Chianti Dinner and Masterclass at Scopri 26/06/12

This was only the second dinner I hosted for the The Wine Depository so there was a lot of fussing to make sure I was on top of everything. I wonder if Led Zeppelin felt this much tension for their second outing?
Luckily I had a team of seasoned veterans around me who made everything run smoothly. They being Alison and Anthony at Scopri and Michael Trembath of Trembath and Taylor, wine importer and Italian wine encyclopedia.

This event was flagged at the end of my first dinner featuring Piedmont and Michael and I nutted it out over a glass or two of Chianti. The centre piece of the tasting would be three Chianti Classico producers with three different philosophies. We would show a 'normale' and Riserva from each producer which would cover four recent vintages. As a contrast we would show a Brunello and a Super Tuscan type wine.

I created some notes for the night and you can take a peek at the order form.
Michael really nailed Chianti and the Sangiovese grape by describing it as a really "winey" grape and a style of wine that you could drink every day of the week. This showed through in the Chianti wines, so savoury, refreshing and subtle.

Once again Scopri came to the party with a brilliant menu and some of the best wine service I have experienced in Melbourne. I cannot recommend them highly enough.


Yummy Prosecco leading the charge.

On Arrival Mozzarella In Carozza - Mozzarella skewers

Canella Prosecco NV Not from Chianti, Tuscany or Sangiovese. But the perfect way to start a meal. Canella is crisp, clean and vibrant, nice amount of fizz. Great balance and very enjoyable to drink. There were no complaints (maybe because we opened a second bottle?)

Entree Pappardelle al cacao con ragu di cervo - Our handmade chocolate pappardelle with slow cooked venison ragú, fresh parmesan

2009 was an excellent year in Chianti (and large parts of Europe too). It has made Chianti of great balance and depth.


All Class(ico)

Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico 09 These guys were flying the flag for high altitude, stoney soil, traditional production and low oak style of Chianti.
It had lovely red and blue berry fruits, savoury/earthy notes with tea leaf and liquorice. The palate was dry, clean and bright. Showing the typical Sangio red cherry fruit and sour acidity. So much harmony.

Poggerino Chianti Classico 09 From right smack in the middle of the region on Volcanico soils and using biodynamic principles. This wine showed more savoury/minerally on first look but opened up with some dense blue fruits and pepper to support it. For me this wine had the most silk and flesh with a great mouthfeel. There was a hint of plums and prunes on the palate and the flavours showed incredible persistence. This was a wine of finesse and elegance.

Felsina Chianti Classico 09 Felsina is situated about as far South as you can get in Chianti Classico and has the warmest vineyards of the three we tasted. It is also probably my favourite Chianti producer. It showed dense and deep characters of red fruits, rose petal, fruit cake and aniseed.
The palate was long, clean with a hint of oak. It is a focussed and structured wine. The one I would most likely age of the trio.

Main Agnello brasato su polenta al pecorino e funghi - Lamb neck braised in red wine with grilled polenta and Mt Macedon pine mushrooms


The Riservas

Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico San Marcellino 06 This is made as per Riserva laws but does not use the term on their labels. The fruit here comes from their oldest vineyard. 06 offered classic growing conditions in Chianti.
This wine offered spice, aniseed, pip/stalky notes, chocolate and oxy fruits. In the mouth it was rich and silky with a plummy, dense mid palate, good length and pretty, floral finish. A clear step up and a wine that needs a bit more time in bottle to show its very best.

Poggerino Chianti Classico Riserva Bugialla 07 Poggerino try to make a softer style that will improve over 8-15 years. 2007 was a warmer and riper year in Chianti, which explains the extra silk and power here. Chocolate, rich, fruitcake a hint new worldly fruit, caramel/oaky notes. There is so much flesh and silk here. Great mouthfeel, vibrant flavours and good tannic stucture. It is easy to see the family resemblence! So drinkable but so much promise to be even better it time.

Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 08 Another vineyard oriented selection with the aim to make a tannic wine that will improve in the bottle and be amazing in 20 years. 2008 was similar to 2006 in offering classic conditions for growing. Rich, ripe, oxy fruits, minerally, red berry, spice. The palate was dark, tart, tea leafy with a good balance of bright fruits, savoury elements, clean acid and fine tannic structure. Beautiful.

Cheese and Coffee Formaggi Misti - Selection of Italian cheeses with Mallee honey from Kangaroo Island, plum jam, potato bread & Happy fruit

If you want to contrast, why not start with the best?

Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 07 There is an aura around Brunello wines and I swear there was a little halo above my glass. This wine did not disappoint. Again 07 was a warmer year in Brunello but it did not detract from the wine. The intensity was certainly increased but not at the expense of subtly and freshness. Very savoury, almost gruyere cheese like, meaty, spice nose. Lots of silky fruit, caramel oak, clean acid with hints of cola. This wine is finely structured, boney and youthful. It needs time.

Brancaia Il Blu 08 A look at the Super Tuscan style. This is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 45% Merlot and 5% Cabernet. It was clearly different with the Sangio definitely taking a back seat to the Cab family. Very vibrant and dense nose of blue and black fruits, floral hints, caramel oak, spice, tart, fruit cake, and terracotta like notes.
The palate is rich, silky with a fair whack of young cabernet like tannins. The core of the wine had a great intensity and the wine lingered for a long time. Again, this is just a baby.

After some discussion we moved on to traditions and what you would traditionally finish a meal with in Tuscany. So Michael generously shouted us some Vin Santo - A sugar rich, high intensity wine that was as fascinating to drink as hear about how it was made. Then some unusual wine/grappa macerated with herbs from Piedmont which seemed to divide the table. It was compelling but hard to imagine when you would drink it.

And because more is more up came a two litre bottle of Nonino Grappa for those who were brave (or fool hardy?).  As it turns out it was a lovely, cleansing and fitting end to a great night.

WINE OF THE WEEK

Kate Hill Riesling 2011

What? White in winter? Yes, and it is fantastic.

For more than ten years Kate has been making wine in some of the world’s prime wine-making regions including South Australia, Tasmania, France, California and Chile in both large companies and small. After all this experience she chose Tasmania to settle down, and it seems to have been a brilliant decision.



Kate Hill Riesling - Can't be many better Ries in Australia.

Made from fruit in the Coal and Derwent Valleys of Tasmania. 2011 was a high acid year. But never fear, this wine (as always) has great balance, there is a lingering floral perfume to balance out the citrusy and minerally notes. It probably will get better with age, but when they taste this good it's hard ...to lay them down.

So beautiful.

A steal at $30ea.

If you are tempted email me philip@thewinedepository.com.au to order.

WINE OF THE WEEK

WINE OF THE WEEK
Kaesler Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 - Continuing the theme of Cabernet for winter is this delicious example from the Barossa.

Kaesler was established in 1893. The estate has changed hands a couple of times since then but at the core of the property is large parcel of vines over 40 years old, affectionately known as 'The Old Bastards'.


A great example of Barossa Cabernet.

The Kaesler style is to make succulent and seductive reds that are charming and flavoursome while style offering density and complexity. This wine delivers this and more. Normally I avoid Cabernet from hot climates, such as the Barossa. However these guys have managed to meld their silky house style with the lean acid and firm tannins that I look for in good Cabernet. This wine is drinking well now but will develop some more leather and earthy characters over the next few years.
 .
$30.00ea and cheaper by the dozen.

You can order this winter treat by emailing me at philip@thewinedepository.com.au

Pinot Noir Tasting 05/05/12

Over the past few months I've been asked to host numerous private tastings for customers. The most recently run event was about a month ago near Heathcote and it involved educating a group of 14 people about Pinot Noir.

Grasping a chance to drink a handful of my most favourite Pinots from around the world, I looked forward to this event and the attended to the notes and wine selection with particular vigour. Of course having a willing and eager bunch of participants makes it all the more entertaining. Thankfully the attendees had that in spades.



The warm up act. Seriously good for the price.

The event was structured into four brackets, which built from entry level wines and graduated up to tasting the pinnacle of Pinot Noir - Burgundy.

Bracket One. Flavours of Pinot Noir.
Bress Vineyards Silver Chook Yarra Valley & Macedon 2010 $22 Showing the easy, cherry/red berry and rose petal notes. Excellent value and highly recommended.
Hungerford Hill Tumbarumba 2009 $25 Darker, plums and a hint undergrowth. Riper fruit and more generous mouthfeel.
Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge 2008 $32 Great entry point to Burgundy, showing the minerally, structured and more savoury styles they tend to make. If drinking water was impossible, this is what I would turn to.


Bracket One under way.

Bracket Two. Regionality and the wide world of wine.
Pegasus Bay Canterbury 2008 $63 From the South Island of New Zealand. Showing the typical style of great NZ Pinot. Bold with perfume, subtlety and restraint.
Apsley Gorge Tasmania 2008 $69 East Coast of Tassie based producer. A bit stinky when first opened, but possessing great texture, balance and silkiness. Beautiful wine.
Bernard Huber Baden 2009 $43 A Spatburgunder (aka Pinot Noir) from Germany. Showing perfume, oak, balance and nice refreshing acidity.
Britten Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir  The host added this wine so the USA got a jersey.  It has great pedigree with the owner being a former member of the Stags Leap team. This tasted slightly oxidised on the day sadly.



You can always tell a Curly Flat family.

Bracket Three: Terroir and aging.
We used two wines made in almost the same way to highlight how much a region or vineyard (ie Terroir) can affect the taste of a wine.
William Downie Mornington Peninsula 2010 $71 The more floral, red berry and vibrant style. Showed really well upfront. Beautiful balance and lovely to drink.
William Downie Gippsland 2010 $71 Darker, more brooding and darker fruits. Needed a bit more time in the glass to show its best. But definitely had that hallmark Downie balance and texture (and drinkability).
Then we used two wines from the same producer and different vintage to show how a wine can change with time in the bottle.
Curly Flat Macedon 2008 $56 Dark, powerful, generous with a lot of depth and great mouthfeel.
Curly Flat Macedon 2001 En Magnum The host once again donated this wine to the tasting. It showed more savoury/undergrowth/truffle and was a lot more silky and supple. I would say at its peak now in the best possible way.


Pouring the 95 Pruliers.

Bracket Four: Burgundy.
Nicholas Potel Vosne Romanee Les Petit Monts 1er Cru 2000 $105 The budget didn't quite stretch to Grand Cru but this high quality Premier Cru certainly showed the best of the region and why it is the pinnacle. Supple, savoury, minerally, perfumed, vibrant, spices, depth, layered, intense and thrilling. Great balance, depth of fruit and plush but with fine tannins and great length.
Dom Laurant Nuits-St-Georges Les Pruliers 1995 Because more is more, yet another bottle was taken from the cellar to be shared. This wine really showed up the difference between communes and vineyards in Burgundy. This wine reflexed the denser, more chunky style of Nuits compared to the refined, elegance of Vosne.



Expert host and wine waiter... me.

Additional Wine.
Roda I Rioja Riserva 2004 This wine was pulled out just as we took our leave of the group but I stuck around long enough to have a glass. I have included it because Tempranillo is often described as tasting like Pinot with a bit of age. It does share the red fruits, floral notes and spicy notes. Along with the silk and purity you would expect.

All in all a great tasting. If you are interested in hosting a tasting like this, we can work together to find a theme, budget and venue that suits. Email philip@thewinedepository.com.au 

Barbaresco Dinner at Matteo's 04/06/12

Continuing my Italian Odyssey (sadly without leaving Melbourne) Patrick's group assembled to taste most of the Single Cru wines from one of the worlds best cooperatives Produttori del Barbaresco
from the fantastic 2007 vintage.

It is a sight of beauty.

Barbaresco is in the region of Piedmont in North West tip of Italy, you can read a general overview of the region I wrote for TWDs Piedmont Dinner. Barbaresco is made with 100% Nebbiolo, a variety that packs a fair punch with tannin and acid power. They are notable for their ability to age and evolve very slowly for a very long time. The classic descriptor for the variety is "Tar and Roses" supported by a lot of savoury characters with some red fruits.
The 2007 vintage was celebrated for its long ripening season that allowed the grapes to reach maturity and therefore the resulting wines to be aromatic with plentiful but ripe tannin and a rich core of fruit. Something that was a common theme amongst the wines we tasted on the night.

None of these nights would function without Champagne. Happily it was the same one I loved at our last dinner at Mezzo Bar.

Lanson Gold Label Vintage 2002 Zesty and citrus with strong autolytic undertones. Really refreshing and enjoyable.

Sadly we did have to sacrifice doing our regular study of Riesling for this month. But it was for a good cause. 

The next eight wines are all from Producttori del Barbaresco and the vintage 2007. They are all single cru (single vineyard). First of all let me say that they were all excellent. They all showed a common theme of savoury wines with a tight core of fruit and a firm, ripe corset of tannins. Trying to split these in terms of quality was almost impossible, but it was well worth the 'headache'.These were all stunning wines and well worth tasting. But the other theme they all had in common is they need a lot of time. Check out TWDs Produttori del Barbaresco offer for pricing and availability.

Asili defintely stood out. But it was in great company.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Asili' Dry, floral - roses, cherry, stones, rubber, limestone, aniseed.
Tart, tannic and bacon fat, fine tannins, minerals, great length, great core, spicy, meaty, long, ripe. A very majestic wine and the wine that stood out to me as being the best in a great lot of wines.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Moccagatta'  Dense, earthy, fresh red lift, smokey, blood orange, dusty.
Tart, zesty, clean, crunchy, cardamom, herbal finish, dry fruit tannins.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Montefico' Light, spice, rubber, hint of mint?, sweet plums.
Plush and silky, smoke, mineral, fruit tannins, fruit cake, chocolate, comparatively soft.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Montestefano' Red currants, tart, fine, spice, earth, black stones, soot, pepper.
Round, silky, tart, mineral, fine, hint bitter, cardamom.

So hard to separate these wines.  

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Ovello' Roses, floral, red fruits, spice and sweet spices, ripe sweet fruits.
Dry, savoury, very tannic, cinnamon.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Paje' Dark, rubber, blue and black fruit, spice, tea leaf, dense, hint of oak.
Silky, dense, dark fruits, hint oaky palate too.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Pora' Red fruits, fresh, lively, tea leaf, deep, rich cinnamon.
Silky, dense, v tart, clean, cinnamon, good length. A very good wine.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Rio Sordo' Floral, red fruits, stones, tea leaf.
Great balance, red fruits, dry tannins, mineral drive, density and fat. Very, very good wine.

So similar yet so different. A great problem to have.

Options Wine - This month was a good lesson in not over thinking this part of the night!
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Asili' 1997 Initially it looked really old. Cloudy, brown and a bit unappealling to the eye. The nose was quite waxy, savoury, tea leaf, hint of VA and a fair whack of aniseed.The palate had undergrowth, sweet fruits, chocolate, red apple, rose petal. Fine, balanced and long.
At first I was thinking old Chateauneuf du Pape, but after re reading my notes for this post I don't know why, it reads like all the other Barbarescos we just tried. When we were told it was Barbaresco and from the same Cru as one of the wines already on the table I remember aniseed and went with the only other wine I had tasted that had that character. So atleast I picked the Cru.

This wine really opened up with time in the glass and with more time it showed its true class and value. These wines are seriously cheap for the quality level.

Like a kid at a candy store.

Fonseca 10yo Tawny Corked - curse the silly things. Given we were already quite full of Nebbiolo it was probably a good thing.

There was also a Macedon Pinot, glass of beer and a glass of Cognac. None of which I feel the need to remind myself of.

WINE OF THE WEEK

WINE OF THE WEEK
Patrizi Moscato d'Asti 2011 - One of my (surprisingly) favourite wines from the Piedmont Dinner I hosted in May http://winedep.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/piedmont-dinner-and-masterclass-at.html

Patrizi Moscato d'Asti

Moscato is the traditional way to cleanse the palate after a meal before getting stuck into the Grappa (which is what we did). I was a hint sceptical at first, but after tasting it I have seen... the light. This is a really lovely, fresh, vibrant slightly fizzy drink that is so refreshing. There was great balance between the grapey, floral notes, the light sweetness and the soft fizz. Contextually it was perfect and really easy drinking.

 $19.95ea cheaper by the dozen.

You can order this divine and slightly indugent wine by emailing me at philip@thewinedepository.com.au

Patrizi Moscato d'Asti - Hero of the Day.

Bordeaux - The Aristocratic Way Pt 1

Bordeaux is one of my favourite wine regions, through the years I have been able to taste more of these wines than any others (except maybe Burgundy). You can see some of my recent Bordeaux encounters here.

The Region of Bordeaux and it appellations.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Before we get into the wines themselves perhaps some background on the region will put it into perspective.
The region is most famous for its savoury, structured and long lived red wines and intensely sweet botrytised white wines. It is important to remember that with Bordeaux about 10% of the production takes about 90% of the wealth and 97% of the attention. For the most part we are going to be talking about the 10%.

Bordeaux is situated near the Atlantic coast of France and is shaped by the Gironde, Dordogne and Gironne rivers. Cool conditions and frequent rainfall, including during harvest time, makes Bordeaux quite a marginal region with vintages frequently ruined by rain or saved from the rain at the last minute by timely sunshine. This makes knowning the vintages quite important when buying Bordeaux, but knowing the good producers will be safer still. On the plus side, the rainfall does help to facilitate the productions of wines affected by botrytis such as Barsac and Sauternes.

Merlot

Wine making was brought to the area by the Romans sometime after 48AD. The region developed a strong link with England in the 12th Century when Henry Plantagenet and Aliénor d’Aquitaine married and Aquitanine became a province of England. This link remains to this day despite a few hiccups to the relationship, such as The Hundred Years war and France reclaiming the land.
The region makes red, sweet white, white and sparkling wines. A lot of this wine is sold as cheap generic 'super market' wine. A small percentage is the high quality wines that are celebrated and sought afters by wine lovers and investors all across the world.

Sauvignon Blanc

Approximately 89% of the production is red wine. Merlot is the most commonly used grape followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Depending on terroir and historical importance Malbec, Petit Verdot and handful of other varieties such as Carmenere are used, generally in small quantities. There are very few high quality wines that are made of a single variety. The sum of the parts add up to more than the individual components.

The famous Left Bank of Bordeaux exalts the grape Cabernet Sauvignon which makes elegant and fragrant wines of high acidity and tannin that allow the wines to age for 30 to 50 years depending on the vintage. The best appellations on the Left Bank include Medoc, St-Estephe, Pauillac, St-Julien, Margaux, Haut Medoc, Margaux and Pessac Leognan.

Semillon

The Right Bank wines use a lot more Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Merlot provides plushness, silk and softness while the Cabernet Franc gives acid and fragrance. The two main appellations on the Right Bank are St-Emilion and Pomerol.

The sweet and dry whites are made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Botrytis affected white wines made in appellations Sauternes and Barsac have spawned many imitators all over the world. There is a lot to love about the unctuous, apricoty, creme brulee, vanilla bean and floral lift that these wines offer. The best wines such as Chateau d'Yquem age gracefully for many decades.

The dry whites can rival the best white Burgundy, Loire white or Rheingau Riesling. The top end wines show racy acidity, tropical and floral perfumed notes, a fair lick of oak and nice texture. They have the ability to live for a long time. The only draw back is they tend to be comparatively expensive. Look for whites from Graves, Pessac Leognan or from well regarded producers.

The other point of difference about the region is the En-Primeur system of sales. The top wines of the regions are offered for sale 18 months before they are ready to be shipped. The wines are tasted unfinished by experts and punters and given scores representing what they will taste like and the rest of the world buys (or not) on the back of this.

If you want to be part of the excitement we have the 2011 En-Primeur Offer currently available for sale now (with the wines arriving in 2014). Available for sale and enjoyment now are Reds from the charming 2008s, classically styled 2006s and the brilliant 2004s.