the scent of summer

Transcription

the scent of summer

COMPLIMENTARY
Wines of Distinction
vini- a combining form meaning
“wine”: viniculture, vinification
[Latin vīni-, comb. form of vīnum]
–
Vinification is the production of wine,
starting with selection of the grapes
or other produce and ending
with bottling the finished wine
Do you have any queries regarding
a particular wine, grape or varietal?
Would you like to speak to someone
about your wine list?
Get in touch with us
[email protected]
the scent
of summer
ISSUE:
#002
Summer 2014
Welcome
to our second edition of Vini.
We are not only into our second
edition but well into the warmer
months of summer.
To get us in the summer spirit, we
take a look at Rosé and a range of
grape varieties used plus a feature
on Summer Sparkling Wine, as
well as taking the Sherry out of
Christmas and landing it straight into
our long hazy, summer days.
Master Sommelier, Ronan Sayburn
talks about the Champagne
category in Restaurants and we
take a look at matching some of
the best Dessert wines with savoury
food - cue rumbling tummies...
We take you on a trip around
the world from South Africa, to
Argentina to Italy to take you
away from the UK for just a
few moments...
As always, we welcome all your
views and comments so please
get in touch!
Cheers!
Simon
Wein or Wine?
Contributors
Brought to you by the wine geeks at Matthew Clark
Simon Grayson
is one of our Wine
Development
Specialists who
works out of the
Midlands. He has
a background
in fine dining and started out on his
wine career almost 10 years ago.
He’s a qualified WSET Educator and
spends most of his time out in trade
in support of Matthew Clarks’ regional
wine customers.
Tiffany Mogg
is the latest
addition to
the wine team
in the role of
Wine Marketing
Manager, she
has experience in wine retail and
sales with Majestic and holds her
WSET Diploma.
Siobhan Irons is
one of our Wine
Buyers who not
only keeps the
rest of the guys
on the team in
check but has
sourced some absolute gems from
the old world.
Zoë Coombs
is our Wine
Development
Specialist for
the South West.
She really should
know what she’s
doing by now having started back
at Matthew Clark in 2000 (although
there was a short 3 year break to run
a couple of gastro pubs). The last
couple of years have seen her get
her WSET Diploma and qualify as a
WSET Educator.
Douglas McCrorie
found his passion
for wine when he
joined Oddbins
nearly 20 years
ago. He worked
through his WSET
exams and gained his Diploma in
Wines & Spirits. He joined Matthew
Clark in 2004 and then left after 5
years to join Bibendum Wine. He
quickly returned to Matthew Clark 2
years ago as a Wine Development
Manager for the National Accounts
Division which involves consulting on
and evolving customers’ wine lists,
developing wine training packages
and generally enthusing about wine!
Wine is not just a job for Douglas it’s
a passion.
Laurie Davis, our
resident Aussie,
has always had a
passion for wine
which started when
he picked grapes in
the school holidays
for Bruce Tyrrell in
the Hunter Valley. After a 16 year stint
as a Chef in the UK and Oz, he joined
Matthew Clark 14 years ago, turning
his wine habit into a career. Having
worked on the sales side for many
years, he now finds himself as our
Wine Controller.
Rachel Love is
spending her
tenth year in the
wine trade but her
passion for wine
started earlier
than that through
regular family holidays to wine
regions of France. Her career in the
industry began at Majestic Wine in
2004 and has travelled extensively
to wine regions around the world,
completed her WSET Diploma with
a lot of fun had along the way!
Rachel joined Matthew Clark in 2013
as Wine Development Specialist and
has recently qualified as a certified
WSET educator.
Knowing how important (and fun) wine events are, we take a
look at two important and influential events in our industry...
Nicky Forrest
Managing Director, Phipps
Buying duo
head to Dusseldorf
– the city of Wein
There is no doubt that Prowein
in Dusseldorf has become the
must attend show for the UK
wine trade. From its humble
beginnings twenty years ago with
321 exhibitors and just over 1,500
visitors to the mega wine gathering
of 48,000 visitors from over 50
countries and over 4,500 exhibitors,
its rise has been meteoric.
Everyone says that of all the wine
fairs, Prowein is the one to go to
if you really want to do business. Wholesalers, retailers, importers,
Competition
time!
We’re giving you the
chance to win a copy
of ‘The World Atlas
of Wine’
This 7th edition written by Hugh
Johnson and Jancis Robinson is
a fabulous journey through the
World of Wine, whether you
want to swot up on your Wine
knowledge, reference something
or just lose yourself in the intriguing
realm of Wine, it’s all in here.
To enter, simply TWEET us a
picture of yourself with
your copy of Vini to
@MatthewClarkLtd
– tagging the picture #vini
Deadline for entries
31st August 2014
RRP £75
producers all tell you the same thing;
get there early, stay late, and plan
your time to get the most out of it.
The UK presence has increased
dramatically over the last five years and
now walking around the town at night
or the fair during the day it’s like the UK
wine trade on tour. The return flights
from Dusseldorf back to London are
a who’s who of the UK wine trade.
Matthew Clark buyers Simon Jerrome
and Siobhan Irons were there in force this
year and as Jerrome quite rightly pointed
out, “We thought it was time
we came to see what it was like.”
Jerrome was impressed and thinks that
the success of Prowein and its growing
significance to the UK trade might
actually put pressure on the major trade
and generic tastings taking place in and
around Prowein back in the UK. What
is for sure is that Prowein is about five
times the size of our own London Wine
Fair and set to get bigger next
year with the addition of two more halls. Not that size is everything of course
but it is certainly something. Why does
it keep on getting bigger and better? It’s a great location for Europe and a
major international hub; it’s a good time
of year; the venue and the whole town is
totally geared up for major fairs; and it’s
brilliantly organized by Messe Dusseldorf
(although they have some way to go on
the catering front and could learn a thing
or two from the Discover the Unexpected
Matthew Clark tasting in March this year). Catering aside, 97% of the visitors
said they will be returning next
year so it seems like it’s very much
onwards and upwards for Prowein.
What’s in a name?
Over the years London Wine Fair
has gained and lost more letters
than anyone cares to remember LWF
– LIWF – LIWSF – LIWF and finally
back to LWF. It’s almost as if the fair
went on an international journey but
decided that home was best after all. And it’s true, for many reasons, partly
geographical, LWF failed to capture
the international market. But the real
issue was that it wasn’t quick enough
to recognise its failure.
For me, London Wine Fair’s well
documented decline is no different to a
struggling brand that has lost its way and
failed to connect with its audience. Think
of Pringle and how its fusty golf course
image turned into catwalk cool. Cue Ross
Carter, the new show director to shakes
things up.
At this point, let me declare an interest.
No, I am not married to Ross Carter but I
have met him on numerous occasions and
been impressed with his drive and vision.
My interest is simply that I have a huge
will for the LWF to succeed; borne partly
from a guiding principle that any market is
best served locally but also from a firmly
held belief that the UK wine market has a
bright future.
So has LWF reached catwalk cool yet?
In some ways, yes. It invented Esoterica
to bring in new boutique importers and
interesting wines. Esoterica created a
much missed buzz and excitement and
was probably the main reason that on
trade visitors were up by 25%. But
did LWF please everyone? Of course
not. The layout was confusing and
some larger exhibitors who pay the big
bucks complained that Esoterica was so
successful that they felt sidelined.
But let’s put this in context - the floor
space was a sell out and visitors were up
by 11%. And if the key problem is now
about how to please the niche and the
mainstream players, all within the same
fair, then I think that in itself defines a
certain kind of success. Beyond doubt,
the UK needs its own wine trade event
(clearly we shouldn’t devolve all our
powers to Europe) and it looks to me as if
LWF has finally worked out what it needs
to be and is hell bent on getting there.
Matthew Clark | Vini | 41
02
10
Meet the enigmatic Simon
Grayson and his top ten
tipples from our wine list
18
Good enough for Royalty,
good enough for us!
26
Who said sweet wines
were just for Dessert?!
Re-discover the beauty
of Bergerac
ISSUE: #002
Contents
Matthew Clark | Vini | Summer 2014
16
Read about the different
styles of Rosé to see why
this category is no longer
exclusive to Summer
l
@MatthewClarkLtd
PLEASE NOTE
The codes listed next to wines
are our product codes which
can be used to purchase wines.
Prices quoted are list bottle
price. These are correct at time
of print but may be subject to
change without notice.
20
Find out what happens
when you pour food
colouring into the wine...
32
Ali Reynolds from
Hawksmoor shares some
wine based summer
cocktails. Delish!
34
First part of a continued
journey around Italy...
dreamy...
36
It’s Sherry, Sherry, Sherry
time! Goodbye Christmas,
hello Summer!
Château Thénac
Bergerac
Over the past few years, a handful of
Bergerac producers have striven to
resurrect the image of the Appellation.
Although the Bergerac Appellation
spreads over a large region across
both sides of the Dordogne river, and
therefore has a range of diverse terroirs
and micro-climates, there are some
terroirs with the potential to make very
serious wines – the famous limestone
ridge of St. Emilion continues
through the Côtes de Castillon and
into the Bergerac region; and it is on
a series of spurs of this limestone ridge
that the vineyards of Château Thénac
are located.
Tim Smith, a supplier with an age old relationship
with Matthew Clark talks history and in depth about
interesting wines from Bergerac.
2 | Matthew Clark | Vini
The vineyards are situated at 150
to 200 metres altitude – nothing to
compare with some new world regions,
but an important point in comparison
with the Médoc, whose high point is
around 25 metres! A further important
factor is the distance from the sea –
whereas the Bordeaux vineyards enjoy
/ suffer from the temperate, humid
Atlantic climate, Bergerac is more
influenced by continental weather
conditions – harder winters, but also
warmer, longer summers. This results in
a longer, warmer ripening season.
Grapes have been grown at Thénac
for centuries, and the château itself,
magnificently situated on a ridge
with imposing views of the rolling
countryside, dates back to the sixteenth
century. The current owner has
not only restored the property, but
also invested heavily in bringing
the vineyards and the winery up to
modern, high-quality standards.
Winemaking at Château Thénac
takes place in a recently re-equipped
cellar next door to the château itself.
Vinification for the whites is in either
temperature-controlled stainless steel
vats or in oak barriques. The reds are
fermented in the traditional upright
wooden vats of the Bordeaux region.
The barrel cellar has two floors whose
temperatures can be regulated, one
for white wines and one for reds. The
Château Thénac red is aged for around
15 months in a mix of new and used
barriques of French oak, and part of
the Château Thénac white blend for
8 months (the rest is kept in stainless
steel). The T de Thénac range sees
less oak, varying according to the
character of each vintage.
All of the viticultural and winemaking
activity at Thénac is under the control
of the estate director, Stéphane Guillot,
aided by the eagle eye of consultant
oenologue Denis Durantou.
Mr. Durantou is the owner and
winemaker of the 4.5 hectare Pomerol
estate Château l’Eglise Clinet, and he
has more awards and 100 point scores
in his back pocket than almost any other
producer in Bordeaux – to give just one
example, l’Eglise Clinet was the only
2012 Bordeaux to be given a potential
100 point rating by Robert Parker. By
honing every detail of Thénac’s work in
the vineyards and winery, Mr. Durantou
is overseeing in each vintage a small
gain in finesse and complexity, taking
Château Thénac’s wines from the ranks
of the very best in Bergerac to a level
comparable with many a Bordeaux
Grand Cru Classé…
Bergerac is part of the Périgord region,
well-known in France and abroad for
its production of fine foods – foie gras
and black truffles are among the local
specialities. As in many wine-making
regions, the wines match well with the
local cuisine: the rich fruit, fine tannic
structure and acidity of the Château
Thénac red with a magret de canard
(duck breast) with truffles and foie
gras, for example… the complexity and
richness of the Château Thénac white
with a risotto of cêpes and Périgord
truffles… while the frozen plum parfait
made with our eau de vie de prune is
heavenly with a glass of the eau de vie!
*Bottle list price
27166 Château Thénac, Côtes de Bergerac
Blanc Moelleux £14.44*
27889 T de Thénac Blanc
£9.88*
27864 T de Thénac Rouge
£9.88*
27165 Château Thénac Rouge Côtes de Bergerac
£17.85*
27164 Château Thénac Blanc Bergerac 2010
£14.54*
Bergerac has a very long historical association with England – Eleanor of
Aquitaine’s marriage to Henry the Second in the twelfth century brought a large
chunk of Southwestern France to the English crown, and began the Englishman’s
love affair with Bordeaux wines, or ‘Claret’. Customs restrictions were imposed
on wines from vineyards in French France further up the rivers Dordogne and
Garonne, and Bordeaux & Bergerac enjoyed a near-monopoly of the UK trade.
Grape varieties at Château Thénac
are familiar to Bordeaux lovers:
Cabernets Franc & Sauvignon, Merlot
and Malbec for the reds; Sémillon,
Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle
for the whites. Malbec, which needs a
warmer climate than that of Bordeaux,
produces well-coloured, spicy wines
that marry well with the backbone
of Cabernet and plush, ripe Merlot
fruit. Muscadelle, a distant, much
less obviously perfumed relative of
Muscat, is also a very interesting
aromatic component, with notes of
white flowers, hawthorn, stone fruits
and even Darjeeling tea. Most of the
vines on the estate date from 20 to 45
years old, but as the viticultural team
come to understand better the potential
of each vineyard, there is a continuous
programme to replace selected plots
each year – with either grape varieties
or clones better adapted to the terroir
and micro-climate.
We arrived in Cape Town early on the
Saturday morning and were immediately
taken up Table Mountain, one of Africa’s
most prominent landmarks and the
dramatic backdrop to Cape Town with
phenomenal views. Our welcome was
toasted with a glass of Pongracz Brut
NV: a delicious, premium sparkling wine
made by the Champagne Method.
The climate of South Africa is perfect
for growing grapes to optimum ripeness
with the many hours of warm sunshine
and the cooling influence of both the
Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In February,
hats and sun cream were essential!
Durbanville Hills
by Douglas McCrorie
First stop was Durbanville Hills, about
half an hour’s drive from Cape Town.
We got out the jeeps at one of their
9 wine farms (wine estates) and were
met by a bracing, cool wind. Altitude
and proximity to the coast keeps the
vineyards healthy from disease and
retains the natural acidity in the grapes.
It was harvest time so the grapes were
being picked - hard work by hand.
Martin, the winemaker of 15 years is
very much larger than life and showed
us some grapes and what struck us was
the absolutely even ripening of every
grape on the bunch. Martin pointed to
the sun to explain this!
The vineyard we were in also had the
particular cool conditions for noble rot
(see page 29 for more information).
This specific rot makes outstanding
sweet wines. Not many places in the
world achieve this!
Then to the winery itself, it is state of
the art, with conference facilities and a
highly rated restaurant. Many wineries
in South Africa have restaurants for the
visitors to give the whole food and wine
experience. We met Albert, the MD, and
the Distell wine team and were given an
overview and history of Distell, including
their wineries. What struck all of us was
their passion for the product and an
absolute commitment to sustainability
and the environment, including the
preservation and redevelopment of the
Renostervelds (Rhino-fields).
Martin showed us round the spotless
and thoroughly modern winery, but kept
having to disappear. It was harvest time
and one of the busiest times of year
for him and his team. A tasting of the
range soon followed, which gave us a
real understanding of the wines and the
area. They have 3 tiers: Durbanville Hills
range, Rhinofields and their pinnacle,
the Single Vineyard Selection. All of
the wines had wonderfully ripe fruit
characters and fantastic natural acidity,
so great with food. No wonder they see
themselves as one of South Africa’s
leading Sauvignon Blanc producers we all agreed! Durbanville Hills is the
ultimate location to make wine!
A visit to South Africa would not be
complete without a braai. We would
call it a barbecue, but it is more of a
grill. Meat, meat and more meat. Dinner
sorted… and washed down with the
fantastic wines of Durbanville Hills.
It is easy to forget that South Africa has
only been a democracy for 20 years and
they are still finding their way, not just
with wine.
Cape Floral Kingdom
There are only six Flora Kingdoms in
the world, the Cape Floral Kingdom
is the smallest and richest of them
It is a recognised biodiversity
hotspot, with more than 10,000
different species of plants growing
there – to mention the birds animals
and insects
70% of these plants don’t grow
anywhere else in the world —
South Africa’s wine producers have
embraced the huge responsibility of
growing wine in such a special place
and are putting vast tracts of land
into conservation
The wine producers are getting
rid of water guzzling alien plants,
restoring wetlands and rivers.
Nederburg winery
Early start the next day, lots of coffee,
and straight to the Nederburg winery
not far from Stellenbosch. This could
not have been more different from
Durbanville Hills.
A grand, historic estate with an imposing
yet beautiful Manor House, which is a
national monument. Also slightly inland,
so the difference in temperature was
apparent. The setting was outstanding,
lying in a natural basin with 3 mountains
surrounding it.
We met the crew and a quick overview
followed: Nederburg is the most
awarded winery in South Africa and has
a rich and colourful history, founded by
German immigrants in the 18th century.
A range tasting was conducted with a Q
& A session with the winemakers which
emphasised long term relationships with
growers and unswerving commitment to
quality. Each level of wine had a distinct
character and appealed to different
people and occasion. Nederburg The
Manor range particularly showed well as
great example of type and great wines
to drink by the glass. The Ingenuity Red,
A tasting and cellar tour followed our
introduction which showed the difference
between the 2 wines. Drostdy-Hof wines
are made for immediate consumption in
a very modern style and Fleur de Cap
focus much more on regional variation,
quality and expression. The unfiltered
merlot at Fleur de Cap was a real
highlight for the group offering a great
upsell opportunity.
a ground-breaking blend of sangiovese,
barbera and nebbiolo was outstanding!
Pongracz
There is innovation here with there
even being a spot in the winery dubbed
‘The winemaker’s playground’. A new
quirky gourmet range has recently been
developed, Heritage Heroes, focusing
on the characters in Nederburg’s history.
Including a Rhone blend and a beautiful
off-dry Gewurztraminer.
An in depth cellar tour followed to
really get a real understanding of the
influences that good cellar management
can deliver. We really got involved in
the process, even manually pumping
over the red grapes and a bit of barrel
sampling to see the evolution of wines.
There were some very special barrels
from the very best plots including
a single barrel of Malbec that were
reserved for the annual Nederburg
auction, a worldwide renowned event.
We were even given a taste of a work in
progress wine that we may see next year
in the UK…
A late lunch in the garden was well
received, again to spend more time
with the Nederburg and Distell UK
team. Nederburg had a lasting effect
on all of us with its history, sheer quality
and the attention to detail and the pure
expression of fruit in their wines. A large
winery, but very much capable of doing
big or small and boutique.
Whisky is a spirit not necessarily
associated with South Africa, but darker
spirits are huge in Africa. We were
treated to a really fun tasting by Distell’s
Global Marketing Manager for spirits.
As a Scotsman, I was actually quite
impressed! Their single grain whisky,
Bain’s, has just won best grain whisky in
the world in the World Whisky Awards!
Dinner and then bed…a long day ahead.
Fleur de Cap and Drostdy-Hof
Wednesday morning had arrived, and
a flight home in the evening, but 3
wineries were to be visited! Coffee and
then straight to Die Bergkelder, home of
Fleur de Cap and Drostdy-Hof wines.
Bergkelder means cellar in the mountain
and that is exactly what it is…very
impressive and incredibly beautiful.
Interestingly, all of their grapes are
sourced from contracted growers from
5 areas- blending from different areas
is very common in South Africa, as it is
in Australia, to achieve the best balance
and consistency.
We were quickly whisked to JC Le Roux,
home of Pongracz sparkling wine and
to a relaxed tasting of the range in their
magnificent wood-panelled Pongracz
room with Elunda, their cellar master.
The quality of these traditional method
wines were outstanding with their deluxe
cuvee ‘Desiderious’ being aged for
7 years on lees before release! Their
mantra is ‘creating reasons to celebrate’
which all of our guests liked!
Matching food and wine was a way of
life with Distell winemakers, so one last
stop on the way to the airport was at
Durbanville Hills to be given a chocolate
and wine tasting. Heaven! Chocolate
has been infused with aromas and
flavours that will complement the wines
of Durbanville Hills. We were all amazed
at how well it worked! Something a little
different…
They were generous, hugely positive
and extremely welcoming. The wines
were extremely diverse, but always
great quality. The drive, passion and
commitment to make wine that best
reflects their origins and history was
there to see! There are now 8 lifelong
South African and Distell ambassadors.
Thank you Distell!
As wine education goes, this was
unparalleled! We were immersed in
the culture of South Africa, and saw
the pride of the South African people,
exemplified by our partners from Distell.
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luck to every
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#awards
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@Matthew
ClarkLtd w
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‘reflects nee
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talkwalker
@Matthew
ClarkLtd a
lovely
glass of Ele
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with
risotto for te
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@Matthew
ClarkLtd S
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@mirabea
uwine is at
it
again! This
time it’s a fli
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http://ow.ly/w
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@thirstforw
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Somoza win
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we have just
started impo
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two into the
UK? Noteab
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Neno de Viñ
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odello
Seeing and
tasting the
Herencia Altés
wines - what a
range…
Having a gla
ss for
# worldmalb
ecday in
@byronbu
rger in
#cambridge
goes prett y
well
with my chill
i burger!
Really enjoye
d today judg
ing
for @Harpe
rsWine awa
rds
@richards
iddle an exc
ellent
chairman!
James scru
bs up well! M
T
@GovGen
eralNZ Roya
ls
arrived at @
Amisfield
in beautiful
Queenstow
n
#RoyalVisitN
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@Matthew
ClarkLtd gla
d to
see the @th
egrazinggo
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sell @Chap
elDownWin
es
brut #friday
fizz
@Decante
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seen
our 22 must
-try Sauvign
on
Blancs? htt
p://ow.ly/vG
LoW
@Matthew
ClarkLtd so
me
beauties in
there!
Busy #cham
pagne stand
@Matthew
ClarkLtd
#uncovered
tasting in
#Mancheste
r today!
Falling in love
with Laure
Colombo and
tasting the
amazing Jean
Luc Colombo
Cornas La Louvee
2004 wine
Food and wine master classes –
Josh Eggleton and Anton Edelmann.
Great food, perfect wine matching.
Didn’t want to be anywhere else…
@Matthew
ClarkLtd re
ady
for blind #R
ioja tasting
with the tea
m from @
HiltonHote
ls
@brucebe
ardwood
WOW! That
’s what you
call a
street part y
@josh_egg
leton
@theponya
ndtrap
@GBMoffi
cial #gojosh
By
Hannah
Atkinson
The Cuvee Cabernet
Franc – a new wine,
great value. A lovely
surprise!
Apóstoles 30-year Old Palo
Cortado Sherry with the Jamon
and salted almonds…
Say. no. more
Meeting our new suppliers
and hearing the stories
behind their great wines
Our Top 10 picks from our
London Wine Tasting
We wanted people to Discover the Unexpected...
Having stayed with a similar format in London for a few
years now, we thought it was about time we showcased
our wines properly in the manner in which they deserve.
No more white table cloths and trestle tables in a
line, our wines deserved more life than that and our
customers deserved to have the best experience they
could having made the effort to attend our event.
Seeing our
customers tasting
and enjoying
the event –
priceless
With a great new venue, East side, perfect for our
vision, we set off on our journey to make this the most
interesting and collaborative experience we could.
Our fantastic suppliers all seemed to be excited about
the end goal in the run up so we knew we had hit on
something special.
Tasting the
amazing 1985
Beaune Clos-DesUrsules. WOW,
just wow
The street food – the
pork rib box with the Ulver
Mencia Crianza made me
go back...three times!
Getting to know the lovely
Ronan Sayburn – what
a lovely chap and his
passion for Champagne
just bounds through
Starter for
Passori Rosso,
Veneto
28229
£9.45*
Borie De Maurel
Cuvee Sylla
27782
£26.95*
T de Thénac Blanc
27889
£9.88*
Premiers
Pas sur la Lune
Corbières Blanc
28380
£10.15*
Ravenswood
Old Vine Zinfandel
07630
£10.15*
Simon Grayson
Wine Development Specialist (WDS)
I came back to the UK in 2000 and
bought the lease on a pub. I can’t say
I really had a wine epiphany, a more
simple reason for beginning to drink
wine was the vast amount of lard I’d
put on drinking Guinness and lager.
Wine Selection
The recent Matthew Clark tastings across
the country were phenomenal, and a few
wines really stood out for me on the day,
no doubt helped by the company and
atmosphere. Starting with Italy and I have
a sneaky suspicion most of you will know
where I’m going with this:
1. 28229 Passori Rosso, Veneto – A
rich, smooth, Ripasso style wine from
Veneto, with bags of ripe fruit helped
immensely by a big dollop of Merlot
squeezed in with the traditional Corvina.
The grape bunches are partially snipped
(sounds painful) on the vine, concentrating
flavours, sugars and acids in the grape, all
culminating in a spicy, full bodied wine with
broad appeal at an affordable price. At last
we can make this style of wine accessible.
Brilliant with most red meat, rich pasta
After I flipped the switch, I became
fascinated at how many different wines
were available from so many regions
and grape varieties. The flavours and
their pairing with food became a serious
pastime. I sold the pub and, with my wife,
bought an old cottage and started a fine
dining restaurant to immerse myself in
a broader wine offering and put myself
through wine courses whilst attending as
many tastings as possible.
I’ve been with Matthew Clark now for
almost 5 years (with a year’s break in the
sauces and strong cheese. I’d be extremely
happy drinking it unaccompanied (by food).
I moved, somewhat reluctantly, out of
Veneto and headed down to the south of
France, to Minervois in particular and when
it came to the last wine in the newly listed
Borie de Maurel range I had forgotten
all about Italy. 2. 27782 Cuvee Sylla.
Minervois is famous for characterful, robust
reds, traditionally from Carignan, though
plantings of this varietal are in decline
and we are increasingly seeing vineyards
being planted to Mourvèdre and Syrah
(Cuvee Sylla is 100% Syrah), vines which
can flourish and produce outstanding
reds if the site is well chosen. The fields
are tilled by horse and plough and grapes
are trodden by foot, the wine is aged in
concrete tanks and old oak, it simply oozes
tradition. The sheer concentration on the
nose and palate is amazing. Black fruit
and warm spice dominate – perfect with
venison, ribeye steak and rich wintery fare.
middle, selling aircraft in Sudan) and have
had an amazing time, both from a career
and personal point of view.
The WDS position is a fantastic role,
encompassing all the facets of our wine
business, from designing and delivering
training, wine list advice, ranging,
contributing to commercial proposals,
organising tastings, as well as the
occasional vineyard visit. I’ve made some
lifelong friends, both human and liquid and
here’s 10 of the latest acquaintances of
the latter type.
At a list price of £26.95 it’s going to sit at
the top end of a wine list and be a hand
sell, but what a wine!
Moving on to Bergerac and Château
Thénac, Bergerac is well known for
mirroring Bordeaux in its styles of wine
and often offers excellent value for money.
Château Thénac is within view of the hill
of St Emillion in breathtaking countryside.
3. 27889 T de Thénac Blanc is a
blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion and
Muscadelle and has a zesty freshness from
the Sauvignon component alongside white
nectarine, greengage and honey nuances
from the Sémillon and Muscadelle. Eight
months aging in oak lends a delicate hint
of oak spice and a lovely rounded texture –
this would be a cracking choice alongside
a fillet of bream, rabbit risotto or roast
chicken and punches well above its price
point (list £9.88). Let’s kick start interest in
this style of wine, consumers will love it as
a point of difference!
Crossing the room again, I reattached
myself to the south of France and this
time, Corbieres and the quirky range
from Domaine Sainte Marie des Crozes.
4. 28380 Premiers Pas sur la Lune
Corbières Blanc is a white wine with
lovely depth and complexity on the palate;
Corbieres is situated in the Languedoc and
‘First Steps on the Moon’ is produced from
the great white Rhone grape Roussanne
(80%) with support from Grenache Blanc.
This tastes as good as the bottle looks,
offering grapefruit refreshment alongside
floral, peach and tropical notes. Time on
the fine lees and batonnage (lees stirring)
has contributed to the rich and rounded
mouth feel here – this would be the perfect
chaperone to grilled white fish with a richer
cream or butter based sauce, shellfish,
chicken or pheasant. I’ve singled this out,
though the whole range is worth tasting
and the price points make it viable as a
point of difference on any wine list in a
quality food led outlet. I have a penchant for big reds (and other
things) and this next wine is deserving of
a very enthusiastic mention. 5. 07630
Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel,
£10.15 – from Lodi County in California.
Half of you will have been enjoying this
wine for some years now, some of you
will also have had the great pleasure of
meeting winemaker Joel Peterson. He
maintains that he has always resisted
raising the price of this wine and he is
happy that almost anyone is in a position
to enjoy a bottle, be rich or poor (ish). Very
few reds turn heads like this one when you
open it with customers – the feedback is
almost always overwhelmingly positive. If
you are looking for a rich, berried red with
lovely structure which is the perfect glass
to enjoy with T–Bone Steak or a burger
then make sure you make room on your list
for the Godfather of Zin.
On the subject of great winemakers, the
next two wines are a duo from our new
Portuguese estate Esporão in Alentejo,
Portugal. Portugal is one of the most
exciting wine producing countries of the
moment, such is the variety and interest
their different regions and multitude of
indigenous grapes can offer the wine lover.
It’s just a pity that we have such huge
problems pronouncing the names of their
wines. Esporão is headed by Australian
winemaker David Baverstock, and his
6. 27943 Esporão Reserva Branco,
£12.46 – and 7. 27944 Esporão
Reserva Tinto, £16.77 – are perfect
examples of why Portugal is a country to
watch; The Reserva Branco, produced
from 30% Roupeiro, 30% Arinto, 30%
Antão Vaz and 10% Semillon, 50% of
which is aged in barrel for 6 months is
bursting with aromas of ripe tangerine,
honey and apricot with subtle notes of toast
and smoke and offers an exceptionally long,
complex and creamy palate with ripe fruit
and mineral notes. The Reserva Tinto, 40%
Aragonêz, 40% Trincadeira, 10% Cabernet
*Bottle list price
My wine career started relatively late
on in life. I emerged out of school,
a nervous end product of a Catholic
education (cold showers, over
cooked vegetables) and went to farm
tobacco in Central Africa, where I’d
grown up.
Cool-Climate
Whites
Esporão Reserva
Branco
27943
£12.46*
Esporão Reserva
Tinto
27944
£16.77*
Veramonte
Carmenère Reserva
24493
£7.70*
Piper-Heidsieck
Brut NV
11086
£36.48*
Ruinart
Blanc de Blancs
23082
£50.17*
‘Cool-Climate wines’ is a term that gets banded around
that essentially means that grapes were grown in
conditions that maximise the length of the ripening
period – not necessarily from a country with a cooler
climate.
This in turn can, with the skill of the wine maker lead to more
complex, aromatic and well-structured wines being produced.
Certainly superior, these finely-structured wines with ripe,
complex flavours make much better partners for food than
wines made from grapes with a shorter ripening period.
One example of a wine producing
country with cool-climate growing
areas is Chile. It has emerged
over the years as a leading light
in identifying and developing
new regions to attract discerning
wine drinkers. Chile being over
2,500miles in length has a wealth
of possible vineyard sites close to
the cooling influence of the pacific
Ocean and in the Andean foothills:
increased height equalling cooler
temperatures.
*Bottle list price
Sauvignon and 10% Alicante Bouschet
from vineyards grown on granitic schists
and loamy clay is aged for 12 months in
a combination of French and American
oak, one third of which is new. The nose is
intense and spicy, rich and darkly seductive;
the palate is full–bodied, with layers of dark
berried fruits, a firm tannic structure and a
long dark chocolate tinged finish.
The next outstanding wine is a speciality of
Chile, 8. 24493 Veramonte Carmenère
Reserva, £7.70 – from grapes grown
in the near perfect conditions of the
Colchagua Valley. Carmenere is a lost
Bordeaux variety which has found its
home in Chile (bizarrely, the variety was
thought to be Merlot for many years, an
opinion championed by the Chilean Wine
Association for People With No Sense
of Taste or Smell) and this shows notes
of raspberry and cherry on the nose
alongside typical savoury and herbal
aromas associated with this variety;
12 months oak aging gives the wine
complexity, a hint of toast alongside the
black and red fruits on the palate, and a
soft, elegant finish. For value for money,
Chile takes some beating, and it’s true to
say that the quality on offer here would
command double the price were this a
wine from Bordeaux – thankfully for us
it isn’t! The spicy red fruits here would
perfectly compliment tomato based pasta
dishes, hard cheeses such as Comte or
a Lamb Tagine, pretty versatile.
Let’s finish off where most finished off (or
were finished off) at the tastings - Fizz.
9. 11086 Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV.
A real gem on our wine list and gaining
recognition at the highest level for its
renewed energy in pursuit of quality.
The Chef de Cave, Regis Camus, is a
phenomenal talent and respected as a true
master of his craft. Typically 55% of the
blend is Pinot Noir with the balance split
fairly evenly between Pinot Munier and
Chardonnay with up to 15% of reserve
wines maintaining the balance of the house
style. Plenty of freshness with citrus, green
apple and crunchy pear. Food match?
Scallops would be perfect, most seafood
and anything else you fancied, really.
10. 23082 Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. If
you asked people across Matthew Clark
what their favourite Champagne was, how
many times would this wine be mentioned?
The house dates back to 1729, the oldest
in Champagne, named after Don Ruinart,
a contemporary of Dom Perignon and a
brilliant historian and theologian with a
keen eye for business, who was convinced
that this, then new style of wine had a
promising and bright future. The company
was founded by his nephew and his name
lives on. Thank heavens for that. The
elegance and freshness of Chardonnay
is at the heart of this wine and the subtle
complexity has won it a diehard fan base.
A fitting, final cork to pop.
In the last 25 years many new
cool climate vineyards have
been planted and these are now
maturing to produce high-quality
fruit and wines. Two examples
include Leyda and Casablanca
Valleys with the latter starting
what has been referred to as the
‘cold rush’.
Here winemakers hunted out
other potential regions where the
climate was influenced by the
proximity to the Pacific Ocean.
They were also looking for those
exacting poor and complex soils
that help create the ideal growing
conditions for each specific grape
variety.
In Leyda (lying west of Santiago)
just 10km from the sea, the region
also benefits from cooling summer
breezes that whip across the
region most of the day. The early
dawn fogs create cool mornings
and the granite and clay soil is
ideal for producing top quality
Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
25086 £10.77*
11778
£11.86*
10434
£7.75*
10425
£7.75*
26966
£13.30*
25274
£18.21*
23046
£8.30*
Salentein Reserve
Chardonnay, Valle
de Uco, Mendoza
Errázuriz Chardonnay
Wild Ferment,
Casablanca Valley
Errázuriz Sauvignon
Blanc, Casablanca
Valley
Errázuriz Unoaked
Chardonnay,
Casablanca Valley
Marea Wild Ferment
Chardonnay,
Leyda Valley
Oakridge Lusatia Park
Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
Luis Felipe Edwards
Gran Reserva Sauvignon
Blanc, Leyda Valley
*Bottle list price
DELIGHTS FROM
DOWN UNDER
§
By Laurie Davis
As a true Aussie, it pleases me that the
Australian wine renaissance continues.
Over the last couple of years consumers
have been drawn to these high quality
wines made in cool-climate areas such
as the Yarra Valley and Adelaide Hills
and sales of these premium wines
continue to grow. I love Adelaide Hills,
I think it’s my favourite place in Oz
With sparkling sales firmly on the
up, this diverse category has so
much to offer. We’ve got plenty of
choice right here in our own Wine
list, with one hundred and eighty
sparkling wines to choose from.
we asked our head honcho buyer
Simon Jerrome (Wine Purchasing
Director) to delve into the realm
of sparklers for summer and pick
his favorites to share with you…
19794£10.99*
M de Montgueret, Samur
§
Made from Chenin Blanc
and Chardonnay grapes
and bottle-fermented in the
Traditional Method. Matured
for two years in deep caves
carved into the limestone
cliffs overlooking the Loire.
Made in a somewhat softer,
easier-drinking style than many
sparkling wines from the Loire.
to enjoy a glass of wine, overlooking
the bay. The boutique lifestyle here
is a far cry from my home in the UK.
Surrounded by artisan bakers, olive
groves, it’s so easy to immerse yourself
in the picturesque setting… here are a
few of my favourites from our Australian
range, delicious wines I’d love to sip
whilst hanging out down under…
24545£11.71*
28329£11.64*
25274£18.21*
Fantinel ‘One & Only’ Single
Vineyard 2012 Prosecco Brut
Oakridge Lusatia Park
Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
Straw-yellow with green flecks,
this is a premium single vineyard
Prosecco; the grapes are grown
in Tauriano di Spilimbergo, in
the Grave del Friuli region. It has
a vibrant nose, with floral notes
against a background of ripe
fruit and brioche; the elegant
palate shows ripe apple and
pear fruit flavours.
Chardonnay is the grape that
has perhaps grabbed the most
attention of all the wines made
at Oakridge. The palate is rich,
almost opulent with a fruit salad,
green melon, quince and toffee
apple character, supported by
a fine, long acidity and strong
citrus tang. James Halliday
gave the 2009 - 95 points
and the 2010 - 96 points in
the 2011 and 2012 editions
of his Australian Wine
Companion.
Bethany g6 Old Vine
Grenache, Barossa Valley
The grapes were sourced from
ungrafted vines, Barossa is
still free of Phylloxera, that
are many decades old and
carefully managed - if not
nursed - from vintage to
vintage. As to be expected:
quite light tannins, yet
structurally sound with a
positive streak of acidity
carrying the cherry and leaf
fruit to a finish with a note
of white pear.
Yarra Valley Chardonnay
Trophy (2010) International
Wine Challenge 2013 |
GOLD (2011) Sommelier
Wine Awards 2013
25659£14.86*
Shingleback The Davey
Estate Shiraz, McLaren Vale
A hand-crafted wine made in
small open and static fermenters to
maximise the potential of each small
parcel of fruit. Luscious aromas
of ripe strawberry and blackberry
are highlighted by nuances of
chocolate, violet and a wet slate
minerality. The mid-palate is tightly
defined by silky tannins and fresh
acidity and enhanced with a shot
of espresso like American and
French oak.
SILVER OUTSTANDING (2011)
International Wine & Spirit
Competition 2013
28173£14.99*
Hardys HRB Chardonnay,
Pemberton-Yarra Valley
Bocelli Prosecco
Extra Dry
Jenkyn Place
Raimat Pinot NoirChardonnay Brut Nature Rose, England
Chapel Down Brut
Three Graces, England
Made from a blend of
organically grown Xarel.lo,
Parellada and Macabeo,
grapes; this is a young, fresh
and intensely fruity Cava with
notes of green apple, lemon
and almond blossom. The
palate is fresh with a creamy
mouth-feel to the finish.
The Bocelli family makes this
wine in partnership with the
Trevisiol family, who have
run the longest continuously
operating family estate
in Valdobbiadene, in the
heart of the Prosecco zone.
Shows subtle flower and fruit
aromas that make the palate
deliciously light with a peachy
softness. Rated as one of the
Top Ten Proseccos by Wine
Spectator in 2012.
A 70% Chardonnay/30%
Pinot Noir blend, made by
the Traditional Method; the
wine is then aged on its lees
for nine months prior to being
disgorged and receiving a
dosage to take the residual
sugar to about 3g/l: very dry.
Fresh grapefruit aromas with
floral notes overlain with sweet
creamy aromas; green apple
on the palate which gives it
liveliness; followed by melon
and notes of ripe cherry and
a lingering citrus finish.
A blend of 55% Pinot Noir,
37% Chardonnay and
8% Pinot Meunier which
undergoes full malolactic
fermentation and a minimum
of three years ageing on
the yeast lees in the bottle.
A subtle array of flavours
from lemon sherbet and
strawberry to brioche and
fresh bread characters; the
palate has delicacy and
depth which leads to a rich
finish with fantastic length.
The 2009 vintage is only
the fourth produced by
Simon Bladon at Jenkyn
Place in Hampshire. Made
from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
and Pinot Meunier grapes
grown near the village of
Bentley, the wine is made
by the Traditional Method,
and spends over two years
maturing on its lees. Salmon
pink it shows ripe red fruits
on the nose balanced by a
refreshingly dry palate and
generous fizz.
24538£17.87*
Paracombe Pinot Noir,
Adelaide Hills
*Bottle list price
Codorníu Vitcultura
Ecológica Brut, Cava
The Paracombe Vineyard is located
high on a plateau bathed in glorious
morning sunshine providing good
fruit ripening conditions for Pinot
Noir. Aged for 12 months in French
oak barriques this wine shows
wild strawberry, cherry and toffee
notes. Bright crimson in colour; the
palate offers gentle, approachable
flavours of cherry and plum with
fine tannins and subtle spice on the
finish.
GOLD LIST (2009) Sommelier
Wine Awards 2012
Constructed from Chardonnay
grapes grown in the cool climate
regions of Pemberton and Yarra
Valley: two regions, though
about 2,000 miles apart, that
share the ability to produce
excellent fruit. The wine
is aged for about eight
months in French oak,
with 10% going through a
malolactic fermentation.
Shows lemon-citrus, white
peach on the nose; the
palate is firm with a
refreshing finish, a touch
of mineral character and
hint of vanillin-oak.
*Bottle list price
27044£8.70* 28172£10.20* 25356£15.94* 25874£25.61* 27177£21.57*
Express
yourself
By
Tiffany Mogg
What’s your style?
Provence Rosé has become highly
fashionable in recent years, it’s cool
pink blush in a condensation lined glass
can only make us dream of lazy days
looking at azure blue seas. 26976
Mirabeau Rosé, Cotes de Provence
is a perfect example, from Grenache,
Syrah and Cinsault and made by ‘ vin
de pressurage’ method, the red grapes
are gently pressed so that just enough
colour and flavour is extracted before
the juice is separated from its skins
for fermentation. It’s wild strawberry
and raspberry aromas with zesty apple
flavours are a good introduction to Rosé
wine if you are a tad unsure of drinking
pink. A great alternative would be Rosé
made from Pinot Noir, a thin skinned
red grape with naturally high acidity, the
juice is kept in contact with the skins
to add colour but it remains fresh and
light. Try 27186 Destinea Pinot Noir
Rosé or for a premium choice 11317
Sancerre Rosé, Le Rabault both by
Joseph Mellot from the Loire Valley.
This light and dry style needs to be
treated like a white wine, serve chilled
on hot days with goats cheese or
shellfish or simply on its own.
If you really want to relish in those
summer berry flavours then try either a
New World Rosé or one made from a
full bodied red grape variety like 24553
Portillo Malbec Rosé which ticks
both those boxes! Warm days and cool
nights in the Uco Valley near Mendoza
contribute to make this Rosé deliciously
aromatic with notes of ripe strawberry
and raspberry with a lingering crisp
fruit finish. The sun ripens the already
full flavoured Malbec grape, whilst
the altitude and a night harvest retain
freshness and acidity. 27198 Chivite
Gran Feudo Rosado uses Garnacha,
a grape known for its baked berry
scented wine and high alcohol. This
Rosé is produced by Saignee method:
the juice is separated from the skins by
gravity leaving us with a luminous-pink,
strawberry and melon flavoured utterly
delicious wine. 19531 Kleine Zalze
Gamay Noir Rosé, South Africa uses
extended skin contact (12 hours) to
produce a cherry fruited palate with a
rounded mouth feel that is not too dry.
‘Middle ground’ Rosé copes beautifully
with lightly spiced food, their aromatic
ripe berry flavours temper heat, and
they are robust enough to not get lost
amongst big flavours. Try with a summer
Paella.
Rosé is not just an imitation red for the
feint hearted, nor ‘just for girls,’ some
really pack a fruity punch and 22657
Veramonte Syrah Rose does just that.
This Rosé is made from estate grown
grapes in Casablanca Valley close to
the Pacific Ocean which helps provide
an exceptionally long growing season
producing a crisp, refreshing wine with
plenty of cassis and raspberry followed
by a generous dry finish. Alternatively
26922 Baigorri Rioja Rosado is
blood orange in colour, the grapes
are hand picked, and fermented with
prolonged lees contact, producing a
wine that has a smooth body, cranberry
and redcurrant flavours and a hint of
earthiness. Rosé like this needs a good
chill and is great to partner with white
meats when the tannin of a red is just a
little too much, or perfect with an early
evening barbeque.
Sometimes a hint of sweetness in a
wine is no bad thing, when well-made,
the enticing sugar should be balanced
with fresh acidity to keep the wine
thirst-quenching and very gluggable.
Try a ‘classic’ off-dry Rosé like
11320 Rosé d’Anjou J.Tourville in its
traditional fluted bottle. From the cool
climate of the Loire Valley with mineral
rich tuffeau soil, this wine has just a
hint of residual sugar for those that
don’t want something puckeringly dry.
Wines like this are great to pair with
scallops and monkfish to bring out
their delicate flavours.
Here at Matthew Clark we are
convinced we are going to have a
fantastic summer, with that comes
gatherings of friends, and long lunches,
so what could be more perfect than
magnums of Rosé to share? This year
we have added two to the range. The
above mentioned Mirabeau and 28217
Les Colline aux Lavande Rosé, Jean
Luc Colombo, both a must for any
sunny afternoon.
27186 Destinea Pinot Noir Rosé
£7.25*
11317 Sancerre Rosé, Le Rabault
£12.50*
24553 Portillo Malbec Rosé
£7.49*
27198 Gran Feudo Rosado, Navarra
£7.10*
19531 Kleine Zalze Gamay
Noir Rosé, South Africa
£5.95*
22657 Veramonte Syrah Rosé
£7.70*
26922 Baigorri Rioja Rosado
£9.95*
11320 Rose d’Anjou J.Tourville
£6.21*
28217 Les Colline aux Lavande Rosé, Jean Luc Colombo
£18.60*
*Bottle list price
I’m not one for waiting for the sun to come out to open a delicious bottle of Rosé, but it does
help, and let’s face it, it does remind us of holidays, relaxation and a long summer’s afternoon.
However believe it or not our sales of Rosé are consistent throughout the year proving that I
am not the only one who drinks it year round.
Every winemaking country makes Rosé and from many different grape varieties, meaning
there is something for every occasion and taste. Here is just a small spectrum of what is
available, from a ‘barely there blush’ to ‘spicy food friendly brights.’
26976 Mirabeau Rosé, Cotes de Provence
£9.98*
on
Central
Otago
BY JAMES DICEY, viticulturalist
& Co-owner of Ceres Wines
A Royal Summer to remember
In the deep south of New Zealand the region of Central
Otago is starting to make waves on the international wine
scene. So what is all the noise on Central Otago about?
We asked James Dicey, a local viticulturalist and
co-owner of the new Matthew Clark brand Ceres Wines
to provide some background information for this
issue of Vini.
Central Otago is rapidly developing a
reputation for being one of the places
that the most fickle of varieties, Pinot Noir,
has found a spiritual home. Pinot Noir,
often regarded as the Prince of wines, is
particularly sensitive to the environment it
grows in, how it is managed and how the
wine is made. Very few places in the world
suit its temperament – the vines need
to struggle to make the best wine. This
means growing the grapes on the edge
– if it’s too easy then Pinot Noir tends
to be flabby and lacking in character.
size (total plantings are about 4325 acres
compared to 70,425 acres in Burgundy)
but is particularly heavily planted in Pinot
Noir, which accounts for 75% of the
varieties planted, with Chardonnay, Pinot
Gris and Riesling making up the majority
of the rest.
Growing
Conditions
What is it then about Central Otago that
provides the right conditions for Pinot to
LOCATION
Central Otago is located in the deep
south of New Zealand, in a spectacularly
beautiful and harsh environment.
Central
Otago
The region is the most southerly grape
growing region in the world. Located at 45°
South, it shares some of the geographical
and climatic conditions with some of the
world’s most prestigious wine-producing
regions – Burgundy and the northern
Rhône in France and Oregon’s Willamette
Valley in the USA. The region is small in
flourish? A cool climate with just enough
heat to ripen the grapes, low rainfall/
humidity to reduce disease risk, large
day/night temperature shifts to preserve
the acid structure or backbone of the
wine, low fertility soils and sensitive and
focussed viticulture and winemaking.
The particular combination of both site
and season results in distinctive Pinot Noir
that acts as a record of both vineyard
and vintage.
Ceres Vintage Report
2007-2012
Ceres Wines are so named after the Roman
goddess of agriculture –” it was chosen to
reflect the belief that great wines are made in
the vineyard. Currently the Pinot Noir wines
are a blend from two vineyards owned by
myself and my wine maker brother Matt,
who makes the Ceres wines. My Vineyard is
planted on 160,000 year old alluvial gravel
soils covered with windblown mica based top
soil – this provides lifted aromatics, perfumed
red berry fruit, acid structure. Matt’s is
planted on the remnants of an 8 million year
old soil formed from an ancient lake bed –
the vineyard provides the dark fruit, dried/
savoury herb spectrum of the wines.”
What characterises all these vintages is
their similarity with what these vineyards are
delivering in flavour and aroma profiles but
also the differences induced by the climate.
Although we operate within climatic averages
how and when the heat, rainfall, wind and
sun arrive really define the season and the
resulting wines.
The means there is a vein of
consistency driven by the sites
but an exciting difference between
vintages driven by the season.
To find out more on the great
wines from Ceres join us in the
next edition of Vini, which takes an
in depth look into the wonderful
Pinot Noir from James Dicey.
Vintage
Characteristics
Wines
2007
Very cool weather during flowering lead to poor set and
low yields. The balance of summer was warm and dry
with a long cool autumn
Dense concentrated wine with good structure and
fruit intensity. Pack a real punch with full fruit ripeness,
lots of tannin and long length
History and
layout
2008
Phenomenal weather during the whole season – dry,
warm and consistent. Large yields that had to be managed
down. Late harvest compared to normal
More perfumed, elegant vintage with lighter colour.
Slow to come into its own this vintage continues to
develop depth and length with bottle age
The region was initially planted in grapes
as far back as 1864 by a Frenchman who
made his fortune in the gold rush of 1862.
However, the first commercial wines were
only released in 1987 – the region has just
celebrated its 25th anniversary.
2009
Cooler summer with wetter than normal February. Moderate crop levels with a protracted cool autumn. No extremes
of climate that are sometimes found in Central Otago
Beautiful aromatics, lots of perfume and solid acid
backbone. Very balanced wines which are particularly
expressive of vintage
2010
A challenging season to grow grapes – characterised
by rapidly changing extremes of climate. This lead to
mildly stressed grape vines (and viticulturalists) and
intensely flavoured vines. A longer than normal ripening
period during autumn
Structural perfumed wine lifted aromatics and
delicate red berry aromas. Incredible depth of flavour
and length the wine is very balanced and poised
2011
A very warm year not characterised by the extremes of
climate experience in 2010. Good yields (managed down)
with a late Indian summer saw fruit attain full ripeness.
Black Rabbit shines through in 2011 – the wines are
characterised by more dried herb, savoury characters
that initially mask the perfume that shines through
2012
A more challenging year – higher than normal rainfall
which resulted in bigger bunches and more fruit variability.
The rainfall also started Botrytis bunch rot which we removed by hand before harvest. Very cool and long autumn
which aided ripening
The wine has a solid acid backbone and delicate
perfumed nature. It is very approachable given its
age with generous fruit and aromatics.
Given its very short history Central Otago
has made a disproportionate splash on the
world wine stage. This was endorsed with
the visit to Central Otago in January of this
year by Pinot royalty – Aubert de Villaine,
vigneron of Domaine de la RomanéeConti as part of the 10th anniversary Pinot
Celebration put on by the Central Otago
region. Just this last April, real royalty in
the form of the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge visited the Central Otago
region to conduct a wine tasting with local
wine growers, including James himself!
Region
The region is split into 4 distinct subregions, separated by mountains and deep
gorges. The Cromwell basin accounts for
70% of the region’s vineyards and includes
Bannockburn in the south and Lowburn,
Pisa and Bendigo in the north. 20% of
plantings are in Gibbston with the balance
split between Wanaka and Alexandra.
The sub-regions are developing
reputations for particular flavour and aroma
profiles, but as the journey of discovery
of the terroir of the region continues it
will focus more and more on individual
vineyard sites.
Assault on
the senses
When it comes to wine tasting, we all
know subjectivity plays a big part in the
experience. An individual’s senses pick
things up in a different way, and these
seemingly can be altered dramatically
by heightening one particular sense or
distracting another in a certain way.
When trying to identify a wine, we observe its
appearance and colour, asses its structure and weight
as well as density. We smell it, and if we feel it’s
suitable, we taste it. Each of these individual tests is
not enough to classify it, but when we put them all
together combined with our previous experiences,
our brain is enabled to identify it.
There are hundreds of experiments, and if you look
at sensory perception, it’s clear it is a subtle activity
in which our brain attempts to classify sensory objects
in order to activate the memories in our brain enabling
us to determine what we are encountering.
So what happens if we start to distort one of these
senses, are we able to trick the mind?
Of the five
senses, smell
is the sharpest;
1000 times sharper
than taste.
Below we look at other recent experiments which look
to fool the senses and we tried our own experiment
with a little red food colouring!
We took three wines, a red, white and rosé and blended them all with red
food colouring to mask their original state, praying on an unsuspecting
group of Matthew Clark bods, the results were interesting for sure!
We chose a white, red and rosé to try
and assault the tasting teams senses!
The first Castell de Raimat, Xarel.
lo Chardonnay 2012, Costers Del
Segre, which in its normal state, should
show brilliant yellow with greenish hues;
intense citrus and mineral notes, including
grapefruit and vanilla hints from the oak.
With a lot of food colouring added to this
wine to create the sense of a deep red,
the tasting notes came back suggesting
it was a Pinot Noir with a nose made up
of eraser, confected strawberry, cherry,
floral, rose petal and vanilla candy. The
food colouring obviously impaired the
profile to some degree showing a much
more confected aspect to the wines which
wasn’t present in its original format.
But most interesting to see is that in
disguising the colour or the wine, the
mind automatically associated the
white wine with red wine
characteristics, such as red fruits.
The second wine, (the actual Pinot Noir!!)
Destinea Pinot Noir, Joseph Mellot,
Loire was sniffed out by our wine geeks
as a Pinot Noir, with red fruits, spice and
vanilla coming through on both the nose
and palette. Well done team!
However, the third wine, Baigorri Rosado
Vendimia 2012 gave noteworthy results,
as the team spotted the aromas of
banana and pear, which are found in the
tasting notes. The deeper colour achieved
with additional food colouring however,
pushed them to find more savoury aromas
and taste profiles, such as leather and
mushrooms, something much more
commonly associated with a red wine, like
their suggestions of Gamay or Malbec.
So, in short, the sensory journey is über
subjective and can be manipulated with
such small tweaks, just a little red food
colouring can make the mind taste
something that isn’t even there!
In a recent study carried out by Hot Rum
Cow (hotrumcow.co.uk, @hotrumcow),
we saw vodkas being the subject of
sensory assault, by spraying female and
male pheromones onto the vessel the
tasters were drinking from. The female
pheromones bought back tasting notes
such as ‘sweet and fruity’ whereas the male
came back as ‘stronger, more intense and
alcoholic despite being the same vodka!
Although fun to deceive and test our
colleagues, the end result of these sensory
tests which have filled text books and
articles over the years show us a very
important lesson. The setting we provide
our customers in outlet can greatly
manipulate their enjoyment of their
experience. The music played, the smells
from the kitchen, even the perfume worn
by our waiting staff can all contribute
to the encounter. I wouldn’t suggest
altering your wines with food colouring…
but worth a thought when creating the
perfect drink for the perfect occasion!
The five senses:
Of the five senses, smell is the
sharpest; 1,000 times sharper than
taste. For this reason, what we call
smell is more important in overall
flavour definition than taste.
When we put a substance in
our mouth, the taste buds of
he tongue, receive stimuli of
the 5 basic tastes:
• Sweet
• Salty
• Sour
• Bitter
• Umami
Are you familiar with hearing
about a taste map on the
tongue? You can taste
sweetness on the tip of your
tongue, acidity on the sides and
bitterness towards the back? Well,
this idea, first formed at the end of
Century XIX, has had a queue of
people running experiments proving
this idea wrong. Over the years
it has been shown that in reality,
taste sensations are found in all
areas of the tongue where there are
tastebuds.
What do you believe? If you have any
theories either way, we would love to
hear about them! Tweet us
@MatthewClarkLtd #tastebuds
A
touch
more
sparkle
Although we hear constantly that Champagne is in decline,
we’re actually seeing a slow growth within the category, and
are keen to help with the resurgence of this beautiful drink.
So, we teamed up with Master Sommelier Ronan Sayburn to
provide a Masterclass on Champagne at our recent London Tasting.
We then caught up with him on how he thinks restaurants can
maximise sales, revenue and GP on their wine list and really make
the most out of Champagne.
How has Champagne been
performing?
Champagne has kind of had a bit of a
rough ride over the last few years, since
2007 Champagne sales started to drop.
I think after the global economic crisis
there was an issue as Champagne has
always been seen as a luxury item, an
expensive item and wines like Cava and
Prosecco really took a lot of that market
away from Champagne. Overall, the
sparkling wine market has increased
which means there are a lot of people
now drinking it as a routine. They often
choose sparkling wine rather than a still
wine, which is good for all sparkling wine
producers but in general Champagne
sales have dipped slightly.
Where does Champagne fit within
the sparkling category now?
Champagne is the premium product
when it comes to sparkling wine,
something we always move to when
it is a special occasion, but it doesn’t
necessarily always have to be that way.
There are things you can do within your
business to sell more Champagne and
really maximise the Champagne image.
Champagne spends a lot of money
on giving itself a first class image and
a prestigious feel to it, and if you can
capture some of that ‘feel’ then that’s
great for your business.
In your view, how can we give
customers that ‘feel’ you mention?
There’s a few simple things that you can
do to improve the quality of experience
from the Champagne that you’re
serving.
Serving bubbles…
I see people chill it right down and serve
it freezing cold out of an ice bucket in a
tiny flute; you really can’t smell and you
really can’t taste anything.
It’s very important to treat Champagne
like a top quality wine. With the more
premium side, if you’re serving a Vintage
2000 Champagne why treat it like
something you should chill down and
serve very, very cold? I mean, would
you do that to a Grand Cru White
Burgundy? No. So why would you do
it to a fantastic vintage like a 2000
Champagne? The older Champagnes
start to lose some bubbles, but the
enjoyment that comes from an old
Champagne like that is not from the fizz,
it’s from the complexity that it gets with
the time in bottle.
The problem is, if you serve that
Champagne at a slightly warmer
temperature, some people will say ‘it’s
not cold enough, can you get an ice
bucket?’ But, if you explain to your
customers beforehand, that ‘it’s a very
complex Champagne, it’s 14 years
old, we tend not to serve it too chilled
because it masks a few of the flavours.
Are you okay with that?’ Then 99% of
the time they’ll say ‘yes, no problem’.
Top tips for knowing how chilled your
Champagne is:
• You start to get condensation on the
outside of the glass when it drops below
8 – 10 degrees.
• If it has a thick kind of beaded wet
condensation, it’s probably less than
about 5 degrees.
• If it has a very light mist on the outside
of the glass then it’s probably around
11 degrees.
• For a Champagne of a 2000 vintage for
example, you want to be serving it at
the same temperature as a good white
Burgundy, about 12 – 13 degrees.
What is your view on the traditional
serve?
My top recommendation is don’t serve it in
Champagne flutes. They are very narrow
at the top, they tend to accentuate a lot of
the acidity and dryness of Champagne, and
don’t give an awful lot of characteristics on
the nose. They can make the Champagnes
taste a little bit austere and uninteresting.
The downside to the really wide open
coupes is they lose the fizz very quickly.
Ideally, you want a relatively tall glass that
shows off the bubbles – it takes a lot of
effort to get those bubbles in there so show
them off!
You can get the nice wide brimmed tulip
glasses that come down to a very fine
point, I think that they’re the best ones.
The point at the bottom from where your
bubbles emerge make the Champagne look
really attractive.
What do you feel is the best way to sell
Champagne through staff?
Champagne requires a bit of hand selling.
Nowadays, in this economic situation that
we find ourselves in globally, anything which
is a premium product does take a bit of
hand selling and the only way that you can
really do this is through good staff training.
Your staff need to understand all the
Champagnes and all the sparkling wines
that you’re serving on your list. They need
to have tasted them. They probably need
to have tasted them with some food.
I’ve worked in many places and my big
passion is always training. It’s so important
to train the staff because sometimes if
you’re working in catering, people don’t
get particularly high wages so you can
always pay them back with knowledge.
All that takes is a little bit of time and a little
bit of effort.
If you spend ten minutes of your time to
taste with your staff, they can get really
passionate about it, and share that with
a customer, encouraging them to buy
it. They don’t need to go into a huge
amount of detail about what the name
of the wine maker’s dog is or all that sort
of stuff, they just want to know that the
member of staff has tried it and they’re
enthusiastic about it.
How else can Champagne be
supported in outlet?
Maximise POS if relevant in your outlet,
use branded glasses, (good shape
branded glasses!), branded ice buckets
and depending on the type of venue,
perhaps tent cards. Anything that helps
to sell. A good supplier can also help
with your staff training too, so speak to
your Account Manager and utilise their
expertise. Matthew Clark also has a
dedicated team of Wine Development
Specialist who can help with this, and
also work hard to put winemakers in
front of their customers for training.
How do you feel you can balance
experience with margin?
If you’re selling a product like
Champagne you need to create the right
environment for it. One place I worked,
we used to put Krug on by the glass:
premium product, super expensive, we
used to sell it at £25 a glass. We didn’t
make a huge amount of money on
that, circa £5 a glass. The point is, if a
customer comes to your restaurant, and
is sold a glass of premium Champagne
at a decent price (I often see Krug on
wine lists at £70- £80 a glass) - you do
take a little bit of a hit on the GP% but
you still make a decent cash margin.
You can also be sure that after starting
with Krug, the customer is not going to
downgrade to a bottle of cheap Pinot
Grigio for £15. They’re going to go
straight up to a nice white Burgundy or
a decent Chablis for example, because
they’ve already entered a luxury
environment. Your customers will have
confidence in you and your wine list.
How does Champagne work with
food?
Champagne can be very food friendly.
Don’t let it get pigeonholed as an
aperitif, get your chef to work with it. Opt
for Champagnes with depth and flavour
as opposed to the very dry crisp ones,
these will really work well with food.
Also, look at alternative ways to serve.
Why not use a nice Rosé Champagne
in a very elegant manner? Perhaps a
wooden plinth with a hole for the glass,
get your chef to create smoked salmon
canapés, specifically to go with the
Rosé.
Encourage your staff to try this, enabling
them to upsell. Create a halo effect,
from one table to the next with this type
of serve and theatre. It puts them into
that mind-set of fine dining and prestige
from your outlet setting the stage for a
great evening.
Does by the glass Champagne
create too much wastage?
One of the biggest concerns with
Champagne, especially expensive
Champagne is the wastage factor.
I worked in a venue where we had a
Champagne trolley, which was fantastic.
We’d wheel the Champagne trolley
around the restaurant. It was very
visual, and as a point of sale item it
was fantastic. People would see the
Champagne trolley coming up to their
table and 99% of the time would order
a glass.
If you can do something visual in your
outlet to get your customers attention
when they first walk in that makes them
think ‘oh Champagne, that looks nice’
you’re halfway there. A big Champagne
display on the bar before they go into the
restaurant, perhaps a big Champagne
vat with lots of bottles in it often does
the trick. It might be a table in the
centre of the restaurant set up with a
Champagne display, or even something
like a trolley. Remember, most of the
time people won’t order something
unless it’s suggested to them.
If you have a couple of glasses in a
bottle of Champagne which has been
open for a few days, give it away. I’m
sure you all have regular customers
that come in - don’t give it away as an
aperitif, give it away at the end of the
meal. If you give it away as an aperitif
you’re taking away your aperitif sales
but at the end of the night pour out two
glasses. They may not be totally fizzy but
give them to your customers and say ‘it’s
so nice to have you back again, we really
appreciate your custom, have a couple of
glasses with our compliments’. Trust me,
this goes a long way! Whatever you give
away you receive back ten times over.
So never throw away semi-flat bottles
of Champagne, they should always be
given away to people.
For more information & tips visit:
www.RonanSayburn.com
By Zoë Coombs
Salentein Barrel Selection Malbec
Valle de Uco, Mendoza 25088 £10.77*
Deep red-purple coloured wine; very intense nose with
notes of ripe blackberry, blueberry and redcurrant,
with subtle hints of violet. The silky palate has a crisp,
balancing acidity which shows the fruit and floral notes
backed by vanilla on the lingering finish. Barrel aged for
about a year in a mixture of new and seasoned French
oak barrels prior to bottling.
Malbrontes Malbec-Torrontés
Mendoza 24565 £8.14*
An interesting blend and a spin on the trend of adding
a touch of Viognier to Syrah-based reds: a point
noted by Jancis Robinson’s Summer Favourites in
the Financial Times June 2010, ‘Beefy but scented
Argentine Malbec with some white Torrontés grapes
following the Côte Rôtie habit of adding some Viognier
to Syrah. Velvety and fun.’
Callia Selected Torrontés
San Juan 24578 £7.71*
Very floral and dry with restrained tropical fruit on the
mid-palate leading into a finish dominated by spice and
lychee notes. The 2010 won the best Torrontés Trophy at
the Argentina Wine Awards in 2011.
Portillo Sauvignon Blanc
Valle de Uco, Mendoza 24552 £7.49*
Greenish yellow with golden tints; shows supple aromas
reminiscent of tropical fruit, pink grapefruit and white
peach. The refreshing palate shows plenty of structure
marking this out as a good food wine. The grapes were
grown at the Finca El Oasis vineyard at over 1000 metres
above sea level.
Etchart Privado Malbec Rosé
Salta 20686 £7.14*
A deliciously fruity rosé that is quite full-bodied and
intense. It has elegant, floral aromas of roses, with
honeysuckle notes and red berry and cherry flavours
on a well-constructed palate.
*Bottle list price
I don’t necessarily want all my staff to
be able to say ‘oh yes, it’s made from
this... with these grape varieties, these
percentages, this is where it comes from
exactly, this is exactly what this vintage
is like’. I just want my staff to be able
to turn around to a customer and say
‘you know what, I had that Champagne
the other day and it was really, really
nice’. When you get a member of staff
saying that to a customer, it means more
because they [the customer] believe it.
Argentine wines are experiencing growth in the UK
on-trade and at Matthew Clark we have seen a 10%
volume growth year on year in a pretty flat market. This
is predominantly down to Malbec enjoying recognition for
its meat matching ability, but also due to the great value
for money. In November 2011, I was fortunate enough
to spend a couple of days at the Salentein Winery in the
Ucu Valley, Mendoza sampling their fantastic food, wine,
horse riding and hospitality. Their proximity to the Andes
and vineyards at altitude make it an ideal playground for
renowned winemaker José Galante to create some really
interesting wines – hence why my selection of Argentine
wines is dominated with his! I have to say only being able
to pick 5 to show off here was rather difficult!
In no particular order…
By Siobhan Irons
Wine No 1
Wine No 2
13181
Champagne
Piper Heidsieck
Cuvee Sublime
Demi-Sec NV
£39.50*
24581
Nederburg
Wine Makers
Reserve Noble
Late Harvest
£10.95*
Ok, I know, not a dessert wine in the strictest sense
but the demi-sec style does illustrate quite nicely the
possibilities for greater food matching where a little
more sugar is involved.
There are many possible reasons for this – its true they
can be expensive, they are undoubtedly sweet and
it’s also very often the case that they are presented
at the end of a hearty meal to pair with a similarly
rich pudding. Not always what we want when we are
feeling like Daniel Lambert after olives, bread and two
previous courses! Personally speaking, this is rarely
the moment that I choose to enjoy a glass of sweet
wine and with this in mind I assembled a crack team
of Matthew Clark wine lovers to taste a selection of
dessert wines from our list.
Our simple goal to experiment with pairing these wines
with savoury foods, to dispel all notions that these
wines are strictly for cakes and pastries and to bring
them into the light, banishing from the back of the fridge
for good – the results proved very interesting indeed.
Demi-Sec styles of Champagne include a little more dosage
than regular Brut (32-50g sugar per litre versus less than
12g per litre respectively) and the Sublime from Piper is a top
example having won Gold medals at both the International
Wine Challenge 2013 and the Decanter World Wine Awards
2013. For the record, Champagne is a great food wine, but
here the presence of a little more sugar opens up a wider
range of pairing possibilities. We found that seared duck with
a tropical chutney was a lovely match, the richness of the duck
matching the extra richness of the Champagne wonderfully.
Similarly the aromatic spices present in Moroccan grilled
chicken worked well, but the top match was certainly smoked
salmon pâté, the richness of the pâté and the smokiness a
perfect foil for the Champagne’s rich, toasty flavours. Though
we didn’t do so on this occasion, I would recommend further
experimentation with Scallops, Sushi, lighter nut flavours and
fruit based starters.
A multi award winning stickie from South Africa,
having most recently scooped a trophy at the
Decanter World Wine Awards the Nederburg Noble
Late Harvest had to be included – this is the wine
that seduces all who taste it!
Produced mainly from noble rot affected Chenin Blanc with
a dash of Muscat de Frontignan, at 200g per litre residual
sugar this is a rich and luscious concoction offering the
full complement of tropical fruits, apricot and honey and a
delightfully refreshing acidity driving the flavours along.
We found that it was a superb match with goat’s cheese (not
surprising as Chenin Blanc heralds from the Loire Valley a
source of some of the world’s greatest goat’s cheese), a lovely
accompaniment to chicken liver parfait and delicious paired
with blue cheese, in this case Lanark blue from Scotland.
*Bottle list price
All too often dessert wines are a wine
category which get left on the shelf –
literally; to me, as someone who has
enjoyed many a great sweet bottle
over the years, this is a perplexing
situation. There are not many wines
out there which are the result of
such unique climactic conditions,
have the same care and attention
in the vineyard and winery and
offer the same level of richness and
complexity. Whatever the reason,
here in the UK On-trade we simply
do not drink enough of these
fabulously moreish wines.
Wine No 3
Wine No 4
Wine No 5
28364
Cypres de
Climens,
Sauternes
£17.99*
19450
Vin Santo
del Chianti
Serelle,
Ruffino
£13.20*
28253
Graham’s
10 Year
Old
Tawny
Port
£19.77*
Noble Rot
(Botrytis cinerea)
true ugly duckling!
Cypres de Climens is produced from younger vines on the
estate but offers all the concentration, depth and complexity
you would expect from such a hallowed terroir. The ideal
match, the Bordelais would have us believe, is Foie Gras but
more modest pâté and terrine work equally well – a duck liver
pâté was a delicious partner, goat’s cheese and blue cheese
unsurprisingly equally delicious. Most unexpectedly on the day,
we found the intense saltiness of tapenade paired well with the
sweet honeyed marmalade flavours of the Sauternes though
more investigation is needed here perhaps. As a final note, a
Bordeaux speciality is roast chicken basted in Sauternes but I
cannot attest to having tried this!
The famous ‘holy wine’ of Tuscany, a fascinating dessert
style wine produced from dried Trebbiano grapes –
the bunches are suspended from the ceiling near the
rafters or dried on straw mats above the barrels in the
cellar for several months, the drying process leading
to dehydration and concentration of sugars.
A less commonly appreciated style of Port, unlike
a true vintage Port which spends most of its life
in bottle, the tawny style is cask aged allowing
interaction with oxygen while in the barrel and
leading to a nutty, oxidative flavour profile and the
famous tawny colour.
Ageing in oak barrels without topping up leads to gradual
oxidation resulting in dried fruit flavours and nutty complexity.
The nuttiness of the wine lends itself well to savoury pairings
especially those where there is a nut element. We found
seeded spelt bread topped with goat’s cheese a fabulous
pairing and also that a mild spice element can pair with the
sweet savoury spiciness of the Vin Santo. Any complex, nutty
cheese such as Ossau-Iraty, Pecorino or Gruyere would
similarly work wonderfully well.
Unlike the other dessert wines here, it is worth mentioning
that this is a fortified wine, the fermentation arrested by the
addition of grape spirit, the inherent sweetness of the final
wine the result of unfermented sugars. Tawny Port is one
of my absolute favourites and I enjoy it best served slightly
chilled. It is classically served with cheese, mature cheddar
and stilton are winning partners though it is a great match with
walnuts and pecans, indeed if they are a key element of the
dish I would encourage experimentation here. The nutty sweet
complexity works well with rich game dishes and I would also
look to pair with wild mushroom risotto or savoury tarts – a
glass served with a cheese board is perhaps the true home of
this particular style.
Noble rot is a remarkable natural phenomenon
without which many of the world’s greatest
sweet wines simply couldn’t be produced.
This fungus, if conditions permit, attacks healthy white
grapes dehydrating them and changing their chemistry
resulting in disgusting looking super-sweet shrivelled
raisins which can produce truly unctuous and complex
sweet wines capable of long ageing, the most famous
version being Sauternes. Very rarely are all the grapes
on a vine or even on single bunch affected in the
same way to exactly the same effect which is why
the harvest of these grapes requires several passes
through the vineyard and can only be done by hand
on a grape by grape basis; resultant yields are low
and labour and production costs are high hence these
wines tends to carry a premium price tag but they are
truly some of the finest and rarest wines produced
anywhere in the world.
*Bottle list price
A real treat, the second wine of Chateau Climens
1er Cru Classe situated in Barsac, essentially if you
were to remove Chateau d’Yquem from the equation
this is the de facto greatest wine estate producing
Sauternes today.
There has been a surge in popularity of aromatic
grape varieties from the New World which offer
something so surprising, different and exotic,
it’s taking the world by storm. Aromatic wines
have a highly scented, floral character whose
wonderful bouquet will greet you first. Their
exuberant, aromatic quality is enhanced by
subtle fruit flavours giving them individual and
well defined characters. They can possess lovely
perfume fragrances or orange blossom and rose
petals with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon as
well as flavours of citrus fruits, apricots, lychees
and mango.
Aromatic wines are occasionally dry and
sometimes medium dry with a delicate
sweetness which is offset by crisp acidity.
Delightful to sip as an aperitif but they are
especially good with spicy or exotic cuisine.
So put a little perfume in your life and give
aromatic grape varietal wines a try…
Gewürztraminer
The king of aromatic varietals has to be Gewürztraminer! It is one
of the most individual of all grape varieties. It performs best in cool
climate regions, due to its naturally low acidity and high sugar levels.
It produces intensely perfumed white wines with aromas and flavours
of rose petals, lavender, lychees, peaches and Turkish delight together
with musky spiciness (Gewürz is the German word for spice).
Villa Maria Gewürztraminer (10185, £9.80), produced by
New Zealand’s most awarded winery, is a rich, spicy wine from the
Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne areas of North Island; full of ripe, exotic
fruit flavours; the palate shows weight and it finishes with a noticeable
sweet edge, balanced with freshness. A delightful match with spicy,
exotic dishes from China, India, Thailand and Vietnam.
Riesling
Riesling is one of the world’s greatest white grape varieties. It is a real
chameleon. This grape is often bone-dry, minerally and petrol-like, and
other times sweet and extremely aromatic with apple, peach, pear,
tropical fruit, floral, spicy, honey, citrus complexity. Its range of styles
is immense, depending on where it is grown. The best come from
cooler climates that allow the natural acidity in the grape to shine. It is
slow to ripen and needs time on the vine and in the bottle to develop
and reveal its wonderful qualities. Like Chardonnay, it really expresses
its geographical provenance (terroir) and therefore can be produced
in a diverse range of styles around the world. Riesling is one of the
most fashionable varieties currently being grown in Australia and New
Zealand, with many different regional styles. Bethany G6 Riesling
(28330, £11.26), The grapes for this wine were grown in the Barossa
and Eden Valleys. The Barossa Valley vineyards provide wine with
richness and flavour, while the cooler Eden Valley vineyards provide
the elegant and lifted floral aromatics of lemon blossom, lime and
passionfruit. The palate is very dry with steely, limestone minerality
and pronounced crisp, natural mouth-watering acidity which leaves
the mouth feeling revitalised. The superbly crisp finish makes this
the perfect match for oily fish and shellfish, with the acidity really
cutting through.
Pinot Gris
Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris as a variety has seen
dramatic growth from a little known variety grown
in Alsace as Pinot Gris. This popularity has seen a
rise in plantings across the vinous globe. Pinot Gris
has only recently received the attention it deserves in
New Zealand which has excellent growing conditions
for aromatic grapes. Plantings have increased 100%
since 2007 and it is now the third most widely planted
white grape in New Zealand, after Sauvignon Blanc
and Chardonnay. Pinot Gris can be very full-bodied
and almost oily in texture. It is high in alcohol and
low in acidity. It has delicate but complex aromas of
flowers (honeysuckle), dried fruits and tropical fruit
flavours of banana, mango, melon, peach along
with hints of honey, ginger and spice. Availability is
still relatively limited but thankfully this is increasing
as more people discover the delights of Pinot Gris.
Vavasour Pinot Gris (25552, £10.30) This is
an impressive example from Vavasour winery in
the Awatare Valley which is a sub-appellation within
Marlborough. Awatere valley wines are particularly
prized for their intense aromatics, ripe flavours, rich textures
and concentration. Vavasour Pinot Gris brings out the floral side
of the variety. A lovely mix of freshness, richness and complexity, features
aromas of pear, spice, braeburn apple and lychee with a rich, off dry,
opulent and balanced palate .
Torrontés
A late comer to the aromatic game; Torrontés is a speciality of
Argentina and as it has progressed in the international market, it has
become the emblematic white wine of the country. It makes lively
aromatic wine which is strikingly similar to Viognier, with hints of
peach, flowers, and orange citrus fruit. On the palate, it has a beautiful
structure and acidity along with enticing fruit flavours that keep you
coming back for another sip and plenty of body for a wine that shows
such delicate aromas and flavours.
Malbrontes Torrontés (24564, £8.14) is grown in a cool climate
at high altitude from low yielding vines which allows the aromas and
flavours to develop whilst maintaining good acidity. The result is a wine
that displays a wonderfully full aromatic profile. This wine is fruity,
floral and yet still quite dry. It displays citrus and stone fruit flavours of
lemons, nectarines and peaches as well as apples, pink grapefruit and
a hint of white pepper spice.
§
By Rachel Love
§
Aromatics
delicate sweetness
offset by crisp acidity
§
§
The New World
Te Kairanga
Riesling (27449,
£10.15) Distinctively
boutique, wines from
Martinborough achieve
international acclaim for
intensity of flavour. Sitting
at the foot of New Zealand’s
North Island, Martinborough
Wine mirrors its small community
- old world style with new world
flair creating simply superb handcrafted wines. This is a refreshing
Riesling made in an off-dry style;
the perfumed fruit is offset by Granny
Smith apple, orange blossom, lime zest
and honeysuckle. All accentuated on
the palate by a mineral, citrussy acidity.
The perfectly poised balance makes this a
versatile and complex food wine.
§
§
§
Recipes by Ali
Ali, Tell us a bit about yourself…
Ooh, where do I start? The beginning I guess…so I started bar
tending at Bar Eleven and Brass Monkey in Nottingham in 2002,
and after moving back and forth from there and Bristol, I settled
in the South West at Haus Bar, that’s really where I found my
flair for classic cocktails, but also the worth of attention to
detail and customer service.
So how did you end up in London?
Well I like to keep things moving, and challenge myself with
new things, so I headed up to the bright lights of London to
work under Jason Atherton, as bar manager at Pollen Street
Social. After a stint there, I joined Hawksmoor in 2012,
starting as Bar Tender at The Guildhall Site, I now run the
bars at the original Spitalfields site. I really feel like I’ve found
my home here!
rs
So what’s next?!
I keep challenging myself with competition entries throughout the
year. Off the back of a competition last year, I was approached
by J Wray and Nephew to become the Appleton Estate Rum, Brand
Ambassador for London & the South, which was a great opportunity
for me!
§
I’ve recently taken on the role of drinks research and development for
Hawksmoor, so I‘m really content keeping the menu fresh, exploring
new spirits, meeting new bar tenders and tasting new ideas from the
group, but mainly the tasting!
Butch
Chardonnay
and the
Moonshine
Kid
• Nederburg the
Manor Chardonnay 70ml
• Moonshine Kid Gin 25ml
• Agave Syrup 5ml
• Lemon Juice 5ml
• LBV Port Foam top (The foam is 3
Port of
Virginia
• Sandeman
Tawny Port 50ml
•S
mooth Amble
Rye 10ml
•K
amm & Sons
15ml
Garnish: Lemon zest
Glass: Cocktail
Method: Stir all ingredients over ice
and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Sherryzard
parts Port, 1 part sugar syrup and 1
part egg white and charged through a
creamer)
Garnish: None
Glass: Coupette
Method: Lightly shake the first 4
ingredients over cubed ice, strain into
a chilled coupette and the top with
LBV port foam.
Rows of
Roses
• Rare Vineyards
Rosé 100ml
•L
a Gitana
Manzanilla 70ml
•O
range and Peach
Shrub 25ml
(Cider vinegar,
sweetened with
sugar to taste and left for 48 hours with
200grams of peach slices and
the peels of 3 oranges)
•F
ee Brothers Orange Bitters –
2 dashes
• Soda top
Garnish: Orange Twists
Glass: Collins
Method: Pour first 3 ingredients
over cubed ice, stir and the top
with soda water.
Joya Roja
(dry rosé wine from
Southern, France)
•V
ina Pomal Rioja
Crianza 100ml
• Rose Petal
Cognac 10ml (Martell VS Cognac
souz vied with rose petals for 30mins at
60˚C) – this will also work with dry
rose petals on a hob with Cognac
• Rose Vermouth 20ml
• Sugar syrup 5ml
• Framboise (Raspberry) 2.5ml
Garnish: redcurrant string/orange
slice/mint sprig/rose buds
Glass: Red Wine
Method: Add all ingredients
to a red wine glass, swizzle/churn the
ingredients over crushed ice.
(Blackberry and
redcurrant fruitiness
with a small
background of
black pepper and
anise spice and wood)
•T
horncroft Kombuca Cordial 15ml
•K
amm & Sons 10ml
•S
oda 25ml
Garnish: None
Glass: Rocks
Method: Add first 3 ingredients to the
rocks glass and stir over cubed ice.
Then add a small spritz of soda.
§
With summer firmly in our grasp, we’ve been
delving into our wine list with Hawksmoor
Bar Manager and Mixologist Ali Reynolds to
look at some alternative ways to rouse your
customers taste buds with your wine list
this season…
Su
Bar Manager/Mixologist:Hawksmoor
s
i
t
w
s on flav
t
e
l
t
b
ou
By Ali Reynolds
ing the menu fresh
Keep
§
Look no further for inspiration
on using fresh summer wines
in cocktails as well as dusting
off the Port and Sherry for
these refreshing tipples:
We can’t talk about Veneto or Friuli-Venezia
Giulla without mentioning the recent global
phenomenon of Prosecco. It was the fastestgrowing sparkling wine in 2013 emerging as
a true winner because of its great quality and
keen price point. In 2013 8.5 million bottles of
Prosecco were sold (one in every two bottles
of sparkling wine, excluding Champagne!)
I love Italy! I can’t describe it, I just do. Getting to understand this thoroughly enchanting country and
its wine is an endless adventure, filled with explosions on the palate, romance, gastronomy, history and
beauty, so here I offer you a mere introduction as to what there is on offer. In this edition I start in the
North, and guide you through my very own vinous tour of Northern Italy… without any scary driving!
By Tiffany Mogg
There are more than two thousand
indigenous grape varieties grown and made
into wine in Italy. Even the Ancient Greeks
named it Oenotria meaning ‘the land of
wine.’ From north to south, Italy has every
climatic feature going, from crisp snow to
scorching sun, lake-lands and rolling
hills. The Appennine Mountains create
a backbone down the length of the
country, and all is encased by coast.
It really is no wonder Italy has such a
diverse range of wines within our grasp.
The North West region of Piemonte
literally translated means ‘foot of
the mountain’ an apt name as it is
flanked by the French and Swiss
Alps. More than any other region in
the country Piemonte is a ‘mecca’
for wine lovers, home to the ‘tar and
roses’ charm of Barolo and towns
such as Alba and Asti where people
flock almost exclusively for wine and
food. More noted for its red wines
Piemonte gives us the most wonderful
expressions of red grapes; Nebbiolo,
Dolcetto and Barbera, their hallmark
is searing acidity, most useful
after gorging on the local delights
of truffles, mushrooms, and
hazelnuts! (Alba’s other industry is
the Ferrera chocolate plant, makers
of Nutella.)
Barbera is a black fruited wine
with relatively low tannin. A
great example of which comes
from Enrico Serafino 25838 Barbera
d’ Alba £9.75* which has seen some
lengthy fermentation and is aged in
large oak barrels, it shows off a full
body on the palate with intriguing hints
of spice. However, we cannot ignore the
whites that come from this area either,
Other grapes to keep your eye on
here are Rofosco (red), and Picolit,
or Friulano (white) which combine
acidity with great concentration
especially around the outstanding
vineyard sites of Collio and Collio
Orientali. La Roncaia and Fantinel both
offer award winning, exemplary wines
from this area.
and sticking with the same producer
we must highlight their flagship wine Roero
Arneis 25833 £9.95. Roero is a hilly
region just North West of Alba, Arneis is
the grape variety. Delicate, floral, nutty
and elegant, this is a perfect wine style
to welcome in the summer. Gavi has had
a lot of press in recent years, but Arneis
is a great alternative if you want one.
Veneto is Italy’s largest wine producing
region, and a great place to start if
you’re hunting down a cost friendly
yet quality Pinot Grigio, for example
11999 Pinot Grigio delle Venezie,
Bolla £7.62*. However the region is
better known for Soave, Valpolicella
and Amarone.
Moving East, but sticking to the North
of Italy we come across the less talked
about region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia
which borders Austria ,Slovenia and the
Adriatic Sea. There are so many exciting
wines to be found in this overlooked area.
The numerous cultural influences over the
centuries mean that you can find grape
varieties of German, French, Italian and
Eastern Europe origins. Native to the area
is Ribolla Gialla a white grape with a lovely
texture and tangy acidity.
12008 Valpolicella Classico,
Superiore Ripasso La Poiane not
only is it a rich, quality derived red
wine, it also serves well as a lesson
in understanding Italian Labelling
terminology; A wine labelled
‘classico’ must come from grapes
grown on the historical centre of
that region, usually situated on
hills, these areas were picked
originally because they were
the best plots. In time the vine
growing region expanded around
it, so this is a great indicator of quality
and provenance. Secondly ‘Superiore’
means that the wine has been aged or
has a higher degree of alcohol than to
be expected from the area. Again a
quality indicator as this means the
grapes must have ripened fully to
have fermented to an unusually
high ABV% and have superior
ageing potential. Lastly ‘Ripasso’
is a winemaking technique of
adding the unpressed skins from
Amarone to a Valpolicella wine
and re-fermenting it, resulting
in added tannin, complexity and
depth.
The principal grape of Valpolicella and
Amarone wines is Corvina (which
can be blended with Rondinella and
Molinara.) If you like those you
will love this, 28229 Passori
Rosso a blend of around 60%
late harvested Merlot and 40%
Corvina. The late maturation of
the merlot gives deep ripe plum
and prune flavour matched with
the dark and spicy Corvina, the
result is remarkably characteristic
of the Amarone style, without
the costly vinification techniques.
Perfect for the on-trade Passori
Rosso demonstrates Italy’s
innovative side.
Italians label their Sparkling
Wines ‘Frizzante’ to indicate
that the wine is semi-sparkling,
24601 Rocco Prosecco Al
Spago Frizzante Conegliano
E Valdobbiadene £8.12*.
Fermentation is arrested before the
juice becomes fully carbonated,
which also means there is more
residual sugar left. These wines
have sweeter riper fruit flavours
than ‘Spumante’- sparkling wine,
and a gentle mousse making them
great aperitifs or palate cleansers.
Having touched on just a few of the delights
on offer from the North of Italy, I must
now say Ciao! and wake myself up from
my daydream of Italian romancing…or
perhaps not, off to pour myself a glass of
Soave whilst basking in memories of this
beautiful country.
Join me in next seasons edition of
Vini to discover the Central Regions
and what they can offer…
*Bottle list price
Part 1
28341 Fantinel Ribolla Gialla Brut
£10.88* is new to our list this year and
a ‘must try’ for any fizz fans. Voted
best in region by other producers and
the Wine Council this represents
the region, indigenous grapes, and
quality wine making from a family
winery. Truly Italian!
There is enough room in the market for
Prosecco as a category to still grow, and
different quality levels are now beginning
to be understood by the consumer, it is
possible that we will see more variety
of Prosecco on wine lists. With this in
mind we have introduced several new
Italian Sparklers to our portfolio. Not
only the afore mentioned Ribolla
Gallia, but also 28329 Fantinel
One & Only Single Vineyard
Prosecco 2012 £11.64* (From
Friuli Veneza Giulia) vibrant and
floral with notes of ripe
fruit and Brioche. 28411 Le
Altane Prosecco Extra Dry
£9.20* is an absolute textbook
style of fresh apples, pears, and
white peach, beautifully packaged
representing great value. Or
27140 Bolla Sparkling Rosé
£10.15* Not technically Prosecco
as Rosé wine is not covered by
the DOGC laws, but has that
same approachability. Is coronation
pink with generous ripe raspberry and
strawberry fruit on the nose and palate.
Thoroughly delicious and very ‘summer’.
Sherry:
not just for
Christmas
By Zöe Coombs
S
herry indisputably has a tough time,
although now enjoying a slight resurgence
with the number of high end tapas and
Sherry bars (polpeto) but, even those who know
more than the average about wine often don’t
know that much about Sherry. It’s not widely
understood or appreciated and in some ways that
is completely understandable, it’s not straight
forward, and that to me gives it its charm. With
10 recognised styles ranging from the intensely
sweet to the eye wateringly dry it’s one complex
category!
N
ow Sherry is becoming increasingly more
‘fashionable’ in certain outlets styles, it’s worth
remembering the category when it comes to
working through your summer menus. We’re
keen advocates of highlighting Sherry within the on-trade
to recruit people into and move away from its reputation
as an old persons tipple; lets get it selling over the bar
and accessible to the newcomer!
Where
A bit of back ground on this wonderful liquid, is that Sherry is
only Sherry if it comes from the Jerez region in Spain, with the
very best coming from the ‘Sherry triangle’ specifically. This is
the region defined by the three towns of Jerez de la Frontera,
Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Pueto de Santa Maria where
the wines mature in bodegas.
What
There are 3 key grapes used in Sherry production and 95%
of all production is made with Palomino, a relatively unheard
of white grape. Despite the many different styles, there are
basically two groups of Palomino sherries:
Fino and Manzanilla, both pale and bone dry.
Amontillado and Olorosso, mahogany coloured and
concentrated.
All Sherries made with Palomino are naturally dry, it is how
they are aged, treated and mixed that creates the diverse
styles and gives them character.
The two other grapes used in Sherry making are Muscat and
Pedro Ximenez, both are used to sweeten other Sherries
to make the likes of Pale Cream, Medium and Cream as
well as sometimes being used to in addition to Olorosso and
Amontillado. However, they both also produce wines in their
own right; Moscatel, and the incredible dark, rich and sweet
Pedro Ximenez – commonly known just as PX.
Matching
with food
E
ducation, sampling and
recommendations are
all things we can do in a
restaurant environment.
Below are some snippets of
information that can be passed on,
some food matches and serving
suggestions.
How
In Sherry production, unlike most other styles of wine it is not
how and where the grapes are grown that is important but
where and how the wine is made. The two key elements are
aging and blending (not unlike making Champagne). The wine
making takes place in the Bodegas - positioned specifically to
attract the sea breezes or humidity that are very important in the
maturation of the wines. The ‘how‘ involves a secret ingredient
known as ‘Flor’ and the blending of younger and older wines in
the Solera system.
Flor is a naturally occurring bread like yeast that grows on
the top of the wine when it is stored in the old Sherry butts
protecting the liquid from oxygen. The growth of Flor varies
according to the type of wine being made – it is thickest in
Manzanilla and less vigorous in Fino and killed off completely in
Amontillado and Olorosso when they are fortified to around 18%
alcohol and flor will be killed off by 16% abv therefore aging the
wine oxidatively.
The Solera system is just as accountable for the varying
characters in Sherry, it is an accelerated aging process that
allows the older wines to impart their qualities to the younger ones.
When Sherry is needed for bottling a little is removed from the
oldest barrels, which is then topped up with an equal amount
of the next oldest barrels and so on back to the youngest.
The young wines gain complexity and intensity they wouldn’t
otherwise and quality, style and consistency are ensured.
Fino: The light, dry Sherry has nutty
notes and it can take the place of an
aperitif wine at the table. Classic pairings
are with jamon, anchovies, sushi and my
personal favorite; salted almonds. Serve
well chilled.
Manzanilla is a Fino that’s
produced only in Sanlúcar de
Barrameda, a city in Jerez and
tend to have more roundness
and richness and therefore great
to match with dishes like a crab
mayonnaise or fish and chips as
it cuts through the rich, sweet
seafood. Serve well chilled.
Oloroso is naturally dry but like
Cream can be sweetened and
therefore comes in a range of
colours from amber to mahogany.
Dryer versions work with anything
with a umami factor like mushrooms
or game meats so can replace
red wines. The sweeter versions
try with dried fruit and desserts
such as bread and butter pudding,
gingerbread, Crème brûlée or treacle
tart. Serve at room temperature.
Pedro Ximenez is full bodied and
luxurious. Served drizzled on ice
cream is pretty amazing but also
rich foods such as blue cheese or
chocolate and an absolute winner
with Christmas pudding. Serve at
room terature.
Amontillado: The dry Sherry
starts as a Fino under flor and
then becomes an amontillado.
Amontillado can take the place of
white wine at the table especially
with those hard to pair foods
like asparagus, artichokes and
brussel sprouts because they
have that tannic quality, its also
great with cured meats, or spicy
foods with some heat. Best
served slightly cooler than room
temperature.
Palo Cortado: The dry wine begins
as a Fino and then spontaneously
loses its flor and becomes a palo
cortado. It has the dryness of a
fino but the richness of an Oloroso.
There is a wide range of foods to pair
with; nuts, black pudding, smoked
sausage, offal, red meats and game.
Serve at room temperature. A great
tip is to try a Cream with fresh
brioche with foie gras or Roquefort.
Desserts such as crème brulee or
gingerbread and fresh fruit are also
a great match. Serve lightly chilled,
also excellent on the rocks with a
slice of orange or as a digestive at
the end of a meal.
This edition, we speak to Rafael De Haan,
owner of Herencia Altés about their recent
move from Liberty Wines to Matthew Clark,
and get him to pick a favourite from their
portfolio – not an easy task! This is what
he had to say...
Sherrys time to shine
E
verything old is new again. No adage better sums
up what is happening right now in the global cocktail
industry. We are in the midst of what industry
legend Gary Regan calls the ‘second golden age of
bartending’. And with that has come a revival of many old drink
styles, techniques, tools, books and ingredients – including
Sherry.
During the 19th century, fortified wines including Sherry and
Port were extremely popular cocktail ingredients, popping up
in all sorts of drinks, including Shrubs, Flips, Possets, Cobblers
and Sangarees.
Sherry, whether dry, sweet or in between, can make many great
cocktails. The key is to balance the dry and sweet. For example,
if you are using sweet mixers, opt for a dry Sherry so the drink
isn’t cloyingly sweet. Some of the best alcohol spirit pairings
with Sherry are Whiskey, Bourbon and Scotch, but Brandy,
Vermouth and bitters are also good choices. Nutty liqueurs such
as Amaretto or Frangelico can also work really well with the
nuttier styles of Sherry.
Henry Porter (1880 Recipe)
Flame of Love Cocktail
Tio Swizzle
Rinse of good quality Absinth
50ml Tio Pepe
20ml Greenall’s Gin
10ml Sugar Syrup
Dash Orange bitters
75ml Absolut Vodka
15ml Tio Pepe Fino
Orange Twist
50ml Tio Pepe Fino
20ml Grenadine
12.5ml Ruby Port
12.5 Cognac
20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
5 Dashes of Old Fashioned
Bitters
Henry Porter was
the bartender at
the Telegraph bar.
This drink became his
signature and a classic
across the world.
Rinse the Absenth in a chilled
coupette or Sherry glass and
discard. Shake ingredients with
ice and fine strain into glass.
Garnish with Lemon Zest
Make in the same way you
would a martini. Stir in large
iced mixing glass. Strain into
chilled martini glass and serve
with an orange twist.
With Nuria’s family however, a particular set
of circumstances meant that her father and
uncles happened to own and manage some
very old Garnatxa vines dating back to the
beginning of the 20th Century. These vines
typically produced less than 2 kgs of fruit
per vine and often less than 1500 kgs per
hectare. We felt it was such a travesty that
these incredible grapes ended up as part of
massive, generic blends – so we decided to
use the grapes to make wine ourselves, and
so Nuria became the first generation from a
family of growers to make wine!
Back in 2010 we did not own a winery, so we
vinified and bottled in someone else’s facility,
and we continued to do so until 2013 when we
built our own winery in Batea. 2013 also saw
further developments with the appointment of
Jaume Clua as our full time winemaker and
also the purchase of La Serra, a 20 hectare
vineyard including 11 hectares of 90-100 year
old vines.
Take at look at some summer cocktails
using the wondeful Tio Pepe Sherries
Frank Sinatra’s
favourite drink.
Nuria’s family, like the vast majority of growers
in the area, sold their grapes to a cooperative,
which generally paid according to quantity
rather than quality. As a result, most growers
were pulling up their vines once they reached
a certain age as old vines produce less fruit
leading to lower economic returns.
Build with crushed ice in a
highball glass. Garnish with
a mint sprig.
Take a look at Ali Reynolds Summer Serves on page 32 to see how he is using
Sherry in his outlet Hawkesmoor, London.
The La Serra vineyards, like Nuria’s family
vines, are located in an area called the
Benufets. Sitting at 450m above sea level,
on sandy soils with high calcareous content,
the vineyards benefit from constant breezes,
both from the sea (Garbi) and the Ebro (Cerç).
We believe that these breezes are essential
in enabling our grapes to reach full ripeness
while retaining acidity and freshness in
the wines.
We think our wines represent a departure
from the typical local wines in so far as they
have real minerality with high acidity but also
full ripeness. In our winery we use special
automatic pigeage tanks that enable a very
gentle extraction from the grapes. We think
that shorter and cooler maceration times allow
the purity of the fruit to show through and
give the wines softer and sweeter tannins.
Because our grapes come from old vines,
the concentration is always high and we don’t
need to force more extraction.
In terms of élevage, we like concrete and large
wooden tanks that allow for a gentle and gradual
interchange with oxygen. Personally, I would
like to move away entirely from stainless steel to
“breathable” materials as I think the wines are
cleaner, softer and display added texture on
the palate.
In the UK we had been working for several years
with a very prestigious merchant, Liberty Wines, so
it was perhaps surprising to many in the trade when
the announcement was made that we would be
switching to Mathew Clark. For us it was all about
priorities and commitment.
Mathew Clark had recently been awarded the Best
UK Merchant for Spanish Wines, and when talking
to Simon Jerrome, Purchasing Director, I realised
that Herencia Altés would spearhead Matthew
Clark’s commitment towards higher quality wines,
and in particular, regional Spanish wines.
In addition, this is a company who are without doubt
heading in the right direction, they have real national
coverage and a chance to position the wines with
some of the larger hotel and restaurant groups as
well as Michelin starred restaurants up and down
the country. Having participated in all four national
tastings over the last couple of months, I feel we
have teamed up with a unique partner –the largest
UK distributor with huge reach a massive portfolio,
but at the same time, a company that is interested
in our stories and takes the time to understand the
people and the philosophy behind the wines. You
cannot ask for much more from a UK partner!
From our range, my personal favourite is the 28426
L’Estel 2013, £10.60*. This was the first of the
more premium wines made in our little winery and
I think it shows what we are all about. Old vine
Samsó (Carinan), Garnacha, and slightly younger
Syrah, raised in 1,200 litre wooden tanks and then
4-5 months in 300 litre oak barrels– the wine has
an earthy minerality, some stony quality from the
old vines, but at the same time it is silky smooth
with soft tannins and refreshing acidity from the
Samsó. When contemplating a food match think
classic Rhône wine parings – like steak, lamb and
duck dishes.
At the Matthew Clark wine tastings, many
customers commented on our labels... They
are actually produced from Altés family
photographs. The little girl in all the images
is Nuria growing up and playing in the family
vineyards. Our little personal touch…
*Bottle list price
The Cocktail Craze
Nuria Altés my wife and winemaker at
Herencia Altés wanted to make something
special from the rare and old vineyards owned
by her family in and around the hilly village of
Batea, in Terra Alta, Spain.
DON’T
BOTTLE
IT UP!
A FEW
THINGS
YOU MAY
NOT KNOW
ABOUT US...

the scent of summer

Transcription

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