3 Malbecs- Because it's cold outside and Malbec helps...

Good evening everyone,

This evening I am writing to you regarding a trio of Mendoza Malbecs I have tried over the past few days.  They represent three separate price points and in fact three styles that I find essential to Argentine wine.  The best things tend to come in threes, so why shou
ldn't Argentine wine follow suit?

I'll distil how I feel about these three wines into very straightforward terms here; the chocolate covered sour cherry; the smoke from the parrilla; the Parker-pointer.

1. Malbec 2011 from Argento-  This is a Malbec which (perhaps inadvertently) harkens back to Argentina's past.  The colour is bright and pretty, not opaque in the slightest but certainly deep.  The aromas are of sour cherries initially and while they hold up, the nose picks up some dusty cocoa and earth along the way.  For me that is Italian all the way.  It reminds me of some lovely Barbera d'Alba. It is delightful and begs for a burger off the grill.  Even a bolognese would suit it just fine.  Its a wonderful wine for a great price.

2. 154 Malbec 2011 from Alberti- I'll go ahead and call it fitting, but there is a remarkable aroma drifting off the glass which makes an impression before I've even properly had a look at the colour.  Smoked pork.  Bacon or sausage or even grilled lamb chops... At any rate it evokes mental images of the grill and coming from a nation so thoroughly entrenched in it's outdoor cooking traditions, this makes perfect sense.  The primary fruit is restrained but the secondary aromas are forward and intriguing.  Smoky and appetising, a glass of this before attacking the Churrasco... there will be nothing left on the plate!

3. Malbec 2011 Primus- This is the Parker wine!  Inky colour introduces a nose of big, bright blackberry and blackcurrant fruit jumping out of the glass alongside some lovely smoky spices.  there is a note of leather but it remains confidently in a supporting role, as the earthiness holds back as well.  After a while the barrel and overt fruit aromas blow off a bit and the wine becomes a bit more Bordelaise in style (or perhaps Cahors would be a better comparison).  It is elegant and balanced and with time a certain gravel driven minerality emerges which even begs a comparison to Graves or Madiran.

All three are exceptional wines for their niches.  They are all undeniably Malbec, but they all fill a separate role in their approach to the variety.  The more I read and learn about Argentine wine and the journey of Malbec, the more I come to love the variety.  I'll leave you with this delightful picture which should remind us all just what Malbec is really for!

Much love,

G

My food photography skills leave something to be desired but this mini-asado was awesome!

Holiday Wines From America

Hey Everyone,

I'm sitting in my kitchen enjoying a beautifully wintry view out the window; the result of a winter storm covering much of the United States, and i thought I'd share a couple of fantastic wines I've encountered during my stint here in America.  It's nothing new to say that America is capable of producing top-quality wines, with quantitative scoring and historic tasting competitions to back up the claim.  But what is truly exciting about many wines is the ability and willingness to experiment, take risks and try to make something truly exceptional.  Here are but a few of the exciting wines I've encountered over the past few months.

Stag's Leap Karia Chardonnay 2011- It's not always about the oak when it comes to California Chardonnay as modern producers are showing us.  That said, a little bit never hurts, especially when the oak is pretty much neutral flavour-wise and serves mostly to allow gentle oxygen contact to stabilise the wine.  Stag's Leap is of course best known for it's Cask 23 which topped many other California and Bordeaux wines at the Judgement of Paris Tasting. This Chardonnay, however is a very beautiful, almost chablis-like approach to with crisp minerality and restrained green apple and pear.  It's also significantly cheaper than it's stable-mates and alongside the Stag's Leap Sauvignon Blanc represents excellent Napa white.

Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon 2011- This is probably the best value wine reviewed here today, not only because it is the lowest priced, but because it really over delivers.  It shows off all those wonderful, rich black currant flavours, gripping, yet polished tannins and a mouthful of juicy flavour with a very pleasing price tags coming under $20.  Cassis, black berries and even a hint of bell pepper give a Cab lover his fill and make for a food-lovers wine as well.  I had this with some grilled strip steaks and thought I'd found a real gem!

Buena Vista Ramal Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007- Forget about tannins and cassis for a moment and let's talk about pretty wine.  This is most certainly that! Buena Vista makes a lot of wine and in many different bottlings so I won't make great big pronouncement of quality overall, but here's a wine I must praise.  This pinot from the Ramal Vineyards in Carneros has reached a point that showcases maturity on a very human scale.  Six years old and it has opened up all the complexities and layers you want from classy Pinot Noir.  It is floral, with violets and rose petals, yet it also comes forward with notes of raspberries and red currants.  There is a definite but light earthiness as well.  Overall, it reminds me of but not identical to, an older Nuits-Saint-Georges.  Very pretty stuff indeed!

Orin Swift, Abstract 2012- From producer David Phinney, who I consider a winemaker very much in the footsteps of the illustrious Sine Qua Non, has produced excellent wine for some time now, from his start in 1997 as a farm hand with Robert Mondavi to his own operation bearing both his parent's middle names, Orin Swift produces top-tier wines in Napa.  The wine in question here is not one of his more expensive bottlings, but it shows a cavalier approach to wine making.  A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah, the Abstract hits the nose like a young, Chateauneuf and slams into the palate like a Napa Cab.  Aromas of blackberries, clove and rich figs come at first, with marvellous layers of leather and earth all leading to a palate that can be described as... big.  Big tannins, big acidity make this vin de garde one that will certainly live a long, fruitful life.

I hope your winter and Holiday seasons are filled with amazing food and good company.  That's what makes December such a wonderful way to end the year.  While you're at it, remember to enjoy some amazing wine!

Much Love,

G

Mmm... Douro

Hey Everybody,

Tonight I've been packing for a trip to London and as I go I am enjoying a nice bottle of Portuguese red.  Specifically from the Douro Valley in the North of the country, along the same river known as the Duero in Spain.  Douro w
ine is mostly known on the international stage as the source of some of the world's most highly regarded wine: Port.  That fortified, sweet and long lived wine is the stuff of legend but in a valley so blessed with an abundance of old vines, a plethora of cultivars and prime vineyard space, it is ridiculous to assume that top quality table wine is not made there as well.

Fruit forward and full bodied, it is a wonder that Portuguese reds are not more widely known.  Perhaps they are suffering from some of the same malignancies that continuously frustrate German wine makers, with confusing terms, unfamiliar grape varieties and association with a stereotypical style.  Whereas Germany contends with the misconception that all wines are going to be sweet and sickly, it may be that Portugal has the ghost of sweet fortified Port wine looming over it.

Fortunately it does not take too long to get through the layers of retrograde pfaffery, and the winemakers are doing what they can to help.  I'm not saying that the wineries are doing what many of the Bordelaise producers have done and Parkerised (made their wines suitable for Robert Parker's palette), rather they have made an effort to be more engaging with modern style but unchanging class.  For example, Dirk Niepoort of the legendary Niepoort Port house has made a conscious effort to put more emphasis on table wines, rather than his easily respectable vintage ports.  He is putting forward excellent examples of dry table wines, such as his 'Redoma' range alongside the truly world class 'Batuta.'  Kitted out with classy but interesting labels and amazing quality it is a great first step to showing the world what Portugal is capable of.

Other Port houses are following suit with their own table wines, and really putting some good effort into what they are producing.  Quina do Portal, another well respected house is putting out an excellent dry red made from a blend of Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca that represents excellent value with a definite nod towards high quality.  Call it a sort of gateway wine into the world of excellent Douro.  Hopefully what this will lead to is the development of interest in other quality wines from the Douro.

Other producers like Quinta do Macedos are going so far as to adopt the practice of the second wine with their 'Lagar de Macedos' and in so doing they have developed a pair of excellent bottlings, both of which are remarkably capable of standing the test of time, developing into something exciting and providing us wine geeks with another means of enjoying old wine.  One of the greatest pleasures of wine is to track the development of a wine over the course of it's life.  I love Rhône wines, young or old, but truly they are different wines entirely.  The same bottle that was once deep, chunky and spicy, becomes leathery, briny and earthy.  These Douro wines are perfect for that as well.  They live for years and years and over time, the deep black fruit and intense body of youth becomes something different, refined and elegant.

Essentially, the Douro is one of those regions that stands at the top of wine.  Bordeaux, Rhône, Burgundy, Napa and Mosel are all known the world over for their ability to produce mind-blowingly delicious wine.  The Douro is right up there with the rest of them.  Hopefully soon enough the rest of the world will catch on.  Or hopefully they won't.  Just leaves more for us!

Much Love,
G

One Year On- A year of the Grape Press

 

Hey Everyone,

So I have now come to the first year anniversary (well a bit past it) since I first posted. A lot changes in a year; graduation, and amazing summer in St. Andrews and the United States, time spent working in New York City and helping set up a new company in the Auld Grey Toon. Visa problems for myself - and it seems most of my friends and now I am at new heights in my wine experience. It has certainly been an interesting year for the Grape Press and myself.

I have been in South Africa now for 8 days and my experiences have been tremendous. I have seen the most beautiful landscapes I've ever laid eyes on, I've tasted some amazing food and meat some amazing people. My objective; to explore the wines of this country has been well under way for some time, with some exciting results. I have meat young, ambitious and energetic wine makers, old hands with tremendous experience and plenty of other characters in and around this great town of Stellenbosch.

The enthusiasm that these people breathe is infectious, and if you come to a wine farm ambivalent to the product, you will leave an hour later as devoted to the wines as the winemaker himself. It is easy to get caught up in things here in Stellenbosch; because everything about the place is emotive. Every night there is a carnival atmosphere in the town and you can't help but have fun. Beyond the streets of town there is the countryside where the most striking landscapes imaginable can stun you without fail every single day.

I for one am finding myself increasingly devoted to South Africa's wines and the people behind the bottles. There are stories here that ring true with everything I want wine to be. There is romance and there is love for the land as well as artistry and awareness. I know that wine, unlike any other product has a penchant for getting passion from it's devotees but there is an intensity in South Africa that vindicates my devotion to the subject. There are themes that are beyond my ability to vocalise so I will not attempt to do them justice, but suffice to say that they are as great as the Helderberg Mountains and as complex as the country's past.

I hope over the past year you have enjoyed my writing and I look forward to continuing in 2013 and into the future. To see the huge changes over the course of the year, I am filled with great hope to know that just as much can happen in the coming year. Tonight find a glass of something nice, be it wine, beer, juice (whatever!) and enjoy it. I'll be doing the same!

(As always) Much Love,

G

 

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2009 Lions de Suduiraut Sauternes

Hey Everyone,

Today I am tasting a type of wine which I don't believe I've ever written about before. It may be considered the most important sweet wine and arguably the most prestigious in the world, but it so rarely crosses my path that when I do taste one I am rarely in a position to commit my experience to writing.

I'm talking about Sauternes; the regal sweet wine of Bordeaux coming from the vineyards south of Pessac-Leognan is an enticing style that is long lived and often expensive, with some of the most sought after producers fetching extraordinary prices. The most famous of course is Château d'Yquem, a favourite of Thomas Jefferson who referred to Sauternes in general as France's finest white wine. As the practice of harnessing the beneficial elements of the Bortrytis was not developed until a later date, the wine tasted by Jefferson would have been markedly different but even so, it is possible to see that Sauternes' star rose long ago.

The wine I am tasting tonight, however is not nearly so valuable nor so famous as Jefferson's favourite, but it does have a few good merits of it's own. First and most obvious when comparing it to it's fellow sweet Bordeaux such as Chateaux Climens and d'Yquem is the price tag. Retailing for around £15 for a half bottle it is a very affordable sweet wine which has the potential to impress as well as please. It is also a well balanced Sauternes, for something so affordable it stands high above the Mouton-Cadet range and possesses a pleasant equilibrium between acid, fruit and sweetness.

On the finish there is a hint of something like caramelised/ burnt sugar, which takes away from the freshness a little, but does not necessarily ruin the experience. I would treat is more as an aperitif than a desert of cheese wine and let the wine stand alone. It is light enough to go without the cheese that accompanies many Sauternes, and not so sweet that it gets tiresome. There is clearly good winemaking behind the Lions de Suduiraut, and the clue is in the name. It is a second wine of the First Growth Château Suduiraut and gives an excellent opportunity to get a glimpse of this legendary producer's style without forking over so much money for the Grand Vin.

If you get a chance, give it a try and hopefully you'll be as pleasantly surprised with this nice little sweetie as I was.

Much Love,

G

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My Love Hate Relationship...

Hey Everyone,

Today I am writing about my most conflicted of feelings in the entire world of wine. It is the strange phenomenon of the head versus the heart and the knowledge of the former pitted against the uncompromising nature of the latter. The subject matter: Italy, the dilemma; I know it's good and that I like the styles of wine produced there, yet never will I choose a bottle of Chianti over a Rioja or Barolo over Bordeaux. I wrote a post last year about how much I like the rustic wines from appellations such as Chianti Rufina and Abruzzo, and I really enjoy a good bottle of Barbera with a bowl of pasta or a steak, but I fear that my consumption of Italian wine is somewhat forced.

A friend of mine, the proprietor of St. Andrews Wine Company is planning a dinner with a local restaurant which promises to be a truly inspiring experience with a well considered selection of wines to match each course. At first the theme for wines of the evening was said to be the Rhône Valley and I was ecstatic. I pictured a gorgeous dinner starting with duck liver pate and Condrieu or smoked fish and Chateauneuf-du-Pape blanc followed by a braised beef with a spicy Cornas or Cote-Rotie, all to be washed down with a sweet Muscat Beaumes de Venise. Thats when someone suggested Italian wines and my dreams of a Rhône dinner were dashed.

Thats because interesting Italian wines are exciting for just about everyone except me. For some reason I like Italian wines to be simple and easy, not big and complex. I don't know exactly why, because I want this from every other wine I drink; perhaps it is a realm of refuge from the overly cerebral bottles I usually encounter. When it comes to beer, though I love interesting well crafted ales, I can get tired of 7% hoppy IPAs. It may be that Italian wine fulfills the same role for me that English bitter fulfills in respect to beer. It is an escape. That said I know that top flight Italian wine is amazing stuff and whenever I taste it I am happy to have done so, but I cannot say that I would ever choose it for myself.

For instance, last night in the wine shop, Peter opened a bottle of 2008 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. It was massive, big bright black fruits reminiscent of Napa Cabernet with the alcohol to match. It was excellent stuff, better than most of the wines I've been drinking lately, and perhaps ironically, way better than the Crozes-Hermitage (from the Rhône I love so well) I had two nights ago.

I recognised long ago that loving wine is a growing process, with twists and turns. Where one thing is your passion at the moment and the other your passing fancy, these things may change any moment. There was a time when I wouldn't have even considered buying a bottle of Bordeaux over an American Cabernet, but my tastes have changed and tasting this beautiful Vino Nobile may well have changed my thoughts on what people call 'more interesting' Italian wines.

If there is something you are prejudiced against out there in the wine world, as I admit to myself, make a concerted effort to change your opinion or at least find out exactly why you feel that way. It could be an exciting revelation!

Much Love,

G.

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Wines of Christmas

Hey Everyone,

So the holiday season is thoroughly underway, with Christmas Day passed, New Years ahead and a long, long winter to come. One of my favourite parts of the holidays is the succession of family events where the dinner table assumes the role of centre stage. This is when the greatest, most heart warming meals of the year take place; when your favourite foods are cooked and the best wines are drunk.

this years, owing to the newly regular uncertainty of all my siblings' schedules we were able to miraculously pull off three incredible dinners and as we couldn't match last years Mouton '83 and Jarvis '97 for all of them, we had to improvise and that we did well. Christmas is different for everyone with small traditions here and there that make it so wonderful and unique. For us, we have a massive dinner for 30 immediate family members from my dad's side of the family over on Christmas day and serve up a massive rare roast fillet of beef for everyone with all sorts of trimmings and sweeties on the sides.

Seeing as this is a uniquely large family dinner we weren't about to willingly provide anything super costly so we rummaged around the cellar for something that might work nicely, recalling that we had a couple bottles of Indian Wells Cabernet that would do just fine. What. Came up with was a bit of a forgotten gem. Sitting mostly for decorative use on a barrel in the corner of the cellar was a magnum of 2001 Falcor Red. It had been standing upright for god knows how long so we had no way of knowing if it would still be good but we dug through the wax and my brother decanted it and we were happy to smell a wine that would serve well enough.

As the meal went on it became apparent that this Falcor was no simple Napa Cab. It was refined, elegant and very much like a 2003 from Bordeaux. It was big yes, but there was something restrained and backward about it for a California wine. The blend was about 50% Cabernet Franc with the rest about equal between Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot and it showed off its notes of autumnal leaves, toasty oak and sour forest fruits wonderfully and delivered with a composed balance I had not expected. Overall it was an awesome bottle of wine and though not a match made in heaven for the beef, it was excellent.

For my immediate family, however, the main event is always Christmas Eve and that is when we try to go all out with wine and food. This year we were unsure of when my brother could make it home, so we decided that we would have our usual Christmas Eve dinner on Boxing Day. Seeing as he arrived a bit earlier from New York than expected we were blessed with two beautiful dinners in very short succession. The choice of wines was therefore a bit improvised but proved to be excellent.

Alongside our dinner of seared duck breast with orange risotto on the 24th we had a nearly forgotten bottle of Cakebread Syrah 2004. Not generally intended to age long, this wine held up marvelously and showed a distinctly Rhone-like character and a great purity of blackberry and sour cherry alongside emerging hints of green olive and brine. This went along with an obscure 1997 Mercurey from Domaine Voarick, which was another wine bought long ago and more or less forgotten until we happened upon it the night of the dinner. Despite the cork crumbling into oblivion, it tasted great with a leathery farmyard profile and a lot of raspberries.

For dinner on Boxing Day we cooked up our traditional roasted rack of lamb. This meal lends itself so well to Bordeaux that I could not resist opening my 2004 Chateau Talbot. While it was clear that this wine has a long life ahead of it, perhaps as much as five or six years before it reaches it's peak, it was excellent in its richness, with chunky tannins, restrained, backwards fruit and searing acidity cutting through the oily fat of the lamb. I generally think that 2004 in Bordeaux is underrated and offers classic style and a good value for money, but in particular I believe that the classed growths of Saint-Julien are often great buys from this vintage.

So overall it was a great holiday for wine and with some bottles I may never find again coming into play I think it was a treat to try some of these. Year in and year out, Christmas never fails to bring out the best in my family and I was blessed not only with these wondrous meals and wines but first and compost with the company of those who surround the table.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

G

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Portuguese Tasting- With Tom Cannevan

Hey Everyone,

Today I'm finally putting out my notes from a tasting session I recently attended with Scottish wine writer, Tom Cannavan. Tom maintains the popular Wine Pages website and holds various distinctions throughout the world of wine, judging competitions on three continents, to holding the Louis Roederer Wine Writer's award to having appeared on Scottish television. Suffice to say, an impressive list of credentials!

The tasting he took us through was focused on Portuguese wines, that chronically underrated wine producing country, and I have to say that even for someone who recognises the qualities and virtues of Portugal's wine, I was surprised by some of these bottles. They ran the gamut from light spritsy whites to full-blooded heavy reds with at least one wine which was completely unlike anything I'd ever had before.

So here are my findings...

Alvarinho 2009 Capitao-mor. This wine is rich and round. Very fresh acidity but plenty of fruit, mineral and great balance. Long mineral laced finish. Part of a new wave of vinho verde, going for a bigger, more concentrated style. I like it... A lot.

Lagoalva 2011 Vinho Regional Tejo. blend of all sorts of grapes, modern style of wine making. Something reminiscent of Aussie viognier and even elements reminiscent of Sancerre. Mineral, peachy fruit and super pleasant.

Pato Frio 2011 DOC Alentejo. Very stinky and almost sweaty on the nose. Reminds me of Italian verdicchio. Big mouthfeel, super chewy and almost oily. Interesting stuff, definitely unique. I like it a lot.

Quinta da Raza Vinhao 2011. WTF. Very cool deep colour. One of very few red juiced grapes. Very interesting fizziness, almost what i expect from Inho Verde, but red. If you like Coca-Cola and want a quality wine, this is it. The acidity is high, bits of sweetness and fruit. Very pleasant and refreshing, could be nicely chilled. I wouldn't have more than a few glasses, but in context and with the right food, this is a gem!

Tinta da Anfora 2009- More classic aromas of light black fruit; brambles rather than currants, perhaps touches of flowers, hints of spice and a background of meat. Very green on the palate, nice tannins, and a dusting of rosemary and sage. Very high quality stuff.

Quinta de la Rosa 2009 Douro- Deep dark colour, bright sour currants and cherries. Highly aromatic, bits of violets. Nice restrained elegant finish, lovely stuff with great balance. What can I say aside from what a good value this wine is at £15. I would happily pay £20 for such a solid, well made wine. I would be curious to put this bottle away in a cellar in some neglected corner and just forget about it only to discover it in ten or fifteen years to see what it's up to.

So thank you Tom. You showed me plenty of good value wines to be found in the Portuguese section of a good local merchant. I hope you all take that leap of faith into a new range of great wines and you will be happy you'd done so.

Much Love,

G.

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Risuena Pinot Noir

Hey Everyone,

Today I am trying a lovely bottle of Risuena 2010 Pinot Noir from California produced by Zepaltas Wines based in Santa Rosa.  Before I write up my tasting notes on this wine, I must make a disclaimer...

I will freely admit that I have only come upon rare experiences of truly inspiring Pinot Noir from outside of Burgundy and indeed few within Burgundy which justify the grape's traditionally high cost.  I know that Pinot is a fickle little grape, with a reputation for low yields, sensitivity to the elements and human working but with potentially great rewards to be reaped from the fortunate and skillful winemaker.  That said, and while I generally enjoy Pinot Noir, I am still trying to gain a true appreciation for all the subtle nuances of this elegant, fabled grape.  Perhaps my regular consumption of big tannic Portuguese wines, Napa Cabernet and Bordeaux has rendered my palate insensitive.  I shall have to simply keep tasting as many as I can find.

The Risuena introduces itself with a surprisingly dark robe of deep ruby.  It is attractive in the glass with a prominent viscosity, likely due to it's high %14.2 ABV.  The nose is rich and spicy, with notes of clove and nutmeg sprinkled lightly over a mixture of raspberries, brambles and red currants all complimented by hints of violets and roses.  There is something slightly sharp about it which may be a slightly boozy nose, but it is subtle and doesn't really take much away from the experience of the wine.

The palate is dominated by the floral element with some more bitter citrus fruits, such as bergamot and orange peal.  The acid and alcohol are both present but not overpowering, which is impressive for me seeing as the flavours are all relatively delicate.  This is clearly a good Pinot and overall and enjoyable wine.  If you manage to find a bottle along your hunt for a tasty good value Pinot, this is what I'd go for.

Much Love,
G

Hermanuspietersfontein 2009 Die Martha

Hey Everyone,

Happily back in rainy St. Andrews, I am writing up a little review of an interesting bottle with a very difficult to pronounce name. Hermanuspietersfontein is one of my favourite producers for reasons other than the very classic Afrikaaner name. The last wine I had from their collection was the 2008 Swartskaap Cabernet Franc, a really pleasant and interesting, if slightly one-dimensional wine. It was a unique approach to a single varietal in South Africa which I have not seen elsewhere (though I do look forward with great anticipation to the Sijnn Touriga Nacional as soon as I do get a chance to try it).

Tonights wine however is a more classic example of a Rhone blend of 74% Shiraz, 23% Mourvédre and 3% Viognier. Initially the nose is pretty standard for a big South African red, with prominent cocoa, spice and black currant. It does develop a bit though and takes on a very old-world aroma of olive. Black rather than green olives, I would add, though with a few years of ageing ahead it is likely that green olive would become a dominant aroma on the nose. There is pleanty of leather and licorice with oak driven flavours of nutmeg, cinnamon and coconut as well as a touch of cigar box for added complexity.

While not a very challenging wine, it is overwhelmingly enjoyable and pleasing. While I think it might be a bit too confected for steak or lamb, I could see this going wonderfully with barbecues and slowroasted pork. I think some germanic food like sausages and boar would do nicely as well.

This is just the sort of wine I love on a cool evening in November, it's warming, pleasant and easily enjoyable. Hope you are enjoying something equally satisfying these days!

Much Love,

G

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Wines tasted in Paris

Hey Everyone,

Today I am putting out the tasting notes for a few rather nice wines I have had the chance to try during my travels in Paris.  These are not particularly available in the UK, but hopefully when a better representation of their styles becomes available, you will think back and recall that you heard good things about these appellations.

First off, I spent my first night searching the streets for a good wine bar, and after realising that such a thing in Paris is tremendously expensive, I looked instead for a good wine shop, which I was fortunate enough to find.  The first wine I tried was a 2009 Rigal Cahors.  Made up of 70% Malbec and 30% Merlot, this wine was big and dark, earning it's historic title of 'Black Wine' which dates to the middle ages.  It had aromas of black berries, and smoke, currants and flint as well as the classic Malbec aromas of clove, coffee and cocoa after a few hours left to breathe.  It was deep, bold and satisfying and representative of a style of wine which I hope makes it more regularly to the rest of the world.

Next I was able to get a hold of the second tasty Bergerac of my trip, being a 2009 Roc de Miremont.  I was interested in this one in particular as it was not Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot based, but rather it focused on Cabernet Franc as the lead varietal.  It was softer than the standard Bergerac wines with which I am familiar, but it was definitely complex and pleasing on par with the rest of the Bordeaux I experienced on this trip.

The last wine I will write about here is the most recent of my trip, being that I am drinking it now..  It is a 2011 Château Auney L'Hermitage Graves Blanc.  It was about 10 euros and for the price I found the most satisfying white of the trip.  It was oaky with hints of peach, lychee and a bit of that rocky gravel character that does such a service to Graves wine.  It was refreshing and possessed a zesty acidic edge allowing balance for it's big, opulent flavours.  Over all a pleasing wine.  I wish with all my heart that oaky Bordeaux blanc under £10 were a reality in Britain. If I could make a wine in a particular style, it would be along the lines of Bordeaux Blanc.  Great stuff.

Anyways, there were plenty more wines tasted in restaurants and from bottles during my trip to Paris but I only wanted to highlight these three for their general interest.  They are styles of wines which should be available to the punter in Britain because they fill a gap in the market.  I hope you get to try some interesting French wines in the future and if you find something of interest, please send your discoveries to me at grapepresswines@gmail.com.

Much Love,
G

Buffalo Trace

Hey Everyone,

Today is a bit out of the ordinary, as I am writing up my expereinces on bourbon, a spirit which I usually don't really give a rat's arse about, as I consider it all tasty if a bit normal. I was invited to taste a selection of Buffalo Trace's whiskey's in Edinburgh and got to try some expressions which were somewhat out of the ordinary, including a whisky considered by Jim Murray to be one of the world's best. Whether I agree with the writer of the Whisky Bible, I will not yet say, but I will let my tasting notes for the whiskey's do the talking...

Buffalo Trace Tasting notes- Bon Vivant's Companion, Thistle Street Edinburgh. 11 October 2012.

White Dog- Unaged spirit. A bit of cocoa, vanilla, a definite predecessor for the whiskey. A big palate, silky and surprisingly smooth. Not as fruity as some new make I've experienced, but some pleasant aromas. Interesting. Not pleasant, but interesting.

Buffalo Trace-8 years-ish , 45% rye-bourbon. Initial ethanol, crisp fruity aroma, a hint of spice, banana, a bit of a LCD (lowest common denominator) whisky, but standard and pleasant. Boring palate, and neutral finish.

Eagle Rare 10 y/o. Big ethanol nose, more spice, like cinnamon ice cream. Woodier palate, (good sarcastic remark by the blender catches us all off guard, going over most of the present hipsters' heads) still a bit neutral but with a better, more interesting finish.

Elmer T. Lee 9-11 y/o. More rye heavy, intended to be sweeter. Much more of a molasses flavour like mature grain whisky. More reserved maturity, a bit of spice on the finish. Quite well balanced. This shows a bit more class and poise than the previous three. Elmer T Lee is a 90+ year old blender, so I think I see his practiced hands coming into play here.

Wheated Bourbon 12 y/o, no rye at all in the recipe, which would encourage more sweetness as opposed to the spicier rye. Grassier, fresh bell pepper, nice smooth, light palate, it is quite sweet and pleasant. Really rather nice.

Sazerac Straight Rye, 6-8 y-o. Made of at least 51% rye with corn for sweetness. Awesome branding. Roasted cinnamon aromas with fresh chili, jalapeño perhaps. Very dry by comparison, very pleasing. Possibly better than the previous. So far the best. Will the last whisky be the piece de résistance? Or a highlight on this one's funkiness?

George T. Stagg 15 y/o 71.4% uncut, unfiltered. Freaking massive, hugely boozy nose with a lot of spiciness at first, but quickly softens in the mouth to a neutral finish. Still thinner that I would like from a whisky. Maple syrup comes through with water. The texture is almost thinner for the high proof, and with water, much more of an interesting style comes forward. This may be Jim Murray's favourite whiskey, but its sure not mine.

Basically, whilst I do enjoy it, I really just don't get it entirely. The Eagle Rare, however, made a damn good Old-Fashioned...

Much Love,

G

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Torres Gran Coronas 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Hey Everyone,

Tonight I am trying a nifty bottle of Spanish Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the members of the Primum Familiae Vini (First Families of Wine). Familia Torres, a sort of catch all operation making pretty much everything has been called the Starbucks of wine, meaning that you're rarely wow-ed but you'll not find any glaring issues with the product. Essentially, you always know what you will be getting from a bottle of Torres wine.

Torres, being perhaps the only grower with a reputation for it's Cabernet Sauvignon in Spain, is best known for it's cult wine, Mas la Plana, a big, full-on almost Napa-style Cabernet bottled in a Burgundy-shape bottle with an iconic black label. Selling for around £35 a bottle, there are plenty of skeptics for this wine, as it just doesn't fit any defined Spanish style and costs a fair bit.

At a more affordable price, around £12 or so, an entry level Cabernet called Gran Coronas is a nice, full-on Cab, with straightforward varietal characteristics, a good amount of tannin and enough acidity to take on fatty meats. It is an engaging wine that is both classic Cabernet, and definitely Spanish. It has those nice vanilla oak flavours, bright cherry and strawberry aromas; the signature of Spanish red as well as varietal hints of mint and bell pepper which call out Cabernet Sauvignon. Also, there is a hint of maturity with aromas of leather and cedar.

I had this bottle with a beautifully cooked steak with a healthy dose of pepper and garlic and while it worked wonderfully, I would see this wine pairing even better with a leg of duck or a bit of lamb shank. Even on it's own, it is a bloody good bottle of wine for the price, and while I usually don't bother heaping praise on the bigger houses, I do like that Torres has stuck with this variety and found a niche for themselves as the purveyors of Cabernet Sauvignon in Spain. I say good on them and I am happy that this wine presents itself so pleasantly and enjoyably and that I am glad to have another affordable, desireable Cabernet cross my path.

I hope that if you come across a bottle of the Gran Coronas you will give it a try, because it is a good, reliable wine. Also, if you're looking to splash out a bit and go for the Mas la Plana, I can say with confidence that you will be getting a really cool bottle of Cabernet.

Much Love,

G

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Sijnn Rosé 2008

Hey Everyone,

Here's a recent bottle of interest that I came across on my recent visit down to London. It was a South African rosé made from barrel-fermented Mourvédre, Shiraz and Trincadeira, and was a striking example of just how cool a rose can be. I would rarely justify spending much more than £15 on a bottle of pink wine that isn't Champagne, but in this case I'll make an exception.

It was rich, with intense aromas of raspberries, strawberries and red currants and had a gorgeous complexity with a herbal, yeasty profile. The wine is darker than some kiwi Pinot Noirs I've come across showing a beautiful colour like red topaz. Despite the depth of colour, this is most certainly a rosé, with it's delicate, fruity flavours, complete absence of tannin and spritsy texture.

It may be a bit volatile, given it's slight sparkle, but in reality, this is a point in it's favour for me. It gives the wine a lift which many rosé wines lack and may contribute to it's intense fragrance. I also am a big fan of the use of Mourvédre as the base grape. This grape has given me the two best rosés I've ever had.

While this wine is quite difficult to get a hold of, being made on a very small farm in Swellendam South Africa, it may be found here and there in the more eclectic wine shops and online merchants around. Despite it's higher price tag of around £20, it is well worth it for perhaps the best non-sparkling rosé i've had in the past year.

Much Love,

G

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Return of the King (of wines)

Hey Everyone,

Here's a bit of a throwback to an earlier post. In fact, the post with which I first made this blog public was a declaration of my love for the Hungarian Tokaj region. I rarely get a chance to taste Tokaji, yet my fondness for this beautiful and noble sweet wine is always at the front of my mind when I am considering any other wine region. For me, Tokaji wine is the criterion against which I measure all other regions and styles, by virtue of it's everlasting adherence to tradition and commitment to representing the Hungarian people.

Therefore, when I get the chance to tast Tokaji, I never pass it up and by wonderful coincedence, I had two such opportunites in the past week; each a mere two days apart. Here are my findings...

The first, a Tokaji Szamarodni Edes from 2002 was a simple tokaji, the kind of wine I imagine would be more or less a common wine for everyday consumption if I lived in Hungary or a country that gave enough attention to the import and consumption of Tokaji wines. 'Edes' meaning sweet, it didn't have any statement of puttonyos concentration, but I would say it was around about a 4; not a sweet viscous thing, nor was it particularly dry. The nose was full of flowers and peaches with a bit of marshmallow and some roasted vanilla beans involved.

At a slightly touristy wine shop I paid the equivalent of ten quid for this bottle. I'm guessing that in a local bórszag one would pay about two-thirds that price, making this about the best value sweet wine I have ever had. Bringing this wine back with me, I felt like I'd made a huge profit form my trip to Hungary, especially as I could imagine a bottle of this quality selling for around 40 pounds. That disparity in price was more than the cost of my flight (both ways) on Wizz A!r.

The second wine was a classic 1999 Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos from Crown Estates. Crown estates is likely to be the only producer of Tokaji anyone in the UK has ever tried, although the Royal Tokaji Company is hopefully making more inroads to the British market, and therefore can be a sort of standard for judging the quality of Tokaji. That said, this was a fantastic bottle of wine. It was beginning to show signs of approaching maturity, with a beautifully sweet palate, rich stewed fruit character and a surprising off-dry finish. Though this bottle sells for a hefty price tag of around 42 pounds, I would take it anyday over a German Auslese or Sauternes of the same price.

Tasting these wines reminded me of just how much I love Hungarian wine and I wish for a day when Tokaji of this character and quality are available on a larger, more affordable scale. But until that day, I feel very fortunate to have tasted these wines when I did, and if you ever find yourself in the position to taste some of the amber nectar of the Magyar, I Hope you go for it.

Much love,

G

 

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2010 L'Expresio del Priorat

Hey Everyone,

Today I'm trying a lovely bottle of Priorat; a wine from Spain's northeast. Situated in the Catalonian countryside several hours west of Barcelona, Priorat is one of the great treasures of Spanish winemaking. Though it is apparently condemned to be forever overshadowed by Penedes locally (the home of Cava production) and Rioja and Ribera del Duero nationally, Priorat is a wine region that has the potential to make lively, full-bodied and satisfying wines with complex characters and even some longevity in the cellar.

This Priorat in particular is a lovely example and has just about everything I would expect from this underrated region. It is very full bodied, friendly and approachable with it's fruitiness and oakiness, but it holds onto enough complexity to keep it interesting for one who is a bit more pensive with their wines. Basically, it's a good all-rounder so I could happily see it going with a big meal and being used to wash down some barbecued pork ribs and burgers, or by itself as a more thoughtful glass on it's own.

The colour is deep and nearly opaque in the glass with a ruby brilliance. The nose is quite big with plenty of deep bramble, black currant and spice as well as complex notes of smoke, new leather and licorice. There may even be some coconut in there, but it may be my imagination. Spanish wine makers often use new American oak barrels for their wines which does give the licorice and coconut aromas, so I may be expecting coconut and therefore smelling it.

The palate is gorgeous with surprisingly grippy tannins, but a nice velvety profile overall. Flakes of stoney gravel betray the licorella soil type which makes up the Catalunyan countryside and show the class of this wine. I love it when a wine shows it's terroir (even though I don't like the word terroir) and this example of Priorat certainly does. The acidity along with the tannins and the full-on fruit character leads me to think that this has some ageability in it, but I say 'why bother.' It's beautiful now and I think it's youth is in it's favour.

I do hope you consider giving this one a try, as it is a lovely bottle for around about 17 pounds. Priorat may not be as historically respected as Rioja, but I think it's a very independent Spanish style and a great value for money.

Much Love,

G

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Growers Champagnes- Ode to the Recoltant!

Hey Everyone,

We are currently experiencing an explosive boom in the beer industry and thousands of small scale, independent microbreweries are cropping up everywhere in the UK from St. Austell's to St. Andrews, making for a very exciting time to be a beer drinker. When was the last time we saw such a revolutionary expansion in the wine world? When Australia broke onto the scene? When the Californians won the 1976 Paris Tasting? Believe it or not, a revolution is now upon us. All we have to do is look beyond the labels of some of the most resonant names in the wine world. Thereby we may be shocked by the potential excitement being generated by what may be the world's most familiar yet beguiling wine region, if we only let it enthral us as much as it should.

Several hours northwest of Paris, situated in and around the towns of Épernay, Bouzy, Dizy and Cumières, there is the historic and magnificent region of Champagne. With grand, palatial mansions and some of the most beautiful vineyard vistas you could imagine, Champagne is quite possibly the beating heart of the wine world. A stroll down the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, is like a review of the red carpet of wine. Perrier-Jouet, Moet & Chandon, Pol Roger and so many others escort you to the centre of town and in their houses stand like behemoths facing one another, each at the centre of an intricate web of growers and wine producers.

But it is beyond these massive companies and their branding that one looks for the next great source of excitement in wine. Those lower down on the ladder. Those farmers and their personal wineries which make up most of Champagne's vineyard space are the ones pushing the limits of Champagne consumption beyond the traditional occasions. These so-called 'Grower's Champagnes' are very much akin to the Microbrewery in the beer world. They are largely independent, they pay close attention to detail and their wines are often excellent value. They worry less about their image and more about the product, which must speak for itself in lieu of mass-market advertising.

When you pay for a bottle of Joseph Perrier champagne, which may be about twenty-eight pounds, you are paying for the professionally designed boxes, the research team which maps out product placement, the payment for placement and so on. With such an army of research, management and executive individuals, very little comes down to the actual wine. Compare that to Guy de Chassey, an independent grower situated on 9 hectares near the town of Louvois. Made entirely of Premier Cru and Grand Cru grapes, the basic Champagne is comparable in quality to Pol Roger and Bollinger, and without a doubt superior to many priced well above it's modest price tag of 20 pounds! It is fresh on the nose with plenty of bright fruit, hints, but no more of creamy richness, but lots of cherry and gooseberry, showing great quality from the Pinot Noir used in the blend. That's another thing; Guy de Chassey uses 75% Pinot Noir, generally a more expensive grape, and yet here it is in a high proportion, with great execution and at a lower price. Anyone tasting Guy de Chassey will quickly realise the quality and that branding is non-essential for a great bottle of wine.

The best part of these small growers, is that they are just about endless. An enthusiastic traveller to the region would require years to visit each independent grower and try the wines they have to offer. You could quite feasibly go through a different Champagne each week for over a decade and not taste the same bottle twice. They offer value that makes their enjoyment a relatively affordable experience, so you don't need to wait for an occasion like a birthday or New Year to open a great bottle of Champagne. Now, the great bottle of Champagne can be a regular occasion in itself; one of life's small but regular pleasures. After all, that is how the Champenois live. Just as we might spend 20 pounds on a lovely bottle of wine to treat ourselves and our friends or family to a nice experience, the residents of Champagne will do so with their local wine. Now that more and more growers are finding their way onto the shelves of our wine shops and online merchants, it is becoming more and more possible to enjoy a beautiful bottle of Champagne without spending more than 20 pounds (or a bit more for a really cracking bottle!) for a priceless experience.

Of the small proportion of growers represented on the UK market, some of them can be presented as an alternative to a more famous and more expensive house. For example, Le Mesnil shares vineyards with the formidable Krug, Veuve Fourny also bears similarities to the same. Pierre Peters reminds me of Pol Roger and Chassey has something of Bollinger's power behind it. Another point is that the independent growers of Champagne still offer great value compared with comparable wines from English producers and until we see such good value low cost English bubbly on the market, they are a great value.

Sure, there is something to be said for the fact that they can be hard to find consistently. One week it may be tough to get a hold of the Chassey or the Le Mesnil, but then the drinker can go for something different. When it comes to great wine, why not seek out new experiences? Change is the spice of life and just as craft beer drinkers seek out beers they've never had, perhaps Champagne drinkers should do the same and try as many different producers as they can rather than sticking to one for life. I know many wine drinkers who have placed themselves in a camp and stayed there. Whether you're a Bollinger guy who always liked James Bond and anything James Bond likes, or Ace of Spades because you'll do whatever Jay-Z says, you may actually find yourself gaining more pleasure in the drinking experience if you ditch the big names and spring for the independents. Its like the difference between Tesco and the local butcher. Which one will care more about your enjoyment?

Champagne is a great wine. While there are good, bad and middling Champagnes out there, the style and the region is undoubtedly one of the world's finest, with a strong claim to the top spot. It is not often that an established and reliable institution comes along and presents the world with a whole new bag of tricks and says, "Oh by the way, I also have all this fun stuff!" so I think we can call ourselves lucky to have a bevy of novel Champagnes to look forward to.

One last thing; these growers are not new. Some are centuries old, and their heritage goes back well beyond the currently fashionable big brands. They have been growing the grapes for ages while the Négociants have been taking the credit. There are two little letters on each bottle of Champagne that can tell you whether the producer bought in grapes and ready-made wine or grew their own grapes and made their own stuff. 'RM' for Recoltant Manipulant and 'NM' for Négociant Manipulant. Time to give the Récoltant his credit where credit is due!

Much Love,

G

 

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Growers Champagne- Philippe Martin Cuvée Spéciale

Hey Everyone,

Today I'm trying a bottle of champagne from what one might call an obscure producer. Philippe Martin, a small grower in the hills outside of Bouzy, produces a range of wines from premier cru vineyards around the village of Cumières, from a basic cuvée on up to a vintage blanc des blancs as well as an interesting Cumières Rouge. The Champagnes from the range tended to be overly acidic and brashly lemon flavoured, but I was pleased with the Cuvée Spéciale, so I decided to bring a bottle home.

The wine poured in quite a lively manner. While I'm usually quite good at opening a bottle of champagne without the cork popping too loudly, but this one went off the second I twisted the the cork. The bubbles filled the glass with even the most careful of pouring, but once it calmed down, the wine itself seemed somewhat neutral in the glass. The nose is mostly defined by sweet apple pulp, with hints of pear drops and lemon drops. The palate is quite full on with the acid dominating and the bubbles disappearing almost as soon as the wine is poured.

Even so, as far as Champagnes go, Philippe Martin is a nice, affordable and easy to drink wine. A colleague refered to it, appropriately I think, as a session Champagne. True enough, if I were hosting a party or meal, I'd be happy to buy a few bottles of this to serve around, especially for the price tag. I paid 10 euros for this bottle cellar door and, though it would likely sell in Britain for about 20 pounds, I think that it is indeed worth the money. Especially compared to other Champagnes available in that price range, such as the Forget-Brimont or the Jacquart, it is a perfectly respectable wine.

I think it even throws a few punches above its weight. Discussing with another colleague, we decided that Joseph Perrier offers little, if anything more and comes with a much higher price tag. Figure in branding and packaging and the wine is about the same quality but with a higher price. If we consider the Philippe Martin as a 20 pound Champagne, then the only wines around that price I'd go for instead would be something like Delamotte and Guy de Chassey.

I hope that this wine and others like it become more readily available in Britain, and with such low prices, I see no reason why they should not. Imagine a world in which our default choice for Champagne was a small production grower's wine that changed each week! What a wonderful world it would be. Then we'd be drinking like the champenois!

Much Love,

G

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Classic Merlot! Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2009

Hey Everyone,

Today's wine to try is, in my opinion, an excellent bottle of one of my favourite grapes. Despite the bad press given to Merlot, I believe that it can produce some of the most delightful wines on the market. What is best about Merlot is that it does not have to be expensive to be good, but there are a few examples of world class Merlot that deserve a tip of the hat.

Just a bit of background, Merlot is the principal grape in some of the most important wines in the world, and when vinified to it's full potential, it produces the tannin and acidity needed for long ageing. Important wineries, including Le Pin, Cheval Blanc (where it is heavily blended with Cabernet Franc) and Petrus make the finest examples of Merlot and the best vintages can fetch astronomical prices.

Tonight's bottle is a Merlot from South Africa, in particular from the Stellenbosch region which produces a great proportion of South Africa's best wines. As one of my earlier posts on South Africa's wine industry makes clear, I firmly believe that this remote wine producing nation is very much an old soul in the new world. This Merlot, with its characteristics of the terroir and tannin, is very much an old world style of wine.

The wine is deep in colour with an opaque colouring. Three years on from vintage, you would expect a new world Merlot to fade a little bit, but this one is really quite inky in colour. The glass, as I swirl, is coated with thick, slow running legs, hinting at the high alcohol levels inherent in the wine.

The nose, after a bit of breathing is full of all kinds of wonderful things essential to a good Merlot. There is black berry, rasberry, hints of brambe and cassis, all proped up by rich roasted coffee and dark chocolate. There is a chalky element coming through which I believe hints at the soil of the vineyards, indicating that this wine was made with the intention that it reflect it's sense of place in the fashion of an old world wine maker.

The palate is rich and velvety with few flaws. The tannins are big and pleasing, with a chunkiness that I desire from a full-bodied wine. There are bitter elements reminiscent of the feeling left in the mouth after swallowing some 85% dark chocolate. If anything, the mineral could be more pronounced and the tannin a bit more forward. Basically, I feel that this wine has the markings of a very skilled winemaker who may be holding back for his more premium labels.

I would be very interested to try a more special Thelema bottling. I would be looking for a more bold style, with bigger tannins, more forward acidity, a greater emphasis on the terroir and overall a more Bordelais style. I feel that is what Thelema wants to produce.

All in all, I loved today's wine. I think that, as a daily drinking wine, it is a cracking bottle and for the price of just over fifteen pounds, it is a great value bottle. For those looking for a silky, chocolatey merlot executed with an esteem for class and the goal of producing an elegant Merlot, this is the bottle!

Much Love,

G

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Cline- Mourvédre

Hey Everyone,

Today's wine to try is a lovely, friendly take on the Mourvédre grape from California's Contra Costa County. Produced by the consistent wine-makers at Cline, this Mourvédre is a nice bottle of wine and a good example of an all-too rare grape variety, which has excellent potential in the dynamic climates of California. A very thick skinned grape and potentially highly tannic and age-worthy, this has been made in a more friendly, fruit forward style, even more so than the Bandolier, which I reviewed last week.

The wine is deep in colour but not entirely opaque as I have seen with other wines made of this grape variety, indicating that it has spent less time macerating (the process by which colour and tannin is extracted from the skins into the juice) than the Bandolier or more serious Mourvédre wines.

That said, the aromas are quite forward in style. Big notes of juicy black berries, stewed prunes and plums come forward with little hints of spice here and there. Not as herbal as some French mourvédres I've had but the mroe the wine breathes, the more I convince myself that there is some thyme and possibly even a hint of green pepper in there. In fact, given this wine blind, I am certain I would be likely to mistake it for a standard Californian Zinfandel.

True to it's zinfandel-like form, the palate is super juicy and jammy, with flavours of ribena and creme de cassis covering the tongue. Though I am beginning to feel that this wine is a bit superfluous (why pay twenty-odd quid for a wine that is basically serving the same purpose as a typical Zinfandel?) I do have to give credit where it is due, it is well executed and carries it's 15% alcohol level with considerable grace. The tannins are moderate and the body medium to heavy with a nice fruity profile while the wine as a whole is well balanced and easily enjoyable.

If you like your nice juicy wines, and want to try something a little different from the standard Zin, this Mourvédre is a very pleasing bottle from an established producer in California and is definitely worth considering.

Much Love,

G

 

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