thirstforwine http://thirstforwine.posterous.com Most recent posts at thirstforwine posterous.com Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:13:37 -0700 Choosing Chenin Blanc for some variety http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/choosing-chenin-blanc-for-some-variety http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/choosing-chenin-blanc-for-some-variety
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"If you could only pick one grape to drink the rest of your life, what would you choose?" 

Not a fair question, but it was a thought inspired by a game I overheard on the radio when I was daydreaming. I assumed I knew the answer to that ... but the more I thought about it, the more I was not sure. In the end, I cheated and decided it would have to be one for white and one for red, but even so I was stuck.

I have to admit I am a cosmopolitan drinker (not the cocktails!). I like variety and believe that there is no "one best style" in most cases. There are simply too many issues to consider. 

So it finally dawned on me that the answer (at least for the white) had to be ... Chenin Blanc.

It was an odd choice. In truth, I drink very little of it, but when I do I am often blown away. It makes everything from great sparkling wine, wines that are INCREDIBLY dry, through delicious, almost dry but rich to full on luscious and sweet wines. One grape. So many wines.

What does the grape "Chenin Blanc" evoke for you? 

For many, unfortunately, it is a fairly simple, often dull, white wine usually from South Africa.

It certainly should not have to be that way. Chenin Blanc was (and might still be) the most planted variety there, so it was grown more for volume than quality, but there are great South African versions - I'm fond of the wines of Ken Forrester, A A Badenhorst and De Trafford.

However, for Chenin Blanc lovers, the variety and complexity of the wines of the Loire Valley (it isn't all about Sauvignon Blanc thank goodness!) have to be ranked amongst the world's very best. This blog is not the place for in-depth looks at Loire wines - for that I point you in the direction of the indefatigable Jim Budd and his Jim's Loire blog.

So, when I saw an offer for some Chenin Blanc with a little age (though not yet nearly enough) on a special price, I jumped at the chance.

I bid/bought a case of bottles of Villebois Chenin Blanc 2007 from the Naked Wines Marketplace (in its first iteration). I have had a slightly mixed experience with the wines from this producer (who sells wines mainly thanks, it seems, to Naked Wines) but thought it worth a punt. According to their site, they focus almost entirely on Sauvignon Blanc but I'm rapidly getting bored with this grape (if I'm honest), so I am not sure what the story is to this wine, although the label implies it comes from their main vineyards.

This particular wine reminds me of baked green apples and hay on the nose. It smells bright yellow. It is a big, round wine in the mouth, showing the ripeness of the grapes, but maybe also a hint of some botrytis in there too. It has the sharpness of the filling of a bramble & apple pie, and also finishes with crispness and notes of honeyed, cinnamon spice. 

I paid £45.96 for 6 bottles, including delivery - making this wine £7.66 a bottle. A proper steal. 

However, it is now no longer available, but you might want to keep an eye on the site as it seems to have been quite popular, so you never know when they might find something from 2008 ;)

So, what would your one (white) grape be?

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Tue, 31 May 2011 13:20:14 -0700 Mixing with three cool Italians http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/mixing-with-three-cool-italians http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/mixing-with-three-cool-italians
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Triade (or triad, but skipping the gang associations) is a new wine available at Waitrose.

A blend of three grapes, of course; Fiano, Falanghina and Greco this wine is an attempt to bring us something new and modern from the south of Italy.

It has been created by what seems to be a very 'international' wine business, in the positive sense of it being aware of the needs of the international wine consumer but attempting to deliver something uniquely Italian, called Orion Wines (sorry about the Flash on the link - they're not yet *fully* aware of customer needs obviously).

Like the wine, the company itself seems to have a thing for the number 3, with 3 names behind the business (a winemaker, a marketer and a logistics specialist ... hmm, sounds like the beginning of a joke), and a "team of 3 full time winemakers" who go around Italy creating these wines.

This particular wine is easy to drink and pleasant, with lots of tropical fruit flavours of ripe pineapple, apricot and a hint of vanilla & honey too. As a drinking wine with more robust foods it is attractive, although it is not a "cheap" alternative coming in at over £8.50.

My only niggle would be that it is a bit TOO international. The fruit is attractive and ripe, but I don't know at all whether it speaks to me of Italy, but maybe that's my own limitations. The real south of Italy (such as this from Campania, but also Puglia and my personal favourite, Sicilia) are very different climates to the more 'classic' areas that tend to be from the centre or the North of the country. 

I love the idea of blends, but as with an increasing number of wines, I find that barrel fermentation, which was done on 20% of each of these grapes before blending, masks a lot of what makes a wine unique to that region. Unless, of course, it is the oak ageing that you are after, like in Rioja, Bordeaux, etc. In this case, the wine already seems to have a decent "roundness" (a sensation of being full bodied) from the fruit, which with a higher level of alcohol (it says 13% but could be a bit more), means that it probably didn't need any more from the oak and distracts from being a fresher wine. But I'm probably being over-critical.

In any case, it seems to be doing well, because although I only bought my bottle on Saturday, they appear to be out of stock as I write this on Tuesday. I am assuming there will be more available soon.

Three cheers for all the threes at Orion, and I look forward to trying more of their wines at some point.

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Tue, 24 May 2011 12:29:00 -0700 Having a little something special with dinner tonight http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/having-a-little-something-special-with-dinner http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/having-a-little-something-special-with-dinner

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Petalos 2008 tasted at home (with some beef stronganoff from Cook! if you need to know)

Pétalos Del Bierzo 2008
produced by Descendientes de J. Palacios in Bierzo,
Note: A wine of its own. I don't know of many I could compare in terms not only of the taste and experience, but the story and the history.

You can research the history, with the internationally renowned Alvaro Palacios "rediscovering" a regional grape in a forgotten region, and turning it into a destination for wine lovers. You should in fact.

As for the taste, I love the savouryness of the wine. This is a wine that shows real herbal notes on top of the fruit. The name is Petalos, or petals, and there is certainly a petal-like floral hint there, but really the wine is a balance between red fruit (raspberry and cherry) and herbs (thyme and savoury). The nose is meaty, almost like bloody steak (that musky aroma you get from really fresh steak - apologies to any vegetarians), but also with the red fruit and herbs, and all wrapped up in something quite spirity. It can almost remind you of those herbal "digestive" drinks you find in Italy, except the red fruit aromas give it away. In the mouth it never threatens to be a fruit bomb. On the contrary, as you taste it the immediate impressions are of the fresh, bright acidity and tannin and a strong mineral tang. But as it rests in your mouth, and as you swallow, the darker fruit aromas suddenly emerge and waft around your mouth and nose for such a long time. Not a wine for the faint-hearted, but delicious and unique. Try it!


Rating: 4,5 (in 5)
(Tasted on May 24, 2011)

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Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:12:00 -0800 The EWBC in action ... in my glass http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/the-ewbc-in-action-in-my-glass http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/the-ewbc-in-action-in-my-glass

One of my favourite memories of the EWBC this year was when we put our collective palates on the line to learn about Austrian wines, taste a range of different bottles, then select a favourite (albeit slightly unscientifically).

The best bit was that this selection had an IMMEDIATE, practical effect, because the winning wine not only got our vote and our thanks, but also gained a retail listing in the UK with Naked Wines.

This was the knowledge and influence of bloggers IN ACTION. It delivered an actual bottle of wine to my table - the most tangible way of giving value to consumers, retailers and producers that there is.

So, who won, and how was it?

The winning wine was the Gemischter Satz Nussberg Classic 2009 by Gerhard Lobner from Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz as chosen by the 200 wine bloggers assembled in the Schonbrunn Castle in Vienna.

When I got back home I immediately bought my 'Advance Purchase' pack of this wine to be delivered before Christmas, which, I am happy to say, they achieved with 4 days to spare.

My thoughts, as shared on the site, were:

Gemischter Satz Nussberg Classic 2009
produced by Gerhard Lobner in Vienna, Austria
Note: Glad we chose this wine at the EWBC in Vienna in October. It is something a little different from the usual.

It has a very pleasant, easy drinking tropical fruit style that still doesn't stray too far from the kind of elegant, complex, slightly spicy style of white wine that one associates with the single varietal wines of Austria such as Gruner Veltliner.

The ripe fruit finishes brightly with a lovely mineral freshness. A field blend (Gemischter Satz) offers something distinctive in this variety-obsessed wine market, and to achieve this sort of quality for this price, from a vineyard within the city-limits of a European capital, is something truly unique and definitely worth exploring.
Rating: 4 (in 5)
(Tasted on December 21, 2010)

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Sun, 12 Dec 2010 13:50:30 -0800 Cueva del Contador, Rioja 2008 http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/cueva-del-contador-rioja-2008 http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/cueva-del-contador-rioja-2008

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A decent impression of red & black fruit on the nose, but not very expressive really.

VERY highly extracted, to the point of undrinkability. So much dry tannin and really missing freshness. Fruit seems wrapped in mineral and tannin package. There is an impression of ripe fruit in there, but ultimately this is out of balance.

Still too young, or simply overdone?

Shame!

Tasted, by the glass from an enomatic machine in Pata Negra, Calle Laurel, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain

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Sun, 21 Nov 2010 07:10:00 -0800 Spanish Wine on the High Street http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/spanish-wine-on-the-high-street http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/spanish-wine-on-the-high-street

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Spanish wines have been on the UK shopping lists for some years, so you might expect that a tasting of 60 Spanish wines, selected by the buyers from the UK's 10 main supermarket and high street retailers, would be a good indication of the state of the category. Well, maybe.

First, a statistic. Of the 60 wines at the tasting, there were 23 from Rioja. That's almost 40%. Interestingly, 10% came from a small region called Campo de Borja, but more on that later.
First, the highlights:

Asda: not very much I'm afraid. The 'benchmark' Viña Sol was good as always, but we already know that. The 2009 Mitico Old Vines Garnacha was interesting, if a little alcoholic.

Coop: The Sauvignon Blanc/ Verdejo blend from Rueda, the Casa de Sol, was decent at £5.29, and they too stock a decent, known, Torres wine, the Gran Sangre de Toro - spicy, not too heavy and a decent drop at £7.99

Majestic: I was a bit disappointed here. Majestic have a broad Spanish range, but I found some of these rather uninspiring. Chief among which were the 2008 El Chaparral de Vega Sindoa Old Vines Garnacha. I've had previous vintages and really liked it, but I found this leafy and acidic without the 'old vines' concentration it promised (and had before). 
So too the 1982 Bodegas Muriel Rioja Gran Reserva. Hats off to them for showing such an old wine. I think it was Hugh Johnson who said: "There are no good wines, there are only good bottles" (or words to that effect). At this age, tiny differences in bottles and how they aged will be very marked. We tasted two bottles. One was simply past it, lots of volatile acidity and no fruit, the other more mushroomy and earthy and a hint of fruit - not unpleasant, but the kind of character few consumers are actually looking for. Worth it for the experience, but a bit of a risk.

Morrisons: Here they obviously decided that their Spanish wine drinkers like 'classic' styles. The Riojas had a bit of that dusty tannin, slightly musty old oak and dark fruit character of old. Generally not that encouraging, though the youthful 2009 Caño Verdejo (white) was fresh and crisp, though a touch expensive.

Marks & Spencer: One of the stars of the tasting ... was a white wine. The 2009 Val do Salnes Albariño was not cheap at £10.99, but I really liked the lemon curd, honey and grapefruit character which lasted for ages. I admit I know the family who make this wine, so call me biased, but I was not alone in picking out that wine for distinction.
The 2005 Campo Aldea Graciano seemed promising, but I must admit that despite having a decent aged character for such a young wine, I found it a little unbalanced (too much tannin & acidity and lots of alcohol) which masked the purple fruit which was only apparent on the finish. Maybe worth trying in a few more years?

Oddbins: I missed their main tasting, so was hoping to see the results of the rebuilding of this business. Can't say I picked out much from here. Many wines were decent, but unexciting, including wines like the Burgans Albariño I have liked in the past  (shame they didn't have their Mencia I've been meaning to try for ages). The stand out was probably the 2009 Carchelo from Jumilla - a big, butch wine with rich, jammy flavours that tastes great, but packs a bit of an alcoholic punch.

Sainsburys: The 2009 Luis Cañas Barrel Fermented (White) Rioja seemed to be popular. I found the yeasty-ness a little over the top (but then I really don't like cheese and it reminded me of a cheesy character). Maybe it will settle down and it is worth trying.
Once again, one of the classics was on show - the Marques de Riscal 2005, with its refined and mature American oak character (with a hint of soapiness to me - what's that from?), but still spicy, ripe fruit and simply elegant

Spar: I kicked off the tasting with the only Cava on show (surprisingly) which was the Spar Donacella Cava Brut. This is simple, straightforward sparkling wine, for sale at £6.79, and as such it still has that rubbery character I get from cheaper Cavas, but it did have a hint of sweetness on the finish to freshen the palate. At that price it'll probably do reasonably well.
However, it also included the 2009 Viña Albali Airen - a real stinker (on the nose), which may well best be avoided - or maybe our bottle was faulty?

Tesco: Not a bad range on show actually. The best wine was probably the 2004 Baron de Ley 7 Viñas Reserva - with a salad-sounding smell of balsamic, tomato leaf, white pepper and lots of fruit, but then it was £16.14 (if you bought 6 bottles) so it deserved to have this much character.
More popularly, it had a decent "Tesco Finest" Old Vines Garnacha from Campo de Borja for only £4.98 (if buying 6) which had an unusual "all spice" nose but was quite drinkable.
Waitrose: Similarly, Waitrose also had a Rioja / Campo de Borja pair worth trying. The Gran Lopez Tinto (£4.79) had quite a floral character, with a hint of boiled cherry sweetie too, which might be a touch alcoholic, but was quite good. The Rioja was another Baron de Ley, the Club Privado 2006, which was quite 'classic' in style, more focused on the ageing characters rather than fruit flavours, but nonetheless a decent wine for £8.29

So, Rioja (at the top) and Campo de Borja (at the VERY low end of the price spectrum) do well, and maybe the other regions, except for Rias Baixas and its Albariños, not exciting the buyers enough to show them. Hopefully the next vintage will encourage them more.
How have you found the Spanish wines you have tried recently? Anything exciting on the high street, or do we need to head to the independents and mail-order merchants to find retailers doing something more exciting?

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Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:47:00 -0700 Tasting: Barbazul 2008 http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/tasting-barbazul-2008 http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/tasting-barbazul-2008

I bought this wine as part of a mixed case from Flagship Wines. I asked them to send me "something different" and this was one of their interesting choices - right on the money.

It cost just over £10, so a fair amount for proper experimentation, and its main grape is Tintilla de Rota which I gather is a local variant of Rioja's Graciano grape, so again a little unusual but relevant to me in particular.

Do check this wine out!

Barbazul 2008
produced by Huerta de Albalá in Cadiz, Spain
Note: Dark fruit (is it cassis?) but also a hint of something vegetal & animal on the nose, and a noticeable spirity quality - it shows its alcohol! The wine is bright and medium bodied, combining that blackcurrant with some sharper red currant and later opened up to show some rose petal/flowery notes, but again the alcohol seems to show up like a noisy guest in an otherwise very civilized party.

It's a party that finishes with a pleasant, warm glow but also slightly haunting memories of those vegetal notes and even a hint of menthol.

A good wine, something different to explore, but probably needs to age a bit and be drunk in the right circumstances, slightly cooler than I had it.
(Tasted on September 6, 2010)

 

 

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Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:36:00 -0700 Tasting: The Joshua, 2008 - from @TeusnerWine http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/tasting-the-joshua-2008-from-teusnerwine http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/tasting-the-joshua-2008-from-teusnerwine

The Joshua 2008
produced by Teusner Wines in Barossa Valley, Australia,
Note: Amazingly rich, jammy, raspberry and strawberry nose with a tickling of black pepper, which then blossoms in the mouth, like supping on a deliciously smooth, slightly tart, raspberry coulis seasoned with crushed black pepper. Delicious, moreish and full bodied. This wine is very young and I look forward to see how it develops over the years - if I can hold on to my remaining bottles.
(Tasted on September 3, 2010)

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Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:14:00 -0700 Tasting: La Gramiere 2007 http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/tasting-la-gramiere-2007 http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/tasting-la-gramiere-2007

I've started posting some tasting notes again as I have been meaning to do for ages. I'm hoping this will go automatically in future, but here's last night's post:

La Gramière 2007
produced by Domaine de La Gramiere in Cotes du Rhone Villages region, France
Note: Looks young, with purple, red fruit in the glass, and the nose is dark and brooding. However, the first taste was bright - like a blast of cherry flavoured lifesavers, followed by a dusting of soft, ripe tannins and deliciously tart berry flavours. Still young, but vibrant and alive. A great tipple
Food pairing: lightly grilled lamb
(Tasted on August 29, 2010)

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Wed, 04 Aug 2010 03:55:16 -0700 Aged Riesling http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/aged-riesling http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/aged-riesling I had a nice bottle of Clare Valley Riesling last night (with room service Fish & Chips). I noticed it on the wine list of Ryan Duffy's so ordered it, though had not heard of Hungerford Hill before.

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What I hadn't noticed was the vintage. The list made no mention, but when I opened it the colour was a dark golden colour and the nose was honeyed and showed the classic "rubber & diesel" notes.

I am tempted to think that Nova Scotian Canadians have a mature palate for more evolved wines ... But I guess the reality is that it probably has sat on the list unloved for quite a while!

It is real shame, because by the time someone buys the better bottles they can be out of condition, so people think "I don't like these expensive/unusual wines" so never trades up again.

I intend to help some if these lists turn over their wines a little while I am here. I'm on a mission

;)

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Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:45:00 -0700 High Spirits at the BFT http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/high-spirits-at-the-bft http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/high-spirits-at-the-bft

Thanks to the eagle-eyes of Justin Roberts (@justinjerez) I was alerted to an exciting new wine trade tasting called “the BFT”. Despite me being unable to say or write this without thinking of Roald Dahl’s BFG, I think the organisers have done a grand job of creating something new which I hope will be repeated.

The BFT is the Big Fortified Tasting (http://www.thebft.com). [For those who don’t know what that means, it covers wines such as Sherry, Port & Madeira (plus a few assorted others). They are all wines made with the addition of spirit, which means the lowest alcohol at the tasting was probably around 15%. Ouch!]

Fortified wines are a bit of a poor relation at the moment. Consumers do not seem to think of these wines as particularly sexy or “happening”. They are immediately associated with grannies, cigars and dusty bar shelves. Of course the truth is completely different (except for the cigars – for some).

It was great to see a very full house at the tasting, including top journalists, MWs, buyers, and restaurant staff. It was also interesting to see that people were asking questions and getting excited about the wines, not just revisiting old friends.

I hope that with events such as this, and a motivated wine trade, these categories can finally be revived. They offer such a wonderful range of flavours and experiences, and a diversity of culture and history with each style and region.

I fear, however, that the impetus is unlikely to come from the current producers and brands as it will require a major re-imagining of what the wines are, when they are consumed and who they are for, for this to happen. Is anyone brave enough for that? Go on!

One of the first steps should be to encourage the organisers to open up the event to consumers and allow them to be able to sample these wines side-by-side too. There are so many styles to choose from it can be difficult to get your head around it, but a little education goes a long way. Let's hope they do!


I used the opportunity to compare lots of different Fino and Manzanilla sherries side by side as I think they offer a style of wine that could attract new drinkers to this kind of category and you almost never get a chance to do this. My favourites included:

  • La Gitana Manzanilla: Crisp, with a light freshness, salty, almond skin finish
  • La Guita Manzanilla: Fuller bodied, almond, dry and salty, but fresh and delicious
  • La Ina Fino Muy Seco: Light, mineral, edge of sweeter citrus especially on finish
  • La Bota No.18 Fino de Machanurdo Alto: Typical dryness, but fuller bodied, with rounded finish not dry mineral. Very nice.

In fact the whole La Bota range from Equipo Navazos (via Rhone to Rioja in UK) was delicious – including the two wonderful La Bota Palo Cortados, No.21 (“rich & nutty but with a high alcohol that contrasted well”) and No.17 (“Caramelly touch on top of hazlenut richness, delicious”)

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