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Australia: Tasting The Diversity
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Shining a light on the diversity of Australian wine
Our annual Australia growers tasting came round all too fast this year. It only felt like five minutes ago when we were in Cheltenham last year; but then they do say that time flies when you’re having fun going to lots of Wine Society tastings.
On this occasion, buyer Pierre Mansour decided to highlight the diversity of Australian wines, and the effects that the climate, soil – that whole bundle of environmental factors that the French neatly define as terroir – of Australia’s many wine regions can have on the wines.
To a great extent it is the proliferation of mass-market wines which dominates the entry-level sector of the UK wine-trade that has (perhaps) given Australia an image of an industrial wine-producing nation. However the quality of wine from small-scale, family-run growers is outstanding as was evidenced by the wines on show at the tasting.
The tasting also served to highlight the shift in wine style made by many producers. Gone were the over-extracted, dense reds and highly alcoholic, heavily-oaked whites. In their place were fresher, more delicate, lovely whites such as the Tahbilk Viognier, 2011 and the Plantagenet Riesling, 2010; both at a much more reasonable 12.5% abv.
d'Arenberg's show-stopping The Beautiful View Grenache won many admirers
Amongst the reds there were the elegant, but still muscular Fraser Gallop Cabernet-Merlot, 2009 from the Margaret River, and Sandro Mosele’s Burgundy-styled Kooyong Massale Pinot Noir, 2010 from Victoria. For those who prefer their reds a bit more beefy, there was plenty on offer with Mount Langhi’s stirring selection: Billi Billi Shiraz, 2008 and The Society’s Exhibition Victoria Shiraz, 2006 both packed in plenty of rich, plummy fruit and peppery spice.
Peter Lehmann’s Stonewell Shiraz, 2006 (£30 a bottle), d’Arenberg’s The Beautiful View Grenache, 2009 (£38) and Leeuwin’s Prelude Chardonnay, 2009 (£23) all represented the top end of Australia’s wine production, and what treats they were.
Speaking of treats, a wine not to be missed was the Bleasdale Sparkling Shiraz, a rich, chocolatey, off-dry shiraz, which was…. fizzy. So wrong, and yet, so right! Apparently it works a treat with chocolate cake, but unfortunately there was none available on the night – I’ll keep you posted.
All in all there was an eclectic mix of reds and whites, sparkling and fortified which highlighted brilliantly just what Australia has to offer wine lovers everywhere at any budget.
Many of these wines feature in our current Australian Excellence offer (which runs until 20th May 2012).
Emma Howat
Tastings & Events Co-ordinator
Meerlust & The Amazing Mr Hannes Myburgh
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Hannes Myburgh
Despite having studied oenology, Hannes was keen to point out that he was not a wine-maker (that accolade goes to Chris Williams, who has been the Cellar master at Meerlust since 2004 when he took over from Georgio della Cia; prior to that, Chris had been Assistant Winemaker since 1995). Hannes sees himself more as the custodian of a seventeenth-century national monument or, as he puts it, the farm. Hannes is the eighth generation of the Myburgh family to run the estate – a stunning example of Cape Dutch architecture – and as he put it so succinctly, sometimes he has to pinch himself as he just can’t believe he lives in such a beautiful place.
The Myburghs have been making wine on the estate since 1756 – the year Mozart was born.
Members enjoying the wines
Next we tried the Meerlust Estate Red, 2009, a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. This wine is made up of younger estate-grown fruit not yet of sufficient quality for inclusion in the flagship blend, Rubicon. This is a big, rich juicy wine ideal for curling up with next to a block of good-quality cheddar – or is that just me? Next came the Meerlust Estate Cabernet, 2009, and then the Meerlust Estate Kentridge Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004, Limited Edition which came in magnum. Both were beautifully made, with the 2004 showing a little more age and complexity as a result of its age and perhaps the larger bottle.
What surprised us all, though in hindsight perhaps it shouldn’t have done, was how Bordeaux-like these wines were. Obviously they had more ripe cassis fruit than one might expect from France, but there were the underlying cigar box and cedar notes so typical of good Bordeaux as well.
From this point on we were fully immersed in the world of Meerlust’s Rubicon wines, and what a pleasant place to be it was. The phrase ‘crossing the Rubicon’ originated from when Caesar’s army crossed the Rubicon River in 49BC, considered at the time to be an act of insurrection. Apparently Hannes’ father and his friend came up with the name when discussing the idea of producing a new Bordeaux blend – something which had never been done in South Africa until that point, and which was mightily frowned upon by the other winemakers in the area.
The flight of Rubicons, including the maiden 1984 vintage
So, what did I learn about Meerlust on that Monday evening? Well, firstly, not to think of South Africa as a modern wine-making country. Secondly that Meerlust’s wines, and the Rubicon’s in particular will last as long as you have the will power to keep them.
And thirdly, along with many of the other ladies, and perhaps some of the men there that evening, I am now nursing a little crush on the amazing Mr Hannes Myburgh!
Emma Howat
Tastings & Events Co-ordinator
Tasting New Discoveries
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The Tastings team started the New Year with our ‘New Discoveries’ tastings, in which we highlighted some of the many new additions to the List. In all there were 20 wines, a healthy mix of wines that are brand-new to The Society and new vintages of old favourites.
Amongst the whites the styles ranged from the lighter – a new grüner veltliner from Austria’s Weingut Stadt Krems and the Chablis Premier Cru Jean-Marc Brocard – to the more gutsy: Château de Cazeneuve’s Coteaux de Languedoc Blanc and the Silbador Gewürztraminer from Chile.
The reds were mostly on the lighter side – The Exhibition Monthélie really stood out as being just like pinot noir from Burgundy should be: light, pretty, with that earthy character which is sadly all too often missing from pinots from that region. It provided an excellent foil to the Prophet’s Rock Pinot from New Zealand, which was still elegant, but showed the other, more masculine side of the variety. The Costières de Nîmes, Domaine Galus and Los Vascos Colchagua Cabernet Sauvignon brought a little muscle to the tasting, and were direct evidence, if it were needed, of just how busy Toby and Marcel (the buyers for South America and Rhône and the Languedoc respectively) have been recently.
The difficult 'mystery wine': Manfredi's Nebbiolo d'Alba
The elusive mystery wine caused some confusion as always – it’s so much easier to guess the grape variety and country of origin when you know what the wine is! Many people thought the wine was from the Southern hemisphere (New Zealand was a popular choice) and pinot noir was the most popular guess on the grape variety. It was, in fact, Manfredi’s Nebbiolo d’Alba, 2008, from Piedmont (£7.50 a bottle). The winners were: Mrs Su-a Lee (Edinburgh), Stuart Williamson (Newcastle), Graham Anderson (Worcester) and Michael Meara (Derby).
As always at the end of the night we took the vote for the favourite wine of the evening. Whilst there were as always a couple of staunch favourites, the lovely thing about doing the vote is that is shows just how diverse members’ taste actually is: the favourite wine on one evening quite often scores low on the following night. How dull it would be if we all liked the same wine!
The votes went as follows: in Edinburgh the favourite wine was Koyle Reserva Carmenère, followed closely by the Costières de Nîmes. In Newcastle it was the Prophet’s Rock Pinot Noir which won hands down, with the Silbador Gewürztraminer in second place. In Worcester the winners were the opposite way round, the Silbador in first place and the pinot second. In Derby New Zealand ruled the roost, with the Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc taking pole position (closely followed by the Prophets Rock pinot).
You can view the full line-up of wines tasted on our website.
All in all a great way to start the New Year – the detox can start in February!
Emma Howat
Tastings & Events Co-ordinator
The Great Exhibition
Posted by: | CommentsOur final walk-around tastings of the year were in Lewes, Southampton and Chelmsford where we showed a range of our Exhibition wines.
Created for our 125th anniversary in 1999, the Exhibition Range is a group of wines blended and selected as flagship examples of the different regions and styles they represent: a ‘look-no-further-than’ wine list made by a roll-call of top growers with whom The Society works.
The venues
Pouring the wines in Lewes
The wines
Perhaps most importantly, the wines showed well on all three nights. As always, there were huge differences between the winners at each tasting. We still don’t fully understand how it is a wine which is voted the favourite on one evening can be awarded the wooden spoon the next. Answers on a postcard, please!
In Lewes the favourite white was the Exhibition Hermitage Blanc, 2007: a real treat of a white from Jean-Louis Chave – rich, full-flavoured, creamy – the perfect accompaniment to the Christmas turkey. For reds, the vote went to the Mendoza Malbec, 2009: a big, rich and bramble-fruited wine from Catena, with hints of mocha on the finish – the perfect wine to warm you up.
In Southampton it was the Exhibition French Cabernet Sauvignon which came top, a lovely, un-prepossessing French red which provides great value for money and heaps of character. The Exhibition Martinborough Pinot Noir from Craggy Range came second, no surprise really as it was showing so well on the night: packed with the crushed summer fruits you might expect from good-quality New Zealand pinot, but with real structure and an almost French-style earthiness. It is worth noting that the noisiest vote, however, was for the Crusted Port!
Chelmsford’s overall winner was yet again the Exhibition French Cabernet, and the winning white was the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This is made for us by Jane Hunter OBE and encapsulates the zesty citrus and gooseberry fruit and feisty character one would expect from classic Marlborough sauvignon.
We hope all those who attended enjoyed themselves and the wines.
Emma Howat
Tastings & Events Co-ordinator
The Wine and Cheese Workshop
Posted by: | CommentsEarlier this month I was Joined by Olli of The Fine Cheese Company and 45 members to spend a Saturday morning exploring the merits and pitfalls of pairing cheese and wine.
For a general theme on which we could base the workshop, we decided to pit French and English cheeses against one another. Whilst intended to be very tongue in cheek, this approach did throw up some interesting observations as to how far English cheeses have come in terms of sheer quality and range over the last decade. Whilst France did produce some beautiful well-made cheeses, the English cheeses were the stars of the show.
This being a cheese and wine matching workshop, we divided the cheeses into four pairs. First came the goat’s cheeses, Saint Maure from France and the English Ragstone, which work fantastically well with sauvignon blanc; here we tried the Reuilly, La Ferte from the Loire, and dry white wines with high acidity – the English wine Midsummer Hill was an excellent match.
Second we had the soft, bloomy cheeses with a Fougerus from France alongside an English Brie: here we matched the Fougerus with the Au Bon Climat Chardonnay from California, and the Sharpham Brie with Domaine de Escaravailles’ Rasteau. Next came the hard cheeses; a Cantal from France versus the award-winning Wooky Hole Cheddar from Somerset. These fuller-flavoured cheeses needed gutsier wines so we turned to the red wines. Help came in the form of Momo, a tempranillo from Spain, and The Society’s Exhibition French Cabernet Sauvignon.
We finished off the day with the blue cheeses, France’s Forme d’Ambert, and Stichelton. Relatively light and delicate, the Forme d’Ambert called for a sweet wine which wouldn’t overpower it, so we plumped for The Society’s Exhibition Sauternes, working on the salt/savoury and sweet theory. The Stichelton called for something far more powerful, so we turned to the classic combination of Port and Stilton, choosing The Society’s Crusted Port for the finale.
Apart from enjoying spending a morning in the company of fellow cheese lovers, we also learnt a few things, mainly….
- When looking to match cheese and wine the most important thing is to be aware of balance. Match cheese and wine of equal weights, or one will overpower the other.
- Either match like with like – the creaminess in the brie was matched with the creaminess in the Au Bon Climat Chardonnay – or go for the opposites attract philosophy: the extreme saltiness and savouriness of blue cheese works very well with a sweeter wine.
- Salt makes tannins in a wine appear harsh, so choose a red with plenty of fruit.
- When looking to make a cheese board, try pairing one amazing cheese with one wine that will match it beautifully – it’s very difficult to find one wine which will work well with the array of cheeses you usually find on a cheese board.
- Look to the classics for inspiration: Port and Stilton, sauvignon blanc and goat’s cheese, gewurztraminer and Munster from Alsace: these regional partnerships have worked together since time immemorial for a reason.
- Enjoy experimenting – after all, that’s the only way you really get to figure out what works for you!
Emma Howat
Tastings & Events Co-ordinator
The Society currently stocks four cheese and wine selections for Christmas, which can be viewed here.
‘Tis the Season!
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Emma Howat
The ‘Tis the Season tastings were designed to take the stress and hassle out of this time of year. In a break from the usual formats of The Wine Society’s tastings, the events were divided not by style or region, but by festive event: aperitifs – Champagne, Cava and Sherry – were followed by the party wine section in which we suggested crowd-pleasing reds and whites on a more modest budget which can be drunk in any occasion.
The Christmas Day selection recongised that this day is always the perfect opportunity to treat yourself to something a bit special, whilst the Boxing Day and beyond section showcased wines to liven up those inevitable turkey leftovers. Finally we showed some fortified and sticky wines with which you can curl up on the sofa; perfect for when everyone has finally gone to bed, and you have a moment to sit and engage in the quiet contemplation of a box of chocolates.
The Bradford tasting was a relaxed and informal gathering, and with only 45 members there, all had ample opportunity to try all the wines and discuss their relative merits at length. There was a great atmosphere and everyone seemed to find at least one wine that they really liked. Following the tasting the three of us from The Society went in search of a good curry, never hard to find in Bradford, and I am pleased to announce that following some rigorous testing, the 2009 Bruno Sorg Gewurztraminer is indeed a good match.
It’s been a few years since we were last at King’s Lynn, and it was great to see such a good turnout of members, all of whom again seemed to be enjoying themselves. We held the tasting at the Town Hall’s Assembly Rooms, a beautiful venue which whilst being on the cosy side, made the tasting all the more friendly!
Bleasdale's 'The Wise One' Tawny once again showed its festive credentials
Glasgow’s tasting took place in the Trades’ Hall in the Merchant City, in a beautiful old, wood-panelled hall. There were 150 of us in all and the evening was much more raucous than Perth (in a good way of course, being members of The Society!). Here the noisiest vote went to the Bleasdale’s ‘The Wise One’ Tawny. This fortified wine is another example of what fantastic wines are being produced in Australia, albeit with a slightly scary label (if you’ve seen it you’ll know what I mean!).
Thanks to all members who attended. We had a fantastic time and hope you found some great wines to enjoy this festive season.
Emma Howat
Tastings & Events Co-ordinator
The Wines of Burgundy at Le Clos des Capucins, Montreuil
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This was the first time that we’d been back to Le Clos des Capucins since husband and wife team Guillaume and Isabelle Duvivier had taken it on so we were quite intrigued to see what it would be like.
The theme of the night was the wines of Burgundy, and so the menu was themed accordingly. As there isn’t much choice as to grape variety (it’s really either chardonnay or pinot noir with this one), we decided to try and show wines from as many of the communes north to south as was possible within the framework of the dinner.
It being a dreary night – the best kind of night to have a nice dinner on as it gives you something to smile about – we couldn’t take our aperitif outside as we have done before, so everyone took their glass of Chablis seated at their tables, giving them a chance to meet their dining partners for the evening. Realising that the room was quite small and that the noise levels over the dinner would inevitably rise, I decided to talk about all the wines in one fell swoop, so whilst everyone sipped I talked about the different communes and the wines we would be tasting that evening – it was then the challenge of the evening to remember the salient facts for each wine as it came round.
At the end of the evening as always we took a vote for the favourite wine of the evening. The Volnay was the hands down winner: still relatively youthful despite its age, it was rich and elegantly fruity, and made the perfect accompaniment to the Epoisses. A cheese whose bark is definitely worse than its bite, (or in this case, its smell is of old socks), but it tastes sweet, mellow and quite frankly divine!
The food was delicious, and the wines showed really well and seemed to work in harmony with each dish. The full list of what was eaten and drank is here.
Wine of the night: Volnay Premier Cru Chevrets, Domaine Henri Boillot, 2006
Oriental crayfish brochette
Chablis, Premier Cru Montmains, Domaine William Fèvre, 2006
Menu:
Quail salad with truffle
Macon Vergisson, Joseph Burrier, 2009
Lobster stew
Puligny Montrachet, Premier Cru Les Referts, Etienne Sauzet, 2008
(The 2007 is currently available here)
Fillet of veal with escargot aioli
Nuits St Georges, Premier Cru Les Pruliers, Jean Grivot, 2001
Epoisses
Volnay Premier Cru Les Chevrets, Domaine Henri Boillot, 2006
Chocolat fantasy with marc de Bourgogne sorbet
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Domaine des Bernadins, 2009
Emma Howat
Tastings & Events Co-ordinator
Bordeaux Without Breaking the Bank
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Isn’t it funny that whenever any one mentions Bordeaux we all immediately think of First Growths and Grand Cru Classé wines, which only actually make up three to five percent of what Bordeaux produces?
For this set of events we decided that we would concentrate on those Bordeaux wines which we all most commonly drink (that is, on a day-to-day basis), rather than showing those beyond the normal budget of most mere mortals.
Joined by The Society’s wine buyer for Bordeaux, Joanna Locke MW, and Wine Tutor and expert on all things Bordeaux, Laura Clay, we set off on a voyage of Bordelaise discovery to Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham.
We showed a range of wines, eighteen in total, with three whites, two of which were oaked to varying degrees, thirteen reds, and two sweet whites. Star appearances were made from the Côtes de Blaye and Bourg; Montagne-St.-Emilion; Castillon; Entre-Deux-Mers and Graves, whilst the there were many heated debates over the relative merits of Barsac vs St. Croix du Mont for the production of sweet wines.
Currently the CIVB (Le Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux or Bordeaux Wine Council) is promoting the idea of pairing wines from Bordeaux with food, so when we informed them of our plans for the latest Bordeaux tasting, they mentioned that if we provided some suitable nibbles they would cover part of the costs involved. Thus we found ourselves in The Parc Hotel in Cardiff trying to cube four kilos of cheddar and plate up a Biblical quantity of party nibbles in record time – a feat we quickly realised could not be achieved in any kind of record time. The following day, having learnt from our mistakes, a quick call (or perhaps more aptly a cry for help) was made to the Waitroses in Bristol and Birmingham who very kindly agreed to cut the cheeses up for us in advance. To the poor person working on the dairy counter on those particular days we offer our heartfelt thanks!
Valerie Bassereau from Château de la Grave
As a general rule (although I’m sure if we’d taken a straw-poll there would have been many members who would have vehemently disagreed), the merlot-dominated reds such as the Château Bourjaud 2007 worked really well with the ham and the milder of the two salamis; whilst the cabernet-dominated reds tended to be fabulous with the cheddars and roast beef. In the case of the whites, especially the two which had seen some oak, the goat’s cheese and smoked salmon nibbles went down very well – the Château de la Grave Grains Fins was especially good.
And finally onto the sweet wines – after all, I was always taught to try and save the best till last! The Society’s Exhibition Sauternes 2008 was as good as ever; we tried pairing it with a relatively mild and creamy Stilton and the combination of salt and sweet worked a treat.
To be fair, it was also stunning with the lemon tart, but as one member in Cardiff announced “The Château la Grave 2005 with the tart is a match made in heaven.” I tried it too (on all three nights just to be sure) and I have to say, I think he was absolutely right!
Click here to view all of the wines shown at these tastings.
Emma Howat
Tastings & Events Co-ordinator
Chile: Tastes as Broad as the Country is Long
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The Society’s annual Chilean tasting was just what was needed to lift everyone’s spirits as a wet and windy Monday brought autumn into sharp relief.
The first tasting was held at Delfina Galleries on Bermondsey Street (the first time we’d had a tasting south of the river in a few years) and the second at Freemasons’ Hall in Manchester.
Many of the usual suspects were there, both members and winemakers alike. Thanks especially to the member in Manchester who informed me that he was planning to attend two of the Society’s tastings taking place across the country within the space of a week – now that’s dedication!
The wines did not disappoint: the broad range of wine styles on offer really showed the diversity of what Chile had to offer. It’s really no wonder that Toby Morrhall, the Society’s buyer for South America, describes Chile as one of his favourite places to buy wines. As many will know, Toby’s efforts were recognised only recently by the International Wine Challenge, who awarded The Society ‘Specialist Merchant of the Year’ for Chile (Toby’s reaction can be read here).
Highlights from the tasting – and there were many – included the chardonnays and syrahs from the Límari Valley. It is now well-known that this is now perhaps the place to grow chardonnay in Chile, and we now source our own-label examples from the area. Tabalí’s Reserva Especial Syrah 2008 showed off the promise that syrah has found in the region, its lovely perfume and gentle spice straddling the great divide between Aussie blockbusters and the more restrained syrahs from the northern Rhône. You can read more about Límari here.
Viña Leyda Lot 21 Pinot Noir, 2008
With the growers present themselves we decided it would be bad form taking a straw poll as to the favourite wine of the night! Just for the record however, I would have to say mine was the Viña Leyda Lot 21 Pinot Noir, 2008. A bit on the pricier side I have to admit, but the closest thing I have come to a red Burgundy from this area in terms of the lightness of touch and fragrance. I think I may have found a new ‘Saturday night wine.’
We thoroughly enjoyed showing off what Chile has to offer, and look forward to doing so again next year. Given the pace of the country’s wine industry, who knows what will be on show then? As Toby himself says, each time he goes to Chile he is amazed by the dynamic and enterprising approach the winemakers take to their craft – always on the lookout for the next terroir or the next ‘hot’ (or indeed ‘cool’) variety.
Click here to view all of the wines shown at this tasting.
Emma Howat
Tastings & Events Co-ordinator
Wines For Summer Drinking
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Three Choirs' popular rosé performed well...
This certainly did seem to be the case as we headed down to Lincoln and Norwich for the last of The Society’s tastings before hanging up the van keys for the month of August.
The irony of the theme for the tastings was not lost on many. “Wines for Summer Drinking” seemed incongruous considering the grey skies above us, but never-the-less the turn out for both events was excellent and the wines did their best to shine, even if the sun didn’t.
Please click here for the list of the wines shown and the wines which won the coveted “Members’ favourites” on the nights.
Emma Howat
Tastings & Events Co-ordinator
