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01 August 2005

Mountain Valley - Montenegro

Mountain Valley - Montenegro

To be brutally honest, the reds in this range go from average to pretty good but the whites are a waste of space, at least the samples I tasted - see my comments in each of the tasting notes. All the wines come from Plantaze's vineyards in the Lake Skadar region, located between the Adriatic coast and surrounding mountains (hence the name no doubt). With a bit of work in the vineyard and winery (and on the pricing), I'm sure we'll be seeing more and better from Montenegro. Tasted August 2005:
2004 Chardonnay - This wasn't good: faulty winemaking or something has left a heavy handed sulphur character; and that bitter finish implies unripe grapes and/or too much skin contact or badly acidified wine. No chance at £5.49. Under 70
2004 K white (11.5%) - Clean towards neutral and, like the Chardy (although not as marked), sulphur dominated with a bitter finish. 75
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (12.5%) - Simple 'Vin de Pays' type showing black cherry / currant fruit, soft-ish palate v dry coating on the finish. OK but at £5.99... 80
2004 Sauvignon Blanc - Not faulty at least, this is just about OK with some floral and citrus characters; but too boring to ask £5.49 for it. 75
2004 Merlot (12%) - Attractive enough Merlot style offering spicy biscuity plum fruit, reasonably fleshy mouthfeel with light bite of tannins. Again not bad but put it up against a Merlot from France or Chile at the same price... 84
2003 V red (Vranac 12.5%) - Similar soupy rustic style to the Vranac but richer and riper, shows quite good depth of fruit although, for me, the finish becomes slightly rough after a while. £7.49 84
2003 Vranac - Not bad at all actually: maturing rustic leather aromas with nice peppery undertones, fairly smooth and ripe finish. £5.49 85

17 July 2005

World Wide Trophy for Best Sparkling Wine goes to...England

RidgeView Merret Bloomsbury 2002 snatched the award in the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2005. This blend of Champagne varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier is made at the vineyard and winery situated north of Ditchling in Sussex. The estate currently produces between 40 – 50,000 bottles a year, and is a family business set up by Mike and Christine Roberts only in 1994; their son Simon shares the winemaking. RidgeView’s sparkling wines are named after Christopher Merret, who apparently recorded making traditional method sparkling wine in 16th Century London with the Royal Society 30 years before Dom Pérignon in Champagne. Open Monday to Saturday 11am to 4.30pm for sales and tastings, their wines are also stocked by Waitrose, Sunday Times Wine Club, the Wine Society and independent specialists around the country. Further info: tel 01444 241441, ridgeviewestate@aol.com or www.ridgeview.co.uk
Tasting notes of Merret older vintages might be resurrected at some point...

01 July 2005

Portugal: Porto Solene, Douro valley

Porto Solene

These two new ports from Quinta de São Cristóvão look the part with stylish elegant picture label, flat-shouldered 50cl bottle in clear glass and little black coffin box. Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture to copy on the internet! Bottled in 2004, the Ruby is aged for around 6-7 years and the Tawny 8-9 years, and both offer pretty good quality and classic styles with lovely youthful fruit (perhaps too so, it needs a couple of years further ageing to integrate the alcohol) in the case of the former and more mature rich nuttiness from the latter. Tasted July 2005:
Ruby Special Reserve NV, Douro valley (20%) - A little fiery and youthful, but this has plenty of lively and quite concentrated plum and blackberry fruit underneath to please, rounded off with light touches of earthy leather and some dry tannin to offset the sweetness. Try with mature hard cheeses (not Stilton or similar blue). 87
Tawny Special Reserve NV, Douro valley (20%) - Serve chilled: seductive roasted pecan nut fruit adds tanginess to the aged molasses sweetness, with 20% alcohol also lending some balance; keep chilled as it gets a bit sickly once warm. 87

Lots more Port & Douro here.

30 May 2005

Monastrell - Mourvèdre - Mataro strikes back!

Or a tasting trip to Jumilla, South Africa and Australia. Monastrell - Mourvèdre - Mataro: the three most common passports this great grape variety travels under. You'll find lots more tastings of M-based wines and info on the mega Bandol page of my other blog (opens in new window as do the following links:) and this Pic St-Loup feature, as well as articles ("Understanding Mourvèdre," originally written for Wine Business Monthly in the US) and news items. Anyway, I've also included wines below where Mourvèdre is blended with other grapes - such as Tempranillo, Grenache, Syrah/Shiraz, Cabernet even - or wines made entirely from those varieties, because they were worth mentioning too... Tasted May 2005 at the London wine trade fair.

SPAIN - JUMILLA

Finca Omblancas

2003 was the first vintage from this winery-to-watch, and amazingly their Delaín  wine was made from 3 year old vines.
2003 Delaín (Monastrell, 13.5%) - quite smoky and full-bodied, shows nice ripe liquorice and herb flavours leading to fairly structured, firm and powerful palate with good length. 87
2003 Denuño Monastrell - lovely complex 'sweet' berry fruit with liquorice and herb notes; quite concentrated, lush and ripe v meaty framework. 88-90

Bodegas Valle del Carche
2004 Vega Carche Monastrell  - nice ripe fruit with reasonable depth and a touch of tannin in the mouth. 85
2004 Tempranillo - more structured with grippier and fresher palate yet has generous rounded fruit too, tangy v liquorice. 87
2000 Reserva (TempranilloCabernet Sauvignon & Syrah) - shows more upfront oak layered with lovely savoury tobacco v ripe berry fruit, nice depth and style with firm well-textured mouthfeel, power and class. 90-92

Casa de la Ermita
2004 Monastrell (organic) - delicious ripe and savoury fruit, raisins v firm tannins and smoky long finish. 90
2002 Crianza (TempranilloMonastrell & Cabernet Sauvignon) - smoky maturing complex nose, again offers lovely ripeness v structured backdrop with elegant length. 92

Casa Castillo
2004 Vendimia (Monastrell & Tempranillo) - attractive 'modern' juicy fruit style, quite chunky and grippy on the palate showing fair concentration. 87
2001 Las Gravas (MonastrellSyrah Cabernet Sauvignon) - complex, grilled and developed fruit; very firm yet has richness and depth too. 90+

Bodegas Salzillo
2002 Zenizate Crianza (Monastrell) - concentrated with lovely coating of ripe yet savoury fruit and firm, nicely maturing tannins. 89+
2004 rosado (Monastrell) - attractive chunky fruit displaying ripe raspberry and strawberry, weighty finish. 87
2003 Camelot Dulce Monastrell ("Knights of the Round Table...on second thoughts, let's not go to Camelot; it's a silly place..." Guess the movie? Email me and you'll win...my respect) - very rich, oxidised and meaty set against loads of raisin and liquorice fruit, with balancing bite on the long complex finish. 90+
N.B: the Dulce, sweet style is made from very late picked Monastrell grapes fermented to 11%, fortified with spirit to about 15% and aged in old casks. This leaves at least 50 grams/litre of natural sugar.

Bodegas Bleda
2004 Castillo de Jumilla Monastrell rosado  - earthier style than rosé above with very deep colour, nice fruit and a touch of dry grip on the powerful palate.87
2004 Monastrell - ripe pure berry and tobacco fruit, luscious black cherry palate with a bit of tannin adding framework. 87
2000 Reserva (Monastrell & Tempranillo) - mint and cigar notes lead to mature savoury v ripe 'sweet' flavours, tight structure and power v lingering dried black fruits. 90
2002 Divus (Monastrell) - cedar new oak aromas but shows ripe rustic complexity too, very concentrated with good balance of oak, firm tannins and fruit. 92+

Bodegas Viña Elena
2002 Pacheco Crianza (Monastrell) - rich dried fruits on the nose then firm savoury texture, quite powerful and concentrated. 90

Bodegas Agapito Rico
2004 Carchelo (Monastrell) - nice juicy 'modern' style fruit, rich black cherry flavours then firmer finish. 87

Three more Dulce Monastrells:
2003 Nuestra Se
ñora de la Encarnacion - complex oxidised nose with very minty yet savoury nuances, concentrated sweet liquorice fruit with bite of tannins, acidity and alcohol. 89
2003 Alce
ño, Pedro Luis Martínez - amazing blackberry fruit with slight 'rancio' characters, firm tannins yet long fruity finish. 92+
2000 
Bodegas Olivares - minty wild herb aromas with black cherry and dark chocolate, super concentration v bite of tannins and alcohol (16%); fab. 95

SOUTH AFRICA
These 3 wines were all made by Charles Back.
2004 Spice Route Mourvèdre
, Swartland - shows quite a bit of spicy oak but also vibrant berry and herb fruit underneath, good depth on a tight rounded framework. 89
2004 Fairview Mourvèdre (+10% Shiraz) - nice spicy berry fruit leads to a gamier palate, attractive ripe tannins add a touch of grip to the fair depth of fruit. 872004 Charles Back Shiraz-Mourvèdre - lively spicy black fruit nose, liquorice v gamey background flavours, tight and firm yet nicely rounded. 89

AUSTRALIA

Mitchelton, Victoria
2002 Crescent Shiraz-Mourvèdre-Grenache
 - plenty of coconut spiced oak, tight concentrated and firm palate; needs time although perhaps too much oak for the fruit to really develop? 89
2002 Parish Shiraz-Viognier - meatier more savoury fruit, rich and dark with lovely depth, firm and powerful yet elegant length too. 92+
2003 Shiraz - more delicate style with herby berry fruit and creamy wood, firm dry tannins v lingering 'sweetness'. 87

D'Arenberg, McLaren Vale
2002 The 28 Road Mourvèdre - attractively smoky ripe & minty berry fruit, a touch of background oak adds chocolate flavours too; firm and powerful, tightly textured finish. 89+
2003 The Cadenzia Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvèdre (+ Viognier) - more berry-ish and open, liquorice Grenache fruit leads to structured yet perfumed mouthfeel! 87
2003 The Laughing Magpie Shiraz-Viognier - delicious aromatic, pure spicy Syrah nose lifted by a touch of background choco oak; nice ripe texture and fruit extract without being too heavy. 89+
2002 The Dead Arm Shiraz - herbal intensity set against very ripe fruit, subtle concentration v textured oak, dry yet ripe finish, big but not too. 90+
2003 The Dead Arm Shiraz - very perfumed blackberry and herb fruit, the oak isn't very integrated at the moment but this has sumptuous depth and tight firm finish. 92+

20 May 2005

Tannat: Madiran v Uruguay

In fact, more than just Madiran v Uruguay: there are also some very good reds from the lesser known Côtes de St-Mont appellation, also in southwest France. All the Uruguayan wines tasted are 100% Tannat (although many do blends as well), whereas the south-western French ranged from 60% upwards. My top three were: 1er Cru Garage Tannat from Familia Deicas, Cuvée Charles de Baatz from Domaine Berthoumieu, and Château Bouscassé/Alain Brumont's Madiran Vieilles Vignes. Read on...
But first, I'll subject you to just a bit of background on the Tannat variety. André Dubosq of les Producteurs Plaimont said they work 2000 hectares (nearly 5000 acres) of Tannat out of 4000 total. DNA testing has shed some light on its origins, and it's certainly one of the oldest varieties in France. They thought the Phoenicians originally brought it, but it seems likely to be related to wild vines of the Pyrenees and was named Tannat in perhaps the 16th or 17th Centuries. It later resisted well to the phylloxera pest and produced good yields so became favoured. At low yields it can make superb quality, and is a more even performer than the Cabernets in the Madiran area. Merlot is a relatively recent introduction for blending. Most of the people and vines in Uruguay "are of European stock," Daniel Pisano jested (for example Basque and Italian), "and Tannat chose us!" His ancestors started with Italian varieties but switched to Tannat, foreseeing a great match with climate and soil. He believes there's about the same surface area of the variety in Uruguay; exact figures weren't then available because of fast-increasing plantings.
As for the different vintages, I didn't find any of the French 2002s recommendable; this was a difficult cooler vintage across the south of France. In contrast, 2002 was described as a very concentrated year in Uruguay, and their 2004s show uniform potential, apart from any over-oaked wines (a consistent criticism I'm afraid). There were no older Tannats from Uruguay in this tasting so I can't comment on ageing ability, although I have tried before one or two lovely mature reds from the leading producers (e.g. Pisano Family). Back in France, obviously 2001 and 1998 were star quality vintages in this region, and we were told 2004 was much more balanced than very hot 2003. Climatically, there are similarities with about the same rainfall (and no irrigation), although Madiran is usually hotter in the summer; in Uruguay it rarely goes over 30 degrees centigrade with even temps of 25-ish into March/April (that's late summer/early autumn remember) yet 12-14 at night.
Daniel Pisano neatly summed up the event (held in May 2005) and their philosophy of international co-operation: "We feel like brothers, even if we're competing for a place in your stomachs!"

Uruguay

2004 Don Prospero Tannat, Pizzorno - nice cherry and raspberry flavours lead to firm yet fruity textured mouthfeel; needs 6-12 months to express itself better, should be good. 85-87
2004 Tannat, Varela Zarranz - unusual meaty v black cherry nose, savoury tangy palate, pretty firm and chunky but has good length and a touch of elegance too. 87
2004 Rio de los Pajaros Tannat, Pisano - strong spicy chocolate oak aromas continue onto the mouth, shows good depth of lively peppery black fruits though, quite concentrated v grippy with rounded texture; pity about the overly toasty finish, would be better if the oak was toned down. 87
2004 Inicio Tannat, Omar Perco - ripe red / blackcurrant notes set the scene for a 'sweet' v savoury palate, solid tannins yet attractive fruit and style. 85-87
2004 Reserva Tannat, Bouza - closed nose, new oak; lots of choco oak on the palate, shame as it shows nice concentration and ripeness, big yet well textured tannins; time will tell whether the oak merges together. 87
2004 1er Cru Garage Tannat, Familia Deicas - also not revealing much on the meaty edged nose, very concentrated and firm with attractive savoury v blackberry fruit; powerful finish needing time to integrate, although the oak is much better handled. 92
2002 Casa Filgueira Tannat Roble, Filgueira - lovely ripe black cherry nose with meat juice undertones, very grippy and extracted, but this has good depth of fruit and rounder sweeter then savoury finish. 90
2002 Solar del Paso Tannat, Vinicola Aurora - maturing colour and aromas with interesting mint, leather and liquorice notes; ripe berry fruit with background vanilla oak, soft with quite light tannins v tangier bite, elegant and straightforward; drink now. 85

France

2003 Madiran, Maestria - vibrant purple, more 'modern' spicy black cherry fruit, upfront and attractive; darker plum and soy sauce palate, quite firm but has nice fruit, medium body and length. 85
2001 Côtes de St-Mont, Château Sabazan - complex roast meat v black cherry notes with background oak, very solid tannins but shows lovely concentration, might v elegance and long finish. 90
2001 Cuvée Charles de Baatz Madiran, Domaine Berthoumieu - intriguingly sexy nose offering similar savoury black fruits with smoky complexity; very, very firm supported by chunky fruit and a touch of oak, adding attractive texture and fine length. 92-94
2001 Côtes de St-Mont, Le Faite (top site, oldest vines) - nice mix of concentrated fruit - black cherry and liquorice - and a layer of oak; tight structure and bite sweetened by the fruit and oak, well balanced despite the dry tannins and power. 90
2001 Madiran, Château Mascaras (70% Tannat, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cab Sauvignon) - more elegant and restrained style, firm tannins with soft liquorice fruit and long dry finish; definitely a roast duck wine. 89
2000 Madiran Plénitude, Producteurs Plaimont
- maturing rustic notes v lightly stalky v rich black fruits; big structured tannins with appealing textured savoury fruit carrying through onto the finish. 87
1999 Madiran, Château Viella-Village - lightly rustic/sulphide aromas, brooding nose; rigid and concentrated, slightly stalky yet rich mouthful at the same time; probably won't develop much more v that extraction. 87
1998 Madiran Vieilles Vignes, Château Bouscassé (Alain Brumont) - smoky intricate ominous nose; displays delicious balance of maturing fruit, chunky tannins and elegant length, leather and ripe black plums. 93-95
1996 Côtes de St-Mont, Château Sabazan - a tad dusty perhaps, smoky earthy mint & liquorice aromas, 'sweet v savoury' black fruits; mature fruit and dry tannins on the palate, attractive drinking, at its peak. 87
1993 Madiran, Château Crouseilles - old and meaty v liquorice and leather, dry tannins but nice mature 'sweet' fruit too; at its peak, needs food. 89-90

20 April 2005

St. Innocent Anden Chardonnay 'guaranteed' to match asparagus!

I quote from their website: "Try Anden Chardonnay with grilled chicken, the classic lobster, or even foods as flavorful as duck breast. For reasons that I can not explain, the Chardonnays from this site are fantastic with ASPARAGUS. Yes, the bane of wine, it actually brings out the fruit and tastes lovely. If I am wrong, call me up, I'll replace the bottle. Enjoy!" The wine's made from Dijon clone Chardonnay grown in St. Innocent's Anden Vineyard, which overlooks the Willamette Valley from the hills west of Salem, Oregon. More details here. The winery also makes Pinots Noir, Gris and Blanc and sparkling wines.
This whole asparagus and wine thing was brought to my attention by Michael Sherwood of quirky website cum virtual resto Sub Rosa: here you'll find mouth-watering recipe tips and wine suggestions. Also read Mike's article "Oregon Wine Dinner - the Asparagus Challenge" on the Avalon Wine site.

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Header image: Château de Flandry, Limoux, Languedoc. Background: Vineyard near Terrats in Les Aspres, Roussillon.