Association of Wine Educators

Chablis

2012-03-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

Fête de St Vincent 2012, Courgis by Carol Brown

Our day began with a short drive to the village of Courgis, this year’s host of the 45th Saint Vincent Festival (St Vincent is the patron saint of winemakers). The honour next year goes to Prehy, it will be 2031 before Courgis hosts it again.

You would expect me to be accustomed to the cold after 20 years of living in Aberdeen but none of us were quite prepared for the minus 10 degrees that would follow us around for 3 days. A 2km walk down hill from the drop-off point gave an opportunity to take in the rolling vineyards below.

The villagers had been busy for a long time in preparation for the celebrations, with each house and winding road decorated with hundreds of paper flowers. The theme was games – cue giant Rubik’s cube and Monopoly board.

The service from Notre Dame de Courgis was broadcast across the village by tannoy as were the speeches during the day, occasionally punctuated by bursts of the traditional Burgundian wine song and much waving and clapping of hands and wherever people were, they joined in. A parade of statues from each village set off from the church accompanied by members of La Confrérie Des Piliers Chablisiens in their green and gold gowns.

A wine, with grapes from around Chablis, is produced especially for the occasion and was available from a number of ‘Caveaux’ set up around the village- it was well-chilled, in fact so cold that remnants in the glass froze!

It was also my first introduction to fragrant, citrusy Vin Blanc Chaud. It was very welcome not just as a warming drink but as a hand warmer too.

Lunch was simple and alfresco – frites, escargots and andouillettes.

The air might have been cold but the Courgis atmosphere was certainly warm and a great start to our trip.

Back in Chablis, warmed by thermals and hot chocolate, we took a stroll through the vineyards of the Grand Cru. Starting at the foot of Les Clos and working our way up the steep slope this gave a real feel of the aspect of the vineyards and also justified another excellent meal at the Hostellerie des Clos in the evening!

Photos by Hugo Read
J Moreau et Fils by Angela Reddin

Now owned by Boisset Family Estates, the estate is one of the oldest in Chablis. A heavily pregnant Lucie Depuydt, winemaker at J Moreau et Fils, was our host for the tasting at the winery just outside Chablis itself. Described as much a viticultural warrior as a winemaker, Lucie is very firm about what style she wants to make and spends as much time in the vineyards as in the winery. Fruit comes from 15 different growers: Lucie is very hands on, advising as how best to achieve the fruit balance for each style of Moreau wine. They are not organic as “that is not a good thing here”, because of Chablis’ northerly climate but they are using less sulphur.

Photo by Hugo Read

The grapes are hand-harvested by local pickers as they cannot offer accommodation which means the fruit comes in in just 7 days, picking 24 hectares at 3 or 4 hectares per day. And they are one of the latest in the area to pick. Vintage starts mid to late September. “We want the wines to be age-worthy, only achievable with hand-harvesting”. Lucie believes oak flavours obscure terroir and they want the wines vibrant, mineral and fresh however they do use between 15and 20% for the Grands Crus wines but never new oak.

Vinification - Depending on what level they are producing can be either stainless steel, as for the Petit Chablis. They are very careful re oxidation, vinification is “simple”. Denis Dubourdieu spent some time with them as consultant and advised changing the harvest date.

They also took his advice with regards to understanding the “good maturity of the grapes” and now pick earlier. Juice pressing became gentler and slower to avoid phenolics, juice settling became less, and fermentation quicker to avoid oxidation. Neutral yeasts are used to cut out yeast aromas.

The malolactic fermatation is induced straight after the alcoholic fermentation, if they decide to do it, to avoid oxidation. Lucie belives that if a malolactic fermentation is not needed it indicates the grapes were picked too late. The wine is kept on gross less without stirring and is cold stabilised without tartrate addition meaning less chilling but more wine movement which can lead to oxidation so it is all very carefully monitored. Kieselguhr filtration after stabilisation. The wine is racked after fermentation and following cold stabilisation and again finally after filtering.

Domaine de la Meuliere by David Copp

Domaine de la Meuliere is owned by the Laroche brothers (unrelated to the Laroche company and other Laroche vignerons /co-operative members) and comprises 24 hectares, mainly around the village of Fleys a couple of miles to the east of Chablis, but also in 4 of the premiers crus vineyards at the heart of the town.

Vincent Laroche cares for the vines and is responsible for sales: Nicolas makes the wines and runs the cellar. Both brothers share a belief in natural processes, controlled yields and manual harvesting (and handwork in general) because they feel it is the best way to express the true nature of their individual terroirs. They pick to ensure maximum freshness of flavour, press lightly and ferment at around 18˚C.

We tasted their complete range noting the consistently fresh, clean house style; they make precise wines with character and individuality such as their Vieilles Vignes 2010 which had only just been bottled. It is a distinctive wine, widely favoured by restrainers and wine specialist shops.

Of the Premiers Crus, the stand out wine was the 2010 Vaucoupin which had elegance and finesse with pretty floral notes. It won a gold medal in the 2010 Chablis awards.

I also admired the well-rounded Fourchaume 2010. This vineyards adjoins the Grands Crus and there is a streak of blue clay which adds fatness and suppleness to the firm mineral edge. The other wines tasted included a lively Mont de Milieu 2010, and the rich and generously flavoured 2008 Mont de Milieu Vieilles Vignes, Cuvée les Gougueys, made from low yields of 62 year old vines with a small part of the cuvée being matured in oak.

In Chablis it is sometimes difficult for a visitor to appreciate some of the finer wines during their ‘shut-down’ period which can last for 2-3 years after the first year. Patience and understanding are required. But Vincent assured me that both the 2009 and 2010 vintages have plenty to offer and that the very best expression of these vineyards would become even more evident in two years time.

Pascal Bouchard by Gilbert Winfield

Just outside the centre of Chablis village is Pascal Bouchard, long-established Chablis estate and negotiant of the same name.

This looks deceptively simple, but, just as in most other facets of Chablis, the reality is more complicated, for within this company reside two others: DRB, described as a new concept, created by Pascal Bouchard’s two sons Damien and Romain, and Romain Bouchard, Domaine de la Grande Chaume, wines from Romain’s ‘estate’.

It was Romain who guided us with great charm and humility through a tasting of wines from all three estates.

The building at Pascal Bouchard is slick and modern, a pristinely clean efficiency of design; perhaps to allude to the clean minerality of the wines. Under the guidance of Romain, who is the organic enthusiast in the family, the viticulture here is heading towards sustainable, with chemical fertilisers and treatments eliminated, and grass grown between the rows.

The outside temperature was -10°, so we all have our coats on, as you see. Romain is in the centre.

Pascal Bouchard is a traditional sort of house, with oak, almost all old, used to some extent for all the wines. He doesn’t want it to show, though, only to broaden the flavours, and this is borne out by the tasting. Highlights include a classic 1er Cru Fourchaume ‘Vieilles Vignes’ 2010, from 30-60 year-old vines, showing peach and melon fruit charm, typical of Fourchaume, with that fresh, mineral (an overused word but it is everywhere here) stone fruit acidity, and a superb Grand Cru Les Clos 2007. 100% oak aging is used, but it doesn’t taste oaky, instead showing open, buttery richness, ripe white stone fruit, apricots, and clean, steely, Grand Cru linearity (d’you see how I managed to avoid the ‘m’ word!)

Romain refers to DRB as a ‘boutique negotiant’. They buy must from single vineyard parcels of selected growers, and vinify at their father’s estate. There is no blending; in their words ‘...each wine offers the expression of its own terroir’. Both brothers are involved equally, although Damien tends to be more in charge of vinification. They try to avoid oak. However, the star of the range which they showed us was their 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2010, which won Gold Medal in the Concours des Vins de Chablis. This was vinified 100% in oak, simply because only 1709 bottles are produced, and they don’t have a tank small enough. Although not new, I thought the oak did show a little, with a hint of creamy vanilla on top of ripe melon and lime flavours, and a long, austere, very dry steely finish.

Romain also cultivates organic vines of his own with ‘Romain Bouchard, Domaine de la Grande Chaume’. The land is leased in ‘fermage’ - a very old French system whereby the rent is paid according to the wine made on the land: the rent is calculated according to a proportion of the going rate for the wine made on the land. In Romain’s case, he has two plots, one in 1er Cru Vau de Vey (here spelt this way, at other estates spelt in one word) and one in Chablis ‘tout court’.

The proportion used to calculate the rent is 11 Hl/Ha for the 1er Cru (out of a maximum of 50Hl/Ha), and 7Hl/Ha for the Chablis, multiplied by the area of the land. The result is that if Romain gets a yield of 40 Hl/Ha or more for his 1er Cru, the vineyard is profitable. If, as in 2010, he gets 29, it isn’t. The wine was terrific. AB Organic Certified, it showed broad, diffuse white fruit, a stony, clean, yes, mineral palate, a youthful freshness, and great balance. He is working toward Biodynamic certification, in his words ‘bit by bit’.

Romain Bouchard’s comment on his methods told a lot: “I need to learn. I like everything, I am very open”. This open-minded attitude seems to be bearing fruit at this exciting Chablis estate.

Domaine Pinson by Anthony Stockbridge

In thirty years of visiting Chablis, I have passed the gates of Domaine Pinson in the ancient quarter dozens of times. At picking time, I have watched as tractor-loads of freshly-picked chardonnay are quickly driven through the stone arch to be weighed and recorded before moving on to the presses.

Now, for the first time, I was allowed to pass through the same gate to meet Laurent Pinson and his daughter, Charlene.

A family estate for 350 yeards, Domaine Pinson was passed on to Laurent, the winemaker and Christophe, who is responsible for the vineyards in 1988. Together they have continued to grow both the reputation of the wines and the size of the holding; they now own 14 hectares including land in Grand Cru Les Clos and in the Premiers Crus of Montee de Tonnerre, Montmains and Forets, Mont de Milieu and Fourchaume.

All of Christophe’s grapes are hand-picked by an army of local pickers to avoid the oxidation that can be associated with machine picking. Once the bunches are pressed Laurents applies the techniques he feels appropriate to each parcel to extract the essence of both the soil and the year: 100% stainless steel for the Chablis then tank or cask fermentation for the Crus followed by ageing for between 8 and twelve months in new and old oak casks after malolactic fermentation.

We mainly tasted the 2010 vintage but tried the 2009 Les Clos to see the effect of a year’s ageing. During the elevage, it is usual for the cru wine to close down for a couple of years before showing its true worth five years after bottling. We were lucky then, in most cases, the wines had stayed awake for us.

1. Chablis

2. La Foret 1er Cru (8-9 Months in 3 to 5 year-old oak)

3. Montmain 1er Cru (10% oak-fermented, blended after malo then 8 months in old oak.

4. Fourchaume 1er Cru

5. Mont de Milieu 1er Cru

6. Les Clos Grand Cru

7. Les Clos Grand Cru 2009

The Les Clos are fermented 20% in new oak, 80% in tank then aged for 12 months in old oak after malolactic fermenation.

Each of these wines showed the spirit of the terroir but with a distinct Pinson fruity style. We had a lot to thank Christophe, Laurent and Charlene for.

Award Winners from the 26th Concours des Vins de Chablis by Hugo Read

Whilst touring Chablis with the AWE, we were given a tasting of all the medal winning wines from this year’s Concours des Vins de Chablis, which was held in January.

We were lucky enough to have Eric Szablowski with us for the tasting, who was winemaker at leading producer William Fèvre for 15 years before setting up his own Chablis tastings and tours business, Au Coeur du Vin. Now he’s also been accredited by the Ecole des Vins de Bourgogne as an Ambassador of Burgundy Wines, which was why he was on hand to take us through the Chablis medal winners. I feel it’s safe to say it would be hard to find anyone who understands more about Chablis’ vineyards and wines! It was fascinating listening to Eric talk about the region. For him, Petit Chablis is an expression of Chardonnay from the greater Chablis area, whereas he sees Chablis as having a very specific terroir characteristic – expressing the Kimmeridgian soil of the region.

Eric Szablowski

Any producers who wanted to could enter their wines, with separate categories for Petit Chablis through to Grand Cru Chablis. The jury of 65 was a mix of journalists, restaurant owners, sommeliers, oenologists and keen amateurs. Out of the 335 wines entered there were just 26 medal winners, so as you would expect with just 8% getting a gong, the standard was very high.
One thing we learned through the trip was the difference between left and right bank 1er Cru wines. The former, very generally speaking, are slightly lighter, racier and more floral, whereas the latter are usually richer, rounder and fuller. So on that theme, here are a couple of highlights from the concours, two 1er cru wines, one from each bank:

In the Chablis 1er Cru 2010 Right Bank category, Domaine Christophe et Fils won a silver medal for their Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume. The wine was fairly full and round and slightly spicy, with a lemon crispness running right through it. A very long finish and a terrific wine.

In the Chablis 1er Cru 2010 Left Bank category, Domaine Servin also won silver for their Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons. This one by contrast was lighter in style, with a crisp green apple and lemon character and a slightly floral nose. A very well balanced wine, it was elegant and long. Also first rate.
Coming after a full day of domaine visits, this tasting of Chablis medal winners underlined something that had become ever more apparent as the trip progressed; the excellent value represented by 1er cru Chablis. For a relatively modest premium, say €15 for 1er cru bought directly from a domaine instead of €10 for regular Chablis, you get a serious step up in quality. The Grand Cru wines were of course fantastic, but as they typically cost at least twice the price of the 1er cru wines I think the former generally offer the best value. What also became increasingly clear was the open, attractive and well balanced nature of the 2010 vintage – it’s a classic.

Domaine Laroche by Barley Blyton

Pyramid stacks of old vintages in concrete-cubes. We cellar-wander. Angela dips a finger into a barrel... I smell it (smells of Chablis). Brown arms gesticulating, Matthieu (Laroche’s viticulturist) explains their 13th century press.

We sit around a fireplace of candles. Discussions are rapid, heated, specific, not for the timid – as we’re three days in, no-one is timid.

We drink Domaine Laroche Saint Martin 2010. It forms a clean, white base to the debate. 27 and twice my height our host Matthieu never hesitates throughout a current of questions.

Laroche is both grower (Domaine Laroche) and negociant. We talk in length about soil as the 90 hectares of Domaine Laroche are in organic conversion.

To paraphrase Matthieu’s views: organic fertiliser equals livelier soils equals greater expression. Organic matter must first be broken down by microbes in the soil before the vines can sup on nutrients therefore ensuring no direct influence on flavour.

Artifical fertilisers plus herbicides destroys life in the soils and the more direct transfer of nutrients means that it is more the nature of the fertilisers expressed in the grape rather than the identity of the soil.

Behind Hugo, Anthony and Gilbert white butterflies are stuck to white walls and flower lamps throw petal shadows over their faces. Laura, Angela and Carol are framed by a wall of sea, the globe scribbled on in white lines.

The Domaine Laroche wines are like a finely mannered family of genteel descent. Ivory skin, good bone structure, fine features, lace handkerchiefs. Les Vaudevay with its high cheekbones and blue eyes is the coldest premier cru crammed with big rocks. Fourchaume is a better-fed cousin, south facing and protected in the valley from the northerly winds, there are moments in which you can see his steely bone structure but he has more flesh on his bones and pinker cheeks that speak of a warmth in the soil, there is a richness in a round belly. Blanchot, shy upon arrival, overpowered by the cheese, she appears gentle and there is a softness and feminity to her easy grace but one can tell that beneath this she is poised, her gestures precise and her will as hard as limestone.

“A great wine should be made by a crazy viticulturist and a lazy wine-maker” Matthie Apffel. February 2012

LA CHABLISIENNE by KEITH GRAINGER

By Tuesday morning we were all well seasoned to the crisp delights of early February in the Serein Valley, and were coming to terms with which bank was which, so it was time to visit the district’s largest producer: La Chablisienne. Although the thought of a visit to a cooperative can sometimes instil a sense of dread in the minds of wine educators and writers, such is the reputation of this producer that we were all enthusiastic and actually arrived rather early.

We were greeted by Hervé Tucki, who in many ways is M. La Chablisienne. He has been employed here since 1985, but his relationship with the cooperative started long before that – his father Jean-Michel Tucki was the previous director: “I learnt how to smell in the cellar, and to ride my bike and play football in the cellar too.” We were charmed with anecdotes, and imbibed a detailed yet personal treatise on the district and the essence of Chablis wines, together with a brief history of the cooperative, which was founded in 1923, at a time when life was very hard for Chablis growers.

La Chablisienne takes must from its 300 producer members (there were some interesting discussions on use of the term ‘producer’ – to Hervé a producer is a grower) and the co-op now makes some 25% of the total Chablis production. The concept of minerality is to the fore, a topic which had raised some interesting discussions in other visits, with some critics believing that minerality has more to do with free sulphur dioxide than Kimmeridge or Portlandian! Hervé also sees the greater picture – “I am a Burgundy man – I am also a Pinot Noir man”, but Chardonnay and Pinot are expressions of a sense of place in Burgundy. And to Hervé, terroir rules supreme, although he recognises the role of individual winemakers:“We don’t make good wine with democracy”, but there is a line that runs through all the wines. “We love to keep energy and freshness” notes Hervé, “we don’t like bâtonnage”. And styles develop within the framework: “We have memory, but there is a new page every year.”

The tasting line-up comprised eleven wines including all four Chablis appellations. All were finely tuned. It was exciting to taste both the 2009 and 2008 Chablis Les Vénerables Vieilles Vignes. ‘Vieilles’ here means between 35 and 100 years old; 20% or so of the cuvée is barrel-aged on the fine lees but, as we have seen, without bâtonnage. Bottling takes place some 18 months after the harvest, and the development shown by the 2008,with a palette of tertiary flavours beginning to interweave clearly demonstrated that this a wine that really deserves bottle age. Throughout our visit to Chablis the group had been most impressed by the price/quality ratio of the Premier Cru wines, and La Chablisienne was no exception. The 2009 Mont de Milieu was totally stunning - if anybody struggles with the concept of minerality this is a wine that sends a shiver down the spine as though a sharp blade has been lightly run down the length of your back. The 2008 Vaulorent was rich and quite chunky yet still quintessential Chablis with layer upon layer of flinty, stony, flavours.

However, there can be no doubt that the jewel in the crown of la Chablisienne is Château Grenouilles. Grenouilles, probably named after the frogs on the banks of the nearby Serein, is the smallest of the Grands Crus climats with just 9.4 hectares. Château Grenouilles comprises 80% of the plot with 7.2 hectares. It became part of Chablisienne in 2003, and Hervé speaks with immense pride about this small plot. The care in the vineyard, the hand harvesting of grapes, low-pressure pressing, and maturation half in vat and half in barrel – these are facts but the wine in the glass is pure art. The 2008, still a baby but already showing the future – simply stunning!

Jean-Marc Brocard by Vivienne Franks

For our last visit on this trip we drove down into Préhy, just to the Southwest of Chablis to meet with the Brocard family and taste their three Geological Bourgogne Blancs made from grapes grown on Jurassic, Portlandian and Kimmeridgian soils and their impressive range of Premier Cru and Grand Cru Chablis wines.
Founded by Jean-Marc Brocard in 1974, this is one of the youngest and most innovative domaines we encountered, certainly with the most biodynamic vineyard area. Jean-Marc’s son, Julien, is responsible for the move to biodynamic production, with 5 wines already on the international market.

From planting 1.5 hectares in 1973 to harvesting 200 hectares currently, of which 35 hectares are fully biodynamic, a further 35 hectares are well on the way to full conversion from the 2011 harvest. In addition to wines from the Chablis region, Petit Chablis through to Grand Cru, there is also a Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Noirs, three red wines, including an Irancy ‘Les Mazelots’, a Bourgogne Aligoté and a Sauvignon de Saint-Bris.

Pierre, the fluent English speaking ex-chef and sommelier, guided us through the cellar to see tanks, barriques, foudres and ‘cement eggs’ in which the Grand Cru Chablis ‘Les Preuses’ is fermented and matured. Photos of the magnificent view over the vineyards were speedily achieved, due to the less than clement wind and chilling temperatures!

Jean-Marc and Julien dropped in to the tasting room to meet us. Jean-Marc told us that he believed ‘The truth of wine lies in the soil where it has grown. The technique is an important factor in the wine growing, but it is only an aid. The wine is essentially the product of the soil. The soil of Chablis is exceptional and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.’

By comparing the 2010 Petit Chablis, Chablis and Chablis ‘Vieilles Vignes’ from the 86 hectare Domaine Sainte Claire vineyard, situated around the winery, the different levels of intensity of these wines was clearly demonstrated.

Tasting different Premiers Crus and Grands Crus from stainless steel tanks, oak barrels and cement eggs also showed the influence of soil, aspect and microclimate within the character of the wines. The influence of Terroir is evident in Chablis.

The tasting consisted of 16 different wines, including three with our typical Chablis lunch of local paté de porc, followed by Jambon avec sauce Chablis et riz, fromage then mousse au chocolat. A perfect end to an interesting trip.

Champagne Trip

2012-01-03T05:06:00.000-08:00

CIVC by Marisa d’Vari

A gorgeous crisp fall day unfolded as AWE members gathered in the lobby of the hotel, introduced one another or embraced old friends, and prepared for a two and a half day intensive of learning about Champagne.

Half an hour in a minibus later, CIVC official Philippe Wibrotte very generously welcomed the AWE to a lunch at Le Théâtre in the town of Epernay that would follow with an overview of Champagne and its four key initiatives, tour of the Epernay champagne store and tasting room, followed by an orientation lecture, and tasting

Philippe gave a PowerPoint presentation of the four key initiatives. For the sake of brevity, one of the concerns under the 'economics' platform was to build more luxury hotels and incite Parisian visitors to spend the weekend (and of course their cash) in the businesses in the community. During this time there was also discussion of the 'no new planting rule’ as there is concern that without it Champagne could end up like Bordeaux with so many hectares under vine that the wine sells for a Euro a bottle.

Technical information revolved around the increasing organic activity of producers and research into lighter bottle weight to reduce the carbon footprint.

Communications goals revolve around bringing more sommeliers and educators to Champagne and intensifying social media as well as mainstream press. The AWE trip falls under this umbrella.

Protection, the fourth initiative, is a key component. Still today too many people use the Champagne name in a generic way and a lot of CIVC activity is devoted to stopping imposters.

This introduction really set the tone for our visit, for we had a very good foundation of the economics of the community and the concerns of the growers, the large houses, and the community in general. As we visited the various producers, we knew to ask them questions about planting, which was the key issue. The basic rule in Champagne is that one has to own a house or be a grower to purchase more land. True, some millionaires (billionaires?) can buy a house, and through this method be in a position to buy up more land to plant new land.

On the technical side we also knew to ask questions about what each house or producer was doing to become more organic or in the example of one producer, Francis Boulard, biodynamic. Boulard was an amazing visit, as he was constantly bringing us physical examples of the methods he was using to get to most from his soil (earthworms in freshly bought earth taken from a cow’s horn, anyone?).

The presentation ended with a tasting with Mme Violaine de Caffarelli, Œnologue Chargée de Communication and discussion of malolactic fermentation in champagne.

Food and wine matching lunch at Le Theatre, Epernay by Heather Dougherty

This was the first official engagement of the trip and I came to the idea of matching Champagne with an entire meal, or at least one that didn't involve three courses of fish and seafood, somewhat sceptically.

The two course menu laid down the gauntlet in the form of “souris d'agneau braisée á l'ail”, or lamb shank braised in garlic. This not immediately obvious Champagne-friendly dish was paired with Jacquesson Cuvée 734.

Jacquesson claims to be the oldest established independent Champagne house (founded in 1798) and has a somewhat eccentric approach amongst the houses, in that they do not make a Non-Vintage cuvée representative of a consistent house style, but instead produce numbered cuvées which reflect the vintage conditions of the year which predominates in the blend. Cuvée 734 is based on the 2006 vintage, plus reserve wines from 2005 (22%) and 2004 (5%). Vinification is carried out in oak foudres, with weekly bâtonnage. The final blend is 54% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Meunier and 20% Pinot Noir and the dosage is characteristically low at 3g/l. Jacquesson source their grapes from vineyards in the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs, which are all either Grand or Premier Cru.

The Cuvée 734 had a pronounced gold colour with autolytic and savoury characters to the fore on the nose and palate. Tasting it on its own is enough to convince you that this is a food Champagne, as it is rather linear, mineral and austere.

With the lamb, the fruit in the Champagne emerged, though the savoury notes still dominated, making it a good match with caramelised and meaty flavours in the braised lamb. The lamb was served with a puree of sweet potatoes, whose sweet mealiness was fine with the lamb, but did not contribute to the match with the Champagne.

For dessert we were served “nougat glacé” (iced nougat) with a red fruit compote, which was accompanied by Brochet-Hervieux's Cuvée Rose. Brochet-Hervieux is a small house based in the village of Ecueil in the Montagne de Reims, with 16 ha of Premier Cru vineyards.

The base vintage of their rosé d'assemblage Cuvée Rose is 2007, with 25% of reserve wines from 2006 and the blend is 75% Pinot Noir (including 12% still Pinot Noir from 2007), 20% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Meunier. The dosage is on the high side at 12 g/l and the wine undergoes malolactic, with no oak ageing. It spends 26 months on the lees and this cuvée was disgorged in July 2010.

It had pretty, slightly floral notes with red fruit flavours and a slight creaminess on the nose, with more savoury, Pinot Noir characters emerging on the palate. A very pleasant Champagne to sip on its own, or to drink with seafood, but it was not sweet enough to match happily with any kind of dessert, especially one as sweet as nougat glacé.

I had arrived a sceptic on the wisdom of Champagne with every course and left....half convinced.

Frances Boulard ‘Man of the soil’ UK Agent Caves des Pyrène

Frances Boulard looks like a typical jolly old French vigneron, but his thinking is anything but old style. His website declares his mission to ‘go ever and further forward.’ So what led him to be more forward thinking, and turn resolutely towards more natural, bio-dynamic and organic methods? For Francis it is a lifestyle choice rather than an obsession, the decision was generated by respect for his family, his customers and the plants and animals on his 4ha estate. In doing this he realised he had gone back to vineyard practises carried out by his grandparents.

As with most things, he has found both disadvantages and advantages but the pluses outweigh the minuses in his opinion.

The major pluses for him are human health and wine complexity, due mainly to the reduction/removal of chemicals in the vineyard. This has stopped allergic skin reactions amongst workers tending his vines, and Frances believes that by the move to more ‘natural’ methods he is not ‘potentially poisoning his customers’. The use of certain chemicals also destroys the indigenous yeast, which he prefers for the first and, in some cases, the second fermentation, as indigenous yeasts increase complexity, and although his vines are now feebler and lower yielding, the resultant wines are more concentrated and complex. This increased complexity occurred within a year of conversion, and was proven by one of his wines gaining 2 stars in the Hachette guide. He says, ‘Now when I smell the soil, it smells as I remember it as a child’.

The disadvantages are increased costs and time. This is due mainly to more labour being required to tend organic/bio-dynamic vineyards. For example, organic sprays against botrytis, such as ‘serenade’, are less effective and diseased grapes often need to be cut off by hand. So it is easy to see why his work load has increased by 30%; he estimates that it takes 5 people per hectare to tend organic vineyards compared to 1 per hectare for conventional vineyards. As his vineyards are spread out it has been difficult to convert them all at once, and currently only one is bio-dynamic, although not yet certified. Without the backing of a large company, purchasing the required new equipment, such as smaller tractors to avoid soil compaction, can only happen when funds allow.

So does all this theory stand up in the tasting?

The first pair of wines was Les Murgiers 2009, which are made with 2 different dosage levels, 5gms and no dosage. There is an excepted view that sugar makes a wine more accessible and attractive on the palate and this was borne out on the tasting. Both wines were delicious; the 5gms was full of bruised apple, honey with bright acidity and had more rounded structure in the mouth.The zero dosage was shyer on the nose, but with a haunting perfume, and much more precise on the palate with a tight, linear structure, layers of mineral complexity, and rapier acidity - this one got my vote. Frances believes that sugar hides the terroir of a wine. The tasting continued with the Rosé made by the saignée method which had been aged in oak barrels, giving the wine presence and structure and layers of fruit. The wine of the day for me was the Les Rachais Brut Nature. This is 100% Chardonnay from a single vineyard of 43 year old vines. The soil is flint bearing silty limestone on the Massif de Saint Thierry. It is worked bio-dynamically according to the lunar calendar, and vinified in old oak barrels. It had the texture and presence and complexity of a fine white Burgundy, and proved to me beyond doubt that the theory lived up to the tasting.

Sometimes to take a step forward we have to take a step back.

By Lindsay Oram

Lunch at Hotel du Marc

Hosted by Pierre Casenave, Winemaker at Veuve Clicquot

By Michelle Cherutti-Kowal

After our informative vins clair tasting, the group headed off into the town of Reims to our lunch destination, Hotel du Marc. Not an easy task as the building is hidden away behind restored walls. This is no ordinary hotel as we discovered, but a private villa for the exclusive use of Veuve Clicquot’s guests. The building is the former home of Madame Clicquot and has gone through an extensive four years of renovation and conservation with the architect and designer Bruno Moinard, famous for his work with Cartier and Château Latour. The villa contains five private suites, each designed after the seasons and dedicated to a major country to which the House exports. The main rooms (where we were entertained) left us all breathless. From the moment you enter the premises; you cannot help but be overwhelmed by the highly stylised interior. Each room is filled with one off designer pieces combining the traditional and contemporary. The entrance hall itself contained a mirrored pleated coat closet, inspired by fashion designer Issey Miyake and a grand staircase with a vine-like balustrade and covered in a carpet which faded from white to burgundy symbolising the two Pinot grapes. The rest of the main floor consisted of a library, lounge, formal dining room, and chef’s kitchen and at the back, a large room with a Veuve Clicquot bar, reminiscent of a French nightclub.

We started our lunch with a glass of Veuve Clicquot’s yellow label, as we explored our new surroundings. The mainstay of the House, Yellow Label is aged for 3 years and is a blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 30% of Chardonnay and 15% of Pinot Meunier with 10gms of residual sugar. Veuve claims to be a Pinot Noir house and the dominance in the blend gave the wine plenty of freshness combined with smoky notes from autolysis.

We were then ushered in the formal dining room which is dominated by dark grey woodwork (reclaimed from the mansion of Edouard Werlé, the business partner of Madame Clicquot) and a massive crystal chandelier. White gloved staff served us our first course of Marbre Foie Gras de Canard with orange, accompanied by a glass of Vintage 2004. Again, Pinot Noir dominates the blend with 60%, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier all sourced from both Grand and Premier Cru vineyards. With 5 years on lees and 7gms of residual sugar, the bracing acidity cut through the Foie Gras yet matching the orange tang and the savoury and nutty notes giving depth and length to the palate. The main course was Pavé de Sandre Rôti with lentilles from Puy and a glass of Vintage 2004 Rosé. Assembled with 15% red wine from Bouzy vineyards and 9gms residual sugar, the 62% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 8% Pinot Meunier is my favourite wine of the House. The red apple and berries notes, along with the hints of mushroom worked wonders with the delicate moist fish and earthy notes of the lentils and was poured again for the cheese course. Our meal was finished with Praliné biscuits, Crème au Citron and a glass of Demi-Sec (served out of the most gorgeous carafe). Sweet Champagne is a rarity amongst the Houses with few specialising in the style but Veuve Clicquot feels that their Demi Sec is homage to the classical Champagne style of the early 1900’s. In order to make a fruitier style, they double the amount of Pinot Meunier at 30% with 45% of Pinot Noir and 25% of Chardonnay and 45gms of residual sugar. The freshness and touch of sugar matched perfectly with the Citron crème and the light nutty notes with the Praline. After coffee we removed ourselves to the suave bar, where we admired the neon chandeliers and custom-made fridge to store large format bottles. Our final treat of the afternoon was a glass of La Grande Dame 2004, a blend of 64% Pinot Noir and 36% Chardonnay sourced from 8 Grand Cru vineyards and aged for 6 years- what a fabulous way to finish our afternoon.

Fizz Fameux, A visit to Bollinger by Patricia Stefanowicz MW

‘I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and I drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it, unless I’m thirsty.’ Madame Jacques Bollinger (d. 1977), quoted in the London Daily Mail, 17^th October 1961.

All we British adore Champagne, and who loves it more than members of the Association of Wine Educators and the Institute of Masters of Wine? So, the opportunity to have a private visit to the spiritual ‘Grande Dame’ of Champagne, Bollinger, est. 1829, was impossible not to anticipate with a certain amount of girlish giddiness.

We were met by M. Christian Dennis at the Maison in Aÿ, just after dusk, a cold but not dreary evening. Despite the darkness, Christian insisted that we visit the legendary Vieilles Vignes situated on a modest slope behind the maison and then the walled vineyard, Clos de St. Jacques, just across the road. His explanation of marcottage (provinage) or ‘layering’ in English was lucid. Simplistically, in winter the specialist vignerons turn one of the still flexible canes down into the ground near the main trunk and the cane takes root. In the Vieilles Vineyard these ‘Vignes en foule’ (crowded vines) have three times the density of rootstocks compared to a standard vineyard, yet only 24 kg/hectare (equivalent) yield. With only about 1/3 of the yield typical in Champagne, the results are dense and intense. The vineyard area of the plots is a mere ½ ha, so only about 2000-3000 bottles per year are produced.

Adjacent to the Vieilles Vignes is a rather intriguing ‘museum vineyard’ comprising all the (known) varieties ever permitted in Champagne. Besides the expected clones of Pinot Noir (743, 386), Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier were Arbane, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier, Savagnin (all still permitted) and two now un-permitted, Pinot Teinturier (red-fleshed and sometimes referred to as Gamay de Bouze-no prizes for guessing where that name derived from!) and Gamay Noir, introduced after phylloxera because of its better resistance to the pest, but banned in 1927.

From Clos de St. Jacques, again on a chalky-clay southward facing slope, you can just about see the beginning slope of the Côte des Blancs.

Bollinger is still very much family-owned and four of the family members are still involved. The company owns about 163 hectares of vineyards, which provides nearly 2/3 of its requirements. Of these, 85% are Grands Crus and Premiers Crus, on mainly chalky soils. The vineyards are in Verzy and Bouzy and, of course, Aÿ. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize, Cuis (where the House was started), and Vertus also feature.

Bollinger has a specific, and perhaps unlikely, barrel philosophy. The main aim is to avoid tannins but give depth and weight to the base wines, controlled oxidation, if you like. So, the House purchases older barrels from Burgundy, especially Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault. The barrels are used from the 5^th fill and Bollinger will keep them for decades, if they remain clean and free of taints. There is a resident cooper (former French Cooper of the Year), who mends about 400 of the barrels per annum. Barrel sizes are generally 228l and 400l with a few 350l. One of the reasons M. Mathieu Kauffmann, the Chef des Caves, originally from Alsace, likes the larger sizes is because these lose less wine ‘to the angels’, much reduced from the previous 4%. Mathieu has also introduced humidifiers to alleviate evaporation.

As Mathieu explained, only the cuvée is used; the tailles are sold on. Pressing takes about 3-1/2-to-4 hours which means a maximum number of 6 pressings per 24 hours (legal maximum, anyway). He uses a yeast strain from the CIVC, as it is more secure, but believes that lactic bacteria is more important so makes up a culture from freeze-dried, formerly indigenous to Epernay.

Then, after alcoholic fermantation and, almost all malo, there are normally two rackings. Barrels are checked every week and racked off if taints are detected. Much of the Special Cuvée (around 2/3) goes into tank rather than barrel to retain freshness and fruit.

He uses some fining and filtration during the wine-making processes. For the vins clairs there may be one filtration with kieselguhr and one fining with gelatine. He also uses around 6g/cl of bentonite in the liqueur de triage to help settle the sediments after second fermentation and ageing. This is apparently most important with rosé wines because they are harder to riddle; hence Bollinger mostly riddle the rosés by hand, which requires about 6-8 weeks and a frightening amount of financial outlay in payments. But quality, as always, comes first for this House.

Vintage wines, which receive a minimum of 5 years ageing on lees, and more likely 8-10 or even more, are bottled under cork, because Bollinger’s experience suggests that crown corks fail after much over 5 years and oxidation or taints set in.

Reserve wines, all barrel-aged, are ultimately bottled in magnums under cork, too, having a light sparkle induced by a little yeast and sugar, for ageing before use. There are around 600K in total. At any time there might be up to 240 different wines in the cellar. Sixty different reserves might be available; even 3-6 different ones are regularly used for the Special Cuvée.

Mathieu is testing jetting with c. 14 microlitres per bottle. His laboratory work suggests that it leaves only 1 mg of O2 compared to 10 mg O2 without jetting. This, together with around 3 mg from the cork and 2-3 mg from disgorging, is a significant difference: 5 mg compared to 15 mg. The machine is relatively inexpensive, around €5000, but the results are encouraging.

The majority of the wines are Pinot Noir, clone 386, around 60%, with most of the remainder Chardonnay. The only cuvée produced using Pinot Meunier is the Special Cuvée. Based on equal parts of two harvests, the base wines are fermented in small stainless steel tanks or older oak barrels. Usually about 25% of the wines will see oak. Reserve wines add depth and richness. Long ageing on the lees (around 3-4 years) and only a modest dosage of c. 6g/l permit a structured Champagne with refreshing acidity, nuttiness, creamy mousse, and plenty of concentration and depth. Excellent with the delicious canapés provided by Bollinger after the barrel tour.

Inevitably, there was a diversion into finance and marketing. The House produces about 2,5M bottles per year. About 82% of Bollinger’s production is sold abroad, with UK (40%) the most important, possibly because members of the Institute of Masters of Wine consume it, since Bollinger is one of IMW’s principal supporters. Bollinger bought a portion of Mentzendorf, its long-standing (153 years!) UK importer, ten or fifteen years ago to monitor and support the UK market and distribution. Other markets have exclusive importers/distributors to help manage the ‘grey-market’ in Champagne. Markets, such as Italy, Germany, and the USA are improving, as are Sweden and Australia. Japan, Russia and China are not yet big. The year 2010-2011 was an excellent year financially and 2011-2012 looks as though it may also be positive.

Bollinger is actively looking for more vineyards, but isn’t looking at buying land that is under review for the extension. Purchase cost for vineyards averages about €1M/ha, but some in the area of Aÿ are €1.5-2M/ha. Meunier, on the other hand, could be as low as €0.5M/ha. In any case, the vineyards must be viewed as a long-term investment.

The House also owns the Ayala brand. The brand interested Bollinger. Ayala was a grower like Bollinger and, of course, was located in the same commune of Aÿ and has had a very good reputation. So, the purchase was seen as a good fit.

And so to dinner;

With the first course, Lobster salad with marinated vegetables and a citrus fruit vinaigrette, we continued with the Bollinger Special Cuvée (Refer to note above.)

The fish course was a delightful sautéed Sandre (similar to sea bass, but fresh water) served with tomato conserve and basil sauce. The wine was Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé 2004. Pale salmon colour, tight bubbles, slight cordon; on the nose gentle vanilla and spice, a little fresh yeast, cinnamon, griotte and red currant fruit; on the palate good freshness of acidity, a wee bit of tannin, baked apples and Indian spice, nutty, creamy-textured mousse, fair richness, but elegant and long. Lovely wine. The wine has about 5-10% of Pinot Noir from the Côte aux Enfants, which is 100% barrel-aged, 6 months in wood then into stainless steel. Approximately 2000 barrels are produced of the Rosé: 68% Pinot, 32% Chardonnay. 2004 was very recently disgorged. A good year with 6-7 years on the lees. 8 g/l dosage. A little oxidation from the barrels. Worked very well with the dish.

Comté and parmigiano cheeses were served with mesclun salad and walnuts and…Bollinger Grande Année 2002. Pale gold hue, small persistent bubbles and noticeable cordon; very rich and nutty, digestives and plenty of spices on nose; palate shows plenty of savouriness with nuts and baked apple foremost, brittle mousse (still youthful!), vanilla and buttercream notes, very bright acidity, lingering. Potential is clear; will be great.

For our almost night-cap we had a selection of sliced fresh fruits and a hand-made vanilla-bean ice cream, served with Bollinger Rosé Special Cuvée in magnum. The wine is produced with about 5% of red still wine from Grands Crus Aÿ and Verzenay, which produce deep(ish)-coloured red wines after destemming and a week or so of maceration pre-fermentation. About 3 weeks total with the skins. Remontage once a day and pigéage once a day, more or less, with some aeration to achieve colour stability. C. 8.5 g/l dosage. Pale wild-salmon colour, tight and persistent bubbles; aromas of red delicious apples, wild strawberries, gentle yeast and light cream, hints of cardamom and cinnamon on nose and palate; lovely creamy mousse texture on the palate, excellent acidity and fair length. Delectable on its own, it didn’t quite work with the fruit and ice cream, but that can often be difficult.

Over a very late-night café express, we discussed ‘threats to Champagne’, if any. None of the group could come up with anything apart from, inevitably, Crémant d’Alsace (Mathieu) or maybe the best of California (me) or the best of England/Wales/Cornwall (me, again with support from everyone else), but Mathieu hasn’t yet had much experience of those, so couldn’t comment knowledgeably.

What is happening with RD, we asked? It is a niche-market product. Possibly 1999 will be released next year. There will almost certainly be an RD 2002. When remains a mystery to me having tasted the 2002 Grande Année which I think has years in hand.

A final comment from Mathieu involved 1997, which he believes is a better year than many others do. He believes it round and balanced but with sufficient structure to age well. Time will tell.

Fizz

Gosset by Neil Courtier

With the rigorous discipline that’s required on trips of this nature, the alarm was set for an early start to the day. Our appointment at Champagne Gosset was arranged with an 8.30 am arrival time (7.30 UK time)! With this in mind, it was a relief that our host – Phiippe Manfredini conducted a tour of Gosset’s facilities & cellars in Epernay, before the tasting!

The oldest wine house in Champagne, with its historical home in AŸ acquired the additional operational facilities in Epernay during its 425^th anniversary year. Previously known as - ‘the smallest of the large houses’, the 1.5 km of cellars has a storage capacity of 2.5 million bottles. A perfect fit if ever there was one, to accommodate Gosset’s expansion plans.

I’ve always considered Gosset to be ‘a Champagne lovers’ wine’, better known in the on-trade & through independent wine merchants. A long term exponent of avoiding malolactic fermentation – cellar-master Jean-Pierre Mareigner makes wines that are well-built, powerful, aromatic, yet elegant, that combines brilliantly with the right type of food & age well too.

The tasting focused on three wines – Gosset Grand Blanc de Blancs – Brut NV – the newest member of the Gosset family, which exhibits very fine bubbles, with citrus & apple-like aromas & a very attractive texture on the palate, that’s fresh & intense leading to an elegant / long finish. The Grand Reserve – Brut NV followed. Probably the best known wine from Gosset, a blend of three ‘good’ years & based on 43% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir, 15% Meunier - released later, a wine that represents the house style to a tee – the nose shows notes of brioche, dried-fruits & gingerbread., which pretty much follows through in the mouth. A minerally thread of bright acidity enhances its appeal. Finally the Grand Rosé – Brut NV - made with 7% of red wine from Bouzy & Ambonnay, which contributes to a coral pink colour & red-fruit characteristics. Pink Champagne for modern cuisine that’s drinking well now, but has plenty of energy to mature.

Champagne Mailly by Pippa Hayward

Our last visit took us to Champagne Mailly where Jean-Francois Préau, Director, and Hervé Dantan, Chef de Cave, greeted us.

Mailly is a small, but arguably perfectly formed co-operative of 80 growers, over 70 hectares exclusively in Mailly Grand Cru. Founded in 1929, it is still owned by a majority of the original members. Annual production is 500,000 bottles sold mostly to restaurants and good wine shops. 50% of production is exported. Pricing is close to the NV of many Grandes Marques so quality drives all the decisions here.

The scale of the operation and quality of the wines means that competing for supermarket own-label production is pointless. Mailly derives 90% of its revenue from sales. The one honourable exception is Mailly Brut Reserve N.V. which is sold to Berry Brothers as their own-label Champagne. It also makes controlling viticulture much simpler –proximity of the plots and the growers’ vested interest in producing optimum fruit help. Currently 10 of the 70 hectares are in conversion to organic status, overseen by a consultant, with a view to reducing the use of chemicals as much as possible.

In the run up to picking, each of the 22 plots is analysed twice weekly and a picking date set. This helps ensure an orderly flow of grapes into tank – something especially helpful in a year like 2010.

We had visited Gosset just before –a house which owns no vineyards whatsoever- and had heard at first hand just how difficult managing the flow of juice into tank had been over the harvest this year.

I asked Jean –Francois Préau if he felt that the co-operative status of Mailly eased the annual price discussions. His view is that quality is best served by long-term contracts based not on volume but quality of fruit. The growers are very proud of their Mailly heritage. However they still have to pay the same price for grapes as everyone else -5% more this year as one large house paid 5% extra to secure the volume of grapes it needed.

Mailly is planted to Pinot Noir (75%) and Chardonnay (25%). A large number of small plots, some much older vines and Mailly’s predominantly northerly exposure all offer the potential for top quality fruit. Pinot here is renowned for its minerality and acidity and usually makes up the majority of each blend. The house uses malo routinely, partly to balance this quality. In warmer years like 2005 and 2009 malo may be blocked in some tanks. Dosage for most cuvées is between 6 and 10gms.

Wines are matured in tank and in barrel –all the latter come from Château Margaux’s Pavillon Blanc. Mailly keeps more than 2 million bottles in their chalk cellars 20 metres below ground. These were dug out by the co-operative’s original members.

Before lunch we were treated to an exemplary organised tasting of their entire range, in the purpose built tasting room with great natural light. The entire range impressed us hugely and provided an interesting comparison with Gosset who use no malo at all.

The most interesting aspect of the tasting was the opportunity to compare Mailly’s two Roses. L’Intemporelle Rosé 2006 made by assemblage, (Pinot Noir 60% Chardonnay 40% with the addition of 3% still red from 40 year old vines ) and the Brut Rosé, (Pinot Noir 90%, 10% Chardonnay) made by the saignée method and also based on the 2006 harvest.

Hervé Dantan explained that his aim is to create two different styles. Assemblage allows him to create a more delicate and refreshing wine with a subtle and fruity taste–the percentage of still red added varying with each year. It also gives the wine a more blue –pink colour. The saignée wine is based on Pinot from older plots given between 12 and 24 hours maceration depending on the year. It is a more full-bodied, food friendly wine with distinctively red fruit character, more texture on the palate and some subtle tannins on the finish.

The Extra Brut (zero dosage), first produced 50 year ago for a Swiss customer, also showed beautifully with real vinosity, richness and pronounced autolytic notes from 4 years ageing before disgorgement- a fitting testament to top quality fruit , fine wine making and patience.

AWE Portugal Trip Overview

2011-01-11T04:36:00.000-08:00

AWE Portugal Trip Overview by JAYNE BRIDGES.

It is always a pleasure to be invited to participate in an educational wine trip. Indeed, one enjoys most trips and learns something. But I always return from Portugal truly inspired.

Why? Primarily because the Portuguese are so pragmatic. Although they are absolutely up to speed as far as ‘Worldwide Trends’ are concerned, they maintain a solid determination never to change simply for the sake of changing; they take stock, decide on their priorities and stick to them.

They have been very adroit at obtaining EU funds for development and along with private investment, some sensational new wineries have been built in the last few years. Their winemakers and viticulturists have looked at what the international consumer requires, so there are some outstanding wines available from international grape varieties. But, unlike some other areas of the wine world, they have never abandoned their own indigenous grapes. These represent their unique point of difference and along with Cabernets and Chardonnays and some sensational Syrahs, they are producing outstanding wines from Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Castelão, Arinto, Fernão Pires and Alicante Bouche. Furthermore, these wines are very food friendly and whenever they are shown at tastings, the consumer loves them. They deserve a wider audience.

My only plea would be, with so many different names for the same grape variety, it is often hard for the uninitiated to know what they are buying!

For the wine educator the Portuguese are also very easy to talk to. On some trips communication with wine-makers is difficult, as they are reluctant to ‘tell their story’ and explain their philosophy. This trip has shown once again that not only do Portuguese wineries have a story worth telling, they are happy to share it.

As a footnote, their cuisine has improved dramatically over the past few years.

We enjoyed some memorable meals, particularly at‘ Alma’, a fine dining restaurant run by one of Portugal’s TV celebrity chefs, Henrique da Pessoa. This was, by far, the best meal of the trip.

At the heart of every trip is the guide. We were very fortunate to have the wonderful Marta Galamba, representing ViniPortugal. A trained wine-maker, she was the key to making everything work so well. Her knowledge of the areas, and the wine-making techniques was invaluable to us all and no matter how many hitches there were, she was unfailingly cheerful and charming. She was a wonderful representative for ViniPortugal.

DFJ Vinhos

2011-01-11T04:27:00.000-08:00

DFJ Vinhos, Sala Ogival, Lisbon by KEN SHEATHER

The last day of the trip , this time a tasting with José Neiva, winemaker and co-owner of the company. Checking the catalogue will show 65, yes 65, different wines to suit certain styles and markets. Founded in 1998, the company manages more than 400ha of vineyards, exporting a yearly average of 6 million bottles.

José is a legend in Portugal, an outstanding innovator, developing the first effective method (now patented) of disinfecting corks using ozone to prevent TCA and introducing the grape variety, Caladoc, to Portugal. He is also the largest producer of Pinot Noir, made the first harvest of Dornfelder, produces Alvarinho (the largest production outside of the Vinho Verde region) and is always working to find new ways of improving the overall portfolio.
The 200ha in the Lisbon region are prepared for mechanical picking (12-15ha/day) in order to avoid the equinox on the 21st September when 90% chance of rain is predicted. Pick to crush takes no more than 30 minutes.

At the tasting we tried 15 wines. Two, in particular, stood out for me: -

’09 Casa do Lago Branco (12.5%ABV) Fernão Pires/Arinto/Chardonnay – clean, fresh and with good acidity.

’08 DFJ Tinto (13%ABV) Pinot Noir/Alfrocheiro (50/50) – dark ruby in colour, balanced acidity, good fruit with a mushroomy character.
DFJ have their own cooperage, buy 3 year old Seguin Moreau barrels and rebuild them for future use.

José also works with other wineries as an outside consultant, an arrangement that suits him very well. ‘It suits me fine, I learn with them and they pay me for it’ he chuckles.

The DFJ slogan is “Discovering worlds for the world, proud to be Portuguese”. It certainly seems to be working well for them.
Trips to wineries are always useful to someone like me who sells, and specialises in, Portuguese wines. The schedule listed 13 producers of whom we visited 10, many of whose wines I’ve stocked over the years. I always admire the enthusiasm of the producers, proud to be making the most of Portugal’s indigenous varieties but also accepting international varieties where the soil and climate are favourable.

Herdade de Cadouços

2011-01-11T04:09:00.000-08:00

Herdade de Cadouços by PETER EDWARDS

We arrived at Cadouços later than expected and darkness had fallen. Nevertheless, our light-hearted host was warm in his welcome and charming. He led us into the cellar, piled high with oak barrels of maturing wine. A table had been set with a white cloth, tasting glasses and plate of local charcuterie and we sat down to the strains of Gregorian chant echoing down from lofty heights somewhere above.

This is a winery deeply committed to organic and environmentally-friendly practice and production, and I loved the mediaeval chanting of the monks, which reminded me of my school days, for us choirboys often sang High Mass in Gregorian chant. However, I think we were all slightly bemused to learn that the wines were matured to this music playing 24/7, 365 days a year! Though I have occasionally given my tomatoes a friendly rub on the leaves and hummed encouragingly to my house plants, I can't help feeling perplexed about the wines enduring relentless chanting day and night for months on end! Sadly, as far as I am concerned, the wines had not benefited at all.

Cadouços Harmony - What can I say? Dark, very dark, with hardly any detectable aroma or fruit and no complexity. It was very tannic and oaky and tasting it with Portuguese black pudding did nothing to redeem it. Though the tannins were not rough and rustic they were too dominant. There was however, a central Balsamic note which some people might discover with joy. I did at first acquaintance, but then found it had an element that was faintly disagreeable.

The Cadouços Natur 2007. Blend of Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, and Merlot. 14%

An inky black wine which, when held up to an electric light bulb, remained as black as squid ink; no ray of light penetrated it except for a tiny glowing ring of dark red at the rim. In its subterranean depths there was some black fruit and gritty plum stone flavour, along with a pronounced smooth but very oaky tannin. But, honestly, really not a wine I could enjoy. In my opinion, and I could well be wrong, this wine seemed over-extracted and over-oaked..

Yes We Can Reserve 2007 Touriga Nacional/Syrah 14.5%

Another massive dark red. But with a good aroma of red berries, and, on the palate, delightfully concentrated raspberry-ish fruit, plenty of smooth tannins, complex and well structured but with the elegance of balancing acidity, and a long refreshing finish with a chocolate after-taste. I liked this wine very much. Yes, you certainly can, Cadouços!

Afterwards, we were presented with four bottles of the red wines we had tasted, and I was pleased to see that there was a bottle of Yes We Can Reserve in amongst them.

I repeated the tasting after I got home, yes, with Cumbrian black pudding, but, even without the benefit of Gregorian chant, the wines remained in my black books and my verdict was much the same. Only the Yes We Can Reserve was enjoyable and delicious. Oh Yes! Although I had a wonderful flight back from Lisbon, thanks to a surprise courtesy upgrade to Cabin Class, my checked in baggage got lost in Amsterdam and it was three days before my bag was delivered to my home with just one broken bottle inside ….. and it was obviously not the Yes We Can Reserve... what can I say, or sing, except 'Gloria in Excelsis.'

Casal Branco

2011-01-11T03:56:00.000-08:00

Casal Branco at Benfica do Ribatejo by ANTHONY STOCKBRIDGE

From Quinta da Lagoalva de Cima we had but a short trip to Casal Branco, a 1,100 ha. estate in the Almeirim district, about 70 Km north of Lisbon, where we were warmly greeted by David Ferreira, Sales and Marketing Director. Unfortunately, the wine maker of 13 years, Dina Luis could not be with us.

The 140 ha. of Casal Branco vines are grown on well-draining sandy soil that is fit for little else. Another 200 ha. will be turned over to vines over the next five years taking production well over the two million bottles mark. Casal Branco started supplying the Chinese market last year so they may well be in dire need of this extra production.

The estate was founded in 1775 by the forefathers of the present owners and has always been at the cutting edge of technology. In 1817, they installed a steam engine to drive all of the mechanical processes in the winery. The pressroom still houses the old engine and, on a long wall-mounted shaft, the pulleys that once drove driving belts, stand stationary, waiting for the engine to be given a head of steam.

The pressroom also houses the lagar, which is still used to press the grapes at 16 – 18º for premium red wines. After pressing, the wine is made in epoxy-resin lined concrete tanks then aged in French oak casks for between six months to a year or more.

We tasted ten wines before enjoying a splendid lunch on a terrace in the winery courtyard.

Amongst these were:

2008 Falcoaria White DOC do Tejo – 100% Fernão Pires (25 year old vines)

50% fermented in French oak and aged for six months on the lees. I found an interesting nose of ‘anchovies on toast’ but the palate of complex, rich, fruity and mineral elements with an acidic balance was a delight.

2009 Terra de Lobos Rosé Regional Ribatejo –

Touriga Nacional, Castelão, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Raspberry, strawberry, spice and perfume on the nose then juicy ripe fruit and a clean finish.

2007 Touriga Nacional Regional Tejo.

Grapes were crushed by foot in the lagares then fermented in stainless steel before ageing for 6 months in French oak. The resulting wine was a good expression of Touriga Nacional; sweet floral aromas with ripe red fruit on the nose then a fruity, spicy palate with hints of chocolate and mint.

2007 Falcoaria Red – DOC Ribatejo

The best of the best, hand-picked, low-yielding Castelão, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante Bouschet and Petit Verdot in undisclosed proportions are foot-pressed then fermented in lagares before ageing for 9 months in French oak followed by 4 months in bottle before release. Black fruit, spice and a hint of tobacco on the nose then zingy fruit of the forest, leather and pencil lead with silky tannins and a long finish. An elegant wine well worth a re-visit in a couple of years.

Quinta da Lagoalva

2011-01-11T03:41:00.000-08:00

Quinta da Lagoalva de Cima, Alpiarça, Ribatejo by JAYNE BRIDGES

Quinta da Lagoalva de Cima is located 2km from Alpiarça and stretches along the south bank of the river Tagus. The Campilho family has extensive farming interests in the Ribatejo, with over 6,000 hectares and has been farming here since the late 19^th Century. Wine is just a part of their business with 50 hectares of vines planted. Winemaker Diogo Campilho is now concentrating on the wine business while father, Manuel, oversees the rest of the enterprises.

Diogo honed his winemaking skills during various harvest stints in Australia's Hunter Valley.

Most of the vines were planted in the 1970s. 70% red, 30% white and in 1982, they were the first growers to introduce Syrah. The vineyards have been planted following a careful study of the best Australian vineyards and the winery inspired by New World efficiency and attention to detail.
Recently they have taken advantage of Government support to re-graft new clones to improve the root-stock. 90% of the grapes are machine-harvested at night. Their philosophy is to keep the wine-making in-house and to no longer use outside consultants. It is all down to Diogo.

We enjoyed an extensive tasting with memorable highlights.

The Chardonnay was a revelation. Diogo freezes the lees from one vintage and then adds them the following year, to add concentration. The wine then goes into a mix of new and 2^nd year French Oak barriques. The result: a glorious buttery, citrus mouthful.

The Syrah is bottled only when the quality is high enough and the sample we tasted was not yet bottled, but it was full of peppery plums and spice.

For me the Alfrocheiro was the star. It had an inky colour, a velvety texture, intense spiciness and a fresh mintiness combined with black currants and wild strawberries.

We finished off with a Late Harvest Riesling Gewürztraminer, which was a ‘sweetie’ in every sense of the word. Bread and butter putting with a twist of barley sugar, but balanced by a pure streak of acidity to keep it fresh on the palate.

This was another example of a well-established company, constantly striving to balance efficiency with the desire to produce outstanding, innovative wines. Passion and progress are working hand in hand here.

Vale d'Algares

2011-01-11T03:24:00.000-08:00

Vale d'Algares by PETER EDWARDS

My first impression was of a model vineyard as we scrambled out of our mini bus into the blazing, mid-afternoon November sunshine and a clear bright blue sky, to meet our smiling hosts, João Vilar (Sales and Marketing Director) and Pedro Gonalves (Chief Winemaker)

The well tended rows of vines with their gold and russet leaves, led the eye down a shallow valley, beneath a couple of strikingly picturesque umbrella pines to a small lake. It was beautiful.
Pedro lost no time in enthusiastically assuring us that this was the only vineyard in Tejo planted on slopes. He also explained the drainage system; large diameter pipes have been laid underground between the rows of vines, for here the problem is excessive rainfall from time to time, it is vital for this water to be removed as efficiently and as quickly as possible. The lake was created by damming a small stream, and was equally vital in creating a stable micro-climate. Even quite some distance from the lake, the vines received the benefit of cool breezes passing over the water and at night, the cool mists aids fruit flavour retention.

Though young, Pedro had a sharp and dazzlingly focussed mind, evidenced by his passionate interest in detail at every level. His self-confidence, awe-inspiring energy, and his vision, which became increasingly obvious as we entered the state-of-the-art (£I.5 million) winery building, which was vast, of Cathedral like proportions. Here he explained how the grapes for white wines were cooled to 2 degrees, and the resultant wines were cooled to 2 degrees using refrigerated containers, then transferred to the oak casks and maintained at 2 degrees whilst ageing.

“It's a lot of work”, muttered Pedro, surveying the neatly laid out rows of reclining barrels, from the top of the steel staircase above, “but it’s worth it.”

We then entered the stunning, 'no expense spared ' tasting room, all polished natural timber and leather, with its cool soft over-head lighting and bright white shining table top panels. Here in the most perfect tasting room I've ever seen, we had a stunning tasting of the most ideal wines; the white wines were brilliantly fresh and vibrant, aromatic with zippy acidity though well-balanced with strong pure fruit flavours, while the reds exhibited similar characteristics of freshness and purity, with well-rounded savoury tannins.

I particularly liked the 2008 Alvarinho with its toasty, nutty nose and fresh but elegant fruit on the palate and the 2009 Viognier with its minerally aroma and superb quality of fruit. One outstanding red was the 2008 Touriga Nacional/Petite Verdot blend, from the super-premium selection and aged in French oak for 14 months. An amazing deep red colour though not over extracted and with a fantastic elderberry fruitiness.

But the final wine was a triumph. Viuritz 2009 has a beautifully fresh and zesty nose, this late-harvest treat with honeyed over-ripeness and a razor-sharp lick of balancing acidity was the perfect exclamation mark on which to end the tasting and our visit.

Casa Cadaval

2011-01-11T03:06:00.000-08:00

Casa Cadaval by ANTHONY STOCKBRIDGE

Casa Cadaval was definitely ‘something else’. At 5,400 ha., it is the largest estate in Portugal and, with over 13,000 acres, one can do almost anything and they do! Sitting on straw bales in a cart pulled by a Land Rover, we toured a small part of the estate where, in addition to 50 ha. of vines there are 3,000 ha. of cork oak, 80 breeding Lusitanos pure bred horses, 600 cattle, melons, carrots, potatoes, rice …… This was farming on the grand scale and has been in the same family for more than 350 years.

The charming Teresa Alvares Pereira de Schönborn – Wiesenthied is the current generation at the helm and we had the honour and pleasure of her company at lunch.

We tasted 10 wines, amongst which the following are worthy of note.

2009 Padre Pedro Rosé. Padre Pedro is Casa Cadaval’s entry-level brand and offers amazing value for money.The Rosé is a blend of Touriga Nacional (50%), Aragonez (30%) and Merlot (20%).

It exuded fresh strawberry jam on the nose and this was followed by a just off-dry palate (3.8 gm sugar) exploding with ripe red fruit and soft acidity. An excellent wine for a summer picnic.

We tasted three vintages of Casa Cadaval Cabernet Sauvignon from 50 year old vines treated to 18 months in French oak: 2007, 1995 and 1994.

The 2007 needs another few years in bottle to reach its potential, the first bottle of 1994 was drying out but the second showed an interesting complexity. For me, it was the 1995 that was the star. After fifteen years, there was a trace of primary fruit aromas on the nose but the palate was fully developed and showed attractive dried fruit and spices with leather and cedar wood followed by a long, clean finish.

2007 Marquesa de Cadaval is the flagship brand and accurately reflects the noble ancestry of the estate and is only produced in exceptional vintages and then, only in limited quantities (3,000 bottles in 2007).

Touriga Nacional (60%), Trincadeira (30%), Alicante Bouschet (10%)

Dried fruit, and violets complimented by vegetal and chocolate notes on the nose were followed by an elegant, balanced wine of great complexity with silky tannins and a long, smooth finish.

Casa de Cadaval by MARISA d’VARI

The American perspective.

Catering to the international market is of key importance to this family-run corporation, which has been in existence since 1648 and now exports to Europe, America, Africa, and the Far East. As of 1994, they have completely modernized the winery, so great care is taken in training and pruning the vines. The winery also has a new drip irrigation system and was one of the first wineries in Portugal to focus on single varietals and single vineyards.

 Our hostess Teresa Castro Pereira, the owner who decended from the Portugeuse General Nuno Alvarez Pereira, led the tasting which began with the whites from the Padre Pedro brand (Tejo DOC) including Arinto, Fernão Pires, Verdelho, and Viognier. These four wines are excellent examples of varietals that can do very well in the upper-end American market. I especially liked the Arinto with its refreshing acidity and Fernão Pires with its aromatic characteristics.

The Cabernet Sauvignon was one of my favorites of the reds, as it had incredible structure and balance and is very in tune with demands of the international market. The Touriga Nacional was extremely well-balanced and though a 'foreign grape' had the kind of structure and palate that would be very well received in New York. Pinot Noir is a personal passion of this winery given the German heritage of its founder, and while it was delightful to taste, one wonders about the marketing challenges in the international marketplace as a consumer has many more recognized regions to choose from. Trincadeira is a solidly structured red (local grape variety) which was very good and well-balanced, yet may need some more publicity in the American market.

 One of the most important observations to make about Casa de Cadaval is that it is a winery focused on quality, attaining the newest technological advances, and focusing on consumer demand. The winery has multiple sources of income (cows, rice factory, sports and leisure, horses) so their wine program is well-capitalized and seems positioned for success.

Quinta do Monte d'Oiro

2011-01-11T02:56:00.000-08:00

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro, Freixial de Cima, Ventosa by KEN SHEATHER

Welcomed by Sophie, Caterina and Graça (the winemaker) we were given a brief history and philosophy of the owner, José Bento dos Santos, an ex-metal trader. There was a clue here as one piece of metal sculpture named every stage in the evolution of wine from planting to consumption, listing from bottom to top. José has a reputation for being an excellent, non-professional chef with the enthusiasm for matching food with wine that may well explain his concept of the wines on his list. His kitchen is an exact copy of the Alan Ducasse, arguably the most influential of French chefs.

Nestling in a small valley the vines grow in Jurassic limestone, and the micro-climate is very conducive for full biological ripeness. The Syrah here was planted in ’92 followed by Viognier in ’98. Other plantings include Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Petit Verdot.

The wines were without question all of outstanding quality, but, as a group, we struggled to understand the strategy. Portugal has a major point of difference-it has many indigenous grapes that are exclusive. Although the Viognier and Syrah were excellent, mirror images of wine from the Northern Rhone, they may well be difficult to sell on the international market. But, we all wish them well. The wines were stunning.

Casa Santos Lima

2011-01-11T02:51:00.000-08:00

Visit to Casa Santos Lima at Merceana by ANTHONY STOCKBRIDGE

Casa Santos Lima IS the largest producer of DOC wine in the Alenquer district producing 25% of the total from 180 ha. of vines. Sebasiâo Garcia, the Director, outlined the company’s history. It was established by Joaquim Santos Lima two hundred years ago and remains in the ownership of the same family today. José Luis Santos Lima Oliviera da Silva, a banker, took over the reins in 1990. He resigned his position as General Manager of Portugal‘s biggest financial groups to concentrate on building Portugal’s largest wine company.

His goal was to produce quality grapes from which to make and bottle his own modern quality wine so re-launched the company in 1995. Today he has 15 estates and 20 brand names making 5 million bottles a year of which 95% are exported.

Many lesser indigenous vines were replaced with Touriga Nacional and 50 other varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier, some of which are experimental and used to make small, single varietal runs of up to 2,000 bottles.

Casa Santos Lime also buys in grapes grown under their own supervision in order to make the volume of wine required to fill their order book and supply UK importers including The Wine Society and Laithwaites.

This was a wonderful example of the great strides made in recent years by many Portuguese wine-makers both in terms of quality and in marketing expertise.

Amongst the twenty-four good wines we tasted, several are worth looking out for:

2009 Arinto (single varietal) had an inviting nose with fresh acidity supporting juicy melons and lemons.

2009 Sauvignon Blanc from 7 year-old vines. We found several really good Sauvignon Blancs on the trip of which this was a good example. They would never pass as wine from the Central Vineyards or New Zealand but Portugal is developing a style of its own without losing anything of the refreshing acidity and juicy fruit we expect from this grape.

2008 Espiga. Total de-stemming of Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Syrah and Tinta Roriz then maceration in contact with (submerged) cap for 28 days followed by 3 to 4 months ageing in oak barrels produced a bright ruby wine with strawberries and raspberries on the nose then cherries and blackcurrant on the palate with soft tannins and clean fruit on the finish.

Quinta de Chocapalha

2011-01-11T02:39:00.000-08:00

Quinta de Chocapalha by JAYNE BRIDGES

The vineyards of Quinta de Chocapalha, in the hills of Alenquer, have historical significance and date back to the 16th Century. Alice and Paulo Tavares da Silva bought the estate in the 1980s and have made significant improvements. The introduction of new cultivation methods has allowed the family to consolidate the quality and reputation of their wines. Unlike many estate owners, they do not live in Lisbon during the week, they live on the property. which allows them to be completely hands on.

This is very much a family business. The wine-maker is their daughter Sandra Tavares da Silva, who has gained an impressive reputation at Quinta Vale Dona Maria in the Douro. At Chocapalha, she is aided by Diego Sepulveda who is permanently on site.

Paolo freely admits that early on they made some mistakes and some of the varieties they chose were not successful. But, by a programme of re-grafting with more appropriate rootstock, they have now achieved a well-balanced and thriving vineyard. With 45 hectares planted, they were, until now, unable to process them all in their existing winery so some of the grapes were sold on. From 2011, however, all that will change as currently they are constructing an innovative new winery on the hillside overlooking the vineyards. It has been designed to be in complete harmony with the environment and will be almost invisible with a grass roof. So, a new era will begin.

The soil is calcareous clay and the slopes have a south/north aspect. The varieties planted are Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Castelão, Arinto, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Vital and Viosinho, which Sandra introduced from the Douro.

In the winery, the grapes are de-stemmed and undergo a cool, pre-fermentation maceration followed by fermentation in traditional lagares. The human foot has been replaced here by robotics, with the grapes successively pressed over fourteen days.

The 2009, Quinta de Chocapalha white, is a blend of Arinto, Voisinho and Vital with lovely creamy honey, apple blossoms and orchard fruit aromas. Fresh with bright fruit, mineral and honey flavours and snappy acidity.

Their Reserva, a blend of 65% Chardonnay and 35% Viosinho was exemplary, a benchmark white with good acidity from the Viosinho, but balanced by a perfect creamy oakiness which just kissed the Chardonnay.

Their Little Red 2007, 60% Castelão, 30% Tinto Roriz, and 10% Syrah, is a good value straightforward red, with good clean flavours.

Quinta de Chocapalha Reserva 2007 is a blend of 30% Tinta Roriz, 30% Castelão, 20% Touriga Nacional, 15% Syrah and 5% Alicante Bouschet. After a 12 day fermentation this then goes into a mix of 2nd and third year French oak barriques for eighteen months, before being bottled. Stylistically, Chocapalha Reserva is generous, seductive and concentrated, with very ripe fruit, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and a seductive umami quality on the back palate.

But, without a doubt, the star of the tasting was an amazing 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. This was an experimental wine; only 2000 bottles were produced. 30% was fermented in new French oak and the result was just sensational. With a seductive subtle nose, with hints of nettles, grass and a pinch of asparagus, it danced on the palate, showing some of the finesse of the very finest Pouilly-Fumé. This is the best Portuguese Sauvignon I have ever tasted and we all agreed it was one of the finest examples from just about anywhere. This is a world class wine and hopefully in future, they will be able to produce substantially more.

The wines from Quinta de Chocapalha show exactly what can be achieved with vision, commitment and sheer hard work and I am sure they have a great future. And Paolo and Alice were charming and gracious hosts to boot.

Quinta do Sanguinhal

2011-01-11T02:07:00.000-08:00

Quinta do Sanguinhal by PETER EDWARDS

We arrived at Sanguinal late and in the dark to be warmly welcomed by the owner's niece, Ana; but soon Carlos da Fonseca, the owner, arrived to greet us - a genial, intelligent man with a very patient and kindly manner. Here and there strategically placed lights meant we could see well-tended exotic shrubs and plants as we scrunched over the gravel surface, and were led into the winery. What a dramatic sight! There were 5 huge lagars for the traditional foot treading of the grapes and above each one, absolutely massive beams of timber. These are the biggest lagars in Portugal.

Carlos then explained how these presses worked. The ends are attached to large and heavy stone weights and as the grapes are crushed within a wall of coiled ropes, and after 'the point of balance' is reached, the stones would be forced to rise under pressure then gravity would do its work. By the following day, the stones would be back on the floor having slowly and gradually, but relentlessly, exerted the required pressure to complete the extraction of juice. Interestingly, I've since discovered that Frank Potts, the founder of Bleasedale Winery in Langhorne Creek, South Australia constructed a similar wine press back in 1862 from a ten metre, 35 tonne Red Gum tree. Frank, who had been a sailor since the age of 9, and later became a ship's carpenter, claimed the technology, which he had first observed in Portugal, provided a slower, more gradual pressing of the grapes without any mechanical intervention.

Carlos then took us to another building within the winery where he showed us and explained the workings of a wonderfully intricate steam-driven system for the production of Bagaceira - the Portuguese equivalent of the 'evil' Grappa! It may be nothing less than 'paint-stripper' to some, but I love the stuff myself and relish its grapey complexities.

Here we sat down to taste a range of excellent wines of sublime character and elegance. To me, they were the epitome of modern Portuguese wines, distinctly Portuguese, but repositioned and refined. My favourite white was a dry Muscat with 40% Arinto added for acidic backbone. It was delightfully flowery and fragrant on the nose, utterly delicious with concentrated grapey fruit on the palate, and a clean bone-dry finish. My favourite red was the Quinta Sanguinhal 2000, a blend of Tinto Miúda, Castelão and Aragonez, just fabulous! Delicious fruit and tannins and a very pleasing finish. The final treat was a Port style liquoroso made from Castelão in a Tawny style – not like a Port though, delicious but lighter. It reminded me of a Banyuls.

Our visit was a thoroughly informative, educative, and pleasurable experience throughout, from the historic and technical detail to the tasting of the wines. It was a privilege to listen to a master winemaker of long experience, unassumingly demonstrating such passion and commitment for his historic winery and wine production.

Quinta do Pinto

2011-01-11T01:45:00.000-08:00

Quinta Do Pinto by MARISA d’VARI. The American Viewpoint.

The top end American market is very keen to discover wines from Portugal as well-crafted as those of Quinta do Pinto. Our gracious hostess, Rita Cardoso Pinto, offered a tour of her excellent estate and a tasting of several wines. Our vineyard visit showed very well-trained and managed vines, with many areas designated for vineyards, but still at the planning stage. Our tasting began with the white wine varietals Fernão Pires and Arinto, both very refreshing and well-balanced white wines, which is a good fit for the American market in terms of offering a food-friendly wine that can pair well with fish. These wines are more competitively priced and consumers will find that they compare favorably to American brands at the $10 - $15 price level.

The Touriga Nacional, as a single varietal, was rich, full-bodied, and an excellent example of its type. The American market will find it a high quality wine for the price, and at Quinta do Pinto, it is also blended with Merlot and sometimes Tempranillo (here called Aragonez) which would make it more accessible for many Americans due to familiarity with more recognized varietals. We also tasted the local grape, Tinto Miúda, which was delicious yet may face challenges as it is unfamiliar to most international markets. Some restaurants in New York might be able to hand sell these wines, but it seems as if their Touriga Nacional, Fernão Pires, and Arinto might be easier and more profitable sells.

Rita Cardoso Pinto is obviously a dynamic and hugely ambitious young woman with long-term plans. ‘I realise that the future lies with my sons, and as they are currently all under 10, they have plenty of time.’, she says. Some of her plans may even include a boutique hotel so there is plenty to look forward to.

Quinta Sant'Ana

2011-01-11T01:27:00.000-08:00

Quinta Sant'Ana by ANTHONY STOCKBRIDGE

“Welcome to Quinta de Sant’ Ana,” says tall, lanky James Frost, the quintessential English gentlemen, as he welcomes us to his gorgeous bougainvillea-bedecked winery, lit up by the sun against an expanse of bright blue sky. Sant’ Ana is a seventeenth century structure, a series of charming saffron-coloured buildings connected by a cobblestone walkway.

James’ German in-laws had purchased the property in the 1960s and today it is a place for growing vines, making wines, and holding weddings.

First, we tour the vineyards. James explains that he is growing several different varietals, many of them new to Portugal such as Riesling and Pinot Noir. Vine management is rigorous here, with three men employed to work steadily on the vines from February to harvest for there is much to be done. The trellis system is arranged so that the wires holding the vines can be raised as the vines grow. Because of the uncertain weather conditions, workers always need to be managing the canopy. Yet sometimes the weather plays tricks – it could be so cold and rainy in summer that the leaves are thinned opening the canopy so the grapes can get sunlight, then suddenly it is blazing hot for a month. Riesling in particular – and surprisingly, as it is a German cold climate grape – has difficultly with wet weather and sunburns easily. Pinot Noir becomes dehydrated if it is left too long in the sun without a shielding canopy.

We tour the winery where some old-fashioned wooden fermentation tanks have been refitted with stainless steel interiors, and there is an old-fashioned lagar. For Pinot Noir, the grapes get a cold soak and then three workers (or friends) jump in every four hours for two days to stomp the grapes in Lucy Ricardo fashion from the mid-century television show ‘I love Lucy’. Then the grapes are transferred via gravity to the fermentation tank below.

At lunch, in a charming reception hall used for wineries, we taste the Riesling and the other varietals produced. The Riesling is delicious, very high in acidity with the signature aroma of petrol. There is very little fruit in the 2009 though we are told the 2010 has a great deal of fruit. Weddings are a big business here, with over fifty a year. James and his wife have seven children, from twins of a few months to a twenty year old who calls during our lunch with a question for Dad. The Frosts also sponsor a wine festival in aid of a local charity. The property is gorgeous, and the wines quite good – you can find them at www.wineincornwall.co.uk.

Quinta Sant’Ana, Gradil near Mafra by KEN SHEATHERS

Blue sky, sunshine and our first visit of the day to meet James Frost (and the inevitable vineyard dogs) at his family’s vineyard in the small village of Gradil. We had sadly missed the village annual wine fair by a few days.

The estate has been in the family from the late sixties and has benefited from a planned programme of modernisation in the winery and careful choice of plantings to make the most of matching rootstock, varietals and clones to the soils, both loamy/sandy clay and limestone.

The viticulture is meticulous balancing vine density, leaf trimming, yield reduction and a leaning towards the protection of beneficial organisms. The varietals chosen are, for the reds, Touriga Nacional, Aragonêz, Merlot and Pinot Noir while Fernão Pires, Alvarinho, Verdelho, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling represent the whites. António Maçanita, the resident oenologist, favours whole bunch picking and pressing at the coolest part of the day for the whites, followed by rapid cooling of the must to 10°C then a prolonged fermentation between 10°C - 12°C to maximise the fruit and freshness.

Of the wines we tasted, my favourite was the ’09 Riesling (12.5%ABV), pale lemon in colour with a touch of petrol. It had developed very well for a wine so young.

As a bonus we were able to taste “Água Pé”, a very weak wine traditionally consumed in copious quantities at festivals in the autumn and winter.

Alorna

2011-01-11T01:00:00.000-08:00

Dinner with Pedro Lufinha and Tiago Macena from Quinta da Alorna By ANTHONY STOCKBRIDGE.

Marisa d’Vari, an American from New York, Peter Edwards, Marta from Vini Portugal and I met with Pedro Lufinha and Tiago Macena of Quinta da Alorna at Restaurant Faz Figuria, which boasts a wonderful view over the Tagus (Tejo). There, through dinner, we tasted two of their whites, two reds and an Abafado.
Quinta da Alorna, an estate of 2,800 ha. near Santarem, was established in 1723 by the first Marques of Alorna. For many years the thousand or so hectares of vines, planted on the fertile flood plains of the Tagus, produced great quantities of poor quality wines consumed in Lisbon and the surrounding area.

During the early years of the new millennium, a new strategy was adopted. The high yielding vines of the plain were replaced with quality vines such as Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon, Fernão Pires and Chardonnay and quantity was replaced by quality.

The wines we tasted showed how good those of the Tejo can be. Tiago presented a white Arinto/Fernão Pires blend as an aperitif. It was dry with refreshing acidity, balanced with ripe pears and melon with a clean, lingering finish. We had prawns with a single varietal Verdelho which was dry with typical minerality, counterbalanced by delicate floral light tropical fruits. This is part of Quinta da Alorna’s strategy of making wines that truly show the nature of the region’s grape varieties; no blending and no oak - simply the grape speaking for itself. This was followed by a single varietal Touriga Nacional, a grape originating in Dão but now found all over Portugal. It displayed Pinot Noir characteristics of cherries and red fruit, but lacked sufficient tannin to give it a lift, but, when it was explained that the wine was from five-year-old vines, all was forgiven. The pig’s cheek we had for the main course was served with a modern style of wine; 2007 Alorna Reserva, which is a 60/40 blend of Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon that had been aged in French oak barriques for 12 months, was a stunner. With the pudding, we were served Quinta da Alorna’s Abafado, a sweet white wine to which eau-de-vie from Bordeaux had been added to raise the strength to 17.5%. Similar to Pineau de Charentes and lovely with it.

Alorna by MARISA d’VARI. The American viewpoint.

“Is there any Portuguese wine on the menu?” I often ask when dining in New York City restaurants. From tastings at various trade shows, Portuguese wines often seemed to offer rich, concentrated flavor for a very reasonable price. So tonight starts my sojourn to Lisbon, Portugal, an exotic city that from the air looks like a crowd of hills, beautifully sculptured buildings, and blooming palm trees surrounded by water.

Tonight, along with Anthony and Peter, I am meeting with two key executives from Quinta da Alorna, a company that takes its name from the first Marques de Alorna, who gave his name to the property following the conquest of Fort Alorna in Italy. It is a 2,000 ha property in the Tejo region, planted on the kind of sandy soils best for wine. For the last hundred years it has been family owned, with the owners replanting and modernizing the winery in the last eight years to be in line with the commercial needs of the markets. We are at one of the most elegant restaurants in the city, Faz Figura, with a two storey glass window overlooking the river. It’s just eight-thirty, early by Lisbon time, and the restaurant is just getting started.

The first wine we taste is a white wine made from the naturally acidic Arinto grape, with the aromatic Fernão Pires. The wine has a high but sweet, pleasant acidity, and the finish is like that of sweet-tart candy though the wine is technically dry with 6 grams of sugar per litre. The other white is made from the Verdelho grape, typically used in the production of Madeira. The wine is deliciously full-bodied and goes well with our shrimp starter. The next two wines are excellent examples of well-crafted red wines from Portugal. The first features the native grape, Touriga Nacional. It is smooth and somewhat floral, with black fruit and vanilla from four months of French oak aging with second year barrels. The next wine is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon (60/40). The grapes used from this wine were “green harvested” to intensify concentration of fruit, and after fermentation, received twelve months maturation in French oak. After dinner, discussion turned to the commercial market. The addition of Cabernet to the Touriga Nacional is both a good choice in terms of taste, and also for the international market to recognize the more international nature of the Cabernet grape so consumers can get a sense of its style. Perhaps on another trip I will see the property (the manor house is prominently displayed on the label) but from what I can see now, the wines are delicious.

Friuli & Isonzo

2010-10-02T05:27:00.001-07:00

Introduction to DOC Friuli Isonzo by Michelle Cherutti- Kowal
From the hills and valleys of Valpolicella, the group travelled south east- on the same latitude as Southern Burgundy (Mâcon) with the Adriatic sea to the south and foothills of the Alps to the north, we entered Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the most awarded white wine region in Italy. The area consists of 8 DOC's and 2 DOCG's, covers 5,300ha and grows over 26 different varietals, a mix of Italian, French and Austrian/German. The grapes themselves are a microcosm for the local population and history of the area, one where cultural influences and borders have shaped this part of Italy, making it one of the more unique areas in the country.

Our visit for three days was to DOC Friuli Isonzo, the area below DOC Collio and above DOC Carso (where the city of Trieste is located). Isonzo (only 1,172ha) is a plateau of calcareous clay, with warming influence from the Adriatic and cooler winds at night from the north east Alps. The region takes its name from the River Isonzo which flows through the region and defines its two main areas; left and right bank (sound familiar?). The right bank has soils which are red and rich in clay and gravel, where the left bank is white calcareous gravel. This distinction of soils has been used to define sub-regions, now allowed to appear on the label; Rive Alte for the right bank and Rive di Giare for the left.

Within the region, 50% of the wine produced is sold as DOC with the other 50% sold as IGT (IGT allowing producers to blend different DOC's) and over half of the production in white wine. Although 26 varietals are allowed, the focus for the region is on the 8-10 that best reflect the terrior and maintain the best quality. These grapes are Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia Istriana, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Merlot, Pignolo, Friulano, Traminer, Chardonnay and Ribolla Gialla. Frequently, top cuvées will be a blend of two or even three of these varietals.

The Consorzio is very active within the region and its goals are to provide technical, marketing and sales support, moving towards sustainability. One of the technical projects of the Consorzio, has been working at Puiatti Winery with Pinot Grigio and measuring different aspects of the growing; clones, rootstocks, irrigation amounts and timing and disease control. Controlling both sugar levels and fungal diseases has been the focus of the project. A change of rootstocks has helped even out the growing cycle (bringing it forward for less hang time, less sugar) and leaf plucking, higher training, longer cane pruning and the use of air shots have helped control fungal diseases, reducing treatments by a third.

Our first afternoon concluded with a generic tasting hosted by Puiatti Winery, 14 producers brought 2 wines each (some managed to sneak in 3) and with the sun setting in the background, we were able to sample some of the best wines Italy has to offer.

(Wineries included Blason, Borgo Conventi, Borgo San Daniele, Bressan, Buzzinelli, Drius Mauro, Feresin Davide, Ferlat Silvano, La Bellanotte, Magnàs, Masut da Rive, Puiatti, Ronco del Gelso, Sgubin Renzo)

***

Tenuta Villanova by Marisa D’Vari

Following an introduction to Friuli and Isonzo and checking into to our agri-tourism bed and breakfast homes, we were welcomed to the stunning estate of Tenuta Villanova with a tour of the Distillery, where they make grappa in addition to their range of competitively -priced wines. The family has owned the estate for over seventy-five years, although the vineyards are over five hundred years old the soils of which are rich with layers of chalk, marl, and sandstone rendering them particularly well-suited for wine production. Over decades, the family has improved the property with the objective of producing top tier wines and now export to a number of markets. They aim to produce wines as naturally as possible, opting for a density of 6,000 single or double Guyot-trained vines per hectare, planting vines suited to the environment with low vigour rootstock.

Before dinner and a tasting of the various wines (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc) along with a lovely gourmet-style multi-course meal, we were shown the historic distillery with its iconic copper pot stills. After dinner we sampled the product, called Valdi Rose. It is made by soft pressing stemmed grapes, resulting in a pomace, rich in grape juice.

***

Friuli/ Isonzo by Sophie Rudge
Vie di Romans: “Globalise quality or respect difference…?”

Gianfranco Gallo couldn’t be further from the Californian giant we usually associate with that surname. A brief clarification of a legal battle eradicates the need for any further discussion on the subject.

Our initial discussion begins in the vineyard, not with brand values. This 10 year old chardonnay plot greets us with stunning views and a sense of openness on this plateau, just a few kilometres from the Slovenian hills. Heat is tempered by a constant light breeze as our attention is drawn to GG’s emphasis on leaf aspect for optimal energy absorption, the importance of air circulation and controlling respiration.

We are at 46 degrees latitude on the Rive Alte which is on the same parallel as Cognac and Portland, Oregon though that is where similarities end. The combination of maritime and continental influences, together with ancient glacial soils and a raft of indigenous varieties, offer a myriad of unique and distinct expressions of origin.

Yet despite (or as a direct result of) his infectious drive for viticultural excellence, Gianfranco is at pains to underline that there is no right or wrong way. With so much terroir variation and numerous options to introduce degree changes in style, they are still learning.

Similarly, in both vinification and maturation cellars, no decision is taken lightly or by adherence to an untested hunch. Here, there is an air of serenity. This is where nature is left to meditate and develop thought-provoking complexity under attentive eyes though with respectful intervention. Vinification is all in stainless steel (a question of style, not quality), maturation barriques are a combination of new (on its own considered too extreme) and old, malo is never forced and wines are allowed at least 2 years before release.

A twelve-wine tasting spoilt us with a varietal flight (illustrating great scope) to start with followed by verticals of Sauvignon (back to 1993), Chardonnay (including 1996 from magnum) and Pinot Grigio back to 1997 - a testament to the longevity he aspires to. His very personal take on his Chaitons rosé to finish was, not only fascinating, but also a snapshot of his questioning of preconceptions. A ‘white’ merlot with broad, fully ripe fruit but with elegant tannic structure and assertive acidity: a very complete wine worthy of greater contemplation than we sadly had time for…

I am left with a thorough and very real grasp on all viticultural aspects of Gianfranco’s work. He exudes passion for his subject and an enviable precision in all his methodologies. There is ultimate respect for nature and a constant search to better understand it. Whilst the current release of 2008 wines inspires now, one is left wondering whether they will evolve with the same grace as the greatest of vintages and indeed, what enduring delights Gianfranco’s learnings of coming years will deliver. I for one will be waiting with enthusiasm.

***

Tenuta Luisa by Gareth Morgan

Eddi Luisa is a self-made man. His spanking new winery and its vineyards are at Corona in the Rive Alte. Eddi began work at thirteen and inherited 5 hectares of vines from his grandfather who founded the business in 1927. He now has 80 ha.of vines out of a total holding of 120 ha. The business is now shared with his sons, winemaker, Michele, and agronomist, Davide.

They have planted Friulano, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Traminer, Ribolla Gialla and Verduzzo for white wine and Refosco, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for red. The vines are planted on Guyot at a density of 5 to 6,000 plants per hectare, with a yield of around 1kg per vine. They do not fertilise, and carry out both leaf plucking and a green harvest. They pick when the fruit is “structured and elegant” and are not especially worried about high alcohol levels. They belong to a sustainable viticulture association.

Michele’s control of the winery is meticulous. He uses selected yeasts, enzymes to enhance aromatics and uses Nitrogen to encourage solid material to float to the top of the tanks. White wines are aged on the fine lees. For the red wines, only free-run juice is normally used to avoid excess astringency in the wine.

He says that his consumers look for very fruity aromatic wines, but still uses some small oak barrels and large wooden casks to age his best wines, especially his few reds. “They’re just vessels to mature the wine in,” he says. “I don’t think people want the spicy vanillin of new oak in their wine these days: it leaves too much tannin at the back of the throat. It may be quite interesting to taste, but it’s not much fun to drink. We ought to be able to come up with something that gives us pleasure, that’s elegant and well made and that invites you to drink a second glass.”

There are two main lines: Luisa, for wines vinified and aged in stainless steel and I Ferretti for those aged in oak. 30% of the production is exported, with the Friulano available in the UK through Majestic. The 2009 Friulano is especially attractive, a delicious, mouth-filling dry white with spicy, pear and lemon fruit, with a hint of melon and a lingering, slightly salty finish.

***

Tenuta di Blasig by Gareth Morgan

Elisabetta Bortolotto-Sarcinelli
(photo by Helen Savage)

Tenuta di Blasig is a 16ha property at Ronchie dei Legionari: towards the southern end of the Isonzo DOC area, on the left bank of the river (Rive di Giare).

We were received by the owner, Elisabetta Bortolotto-Sarcinelli (who is Italian) and her husband Patrick (Austrian).

Both spoke superb English and we had some very valuable discussions on the positioning of the wines of Fruili and the Veneto in the UK.

Unlike most properties in Isonzo which are generally in rural locations directly surrounded by vineyards, Tenuta di Blasig is based in the town of Ronchie dei Legionari: one passes through an arch in a walled street which opens into a beautiful garden with an attractive house, the winery and even a private chapel.

The property dates back some 250 years, and has been in the same family for generations. The winery is still based in the old buildings but a modern underground cellar with a bottling line on the floor above has been added very recently. The vineyards are in several parcels around the Isonzo DOC, but all within a few kms of the winery.

They have a wine shop on site with an intriguing glass floor area, allowing visitors to look down into the cellars. Following a short visit to the winery and cellars, we were invited to a historic first floor tasting room with Elisabetta and her winemaker, Erica Orlandina.

The property focuses on high class varietal wines, typical for the terroir of Friuli-Isonzo, all with great expression of fruit but without the very high levels of alcohol found at many other properties. We were encouraged by the excellent price/quality ratio, with prices ranging from €5.50 to €13 per bottle (ex-cellars) - and they even produce a wine at just €2/litre for bag-in-box format (not tasted).

All the wines we sampled showed excellent varietal character and length. We tasted the property’s 2009 Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Fruilano, their 2008 and 2009 Malvasia (the latter had just been bottled the previous day so we tasted a tank sample) and Merlots from 2006 and 2007. We also tasted a stunning 2005 wine which they just call “Rosso” (a blend of 70% Refosco and 30% Merlot, aged in barriques for almost five years) and a delicious dessert wine “Le Lutte” from the important local grape, Verduzzo, which we had not sampled elsewhere.

Tenuta di Blassig is currently unrepresented in the UK, but they are able to ship orders directly from as little as one case to anywhere in Europe.

***

Lorenzon by Keith Grainger

On 10th June the day’s last visit was to Azienda Agricola Lorenzon at Pieris, San Canzian d’Isonzo. This turned out to be a delightfully informal, yet highly informative, evening. We were met by our hosts, brothers Davide and Nicola Lorenzon. Davide, an oenology graduate is in charge of quality and Nicola (accountancy graduate) responsible for sales, although it appears that the boundaries are agreeably soft. They walked us past a sad olive grove devastated by frost (all the trees were dead) and into the vineyard, thankfully completely healthy. The vineyards are just 6 to 7 kilometres from the sea, the closest in the entire region, and obviously benefit from the moderating influences.

The family business was founded in 1972, with just 5 hectares, now there are 150 hectares of vineyards and land planted with olives, apples and peaches. The estate also makes a little honey. Lorenzon has vineyards at Pieris, Romàns d’Isonzo and Cassegliano. All the vineyards are within 20 minutes of the winery resulting in a minimal delay before processing fruit. Training is mostly guyot (simple) with a little spurred cordon at Pieris. Interestingly, I noted that in several vineyards at other wineries what was described as guyot was, in fact spurred cordon. The scene at Pieris was somewhat bucolic with running rabbits and pheasants nesting amidst the vines . The vineyards are irrigated – the system being used only as necessary and yields are in the region of 85hL/ha.

Lorenzon is the largest estate in the Isonzo appellation with a current production of 800,000 bottles and a potential of 1.2 million bottles. The winery struck me as very well-designed and equipped, including a bottling line that can handle all closure types. Wines are marketed under several labels, including I Feudi di Romans, Lorenzon and Borgo Dei Vassalli.

The tasting and dinner rolled into one, and we were introduced to the brothers’ father, the ebullient Enzo Lorenzo, who founded the winery and who still sits comfortably at the top of the winery family tree. Enzo was our chef for the evening, and very skilled too! The tasting was comprehensive and included spumantes, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Friulano (including a very attractive bag-in-box wine that is only allowed IGT status), Traminer, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Pasito Verduzzo.

All the wines generally impressed with their restrained alcohols, quality/value ratio and sheer drinkability. The 2009 Friulano, lees matured and delightfully creamy but retaining high aromatics, was perhaps the star. Dinner was tremendous fun and, in such a lively atmosphere, information and anecdotes flowed as freely as the delightful wines.

***

A.A. Lis Neris, at San Lorenzo Isontino, Friuli by Paul Howard

Alvaro Pecorari
(photo by Helen Savage)

Italian Pinot Grigio has long been a staple of the wine bars of Britain, being usually light, neutral and inoffensive for easy-drinking. I once asked a London banker why it was her drink of choice. Her reply was serious and enthusiastic; “because it tastes of nothing, absolutely.” Fortunately, the style of Pinot Grigio discovered in Isonzo is very different to this, proving that Pinot Grigio can be a fine, complex and age-worthy wine. Perhaps the most delicious examples are made by Lis Neris.

Lis Neris sounds a little like the name of a young go-ahead winemaker, possibly flying, probably female. Not at all, the name of this winery translates as “black ladies”, after the crinoline-clad women that once tended vines here. Alvaro Pecorari owns and runs it; he is the fourth generation of the family to do so, taking over from his father in 1982.

This 60-hectare estate is located in three parcels on the right bank of the river Isonzo. With Alvaro we visited the vineyards in the coolest part next to the river at San Lorenzo. Dedicated to white grapes, 30% of it is Pinot Gris, the others being Friulano, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Verduzzo. Alvaro showed how the local terroir is ideal for aroma and flavour development. The vineyards occupy calcareous gravel terraces, washed down from the eastern Alps by glacial melt waters. These poor, free-draining soils combine with a unique microclimate created by the proximity to both the Alps and Adriatic. High-density vines, severe pruning and careful canopy management complete the quality picture.

Then, at the chapel-like winery, the tasting was conducted by Alvaro’s daughter, Federica. It majored on Pinot Grigio -theirs are quince-flavoured, richly textured and every bit as fine as those made by the greatest estates of Alsace. The style is dry, the balance impeccable, the longevity assured. There was also the opportunity to try Confini, an unusual yet delightful blend of Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer and Riesling. Wafting rose petal scents followed by a fine combination of zesty acidity and fleshy texture proved a memorable finale to a great visit.

***

Azienda Agricola Sant’ Elena by Vivienne J Franks

Founded in 1893 by the Klodic family, who came from Trieste, this winery was bought in 1994 by Dominic Nocerino of Vinifera Imports, one of the largest wine distributers in the USA. The winery is managed by the enigmatic local Friulian consultant winemaker Maurizio Drascek, and Dominic’s son, Dom, who recently graduated in Business Studies in the USA.

The 40 hectare estate is situated in Gradisca d’Isonzo, which lies along the Friulian Slovenian border. This area has seen numerous rulers in its history, from the Austrian Habsburg dynasty, to the Venetians, the Austrian-Hungarian rulers, the Slavs and finally the Italians.

Maurizio Drascek
(photo by Helen Savage)

Maurizio proudly directed us through his ‘perfect, because he designed it’ winery, with its flexible computer-controlled, small batch fermentation tank system out to the vineyard. The estate was totally replanted between 1998 and 2000, and the winery was rebuilt in 2004.

Production is limited to 100,000 bottles from the vineyard situated behind the winery. Maurizio’s philosophy is to produce high quality IGT wines ‘one bottle from one vine’. Why IGT? Because in the US market, the wines are labelled ‘Venezia-Giulia’ and not ‘Friuli-Venezia-Giulia’.

Photo by Helen Savage

5,000-6,000 vines per hectare are planted on the ‘terra rossa’ soil, Guyot trained vines, with hand pruning, green harvesting and hand harvesting being the techniques employed in this vineyard.
The focus is on white wines, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay Gewürztraminer and Riesling. Red wines are produced from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the lesser known Pignolo.

We tasted a range of Sant’Elena wines with lunch, expertly prepared by Maurizio, whose ambition is to be as good a chef as he is a winemaker!
Spaghetti al Pomodoro, followed by Bresaola and Rocket, with Mozzarella and Pomodoro - yummy!

Pinot Grigio 2008 - 12 hours maceration in stainless steel tanks, pre-fermentation, then 6 months maturation on lees pre bottling. A pink onion skin coloured wine with ripe dessert apple flavours and a fresh crispness, an ideal aperitif.

Sauvignon Blanc 2008 - With a similar production to the Pinot Grigio, this wine from stony alluvial soils demonstrated the minerality so typical of this area. It was a fresh, elegant wine with lovely lime and citrus characters.

‘Mil Rosis’ 2008 - This was a white blend of 70% Chardonnay, 15% Gewürztraminer and 15% Riesling. Well-balanced and elegant, this wine paired very well with our main course.

Merlot 2006 - Fermented in stainless steel, followed by 24 months in barriques, this was a spicy black fruity easy drinking wine.

‘Tato’2006 - A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, named after Dom’s grandfather Salvatore, this wine is matured in French oak for 24 months prior to blending. The leafy characters of the Cabernet Sauvignon dominate the blend.

‘Quantum’ 2006 - Finally the local speciality…Pignolo! This first production of 5,000 bottles is still a baby. The grapes were dried on racks for 60 days. This ‘appassimento’ styled wine was matured in French oak for 3 years, and our barrel sample was simply delicious.

What a way to end our trip to Friuli…

Veneto - 9th June 2010

2010-10-02T05:15:00.003-07:00

Tenuta San Antonio by Christos Ioannou
We arrived at the ageing cellars of Tenuta San Antonio to mystified looks, and it soon became clear that we had been misdirected to the town centre. Wending our way up into the hills above Mezzane we arrived at the winery and were greeted by Paolo Castagnedi one of the 4 brothers who run the estate. Their father had worked 20 hectares of vines in the San Zeno di Colognola ai Colli district of Valpolicella, and in 1989 the brothers took the decision to buy a further 30 hectares with a view to setting up the current business. They had previously worked as wine consultants throughout Italy but decided that the time was right to produce their own wine.

The property is located 120 metres above sea level and climbs gently to 320 metres. The area enjoys an ideal microclimate and benefits from the cooling influence of Lake Garda. The soil is predominantly calcareous and quite compact. The soil is also very arid so 41B rootstock is used as this has good resistance to low water conditions. As well as the 50 hectares they own, they also rent a further 50 hectares.

The brothers decided right from the start to focus on quality (unlike many of their neighbours who aimed to maximise quantity) and ever since have remained faithful to certain principles: pruning to ensure low yields, careful handpicking, ensuring that the grapes are kept meticulously clean whilst they are transported to the winery. In line with the drive to pursue quality, the brothers changed the training methods in their existing vineyards from the traditional pergola system to more modern methods such as the spurred cordon. For newer plantings, Guyot is mostly used giving a density of 7,000 - 8,000 vines per hectare. The use of pesticides is kept to a bare minimum, irrigation is used only if absolutely necessary and green pruning is carried out.

Tenuta San Antonio has an annual production of around 400,000 bottles, of which 95% is exported to 27 different countries, though surprisingly at present they do not have a UK importer. Their production is split 80% red, 20% white. To preserve freshness in their wines they avoid too much extraction or skin contact, and in 2004 for ageing they started to use larger 500 litre barrels, all French oak from a range of forests.

We tasted 5 wines which all demonstrated that everything done in the vineyard and winery has paid dividends. The most interesting wine for me was La Bandina, which according to Paolo represents ‘the soul’ of the company. It’s a blend of grapes which changes from year to year, though always based predominantly on Corvina and Rondinella. The grapes are co-fermented as Paolo considers that this gives a true fusion of flavours (rather than an artificial fusion in the case of blending after the end of fermentation). The 2006 was awarded 3 Bichieri in Gameberro Rosso!

After the tasting we drove up to the vineyards above the winery where we enjoyed spectacular 180 degree views and could see for ourselves all the aspects of terroir which made these wines so special. Sadly, our schedule meant that we had to rush off to our next appointment, and our time here felt far too short.

***

Cantina Di Soave by Lindsay Oram

Our last visit for Valpolicella took us to the lovely town of Soave and the Cantina Sociale. Founded in 1898 the Cantina di Soave manages 49% of the production of Valpolicella. It is one of Europe’s major wine companies with a turnover of €80million. They produce 30 million bottles, have 2,200 members and 6,000 hectares of vineyards, 70% of which are D.O.C and D.O.C.G.

Sales are focused on the supermarket sector (78%) and export (60%), with Great Britain being the second largest export market. The quality of the wines was reflected by the medals awarded at Decanter World Wine Awards and the International Wine Challenge this year. This included a gold medal for Cadis Amarone della Valpolicella 2007, very fruity and less complex than others tasted, but for less than £20 in the U.K, certainly affordable.

To ensure the level of quality, the Cantina has a monitoring system called ‘Sistema Alta Selezione’. This uses an advanced infrared control system where a laser beam passes through a sample of the must; the molecule vibrations are registered and compared to the expected values.

By using this system, the Cantina can monitor each grower, and also identify sub-zones within their 6,000 hectares that consistently give the best results.

The tasting was followed by a light lunch and a glass of sparkling wine to prepare us for the journey to Isonzo.

***

Veneto - 8th June 2010

2010-10-02T04:30:00.001-07:00

Bertani, Grezzana by Brian Davies
This was the first visit of a very full day and we were hosted by Gian Matteo Baldi. Bertani was founded in 1857 following the return of the Bertani brothers from exile in Burgundy. This information would suggest that Bertani are one of the most traditional of Veneto growers, a theme running through our visit as well as the maxim that the style was more important than the method employed.

We were escorted round the winery where concrete vats are still used for fermentation since installed in the 1920’s. Barriques, large cherry wooden vats, Slovenian oak vats are all used for ageing, the use of cherry being something they are experimenting with.

Production is 2m bottles from approx 220 hectares. The grape drying is at their Villa Nova estate and this 70ha site employs 70 –80 people to pick and dry the grapes over 4 months in the traditional way, increasing quality and flavour of the Corvina and Rondinella berries.

Their wines are only released when ready, a fact confirmed with the 2001 Amarone being the current vintage – all other current vintages in wineries we visited were 06 or 05!

We were joined for the tasting by winemaker Christian Ridolfi commencing with an 09 Soave Classico Sereole single vineyard (100% Garganega) which was grown on volcanic soil at 3-900 m, and was delightful with citrus notes, lively acidity and minerality.Two biccheri glasses for this one! This was followed by a 1988 version which still seemed young with apricots on the palate and great complexity and length.

Unfortunately, these two whites were left behind with the reds that were to come. First up, a 2006 single vineyard Valpolicella Ognisanti: this Tre Biccheri winner, was 80/20 Corvina/ Rondinella with 20% new oak, a generous nose with cherries and plums on the palate. We then tasted the 1953 version of the same wine – still fresh on the nose and leathery, spicy, cherries on the palate and still very much alive!

Next wine was the current 2001 Amarone. Still tight and angular but with great fruit, requiring a few more years.

Penultimate was the 1967 Amarone. 6 years in barrel before bottling, a complex nose with chocolate, leather and black cherries leading to incredible complexity and enjoyment.

Lastly we tasted a 1940 Recioto which was originally sparkling but was now unctuous, fresh as ever with spice, leather and morello cherries to the fore.

It was a wonderful tasting with gracious and passionate hosts and a privilege to have tasted such old vintages.

***

Scriani by Jayne Bridges
Long days visiting many wineries in varied locations can be stimulating or somewhat trying and the key to success is often the coach driver. If he knows his way around, finds hidden driveways and can reverse for at least 500 yards, when given the wrong directions, fortune is smiling on you. Luck was with us and we wound our way up the windy road to the village of Fumane to visit Scriani with no problems.

The vineyards are set within the scenic and historic Valpolicella district, northwest of Verona. The management of the vineyards is carried out in harmony with the balance of nature, with little reliance on irrigation or fertilization and all the viticulture, including harvesting, is carefully done by hand. We were greeted by Stephano Cottini, who wasted no time and took us straight up the hill to see his best plot.

This was the original vineyard planted by his grandfather in the 1950’s. It is 60% Corvina traditionally planted in pergola style. This enables the vines to grow and breathe, but ensures they are not exposed to direct sunlight. There were also Corvinone vines and these have particularly large clusters of grapes. Interestingly, one of the reasons they still have some Rondinella is that they can achieve great age, suffer from few diseases and are very robust - wind, rain or even the odd hail storm does not damage them. Molinara is mostly planted at the end of rows, as they need more space. They have very large leaves, are the first to flower, but the last to harvest. In his own words, ‘it does well in poor, tired soil - it is a tough bastard’

Like many other vignerons, Stephano is having difficulty in finding good vineyard workers, with sufficient experience to be left unsupervised. He works as far as possible to organic principles and only uses product as and when absolutely necessary. However, because he is so hands-on and the vineyards are all close to home, should disease present itself, he will have it treated within 24 hours. By only using natural fertilizers he can maintain the right balance in the soil.

Today, 20% of the ten hectares are trained to Guyot. In total, they have ten hectares and produce between 45,000-500,000 bottles per annum. The vineyard visit over, we went to visit the newly-refurbished tasting room, which was exceptionally smart. Hunger was kept at bay by copious plates of salami, ham and local cheeses.

As you would expect, we tasted Valpolicella, Ripasso and Amarone. All the wines were interesting, well-made and typical in a classic style.

The Ripasso was first fermented in October, with the second fermentation in February in large barrels. Malolactic takes place and the wine remains in the barrel for 12 months and a further 6 months in bottle.

The Amarone grapes are dried for between 90 to 100 days and fermented at a controlled temperature of between 22 and 24 degrees. Only natural yeasts are used.

The wine is then aged in barriques for 3 years. The 2005 vintage is luscious, full of ripe berry fruits with a touch of chocolate gateau thrown in for good measure. The structure is firm but not aggressive - a truly delightful wine.

As always there was lively discussion over the table and various members of the team had their own favourites. But what always emerges from these visits is that, although not everyone is in agreement on what is the ‘best’, the passion and the commitment of the individual winemakers to produce wines which fully express the grape varieties and the local terroir. It is this interaction that enables one to begin to fully understand a region, and what makes the AWE visits so special. By the end of a trip, it simply makes ‘more sense’ in a way that reading or even attending a ‘specialist tasting’ can ever provide.

All in all, an invigorating and stimulating visit. If you are wondering why the Cottini family own a vinery called Scriani, it is because, their ancestors were ‘writers’ or scribes. Today they would be employed as PR agents for the winery, with plenty of good stories to write up.

***

Nicolis by Helen Savage

Nicolis is quite a large estate, with cellars at San Pietro in Cariano in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. It was founded in 1951 and now owns around 42 ha. of vines; It is proud to be an Azienda Agricola and a member of the Family of Amarone Producers.

Most vines are on hillside sites, with 70% on pergola. There are more than eight parcels, which include two crus. Newest planting in the last four or five years (on Guyot) is at some of the highest altitudes in the region. The estate is not organic, but uses sustainable methods including solar panels to generate power in the winery.

Grapes are dried in three fruttai, with humidity controlled by open and closing of windows and by fans. Little expense has been spared in the winery, even to the extent of using marble to maintain a consistent cool temperature of around 16C. If wine is not thought to be good enough to sell under the estate brand it is sold off in bulk (no wine was sold under the Nicolis label in 1999 and 2002). Wine is aged in a mixture of wood – botti, barricas and tonneaux.

Basic Valpolicella Classico is vinified and aged in stainless steel and is designed to be drunk young, served a little cool. Ripasso from the cru Seccal is aged about 16 months in botti and a further six months in bottle before release. Amarone is aged for 30 months in botti. The estate’s flagship wine is ‘Testal’, sold as IGT Rosso Veronese, made from 90% Corvina, from grapes partially dried on the vines by severing whole branches at the end of rows. Amarone from the cru Ambrosan is part aged in barricas for up to eighteen months. Recioto is aged in botti for about six months. The wines are sold in the UK by Bibendum.

All the wines are well made, with an emphasis on generous fruit and silky tannins. Testal 2005 is perhaps the most interesting wine in the range: a hefty red with powerful raisined fruit, with the suggestion of raspberry and cherry jam, a very silky texture and surprisingly soft acidity. Not especially elegant, it is nevertheless a big, attractively forward wine and a fascinating example of how Corvina may be made in a full-bodied style without recourse to full drying of the grapes.

***

Villa Monteleone by Marisa D’Vari

Villa Monteleone is owned by Lucia Raimondi who, with her late husband, came to Gargagnago and produced their first vintage in 1989. Valpolicella Classico is grown on Classico hillside sites (220 m) with south-facing exposures on pergola Veronese vines. The average age of the vines is twenty years and the vineyard is made up of Corvina, Rondinella, Croatina, and Molinara.

Grapes are de-stemmed and crushed. Fermentation and maceration on the grape skins take place at controlled temperatures for 12 days in steel vats. Periodic pumping of the must takes place during the first phase of fermentation, and then manual punching down of the cap after fermentation. The must is aged in steel tanks for six months, then in bottle for another six months. Yields are lower (55 ha/hl) and fermentation is longer (15 days) for Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso. Re-fermentation over the lees of Amarone takes place the following year in March. It is matured in wood for 24 months and aged in bottle for a further 12.

Amarone is produced from the same Classico elevated site yet yields are lower - 30 ha/hl. The grapes are dried in wood crates for 120 days then de-stemmed, with fermentation and maceration on the grape skins taking place at controlled temperatures for twenty days in wooden vats. Occasional pumping over is practised during fermentation and manual punching down at the end. It is then aged in wood for thirty-six months, followed by a year in the bottle

For Recioto, the age of the vines is thirty years and the yield per hectare is 29 hl. Manual harvest takes place in October, with the grapes drying in wooden crates for more than 130 days with the loss of 50% of original weight. Grapes are de-stalked and crushed, with fermentation and maceration at controlled temperatures for 20 days with occasional pumping over during fermentation and manual punching down at the end.

Currently they do not have a distributor in the UK.

***

Tedeschi by Stephen Rosser

After our previous visit to the tiny Villa Monteleone, the bus driver was delighted to see that the entrance to Tedeschi was more than ample to fit the bus in, without having to remove gates & walls!

Riccardo Tedeschi
(photo by Helen Savage)

We were welcomed by Riccardo Tedeschi who led a highly informative tour of the winery, which was followed by an excellent tasting.

Riccardo explained that although the family can trace vineyard ownership as far back as 1630, and Tedeschi produce traditional Valpolicella wines, they are constantly striving to innovate and experiment in the vineyard and the winery.

In common with the majority of growers, most of the vines are trained high up on pergolas; however some are now trained to Guyot, and they also use a form of lyre training, the unilateral Trentin bower to give more balance to the vine. Tedeschi are now experimenting with Biodynamics in a small part of their newly-acquired Maternigo vineyard. With the grape drying process, “Appassimento”, they work to keep botrytis to a minimum, and this allows greater expression of the terroir.

So had did all of this translate into the wines?

My overall impression was of a range of consummate wines, which exemplified the true essence of the finest Valpolicellas. The highlights were the Amarones and Reciotos. Many wine makers claim that their wines improve if kept - Tedeschi proved it in the glass.

After tasting the wonderful current release, 2005, we were then treated to the single vineyard 1995 Capitel Monte Olmi Amarone; this wine was maturing beautifully with notes of spice and earth, but still with fresh floral hints of violets.

And finally to the pinnacle of the 1988 Capitel Fontana Recioto; a true wine of meditation!

But no time for meditation! Back on the bus for 2 more visits before our final Valpolicellan feast in Tommasi’s cellar.

***

Cà La Bionda by Gareth Morgan

Alessandro Castellani
(photo by Helen Savage)

Cà La Bionda lies in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico area in the commune of Marano. This is a 29ha family-owned property, established by Pietro Castellani, but now run by his son, Alessandro. Although we were somewhat tired by the time of this visit (the sixth out of seven visits that day, having left our hotel more than 10 hours earlier at 07.30), we were given a superb welcome. It turned out that he had studied for six years at wine school (including some advanced research on different types of yeasts) and had worked with leading producers in Tuscany, before returning to his native home.

All the wines are estate grown and bottled (no grapes are bought or sold). The focus is on the classical styles of the Valpolicella region, with typical production of 110,000 bottles per year. We briefly visited the recent purpose-built underground winery and barrel cellar, with drying room above (for the grapes to be used for Amarone).

We had an interesting discussion of different drying methods for the appassimento process: Alessandro is keen to maintain the traditional approach of drying the grapes on wooden trays (many other properties preferred plastic for reasons of hygiene) and he prefers only natural ventilation (some properties now have drying rooms with controlled temperature and humidity). He does have a machine to adjust the humidity and blow air across the room but aims to avoid using it except in the most difficult years.

We tasted his Valpolicella Classico 2009 and Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2006 which was aged for 20 months in oak, 90% of it in large botti and 10% in second year small barriques. The property dedicates one vineyard specifically for this wine (unlike many others whose “normal” wines are only made from grapes which were rejected for the Amarone). I felt this was one of the best Valpolicellas made from fresh grapes that we tasted during our whole time in the region.

We then tasted his Amarones from 2006 and from 1998 (his first vintage) – both of these are based on roughly 70% Corvina, 10% Rondinella and 20% Corvinone. The 2006 was very good, but the 1998 had developed further complexity from ageing: the traditional bitter edge had faded to create a wine with superb spice and depth.

Ex-cellars prices were very reasonable for wines of this quality, ranging from €4.80 for the latest unoaked Valpolicella Classico to €23.50 for the 1998 Amarone.

In Italy, most of the wine is sold to restaurants although 90% of the overall production is exported, especially to Norway and Sweden. The property does not currently have a UK agent but some of the wines are available through “Passion of Wine”.

***

Viticolturi Tommasi by Paul Howard

The Tommasi family own 95 hectares of vineyards in the heart of Valpolicella Classico and also have significant holdings in the Veneto and the Tuscan Maremma. Founded in 1902, six members of the family’s 4th generation currently occupy key business roles.

Tommasi have also cleverly diversified from wine production into related activities. For example, the nearby Hotel Villa Quaranta Park combines modern Italian designer chic with classical Palladian architecture and we were most fortunate to be able to stay here during our time in Valpolicella. Pierangelo Tommasi hosted our winery tour, wine tasting and exuberant evening meal. An energetic young man of considerable knowledge and charm, he is well suited for his role as marketing and export manager.

Tommasi must be one of the most ambitious wine businesses in Italy. They are near to completing a massive winery extension that allows for considerable future expansion beyond their current annual production of 1.5 million bottles.

Magnifica
(photo by Helen Savage)

The new barrel hall will be nothing less than an underground Cathedral, an airy vault for botti and barriques. The centrepiece in here will be an oak cask called Magnifica, already established in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest. Commissioned from tonneliers Garbellotto, the dimensions of this steroidal barrel are truly staggering; it will be used to mature 33,300 litres of Amarone.

While this is clearly a showpiece, Tommasi retain a clear focus on quality winegrowing using traditional methods. The wines encountered here were of high quality, whether these are modest entry level wines or their flagship wines made with dried grapes. There is space here to mention just two from the latter category. Their Ripasso is particularly succulent, while the Amarone is a blend of impressive power, harmony and spices. Tommasi have plenty of substance behind the style.

***

Veneto - 7th June 2010

2010-10-02T04:00:00.001-07:00

Field trips to wine areas are always interesting and are a regular feature on the Association of Wine Educators annual calendar of events. They are regularly over subscribed and create an atmosphere of excited anticipation.

The recent trip to the Veneto, Friuli and Isonzo was one of the most successful to date. We were fortunate that we were in the safe hands of Michèle Shah, who proved to be charming, knowledgeable, a born organiser and a polymath to boot. From the moment we arrived, everything went according to plan. Some of us were a bit intimidated by the number of visits - the second day had 7 different wineries to cover, but somehow it all worked spiffingly.

In the Veneto, we were hosted by Olga Bussinello, Marketing Director of the Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella and in Friuli by Pierpaolo Penco who proved to be an affable and delightful host.

Cantina Valpolicella Di Negrar by Brian Wheaton MW
This was the first visit of the AWE – straight from the airport at Verona, in fact, on Monday, 7th June, shortly after lunch. We were met by Daniele Accordini, the Company’s General Manager and Enologist, Antonella Margoni, Head of Marketing, and Luca Bissoli, Sales Manager, who also dealt with the Home Market.

We were taken on a tour of the cellars by Daniele, who explained that the company was a co-operative of 220 members which started in 1993 with just seven. Now, it collectively owns some 530 hectares of vines. These are basically spread through seven communes in the Valpolicella Classico region of Negrar, ie: Jago, Moron, Casetta, Torbe, Sorte, Rocolo and Mazzano.

These are all to the north west of Verona, although there are nineteen communes in total throughout the province. He also stressed that the co-op was the oldest producer of Amarone, which only came into being as a wine in 1938, due to an oversight of the then Cellar Master Adelino Lucchese, who had left a vat of Recioto to fully ferment out instead of racking and bottling it as usual.

The wine has since been steadily improved, and got its DOCG as recently as March, 2010. Only 30% of the Classico area is harvested by co-operatives, although the rest of the Valpolicella area is covered by at least 70% of co-operatives.

The best grapes were picked at harvest time as usual, but left to dry during the winter months (the time varies according to the quality of the vintage, but usually around 140 days). To begin with, bunches of grapes were either hung up on strings or laid out on wide wooden racks, but a more modern way is to keep the whole bunches in well-ventilated plastic boxes – although as these are piled high and deep, the staff have to be alert to the least suspicion of rot, particularly in the middle of the stacks, where it is difficult to check properly. All grapes are harvested manually, and after slow pressing and fermentation at the end of February, the wine destined for Amarone is held for at least two years in wood, first in large casks (botti), and then in smaller, 45-gallon barriques. Wood came from either America or Hungary and, interestingly, the company appeared to be quite relaxed as to the proportions used in any particular vintage.

The company now has storage capacity for 100,000 hectolitres of wine. The grapes are 80% Corvina, followed by Rondinella and Molinara. In the UK, it supplies Majestic, Alivini and Direct Wines.

In conclusion, we were given a tasting of basic Valpolicella 09, La Casetta Ripasso 06, Vigneti di Jago Classico 04, and a Recioto di Maron 07. Finally, we were shown (for comparison purposes only!), a straight Corvina.

***

GIV – Bolla by Keith Grainger
On 7th June our second visit was to GIV’s Bolla cellar. Our hosts were Giannantonio Marconi (Cordinamento Viticolo), Alessandra Zambonin (External Relations Office), and Christian Scrinzi (Diretore di Cantina)

Abele Bolla established his first cellar in Soave in 1883. For most of the 20th Century the company was in family ownership and in 1946 Bolla wines were introduced in New York. In 1953 the house marketed the first ever Amarone wine. The company passed into the hands of Brown Forman, which obviously helped enhance sales and distribution in USA. GIV (Gruppo Italiano Vini) bought the San Pietro Cariano cellar in Verona’s Pedemonte from Brown Forman in 2006, and in 2009 completed the purchase of the Bolla brand.

GIV is the biggest wine group in Italy, with a production (2009) of 90 million bottles and a turnover of €305 million. Some 70% of earnings are achieved by exports, with Germany being the main market followed by US and UK. GIV brands include Melini, Machiavelli, Fontana Candida, and Lamberti. The chief winemaker at Bolla is Christian Scrinzi who kindly gave us time during the visit and we were able to get his views on the direction Bolla wines are taking.

The current management consider that Brown Forman was built around control of processes, and now GIV is seeking to return Bolla to tradition and its origins. All the wineries in the group fiercely maintain their own identity, and Bolla is embedded firmly in the Veronese terroirs. With regard to grape production the company sees it has a social responsibility to producers to help them sell as much as possible at the best price. There is an education programme for grape suppliers, and all the vineyards are farmed according to IPM practices.

We tasted just four wines, and these showed that Bolla is placed very much in the good quality at affordable price market.

The 2009 Tufaie Soave was high in aromatics with tones of almond and hawthorn, off-dry with ripe fruit - surprisingly rich.

The 2009 Linea 883 Bolla Valpolicella Classico, made from nearly 75% Corvina and 25% of the later ripening Corvinone (together with just a dash of Molinara), showed a clean perfumed nose of red berries and a straightforward palate with cherry and strawberry tones and restrained alcohol (12.7%) – a highly drinkable everyday wine.

The 2007 Le Poiane Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso revealed a gently spicy nose and a smooth, rich palate exuding black summer fruits.

Finally, 2007 Le Origini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico was very deep-coloured with a melange of fresh and cooked fruits on the nose and some tertiary development. The palate was rich with tones of liquorice and chocolate, a whopping 16% alcohol, but certainly in balance, and with a good length.

I was very impressed by the sheer drinkablility of all these wines. Perhaps it is easier to make great wine in tiny quantities than very good wines on a much larger scale, which Bolla have certainly achieved.

***

Roberto Mazzi e Figli by Vivienne J Franks
For our last visit of the day, we were warmly welcomed by Stefano, the viticulturalist and Antonio, the winemaker and master salesman. The brothers are 3rd generation winemakers in this close family business.

The family farm, five vineyards over 7 ha, situated on the hills of Negrar, has been under the same ownership since the early 1900s. Older vines (15-40 years old) are planted in Tirela Veronese style, younger vines (5-15 years old) are planted in single Guyot style.

Production of 70% Corvina and Corvinone, 20% Rondinella and 5% Molinara for Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella Classico is around 55000 bottles.

Stefano and Antonio Mazzi believe in traditional production methods for their wines which are made in a classic style.

We tasted our way through a range of Mazzi wines with an excellent traditional Venetian dinner. Starting with antipasta of salami, ham, crostini, bean salad, sun dried tomatoes, roasted aubergines and polenta, followed by a delicious ‘amarone’ risotto, a pork pasta dish, then a beef ragout with potatoes, beetroot and polenta, finishing with a selection of cheeses, including a delicious pecorino and a platter of sweet pastries.

The wines we tasted included:

Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC 2008 and 2005 - 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 10% Molinara

The grapes were grown in the Sanperetto, Poiego, Villa and Calcarole Valleys, fermentation was in stainless steel tanks then the wine was aged in barriques for 12 months. This was an elegant minerally styled wine with juicy red fruit flavours.

Valpolicella Classico Superiore ‘Poiega’ DOC 2008 and 2005 - 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 10% Corvinone

A single vineyard ripasso-styled wine produced in Poiega. The grapes were dried in boxes for about 30 days. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks was followed by 18 months maturation in barriques. The wine was rich, full-bodied with intense ripe dark fruit and chocolate characters.

Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOC ‘Punta di Villa’ 2005 - 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 10% Corvinone

This was another single-estate wine from Villa. The grapes were hand-harvested, each bunch carefully laid into boxes, before being placed into drying rooms for three to four months. Grapes were checked regularly for mould and damaged fruit was removed. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks was followed by 30 months in barriques. This wine had great structure and balance, with flavours of tobacco and dark fruit jam.

Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOC ‘Castel’ 2006 and 2003 - 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 10% Corvinone

Castel is the highest of the single vineyards. Production of this wine was similar to the ‘Punta di Villa’ Amarone, but only 3500 bottles were made. This wine was very spicy with raisiny characters.

Recioto Classico della Valpolicella DOC ‘Le Calcarole’ 2007 - 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 10% Corvinone

The grapes from this vineyard spent two further months drying in boxes, and 2 years maturation in barriques. This lengthy drying process added more concentrated aromas with higher sugar content. The wine was very intense, rich with sweet black fruit and a perfect drink with which to end our first day in Veneto.

Laura Clay is the UK Champagne Ambassador 2010

2010-09-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Laura Clay who won the UK Champagne Ambassador 2010 Award at the Dorchester Hotel in London last week. Presenting on the theme of Champagne Diversity, Laura fought off competition from fellow AWE members, Helen Savage and Gilbert Winfield.

The finalists were judged on their knowledge, communication skills and ability to bring the subject alive; the judges were Gerard Basset MW, Peter McCombie MW, Nicholas King (WSET), Daniel Lorson (Director of Communication at the CIVC) and Francoise Peretti (Director of the Champagne Bureau UK).

Commenting on Laura's performance, Francoise said "Laura was very confident, engaging, fun and focused and, most importantly, she targeted her audience and stuck to the theme."

Laura now goes on to represent the UK in the European Finals which are held in Epernay later in October.

The UK has a fine record in the Awards because Carol Whitehead and Richard Bampfield MW are both past European winners, Anthony Stockbridge won the Prix Special du Jury in the inaugural competition in 2005 and Sophie Rudge was a European finalist in 2008. As it happens, all are members of the AWE!

As Francoise Peretti added "The UK is a fantastic market for this competition. This is the 6th edition and every single UK candidate has shown an amazing level of Champagne knowledge; our ongoing success should encourage all educators to enter the competition.

Ken Sheather wins “Specialist Merchant of the Year for Portugal”

2010-09-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

We are very pleased to announce that AWE member Ken Sheather has won the “Specialist Merchant of the Year for Portugal” award in the 2010 International Wine Challenge awards.

The award was presented by Francisco Borba, the president of ViniPortugal at the awards dinner at the Hilton Park Lane on Tuesday, 7th September.

Keith Grainger wins "Best Wine Education Book in the World" award

2010-03-05T07:26:00.000-08:00

The ‘Best Wine Education Book in the World’ Award has been won by Keith Grainger for ‘Wine Quality Tasting and Selection’.

Keith was presented with the Swarovski Crystal Trophy at the Gourmand Awards ceremony held at Le 104, the new cultural centre in Paris, by Edouard Cointreau, chairman of the awards committee. The book was chosen for the award from the 11 winners of individual countries.

Expert
Described by Edouard as “the expert in the field”, Keith is now based in the UK again after working in South Africa. Instrumental in founding the Association of Wine Educators, he is now celebrating twenty years in professional wine education and is already writing his next two works.

Keith said “I am thrilled to receive this award for a book that is a serious examination of the concepts and challenges of wine tasting and quality assessment. In a wine world that has become dominated by super-brands, many people are unable to see beyond simplistic taste profiles and rely on third party judgments. The book provides the tools for them to form personal conclusions as to what constitutes real quality in wines.”

‘Wine Quality, Tasting and Selection’ is published globally by Wiley-Blackwell, price £45.

Isabelle Legeron becomes a Master of Wine

2009-11-04T06:09:00.000-08:00

Congratulations also go to AWE member Isabelle Legeron who has become a Master of Wine. Isabelle will be presented with her certificate at the Annual Reception on 4th November 2009.

Isabelle said, “ I am so thrilled and proud to now be an MW! The Institute of Masters of Wine is second to none in the wine world and it is a real privilege to be a part of it.”

Richard Bampfield is the 2009 European Champagne Ambassador

2009-11-04T06:03:00.000-08:00

Many congratulations go to AWE chairman Richard Bampfield MW, who has become the 2009 European Champagne Ambassador.

Richard fought off tough opposition from Italy, Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and France to win the overall competition. For more details, click here: