Tasting Eyrie, Oregon’s Pinot pioneer, with Jason Lett

Jason Lett

This week while I was in McMinnville I had a chance to taste through the Eyrie range with Jason Lett. Back in the mid-1960s Jason’s dad, David, planted the first Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley, Oregon (there’s a bit of history, including pictures of the original plantings, here). Jason has been running things since 2005, and these are lovely wines, showing balance and restraint.

The Eyrie Vineyards Chasselas Doré 2016 Dundee Hills, Oregon
9.5% alcohol. Linear, fresh and stony with delightful fresh citrus and pear fruit. Until 2013 picked at normal alcohol levels and it was like oil. But picked green, it produces a lovely wine. Linear, stony, fresh and delicious. Just two long rows, making 80 cases a year. 89/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris 2015 Dundee Hills, Oregon
4000 cases made: the real workhorse of the winery. Lovely richness here with some ripe apple and grape characters, as well as some lively spiciness, a hint of honey and some citrus spice notes. David Lett introduced Pinot Gris to the USA, from David. There were four plants and so we don’t know what modern clone it corresponds with. Lovely wine. 91/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Original Vines Pinot Gris 2015 Dundee Hills, Oregon
From 1965 and 1974 plantings, made without sulfites. Very fresh and lively but also with some nice texture. Spicy and detailed with a really vital citrussy core, as well as some appley notes. Complex and spicy with lovely weight. Tangerine and lemons, with a lovely textural core to it. Such a distinctive, complex natural wine. 94/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Chardonnay 2015 Dundee Hills, Oregon
Restrained, textural and very fresh with a bit of lively citrus and pear fruit. Subtly nutty with a hint of apple and herb. Complex and finely spiced with nice weight and intensity. Some warmth on the finish. 93/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Original Vines Chardonnay 2014 Dundee Hills, Oregon
Rounded and textural with smooth, ripe apple and citrus fruit. Concentrated and textured with nice finesse. Great concentration, showing some texture, but also some lively citrus fruit on the finish. There’s an inherent richness to this wine. 93/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir 2016 Dundee Hills, Oregon
Primary and expressive with sweet cherry fruit and some citrus. Nice subtly creamy texture with a smooth mouth feel. Supple and fine. 88/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Trousseau 2015 Dundee Hills, Oregon
Fine and sweetly fruited on the nose with black tea and fine herbs. The palate is fine and a bit herby with some spiciness. A bit mousy on the finish. Tastes very natural. Not massively mousy, but there’s a bit there. 88/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Meunier 2014 Dundee Hills, Oregon
1965 and 1979 plantings, with more of the latter. Fresh, fine, lively raspberry and red cherry fruit nose. Fine, nervy and expressive. Fresh red fruits palate with lovely green hints and a nice herby edge. Juicy and delicious. 92/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir 2015 Willamette Valley, Oregon
3500 cases. Supple, fine and sweet with lovely fresh, expressive red cherry and plum fruit. Nice texture here, but also some freshness. Fine, juicy and lively. Drinkable with some seriousness. 93/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Sisters Pinot Noir 2014 Dundee Hills, Oregon
All of the single vineyards Pinot Noirs are fully destemmed and have 18% new oak. A blend of the two different parts of the vineyard: volcanic and sedimentary. Lifted aromatic sweet cherry fruit with subtle, spicy herbal hints. Lovely juiciness and structure with fine spicy notes. Has a spicy warmth on the finish. 93/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Outcrop Pinot Noir 2014 Dundee Hills, Oregon
250 feet high, with a mix of six different soils. Fine herbs on the nose with some sweet cherry and berry fruits. There’s some herby detail here, too. Expressive and quite spicy with a touch of wildness. Lovely fresh, slightly sappy edge. 93/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Roland Green Pinot Noir 2014 Dundee Hills, Oregon
This is 540-720 feet, with volcanic soils. Supple and expressive with a cedary, spicy edge to the juicy cherry and berry fruits. Has a lively fruit character with nicely grippy structure and real finesse. Lovely wine with fine tannic structure. 94/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Daphne Pinot Noir 2014 Dundee Hills, Oregon
At the top of the Dundee Hills at 775-890 feet. This has a lovely juicy purity to it, with fresh supple raspberry and cherry fruit. There’s some nice fruit sweetness here. Very linear and juicy with good purity. Linear and transparent with great acidity. 94/100

The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir Original Vines 2014 Dundee Hills, Oregon
1965-1974 plantings on mixed soils. There’s a savoury, cedary edge to this, with fine red cherries and plums. Fine grained and balanced with a juicy character. Stony and really cedary with lovely finesse. Subtle herby notes, too. A lovely, elegant wine that’s nicely expressive. 94/100

The Eyrie Vineyards South Block Original Vines Pinot Noir 2013 Dundee Hills, Oregon
Finely aromatic nose with some tea, spice and herb notes. Beautifully expressive with a mellow black fruit character as well as some red cherry notes. Elegant and balanced with some warm herby notes as well as a seamless texture, with fine structure. Such an elegant wine. 95/100

The Eyrie Vineyards South Block Original Vines Pinot Noir 1990 Dundee Hills, Oregon
So expressive and complex with a bit of spicy lift and beautifully complex, herb-tinged cherry and plum fruit. Beautifully stony and complex with a saline, spicy twist. Fine-grained with a warm spicy finish. This has lovely elegance and purity. Subtle meat and herb notes. Could age further. 95/100

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/uncategorized/tasting-eyrie-oregons-pinot-pioneer-with-jason-lett

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163641805317

Some wine folk, Oregon and beyond, snapped this week

I’m leaving Oregon tonight after a very successful International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC). Over the course of the last four days, at the celebration and also today in Portland, I met quite a few wine folk. Here are some of them, captured on camera.

Ehren Jordan, of Failla. Making beautifully balanced Californian wines, Ehren began his winemaking career with Jean-Luc Colombo in the Rhône, 25 years ago.   For a long time he was making wines with Turley, leaving in 2013 to concentrate on his own project that he’d been running on the side since 1998.

Duncan Forsyth, of Mount Edward wines in Central Otago. Waving in a slightly threatening way. The Mount Edward wines are generous and elegant at the same time. As well as Pinot. there’s Riesling, Gamay and even Albariñ0, among others.

Cyril Audoin of Domaine Charles Audoin in Marsannay, Burgundy.

China Bize of Domaine Simone Bize in Savigny-les-Beaune, Burgundy.

Chad Stock, making some original and compelling wines in Oregon from the likes of Trousseau Noir, Gruner Veltliner and Pinots Noir and Gris.

Jason Lett, of Domaine Eyrie. One of the Oregon greats.

Jean-Nicolas Meo of famed Burgundy domaine Meo Camuzet, and lately of Nicolas-Jay in Oregon. Very stylish wines.

Jim Clenenden of Au Bon Climat, pioneers of balanced, age worthy Pinot and Chardonnay from California’s central coast. As profiled here recently.

Josh Bergström. Maker of very interesting biodynamically farmed Oregon wine. He has a wife from Beaune!

Gramercy Tavern (NY) sommelier Justin Timsit.

Kate Norris, who together with Thomas Monroe runs the Division Wine Company in Portland, fashioning interesting wines from Oregon and Washington State.

Andrew Beckham of Beckham Estate, an Oregon winery specialising in making wines fermented and aged in terracotta amphorae. Andrew is a ceramics teacher who now produces wine amphorae professionally.

Rajat Parr, the dude. Sandhi, Domaine de la Côte and Evening Land. All exceptional.

Janie Brooks-Hueck of Brooks, who make superb Riesling and Pinot Noir, with several bottlings of each every vintage. The views from their winery tasting room are some of the best in Oregon, too.

 

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/oregon/some-wine-folk-oregon-and-beyond-snapped-this-week

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163633794382

Blending Pinot Noir clones

During the International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon, one of the events is a vineyard visit. The delegates are split into groups and each visits a different vineyard. Our group went to Willakenzie in Yamhill-Carlton.

During the visit we went to the cellar for a fun exercise. We were given three cask samples of the 2016 vintage Pinot Noir, each made from different clones. Our job was to taste them, then make our own blends.

First, 115. This was more bony and structured with nice freshness and brightness. Not so much upfront fruit character, but nice weight and focus.

Then 667. This, on its own, was the most complete of the wines. It was generous and balanced with sweet black fruits, some richness and good texture. Very stylish even at this early stage.

And 777. This is rich and fruit driven. Perhaps a little simple, but with some depth and sweetness. There’s a hint of cola character here, also.

So how do I choose what my blend is? I asked some advice.

‘Where do you want a wine to be?’ asks Willakenzie winemaker Eric Kramer. ‘You can go down the rabbit hole. Have a pretty clear vision and build to it.’

So what’s my goal? I want to make a wine that’s got some structure, but also finesse and elegance. I want something that’s going to develop in bottle, so it can’t give everything away straight away: it can’t just be about pretty sweet fruit.

So I start with a base of 115, and then add 667. I settle on 60:40 115 to 667. It’s quite grippy but there’s some flesh on the bones.

And to compare, 75% 667 and 25% 115. This is fleshier and more generous, but also has a bit of structure.

I decide to leave 777 out altogether, because I don’t think it brings anything to the party, and will just dilute the personality of the wine.

Which is the right blend? It’s hard to say. Only time will tell, and I suspect that there are many good blends, rather than one perfect one. But winemaking consultants, I’m sure, quite like the idea that the perfect blend is out there, and requires a stroke of genius to find.

Ultimately, if you start with great wines, then it’s hard to really mess up. But, still, there is an art to blending.

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/pinot-noir/blending-pinot-noir-clones

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163570826722

Tasting the debut (2000) wines from Quinta de Chocapalha, Lisboa, Portugal

It was a real treat to try the first two wines made from this domaine. Back in 2002 I attended a dinner in the Douro at which several winemakers gathered to present their work. At the time, Sanrda Tavares was the winemaker at Quinta do Vale D Maria, working alongside Cristiano van Zeller. She brought along a wine from her family’s property, which she also made: Chocapalha. This was the debut vintage of the Reserva, and I really liked it. Now, 15 years later on a visit to the domaine, I got to try this wine again, and also the regular Tinto from the debut year. Both were in really good shape, and drinking beautifully.

Quinta de Chocapalha Tinto 2000 Estremadura, Portugal
This was a blend of Castelão, Trincadeira, Camarate and Alicante. 12.5% alcohol. Sappy with some iodine and a bit of spice on the nose. Very elegant, showing some evolution, but this wine has also preserved its cherry and plum fruit well. Such lovely drinking now: elegant, fine, digestible, midweight and fine. 93/100

Quinta de Chocapalha Reserva 2000 Estremadura, Portugal
Varietal Touriga Nacional. Fine, leafy, earthy and gravelly on the nose with lovely inviting aromas of black cherries and plums, as well as some fine green notes. There are hints of mint, herbs and spice. The palate has lovely density and shows grippy, herb-tinged spice and black cherries, with some plums and fine herbs. Complex and nicely dense, this has aged beautifully. 94/100

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/portugal/tasting-the-debut-2000-wines-from-quinta-de-chocapalha-lisboa-portugal

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163488943572

i4C – more interesting Chardonnays from Canada and beyond

Here are some more notes on Chardonnays tasted at the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Symposium (i4C). Many are from Ontario, but there are also wines from other parts of Canada, and a few from other countries, too.

Joie En Famille Reserve Chardonnay 2015 Okanagan Valley, Canada
Ripe, sweetly fruited and nicely textured with pear and ripe apple, and nice sweet fruit. Lively with some nice spiciness. 90/100

Malivoire Moire Chardonnay 2014 Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Canada 
Sweet, supple and textured with lush pear fruit and some apple notes. Nice weight and richness here with a smooth, fine-grained texture and a soft mid-palate. 89/100

Hidden Bench Felseck Vineyard Chardonnay 2014 Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Canada
This block was planted in 1992, and 2014 saw low yields. It’s planted in an east/west direction which seems to retain more acidity. Fruity, fresh and textural with subtle spice, grapefruit and pear notes. Nice weight. 92/100

Ravine Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 Niagara Peninsula, Canada
Ripe, smooth, textured and quite soft with nice weight of fruit. Has peach and pear notes with a sweetness to the finish. Expressive and broad. 90/100

Westcott Vineyards Estate Chardonnay 2016 Vinemount Ridge, Niagara, Canada
Fresh and detailed, this is quite delicious with some bright tangerine and pear notes alongside some richer white peach characters. Fresh with a fine spiciness on the finish. Very attractive, showing nice focus. 91/100

Southbrook Poetica Chardonnay 2013 Four Mile Creek, Niagara, Canada
Very sweet and lively with peach and pear fruit and some sweet baked apple notes, as well as a lively spiciness. Very attractive with richness but also balance. Hints of honey and pineapple. Very bold in style. 90/100

Coteau Rougemont Chardonnay La Côte 2015 Quebec, Canada
This is exceptional considering that it comes from Quebec, which is properly marginal for winegrowing. It’s from soils that consist mostly of pebbles of various sizes, which heat up fast and then protect from spring frosts, while encouraging ripening in this brief growing season. Very fresh with nice per, white peach fruit and real finesse. Balanced and with fine acidity, showing lovely weight. Ripe yet balanced.

91/100Adamo Oaked Chardonnay Willms Vineyard 2014 Niagara on the Lake, Canada
Fresh and herby with some appley, lemony fruit. A crisp style with good acidity and fresh, green-tinged notes. Lovely freshness. Intriguing style. 90/100

13th Street Chardonnay June’s Vineyard 2015 Creek Shores, Niagara, Canada
100% stainless steel ferment. Lovely fruit focus to this wine, with some tangerine and pear. Bright with a fresh stony finish. Very clean and pure. 90/100

Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2015 Margaret River, Australia
Really fresh an intense with bright grapefruit, lemon and herb notes. Keen, nervy acidity and a hint of greenness. Intense and incredibly fresh, but a little unripe? Has great acidity. 90/100

Marcel Cabelier Cremant de Jura Brut 2014 France
Organic. Fresh and pithy with vivid citrus notes, and a hint of sweetness on the finish. Juicy and lively. Clean with good focus. 89/100

Tawse Robyn’s Block Chardonnay 2013 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
Lovely focus to this wine which shows intense citrus fruit with some grapefruit pith and subtle herby notes, backed up by good acidity. Pear and apple richness on the mid-palate. Very stylish. 92/100

Ravine Reserve Chardonnay 2014 St David’s Bench, Niagara, Canada
Concentrated and intense with bold, rich peach and pear fruit. Spicy and intense with lovely weight to it. A rich, taut, compact pithy, intense wine with good concentration. Needs a bit of time. 91/100

Trail Estates Chardonnay 2015 Niagara, Canada
This is 40% from Foxcroft vineyard. Oxidative juice handling and wild ferment. Nice weight of pear and peach fruit with some citrus brightess. Lovely flavour and depth with a subtle waxy edge. 91/100

De Loach Stubbs Vineyard Chardonnay 2014 Petaluma Gap, Marin County, Sonoma, California
There’s a freshness to this wine. It’s supple and fine grained with pear and citrus fruit, showing good balance. Refined and fruit-driven with good acidity. 93/100

Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catherine Blanc de Blancs Carte Blanche 2012 Short Hills Bench, Niagara, Canada
Henry of Pelham make really good fizz, and this is lively, fresh and clean with crisp citrus fruit and a bit of pear richness. Crisp and focused. 90/100

Queylus Reserve Chardonnay 2015 Niagara, Canada
This is a barrel selection, and spends 18 months in oak. Lovely stuff with nice fine texture and compact pear and white peach fruit. Balanced with weight and purity. 93/100

 

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/canada/i4c-more-interesting-chardonnays-from-canada-and-beyond

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163469391057

i4C cool climate Chardonnay conference, some highlights

If you are going to have a conference on a single white grape variety, from a drinking point of view, Chardonnay is probably the best choice. Over the weekend at the i4C we tasted and drank a lot of Chardonnay. These are some of the highlights.

Tara Atacama White Wine 1 2014 Atacama Valley, Chile
Wild yeast, unfiltered, 13% alcohol. Complex and spicy with a slightly mealy edge to the rich pear, grapefruit and lemon notes. Manages to be fresh and rich at the same time with tingling, mineral acidity and lovely weight in the mouth. Complex, vital and appealing. Serious effort. 94/100

Bachelder Wismer Foxcroft Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
Great concentration and freshness here with textured, lively citrus fruit and a nervy, mineralic, acid core. Juicy and supple with lots of complexity and subtle apple and pear richness. 94/100

Westcott Vineyards Lenko Old Vine Chardonnay 2014 Beamsville Bench, Niagara
12.8% alcohol. There’s lovely freshness and detail here with juicy grapefruit, lemon and pear notes. Finely spiced and with a linear, mineral core, this has complexity and poise. Fresh and complex with lovely balance and intensity. 94/100

Thirty Bench Small Lot Chardonnay 2015 Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Canada
13.6% alcohol. This has lovely freshness with some pear, grapefruit and citrus pith. Has some melony mid-palate richness. Lovely balance here. 91/100

Domaine de Montperthuis Chablis Vieilles Vignes Les Malantes 2014 Burgundy, France
Taut and dense with a lovely pithy, mineral core to the citrus and pear fruit. Juicy and focused with nice intensity. There’s a density to this compact, linear wine that’s really appealing. 93/100

Scribe Skin Fermented Chardonnay 2015 Carneros, California
Concentrated and ripe but with nice structure. Orange peel, marmalade and citrus here with a lovely herbal twist. Distinctive and bold with nice focus and acid, and a bit of tannic grip here, too. 93/100

Pearl Morissette Chardonnay Cuvee Dix Neuvieme 2014 Niagara, Canada
Delicate nose with some lovely apple, pear and nut characters, as well as some herbs and citrus peel. The palate is very appealing with an open, slightly oxidative character. Lovely texture with nice citrus drive under the ripe appley fruit. Very appealing and textural. 94/100

Norman Hardie Chardonnay 2014 Prince Edward County, Canada
Bright and focused with sweet citrus fruit at its core. Very linear and intense with a pithy edge to the tight fruit. Currently really dense and compact, but everything is there for this to be fabulous. Lovely herb-tinged, pithy citrus notes. Great acidity and structure: needs time. 94/100

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/canada/i4c-cool-climate-chardonnay-conference-some-highlights

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163420979387

i4C school of cool part 2, winemaking and Chardonnay

Earlier I reported on session 1 of School of Cool, part of the 2017 international cool climate Chardonnay celebration here in Niagara, Canada. Session 2 delved into winemaking decisions with Chardonnay. Winemakers on the panel discussed their winemaking choices and how these were reached, and what the effect on the wine is.

These included Adam Mariani of Scribe winery in California, who uses concrete eggs and skin contact. Then Francois Morrisette of Pearl Morrisette, who described how he uses long press cycles of 4.5 h with no sedimenting. His goal is to oxidise the must but not wine, so the must is left in the press tray to brown. It’s then blended and goes straight to fermenting vessels. In 2014, a delicate vintage, it went to foudres and spent 15 months on primary lees. And we had Norm Hardie, who emphasized the importance of juice solids. He uses no sulfur at juice stage and ferments with indigenous yeasts. He waits four or five days after pressing for the chilled juice to settle, and then slowly siphons down until he gets to the haze. Then he takes the solids until he gets to the danger zone. Norm has horizontal dairy tanks for fermenting, which is important when the solids are being used. The soilds to juice ratio is much higher and the tanks are equipped with stirrers so when the fermentation starts he can mix up the solids. With these horizontal tanks you can smell what’s going on really easily, and if it’s too reductive you can pick it up early and rack off. You can recover well if you spot it early. But he emphasized that you have to move quickly once you see it turning. And there was also Gregory Viennois from Laroche in Chablis. He emphasized that the soil is the important thing for him, and Laroche work the soils and send 35 people a day into the vineyards. In the cellar the fruit is 100% hand harvested, he sorts the grapes, and uses a small press with each block kept separate. There are small vats for natural decantation, keeping the mineral components from the skin. The wines are fermented in an old cellar with natural temperatue control.

These wines were all tasted blind, and we were asked to try to match the wine with the winemaker, using Sli.do. It was tough, but the audience performance was better than chance. These are my notes on the wines, written blind and not altered later.

Joie Farm Unoaked Chardonnay 2016 Okanagan, Canada
Appley and nutty with nice lemon notes, good acidity and subtle oxidative notes. Lovely texture and length here. Distinctive stuff with lovely personality. 93/100

Trail Estate Chardonnay Unfiltered 2015 Prince Edward County, Canada
Toasty, a bit nutty, nice appley notes. Lively and quite spicy with a subtle toasty edge and ripe apple and pear notes, as well as a bit of citrus. Supple and fine 92/1oo

Norman Hardie County Chardonnay 2014 Prince Edward County, Canada
Powerful and intense with lovely concentration and depth. There’s some apple and spice, with lovely citrus freshness. Very lively and exotic, but also really fresh. Ripe tangerine and melon hints add interest. A complete, mouth-filling wine with lots of personality. 94/100

Domaine Laroche Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaudevey 2014 Burgundy, France
Open and fruit-driven with lovely pear and white peach notes, as well as some citrus brightness. Subtle herbal hints, too. Nice weight and focus to this wine. 92/100

Invivo Gisborne Chardonnay 2016 New Zealand
Ripe and open with lovely dense, sweet pear and grapefruit characters with some hints of marmalade and pineapple. Ripe yet balanced with nice sweet fruit character. 90/100

Scribe Skin Fermented Chardonnay 2015 Carneros, California
Concentrated and ripe but with nice structure. Orange peel, marmalade and citrus here with a lovely herbal twist. Distinctive and bold with nice focus and acid, and a bit of tannic grip here, too. 93/100

Pearl Morissette Chardonnay Cuvee Dix Neuvieme 2014 Niagara, Canada
Delicate nose with some lovely apple, pear and nut characters, as well as some herbs and citrus peel. The palate is very appealing with an open, slightly oxidative character. Lovely texture with nice citrus drive under the ripe appley fruit. Very appealing and textural. 94/100

Torres Milmanda Chardonnay 2014 Catalunya, Spain
Very appealing texture to this wine, with smooth, ripe pear and peach fruit. There’s some melony richness, with a lovely fruit core to this wine. Smooth and fine with nice purity. Fine-grained. 91/100

Ravine Reserve Chardonnay 2014 St Davids Bench, Niagara, Canada
There’s a lovely matchstick minerality to this wine. It’s very fine-grained and detailed with good acidity and lovely citrus fruit, with just a hint of pineapple richness. Lovely balance and complexity here. Quite profound. 95/100

Chamisal Chamise Chardonnay 2014 Edna Valley, California
Sweet and fruity with nice pear, white peach and citrus fruit. Generous but not overblown with good acidity. Nicely focused with a hint of spiciness on the finish. 90/100

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/canada/i4c-school-of-cool-part-2-winemaking-and-chardonnay

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163288108527

i4C School of Cool, part 1: the influence of soil on the flavour of Chardonnay

The opening event of the Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C), School of Cool, kicked off with a session on soil.

Dr Paul Anamosa began the session talking about the impact of soil on wine flavour. What does the soil provide to the vines? What does vineyard management have to do with this?

Paul talked about what the soil provides to the vine. It contributes nutrients, water and the anchoring of the vine to the ground. There are essential macro and micro nutrients. Some are added to the soil or vine as fertilizer: nitrogen (taken up as nitrate, postly), phosphorus (phosphate ion), potassium, calcium, boron, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. Some are better applied as foliar nutrients because they if you add them to the soils, they are complexed and aren’t easily available to the vine. When it comes to other things, small molecules such as some pesticides can be taken up by the roots, but other elements – such as kaolinite, a component of clay – are too big and can’t be. Some minerals are desirable in small quantities, but not in large ones. For example, high juice potassium can be problematic, because once you are over 2000 ppm you get very high berry pH. Some rootstocks hoard potassium such as Riparia 101-14, so you don’t want these in high potassium soils. High calcium can be good, because it increases cell wall strength which makes the berry skins thicker. Low soil nitrogen reduces YAN levels and this can cause fermentation problems.

Paul didn’t really explain how different soil types affect wine flavour. He emphasized the importance of water management, which has an impact on canopy, berry size, structure of the berries, and even berry chemistry. He mentioned minerality, which is a metaphor, and he’s not keen on metaphors in describing wine. Minerality is not caused by the uptake of minerals into the berry, says Paul.

There were some questions that Paul addressed. The first was about the importance of limestone. He says that it doesn’t give up its water easily – the smaller the pore the harder it is for the water to be sucked back out by the vine. So small pore structure manages the supply of water to the vine in a steady, slow way that will affect flavour development. Most uptake by the roots is basic elements and water. It’s the horticultural effects of water management gives the most impact.

He was also asked about the effect of using herbicides. ‘We see suppression of soil microbiology with herbicides,’ he said. ‘And when you kill off weeds all the time the soil starts to lose its organic matter. Soil organic matter has a half life of around 1000 years. If you add compost 99% is gone in the second year, only 1% remains as soil organic matter. If you kill off the weeds then the organic matter depletes and the soil becomes hard and crusty.’ This lack of organic matter means that there’s no soil life. But he adds that soil microbiology still isn’t well understood.

We then had short presentations from each of a number of winemakers who were showing wines, and we tasted 10 Chardonnays blind. The idea was that we should try to match each Chardonnay with specific soil types using the Sli.do website/app. While it was interesting to taste the wines blind, it was impossible to do the matching because we just didn’t have enough information to try to match flavour and soil.

‘Is anyone else getting the sense that this is perhaps futile?’ moderator John Szabo joked as the wines were revealed and we clearly were guessing at random.

He concluded. ‘The relationship between soil and wine flavour is a complex one.’ But he pointed out that good tasters can regularly pick out wines from certain regions with different soils. ‘So we can’t throw out the idea that soil is related to wine flavour profile.’

Lightfoot and Wolfville Ancienne Chardonnay 2014 Nova Scotia, Canada
Lively and bright with lovely mineral notes, a hint of ripe apple, some pear and nice acidity. There’s a ripe, rounded character but also lots of detail. Lovely acidity here. Rounded and fine. 93/100

Malivoire Mottiar Vineyard Chardonnay 2014 Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Canada
There’s a delicious stoniness here with some lemon and pear notes. There’s freshness here and a slight saltiness on the finish, with a bright, lingering citrussy finish. 91/100

Esterhazy Chardonnay 2015 Leithaberg, Austria
Rich, mealy and nutty with nice texture. Has lovely depth with some ripe white peach and pear fruit. Has a nutty, rounded, sake-like character. 90/100

Creekside Queenston Road Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 St David’s Bench, Niagara, Canada
Sweetly fruited with white peach and melon notes with hints of wax and a savoury, mealy note. Ripe and bold with lots of fruit, but also a smooth, rounded character and a softness on the mid-palate. 89/100

Manoir de Mercey Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune ‘Clos des Dames’ 2015 Burgundy, France
Very nutty and rounded with some pear and peach fruit. Ripe and quite textured. Nice depth. Quite seamless with some refinement. 90/100

Adamo Estate Wilms Vineyard Chardonnay 2014 Four Mile Creek, Niagara, Canada
Toasty, mineral, a bit nutty. Lovely weight of peach fruit with some smoky, matchstick minerality. Nice reduction on this wine coupled with ripe fruit. 92/100

Cremaschi Furlotti Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 Loncomilla, Chile
A bit musty? Has a mushroom edge to the nutty, mineral, herby notes. Pear and apple fruit. It’s a little corked.

Bachelder Johnson Vineyard Chardonnay 2013 Willamette Valley, Oregon
Very spicy and mineral with a lovely taut pear and white peach character, with a citrus core and lovely spicy minerality. 94/100

Southbrook Poetica Chardonnay 2013 Four Mile Creek, Niagara, Canada
Very rich and generous with lovely weight and intensity. Powerful and bold with white peach, toast, pear and some spicy citrus on the finish. A rich style with lots of interest. 92/100

Inniskillin Montague Vineyard Chardonnay 2014 Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara, Canada
Rounded with sweet pear fruit, some ripe apple and a soft texture. Lots of fruit here, very rich but still in balance. Tasty in a ripe style. 90/100

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/chardonnay/i4c-school-of-cool-part-1-the-influence-of-soil-on-the-flavour-of-chardonnay

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163286244082

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2015

Quinta do Noval have lately become known for what the English wine trade describe quaintly as ‘eccentric’ declarations. They released a vintage Port in 2013, for example. Now they’ve released 2015. It’s not a surprise, because 2015 was a really good vintage, and I’m surprised more people haven’t declared it. Of course, these days there’s not as much fuss around a general declaration as there used to be, but even for the rebels like Noval, it makes a difference. If the vintage isn’t declared, there’s only so much they can release and then sell because the demand is dampened. In a widely declared year, most recently 2011, the rising tide floats all the boats and Vintage Port is much easier to sell. I’ll let Christian Seely introduce this wine:

I am delighted to announce the declaration of the Quinta do Noval 2015 Vintage Port. As is well known, a Quinta do Noval declaration cannot be categorised according to the traditional distinction between a full declaration and a single quinta declaration, for the simple reason that all our greatest wines are wines from a single quinta, the great vineyard of Quinta do Noval. Whenever we decide to declare a Quinta do Noval Vintage Port, we are clearly saying that this is a great wine that deserves to bear the Quinta do Noval label. Noval follows its own path in its approach to Vintage Port. If we believe that we have wines of the quality and personality to join the ranks of the Quinta do Noval Ports of previous years, we will bottle it and declare it, even if this means declaring several years in a row, and even if it means, as is often the case, bottling only a few hundred cases of Quinta do Noval Vintage Port, representing a tiny percentage of the total production of the Quinta, in some years less than 3% of our production. In the case of the 2015 where wines of great quality were relatively abundant, the 2600 cases produced nevertheless represent just 9% of the total production of the legendary vineyard of Quinta do Noval in the heart of the Douro Valley.

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2015 Douro, Portugal
19.5% alcohol. Great concentration and structure here in this young Vintage Port. There’s a wonderful floral blackcurrant jam and black cherry nose, which leads to a sweet, dense palate of blackberries, spice, cherries and plums, with a warm spiciness adding complexity and grippy tannins, currently cloaked by the sweetness and fruit intensity. Showing lovely fruit, this is a beautiful young Port that should age fabulously. Finishes warm and slightly salty. Lovely stuff. 95/100

See also: a report on a tasting of Noval ports back to 1962

Find this wine with wine-searcher.com

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/portugal/quinta-do-noval-vintage-port-2015

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163250445977

Sidecar Tinto NV Portugal: a bi-regional, amphora-aged beauty

This is a lovely wine. It’s a collaboration between Susana Esteban (who works in the Alentejo), and Filipa Pato and William Wouters (who work in Bairrada). Half of the wine comes from Portalegre in the Alentejo, and half is Baga from Bairrada. It’s made in amphora.

Susana created the Sidecar brand with a view to working with a different winemaker each year. In 2014 it was Dirk Niepoort; in 2016 Eulogio Pomades (who, like Susana, is Spanish). She explains the concept here:

To share moments, ideas and experiences with other oenologists or people connected to wines is something that I have always liked and encouraged. So, I decided to create the brand Sidecar.

Each year I will challenge a friend to produce wine in my wine cellar, in Mora.

They will decide how to interpret this region’s fantastic vineyards…. by driving the motorcycle!

For Sidecar’s second edition, I invited two friends, the winemaker Filipa Pato and the sommelier William Wouters. Quite a mix, you would think… It makes all sense though!

We decided to bring out the best field blend of indigenous grape varieties from the Serra de São Mamede, in a higher and cooler part of Alentejo and mix with an illustrious Baga grape from centennial vineyards of Atlantic influenced Bairrada.The wines were both fermented and aged in amphorae.

Sidecar Vino de Mesa NV Portugal
12.5% alcohol. This is beautifully stony and aromatic with cherries, plums and fine spiciness. Grainy texture with an appealing bitter damson edge. This has freshness and purity with a nice stony dimension to the fruit. It’s a ripe wine but it shows restraint. Supple, elegant and delicious. 94/100

Find this wine with wine-searcher.com

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/portugal/sidecar-tinto-nv-portugal-a-bi-regional-amphora-aged-beauty

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163205451457

Mr Glover Wilde Vineyards Agent Field Blend 2016

I tried this with its creator, Ben Glover (previously of Accolade, now focusing on family business Zephyr and other projects), in Scotch Bar in Blenheim a few weeks ago. I’d just been speaking at a biodynamic and organic conference and I’d urged New Zealand producers to take a few more risks and make the odd ‘out there’ wine. This fits into that category, and I really enjoyed it. Ben foot trod the grapes with his kids. He found a buyer pretty quick and ended up selling all (just a couple of barrels) in one go to his Dutch importer, who loved it. More please!

Mr Glover Wilde Vineyards Agent Field Blend 2016 Marlborough, New Zealand
From Ben’s parents’ property. Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon, with the first two whole bunch and the Sauvignon destemmed on top of this. Then it goes to stainless steel barrels. 30 days on skins. So perfumed and expressive with pear and peach fruit. Textural and broad with a lovely perfumed character and delicious sweet grapey fruit. Lovely stuff. 92/100

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/new-zealand/mr-glover-wilde-vineyards-agent-field-blend-2016

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163184066597

Two orange wines from Spain

Last night I drank two orange wines from Spain. Both different in style, but both very good. The first, a distinctive Albillo, was on the list at the brill Morito. The second was a Macabeu in a distinctive ceramic bottle, which was purchased at Furanxo, a lovely Spanish deli and bar in Dalston.

Alfredo Maestro Lovamor Albillo 2016 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon, Spain
This is an orange wine from the Albillo grape, 6 days on skins then on its lees for 4 months. 12.5% alcohol. Complex, rich with lively pear and apple fruit. Lovely lemony notes but the dominant theme is rich, quite exotic melon and apple fruit. Distinctive and complex. 92/100 (£45 on the list at Morito; UK agent Les Caves)

Costador Metamorphika Macabeu 2016 Conca de Barberà, Spain 
This striking wine comes in a ceramic bottle, and is a varietal Macabeu, which is also known as Viura. Slightly cloudy yellow. 6 weeks whole berry fermentation in amphora, followed by 5 months in used oak barrels. Lovely texture and freshness with subtle herbs, a hint of wax, some floral notes and lovely lemony fruit. Textural and fresh, this is really delicious. Clean and focused. 91/100 (UK agent Otros Vinos)

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/spain/two-orange-wines-from-spain

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163174570622

Grower Champagne: Vouette & Sorbée Brut Nature Fidèle NV

Champagne Vouette et Sorbée is one of the star growers in the Aube, in the south of the Champagne region. Bernard Gautherot was persuaded to begin making his own wines by Selosse back in 2001, and the first release was in 2004. Based in Buxières-sur-Arce, he has 5.5 hectares in the Côte des Bar, which are farmed biodynamically (certified by Demeter since 1998). Average vine age is over 20 years, and the soils are mostly Kimmeridgian marl. All the base wines are fermented in oak. This wine, Fidèle, is their largest production, and like all the wines is based on a single year, with less than 10% reserve wine. It’s Pinot Noir, and first of all it is a wine; it’s a Champagne second. I found this wine on the list at the brill Westerns Laundry, and really enjoyed it.

Champagne Vouette & Sorbée Brut Nature Fidèle NV France
12% alcohol. Disgorged March 2016, no dosage. This has a bit of colour, and it’s not overly fizzy, enhancing its vinous qualities. Fresh with bright citrus, red cherries and a bit of apple. Complex and vinous with nectarine and glace cherry characters, and also a hint of mineral earthiness as well as lovely intensity and weight in the mouth. Quite beautiful. 93/100

Find this wine with wine-searcher.com

GROWER CHAMPAGNE:

• Agrapart Avizoise Extra Brut Grand Cru 2008
• Gimonnet Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Cuis 1er Cru NV
• Vimart et Cie Grand Cellier NV
• Gatinois Aÿ Grand Cru Brut Tradition NV
• Michel Arnould Grand Cru Brut Réserve NV
• Ulysse Collin Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons Extra Brut NV France
• Eric Rodez Blanc de Noirs NV
• Pierre Péters Cuvée du Réserve Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru NV France
• R&L Legras Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV
• Bérêche et Fils Campania Remensis Extra Brut Rosé NV
• Savart L’Ouverture Premier Cru NV
• Raphaël & Vincent Bérêche Montagne Premier Cru 2004
• Savart L’Accomplie 1er Cru NV
• Vilmart et Cie Grand Cellier d’Or Premier Cru 2010
• Champagne Marie-Noëlle Ledru Grand Cru NV
• Champagne Pierre Péters Rosé for Albane
• Christmas Grower Champagne: Legras Presidence 2007, Savart L’Ouverture and Selosse Initial
• Gimonnet Cuvée Fleuron 2006
• Gimonnet Oenophile 2005
• Selosse Initial NV
• Léclapart, Charlot-Tanneux, Emmanuel Brochet, Chevreaux-Bournazel
• The wines of A Levasseur, Marne
• Vilmart et Cie Grande Reserve Premier Cru
• Chartogne-Taillet Sainte Anne NV
• Marguet ‘Shaman’ 12 Grand Cru
• Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition Grand Cru NV
• Vouette & Sorbée Brut Nature Fidèle NV

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/champagne/grower-champagne-vouette-sorbee-brut-nature-fidele-nv

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163088668217

Video: in the spectacular Mosel region with Ernie Loosen

The Mosel is one of the most remarkable wine regions of all. Here, I’m in the vineyards with Ernie Loosen, visiting the Erdener Prälat and Urziger Würzgarten, before heading back to the winery for a tasting. The steep slopes are quite terrifying.

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/videos/video-in-the-spectacular-mosel-region-with-ernie-loosen

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163054555707

A couple of lovely Kiwi Pinots: Ma Maison and Yealands

Continuing my journey into the wonders of Kiwi Pinot, here are two lovely bottles recently consumed. The first was new to me. The second, Yealands, wasn’t a surprise: I always like these wines, and they are underpriced.

Ma Maison Cuvée Two Richards Pinot Noir 2014 Martinborough, New Zealand
14.5% alcohol. A blend of equal parts Abel, 667 and 777 clones. This is a very rich, ripe style of Pinot with warm spicy depth to the sweet black cherry and blackberry fruit. It’s complex, rich and satisfying, with some green herbal undertones adding a savoury dimension to the ripe, sweet, sleek black fruits. There are hints of olives and cured meats, too. Not a particularly elegant style of Pinot, but delicious and full. 92/100

Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016 Marlborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. Made in large cuves (6000 litres and 7500 litres) and small oak (no new). 30% fermented with cultured non-Saccharomyces yeast Kluyveromyces (half with four times the standard inoculation rate and half with normal inoculation rate plus an S. cerevisiae chaser after 48 h), and the rest with S. cerevisiae. This is silky and textural with sweet, floral black cherry fruit. There’s a bit of smoky spiciness on the palate, with a bitter damson twist and nice sweet, sleek black fruits. Shows nice definition. Sweet and textural but with some seriousness. Pretty serious stuff. 93/100

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/new-zealand/a-couple-of-lovely-kiwi-pinots-ma-maison-and-yealands

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163030048882

Gamay 32, François Rousset-Martin J’en Suis Gaga 2015

I had this wine on Wednesday night at the fab Westerns Laundry. It’s a Gamay from the Jura, but is labelled as Vin de France. François Rousset-Martin grew up in Burgundy where his father was a medical microbiologist at the Hospices de Beaune. But the family had some vines in the Jura: 12 hectares in Nevy-Sur-Seille, with half of these holdings in the Château Chalon appellation. After studying enology, in 2007 he took over the family vines, and now makes wine from 3.5 hectares while selling the rest to the local co-op. Farming is organic. UK agent is Les Caves de Pyrene; US agent is Kermit Lynch.

François Rousset-Martin J’en Suis Gaga 2015 Vin de France
13% alcohol. There’s a lovely richness to the nose with some delicacy, too. Juicy and detailed with some wild strawberry, red cherry and brisk cranberry fruit, as well as hints of dried herbs and mulch. Lovely structure under the fruit. This is superb. 94/100

Find this wine with wine-searcher.com

• Gamay 1 – RPM Gamay Noir California
• Gamay 2 – Domaine Metrat Chiroubles ‘La Scandaleuse’
• Gamay 3 – Orofino, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
• Gamay 4 – Julien Sunier Fleurie
• Gamay 5- Radford Dale Thirst Gamay, South Africa
• Gamay 6 – Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Javernières ‘Les Impénitents’
• Gamay 7 – Hauts de Chasselay, Coteaux du Lyonnais
• Gamay 8 – Serol Les Originelles, Cote Roannaise
• Gamay 9 – Te Mata Gamay Noir, Hawkes Bay
• Gamay 10 – Puy de Dome, Auvergne
• Gamay 11 – Beauregard Fleurie
• Gamay 12 – Antoine Sunier Morgon 2014 and Regnie 2014
• Gamay 13 – Thibault Liger-Belair Les Roucheaux 2011
• Gamay 14 – Bow and Arrow 2014 Oregon
• Gamay 15 – Domaine de Fa Beaujolais en Besset 2014
• Gamay 16, Pearl Morissette Cuvée Mon Unique Gamay 2013
• Gamay 17, BK Wines et Le Grappin Les Deux Fous Gamay
• Gamay 18, G Spot Vin de…France, Beaujolais Villages
• Gamay 19, du Grappin Fleurie 2014
• Gamay 20, Lapierre Morgon 2014 ‘N’
• Gamay 21, Bass Phillip Gamay 2014 Gipplsand
  
• Gamay 22, Château de Durette Morgon ‘Hommage’ 2014
• Gamay 23, Joie Farm Gamay 2014 Okanagan, Canada
• Gamay 24, Samantha Gamay 2014 Okanagan, Canada
• Gamay 25, Julien Sunier Fleurie 2015
• Gamay 26, Jean-Paul Thevenet Morgon 2015
• Gamay 27, Lapierre Morgon 2009
  
• Gamay 28, Domaine Verdier-Logel Poycelan 2016
• Gamay 29, B Kosuge Wines Gamay Noir 2015 Carneros
• Gamay 30, Herve Souhaut La Souteronne 2015
• Gamay 31, Easthope Family Winegrowers Gamay Noir 2015 Hawkes’ Bay

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/jura/gamay-32-francois-rousset-martin-jen-suis-gaga-2015

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/163016956557

Tasting six inexpensive Pinot Noirs on camera, and with tasting notes

Pinot Noir is one of my very favourite grape varieties. It’s a tricky grape, though, and finding good affordable Pinot can be a challenge. So I tried six inexpensive Pinot Noirs on camera, and gave my robust, honest opinions of them.

Mr Noir Pinot Noir 2016 South Australia
14% alcohol
£11.99 Virgin Wines
Very fresh and supple with a sappy edge to the sweet cherry and raspberry fruit. It’s ripe and generous, but also has some nice complexity. Pretty, drinkable and really delicious, this delivers a lot of fun. 90/100

Olivier Dubois Pinot Noir 2015 Vin de France
12.5% alcohol
£8.99 Majestic Wine
Ripe and balanced, with an appealing spicy, savoury, stony mineral edge. There’s appealing raspberry fruit with nice weight and good supporting structure. Pretty convincing stuff. 87/100

Tesco Finest Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2016 Australia
13.5% alcohol
£11 Tesco
This is delicious: it has a rounded, spicy, slightly savoury personality, with a touch of forest floor and some juicy raspberry and cherry fruit. There’s a hint of cedar, too. Nicely balanced with a mix of sweet and savoury elements. 89/100

Hans Baer Pinot Noir 2016 Pfalz, Germany
12% alcohol
£7 Tesco
Fresh and bright with a lovely green, sappy, leafy edge to the fresh cherry fruit. This is juicy and easy with the herbal notes meshing well with the sweet fruit. Just so drinkable, with a hint of sweetness helping carry the savoury notes. 88/100

Concha y Toro Corte Marcelo Pinot Noir 2016 Limari Valley, Chile
14% alcohol
£8.50 The Wine Society
Red clay soil with calcareous subsoil, 30 km from the coast. This is fresh and direct with a juicy raspberry and cherry fruit core as well as some savoury, cedary notes. There’s a nice weight to the fruit here, with some fine dried herb and ginger spice characters, and it’s more than just bright fruit. 89/100

‘PinotPinot’ Pinot Noir 2016 South East Australia
13.5% alcohol
£8.50 Oddbins
This is really soft and textured with a lovely smooth mouthfeel. It has fresh cherries and some stewed raspberries, with a really easy, enticing personality. Smashable. 88/100

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/videos/tasting-six-inexpensive-pinot-noirs-on-camera-and-with-tasting-notes

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/162992465002

One of the weaknesses of the growing degree day concept, and similar climatic indices

I remember back in my old job, when we had a scientific conference on the genetics of intelligence. It’s a topic you approach with caution. Nature versus nurture? Which wins?

One of the concepts that got me was that we assume that two kids living side by side would be exposed to a common environment, and then any difference you see would be as a result of genetics.

But there’s a flaw in this thinking of common environments: the same environment will be experienced differently by different kids. So, take for example a library. The same library will be a very different environment to a smart, bookish kid than to one less academically inclined. A sports field will be a different environment for a sporty kid compared with a lanky uncoordinated one.

So it is with vines.

Take a similar growing season in terms of temperatures, experienced by a vine that starts off fast versus one that starts off slowly. The increased canopy size of the former will mean that even the same GDDs or light hours will be experienced differently by the two vines.

A vine with more leaves will get more from the same heat/light environment than a vine with fewer. Even an identical number of GDDs can have very different effects on two vines. Early season GDDs count a lot more than later ones, because the benefit of later GDDs will be incrementally more, because the vine will make more of those later GDDs with its bigger canopy.

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/wine-science/one-of-the-weaknesses-of-the-growing-degree-day-concept-and-similar-climatic-indices

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/162947448232

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro, Lisboa, Portugal

Monte d’Oiro translates as mountain of gold, and it refers to the golden colour taken in early evening by the hill on which many of the vineyards are planted. The vineyard is in the Alenquer sub region, with the Atlantic 20 km to the west and Lisbon 50 km to the south. Climate is Mediterranean with the moderating influences of cool breezes: this is a pretty windy site.

Francisco Bento dos Santos, Monte d’Oiro

This is the project of José Bento dos Santos, who was a metal dealer who fell in love with food and wine. He bought the Monte d’Oiro estate, and decided to plant it chiefly with Rhône varieties, especially Syrah, Viognier and Marsanne. José was a private customer and friend of Michel Chapoutier, and for a while they had a joint venture together. Chapoutier helped procure some cuttings from top northern Rhône sites to plant a 2.5 hectare block high density (8000 as opposed to the normal 4000 vines/ha) with massale selection Syrah: a separate wine from this block 24 is now made. The Chapoutier joint venture didn’t last, but Grégory Viennois, who was Chapoutier’s winemaker and is now with Laroche, is still consulting here. He comes quite a bit and takes an active role: he’s not just a consultant that arrives, does some Instagram pictures, takes his cheque and leaves.

Altogether, there are 20 hectares of vines on the site, but this year another 9 hectares have been planted with a similar mix to the varieties already on the farm. The exception is a half-hectare block planted with a variety that’s secret, for now. My ampelography skills weren’t sufficient to work out the identity of the variety, although I’m hoping it’s Gamay, even though Grenache would be a more sensible choice (it didn’t look like Nebbiolo; maybe it is Sangiovese?).

New plantings

I met with José’s son, Francisco Bento dos Santos, who has been involved here for quite a while and who’s been running things since 2012. I also met with winemaker Graça Gonçalves.

The vineyard has been farmed organically since 2006, but was only certified in 2015. Soils are calcareous clay loams, and vary a bit: some blocks are more calcareous, and some are quite a bit more fertile. The fertile soils in the valley are used for whites, but the best Viognier block is on the main slope. All the wines are made from estate-grown grapes.

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Lybra Rose 2016 Lisboa, Portugal
From Syrah plot no 6 chosen specifically for rosé production, with less defoliation and earlier harvesting. Made like a white wine, whole bunch pressing, and fermentation without maceration. Low temperature fermentation. Fresh and lively with very direct, balanced fruit. Some citrus, plus a hint of tangerine and some crisp cranberry notes. Pale in colour and very astute, in a dry, food-friendly. 88/100 (retail €8)

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Lybra Viognier, Arinto and Marsanne 2016 Lisboa, Portugal
Around 50% Viognier, 30% Marsanne and 20% Arinto, more or less reflecting the vine balance in the vineyard. Valley grapes. Unoaked. Lovely aromatics here with a peach, apricot and pear quality as well as some subtle nuttiness. There’s a bit of richness on the palate but also some fresh pithiness. This is impressive for the price. 90/100 (retail €8)

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Madrigal Viognier 2015 Lisboa, Portugal
From plot no 7, not in the valley, the best plot. There is a strict ripening control and this parcel is harvested twice, first the outside bunches and then a second pass to take the inner bunches. 40% oak, new and old, 500 litres, small battonage. The rest is stainless steel. Each harvest is split into tank and barrel. Bold and concentrated with nuts, spice, pear and peach fruit. Lively with nice acidity offsetting the power and richness of the midpalate. Really crystalline and tight wound, this will develop nicely. 92/100

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Lybra Syrah 2014 Lisboa, Portugal
Blend of several Syrah plots, still low yielding at 5 tons/hectare. Fresh, vivid and juicy with ripe, sweet berry fruits and a bit of spicy oak (only second and third year barrels). Has nice structure and freshness with a juicy quality to the red fruits, as well as subtle hints of clove and cedar. There’s much more concentration and depth than you’d expect at this level, and it was a horrible vintage with lots of rain, so it’s a great effort. 90/100 (€9/10 retail)

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Aurius 2012 Lisboa, Portugal
80% Touriga Nacional and the balance Syrah. Beautifully fresh and vivid with bright, direct raspberry and cherry fruit with a hint of meatiness. Around a third new oak here, but it is well integrated. Fresh, focused and floral with nice brightness and weight. Such a lovely dense core of focused, balanced berry and cherry fruit with good acidity. 93/100 (€20 retail)

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Reserva 2012 Lisboa, Portugal
The flagship wine of the property. Several plots of Syrah, from the best plots, with 4% Viognier co-fermented. In 2012 this was plots 9, 8 top, 1 top and 24 (the massale selection). 40% new oak. Dense and fresh with a tiny hint of mint, clove, cedar and black pepper alongside sweet berry and cherry fruits. Nicely spicy with lovely focus and grip. This is quite structured and could evolve nicely. Nice weight. 92/100 (€32 retail)

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Syrah 24 2013 Lisboa, Portugal
Massale selection plot, with vines from the northern Rhône, planted 2002. 2.4 hectare plot. First vintage of this wine was 2007. Fresh and vivid with a slightly saline quality to the fresh, vivid red and black fruits. This has nice presence with good acidity and some structure, and also some gloss to it. Very focused and bright with ripe, sleek fruit and some nice structure. 92/100 (€45 retail)

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Syrah 1997 Estremadura, Portugal
A great treat to try the debut wine from the estate. Mature and evolved with a leathery, slightly earthy nose of iodine and mint, but still so alluring. Warm, rich, spicy palate with real complexity. Sweet and evolved but textured and fine with a ripe, sweet maturity. 93/100

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Syrah 2004 Estremadura, Portugal
Aromatic with a fresh, slightly herbal edge to the nicely spiced, slightly minty berry fruits on the nose. The palate is fresh with a warm spiciness to the fruit, and attractive berry fruits. Really interesting. 92/100

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Têmpera 2004 Estremadura, Portugal
This is Tinta Roriz. Nice weight with some warmth and depth, and fine spicy notes. Sweet berries and cherries. Warm but appealing. 91/100

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Lybra Syrah 2007 Estremadura, Portugal
Earthy and spicy with nice red fruits and some grip. Fresh and attractive. 88/100

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Têmpera 2007 Estremadura, Portugal
Earth, herbs and spices. Nice grip. Has freshness and fruit, still, even though it has evolved. 89/100

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Aurius 2007 Estremadura, Portugal
Touriga Nacional plus Syrah and a splash of Petit Verdot. Fresh, grippy and crunchy with nice density of appealing black fruits. Grainy, dense and savoury. 90/100

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Syrah Reserva 2007 Estremadura, Portugal
Syrah with 4% Viognier. Floral and vivid with fresh juicy berry fruits and fine-grained structure. Sweet and pure with a hint of violet and some peppery notes. There’s some earthy spiciness, too. 92/100

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Syrah 24 Estremadura, Portugal
Single parcel, massale selection. Sweet, warm and spicy with nice density and notes of herbs and pepper, as well as warm spicy fruit. There’s some grip here. 91/100

Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Ex Aequo 2007 Estremadura, Portugal
This is 75% Syrah and 25% Touriga Nacional, and was the joint venture wine made in collaboration with Michel Chapoutier. Ripe, sweet and a bit floral with rich berry fruits and some grippy, peppery structure. Bold and delicious in a ripe style. 91/100

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

from jamie goode’s wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/portugal/quinta-monte-doiro-lisboa-portugal

For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

from
https://twelvebyseventyfive.tumblr.com/post/162898942492