Serendipity…

Our tastings are rarely planned but it is striking how often we choose something similar to try. Last Sunday saw two Pinot Noirs, neither from Burgundy.

My blind tasting, provided by Geoff, was a pale red with a sweet fruity nose, leading on to a ‘cool climate’ taste, some fruit – obviously a PN, firm and earthy – leading a bitter, slightly hard finish – not a bad thing. An enjoyable expression of the grape which we have tried before. This bottle seemed slightly less appealing, given our earlier notes and I wonder if the wine is on the downhill. (Pyramid Valley Pinot Noir 2018).

[Geoff: It still appeals to me. I like its understated red fruits which are combined with the earthy/mushroom quality. Not especially complicated but a very good match with food because of the finish R. mentions. It hasn’t neither the force of Cote de Nuits nor the sweetness of a C.d. Beaune – so we have no Burgundian taste-alike, which is good news.]

Collecting crémants…

Pale yellow, decent mousse, rather shy nose. The taste was clean and crisp, tangy, some orange/lemon flavours, rather hard on the finish. Recommended by a fellow WS Forum member and our local branch of Aldi had a few, not always a given. Our second Savoie crémant – we still have to try a Crémant de Die. Well made with a classy, quite heavy bottle which possible accounts for the premium (£16) price. (Clos Petraz Brut, Aldi, nla).

[Geoff: This sparkler is produced by Les Grand Chais de France, a large group whose brands include Arthur Metz champagne, Calvet Bordeaux wines and Moillard Burgundy. It had more distinctive taste than many cremants and is a blend of three grapes, Chardonnay, Jacquere and Altesse, the last two being very local grapes. Recommended, but it has disappeared from Aldi’s shelves.]

Unplaceable…

This was a deep red glossy, appealing wine with a purple rim. The nose was dark fruit, quite ‘high’ and a little rustic. The high note carried over onto the taste with the acidity giving a sharp (and tanninc) finish with blackberry notes. Rather short and simple. I was completely baffled. In fact from the Minervois. Five grapes (Carignan, Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault), none identifiable. An interesting wine but for me, lacking a sense of place. (Pierre Cros Tradition Rouge 2019.)

[Geoff: Quelle coincidence! The previous two wines blogged were from Baden; this red is from Badens, a village 15 minutes from Carcassone in the Minervois. The vigneron, Pierre Cros, (‘a militant vigneron’, his words) owns 50 ha, of which vines cover 20 ha., which have been passed down three generations. Apart from the expected southern French grapes he also grows Touriga Nacional and Nebbiolo. This wine is his entry level red, robust, rich, well-made, and good value at £14 from Fingal Rock, but generic. His more expensive ‘Les Arpres’ is consistently praised and would be worth trying.]

German Pinot Noir

Following on from the chardonnay in the previous blog,we tried a German pinot noir from Baden, this time made by Weingut Salwey who own 22 ha. of vineyards close to the volcanic Kaiserstuhl. Not surprisingly, the soils are volcanic ash dominated. The wines are matured in pieces (228 l.) of lightly toasted, local oak. This was their 2015 Spatburgunder.

App: light red, brown rim. Nose: cooked cherries, acidity, with a delicate floral perfume. Palate: cherry, strawberry, cooked red fruits, savoury and with an attractive earthiness (that soil no doubt). The finish was, long and dry. The overall impression was a sense of it being ‘together’, well made and a good accompaniment to chicken, turkey and hams.

[Richard: plenty of pinot typicity, some beneficial effects of ageing and the early savouriness G mentions. Nothing to dislike. We tried and liked a cheaper PN from Salwey in 2020 – this was much more expensive, around £30 from memory. From Tanners who now only stock a Salwey pinot blanc. (2015 Henkenberg Spätburgunder GG Weingut Salwey)]

German chardonnay

Weingut Bernard Huber of Malterdingen in Baden, West Germany, is famed for its pinot noirs and, to a lesser extent, its chardonnays. We tasted their Alte Reben (old vines) chardonnay 2017 which is made from grapes from across their individual sites all of which are dominated by sedimentary limestone (muschelkalk), as are many Burgundian sites. According to Krebiehl in Wine of Germany, a third of Baden vineyards are PN and a tenth Chardonnay so Huber’s are not one-off sites.

A distinctly bright lemon with a hint of green, the wine had aromas of lemon and pepper which were dominated by the sulphur smell of matchsticks. This smell, usually signifying reduction, i.e. the lack of exposure to oxygen in the winemaking process, eventually went. The taste was redolent of Granny Smith apples, citrus, clean and crisp. There was plenty of power making for an individual wine, i.e. not a Burgundian taste-alike, with character and the second impressive Chardonnay from outside France that we have tried recently.

[Richard: from Vin Cognito where I was seduced by the extravagant praise showered on this wine by the sellers who have a tendency to plaster it on with a trowel. Not as good as they say – when is it ever? – but still a very enjoyable drink, from the burnt match nose to the strong linear taste with plenty of minerality. A big wine, despite being only 12.5%, that needed food, a pea and prawn risotto in our case.

Challenging our ignorance…

Flor yeast veils and the system of fractional blending in criadaras are ideas that are strongly associated with sherry and yet it they occur in other areas of Spain. And we are greatly enjoying pusing back our frontiers of ignorance of these areas. R. turned up with another wine produced by this method, Bodega Gomez Nevado’s Dorado Sierra Morena Seco. It’s a regional wine (IGP) area north of Cordoba and the grape blend is Aris, Palamino and PX (40:30:30). Aris is a local grape, also known as Alarije. There is no fortification, the wine achieves 18% ABV and is aged for a minmum of 15 years and continually blended with newer wines . The protective flor disappears leaving the wine to age oxidatively thereby concentrating flavour.

The result? Clear, light amber with orange highlights; a complex nose of orange citrus and muted iodine; a palate of acidity, the orange citrus again, with a clean, long, dry finish and power yet easy to drink. We enjoyed it with the strong flavours of creamed tuna paste and olives, but any strong Spanish food would suit.

[Richard: our second wine from this producer – we tried the fino-like Paliodo last month. Despite having little palomino in the blend it could pass as a (very good) amontillado from Jerez, an interesting slant on the predominant effects of flor and the solera system on the taste. A big nose with some varnish and orange, very long, very clean, even when served at room temperature. From substrata, as before, about £15 which is a real bargain.]

A moreish Mosel…

Deep honey-yellow, viscous, limpid appearance led into a petrolic nose which didn’t smell sweet. The taste was sweet/sour (Geoff had warned me the wine was sweet but in many ways it wasn’t), grapey lemon, subtle, refined with a ‘low alcohol’ feel (it’s 8%) and none of the cloying notes these wines sometimes have. Really very enjoyable and I had no difficulty in accepting a top-up. (2009 Dr F Weins-Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese).

[Geoff: The winemakers Dr F Weins Prum own 4 ha including some of the Sonnenuhr (sun dial) vineyard. Graach, Erben, Wehlen and Urzig villages are home to iconic Moselle vineyards, producing world famous wines which are often on allocation. And tasting this you can see why. It’s all in balance, the sugars, minerality, acidity, delicacy. Now 13 years old but only 8% ABV, this wine will still be great for years to come. Gorgeous. I think it came from Cambridge Wine Merchants, who now list the 2017 at £40.]

Ch. Grand Corbin-Despagne 2015

This Grand Cru Classe St Emilion has been owned by the Despagne family since 1902 but they have worked its lands since 1811, that’s some root lengths. The vineyard is certified as organic and Terra Vitis and, since 2018, 25% of the vineyard has been farmed biodynamically. The Despagne’s respect for their soils (clay/sand) is also deep rooted. Their vines are 75% Merlot, 24% CF, 1% CS; yield 40 hl./ha.; and the wine ages in 40-60% new oak.

The result of all this care and attention is in the wine, a dense ruby colour with a nose of deep, cooked dark fruits with hints of marzipan, almonds and licorice. The tastes, after the initial attack of tannins, are big dark fruit flavours rather than oak, an earthiness with a touch of licorice again. It has a dry, medium long finish. The overall impression is of a dry, powerful wine that will last for up to ten years. (2015 was a good vintage). Very enjoyable, a food wine and a claret in the European style.

[Richard: thought I’d surprise Geoff with a claret, a wine I rarely buy. Still plenty of life left but drinking well now with all three grapes nicely integrated. Would have been good with our rib roast on the 25th. From TWS, £35.]

One of those wines…

There are some wines we taste that stand out and we both state that ‘this is quality’. Invariably they are a pleasure to taste – and difficult not to drink more of. Sunday’s wine was one of these – Pierre Gaillard’s 2016 Cote Rotie. Domaine Pierre Gaillard is based in Malleval in the north Rhone but has steadily expanded his holdings, which cover 77 ha, since 1981 and added the Languedoc, Banyuls and others to his portfolio.

Appearance: Ruby red, faint brick rim. Nose: Fresh, sweet, mellow black fruits, touch of oak, savoury, light. Palate: Big, rich, cooked cherry/plum, dry medium long finish. This wine is ‘together’ and drinking beautifully. (The Gaillard website states that there is 10% Viognier in the blend). Excellent.

[Richard: our loft is being redecorated so I’ve been moving the wine racks around and discovering various forgotten bottles. This was one such, opened as a counter to the poor Syrah I inflicted on Geoff last week. It was very good – loads of flavour and nuance and a pleasure to drink. It came from TWS – I bought a case of 6, en primeur, in 2018 (about £30 a bottle) and this is the second tried. We liked the first in 2021 but this is more mature and approaching its peak. Only 12.5% as well – it can be done]

An Italian mystery…

This was a deep yellow wine with a powerful aroma within which were notes of honey and lemon. The taste was equally strong, if not especially typical of any grape variety, although as it warmed we notice some Rhone-like ‘stone fruit’ flavours emerging. The wine had an engaging acidity, even a hint of salt, which resulted in a pleasing lift on the finish. I thought it might be Italian but couldn’t identify the grape, which was, we think, our first Langhe chardonnay. A decent wine with plenty of character and recommendable, unless you are looking for a chardonnay in the French or Australian style. (Langhe Chardonnay Tenuta San Mauro, 1485 Wines, £20.)

[Geoff: From 40 ha. of vines on the Bianco family farm, San Mauro, situated between Asti and Alba. There are circa 2000 bottles made from a yield of 70 hl.ha. What appealed to me was its firmness and individuality – it was not trying to be a Burgundy. San Mauro also produce a metodo classico Chard/PN sparkling wine (also stocked by 1485 Wines) which would be interesting to try. Recommended.]