Tasting with “wine tourists”

February 10th, 2010

I just finished reading Alder Yarrow’s blog on the MOVI association in Chile. MOVI is a new association of independent winemakers – mostly small, several are “garagistas” – who are aggressively pushing the concept of truly indvidual wines in what’s often thought of (incorrectly!!) as the “bulk” or “factory” winery capital of the world.

This is one of the most important developments in Chile’s wine industry in the past 20 years, and promises a whole slew of exciting possibilities for the future. I believe I was the first to publish news of MOVI, in my South American report in the Sommelier Journal  last November, so I was pleased to see more journalists are aware of this exciting development.

Anyway, I wanted to highlight this comment that was posted on Alder’s blog:

” This is a welcome development. When I visited Chile a year ago I found it almost impossible to visit a winery that was not a visitor mill. There was no chance to talk to a wine maker or, really, to anyone who knew anything about wine other than what they’d been trained as part of the tour guide training. My favorite was the mandatory tour at Vina de Concho y Toro factory winery. They tell you the tale of Cassilero de Diabolo, a spirit that may haunt the wine cellars. Then they take you into the cellars and suddenly click off the lights so that you can see the red glow of el Diabolo himself!”

THIS is why I bring people to vineyards, and why the small number of people who come with me do so, instead of going with “real” tour companies. This is also why I need to continue to bring my customers into direct contact with winemakers, and why I continue to push for “special” attention (and insist on not making my clients pay exorbitant tourist tasting fees) when I visit. My customers are not tourists. They’re serious wine connoisseurs, and from a winemaker’s point of view, should be THE most important people they receive at their wineries. Travelling 8,000 miles or more on their own dime, solely to come and learn about a region’s wines, is evidence enough of their dedication – and sufficient investment in their self-education without being asked to pay to learn when they get there.

So, when I arrange tastings for magazine articles, like the ones I’m planning on my next trip to Chile and Argentina in early March, I include my guests. I take my own notes, and I also get theirs. I keep them separate, for 2 reasons. Firstly, I believe that a single palate is a more useful tool to the consumer than a panel (which is better for a competition where you’re looking for a ranking amongst the widest possible range of expert palates) since the reader can get to know the personality and taste of the writer and, whether they concur or not, can use that as a benchmark to get real information about the wine. Secondly, I like to get the group’s impression from a consumer’s point of view, rather than a professional’s. They’re the ones who’ll be going to the store (especially the ladies) to buy the wines, and their perspective is what counts if you really care about your customer, rather than the number of points you get in some magazine.

If you’ve ever talked to me, you’ll know that I hate the points system in wine reviews (except for competitions, where it’s of course the only way to rank) as I don’t believe it gives real information or guidance about the wine or what to do with it. If my editor lets me, I try to use both my own single-palate notes and my group’s notes in my reports, though often I have to compromise, but I try to intelligently interpret the group’s opinions to give a consumer-useful commentary. So my published notes are my own, but usually with either supplementary and separate notes from my guests, or generalized comments from the amalgam of their notes.

So anyway, that’s not meant to be a rant, but really an explanation of why I feel that including my guests  adds an important dimension to my tasting and reporting. I’m possibly the only wine writer who has real in-depth experience (17 years now) of visiting and tasting from a consumer’s point of view, rather than living in the ethereal world of the “wine writer” superstar…

Thanks for listening!
Peter

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Corsica – beautiful wines on the “Ile de Beaute”

October 9th, 2009
Wow! The French don’t call this the “Isle of Beauty” for nothing… 
Vineyards of Patrimonio in north-east Corsica

The Vineyards of Patrimonio in north-west Corsica

That’s all I could say as I drove off the ferry and snaked up the switchback mountain road from Bastia, towards the wine region of Patrimonio on the north-west side of the island. My first impression was a zap-back to my time living in the Virgin Islands… even without getting out of the car and talking to anyone, it reminded me so strongly of a Caribbean island; the sense of individuality and a somewhat “moderated” attitude towards the French authorities that govern Corsica.

The geography hits you right between the eyes, even before you land. Rugged mountains that soar to nearly 8,000 feet, with their feet bathed in mottled shades of azure sea that’s as beautiful as any tropical paradise. Coming down the equally sinuous descent on the western side, the patchwork of vineyards is revealed amongst the rocky outcrops and peaks behind the coastal range. 

Looking down from Arena's Carco vineyard

Looking down from Arena's Carco vineyard

First stop: Antoine-Marie Arena. What a way to begin! I have to admit I’d never even tasted a Corsican wine before coming here, and my preconception was of rough, tannic wines and probably sour, green whites. Wow! again… was I ever humbled! Arena, his brother Jean-Baptiste and parents Antoine and Marie, farm their land organically/biodynamically and produce some delicious wines (see the Tasting Notes Category in this blog).

This is real natural agriculture, from dragging massive boulders off the steep hillsides by hand to clear for planting, to the raising of the wines – all in S/S vats, no barrels – with minimal intervention. Alcoholic fermentation can take up to a year, and the malo is left to its own devices, relying on the natural acidity from the grape and the minerality of the terroir to give the wine definition. The result is whites that are fat, round, aromatic but which reflect the essence of the limestone/clay terroir in their almost Chablis-like minerality, and reds from the Nieullucciu grape that have wonderful ripe fruit with smooth tannins that can be good young or aged.

An impassioned vigneron explains his philosophy

An impassioned vigneron explains his philosophy

Antoine Arena was studying law in Nice in 1975 as his parents insisted that their children seek a better future than their farming heritage in Patrimonio in the north of Corsica. Protests from locals against the government’s resettlement of “Pied Noir” expatriates from the former French colonies in North Africa had come to a head when 15 of them had occupied the premises of a Pied Noir winemaker in Aléria on the east coast, to protest the illegal use of sugar and the subsidies that were accorded these “immigrants” that locals were not eligible to share. Arena quit his studies to join the political protest and take over the family’s 3-hectare estate, eventually clearing enough land to grow it to its present 14 hectares (plans for this winter are for more hillside clearing).

Video clip: Choosing old vines for “massal” selection

Antoine-Marie Arena tasting his 1998 Late-Harvest - still in vat!
Antoine-Marie Arena tasting his 1998 Late-Harvest – still in vat!

Arena is one of the very few Corsican producers imported into the USA; most of the wines I’m going to mention are not (yet) brought into the States, but are available in most of Europe.

Arena’s primary mentor back in the ’70’s was Christian Imbart of Domaine Torraccia in the south-eastern region of Porto-Vecchio. Imbart and three of his friends created the Union of Winemakers, with the goal to preserve both the local industry and the indigent varietals which were in danger of disappearing in the face of the massive planting by the newcomers from Algeria. Christian’s son Marc has recently taken over the reins of the family estate, after nearly two decades of travelling and working in such diverse places as Chateau Latour in Bordeaux and Jekel in California.

Marc Imbart in his Torraccia vineyards

Marc Imbart in his Torraccia vineyards

Here in the south the soils are granitic, and the Torraccia wines reflect this as well as Arena’s do their native limestone, the whites underscored by wet stones and flint that keeps the fruit and fatness in perfect balance. Imbart makes his reds to age, and the 2001 Oriu Rouge was at a beautiful stage (see notes) as we enjoyed it over lunch on the terrace of his house. The landscape down here is less dramatic than Patrimonio, with rolling hillsides and valleys that give glimpses of the Mediterranean in the distance, and Imbart is committed to “natural” farming methods with minimal use of pesticides and herbicides.

These two producers at opposite ends of the island are typical of the current generation of Corsican winemakers who are striving to produce quality, environmentally-responsible wines. I’ll be adding notes on the rest of my trip in my next blog. Check the “Tasting Notes” section for more information on the wines and their availability.

 

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Corsica Tasting Notes

October 9th, 2009

Antoine & Marie Arena                                                                       (Imported to USA by Kermit Lynch)

100% malolactic in all all wines

 

Grotte di Sole Blanc 08

Vermentinu, S exposure, 20 yr vines. 11 months fermentation on lees in SS vats.

N : Floral, mineral

M : Riches, touches of caramel, white chocolate, white peach, apple. Great finish, carries thru whole mouth. Good acidity. (3.5 gr residual sugar)

 

Carco Blanc 08

Vermentinu, E exposure, 20 yr vines. 3-4 months fermentation on lees in SS vats.

N: More restrained, mineral. Less floral than Grotte

M: More lemon, orange, stones, shells but still with good richness. (0 residual)

 

B.G. 08

Bianco Gentile (re-introduced in 1995) on flat and high slopes.

N: Very Chardonnay-like with tight mineral Chablis-style.

M: Attack feels residual sugar, then stones, white pepper. Buttery – calls out for fois gras. Lemon & apple, but base is always rock. Excellent. (5 gr residual)

 

Morta Maio Rouge 07

Nieullucciu, 8 yr vines. (Cousin of Sangiovese)

N: Smokey port, prune

M: Very nice fruit, sold dry tannins

 

Carco Rouge 07

N: Reduced, but blew off in 10 minutes to blackberry.

M: Interesting notes of blackcurrant with touch of ginger & liquorice spices. Needs 5 years and food. Tannins more supple than Mora Maio, however.

 

Grotte di Sole Rouge 07

Still in SS vat, with some CO2.

N: Ripe, warm southern Rhone feel.

M: Tannins quite strong. Very nice fruit. Rich, with some touches of leather. 15% alcohol but doesn’t feel it.

 

Morta Maio Rouge 08

N: Plums

M: Very very nice. Lovely fruit, sweet plums, peaches. Soft tannins.

 

Muscat 08

Mutage only 3%, not the normal 4-5%

N: Toasted almonds

M: Very nice fruit, quince, pears, almond. Nice gentle touch of white cherry. Alcohol shows on end.

 

Muscat 07

From 400 litre barrel, had no mutage; fermentation stopped naturally by sugar level.

N/M: Excellent. As 08 but with more almonds and less alcohol on finish.

 

Vermentino Carco Vendange Tardive 04

Picked Nov/Dec at 24% potential alcohol

N: Vin Santo. Calls for biscotti.

M: Very fresh,  lots of dried figs, sultanas etc. Excellent.

 

Vermentino Carco Vendange Tardive 98

About 400 litres left in SS vat. Not for sale.

N/M : Incredible! Three distinct stages in mouth, from initial fresh citrus and flower blossom, through candied fruits, then comes back at end with candied hazelnuts and chestnut cream. Finish never ends, even after mouthwash was still there 10 minutes up the road.

 

$23-$57 Available in Europe & USA

 

 

Torraccia (Marc Imbart)

Oriu Rose 08 80/20 Sciacarello/Nieullucciu

N: Pleasant, light and floral.

M: Nice fruit, some tannins.

 

Oriu Rouge 01

N : Nicely aged nose with leather, spice, some touches of underwood

M: Soft smooth tannins, griotte cherries, touch of leather. Very nice and ready to drink.

 

Domaine de Torraccia Blanc 08

N : Mineral, wet stones.

M : Crisp minerality, wet stones and flint. More mineral bias than Patrimonio whites.

 

Oriu Blanc 08 (undergoes battonage on lees)

N: Mineral but with riper fruit than Domaine Blanc

M: More fat than Domaine, but still the same flinty minerality. With air in glass opens up with touches of orange, pineapple. Very nice.

 

$12-$38 Available in Europe only at present

 

 

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Tuscany in August – hot weather, hot wines!

August 31st, 2009

Vecchie Terre di Montefili

Vecchie Terre di Montefili

 

At 90+ degrees Fahrenheit it was definitely beach weather, albeit a little hotter than the vines really needed. White grape harvest was starting (record-breaking early) in many estates. It sounds like most estates will start picking the red around mid-September, about 10 days before average, as long as they don’t start to lose acid and gain too much sugar.

 

This was a short trip, just 4 days, but there were a few real highlights…

 

Got to visit an old friend Tomasso at Vecchie Terra di Montefili, who I hadn’t seen in many years. The rest of the family were all at the beach so Tomasso was pretty busy getting the green harvest (thinning out bunches of less-ripe grapes to increase concentration and assure evening ripening when it comes time to pick). He took time out to give us a first-class tasting of the estate’s first class wines.

 

With Tomasso in the vineyard

With Tomasso in the vineyard

 

 

 Vecchi Terre, although a relatively new winery (Tomasso’s father-in-law bought the estate in 1979) makes a rarity in Chianti’s modern world of blends. Though in the past Bordeaux varietals were used in the reserve, today’s entire range of Chiantis from this estate are 100% Sangiovese.

 

The only wines that don’t use Tuscany’s most historic grape are the Bruno di Rocca  which is now 100% Cab Sav and the new addition to this elite family of wines, the white “Vignaregis” which is made of Chardonnay with 25% Sav Blanc and 5% Gewürztraminer. A truly stunning wine combining minerality and freshness with layers of complexity and a luxurious creaminess, Tomasso reckons this will be at its best in another 5 years. It’s fabulous now, but he’s probably right; it certainly has the complexity and balance and after being open an hour and a half the last half of the bottle was still as good as when we popped the cork – generally a sign of good ageability for a white.

Vecchie Terre's range of wines

Vecchie Terre's range of wines

 By the time we finished the last wine – a 2001 Bruno di Rocca  (60/40 Cab/Sangiovese in this vintage) that was a real treat to taste – it was about 2:30 and we were in danger of starving to death as Italian restaurants don’t stay open all day like McDonald’s! However, as it happened we’d planned on lunching at Chianti’s best hamburger joint, McDario’s. If you haven’t heard of this place, be sure to get there soon.

 

 

Opened in 2008 by Dario Ceccini, the best-known and most colorful butcher in Tuscany, the name is of course deliberately tongue-in-cheek. Dario’s hamburgers are made from his prize Chiannini beef, and could very well be the best in the world according to his customers. Unfortunately were indeed too late to get hamburgers, but the alternative was voted by all to be even better. Dario’s smorgasbord of local specialties was actually more interesting and included tartare of Chiannini beef, a local sausage with a kind of sweet/spicy orange zest sauce, alongside Tuscan “Tuna” (made from shredded pork) and my favorite; cold cuts of slow-baked pork belly that were simply delicious.

 

Dario Cecchini and friends

Dario Cecchini and friends

 

 

 

Tomasso had joined us for lunch (following us from the winery on his Harley-Davidson) and we had the remnants of our tasting to swill down Dario’s goodies, so things weren’t too rushed.

 

Tomasso’s dad dropped in as we were eating, on his way to pick up the meat for dinner from the butcher below the dining room. Tommaso and Dario are good friends, so we had to go down ourselves after lunch to check out the shop. Sides of beef hanging in the chill-room at the back of the shop, an array of mouth-watering cold cuts in the display case shared space with cooked joints of various animals waiting to be carved.

 

My eye was drawn to what looked like a huge pile of mashed potato… turned out it was pork fat, dressed with Dario’s cocktail of herbs and spices. “Aha” I said, “like dripping – lovely!” Almost right… this fat wasn’t cooked though. We tried it, it was fantastic! Tomasso finally split so he could get back to his cellar before his workers left for the day and locked him out. We’d blown off our original plans for the rest of the afternoon, and headed home to nurse rather extended stomachs…

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Champagne Autreau de Champillon – tasting notes

January 5th, 2009

On his last tour in France Peter found some Champagnes that our guests raved about and insisted we import.

These wines have never been imported into the USA before, they’re from a top-class, independent family producer and offer outstanding quality and real terroir character, far below the cost of the “Big Houses” and with a whole lot more soul in them. We’re making the most of the Dollar’s current strong value against the Euro to bring in these wines at a great price.

 

Here are Peter’s notes:

 

Champagne Autreau de Champillon

Rosé 1er Cru

 $31.89

Lovely red fruit sorbet, strawberry/raspberry. Easy drinking, nice touch of vanilla. Very classy Rosé.

Blanc de Blanc 1er Cru

 $30.89

Allspice, Christmas pudding, hazelnut, some pineapple… really yummy! Good minerality behind the fruit. Peter’s pick for best value!

Brut Reserve 2002 Grand Cru

 $33.75

High class, great minerality, biscuit, great body, long and fat. knocks the socks off wines at twice the price.

Les Perles de la Dhuy 2002

 $37.99

More flowery, rose petal, fruits de bois, cold stones, vanilla, yeasty biscuit. Great complexity. Another favorite of Peter’s!

Cuvee 1670 Grand Cru

$64.99

Very very nice. Full, rounded tannins, complex & multilayered, warm & velvety. This is one for special occasions and special people J
   

 

 

Email Peter at peter@avalon-wine.com to place your order, or for more information.

 

The Autreau family’s history in the village of Champillon, 5 km from Epernay, dates from 1670 and they have been making Champagne since the time of Dom Perignon. The 30-hectare vineyard includes Chardonnay from Grand Crus lands of Chouilly in the Cote des Blancs and Pinot Noir from Grand Cru and Premier Cru land in the Vallee de la Marne, where the Pinot Meunier is also grown.

 

And just a little “FYI”… the group that tasted these wines with me are some of our most experienced and discriminating guests. They’re not easy to impress, and I threw this producer into an itinerary that included great names such as Krug, Ruinart, Philipponnat and Tarlant. Autreau’s wines not only stood up to the competition but were good enough for every member of this group to place an order! This is not strictly a “one-off” shipment, but it will certainly be a while before we get more of these, so take advantage of this offer while the Dollar is strong!

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Tis the (post) season for BUBBLY!

January 4th, 2009
Sleepy villages, pampered vineyards in Champagne

Sleepy villages, pampered vineyards in Champagne

Now that the party bubbly’s come and gone in a haze of New Year festivities, I thought I’d put in a word or two about more “serious” imbibing of the mother of all sparkling wines, and why connoisseurs of Champagne are turning to independent producers for style, quality and value…

The vast majority of fizzy wine drunk over the holidays is generally either “sparkling wine”, or Champagne from one of the big houses. Most is chosen for either price or name – if you’re going to take an expensive gift to the host of a fancy party you’re probably going to choose something he’ll recognize, and if it’s just for the masses at the neighborhood block rave you don’t want to waste money on wine that won’t be appreciated.

As life returns to normal and you have time to savor those sophisticated dinner parties with your true wino friends, you can dig deeper into the cellar to find something that offers more than just fun and bubbles. That said, if you’re entertaining someone you don’t know too well and need to impress, you may want to stick with a big name brand (especially if you’re dealing with a wine snob who’s too uptight to admit there may be something good he doesn’t know about…).

However, if your table is graced with true connoisseurs, you can afford – nay, you should be obliged – to pull out something more interesting. All over the rolling hills of the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims, up and down the winding banks of the Vallée de la Marne there are literally hundreds of small independent “recoltant-eleveurs” who harvest their own grapes, make the wine and elaborate it into Champagne.

Each of these, just like a small producer of Burgundy in the Cote d’Or, has their own style. The grapes come from specific terroirs, often classified Grand or Premier Cru, cultivated by owners who know their land. These guys strive to produce wines that reflect both the personality of their land and themselves, and this is where Champagne is transformed from something to impress or amuse to something of real spirit, heritage and meaning.

Hand Disgorging is the norm in small family producers
Hand Disgorging is the norm in small family producers

Now I’m not trying to disparage the many wonderful wines that are made by the major brands – and in fact there are plenty of cuvées from these houses that have just the same loving care, specific terroir and true heritage. It’s just that they’re too easy – everyone knows them, and all you have to do to get the best is pay the price. There’s nothing to discover.

Get into the independents though, and you’re on an adventure. They’re not all top-notch, to be sure, so the first challenge is to find the good ones. Personal recommendations, a good sommelier or salesman can get you headed in the right direction – a couple of months hiking through the fields of Champagne would really do the trick if you have the time!

Once you find quality though, you need to find the personality that suits you, the occasion, or the food. Since these wines are less known there’s less written about them, so like most things the rewards don’t come without a certain amount of effort – and you’ll probably need some patience. Do some research, taste the ones you decide to try as you would any serious wine, think about the food or the mood that would match its character, and erase from your mind the prejudices that the marketing people have left you with.

You’ll find vintage wines, single vineyard selections, special family cuvées, blends of grapes and monocepages, wines that see no oak and others with plenty – and it can get pretty complicated. The most expensive don’t have to be the best for your palate or purpose, and in fact one of the bonuses of your work will be to find wines that are great values compared with the heavily-marketed big brands.

Looking down from Champillon to Epernay
Looking down from Champillon to Epernay

Now, am I going to give you a list of my favorites? Not really, because I don’t have notes on all the wines I taste in Champagne, and many of the ones I discover there don’t get exported. Even if they are imported to the USA, these little guys are often brought in by small importers with limited distribution, so to give a list that you may not be able to find in your area would be frustrating. However, I will shamelessly plug Autreau de Champillon, a super family producer just north of Epernay that I happen to bring in myself; my notes on his wines are in another post that you’ll find under my “Tasting Notes” tag.

So take your time, enjoy the hunt, and don’t forget to appreciate the myriad of styles of Champagne all through the year, not just at party-time!

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Peter’s new blog!

December 31st, 2008
Peter "at home" in Bordeaux

Peter "at home" in Bordeaux - yes it's an old photo, but I looked better then...

Happy New Year to our friends around the wine world; we wish you all a wonderful 2009!

I’ll be posting short weekly blogs on a variety of wine-related subjects from winery profiles and travel stories to tasting notes and tidbits from the wine industry, even excerpts from articles that I’ve written for the wine press. Maybe some video clips if I get really clever!!

Here’s a photo of me to get started – Happy New Year!

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