Mas Gabriel, Clos de Lievres 2016

Deborah & Peter Core, both English and working in the world of finance, established Mas Gabriel in 2006. They spent apprenticeship time in NZ, qualified as viticulturalists, found a site – Caux – near Pezenas in the Languedoc and started making wines. Their 4.7 ha of red grapes’ is sited on on volcanic basalt and this wine is 75% Syrah, the remainder being Grenache Noir. (They vinify whites as well, btw).

They make wines ‘as simply as possible’ The result is a viscous, deep ruby coloured wine, faintly dark fruits on the nose when I tried it, but showing a richness. Syrah’s menthol and herb was apparent as were red fruits and the Languedoc background of rocks, earth and heat. The wine was big, rich, dry and tannic, and well made, and enjoyable. (And I’m fussy about 14.5% reds) I think the bottle age helped soften the wine.

[Richard: a typical wine for the region but none the worse for that. Plenty of complexity from the aroma and for the palate with the high alcohol not apparent. Little evidence of the Grenache either, always a plus for me. I think this was from Terroir Languedoc but it is no longer available.]

A Ruby from Rubeno…

This was a reddish purple wine, medium density, some vanilla and spirity alcohol alongside red fruit on the nose, direct, not subtle. The taste was big and fresh, rather one-note, medium length, with a pleasing balance of sweetness and astringency on the finish. Geoff had previously warned me that this was a grape rarely blogged (we tried one a couple of years ago), which usually suggests Italy, and so it proved – from the Alto Adige (Cantina Andriano Rubeno Lagrein 2019). Around £17 – various suppliers – which I think is a little pricey for what you get.

[Geoff: Better very slightly chilled which accentuated the fruits. Best summed up as a tart Merlot. A day later, it took on more spicy notes which, sadly, dominated the red fruit. Okay, but more interesting than fantastic.]

There is a Rosé…

This was a pale pink ‘Provencal gris’ wine, pellucid in its clarity, a typical rosé nose with hints of red fruits and carbon dioxide, although there was also a darker, deeper note. Not a sweet as the nose suggested, quite subtle, with some length, an attractive sweet/sour balance and an underlying earthiness. Drinkable and attractive. In fact a Muga Rosado 2020, a mixture of red and white grapes – Garnacha, Viura and Tempranillo. This wine is a mainstay of restaurant wine lists in Spain and I’ve enjoyed it several times when on holiday there. Always reliable and a decent price (£11 MWW).

[Geoff: If I’m reading the web-site correctly, this has had five hours maceration, before the juices is run off and fermented. This maceration gives the colour and must be critical to get right especially if there’s a ‘house pink’ to be achieved. It’s also been left on its lees following fermentation to give texture and depth of flavour that R. mentioned. Yes, a very drinkable drop going well with cod baked in a tomato and olive sauce.]

Austrian Italy

The Alto Adige region is Italy’s most northerly wine region as well as being one that’s sadly under-exposed in the UK. Efforts are being made to increase sales and, believe me, the wines are worth trying. Politically, the area was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire up to 1918 when it became Italian. Climatically, it could be said to have more in common with cooler Austria than Italy but there are warmer air currents from the south and lots of clear sunshine. Geologically, the rocks are volcanic.

The wine we tried was from a co-operative (these dominate the local wine production), Kellerai Cantina Terlan. It was their Pinot Bianco 2017, Vorberg Riserva. A very attractive, really bright yellow in the glass, the aromas were initially slight – floral, hedgerows and fresh. The understated nose led to a rich palate of both acidity and texture with a slight bitter finish, making it an ideal accompanier of sea foods and pasta. This was a very well made wine, typically Alto-Adigean – fresh acidity and pure flavours. A pleasure to drink.

The co-op’s web site is worth exploring and advertise Chardonnays and Pinot Biancos going back to the 2000 vintage.

[Richard: a lovely wine showing what can be done a grape which is usually used to make cheap quaffing wine. A floral nose led into a rich, textured wine, with plenty of nuance. Very classy and not cheap – from Vin Cognito – but still good value.]

A Fifth Growth rosé…

We don’t blog many rosés and I can’t recall ever seeing, or tasting one from Bordeaux. So when I saw this on the Waitrose Cellar web site I bought one in the 25% off sale, which made it £15.

Very pale or ‘gris’, like a Provencal rosé, a rather shy nose with some red fruits. The taste is more red fruit, full and rich, integrated and well-balanced, with some nuance. A cut above most other French rosé which is not surprising since it it made by Château Haut-Bages Libéral – classified in 1855 as a 5th Growth. Vertheuil is the village where the grapes are grown. Waitrose say 100% Merlot, something confirmed by the Chateau Technical Note. In previous years it was ‘100 % Bordeaux varieties’. However Geoff thought he could pick up some Cabernet Sauvignon on the nose. Very good and a repeat purchase at the reduced price. (Le Rosé de Vertheuil 2019).

[Geoff: Forget all the celeb. roses and the Angel this and Angel that. This is a classy rose and great value. Nose of faint red fruits, some chalkiness and I thought I detected menthol (hence Cab Sav guess.) After the sweet red fruit attack, there was a a clean, dry, delicate, medium-long finish. A lovely balance of sweetness and acidity makes this a well made wine. Worth looking for IMO.]

Classy Camborio…

This fino came from Bodegas Juan Piñero, a relatively new (1992) maker who made his money elsewhere and decided to buy into the region – not uncommon in Jerez.

The wine is meant to be an old-style Fino, looking for depth and intensity above all and is well described here.

We found it to be darker in appearance than most finos, an evocative nose with apricot emerging after a while, a rich smooth taste, plenty of complexity and persistence, with a pleasing bitter finish. Very good, not least because it is a style we don’t see very often. From Noble Green Wines.

[Geoff: Another one of those classy sherries that seem to bridge the divide between a table wine and fortified wine. The typical sherry style of yeasty/chamomile/nuts is understated and, as R writes, there is a lovely richness along with a fresh quality. Great throughout a meal, not just as an appetite sharpener. Bring on the gambas!]

More Malagousia…

This was a bright, pure yellow wine. A little reduction on the nose, along with honey. Lemon notes were lacking so it wasn’t a chardonnay. The taste was rich, persistent with medium acidity leading to a dry finish. Some character but rather one-note. There were no identifying characteristics to help me pick the grape, so it wasn’t something we had tasted often. In fact, just once – when we were impressed. This wasn’t as good though I’m sure it was a bit cheaper. (Domaine Papagiannakos ‘Kalogeri’ Malagouzia 2019, from Noble Green Wines, £17).

[Geoff: Mesogaias (Midlands to you and I) is an area south-east of Athens with a climate cooled by its proximity to the Adriatic coastline. A temperate climate, the limestone soils and a nearby large customer-base (the capital city) means that wine making has been practised here for thousands of years. Yes, this wine was not as notable as our previous Malagousia but it was still good. Rather southern Rhone in style with its lowish acidity and stone fruit notes it went well with some richly-sauced pasta. Greek wines are always worth trying.]

AD 2014 (parts one and two)

The Auxey-Duresses Clos du Val 2014 that R supplied was part of a case of six we shared from Tanners. 2014 was a difficult year, but the vineyard, comprised of 50 year old vines, is reputedly the best part of the Climat du Val, a south-east facing plot alongside the road into the village. Clos du Val is under a hectare and is wholly owned by Dmne. Michel Prunier and is now run by his daughter, Estelle. (We have tried another 2014 Auxey 1er cru, not Prunier’s, in May ’21 and weren’t particularly impressed.)

Appearance: Brick red, garnet core. The aromas were initially damp earth, which faded, giving way to red cherries, slightly cooked, and a funkiness which developed in the glass. Surprisingly, I did not pick up the usual pinot smell. The palate had noticeable tannins and high acidity, was lean, dry and long but quite light and lacking in some depth of flavour. We both thought it was starting to fade which has prompted me to open one of mine on Sunday. We’ll add the notes here.

[Richard: I thought I should start drinking some older stock and picked this one. Couldn’t find a single online review which is unusual and perhaps indicative. As is often the case with PN (see previous blog) the nose was better than the taste. More pinot for me than Geoff but that might be confirmation bias. Taste was disappointing – lean and mean, lacking in both fruit and generosity. Hope the next two are better.]

Update: the bottle tried on Sunday, with much less decant time, was much better – richer, smoother and with more fruit.

Neudorf Tom’s Block Pinot Noir 2017

We tried a New Zealand PN on Sunday with surprisingly mixed results. The grapes are from the centre of the northern coast of south island, in a rain shadow created by the Moutere Hills but receiving fresh breezes from the Tasman Strait. The sunshine hours are the highest in the South Island but the nights supply the refreshing coolness needed, especially for this grape variety. (All this information is from the Neudorf web-site which is well worth a visit – it’s informative and well-written).

The wine’s colour was distinctly garnet and of medium intensity. The nose had great complexity, mushrooms, spice, cherry, smoke and vegetation. The cherry and spice was continued in the palate with some tartness. So far so good. Then the taste seemed to change on the finish which was hard edged, lacking in fruit and rather unattractive; there was up-front attraction but a disappointing finish. Being kind, it may be that it needed food or was still a bit young and green but it certainly ‘lost its way’ for us. Pity, especially following the nose.

[Richard: yes, terrific nose, disappointing taste, which at least makes it similar to many Burgundian pinots we’ve tried. Obviously not French, quite rich with some PN notes, no nuance and not a great advert for a Southern Hemisphere realisation of the grape. From Waitrose at 25% off, currently £26 which I think is overpriced but it has had a couple of 5* reviews. I think you can do better from, say, Dog Point.]

Nous buvons Bouvet…

This was a pale yellow wine, small bubbles, some carbon dioxide on the nose and a lemony aroma.

Rich and succulent in the mouth, well balanced with sweet and sour both represented, more lemon on the palate – this is not a complicated wine. I could taste the Chardonnay but not the Chenin which is the major component in the blend. Pretty good given the price and a decent champagne alternative if you don’t want to pay quite as much, a suggestion also made by the sellers – MWW. (Bouvet Saphir 2018, Saumur, £15)

[Geoff: There was a faint smell from the bubbles but the dominating nose was lemon. Although this had been kept for 18 months there was little softness and the acidity was high – as young Chenin can be. The chardonnay added some complexity and finesse without making it too much champagne-like. It would be interesting to see if it softened with more ageing and took on that honeyed note of older chenin.]