves at a safe distance from the stage but we did spot Bryony Wright bravely (salaciously?!) near the front – I can only imagine, and do, the view she had. I have never seen the Chippendales but I have no doubt at all that The Semillons would give them a run for their money.
Success Their fairy godmother, Christelle Guibert, deserves recognition and praise for a job well done, not just in transforming her Semillons into a thing of beauty, raving or otherwise, but for the success of the whole evening.
The event raised over £13,000 with almost everything being sponsored, from the venue to the photographer, from the costumes to the food. Nicolas Feuillatte provided the champagne, Wine Australia the chocolate fountain with ‘stickies’ to match, and many companies had taken tables for tasting opportunities (why else would the men have come?) and offered wine for an ‘every ticket wins’ raffle.
I returned to my hotel with a couple of decent bottles from the raffle, a sore face from laughing, sore feet from dancing and sadly, a sore head in the morning!
All good fun and all for ‘charidee.’
Text © Laura Clay 2010 Photos © Nigel James 2010 (www.nigeljames.net)
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The Semillons by
Sémillon: "it sits around sullenly like an overweight schoolgirl, showing fatness or just plain dullness.
In odd places though, as if under the spell of a fairy godmother, it can be transformed into a raving beauty. ”
Vines, Grapes and Wines, Jancis Robinson
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In many ways Virginia is the heart of the United States of America. This is a land drenched in a history that resonates in our time, the world as we know it was in no small degree made here. However, wine has not really been a traditional part of the landscape or culture, which is not surprising given that the area was in large part originally settled by people from England’s West Country who would have been more used to quaffing cider and ale.
Legal Requirement True, there have been sporadic experiments with grape growing and wine making since 1609 when records show that some wine was made from native grapes. So important was wine, that for a time it was a legal requirement for every Jamestown householder to cultivate at least ten vines. They even went so far as to employ French experts to help grow these European vines, but the humid and unusual conditions defeated them.
Summer & Winter Success was achieved by Charles Carter of Cleve Plantation in Hume. By the 1760s he had 1,800 vines planted and even sent some wine to London to be sampled by the agriculture committee for the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacture, and Commerce (now the Royal Society of Arts). The two wines were made from the American 'winter' grape – almost certainly a native variety – and white Portugal 'summer' grapes – possibly a European or Vitis Vinifera grape, perhaps even a Madeira variety.
The Society was impressed and ‘they were both approved as good wines,’ and Carter was awarded a gold medal as the first person to make a ‘spirited attempt towards the accomplishment of their views, respecting wine in America.’
We were fortunate enough to taste a 2009 vintage Chardonnay from this estate – still farmed by the same family: 2009 Philip Carter Winery of Virginia Cleve Plantation Chardonnay - Barrel fermented in 15% new French oak. The nose was delicate and creamy and notes of white peach, toast and vanilla. The palate too was delicate with gently creamy nutty characters, good acidity and beautifully integrated oak. Very good indeed with lovely balance and a long clean finish – 90/100 points.
Norton In the early nineteenth century there was a little more success in that grapes were grown and wine produced, but mainly from the strong Norton grape. Norton hails from Virginia and is regarded as a native - although it may be a cross with some Vinifera, possibly Pinot Meunier - and does not require grafting to survive phylloxera.
It seems that Norton was all that thrived here during the nineteenth century and when Prohibition sounded the death knell of the small Virginian wine industry, even this grape virtually died out. What little wine tradition there was had almost disappeared and was not revived until well into the 1970s.
Zonin Of course by the 1970s, viticulture was better understood and some people were convinced that Vitis Vinifera could successfully be grown in Virginia. Amongst them was Gianni Zonin, who, in 1976, decided to create a new winery here, Barboursville, as the only US subsidiary of his family’s Italian wine empire. It seems that this was the catalyst required to kick start wine production in Virginia and other pioneers quickly followed suit.
Site selection So, what made the growing of Vitis Vinifera possible in modern times, when success had eluded people for hundreds of years? Unlike New York’s Finger Lakes region, there does not appear to be one simple answer. Site selection seems to be even more crucial here than in gentler climates – it is important to avoid the worst heat and humidity, so high land on the Blue Ridge or lower land, cooled by Chesapeake Bay, seem to be the most favourable.
Grafting By the 1970s it appears that no one had grafted vines in Virginia before and that is surely the single greatest difference between modern Virginian grape growing and the experiments of the past. The Virginian wine industry of the nineteenth century had settled on the pretty much exclusive use of Norton, which does not need grafting to survive. Of course we live in times where the science of grape growing is more understood than ever before, so just grafting the Vinifera onto hardy American rootstock – very often Vitis Riparia or Vitis Rupestris – is not enough. We can now have the best rootstock for the specific Vitis Vinifera variety being grown, coupled with the correct rootstock for the PH levels in the soil as well.
Originally they planted what the rest of America grows, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and some continue to get good results – there is some excellent, delicate Chardonnay produced in Virginia. However, Cabernet Sauvignon is a late ripening grape and does not suit the Commonwealth’s short growing season. Viognier seems to be their white grape of choice and it is giving them very good results indeed. Sauvignon Blanc appears to be more patchy and many vignerons think that it cannot be grown successfully in Virginia, but we did try three good examples:
2009 Linden Vineyards Avenius Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc This superb wine by Jim Law (one of the giants of Virginian wine) was one third fermented in French barrels and aged on the lees. Good nose, mineral, subtly zesty with a taut quality and a whiff of herbs as well as something more exotic like tangerine or passion fruit. Clean and pure and mineral with a little touch of ripe tropical fruit, almost pineapple with lime and quite a rich texture overlaying the acidity. Acidity below the weight, zestiness on the finish and a little creamy ripeness – 90/100 points.
2009 Breaux Vineyards Water Bent Sauvignon Blanc This too was barrel fermented – Breaux favour barrels made by the staves being immersed in water to be bent, rather than steaming, claiming it gives softer results and better integration. The nose was of zesty lemon curd. The palate was very soft with a backbone of acidity that does not dominate and subtle toasty spice all with a delicately creamy texture, very attractive, but very soft wine – 89/100 points.
2009 Veritas Winery Sauvignon Blanc Reserve Andrew Hodson’s Veritas was a real highlight of the trip. His wines are consistently elegant and fine.
This has lovely aromatics – green and zesty with a little grapefruit and minerality. The palate was bursting with lemon and lime, with a slightly creamy quality from partial barrel fermenting giving it an elegant fatness all the while kept in balance by crisp acidity. Really good complexity and lovely stony minerality and acidity on the finish – 92/100 points.
Keswick I was really struck by a Verdejo from Keswick Vineyards (pronounced Kez-Wik locally). As, with some noble exceptions, Sauvignon Blanc does not seem to prosper in Virginia’s climate, perhaps Verdejo is a pointer to the future of crisp dry white wines in the Commonwealth. Another unusual white grape that is being put to good use in Virginia is Petit Manseng. There is also some Albariño grown here and the results really show the enticing nature of this beguiling grape. Two examples stood out:
2009 Willowcroft Vineyard’s Albariño from Loudon County in Northern Virginia, not far from Washington, showed the richer, almost Viognier-like side of the variety.
Nearby, Chrysalis Vineyard on the other hand, produced a 2009 Albariño that showcased the grapes’ delicate characteristics, still scented and fragrant, but with a crisper seam of acidity. As for red wines and red grapes, Virginia is somewhat spoilt for choice. They have a need for early ripening varieties as the climate is not generous enough to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon or Carmenère, of which there is a little.
Signature They have turned instead to Cabernet Franc as their signature red grape – and there are some delicious examples that are not overshadowed by their Loire Valley cousins in any way. Recently there have been some excellent results with Petit Verdot as well, which seems very strange as this variety is considered a late ripener and, in Bordeaux, ripens later than Cabernet Sauvignon. We tried superb examples of both as well as Bordeaux style blends and more than one excellent Nebbiolo, possibly a sign of things to come.
All in all, Virginia is a beautiful wine producing region that makes wines that will really appeal to those who like classic wines with good fruit, but with a very European twist and feel to them.
© Quentin Sadler 2010
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Virginia: a land of history & wine
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The Robola Wine Cooperative is located on the island of Kefalonia, part of the Ionian Islands of western Greece. Most of the quality Robola grapes are planted on poor chalky and stony soils at an altitude of 800 meters. This is a very dry area with only 600ml of rain per year.
However, it has cool microclimates with southern facing slopes which retain moisture throughout the summer and the grapes cool down at night, which is fortunate as the temperature reached 100 degrees on the 27th August this year when the grapes were being picked.
Night-picking Harvest had started 8 days before, on the slopes of the gorgeous, green Mount Ainos, and next to the monastery of St. Gerasimos. The majority of the grapes were hand-picked at night to keep them in good condition.
Robola promotion The cooperative, which accounts for 70% of the whole area, was founded in 1982 and was formed to promote the Robola grape and to protect the interests of the grape growers in the appellation zone. It has 300 members but some families have 4 members with shares and they will get better prices for their grapes at vintage time.
The cheapest wine that they produce is Robola of Kefalonia and this can come from seven communities in the southern and central mountains of Kefalonia.
My two favourite wines from Robola were:
Robola San Gerassimo Mineral apricot, stone fruit and citrus aromas. Crisp acidy, a well-balanced minerally wine with pineapple, blossoms and citrus freshness on the palate. Ripe fruit with a balanced finish.
Bio Robola A dry white wine from organically cultivated vineyards without the use of chemicals or fertilisers.
© Paul Quinn 2010
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Robola Wine Cooperative, Kefalonia by Paul Quinn |
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Sometimes it’s a pleasant change to read a wine publication that isn’t technical or learned. So I enjoyed this book by the young American wine writer Mark Oldman. With its subtitle of “Pleasure, Value and Adventure beyond Wine’s Usual Suspects” Mark introduces you to a world of discovery of “little gems where costs are moderate and insiders hang their hats”.
He caters to wine enthusiasts of all levels. He nudges the novice in the direction of identifying new styles that suit their tastes. For those with intermediate knowledge he introduces new and reborn regions as well as fresh twists on certain classics. For wine professionals the book is designed to fill in gaps and help choose “among the stars in the constellation of worthy wine types”.
With 46 chapters of no more than seven pages each he concentrates on what “you really need to know, sparing you lengthy elaborations on geology, chemistry and history”. Under the main heading of Brave New Pours, the chapters have inviting titles such as “Riesling from Austria: The Floral, Flinty Invigorator”, “Pinot Noir from Oregon: Fine-Boned and Ego Free”, “Bargain Bordeaux: Pedigree Lost, Value Found” and “Grower Champagne: Farmer Fizz, Brewed by the Boss”.
Alternatives The best advice Mark offers are alternative wines at the end of each chapter (à la Amazon “if you like this, you’ll like that”) and summed up in one of the appendices where the “Usual Suspect” is on the left with “Brave New Pours” indicated to the right. This is especially useful for those wine buyers (and I think we meet many such people) who are daunted by the rows of bottles in supermarkets where the only assistance on offer is a dumb shelf talker.
Mark Oldman has written a very useful book in a relaxed, friendly and fun manner. It would be very useful for the novice wanting to explore the huge variety of wines on offer, as well as for those more knowledgeable to nudge them in different, exciting directions.
Brave New World of Wine by Mark Oldman is available from Amazon at £14.99 but is shipped from the USA so takes 4+ weeks.
http://www.markoldman.com/videos/brave_trailer
© Brett Jones 2010
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Mark Oldman’s Brave New World of Wine Reviewed by |
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As Trevor makes clear from the start, this book is less about the history of the island, which has been well covered elsewhere, and much more about the present. As such, it makes an excellent guide to Madeira and its wines, with detailed information (often shown in useful table form) on production, sales, grape varieties and comparisons between the different producers.
I learnt a huge amount, not least (a serious cause of envy) that Trevor has clearly been to Madeira on many occasions and, equally clearly, adores the place, the wines and the people.
I enjoyed reading the practical details about how the estufagem system actually works; I am delighted to learn that Sotolon is the compound produced in the course of the process which gives Madeira its distinctive character (and which also occurs in Vin Jaune and Sherry, amongst others); I am sad at the passing of Tinta Negra Mole (at least on Madeira) and to learn that it is now called the more prosaic Tinta Negra; I love the fact that bulk Madeira destined for cooking is seasoned with salt and pepper before shipping and called “modified wine”; I am surprised that there are just 8 producers of Madeira left and that even one of those is minute; I am excited that my own consumption probably exceeds that of Latvia (who imported just 18 litres in 2009); and I am a little embarrassed, because I suspect I should have known, that Madeira is best stored upright rather than vertically, necessitating a little reorganisation of my few bottles.
Trevor writes like an educator rather than a journalist, more of a nod to the WSET than to the News of the World (which I dare say he will be relieved to hear). There are facts which require more analysis or perhaps explanation........or maybe an AWE visit to explore further. 2009 was a damp year, in which it was difficult to ripen the grapes, and yet the maximum permitted yield was raised from 80 hl/ha to 150 hl/ha! We are told that HM Borges have a production of 150,000 litres a year and sales of 100,000 litres. In fact, we are told that the island produces 4 million litres of Madeira per annum, yet its annual sales are only 3.4 million litres. So it is not clear what happens to the over-production, but plenty of space is given to the commercial challenges facing the island and the benefits of EU aid.
Balance It was also encouraging to read of the Normal Reserve / Minimum grape purchase regulations which are reminiscent of the system in Champagne and designed to balance the interests of both growers (all 1500 of them for just 500 ha of vineyard!) and producers.
Thoughtful and constructive Trevor’s style is un-emotional and factual, yet he effortlessly conveys his own love for the island and its wines. His chapter on the future is thoughtful and constructive and without doubt reflects the desire amongst all wine lovers to see the fortunes of Madeira wines recover and flourish. His analysis of the different producers is hugely helpful and that, combined with the detailed tables, up to date information and evocative photos, will ensure that this is a book of great practical use to all wine educators.
© Richard Bampfield MW 2010
Available from Amazon.
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The Wines of Madeira by Trevor Elliott Reviewed by |
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I am the proud user of an iPhone which has only one problem: it forgets that it’s a telephone, allowing me to use it as such very reluctantly. However I forgive this oversight on the part of Apple, as it serves me well as a very portable computer, camera, recorder, reference device etc.
Wine information is well served by printed reference books, as well as the internet, and information can be transferred easily as an iApp, so many are available, some better than others. Here are three short reviews.
French Wines by Hachette This app is just an aide-memoire for the French wine regions, map, principal regions, vintage charts (as far back as 1945) and a glossary. Useful in a rudimentary way, you will need to click the web link to the Guide Hachette website for more detailed information as well as wine tasting notes (20,000!).
Hachette Livre French Wines iPhone app costs £0.59. The website is free to access but the information is from the previous (2010) guide and not the current (2011) guide and is in French. Worth it if you want to have basic French wine info about your person.
Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia 2010 I bought this app when we visited Italy with AWE last year before the English version was published this year. It opens with the search page which doesn’t work that well, so it’s better to click 'ricerca avantaza' (advanced search) and enter more detail about the wine or producer you’re looking for. The denominazione page is more useful with a description of each DOC(G) together with a detailed map as well as all the wines and producers recommended by Gambero Rosso and their bicchieri awards as well as tasting notes. You can click any wine to add to your favourites as well as sending details to a friend.
Gambero Rosso Italian Wines 2010 iPhone app costs £5.99. This English version functions in a similar fashion to my original Italian app. As I mentioned I only bought this app because I was travelling to Italy and thought it would be easier than lugging the book around. But for my office it is the latter I prefer.
Hugh Johnson Hugh Johnson, his editors and publishers annually deliver the excellent Pocket Johnson, and the app is based on the 2011 edition, the 34th edition. It would appear that all the information about wines, regions and vintages is the same as in the printed edition, though the discursive articles aren’t included.
Ease But the joy of this app is the ease with which one can cross reference. Any underlined item can be clicked leading you to the relevant entry, much as you do in any reference work when you set off on exploration, often forgetting what you were originally looking for!
You can add favourites and even make your own notes for any wine or producer. There is a symbol (a tick) which “indicates wine (mid ’09-’10) especially enjoyed by Hugh Johnson”. And there is a filmed introduction by the author himself.
Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book is always a very useful, pithy reference book and, as with good reference books, it is logical to publish it in the medium of a ‘pocket computer’ – in my case the iPhone. Hugh Johnson’s Wine Guide 2011 iPhone app costs £4.99. This a ‘must have’, as is the Pocket Guide Book!
The HJ Pocket Guide Book is affectionately known as the ‘Pocket Johnson’ so I was pleased to discover the ‘Big Johnson’ in a Vienna bookshop! However, I suggest you don’t use these phrases in the company of friends from the USA...
© Brett Jones 2010
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iPhone Apps: French Wines by Hachette
Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia 2010
Hugh Johnson
Reviews by |
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Please update your Directory of Members with the following changes:
New Members: Karen Hardwick 14 Back Lane, Copmanthorpe, York, YO23 3SH Phone: 01904 701180 Mobile 07719 432618 E-mail: karen@thewineacademy.co.uk
Pippa Hayward 258 Ashburnham Road, Richmond, TW10 7RZ Phone: 0208 940 3667 (work and home) E-mail: pippa.hayward@tiscali.co.uk
Changes to members’ details:
Isabelle Legeron has a new email address:
Maggie McNie has a new email address:
Julia Tickridge is now a full member of the AWE having passed her Diploma earlier in the year.
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Anyone interested in becoming a member of the AWE should contact our membership secretary Alison Moller: Email - molleralison@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 07783 723728 Address: Little Mead, Langley Lower Green, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 4SB
Prospective members should hold the WSET Diploma or equivalent.
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AWE Inspiring News
Editor: Susan Hulme MW Sub-editor: Laura Clay Many thanks to Laura and all of our contributors.
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Freixenet and Segura Viudas
Approachable
Parameters
Jetting to Hungary - Disznoko Estate
