Roussillon: Latour de France open-day 11 November

Sounds like a taste-tastic day out, where you can sample wines from and talk to fourteen estate winemakers / owners (most of them organically inclined) in the picturesque setting of the old-as-time village of Latour de France on Sunday 11th November (it's not too far from Perpignan).

Australian wine feature for LCN

This article was first published in the October 2012 edition of Licensed & Catering News (Northern Ireland trade publication).

"Australia is still holding on to the hearts, minds and purse strings of the wine buying public in the UK and Ireland, where Australian winemakers command about a quarter of both off-trade markets, although less in the on-trade. This is largely due to the long-term success of popular brands, easy-going fruit-laden styles and a seemingly laid-back approach to wine marketing and culture in general. The Australian wine industry is trying to move on from cliched images of “Aussie Chardy or Cab Sauv with a barbie” via a campaign (called A+ Australia) highlighting its more premium wines, varied and distinct wine subregions and lesser-known grape varieties. This 'new' direction has its critics in Australia, who think this strategy is too narrow and turns it back on the volume brands that made Aus wine famous. But, in a continuing climate of sharp price promotions in the supermarkets and stiff competition from other wine producing countries, where else can Australia go?

Petaluma's Hanlin Hill Vineyard
Clare Valley

Taking a quote from the catalogue at Wine Australia's big Dublin tasting (back in March) serves as a handy introduction to two white varieties, which deserve more attention and distribution: “Riesling has a bad reputation with wine drinkers, Semillon has no reputation!” The standard of Australian Riesling is, however, generally pretty high and it can deliver plenty of flavour and food-friendly satisfaction; but it's still not easy persuading consumers to buy a bottle. Certain regions stand out in particular for this once-scorned variety – e.g. Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills (both in South Australia) and Great Southern (Western Australia) - and wineries such as Grosset, Petaluma, Lehmann, Plantagenet, Mt Horricks and Leasingham. And they're making wines for anyone who likes their dry whites with real character, from zesty easier drinking now to serious styles destined for bottle-ageing and Riesling die-hards. The catch is, inevitably, price, as most of the ones mentioned range from around £8 to over £20 retail; so they'd fit more comfortably in an upmarket independent wine shop or on a restaurant list.

Coming back to reputation-free Semillon, there was no shortage of curiosity at a special tutored tasting of this varietal at the above-mentioned event, which was full of eager sommeliers, wine merchants and journalists. The dry whites (and one sweet) on show dated from vintages 2007 to 2000, a rare enough dimension, and demonstrated what remarkable wines can be made from 100% Semillon in Australia, especially in the Hunter and Barossa Valleys and by certain wineries that really have mastered a distinctive style. The problem is perhaps, when dry, it often makes a rather uncompromisingly 'steely' and subtle wine, austere even, which doesn't reveal much without a few years bottle ageing bringing out complex quirky flavours. This makes them a difficult sell without a little explanation or endorsement, but again aged Semillon is a great food-pairing wine. Its typical very crisp acidity comes from early picking to preserve this age-bestowing freshness, which helps the wine blossom in bottle and also gives lighter alcohol levels of around 11% to 12% (something consumers are beginning to look out for). The line-up included pretty famous and widely-stocked names too - Lehmann, McWilliams, Tyrrell and De Bortoli – and offer better value than some Rieslings on a similar quality level.

As for red wines, Australia has gained a strong following for its Shiraz/Syrah; and the current challenge is to better promote all their different regional styles. While there's something endlessly thrilling about those classic rich meaty Shirazes from the Barossa Valley (St. Hallett, Two Hands Wines, Yalumba, Lehmann) or McLaren Vale (Chateau Reynella, d'Arenberg, Mitolo, Wirra Wirra), there are also plenty of the more restrained peppery styles around from Australia's 'cooler' climate regions, sometimes blended with a splash of the aromatic white variety Viognier. Areas and wineries to look out for include Yarra Valley (Innocent Bystander, De Bortoli) and Heathcote (Greenstone) in Victoria, Adelaide Hills (Shaw & Smith), and Mount Barker (Plantagenet) and Frankland River (Ferngrove) in Western Australia.

There's also an exciting, and logical trend towards making 'Rhone' or 'Mediterranean' style red varietals and blends, with increasing interest in planting more Spanish, Italian and Portuguese varieties in hot regions. This isn't totally new of course, given that there's some 100+ year-old Shiraz and Grenache in Barossa and McLaren. Certain winemakers are getting to grips with Mourvèdre too, also known as Mataro or Monastrell, on its own or in a blend with Shiraz and Grenache; while others are experimenting with Tempranillo or Sangiovese. Tasty examples of some of these styles are produced by Turkey Flat, John Duval, Willunga 100 and Brown Brothers."

Richard Mark James

Lots more on Australian wine here.

International Grenache Day

It's today, so you're in the right place! Browse around this French Med blog to find tons of Grenache-suffused words and wines. And try this report on Australian Grenache freshly posted on my other blog WineWriting.com:

winewriting.com/2012/09/australia-grenache-and-med-reds

Or this Catalan Garnatxa one:

winewriting.com/2012/08/spain-catalan-wines-of-moment

International Grenache Day

It's today folks: have a look at my piece on Australian Grenache in the previous post or try this Catalan Garnatxa one: winewriting.com/2012/08/spain-catalan-wines-of-moment; or just about anything else on the Roussillon.

Australia: Grenache and 'Med reds'

Turkey Flat Grenache
from  turkeyflat.com.au

Friday 21 September is International Grenache Day, so here's my special topical report!
Besides straight Shiraz (click there to browse recent post immediately below this one), or sometimes blended with a small dollop of Viognier, there's also an exciting, and logical, trend in Australia towards making 'Rhone' or 'Mediterranean' style red varietals and cocktails, with increasing interest in planting more e.g. Spanish, Italian and Portuguese varieties in certain hot regions. This isn't totally new of course, given that there are a few plots of 100+ year-old Shiraz and Grenache still standing and producing in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale (see wines below e.g. d'Arenberg and click here to read about that in my Aus Grenache report last year). What I call Mediterranean varietals and blends, for the sake of argument and in addition to Grenache and Shiraz/Syrah, includes Mourvèdre aka Mataro or Monastrell, which some winemakers are really getting to grips with, on its own or in a mix with S and G. While other wineries are experimenting further with Spanish grapes such as Tempranillo, or Italian imports like Sangiovese. I've also thrown in a delicious Port style fortified wine from Grant Burge, which does fit neatly into my hot Med/Rhone red category being unashamedly GMS, even if it's nothing like the others... Retail prices are for Ireland in euros; many of them will be available in the UK, North America etc.

Barossa Valley

Yalumba 2009 Bush Vine Grenache - enticing ripe liquorice tinged nose with peppery edges, quite soft mouth-feel with savoury vs 'sweet' fruit, dry tannins and a bit of kick on the finish but it doesn't really show up. €18-€20
Two Hands Wines 2010 Yesterday's Hero Grenache - herby berry vs spicy/sweet liquorice aromas, tasty juicy fruity palate with power and grip; delicious stuff. €30
Turkey Flat 2009 Grenache - savoury and leather tones vs 'sweet' liquorice and spice, concentrated and weighty with nice grip, meaty vs ripe flavours, rich vs dry finish. +€20

Two Hands Wines 2010 Brave Faces Grenache Shiraz Mataro - attractive 'sweet' berry fruit, spicy and soft with punchy length, dry vs ripe lingering flavours. €27
Turkey Flat 2010 Butcher's Block Red (Shiraz Grenache Mourvèdre, 14.5% alc) - subtle oak layered with lovely ripe blackberry/cherry fruit and savoury black olive notes too, soft and juicy mouth-feel then finishing firmer and punchy, bitter twist vs 'sweet'/savoury flavours; different. €15-€18

Turkey Flat 2007 Mourvèdre - browning colour with meaty wild black olive hints, powerful and chunky mouth-feel vs concentrated and lush, attractive herby bitter twist too; old-fashioned 'Bandol' style! +€20
Grant Burge 10 Year Old Tawny (Grenache Mourvèdre Shiraz, 19% alc) - complex Port (or 'red Madeira' even!) style with dried berry and caramel aromas, oily maturing nutty flavours vs sweet dried fruits vs punchy finish. Lovely fortified wine. €20+ 
John Duval 2006 'Plexus' Shiraz Grenache Mourvèdre - minty vs savoury nose, mature vs solid palate, still quite tight vs smoky flavoured on the finish; fairly understated actually. €20+

McLaren Vale

d'Arenberg 2009 Stump Jump GSM - smoky savoury nose, chunky yet mature palate, oxidising a bit vs some oomph left on the finish. €10-€12
d'Arenberg 2007 d'Arry's Original GSM - mature nose with 'tar' and leather tones, savoury vs lush dark berry and spice flavours, concentrated chunky grippy finish; lovely wilder style with power vs enticing maturing savoury side. €18-€20
Willunga 100 2010 Grenache - a bit 'reductive' on the nose, moves on to juicy 'sweet' liquorice fruit vs dry grip, dark peppery and lush with bitter chocolate twist, taut and firm finish; needs time to open up. €12-€15

Victoria

Brown Brothers 2010 Dolcetto & Syrah (10% alc) - perfumed 'Nouveau' nose with cherry and cassis fruit, lightly frothy 'frizzante' style with a bit of sugar and lively cherry finish; refreshingly different! €10-€12

Brown Brothers 2010 Tempranillo (14.5%) - slightly earthy nose, perfumed and creamy red and black fruit palate, turning more 'sweet/savoury' with firm and dry vs drinking well finish. Nice 'Med' style. €10-€12

Western Australia - Margaret River

McHenry Hohnen 2007 Three Amigos red (SGM) - smoky meaty developed nose vs ripe berry and cinnamon, has a bit of oomph and subtle concentration vs soft tannins and enticing maturing 'sweet/savoury' fruit finish. Good stuff. €20+

Australia: Shiraz

Australia already has a strong following for its Shiraz/Syrah, and Aus winemakers are now gearing up for the challenge of promoting all their different regional styles better. While there's something endlessly thrilling about those classic rich meaty Shirazes from say the Barossa Valley (e.g. see St. Hallett, Two Hands Wines, Yalumba, Peter Lehmann below) or McLaren Vale (Chateau Reynella, d'Arenberg, Mitolo, Wirra Wirra), there are also plenty of the more restrained 'peppery' styles around from Australia's 'cooler' climate regions. These are sometimes blended with a splash of the aromatic white variety Viognier, following a rather trendy fashion (and it's good when it works) to mimic certain traditional Northern Rhone reds. Areas and wineries to look out for include Yarra Valley (Innocent Bystander, De Bortoli) and Heathcote (Greenstone) in Victoria, Adelaide Hills (Shaw & Smith), and Mount Barker (Plantagenet) and Frankland River (Ferngrove) in Western Australia.
At a monster Aus tasting in Dublin a few months ago, I was quite taken by a relatively new winery called Two Hands Wines - to me at least, they've been around since 1999 founded by Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz in Barossa Valley and are mad on "small-batch" Shiraz based reds sourced from a few different regions (distributed in Ireland by the Celtic Whiskey Shop & Wines on the Green, Dublin). Other names, besides the ones already mentioned above and better-known brands (nothing wrong with that, as you'll see from my notes) that stood out include Turkey Flat, also in Barossa, with their SGM wines (Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvèdre)... And going back to those famous names, this show was a great opportunity to taste some top Aus reds with a bit of aged character behind them, including a couple of ten year-old Lehmann Shirazes which were sitting well pretty.
All the wines mulled over below are 100% Shiraz (so I haven't bothered saying so) or, where stated, majority Shiraz with e.g. Viognier (so I did bother...). Shiraz - Grenache - Mourvèdre type reds, and other 'Med red' varietals or cocktails, are featured in another post above... Retail prices are for Ireland in euros; many of them will be available in the UK, North America, the Far East etc.

South Australia

Yalumba 2010 Organic - herbal black cherry notes, quite grippy and punchy vs nice youthful fruit, more 'European' in style. €12-€15
Thorn Clarke 2010 Milton Park - lively youthful peppery black cherry fruit, firm vs rounded backdrop; tasty drink-now style. €12-€15
Grant Burge 2010 GB - minty cassis and dark blackberry fruit with spicy undertones, turning soft and savoury vs still grippy and dry underneath; nice easier style. €10-€12

McLaren Vale

Hardys 2008 Omoo - quite rich and ripe with meaty 'tar' notes vs peppery black fruits, firm and extracted palate layered with lush dark fruit and almost toasty flavours. €15-€18
Hardys Château Reynella 2006 - again has seductive minty vs lush 'tar' and black cherry with meaty edges, tasty concentrated mouth-feel with attractive spicy vs firm texture, long 'sweet' vs savoury finish; still structured vs mature, lovely wine. +€20
Two Hands Wines 2010 Angel's Share - peppery nose with rich dark plum fruit and leather tones, solid grippy and concentrated mouth-feel with tasty dark fruit underneath, lovely style. €25
d'Arenberg 2008 Footbolt - smoky leather and spice aromas, savoury meaty palate vs rich dark berry fruit, power and grip vs maturing 'sweet/savoury' finish; good stuff. €18-€20
d'Arenberg 2008 Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier - smoky intense nose with dark cherry and 'tar' vs more aromatic side, big mouthful again showing lovely mix of dark fruit and savoury maturing flavours; yum. €20+
d'Arenberg 2007 Dead Arm - meaty mature tones vs structured and punchy mouth-feel, quite extracted with gripping texture vs nice savoury fruit; perhaps lacks a bit of depth vs extraction and its reputation. €20+
Willunga 100 2009 Shiraz Viognier - perfumed vibrant nose with blackberry/cherry and cassis, still tight and firm mouth-feel with quite elegant long finish. €12-€15
Mitolo 2009 Jester - vibrant black cherry/berry fruit, punchy palate with nice minty vs savoury profile, firm finish vs 'sweet' and maturing. €20+

Mitolo 2007 Savitar - meatier and more developed, concentrated and extracted with solid structured framework vs dried fruits and 'tar', peppery vs meaty finish; wow. €20+

Mitolo 2007 GAM - less forward, firm and chunky with 'sweet/savoury' fruit, spicy and gutsy with rich maturing flavours; still surprisingly young though for five years old. €20+

Wirra Wirra 2007 Woodhenge - spicy herby nose with black cherry and cassis, a touch of coconut oak on the palate vs lush dark and savoury fruit, tasty long and classy wine. €20+

Barossa Valley

Hardys 2008 Barossa Estate E Minor - seductive savoury vs spicy herby and minty dried black cherry, maturing and quite soft vs still has some dry grip and punch to it, nice tasty 'sweet' vs savoury finish. €15-€18
Yalumba 2008 Patchwork - fairly restrained with a touch of oak grain, firm extracted palate vs lush dark cherry/berry fruit, tight peppery and firm finish; lovely Shiraz. €18-€20
Two Hands Wines 2010 Gnarly Dudes - similar to the Angel's Share with more berry fruit perhaps and attractive savoury notes, tight grippy palate layered with delcious dark fruit, punchy closed up finish. €25
Two Hands Wines 2010 Bella's Garden - quite oaky with grainy coconut tones vs pretty concentrated and extracted, rich vs solid palate with spicy vs savoury fruit, tight structured finish; needs a few years to open up. €49
Turkey Flat 2007 - savoury meaty leather aromas, subtle concentration of lush 'sweet'/savoury fruit vs firm and dry finish; again very attractive maturing style from these guys (see my Grenache et al report coming out soon). +€20
Peter Lehmann 2008 - maturing soft and savoury vs lively peppery black fruits and tasty 'sweet'/savoury flavours, drinking well now. €12-€15
Peter Lehmann 2006 Futures - more structured with coconut grain vs rich black fruits and meaty edges, again has tasty mature flavours vs firmer and bigger finish. €18-€20
Peter Lehmann 2002 Eight Songs - leathery and minty with 'tar' tones, mature soft palate with delicious meaty flavours, sweet and peppery too; still quite grippy on the finish with lingering mature fruit. Lovely. +€20
Peter Lehmann 2002 Stonewell - has similarities to above yet with more herbal berry and cherry fruit style, still alive and firm on the palate vs tasty savoury flavours; delicious and classy. +€20
Thorn Clarke 2010 Shotfire - restrained on the nose, subtle spicy berry notes, tight and concentrated in the mouth, not very expressive at the moment. €20+
St. Hallett 2008 Gamekeepers Reserve - peppery black cherry/berry with gamey edges, maturing oily palate with tasty 'sweet/savoury' finish. €12-€15
St. Hallett 2008 Faith - maturing softening style with leather and spice notes vs lush 'tar' and prune fruit, drinking deliciously now. €15-€18
St. Hallett 2008 Blackwell - similar maturing meaty style yet more textured and structured still, tasty mix of savoury vs dark vs minty flavours on its long finish.
Jacob's Creek 2008 Centenary Hill - attractive 'sweet' fruit with gamey edges and hints of coconut oak, falls a little short perhaps (for the money) but it's a nice style. €20+

Clare Valley

Leasingham 2006 Bin 61 - mature savoury meaty aromas with peppery edges, tasty developed fruit vs still firm and dry, a touch of elegance too even despite that oomph on the finish. €15-€18
Two Hands Wines 2009 Samantha's Garden - more savoury than Bella's vs perfumed and herby tones, spicy and dark vs firm and dry texture, again has a tight long finish; quite fine. €49
Wakefield 2008 80 Acres Shiraz Viognier - savoury edges vs mint and violet, mature leather tinged undertones vs 'sweet' dried fruits vs firm tannins; tasty now.
Wakefield 2009 Estate - peppery with shades of coconut oak and a little savoury development, quite soft and delicate vs lush and meaty vs dry grainy texture. €12-€15
Wakefield 2009 Jaraman - also showing some coconut notes vs subtle depth of peppery black fruits, firm and tight palate with savoury maturing flavours, quite elegant with attractive lingering dry vs 'sweet' profile. €20+
Tim Adams 2008 - quite punchy with savoury maturing fruit vs 'sweet' dried blackberry, nice wine even if beginning to fade a little. €12-€15

Adelaide Hills
Shaw & Smith 2009 - peppery aromas layered with dark fruit, rich and ripe vs meaty and firm, shows fair class with a tight structured and understated finish. €20+

Western Australia

Ferngrove 2008 Frankland River - minty spicy blackberry nose and palate, tighter cooler climate style with peppery firm mouth-feel, quite fine and subtle despite being gutsy too. €12-€15
Plantagenet 2008 Mount Barker - subtle tight and classy wine, hints of pepper and lively berries with meaty/leather edges, still closed up on the finish with fine tannins. €20+

Victoria

Yarra Valley

De Bortoli 2007 Shiraz Viognier - smoky rustic notes tinged with herby berries and peppery edges, dark fruited lush palate vs firm and chunky with ripe 'sweet/savoury' flavours and notes of 'tar' vs herbal floral berry fruit, attractive maturing fruit on the finish. €20+
Innocent Bystander 2009 Syrah - smoky meaty nose with leather tones, quite firm and extracted although it still tastes young, subtle attractive Euro-leaning style. €15-€18

Innocent Bystander 2010 Mea Culpa - youthful black cherry fruit with firm underbelly, peppery and meaty notes on the finish; again nice 'cooler' climate wine.

Heathcote

Brown Brothers 2009 Limited Release - attractive maturing savoury style vs minty dark cherry fruit, soft vs punchy finish. €15-€18

Riverina (New South Wales)

Deen de Bortoli 2008 Vat 8 - juicy berry fruity style with a smokier side too, ripe 'sweet' fruit vs solid and punchy mouth-feel; simpler but appealing. €12-€15

Canberra District

Clonakilla 2008 O'Riada - minty spicy black cherry aromas and flavours vs dry and firm palate, quite elegant and restrained once again. €20+

South Africa: Pinot Noir

These eight reds scrutinized and tasting-noted below perhaps give a reasonable snapshot of what's happening with Pinot Noir in the Cape, all sampled in London a couple of months ago. As for wine regions I've breezed through here, the producers are based in: Stellenbosch not far east of Cape Town, the Elgin Valley found about an hour southeast of the 'capital' up in the mountains; and heading further south, you come across arguably the best-known name in South African Pinot, or certainly something of a pioneer for the variety, Hamilton Russell nestling in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near the town of Hermanus on the coast; then keep going south along the coast and you'll eventually reach Cape Agulhas, the Western Cape's and South Africa's most southerly vineyard area. Getting a pattern here location and climate wise... Some of the Pinots I tasted with 14% or more alcohol seemed less balanced and accomplished, implying it doesn't suit hotter areas like the Paarl Valley as well, which is a little further inland from Cape Town than Stellenbosch (although is still mountainous). Or being picked too late.
As for quality and/or value for money, the price ranges I've indicated below are a bit vague but show these producers are generally neither expensive nor cheap in the context of good Pinot - and these ones mostly are - with a couple of quite dear bottles (that's famous names for you) and 'best value' probably coming from Strandveld winery.

The Winery of Good Hope team
from  www.thewineryofgoodhope.com

The Winery of Good Hope 2010 Radford Dale Freedom Pinot Noir, Elgin (13% alcohol) - quite delicate and has that tasty 'sweet/savoury' Pinot thing going on, with refreshing bite / light bitter twist; less concentrated than some of this batch of Pinots but is still an attractive obviously PN style. Price: UK £10-£20 (importer Les Caves de Pyrene), Eurozone €15-€30 (e.g. Cassidy Wines Ireland), USA $30-$50 (Martignetti and World Premiere Wines) and just about everywhere else by the looks of it (click on link above in photo caption then "where to buy").

Kleine Zalze 2010 Vineyard Selection Pinot Noir, Stellenbosch - a tad juicy fruity to start on the nose, moves on to nicer savoury tinged palate showing a bit of grip vs silky fruit texture. Not bad in the end.

Paul Cluver 2009 Pinot Noir, Elgin (13.3%) - maturing 'sweet/savoury' fruit aromas, elegant and tasty palate showing attractive freshness vs ageing character lingering on the finish. Good stuff. £10-£20, €15-€30 or $30-$50. Widely distributed in Europe, North America etc: see www.cluver.com.
Meerlust 2010 Pinot Noir, Stellenbosch (14%) - lovely savoury vs fruity profile, nice rounded tannins with pretty intense and powerful length; weightier wine yet stylish. £20+, €30+ or $50+ (UK/US: Maison Marques et Domaines) - more info @ www.meerlust.co.za.
Hamilton Russell Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (13.7%) - elegant ripe berry notes with savoury / 'forest floor' edges, has nice bite combined with a little weight and subtle concentration and length; a touch of class. UK importer Hallgarten Druitt: more @ hamiltonrussellvineyards.com.
Creation Pinot Noir 2011, Hemel-en-Aarde (14.4%) - enticing 'sweet/savoury' Pinot nose, quite big and structured palate showing a hint of oak, delicious fruit though despite that alcohol lingering a bit too much on the finish. £10-£20, €15-€30 or $30-$50: widely exported, see www.creationwines.com.
Strandveld 2009 First Sighting Pinot Noir, Cape Agulhas (13.7%) - browning maturing colour with intriguing 'cheesy' mushroom tones on the nose, has quite lush 'sweet/savoury' fruit on its silky maturing palate; finishing with a bit of power vs still quite fresh actually despite those attractive ageing flavours. £7-£10, €9-€15 or $15-$30: find importers on their site.
Glen Carlou 2011 Pinot Noir, Paarl (14%) - fragrant ripe red berry notes turning to liquorice even, tinged with savoury edges; fairly punchy palate vs more delicate fruit underneath and a hint of fresh bite too. Nice but a little 'clunky' perhaps. £10-£20, €15-€30 or $30-$50. Part of the Hess Family group so widely distributed I'd imagine: www.glencarlou.co.za.


South Africa part 2: "unusual" reds (well, some of them...)
South Africa part 3: Chenin blanc, Viognier, Grenache blanc... 
South Africa archive page.

Roussillon: Domaine Rouaud update, Pézilla

Rivesaltes ageing in demijohns
From domainerouaud.fr

Previous words and wines from Domaine Rouaud can be viewed HERE (scribbled 2006 to 2008, I've been following them for six years now). I've updated and tweaked their profile below and added some of the latest releases sampled at this year's Millésime Bio organic wine show in Montpellier a few months ago, where I talked to Sophie Rouaud.

Australia: Semillon

From tyrrells.com.au

I'll kick-off these random thoughts on how Australian winemakers have been quietly busy creating palate-provoking nectar out of the not terribly well-known Semillon variety (apart from in a blend with Chardy or Sauvignon blanc perhaps), by pinching a quote from Wine Australia's catalogue blurb from their big Dublin tasting a few months ago. It serves very well as a spot-on introduction: "Riesling (link takes you to a post on Aus Riesling) has a bad reputation with wine drinkers, Semillon has no reputation!"

To address this lack of knowledge, awareness or interest, there was an enthusiastic tutored tasting of Aus Semillon, going back to the 2000 vintage, led by Raymond Blake, wine editor of Ireland's Food & Wine magazine. I've tasted a few in my time, but this was a great reminder of what remarkable white wines, dry and sweet, can be made from Semillon in Australia, especially in the Hunter and Barossa Valleys and by certain wineries who really have mastered a distinctive style. Perhaps the problem is, when dry, it often makes a rather uncompromisingly 'steely' and subtle verging on plain un-obvious wine, austere even, that doesn't always reveal much without a few years bottle ageing bringing out lots of complex quirky flavours. Or, as a lush sweet wine, well, from just being very sweet really, which isn't many people's cup of grapes. Its typical very crisp acidity comes from early picking to preserve this age-bestowing freshness, which helps the wine blossom in bottle and also gives lighter alcohol levels of around 11% to 12%.

Anyway, here are my impressions of the six wines we tasted, all produced by pretty famous and widely-stocked names: Peter Lehmann, McWilliams, Tyrrell and De Bortoli. My, as ever very personal (!) tasting notes reveal the kind of sometimes unique characters, aromas and flavours that Semillon wines typically have or develop over time: toasty or toasted (yet these wines have no or little oak I believe), nutty, honeyed, oily, steely, lean, tight... Retail prices (Euro) and stockists are for Ireland, although these wines should also be readily available in the UK, US etc. Which goes to show what a bargain some of them are too.

2005 Peter Lehmann Art Series Classic Semillon Barossa (11.5% alc) - surprisingly pale for a 2005, toasted yeasty nutty and honeyed on the nose; quite rich and oily on the palate with a steely 'chalky' side too, turning creamier on the finish vs still fresh, tight and lean. Nice mix of lively, elegant and mature. €10 imported by Comans Wholesale, Dublin.

2001 Peter Lehmann Reserve Semillon Barossa (12.5% alc) - now called 'Margaret' Semillon I'm told. Not much deeper in colour really, toastier and nuttier with oily and 'charred' lees edges; rounded toasty and rich vs again quite delicate, steely and dry finish; lovely toasted maturing notes vs still crisp and lean underneath, more concentrated and finer than the above.

2005 McWilliams Elizabeth Semillon Hunter (12%) - a tad more golden perhaps, toasty yeasty honeyed tones lead on to crisp vs rounded creamy oily mouth-feel; quite complex showing good balance of toasted oaty maturing flavours vs still has steely bite. Was on "half-price" offer at Tesco for €10.

2005 McWilliams Lovedale Semillon Hunter (11.5%) - more yellowy in colour, bready yeasty aromas with delicate biscuit flavours vs crisp green fruit; lean and tight palate vs lightly oily maturity, more closed up and youthful even, long steely finish. €20+ imported by PLB Group (England).

2000 Tyrrell VAT 1 Semillon Hunter (11%) - relatively pale for its age, not very revealing at first showing light honey and apple notes; juicy steely with delicate crisp mouth-feel, zesty sherbet edges vs toasty yeasty touches on its long finish. Can't believe it's 2000 vintage, still young in some ways. Barry & Fitzwilliam, Cork.
2007 Deen de Bortoli VAT 5 Botrytis Semillon Riverina (11%) - exotic spicy apricot, sultana, orange peel and jasmine tea (!) aromas; very enticing lush nose and palate vs underlying orange zest, dried fruits and pineapple vs subtle acidity and length, rich yet elegant too. Lovely sweet wine. €10-€12 half-bottle Febvre Wines, Dublin.

More on some of these producers and lots of other Aus wine HERE.

Belfast Restaurant Week

Sounds like a good idea...
Belfast City Council Belfast Restaurant Week 6 - 13 October 2012

Roussillon: Domaine Boucabeille, Corneilla de la Rivière / Força Réal

Jean Boucabeille

Domaine Boucabeille

Named after affable owner Jean Boucabeille, who I met, interrogated and tasted with at Millésime Bio organic wine show earlier this year in Montpellier. Which means he has taken the organic wine-growing plunge, as is increasingly the fashion (fashion can be a good thing), with 2011 being his first fully 'certified' vintage. Jean's original vineyard plots hang on to eleven distinct staggered terraces facing southeast up on the Força Réal hill overlooking Millas, Corneilla and surrounding villages. These contoured vines were replanted in the 70s at between 200 to 350 metres altitude, following the lie of the land; and the “black mount” itself (see Jean's last red noted below, whose name evokes the locals' nickname for it) peaks at over 500m, or about 1550 feet, impaled by a giant TV mast. And Jean's been hard at it over the course of 2012 planting another six hectares of white and red Grenache, Mourvèdre and Roussanne in backbreaking stony schist soils, bringing the total to 28 (70 acres). They've deliberately kept the surrounding woodland in its 'natural' state with wild scrub and flowers, olive and fruit trees, honey production and even the odd grazing goat and ewe.
Good range overall, especially their Orris white wine and a rather sexy Rivesaltes Hors d'Agethat sees at least five years barrel ageing. More info @ www.boucabeille.com, and you'll find the winery off the D614 road before you reach Corneilla de la Rivière (coming from Estagel or Millas). Phone no. 04 68 34 75 71. Sold in London by Philglas & Swiggot (see £ prices below)and Firth and Co.(N. Yorks); and also in Germany, Denmark, Japan, Belgium, Norway, Luxembourg, Poland and the US (in civilized Virginia at least).

2011 Le Blanc de Régis Boucabeille(50/50 Grenache blanc / Maccabeu, 13% alc.) – quite rich milky and honeyed nose/palate tinged with spicy floral notes, crisp 'mineral' vs weighty mouth-feel, attractive style and good with it.

2011 Le Rosé de Régis Boucabeille (Grenache gris / noir & Syrah, 13.5%) – juicy and quite delicate start with nice bite and texture, finishing with a bit of oomph and fruity roundness too. Serious rosé.

2011 Les Terrasses de Régis Boucabeille red (Grenache, Carignan, Syrah; 14%) – lovely rich spicy warm and dark fruit with peppery liquorice undertones, nice solid fruity style. £12.50

2010 Les Orris white (70 Maccabeu, Grenache blanc; 13%) – honeyed and toasty edged with floral white peach aromas/flavours, crisp vs weighty palate with developing oily tones on the finish. Very good.

2009Les Orris red (75 Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre; 14%) – hints of coconut oak and grain too vs firm and lush mouth-feel, balancing soft dark fruit with dry grip. Good. £24

2009 Monte Nero Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan; 14%)– more savoury meaty and developed, grainy texture with attractive tannins, quite subtle and accomplished for the dry and hot vintage 2009. £15

Vins Doux Naturels

2007 Rivesaltes ambré (70 Maccabeu, Grenache blanc; residual sugar 98 g/l and 15.5% alc) – nutty Fino vs Madeira type quirky nose, sweet palate with tangy orange peel edges, delicious walnut flavours too and almost a bit of grip of the finish! Very good.

Rivesaltes Hors d'Age (mostly Maccabeu, 15.5% alc, RS 117 g/l) – more complex and 'volatile' aromas with rich vs tangy palate and tasty very long finish. Towards excellent, should slowly get even better with bottle age...

New wine tasting evenings in Belfast and Bangor - updated

In addition to the 5-week courses and Saturday wine workshops already scheduled in the RMJ / Wine Education Service program, I'm planning on running these informal tutored tastings in Belfast city centre over the next few months:

Thursday 11th October "Classic Grape Varieties" - £25

"A mini world tour tasting and talking about popular favourites such as Chardonnay and Merlot, but also looking at wines made from perhaps lesser-known varieties such as Grenache, Viognier or Sangiovese."

Wednesday 14th November "Classic Wines of Southern France" - £30

"An exciting tasting taking in a swathe of 'the Big South', ranging from classics from Bordeaux to more obscure deep southwestern France, down to the Spanish border on the Mediterranean, through the Languedoc and eastwards to Provence..."

Wednesday 5th December "Champagne and Sparkling Wines" - £35

"A fizzy world tour starting in France with Champagne and other fine sparklers, then comparing with the ever popular Cava (a premium example), Italian 'new kid on the block' Prosecco, passing through the southern hemisphere (e.g. Australia, New Zealand) and ending up in England!"
Tastings run from about 7pm to 9pm and eight different wines will usually be sampled and talked about at each event. Full details of all courses and tastings and how to book on this page:

www.wine-education-service.co.uk/wine-tasting-belfast.html

Or send me an email or book with Paypal (see below). Previous info and dates posted on my other blog:
www.winewriting.com/2012/07/wine-education-service-courses-tastings.html

UPDATED 30 AUGUST

I've also penciled in two wine tasting & supper evenings at the Ava in Bangor (Co. Down):
Thursday 25 October 7pm - Mediterranean wine tasting with tapas £30

"We'll taste and talk about six wines from Spain, Italy, southern France and a couple of surprises too, followed by a tasty selection of Mediterranean style tapas accompanied by a glass (or two) picked from the tasting wines."
Thursday 29 November 7pm - Christmas Champagne and sparkling wine tasting & supper £40

"A mini world tour tasting of six fine sparkling wines including classic Champagne and other French sparklers, Spain, Italy, the New World and perhaps an English surprise too! Followed by a supper selection of tasty nibble dishes and a nice glass of fizz from the tasting."
Please email me for more info and booking or click on the Wine Education Service Belfast link as above or book now using PayPal.co.uk! This button takes you to my Paypal secure payment page (click here for more about card payments etc.):

Select tasting:

11 Oct "Classic Grape Varieties" £25.00 GBP 14 Nov "Wines of Southern France" £30.00 GBP 5 Dec "Champagne and Sparkling Wines" £35.00 GBP 25 Oct "Mediterranean wines + tapas" £30.00 GBP 29 Nov "Christmas Champagne fizz + supper" £40.00 GBP

New wine tasting evenings in Belfast and Bangor - updated

In addition to the 5-week courses and Saturday wine workshops already scheduled in the RMJ / Wine Education Service program, I'm planning on running these informal tutored tastings in Belfast city centre and Bangor over the next few months:

Thursday 11th October "Classic Grape Varieties" - £25

"A mini world tour tasting and talking about popular favourites such as Chardonnay and Merlot, but also looking at wines made from perhaps lesser-known varieties such as Grenache, Viognier or Sangiovese."

Wednesday 14th November "Classic Wines of Southern France" - £30

"An exciting tasting taking in a swathe of 'the Big South', ranging from classics from Bordeaux to more obscure deep southwestern France, down to the Spanish border on the Mediterranean, through the Languedoc and eastwards to Provence..."

Wednesday 5th December "Champagne and Sparkling Wines" - £35

"A fizzy world tour starting in France with Champagne and other fine sparklers, then comparing with the ever popular Cava (a premium example), Italian 'new kid on the block' Prosecco, passing through the southern hemisphere (e.g. Australia, New Zealand) and ending up in England!"

Tastings run from about 7pm to 9pm and eight different wines will usually be sampled and talked about at each event. Full details of all courses and tastings and how to book on this page: www.wine-education-service.co.uk/wine-tasting-belfast.html
Or send me an email or book with Paypal (see below). Previous info and dates posted on this blog: www.winewriting.com/2012/07/wine-education-service-courses-tastings.html

UPDATED 30 AUGUST

I've also penciled in two wine tasting & supper evenings at the Ava in Bangor (Co. Down not Wales):
Thursday 25 October 7pm - Mediterranean wine tasting with tapas £30
"We'll taste and talk about six wines from Spain, Italy, southern France and a couple of surprises too, followed by a tasty selection of Mediterranean style tapas accompanied by a glass (or two) picked from the tasting wines."
Thursday 29 November 7pm - Christmas Champagne and sparkling wine tasting & supper £40
"A mini world tour tasting of six fine sparkling wines including classic Champagne and other French sparklers, Spain, Italy, the New World and perhaps an English surprise too! Followed by a supper selection of tasty nibble dishes and a nice glass of fizz from the tasting."

Please email me for more info and booking or click on the Wine Education Service Belfast link as above or book now using PayPal.co.uk! This button takes you to my Paypal secure payment page (click here for more about card payments etc.):

Select tasting:

11 Oct "Classic Grape Varieties" £25.00 GBP 14 Nov "Wines of Southern France" £30.00 GBP 5 Dec "Champagne and Sparkling Wines" £35.00 GBP 25 Oct "Mediterranean wines + tapas" £30.00 GBP 29 Nov "Christmas Champagne fizz + supper" £40.00 GBP

Roussillon: Domaine Jean Louis Tribouley, Latour de France

Jean Louis Tribouley
From Weygandt Wines site

I've bumped into Jean Louis a few times over the years at various tastings and goings-on in the area, but most recently in Montpellier at the 2012 edition of Millésime Bio wine show and the Real Wine Fair in London. These charming encounters reminded me what tireless enthusiasm he has for his wines, what he does to create them and this way of life.

Languedoc: Corbières - whites and Boutenac reds

I usually enjoy myself talking about one of my favourite and most well-travelled chunks of the Languedoc - that gigantic windswept and ruggedly picturesque corner stretching from the Corbières hills themselves north of the Roussillon up to Narbonne and almost across to the gates of Carcassonne to the west. Nowadays, this region is a good place to look for great-value easy going reds, whites and rosés; as well as some of the Languedoc's best estates and co-op wineries. Mind you, there's still quite a bit of dross lurking around too but much less than in the past I'd say. Red and rosé wines are based largely on Carignan, Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvèdre with some Lladoner pelut (the Roussillon/Catalan variety related or similar to Grenache) and the somewhat rarer Piquepoul noir or Terret noir even.

From 20decorbieres.com

I've gone on about Boutenac several times before (see links at the bottom and wineries there listed in the A to Z in the right-hand column), one of the new subzones centered on that eponymous blink-and-miss-it village, which is still finding its feet although already capable of nurturing a good handful of top red wines. At a mammoth tasting in the South a few months ago (the annual "Millésimes en Languedoc" gig), I focused my tasting buds on this area and have also picked a few tantalizing white Corbières wines. However, a number of the 2009 Boutenac reds had rather heavy drying tannins and/or too much oak, which seems to be increasingly obvious with many reds in general from this hot vintage. But the 2010s and 2011s on show appeared to offer greater promise. The whites are created from these varieties: Bourboulenc (confusingly known locally as Malvoisie), Grenache blanc, Maccabeu, Clairette, Muscat, Piquepoul, Terret blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Rolle (aka Vermentino). Further generic info @ 20decorbieres.com. So: 1, 2, 3, over to the tasting-note-tastic bit:

Boutenac all reds

2009 vintage

Château Ollieux Romanis Atal Sia - quirky 'cheesy' tones tinged with fragrant ripe blueberry, solid dry palate vs a touch of silkiness too, quite extracted but it works with that elusive aromatic fruit. Good to very good.

Gérard Bertrand La Forge - showing a fair bit of coconut oak still but layered with attractive 'sweet' aromatic fruit, grainy coco texture, tight and quite fine, those tannins do round out in the end. Good to very good.

2010

Château de Caraguilhes Solus (mostly Mourvèdre/Syrah) - rich dark smoky nose, concentrated black cherry / olive, firm but well-textured tannins; bit of chocolate oak underpinned by lush dark fruit, punchy finish vs good substance. Very good towards fab.

Gérard Bertrand Domaine de Villemajou - perfumed floral berry and cherry notes, quite chunky and firm vs 'sweet' berry fruit, again powerful and tight vs nice vibrant fruit. Very good.

Gérard Bertrand Château Aigues Vives - similar but with (more) oak, adding grain and texture, has 'sweet' fruit underneath with tight grippy finish. Good.

2011 (mostly unfinished samples)

Gérard Bertrand Domaine de Villemajou - aromatic and rich, blueberry cassis and black cherry, chunky vs concentrated palate, lovely dark fruit and spice with firm yet rounded finish. Very promising.

Villemajou Grand Vin - touches of coconut oak, grippier yet more intense than above with underlying concentrated dark berry fruit, tight firm and punchy finish. Also promising.

Villemajou La Forge - closed nose, moving on to vibrant black fruity palate, peppery and powerful with solid structure, lush substance with lovely textured tannins, closes up again. Lovely wine, should really blossom.

Gérard Bertrand Château Aigues Vives - nice black cherry/berry fruit, fairly rich vs grippy mouth-feel, again those tannins are already quite rounded, has a touch of freshness about it too. Very good.

Celliers d'Orfée - aromatic floral wild herb and mint nose layered with blueberry and damson fruit, firm vs supple palate, shows nice balance and style. Very good.

White Corbières all 2011

Vignerons de Cascastel - juicy fruit with light oak vs honeyed roundness, nice enough wine.

Bonfils - quite full and honeyed vs crisp and mineral finish. Good.

Meunier Saint-Louis Prestige - attractive lightly honeyed and creamy side vs citrus and pear, juicy lees-y palate vs crisp and dry finish. Good stuff.
Etang tradition - crisp and steely, light yeast-lees tones with dry bite and tight finish. Good.
Prieuré Carminal - rounder and juicier wine, nice floral and honeyed character vs celery mineral bite, quite concentrated and tasty too. Good stuff.
Bastide tradition - enticing honeysuckle and more exotic fruit, oily vs crisp mouth-feel, shows fair depth and weight too with 'chalkier' finish. Very good.
Gérard Bertrand Villemajou - nice mix of creamy lees-y notes vs white peppery vs oily exotic fruit/texture, zingier pear too vs a touch of toasted oak and concentrated finish. Very good.

Some other recent stuff on Corbières:

Last year's report on Boutenac

domaine ledogar

cave d'embres et castelmaure

chateau de caraguilhes