Between the N974 and a marble quarry…

…is Corgoloin, a village where Gachot-Monot is based. R. brought round their 2015 Cote de Nuits Villages which I got nowhere near identifying as a red Burgundy. Oh, the shame! We have blogged their ‘Chaillots’ but Sunday’s wine was drawn from 7 ha which comprise their CdNV AC offering. 2015 was an exceptional vintage for red Burgundies but this just did not register for me.

It had the usual appearance – mid-intense ruby, watery rim – and a nose of fresh red fruits with a touch of sourness. There was also some cooked cherries which started to come through after a while. The freshness came through on the palate of red fruit, low tannins and no noticeable wood flavours. (GM use old barrels only evidently). For me, there was a lack of a distinctive note in the wine – I was even thinking Grenache at one point – which is a pity. I’m wondering if 1. It’s gone into ‘shut down’ 2. it needs more time, though low tannins won’t help, or 3. it needs more decanting time – R. gave it an hour.

I’ve another GM, it will be interesting to try – it’s from 2014.

[Richard: I enjoyed this a lot, plenty of soft fruit, decent mouth feel, pleasant nose, easy to drink. Not the most ‘Pinot’ Pinot we have ever had though. No improvement over the rest of the evening so I don’t think 3 is the reason for G’s disenchantment. From Fingal Rock in Monmouth who have the 2016 at £20.]

Affordable Assyrtiko…

We’ve long had a liking for Assyrtiko, especially that made in Santorini, the spiritual home of the grape. From the Gaia Wild Ferment tried in 2014 (a wine that has shot up in price) to Hatzadakis last month – another expensive bottle and one of my wines of 2021 – the grape usually produces interesting wine, although we have had a couple of very ordinary bottles.

This was a pale yellow wine, pellucid, with some lemony minerality on the nose. A big presence on the palate, with controlled sweetness balancing out the ‘chardonnay plus’ lemon notes. Good mouth feel with some complexity in the mouth. Not very exciting, like the two wines above but still a wine of character and excellent VFM. (The Society’s Exhibition Santorini Assyrtiko 2020, currently on offer at £13.25).

[Geoff: This is a wine from the Karamelogos winery, the third largest on the island. They own 3 ha and lease another 5 ha. Other suppliers, notably Woodwinters, stock their range in more depth and prices start at about £30 but reach £100 + depending on age of vines and the vineyard site or blend. So this does reperesent good VFM. Lovely firmness and acidity, everything is pronounced in flavour and although a bit ‘one dimensional’ that dimension is very pleasant.]

Vermouth Two.

This week’s vermouth is 1757 Rosso di Torino. It’s from the Campari Group whose other brands include Aperol, Glen Grant whisky, Bisquit cognac, Cinzano, Grand Marnier and Lallier champagne. This is massive corporate business (there are many more brands) but it fits 1757’s image to emphasise it’s humble origins, such as the handcrafted production, numbered bottles, family shop origins and even locally grown Artemesia (the wormwood plant used in all vermouths). Our reader will be thankful to know that it has a ‘skilful balance of flavours’.

Appearance – brown/red, green rimmmed, viscosity. Nose – fruits, flowers, fragrancy, sweetness. Palate – obviously sweet attack, dry bitter and long finish, quite raisiny, more complex than the Martini Special. I preferred this one. Again, like the Martini, the emphasis is on its use in cocktails (especially, and not surprisingly, Negroni, given the Campari link.)

I find it difficult to identify specific flavours in vermouths – my lack of experience, no doubt, but also their complexity and clever blending. The main white grapes used in vermouths appear to be Muscat, Trebbiano and Sicily’s Cataretto.

[Richard: I also preferred this and is a pleasant drink on its own, unlike the Martini which really needed the slice of orange. Slightly sweeter and richer as well with fewer herby notes. Complex, fragrant and raisin-y with an attractive bitter finish. It’s also more expensive (around £23) and not easy to find. I think mine came from Waitrose but it is not showing in stock today.]

Generation gap

A look at Whistler Wines web-site shows four ranges of wines – Museum Collection, Estate Range, Reserve Range and Next Gen range. The latter’s strap-line is  “ready to drink now, including lighter-styled reds. This ever evolving range doesn’t take itself too seriously, but produces a seriosuly good drop.” (Ignore their typo – must have been the wine.) The wine we tasted on Sunday – Whistler Get in my Belly 2020 – certainly lacked any Barossa Valley hallmarks; I was completely stumped as to its provenance.

Light red, slightly purple, watery rim with a slight opacity are not a Barossa’s Grenache usual appearances. Neither are the muted aromas of fresh cranberry. The taste, all primary fruits and low tannins is refreshing, simple, slightly sour and, for me, rather thin and lacking in generosity. I like lighter reds, as you know, but this didn’t do it for me, sorry. I did not want to get any more in my belly – or any other part of my body for that matter – after the initial mouthful.

btw the grapes are not from Whistler’s own vineyards, they only vinified this wine.

[Richard: yes, more to my taste than my fellow taster. I’ve developed an interest in Grenache/Garnacha, provided it is not vinified in the heavy Chateauneuf style, which this certainly wasn’t. This was light, pale and I liked the sourness but overall, slightly disappointing and not a repeat purchase, especially as overpriced for what you get. (TWS, £20)]

Hungary’s Bordeaux bland.

Friday’s wine was from the Szekszard region in Southern Hungery. Being in the middle of a land mass and protected by mountains means that the climate has few moderating influences – the climate is continental. Hot summers and cold winters make this a region dominated by red grapes and there were four in the wine we tried, Sebastyen’s 2016 Szekszard Gradus Cuvee made from Merlot, Cab Sav, Sagrantino (an Italian grape) and Kekfrankos. It had been aged for 23 months in oak.

The appearance was ruby with a hint of brown and the nose had that funky note that, to me, hints of eastern Europe and the east Mediterranean. There was a rather catch-all red/black fruit note, slightly rose hip and as well as a medicinal note. So a lot going on aroma-wise but the taste was not as complex. Stewed red fruits and soft tannins, a dry medium length finish were obvious and it lacked a touch of refinement. Easy enough to drink but maybe all those big flavoured grapes blended too well. It was also a high 14%. in alcohol.

[Richard: some favourable comments on TWS Forum enticed me into buying this but it was another slightly disappointing (and overpriced) red. Nothing wrong with it but the different grapes cancelled each other out leaving a rather generic taste, lacking in complexity. Not bad, is all.]

I note Woodwinters also sell their Cabernet Franc for the same price (£23). It may be worth a try.

Classy Chenin…

This was a bright, clear wine with a deepish yellow/orange colour. Some vanilla on the nose which faded, orange/tangerine notes, quite a layered aroma. The taste was much sweeter than I expected but there was a balancing acidity, making it medium-dry. The mouthfeel is textured and appealing. Well made and from a maker who is much respected. Not really my sort of wine but the quality is obvious.

(Montlouis-sur-Loire ‘Les Tuffeaux’, François Chidaine 2009).

[Geoff: The range of styles Chenin can produce is amazing, from the lean to the wet-woolly to the sweet. And the range of quality levels is equally broad, from the very simple – ‘It’s a white wine’ – to the complex ‘Wow, that’s different!’ This was bought from M & S a few moons ago, when they sold interesting wines, and had been lying in the rack for nigh on ten years. The cork disintegrated on first pull but the filtering was worth it. Fermented in wooden barrels and matured for 11 months in wood, the wine does not go through a malo-lactic ferment – hence the preserving acidity. A slight honeyed taste matched with the broader stone-fruit notes and the acidity. This wine was completely balanced. Another great Loire taste.]

Revisiting Vermouth (1)

Vermouth (or Vermut) has always been popular in Spain and Italy, not so much in the UK but there has been more interest – now fading a little – recently. We’ve blogged a few versions over the years but decided, as we both have a number of different bottles, to do some comparing. Not tasted blind, all served at room temperature with one ice cube, without, and then with, a slice of orange.

The first is Martini Riserva Speciale Rubino. This is said to be ‘is a homage to the original style of vermouth produced by MARTINI in times past’. Medium red, or ruby, as the name suggests, transparent, viscous. The nose is dry and herby with an acrid, smokey note I didn’t especially like. The taste is wine-like, long, no tannins, more herbs and a bitter finish. Rather one-note and not as complex as the ‘Riserva’ tag implies. With orange added I found the taste much improved, smoother and more palatable. Around £16.

[Geoff: Vermouth is a drink I have little experience of so it will be great to taste the different styles. The difficulty I anticipate will be to describe the flavours – apart from using the word ‘herby’, that is. Adding flavourings to wine has been around since wine-making began and for various reasons. First revelation for me – most vermouth has white wine, not red, as the base. More to epiphanies to follow.]

Muscadet missed…

An attractive wine, bright, supple, viscous in appearance. The nose was Riesling-esque, some stone fruit, the taste big, good mouthfeel, rich with a balanced acidity, quite complex, decent length. I had no idea, apart from it being French, and was surprised to find it was a Muscadet, as this is normally a wine I can identify. But this was both older (2016) than versions we usually taste and atypical in style, not being the ‘shellfish match’ as it is usually marketed. Nevertheless, a classy wine which I enjoyed trying and great VFM.

(Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Château-Thébaud, L’Orée du Château la Tourmelière, Chéreau-Carré 2016, TWS)

[Geoff: Three Muscadets were part of a mixed case sold by TWS and have proved to be excellent value as well as being interesting. There are ten cru communaux which receive longer lees-ageing than the majority of Muscadets; 3 – 4 years in the case of Ch. Thebaud, hence its richness. Commercially, they can command a higher price which is what the majority of Muscadets struggle to achieve. As R. states, it could stand a richer dish than plain oysters although there are grades of richness in those solitary beings. Lovely. I hope TWS repeat the offer.]

Perfect for a political party…

This was a pale wine, decent mousse, chalky nose, leading into a sweet attack on the palate with balancing acidity, a slightly hard finish typical of a cava, a little short. As these wines go, one of the better ones. I couldn’t find this wine on the G&M website, only the vintage version which is Chardonnay 53%, Chenin Blanc 36%, Cabernet Franc 11%. For me there was no distinctive varietal taste.

I note that the wine is stocked by Tesco Westminster, close to No.10 – I’m sure they sell it by the suitcase…

(Gratien & Meyer, Brut, Crémant de Loire).

[Geoff: Since the early 2000s, G & M are part of the large Henkell Friexenet combine (which now includes UK’s Bolney Estate, btw), and occupy an imposing site upstream of Saumur. Nothing too complicated, the wine was a commercial blend, think Prosecco but leaner and less pear more Granny Smith apples. The cooler climate helps to keep it clean. Tesco’s £12, about the right price. Certainly a party wine …]

Canopy needed.

It’s hot, 45 deg., in the summer and -5 deg. in the winter. This is the Mentrida DO, an old wine region near Toledo in cental Spain, which, like many other old Spanish regions, is undergoing a small revival. The dominant, 80%, red grape is Garnacha and the region’s soils are mainly sandy clay, though our bottle says ‘granito’. The wine, made by Canopy, is La Vina Escondida 2016, from vineyards in the Sierra de Grados, a granite dominated area at an altitude of 800 – 1100 metres which is, therefore, cool. It’s 14.5% ABV.

The colour was a ruby red with a slightly brown rim which preceded a nose of fresh red fruits and spices. One obvious note which I picked up was shoe polish, it was consistently present. The palate was sour/fresh red fruits and tannins. The effect of altitude is notable. A good wine but overpriced at £31, from Decantalo.

[Richard: yes, too expensive at that price – I paid £20 from Decantalo in the good old, pre-Brexit days when personal imports were not charged duty or VAT. The sort of wine I like, especially the sour/fresh balance. A very pleasant drink, despite the high alcohol which wasn’t apparent.]