A Love Affair In Aromatics – Riesling.

Riesling is one of the ‘noble’ varieties of grapes used to make wine. I believe it to be the King (or should I say Queen?) of the aromatic whites. It is found in most wine producing countries over the globe, and if made by someone with a passion for the variety, they will usually have success. However, Riesling seems most at home in Germany, Austria and Alsace where its ability to transmit the terroir shines through. The best wines of these regions, indeed the best Rieslings from outside these regions too, seem to develop and display personality and soul.

It appears that Riesling as a variety doesn’t seem to capture the attention of the greater drinking public. It seems the domain of ‘wine people’ (heaven forbid we use the term connoisseur). I feel there is a lot to like about Riesling. And of course I’d say that, I’m a wine person! Even a basic Riesling can be lovely. The perfume, elegance and understated nature of the wine with its lovely structure underneath punctuated by fresh and lively acidity. Add to that the lack of oak to mask these graceful characters and all of this adds up to a clean and fresh drink that enlivens the palate. The very best though can charm, intrigue, beguile. They don’t always jump out of the glass and instantly grab your attention like a Sauvignon Blanc may do. But there are layers and nuances that become apparent the more time you spend studying the wine.

One barrier to people enjoying Riesling is that they can range from bone dry through to lusciously sweet. And generally it is hard to tell from looking at the label what you are going to get. When thinking of Riesling its best to consider it in three broad styles; Dry, ‘Dry’ and Sweet. The Dry Riesling styles are truly dry. As in they have little to no residual sugar left after fermentation, high acid, very crisp and clean. Most Riesling from Australia and especially Clare and Eden Valleys fall into this category. So to do Germany’s ‘Trocken’ Riesling. ‘Dry’ Rieslings tend to have a touch of residual sugar that is used to balance high levels of acidity. They are refreshing, fruity and really lovely drinks that you should not be scared of tasting. Kabinett Rieslings, a lot of Alsace and New Zealand Rieslings tend to fall into this category. In Australia we tend to use the term ‘off-dry’ to describe these wines. Sweet Riesling is sweet, can be late picked, botrytised or even ice wines (left to freeze on the vine in winter). The best are truly complex and almost seem too pretty to drink. Like all great wines, the key to sweet Riesling is the balance. No matter how sweet it should have acidity that balances the sugar to make a clean and refreshing wine.

Riesling is a wine that can be drunk on its own, matched with white meats, pungent cheeses, spicy foods and it has been known to out shine even Pinot Noir when you are faced with a plate of lovely duck. It is a wine that is cheap for the quality you get and it is a must for any serious wine cellar. How can one grape bring so much joy? It just proves that there is a lot to love about Riesling.

Riesling Cheat sheet

Flavours

Tropical fruits, citrus, white flowers, stones, slate, white chocolate, pork fat/sausage meat.
With age it can add toffee/caramel, dry biscuits, kerosene, undergrowth, crème brulee.   

Styles

Dry, off-dry, sweet, occasionally sparkling. Does not like oak.

Regions Germany – Mosel (esp sweeter styles), Rheingau (dry styles), Pfalz

Austria – Wachau, Kremstal
France – Alsace
Australia – Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Frankland River, Henty

Aging

Drinks well on release to 12 months then goes into a dip from 2 years from vintage until about 7 years. In this period all the fruit drops off and the wine looks flat and disappointing. Afterward though the fruit returns as does the bottle aged characters that are so desired in Riesling.  

Ready to try some Riesling? Why not check out some of TWD's current offers:
Alsace Riesling

Old World Riesling

Australian Riesling

Spanish Master Class @ Mezzo

Spanish Masterclass

Next Stop World Domination?

Check out the Order form here
About Spain
According to figures from the OIV (International Organization of Wine and Vine), in 2011 Spain had 1,032,000 hectare of vineyards planted. 225,000 hectare more than second most prolific France. 97.4% was used for wine making. In 2011 they produced 34,300,000 hectolitres of wine compared to France 49,633,000 and Italy 41,580,000. Australia had 174,000ha making 11,010,000hl of wine.

The best regions have laws similar to France’s AOC or Italy’s DOC laws under the banner of Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO).

Denomination of Origin (DO) – For ‘prestigious Spanish wines’ with five years of recognised quality production. The Consejo Regulador  governs the parametres of production. 
Qualified Denomination of Origin. (DOCa) – Regions that have 10 years of DO quality wines. The wines must be bottled in wineries within the region where they are produced and follow the laws of the regulating body.
Estate Wine (Vino de Pago) – Recognising distinctive sites. They must comply with DOCa requirements while being vinified and  bottled at the vineyard.
Qualified Estate Wine (Vino de Pago Calificado) – If the Vino de Pago is wholly within a DOCa and fulfils the Vino de Pago laws it can be granted this classification.

Important Varieties For Quality

Tempranillo – Top quality grape grown all over the Peninsula (with many pseudonyms). Can be used for Rosado or Joven all the way up to Gran Reserva. Ages well – said to compare to Burgundy. Cherry, cola typical descriptors.
Garnacha – AKA Grenache. Most famous in Priorat and Montsant. Blends well with Tempranillo.
Mencia – Similar to Cabernet Franc makes stunning wines from Bierzo, Valdeorras and surrounding regions.
Albarino – Native of Galicia and the main grape of Rias Baixas. Great perfume and texture.
Palomino – The main variety of Sherry production. Used for Fino/Manzanilla, Amontillado and Oloroso production.
Sparkling Varieties – Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parellada combine to make the stunning Methode Traditionelle wines of Cava with some Chardonnay on occasion. Generally all three are quite ordinary for table wine production.

Important Regions For Quality

Rioja – A large and varied region and Spain’s quality flagship. Alta and Alavesa are the high altitude cooler parts and Baja the low hot lands. Producer is the most important determiner of quality. The Spanish equivalent of the Barossa.
Ribera del Duero – Rivalling Rioja for quality. This valley that follows the Duero (Duoro in Portugal) is high altitude with sandy soils. The best are extremely elegant wines. Tempranillo dominates production.
Jerez – The southern town that is responsible for Sherry. Need I say more?
Priorat – Robust wines made of Garnacha and Cariñena (aka Carignan)  grown on schisty slopes perched high in the mountains near Barcelona.
Biezro – Continental climate and high altitude vineyards combined with schist laden soils means these wines are elegant, fine and perfumed. Easily some of the best wines in Spain.    
Rias Baixas – Translates to ‘low rivers’, the best producers in this white only DO make perfumed, elegant and textured wines that really sing with seafood.

Give it a rest The aging categories in Spain can be confusing but they are summarised below as:
Joven Generally unoaked and released early for immediate consumption.
Vino de crianza (crianza wine) Reds minimum of 24 months, of which 6 months are spent in oak. White and rosé wines aged for at least 18 months.
Reserva Red wines that are aged for a minimum of 36 months. At least 12 months in oak and the rest in the bottle. White and rosé aged for 18 months, to include 6 months on wood.
Gran Reserva Red wines aged for a minimum of 60 months, to include at least 18 months in oak. White and rosé wines aged for 48 months, to include 6 months on wood.

Quality sparkling wines may use the “Premium” and “Reserva” indications; the “Gran Reserva” indication may be used by those sparkling wines that have been given the Cava designation and which have undergone ageing for at least 30 months from tirage to disgorging.

The Wines

2006 Juvé y Camps ‘Reserva de la Familia’ Brut Nature Gran Reserva
33% Macabeo, 33% Xarel.lo, 34% Parellada. Dense, leesy, zesty, floral, clean and very long. The best Cava (and this is one of them) is made in the Champagne method but tend to be a lot lighter and crisper due to the native varieties used. Very nice drinking for starting a meal.

2010 Valmiñor Albariño  D.O. Rías Baixas
Albarino is Spain's best white grape. This wine has great balance, its very textural and floral with candied citrus and hints of savoury, doughy notes. Very long. Rias Baixas is a white only region on the West coast of Spain. These wines are made for seafood and this would be awesome with scallops.

2010 Telmo Rodriguez ‘El Transistor’ Verdejo D.O Rueda
Also known as Verdehlo this grape is a bit of a work horse making lots of easy going wine for immediate consumption. This wine is the next level up. Crystaline, pure and clean, hints of oak complement the dense white and yellow fruits. There is plenty of fat on the mid-palate and a floral almost aloe vera like finish.

2008 Dominio Do Bibei Lacima D.O Ribeira Sacra
100% Mencia - a variety close to my heart. Mencia is thought to be related to Cabernet Franc if not genetically definitely flavour wise. Crushed raspberries, dried and fresh herbs, floral clean and tight. There is a stony core to this wine and a spine of acid and tannin that make it compelling drinking. Try having just one glass!

2008 Alvaro Palacios ‘Finca Dofi’D.O Priorat (DOCa) Grenache dominant blend from one of Spain's best regions. The Palacios family is almost royalty in Spain This wine was dark fruited, smokey/schisty. tea leaf and chocolatey. There is plenty of presence and power in the mouth. As is typical of the region this wine really needs a few more years to soften out and develop some secondary characters. Impressive drinking none-the-less.

2008 Remondo ‘Propiedad’ D.O Rioja (DOCa) Grenache dominant with Tempranillo making up the balance from Rioja Baja. Dry, savoury, pure, dark fruits, with a hint of prunes. The palate on this wine is all silk and seduction. Really shows the potential of the Rioja low lands.

2005 Alion D.O Ribera del Duero
100% Tempranillo from the famous Vega Sicilia stable of wines. Easily the wine of the night as the extra age has given a beautiful depth. Meaty, red, blue and black fruits, fresh, spicy, silky and ever evolving in the glass. A great experience and captures the essence of Tempranillo. A must try for wine lovers.

28 Navazos La Bota de Oloroso Bota Punta D.O Jerez de la Frontera (375ml)        
Walnut, spice, pepper, incredibly floral, hazelnuts, the palate is clean with wonderful mouthfilling hints of dried fruits. Such an amazing experince to drink pure concentrated Oloroso.

The Entry level Wines
NV Segura Viudas Aria Brut
Charming, light, fresh, citrusy Cava that is all too easy to drink. Great drinking no matter what the occasion is.

2011 Viña Olabarri Viura Blanco D.O. La Rioja AltaMainly made from Viura it is a light fresh, apple and pear with a hint of floral. The palate has some good texture and waxy notes. Very pleasant to sip.

2011 Telmo Rodriguez ‘Basa’ Verdejo D.O Rueda
Classic easy goingh Verdejo that can be served cold to be refreshing or served at cellar temperature to appreciate the subtle flavours and textures.

2010 Descendientes de J. Palacios ‘Pétalos’ Mencia D.O. Bierzo
A stunning producer who makes Mencia that rivals the best wines of Burgundy. I cannot recommend this wine highly enough. So fresh and vibrant with the mineral core.

2011 Agnès de Cervera ‘La Petite Agnès’ Garnacha Samsó D.O Priorat (DOCa)
Amazingly good wine showing the typical Priorat dark fruit power, schisty drive and overall muscle.

2011 Palacios Remondo ‘La Vendimia’ D.O Rioja (DOCa)
The unoaked younger brother of the Propiedad, it is unoaked and made to be drunk young and fresh. There is less fruit power but the extra vibrancy and tart fruit makes up for that easily.

2011 Cillar di Silos Joven de Silos D.O Ribera del Duero
Very classy Tempranillo from a fabulous producer. Full of crunchy red fruits and floral notes. A very refreshing wine that shows the Tempranillos other personality (compared to the Alion above).

Romate Oloroso ‘Don Jose’ D.O. Jeréz
A true gem of a drink. Oloroso is often overlooked as people either head for the bone dry or the sweet styles. This wine shows the joy of texture and subtle flavours you get with Oloroso. Such a great and versitile food wine too.

 

Greek Wine Masterclass @ The Press Club 12/09/12

Greek wine has a very poor reputation, mostly because for a long time they have been churning out some pretty ordinary wine! We in Australia are just seeing the good quality producers being brought into Australia. So when importer Pete Johns suggested we show some open minded wine drinkers some great wines from Greece I jumped at the chance.
For the first time in a long time I walked into a wine event knowing almost nothing about the wines we were about to taste. It was a great feeling be free of preconceived notions and be able to learn from start. When you add a trip to the Press Club into the mix it becomes quite an exciting night!

I have attached my brief notes and orderform from the night. You will have to excuse any typos relating to Greek names, I tried my very best.



The major regions of Greece.

On arrival we were treated to Tselepos 'Amalia' Brut NV made in the methode traditionelle from native Greek variety Moschofilero. This wine was bright, fresh, grapey and floral with citrus, chalk and a clean and long palate. It was very much like a Prosecco in outlook and could easily be interchanged if you wanted to try something a bit different.
Note: 'Tselepos' is the producers name. 'Amalia' is the name of the a family member of the wine maker and has no meaning beyond that.

Artichoke - Jerusalem, celeriac, parsnip, smoked walnut, toursi onion, kalamata olive paired with Tselepos Mantinia Moschofilero 2011. This was great to compare a still Moschofilero to a sparkling one. This table wine was spicey, floral/handsoap like, lychees and musk. It had a great mid palate weight, with a fresh and clean mouthfeel and just a hint of bitterness. A very sweetly perfumed wine but still quite dry. It is like a devine cross between Gewurztraminer and Muscat.
Note: Andrew from the Press Club is quite knowledgeable on Greek wines and explained that 'Moscho' means grey, which refers to the grey almost pink colour of the ripe grapes (much like Pinot Gris). 'Mantinia' is the region the wine comes from.



The Press Club

Swordfish - "Poiseidon god of the sea", sea weed & vegetables, ouzo mayoneza, nicola. This was a pretty amazing bracket and an equally amazing dish. We had Sigalas Assrytiko Athiri 2009 a  blend of 75% Assrytiko with 25% Athiri which showed brine, citrus, stones and a hint of seaweed with a sweet core of tropical fruits and a long, lean, floral and dry palate. Very refreshing and a bit gluggable before the food turned up. Compared with the Sigalas Santorini Assrytiko 2011 100% Assrytiko which had a strong tone of seaweed, brine, minerals, stones, white flowers and green olives. It was focussed, textured with an oystershell note. It was a bit off putting at first because it was so dry but when the swordfish arrived it became so glorious to drink. The change was amazing. Santorini is a volcanic island in the Aegean Islands. The tourists and locals mainly live inside the top of the volcanos crater. The outside is a windswept sandy place that gets little to no rainfall, all the moisture is blown up off the sea. If you can picture that you can imagine that the wine tastes like where it is grown.
Note: 'Santorini' is the region/island. 'Assrytiko' and 'Athiri' are grape varieties.

Interlude Driopi Rose 2011 a stunningly perfumed wine of bright, red, crunchy, marachino cherry, floral and grapey notes. Quite spicy, sweet fruited and clean on the palate. Despite how sweet it smelt it was in fact as dry as a dry rose can be. A great cleanser and perfect for drinking in more informal occasions too. It is made from Agiorgitiko and we got to drink a red table wine example next up.
Note: 'Agiorgitiko' is a variety that has been used to make, red, rose, sweet and sparkling wine in Greece. To pronounce it remember the 'g's are silent.

Veal - Loin, sweetbread, kefalograviera consomme, anchovy, almond, kounipidi A wonderful dish that was easily as good as the swordfish and matched beautifully with the Driopo Nemea Agiorgitiko 2009. In contrast to the rose this was dense, red fruited, smokey, dark chocolatey, soot with a clean, schisty/mineral core. This reminded me of a great Hunter Shiraz with its fruit power but structural balance. Lovely wine, great match with the food.
Note: 'Nemea' is the region on the Peloponnese.



The menu - stunning!

Wagyu - 24 hr oyster blade, horta, heirloom carrots, smoke almonds & oats This was a seriously sticky and flavoursome dish that required something special to wrestle the attention away. As it happened we had Sigalas Mavrotragano 2009 which was a brute! Dense, deeply coloured, dark fruits, dry herbs, olives, hint terracotta, dry earth, smoke and firm tannins (despite being decanted for a few hours). This was a musclar wine that demands food at this stage but so very delicious. Very much like an Aglianico for those that have tried the variety.
Note: 'Mavrotragano' is the variety, 'mavro' means dark/black.

Sokolata - Zeus & his 8 mistresses with Michael Cluizel single origin chocolate Wow! What a dish. So chocolately, nine tastes in all. It certainly makes quite an impact and a great way to finish off. The wine match was Sigalas Vinsanto 2004. Until recently I thought Vinsanto was a traditional Italian drink, as it turns out it is something they adopted from the Greeks. It involves a very long process of sun drying and barrel aging grapes to make a sweet wine of power and finesse. There was plenty of stuffing, with floral notes, raisins, white choclate and a silky and charming mouthfeel.
Note: Vinsanto could easily translate to hedonism!



Zeus and the ladies. They got on surprisingly well.

This was such a fun evening and Pete Johns did such a great job explaining what makes the best wines of Greek so special.

WINE OF THE WEEK

Francoise & Denis Clair Cotes de Beaune Village 2009

Following on from our All The Pinots tastings a good friend had their 40th Birthday. So naturally a bottle of Burgundy was the order of the day. The heart of Burgundy is known as the Cote d'Or (Golden Slope) and this wine could be sourced from anywhere in the Southern part known as the Cote de Beaune (Slope of Beaune) with Beaune historically being the major town in that part of the region.
2009 is widely regarded as one of the best vintages ever and with wines like this flying the flag it is hard to argue the point.



No contention with this Beaune.

This wine embodies the best parts of Pinot Noir, Burgundy and specifically the Cotes de Beaune style. Very perfumed cherry and raspberry, roses and violets, with a stoney, spicy and gamey depth. The palate is silky with hints of lavender. The oak tannins are soft and the acidity brings the whole wine together. There is a nice savoury undertone to the whole wine that makes it great with food. It went well with Mezzo's wild boar ravioli and prawn risotto.

Overall this is a great wine for Burgundy lovers and those trying to get their head around the style of the region. Whatever your knowledge level it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

$42ea cheaper for quantity. philip@thewinedepository.com.au

Dinner With William Downie 10/07/12 at Scopri

It was 5.59pm on Tuesday and I took a call from Matthew Hanson who I have chatted to regularly for well over 5 years now and who runs Fine Wine Appreciation Melbourne http://www.finewineappreciation.com.au/ . He said he had a last minute withdrawal from his William Downie dinner so would I like to come along? "It starts at 7pm" he added. I had been keen to go as I've loved Bill's wines since day two (there is an amusing story about day one but I shall save that for another time!) but the dinner filled up before I responded. Given I had just opened a bottle of wine to cook dinner with and it was corked, it was obviously a sign that I should go. So I did.

Bill's three Pinots.(LtoR) Gippsland, Mornington, Yarra.

Bill Downie has been on a wine making odyssey that has seen him work at tiny producers and large wine factories most notably in Australia and Burgundy. Since 2003 he has also been making Pinot Noir under his own name from the Yarra Valley and subsequently added Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland to the range complemented by a one off wine (or two).

I made it to Scopri - fast becoming my second home with plenty of time to spare and a thirst! The dinner was to be four courses, each matched with a pair of wines Bill had made. Once again I have to say that Scopri's ability to match food to wine is outstanding.

The back labels are a bit more informative.... A bit.

Roasted quail with puy lentils and pancetta

William Downie Mornington Pinot Noir 2011 Red berries, bright fruits, floral, vibrant, pure Mornington Pinot. The palate was tart, clean with a hint of oak and spice, clean and crunchy.

William Downie Mornington Pinot Noir 2008 Much darker in colour and flavour than the 2011. 2008 was much warmer compared to the wet and cold 2011 vintage and it showed in all the wines. Curranty, aniseed, hint savoury.
Richly fruited in the mouth with more muscle and tannin. Great length with red fruits coming up on the finish.

Potato ravioli with veal ragu

William Downie Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2011 Red fruits, spice, earth, jubey, lavender, pepper, dense. Silky, great flesh, vibrant, spice, fine and lean with a flinty note. Very long, fine and even tannins, savoury finish. Much more dense and savoury compared with the Mornington.

William Downie Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2008 Dark, plums, currants, spice, rose petal/floral, lifted.
Rich mouthfeel, ripe fruits, vibrant, sour cherry, muscular tannins and a hint bitter (in the positive refreshing mould), good length.

Yep, I defaced my menu with all the vital notes you are currently reading.

Braised beef cheeks 

William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2011 Tart, tea leaf, smoke, roses, red fruits, blood orange, pretty nose with an earthy edge. The palate showed red fruits that were vibrant and juicy with some dark fruit almost fruit cake like notes. The finish was fine, taut and structured. Great finesse. Possibly my favourite of the 2011s but it really is just splitting hairs and a little bit unfair to compare such young wines.

William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2008 Dark and meaty. Some of the spiced hung meats, oaky, dense and intense. In the mouth it offered lifted lavender, creamy big oxy berries. Sweet fruits, silk, vibrancy, fine fruit tannins, good length and a hint of bitterness.

Italian cheeses


Thousand Candles - you just have to taste it.

Thousand Candles 2011 This is the first release of this wine. I won't try and replicate Bill's story about this wine because I couldn't fake his passion and belief. But this wine came about when he was asked to make a wine that speaks of the best of what Australia can do. He has full control of the process from the vineyard to the final packaging.
The wine is from one vineyard in the Yarra Valley and is a blend of Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The blend came about because Bill and the team felt that on their own they had three OK wines, but together they had a wine that offered "Truth in the Glass". The wine spoke of where it came from. The wine making process was simply "Whole bunches in a vessel." No destemming, no yeast additions, no crushing, no punched downs or pump overs. Even the Sauv Blanc was made with full stems and skins. In fact it spent almost a year on skins which would be considered almost heresy in most peoples winemaking manuals.
The wine itself was stunning. Dusty, gravel, earth, stemmy, tight, tart red berry fruits, hint sappy with spice. The palate was juicy, vibrant, silky, meaty, with great fruit tannins, smoke/flint. It evolved a lot in the glass. I felt like I could picture the vineyard in my head as I drank it. I'd love to visit the place in the near future. It sounds amazing.
There is quite a lovely story about how the name and the label came about. But that takes a bit of time and if far better to hear from Bill himself.

William Downie Petit Manseng 2009 Hailing from the King Valley, this wine came about because Bill had no Pinot in 09. So rather than compromise he thought he'd find something completely different. Petit Manseng makes brilliant high acid sweet wines in the Southern French region of Jurancon. This wine was a fair facsimilie. Tropical, floral, pure and clean. With a waxy bitterness and piercing acid to balance out the sweetness. It had great intensity and was a lovely way to finish the evening. Only topped by a second glass of the Thousand Candles!

Overall it was a great experience. It's not often I get to taste so many classy Australian wines in one sitting. So I have to say thanks to Matt for the invite and Bill for the wines!

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.

Drinking Sweet

Originally publishing in TWD's Magazine on March, April and May. This is my thoughts on drinking sweet wines.


Loire Valley Chenin - King of the Sweet wines?

It polarises people no end. A lot of people refuse to consider a wine if there is any hint of sugar. But sweet wine is a valid and entirely enjoyable part of the wine spectrum so long as it has one thing - balance. Yep, that is right, I am talking about balance again. In context of sweet wine, it means that the wine has enough acid, phenolic grip (tannins), body and savoury characters to balance out the sugar so the wine is not cloying or sickly.



Mosel Riesling - Emperor of Sugar?

The best sweet wines are some of the most complex wines you are likely to taste, they have the ability to linger on your palate a lot longer than most dry wines and they have a huge ability to age for a long time. They can also match with foods that dry wines just can't. Desserts, fruits and strong cheeses just to name a few. Bear in mind that not all of these are seriously sweet, lightly sweet wines have their place and can be mighty refreshing.


Mosel Riesling is pretty darn good.

By the best I am thinking German Riesling, Italian Moscato, Sauternes (see Bordeaux Offer), Moelleux and Demi-Sec wines from Loire (see the Pichot Offer), Icewine (Eiswein) from Canada and Germany, Moscatel from Spain to name a few (without even touching on fortifieds). Did I miss your favourite sweet wine? Did you want to taste some of these excellent wines? Email me and let me know your thoughts.

Dinner at Mezzo 07/05/2012

Having missed one month due to work pressures, the Mezzo crowd were all pretty keen to catch up and taste some seriously good wine.  And we were far from disappointed despite cork playing a starring role in two of the wines. CURSE YOU VILE THINGS! This month the theme was 2004 Burgundy, a vintage that I have tasted a lot of and enjoyed since release. A lot of people don't rate this vintage because it was a cold vintage, but the good producers made excellent wines. The wines below are a good example.

Lanson Gold Label Vintage Champagne 2002 I'm a huge fan of Lanson Champagnes (see why) and this wine only served to further my love. Great texture, zesty, floral, good amount of yeasty/autolytic notes and plenty of life in it. This is one Champagne that definitely lends itself to aging. Even a few years on this would have some of the lovely honey, toast, brioche and truffle notes that good older Champagne develops.

Maurice Ecard Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Narbantons 1er Cru 2004 Floral, mineral, ironstone, chocolate, tea leaf, dried leaf, herbal tart and hint oxidised.
Nice tart acid, clean, fresh, rounded, mineral/stoney, chocolate, very long.
Everything you want from a good Savigny!

Most of the 04s we tasted.

Robert Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges Les Vaucrain 1er Cru 2004 From the Southern end of the village of Nuits this wine initially showed signs of TCA. It did also show some good character too. Herbal, dry, leafy sour, pickles, red fruits, potatoes. The nose certainly changed with air.
The palate showed coffee, chocolate, increased density, good flesh, nice tannins if a hint on the astringent side, ironstone. V. long and persistent.
I'd love to see another bottle of this as I have had a few of their 04s and they just had more lift. The makings of an excellent wine were there though.

Jean Grivot Nuits-St-Georges Les Boudots 1er Cru 2004 This vineyard is situated at the Northern end of Nuits right next to Vosne and was served as a bridge between the Chevillon and the Mongeard that followed.
It was lovely, almost wine of the night! Floral, lifted crushed ants, currants, tobacco, blood orange mulch, mulberry.
Dark cherry, tart, chunky tannins, stoney, marachino cherry, hint bitter.
Very enjoyable wine from an excellent producer

Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru 2004 Defintely the wine of the night. Les Suchot is a Premier Cru situated amongst some of the greatest of the Grand Crus. At its best it rivals them. Tonight, it was by far and away the best wine on the table.
It opened up a lot with time in the glass. Coffee, savoury, rocket, pepper, brown spice, clay, meaty, pickle, dense, musky, oak.
On the palate it was dense, silky, pretty, red frutis, musk, violet and cherry. It was a complete Burgundy that just made me happy to be drinking it.

The Two Echezeaux

Bruno Deaunay-Bissey Echezeaux Grand Cru 2004 This was an unsual wine. It was green as a they come on the nose, a really good example of why people might dislike the vintage.
The palate was much better though. It had dark fruits, olives and minerals. But it was still tart and green. I have no experience with this producer but it was a shame because it wasn't all that enjoyable.

Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux Grand Cru 2004 Sadly this was a corked as they come. It was almost DNPIM (Did Not Put In Mouth). But curiosity got the best of me and I instantly regretted it. It was definitely and undeniably corked.

Options Wine
Lynch-Bages Pauillac 5th Growth 2004 If you saw my notes from last Matteo's Dinner (here) you would remember the pride I had at picking the options wine. Well it all came undone tonight. I thought it was Italian, then Merlot based and then Patrick gave up and told us what it was.
Earthy, dirt, dense, clay/terracotta, hint beef and pepper.
Fine moderate tannins, limes tones. Long, floral cherries, seductive.
It was an excellent wine but just a baby. It has a lot longer to go yet!

Lynch Bages 2004 - Awesome wine. Just a baby.

Additional Wines
Grosset Gaia Cabernet 2002 I'm not sure how we came to be drinking Gaia. It was definitely welcome on the table, but as always, Australian wine tends too look sweet, thin and bland after a lot of good European wines.
I thought it looked quite smart if you ignored the French winese. Currants, cherry, clay, earthy, stalky. The palate was silky, elegant and it looked young and lean despite being the equal oldest wine on the table.
Good old screwcaps, sealing in freshness and keeping away nasty cork taint!

Awesome Aussie Cabernet - Grosset Gaia 2002

Outis Nessuno Etna 2007 So this was the last wine of the night and if you don't know much about it, neither do I. It comes from Sicily and the region is Etna which is near the Mount Etna volcano. The varieties are Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, both of which are native varieties.
It was a lovely drink, but again after all that old wine looked and tasted almost like a fortified. There was some nice characters there.

Tall Tales: Tasting Tempranillo

Tempranillo is a Spanish variety, perhaps the Spanish variety. It is grown all over Spain and Portugal (under various and confusing local names) and produces wines from light and fresh Roses, tart and fruity unoaked reds to dense, complex and structured reds that sit somewhere between and rival Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone or Piedmont.

I was recently able to taste a range of Tempranillo based wines from the two best Tempranillo regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero. My brief tasting notes are below. But first, a small bit of info on each region or D.O. (Denominacion de Origen).  

All of these wines are available for sale, if you want to place an order or have questions/comments please email me philip@thewinedepository.com.au
Rioja is quite diverse in varieties used, styles made, and terroir. The wines range from rich, dark and powerful through to subtle, refined and refreshing. This means that there is as much focus on the producers and their respective styles as the sub region it comes from. There are three sub regions in Rioja:
Baja; the hot, dry low lands where Garnacha (Grenache) prospers. Powerful and ripe wines prevail.
Alavesa; home of the highest altitude vineyards and Basque influenced. Elegant Tempranillo is made here.
Alta; also high altitude and producing elegant wines but Castille dominated culturally.

The Ribera del Duero region shares the same focal point as the famous Portuguese region of Port; namely the Duero River (known as the Douro when it crosses the border in to Portugal). The region is a valley that follows the rivers course and is a bit more even in terms of terroir (compared to Rioja) and the focus tends to be on single variety Tempranillo. Elegance and perfume is the order of the day here. Wines are either made on the sandy river flats or slightly elevated stoney soils further up the valley.

A few of the best Rioja to be had.

  

Artadi, D.O Rioja (Rioja Alavesa) A good producer of fruity and aromatic wines with character and charm. Plenty of structure and personality in the top level wines.

2009 Artadi 'Estate' Tempranillo $33.00ea Bright and crunchy red fruits. The palate is soft and spicy with fluffy red & blue fruits.
2008 Artadi ’Vinas De Gain’ Tempranillo $58.00ea Increased depth (compared to Estate), meaty and spicy. Denser palate that shows more oak, tannin and intensity. Still quite subtle and enjoyable though.

Garnacha at its finest!

Palacios Remondo, D.O Rioja (Rioja Baja) A favourite producer of mine. These wines display the strong suits of Garnacha and Tempranillo together. The Propiedad is a seriously impressive drink.

2010 Palacios Remondo 'La Vendimia' Garnacha Tempranillo $30.00ea Simple, easy drinking red jubey fruit. The palate is mid-weight rounded and a bit firm. The Garnacha certainly leads the way here but there is nice elegance from the Tempranillo.
2008 Palacios Remondo ‘La Montesa’ Garnacha Tempranillo $45.00ea  Dark, curranty fruit with a hint of fruit cake. It is quite rounded and generous with a long finish. This is a definite step up in quality.
2008 Palacios Remondo 'Propiedad' Garnacha Tempranillo $78.00ea Dark, savoury and earthy nose, it really needs a bit of time. Silky, sexy and savoury/truffle notes in the mouth, long finishing and extremely enjoyable.

Telmo Rodriguez, D.O Rioja (Rioja Alavesa) A vinous equivalent of a 'rockstar'. Telmo makes excellent wines from the best regions and varieties in Spain. He gives a great overview of the country's styles in a modern form.

2008 Telmo Rodriguez 'Lanzaga' Tempranillo $66.00ea Hint of sulphur and flint, the nose is dark, gamey, with spice and pepper. There is a rounded mouthfeel, red fruits with good length of flavour.

Vineyard in Rioja

Remelluri, D.O Rioja (Rioja Alavesa) The family Estate of Telmo Rodriguez. This is more traditional and savoury with a strong tie in with the Old School Bordeaux influenced Rioja style. These are great wines.

2006 Remelluri Reserva $75.00ea A strong whiff of volatile acidity first off which leads to currants and lavender and blueberry fruits. It is full, thick, tannic, earthy and creamy/vanilla oaky. I think this bottle was faulty - I've had wines from this producer that are outstanding.

Bodegas Roda, D.O Rioja (La Rioja Alta) Pure, pristine, perfumed and almost haunting. These guys really play up the Burgundian leanings of Tempranillo. They should be on your must try list.

2007 Roda Reserva $100.00ea Plum, smoke, bacon, hint flora. Dry, savoury and pristine on the palate. Very enjoyable.

Ébano Viñedos y Bodegas, D.O. Ribera del Duero An Estate owned by the awesome producer Valminor in Rias Baixas (great Albarino white wines). Still a young venture but looks promising.

2010 ‘Ébano 6’ (Tinta del Pais) Tempranillo $29.00ea Tart, red fruited and bright almost white wine like lift. Lighter bodied, good core of fruit with a quite tannic backbone.

Telmo Rodriguez, D.O Ribera del Duero Telmo's wines are all made in a similar way, it is great to be able to try his Rioja and Ribera wines next to each other to see the differences and nuances of the regions.

2010 Telmo Rodriguez 'Gazur' Tempranillo $37.00ea Pepper, red fruits, floral and soot. Sweet red currants, a hint bitter and clean. Beautifully refreshing Tempranillo.

Hernando y Sourdais, D.O. Ribera del Duero Wines made from high altitude, organic vineyards some of which pre-date phylloxera - impressive potential.

2009 Hernado y Sourdais 'Antidoto' Tempranillo $46.00ea Bright, grapey & estery punctuated by tart and crunchy red fruits, floral hints and a fine tannic structure.

Cillar De Silos, D.O Ribera del Duero A lovely producer and one of the few wines I buy every year. Their elegance and balance belie the fact that these wines age gracefully for a very long time. Highly recommended.  

2008 Silos 'Estate' Tempranillo $75.00ea Smoke, meat, dark fruits, bitter chocolate, cola and a sweet nutty note. It is mid-weight, silky, red and blue fruited, currants and bitter chocolate. This is an elegant wine of great balance and a long savoury finish.

Vineyard in Ribera del Duero

Telmo Rodriguez, D.O Ribera del Duero

2007 Telmo Rodriguez 'M2 de Matallana' Tempranillo $75.00ea Oxy dark fruits, oaky with dense earth almost terracotta like character. Blue & purple fruits, spicy oak, smoke, good length. This is a beefier and riper style of Tempranillo.

Bodegas y Vinedos Arnaldo, D.O. Ribera del Duero Run by the genius behind Iconic Spanish winery Pingus. This is a new project that could be Spain's next big thing.

2009 Bodegas y Vinedos Arnaldo 'PSI' Tempranillo $85.00ea Ferment esters, tart red and blue berry fruits. Dry palate, light bodied. 

Awesome Australian Wine

Today is my 30th Birthday. What better way to celebrate then tasting some of my favourite Australian wines?
That's right, on my birthday I was willing to brave inclement weather and bad Melbourne traffic to taste wines - so they would have be special. And I wasn't disappointed.

These wines are for sale and wines I recommend, I have included the price which is correct at the time of publishing. They are subject to change in price and availability.

If you want to order please email me philip@thewinedepository.com.au or call 0418 230482



Lovely, lovely Ngeringa Chardy.

The first table I visited was occupied by my friend Erinn from Ngeringa based in the Adelaide Hills. Erinn and the team make really thoughtful, elegant and expressive wines from their biodynamic vineyards. We tasted through some of his range which included the stunning Ngeringa Chardonnay 2009 ($42ea), a lovely and lean chard with purity, clean stone fruits and a floral lift. The Chard is one of the best wines they make in my opinion. The Viognier 2010 ($48ea) and Viognier dominant blend JE Assemblage White 2010 ($27ea) both had excellent textural qualities with aromatic complexity and great subtlety - quite rare for Australian Viognier.
The reds kicked off with his elegant, savoury and silky Pinot Noir 2009 ($42ea). This is a wine of great perfume and certainly opened up with air. Then we tasted two Syrah - the flagship variety at the winery. JE Syrah 2009 ($27ea) showed delicate aromas of cola, pepper and cardomon with hints of blood orange and plums. The palate was balanced, savoury and with lovely fine drying tannins. The big show Syrah 2008 ($53ea) was showing its typical refined lean, smokey, spicy and savoury nose. The palate was very fine and a hint on the tannic side. The palate was not as impressively balanced and vibrant as previous years; Erinn explained that as it is from a difficult year (extremely hot conditions plagued the country), and picked early to retain the freshness and acidity. They took a lot of care to make it the best possible wine they could and he was proud of the result given how many producers picked later and produced jammy, alcoholic wines.
I tend to agree, with a bit of time in the bottle (or the right food match) and this wine would be stunning.
Still one of my favourite wineries in Australia.



Next stop was the Jamsheed table. Gary Mills has been making some of the best wines in Victoria for a while now, in the April TWD Magazine I featured some of his entry level wines in the drink now list. I would encourage you to taste these wines as they are extremely drinkable and amazingly good value. I also got to try his Gewurztraminer, Riesling (and friends) blend Le Blank Plonk 2010 ($21ea), the Gewurz definitely sticks out on the nose with its lychee and rose water notes. The Riesling adds a citrusy spine and length to the palate. This is refreshing and very drinkable. I also tried some of his Roussanne which I did not catch the vintage or price of but throughly enjoyed for its faint stone fruits and white flower notes and mineral purity and textural bliss.

After that was a chat with James Lance and his wines from Punch in the Yarra. James' offerings were a bit unique and special because they had lost all of their fruit in 2009 due to the fires that came through the vineyards. With the support of vineyards in Victoria and New Zealand there was the birth of the label 'Friends Of Punch'. And there was a lot to like about the wines. Gippsland based Mallani Vineyard Chardonnay 2009 ($36ea) had everything I want in good Chard. Silky, vibrant and elegant. Plenty of stone fruits, floral notes and citrus. Great balance and lots of length of flavour. It was so good for the price. The best of the friends wine (to my palate) was the Quartz Reef Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009 ($65ea). Quartz Reef is a producer in Central Otago (Kristina and I spent some time with Rudi on our trip in 2007 and loved every second). They made some batches with the Punch style in mind and let them pick how they wanted them blended. The wine was then sent to Punch for finishing. The result is a smokey, dense, full, spicy and tasty Pinot. There is lovely structure and good length of flavour. Very drinkable. By contrast there was also the Bannockburn Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009 ($65ea) which was more savoury, herbal, undergrowth like Pinot. It was very tight and tannic at the moment. The final Friends of Punch wine I tasted was the very Rhone like juby, smokey, slightly herbal and fine boned Bannockburn Vineyards Syrah 2009 ($65ea), one for the cellar!
James was also offering advanced tastings of his 2010 wines. Chardonnay, Pinot and Close Planted Pinot all looked amazing. You will hear more about them when they are released. They are knock outs.

I did taste a few other wines before I headed home to celebrate my birthday without having to spit the pretty wines. But I'll save those stories for another day.