Reflections on Wine
Views on wines from Italy, California, Chile, Argentina and other great regions of the world from a freelance writer and photographer
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2 hours 4 min agoJuly 27, 2010
19:36
Chilean Pleasures for Summer - and beyond
Sauivgnon Blanc vineyard near Chile's coast (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Notes on a few new releases from Chile that combine quality with value:
2008 Meli Riesling (Maule Valley)
You don't often think about Riesling in Chile and admittedly, it's still a drop in the bucket here in terms of plantings. But there are some fine examples; this bottling offers pleasant tangerine and yellow peach aromas with just a touch of petrol (this is common with many fine Rieslings, especially from the Southern Hemisphere) and has good weight on the palate with a dry finish and tart acidity. Don't think about putting this away for several years - rather enjoy it over the next 12-15 months with lighter seafood or stir-fry vegetables. ($12)
2009 Ventisquero Sauvignon Blanc “Quelat” (Casablanca Valley)
Chile's cool Casablanca Valley is an ideal area for Sauvignon Blanc; this example offers lovely varietal aromas of spearmint and fresh hay. Medium-bodied, with a gentle entry on the palate, this is well-balanced with good acidity. This would be ideal with medium-bodied seafood influenced by herbs such as chervil. ($16)
2009 Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc “Single Vineyard” (D.O. Aconcagua)
Readers know of my love for Sauvignon Blancs from Chile. After the variety became a success in Casablanca Valley, a few vintners planted it in extremely cool zones near the ocean, such as San Antonio and Leyda Valleys. The wines from these two areas have become some the world's finest Sauvignons over the past five to seven years.
Now producers in other regions are looking to the coolest reaches of their land to plant Sauvignon Blanc as well. Late last year, I wrote about the brilliant Cool Coast bottling from Casa Silva in Colchagua Valley; this wine being a signal that there were cool sites in many regions in Chile that could yield wines of great complexity.
Now comes this bottling from Errazuriz in the Aconcagua Valley. Like Colchagua, Aconcagua is thought of as a red wine zone, due to its warm inland temperatures. But a small area near the sea, known as Aconcagua Costa, has been developed by the winery for Sauvignon Blanc. This wine was first produced from the 2008 vintage; the 2009 displays distinctive aroms of bell pepper, spearmint and lime backed by impressive depth of fruit and a lengthy finish. Although not as aromatically complex as the finest examples from Leyda and San Antonio (such as Casa Marin, Amayna and Leyda Vineyards), this has beautiful structure and should improve and drink welll for 3-5 years. The $15 price tag represents a great value! I loved the winery's 2008 Single Vineyard Carmenere, which I tried at the Wines of Chile tasting in Chicago this past April; based on these two wines, I'd have to rank Errazuriz as one of leaders of the country's wine scene. I can't wait to try the latest releases of their other specialty wines (Chardonnay Wild Ferment, Pinot Noir Wild Ferment, Single Vineyard Sangiovese).
2008 Gracia Pinot Noir Reserva Santa Ana Estate Block 45 (Bio-Bio Valley)
Just as in most countries around the world, Pinot Noir is a challenge in Chile. Again, look to the cool zones such as Casblanca and San Antonio for the finest examples. Now a few very good examples are emerging from the far southern region of Bio-Bio. This 2008 from Gracia is medium-bodied and focuses on wild cherry fruit along with notes of cardamom and bacon fat. It has an earthy, slightly herbal finish with very good acidity and moderate tannins; pair this with chicken in red wine or duck. While this is not a powerful wine, there is certainly a lot of character for the $12 price.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
July 21, 2010
16:09
Sense and Sensibility
Last week, Italian wine writer Franco Ziliani (pictured above) announced that he was suspending his blog, Vinoalvino, for an indefinite time. While this may not be of great importance to most wine lovers in this country (the blog was written in Italian), I'd like to comment on this decision.
Ziliani is one of most respected journalists in Italy, not only for his hard work, but also because he believes in something. That something is the love of traditionally made wines in Italy, which he believes represent the true soul of the land and the people that make these wines. More and more producers in various regions have begun to craft their wines in an international style, emphasizing ripeness and power, while at the same time deemphasizing elegance, finesse and most of all, a sense of place.
I am in agreement with Ziliani on this, but even if you are not, you have to respect him for his diligence on this matter. You also have to respect his civility, as he carries himself in a proper manner, bringing his argument to the table in the right way. Unlike some bloggers or writers who trumpet themselves as the center of the universe, Franco never approached his work in that fashion.
My guess as to why he decided to stop his blog at this particular time is that he is a bit burned out- after all, he was writing updates five times a week. This was of course in addition to his work as a wine writer as well as a speaker. So he's earned his rest - enjoy it, Franco!
A personal note - Franco befriended me in Italy about six years ago when I wasn't that familiar with too many other journalists or producers. He came up to me at an event, introduced himself and mentioned that he would be more than happy to help me in my ventures. You don't get that too often these days and true to his word, Franco has remained a great friend, often highlighting my articles on the Association of Italian Sommeliers website. That's a real nice touch and I get excited every time I see my writings get featured on that site.
My hope in all this is that more bloggers write with the precision, determination and quality of Franco Ziliani. He updated his blog almost every day, but he had something to say. I get tired of reading blogs where it's clear that the author has little to add - he or she is merely updating because they feel they need to. In my book, less is more; there are too many wine blogs out there that offer very little in terms of opinion or news. I'm sorry, but I want to read something that's engaging - is that too much to ask? Telling me that you had a tuna fish sandwich somewhere is not of interest to anyone - keep that for your social network page or send an email, but don't update your blog just because you need more hits. Write when you have something important to say - no one is going to miss your blog if you only update once a week.
On a sad note, I just learned of the passing of Kathleen Talbert, one of my favorite people I've ever dealt with in the wine business. Kathleen headed her own PR agency, Talbert Communications in New York City and represented some pretty important accounts and people in the wine business, namely Francis Ford Coppola and his California wines.
I cold always count on Kathleen to get back to me in a timely fashion. Now while most PR people do the same, Kathleen always took that extra step. One time when Coppola visited Chicago, she was kind enough to set up some time for me to interview him, despite the fact that he had a full itinerary that day. I'm sure she must have received countless requests from other journalists for a moment or two of his time, so how nice that she helped me out with this matter.
Kathleen passed away on July 8 after a long struggle with cancer. Here is the link to her obituary in the New York Times. I will miss her deeply.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
July 16, 2010
16:04
Brilliant Beaujolais
Georges Duboeuf
As I specialize in Italian wines, I don't try as many French wines as I would like. So when I was asked to taste a selection of 2009 Beaujolais from Georges Duboeuf with the winemaker the other day, I jumped at the chance.
The initial information I received about these wines is that 2009 is "the vintage of a lifetime." I've heard comparisons like that before, so I went in with a calm manner, knowing that everyone tries to tell you that their new wines (the ones they need to sell) are great! Well, at least they didn't say the "best of the century", especially as there have only been nine harvests in the century!
I sat down at Chicago's L2O restaurant with winemaker Emeric Gaucher to taste through a mix of commune as well as cru Beaujolais. As for the claim of 2009 being a remarkable vintage, he commented that it was a growing season with "perfect conditions." That meant a sunny May, a rainy June and then two very sunny months in July and August; in fact, August 2009 was the sunniest August on the last 60 years, according to Gaucher. Combine that with the fact that methods in the vineyard and the cellar are far better now than they were sixty years ago and you have the recipe for classic wines.
Dubeouf produces Beaujolais-Villages along with commune bottlings (Morgon, Fleurie, Moulin-a-Vent et al) as well as cru bottlings from those communes. The straight Beaujolais-Villages (every wine is is produced entirely from the Gamay grape) is always best fresh- enjoyed within 1-2 years of the vintage date, though tasting the wine three years after the harvest usually works well. The commune Beaujolais tend to be more aromatic -wines from Fleurie have lovely floral aromatics, as befits the name - while the single estate wines offer a combination of more pronounced aromatics with greater depth of fruit and even a touch of tannin. These wines can be enjoyed 5-7 years following the harvest and in a few examples, espcially with a great vintage such as 2009, can be cellared for 7-10 years.
Here are a few brief notes on my top wines:
Beaujolais-Villages 2009 "Flower Label"
Typical flavors and body for this wine - pleasant cranberry and red plum fruit - but much deeper color than in most years. Very pleasant - enjoy with all sorts of ligher white and red meats (ideal with cog au vin).
Fleurie 2009 "Domaine des Quatre Vents"
This is from a single estate ("domaine of the four winds") in Fleurie. Cranberry, roasted coffee and bacon aromas - very intriguing! Medium-full, excellent complexity - wonderful wine! Best in 5-7 years.
Morgon 2009 "Flower Label"
Mulberry, mincemeat and black plum aromas; nicely balanced; enjoy over the next 3-5 years. Pair with light red meats or sautéed vegetables.
Moulin-a-Vent 2009 "Flower Label"
Plum and cherry aromas; medium-full with notes of chocolate in the finish; enjoy over the next 3-5 years with stews, casseroles and lighter red meats (pepper steak).
Julienas 2009 "Chateuau des Capitans"
Made from grapes grown at an estate owned by Dubeouf and his U.S. importer, William Deutsch (the estate's title is in their children' names). Juicy cranberry and red raspberry aromas; medium-full with a long finish and silky tannins. Notes of licorice. Best in 5-7 years; pair with roast lamb and veal.
Moulin-a-Vent 2009 "Domaine de la Tour du Bief"
Moulin-a-Vent is known as the "king of Beaujolais" and this bottling offers ample evidence as to why. Roasted coffee, Queen Anne cherry aromas with a hint of black mint. Medium-full with excellent depth of fruit. Best in 7-10 years, perhaps longer. Pair with roasts and lighter game.
Two notes on these wines.
All were served with a light chill (cellar temperature). This is the proper way to serve Beaujolais, as tannins are light; thus the wines are more refreshing and easy to consume. (This was also quite welcome on a 90 degree day in Chicago!)
Also the prices of these wines are remarkably fair, from $9.99 retail for the Beaujolais-Villages to $17.99 for the Julienas "Chateau des Capitans". Everyone associates French wines with high prices (and God knows there are too many high-priced examples), so it is a great sign - especially in today's economy - to find wines of this quality for such reasonable prices. The $18 for the cru Julienas bottling is an excellent value, particularly for a wine that you can cellar for at least five years, yet enjoy tonight!
Text ©Tom Hyland
Photos courtesy of Georges Duboeuf
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
July 6, 2010
21:26
Best Italian Wines of the Year (so far) - Part Two
Aldo Vacca, Director, Produttori del Barbaresco (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
My last post featured sparkling, rosé an whites wines. Without further ado, here are my favorite red and dessert wines from Italy from the first six months of 2010:
RED
PIEMONTE
2006 Barolo
Elio Grasso "Gavarini Vigna Chiniera"
Elio Grasso "Ginestra Vigna Casa Mate"
Giovanni Rosso "Ceretta"
Ettore Germano "Prapo"
Ceretto "Bricco Rocche"
Cavallotto "Bricco Boschis"
Vietti "Rocche"
Oddero "Rocche di Castiglione"
Elvio Cogno "Ravera"
Burlotto "Acclivi"
Renato Ratti "Conca"
Rocche Costamagna "Bricco Francesco"
Bartolo Mascarello
2007 Barbaresco
Produttori del Barbaresco (normale)
Marchesi di Gresy "Martinenga"
Molino "Teorema"
Massimo Penna "Sori Sartu"
Fratelli Grasso "Vallegrande" (Treiso)
Cantina del Pino (Neive-Barbaresco)
Fratelli Giacosa "Basarin" (Neive)
Pasquale Pelissero "Bricco San Giuliano" (Neive)
Cascina Roccalini Barbera d'Alba 2008
Cascina Roccalini Dolcetto d'Alba 2008
Cascina Roccalini Barbaresco 2008
Braida Barbera d'Asti "Bricco dell'Uccellone" 2006
La Ghersa Barbera d'Asti "VIgnassa" 2007
Produttori del Barbaresco "Rio Sordo" 2005
Produttori del Barbaresco "Montestefano" 2005
Produttori del Barbaresco "Pajé" 2005
TOSCANA
2005 Brunello di Montalcino
Il Poggione
Pian dell'Orino
Talenti
Il Palazzone
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2004
Querciabella Chianti Classico 2007
Bibbiano Chianti Classico 2007
Bolgheri 2007
Sassaicaia
Ornellaia
Masseto
Guado al Tasso
Michele Satta Bolgheri "I Castagni" 2006
CAMPANIA
Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi "Piano di Montevergine" 2002
Il Cancelliere Taurasi 2005
Cantine Lonardo (Contrade de Taurasi) Taurasi 2005
Antonio Caggiano Taurasi "Vigna Macchia dei Goti" 2006
Traditional Aglianico vine near Taurasi (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
VENETO
Stefano Accordini Amarone "Il Fornetto" 2004
DOLCE
FRIULI
Dario Coos Picolit 2007
Dario Coos Ramandolo 2005
Jacuss Picolit 2006
VENETO
Stefano Accordini Recioto della Valpolicella 2006
Ca'Rugate Recioto di Soave "La Perlara"
Ca'Rugate "Corte Durlo" 2001
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
July 1, 2010
20:35
Best Italian Wines of the Year (so far) - Part One
Cristina Ziliani, Guido Berlucchi (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
As the calendar has turned from June to July, one-half of 2010 is in the books. To celebrate that, here is my list of the best Italian wines I've tasted in 2010 during my four trips there this year. I'll sort the wines by type and by region and you'll note a dominance of wines from Piemonte, Campania, Toscana and Friuli, which are regions I've visited this year or am writing articles about. I don't have much from Sicily, Abruzzo or a few other regions, but it's not a slight on those areas - simply a reflection of the fact that there are so many great wines - and wine regions in Italy! (This is part one, which contains sparkling wines, white wines and rosato. Red wines and dessert wines will be covered in the next post.)
SPARKLING
VENETO
Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Brut (Green label - biologica agricoltura)
Sorelle Branca Prosecco "Particella 68"
Perlage Prosecco "Animae"
LOMBARDIA (Franciacorta)
Bellavista "Vittorio Moretti" 2002
Bellavista "Pas Operé Gran Cuvée" 2004
Enrico Gatti Brut (NV)
Camossi Extra Brut 2006
Guido Berlucchi "Extreme Palazzo Lana" 2004
PIEMONTE
Fontanafredda Alta Langa Contesa Brut "Pas Dose" 2006
WHITE
CAMPANIA
2008 Marisa Cuomo "Fiorduva"
2009 Mastroberardino Greco di Tufo "Nova Serra"
2008 Colli di Lapio Fiano di Avellino
2008 Villa Diamante Fiano di Avellino "Villa della Congregazione"
2009 DeConciliis Fiano "Donnaluna"
2009 Luigi Maffini Fiano "Kratos"
2008 La Sibilla Falanghina "Cruna del Lago"
2009 San Paolo Falanghina "Fuoco"
2008 Feudi di San Gregorio "Campanaro" (Fiano/Greco)
Marisa Cuomo and her husband, winemaker Andrea Ferraioli (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
FRIULI
2008 Bastianich Vespa Bianco
2009 Gradis'ciutta Sauvignon
2007 Livio Felluga "Terre Alte"
2008 Jacuss Friulano
2008 Livon "Terre Alte"
2009 I Clivi Malvasia
2005 Radikon Ribolla Gialla
Stanko Radikon (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
SICILY
2009 Planeta Cometa
ALTO ADIGE
2009 Cantina Tramin Gewurztraminer "Nussbaumer"
2009 J. Hofstatter Gewurztraminer "Kolbenhof"
2009 Elena Walch Sauvignon "Castel Ringberg"
PIEMONTE
2008 Orsolani Erbaluce di Caluso "Vignot S. Antonio"
VENETO
2008 Pieropan Soave Classico "La Rocca"
2007 Monte Tondo Soave Classico Superiore "Foscarin Slavinus"
PUGLIA
2009 Alberto Longo "Le Fossette" (Falanghina)
2009 Polvanera Fiano Minutolo
ROSATO
Campania
2009 Giuseppe Apicella Costa d'Amalfi Rosato (Sciascinoso/Piedirosso)
2009 Fontanavecchia Aglianico del Taburno Rosato
Liguria
2009 Cantine Lunae "Mearosa" (Vermentino Nero)
Cantine Lunae Vermentino Nero Rosato
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
June 29, 2010
00:19
Ricardo to the Rescue
I've been tasting a number of Argentinian wines lately, so I'll have a number of posts on these wines over the next few weeks. To start, I wanted to comment on two wines from Ricardo Santos of Mendoza.
Santos is the former president of Norton Winery and was the first Argentinian producer to export Malbec into the United States some thirty years ago. Today he produces a small amount of Malbec under his own label along with Semillon. I'll start with the Semillon.
When most people think of white wine from Argentina, Torrontes is the variety that comes to mind. For Santos, his choice for a crisp, dry white is Semillon. The recently released 2009 is excellent and to me an ideal wine for summertime seafood or light grilled foods, such as chicken or pork. Medium-bodied, it has fresh aromas of fig, lemon rind and quince. Medium-full, it's quite rich with beautiful acidity and a long, flavorful finish. In a word, it's delicious! Best yet, at $15 retail, this is one of the best white values you will find this summer - highly recommended!
His 2008 Malbec is priced at $19 and it's a serious example of this variety. Ripe with blackberry and red cherry fruit along with a touch of mocha and light black spice, it's a perfect wine for spare ribs in the grill or just about any red meat, especially sirloin. With beautiful complexity and a light tanginess, this is a step or two above the simple, fruity, $10-12 Malbecs you find everywhere these days. It's also highly recommended.
Imported by Global Vineyard Wine Imports - available in most markets across the United States.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
June 19, 2010
18:15
Feudi's Great New Website
These days, given the popularity of blogs, winery websites just don't seem to have the same influence they did just a few years ago. They're still needed and they offer excellent information, but websites have definitely taken a back seat to other forms of communication in the wine world.
Well that may soon change, especially if a few producers adopt the model of Feudi di San Gregorio in Italy. This Campanian producer recently unveiled its new website and it is dazzling! Packed with tremendous detail about not only their wines, but also their territory as well as their one-star Michelin restaurant, Marennà (located at the winery), this is a website that will please the wine and food lover!
Now the old site was excellent and had much of the same information on the wines, but there's just a lot more on the new one. For example, click on Greco (under "vini" or "wines") and you are referred to five different pages, each representing a wine (or in one case, a grappa), where Greco is used to produce that particular wine. There are six pages for Fiano and Falanghina and a total of 11 different pages under the Aglianico heading! When you go to those individual pages, you will see a page listing technical data as well as recommended food pairings and you can also download each wine's label (the average size is about 750 KB and the resolution is excellent).
As previously mentioned, there is also a great deal of information on the winery's stellar restaurant, Marennà, located a few floors above the cellar. There is a beautiful streaming video that's imbedded on the page; it should definitely make your mouth water in anticipation! There are also two separate menus to download (Risotto cozze e nocciole, anyone?) as well as the wine list. That's very helpful and quite an advertisement for the restaurant. If that wasn't enough, there are also 10 recipes of Chef Paolo Barrale tha are avalable for downloading. It's a nice mix, from risotto and pasta to lamb, beef and dolce. The recipes are in both Italian and English, by the way, as is the entire site.
The site is located at:
http://www.feudi.it/
and in English at:
http://www.feudi.it/en
(note: the English translation was provided by yours truly)
What really puts this website into a special category is the way it works with modern communications. This one doesn't just refer to facebook, it has its facebook site imbedded on the homepage. That's a great way to get people talking about the wines and shouldn't that be what a winery website is all about?
Congratulations to Feudi di San Gregorio for taking the lead and providing such a superb website. Let's hope that other wineries around the world take note.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
00:59
Wine in Piemontese Ristoranti
Memo Melendez, Owner and Wine Director, Profumo diVino, Treiso (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Recently, Antonio Galloni, the Italian wine writer for The Wine Advocate penned a short piece on some of his recent experiences with the wine service at a few restaurants in Piemonte. (He also was highly critical of two restaurants in particular. Why someone who is not a food critic would do so seems a bit odd to me, but apparently not to him).
Anyway, his main point was that wine service in many of Piemonte's top restaurants was not what he thought it should be. He wrote that wine service in these restaurants was "appalling".
He certainly is entitled to his opinion and so am I. He focused on "top restaurants" in Piemonte and perhaps he is correct. As he undoubtedly makes a lot more money that the average wine writer (especially those of us who are freelancers), he certainly has the means to eat at more expensive restaurants that my colleagues or I do. So maybe he should dine at a few more modest trattorie and osterie in Piemonte, because I've never had a bad wine experience at any of these places. Not only are the wines well stored, they are served in very fine stemware. Most importantly, they are priced extremely well. Most wines purchased at some of the finest restaurants in the Barolo and Barbaresco zones cost the same price or even less than they would on a retail shelf in the United States. You can purchase 10 year-old Barolos for 50 and 60 Euro. How much would they cost in New York, Chicago or San Francisco (assuming you could even find them)?
So I'd like wine lovers out there to know that wine service at most restaurants in Piemonte is quite good, often excellent. If Galloni found some flaws, so be it and he has spoken his peace. But again he concentrated on more expensive restaurants and certainly for the money they charge, they should offer excellent service. It is a shame that he had some bad experiences, but believe me - as well as several of my colleagues from Italy and the United States - you will enjoy many excellent wines at very reasonable prices in the town of Alba and all throughout the Barolo and Barbaresco areas.
Alessio Cighetti, Owner and Wine Director, Vinoteca Centro Storico, Serralunga (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Here are just a few of the restaurants in these zones that have a first-rate wine program, combining an excellent list, fair pricing and beautiful stemware:
Profumo diVino, Treiso
Ristorante Le Torri, Castiglione Falletto
Trattoria La Libera, Alba
Antiné, Barbaresco
Bovio, La Morra
Antico Podere Tota Virginia, Serralunga d'Alba
Vinoteca Centro Storico, Serralunga d'Alba
Enoteca La Torre, Cherasco
EnoClub, Alba
Il Vigneto, Roddi
This is just a small sampling - there are dozens more. I certainly look forward to trying more new dining experiences in Piemonte - for both the food and the wine!
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
June 16, 2010
19:59
Wine, Yes Wine from Capri
Vineyard at Capri (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
I have just returned from one of my most fruitful and enjoyable trips to Italy, visiting the regions of Puglia and Campania. I will be writing posts about my time there, from judging wines made from indigenous varieties in Pugila (as well as a small group of wines from Basilicata) to visting vineyards in Irpinia and enjoying some of Campania's finest cuisine.
For this first post back, I'd like to share my adventures in Capri. Everyone and his brother knows about the beauty of this island and as I was told by more than one Italian during my trip, "once you have visited Capri, you can die." In other words, life is complete!
I'm not entirely sure about that, but I do share the passion. It is a beautiful island, but it's also a touristy one. Get off the boat and you're immediately immersed in stores selling everything from gelato to perfume to t-shirts. It's the old adage- from the sublime to the ridiculous.
The obligatory shot of Capri Harbor (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
I was with my friend Raffaele Pagano of Joaquin Winery and several of his friends and our goal was not to sightsee or shop, but rather to visit the small vineyard where he purchases Greco and Falanghina grapes for one of his white wines named "dell Isola". There are several other varieties in this vineyard as well, including Biancolella and Ginestra, as this was planted in the traditional style with numerous varieties in a field blend.
Raffaele Pagano, Joaquin Winery (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
It's amazing after getting out of the tourist trap of Capri and Anacapri (another town up the hill) to see this estate. The vines are irregularly planted, with much of it in pergola, an overhead trellis to protect the grapes from the ever present sun. Some vines are so high, that a ladder is needed to pick the berries when they are ripe. The soils are primarily sandy and are relatively fertile.
We met Raffaele Maresca, a hearty 83 years old and working as hard as ever. He talked to us about his work and while I didn't understand everything (some of it in dialect), I could sense his passion. After he finished, each of us shook his hand, which at his age, after 60 some years in the vineyard, was as hard as steel. It's a memory I'll always have of vineyard work in Italy. This is a difficult and painstaking job!
Raffaele Maresca (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
It will be impossible to find the finished wine outside of Campania, so while you may never taste it (I sampled the 2009 out of a tank at the winery), it's worthwhile to know that even in a remote island best known for its tourist attractions, the centuries-old work of tending the vine still goes on in Italy.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
June 4, 2010
15:37
New DOCG and DOC
Erbaluce di Caluso, soon to be DOCG (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Alfonso Cevola has been doing a superb job keeping track of all the DOCG wines in Italy. His most recently updated post (read here) has a total of 50 DOCG wines, which includes the most recent Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba in Piemonte and Aglianico del Vulture in Basilicata among others.
Other news on this front:
Erbaluce di Caluso, a wonderful white from the province of Torino in Piemonte will become DOCG as of the 2010 vintage. This was confirmed to me by Gian Luigi Orsolani, during my recent visit to his winery. Orsolani is one of the leading producers of this wine.
Dolcetto di Dogliani DOCG will now be referred to as Dogliani Classico.
Libero Rillo of Fontanvecchia in Campania, confirmed to me that Aglianico del Taburno in the province of Benevento, confirmed that the paperwork for DOCG has been filed and approved. Final details are being worked out regarding the starting date for Aglianico del Taburno DOCG.
And finally, there will be a new Alba Rosso DOC. The grape varieties will be 75%-80% Nebbiolo with 20-25% Barbera.
Off today to Puglia and Campania for nine days, so posts will continue upon my return.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
May 27, 2010
14:09
The many personalities of Soave
Garganega grapes with Castello di Soave in the background
I was invited on a press trip to Soave just a few weeks ago, one of six invitations I received for events in Italy during the same time frame! (Don't these people ever talk to each other?). I had already committed to another event in Piemonte and just wasn't able to work this Soave trip into my schedule, which was a shame as Soave is one of my favorite Italian wines and I've come to know several producers there quite well and was looking forward to seeing them again. It's also a lovely area, just 30 minutes east of Verona in the Veneto region and it's castle is one of the most distinctive and beautiful in all of Italy.
Anyway, I asked the Soave Consorzio if they could ship a few bottles of wine to my hotel in Piemonte at that time - if I couldn't make it to Soave, maybe Soave could make it to me! I thought they might send a half-dozen bottles, but they outdid theselves and sent along 21! Needless to say, I had a lot of friends during my stay in Piemonte!
While Soave has always been a known commodity to consumers in America - thanks in part to its easy to remember and easily pronounceable name - the wine has rarely been thought of as something truly special. It is true that the majority of Soave produced in the zone is meant for consumption within the first 2-3 years and unfortunately that doesn't mean much in our society, which rewards big and powerful wines the can age for 5-7 years and longer (despite the fact that many consumers prefer to drink wine in its youth anyway!).
To miss out on Soave normale would be a shame, especially the bottlings from producers such as Pieropan, Castello di Soave and Pra. These are made primarily from the Garganega grape, with up to 20 or 30% Trebbiano in the blend. The best regular bottlings of Soave are a delight, with aromas of honeydew melon and yellow flowers, with a subtle nuttniess. Crisp, well-balanced and usually made without any oak aging, these are wonderful partners for foods ranging from risotto primavera to lighter seafood.
While these wines are a delight and also priced very reasonably ($14-$16 on American retail shelves), there are some excellent single vineyard or selezione bottlings that truly are among Italy's finest whites wines. There are a few dozen producers in the area, such as Ca'Rugate; Coffele; Inama; Monte Tondo; La Capuccina and Gini as well as the others mentioned above, to name only a few, that have been working to expand the breadth and width of Soave's possibilities. These special bottlings display more complex aromatics, are richer on the palate with excellent persistence and offer distinct minerality in the finish, a quality witnessed in Italy's most famous white wines, from Friuli in the north to Campania in the south.
Chiara Coffele of Coffele Winery, Soave (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Some of these wines are even aged and/or fermented in oak, which may come as a surprise. I certainly am not a big fan of oak in white wines, but when you taste a deeply concentrated Soave such as "Monte Alto" from Ca'Rugate, "La Rocca" from Pieropan or "Foscarin Slavinus" from Monte Tondo, you realize how far-ranging Soave can be in its presentation. These wines are beautifully styled with amazing complexity, while staying true to the character of the Garganega grape and the local terroir. And yes, these wines can age - anywhere from 5-10 years.
So think of Soave not just as a simple quaffer for lighter meals, but as one of Italy's most singular and rewarding white wines! Best of all, think of it as one of the best wines to pair with a wide variety of foods, as some of the finest examples can even stand up to veal, roast pork and lighter game.
Here are brief notes on a few of the best examples of Soave I tasted just a few weeks ago:
2008 Filippi "Castelcerino" Soave Classico
Made using grapes grown according to strict biodynamic methods, this is very rich with a distinct minerality and a lengthy finish with excellent persistence. This seems perfectly styled for grilled shellfish. Here is a wine that could change your perception of Soave!
2007 La Mandolare "Monte Sella" Soave Classico
This wine just bursts with fruit - Anjou pear and pineapple - and is quite rich throughout. Beautiful ripeness and aromatics, this is a real pleasure on its own or with food.
2008 Gini "La Frosca" Soave Classico
Gini should be on everyone's short list of great Soave producers; this "regular" bottling is quintessential Soave with its pear and honeydew melon aromas along with notes of yellow flowers and chamomile. Medium-full with a rich finish with mineral notes, this is beautifully made and delicious!
2009 Cambrago "I Cerceni" Soave Classico
This is a selezione made from grapes grown in volcanic soil. Classic Soave aromatics, very good persistence and acidity and pleasing notes of chamomile. Very well made.
2007 Monte Tondo "Foscarin Slavinus" Soave Supriore Classico (DOCG)
Bright yellow with golden tints, sporting pear, melon and lilac aromas, this is ripe, nutty and quite complex with excellent fruit concentration. This is another stylized bottling that is far removed from the simple sipping wine too often associated with Soave. The wines from this producer are always interesting and very well made. They are also routinely excellent.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
May 25, 2010
22:17
Great Champagne - in Piemonte!
Text and photos ©Tom Hyland
No matter which wine region in whatever country you visit, you'll find that winemakers need to try something besides their own wines from time to time. Sometimes, it's beer (especially on a hot day), at times it's another product from a local estate and then there are days when the choice is something totally different from what they produce.
In Italy, winemakers - as well as most wine drinkers there - adore sparkling wines. Look at how many sparkling wines are produced throughout the country; not just Franciacorta and Prosecco, but cuvées made from varieties such as Falanghina in Campania, Verdicchio in Marche and Ribolla Gialla in Friuli. It's quite a love affair Italians have with sparkling wine!
That extends, of course, to Champagne and it was with great anticipation that I joined my winemaker friends Sergio Germano (Ettore Germano) and David Rosso (Giovanni Rosso) from Serralunga d'Alba at a wonderful enoteca in that town called Vinoteca Centro Storico, home to one of the most varied selections of Champagne I've found anywhere outside of that famous zone. The owner, Alessio, is a charming young man who loves finding excellent Champagne from some of the finest artisan producers from Champagne and he's been rewarded for his efforts by the area's vignerons.
Alessio, one of Piemonte's greatest promoters of Champagne
I've met Sergio and Davide before at the enoteca and was anxious to see what we would be enjoying this particular evening. For starters, we enjoyed the Doyard Extra Brut, a very dry Champagne with only a slight dosage. The wine was an excellent start with a pronounced yeastiness and aromas of dried flowers. It was a great partner with the various salumi offered at the bar.
We then ordered a Georges Laval Brut Rosé, made in the saignée style, where the color is bled from the skins of the Pinot Noir grape. Bursting with ripe strawberry and cherry fruit, this was a delight! How nice that Alessio provides choices such as this, allowing the customer to experience a rainbow of flavors from Champagne in the heart of the Barolo zone!
A few days later, Sergio and I enjoyed a tremendous lunch at Antica Podere Tota Virginia, located in Serralunga with magnificent views of the entire Barolo zone. We enjoyed some amazing seafood (not the usual fare in Piemonte) from Chef Claudio Cagliero and with it, paired the non-vintage Larmandier-Bernier Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru (pictured at top of the page), a wine Sergio recommended for the quality/price relationship (the cost was a reasonable 45 Euro on the list). Quite rich with flavors of dried pear, the wine has a distinct minerality and excellent persistence with beautiful complexity. The wine made for a stunning pairing with our seafood (I had a plate of octopus, shrimp and swordfish that was incredible) and I'd order it again, especially at the price.
I admit that the prospect of trying more than 300 wines from the Nebbiolo grape that upcoming week made me long for sparkling wine (or just about any dry white). But these Champagnes were more than just alternative choices - they were excellent selections in their own right and reminders of how good the quality level is in the Champagne district.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
May 24, 2010
13:23
2006 Barolo - Initial Impressions
Serralunga Vineyards with snow-covered Alps in the background (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Just back from tasting more than 180 bottlings of the soon-to-be-released 2006 Barolo. Here are a few initial thoughts.
The wines from 2006 are big, make no mistake about it. If you are a relative newcomer to Barolo, this may not be the vintage for you, unless you have a lot of patience. These are wines that demand time and are in some cases, rather old-fashioned, as they are not approachable now, but rather are tightly woven and unyielding. If you prefer prettier, more forward wines, wait another year for the release of the 2007 Barolos.
The wines are also inconsistent. While I tasted some very nice wines (and a few excellent examples) from the communes of La Morra and Barolo, the wines from these zones were not that impressive. Perhaps it was warm weather that yielded wines of big structure that did it, as the wines from La Morra and Barolo tend to be more feminine than other bottlings. Whatever the reason, many of these wines are a little clumsy - though admittedly, we are dealing with very young wines.
The vintage belonged to the wines from Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d'Alba and of course, Serralunga d'Alba. I say of course, as the Serralunga Barolos are always the bottlngs that need the most time, given both their tannic structure (thanks to the oldest soils in the zone) and their deep concentration. The best Barolos from 2006, such as those from Cordero di Montezemolo "Enrico VI" (Castiglione Falletto), Elio Grasso "Gavarini Chinera" and "Ginestra Casa Maté" (both Monforte d'Alba) and Cascina Cucco "Cerrati Vigna Cucco", Ettore Germano "Prapo" and Azelia "San Rocco" (all from Serralunga) have the stuffing to cellar well for 20-plus years.
Davide Rosso, winemaker, Giovanni Rosso, Serralunga d'Alba (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Here is a brief list of my favorite 2006 Barolos, tasted last week at the Nebbiolo Prima tastings in Alba and at visits to producers before and during the days of the event:
Serralunga d'Alba
Giovanni Rosso "Cerretta"
Ettore Germano "Prapo"
Ceretto "Prapo"
Cascina Cucco "Cerrati Vigna Cucco"
Cascina Cucco "Cerrati"
Luigi Pira "Marenco"
Fontanafredda "La Rosa"
Azelia "San Rocco"
Ascheri "Sorano"
Ascheri "Sorano Coste & Bricco"
Luigi Baudana "Baudana"
Massolino "Margheria"
Monforte d'Alba
Elio Grasso "Gavarini Chinera"
Elio Grasso "Ginestra Casa Maté"
Simone Scaletta "Chirlet"
Pio Cesare "Ornato"
Costa di Bussia "Tenuta Arnulfo"
Giacomo Fenocchio "Bussia"
Aldo Conterno "Colonello"
Franco Conterno "Bussia Munie"
Castiglione Falletto
Cavallotto "Bricco Boschis"
Vietti "Rocche"
Cordero di Montezemolo "Enrico VI"
Oddero "Rocche di Castiglione"
Ceretto "Bricco Rocche"
La Morra
Renato Ratti "Rocche"
Renato Ratti "Conca"
Rocche Costamagna "Rocche dell'Annunziata - Bricco Francesco"
Tenuta L'Illuminata "Tebavio"
Gianni Voerzio "La Serra"
Vietti "Brunate"
Michele Chiarlo "Cerequio"
Barolo
Francesco Rinaldi "Cannubbio"
Angelo Germano "Vigna Rue"
Vajra "Bricco delle Viole"
Chiara Pira "Cannubi"
Wines from other communes (including blends from two or more communes)
Bartolo Mascarello
Francesco Rinaldi "Brunate" (La Morra, Barolo)
Elvio Cogno "Ravera" (Novello)
Claudio Alario "Riva" (Verduno)
Burlotto "Acclivi" (Verduno)
For those of you wondering why I have listed more wines from La Morra than Castiglione Falletto after writing that the latter commune was more consistent, the reason is the game of numbers. La Morra is the largest commune for production of Barolo, with approximately one-third of the total vineyards for Barolo production; Castiglione Falletto is much smaller. So while I tasted many more examples from La Morra than Castiglione Falletto, I recommended a higher percentage of wines from the latter commune.
A few final words: The wines at the Nebbiolo Prima event are tasted blind, so there are always surprises, good and bad. My biggest surprise? The Simone Scaletta wine- to be honest, I'd never even heard of this estate, so bravo to them for producing such a fine 2006 Barolo.
No surprise though for many estates whose wines I loved again. There were many, but a special salute to Cascina Cucco and Francesco Rinaldi. The former is one of the finest estates in a commune (Serralunga) filled with great estates, while the latter quite often gets confused for the wines of Beppe Rinaldi, a great Barolo estate. However, the wines from Francesco Rinaldi are classics almost every year!
Finally, if you want to exprience Serralunga Barolo without having to wait ten years, I strongly recommend the Giovanni Rosso "Cerretta" and the two offerings from the "Sorano" vineyard produced by Ascheri. While these wines will age 15-25 years, these three bottlings are more approachable and charming in their youth than most bottlings from Serralunga. The dyed-in-the wool devotées of the Serralunga style may prefer a more tannic wine, but I fell in love with these wines, especially the Rosso bottling, which is as floral and as charming a Serralunga Barolo as you will find! Complimenti, Davide!
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
May 19, 2010
08:02
2007 Barbaresco
Vineyards below the town of Barbaresco (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Writing from Alba, where I am with several dozen wine journalists from around the world for Nebbiolo Prima, four days of tasting new releases of wines made exclusively from Nebbiolo. This year the wines are Roero Rosso 2007, Barbaresco 2007 and Barolo 2006. This post will deal with Barbaresco.
The 2007 vintage arrives with a great deal of hype and the Barbarescos from this vintage show why. The wines offer excellent ripeness and balance and round tannins. The best wines are quite charming and are rather forward. While all of this is nice, the final result is one of moderate pleasures, as the wines do not have the stuffing (for the most part) to age a substantial period of time. I would expect most of these wines to be at their best in 7-10 years, which is a good, but not great amount of time.
While the best wines from the town of Barbaresco and Treiso are beautifully balanced, unfortunately too many examples from Neive are over oaked. This is not the first time I have noticed this trend at this tasting (this is the sixth time in the last seven years I have participated in this event) and again, the winemakers from Neive, in my opinion, are trying to hard to make a bigger, more serious wine than they should. I did find a few bottliongs from Neive that were more restrained in their use of oak, but they were the exception. I would hope this changes in the future.
Here is a short list of my favorite 2007 Barbarescos:
Produttori del Barbaresco (normale)
Molino "Teorema"
Massimo Penna "Sori Sartu"
Eredi Lodali "Lorens" (Treiso)
Fratelli Grasso "Vallegrande" (Treiso)
Pertinace "Marcarini" (Treiso)
Cantina del Pino (Neive-Barbaresco)
Marchesi di Gresy "Martinenga" (Barbaresco)
Battaglio (Neive)
Fratelli Giacosa "Basarin" (Neive)
Pasquale Pelissero "Bricco San Giuliano" (Neive)
The wines were tasted blind, so as always, there were surprises, good and bad.
I also visited the Ceretto estate a few days before these tastings and thoroughly enjoyed their 2007 "Bricco Asili" bottling, which is from the vineyard in the commune of Barbaresco.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
May 12, 2010
16:41
New releases of Barolo and Barbaresco
Nebbiolo Vineards at Verduno in the Barolo zone (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
I am off today for Alba in Piemonte where I will be tasting new releases of Barolo from 2006 and Barbaresco from 2007. This is at an event called Nebbiolo Prima for a select group of wine journalists from around the world that specialize in Italian wines. The tastings are focused on wines made exclusively from Nebbiolo and will also include new examples of Roero Rosso from 2007.
I tasted a few bottlings of 2006 Barolo at VinItaly last month as was quite pleased, especialy with the Vietti Brunate and Rocche and the Oddero Rocche di Castiglione and Villero. These are big wines and very true to type; the Brunate from Vietti and the Rocche from Oddero are extremely well balanced.
I'm looking forward to trying dozens of these wines and I'll do my best to post while I'm there; if not, then I'll note my thoughts just after I return home.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
16:41
New releases of Barolo and Barbaresco
Nebbiolo Vineards at Verduno in the Barolo zone (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
I am off today for Alba in Piemonte where I will be tasting new releases of Barolo from 2006 and Barbaresco from 2007. This is at an event called Nebbiolo Prima for a select group of wine journalists from around the world that specialize in Italian wines. The tastings are focused on wines made exclusively from Nebbiolo and will also include new examples of Roero Rosso from 2007.
I tasted a few bottlings of 2006 Barolo at VinItaly last month as was quite pleased, especialy with the Vietti Brunate and Rocche and the Oddero Rocche di Castiglione and Villero. These are big wines and very true to type; the Brunate from Vietti and the Rocche from Oddero are extremely well balanced.
I'm looking forward to trying dozens of these wines and I'll do my best to post while I'm there; if not, then I'll note my thoughts just after I return home.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
03:21
2007 Barbaresco
Vineyards below the town of Barbaresco (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Writing from Alba, where I am with several dozen wine journalists from around the world for Nebbiolo Prima, four days of tasting new releases of wines made exclusively from Nebbiolo. This year the wines are Roero Rosso 2007, Barbaresco 2007 and Barolo 2006. This post will deal with Barbaresco.
The 2007 vintage arrives with a great deal of hype and the Barbarescos from this vintage show why. The wines offer excellent ripeness and balance and round tannins. The best wines are quite charming and are rather forward. While all of this is nice, the final result is one of moderate pleasures, as the wines do not have the stuffing (for the most part) to age a substantial period of time. I would expect most of these wines to be at their best in 7-10 years, which is a good, but not great amount of time.
While the best wines from the town of Barbaresco and Treiso are beautifully balanced, unfortunately too many examples from Neive are over oaked. This is not the first time I have noticed this trend at this tasting (this is the sixth time in the last seven years I have participated in this event) and again, the winemakers from Treiso, in my opinion, are trying to hard to make a bigger, more serious wine than they should. I did find a few bottliongs from Treiso that were more restrained in their use of oak, but they were the exception. I would hope this changes in the future.
Here is a short list of my favorite 2007 Barbarescos:
Molino "Teorema"
Massimo Penna "Sori Sartu"
Eredi Lodali "Lorens" (Treiso)
Fratelli Grasso "Vallegrande" (Treiso)
Pertinace "Marcarini" (Treiso)
Cantina del Pino (Neive-Barbaresco)
Marchesi di Gresy "Martinenga" (Barbaresco)
Battaglio (Neive)
Fratelli Giacosa "Basarin" (Neive)
Pasquale Pelissero "Bricco San Giuliano" (Neive)
The wines were tasted blind, so as always, there were surprises, good and bad.
I also visited the Ceretto estate a few days before these tastings and thoroughly enjoyed their 2007 "Bricco Asili" bottling, which is from the vineyard in the commune of Barbaresco.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
May 4, 2010
23:45
Giampiero Bea - Magnificent Wines from Montefalco
Giampiero Bea, Proprietor, Paolo Bea (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
This past Monday at a distributor tasting in Chicago, I saw my friend Steven Alexander, wine director for the city's internationally famous Spiaggia Restaurant. He asked me if I had any specific recommendations of Italian wines I enjoyed at the tasting and then graciously asked me to a special lunch at Spiaggia Café with Giampiero Bea from the Paolo Bea estate in Montefalco, Umbria. Of course, I accepted his invitation and I'll be forever grateful to him as this was a rare opportunity to try ten of Bea's wines with superb food, while listening to Giampiero discuss his winemaking philosophy.
In the Montefalco zone of Umbria, not far from the towns of Spoleto and Assisi, there are a few dozen producers that work with the indigenous Sagrantino grape. This is a very tannic variety - arguably the most tannic in all of Italy (even more so than Nebbiolo) - so while this means long-lived wines, many examples are rather rough upon release with a noticeable bitter edge. Some producers even age their wines in barriques, apparently thinking that the spice from the barrels will add more flash to the wine. However, it's been my experience with barrique-aged Sagrantino that too many examples are not that well balanced, as the small barrels actually add tannins.
A completely different way of working with Sagrantino is employed by Giampiero Bea who is a believer in making natural wines; the resulting bottlings are sublime. No less an authority than Filippo Antonelli, one of Montefalco's very best producers, recently told me that in his opinion, the finest wines of Montefalco are from the Paolo Bea estate. Even though I have visited the Montefalco wine zone on three separate occasions, I had only tried a handful of these wines, as Bea does not participate in the local Consorzio tastings.
At this lunch we tasted ten wines from Bea in this order:
2007 Santa Chiara (Umbria Bianco)
2006 Arboreus (Trebbiano - Umbria Bianco)
2005 Rosso de Veo (Umbria Rosso)
2004 Montefalco Rosso "San Valentino"
2005 Montefalco Rosso Riserva "Vigna Pipparello"
2004 Montefalco Rosso Riserva "Vigna Pipparello"
2005 Montefalco Sagrantino "Vigna Pagliaro"
2004 Montefalco Sagrantino "Vigna Pagliaro"
2003 Montefalco Passito
I'll give some general comments on the wines. The Santa Chiara is an amazing white, an equal blend of five varieties: Chardonnay, Grechetto, Malvasia, Sauvignon and Garganega. Bright orange in color and displaying aromas of apricot and zucchini squash (!), this offers distinct minerality with a pleasing bitterness in the finish. The Arboreus is a more traditional white with pear and lemon peel aromas with great complexity. These are superb whites and stood up beautifully to grilled octopus and mozzarella.
As good as the whites were, the reds were the true stars of this lunch. Bea produces both Montefalco Rosso, which is primarily Sangiovese with lesser percentages of Montepulciano and Sagrantino; Montefalco Sagrantino, a DOCG wine made exclusively from Sagrantino as well as Montefalco Passito, also produced exclusively from Sagrantino. Bea's wines are striking in so many ways, especially in the aromatics, which focus on cassis, currant, cherry and red flowers (poppies). The wines have a supple feel on the palate, silky tannins and excellent persistence. The acidity is precise (especially in the 2005s) while the wood notes are barely noticeable. Think of most wines made from Sagrantino and you associate them with power; Bea's wines, on the other hand, are all about finesse.
The Passito is truly a singular bottling of this wine; while most examples are lush, ripe and medium sweet, Bea's is much more low-key. The wine has only a trace of sweetness and offers notes of tobacco in the finish. "I call this a vertical wine," he says. "It starts sweet and finishes dry." Because of that, Bea likes to pair the passito not with fruit desserts, but rather with cheeses. It is with the Montefalco Sagrantino dry wines that he prefers biscotti, cakes or chocolate.
Bea uses organic methods in the vineyards as makes certain he carries through with this philosophy in the cellar. "We do more work when the moon is waning because things go slower," he says. "This is in keeping with our philosophy of taking our time to make wines that will live for a long time." Bea ages his Sagrantino for one year in steel and two years in large barrels before bottling, so his wines are released later than almost any other producer; the 2005 is his current vintage, while most producers have their 2006s on the market with several 2007s set for release later this year. This is just one reason why he does not participate in the Consorzio events in Montefalco.
At tihs lunch, Bea talked a great deal about the technical data of his wines as well as his winemaking philosophy. Yet he did not once mention awards or how certain critics have praised his wines. He is a humble, thoughtful man who lets his wines do the talking - in fact, he does not even call himself a winemaker, preferring to say he is "assisting the wine."
Yet he did offer his thoughts on the work of producers from around the world who only make wine for the marketplace and not for themselves. "These people have cellars full of wine. They blame it on the economic crisis, but the truth is they are making wine without emotion."
One could never say that about Giampiero Bea.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
April 28, 2010
03:37
Top Wines from Chile
Claudia Gomez, Winemaker, Garcés-Silva (Amayna) (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Wines of Chile USA held an excellent wine tasting in Chicago on Tuesday, April 27. What follows are my thoughts on the top wines, arranged by category:
SAUVIGNON BLANC
I am a passionate devotee of Sauvignon Blanc the world over and this has clearly been the most exciting development over the past five to seven years in Chile. One could also say that this is arguably the country's top performing variety now, though you'd certainly get an argument from Cabernet Sauvignon producers.
The turnaround has been the result of planting the finest French and American clones in the coolest climates, from Casablanca Valley to San Antonio and Leyda (a sub-zone of San Antonio) near the Pacific Ocean. As a whole the wines show beautiful varietal purity, from spearmint and melon in Casablanca to kiwi, pink grapefruit and gooseberry for the San Antonio examples.
The best examples at the tasting included:
2009 Amayna (San Antonio Valley-Leyda)
2009 Casa Silva "Cool Coast" (Colchagua)
2009 Cono Sur "Vision" Loma Roja Block (Casablanca)
These three wines are exceptional and offer great evidence of the brilliance of this variety in Chile. The Amayna, from immaculately farmed vineyards at this gorgeous estate less than seven miles from the Pacific offers intense gooseberrry and stone fruit flavors, lovely texture, vibrant acidity and great persistence in the lengthy finish. Winemaker Claudia Gomez has made this wine into one of the top four or five in the country by emphasizing the influence of the razor's edge climate in Leyda. At a suggested retail of $20, this may be the finest Sauvignon Blanc value in the world.
I wrote about the Casa Silva wine in a post this past December; the wine mirrors the Amayna in its aromatic complexity and vareital purity; it is only slightly less racy in its profle. Getting a Sauvignon Blanc this good from Colchagua, normally known for its big red wines, is a wonderful development for Chile. (Suggested retail $23)
The Cono Sur is amazingly fruity with appealing pink grapefruit aromatics. The texture on this wine is gorgeous, while the acidity is pinpoint. This is, in a word, delicious. I recently tasted a 2006 Vision Sauvignon Blanc from Cono Sur and it was in fine shape, so look for this wine to drink well for 3-5 years. (SRP $15- a steal. If I owned a wine bar, I'd invest in this as soon as possible.)
CARMENERE
Chile's own grape, Carmenere is finally starting to realize the promise it can deliver. Originally confused with Merlot, it has now been 15 years since it was correctly identified as a separate variety that had been brought over from Bordeaux in the nineteenth century.
Growers now plant Carmenere in better sites, as they realize the grape needs a warm climate to ripen fully and display its fruit as well as signature spice (Colchagua Valley has become a leading area for the grape.) Too many versions in the previous decade were overly herbaceous, but more and more versions now display proper ripeness and well as excellent complexity.
Among the best at the tasting were:
2008 Terra Andina Reserva (Rapel) ($13)
2007 Montes "Alpha" (Colchagua) ($25)
2005 Santa Rita "Pehuen" (Apalta, Colchagua) ($65)
2008 Errazuriz Single Vineyard (Aconcagua) ($20- excellent value)
The Santa Rita is ont of the most intense examples of Carmenere in the country; this could become one of Chile's signature wines. For me, the Errazuriz is the most pleasant surprise; this is a dynamic wine - big and bold with great spice. What a powerful wine that offers superb balance! This should peak in another 7-10 years and it is an amazing value for $20. You'd have to spend two to three times that for simiilar quality from a Napa or Bordeaux red.
SYRAH
While Syrah has really never caught on in California, the variety is becoming more important each year in Chile. "You will see a lot of Syrah in Chile in the coming years," Alfonso Unduraga, commercial director for Koyle, a new wine project, told me. "The wines have beautiful color and structure."
Indeed the Syrah grape seems to love the warmth of the Chilean sunshine. My favorites at the tasting included:
2007 Koyle (Maipo/Colchagua) ($17)
2007 Antu (Colchagua) ($21)
2006 Maycas (Limari) ($23)
2008 Amayna (San Antonio-Leyda) ($35)
2006 Lapostolle "Cuvee Alexandre" Las Kuras (Colchagua) ($30)
Each of these wines offered very good ripeness and balance with good varietal character. To me, these are crowd-pleasing wines, as the are rich and ripe without the tannic bittterness of a young Cabernet Sauvignon. The Amayna, from a very cool climate, displays bright fruit and sleek acidity. Look for even bigger and better things with Chilean Syrah.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
To date, the most celebrated wines of Chile have been the Cabernet Sauvignons and blends dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. The most famous of these have been from the Alto Maipo, located some 30 miles southeast of Santiago. The reds here are most often identified by the purity of their fruit along with their supple tannins. Among my favorites at the tasting included:
2008 Peñalolen (Maipo Valley) ($18)
2006 Santa Ema "Catalina" - blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc (Cachapoal) ($40)
2005 Santa Rita "Casa Real" (Maipo) ($75)
The Peñalolen is a particularly flavorful wine for the price and offers nice richness, while the Santa Ema has a silky elegance with the Santa Rita Casa Real displaying the breeding and structure of old vines in the heart of Maipo Valley.
A final note on this tasting:
There was an excellent array of wines in various price ranges and styles; overall this was a noteworthy presentation of the state of Chilean wine today. However, I wish more winery representatives from Chile were in attendance! I realize that harvest is still going on in some regions, but Claudia Gomez did attend, so I thought there might be other winemakers as well. However, if harvest is a problem, perhaps the tasting should be moved one way or another.
Several wineries sent along a commercial director from Chile in lieu of their winemaker, which is just fine, as these people deal with the wines on an everyday basis. Kudos to Santa Ema, Santa Rita and Koyle, just to name a few, for doing this.
But too many wines were being poured by distributor salespeople. Most were helpful and could answer my questions, but let's face it, these people, no matter how knowledgeable, are not directly tied in to the wineries. I realize that as a writer, I have a lot of questions and attend an event such as this to make contacts in the business. But I have to think that consumers who attended the tasting later in the evening, also want that personal touch. You want to see the Chileans who work with these wines on a daily basis, not a local salesperson.
I realize that it's impossible to get every winery set up that way, as personal schedules sometimes get in the way. But attend most specialized tastings of French and Italian wines and you get those individuals to show up and pour their wines. The same should be true for the Chileans.
Chile clearly has world-class wines, but the fact of the matter is that there just isn't the excitement caused by these wines, as with bottlings from Napa Valley, France, Italy or Spain. Maybe that's not fair, but that's the reality. So the Chileans need to go first-class with their events and do all the can to get the trade and consumers excited about their products. One way to do that is for winery associates to attend the tastings and press the flesh. People love that immediacy and they can identify an individual with his or her wine. They can't do that with a local salesperson.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
03:37
Top Wines from Chile
Claudia Gomez, Winemaker, Garcés-Silva (Amayna) (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Wines of Chile USA held an excellent wine tasting in Chicago on Tuesday, April 27. What follows are my thoughts on the top wines, arranged by category:
SAUVIGNON BLANC
I am a passionate devotee of Sauvignon Blanc the world over and this has clearly been the most exciting development over the past five to seven years in Chile. One could also say that this is arguably the country's top performing variety now, though you'd certainly get an argument from Cabernet Sauvignon producers.
The turnaround has been the result of planting the finest French and American clones in the coolest climates, from Casablanca Valley to San Antonio and Leyda (a sub-zone of San Antonio) near the Pacific Ocean. As a whole the wines show beautiful varietal purity, from spearmint and melon in Casablanca to kiwi, pink grapefruit and gooseberry for the San Antonio examples.
The best examples at the tasting included:
2009 Amayna (San Antonio Valley-Leyda)
2009 Casa Silva "Cool Coast" (Colchagua)
2009 Cono Sur "Vision" Loma Roja Block (Casablanca)
These three wines are exceptional and offer great evidence of the brilliance of this variety in Chile. The Amayna, from immaculately farmed vineyards at this gorgeous estate less than seven miles from the Pacific offers intense gooseberrry and stone fruit flavors, lovely texture, vibrant acidity and great persistence in the lengthy finish. Winemaker Claudia Gomez has made this wine into one of the top four or five in the country by emphasizing the influence of the razor's edge climate in Leyda. At a suggested retail of $20, this may be the finest Sauvignon Blanc value in the world.
I wrote about the Casa Silva wine in a post this past December; the wine mirrors the Amayna in its aromatic complexity and vareital purity; it is only slightly less racy in its profle. Getting a Sauvignon Blanc this good from Colchagua, normally known for its big red wines, is a wonderful development for Chile. (Suggested retail $23)
The Cono Sur is amazingly fruity with appealing pink grapefruit aromatics. The texture on this wine is gorgeous, while the acidity is pinpoint. This is, in a word, delicious. I recently tasted a 2006 Vision Sauvignon Blanc from Cono Sur and it was in fine shape, so look for this wine to drink well for 3-5 years. (SRP $15- a steal. If I owned a wine bar, I'd invest in this as soon as possible.)
CARMENERE
Chile's own grape, Carmenere is finally starting to realize the promise it can deliver. Originally confused with Merlot, it has now been 15 years since it was correctly identified as a separate variety that had been brought over from Bordeaux in the nineteenth century.
Growers now plant Carmenere in better sites, as they realize the grape needs a warm climate to ripen fully and display its fruit as well as signature spice (Colchagua Valley has become a leading area for the grape.) Too many versions in the previous decade were overly herbaceous, but more and more versions now display proper ripeness and well as excellent complexity.
Among the best at the tasting were:
2008 Terra Andina Reserva (Rapel) ($13)
2007 Montes "Alpha" (Colchagua) ($25)
2005 Santa Rita "Pehuen" (Apalta, Colchagua) ($65)
2008 Errazuriz Single Vineyard (Aconcagua) ($20- excellent value)
The Santa Rita is ont of the most intense examples of Carmenere in the country; this could become one of Chile's signature wines. For me, the Errazuriz is the most pleasant surprise; this is a dynamic wine - big and bold with great spice. What a powerful wine that offers superb balance! This should peak in another 7-10 years and it is an amazing value for $20. You'd have to spend two to three times that for simiilar quality from a Napa or Bordeaux red.
SYRAH
While Syrah has really never caught on in California, the variety is becoming more important each year in Chile. "You will see a lot of Syrah in Chile in the coming years," Alfonso Unduraga, commercial director for Koyle, a new wine project, told me. "The wines have beautiful color and structure."
Indeed the Syrah grape seems to love the warmth of the Chilean sunshine. My favorites at the tasting included:
2007 Koyle (Maipo/Colchagua) ($17)
2007 Antu (Colchagua) ($21)
2006 Maycas (Limari) ($23)
2008 Amayna (San Antonio-Leyda) ($35)
2006 Lapostolle "Cuvee Alexandre" Las Kuras (Colchagua) ($30)
Each of these wines offered very good ripeness and balance with good varietal character. To me, these are crowd-pleasing wines, as the are rich and ripe without the tannic bittterness of a young Cabernet Sauvignon. The Amayna, from a very cool climate, displays bright fruit and sleek acidity. Look for even bigger and better things with Chilean Syrah.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
To date, the most celebrated wines of Chile have been the Cabernet Sauvignons and blends dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. The most famous of these have been from the Alto Maipo, located some 30 miles southeast of Santiago. The reds here are most often identified by the purity of their fruit along with their supple tannins. Among my favorites at the tasting included:
2008 Peñalolen (Maipo Valley) ($18)
2006 Santa Ema "Catalina" - blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc (Cachapoal) ($40)
2005 Santa Rita "Casa Real" (Maipo) ($75)
The Peñalolen is a particularly flavorful wine for the price and offers nice richness, while the Santa Ema has a silky elegance with the Santa Rita Casa Real displaying the breeding and structure of old vines in the heart of Maipo Valley.
A final note on this tasting:
There was an excellent array of wines in various price ranges and styles; overall this was a noteworthy presentation of the state of Chilean wine today. However, I wish more winery representatives from Chile were in attendance! I realize that harvest is still going on in some regions, but Claudia Gomez did attend, so I thought there might be other winemakers as well. However, if harvest is a problem, perhaps the tasting should be moved one way or another.
Several wineries sent along a commercial director from Chile in lieu of their winemaker, which is just fine, as these people deal with the wines on an everyday basis. Kudos to Santa Ema, Santa Rita and Koyle, just to name a few, for doing this.
But too many wines were being poured by distributor salespeople. Most were helpful and could answer my questions, but let's face it, these people, no matter how knowledgeable, are not directly tied in to the wineries. I realize that as a writer, I have a lot of questions and attend an event such as this to make contacts in the business. But I have to think that consumers who attended the tasting later in the evening, also want that personal touch. You want to see the Chileans who work with these wines on a daily basis, not a local salesperson.
I realize that it's impossible to get every winery set up that way, as personal schedules sometimes get in the way. But attend most specialized tastings of French and Italian wines and you get those individuals to show up and pour their wines. The same should be true for the Chileans.
Chile clearly has world-class wines, but the fact of the matter is that there just isn't the excitement caused by these wines, as with bottlings from Napa Valley, France, Italy or Spain. Maybe that's not fair, but that's the reality. So the Chileans need to go first-class with their events and do all the can to get the trade and consumers excited about their products. One way to do that is for winery associates to attend the tastings and press the flesh. People love that immediacy and they can identify an individual with his or her wine. They can't do that with a local salesperson.
Categories: Wine Blogs in English
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