Tasting Reviews - Details https://www.oxfordwineclub.org.uk/tasting-reviews http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification mojoPortal Blog Module en-GB 120 no The Wines of the Western Loire

Background

Describing herself as ‘a journalist with no letters after her name’, (a situation the Wine Club has now remedied) Liz Sagues has in fact written extensively on wine for the Independent, the Sunday Express, Country Life and the acclaimed Hampstead & Highgate Express. She has twice been winner of the Louis Roederer Regional Wine Writer of the Year award (2005 and 2011) and is the author of two books about wine – Sussex by the Glass and A Celebration of English Wine as well as a book about Chichester Harbour (England’s Coastal Gem). She is also a member of the Circle of Wine Writers and a former Committee Member of that organisation.

Liz, however, particularly enjoys the wines of the Loire Valley and believes Muscadet and Loire Moelleux are the most underrated wines today and that Chenin Blanc is a grape to cherish.

 

Introducing the tasting, Liz reminded us that the Loire is France’s third largest wine region and that the Anjou appellation area extends across 128 communes in Maine-et-Loire, 14 in Deux Sèvres and 9 in Vienne. The Anjou regional AOC also includes a number of sub-regional and communal AOCs.

 

Soils - The appellation area comprises two distinct regions:

Anjou Noir, or ‘Anjou sur Schistes’, the dark, schist based soil of the south-eastern edge of the Massif Armoricain, which is the larger of the areas;

Anjou Blanc, or ‘Anjou sur Tuffeau,’ a smaller area of lighter-coloured soils comprising altered chalk (tufo) at the south western extremity of the Paris Basin.

 

Production - Average annual production over the last few years has been approximately 70,400 hl. Of which Reds comprised 47,300hl, Whites19,000 hl, and Sparkling wine 4,100 hl.

 

Primary Grape Varieties - Red: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Pineau d’Aunis and Grolleau (10% maximum) or 100 % Gamay for Anjou Gamay.
White: Chenin (80 % minimum), Sauvignon, Chardonnay

 

Climate – Generally described as ‘temperate oceanic’, the Loire Valley has not been exempt from the effects of climate change, with the area experiencing extreme variations in temperature over the last few years.

 

The Loire Valley has a large number of organics estates – it is estimated that in 2021 around 25% of estates or 18% of the production area were certified organic, with a smaller number (upwards of 2% of the production area) now certified as biodynamic.

 

 

 

 

The Tasting

The Wine Society’s Celebration Crémant de Loire 2019 (12.5%) £12.95 was the entry wine, with Liz explaining that sparkling wine does not in her view ‘show’ terroir. Made by Gratien and Meyer, a house founded by Alfred Gratien in 1864, Gratien and Meyer have been supplying the Wine Society since 1906. Based on the outskirts of Saumur, the house has relatively recently started producing its own grapes, rather than buying all of its requirements from local producers. The wine is made from Chardonnay grapes and has a fine mousse, a creamy texture, shows well-ripened grape characteristics (ripe apples, pears), is concentrated and has a fresh finish.

 

Domaine de la Noblaie Chante le Vent Chinon Blanc 2019 (13.5%) £15.95

Produced further east, on tufa soil and made by a rising star of the region, Jérôme Billard, on the nose and palate the wine is intense, complex and has notes of peaches and apricots. Production of Chenin Blanc is relatively rare in the Chinon area. Usually vinified in stainless steel, in recent years Jérôme has been experimenting with amphoras and working to put more texture into the wine.

 

Domaine des Forges Savennières Le Clos du Papillon 2020 (14.5%) £19.95

From the Anjou Noir area, the wine is so called because of the butterfly-like shape of the vineyards of the area. Made from 100% Chenin Blanc, the wine provided a contrast with the previous Chenin Blanc grown on tufa soil. The harvest is manual, carried out by two or three successive sortings or at the beginning of botrytization to bring "fat" and fullness to the finished wine. The aromatic character of Chenin is further developed due to careful temperature control during fermentation. Partial malolactic fermentation. Careful aging on the lees with batonnage in 400-litre barrels for about eleven months. The wine has an intense herbal nose with some toasty elements, is ample and round on the palate with good minerality. Bone dry. Should keep for up to 15 years and continue to improve in the bottle.

 

Bois Mozé East Side IGP 2020 (13%) Not available in the UK but cEuros12.70

Brought back by Liz from the Loire, this is an unusual Pinot Noir, in that the grape is not normally found so far west in the region. The vines are to be found on the slightly sandier soil at the top of the estate. The estate has been working towards organic certification and has a reputation for being highly innovative, with a range that includes for example, a ‘Pet Nat’ wine. Hand harvested and pumped over. With fresh and bright fruit, clean acidity, and light mouth feel, this is ‘Pinot Noir Light’.

 

Château de la Roulerie Anjou Rouge 2020 (12.5%) £16.60

Located close to Domaine des Forges, the 38 hectare estate is bio-dynamic. This wine is 100% Cabernet Franc. (The grape, apparently, was a favourite of Rabelais.) Hand picked, pumped over and fermented in stainless steel. Aromatic red fruits on the nose with a soft and warming palate full of raspberry and plum flavours.

 

Filliatreau Saumur-Champigny 2020 (13.5%) £16.50

This 45 hectare estate has recently undergone organic conversion and is aiming for biodynamic status. The soil is clay limestone. Vines are around 35 years old and fermentation is in stainless steel vats. This is the estates flagship wine. The 100% Cabernet Franc wine is intended to be drunk young. Light, sweet red fruits with hints of strawberries and raspberries. Good balancing acidity.

 

Domaine des Rochelles La Croix de la Mission Anjou Villages Brissac 2019 (13.5%) £14.95

Made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10 % Cabernet Franc. The average age of the vines is 25 years, grown on south facing slopes on what is described as ‘red schist’. Matured in stainless steel tanks (no oak is used for this wine). Rich ruby in colour, with a generous nose and palate of somewhat candied red and black fruits. Would benefit from decanting. Will age for up to 10 years.

 

Domaine des Forges Chaume 1er Cru Les Onnis 2019 (12%) £24

From a single vineyard. 100% Chenin Blanc, this wine has 160g of residual sugar. The evident acidity will help with the ageing process. Pale golden in colour with an intense nose with hints of marmalade and ginger. Rich but not cloying. The vineyard is considered one of the finest in the Coteaux du Layon appelation.

 

 

HRE 5.12.22

 

 

 


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Unravelling the mysteries of Sherry: Tim Holt of Barbadillo treated OWC members and guests to a fascinating and informative master class on the production of sherry, accompanied by a tasting of 9 differing Barbadillo wines.

Background

The term sherry is used for series of traditional fortified wines, produced in an area in the province of Andalucia, in the south of Spain. The denomination of origin is one of the oldest in Spain. The production area traditionally consisted of the so-called sherry triangle. This is formed by the cities Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda (also known as the gastronomic capital of Spain) and El Puerto de Santa María, plus six neighbouring municipalities. The soil in this region is chalk / limestone based. It provides the perfect conditions for growing Palomino, Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel, the three traditional grape varieties used in the production of sherry, since it retains the winter rainfall, which is vital since under the denomination of origin rules no irrigation is allowed.

The climate in the area is Mediterranean, with mild wet winters and hot dry summers.

Barbadillo’s history dates back to 1821; the year in which they first began producing Manzanilla wine. With vineyards that stretch over 500 hectares, 16 ageing wineries in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and a red and white winemaking plant, Barbadillo is one of the largest wineries in the Marco de Jerez vineyard area.

Bodegas Barbadillo has a very close association with Manzanilla, being the first company to ever name a sherry Manzanilla, the first to sell it in bottle as opposed to the barrels, and one that is still the world’s leading producer of Manzanilla. Manzanilla Solear is Barbadillo’s flagship brand.

As well as sherry, Barbadillo produces and sells a wide range of products including, gin, brandy, red and white wines and vinegars. Barbadillo is the producer of the Barbadillo ‘Castillo’ white wine which is the best-selling white table wine in Spain.

Bodegas - bodegas, where sherries are matured, are unlike a traditional winery, with bodegas being more open and airy due to sherry’s appetite for oxygen. Bodegas Barbadillo owns 16 bodegas that are dotted throughout the best sites, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and collectively house 32,000 casks. The Barbadillo bodegas are located on elevated ground called the ‘high quarter’ of the town next to the Guadalquivir River, facing out towards the Atlantic Ocean. They have been built here for more than just stunning views during the ageing process – their position and design make them perfect for trapping the sea breeze, which brings lots of humidity, keeps the air cool in the summer and is also believed to give sherry its characteristic salty tang.

Manzanilla – Manzanilla can only be made in Sanlúcar due to its specific microclimate. If it’s 40 degrees in Jerez in summer, Holt estimated it will be down in the 30s in Sanlúcar. This microclimate has been utilised for centuries as part of sherry production.

Flor - Tim reminded those present that flor is the veil or thin layer of indigenous yeast cells that forms on top of biologically aged sherry wines. It is a kind of Ivory coloured, wrinkled, waxy foam, up to two centimeters thick, that protects the wine from air contact and that grows naturally in the specific microclimate of Southern Spain.

Until the late 18th century sherry wines were mostly vintage wines, brown (oxidative) and heavily fortified. Flor occured naturally but it was seen as a defect, a variation on Mycoderma Vini which makes wine cloudy and smelly. It wasn’t until the 1820s that Manzanilla and Fino as we know them today are produced under the influence of flor, although the mechanisms behind this phenomenon remained unknown for many years.

Flor basically divides all of the sherry denomination wines into two main categories: biologically aged sherry (the ‘natural’ way– wines that mature entirely under this layer of flor – Manzanilla and Fino) and oxidative sherry (which matures in contact with oxygen Olorosa and Pedro Ximénex)

Tim told us that flor is a very delicate organism. If it gets too dry, too hot, or too cold it will die off. It will also become very unhappy if it’s in a closed atmosphere. It doesn’t want a dank atmosphere, it wants a breezy, well-aerated area in which to thrive because it is highly aerobic. Hence the use of bodegas.

Production Process - Tim reminded us of the production process that sherries go through, following production of the base wines. After filtering the musts, correcting the pH and treatment with sulphur dioxide to prevent bacterial contamination, the grape juices will start to ferment naturally. (At Barbadillo they claim no sulphur is used due to the hyper oxygenated must.) In the old days this was done in wooden barrels but nowadays most bodegas use huge stainless steel tanks that are heated to 23-25°C. Usually a small amount of already fermenting must (pie de cuba) will be added to speed up the initial process. At Barbadillo most of the yeasts are wild indigenous yeasts. Different natural yeasts occur in Jerez and Sanlúcar. After that, two phases of fermentation (tumultuous and slow fermentation) take place.

Musts of Palomino grapes will keep fermenting until nearly all of the available sugars are processed into alcohol – this will lead to a “base wine”. The other sweet musts of PX and Moscatel will be brought to 10% alcohol very early in the process, in order to retain a lot of the sugars. The wine is left to settle and slowly ferment during the winter months. It is then fortified to its final strength of 15-18%.

At the end of the fermentation process, a layer of flor will naturally occur on these base wines.

After fermentation the lees will be filtered off and the musts will be classified. The finest, most delicate examples will be fortified to 15 – 15,4% vol. alcohol by adding neutral grape spirit. The delicate musts are intended for biological ageing, i.e. ageing under a layer of flor, without contact to oxygen.

The slightly coarser base wines, which show less elegancy at this stage, will be fortified to 17 – 18% vol. alcohol. This kills any existing flor. From that moment, the wine will mature in an oxidative way, with contact to the surrounding air. The result will be an Oloroso. Naturally sweet wines will always be fortified to a higher degree as flor is not wanted in this type of sherry.

After the first fortification and a short maturation, the base wines or sobretablas will be classified again. The different categories will then enter a solera, an array of barrels that are arranged in a hierarchical way, with the younger wines partially replacing the older wines that are taking out.

In accordance with the regulations of the Denomination of Origin the ageing of sherry wines must last at least two years (this used to be three years), enough time to allow the wines to develop the distinctive characteristics of each type.

Nowadays the preferred type of cask is the American oak 600 litre butt, also known as a bodega butt. It is never filled to the top, thus creating a surface area upon which the flor may develop. Some of Barbadillo’s oak casks are over 100 years old.

Soleras - Barrels in a solera are arranged in different groups or tiers, called criaderas or nurseries. Each scale contains wine of the same age. The oldest scale, confusingly called solera as well, holds the wine ready to be bottled. When a fraction of the wine is extracted from the solera (this process is called the saca), it will be replaced with the same amount of wine from the first criadera, that is the one that is slightly younger and typically less complex. This, in turn, will be filled up with wine from the second criadera and so on. The last criadera, which holds the youngest wine, is topped up with the wine from the latest harvest, named sobretabla. Taking away part of the wine and replacing it with the contents of other scales, is called rociar or to wash down.

The wines

1. Barbadillo ‘Castillo’ Palomino 2021 – made from the Palomino grape, and 90% machine harvested, grapes are processed on the stem and a continuous helix screw press is used. This was the first white wine to be made in Andalucia and has its own website www.castillodesandiego.com. Pale straw in colour with a delicate nose hinting at white flowers.  On the palate crisp, delicate, smooth and dry with hint of apples and pears.

Next we experienced two cask sample Manzanillas, illustrating the impact of the ageing process on the wines and the influence of the sea breezes on the wines. Both wines were the same age and came from La Arbodedilla, the ‘Cathedral’ Bodega, which was purpose build in 1870.

2. Cask Sample No 1 –a more pronounced woody, nutty nose and from the more enclosed end of the bodga

3. Cask Sample No 2 – from the ‘sea’ end of the bodega and showing more of the Manzanilla ‘salty’ tang on the nose and palate than sample 1.

4. Manzanilla Solear – this is Barbadillo’s flagship brand, distinctly lighter in colour than the cask samples due to the ageing process. Clean, bright and pale yellow colour. A somewhat intense nose, with some finesse originating from the prolonged contact with the flor. Delicate hints of salty air and camomile. Very dry on the palate but then smooth on the finish. Subtle, slightly salty and with a persistent and pleasing flavour. Tim recommended drinking the wine with seafoods, cured ham and indeed any salty foods.

5. Manzanilla Pasada Pastora. This wine spends a further two stages in the solera system, with the solera process taking place twice a year. Whereas the Solear goes through nine stages over six years, the last two years for Pastora take a slower pace, leading to a thinning of the flor layer which allows a little oxidation.

The end result is a golden sherry with more pronounced chamomile notes. It is a step up in complexity, with a bigger body, a richer, more oily texture and a slight nuttiness on the palate. The bodega’s Manzanilla Pasadas are all en rama (unfiltered), the way they would have been made a hundred years ago. In fact, Bodegas Barbadillo was the first to pioneer en rama as a modern category in 1999 with four ‘sacas’ (or releases) coming every year so that you can see the influence of the seasons.

6. Amontillado Principe 12 yr. This has a further four years ageing than the Pasada Manzanilla. On the nose lots of nuts and toffee. A very dry palate, with pronounced hazelnut flavours. Amontillados are firstly aged biologically as a Manzanilla, under flor, for 8 years before a further 7 years of oxidative ageing.

7. Oloroso Cuco 12 yr. (Cream sherry is the sweet version of Oloroso.) Once the fermentation of the Palomino must has finished, the most robust wines are selected and fortified with wine-based distilled spirit to bring the alcohol content up to 18%. This fortified wine is known as sobretablas and is destined for ageing in traditional Jerez butts, usually of 500 litre capacity. The ageing or crianza is achieved through oxidation of the wine whilst in barrel and racking within each tier of the criadera. Mahogany in colour and with oak, dried fruits and nuts on both the nose and palate. Smooth and dry.

8. Palo Cortado VORS Obispo Gascon. This a rare type of sherry and production is limited (only 240 bottles were produced in 2020 by Barbadillo). The name derives from the chalk signs made on the barrels (palo: stick, cortado: short). The VORS designation (Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum) under the denomination rules mean that the wine must be aged for over 30 years. Tim told us that Barbadillo’s method is to have certain select-cask Oloroso that originates from free-run juice, and therefore has a much finer style than the normal second press Oloroso. There is also a matter of chance. Each cask can be slightly different depending on its origins and position in the bodega. The idea of a Palo Cortado is that you’re trying to get the best of an Amontillado in terms of aroma, and the best of Oloroso in terms of body, mouth feel and flavour. Amber in colour, on the nose and palate, intense with lots of nuts, dried fruits and dried orange peel.

9. Pedro Ximénez La Cilla. PX sherries are naturally sweet dessert wines created from the grape variety with the same name. The grape is a white one, but the resulting sherry is almost black in colour. In order to use the Pedro Ximénez name, the wine has to contain at least 85% of Pedro Ximénez grapes. The grapes are either picked very ripe and/or dried in the sun to concentrate (a process called asoleo). The Pedro Ximénez grape variety is believed to have been introduced to Spain by a German soldier, Pieter Siemens, although this story is debated. Once the grapes have been pressed, the must is fortified with a wine-based distilled spirit to bring the alcohol content up to 17.5%. It is then matured in American oak barrels following the traditional system of soleras and criaderas. Dark mahogany in colour and with plums, raisins and chocolate on both the nose and palate.

HRE 10.11.22


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WineGB Award winners ‘The story has only just begun’ said Julia, introducing us to arguably as fine a selection of English wines as could possibly be assembled in September 2022. The wines were all winners in the 2022 WineGB Awards and Julia was referring, of course, to the development of British wine growing.

Sparkling wines

The tasting extravaganza started with no fewer than five English sparkling wines, all differing in their expression of production methods, terroir and grape variety. The wines were all poured at the same time, so that a true ‘compare and contrast’ exercise could be undertaken.

First tasted was the 2020 Vagabond Pet Not from Vagabond Winery (13% ABV), £16.

An urban winery, Vagabond is located in London’s Battersea. Made from 100% pinot noir grapes (sourced from Oxfordshire, Essex and Surrey) and made using the ‘méthode ancestrale’ the wine is low in sulphides and is bottle fermented. The wine’s name is a pun on the term pétillant naturelle and it is a non-disgorged pétillant wine. Presented with a crown cap, the wine’s pressure is less than that of a wine produced using the traditional method. A fine mousse with a little cloudiness from residual yeast and, on the nose and palate, some cherry, cranberries and blackcurrant leaf.

Wines 2-5 were all made using the traditional method.

2. Louis Pommery England Brut NV (12.5% ABV) £29.99

The cépage is 50% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir and 15% pinot meunier. With own vineyard plantings dating back to 2017, this wine will include a percentage of locally sourced grapes. Located in Hampshire, currently Pommery has around 30 hectares under vine, with a further 10 newly planted.   The wine maker, Clémont Pierlot, is building a library of reserve wines and the French house of Pommery is certainly evolving an English style of sparkling wine – definitely not a champagne look-alike, although on the palate the wine is fresh and crisp (‘zingy’ was Julia’s description), with notes of lemon and Cox’s apple (much as a champagne would!). A vintage ‘Pinglestone’ wine is planned.

Pommery is one of two champagne houses to have set up ‘shop’ in the UK, the other being Tattinger, who are planning a first vintage in c2024 from their Domaine Evremond vineyard in Kent.

3. Chapel Down Kit’s Coty Coeur de Cuvée 2016 (12% ABV) £100

Sourced from the 95-acre Kit’s Coty vineyard on the North Downs of Kent, this Blanc de Blancs wine is made from 100% chardonnay and is hand harvested. Fermentation is with wild yeasts and the wine is kept on the lees in French oak for seven months, before bottling. On the nose and palate, hints of butter and toast (with a touch of cumin in the mix) as well as pears and melons. Clearly aimed at a prestige market in terms of its marketing and price.

4. Exton Park RB 28 Blanc de Noirs NV (11.5% ABV) £43

Contrasting with the 100% chardonnay wine above, this was a Blanc de Noirs made with 100% pinot noir. From a single 60-acre estate, Exton Park, near Winchester (Hampshire), the wine spends a minimum of three years on the lees. RB 28 refers to the 28 different reserve wines that are in the blend, The reserve wines have been built up over the past 11 years by winemaker Corinne Seely (previously of Coates and Seely, naturellement). The vineyard has a sustainability scheme – as do an increasing number of British vineyards. It’s a sunny site and the soil is almost pure chalk with nine  different plots within the estate.

 

Julia explained that until recently there in general were no NV British sparkling wines, since the producers had not yet built a library of reserve wines. The style of English sparkling wines is still evolving, as the winemakers experiment with length of time in oak and on the lees, the use of wild yeasts and of course the impact of the development of the vines themselves. Nonetheless, thought Julia, a distinctly ‘British’ style is emerging characterised by that quality of fresh zinginess and purity of flavour.

5. Everflyht Rosé de Saignée 2019  £40 No ABV information available

Situated at the foot of Ditchling Beacon in the South Downs National Park, the 10-hectare Everflyht estate was first planted in 2016. The Rose de Saignée is a blend of 60% pinot noir and 40% pinot meunier, with the grapes hand-picked. The intense colour is developed from colour bleed from the grapes, not from the addition of any red wine. The wine is aged on the lees for 18 months. On the nose and palate, ripe soft red fruits (cherries, strawberries) with some brioche notes. The estate also grows chardonnay, pinot gris, gamay and pinot precoce grapes. The winemaker was previously at Ridgeview and wine making is done at Hambledon in Hampshire.

In response to questioning, Julia discussed the tactics of WineUK in relation to the nomenclature for English sparkling wines. Brands are seen as leading, rather than the category, although some producers do feature potential generic terms such as Merrett and Britannique. The lessons of Prosecco and Cava have been considered, where individual producers are virtually unknown since the generic term has itself become a brand and has overtaken the individual brand names. The experience of Cap Classique in South Africa has also been considered, where a lot of funding was put behind the establishment of the term, but still it is not widely known what it stands for. The term British wine was in the past used for highly alcoholic wines made from imported grapes, but some attempt is being made to ‘grab back’ the name, hence WineGB. In the USA, the term British fizz is frequently used so there is some potential.

Still white wines

Wines 6, 7 and 8 were poured together.

6. Bluebell Ashdown Chasselas 2020 £15.95

The c30 acre Bluebell estate is located in Sussex, on the edge of the Ashdown Forest and based around what was once a pig farm. Chasselas is a traditional Swiss grape and not a lot is grown in the UK (only around 2.5 hectares) with most of the planting at Bluebell. It is considered that the cooler UK climate is in fact better suited to the growing of chasselas than Switzerland, since most of the Swiss planting is on lower, hotter slopes. On the nose and the palate, hints of lime zest, peach blossom and white pepper. Good acidity.

7. Thorrington Mill Bacchus 2021 c£17

Grown in Germany as well as the UK, bacchus is considered by many to be a quintessentially English grape. Thorrington Mill vineyard is a 12 hectare estate located on the north Essex coast with the first plantings dating back to 2018. Run alongside a working farm, sheep graze between the vines. On the nose and palate, nettles, grapes and elderflower, with some resemblance to sauvignon blanc.

Julia explained at this point about research that is currently underway by Dr Alistair Nesbitt of Vinescapes, into the potential for growing particular grape varieties in the UK. For example, pinot noir in East Anglia and the comparison points between the soils of Essex and Burgundy.

8. Balfour Springfield Chardonnay 2018 (ABV 12%) £25

Founded by Richard and Leslie Balfour-Lynn, the first plantings at the Hush Heath estate date back to 2002. Their aim was to produce the best English sparkling rosé and their Brut Rosé won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge in 2007. Considerable investment has been made into the winery. Business interests include the production of cider as well as wines and pubs and hotels. A son has succeeded his father as wine maker at Balfour and each has their separate views on oak treatment and malo-lactic fermentation! Hand-picked, the grapes for this wine are fermented in stainless steel tanks and barrel aged in new French and American oak. On the palate, grapefruit, green apple and cinnamon. Some felt it could be compared to a young Chablis.

Currently, Julia explained, retailers are very much behind English wines with some retailers, especially Waitrose, featuring locally produced wines. Tesco and M&S have their own label English wines. Majestic has two English wines in its Definitions collection.

Pricing is sometimes questioned – why are English wines so expensive when there is no import duty? Duty is only £2.50, other duties are the same as for imports. Production costs are arguably relatively high since winemakers here do not, as yet, enjoy the same economies of scale as longer-established wine producers. The quality of English wines will arguably sustain the price points as consumers recognise the value of English wines.

Around 4% of English wines are exported, with Norway, the USA and Japan amongst the largest markets. The direct to consumer sector is still the largest market however.  Wine tourism is expanding and WineGB is working with Visit Britain to help promote wine tourism to an international market.

Still Red Wines

Wines 9 and 10 were poured together.

9. Gusbourne Pinot Noir 2020 £35

First plantings were in 2004 and today chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier are grown across the 60-hectare Gusbourne estate in Kent and their 30 hectare estate in West Sussex. Grapes are hand-picked. Only grapes grown on the Gusbourne estate are used in their wine making. Different clonal varieties are grown at each estate due to the differing soil qualities. Charlie Holland, the head wine maker, is a three time IWSC champion wine producer. A light red in colour, the wine on the nose and palate has some cherry and strawberry fruits and is lightly tannic. Good length with fruits predominating but enough oak to enhance the complexity of the wine.

 

10. Ark Ripasso Noir 2020 £30

Mount Farm Vineyard is a 30-acre estate in the East Anglian Stour Valley. Soil is a mixture of clay and loam. (The same soils are found in the Napa and Barossa Valleys and in north-eastern Pomerol.) It is run by a Swedish family who grow eight different grape varieties and experiment with different techniques and varieties. Wine making is on site. Their Ark Ripasso is made by drying acolon grapes (a German cross of lemberger and dornfelder) on straw for 90 days before fermenting them and blending with pinot noir. The wine is dense and rich, with lots of red fruits and a hint of spice and eucalyptus. Julia considers this wine has ageing potential.

Hilary Reid Evans gave the vote of thanks, asking Julia to return to the Club and keep the Club updated with the GB wine story, and commented that Julia spoke so quickly she suffered a repetitive strain injury trying to keep her notes up to date!

HRE

3.10.22


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25th Anniversary Dinner


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The Wines of Domaine Treloar The best in Roussillon’ says Jancis: the wines of Domaine Treloar with Jonathan Hesford

 

Although many of us will say a relieved farewell to Zoom tastings, listening to Jonathan Hesford speak from his cellar in Trouillas added an extra dimension to his, at times feisty but always informed and committed, celebration of independent wine-making – and how important it is for wine-makers to be granted freedom to express the terroir.

Jonathan began by describing his, and his wife Rachel’s, journey to Domaine Treloar, nine hectares in Roussillon, south-west of Perpignan. It began with witnessing, first hand, the horror of 9/11 and continued through volunteering at a winery, coming top of the class at wine school (no luck involved there, but a lot of hard work), and then learning the business at a small family winery in New Zealand. In 2006, Jon and Rachel bought their vineyard in Roussillon, drawn in part by the region’s value for money and the presence of old vines, but – as became clear during the tasting – primarily inspired by the range of grape varieties and the relative lack of bureaucratic control of the wine industry there. In Roussillon, Jon said, they had the freedom to express themselves. Specifically,  Domaine Treloar is committed to wines made in the vineyard, with as little manipulation of flavour as possible – wines that one can trace back to their creation.

Jon covered a vast range of topics – from the history of wine-making in the Roussillon (not to be conflated with Languedoc!) including the move away from the traditional sweet fortified wines of the region to the impact of climate change, from his planting of disease tolerant Souvignier gris (looking to the future) to his scepticism concerning biodynamics.

As was proper, however, the wines were the centre of the evening. The first was fascinating (and divided opinion). As Jon said, if tasted blind at room temperature, Daltonien 2019 IGP Cotes Catalanes Blanc, made with Muscat alexandria, could be mistaken for a red. This grape’s skins are pleasant to chew upon: Jon allows about six days of skin contact. He was keen to distinguish this aromatic white from the currently fashionable orange wines, which can have up to a year of skin contact.

The second wine, a mineral, leafy white named for a Bruce Springsteen song (La Terre Promise 2019) was – and again, Jon was adamant about the appropriate terminology – a combination, not a blend. He grows Grenache gris, Macabeo and Carignan blanc in a mixed vineyard and the percentages of each grape in the vintage depends on that year’s growth. All grapes are picked on the same day and – with no yeast or other additives – the skill is to enable ‘nature’ (as Jon said) to make a balanced wine.

Moving onto the reds, we were advised to serve La Rescape Carignan 2018 slightly chilled. This, for me, was the most interesting wine of the night – although I suspect I might be a lone voice. 100% Carignan, from low-yield old vines, the wine’s potential to be overly tannic is counteracted by partial carbonic maceration. We heard for the first time, but not for the last in the evening, Jon’s views on barrels – he favours American oak because it doesn’t dry out the wine, but does add spiciness, and he dismissed the notion that barrels had much to do with ‘oak’ flavours. I was struck by the surprising distance between the chocolate/coffee nose and the light, refreshing taste in the mouth.

Wines four and six were in one sense traditional Roussillon blends of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache. The first, Three Peaks 2018, was predominantly Syrah, with a distinctive blackberry nose and leathery spice underneath. Many tasters enjoyed the rich, earth spiciness of this eminently drinkable wine – and at £11.00 a bottle (at the OWC price), eminently affordable as well. The second blend (Tahi 2013) had, perhaps, more elegance and structure, and – obviously – was more mature. Jon explained that he will make some twenty or so different blends of the three grapes before deciding on the appropriate balance, and then will make further corrections. In and of itself, it was interesting to be tasting a 2013 Roussillon, such is the prevalence of young wines in the market.

The fifth wine (Motus 2017) stood as another example of Jon’s independence and resistance to the sometimes heavy-handed bureaucratic rules of French wine-making. Motus is dominated by Mourvèdre – in some years he will use 100% – and is a meaty, leathery, intriguing wine. Tasters mentioned smoky bacon crisps. This is not a wine for the faint-hearted, and all the better for it!

Overall, the tasting demonstrated conclusively the contribution that Domaine Treloar has made to the transformation of Roussillon viniculture in recent years. Yes, the region’s production is still dominated by cheap, cheerful, easy-drinking wines but Jon has shown what commitment, innovation and – occasionally – sheer bloody-mindedness and determination can do. I learned a lot, far too much to put into this short report, and would like to thank Jonathan Hesford for sharing his expertise and passion with us.

 


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Modern Sicilian Wines 25th January 2022, by Zoom

Our first tasting of 2022 was a whole bottle tasting, with members ordering from a set of four Sicilian wines chosen by sommelier and winemaker Filippo Zito – and presented from his Manchester base with suggestions for accompanying food pairings.

So alluring were the food suggestions that many members had clearly turned the event into their own private dinner parties, to which a few Zoomed glimpses of tables covered with food and wine glasses testified!

Filippo’s range of experience makes him an ideal presenter: a winemaking heritage in south-east Sicily near Agrigento, then working in high-end restaurants across Europe to learn his trade as a sommelier (Gleneagles with Andrew Fairlie, Midland Hotel with Simon Rogan, a stage at Waterside and now a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers) before his current role as an area manager for WoodWinters, the innovative wine and spirits distributor based in Scotland.

A highly engaging presenter, Filippo shared some fascinating thoughts about wine and food matching … of which more later.

 Sicilian wines went through a revolution in the 1980s – the switch from producing bulk wines designed (at least in part) to add colour and strength to northern Italian and French reds to pride in a storied heritage of indigenous grape varieties dating back at least to the time of ancient Greece and probably before.

Giacomo Tachis – the oenologist behind Sassicaia, Tignanello and the rise of Cannonau to fame – was a catalyst of this change and it was he who highlighted the potential of Nero d’Avola to be more than just a good source of (uncredited) alcohol and colour in poor northern country harvests. The changes he encouraged spurred the Etna producers such as Salvo Foti into spotting the value of Nerello Mascallese, a signature grape for modern Sicilian wines in many people’s eyes.

The whites

But we started our tasting with two fascinating white wines. The first was an Albanello from Siracusa in south-east Sicily (close to Filippo’s home territory and also the source of the Nero d’Avola we tasted later).

No-one knows much about Albanello. It gets a third of a page in Jancis’ Wine Grapes, with the headline suggesting it’s a ’disappearing Sicilian variety once used for sweet wines’, though earlier books on Sicilian wine reckon it was highly valued in the 17th century and before. Our wine is the only 100% Albanello now produced from a historic vineyard site some 200 metres above sea level (that and the proximity of the sea keep temperatures down and help maintain freshness).

Like its fully sweet predecessors this wine – though essentially dry to off-dry – benefits from a percentage of dried grapes (‘appassimento’). Sun-dried on straw racks (like the grapes for Amarone), this gives concentration and helps bump the alcohol up to 14%. It was an intriguing balance of high acidity, a dash of minerality and that suggestion of sweetness with yellow peach and honeysuckle notes.

Brilliant with the crab with green apple and croutons that Filippo had recommended – or so said all who had that pleasure. Goat’s cheese was his other recommendation, which also went well.

Second up was a ‘natural’ Zibibbo made from 100% Muscat of Alexandria grapes fermented on the skins. In the period of Arab domination of Sicily this was a table grape prized for its sweetness and only recently has its potential as a dry wine grape been recognised. Another single vineyard wine, this one at 500 metres up in the north-west corner of the island. The winemaker, Vito Lauria, is young and his Solerté (with a striking label designed by an artist friend of Vito’s) was a deep gold in colour, with lots of body and aromas of mango, kumquat and orange blossom – but again that structure of underlying acidity to maintain freshness and bio-dynamic energy.   

The primary food match here was smoked salmon with capers and Filippo noted the importance of matching the aromacity of the wine and food. Here the impact of the skin contact enabled the wine to stand up to the oily richness of the fish. Brilliant! Good words too for his second suggestion of sautéed mushrooms with garlic and parsley.

His counsel on both the whites was ‘not too cold’. Get them out of the fridge in good time and let them sit in the glass to get the best out of them with a recommended temperature of around 15C.

In response to questions, Filippo gave a quick rundown on some of the other local grapes.

Whites:

- Grillo – high acid grape, once used only in Marsala but now used in characterful dry whites, especially if it comes from the hillsides in the north east of Sicily. Filippo thinks this grape could be a good competitor to the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc

- Insolia – lower acidity but high in aromatics

- Catarratto – somewhere in the middle between Grillo and Insolia, with good body and acidity and blends well with Carricante to make good value Etna white. Probably a relation of Garganega.

Reds:

- Nero d’Avola (of course – and it would work with haggis… if that’s your Burns Night feast)

- Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (the latter a touch darker and more tannic)

- Frappato – fresh and floral. A good alternative to Beaujolais on its own but blends well with Nero d’Avola in Sicily’s only DOCG wine

- Perricone, grown mainly in western Sicily, which has a deep pigment and produces full-bodied, rather alcoholic wines. Often blended with Nero d’Avola

- Not local but showing promise is Syrah (watch out for Filippo’s own Borgo Leo wines on the WoodWinters’ site in May) whilst Pinot Noir/Nero is still a challenge, despite some promising sites high on Etna.

None of the Sicilian varieties have made much impact yet outside Italy but there are good signs that their capacity to maintain acidity even in hot climates could make a serious mark in Australia.

On to the reds…

First up was a 2018 Nerello Mascalese-dominated blend. This was a cold vintage (by Sicilian standards) which couldn’t have harmed the refreshing notes of sour cherry and raspberry in the wine. Nerello Mascalese is thin-skinned, high acid, with a signature smoky flavour note. Drying tannins (perhaps boosted by the Capuccio in the blend) with a good acidity, but a nicely complex aroma and flavour profile – a dash of forest floor and mushrooms adding intrigue to the red fruits. Perhaps one for Pinot Noir lovers? Filippo says this wine will continue to mature for about 10 years. This is a ‘Tre Bicchieri’ wine which, alas, is in pretty short supply. Hint – the Club offer will get you in early.

This wine comes from Faro – in the north-eastern tip on the island. Colder, clay soil in ancient terraces here rather than the more mineral Etna conditions. All organic with natural ferment and indigenous yeasts. Long skin contact – but no hint of over-extraction – and then time spent first in large oak, then in concrete and lastly another year in bottle.

Filippo had suggested wild boar terrine or duck rillettes or lentil stew – in each case the high acid works to cut through the fat in the dish. Particuarly true, this, of the solid fat of the terrine or rillettes (and see below for the rather different treatment you need for more liquid oiliness).

The last wine of the evening – alas! – was a Nero d’Avola. Tachis had early identfied this as a variety that deserved better than the standard recipe of a couple of days of skin contact and then into bulk containers and ship north fast.

The tasting wine, named Drus after the oak forest that once occupied today’s vineyard, is made just a couple of miles from the sea on the south east coast of the island. It too was complex but with a richness foreign to Nerello Mascalese. Deeper colour, a lot more tannin and more alcohol but still fresh and aromatic with notes of menthol and eucalyptus and a touch of green pepper to balance the dominant dark cherry aromas. A drier, fresher finish than its New World siblings and cousins and a brilliant match with the ‘sumptuous’ aubergines in tomato sauce with Parmesan that was Filippo’s top tip for matching (but try it as well with aged sheep’s milk cheese such as manchego or pecorino). In this case the tannins in the wine dry the oil.

Being a somm is not an easy job! You need to think not just about the food but also the customer. What are they in the market for? What might their budget be? How do enable the whole table to enjoy the match – even though they may have chosen vastly different dishes?

And Filippo’s top tip for getting the best out of the wine list? Simple! Go for the wines (and regions) that (other) people don’t know about yet. Croatia or Greece rather than northern Italy; Languedoc-Roussillon rather than Burgundy or the Rhone. Frappato rather than Beaujolais; an Etna white rather than a Chablis.

A ’tremendous tasting’ said one and all in person and on the chat. Thanks to all concerned – especially Filippo – but a big thank you also to Richard Liwicki for doing a great MC job on the night: technical fixer, generous host and brilliant question master.

The wines (prices as per the Club offer)

  1. Pretiosa Albanello 2020 from Cantine Gulino. IGP Terre Siciliane. 14%. £15
  2. Solerte Zibibbo 2020 from VinoLauria. IGP Terre Siciliane. 15%. £14.76
  3. Bonavita 2018, produced by Giovanni Scarfone, Faro DOC (near Messina). Blend of Nerello Mascalese (70%), Nerello Capuccio (30%) and a dash of Nocera. 12.5%. £28.80
  4. Drus Nero d’Avola 2017 from Cantine Gulino. Siracusa DOC. 14%. £17.40

GH: 26/1/22


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