Describing grape varieties: red grapes
Right, just a bit of fun this week. If there’s one good way of trying to guess what the wine in a random bottle will taste like, it’s by knowing which grape variety (or varieties) it was made from. Sometimes, most commonly in New World countries, it states it on the label. With many of the famous names from the Old World, it will just have the name of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) such as Chianti, Chablis or Rioja. These take a bit of decoding, but by law these PDOs always have to use the same grape variety (or blend of certain varieties). A quick search on the web will tell you what they are likely to contain.
All grapes have their own flavour profiles, which are more or less constant no matter where they are grown. Cabernet Sauvignon has a strong character, and will almost always be easily identifiable as such by the way it smells and tastes. Some grapes, like Pinot Gris, are more malleable and less obvious, with much of the character of the finished wine depending on where they are grown and what practices are used in the vineyard and the winery.
For the most commonly encountered grapes, I’ve written a few flavours or aromas that you might commonly find in the wines made from these grapes. But since not everyone can conjure the smell and flavour of damsons or pencil shavings just from the word alone, I’ve also tried a second way of expressing their character - through comparing them to a famous person.
If you can think of any others, or if you agree or disagree, leave your thoughts in the box below. Next week – white grapes!
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cassis, blackcurrant, pencil shavings, tobacco, green pepper.
Strong, handsome and unmistakable. Not always the most subtle, but very popular, especially in America. Improves with age like few others. Cabernet Sauvignon is George Clooney, Robert De Niro, or The Fonz.
Merlot
Plum, prunes, blackberry.
Plump, fleshy and fruity. A crowd pleaser, but sometimes lets himself go a bit. Better in a team rather than by himself. When he is good he is very very good; but can also give a pretty forgettable performance when not challenged to give of his best. Merlot is Jack Nicholson, Jack Black and Danny DeVito.
Pinot Noir
Strawberry, raspberry, dark cherry, mushroom, farmyard aromas.
Intellectual, mysterious, arty. Undeniably brilliant but can be wilfully awkward and contrary. Pinot Noir is Vincent Cassell, Kaiser Soze, and Bob Dylan.
Cabernet Franc
Blackcurrant, blackcurrant bush, pencil lead, raspberry.
Hardly great in stature, and is a bit of an acquired taste. Flashes of genius, sometimes fails to make the grade. Cabernet Franc is Woody Allen, Jean-Paul Sartre.
Gamay
Cherry, strawberry, raspberry, banana.
Sometimes a little lightweight, Gamay is also capable of greatness and beauty. Quintessentially pretty, but not without depth. Often underrated. Gamay is Audrey Tatou or Lucy Liu.
Malbec
Blackberry, violets.
All too often know for his big, butch qualities, Malbec can also, in the right hands, give a measured performance. Once acquainted, you know what to expect from Malbec, so are rarely disappointed - but rarely surprised. Malbec is Sylvester Stallone, Ricky Martin, Morgan Freeman.
Mourvèdre
Bramble, damsons, prunes, compost.
Big and burly, a gentle giant. Characterful and amiable, but prone to clumsiness, as he doesn’t know his own strength. Mourvèdre is Gerard Depardieu, Martin Johnson, Joaquin Phoenix in full beard.
Grenache/Garnacha
Strawberry, mocha, dried herbs, plums.
Hardly the most butch of grape varieties, but has a vital supporting role in many of the greatest of wines. Can also do great things in its own right. Grenache is Philip Seymour Hoffman and Nigel Slater.
Shiraz/Syrah
Black fruits, black pepper, bacon.
Genetically the same variety, but very different in character. Syrah is lean, intense and brooding. It is Christian Bale. Shiraz is a bigger, bolder version; still impressive in stature and capable of a great performance, but without the nuance. It is Russell Crowe.
Nebbiolo
Roses, tar, cherries, liquorice, star anise.
Brooding, aristocratic and austere, but charismatic and captivating. Nebbiolo is Batman, Anthony Bourdain and Sherlock Holmes.
Sangiovese
Cherry, violets, almonds.
Tall, lean and prone to being a little serious. Giorgio Locatelli, John McEnroe and José Mourinho.
Tempranillo
Roses, leather, red and black fruits, tea.
No nonsense, firm, steadfast. Tempranillo is Zoro and Steve McQueen.
Touriga Nacional
Blackberry, floral.
Attractive and flamboyant, Touriga Nacional is the perfect match of beauty and brains. It is Maggie Gyllenhaal or Johnny Depp.
Pinotage
Strawberry, blackberry, nail varnish, damsons, sweet spices.
Either you love him or you hate him, Pinotage is a bit of an oddity, but with strong character if not charm. Shaun Ryder, Lembit Opik or Lemmy.
Carmenère
Blackberry, blackcurrant, tomato stalk, red pepper.
Big and burly, a bit rough round the edges and rarely intellectual but easy-going enough. Ronnie Wood or Shrek.
Zinfandel
Liquorice, raisins, spice, ripe red berries, dark chocolate.
Big and strong with an American accent. Powerful but smooth with it. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Evander Holyfield, Barry White. If it tries to do rosé, you end up with Kindergarten Cop instead of The Terminator.
As for Carignan, I did him in detail a while ago here: Carignan the Barbarian. If you’d like to add any, just use the comments box below. We’ll do white grapes next week…
When I hear ‘cult wine’ I reach for my revolver
I was walking around the recent Annual California Wine Tasting in London the other day and one particular bottle caught my eye. I had heard about it before, and had seen it in a couple of high-end wine shops over the years, but never drunk any. I also recalled seeing some high scores from critics in magazines. I walked over and asked if I could taste it. The lady behind the table kindly poured me a sample, and I was quite excited to finally try it for myself – “you’re going to love it” she said. And then she uttered those dreaded words “…it’s a real cult wine.”
Whenever I hear ‘cult wine’ as part of a sales pitch, my heart sinks. All too often it means that it will be overworked and overpriced. There are many wines from around the globe which have built up a ‘cult following’, however in my mind that is something quite different; it tends to be through a combination of three factors:
- Quality
- Scarcity
- A unique, unusual or impressive style
If there is a really good wine on the market made in an unusual style, it is hardly surprising that it will prick up the ears of wine lovers, who will want to give it a try. Unique or unusual styles tend to divide people into those who really love them and those who really don’t, which can lead to a dedicated group of followers. Most highly individual wines I have tasted are made by artisan producers rather than large commercial wineries, so it is not surprising that wines with such a cult following are made on a small scale. Fashion and/or clever marketing can be supporting factors.
When I hear about this kind of wine, I always try to hunt down a bottle; even if they turn out to be a bit weird or wacky, at least they are rarely boring, and they tend to give you lots to talk about. There is one important factor, however, not included in the list above that can strongly add to a wine’s following, and that’s a big score from an important critic – especially Robert Parker from the Wine Advocate. A score in the high nineties however can have a huge effect on demand, and if a wine is already made in very small quantities, this can and often does send the price soaring. It is this that will turn a wine with a cult following into a ‘cult wine’. By cult wine, I mean a wine made in small quantities, often only available by getting onto a mailing list, with very high prices, often bought with investment, rather than drinking, in mind.
The PR created by a very high score can cause demand for a small production wine to vastly outstrip supply. This can create a huge disconnect between price and quality. What once may have been a great £20 or even £50 bottle of wine is now the same quality, but stratospherically expensive. Cult wines are typically priced from around £150 per bottle, but can increase to many times this amount. It can be hard to know which famous names with big prices deserve it, and which don’t.
When I managed The Sampler in South Kensington, we had one eight-bottle Enomatic machine reserved for very top labels that were changed at least every two weeks. I tasted all of the bottles that went into this machine for any faults when loading it, so had the good fortune of tasting hundreds of such cult or iconic wines over the years, whether from France, Spain, California, Australia or elsewhere. There would often be clear differences in quality between different producers in the same region with similar price tags. I would naturally expect all wines priced at this high level to be excellent, but some would be very disappointing. This could be due to a number of factors: a badly stored bottle, an underperforming property in an otherwise good vintage, but often I suspect it was hype pushing up the price. Not to denigrate the tasting skill of any particular critic, but the ‘high score’ factor is the fastest way to create a cult wine, but also the most unreliable. It is often on the basis of one bottle, being tasted by one individual, at one moment in time.
That moment is all too often in a huge line up of wines being tasted and rated, one after the other. It’s not the excellent yet subtle wines that stand out at a time like that, it's the big, striking ones. What’s more, some of the most important US wine critics seem to have a natural preference for this powerful style of wine. So that’s often what can be expected from a cult wine that has been elevated by a critic’s high score. What’s more, it’s easier to convince some wine drinkers that they are exceptional, because they make a strong and immediate impression. Unsurprisingly, many wineries, particularly those on Parker’s watch, purposefully make this bombastic style in the hope of garnering scores that bring home the bacon. But when it comes to wine, bigger isn’t always better.
Extremity of experience can of course be worthwhile, memorable, and fun. Andrew Holod (@gosandrew) nails it succinctly when he tweeted “an extreme experience helps frame/define an edge of possibility” and I would agree. To feel your way to the outside perimeters of what is possible in a given field gives context to all future experience within that field. But once these perimeters are understood, there is little need to feel them out over and over again. There are brilliant ‘big’ wines that happen to sit at the outside edges production but offer much more than power and strength alone, and rightly deserve their place at the top. But joy and interest come from the character of the wine, not its amplitude.
It is always the big, burly try-hard versions rather than the quieter or more challenging wines with a cult following that are actively pushed by salesmen and women when I hear the world ‘cult’ as part of a sales pitch. Those wines that have slowly built a devoted band of admirers are the ones you generally need to sniff out yourself – and often the ones that prove to be the most rewarding discoveries.
Some high-scoring cult wines which I’m not yet convinced by:
Screaming Eagle, Napa, California
Yes, it is a very good Napa Cab, but is it worth £2,000 a bottle? No way.
Abreu Cappella, Napa, California
Very high scores, and typically around £400-£500 a bottle; heavy and overdone, far from pleasant drinking.
Some high-scoring cult wines that deserve the hype (if not quite always the prices):
Kongsgaard ‘The Judge’ Chardonnay, Napa, California
Caymus ‘Special Selection’, Napa, California
Henschke ‘Hill of Grace’, Barossa, Australia
Dominio de Pingus, Ribera del Duero, Spain
Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, Spain
Château Pétrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux
You’d be hard pushed to find any of the above for less than £150 per bottle – some are many times that.
Some wineries with cult followings of dedicated wine lovers that can be found for £25 - £50 per bottle:
Nicolas Joly ‘Clos de la Coulée de Serrant’, Savennières, France
Equipo Navazos ‘La Bota’ sherries, Spain
Gravner, Friuli, Italy
Castagna, Victoria, Australia
Dard et Ribo, Northern Rhône, France
Château Montus, Madiran, France
Domaine Tempier, Bandol, France
Corison, Napa, California
And for those who missed it, here is the Downfall of a Californian Cult Winery video. It’s another one based on the Hitler/Downfall meme, but don’t let that put you off, it’s very funny and worth a watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lIvGuCPZOc
The most widely planted grape in Japan: Koshu
It’s not every day I have the excuse to start a blog post with a haiku, but I do today, so here goes:
Koshu
It’s quite expensive,
But displays a unique style;
Not unlike sake.
Andrew Jefford would be proud…
In Japan they grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and a handful of other lesser known grapes such as Muscat Bailey A, but the most widely planted is the indigenous Koshu. It is a pretty pink-skinned grape variety that is grown almost exclusively in Yamanashi Prefecture (in the middle of Japan, west of Tokyo) where there are 80 wineries.
It used to be commonly made in a sweet style, but more recently producers have been concentrating on making dry versions. As these have been increasingly promoted by Japanese sommeliers at home and abroad, it has started to become more popular.
I tried 17 different Koshus last week, and though all were slightly different, it is an easily identifiable grape. It seems to have a reasonably tight flavour profile, giving similar expressions each time, rather than loads of different styles like, say, Chardonnay. In terms of colour it tends to be a very, very pale yellow/green. It often displays a lightly aromatic fruitiness, with aromas of melon, green apple and peach, sometimes with a faintly yeasty/leesy undertone, a whiff of jasmine or oyster shells. Though it tends to be medium to full-bodied, it doesn't have an intense concentration of flavour. Alcohol levels are low (10 – 12% ABV) and acidity levels are medium, neither low nor particularly crisp. The same words cropped up repeatedly in my notes: fresh, clean, pure and delicate.
Much of the above can also be said of sake, to which I feel it has a distinct kinship. Of course, just because they are both made in Japan doesn’t mean there should be any similarity at all: different raw material, different production process, different alcoholic strength, etc. The only thing that links them together is that they are both produced with Japanese food in mind. When I asked Masaki Minai, winemaker at Marquis Winery about this, he explained that Koshu should play a supporting part in the dining experience, whereas sake typically plays more of a leading role.
Though Koshu has an easily identifiable taste profile, there were stylistic differences between each producer: some emphasised fruit, some were more floral; there were varying degrees of leesy and yeasty aromas; though most were unoaked, some had spent some time in barrel; and there was a clear difference between the fuller 2010s on show and the crisper 2011s from a cooler, wetter vintage. Yamato Wine even purposefully increases the mineral content of their wines to dramatic effect by adding sea shells to the soil!
So should you run out and buy a bottle? Well, it’s a unique, albeit very light, style of wine that would be particularly useful for matching with light, delicate dishes, or simply enjoyed on its own. But it does tend to be pretty expensive for what you get. A typical bottle will set you back somewhere between £16 and £22 in the UK. You could buy a Muscadet that would be just as good in sheer quality/enjoyment terms and similar in style for around £12 to £15. The high price is frequently attributed to the cost of production – agricultural land in this small, overcrowded country is very expensive, and growing grapes successfully in the wet climate is a challenge. But I do wonder if the price is partly down to the wines being promoted as a ‘premium product’ rather down to the genuine costs involved. As more and more bottles find their way over here, perhaps we’ll see this price gradually decrease. But if you’re in a Japanese restaurant and see one available by the glass (particularly one of the bottles below), do give it a go – it certainly has its own unique character and it’s well worth a taste.
Some highlights
Soryu, Koshu, 2010
100% Koshu grapes from Yamanashi, Japan
£17.88 available from Amathus Wines
Low intervention style – no lees, no skin contact, no malolactic fermentation. Very pale greeny yellow. Oyster shell, yeast and cooked rice on the nose. Full bodied, relatively intense in flavour; melon, green apple. Medium length. 91 points, fair value.
Lumière, Koshu Hikari, 2010
100% Koshu grapes from Yamanashi, Japan
£18.90 available from Amathus Wines
Sweet melon fruitiness on the nose with a hint of white bread. Oyster shell, yeast and cooked rice on the nose. Fresh and delicate, with melon and red apple. Medium length. 90 points, just about fair value
Grace, Koshu Private Reserve, 2010
100% Koshu grapes from Yamanashi, Japan
£18.99 available from Corking Wines
Very pale yellow, almost white. Touch of citrus (grapefruit). Medium to full-bodied mouthfeel. Bright and fresh, with the purity of spring water. 91 points, fair value.
Dudley & de Fleury Wines: “it’s easy to fall in love with Fanny”
It has clearly been a hectic few months for the two Richards, Dudley and de Fleury. Operating for just over a year, they are still in the process of putting together their full range. Nonetheless, there were 75 wines on show at their recent tasting from their developing list.
They make an interesting double act, and their contrasting styles will no doubt be a strength for their business. Dudley is more of the old school, with a couple of decades of food and wine experience under his belt. He’s cooked in restaurants, run a delicatessen, worked in wineries in Australia and California and is studying for the Master of Wine.
De Fleury is young, enthusiastic, and still sports an antipodean twang from his years working in the wine industry in New Zealand. Until recently he managed The Winery, and excellent wine shop in Maida Vale, London, where he developed a love for Pinot Noir, particularly German and Burgundian.
One Pinot producer they are particularly fond of is 28-year-old Fanny Sabre, a producer in the Côte de Beaune. She has 4.5ha of vines in various appellations in and around Beaune, and does everything herself, from working the vineyards and making the wine right down to hand bottling and labelling. With no new oak, organic practices and only using minimal sulphur, her wines have a light, delicate and pure style. The reds were a little stronger than the whites. Her Aloxe-Corton 2009 in particular, I must agree, is easy to love – but it's a touch on the pricey side (£38.95).
The Richards’ enthusiasm for small, artisanal estates is clearly genuine and evident from their selection – all of the producers they work with are exclusive to Dudley & de Fleury Wines. Though their list is almost entirely made up of organic or biodynamic wines, they have no time for natural or orange wines, which Dudley sees as a fad. I’m looking forward to seeing what other estates they uncover during their travels.
Some highlights:
Reds
Château de Minière, ‘Chevalier de Minière’, 2010
100% Cabernet Franc grapes from Bourgueil, Loire, France
£12.95 available at Dudley & de Fleury Wines
Lovely leafy cassis nose. Tannic still, and lots of acidity. Spicy blackcurrant. Lacks a bit of finesse, but not shy or weedy. 87 points, good value.
Domaine du Deffends, ‘Champs de Truffière’, 2005
A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Syrah grapes from Provence, France
£18.95 available at Dudley & de Fleury Wines
Smells of baked berry fruits, juicy and vibrant. Touch of leather. Mostly fruit flavours on the palate. Full-bodied but not heavy. Rich, ripe, ready, and very drinkable. 90 points, fair value.
Domaine de l'Olivette, ‘L’Olivette Rouge’, 2007
A blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes from Bandol, France
£19.95 available at Dudley & de Fleury Wines
Spicy licorice and mocha on the nose, with blackberries and strawberries. Same intense fruits in the mouth. Firm ripe tannins, plenty of acidity and body. 91 points, fair value.
Whites
Domaine des Ramparts, Bourgogne Aligoté, 2010
100% Aligoté grapes from Burgundy, France
£12.95 available at Dudley & de Fleury Wines
Pale gold. Bright, lively citrussy nose. Medium to full-bodied, with good acidity and bite. Very dry, minerally finish. Good for an aligoté. 88 points, good value.
Cosimo Maria Masini, ‘Daphne’, 2008
100% Trebbiano grapes from Tuscany, Italy
£22.95 available at Dudley & de Fleury Wines
Pale copper in colour. Intensely woody, spicy nose with Indian spices (turmeric). Clearly has spent a long time on the skins. Faint oxidative element. Full-bodied, but with freshness and perfume. Balanced, with a tangy finish. Very unusual for a Trebbiano, but certainly interesting, and well put together. 90 points, fair value.
Austrian reds: don't laugh
Supplier: “Hello Matt, what would you like to taste?”
Me: “The St Laurent – I’m just tasting St Laurents at the moment.”
Supplier: (shoots another writer an incredulous look) “Just St Laurents? That’s very…er… specific of you.”
Cue much laughter from the two of them.
OK I admit it. It’s a bit niche. I was probably the only person just tasting indigenous red varieties at last week’s annual Austrian tasting. But on the strength of what I tasted, they deserve to be better known.
Think of Austrian wine and what comes to mind? Well for the average person on the street, not much; many people aren’t aware they even make wine, as you don’t often see it in the shops. The more dedicated wine drinker would probably suggest Riesling or Grüner Veltliner. Due to Austria’s cool, marginal climate for grape growing, crisp aromatic whites were always going to be a strong suit. Riesling is planted all over the world now, from Chile to New York to South Africa to Germany. Grüner is still very much an Austrian speciality, but that too is getting better known now, having found its way to New Zealand – so far with mixed results.
But what about its three indigenous red varieties, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and St Laurent? Thanks to their high acidity, Zweigelt and young Blaufränkisch are better drunk with food. Zweigelts would go well with game birds, lamb with herbs, duck or goose. Blaufränkisch is a bit more robust and fuller-bodied, so could stand up to roast beef or lamb. The most versatile is St Laurent, which would work in the same way as Pinot Noir, so partnering dishes like game birds, rabbit, lamb breast, roast mushrooms and other earthy yet not too strongly flavoured dishes.
The proportion of red varieties grown has doubled over the last two decades and now represents one-third of Austria’s vineyards. As interest in German Pinot Noirs increases, it won’t be long before people start taking more notice of Austrian reds as well.
Zweigelt (aka Blauer Zweigelt)
- 6,480 hectares grown, some of the best from Neusiedlersee, south-east of Vienna.
- The most commonly planted red grape in Austria. Some good wines, but doesn’t seem to quite hit the heights of the other two.
- A crossing of Blaufränkisch and St Laurent, it was developed in 1922 by a certain Professor Zweigelt (no relation to Doctor Zoidberg).
- When crops are kept low, it can produce some interesting wines that can age for a while, but they tend to be better drunk young and fresh.
- Can work with oak, but often produced without using any.
- Typically exhibits sour cherry and spice (cinnamon); low-ish tannins but very high acidity.
- A bit like Gamay (when grown in the Loire), Dornfelder, or Corvina (Valpolicella).
Blaufränkisch (the Germans call it Limberger, the Hungarians Kékfrankos, the Bulgarians Gamé)
- 3,230 hectares grown, some of the best from Mittelburgenland, south of Vienna.
- A characterful grape, this can produce very good wines.
- The latest ripening of the three reds, it tends to be ready around two weeks after the others.
- Due to this slow ripening, it prefers a warm site or a slope that faces the sun. Has a tendency to have unripe, green, stalky flavours otherwise.
- Works with or without oak, and can age well.
- Medium to full-bodied, again with notable high acidity and medium to strong tannins; blackberry and raspberry flavours and subtle spice.
- A bit like fuller Gamay (when grown in a Beaujolais Cru like Morgon), Barbera, or Minervois La Livinière.
St Laurent
- 780 hectares grown, some of the best is from Burgenland, to the south and south-east of Vienna and Thermenregion, just south of Vienna.
- An ancient crossing of a Pinot vine (probably Pinot Noir) and an unknown, perhaps extinct, variety.
- The name refers to the Feast of St Lawrence on 10th August, when the grapes usually start to colour.
- Difficult to grow and doesn’t give much fruit, so not that common.
- Can work with oak and can age well.
- Similar to Pinot Noir in character, but slightly deeper in colour thanks to thicker skins, lighter in alcohol, and can give particularly spicy, meaty/gamey flavours in warmer years.
- Low to medium strength velvety tannins; strawberry, raspberry and plum aromas, good acidity – but not as acidic as Zweigelt or Blaufränkisch.
- A bit like Pinot Noir (when grown in Oregon/Burgundy/Germany).
Some highlights:
Umathum, Zweigelt, 2010
100% Zweigelt grapes from Burgenland, Austria
£13.65, available at Slurp.co.uk
Bright purple. Slightly stinky, farmyard aromas. Medium-bodied with intense bright flavour and a lovely silky texture. A touch of sweetness to the berry fruits that helps to balance the marked acidity, but a long savoury dry finish. 91 points, good value.
Sepp Moser, Reserve Zweigelt, 2008
100% Zweigelt grapes from Neusiedlersee, Austria
£16.60, available at Slurp.co.uk
Dark aubergine in colour. Sweet blueberry and blackberry fruit, touch of spice. Full-bodied, firm tannins and marked acidity. Some complexity from the oak and age. Savoury finish. 90 points, fair value.
Krutzler, Classic Blaufränkisch, 2010
100% Blaufränkisch grapes from Südburgenland, Austria
£11.95 available at Savage Selections
Black pepper, violets and red berries. High acidity, but great purity of flavour. No oak. Vibrant and perfumed. 90 points, good value.
Tinhof, ‘Gloriette’, Blaufränkisch, 2009
100% Blaufränkisch grapes from Burgenland, Austria
£29.50 available at Savage Selections
Pepper, black cherries, and something slightly citric on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, intense concentration. Perfect level of oak lending complexity and roundness, but not enough to affect the bright, fresh finish. Some spice, particularly clove and a touch of cola. Excellent, very drinkable. 92 points, fair value.
Tinhof, Feuersteig, St Laurent, 2009
100% St Laurent grapes from Burgenland, Austria
£15.95 available at Savage Selections
Juicy strawberry and blackcurrant, slight whiff of something dairy. Medium to full-bodied, with good concentration, medium to long length. Touch of spice. Lovely balance. 90 points, good value.
Pittnauer, ‘Alte Reben’ St Laurent, 2009
100% St Laurent grapes from Neusiedlersee, Austria
£27.85, available at Slurp.co.uk
Medium purple/red. Juicy red berries, raspberry and a touch floral. Also some spicy/smoky notes and pepper. Medium bodied, with young crunchy tannins and good strong acidity. 91 points, fair value.
...and although it is a Pinot Noir, I wanted to include this because it is really good:
Schuster, Eisenhut, Pinot Noir, 2008
100% Pinot Noir grapes from Wagram, Austria
£15.95 available at Savage Selections
Pale pinky red. Intensely smoky nose, like roasted spices. Medium bodied with sweet fruit. Cherry, vanilla, strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant. Dry finish. Compellingly interesting. 91 points, good value.
The Art of Spitting
If you go to a lot of wine tastings, it’s easy to forget just how strange the whole spitting thing is. The act of spitting is universally considered socially unacceptable in crowded places, but he we are, all standing in a busy room, spitting into buckets. Tall, shapely, metal buckets, but buckets nonetheless. It’s particularly incongruous at the more upmarket tastings, where gentleman in suits courteously wave elegantly dressed ladies in front of them so they can shoot first.
At least spitting is a controlled form of socially unacceptable behaviour, and one that is tacitly permitted for the duration of the event. The alternative, getting riotously pissed, is a Pandora’s Box of potential indignities. It you’re going to taste your way through more than a couple dozen wines - it’s one or the other. I went to the London Wine Trade Fair, an enormous event in Excel in Docklands, with a young German intern a few years ago. She was too embarrassed to spit. After an hour or so she ended up bursting into sustained uncontrollable laughter then falling over. She got off pretty lightly considering; each year at the end of the fair you spot a couple of casualties in a much more grievous condition.
I tend to only spit during the day, if I’m driving or if I want to taste a large number of different wines. If I’m out having fun, I don’t bother. If you’re a newcomer to the art, here are some pointers:
- Practice at home with water first.
- Put your head directly over the spittoon. You have to be very skilful to spit from an angle or a distance (I suspect I’m not the only one that finds this secretly quite impressive…)
- Don’t dribble. Spit. A vertical dart is easier to direct than a horizontal shower.
- Don’t wear anything expensive or white.
- No loud hacking beforehand. White or red spit is acceptable. Green is not.
If you’ve got any to add to the list, use the comment box below...
Oregon: Stunning Pinot Noir, suspect Pinot Gris
The most expensive bottle of wine I ever bought was a Pinot Noir. A Burgundy from a great vineyard, by a well-known producer, in an exceptional year. I opened it expecting fireworks; instead it pissed on my bonfire. It barely tasted of anything. I returned to it every day like a jilted lover, hoping it would eventually come to its senses. Still nothing. Gutted. But it won’t stop me buying this variety again. Because when it sings, nothing can touch it.
Pinot Noir suffers serious mood swings. One day it’s attractive, charismatic, easy-going: the next, surly, resentful and monosyllabic. Many wines go through phases as they develop, waves of being open and drinkable or closed and muted, like biorhythms. But nothing fluctuates quite like Pinot. They don’t call it the ‘heartbreak grape’ for nothing. So in a two-fingered salute to Burgundy (who’s the moody one now, I hear you cry) next time I’m going to get my Pinot kicks from Oregon.
Geologically speaking, Oregon is a relatively new bit of Earth. Six hundred miles north of the Napa Valley in California, it rose out of the sea not so many million years ago, and it still bears the scars of volcanoes. To these marine and volcanic soils has been recently added what Howard Rossbach, President of Firesteed Cellars describes as “exotic, old soils from the Rockies”.
Around 14,000 years ago, Lake Missoula, 350 miles northeast of Oregon at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, flooded. The enormous ice dam that kept the water enclosed slowly melted and eventually shattered, allowing a biblical surge of water to escape and race to the sea at speeds of 80 miles per hour, flattening everything in its path. This happened 35 times over a period of 2,000 years, each time depositing a fresh layer of mountain soils throughout Washington and Oregon.
From these exotic soils come countless fascinating Pinot Noirs. It is often said that Burgundy is the most complicated of wine regions, but there is a good deal of subtlety and nuance of style to explore here too. In fact Oregon now has more area planted with this variety than the Côte d’Or, the heartland of Burgundy*. Many still grow on their original rootstocks. The vines are on average 15 years old, and the oldest a mature 40 years (pretty venerable for North America).
Although Oregon would be described as ‘New World’, it has a relatively cool climate; it is on the same latitude as France and Germany, so expect flavours more akin to Burgundy and German Spätburgunder rather than fuller Californian or Chilean Pinots. Stylistically it lies somewhere between Burgundy and New Zealand.
They do grow some other grape varieties in Oregon but nothing comes close to their Pinot Noirs. Of the total area, 59% is planted with Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Gris, 5% Chardonnay, 4% Riesling and the rest with various others. I don’t get on with Oregon Pinot Gris. Admittedly I have only tried around ten, but all too often they have been very full-bodied without the flavour to back it up. Often featuring ill-defined apricot, peach and banana flavours, they have mostly been very boozy and lacking acidity. The best retain freshness and concentration of flavour, and can be enjoyable food wines; the worst are like drinking flavourless alcoholic jelly that has the off-white pinky pallor of a ghost with a hangover. I’ll keep trying, I'm sure I've just been unlucky…
The wines are produced mostly by private estates (there are currently around 450 in Oregon), though there are a good number of contract growers who sell their fruit for others to vinify. This region only exports around 5% of its total production, so although these wines still aren’t as easy to find as Californian wines, more and more of them are finding their way abroad. At least 30 wineries now have UK agents. Take a look on www.wine-searcher.com or email kate@hilltopwines.co.uk for more info on where to find them in the UK. Be warned though: they aren’t cheap.
One sub-region in particular to keep an eye out for is the Willamette Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area – like the French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée or AOC). It is almost exclusively planted with Pinot Noir, and some of the finest expressions originate from here. I was told that to pronounce ‘Willamette’ properly, rhyme it with ‘damn it’. Which is something I’ll undoubtedly find myself saying again and again after future moody bottles of Pinot Noir. But I’ll never give up on it completely.
Some highlights:
Firesteed, Oregon Pinot Noir, 2008
100% Pinot Noir grape from Oregon, USA
£15.45 available at www.slurp.co.uk
Pale in colour, but not lacking in flavour. Earthy cherry on the nose and a whiff of bonfire. Pure red and black cherry fruit with a lick of soft tannin and good refreshing acidity. Nicely balanced. 2008 was a great vintage in Oregon, and it shows. 89 points, good value.
Rex Hill, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2009
100% Pinot Noir grape from Oregon, USA
£20.99 available at West Mount Wines www.westmountwine.co.uk
Ripe strawberry and raspberry, this could easily be mistaken for a Beaune 1er Cru (Burgundy). Soft firm tannin, very pure and long. Alcohol shows just a little bit but otherwise well-balanced and very appealing. 90 points, fair value.
Domaine Drouhin, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2009
100% Pinot Noir grape from Oregon, USA
£22.75 available at www.slurp.co.uk
Quite meaty and earthy but perfumed. Long and layered. Slight dirty funkiness giving it complexity and interest. Not unlike a Beaune Champimonts 1er Cru (Burgundy). 92 points, fair value.
Brooks, ‘Janus’ Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2008
100% Pinot Noir grape from Oregon, USA
£24.95 available at Stone, Vine and Sun www.stonevine.co.uk though not yet online
Smoky bacon on the nose, raspberry and cranberry on the palate. Dry, slightly farmyardy and very drinkable. Balanced and long. Very good. Stylistically akin to a Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy). 92 points, fair value.
Shea Wine Cellars, Estate Pinot Noir, 2008
100% Pinot Noir grape from Oregon, USA
£31.00 available at Goedhuis www.goedhuis.com
A bigger style of Oregon Pinot Noir. Darker fruit flavours, blackberry, plum, hint of leaf tea. Full-bodied, with ripe tannins and slightly sweet fruit flavours. Oak flavours still quite prominent in a cola/cough sweet undertone. Decadent, slightly exotic. 91 points, just about fair value.
* Burgundy, Côte d’Or: 5, 500ha under vine, 80% Pinot Noir = 4,400ha in total (Source: http://www.thewinedoctor.com/regionalguides/burgundypart07.shtml). Oregon: 7,600 ha under vine, 59% Pinot Noir = 4,484ha in total (Source: Howard Rossbach, President of Firesteed Cellars, London, January 2012)
Mr Lawrence's: a quietly inspiring wine merchant in southeast London
Sitting down, I ask Mr Lawrence to describe what Brockley was like when he first opened his wine shop and bar. He knows what I’m getting at. Leaning in, he smiles and quietly states “we have very little trouble here”. Looking up at him, it’s not hard to see why – you wouldn’t want to challenge him to an arm wrestle. Nonetheless, you still need to be buzzed in through the inner metal gate to access the old wooden shelves inside the shop.
There are very few wine bars in this part of London. If you’re after a drink, you’re much more likely to come across a traditional boozer. “They were queuing up to tell me I was mad… that I would last about three weeks.” That was in 1992.
Born up the road in Dulwich, Graham Lawrence is the son of a greengrocer. But he always wanted to own a bar. “I tried to open one in 1979, but I couldn’t get a licence”. It was easier to get a restaurant licence back then, so he opened Flashman’s, a licensed hamburger joint in the meantime. Getting a licence for a bar was measured on local need. If it was deemed that there were sufficient places to drink already, the council wouldn’t issue any more.
Although the licensing laws of the time delayed his plans, Lawrence considers the old system more dependable than today’s. He sees one function of a licensee as being “the responsible person in the room”, and his sense of duty towards his customers is still very much in evidence. They come from “all walks of life, all ages, all professions” to enjoy the wines and the communal atmosphere. “No rules; just respect”.
That the bar continues to be proprietor-run is one of its most valuable benefits, says Lawrence. Bars where the owner knows his or her customers offer familiarity and local knowledge. His sister, Linda, helps runs the shop next door, which they opened in 2000. They manage the business between the two of them. The shop and bar are open every day of the week. Unsurprisingly, they have little time for promotional activity. They don’t advertise. They don’t have e-commerce. They don’t do wine dinners or formal tastings. They don’t even have a wine list. They just rely on word of mouth.
Another reason that Mr Lawrence’s doesn’t offer discounts is down to what he describes as respect to his customers. Prices are calculated using a simple formula, so bottles are priced to the nearest penny. They aim to offer a fair price, all year round. When a shop offers a 50% discount on a wine, he says he wouldn’t trust them: “if they can give you 50% off on this wine, how much are they making on the others?” This kind of price promotion is just one reason why he believes selling wine is something more suited to independent businesses rather than supermarkets. He is freer to concentrate on quality and service above the constant push for increased profits. And whereas supermarkets must insist on uniformity of product, he is free to embrace variety and stock the occasional more peculiar bottle.
They sell a range of wines from small estates and good quality larger producers, mostly on the shelves for between £6 and £30. Their average spend per bottle is £9. It is a reasonably classic split of mostly Old World with an emphasis on France, but with the principal New World countries also featuring. It is not a huge shop, so the range is not extensive, but it does contain some interesting wines, not to mention Trappist and craft beers and cigars. Most are sourced from small specialist suppliers. There are several idiosyncratic touches, such as a wide range of Osborne ports and sherries; a number of German Spätburgunders (Pinot Noirs); and no fewer than fourteen vintages of Château Musar from Lebanon. They import a number of estates directly that you won’t find elsewhere, mostly from France, including Gaillac, Roussillon, Languedoc, Loire, Champagne and Cognac; also Rioja, and cider from Normandy.
Over the past few years we have seen a new crop of independent merchants springing up across the UK. This is great news for drinkers of course, as it means a better, broader range of wines to explore. Well-established independent merchants provide even more than this however. They strengthen and nourish local communities; they offer steady, continuous support to small winemakers. Mr Lawrence Wine Merchant doesn’t necessarily have the biggest or the best range of wines in London. But this local specialist has been proudly serving local people in this corner of London for two decades.
Mr Lawrence Wine Merchant
391 Brockley Road
London SE4 2PH
020 8692 1550
www.mrlawrencewinemerchant.co.uk
Château Lafforgue, ‘Quatre Vents’, 2008
A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan grapes from Roussillon, Southern France
£10.45 available at Mr Lawrence Wine Merchant
First encountered by Mr Lawrence on a market stall in Saint Cyprien, he now imports this estate directly. Deep dark and inky in appearance. Blackberry, menthol, tar, with a resinous herbal tinge. Full-bodied. Dense, lots of ripe soft tannin. Enough acidity to balance the touch of sweetness. Medium length fruity finish with integrated rich oak flavours. Punchy and potent. Would make a nice change for lovers of Argentinean Malbec. 87 points, fair value.
En primeur: How to taste unfinished wines
As months go, we all know that January is a tedious windbag. But what it does have going for it is Burgundy. Every year, various independent wine merchants organise for Burgundy producers to come to London and show off their latest wines; this time round it is the 2010 vintage. Most reports are indicating that it was a very good growing season, and some brilliant wines have been made. So should you buy any? And how do you taste these young, unfinished wines?
The 2010 Burgundies are being sold ‘en primeur’ i.e. the wines are not fully finished or bottled. The benefit for the producer in selling them this way is that they get the money up front, instead of having to wait until they are finished, bottled and shipped. There are two principal benefits to you, the customer. Firstly, wines bought en primeur are usually a bit cheaper than when they finally appear on the shelves (typically around 10% - 15%). Secondly, wines which are made in very small quantities may never reach the shelves; they might all be sold every year to early birds buying en primeur.
There are some risks involved however. The wines might not increase in price, particularly in a below-average vintage; their value might actually drop by the time they are bottled. Certain crafty producers might not be exhibiting wines that are truly indicative of the final blend they will be bottling and selling, it might be a special tarted-up version made for the tasting. And since there is a long wait for the wines to be finished and shipped over, there will be a period of 9 months or so (or even longer when buying Bordeaux en primeur) during which you’ve paid your money but have nothing yet to show for it. If the merchant you are buying from goes bust during this time, you might have trouble getting your money back. Be aware: there are also con artists out there who prey on this time lag between payment and delivery to extract money from unsuspecting wine lovers and then run off with the cash. But don’t let that scare you off, just be careful who you give your money to.
So if you do get the chance to taste unfinished wines at an en primeur tasting, how should you go about it? It depends on the wine to a degree; Burgundy is much easier and more enjoyable to taste young than Bordeaux for example, as Bordeaux tends to be more powerful, with much more aggressive tannin, and exhibited at an even younger stage. Young Burgundy can taste more or less like the finished article; young Bordeaux can taste very raw and actually pretty unpleasant at this stage. Here are a few general pointers:
How it looks
- There is rarely much to gauge in terms of quality from looking at the wine at this stage. If a wine is unusually pale or brown compared to the rest, it could denote a lack of intensity or premature oxidation. But not necessarily – tasting is key.
How it smells
- The wine should smell clean and fresh.
- It depends on the type of wine, but the aromas can often be unexpectedly pronounced or a bit closed. This doesn’t necessarily reflect on how the wine will be when bottled.
- The aromas tend to be quite ‘primary’, that’s to say of young fresh fruits indicative of the grape variety, and perhaps some aromas from the fermentation and any use of oak barrels.
- The wine shouldn’t smell like a mature wine, showing developed aromas such as leather, truffle or chestnut. If it does, it might be ageing prematurely.
- There shouldn’t be so much oak that it obscures the other aromas.
- If the wine smells oxidised, this is possibly a fault of the tasting sample, which can degrade quickly. Taste another sample if you can before you write off the wine.
How it tastes
- This is the most important thing to concentrate on.
- Do a bit of research on the vintage beforehand. Was it a very hot year? Then look out for high alcohol levels or jammy fruit flavours. Was it cold and wet? If so, unripe, green flavours might be a trait to look out for across the board. Look for similar traits in the first few wines you taste when putting together an impression of the vintage.
- Picking out individual flavours might not be easy at this stage; sometimes they can be very ‘tightly wound’. Tasting en primeur is often more of a case of tasting for the various elements that make up a wine – judging the level of acidity, amount and character of tannins, level of sweetness, etc.
- It is important to have intensity and concentration of flavour, but without the wine being heavy or aggressive.
- Are the flavours pleasantly fresh and lively? Or more dull and flat?
- With whites, keep an eye out for levels of sweetness.
- With reds, pay particular attention to the tannins. What is the character and texture of the tannins? Are they smooth and ripe – or grainy, harsh, or bitter? How much tannin is there?
- Don’t forget the tannins gradually drop out of the wine over time, so if the tannin is a bit pronounced to start with, that is actually a good thing. You want some left by the time you come to drink it but when the rest of the flavours have matured.
- Are there any unpleasant stalky or green flavours from unripe fruit?
- Keep an eye out for any bitterness, usually more noticeable on the finish.
- Also look out for unacceptably high levels of alcohol, again most obvious on the finish.
- As with mature wines, length of flavour is important.
- Most importantly, are all the elements (acidity, sweetness, intensity, tannin, alcohol, etc) in balance?
To find out about these kinds of tasting, get in touch with the larger London independent merchants such as Berry Brothers & Rudd, Howard Ripley, Bibendum, Flint Wines, Jeroboams, Corney & Barrow, Lay & Wheeler, Armit and Lea & Sandeman and ask them about forthcoming en primeur tastings and to be put onto their mailing lists. Burgundy tasting are usually in early January; Bordeaux tastings in April or May.
Finally, a few tips. Firstly, do some research to ensure you are buying in a good vintage. Secondly, buy from a well-established, reputable wine merchant. Thirdly, after tasting it’s no bad thing to get a second opinion from any critics who have long experience in tasting these types of wines, as it takes a while to pick the good vintages from the average. Fourthly, pay with your credit card, which could give you some protection in the unlikely event things do go wrong with your supplier.
For more information on safe en primeur purchasing, take a look at Jim Budd’s excellent site investdrinks-blog.blogspot.com
New Cru: the cream of the Languedoc
Powerful words, ‘Grand Cru’. Referring to a wine or a vineyard of the highest quality, this tiny phrase bestows the stamp of greatness. In all the vineyards of Burgundy, one of the most outstanding wine regions of all, there are only 34 individual sites that have been officially certified Grand Cru. It is the individual plot, the terroir, that is given this distinction; over the years it has proven its potential to deliver superlative wines. Is it a bit early to be marking out the Crus of the Languedoc?
The earliest evidence of winemaking in Burgundy dates back to the 2nd century AD, but it probably goes back long before then. Vineyards first started to be marked out for quality in the 12th and 13th centuries by Cistercian monks, who were given their first vineyard in 1098 by the Duke of Burgundy. The first mention of the Pinot Noir grape (the only red grape used in good quality Burgundy) was in the 1370s.
Evidence of grape growing in the Languedoc region in the south of France also goes back centuries, dating back as far as 125 BC. But here the similarities end. In terms of mapping out the terroir, it is still early days. By the mid 19th century, there was an increasing distinction between the better quality vineyards on the hillsides compared with those on the flat, but most of the principal appellations were only drawn up in the 1980s. The first Languedoc Cru, Minervois La Livinière, was officially sanctioned as recently as 1999. There are many red grapes grown in this region, but the principle ones are Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Carignan is the oldest of these, though it may be as recently as the 1960s that it was planted in the Languedoc, being brought from Spain via Algeria. Cinsault followed in the 1970s, the others in the 80s.
Compared with Burgundy, the Languedoc is a relative beginner to ‘fine wine’ production. By marking out the boundaries of the best vineyards centuries ago, Burgundy has had ample time to prove that the intrinsic quality in the wines comes from the vineyard, not the individual grower. Many hands have ploughed, pruned and crushed through the centuries; the potential for quality has remained. ‘Fine wine’ making in the Languedoc is a relatively recent pursuit, using grapes which are newcomers to this land. The Languedoc are using the simpler term ‘Cru’ rather than ‘Grand Cru’ on their labels, but it is still a step towards further carving up the current appellations to highlight top quality terroirs.
Given its relative infancy in fine wine-making, I wonder if the land has had sufficient time to prove itself worthy of Cru status, implying an inherent quality that transcends the skill of those who work the land. After all, local winemakers have only been working with these new varieties for the past few decades. What is more certain is that creating these new Crus will bring some focussed attention to this enormous swathe of very varied vine growing terrain.
With many appellations still difficult to tell apart at a blind tasting, it might be argued that each one ought to forge its own character before further dividing them up into Crus. However, with Crus being identified, perhaps this will in fact accelerate the clarification of each different appellation’s unique properties by giving them an ideal at which to aim.
The reputation of a region or an appellation can have a big influence on the amount a producer can charge for his or her wine. The Languedoc has long had the reputation of being a source of some good value bottles, and it still is. For those making really excellent stuff, this reputation can hold them back from charging a higher price, as the wine buying public often aren’t prepared to pay high prices for a Corbières or a Saint Chinian, no matter the quality. So these Cru appellations could help producers charge more – which, given the quality of some of the wines being produced here now, is entirely fair. Some winemakers, like Jean-François Izarn from the excellent Borie la Vitarèle in Saint Chinian, still insist that it is the estate that counts above all: “the most important thing is people”. It remains true that, in the Languedoc as in Burgundy, the most reliable indicator of quality is the name of the domaine.
Winemaking in the Languedoc has come on in leaps and bounds over the past ten years, and now there are a good number of estates across many AOCs making excellent wines. Some fall into the newly designated Crus or the nascent ‘Terroirs d’Exceptions’ and some don’t. The Languedoc is still young when it comes to making fine wine, and it feels very early to be demarcating Crus based on this short history. But if they serve to bring more attention to some of these estates, that’s good for the wine lover and good for the producer. As our knowledge of the region improves, it will be important that the appellation authorities are willing to amend the boundaries of these Crus where it is right to do so. But if you wait until the time is right before you begin, you wait forever.
How the new Languedoc appellation system works:
Their Cru system is unique in as much as there is a kind of ‘boot camp’ level at which wannabe Crus need to sit before they have proved themselves as exceptional and can be promoted. The levels are as follows:
1. At the top, the Cru appellations – of which there are four so far in total:
AOC Corbières – Boutenac
AOC Minervois – La Livinière
AOC Saint Chinian – Roquebrun
AOC Saint Chinian – Berlou
- When specific sub-regions have asked to be approved as Crus, they are known as ‘Terroirs d’Exception’ and can state their name on the label, but remain in their lower AOCs until they are promoted. There are nine at present: La Clape, Grès de Montpellier, Limoux (still whites), Montpeyroux, Pézenas, Pic Saint-Loup, Saint-Drézéry, Saint-Georges-d’Orques and Terrasses du Larzac. Next to be promoted? I’d put my money on Pic St Loup, La Clape or Terrasses du Larzac…
2. The next step down are known as “grands vins” appellations – for example :
AOC Corbières
AOC Faugères
AOC Fitou
AOC Cabardès
AOC Malepère
AOC Minervois
AOC Clairette du Languedoc
AOC Limoux (sparkling and reds)
3. At the base, the regional appellation
AOC Languedoc
Important details on the juice from another World Class Cru:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrjWsqrVO5Q
Some great examples of wines from Languedoc Crus or Terroirs d’Exceptions:
Mas de la Seranne, ‘Le Clos des Immortelles’, 2009
A blend of 25% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 25% Carignan and 25% Mourvèdre grapes from Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc, France
The 2008 is available at Tanners at £14.60 (notes below are for the 2009)
Young and vibrant blueberry fruit, very spicy nose. Soft tannins, good acidity. Not hugely long or that complex but very appealing and drinkable. 90 points.
Château Cesseras, 2008
A blend of 70% Syrah, 10% Carignan, 10% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre grapes from Minervois La Livinière, Languedoc, France
£14.95 available at Berry Brothers & Rudd
Damson and peppery spice on the nose. Lovely smooth texture with zingy, fruity acidity. Long and pure, just about keeping its alcohol levels in balance. 90 points, good value (the 2009 is even better if you can find it).
Château de Caraguilhes, ‘Solus’, 2009
A blend of 40% Carignan, 30% Syrah and 30% Mourvèdre grapes from Corbières Boutenac, Languedoc, France
£15.00 available at Villeneuve Wines
Intense dark fruit and spice with a little hint of something vegetal. Sappy pine and cola flavours from the new oak, with some cocoa and rosemary undertones. Full-bodied, rich and oaky. Very silky tannins and quite pronounced acidity. Good length, grippy finish. 90 points, good value.
Domaine de Montcalmès 2007
A blend of 60% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre grapes from Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc, France
£20.05 available at Slurp.co.uk
Deep and very spicy rich, ripe fruit. Aromatic, with hints of tobacco. Intense fruit on the palate with firm, chewy tannins. Ample balancing acidity. Lovely balance of aromatics and fruitiness. Wonderful harmony and restraint. Good ageing potential. This is brilliant. 94 points, good value.
The trip referred to in this post was kindly organised and paid for by Westbury Communications.