Monday 30 April 2012

'La Rioja' Torrontes Chardonnay Argentina 2011

What I love most about writing these reviews (apart from the joy I know it gives you to read them), is that I push myself into trying different wines that I otherwise might not normally go for.  This inevitably leads to self-discoveries of two different varieties.

Firstly, you have the negative discovery.  Simply put, this is a wine you don't like.  Be it the grape, the acidity, the taste, the company or a combination of factors.  It doesn't matter what it is, you just know that you don't like it.   Each negative discovery however, provides you with another valuable nugget of knowledge about your own preferences and rather than adding to your list, it simplifies matters a little by removing an option instead.  Whilst this is useful info, it still leaves you with one further question.  What to do with a three quarter full bottle of plonk you don't like. (Yes I know OK, you just drink it anyway)

The second type of discovery is my favourite.  Positive discovery.  This week's wine falls perfectly into that category.  This bottle came from the high street champions of fairtrade, the Co-Op at a very affordable price in the region of £6.  The wine is from the confusingly named 'La Rioja Valley' in Argentina but is made from an undisclosed mixture of Torrontes and Chardonnay grape, with not a Tempranillo grape in sight!

As we know from my previous reviews, young Chardonnay can be sharp, flint like and refreshingly crisp.  In stark contrast however, the Torrontes is aromatic, floral and fruity.  They also share similar traits.  Both are dry, medium to high in acidity and perform well while young.  These common characteristics create a very good base upon which to build a great tasting wine.

In this one, the Torrontes provides much of the sweet and aromatic senses on the nose.  You don't have to try hard at all to get clean and pronounced rose, honey and grapefruit, although the latter could be coming from the Chardonnay.  Taking my time, I felt I could also pick up on softer citrus flavours, maybe orange as well as a faintness of ground white pepper.  

Chardonnay grabs your attention by stomping its foot in your mouth with a powerful, crisp and dry minerality.  This is quickly followed with fruit, although most sweetness is left behind in the nose and so delivers only the slightly tart zing of grapefruit with maybe the tiniest hint of peach or lychee to prevent any one-eyed wincing.  The acidity lingers after swallowing but doesn't outstay its welcome, leaving the sensation of enjoyable refreshment. I would compare this to a Gewurztraminer from Chilean wine producer, Yali (which you can get it at Majestic Wine for about £7/£8) which also delivered a sweet and floral nose and was dryer than expected upon tasting.

Positive discoveries also leave you with one further question.  Will anyone notice if I try to get more in my glass than theirs?


Monday 23 April 2012

Concha Y Toro Carmenere 2010 Chile

During my early years as a budding wine enthusiast, I became captivated by the Carmenere grape because of the wonderful back story it tells.  The story is not a secret and those of you familiar with the grape will probably also be familiar with the tale.  The story of this grape precipitated many purchases and a deep fondness for the wine, which I still retain.  

In order to share this story with you, I needed the right bottle to come along.  My wait is now over.

I chose this particular bottle because it is a fine example of what is great about Carmenere.  Yes, there is higher quality Carmenere to be had however, this bottle provides the perfect opportunity to appreciate the taste for yourself at an affordable price.  This example comes from a great Portland Wine outlet that I recently discovered near me, at the price of £8.

The word Carmenere may sound French and you would be right to think so.  It was originally grown around Bordeaux and enjoyed a long and sustained existence in Europe, having originated in Iberia.  At the time, Carmenere was well seated and was arguably considered as one of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux.  All was well until around 1867 when a plague of Phylloxera swept Europe, devastating many grape varieties but dealing Carmenere a particularly vicious blow.  Despite attempts to revive the vine, growers had little success because it was more difficult to grow than other grape varieties and so attention turned to nurturing higher yielding crops.  For years the grape was considered extinct. 

Shortly before the Phylloxera outbreak, Chilean wine growers had imported vines from France and mistaking them for Merlot grapes, had not only preserved Carmenere but had positively increased its coverage to a size far greater than what it had ever been in France.  It would seem that Carmenere didn't just survive in Chile, it preferred it.  Carmenere was officially recognised as a separate variety to Merlot and the Chileans opened their hearts and embraced it as one of their own.  Carmenere found its true home and in return, gave Chileans a signature grape that is almost entirely exclusive to them.

On the nose, distinctive spices of black pepper and cloves compete for attention alongside a strong but pleasant earthen smell.  Quick to follow are rich red fruits which play off fading wood notes.  The first mouthful comes as quite a shock as it delivers a powerful punch.  Smooth damson and blackberry play second fiddle to high tannins and a rich wooden taste but they combine well to form a solid texture which feels well balanced and smooth.  I expected a small nod towards spice during the aftertaste but couldn't detect any with this particular bottle.
 
For me, Carmenere is a strong world player but because of the new world origin, the price enables it to compete easily with higher priced Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or even Malbec from countries that automatically seem to command a higher price.  I have had previous Carmeneres that play more towards the fruit and spice and are perfectly delicious however, this wine goes one step further and reveals a glimpse of the raw power that makes this Chilean grape so great.

Monday 16 April 2012

Palacios Petalos Del Bierzo Mencia 2009

There are times in life when fortune smiles directly upon you and places treasure in your path, reminding you to keep your eyes open for the wonderful and spectacular.  When fortune takes the form of wine, it can turn an average wine drinker into a passionate wine lover in just one glass.  This happened to me a while ago upon discovering Gewurztraminer.  Had that particular chance encounter never have happened though, Petalos would have ignited that flame.

Petalos is made from the Mencia grape and comes from the Bierzo region of north-west Spain.  This one found its way to me via Majestic Wines for around £15.  The price may cause some momentary indecisiveness but hey, fortune also favours the brave.

Give this wine the opportunity to have a good stretch and get used to its surroundings. It's come a long way in cramped and probably dark conditions so decanting for at least half an hour will enable the wine to open and give up so much more.

On the nose, I got nothing too obvious, red fruits were present but confidently understated.  The absence of any wood notes was pleasantly surprising but a good long sniff produced a very faint scent of wood smoke.  The taste is light but unmistakably strong, a beautiful velvety smoothness which clearly sets this wine apart and fully justifies the price.  Medium tannins can be easily felt in the cheeks and tongue and the combined red fruits make for a balanced taste although difficult to isolate and identify individually.  Spice develops in the closing stages, concluding what can only be described as a very pleasing mouthful.  

I found a previous review in a book called, Life's Too Short to Drink Bad Wine by Simon Hoggart and it states, "...light and soft, but with a deceptive richness and depth..." I could not agree more.  At 14.5% (probably at least 15% in reality), this is the sort of wine that will go to your legs without letting you know about it.

Admittedly, Mencia is a new discovery for me but one I shall be more keenly aware of in future, especially as I understand 'oaked' examples are also made in this smooth style.  Mencia would be a great grape to try if you want to expand beyond Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Mencia appears to be exclusively Spanish with the best producing regions being Rias Biaxas, Ribeiro in Galicia and Beirzo in Leon.  Look for these names on a bottle as an indicator of quality and let fortune's smile bring you some well deserved treasures.

Sunday 15 April 2012

Lunta Malbec 2009 Argentina Malbec World Choice

You may or may not know that 17 April 2012 is Malbec World Day.  What it means to you or me precisely I do not know however, any excuse to open a bottle of wine on a Tuesday should be fully embraced.

My humble suggestion to try for this year is Mendel Wines' Lunta Malbec 2009, from Mendoza, Argentina.  This particular bottle was intercepted by me at Majestic wines for around £10, after I had tried it on one of their recent 'wine walks'. 

Before opening this bottle, a couple of things on the exterior indicate a degree of quality.  The bottle proudly wears a badge on the front lapel, boasting a gold medal award at the 2011 Argentina Wine Awards.  More impressive to me though is the detail on the back label, clearly providing information on the location, altitude, grape variety, age of vines, date of harvest, duration of maceration and date of bottling.  This feels like a vintner who cares what they make. 

On the nose is immediate oak, strong with a subtle handful of earth thrown in.  Behind this but still quite detectable is the undertone of red fruits, such as plums and blackberries and I have to swear I could also detect the slightest whiff of diesel.  The taste is primarily of oak too, beautifully robust but not overpowering and continues throughout, providing that dry, well balanced tannin texture.  Spice compliments the fading taste.  Fruit is very much secondary to the oak but is ever present in the background.  This is different to the French Malbec from Cahors that I recently reviewed which had a very similar structure but had a more fruity, 'Christmas Pudding' presence about it.  Nevertheless, the Lunta is a lovely strong wine with an enjoyable, warming power.

The strength and arbourious taste makes this a good partner for food.  Most fitting for the occasion would be a nice big Argentinian steak and so if you are lucky enough to have one in your fridge, then Lunta would be a more than competent wingman.  A more realistic suggestion is parmesan cheese, which really changes when eaten with this wine and is a great example of how a good wine can compliment a food.  Try it for yourself and see.

So, on Tuesday after work, buy a nice wedge of smelly Parmesan and a bottle of Lunta.  Open the bottle then go and get changed, send those final emails, update facebook and twitter and switch on the TV.  By the time you are ready for the wine, the wine should be ready for you.  If anyone asks why you are drinking on a school night, laugh out loud and say in a mock knowledgeable tone, 'Don't you know what day it is?', then pour them a glass too.

Monday 9 April 2012

Sketches Series Chardonnay Semillon 2011


As I stare out of the window at the rain, I wonder what made me think it would be a good time to root out cheap bottles of plonk to have at barbeques.  In the back of my mind, I have a vague recollection of balmy warm weather followed by an urge to buy charcoal.  Was it all just a dream?
Nevertheless, I soldier on in the hope that one day, the rain will stop finding more ways into my house and the sun will shine through, allowing me to put my expertise at external cuisine back into practice.

I chose this bottle of white from Tesco because it was priced conveniently at £5 and it appeared to be a stand alone label.  I later discovered I was wrong.  It is part of the First Cape family, a commercial name you are most likely to have seen and/or bought in either any supermarket or your local Booze Buster.  I didn't notice this at first glance and had bought the bottle under duress because I had spent so long in the store looking at the backs of bottles, I had become the focus of the not-very-well-disguised store detective and my bladder required my attention elsewhere.

Served chilled, this wine gave very little on the nose other than a dry minerality that I have started to associate with Chardonnay.  No fruit could be detected at any obvious level although silky smooth lime and honeysuckle are suggested on their website.  The taste was mildly surprising though.  It yeilded melon in the first instance, keeping the dryness from being too punchy and overpowering and although acidity was present, it didn't take over as the primary sensation and allowed a reasonably smooth and uneventful finish with no afterkick.

At 2011, this is a young Chardonnay and Semillon mix.  The vintage means that the high acidity in the Chardonnay has not had any time to mellow and develop, making it very dry on its own however, the addition of a low acidic Semillon brings a little fruit and allows the wine to find a safe balance and a smoother finish.

This is a pleasant dry white that isn't as harsh as the Zalze Chenin Blanc or Luis Felipe Edwards Chardonnay that I have previously reviewed.  This would be a good, flexible companion at a barbeque as it can easily be drank with or without food.  
Or sunshine come to think of it!


Monday 2 April 2012

Zalze South Africa Chenin Blanc 2011

I have decided to continue with the barbecue season wines, even if the weather hasn't.  The red wine drinkers have been placated for the time being at a reasonable price (see my previous two blogs) and now your attention should be fixed on satisfying the 'green grapers'.
 
This weeks offering is an interesting white from the Coastal Region of South Africa.  I bought mine in Tesco and at the time of purchase was being advertised at £5, although the price tag professed an original price upwards of this.

On the nose this was immediately fruity, just like the back label said it was going to be.  Hints of pineapple and other sweet fruits such as peach and kiwi were immediately prevalent, although additional scents of spice, white pepper maybe, were also in there.  Accompanying the fruit is an alternative but very distinct whiff of minerals or slate.

The first mouthful delivers the fruit in a hurry, giving the taste equivalent of the sweet fruits originally detected however, this gives way quickly to a very dry and acidic taste.  The further into the bottle we got, the more the fruit stopped fighting, eventually succumbing almost entirely to the acidic.  My personal preference steers away from this but Julie specifically commented on how she liked this quality and so I was happy to let her finish the bottle, allowing me to turn my attention to something different. 

On the surface this may seem a slightly negative review but I would prefer to look at it as a new discovery.  I now know that as a 'green graper,' Julie likes the acidic and dryness that comes from a young Chenin Blanc and I relish the challenge of being able to match other wines to her taste.  If you served this at a barbecue, your dry wine aficionados will stay happy, especially if you have some goats cheese to nibble at the same time.