The improvement in Chilean wines continues to impress. Many of you will be familiar with our Nostros and Tabali ranges and we have now unearthed another wonderful producer to add to our range. It is one of the leading producers in Chile, but the name is something of a surprise.
Norwegian born ship owner (armador) Dan Odfjell fell in love with the Maipo region south west of the capital Santiago 20 years ago and bought some land which was turned over to vineyards in the late 1990s. The ethos from the outset was for minimal intervention in the vineyards and with the construction of Chile's first gravity flow winery, Odfjell is well placed to make great wines.
The Armador Carmenere shows the potential of this variety when fully ripe. If you have had slight 'green' wine made from Carmenere in the past, I would encourage you to try this wine. It has dark, concentrated fruit with toffee and caramel notes followed by blackberry and raspberry fruit with licquorice and coffee on the finish.
The Armador Syrah is rich with luscious fruit. It has aromas of figs, redcurrants and spice with juicy strawberry and cherry fruity and great freshness. The Armador wines are amazing value at £7.99. It is very rare to find quality like this at this price.
The Odfjell Orzada Carignan is a little more expensive at £11.99, but has a wow factor that shows what value it still represents. The 2004 is elegant and mature with complex aromas of leather, licquorice and mushrooms. It has flavours of vanilla and blackcurrant on the palate with ripe tannins giving a long complex finish. This is truly a special wine.
Friday, 27 November 2009
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Pinot Noir, The Most Noble Grape
As grape varieties go, Pinot Noir can be the most rewarding, disappointing and frustrating for wine-makers. It produces some of the most expensive and sought-after wines and yet until recently it has proved difficult to make anything other than exclusive, expensive wine.
The home of Pinot Noir is of course Burgundy where all red wine is made from this single variety. In small, manually intensive vineyards set in limestone hills these hand crafted wines are capable of elegance, finesse and great ageing potential. On the downside they can be thin and tannic when young and as a general rule of thumb, don't drink a red Burgundy with less than three years ageing.
While in northern Italy (Pinot Nero) and California (One of my favourites is Clos du Val) have been producing good Pinot Noir for many years, in general the new world wine countries have stuggled in vain to make a success of this variety. The vines prefer a cooler climate then most and are notoriously difficult to cultivate. New Zealand started to have some success in the 1990's with a younger, lighter, more fruity style of wine.
In recent years Chile has really come to the fore in producing excellent inexpensive Pinot Noir. Tabali Pinot Noir from the Limari Valley in northern Chile has great depth and complexity and the new 2007 vintage is the best yet. Nostros Pinot Noir from Casablanca west of Santiago has cracked the making of this variety at a low price. At £5.99 this really is exceptional value, smooth with enough interest to make you want to keep sipping.
With it's trademark farmyard nose, elegant style and subtle fruit, Pinot Noir is a grape variety worth getting to know. From Sancerre rose, fine Burgundies to great value Chilean it is a variety that intrigues and can be most rewarding.
You can find more about Pinot Noir and a great range of wines at Talking Wines.
As grape varieties go, Pinot Noir can be the most rewarding, disappointing and frustrating for wine-makers. It produces some of the most expensive and sought-after wines and yet until recently it has proved difficult to make anything other than exclusive, expensive wine.
The home of Pinot Noir is of course Burgundy where all red wine is made from this single variety. In small, manually intensive vineyards set in limestone hills these hand crafted wines are capable of elegance, finesse and great ageing potential. On the downside they can be thin and tannic when young and as a general rule of thumb, don't drink a red Burgundy with less than three years ageing.
While in northern Italy (Pinot Nero) and California (One of my favourites is Clos du Val) have been producing good Pinot Noir for many years, in general the new world wine countries have stuggled in vain to make a success of this variety. The vines prefer a cooler climate then most and are notoriously difficult to cultivate. New Zealand started to have some success in the 1990's with a younger, lighter, more fruity style of wine.
In recent years Chile has really come to the fore in producing excellent inexpensive Pinot Noir. Tabali Pinot Noir from the Limari Valley in northern Chile has great depth and complexity and the new 2007 vintage is the best yet. Nostros Pinot Noir from Casablanca west of Santiago has cracked the making of this variety at a low price. At £5.99 this really is exceptional value, smooth with enough interest to make you want to keep sipping.
With it's trademark farmyard nose, elegant style and subtle fruit, Pinot Noir is a grape variety worth getting to know. From Sancerre rose, fine Burgundies to great value Chilean it is a variety that intrigues and can be most rewarding.
You can find more about Pinot Noir and a great range of wines at Talking Wines.
Friday, 4 September 2009
Owning a Vineyard
As a shipper and wholesaler of wines, I am constantly given details of vineyards who would like to sell their wine to us. At Talking Wines we are very choosy about which wines we select and most leads don't get very far. We judge wines by thei character and sense of place, but also value for money in the world wine market. It is only by having these strict criteria that we have been able to put together the range that has built our successful business.
lastyear one of our hotel customers passed on details of an English couple who have bought a vineyard in Corbieres. We agreed for samples to be sent, but without high expectations. On tasting however, the wines were superb and we have been selling them ever since. Not only are the wines of Chateau Haute-Fontane great, but Penny and Paul Dudson are charming people and a pleasure to do business with.
Penny and Paul moved from Oxfordshire to France in July 2007 after 20 years working in finance. The 30 hectare estate is in the Corbieres maritime, inland from Narbonne making about 200,000 bottles a year. They face the challenges of all small winemakers - the vaguaries of the weather and the damage caused by wild boar. It is a certaily a hard life, but with its rewards. They have started the process of moving towards organic production as well as having buildings on the estate converted into holiday lets. It has been a hectic few years at Chateau Haute-Fontaine.
We list four of their wines. Chateau Haute-Fontane Corbieres Blanc is a zingy fresh style with an aromatic nose and a rich palate with real depth made from Granache Blanc, Vermentino and Marsanne. The most popular wine, especially in the summer has been Chateau Haute-Fontane Corbieres Rose. It is a dry Grenache Cinsault blend with delicate red fruits and a hint of fennel and spice. The fruity smooth
Chateau Haute-Fontane Corbieres Rouge is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan. It has rich aromas of cassis and herbs with supple tannins, rich forest fruits, hints of leather and tabacco and good length. Chateau Haute-Fontaine Corbieres Grand Reserve is aged in French oak and has great complexity with the fruit balanced by savoury oak and a long finish. It compares very favourably to a Bordeaux at the same price.
Paul and Penny's story is a great tale of two people following their passion. Most importantly, they are making some great ine for us to enjoy. Find out more about Chateau Haute-Fontaine at Talking Wines.
lastyear one of our hotel customers passed on details of an English couple who have bought a vineyard in Corbieres. We agreed for samples to be sent, but without high expectations. On tasting however, the wines were superb and we have been selling them ever since. Not only are the wines of Chateau Haute-Fontane great, but Penny and Paul Dudson are charming people and a pleasure to do business with.
Penny and Paul moved from Oxfordshire to France in July 2007 after 20 years working in finance. The 30 hectare estate is in the Corbieres maritime, inland from Narbonne making about 200,000 bottles a year. They face the challenges of all small winemakers - the vaguaries of the weather and the damage caused by wild boar. It is a certaily a hard life, but with its rewards. They have started the process of moving towards organic production as well as having buildings on the estate converted into holiday lets. It has been a hectic few years at Chateau Haute-Fontaine.
We list four of their wines. Chateau Haute-Fontane Corbieres Blanc is a zingy fresh style with an aromatic nose and a rich palate with real depth made from Granache Blanc, Vermentino and Marsanne. The most popular wine, especially in the summer has been Chateau Haute-Fontane Corbieres Rose. It is a dry Grenache Cinsault blend with delicate red fruits and a hint of fennel and spice. The fruity smooth
Chateau Haute-Fontane Corbieres Rouge is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan. It has rich aromas of cassis and herbs with supple tannins, rich forest fruits, hints of leather and tabacco and good length. Chateau Haute-Fontaine Corbieres Grand Reserve is aged in French oak and has great complexity with the fruit balanced by savoury oak and a long finish. It compares very favourably to a Bordeaux at the same price.
Paul and Penny's story is a great tale of two people following their passion. Most importantly, they are making some great ine for us to enjoy. Find out more about Chateau Haute-Fontaine at Talking Wines.
Monday, 24 August 2009
Explore Italian Wine
In a crowded wine world with wines from many countries competing for attention, the variety and complexity of Italian wines still stand out. My recent travels in Italy and tastings have confirmed to me that Italy is still deserving of its place as one of the leading wine producers.
I think the Italians often do themselves a disservice with their labelling which can be most confusing and does not encourage experimentation. With more indigenous grape varieties than any other country and contrasting regional variety it is well worth taking the time to explore beyond the well known names. Despite the strong euro, Italy also remains good value in the UK.
In Piemonte to the north, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Dolcetto dominate the wine landscape. Here the grape variety maybe listed with the area where the wine originates such as Barbera d'Alba. I recently tasted Il Cascinone Barbera Rive which has rich fruit balanced by fresh acidity and subtle oak with a lovely smooth velvety finish. In Veneto to the north east, Valpollicella and Amarone are blends of several varieties such as Corvina, Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara. Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) is also found here.
In mid Italy Montepulciano features strongly in the east and Sangiovese is the principal grape of Chianti in Tuscany to the west. Further south in Puglia, Primitivo and Negroamaro are the leading varieties. The best recent example I have sampled is the Salento Rosso Valle Cupa from Vinicola Apollonio. This is a Primitivo, Negroamaro blend with intense dark berry fruit and a long, complex finish.
Nero d'Avola also deserves a mention as the most planted black grape in Sicily which can be rich and powerfu, but also with a soft sweet finish. These are just the principal black grapes! Italian wine is a journey of discovery which seldom dissapoints.
View Talking Wines Italian range at http://www.talkingwines.co.uk/range.asp?id=62
I think the Italians often do themselves a disservice with their labelling which can be most confusing and does not encourage experimentation. With more indigenous grape varieties than any other country and contrasting regional variety it is well worth taking the time to explore beyond the well known names. Despite the strong euro, Italy also remains good value in the UK.
In Piemonte to the north, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Dolcetto dominate the wine landscape. Here the grape variety maybe listed with the area where the wine originates such as Barbera d'Alba. I recently tasted Il Cascinone Barbera Rive which has rich fruit balanced by fresh acidity and subtle oak with a lovely smooth velvety finish. In Veneto to the north east, Valpollicella and Amarone are blends of several varieties such as Corvina, Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara. Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) is also found here.
In mid Italy Montepulciano features strongly in the east and Sangiovese is the principal grape of Chianti in Tuscany to the west. Further south in Puglia, Primitivo and Negroamaro are the leading varieties. The best recent example I have sampled is the Salento Rosso Valle Cupa from Vinicola Apollonio. This is a Primitivo, Negroamaro blend with intense dark berry fruit and a long, complex finish.
Nero d'Avola also deserves a mention as the most planted black grape in Sicily which can be rich and powerfu, but also with a soft sweet finish. These are just the principal black grapes! Italian wine is a journey of discovery which seldom dissapoints.
View Talking Wines Italian range at http://www.talkingwines.co.uk/range.asp?id=62
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
