Lost in translation
What fabulous nectar does the following tasting note conjure up?
“…notes of tangerine, candied orange, cooked peach, stone fruits and hint of lavender on the back of palate.”
A sweet Loire Chenin Blanc? A Muscat de Beaumes de Venise? Perhaps even a Tokaji Aszú? Nope; it’s the Equinox Seasonal Blend from Union Coffee Roasters.
If you went back to read the note again, that makes it one of the few tasting notes, of coffee or of wine, ever to be read twice by the same person. That’s because although they are the primary building blocks of wine communication, all too often they are soul-sappingly dull to read. There are several reasons for this, but as writers – and as readers – there are ways we can improve the lines of communication. As we’ve already seen, context is vital, but it’s not the only consideration when writing, and reading, a tasting note.
Unlike an image or a sound, smells and flavours aren’t easy to record. I’d love to email you a high-res copy of the smell of the Condrieu I’m drinking, but instead I can only describe it. Tasting notes are a necessary evil.
There are two stylistic camps of tasting note. Both attempt to communicate the characteristics of a wine, but their respective methods are very different. Firstly there is the analytical approach. The intention here is to produce a clear and relatively objective depiction of the wine. It’s a laudable aim, but the results are often repetitive and joyless; the jottings of a jobsworth with a ruler for a tongue.
Secondly, we have the impressionistic tasting note. No ‘medium minus acidity, medium plus tannin’ here. Rather than what was registered with the senses, what was felt takes precedence; the impression that the wine made upon the taster and their reaction to it. These notes are more likely to include emotion, memories and cultural references, which makes them more human and entertaining. But they risk being so subjective that they alienate readers: at their worst they sound like the ramblings of Kate Bush on magic mushrooms.
The first style is the product of the left hand side of the brain; the second most certainly born of the right. The most useful and readable notes tend to combine the two. But however hard we try, the result can never quite capture the essence of a wine. Wine has its own language; one of aromas, shapes and textures that speak of a place and time, the depiction of a landscape and man’s effect upon it. Translation into any earthly tongue robs it of colour and anchors it in the mundane.
We remember a great wine with all the colour and intensity of recalling a vivid dream. Reading someone else’s tasting note is as second rate as hearing them tell you about the dream they had last night.
So what is the best way to describe a wine? It depends who you’re writing for, but some of the following ingredients will help:
- Factual information. Grape varieties, soil types, oak regime and so on for sure, but any point of interest that might pique someone’s interest could be included.
- Aromatic descriptors. Those that make the wine stand out among similar wines are most useful. It’s interesting that we use these more when writing about a wine than when talking about one.
- Shape and course. Smelling, sipping then hanging on to the resonance of a wine takes time; tasting doesn’t happen in an instant. Like the structure of a song or the plot of a film, can you describe the shape of the wine or the course that it takes?
- Balance and harmony. Does it leave you feeling satisfied? If not, why not?
- Ageing potential. If you had some in your collection, when would you drink it?
- Someone will read your note – raise a smile if you can.
- Flavour stimulates memory; did it remind you of anything?
- Did it taste how you expected? Did it surprise you? How?
- Did you like it? Would you buy it?
But it’s not all down to the writer; there are also some points that the reader too should bear in mind.
Tasting notes have a shelf life. They are a sketch of a wine at one point in its life. They should be dated; if they are a few years old, it’s likely the wine is now in a very different state.
Know your critics. They will naturally gravitate to styles they personally enjoy. Recommendations from some critics have me running for my wallet; glowing reports from others have me running for the hills. If you’re making a buying decision, it’s worth consulting more than one opinion.
Context is crucial. An excellent Alsace Pinot Noir would look pretty average in among a line-up of Grand Cru Burgundies. Tasting like with like gives fairer results. Wherever you stand on scoring wines, in large tastings scores are invaluable. Effectively they rank the wines in order of preference, and quickly answer that essential question; which ones performed the best?
Wine, that most sociable of drinks, is also the most indescribable; it is literally too wonderful for words. So it’s not surprising that so many tasting notes lack sparkle; it’s hard to stay enthusiastic when you know the task is essentially futile. But it’s the only way to answer those two most basic questions, for somebody else or for yourself: what does it taste like, and if you like it – why? Although rare, a good tasting note is a joy to read. Whether it’s about wine – or even coffee.
2015 Rhône: my week in the South
I’m currently in the Rhône researching my annual report for timatkin.com; this will be the fifth consecutive vintage I’ve covered for the site. It’s a packed two weeks of tastings and visits, and by the time I’ve included several London tastings, I’ll have worked my way through over 1,000 wines from the 2015 vintage. If you’re thinking of buying any Rhône this year (spoiler alert: you should be) then you might want to download it. Here’s a sketch of what I got up to last week.
Sunday 16th October
An early start; my local train station a little oasis of light in the dark morning, rain whispering on the leaves. I took the train all the way to Avignon this year with a brief pause for some frites in Lille while changing trains. On arrival in Avignon, it was a full five minutes before I overheard Bongo Bong by Manu Chau being played somewhere, so a few minutes longer than usual. Avignon on a wet Sunday night isn’t the most welcoming place, so I went straight to the AOC bar for a glass of Saint-Péray and a bite to eat before a long week of tastings.
Monday 17th October
Today is the first day’s tasting in earnest after the logistical confusion known as the hotel breakfast. Professional body InterRhone does an excellent job of organising large tastings for me at their offices in Avignon. Around 100 Southern Côtes-du-Rhône reds today, and largely the picture is good, despite a few casualties of the hot, dry summer. I paid a visit to Le Sang des Cailloux (above), one of the best estates in Vacqueyras, to get their take on 2015; it’s a good place to get a matter-of-fact, unvarnished report of vintage conditions. Dinner tonight with Adrien Roustan from Domaine d’Oréa, Cécile Dusserre from Domaine Montvac (they both make Gigondas and Vacqueyras) and Ann and Sebastien Barbara from Plan Vermeersch. Considering he only has half-a-dozen vintages under his belt, Adrien’s wines are hugely impressive; they’re full of energy, rather like Adrien himself. Cécile’s domaine is has been passed down from mother to daughter for four generations, and hers are some of the most elegant wines in Vacqueyras. Ann and Sebastien are relative newcomers to the region, but have grown the family business quickly (Ann is the daughter of ex-racing car driver Dirk Vermeersch); they make some good Côtes-du-Rhône, but specialise in varietal wines – unusual for the Southern Rhône.
Tuesday 18th October
I finished off the remaining Southern Côtes-du-Rhône reds today and all of the whites. In 2014 the quality of the whites was very good, but generally speaking 2015 is more a vintage for reds. I caught up with Jérôme Bressy at Domaine Gourt de Mautens (above) at his small winery near Rasteau. A mini-vertical of reds; 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Amazing consistency; there’s no doubt in my mind that this is one of the great estates of the Rhône. I met with two Cairanne producers over dinner; Jean-Marie Astart from Domaine les Hautes Cances and Laurent Brusset from Domaine Brusset. They are both excellent domaines, in contrasting styles. Jean-Marie makes expressive, detailed, authentic expressions of Cairanne. It’s the Rhône’s youngest AOC, having been promoted just this year, and the only appellation in France to place a limit on sulphur levels in the finished wines. Laurent is the third generation winemaker of Domaine Brusset, and they make Ventoux, Rasteau, Gigondas and Cairanne. His is a rounded, polished style with good depth and purity of fruit.
Wednesday 19th October
An early drive to Châteauneuf to get started on their 2015 reds. It quickly becomes apparent 2015 is a very good vintage, with deep, expressive fruit and relatively consistent quality. This was a hot year though, and with that can come problems with acidity levels, overmaturity and heaviness – which some domaines suffered from to varying degrees. I’m staying at Wine B&B again this year, which is a great option for wine lovers visiting Châteauneuf – a charming family home in the heart of the village with a welcoming host. No visits or meetings this evening – a night off to catch up on admin over a beer and a pizza.
Thursday 20th October
Four visits today: Château de Beaucastel, Clos des Papes, Domaine de Marcoux and Château Rayas.
Beaucastel – All the wines are looking good here, not least the Hommage à Jacques Perrin, their top cuvée, which they only make in good vintages. They are no longer working with Berry Bros. & Rudd in the UK; instead they are employing Andrew Bayley as an individual agent in the market to work solely on their wines.
Clos des Papes – A decent-sized crop at last in 2015 (well, decent for Clos des Papes; 22 hl/ha!). His old vines are finally producing as normal again after being hit hard by the spring frosts of 2012 – it’s taken them until 2016 in fact to fully recover. We tasted from a number of barrels, then some reds in bottle; an elegant 2014, powerful 2009 and delicious 2005. Vincent Avril compares the 2015 vintage to the 2005, and I see why.
Marcoux – Previously run by two sisters; Catherine Armenier has now retired, and Sophie Armenier is working with her son Vincent (above); a down-to-earth family with ancient roots in Châteauneuf. They don’t always produce their Vieilles Vignes bottling, but they did in 2015; an particularly elegant Cuvée Spéciale.
Rayas – Emmanuel still hasn’t finished harvesting his 2016 – very unusual in the village, but then this is a cooler spot, in amongst the woods. We taste component parts of Fonsalette and Rayas, and both whites. No big changes here; no need. Spellbinding wines.
Henri Bonneau – no visit this year after Henri’s passing in spring. No official news, but I hear that the estate is continuing for now in the hands of his son, Marcel.
Friday 21st October
Last day of tasting in Châteauneuf. Again, it’s a stronger vintage for reds, but there are some highlights among the whites. A quick visit to the impressive new cellar of Domaine La Barroche, then to La Table de Sorgues. If you’re visiting the region, don’t miss this restaurant – the food is fantastic; creative but deliciously digestible and brilliantly executed. Julien and Laetitia Barrot (brother and sister) run La Barroche, and considering this is a young estate (albeit with old vines) what they’ve achieved in such a short time is incredible; but then the wines speak for themselves. They’re working on a new project; bottlings of old vines from just outside the appellation area. Guillaume Gonnet joined us from Domaine Font de Michelle, a reliable, underrated estate. He’s just bought some vineyards himself and has started making a range of wines under his own name in 2015; a slightly different style to Font de Michelle, but just as good – they’re worth seeking out. Domaine La Janasse was also at the table, represented by Christophe Sabon (above). His 2010 and 1999 Châteauneuf Rouge Vieilles Vignes and his 2012 Châteauneuf Blanc Prestige blew me away, some of the best wines I’ve tasted this year. An illuminating and hugely enjoyable evening with some of my Châteauneuf heroes.
Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd October
Some time off in Avignon to catch up with other work, prepare for the coming week and get some downtime. Next week: Vacqueyras and Gigondas on Monday, then up to the Northern Rhône for three more days of tastings and visits.
For full details of all the wines mentioned above and many more, the 10 things you need to know about the 2015 vintage, vintage chart, several top ten selections and dozens of colour photos, download my 2015 Rhône Report from timatkin.com, available late November.
The Gold Standard
On the first day of the Hunter Valley Wine Show, Major Al Lynch, in full military fatigues, explained to the wine judges what was expected of them: “if you are given an order you will follow it without question.” I’ve judged wine competitions in many different settings but this was my first time in an army barracks. Thankfully our host was describing what we should do in emergencies, rather than how we should award medals. I’ve been judging UK wine competitions since 2008, but my trip to Australia in August showed me what we could learn from their approach – and them from ours.
There are dozens of wine shows held on a yearly basis throughout Australia, some regional, some national. In the UK however, when you see a shiny medal stuck to a bottle of wine it’s likely to come from one of our big three international competitions: the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), the International Wine Challenge (IWC), and the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). I judge at all three; here’s a peek behind the scenes.
They all follow the same basic premise. Successive line-ups or ‘flights’ of typically around 12 wines are tasted blind; panels quietly work through each flight giving a score out of 100 and making notes; scores are then read out by each judge in turn; where there is disagreement, there is retasting and discussion to ascertain the right result. The panel chairman or chairwoman has the final word. They all strive to recognise excellence of course, but each competition has a unique feel.
The IWSC operates daily over seven months of the year out of offices on the edge of an airfield and racetrack in countryside outside Guildford. Many of the staff and judges are long-serving, which gives the competition something of a family feel. Judging is sedate and considered with no more than 60 wines tasted per day.
The innovative IWC takes place over three weeks each year in a capacious hanger at The Oval, an international cricket ground. Medal winners are tasted multiple times by different judges to help deliver reliable results. There’s music in the background, judging takes place standing up, and every flight is different; you never know what’s coming next, from red Bordeaux to Taiwanese Moscato. This all adds up to a lively, dynamic vibe.
The DWWA takes place at Tobacco Dock, an airy events space in East London. It’s held over one intensive week, which makes for a buzzy atmosphere. The 204 judges fly in from 25 different countries; 94 are either Masters of Wine or Master Sommeliers. If a bomb went off during judging, the global wine scene would be in serious trouble.
All three are very sociable events, with plenty of chat, and catching-up over drinks afterwards. By contrast, Australian wine shows have a distinctly scientific feel. Judges wear long white lab coats, taste rapidly in studious silence, and long flights (or ‘classes’) of wines often stretch into the distance – over 40 wines per flight isn’t unusual. Panels are small and usually made up of winemakers, often from the region being evaluated. This makes for a highly technical approach, one that champions regional typicality and is merciless when it comes to any perceived winemaking faults. It’s arguably a style of judging that produces consistent results.
Rewarding typicality and rejecting faulty wines are key functions of any judging panel, but some say the Australian approach goes too far. Victoria Sharples, founder of Melbourne wine merchant The Wine Station has judged at both UK and Australian competitions and says “I think Australia could benefit from the British approach, reducing the size of flights and offering greater discourse when deliberating on scores.”
British Master of Wine Richard Hemming has also judged on both sides of the globe. “The Australians could learn to be less narrow-minded about typicality,” he says. “Yes it’s important, but atypical wines aren’t therefore immediately without worth.” I agree; the danger with a constricted view of what is stylistically acceptable is that innovation can be stifled.
But PJ Charteris, chairman of the Hunter Valley Wine Show, says that the Australian approach is evolving. “There is a strong technical approach, however that has changed significantly over the last 10 years with more judges from the media and trade… as a team of judges we are ultimately looking for depth of character, balance and completeness, the things that are the hallmarks of any great wine.”
It’s undoubtedly a strength of the big UK competitions that judges come from such different backgrounds and bring with them broad and varied tasting experience, but after tasting in Australia I feel we could benefit from more judges with practical experience of winemaking. We could also learn from Australia’s commitment to the development of trainee judges. To my knowledge there are no professional courses designed to develop the skills of future wine judges in the UK, or to help them taste the very finest benchmark wines that are increasingly out of reach due to stratospheric prices. Charteris points out that Australia benefits from the Australian Wine Research Institute and the Len Evans Tutorial to tackle both of these areas that are vital to the future of wine competitions.
The UK and the Australian methods both have their own strengths and weaknesses, but what everyone seems to agree on is the hopelessness of the system used in many European competitions, known as the International Organisation of Vine and Wine system (OIV). Natasha Hughes MW, a particularly incisive taster, explains “you’re given a scorecard that lists various criteria for assessing the wines, and allocates scores for each of these criteria. For instance, you might be asked to rate the intensity of a wine’s nose on a scale of 1 to 5… Rating a wine like this doesn’t address the issue of what score you should give if the wine has a very intense nose, but its aromas are unattractive.” Hemming agrees it’s “an utterly absurd approach.”
Wojciech Bońkowski is editor-in-chief of Winicjatywa.pl and the Polish Wine Guide and he is also disparaging of the OIV system. He points out that another problem some European competitions face is sourcing good judges. “Some competitions are so desperate to man their juries that I know literally of a taxi driver who sat on an Italian jury competition!” Thankfully this is rarely an issue for Australian or British institutions.
Tasting at the Hunter Valley Wine Show reminded me of the impressive appetite for ongoing improvement amongst Australian winemakers. The wine show model exists not just to guide consumers, but also ‘to improve the breed’, and it has no doubt helped to mould and deliver unique Australian wine styles like Hunter Valley Semillon. What I love about the UK system is that it puts wines in an international rather than just regional context, is more open to rewarding originality, and can react to, and help steer, the trends that keep the global wine scene fresh and exciting. In a nutshell, the Aussie system is ruled by the head, whereas the UK system is ruled by the heart. But a competition is only as good as its judges, and most winelovers would agree you need to engage both head and heart to really understand what’s in your glass.
First published on timatkin.com.
Ventoux: wild wild East
“Bonjour!” beamed the skinny young monk as he hurried past me down the steep dirt path, his brown habit flapping behind him. It turns out the local monastery had only been finished 10 years ago. I’d have thought there were sufficient monasteries in France to house today’s crop of aspiring monks, but apparently not. It’s not just men of the cloth that are being drawn to Ventoux – what was once a quiet backwater is now one of the most exciting and dynamic areas of the Rhône.
Phillipe Gimel was a pharmacist in Lorraine near Alsace until he decided to retrain as a winemaker. After stints at some of the top names in Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Beaucastel, La Janasse) he decided to establish his own domaine. He didn’t have a large sum to invest in a vineyard but he was determined to find good terroir, so he focussed first and foremost on geology. “If you can study geology, you can still find great terroirs that are unknown… And as soon as you have a mountain, it’s almost an obligation that the terroir will be great,” says Philippe. It led him to the hilltop town of Le Barroux, near Mont Ventoux.
At 1,912m, Mont Ventoux is the tallest mountain in the region and is the focal point for a picturesque land that’s rich in biodiversity. Philippe bought a 23 hectare vineyard in the north of the appellation in 2003 which he christened Saint Jean du Barroux. His land stretches over a sloping hillside; the shallow soils and competition from surrounding trees result in naturally low yields. It sits on a geographical fault that throws up a jumble of different soil types, and the local water sources help stave off drought. He speaks like a man who has struck gold, and when you taste the wines, you can’t help but agree.
Not all of Ventoux’s terroir is this promising however. It’s one of the lowly satellite appellations of the Southern Rhône, and although the wines are identifiably Rhône in style, producers aren’t even allowed to use the basic term Côtes-du-Rhône on their labels. You can see on the map how big the appellation is – it’s one of the biggest in France. With a hulking great mountain in the middle, not all of the area can be planted, but nonetheless the appellation has 5,913 hectares under vine (that’s roughly twice as much as Châteauneuf, four times as much as Crozes-Hermitage, twenty times as much as Côte-Rôtie).
There are three main zones. The main growing area is effectively a bowl surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Dentelles de Monmirail to the north, Mont Ventoux to the east and the Monts de Vaucluse to the south. The second is a small extension to the north in the hills around Malaucène where you find stars like Saint Jean de Barroux, and further north, Chêne Bleu. The third is unconnected to the others: a large swathe of land to the south close to the Luberon. Most producers I spoke to agreed that the best wines come from the first two areas, and often at high altitude (up to 500m); some questioned whether the third zone deserved to be part of the appellation at all.
The region has long been dominated by co-operatives, and they still make three quarters of the wine. As recently as 20 years ago, the region was known for making pale, light reds of little interest. Fred Chaudière of Château Pesquié says that in the 1980s it was difficult to fully ripen red grapes, but now the challenge is to retain acidity and keep alcohol in check. “In a way,” he says, “global warming has been a strange ally to Ventoux.” And as land prices have risen in the rest of the Rhône, it has encouraged ever more prospectors to come and see what can now be achieved here.
Close to the foot of the mountain in the main growing area is one of the original pioneers of top-flight Ventoux, Domaine de Fondrèche. Like Philippe Gimel, owner Sébastien Vincenti worked for a top Châteauneuf producer (Les Cailloux) before striking out on his own. He eventually came across this stunning spot and established the domaine in 1995. The peak has a strong influence over the local microclimate; the nights and mornings are cool as cold air flows down the mountainside, and they harvest late in the season, up to three weeks later than Châteauneuf. The result is a tell-tale freshness in the wines that underlines their origin.
This crackle of enlivening acidity is Ventoux’s calling card and can contribute a welcome drinkability to the wines. Like the rest of the Southern Rhône, Grenache is king, but the Syrah can be remarkably successful here, particularly in cooler years like 2014. Like so many other regions the recent growth has been in rosé, which now amounts to 35% of production. The rosés tend to be less interesting than the whites however, some of which are thrillingly good. There are even some exciting experiments in sparkling.
Even in the main growing area not all of Ventoux’s vineyards are directly influenced by the mountain; much of them are planted far away on the plain. “Some of the vines are in the wrong places,” Sébastien says tactfully, and is working with the local authorities to redefine the limits of the appellation. Until then, the name Ventoux alone will be no guarantee of quality. But when you taste the wines of front runners such as Saint Jean du Barroux, Domaine de Fondrèche, Château Pesquié, Château Unang, and Chêne Bleu it’s clear that something very special lies within this sprawling appellation. You may not find God, but you’ll find some brilliant wines.
Sixteen Ventoux wines to try
All tasted July 2016
Saint Jean du Barroux ‘La Microclimat’ 2014 (13.5%, not yet released)
Only made in certain years, and a different style each time depending on what is possible. 100% Syrah, 1/3 old barrels, 2/3 stainless steel. No stemming, 1,300 bottles. A wild and herbal expression of Syrah with violets, bacon fat and spice. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm, muscular, mouth-coating, slightly powdery tannins; big in structure but not in extraction. Great purity and freshness in the wine, an extraordinary expression of Syrah.95 points.
Saint Jean du Barroux ‘La Pierre Noire’ 2012 (15.0%; £27.50, Gauntley’s for the 2010)
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah, no destemming, 3 years in tank before bottling. Transparent in colour and style. A picturesque expression of berry fruit alongside a distinctly herbal palette of flavours; pine resin, fresh and dried wild herbs. Concentrated but not overly so, this retains a sense of subtlety and detail. Tannins are silky, acidity shines through and helps deliver length to the fruit. A touch of cinnamon and white pepper on the finish. Soft but expressive, this is a beautiful wine that shows what can be achieved in the right sites of Ventoux. 94 points.
Domaine de Fondrèche ‘Divergente’ 2015 (not yet released)
A new cuvée, possibly a one-off. One foudre of pure old vine Serine (Syrah). It has a striking clarity of Syrah fruit, with violets, grilled bread and black olive. Full and concentrated but fresh and vibrant with piercing acidity and a mineral razor’s edge. This is exciting; a brilliant expression of Ventoux terroir. 94 points.
Saint Jean du Barroux ‘La Montagne’ Blanc 2015 (14.5%; not yet released)
Philippe only releases the white when it’s ready to drink. It’s a blend of 1/3 each Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc, fermented in stainless steel. Deep stone fruit, with a honeyed richness, heather and herbs. It’s full-bodied and broad shouldered, but has lovely acidity running through it and mineral texture on the finish. 94 points.
Saint Jean du Barroux ‘L’Argile’ 2013 (14.5%; £14.95, Wine Sensations for the 2009)
75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 5% Carignan, 5% Cinsault, 2/3 destemmed, 2 years in tank before bottling. Leaf tea, fennel, pine needles and herbs on the nose. Syrah makes itself known, lending straightness to the shape and Carignan a little figgyness. Concentrated but not heavy with piercing acidity and gentle fine tannins. There is a lightness of touch that gives the wine an authentic, natural expression. 93 points.
Domaine de Fondrèche ‘Il était une fois’ 2015 (14.5%; yet to be released, but Private Cellar have the 2009 at £23.50)
This cuvée is only made in very good years. 80% Grenache planted in 1936, with 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah. Aged in two foudres, 1 old, 1 new. Principally berry fruits, loganberry and raspberry, but with some further aromatic detail starting to peep through already. Full, rich and generous in fruit but with notable finesse thanks in part to the bright acidity. Sweet fruit, dry finish. 93 points.
Château Unang ‘La Gardy’ 2012 (14.5%; not yet released)
An organic estate towards the south of the central growing area with good quality across the whole of their range. Only made in the best years from “whatever impresses us”; this is 70% Grenache, 30% Syrah and Roussanne. Full-bodied, but with elevated fruit, sublime freshness and velvet tannins. A bevy of berries; loganberry, raspberry, wild strawberry and blueberry with some earthy undertones bringing complexity. Lovely balance, full of life. 93 points.
Château Pesquié ‘Artemia’ 2010 (14.5%; Corney & Barrow, £23.50)
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah, same plots each year. Half in 225l new oak barrels, half in 1 year-old-barrels for 12-18 months. Some pine resin, tapenade and an emerging hint of truffle on the nose. Intense, juicy fruit, long and concentrated, just starting to open up now and showing layers of complexity. It has the fullness and generosity of Rhône fruit but that lovely acid kick on the finish that marks it out as Ventoux. 93 points.
Chêne Bleu ‘Abélard’ 2010 (15.0%; £49.95, winedirect.co.uk)
This has retained a good depth of deep red colour. Leather, truffle, sous-bois and spicy oak, cigar ash and cedar – wonderfully complex nose. Remarkably together still for a Ventoux of this age – full-bodied, with good tannic structure and fruit – there is still life here. Bravo! Though the oak is prominent. 92 points.
Château Unang ‘La Croix’ 2013 (14.5%; Justerini & Brooks, £16.99 for the 2012)
La Croix is 2/3 Grenache, 1/3 Syrah & Cinsault. Expressive raspberry, strawberry and Victoria plum fruits with an intriguing hint of eucalyptus. There is underlying oak here, but it’s sensitively used and supports the vibrant, intense fruit. It has power, but isn’t overly concentrated or heavy. 91 points.
Domaine de Fondrèche ‘Persia’ Blanc 2015 (13.0%; Cadman Fine Wines, £17.50)
100% 40-year-old Roussanne; aged in two foudres, 1 used, 1 new. The Persia Rouge is consistently a good buy (especially the 2010 and 2014) but white version shows just how good Ventoux Blanc can be. Pear and yellow flowers on the nose, almost opulent in the mouth but it retains a sense of freshness into the tight, mineral finish.91 points.
TerraVentoux ‘Terre des Truffes’ Rouge 2013 (14.0%; Excel Wines, £9.97)
50% Syrah, 50% Grenache from a consistently good Ventoux co-operative. High toned - floral lavender hints, some orange peel. Some fresh green herbs. There is complexity here. Medium-bodied, fresh and spicy. Harmonious, structured wine with lovely acidity and length. Not a concentrated wine for long-term ageing, but nonetheless a lovely expression of the terroir. Very good value. I recommend checking out their whole range. 90 points.
Château Pesquié ‘Terrasses’ 2015 (14.5%; yet to be released, but Your Sommelier have the 2012 at £12.00)
60% Grenache, 40% Syrah. A liqueur of black berry fruits on the nose. Lively, juicy and refreshing with a seam of raspberry acidity running through it. A light toastiness on the finish adds interest. Good value. 90 points.
Marrenon ‘Orca’ 2014 (14.5%; not currently available UK)
95% Grenache, 5% Syrah. 110-year-old vines from the southern slope of Mont Ventoux made by a quality-minded union of co-ops. Bright, exuberantly fruity nose, blackberries. Full-bodied, rich on the palate, but with piercing acidity and firm tannic structure. Good length. A powerful wine, but with ample structure and no heaviness. 90 points.
Domaine Martinelle 2013 (14.0%, £9.95, The Wine Society)
Principally Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre but containing a jumble of other local varieties, including some white grapes. The domaine is run by Corinna Faravel, wife of Thierry Faravel of excellent Domaine la Bouïssière in Gigondas. This has a lovely sense of depth and harmony to the concentrated black fruits coupled with a sprightly drinkability. Great value at under a tenner. 89 points.
Grandes Serres ‘Chapelle Sainte Croix’ 2015 (14.0%; not currently available UK)
A medium-bodied fresh and lively style of Ventoux with a subtle herbal element embedded in the brambly fruit. A transparent, pure and highly drinkable style. 89 points.
First published on timatkin.com.
The Hunter Valley Wine Show
I’ve just returned from a week’s judging at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, a couple of hours north of Sydney. It was a fascinating week, both in terms of the wines themselves and the Australian approach to judging – I’ll be writing about both in more detail in due course. The last day of judging week sees the Celebration Luncheon where 500 of the Valley’s wine professionals get dolled up and celebrate the results. As this year’s International Judge, I had to give a speech describing my experience of the wines. I thought I’d reproduce it here.
“My family didn’t drink much wine when I was growing up, but every weekend my mother would open a bottle to go with Sunday lunch. It would be red, it would be cheap, it would be French, sometimes it would even be drinkable. But one time she bought something different and I still remember it to this day. It was rich, juicy and refreshingly easy to drink. It was a bottle of Rosemount Shiraz Cabernet. This was in the early nineties, so it’s possible it came from just up the road. If you’d have told me then that in 20 years’ time I’d be in that very region speaking to 500 mildly inebriated Australians about it, I don’t think I’d have believed you. But here we are.
My taste in wine has changed a lot since then. I see yours has too. I’ve learned a lot over the past few days, so I just wanted to share with you a few brief observations, firstly about the wines themselves, then about how they could fit within the UK market.
Now ask any winelover in the UK to name a few Australian wine regions and the Hunter Valley is likely to be one of them. This is great news. What is less good is that with so few Hunter Valley wines reaching our shores, our perception of the region is lagging behind the reality. For example, I asked some friends what came to mind when they thought of Hunter Valley wines, and the phrase ‘sweaty saddle’ came up again and again. This is not a description that I have used for any wines since I’ve been here.
In Shiraz I found fresh, drinkable, medium-bodied wines with vibrant aromatics. Normally it’s the Rhône that gets my blood pumping – I haven’t been a fan of powerful, ripe Shiraz since that bottle of Rosemount – but I found your wines to be hugely exciting. What’s more, judging the Wines of Provenance category has proved to me that they have a rare ability to age and improve over time.
In Semillon I found refreshing, mouthwatering, mineral wines with a unique sense of place – and again, an incredible ability to age, develop and improve.
And the Chardonnays – I had no idea you made such good Chardonnay. Stylish, restrained, bright and balanced.
Not to mention a bevy of other delights: Vermentino, Viognier, Montepulciano, Sagrantino, the list goes on.
- Medium-bodied, fresh, savoury reds;
- mineral, mouthwatering whites;
- wines with a sense of place;
- and a story to tell.
That’s what you’re making - and that’s exactly what’s currently working in the best wine bars and independent wine shops back home.
Another thing that’s doing well is natural wine. Now I’m not for a moment suggesting you all start growing beards and getting lackadaisical about personal hygiene, but there is an interesting point you can take away from their success that’s often overlooked. Many drinkers like these wines for what they feel the wines say about them. They want to drink something that they feel represents them and their values. Sometimes, as winemakers and wine professionals, we can forget that for many drinkers this, and that story behind the wine, is more important than drinking an exceptional example.
The success of natural wines also highlights the joy of diversity in wine. To really get wine drinkers interested and involved in a category, there needs to be diversity and a breadth of style for them to explore. So it’s great to see some winemakers pushing the boundaries, and this must be applauded. It was good to see winemakers like Margan and Vinden creating exciting new styles of Shiraz, and to taste modern expressions of Hunter Valley Burgundy from producers like the exemplary Silkman. It would be great to see an equally broad range of styles with your Semillons.
For many UK wine lovers, Hunter Valley is something of a forgotten region, partly because you don’t produce much in the way of mass market wines. These are often a jumping off point for exploring a new style. But actually these days it’s a selling point. People love rediscovering forgotten regions, especially ones that break the mould, have a fascinating history and that make excellent wines.
Just look at Beaujolais. Like the Hunter, it's a long established, small wine region specialising in a lighter style of red wine... and it has suddenly come very much back into fashion. This is the perfect time to take another look at the UK, and a visit by a group of young guns that are championing these contemporary styles would be a good way to start.
Before I sit down, it just remains for me to say a huge thank you to the Hunter Valley Wine Show committee for inviting me to judge with you this year, and special thanks to PJ Charteris for looking after me while I’ve been here and making the experience so memorable.
Thank you.”
Two Decanter tastings: Germany and Rhone
When it comes to organising tastings, Decanter, as you might expect, are pretty adept - their tasting room in London is one of my favourite places to work through a lot of wines. I've participated a couple of panel tastings there recently, covering two of my favourite styles. The first is 'Value Rhone' (less than £18 a bottle) in the July 2016 edition (with Joanna Simon from The Wine Gang and Christelle Guibert from Decanter). The second was 2014 dry German Riesling in the August 2016 edition, with David Motion from The Winery and journalist Giles MacDonogh.
Here are the links:
Enjoy!
Less tasting more drinking
Until recently, being a wine enthusiast has been up there with collecting Benny Hill memorabilia or indulging in Dungeons & Dragons cosplay: a slightly suspect but essentially harmless eccentricity that your mates will put up with as long as you don’t tell their work colleagues. A bit like being a member of the Campaign for Real Ale five years ago. But just as attitudes to beer have changed, the same is happening to wine.
It doesn’t help that there aren’t many events that are just as fun for casual drinkers as wine fanatics. As a fully committed wine lover, I’ve tried to get mates along to wine tastings but there’s so much focus on what’s in the glass that there’s little time to chat. It’s baffling really as sharing a bottle of wine is an intrinsically social activity. Fortunately there’s a new generation of wine lovers throwing events in informal venues that pull together great bottles, food and music to create altogether more social occasions. And there are few more informal spaces than a car park.
Ex-model Ruth Spivey set up Wine Car Boot in September 2013, and it’s popped up regularly in car parks around London since then. The concept is simple; each car belongs to an independent wine merchant who brings half a dozen wines that you can taste, drink or buy to take home. “We get such a breadth of people,” she says, “from early 20s to mid-50s, coming on their own, in groups, as couples, with their parents. It’s a 50/50 male/female split from complete amateurs all the way to wine geeks.” Each event gets hundreds of visitors, and she’s hoping to find sponsorship to turn it into a regular occurrence, like a farmers’ market for wine. Everyone comes for the wine, but it’s the music, friendly vibe and street food that complete the experience.
Food is playing an ever greater role in wine events, and we all know the important part it plays when drinking alcohol. Trying to soak it up afterwards with food is as effective as throwing a slice of bread into a lake. Independent wine shipper Tutto Wines throws several parties a year around Hackney for followers of their wines, and the food is always a high point – it helps that their friend Ed Wilson (owner of Brawn restaurant in Shoreditch) mans the barbeque.
For their parties they hire spaces commonly used for club nights. “The shackles have come off with wine drinking and wine service,” says co-owner Alex Whyte, “people aren’t as scared of it as they were. It used to be like an old boys club with certain rules… but you don’t have to put wine on a pedestal or enjoy it in a certain way – that’s not how the winemakers drink it.” DJs playing disco and Balearic, great Natural wine and delicious food all ensure their parties go on late into the night.
Another new night that combines great music and thrilling bottles is ‘wine & RnB party’ Genuwine. It’s a collaboration between Aimee Hartley of online journal Above Sea Level and Canadian sommelier Courtney Stebbings. “We want people drinking wine in scenarios they wouldn’t necessarily think of drinking wine… we want to take that veil of pretentiousness down and bring the fun back into wine,” says Stebbings. The opening night was packed, with people knocking back Riesling and grinding to Sean Paul and Grace Jones.
Events like this bridge the longstanding gap between the wine trade professionals and the public. The crowd is a mix of people that work in wine and those that just love to drink it. For local resident Nadia who had never been to a tasting before, that the night wasn’t solely focussed on wine was a draw. “It’s wine & RnB, two things I love,” she smiled.
Throwing some music like disco and RnB into the mix is a great idea, but when I heard about an event called Wine Beats featuring live Austrian electro-brass I suspected it might be a bit, er, quiet. I was wrong: they sold 550 tickets. “We wanted to show the new Austria in all sorts of ways,” says Peter Honegger, co-founder of Austrian wine importer Newcomer Wines who promoted the party. As well as Austrian music, their night also featured Austrian food, and the winemakers he represents flew over to talk to drinkers and serve them wine in top of the range Austrian Zalto glasses. Their new shop opens in Dalston this summer.
For every large scale event there are countless smaller ones bubbling up at a grassroots level. The Oddities tastings, organised by wine lovers David Crossley and Dave Stenton, are one such example. It’s an informal lunch held every two months where the aim is to drink the weirdest wines known to humanity. The last time I went along Namibian Shiraz and Balinese sparkling wine were just two of a dozen bizarre – and unexpectedly enjoyable – discoveries. But for Stenton, “it’s about drinking stuff in the context you’d drink them normally… it’s as much about chatting and hanging out as it is tasting.” This, like many such events, is an offline meet-up of a community that initially developed online. Occasional wine writer Stenton points to London wine shops Theatre of Wine and Winemakers Club as other places to find down-to-earth tasting groups.
In the past few years these new kinds of wine events have given the once-staid London wine scene a shot in the arm. “Each year younger and younger people seem to be getting into wine,” explains Whyte from Tutto Wines. Instead of replicating the formal tastings long prevalent in the UK, they’re producing the kind of events that they themselves would want to go to. Where once the emphasis was on education, it’s shifting towards enjoyment; everyone gets to drink brilliant wines, but you can delve into the detail as much or as little as you like and no prior knowledge is required. Venues are more diverse, food is supplied without ceremony, there is music, dancing and socialising: wine is finally getting its party on. As Stebbings from Genuwine puts it: “we’ve done beer, we’ve done cocktails, now it’s wine’s time to shine.”
Future events (check with Jon re publication dates)
Next Genuwine – summer 2016 above-sea-level.co/events
Next Wine Car Boot – summer 2016 www.winecarboot.com
Next Tutto Wines Party – summer 2016 tuttowines.com
Next Wine Beats – early 2017 newcomerwines.com
What kind of wines to expect
Domaine Ramonet Aligoté 2013, Burgundy, France
From a legendary winemaker that makes your average wine geek tremble with excitement. The white Aligoté grape is usually rather plain, but this has gently seductive texture and is soft as a kiss. £6.00 a glass at Genuwine.
Le Coste Rosso 2014, Lazio, Italy
An enlivening blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, this has refreshing cranberry and cherry fruit and a tonic drinkability. Imported by Tutto Wines, available from Noble Fine Liquor, £22.00 a bottle.
Stapleton & Springer ‘Orange’ Pinot Noir 2014, Moravia, Czech Republic
Pinky-orange in colour, this odd but delicious Pinot Noir rosé has lightly peppery strawberry and cherry fruits. Silky in texture, with bright, defined flavours. Brought to the March Oddities tasting by Dave Stenton; available from Lea & Sandeman, £13.75 a bottle.
Christoph Edelbauer ‘Kamptal DAC’ Grüner Veltliner 2014, Kamptal, Austria
Grüner Veltliner is the most widely planted white grape in Austria. Lemon and grapefruit both in aroma and citrus freshness. Full in flavour and body, crisp and refreshing. Newcomer Wines, £11.90 a bottle.
Montalbera Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato 2014, Piemonte, Italy
From the incredibly aromatic red Ruché grape, this bursts with rose petal, clove and cinnamon. Bright and vivid flavours and a pleasing grain to the texture. All the better for being lightly chilled. Sold at Wine Car Boot by Vinoteca, £16.50 a bottle.
First published in Foodism magazine (but with way better photos).
The 2016 London Steak Awards: rare qualities
Last week was exhausting. In the course of judging the 2016 Graffigna London Steak Awards I had to visit four of London’s best steak restaurants on four consecutive nights. I mentioned it on Twitter in the hope of some sympathy and support, but for whatever reason I received none. The world can be so cold. But do not weep for me. After judging last year’s awards that saw Hawksmoor win the title, I’ve been secretly looking forward to this year’s competition for, oh, about 364 days. OK I admit it: you’re right. I am a lucky bastard.
In order to pinpoint the best steak that London has to offer, the competition starts with a public vote. Then a panel of four judges (Jon Hawkins, editor of Foodism magazine; Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine; chef Neil Rankin and me) visits the four top-rated restaurants to find a winner. We take into account service, ambiance and value for money, but the quality of the steak is paramount. This year, the finalists are Goodman, Gaucho, Hawksmoor and MASH.
The final results aren’t published until 1st July so I can’t divulge the winner just yet (follow Graffigna UK on social media to find out). But I can share with you what makes each of them unique, their respective strengths and weaknesses, and why each one deserves its place on the shortlist. Thanks to my proximity to a phenomenally good butcher (The Butchery SE23), I’ve maintained a worryingly high steak count since the last competition, so I’ll also share my top tips on buying steak, cooking it and matching it with wine.
MASH
Though the name might suggest otherwise, MASH is not a purveyor of premium pommes purées but a Modern American Steak House. It’s a handsome subterranean space beneath Brewer Street near Piccadilly that’s simultaneously cavernous and intimate consisting of a glistening island bar, grids of red leather banquettes and various pristine private dining rooms. The seating is broken up with the occasional glass meat locker, just to focus the mind. The service is warm but faultlessly professional.
Choose your meat first by country, then by cut. The American sirloin (£32.00) had the requisite buttery juiciness, and the 55-day aged Danish ribeye (£37.00) delivered on depth of flavour. But it was the 100g of prime Kobe (£65.00) we shared that reigned supreme – like god crying beefy tears on my tongue. And their béarnaise is exceptional.
The wine list is particularly strong on US wines both ‘modern’ macho fruit bombs and more contemporary, balanced styles, though the preponderance of verticals feels a little showy. Most other major regions are represented, with supplementary strength in Barolo and Bordeaux. Prices range from the low £20s to DRC but it’s worth noting that corkage is just £20, and free of charge on Sundays. All in all, MASH offers superb steak-based entertainment.
Goodman
Goodman arrived in London in 2008 with bullish confidence and quickly earned itself a reputation for top quality meat. It was surprisingly absent from last year’s shortlist, but this year it made the cut. Now there are three branches; I visited Goodman City. It’s a comfortable, medium-sized dining room with a smart yet informal atmosphere with plenty of wood and brown leather. Like MASH it has a distinctly US feel to it, but more New York than Los Angeles. The waiting staff are bright, friendly and remarkably knowledgeable, happy to talk not just about steak but also wine and butchery.
The steaks come from two sources: US corn-fed Black Angus from Nebraska and UK grass-fed native breeds. Both are aged in-house for around 25 days. The 850g US Porterhouse (£70.00) was an excellent example of its type and the 700g UK Hereford wing-rib (£57.75) was juicy and flavoursome. The roaring charcoal oven delivers a crackling crust and an addictive smokiness. Do not skip the starters; they are superlative, particularly the tempura prawns. Sides, however, are fairly basic.
Their wine list is another strength. Like MASH it’s strong on California, with plenty of choice elsewhere, and even the smaller selection of whites has been put together with care. There isn’t much choice under £30 a bottle, and the by-the-glass selection is limited. Prices, however, are remarkably fair for this part of town. It’s eminently clear why Goodman has so many committed fans.
Gaucho
Gaucho has grown into a sizeable chain over the past decade or so. There are now a dozen branches in London, a couple in the North and three abroad – even one in Buenos Aires. The Tower Bridge site is fitted out in their signature monochrome; wall-to-wall black and white leather, and the occasional Friesian wall covering. Waiters dressed as gauchos (Argentinean cowboys) circle the room with steaks on boards to help demonstrate the different cuts.
It’s all grass-fed Aberdeen Angus from their own farm in Argentina, wet-aged for 25-30 days during its journey by sea to Europe. The 400g ribeye (£30.95) was juicy and flavoursome, the 400g churrasco-style fillet (£47.95) was beautifully textured if over-seasoned. Starters and desserts are not this restaurant’s strongest suits, but the views overlooking Tower Bridge are hard to beat.
Our waiter communicated all we needed to know about the beef, then accidently smashed a full wine glass on the table. It could happen to anyone, and it’s the response that counts; swift and thorough in this instance. The wine was Argentinean of course; the entire list is. It’s an extensive selection, not always the best value, but will sate the dedicated Malbec lover.
Hawksmoor
Last year, on the back of a meal at the Mayfair branch, Hawksmoor deservedly lifted the trophy at the inaugural London Steak Awards. There are half a dozen sites now in London, one in Manchester and soon a flagship branch in New York. This time I paid a visit to the Seven Dials restaurant in Covent Garden. It’s another capacious underground bunker, with vaulted brickwork, herringbone wooden flooring and squat green leather armchairs here providing a distinctly British feel.
The meat, too, is British – rare breeds, grass-fed then finished on corn, slaughtered at 3-5 years then dry-aged for 28-55 days. We shared a 950g longhorn porterhouse (£87.25; a 400g ribeye would set you back £31.00). The quality of the meat here is indisputable, and the sauces, sides and starters all deserve a mention. Especially the triple-cooked chips, which, I would dare to suggest, cannot be improved upon.
The front-of-house staff are confident, attentive and knowledgeable, and sommelier Nacho Campo was on hand to offer guidance with the wines. Bastard that I am, I asked him to suggest a white wine from his Coravin list to accompany the steaks; his suggestion was that most weaponised of white styles, a 2014 Rene Mossé ‘Arena’ Savennières (£10.50/125ml). It was as good a match as any white wine could have provided. The wine list here is excellent; smart, stylistically unhindered and fairly priced, with endless choices from £23 upwards and plenty of options by the glass. Or go on a Monday and take your own bottle for £5 corkage. Hawksmoor may be expanding stateside, but their UK operation hasn’t slackened.
We have countless steak restaurants now in London, but there is considerable variability in quality, and that is what makes this competition so worthwhile. Particularly since good steak is an expensive commodity – as with wine, ‘less but better’ is a smart strategy – but that means the right choice is even more critical. But you can of course eat good steak at home with relative ease – it doesn’t necessarily require complex hardware or technique. Here are a few pointers.
Top 6 tips for buying steak
- The most important thing of all is to find a good butcher. In London, try C. Lidgate in Holland Park, The Butchery SE23 in Forest Hill, Randall’s in Fulham, Meat N16 in Stoke Newington or a branch of The Ginger Pig. For mail order try Turner & George.
- Ask about the animal’s diet. Grass-fed is all-round better than grain fed, though grass-fed then finished on grain can also produce excellent steak.
- The age of the cow at slaughter is also important; you’re looking for at least a couple of years, but double that (or more) would be even better from a reliable butcher.
- The breed of cattle does make a difference but it’s a relatively minor consideration. If you live in the UK, stick with UK native breeds (Longhorn, Shorthorn, Hereford, Dexter, etc.) and you should be fine.
- Different cuts make a big difference. For optimum juiciness and flavour, you need to have some fat, so go for sirloin or ribeye. Fillet, however, can’t be beaten for tenderness and texture. Rump can be good, but it’s usually cheaper for a reason. Meat on the bone (T-bone, wing-rib, bone-in sirloin, etc.) usually delivers more complexity of flavour, and is often cheaper.
- The ageing period of the meat is key to complexity and depth of flavour. 28 days should be considered a bare minimum; 45 to 60 days is a good middle ground; beyond this is no bad thing, but you risk sacrificing juiciness for depth of flavour. In my experience, dry ageing produces a better flavour; beware of bloody, vacuum-packed steaks.
Top 6 tips for cooking steak at home
- Allow around 400g of meat per person. Don’t forget to account for any bone; ask the butcher how much it’s likely to weigh.
- If you don’t have a fancy oven or charcoal grill, invest in a heavy griddle pan. They make all the difference to the crust and are essential for thinner cuts.
- Oil the meat liberally, not the pan. Season generously with salt and pepper just before cooking.
- Ensure the griddle is ferociously hot before you introduce the meat. Open the windows and take down the smoke alarm. If it has a bone in, open the doors too.
- The right cuisson (done-ness) depends on timing. Timing will vary depending on a number of factors, but principally the dimensions of the steak and whether it has a bone in or not. As a very rough guide: for a 3cm-thick sirloin (no bone) to be cooked rare, cook for 2 minutes on one side, then turn for another 2 minutes. DO NOT MOVE THE STEAK WHILE IT COOKS. For a thicker steak such as a 1kg T-bone, sear on both sides for 2 minutes, then finish in a 180°C oven for 25 minutes for medium rare.
- If the meat is more than a 2cm thick, rest it for a couple of minutes before you serve it; the thicker the cut, the longer the rest, up to 25 minutes for a larger joint. Prioritise flavour over serving temperature.
Top 6 tips for matching steak with wine
- The wine must be red. At a push, you could go for a robust rosé (e.g. Bandol, Barossa) with a rare fillet, but we will never be friends.
- After that, you don’t need to worry too much. Good steak is versatile so a trusty friend to wine lovers.
- That said, the more flavoursome the steak, the bolder the red should be. So for a rare US fillet, you could consider a Valpolicella Ripasso, a Crozes-Hermitage, a Bierzo. For more robust cuts like ribeye or T-bone, go for something fuller in flavour and texture like Hunter Valley Shiraz, Ribera del Duero or Brunello.
- Steaks that are aged for longer take on more earthy, gamey complexity, so consider full-bodied but savoury styles at peak maturity, particularly Barolo, traditional Rioja or Bordeaux.
- If you’re serving any powerful sides or sauces with the meat, take them into account when choosing the wine. But these would only detract from the meat, so they’re better avoided to be honest. It’s hard to go wrong with some sautéed potatoes with rosemary and garlic and some buttered, wilted spinach.
- Don’t leave the wine on the counter in the kitchen while you’re cooking, it’ll get too hot. Leave it in the fridge instead but you might want to set an alarm for 20 minutes to remind you to take it out again.
First published on timatkin.com.
German Syrah: Some like it cool
At the first wine course I ever took the tutor explained that Syrah and Shiraz are actually the same grape but under different names. It felt like an illuminating nugget of knowledge at the time, but it turned out to be fool’s gold. At their extremes, these two styles are so different that they have little in common. At one end there’s the spicy, savoury aromatics and defined structure born of a warm climate (Syrah); at the other there is the power, density and ripe black fruits of a hot climate (Shiraz).
Both have their fans, but I find that too much heat robs this grape of its aromatic complexity, freshness and drinkability, not to mention adding ungainly weight to its naturally athletic frame. My rule of thumb has always been ‘the cooler the climate the better’. So when I heard that Germany was making some world-class Syrahs I had to investigate this new frontier: how cool is too cool?
Germany has long been famous for the quality of its white wines – in the best vintages. Its climate is so marginal for grape production that in the second half of the twentieth century there were usually between four and five indifferent vintages per decade. But over the past 15 years or so, the climate appears to have become more amenable to viticulture and more grape varieties are being trialled. Today around 40% of German vineyards are planted with red grapes. Germany is now the third biggest global producer of Pinot Noir (here called Spätburgunder), where it has been grown for centuries. But Syrah is new here.
The first vines were planted in 1993 by Werner Knipser in the Pfalz on the back of their success with red Bordeaux varieties. The first commercial vintage was 1997. Hanspeter Ziereisen was the first to plant Syrah in neighbouring Baden in 1999. He now estimates that there are 10 to 15 producers in Baden alone, and 50 to 55 hectares of Syrah planted across the country.
Ziereisen was already making Pinot Noir, but wanted to make a more powerful red – but it had to be something he wanted to drink himself. Since he isn’t a big fan of Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, he decided to plant Syrah, particularly since he draws parallels between the climate of Baden and that of the northernmost valley of the Rhône. “We are the [northernmost] Rhône!” he says with a hearty laugh.
Growing Syrah in Germany however is far from straightforward. “I always thought that Pinot Noir was one of the most difficult grapes,” says Ziereisen, “but Syrah is horrible! It’s only for winemakers that like to work in the vineyard.” It is a vigorous variety which makes it labour intensive to manage, and the berries are prone to fall from the vine.
Achieving sufficient ripeness is never guaranteed, and rain at harvest is a constant worry. “In two to three days the crop is destroyed. In 2006 we were not able to make a Syrah, in two or three days it was completely rotten.” Patrick Johner at Karl H. Johner in Baden, makes Syrah at their New Zealand estate but not at their German property. He believes only 1 in every 3 or 4 years can make wine of an acceptable standard due to all the rain and humidity. “It’s like playing roulette,” he says.
Dirk Rosinski at Knipser agrees that producing Syrah in Germany isn’t easy, but he believes that the humidity issue affects all varieties, not just Syrah. He thinks that in time it could match the quality of the best German Pinot Noir. “But it’s only for the red wine freaks who want to find out what is possible,” he says, “it’s not for every winery. You must be a little crazy.”
For a start there’s the perennial risk of vines dying during the brutally cold winters. If they do survive, low yields of 30-35 hl/ha are required (half that of Riesling) to ensure a good level of concentration. And this – plus the associated costs of new machinery, expertise and oak barrels – all adds up to high prices for the finished wines, so they’re not always easy to sell. Many of these potential pitfalls made themselves known in one or other of the 24 German Syrahs I tasted last week. Quality was very up and down, and there were a good number of disappointing wines. But the best were excellent. And as vines mature, local expertise grows and more favourable sites are identified, quality will only improve.
There are several regions outside of the Northern Rhône that produce excellent Syrahs, such as Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand, Adelaide Hills in Australia, Sonoma Coast in California and Swartland in South Africa. On the back of this tasting, I’m tentatively adding Baden and Pfalz to this growing list.
The tasting
I tasted the wines firstly by region (Baden, Pfalz, Württemberg and Rheinhessen), then in order of vintage starting with the youngest. Only one wine was submitted by each producer (notable absences being Rings, Ellwanger, Zeter and Schneider).This is early days for German Syrah, and styles varied widely even within each region. Baden and the Pfalz are the warmest regions in Germany: unsurprisingly they fared the best. Of the two, Baden was the most consistent in terms of quality, and 2012 proved to be the most favourable recent vintage throughout Germany for this variety.
To compare German Syrah to any other region around the world, the Northern Rhône would be the closest fit. The best were similar in weight to lighter Côte-Rôtie or Crozes-Hermitage but they often had more red fruit notes and many had a notable vegetal or herbal side. This can contribute complexity and character, or greenness and bitterness, depending on the wine.
Often the acidity was quite elevated, sometimes jarring. Certain winemakers left one or two grams of residual sugar in the wine in search of balance, but more often than not this resulted in an uneasy sweet-and-sour effect. Most of the wines had some oak influence, often too much; this was a recurring problem, but at least it’s one that’s easy for winemakers to address.
Overall, of the 24 wines I tasted, 10 weren’t up to scratch – and that’s a lot – but four were outstanding. Sadly only one is currently available in the UK, but others are on their way. I’ve supplied the local retail price in euros as a guide.
Eight German Syrahs to try
Fritz Waßmer Syrah 2012 (13.5%; Baden, Germany)
RRP 29€
Deeply coloured. Intense fruit here – pure blackberry and a hint of classic Syrah black pepper. Medium- to full-bodied for the style, with intense black fruits and real concentration on the palate. The tannins are fine, the acidity firm but balanced, all leading to a medium length, pure, savoury finish. This is very good indeed – notable for its intensity, presence, aromatic complexity and general sense of harmony. A perfectly balanced wine that’s a joy to drink. 2016 to 2020, 92 points.
Knipser Réserve Syrah 2012 (13.5%; Pfalz, Germany)
RRP 60€, for release September 2017
24 months in new French oak, light and medium toast. Transparent dark ruby. Very spicy nose from the oak with juicy loganberry fruit. Autumn leaves, fresh earth and rosemary all lie in wait underneath. Fuller in body than most, with some satin sheen on the palate from the oak. This is more ambitious and concentrated than any other wine in this tasting. Bright, luminous fruit with fine but noticeable tannins. Good purity, and the fruit and oak come together on the long finish, but it will take a while for the wood to fully integrate. 2018 to 2026, 92 points.
Ziereisen Gestad Syrah 2012 (12.0%; Baden, Germany)
£24.00, Howard Ripley
A distinctly earthy style of Syrah with some noticeable oak over the black olive and rosemary. Real freshness, impact and intensity. Tangy finish with some length of fruit and a fine, silky texture. 2016 to 2019, 91 points.
Espenhof Nico Espenschied Syrah 2012 (14.0%; Rheinhessen, Germany)
RRP 24€; 2013 available UK in December from Thirsty Cambridge
Steep, south-facing slope, clay over limestone, planted 2007. No new oak, no additions, no filtration, no fining. Bright, pure, smoky raspberry and cranberry fruit. Pure, sweet fruit on the palate, with a lovely sense of purity and balance. Savoury black olive finish. This is a sensitively made wine that shows off German Syrah's spicy red berry aromatic profile and the fine yet firm structure that sets it apart from other German reds. 2016 to 2018, 90 points.
Bernd Hummel Reserve Malscher Rotsteig Syrah 2012 (13.0%; Baden, Germany)
RRP 25€
Intriguing and inviting nose: high-toned oak spice, raspberry and dried rose. Fuller in body than some, and there is a touch of sweetness here, but it's not out of balance. Not terribly long, but this immediately enjoyable wine has complexity, finesse, and a good sense of harmony. There’s a touch of bitter cherry on the juicy finish. 2016 to 2019, 89 points.
Klaus Meyer Rhodt unter Rietburg Réserve Syrah 2012 (12.5%; Pfalz, Germany)
RRP 20€
Young vines (planted 2009) on limestone. Pale ruby. Cherry cola on the nose – robust oak influence, but there is good raspberry and loganberry fruit underneath. Good concentration of sweet red berry fruits, balanced acidity. This is young now, but will improve and come together in time. A wine of considerable finesse and elegance, and has handled the oak well considering the age of the vines. The tannin is fine, ripe, and not drying. There is good potential here – one to watch. 2017 to 2022, 89 points.
Graf Neipperg Syrah 2013 (14.0%; Württemberg, Germany)
RRP 47€
A distinctly savoury nose – black olive, dried herbs, with some just-ripe blackberry. Medium-bodied, velvet textured with a subtle grain. Decent intensity of fruit, and high but balanced raspberry acidity. The tannins are a little sketchy around the edges, but the aromatics deliver much to enjoy. An ambitious style of wine that would be fascinating to taste in a better vintage. 2016 to 2019, 88 points.
Neiss Kindenheimer Katzenstein Syrah 2013 (13.5%; Pfalz, Germany)
RRP 19.90€
Distinctly spicy/herbal nose. Very high-toned and floral. Fine and light on the palate, with sappy fruit. The acidity is incisive but and the wine retains a level of sweetness on the finish. A Syrah for German Pinot lovers? 2016 to 2018, 88 points.
First published on timatkin.com.
Chapoutier 2015 Sélections Parcellaires: the best vintage since 1990?
Every spring, Rhône ringleader Michel Chapoutier comes to London to unveil the new vintage of his top single vineyard wines, the Sélections Parcellaires. It’s a hotly anticipated tasting for a number of reasons. Firstly, because Chapoutier’s wines are consistently among the best in the region. Secondly, because he shows his new vintage six months in advance of most other winemakers, so it’s a tantalising glimpse of what’s to come. And thirdly, because Michel is such an entertaining, outspoken and provocative performer.
This year however, despite being an extraordinary vintage, a trim and well-groomed Michel had less to say than normal – and was even prone to the occasional understatement. In difficult vintages, there is a story to tell – challenges, battles, disasters averted. But 2015 wasn’t difficult: quite the contrary. It is, he said, “probably the best vintage since 1990.” He went on to mention a recent conversation he had with renowned Côte-Rôtie winemaker Marcel Guigal, who suggested it could be the equal of legendary vintages such as 1961 or even 1947. As the 2015 Bordeaux en primeur carousel creaks into action, you might want to save some of your wine budget for the Rhône this year.
Vintage conditions
Michel began by describing 2015 as “a warm year”, a slight understatement that could do with elaborating. After a humid spring, mid-June to mid-August was sweltering, with temperatures regularly topping 37°C (99°F). Regional marketing body InterRhone describes 2015 as “one of the hottest seasons of the last few decades.” It was also unusually dry.
Thanks to ample rain during the previous winter and spring however, according to InterRhone there were no reported symptoms of drought. There were some thundery storms during the harvest in late August and September, but, they say, these caused no ill-effects to the grapes thanks to the thickness of their skins. There was certainly no sign of rot or dilution in what I encountered at this tasting.
Marsanne and Grenache
Michel doesn’t use Roussanne for his white wines, so the four we tasted – one Saint-Joseph and three Hermitages – were pure Marsanne. Generally speaking they have impressive concentration and a sense of easy opulence. These are invariably very good wines, but 2015 appears to be a vintage for those who value richness over tension in their whites.
The two Southern Rhône wines in the line-up were also single varietals, Grenache this time – and are two of the best Châteauneufs I have tasted to date from this producer. The fruit was fresh, defined and intense but what really impressed was the structure – fine acidity matched with some enjoyably emphatic tannins.
Syrah
Unsurprisingly for a holder of large positions of Hermitage, it was the Syrahs that stole the show. The Saint-Josephs were impressive, but the top Hermitage wines were exceptional even by Chapoutier’s high standards. Despite the heat, the wines have retained a sense of freshness and avoided any jamminess. “The level of acidity everywhere is quite high,” says Michel, “you don’t feel the heat like in 2000 or 2003… What amazes me in 2015 is the minerality. We were sure to have richness, but we [didn’t] expect to have the minerality of a cold vintage.”
A defining trait of these 2015 Syrahs is the character and intensity of their tannins. Michel described how the winemaking team discussed the “fresh, slightly biting tannins” (understatement number two) and how to handle them. They considered extended barrel ageing, but in the end Michel decided “we don’t correct the vintage… no, we must capture them.” It was a bold decision. These lupine, saw-toothed tannins have delivered some thrillingly textured wines.
Nonetheless these Syrahs are well balanced, and have everything they need for long term ageing. And they’re going to need it: it will take time for these wines to soften, but it will be worth the wait. “After this tasting you will have a black tongue,” he said. And I did.
Other projects
The tireless Michel has a suite of new projects every year, and he shared some of them with us at the tasting. Although famous for his single vineyard approach to making Hermitage, he is producing a limited number of magnums of blended Hermitage for special occasions such as auctions.
Combining his love-affair with Australia and Portugal, Michel is planting some Touriga Nacional in the Pyrennes region of Victoria, south-east Australia.
We also tasted the first release of Chrysopée, a Grenache Gris/Blanc Collioure under his Domaine de Bila-Haut label. It’s distinctly rich and opulent, but is an impressive example considering the fairly young vine age. One to watch.
One thing however not to expect any time soon is a Carignan. “Carignan – it tastes of Carignan – horrible! You put in 10% it kills the wine,” he pronounced. I knew the new understated Michel wouldn’t last.
Is this the best vintage since 1990? We’ll have to wait until the wines are bottled to be certain. But on the back of this tasting, I wouldn’t rule it out.
Barrel samples tasted at Home House, London on 18th April 2016. Prices will vary between merchants, the below are given as a guide.
Whites
2015 Chapoutier Saint-Joseph Blanc ‘Les Granits’
£220.00 in bond per 6 bottles, L’Assemblage
2 ha, 100% Marsanne, very old vines south of Tournon grown on steep granite slopes.
Slightly honeyed, tangy pineapple and Eastern spices (turmeric) on the nose, and some considered, unobtrusive oak. Lovely texture, very smooth mouthfeel. This is a rich and relatively full-bodied Granits, perhaps without the definition and cut 2014, but nonetheless well balanced, poised and polished. 91-93 points, 2016 to 2021.
2015 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc ‘Le Méal’
£588.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Fine+Rare Wines
2 ha, 100% Marsanne, 50+ year old vines on alluvial deposits and large stones.
Beautiful mango, rhubarb and raw cream aromas. Very full in body. Good intensity of fruit, weighty but fresh and well balanced – a relatively opulent and easy-going vintage for this cuvée. Very complete and relaxed in its own skin, with mineral detail on the finish. 95-97 points, 2017 to 2033.
2015 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc ‘De L’Orée’
£622.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Fine+Rare Wines
3.5 ha, 100% Marsanne, from Les Murets. 70 year old vines on pebbles and sand.
Immediately richer on the nose than the Méal, with almond milk and poached peach. Very full, very opulent in flavour and texture, with good persistence. This has good intensity, but perhaps without the liveliness of cooler years. The mineral finish neatens everything up however and lengthens the overall impression. 95-97 points, 2017 to 2030.
2015 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc ‘L’Ermite’
£1444.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Fine+Rare Wines
0.5 ha, 100% Marsanne, 100+ year old vines on the top of the hill of Hermitage behind the chapel on granitic soils.
Aniseed, lime skin, fleur du sel and a touch of struck-match spicy oak on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with an intense impression on the palate, incredible intensity of flavour and crystalline fruit. Limey acidity, incredible lift and purity. Long, straight style, saturated with minerality. Tremulous, vibrating finish. A very serious wine.97-100 points, 2019 to 2045.
2015 Chapoutier Condrieu ‘Coteau de Chéry’
Not available to taste this year.
Reds
2015 Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Croix de Bois’
£183.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Fine+Rare Wines
5 ha, 100% Grenache from Bédarrides, 45 year old vines grown on large pebbles and sandy red clay.
Lively, fresh and perfumed red berry fruit, all very open and transparent. Well integrated spicy oak and a touch of liquorice. The palate is fairly full-bodied and rounded with creamy fruit, but is balanced with good tannic crunch, lovely acidity and vibrancy. Medium length. One of the best Croix de Bois yet. 91-93 points, 2016 to 2023.
2015 Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Barbe Rac’
£199.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Fine+Rare Wines
4 ha, 100% Grenache grown on galets over red clay and sand, 90 year old vines.
Richer on the nose than the Croix de Bois, with darker brambly fruit. Good definition and clarity to the aromas. Full-bodied, saturated with rich plum and blackberry fruit, but with ample brisk acidity and firm tannins. Good length of fruit into the finish. The alcohol is just a little noticeable at this stage, but it doesn’t detract from what is a successful, rich and succulent Châteauneuf. 92-94 points, 2017 to 2025.
2015 Chapoutier Crozes-Ermitage ‘Les Varonniers’
£131.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Fine+Rare Wines
3.2 ha, 100% Syrah, 60+ year old vines grown on west-facing granite slopes.
Dense, reticent nose with pure brambly fruits. Full, intense and ripe on the palate with slightly powdery tannins. Inky concentration, full extraction. The tannins are a little gruff at this stage, so it would be good to retaste once in bottle. 89-91 points, 2019 to 2024.
2015 Chapoutier Saint-Joseph ‘Les Granits’
£200.00 in bond per 6 bottles, L’Assemblage
2.5 ha, 100% Syrah, very old vines on stony granitic soil.
Deep, dense, meaty, slightly spicy nose. Intense, full of fruit, full-bodied and powerful. Mouth-coating ripe tannins. A powerful wine, with a saline, mineral, savoury finish, well integrated oak and a good sense of balance. Saturated with tannin, but ripe tannin. 93-94 points, 2019 to 2027.
2015 Chapoutier Saint-Joseph ‘Le Clos’
£480.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Millesima
<1 ha, 100% Syrah, 15 year old vines on granitic soil.
Darker and denser than the Granits, with some raw beef on the nose alongside violets, liquorice and fresh herbs. A different tannic register to the Granits: massy, thick and sumptuous tannins. The acid level is on the low side but essentially balanced, and it has a good sense of straightness and purity. A pleasing earthiness on the finish. This will be good, and highly complex I suspect, with sufficient time. An ambitious, modern and well-crafted Saint-Joseph. 93-95 points, 2021 to 2029.
2015 Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie ‘La Mordorée’
£348.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Fine+Rare Wines
3 ha, 100% Syrah, 70 year old vines on steep terraces of mica-schist in loess on the border of the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune.
Very much on the fruit here, not so much in the way of herbal or sylvan register. A touch of black olive tapenade underneath. Full-bodied, and packed with ripe, thick, earthy tannins. Long, very dry finish. It will take a while for the oak to fully integrate and the tannins to soften, but this is a good Mordorée. 91-93 points, 2019 to 2027.
2015 Chapoutier Ermitage ‘Les Greffieux’
£582.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Millesima
3.5 ha, 100% Syrah, 50+ year old vines at the foot of the hill grown on alluvial deposits, shingle and clay.
Fresh, perfumed blackberry fruit with some integral dark chocolate and kirsch. Full-bodied, powerful, very fresh and lively, with crisp, assertive tannins and a long finish. Very well balanced, more complete and harmonious than usual. A step up for this cuvée, it feels effortless this year. 94-96 points, 2023 to 2037.
2015 Chapoutier Ermitage ‘Le Méal’
£622.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Fine+Rare Wines
2.2 ha, 100% Syrah, 50+ year old vines on high terraces of shingle and clay.
Intense, complete, fresh and natural nose, very relaxed and harmonious. It has an easy authority. Very full in body, opulent fresh fruit alongside liquorice and sage, Very long, mouth-coating, with a gently serrated tannic finish. Saline and mineral – the terroir really makes itself known. One of the most impressive young Méals I’ve tasted. 97-100 points, 2025 to 2045.
2015 Chapoutier Ermitage ‘Le Pavillon’
£898.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Fine+Rare Wines
4 ha, 100% Syrah, 65 year old vines on granitic soils from Les Bessards.
Deeper, slightly meatier than the Méal, but less effusive in fragrance – smells like bottled ink, blackberry juice and fresh herbs. Easy, smooth and svelte on the palate but it harbours a considerable weight of super-fine tannin, all perfectly ripe and not overdone. Wonderfully intense expression of pure lively fruit on the palate. It has a elegant mouthfeel, and really builds in power to a very long finish. Plenty of acid, very saline, highly mineral - an athletic wine. 97-100 points, 2025 to 2050.
2015 Chapoutier Ermitage ‘L’Ermite’
£1000.00 in bond per 6 bottles, Fine+Rare Wines
3 ha, 100% Syrah, 80+ year old vines at the top of the hill around the chapel on loess over granite.
Dark, deep, brooding. Aromatically this veers towards the mineral; petrichor and fleur du sel. Sublime freshness, almost like sea air. Full-bodied, but strapped in with tannin. The quality of the tannin is very impressive; highly assertive, almost saw-toothed. But crucially they are ripe and elegant. This is incredibly long and pure. It will take time to come around, but will be superlative. Straight, long, as smart as a whip. 98-100 points 2027 to 2060.
First published on timatkin.com.