Superb Cono Sur & Penfolds Tasting in Cork (Part 2)

Superb Cono Sur & Penfolds Tasting in Cork

Two of the world’s leading winemakers were in Cork last week for an unusual double tasting. Adolfo Hurtado came from Cono Sur in Chile to link up with Andrew Baldwin of Australia’s Penfolds. The event, in the Blue Angel Bar at the Opera House, was organised by Findlater Wines and was more a masterclass than your basic tasting. Lots of notes and photos were taken and it’s been a job to edit it all down to two posts, the first here features Adolfo and Cono Sur, the second (below) sees Penfolds in the spotlight with Andrew going solo!

Part Two

Andrew explains the Penfolds range

Andrew Baldwin is a leading winemaker at Penfolds of South Australia. But, as a young man, he started there as a distiller! He was making neutral and brandy spirits. He has been there for thirty years now - the company do seem to have many loyal long-term employees - and he has been making wine since the 90s, “everything from Bin 28 to Grange”.

Grange, of course, is “an icon” and has been described as “an institution”. It was first made in the 1950’s by Max Schubert and was soon “the subject of controversy” according to Andrew. Schubert was told by the board that it was like a dry Tawny Port and “who, in their right mind, was going to drink a dry Tawny Port”.

Back at base, Max continued to work on the Grange. But in secret. Just like winemakers in France during the WW2 occupation, he constructed fake walls and made three vintages behind closed doors in the tunnels of Magill Estate. At that point, the board's interest was revived and Max was able to reveal his secret, even if stocks were limited. Its fame soon grew and the standard has never dropped.

During the 50th anniversary (2001) of Max Schubert’s creation of Grange, to recognize its consistent quality and renown, the national Trust of South Australia listed Penfolds Grange as an official heritage icon. To see Russell Crowe’s 3 minute video of Grange, please click here.

Before the joint event in the Opera House

Following many years of continued growth, in both the production and the reputation of the wines from The Grange Vineyard, Penfolds (once owned by Guinness) now accounts for 50 percent of all of the annual wine sales across the whole of Australia.

The company is also a huge exporter and much of the credit for that goes to Dr Ray Beckwith. Andrew says Ray, a contemporary of Max Schubert, “put science behind wine in Australia”. “He helped give stability to the wines and that led to exports”.

All ready to go in the Blue Angel

Up to the 1950s, as you'll see in the Crowe video, much of Australia was drinking Port and Sherry type wines. And indeed that was how Penfolds started, back in 1844! Englishman Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold and his wife Mary arrived with cuttings from the South of France and proceeded to make fortified wine “for medicinal purposes”.

And Andrew acknowledged that “Tawny style wines were our foundation” and told me that the Port (not necessarily for medicinal purposes anymore) is still a vital part of the production with three being made from ten year old to 35 year old. He describes the older one “as the great grand-father, a wine of exceptional complexity”.

Penfolds are known for their blending prowess, grapes bought in from near and far, but they also celebrate terroir and the Holy Ground in this regard is Block 42. Andrew says that this 10-acre block was planted only 30 years after the great 1855 Bordeaux Classification and comprises the oldest plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon continuously produced in the world.

It’s been all red wine in this piece so far but Andrew pointed out that “the white wine portfolio compares well. Two years ago, our Chardonnay was ‘best in world’”.

Yours Truly with Carmel from Ardkeen Superstore

We asked Andrew for a few tips for someone wishing to start exploring Penfolds wine and, without hesitation, he recommended the Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet because of its “drinkability and lots of fruit” and he also said the Koonunga Hill Chardonnay is “really approachable”.

Penfolds Tasting

Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling 2014

Andrew  told us that the Eden Valley produces white wines “more floral, more aromatic” than the Clare. “It has good balance, great with seafood or as an aperitif. There are lime lemony characters and, with sugar under 2 grams, it is very very dry.”

Bin 2 Shiraz Mourvedre 2012

The first red and our first example of blending, the fruit for this coming from the Barossa, McLaren Vale and Padthaway. The Mourvedre, better known as Mataro (the Aussies prefer the easier pronunciation!), “adds spiciness and evenness to the palate”. It has spent 10 months in a mixture of oak. This is a relatively new blend and popularity continues to grow, especially in the Asian market.

Bin 8 Cabernet Shiraz 2012

This is one of their newer wines and dates from the early 90s. It has a lovely sweetness and Andrew was quick to point out that the sweetness is natural” “It comes from the fruit, not from sugar!” This particular year the blend was 57% Cabernet and 43% Shiraz and that is close to the usual proportions. It has been matured, for 12 months, in seasoned and American oak, with 13% in new French oak, and has “a lovely whole mouth sensation. The two varieties complement each other.”

Adolfo and Cono Sur featured in yesterday's post.

Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Five vineyards contributed to the previous wine and the same number to this, emphasising the multi-region focus of Penfolds and again it has been in a mixture of oak for 12 months. It is a serious wine. “Nose is dark, palate also, ...quite complex… and can be laid down for a long period.” Notes indicate peak drinking between 2017 and 2030. Not bad though in 2015!

Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2013

I assume some of us were hoping that Andrew would pull a bottle of Grange out at the last minute! But he did come up with this beauty, also known as Baby Grange or Poor Man's Grange, in part because ”components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange”.

Like Grange, it is a “judicious balance of fruit and oak". The fruit mix is Cabernet (51%) and Shiraz. It is quite complex both on the nose and on the palate (where the winery rating is expansive, explosive, exotic). It is made in the Penfolds style, richer, more tannic “and the time on lees gives more flavour.” Over time, the colours change, the wine softens out, the tannins too. Worth keeping by the sound of it! Indeed, peak drinking time is indicated as 2018-2035.

After the tasting, we had time for more chat and time too to enjoy some tasty nibbles from Victor and his team in the House Cafe.

Superb Cono Sur & Penfolds Tasting in Cork, Part 1

Superb Cono Sur & Penfolds Tasting in Cork

Two of the world’s leading winemakers were in Cork last week for an unusual double tasting. Adolfo Hurtado came from Cono Sur in Chile to link up with Andrew Baldwin of Australia’s Penfolds. The event, in the Blue Angel Bar at the Opera House, was organised by Findlater Wines and was more a masterclass than your basic tasting. Lots of notes and photos were taken and it’s been a job to edit it all down to two posts, the first below features Adolfo and Cono Sur, the second (here) sees Penfolds in the spotlight with Andrew going solo!

Part One

Cono Sur

Adolfo Hurtado, MD and winemaker at Cono Sur, grew up on his father’s dairy farm in the beautiful Casablanca Valley in Chile. The young Adolfo was interested in farming and went on to study Agronomy and began to realise that he wanted to do winemaking. There was a tradition of winemaking on his mother’s side as her father had been a wine-maker.

We asked him about his and Cono Sur’s commitment to organic wine-making. It is not just about the photo opportunity that their geese (who gobble up the bad bugs!) and the bikes that get the workers around the vineyard provide!

“The country itself was the first motive,” he said to me in the Cork Opera House last Wednesday. At the end of the 20th century the Chilean land was “in extraordinarily good condition, diseases were absent and in 1998 we decided to use the advantages that Chile could offer”.

“Sure there is more paperwork but the possibility of replacing chemicals was an incentive. We couldn't use nitrogen anymore and that was a problem at first. But now “it is amazing, so healthy. And it is really beautiful now and the results are better.”

And Chile added to its natural isolation with strict controls to limit the access of four legged or winged creatures that might harm its vineyards and is determined to keep its land clean and healthy. The geographic isolation has four main features: desert (to the north), Andes (to the east), ice (to the south) and the Pacific (to the west)

The shape of the country too too helps it diversity as a wine-producer and remember that the diversity is found as much in an east-west direction as much as in the north-south line.

Cono Sur have some 400 acres certified as organic and many more acres are farmed in an organic way even if not certified as such.

Yours truly with Adolfo (left) and Andrew (right)

And some of the organic ways are so so simple. Here are two examples that Adolfo mentioned during the tasting. Remember those geese? Well they are there to stop the Burrito beatle. This beetle climbs the vine and can do huge damage. But a band (an INIA band) around the trunk of the vine halts its progress, it falls back down and then the geese go to work.

The California thrip is another big pest as it can damage the vine at its flowering stage. The solution is to plant rows of very colourful flowers between the vines. The thrip  now leaves the plain flower of the vine and heads for the “sexy” colourful flowers.

Talking to Adolfo you'll soon realise that Pinot Noir is a favourite of his. “It is our flagship, a most important wine for us. We bought an estate that had been planted with Pinot Noir in 1968 by the previous owners and in 90s we started at the block. Our first Pinot Noir was exported to Japan and the UK and they liked it. It became more and more popular and we are now the biggest Pinot Noir producer in the world, selling some 6,000,000 bottles annually.”

Does he think that Irish people know much about Chile, aside from its wines and footballers?

“Chile needs to be re-discovered and the perception has changed a lot. People from outside now think of it as being a really natural country, beautiful, even with volcanoes and earthquakes,  and are more interested in discovering it.”

While wines from Chile do very well in Ireland, Adolfo and his team still have much to do on the wider front. I pointed to the 2016 edition of the Hugh Johnson handbook where Switzerland has more space than Chile and where New Zealand has 11 pages of listings as against four for Chile.

Adolfo responded: “Chile had been known for its good value for years. And the challenge now is to get people to trade up, to get them to realise that Chile is also a producer of premium wines and that is why we organize events like today.”

We asked Adolfo to recommend a couple of wines to an Irish consumer that was interested in starting to explore Chile and he picked two from their Bicicleta range, the Cabernet Sauvignon and, of course, the Pinot Noir! Cheers.

Concentration from Cork's own Chilean, Francisca!

The Cono Sur Tasting

20 Barrels Sauvignon Blanc 2015

From the El Centinela vineyard in the Casablanca, this brings with it “a hint of saltiness” from the nearby ocean. “It is mostly citrus with great concentration and a nice minerality”. And a lovely freshness that could be applied to all three whites.

20 Barrels Chardonnay 2014

Adolfo wasn't convinced of the usefulness of concrete eggs in the vineyard until he tried them with this, 10% in eggs, the balance in new French barrels. “The egg helps with complexity, good for the palate, doesn't do much for the aromas.” Another delicious white with good balance and, yes, those salt elements again. It comes from the same estate as the Sauvignon blanc.

Single Vineyard Riesling 2015

This one is from the cool south, from the Bio Bio (pronounced bee-o, bee-o) valley. It has a nice concentration and “the six grams of residual sugar helps the balance”. You’ll find note of flowers, apricots, peaches and grapefruit. But no petrol. You might get that next year when it has spent 10-12 months in the bottle. This was bottled just last August.

Ocio Pinot Noir 2013

This is Cono Sur's “first ultra premium Pinot Noir”. Ocio, pronounced Ossio, means leisure (your time to enjoy). Think you could enjoy this beauty at any time. Adolfo certainly does and told us his favourite match with this Casablanca wine, produced just 30 kilometers from the ocean, is Tuna with blueberry sauce.

Silencio Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Adolfo and Cono Sur are also very proud of the Silencio, recent winner of the Best Red Wine in Chile award. It comes from Alto Maipo, close to Santiago. The aging process consists of 22 months in French oak (100% new, medium toast), two months in stainless steel and two years in bottle. Full of character, silky with “deep concentration” it is another winner from Cono Sur, a winner with an aging potential of at least 10-15 years, maybe longer!

Go to Part 2, featuring Penfolds

Findlater's Ken Kinsella enjoyed that one!

Part Two tomorrow feature's Penfolds winemaker Andrew Baldwin

Sauvignon Blanc. Graham Norton in on the act! Cono Sur's Silencio best in Chile

Noble Grape Sauvignon Blanc

Graham Norton in on the act!
And Cono Sur's Silencio best in Chile.

Sauvignon blanc is one of the best known and best loved grapes on the planet. The Loire Valley is regarded as its heartland but it thrives too in New Zealand, especially in Marlborough, and in Chile and indeed in many other places around the world.

And it is to New Zealand that West Cork born Graham Norton went to try his hand at making a bottle. Personality in a bottle or a personality with a bottle? The answer is somewhere in between.  

Cono Sur Reserva Especial Sauvignon blanc 2013, Valle de Casablanca (Chile), 12.5%, €13.99 Bradley’s Offlicence

According to the recent Wines of South America, Cono Sur (the first winery to be recognised as carbon neutral) is “one of the most consistent and reliable wineries in the country”. The country is, of course, Chile, and this is an excellent example and Very Highly Recommended.

The pale gold colour is bright and healthy looking and there are fresh aromas of white fruit and blossoms. Fruit flavours in the crisp and elegant palate, lively acidity and a decent finish too. Ideal as an aperitif or with seafood dishes.

Graham Norton’s Sauvignon blanc 2015, Marlborough (New Zealand), 12.5%, €12.00 at SuperValu from November 6th

Norton is a shareholder in the Invivo Winery and the wines for blending were brought to him in London. Winemaker Rob Cameron came too and together they came up with a wine that quickly won a string of awards.

Critics say:

“Fresh and lively… fabulous juicy finish”.

“Tongue tingling….full of punch and personality”.

“Savvie….full of lime zest.”

Norton says: “It’s lovely! Tropical fruit...a bit of zing...cheers to that!”

Colour is just about present with hints of green. Aromas are fresh, white fruit, some herbal elements too. There is a generous flush of freshness and fruit, matched immediately by balancing acidity (just like a Norton put-down!). Must admit this is an excellent drop indeed (unlike his red chair!) and Highly Recommended.

Emiliana Sauvignon blanc 2014, DO Valle Central (Chile), 12.5%, €12.95 Bradley’s

This is an organic wine by Eco Balance, made for “relaxed everyday enjoyment. Integrity, sustainability and an earth friendly focus inspires all that we do”.

This is light yellow, green also evident, clear and bright. Aromas include herbal elements, white fruits too (including grapefruit). It is fresh and fruity with a zingy acidity, a decent mouthfeel and a moderate finish. Very good value and Recommended.

More good news for Cono Sur and chief wine-maker Adolfo Hurtado. Their Silencio Cabernet Sauvignon, launched in Dublin 12 months ago,  has been named as the best red wine in Chile, gaining an unprecedented 98 points.

Chile. Copa America Campeones in Red

Chile. Copa America Campeones in Red.

A High-scoring Quartet

La Poda Corta El Grano Carménère 2013 (Curico Valley, Chile), 13%, €13.85 Le Caveau

Colour is a bright and healthy medium red. Ripe fruit aromas. Deliciously smooth on the palate, subtle fruit, smooth tannins, some slight spice, long and pleasant finish.

You don't come across this grape every day and this expression by Denis Duveau (who sold up his vineyard in the Loire in 1991 and headed off to South America) is something else, the wine pleasant and easily digestible. And Very Highly Recommended.

Like Duveau, this grape originally came from France (Bordeaux) before losing its way and even its identity in unruly Chilean vineyards. Was it Cabernet or was it Merlot? Only in relatively recent times, the late 90s, has it been recognized for what it is. Now it is the signature red grape of Chile which produces the vast majority of Carménère wines available today. Carménère may have had a tough life but has rebounded well and the wines are not lacking in personality.

Aresti Special Release Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2012 (Colchagua Valley, Chile), 13.5%, €12.99 SuperValu

Fruity aromas (red fruits) and hints of vanilla greet you. There are complex flavours on the palate, some spice too, tannins a minor player, and the finish is excellent. A pretty sophisticated Cabernet Sauvignon and Very Highly Recommended.

Aresti is a leading winery in Chile, also a leader in the move to organic. Winemaker Jon Usabiaga is highly respected and is a regular visitor to Ireland.

Emiliana Organic Eco Balance Cabernet Sauvignon (Valle del Rapel, Chile) 2013, 13.5%, €12.95 Bradley’s Offlicence

This ruby red is a beauty. There is something about organic, its sheer freshness and, as Pascal of Le Caveau often says, “digestibility”. The winemakers themselves say they “have created a collection of quality wines for relaxed everyday enjoyment, integrity, sustainability, and an earth friendly focus inspires all we can do.”

The nose is complex, red and darker fruits, vanilla, a little drift of pepper. There is an intense flow of flavour, smooth, with quite fine tannins, a lighter experience than the Aresti, this is a superb wine with a velvety and persistent finish. Again, Very Highly Recommended.

Luis Philipe Edwards Family Selection Pinot Noir Gran Reserva 2012 (Leyda Valley, Vhile), 14%, €9.99 O’Donovan’s Off Licence

Red Fruit aromas here, hints too of vanilla. Tannins are soft and you have quite intense fruit characters here - it has spent time in French oak “to considerably increase complexity and texture”. The mature fruit flavours are nicely balanced by the refreshing acidity and there is a lingering finish.

Thanks to cool ocean breezes, the grapes ripen slowly and freshness is retained. A Highly Recommended wine and good value also.

The company, founded in 1976, has expanded hugely in recent years and, according to the Wines of South America “claims to be the largest family-owner wine company in Chile”. And their website proclaims that in 2014, they were “the most awarded winery in Chile” with no less than 130 international medals to their credit.

* Speaking of champions, perhaps the best red wine that I've tasted from Chile is Cono Sur's Ocio Pinot Noir. But it will cost you, more than double the price of any of the above! And I usually try to keep my recommendations between ten and twenty five euro.

Chardonnay Rocks. All Over The World

Chardonnay Rocks

All Over The World

Chardonnay is the best known white grape. It tolerates a wide range of climates and is loved by winemakers as it is easy to grow and very versatile. Sometimes it is let down by the winemaker. It has its detractors, of course. Ironically, quite of of them love Champagne in which Chardonnay is a key ingredient. Below are a few that I like, all available online.

Jip Jip Rocks Chardonnay 2011, Pathaway (Australia), 12.5%, €18.30, Karwig Wines

Colour here is a very pale gold, hints of green. White fruit aromas greet you. On the palate it is smooth, extended lees contact adding texture and complexity. Fruity too, notes of citrus and melon. Light and fresh with lively acidity and a medium finish. Perfect for seafood and quite good solo too. Loved this unoaked beauty and it is Very Highly Recommended.

Chateau de Maligny Chablis (AOP) 2013, 12.5%, €22.55 Karwig Wines

Again colour is very pale, very clean. Citrus in the aromas. On the palate, it is crisp and clean, citrus flavours too; it is light and fresh with excellent acidity and there is a good finish. No sign of oak here as “the goal..is to preserve natural character..without any foreign intervention”. Excellent with grilled fish and seafood and Highly Recommended.

El Grano Chardonnay 2012, Chile, 13%, €14.45 Le Caveau

This one does get some oak, 20% of it is fermented in French oak. It is made organically in Chile’s Curico valley by French winemakers Denis and Gregoire Duveau and is Very Highly Recommended.

This well balanced beauty scores on the palate with its engaging natural freshness, absolutely engaging sip after sip, glass after glass. Medium bodied, fine flavours too plus a long finish. Colour is a pale yellow, aromas (peach and exotic fruits) are not overly strong but the character shines through on the palate. Nice wine, nice price.

Domaine de Rochebin Chardonnay 2012 Macon-Lugny (AP), 12.5%, €15.50 Karwig Wines

There is a rich honey colour here, with micro bubbles clinging to the glass. Clinging to it myself as well as this is a good one, aromas are lovely, if a little muted at first. It is fresh and light, refreshing fruit flavours (apple, pear). It has an excellent body, good acidity too and a long finish.

The fresh and fruity style is a direct result of vineyard policy. It has spent 4 to 5 months on fine lees. No oak is used for this gorgeous Chardonnay (popping up in a quite a few restaurants) which is Very Highly Recommended.

Blogger Challenge! Paris is great. When Cono Sur are your hosts, it is even better!

THE CONO SUR BLOGGER CHALLENGE RETURNS!

CONO SUR INVITES IRELAND'S FOOD & LIFESTYLE BLOGGERS TO SUBMIT
AN ORIGINAL RECIPE TO WIN A TRIP FOR TWO TO CHILE

RECIPES ARE TO PAIR UP WITH CONO SUR'S
SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC, PINOT NOIR or RIESLING

Last year Cono Sur, one of Ireland's leading Chilean wine brands, launched its inaugural search to find the ultimate dish to match their Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir. The short-list consisted of recipes from Billy Lyons, Melanie May and Jeni Pim, who in addition to even had their recipes featured in EasyFood and Stellar Magazine. It was Billy who went on to the Paris final, but he was unfortunately pipped at the post by the Finnish entry.

This year the competition is back and it's bigger than ever, with Canada, Chile, USA and Japan joining Ireland and Sweden in a battle for the best recipe to pair with Cono Sur's premium Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, or Single Vineyard Riesling.

The entrant with the most votes in Ireland will travel with a friend, compliments of Cono Sur, to compete in the Grand Finale held in Paris in November, with the overall winner winning a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to the Cono Sur vineyards and winery in Chile.

Visit  www.facebook.com/conosurireland
and bloggercompetition.conosur.com for further details.

Paris is great anytime but when Cono Sur are your hosts, it is even better! Check out my 2014 adventure here.

HOW IT WORKS

For the two months between Thursday 4th June to Monday 4th August, Irish food & lifestyle bloggers across the country can log on to bloggercompetition.conosur.com and upload their original recipe that they feel pairs best with either the Cono Sur Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, or Single Vineyard Riesling.

Voting is then open to the public from 11th August to 15th September, when Cono Sur will select the top three recipes with the most votes from each country to go on to Round Two as semi-finalists.

For Round Two, renowned chef Christopher Carpentier will prepare each semi-finalist's dish and select one finalist from each participating country. Winners will be announced and officially notified on 2nd October.

For the third and final round, the winner from each country will be sent to Paris for 12th-14th November to participate in the Grand Finale. Each finalist will prepare their dish for a panel of judges, including Cono Sur's General Manager and Chief Winemaker, Adolfo Hurtado, as well as chef Christopher Carpentier.

The overall winner will be chosen and announced on the night, winning a fantastic trip for two to Chile.

TIMELINE

• June 4th: Competition opens
• August 4th: End date for submissions
• August 11th: Public voting opens
• September 15th: Voting closes
• September 21st: Chef Christopher Carpentier begins cooking the top 3 entries from each country and chooses the best in conjunction with Cono Sur
• October 2nd: Finalists are notified and publicly announced
• November 13th: Grand finale in Paris

ABOUT CONO SUR SINGLE VINEYARD
The Single Vineyard range of wines was born from the idea of embodying the ideal vineyard site for each grape variety by optimizing the altitude, soil and climate conditions of the vineyard where it is grown, making each wine completely unique.

From voluptuous reds to fresh and aromatic whites, this range pays homage to Chile´s diverse appellations. Each label contains a distinct block number, block name and valley in order to reflect the personality and uniqueness of the terroir where each was born.

Cono Sur Single Vineyard wines retail at €19.99 and are available in specialist off-licences such as O’Briens Wines, nationwide; Mitchell & Sons, Dublin; Redmonds of Ranelagh, Dublin; Sweeney's of Glasnevin, Dublin; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, Dublin; Bradley's of Cork; O’Driscoll's of Cork; and many more...