Far From A Fiasco

The importance of Marchesi Piero Antinori’s contribution to Tuscan wine specifically, to Italian wine generally and to the standing of both in the wider world of wine cannot easily be overstated. The figures make impressive enough reading on their own: Piero is the 26^th generation of a family whose unbroken winemaking provenance dates back to 1385; today the family owned company owns nearly 2500 hectares of vineyards in Italy and abroad, it produces around 20 million bottles for a turnover in excess of €115 million annually and it exports over 60% of its production to more than 100 different countries (I have even seen Antinori's bottles on the wine list of the restaurant in the Yak & Yeti hotel in downtown Kathmandu).

Impressive statistics aside, it is Antinori’s list of wines that has always spoken most persuasively in favour of the way Piero has chosen to run his family’s estate. A fervent champion of the inherent value of his native Chianti, and of that of all of the other Italian wine regions, he has worked long and hard to improve and modernise the techniques and regulations that traditionally favoured quantity over quality. Across the board, the standards to which Antinori consistently holds itself are even more impressive when you consider that it is one of the larger wine producers in a country of seriously large, and often seriously mediocre, wine producers.

A recent tasting of a cross section of Antinori’s wines, in the company of UK brand ambassador Alex Canetti, confirmed their quality to be as high as ever just as their names become even longer than ever!

Tenuta Guado Al Tasso,
Scalabrone Bolgheri
Rosato 2010

1. Tenuta Guado Al Tasso, Scalabrone Bolgheri Rosato DOC 2010 (12% ABV, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 30% Syrah). A reasonably deeply coloured, peony tinged, rosé with grapefruit citrus notes, white pepper, strawberry sweets and a whiff of Cabernet earthiness to its nose. Bright strawberry and raspberry fruit on the palate with a pleasing level of lemony citrus acidity and a hint of herbaceousness. A more serious wine than many a rosé, but it always puts a smile on my face and it’s great with food.

Tenuta Guado Al Tasso,
Guado Al Tasso
Vermentino 2011

2. Tenuta Guado Al Tasso, Guado Al Tasso Vermentino Bolgheri DOC 2011 (12.5% ABV, 100% Vermentino). More usually found in Corsica, in Sardinia and across the South of France, this racy Mediterranean variety retains it acidity in warmer regions giving racy, refreshing wines. Ripe, gently honeyed, Sauvignon-esque nose with suggestions of tomato leaf and greengage. Dry, but not austere; fresh and limey fruit was balanced by an almost salty minerality and the finish was surprisingly long for a light white.

Castello Della Sala,
San Giovanni Della Sala
Orvieto Classico
Superiore 2011

3. Castello Della Sala, San Giovanni Della Sala Orvieto DOC Classico Superiore 2011 (12.5% ABV, 50% Grechetto, 25% Procanico and 25% Pinot Bianco and Viognier). Along with Soave and Frascati, Orvieto is a wine whose reputation has been almost irreversibly tarnished by oceans of industrially produced, personality-free plonk and I find that a terrible shame. This is Antinori’s top Orvieto and its quality shows. A light, white fruit and blossom nose; the gently spiced, long, ripe palate echoes the white fruit and blossom from the nose paired with a fresh, citrusy acidity. The Pinot Bianco and Viognier add weight without overwhelming. Very good indeed.

Castello Della Sala,
Cervaro Della Sala 2009

4. Castello Della Sala, Cervaro Della Sala Umbria IGT 2009 (85% Chardonnay and 15% Grechetto). There are many great Chardonnays from all corners of the world, but, unlike those, this Umbrian take on Meursault benefitted from the freshness provided by the Grechetto. Whiffs of vanilla and toasty new oak – it was fermented and matured sur lie for six months in French oak barriques – wafted over lemon zest scented Chardonnay fruit. The palate, too, was dry and zesty, if a little oaky at present, although this will integrate and harmonise in time. Complex, smokey, toasty and full bodied, the richness was balanced by a streak of minerality. The finish was long, elegant and refined. An excellent wine, as always, although it needs another year or two in bottle to develop before you serve it with a poached lobster.

Tenuta Tignanello,
Marchesi Antinori Chianti
Classico Riserva 2007

5. Tenuta Tignanello, Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva 2007 (13.5% ABV, 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and other complementary varieties). Whilst I really enjoy Antinori’s modern take on local white wines and its wholly atypical Cervaro, somewhat hypocritically I’m far less keen on its internationally influenced reds. Don’t get me wrong, they are in no way bad wines, quite the opposite in fact, it’s just that my traditional (old fashioned?) palate prefers a Chianti to be a Chianti. This wine was a case in point: a Chianti Classico, from the heart of the historic region, made from grapes grown in the renowned Pèppoli, Badia A Passignano and Tignanello vineyards, yet given a modern twist by fourteen months of ageing in barriques and by the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon.

If ever an Italian wine and a grape variety were synonymous with one another, then it must surely be Chianti and Sangiovese. I suppose my argument is with the Chianti DOC for not having sufficient faith in the heritage and quality of its wines rather than with any individual producer per se, but adding Cabernet Sauvignon and new oak will substantially alter the nature of any wine. Whilst the standard of Chianti has improved immeasurably over recent years, and certainly there were many aspects of the old production methods that needed to be improved upon, it has now become very difficult to find a traditionally styled wine that tells of its origins. To me, trying to market centuries of winemaking history and an inimitable terroir that is the apogee of cooler climate Sangiovese production with modern, Bordeaux-influenced, oak flavoured wines sends out something of a mixed message. Is the unique identity and timeless appeal of an important and renowned wine-producing region being sacrificed on the altar of current trends? Similarly radical reforms were roundly rejected down the road in Montalcino and I can only wonder if the Chianti region will come to regret its decision in the future. I don’t say stop making these internationally influenced wines; just devise a new and more appropriate nomenclature.

Anyway, back to the wine that was in my glass. Earthy and blackcurrant leaf Cabernet notes gave an edge to the tobacco, cherry and sweet, new oak nose. Minerally, earthy suggestions from the Cabernet also balanced the new oak on the palate, leaving the subtler cherry and leather flavours of the Sangiovese to linger underneath. Rounded, soft and with a long finish, it was undoubtedly an enjoyable and well-made wine. Modern? Certainly. Appealing? Definitely. But is it really Chianti?

Tenuta Tignanello,
Tignanello 2009

6. Tenuta Tignanello, Tignanello Toscana IGT 2009 (80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc). Although the Bolgheri Bordeaux blend Sassicaia was the first, it is Tignanello that has some claim to being the first genuine Super Tuscan, made as it is predominantly from Sangiovese. It is a modern take on Chianti and it was embarrassment over the price, the quality and the humble vino da tavola status of wines such as this that led, some would say inexorably, to the creation of the experimental IGT classification.

A smoky, toasty, brooding black fruit nose was dark and alluring if rather youthful. The palate was dry with firm, but very finely textured, tannins and complemented by a fresh, fruity acidity. The higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon and the small but influential proportion of Cabernet Franc gave more of a black fruit character than was evident in the Chianti Classico above and the oak was more deftly integrated. Dark, velvety and rich with a hugely long finish, the Sangiovese character was somewhat masked at present but experience of some older vintages suggests that this will be remedied over time. This release is still something of a baby and has plenty to offer in the future.

Tenuta Guado Al Tasso,
Il Bruciato 2009

7. Tenuta Guado Al Tasso, Il Bruciato Bolgheri DOC 2009 (13.5% ABV, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 20% Syrah with other red grape varieties). This is the newish second wine of Guado Al Tasso that I have only tasted once before, my abiding memory of this sole previous encounter being the pronounced level of alcohol (14% if I remember correctly). Black fruit, a hint of oak and a hint of smokiness characterised the rather simple nose, whereas the rather simple palate had a slightly burnt quality to it, possibly from the Syrah. Much less obviously alcoholic than before, unfortunately it still did nothing for me, although it may well have suffered in comparison to the Tignanello that it immediately followed.

Tenuta Guado Al Tasso,
Guado Al Tasso 2007

 8. Tenuta Guado Al Tasso, Guado Al Tasso Bolgheri DOC Superiore 2007 (14% ABV, 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot). Bordeaux varieties certainly have an affinity with Bolgheri, the region seems to imbue them with a spark of Italian soul. So much so that it was granted its own DOC back in 1994. Guado Al Tasso is one of the trinity of the region’s top wines each created by a different member of the Antinori family.

An herbaceous, blackcurranty, savoury nose led seamlessly into complex, well-structured palate that delivered different facets of flavour in the same way that a well cut gemstone reflects the light. One moment came the leafy, blackcurrant flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon, then came the softer, plummier character of Merlot. The next moment capsicum-tinged Cabernet Franc was highlighted, before the focus switched to the firmer, tannic Petit Verdot, all rounded off by beautifully integrated new oak. Beguilingly textured, harmonious and expertly crafted, the finish lasted and lasted. Bordeaux in inspiration, Italian in execution.

I have been an admirer of Antinori’s wines for nearly thirty years (thanks Dad!) and I can trace my love of Italy’s fresh whites, light rosés and structured reds to those simpler times of Villa Antinori Bianco, Capsula Viola Rosato and Villa Antinori Rosso. It was not until later I realised that their freshness, approachability and food friendliness symbolised the exciting blend of modernity and tradition that is still an unmistakeable hallmark of Antinori.

As I have said above and will continue to say, the quality of Antinori’s wines is as inarguable as it is impressive, particularly given the scale of production. I admit that the traditionalist in me is less comfortable with the evolution of their increasingly international style, but this is not an indictment of the wines, simply a matter of personal taste.

In case you were wondering about the title of this post, a fiasco is the traditional round-based bottle or flask of the Chianti region. These bottles would not stand up on their own (hence the word's subsequent meaning) and they were placed in a wicker cradle to support them. Today, it is the wicker-wrapped Chianti bottles so beloved as candle holders that utilise the name, although it is usually the wine inside them that is more worthy of the description. 

A Weekend To Remember

It took my dad literally seconds to decide where he would like to spend his 65^th birthday weekend; it didn’t take him very much longer to rustle up a few Ryanair tickets and to book a hire car. Eventually the weekend rolled around and we hopped on a plane to Bergamo before following the autostrada right into the heart of the Valpolicella region. You can take it as read that we ate in a suitably memorable fashion – nothing overly elaborate or creative, but everything was the finest that the area had to offer, prepared simply and elegantly, cooked to perfection.

Equally unsurprisingly, the accompanying wines were not too bad either. I wasn’t especially adventurous in my vinous choices, preferring to stick with firm favourites instead of taking a gamble on unknown labels. Plus I wanted to order wines that I knew dad would order if he hadn’t decided to leave me in charge of the wine lists. We’re already familiar with many of Valpolicella’s finest, and with most of the better bottles (read: “those we wanted to drink”) of Amarone priced at €200+, the esoteric yet typical wines of Zýmé featured heavily on our tables.

Col Vetoraz,
Prosecco Extra Brut

I’m not going to describe all we consumed in case you think I’m gloating, but our first night’s meal really stood out even amongst it’s peers. On our first night we ate and stayed at Trattoria Dalla Rosa Alda, before relocating to two other valleys for the second and third nights. Things began very well, with a couple of bottles of Col Vetoraz Extra Brut Prosecco drunk with homemade grissini under a trellis of vines in the evening sunshine. A sweeter, softer style, its fine bead and creamy mousse perfectly complemented the stone fruit, pear, apple and white blossom flavours.

Dinner began with a selection of tiny antipasti bites which, lovely as they were, only made us realise just how hungry we all were. Il primo piatto quickly evolved into i primi piatti, as it was suggested that we all try two of the restaurant’s own specialities: Tagliatelle Embogoté, tagliatelle dressed with a borlotti bean sauce, followed by a taste of a risotto flavoured with local wild asparagus. Both were spectacular. We drank Zýmé’s 2010 From Black To White Il Bianco (13% ABV) with both of these dishes and it paired them beautifully. An unusual wine, made predominantly from a white mutation of the black grape Rondinella (60%), blended with Golden Traminer (15%), Kerner (15%) and Incrocio Manzoni (10%). White fruits and flowers, a hint of grapefruit; full, rich and zesty with a touch of pithiness to the finish. Not hugely complex, but an absolute delight.

Most people plumped for the Amarone-marinated grilled beef for their secondi piatti, but, as nice as this dish is, I can make it at home. My mum and I plumped for a local speciality: Pastissada De Caval, horse meat braised in red wine and served with polenta. And what a choice it was. Beautifully tender, slightly gamier than beef, coated in a rich red wine sauce and served with the most phenomenal polenta I have ever tasted. Served quite a lot wetter than I make my mine, this was old school, long cooking polenta that tasted so fresh it had a vanilla scented sweetcorn flavour that blew my mind. I love it when such a nominally simple dish transcends even the highest expectations you might have had for it.

Zýmé’s From Black To White Il
Bianco 2010 (l) and Oz Oseleta 2007 (r)

A second wine from the stellar Celestino Gaspari worked like a charm with all of our main courses: Zýmé’s 2007 Oz (13.5% ABV, 100% Oseleta). Oseleta is an old grape variety, native to the Valpolicella area, but it is only in the past fifteen years or so that any vineyard area has been specifically devoted to growing it. Its rustic character and firm structure mean that it is often blended with other grapes, reminiscent of Mourvèdre in France, but Zýmé manages to tame it a little with plenty of oxygenation during its maturation and with twenty four months in a combination of second fill (70%) and new oak (30%) barriques.

The wine was a purple tinged, deep ruby colour which had a cocoa, black fruit, savoury/meaty nose with a salty twang – if something can smell salty. The palate was dry, with plenty of fine grained yet quite firm tannins whose slight bitterness worked nicely with the cocoa, bramble fruit and meaty flavours. A real food wine, but long, graceful and not at all overblown or over extracted. Leanne described this as a “furry” wine, and I know exactly what she meant. I’ve loved this wine ever since I first tasted it out of a cask at Celestino’s winery some years ago and I’m very happy to report that my opinion was not at all altered this time around.

As is my wont, and my waistline, I passed on dessert but the cherry semifreddo and the Pissotta (an olive oil cake that is the specialita della casa) were demolished at various points around the table and both tasted wonderful. Last but not least, we moved on to an espresso or two and a little grappa to help everything settle. I had given the old man a selection of Distilleria Gualco's grappas for his birthday, and he very kindly brought a bottle of the Moscato-based Rubinia along: needless to say the advantages of a restaurant with rooms were soon very apparent as we gradually drifted our way off to bed, grinning and replete.

Ditching The Expense Of Bordeaux

Thanks to Ben and Mark at the award winning Hanging Ditch Wine Merchants for organising a very enjoyable and interesting Bordeaux tasting dinner earlier this month at the St. James’s Club. Given their ethos of quality being paramount I knew that the wines on offer would not disappoint, but the objective of keeping the wines affordable was going to be more of a challenge. As is true of many other great wine producing regions, it is not difficult to find superb bottles of Bordeaux if money is no object. Unlike many other regions, however, it can be tricky to find great bottles of Bordeaux that are within the reach of a mere mortal’s wallet.

The other issue that counts against Bordeaux’s popularity at most tastings is its affinity with food. It takes a little practice to appreciate the nuances of young Bordeaux tasted in isolation. When you taste it with a meal, however, it’s as if a lightbulb flashes on and suddenly everything becomes clear. That was the logic behind this tasting dinner, plus it was a great chance for Ben and Mark to show off their buying skills!

Champagne
Delamotte Brut NV

Accompanied by a plucky chanteuse and her really rather good renditions of French favourites from yesteryear, Ben and Mark kicked off proceedings in fine style. The first wine, Delamotte Brut (12% ABV) en magnum, was actually the one I most wanted to try and was, perversely, my wine of the evening. Trust me to fall for the supporting actress before the leading lady had even taken to the stage.

Delamotte is a name that will be unfamiliar to most, but, as you would expect from the sister wine of Salon, its quality is unquestionable. A long established label in its own right, Delamotte also uses fruit from Salon’s younger vines as well as wines that don’t quite reach the exacting standards of what is probably the finest of all Champagnes. Predominantly grand cru Chardonnay (50%), the balance being Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (30% and 20% respectively), this was bright, fresh and beautifully rounded, not at all aggressive. The rich flavours of white stone fruit and citrus, plus a gentle yeasty autolytic character, made it a beautiful apéritif. A very classy wine and a real bargain (£30/bottle, £60/magnum) when compared to a lot of the Grandes Marques’ non-vintage offerings.

Château Des Antonins
Blanc 2010

As sad as I was to finish my Champagne, when we were asked to take our seats we had both dinner and a varied selection of Bordeaux to look forward to. First up were two dry whites made in completely different styles. Château Des Antonins Blanc 2010 (12% ABV, 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon, £10) had an initial nose of candied citrus zest and typically vegetal Sauvignon Blanc aromas which faded into gently nutty Sémillon fruit. The palate had a Sauvignon Blanc edge as you’d expect from the blend which was rounded by the Sémillon. Light, fresh and a little frivolous, this was a great apéritif wine although it was rather overwhelmed by the powerful flavours of salmon goujons.

L’Esprit De Chevalier
Blanc 2008

The second white was an altogether different story. The second wine of esteemed Pessac-Léognan estate Domaine de Chevalier, L’Esprit De Chevalier Blanc 2008 (13% ABV, Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, £25) spent nine months in oak unlike the stainless steel matured Antonins above. Through no fault of the wine, I struggled to adequately describe the nose of this one, it reminded me of apple juice and had a slightly nutty quality. The palate showed lemony fruit, a nutty/oaky weightiness and just a hint of an oxidative character that called to mind a traditional style white Rioja. With two years of bottle age and a soujourn in oak  that the Antonins lacked, this was a more serious wine whose richness and complexity were a lovely paring with the breadcrumbed fish.

Château Roc De
Pellebouc

A trio of reds from a trio of vintages was poured alongside the main course of slow cooked rump of beef with root vegetables. From Baudouin Thienpont (brother of Jacques, owner of Le Pin) came the 2007 Château Roc De Pellebouc (12.5% ABV, 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, £12.50), a modern, lightly oaked style of Bordeaux from Entre-Deux-Mers, just across the Dordogne from Saint-Émilion. Ruby coloured and showing a degree of maturity, the Merlot was immediately apparent on the nose, although the Cabernet Sauvignon did seem to exert an undue influence considering the disproportionate amount in the blend. It added blackcurrant, pencil shavings and earthy aromas to the plumminess of the Merlot. The palate showed bright fruit tempered by pepper, spice and earth, all tempered by fresh acidity and moderate tannins. Elegant and, to me, a very traditional style of Bordeaux that was lovely when tried on its own but didn’t quite manage to stand up to the beef.

Château Bel-Air
Graves De Vayres
Fût De Chêne

Red wine number two was also from Entre-Deux-Mers, but from the tiny appellation of Graves De Vayres, so called because of the deep gravel parcels that distinguish it. Château Bel-Air Graves De Vayres 2006 Fût De Chêne (13% ABV, 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, £17.50) was produced by Philippe Serey-Eiffel, the great great grandson of the engineer behind the eponymous tower. This was a younger looking, deeper coloured, more purple wine than the Pellebouc, even though it was a year older. The nose had dark fruit, barnyardy, oaky/vanilla/coffee aromas and a greener edge to it than the previous wine, but the palate was softer, oakier and somehow less typical. To my palate it was a modern, international style of wine that worked very well with the main course, but somehow it just didn’t shout of its origins.

Château Barrail
Du Blanc 2008

The third red was Château Barrail Du Blanc 2008 (13.5% ABV, 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, £17.50), a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru exclusively distributed the Mouiex family that owns Châteaux Pétrus, La Fleur-Pétrus, Hosanna, Trotanoy, and Magdelaine to name just a few! Despite an annual production of only around 1,500 cases, there has been substantial recent investment in completely refurbishing the estate’s cellar enabling a traditional style winemaking to continue at the highest quality level. Sixty per cent of the wine is matured in oak, half of which is new, whilst the remainder goes into stainless steel.

It displayed soft red and black fruit with a dusting of pepper and capsicum spice from the Cabernet Franc. Less overtly fruity and oaky than the last wine, it had an astringent/medicinal touch to the finish that I really rather enjoyed. The most interesting of the three reds and my favourite, even though its lighter style couldn’t compete with the beef.

Château De Rayne
Vigneau 2003

Cheese was served instead of dessert, the Stilton being a better match for the Sauternes than the Mrs. Kirkham Lancashire. I was unsure about the choice of Château De Rayne Vigneau 2003 (13.5% ABV, 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, £25) due to the abnormal heat of the vintage. Was there going to be sufficient acidity? Had the heat hampered the growth of botrytis? The amber hue of the wine didn’t do much to allay my worries, but the nose was certainly promising with its rich aromas of barley sugar, dried apricot, marmalade and ripe mango. Similar flavours carried through to the palate, balanced by an unexpectedly taut acidity that kept it vital. It was definitely as good as it will get so plan to drink up any bottles you might have, but it was an exceedingly pleasant drink and a very agreeable surprise.

The only thing I felt that was missing was a Cabernet Sauvignon dominated, left bank style of Bordeaux which would have been an interesting contrast to the Merlot based blends shown as well as a great pairing with the beef. That being said, it's always an adventure to tread the path less travelled and I'm not sure I would have tried the selection above if left to my own devices. A big thank you once again to Ben and to Mark, our ever charming and informative host, for a very enjoyable evening.

The Flip Side Of The Coin

I know it’s hard to believe, but this job isn’t always as glamorous as my writings would have you think. It’s not all plain sailing, you know. Only my dedication to the public service that is this blog enables me to cope with the good, the bad and the ugly faces of the wine world with such impunity. In this instance, it was il brutto and il cattivo that I suffered on your behalf, although I probably should have known better from the outset.

I’m in no way an ingrate, and I heartily appreciate the kindness and the generosity of whoever brought me this bottle as I’m certain that it was given in good faith. That being said, the contents did make me question the statements I have just made in the previous sentence.

As I’ve said, I really should have known better. Any wine which features on its label the phrase “Selección 15% Especial” as its most extollable virtue is quite likely to rub me up the wrong way. If, as I fear it does for many, quantity does indeed equal quality, I’d far prefer to drink two bottles of Mosel Riesling Kabinett at 7.5% to ingest the same 112.5ml of alcohol. The experience would be both far more agreeable and would leave me with far less of a hangover. So what was this incredible intoxicant, I hear you cry? Called simply El Bombero (2010, 15% ABV), this straight Garnacha from Cariñena in north-eastern Spain was, I’m certain, as flammable as its name implied (El Bombero translates as "the fireman").

Bodegas San Valero,
El Bombero 2010

The brightest and most ludicrously purple wine I have ever seen (the result of carbonic maceration, surely?), the nose fortunately gave little away. Just a suggestion of darks fruits and graphite were discernable, but I’m sure I noticed a faint, acetic twang lingering worryingly underneath. Where to begin with the palate? Sweet, fiery alcohol assaulted my tastebuds initially, followed by a dull pounding from soft yet slightly bitter tannins. The berry fruit wrestled to poke its head from under the blanket of sweet alcohol and bitterish tannins, and it was difficult to tell if some or all of the wine had been exposed to oak of any sort for any length of time. The low acidity and modest levels of tannin again suggested carbonic maceration. The finish overstayed its welcome, flavoured as it was with the sweet heat of the alcohol and the piquancy of burning plastic.

Overall, the sweetness of the alcohol swamped whatever character this wine may have had, although without all of that alcohol I’m not sure what else it might have had going for it. I’ve subsequently determined El Bombero to be a Laithwaite’s wine and rather too many of the reviews posted on its website tend to agree with my less than complimentary verdict. I can’t help but worry about the quality and style of future wines produced for the UK market if this is in any way indicative of what Joe Public buys and enjoys. Do we need a bottle of wine at an everyday price point that contains almost twelve units of alcohol?

A Moan And A Wine

I always try my best to support tastings up here in the north west, even if I have to pay for a ticket so to do! A recent, and rather high profile, event caught my eye and I thought that I should pop along to see what it was all about. This was the second in a series of three tastings hosted by the Three Wine Men: Oz Clarke, Tim Atkin MW and Olly Smith, all of whom are perfectly charming and frighteningly knowledgeable.

After perusing the online catalogue from September’s London event, it seemed that a little organisation was called for. With 587 examples on offer from 51 exhibitors, it would have been easy to spend a couple of days tasting my way through them. A list of the tables and the wines that I wanted to make a beeline for hopefully meant that I wouldn’t miss anything exciting in Manchester.

Saturday duly rolled around, I wound my way to the Museum of Science and Industry and I bought my ticket. It would be something of an understatement to say I was a bit disappointed when I opened the Manchester brochure to see only 284 wines listed from 26 exhibitors. Although a reasonable showing by anyone’s standards, nigh on all of the more esoteric and higher quality wines, not to mention a significant number of exhibitors, from the London show were all absent.

As I’ve said, I’m always happy to support any of the all too infrequent tastings that take place in Manchester, but I can’t help feeling that it was misleading and unfair to advertise this as the same event as the two London versions, to charge the same price for tickets and yet to offer only half the number of wines and exhibitors. Was it a lack of space at the Manchester venue or are London wine merchants simply not bothered about the fifty million or so people who live outside the capital who might like to try, and who might want to buy, their wines? Or are they just so London-centric in their focus that the rest of the country doesn’t even register on their radars? Maybe I should move to Hong Kong…

I hoped to be writing about thirty or forty thrilling and new (to me) wines that I had had the chance to try, but absenteeism severely whittled this number down. Fortunately, I had the chance to catch up with a few people I hadn’t seen for quite a while, so the afternoon wasn’t a total write off. Of the wines I did try, there were some great new finds and some welcome old friends, plus a couple of really fine beers that impressed me so much I bought some there and then.

Dönnhoff, Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl
Riesling Kabinett 2009

The best way to start any tasting is with a page full of German Rieslings, so naturally my first stop was the Tanners table. Seven Rieslings in a kaleidoscope of styles were an ideal way to fire up my tastebuds. From a toasty, slatey, bone dry 2008 Bürklin-Wolf Wachenheimer Trocken, via a lovely dryish, white fruit and citrussy 2009 Feinherb (the new name for Halbtrocken) by Weiser-Künstler that just made me smile, to a surprisingly youthful 1998 Hochheimer Kirchenstück Auslese from Domdechant Werner with its honeyed nose and its citrus and spice, stewed apple palate. How can anyone not like this grape? It’s an always too rare pleasure to taste a genuine Piesporter (Einzellage, never Grosslage), and Kurt Hain’s 2007 Goldtröpfchen Kabinett was a grapefruit scented, off dry gem that made the oceans of filth that share its name even more lamentable. The outright star for me was Dönnhoff’s 2009 Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Kabinett which was restrained and structured, just off dry, with beautiful green apple fruit, complex minerality, excellent acidity and a long, long finish. Brilliant and food friendly, only 8.5% ABV and just £15.

Marqués De Murrieta, Capellanía Rioja
Blanco Reserva 2006 (right) and Castillo Ygay,
Rioja Gran Reserva Especial 2004 (left)

Conveniently, the table next door was that of Marqués De Murrieta, one of my favourite Rioja producers, which meant that I didn’t even have to walk very far for my next set of treats. An unexpected and interesting 2010 Albariño (13% ABV) from Murrieta’s Pazo De Barrantes estate in Galicia kicked things off. Full and rich but fresh, lemon and grapefruit citrus was countered by a floral and white fruit character with whiff of peppery spice on the top. This was a lovely precursor to my wine of the day, Murrieta’s own 2006 Capellanía Blanco Reserva (13.5% ABV), a 100% Viura wine that filled me with hope for white Rioja generally. Matured for 15 months in new French oak barriques, this was bone dry, just a touch oxidised (in a good way), citrussy yet creamily textured and with a long, lemon and vanilla finish. At a time when so many white Riojas are being dumbed down with Chardonnay or are eschewing lengthy oak ageing, this was a fantastic wine that I will be actively seeking out.

The reds on show were more of a mixed bag for me. A 2005 Marqués De Murrieta Rioja Tinto Reserva (14% ABV) had fine tannins, bright strawberry and red berry fruit with a toasty edge, but it just lacked a little soul. Time might be what it needs. The 2004 Castillo Ygay Rioja Gran Reserva Especial (14% ABV) was also still a baby, showing rich berry fruit and plenty of savoury oak influence. Complex, balanced and well structured, definitely an iron fist in a velvet glove; there will be plenty more to come from this wine. Buy it now, drink it in a decade or two.

Yalumba, The Virgilius
Viognier 2008

Yalumba is a producer that stands out for several reasons, one of the most commendable of which is their long standing commitment to the left field Viognier instead of to the ubiquitous Chardonnay. Their 2010 Eden Valley Viognier (13.5% ABV) had a huge jasmine and ginger scented nose which led into a dry and elegant apricot and ginger palate. Not at all blousey, the alcohol was held firmly in check and the creaminess imparted by the oak aged portion was balanced by fresh acidity. Its big brother, the 2008 The Virgilius (14% ABV), had a less obvious nose and was less flamboyant overall, concentrating on the savoury and spicy aspects over the floral and white fruit. Toasty, minerally and multi-faceted, gingery spice was more the focus than apricot fruit. A great and a great value wine, although this vintage is reaching the end of its useful life, enjoy it now with food.

Innis & Gunn: Blonde, Original
and Rum Cask (left to right)

The one table I definitely wanted to visit was that of brewer Innis & Gunn. They began by brewing beer to season barrels for a William Grant ale cask conditioned whisky, but the resulting beer was too good to throw away. I knew of their oak aged beers, but I had never had the chance to try them. I wasn’t let down.

The Original (6.6% ABV) was mellow, complex and had a great depth of flavour after its 77 day maturation period. It had a sweet toffee and vanilla oak character that countered the fruity, gently bitter hoppy notes in a very easy to drink fashion. The dark Rum Cask bottling (7.4% ABV) was richer, sweeter and softer than the Original, with a sprinkle of Christmas spice from the navy rum casks. The Blonde (6.0% ABV) was the lightest and freshest of the three regular bottlings, crisp and hoppy with a delicate vanilla character.

Innis & Gunn, Highland Cask
Limited Edition

These three were all very good, but the two limited editions were the ones that well and truly took my fancy. The slightly mysterious Triple Matured beer (7.2% ABV) was another darker offering, with delicious treacle toffee flavours and a dusting of bitter cocoa. The Highland Cask (7.1% ABV) was my favourite, having been finished in casks used to mature an 18 year old Highland single malt. It had a firm, warming backbone and was a touch drier the other bottlings, the definite spirity, fruity and smokey/oaky character I assume came from the whisky. The Original, the Rum Cask and the Blonde are all widely available, but I haven’t managed to find the limited editions anywhere yet.

The Marchi Club

I played hookey on Tuesday to attend Decanter’s Great Winemakers of Italy tasting in London. I suspect that the Istituto Del Vino Italiano Di Qualità Grandi Marchi is little more than a good excuse for many of the great and good of Italian wine to get together, pat themselves on their backs and come up with new ways of inflating their prices, but if it means more tastings of this calibre then I suppose that I can’t complain too much.

Nineteen producers, representing twelve of Italy’s twenty regions, each showed four wines – a concise overview of all that they are. And Grandi Marchi (Grandes Marques) isn’t the overstatement you might at first believe it to be, with the likes of Angelo Gaja, Piero Antinori, Priscilla Incisa Della Rochetta, Jacopo Biondi Santi et al all in attendance and touting their wares.

Gaja, Sperss
Langhe Nebbiolo 1999

With only a few exceptions, such as Tenuta San Guido (who only really produce one wine plus three or four others which pay the bills), very few producers showed their top wines, although several wheeled out an older vintage or two to try. Most surprisingly, this was true of Gaja where a 1999 Sperss was available to all. Although only mid-table (albeit towards the higher end) in the Gaja portfolio, most other producers would kill to have this wine in their range and it was a rare treat to taste an older example. Still youthful, archetypal Nebbiolo red fruit shone through the austere structure. Maturing certainly, but ageing slowly; modern in style but undeniably aristocratic (14% ABV).

Other standouts included:

Ca’ Del Bosco,
Cuvée Prestige Franciacorta NV

Ca’ Del Bosco: as much as I enjoyed the Dosage Zéro 2006 (bone dry, toasty and citrussy but crying out for food, 12.5% ABV) and the Cuvée Anna Maria Clementi 2003 (rich, profoundly complex and flawlessly textured, 12.5% ABV), it was the non vintage Cuvée Prestige Franciacorta (12.5% ABV) that once again captured my heart. Fresh, with a wonderful white fruit and white flower character and a hint of vanilla, truly a magical wine that always makes me smile. One of the best wines I’ve tried in a long time was their still Chardonnay 2007 (13.5% ABV); so good was it that it is difficult to describe adequately. Refined and poised, with seams of beautifully elegant lemon fruit, mineral and gentle savoury oak flavours that lasted and lasted.



Argiolas, Is Argiolas
Vermentino Di Sardegna 2010

Argiolas: the strangely named Is Argiolas 2010 (14% ABV), a straight Vermentino, was not quite bone dry, with ripe white fruit, blossom notes and firm acidity rounded off with a long, white pepper and sweet spice finish.

Mastroberardino: the Radici Taurasi Riserva 1999 (13.5% ABV) had a garnet hue, indicating its maturity, and tertiary aromas of cherry/berry fruit, tobacco and balsamic notes. The palate had soft red fruit and a hint of spice, wrapped around a well defined frame. Great now, but will definitely keep.



Rivera, Il Falcone
Castel Del Monte Riserva 2006

Rivera: from the Castel Del Monte D.O.C., with its enigmatic octagonal 13th century castle, I was particularly impressed by two vintages of Rivera’s Il Falcone Riserva. Both were traditional blends of 70% Nero Di Troia and 30% Montepulciano to soften. The 2006 (13.5% ABV) showed ripe, savoury, dark fruit, tobacco spice and a minerally core – youthful, a touch austere and very good. The 1999 (13.5% ABV) had similar characteristics and had certainly mellowed with age but still had plenty of life left in it. Both needed food and both were very good.



Donnafugata, Ben Ryé
Passito Di Pantelleria 2006

Donnafugata: two vintages of its outsanding Ben Ryé Passito Di Pantelleria were the big hitters on this table. The 2009 (14.5% ABV), to be released en primeur in the next week or so, was a bright golden amber colour, with fresh juicy apricot fruit on the nose and palate. Excellently judged acidity meant that it was not at all too sweet. The 2006 (14.5% ABV), poured from a magnum, was a slightly deeper shade of amber and was noticeably more viscous than the 2009. Its nose had more of a toffee aspect and its fruit was a little more peach than apricot. The palate, too, showed a greater degree of development, being less vibrant yet more expressive. Both had very long finishes and beautiful balance.

Tenuta San Guido,
Sassicaia 2004

Tenuta San Guido: I’m sure that there is nothing I can say about any vintage of Sassicaia that hasn’t already been said. The 2004 (13.5% ABV) certainly lived up to expectations. It may be Bordeaux inspired, but its heart is Italian. Rich Cabernet fruit, integrated and judicious oak and a deceptively supple structure led into a long, long finish. Not cheap, but buy it now before the Asian market realises what a bargain it is compared to most of the Bordeaux currently heading east…

News Flash

We take you now to Kermit the frog with another fast breaking news story…

With something approaching the excitement that a muppet scoop engendered in me as a child, I’ve found a source for the Verhaeghe brothers’ Château du Cèdre Cahors (see "A Couple Of Malbecs" 05/07/11). Although we have only spoken on the 'phone and via email, James Bercovici at The Big Red Wine Company is a most pleasant and knowledgeable chap who specialises in Rhône wines, amongst others, and who also sells three Château du Cèdre reds.

Château du Cèdre,
Le Cèdre

As the Verhaeghes still believe in rewarding those who buy their wines in good faith, their wines are particularly good value when purchased en primeur, although they are also available to buy at retail prices should you so wish. Needless to say, a healthy chunk of my wine allowance has just been exchanged for the especially fine 2009 and 2010 vintages of the Le Cèdre cuvée. The 2009 should be delivered after Christmas, the 2010 probably around the same time in 2013.

As with their blue chip cousins from nearby Bordeaux, James’ tastings, both this year and last, of barrel samples and of recently bottled samples have confirmed the spectacular quality of this pair of vintages in that part of the world. The 2009s are opulent, rich and well structured whereas the 2010s are equally complex but a little taughter and more linear, built for the longer haul. Both vintages will need 5 years or so to compose themselves and both vintages should have 20 to 30 years of life in them. At what will work out to be less than £24 per bottle when fully paid for, I can’t help but wonder (or should I say lament?) where else you can pick up such well made wines from such well established vineyards at such reasonable prices.

Answers to that question will warrant a news flash of their own.

A Blanc Expression

An interesting one ce soir, a 2010 old vine Grenache Blanc by Domaine du Clos des Fées (14.5% ABV). I’ve been a big fan of this estate’s reds for ten years or more, but for some reason I never got round to trying its sole white. It always seemed rather pricey, even when Oddbins (R.I.P.) was interesting enough to stock it, and, at €18 from the cellar door, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d feel the same today. €18? For a Grenache Blanc?

Domaine du Clos des Fées
Grenache Blanc Vieilles Vignes 2010

A very pale lemon colour suggested the absence of new oak, although legs that rivalled an aquaduct’s also hinted at what was to come. The nose was gently floral, with a stony and herbaceous garrigue quality, pithy citrus fruit and a peppery warmth from the alcohol. Ripe and rich on the palate with a candied grapefruit character kept fresh by a slightly bitter, pithy/zesty nervosité. As on the nose, the alcohol was a little too prominent for my taste, but it finished very pleasantly and was not at all unbalanced. From the outset, this couldn’t have been anything other than one of those all too easily dismissed, quirky white Southern French oddities, but with grilled chicken on a summer’s evening it all made perfect sense.

Later, when I read the producer’s cheat sheet, things became rather clearer. Although 10% of the cuvée was matured in third fill barriques and was kept on its lees for around eight months, malolactic fermentation was blocked. Had a wine such as this been made elsewhere, I’m sure the temptation would have been to add lashings of new oak and to allow at least a partial malolactic fermentation to occur. Fortunately, Hervé Bizuel is not at all that way inclined and has pulled off the difficult feat of making a complex, interesting and balanced white wine from a relatively uninspiring grape, just a stone’s throw away from the Mediterranean.