Another good producer in Chiny-les-Roses.
1. Cattier Brut
Pale colour, powerful nose, light bodied and with a refreshing grapey character. Excellent as an aperitif.
2. Blanc de Blanc Brut
Refined and smooth with a silky mouthfeel. Lemon and apricot flavour. Good length, well balanced all the way to the finish. Elegant. True to the style of a blanc de blanc.
3. Cattier Brut 2002
1/3 each of PN, PM and Chardonnay
Very punchy nose with intense aroma of apricot and grape. On the palate more lemony with crisp acid. Great length. Excellent.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Champagne Gardet
One area where it's possible to get confused is that the NV wines are labelled George Gardet (the son of the founder) whereas the vintage wines are labelled Charles Gardet (the founder). They are both from the same estate.
As a place to visit this one was great. Large, multi-storey cellars. Quite mechanised (lots of machines/gyropalettes) and we even got to see the bottling line in action. Annoyingly we just missed a round of disgorgement, which I've still never seen.
The Wines
1. Brut Tradition NV
Light, refreshing, toasty, biscuit and lemon. Soft mouthfeel. Good.
2. Selected Reserve NV
A bargain at 18.50EUR. This is their "English style" wine which is a blend of older vintages (2000 and 2001) and all made from reserve wine which has been sitting in oak. Very soft in the mouth. Silky, well balanced and with great length. This has a lot of depth and intensity of flavour. Ridiculously good for the price. They clearly have the English preference down to a T since our group was all over this.
3. Brut Special
Quite sharp on the palate. Neither one style nor another. I preferred the Selected Reserve.
4. Cuvee Charles Gardet 2000
23.50 EUR
Light, classy nose. Quite young tasting but some mushroom character coming through on the nose. Medium body, medium-high acid. Well balanced and with a good crisp finish. Excellent.
5. Rose Charles Gardet
25EUR
Salmon coloured and almost like a still pinot noir on the nose. Intense palate with plenty of red fruit but also some citrus (maybe more orange than lemon). Good length, very high quality.
This is a rose made by the saignee method rather than by blending red and white base wine together before secondary fermentation. Champagne is the only quality wine in Europe which is allowed to produce a rose by blending red and white wine. There is a good reason why most regions prohibit this - it is a short-cut and does not produce as good quality wine. I find it really quite surprising that Champagne of all regions (which makes wine which takes many years to produce and is often done in a very labour-intensive way) allows such a process. This Charles Gardet Rose is excellent and I wish more rose champagne was like this.
As a place to visit this one was great. Large, multi-storey cellars. Quite mechanised (lots of machines/gyropalettes) and we even got to see the bottling line in action. Annoyingly we just missed a round of disgorgement, which I've still never seen.
The Wines
1. Brut Tradition NV
Light, refreshing, toasty, biscuit and lemon. Soft mouthfeel. Good.
2. Selected Reserve NV
A bargain at 18.50EUR. This is their "English style" wine which is a blend of older vintages (2000 and 2001) and all made from reserve wine which has been sitting in oak. Very soft in the mouth. Silky, well balanced and with great length. This has a lot of depth and intensity of flavour. Ridiculously good for the price. They clearly have the English preference down to a T since our group was all over this.
3. Brut Special
Quite sharp on the palate. Neither one style nor another. I preferred the Selected Reserve.
4. Cuvee Charles Gardet 2000
23.50 EUR
Light, classy nose. Quite young tasting but some mushroom character coming through on the nose. Medium body, medium-high acid. Well balanced and with a good crisp finish. Excellent.
5. Rose Charles Gardet
25EUR
Salmon coloured and almost like a still pinot noir on the nose. Intense palate with plenty of red fruit but also some citrus (maybe more orange than lemon). Good length, very high quality.
This is a rose made by the saignee method rather than by blending red and white base wine together before secondary fermentation. Champagne is the only quality wine in Europe which is allowed to produce a rose by blending red and white wine. There is a good reason why most regions prohibit this - it is a short-cut and does not produce as good quality wine. I find it really quite surprising that Champagne of all regions (which makes wine which takes many years to produce and is often done in a very labour-intensive way) allows such a process. This Charles Gardet Rose is excellent and I wish more rose champagne was like this.
Champagne Mailly
Slightly underwhelming visit this one. Perhaps it was just shown up by the comparison with Vilmart which we had just visited. Considering that this is a famous cooperative from one of the more renowned grand cru villages in Champagne this was more than a little disappointing.
However, having said that, there was nothing wrong with the wines, all of which were competant if not exactly exciting and the final two were both good.
Tasting
1. Brut Reserve NV
75% PN, 25% Chardonnay
Lemon, biscuits and cream. Good acid, well balanced. Good length.
2. L'Air Vintage 2005
75% PN, 25% Chardonnay
Vanilla and citron tart on the nose. Soft and creamy with red fruits on the palate. Fine mousse, high acid. Finish is a little bitter. Otherwise good.
3. Blanc de Noirs
100% PN
Deeper colour, red fruit character, high acid. A little simple.
4. Le Feu Vintage 2000
75%PN, 25% Chardonnay
This was probably my favourite of the tasting. Vanilla, biscuits, cream and yeast autolysis. Also something like pear. Smooth and silky mouthfeel. Great length and classy finish. Well balanced, high acid. Still very fresh but starting to develop some secondary character. Very good.
5. Les Eschansons 1999
75%PN, 25% Chardonnay
This wine was also very good, but for me Le Feu pipped it to the post slightly. Quite a lot of red fruit and also some pear character again. Silky mouthfeel, good length and pleasant finish. Well balanced and would age well, but for the price would rather have the Coeur de Cuvee from Vilmart.
However, having said that, there was nothing wrong with the wines, all of which were competant if not exactly exciting and the final two were both good.
Tasting
1. Brut Reserve NV
75% PN, 25% Chardonnay
Lemon, biscuits and cream. Good acid, well balanced. Good length.
2. L'Air Vintage 2005
75% PN, 25% Chardonnay
Vanilla and citron tart on the nose. Soft and creamy with red fruits on the palate. Fine mousse, high acid. Finish is a little bitter. Otherwise good.
3. Blanc de Noirs
100% PN
Deeper colour, red fruit character, high acid. A little simple.
4. Le Feu Vintage 2000
75%PN, 25% Chardonnay
This was probably my favourite of the tasting. Vanilla, biscuits, cream and yeast autolysis. Also something like pear. Smooth and silky mouthfeel. Great length and classy finish. Well balanced, high acid. Still very fresh but starting to develop some secondary character. Very good.
5. Les Eschansons 1999
75%PN, 25% Chardonnay
This wine was also very good, but for me Le Feu pipped it to the post slightly. Quite a lot of red fruit and also some pear character again. Silky mouthfeel, good length and pleasant finish. Well balanced and would age well, but for the price would rather have the Coeur de Cuvee from Vilmart.
Champagne Vilmart
This was the first of our winery visits on our recent Champagne road-trip - and what a way to start. This was one of the few places we visited where the person showing us round was the winemaker himself.
The grapes are pressed in a vertical cylinder press which they use 4 times on each load, pressing with light pressure each time. The juice then ferments in oak barrels for 10-months. The oak is not new oak, but has been used for one vintage in Chassagne-Montrachet or Meursault.
Riddling is performed by hand and the wines are released with plenty of age. The current release of the vintage is 1999.
The Wines
1. Cuvee Grande Reserve NV
30% Chardonnay, 70 PN
This is a blend of wine made from grapes of the 2005 and 2006 vintages. The base wine saw oak, but large, neutral oak casks. The wine had a fine mousse and a creamy taste (but none of the wines undergo MALO). Light body, with high acid. very lemony on the palate and great length. Very nice NV and a good start to the holiday.
2. Cuvee Grand Cellier
70% Chardonnay, 30% PN
This is made only from free run juice and is a blend of wines from 2004, 2005 and 2006. Slightly deeper colour than the previous wine. Fuller bodied with very high acid. Fine mousse. On the palate there are stone fruits such as peach as well as the lemon and an almost cheesy note on the nose.
3. Grand Cellier d'Or 2003
80% Chardonnay, 20% PN
Toasty, vanilla and biscuit on the nose. More body and weight on the palate. Honey, apricot and lemon notes. Smooth and silky mouthfeel. Good length and excellent balance. I like this.
4. Coeur du Cuvee 2001
80% Chardonnay, 20%PN
Very complex flavours - almost like a stew. Something noticeably herbal with deep aromas on top of a lemon and apricot base. Full bodied. Yeast autolysis, toast and vanilla all noticeable elements to the wine. Crisp acid, well balanced, great length. This is a very special wine and would stand up well to food. We didn't know it at the time but this was the 2nd best wine of the entire holiday!
5. Coeur du Cuvee 2000
Much more of a mushroomy nose than the 2001. Lots of complexity, but this one is aging much quicker which presumably implies that the 2001 will be better. The 2000 is excellent now, but upon going back to the 2001 it is clearly much fresher.
6. Ratafia
This is made from 100% Pinot Noir grape juice which is then fortified without fermentation. Very sweet, nice-tasting grape liqueur. Ripe, red fruit aroma. Very acidic. Would benefit from sweet food or creamy cheese.
The grapes are pressed in a vertical cylinder press which they use 4 times on each load, pressing with light pressure each time. The juice then ferments in oak barrels for 10-months. The oak is not new oak, but has been used for one vintage in Chassagne-Montrachet or Meursault.
Riddling is performed by hand and the wines are released with plenty of age. The current release of the vintage is 1999.
The Wines
1. Cuvee Grande Reserve NV
30% Chardonnay, 70 PN
This is a blend of wine made from grapes of the 2005 and 2006 vintages. The base wine saw oak, but large, neutral oak casks. The wine had a fine mousse and a creamy taste (but none of the wines undergo MALO). Light body, with high acid. very lemony on the palate and great length. Very nice NV and a good start to the holiday.
2. Cuvee Grand Cellier
70% Chardonnay, 30% PN
This is made only from free run juice and is a blend of wines from 2004, 2005 and 2006. Slightly deeper colour than the previous wine. Fuller bodied with very high acid. Fine mousse. On the palate there are stone fruits such as peach as well as the lemon and an almost cheesy note on the nose.
3. Grand Cellier d'Or 2003
80% Chardonnay, 20% PN
Toasty, vanilla and biscuit on the nose. More body and weight on the palate. Honey, apricot and lemon notes. Smooth and silky mouthfeel. Good length and excellent balance. I like this.
4. Coeur du Cuvee 2001
80% Chardonnay, 20%PN
Very complex flavours - almost like a stew. Something noticeably herbal with deep aromas on top of a lemon and apricot base. Full bodied. Yeast autolysis, toast and vanilla all noticeable elements to the wine. Crisp acid, well balanced, great length. This is a very special wine and would stand up well to food. We didn't know it at the time but this was the 2nd best wine of the entire holiday!
5. Coeur du Cuvee 2000
Much more of a mushroomy nose than the 2001. Lots of complexity, but this one is aging much quicker which presumably implies that the 2001 will be better. The 2000 is excellent now, but upon going back to the 2001 it is clearly much fresher.
6. Ratafia
This is made from 100% Pinot Noir grape juice which is then fortified without fermentation. Very sweet, nice-tasting grape liqueur. Ripe, red fruit aroma. Very acidic. Would benefit from sweet food or creamy cheese.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Cape Winemakers Guild
Cape Winemakers Guild Tasting
Vivat Bacchus, 14 September 2009
The Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) is an association of the very best of South Africa's winemakers. The CWG have an annual auction of limited-edition wines created by the winemaker specifically for the auction. This must provide an interesting conflict of interest for the winemaker - do they put their best wines into their own flagship wine or into this CWG Auction label wine?
This year's CWG auction will be the 25th so far. Tonight VB put on a tasting of eight of these wines which gave an excellent opportunity to taste these high-profile South African wines. There were some very high quality wines within the group...
Tasting Notes
1. Bernhard Veller, Nitida 2009, "Decorous Sauvignon Blanc"
Grassy, with leafy, asparagus and green pepper notes. Some of the usual gooseberry stuff but nicely restrained compared to similar wines from NZ. Very acidic. Good length, well balanced, very good.
2. Duncan Savage, 2008 Cape Point Vineyards, Auction Reserve Semillon
Pale yellow. Nose is typical chardonnay. Smoke, mellon, orange, vanilla. Medium-high acid. Good, but not enough fruit on the palate.
3. Kevin Grant, 2008 Ataraxia, Chardonnay
This wine is excellent. Lots of oak in a very classy way. Lemon, vanilla and melon on the nose. Smells a little like good quality vanilla ice cream which is probably from malolactic fermentation. Strong midpalate and quite mineralic. Great length with a lemony finish. This is a nice midpoint between a classic new world and old world style chardonnay. Definitely the best wine so far.
4. Johan Malan, 2007 Simonsig, Auction Reserve Pinotage
Strong aroma of banana. Also black berries and something rustic. Full bodied, acidic and reasonably tannic. Intense, slightly jammy black fruit continues on the palate. Good length. Very high quality.
5. Kevin Arnold, 2005 Waterford Estate, Auction Reserve
Mainly Cabernet. No Shiraz(!) Structured, grippy almost powdery tannin. Green pepper. Good length. Well balanced. Herby. I really liked this one.
6. Louis Strydom,2007 Engelbrecht Els Vineyards
Gamey, red and black fruit. Very acidic and pretty high tannin and some mineral notes. Intense with a good length. Very good. (Adam loved this one.)
7. Louis Nel, 2008 Neighbour's Wrath, Cabernet Sauvignon
Sadly no explanation is given for the name, which sounds as though there must be a good story behind it. This wine smells like minty ribena. Slightly jammy. Acidic with ripe fruit on palate. Quite long. Very good. More enjoyable now than the Kevin Arnold, but the Kevin Arnold is better.
8. Niels Verburg, 2007 Luddite, FIGJAM
Deep colour. Sweetish smell, probably from the shiraz. Black pepper, black fruit. Smooth mouthfeel, not very acidic tasting but there is actually plenty there. Dark chocolate notes on the finish. Very nice.
Vivat Bacchus, 14 September 2009
The Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) is an association of the very best of South Africa's winemakers. The CWG have an annual auction of limited-edition wines created by the winemaker specifically for the auction. This must provide an interesting conflict of interest for the winemaker - do they put their best wines into their own flagship wine or into this CWG Auction label wine?
This year's CWG auction will be the 25th so far. Tonight VB put on a tasting of eight of these wines which gave an excellent opportunity to taste these high-profile South African wines. There were some very high quality wines within the group...
Tasting Notes
1. Bernhard Veller, Nitida 2009, "Decorous Sauvignon Blanc"
Grassy, with leafy, asparagus and green pepper notes. Some of the usual gooseberry stuff but nicely restrained compared to similar wines from NZ. Very acidic. Good length, well balanced, very good.
2. Duncan Savage, 2008 Cape Point Vineyards, Auction Reserve Semillon
Pale yellow. Nose is typical chardonnay. Smoke, mellon, orange, vanilla. Medium-high acid. Good, but not enough fruit on the palate.
3. Kevin Grant, 2008 Ataraxia, Chardonnay
This wine is excellent. Lots of oak in a very classy way. Lemon, vanilla and melon on the nose. Smells a little like good quality vanilla ice cream which is probably from malolactic fermentation. Strong midpalate and quite mineralic. Great length with a lemony finish. This is a nice midpoint between a classic new world and old world style chardonnay. Definitely the best wine so far.
4. Johan Malan, 2007 Simonsig, Auction Reserve Pinotage
Strong aroma of banana. Also black berries and something rustic. Full bodied, acidic and reasonably tannic. Intense, slightly jammy black fruit continues on the palate. Good length. Very high quality.
5. Kevin Arnold, 2005 Waterford Estate, Auction Reserve
Mainly Cabernet. No Shiraz(!) Structured, grippy almost powdery tannin. Green pepper. Good length. Well balanced. Herby. I really liked this one.
6. Louis Strydom,2007 Engelbrecht Els Vineyards
Gamey, red and black fruit. Very acidic and pretty high tannin and some mineral notes. Intense with a good length. Very good. (Adam loved this one.)
7. Louis Nel, 2008 Neighbour's Wrath, Cabernet Sauvignon
Sadly no explanation is given for the name, which sounds as though there must be a good story behind it. This wine smells like minty ribena. Slightly jammy. Acidic with ripe fruit on palate. Quite long. Very good. More enjoyable now than the Kevin Arnold, but the Kevin Arnold is better.
8. Niels Verburg, 2007 Luddite, FIGJAM
Deep colour. Sweetish smell, probably from the shiraz. Black pepper, black fruit. Smooth mouthfeel, not very acidic tasting but there is actually plenty there. Dark chocolate notes on the finish. Very nice.
Bollinger
Bollinger Tasting
Vivat Bacchus, 7 September
Bollinger is still family owned and family run - quite an achievement for such a large, powerful brand. 60% of the grapes they use are sourced from vineyards which they own. This is unusual - many large producers source the majority of their grapes from small growers.
Bollinger is a Pinot Noir driven champagne. They still have two vineyards which have never been infested with Phylloxera. They are walled vineyards and this appears to keep the nasty insects out, although it's presumably a matter of time until this all ends in tears.
All wines which are made from grand cru grapes undergo the primary fermentation in old oak. Bollinger claim to employ the only full-time cooper in the Champagne region. All reserve wines are stored in magnum, with a cork closure.
Tasting Notes
1. Bollinger Brut NV
Lemon, butter and apple. Fine mousse, high acid. Dry, with good length and a smooth finish, although tastes a little sour after about 10 seconds. Otherwise well balanced.
2. Bollinger Rose NV
A pale salmon pink colour. Red fruit, particularly raspberries (slightly jammy). Dry, high acid, very juicy and refreshing. Like a ripe berry.
3. Bollinger La Grande Annee 2000
Cheese (eg a creamy brie) and crackers. Medium body, smooth, lemony. Excellent length and a fine mousse. Good stuff!
4. Bollinger La Grande Annee Rose 2002
Surprisingly good considering that Madame Bollinger was very much against Rose champagnes. Lots of raspberries, quite a lot of body and smooth. Good, but overpriced.
5. Bollinger La Cote aux Enfants Rouge 2002
Quite a deep colour for a Pinot Noir, but smells just like a PN should. Red cherry, subtle oak influence (3-5 years). Some tannin. Great length. Not £65 worth of red wine but worth trying for the novelty, or if someone else is paying!
In conclusion, the Roses and the Red are both very good, but do not justify the extra money (but that's not really the point when it comes to Champagne is it?!)
Vivat Bacchus, 7 September
Bollinger is still family owned and family run - quite an achievement for such a large, powerful brand. 60% of the grapes they use are sourced from vineyards which they own. This is unusual - many large producers source the majority of their grapes from small growers.
Bollinger is a Pinot Noir driven champagne. They still have two vineyards which have never been infested with Phylloxera. They are walled vineyards and this appears to keep the nasty insects out, although it's presumably a matter of time until this all ends in tears.
All wines which are made from grand cru grapes undergo the primary fermentation in old oak. Bollinger claim to employ the only full-time cooper in the Champagne region. All reserve wines are stored in magnum, with a cork closure.
Tasting Notes
1. Bollinger Brut NV
Lemon, butter and apple. Fine mousse, high acid. Dry, with good length and a smooth finish, although tastes a little sour after about 10 seconds. Otherwise well balanced.
2. Bollinger Rose NV
A pale salmon pink colour. Red fruit, particularly raspberries (slightly jammy). Dry, high acid, very juicy and refreshing. Like a ripe berry.
3. Bollinger La Grande Annee 2000
Cheese (eg a creamy brie) and crackers. Medium body, smooth, lemony. Excellent length and a fine mousse. Good stuff!
4. Bollinger La Grande Annee Rose 2002
Surprisingly good considering that Madame Bollinger was very much against Rose champagnes. Lots of raspberries, quite a lot of body and smooth. Good, but overpriced.
5. Bollinger La Cote aux Enfants Rouge 2002
Quite a deep colour for a Pinot Noir, but smells just like a PN should. Red cherry, subtle oak influence (3-5 years). Some tannin. Great length. Not £65 worth of red wine but worth trying for the novelty, or if someone else is paying!
In conclusion, the Roses and the Red are both very good, but do not justify the extra money (but that's not really the point when it comes to Champagne is it?!)
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Wines of Alsace Tasting
Alsace Tasting
Friday 17 july 2009
Taught by Mike Ferneyhough
This was a very interesting tasting. Mike has been on holiday to Alsace on many occasions; indeed all the wines for tonight's tasting had been purchased on his last trip there. This makes a massive difference to the cost - we get so comprehensively bilked by the tax on wine in the UK! It also means that this was an area which Mike knows very well. There is no substitute for the local knowledge which comes from visiting the region.
Also interesting was learning that, as suspected, the rather clean account given in the WSET advanced book about Alsace is not quite the true story. According to the WSET book the only white grapes allowed in Alsace are Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Muscat and Pinot Gris (the so-called noble varieties) and Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc. No mention is made of the fact that one third of the grapes planted and classified as Pinot Blanc are actually Auxerrois and that Chasselas (which is only mentioned in the very short chapter on Switzerland) is also allowed in the Alsace appellation.
I was also interested to discover that the Alsace Grand Cru system is also more complicated than the WSET course let on. Being true to the history of French wine classification there has been so much controversy associated with this classification system that some of the greatest producers in Alsace (and those who were instrumental in pushing for such a classification system to be set up) do not take any part in the Grand Cru system.
Tasting Notes
1. Dopff au Moulin Cremant d'Alsace 2005
Pale lemon colour, stony, bready and lemony aromas. Fine mousse, good acid, medium body and quite long. Dry and apply on the palate. This is excellent for 9.30 EUR.
2. Muscat Reserve, Cave Vinicole a Hunwihr 2007
Pale gold colour. Very floral (rose petal) and grapey, particularly on the palate. Medium-high body, medium acid and noticeable alcohol. A little short. Good, but not great. 6.20 EUR
3. Josmeyer "H" Pinot Auxerroiss Vielles Vignes 2005
100 % Auxerrois (tasted blind)
This is planted in the middle of the Hengst grand cru vineyard, but cannot be labelled as grand cru because of the grape variety used. Pale lemon, steely, a little residual sugar giving it a honey taste. Medium high body, medium acid. Good, if a little surprising. 17.60 EUR
4. Rene Mure Pinot Noir "V" 2006
Knowing where to put the red wine in an Alsace tasting is quite difficult. Normally one would want to have red wines after white wines. However, the Alsace Pinot Noirs are usually pretty anaemic and pale into insignificance compared to some of the Alsatian white wines. I think that this was the correct place to show this wine.
Pale red, almost a rose colour... and this is apparently quite dark for an Alsace Pinot Noir! Smells like young pinot noir - cherries and raspberries. Dry with high acid. Quite low bodied and very low tannins. Finish is a little acidic. This is OK, but certainly not appropriate quality for the price (23 EUR!). Alsace Pinot Noirs are always expensive because there is strong local demand for red wine and small production. In much the same way that English wine can be OK, but is always over-priced because of the alcoholic local population buying out of a misplaced sense of patriotism. (OK so this doesn't apply to some of the wines - particularly the sparkling wines.)
5. Hugel Gewurtztraminer "Hugel" 2007
Pale lemon green. Lychees on the nose and rose petal, plus some stone fruit and something smoky. High glycerol, medium acid. A little short but quite full bodied. Dry. Pretty good. 12.60 EUR
6. Gewurtztraminer Cave Vinicole a Hunawihr
Grand Cru Froehn 2005
Medium gold colour. A rich nose of dried apricots and honey. Full bodied with excellent length. Well balanced and silky, but with quite low acidity (common in Gewurtz). Dry with moderately high intensity flavours of honey, apricot and something floral. Also, some of the spicy notes for which Gewurtztraminer is named. This is awesome, and well priced at 11.90 EUR
7. Jean Sipp Pinot Gris 2006
This is from a named site - Trottacker, but not a grand cru vineyard. Pale lemon. Quite closed. Stone fruit and minerals are there on the nose but they require searching out (but maybe this is just in comparison to the previous wine). Medium-full body, medium acid and off-dry with noticeable banana flavour. A little 1-dimensional and a bitter finish. This wine has some good parts, but also some weird notes which make me ultimaltely come down on the side of not really liking it. 12.40 EUR
8. Jean Sipp Pinot Gris 2000
Again from a non-grand cru named site - Clos Ribeaupierre.
Medium gold colour. Honeyed nose. And something which reminds me of the petrol aroma which appears on old rieslings. Spicy and toasted notes. Off dry and rich on the palate with apricots, dried fruits and honey. Medium-high acid which cuts through the sweetness. Well balanced with great length and intense flavour intensity. This is so much better than the previous one and well worth the price (24EUR). I'd much rather have one bottle of this than two of the previous one.
9. Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile 2001
Green on the nose, very sour apples. On the palate there is a clean granny smith apple flavour and high acidity. Well balanced. This is great stuff. 24 EUR
10. Hugel Riesling Selection de Grains Nobles 1998
Pale gold, tartrate crystals. Cooked apple and honey. Unctuous, well balanced, full bodied and medium sweet. This is an excellent wine. Pretty pricey too at 76 EUR
11. Hugel Riesling Vendage Tardive 1988
Medium gold. This has an unusual nose. Baked apple, petrol and something which reminds me of an amontillado sherry. Medium body, high acid and surprisingly dry - this is off dry at the most. Maybe a little past its best, but this is still excellent now.
Friday 17 july 2009
Taught by Mike Ferneyhough
This was a very interesting tasting. Mike has been on holiday to Alsace on many occasions; indeed all the wines for tonight's tasting had been purchased on his last trip there. This makes a massive difference to the cost - we get so comprehensively bilked by the tax on wine in the UK! It also means that this was an area which Mike knows very well. There is no substitute for the local knowledge which comes from visiting the region.
Also interesting was learning that, as suspected, the rather clean account given in the WSET advanced book about Alsace is not quite the true story. According to the WSET book the only white grapes allowed in Alsace are Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Muscat and Pinot Gris (the so-called noble varieties) and Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc. No mention is made of the fact that one third of the grapes planted and classified as Pinot Blanc are actually Auxerrois and that Chasselas (which is only mentioned in the very short chapter on Switzerland) is also allowed in the Alsace appellation.
I was also interested to discover that the Alsace Grand Cru system is also more complicated than the WSET course let on. Being true to the history of French wine classification there has been so much controversy associated with this classification system that some of the greatest producers in Alsace (and those who were instrumental in pushing for such a classification system to be set up) do not take any part in the Grand Cru system.
Tasting Notes
1. Dopff au Moulin Cremant d'Alsace 2005
Pale lemon colour, stony, bready and lemony aromas. Fine mousse, good acid, medium body and quite long. Dry and apply on the palate. This is excellent for 9.30 EUR.
2. Muscat Reserve, Cave Vinicole a Hunwihr 2007
Pale gold colour. Very floral (rose petal) and grapey, particularly on the palate. Medium-high body, medium acid and noticeable alcohol. A little short. Good, but not great. 6.20 EUR
3. Josmeyer "H" Pinot Auxerroiss Vielles Vignes 2005
100 % Auxerrois (tasted blind)
This is planted in the middle of the Hengst grand cru vineyard, but cannot be labelled as grand cru because of the grape variety used. Pale lemon, steely, a little residual sugar giving it a honey taste. Medium high body, medium acid. Good, if a little surprising. 17.60 EUR
4. Rene Mure Pinot Noir "V" 2006
Knowing where to put the red wine in an Alsace tasting is quite difficult. Normally one would want to have red wines after white wines. However, the Alsace Pinot Noirs are usually pretty anaemic and pale into insignificance compared to some of the Alsatian white wines. I think that this was the correct place to show this wine.
Pale red, almost a rose colour... and this is apparently quite dark for an Alsace Pinot Noir! Smells like young pinot noir - cherries and raspberries. Dry with high acid. Quite low bodied and very low tannins. Finish is a little acidic. This is OK, but certainly not appropriate quality for the price (23 EUR!). Alsace Pinot Noirs are always expensive because there is strong local demand for red wine and small production. In much the same way that English wine can be OK, but is always over-priced because of the alcoholic local population buying out of a misplaced sense of patriotism. (OK so this doesn't apply to some of the wines - particularly the sparkling wines.)
5. Hugel Gewurtztraminer "Hugel" 2007
Pale lemon green. Lychees on the nose and rose petal, plus some stone fruit and something smoky. High glycerol, medium acid. A little short but quite full bodied. Dry. Pretty good. 12.60 EUR
6. Gewurtztraminer Cave Vinicole a Hunawihr
Grand Cru Froehn 2005
Medium gold colour. A rich nose of dried apricots and honey. Full bodied with excellent length. Well balanced and silky, but with quite low acidity (common in Gewurtz). Dry with moderately high intensity flavours of honey, apricot and something floral. Also, some of the spicy notes for which Gewurtztraminer is named. This is awesome, and well priced at 11.90 EUR
7. Jean Sipp Pinot Gris 2006
This is from a named site - Trottacker, but not a grand cru vineyard. Pale lemon. Quite closed. Stone fruit and minerals are there on the nose but they require searching out (but maybe this is just in comparison to the previous wine). Medium-full body, medium acid and off-dry with noticeable banana flavour. A little 1-dimensional and a bitter finish. This wine has some good parts, but also some weird notes which make me ultimaltely come down on the side of not really liking it. 12.40 EUR
8. Jean Sipp Pinot Gris 2000
Again from a non-grand cru named site - Clos Ribeaupierre.
Medium gold colour. Honeyed nose. And something which reminds me of the petrol aroma which appears on old rieslings. Spicy and toasted notes. Off dry and rich on the palate with apricots, dried fruits and honey. Medium-high acid which cuts through the sweetness. Well balanced with great length and intense flavour intensity. This is so much better than the previous one and well worth the price (24EUR). I'd much rather have one bottle of this than two of the previous one.
9. Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile 2001
Green on the nose, very sour apples. On the palate there is a clean granny smith apple flavour and high acidity. Well balanced. This is great stuff. 24 EUR
10. Hugel Riesling Selection de Grains Nobles 1998
Pale gold, tartrate crystals. Cooked apple and honey. Unctuous, well balanced, full bodied and medium sweet. This is an excellent wine. Pretty pricey too at 76 EUR
11. Hugel Riesling Vendage Tardive 1988
Medium gold. This has an unusual nose. Baked apple, petrol and something which reminds me of an amontillado sherry. Medium body, high acid and surprisingly dry - this is off dry at the most. Maybe a little past its best, but this is still excellent now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
