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

The Atrium is the Plaza to be. Tapas in the Clarion

The Atrium is the Plaza to be

Tapas in the Clarion

Enjoying the Tapas with Alice (@fabfoodcork)

The well known Atrium in the Clarion is transformed into a Spanish Plaza. Spanish chef Maria is dishing up the Tapas of her homeland here every Tuesday to Friday (5.30pm to 8.00pm). And it is not just the food that shouts Viva Espana. A new range of Spanish wines, accompanies the tapas and intensifies that relaxing feeling of being on holiday right in the middle of the city. And, if the sun isn't shining, even if it is, take a look at the colourful new seating before you sink in.

I was in for the “official launch” last week and enjoyed the food, the wine and the company. And isn't that what Tapas are all about. There is quite a selection each evening and all are reasonably priced.

You may have Patatas Bravas (a standard in all Tapas menus in this part of the world) with a spicy Tomato Salsa. Simple but always a welcome dish. My favourite was another fairly common one: the Roasted Red Pepper and Confit Potato Frittata, full of real flavour, simply and honestly prepared.

Another that made my taste buds stand to attention was the Salted Cod Croquettes with a Lemon Aioli, sharp and satisfying. Other favourites at the table included Arancini (delicious crispy fried risotto balls), Mehico Meat Balls with a smoky Tomato Sauce, and Chorizo and Roast Squash salad with sun-dried Tomato.

Adrian introduced the new range of wines to accompany the Tapas. They are supplied by Findlaters and are a good match. All are available by the glass, of course, with prices ranging from €6.50 to €9.25.

In the reds, the general favourite at our table (I didn't take a vote) seemed to be Marques de Riscal Ardo Rioja, with all the flavours and aromas typical of the region. I took a punt on the Torres Atrium Merlot - I liked the name, for a start. By the end, I loved the wine, smooth and rich and a great drop, especially with the Tapas. Other reds were Torres Mas Rabell and Innurrita Norte.

I didn't get as much feedback on the whites but I do know and like the Riscal Rueda. This Verdejo is very versatile and obviously a good choice for Tapas. The Innurrita Sauvignon Blanc from Navara also came in for praise. The others, and I’m sure they were all fine, were Torres Mas Rabell and the Olvena Chardonnay.

It turned to be a very enjoyable evening and a big thanks you to Sonia and Donna and the staff of the Atrium, the inner courtyard of the Clarion (celebrating ten years in business), for looking after us so well. See you soon!

All White. All Right.

All White

All Right

Mas des Bressades Cuvée Tradition Costieres de Nimes (AOP) blanc 2013, 13.5%, €14.99 Bubble Brothers

Costieres de Nime, once part of the Languedoc wine region, is now part of the Rhone area. This particular vineyard is between Nimes itself (where denim, de Nimes, was first made!) and Avignon. I was in the region three years ago and noted that the wines, the whites in particular, were quite good and good value as well.

This Tradition (they also do a Cuvée Excellence - might try that next!) is a blend of Roussanne (50%), Grenache blanc (30), Marsanne (10) and Viognier (10). Color is a light honey, bright and translucent. Aromas of white fruit and blossom are quite intense. Exotic fruits for sure but excellent acidity as well. Lovely stuff from initial sip to that long finalé.

The winemaker Cyril Marès set out to maximise fruit and aroma (back label) and I reckon he did well. It is a terrific blend and Highly Recommended.

Velenosi Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (DOC) Classico 2013, 12%, €16.15 Karwig Wines

Colour here is a beautiful light yellow with greenish hues, and apparently this is typical of the variety. The aromas are quite intense, a mix of floral, fruity and herbal. It is full, with strong agreeable fruit flavors, persistent, and well balanced, with a pleasant finish. Pleasant all round actually and Highly Recommended.

Marques de Riscal Verdejo Rueda 2014, 12.5%, €13.99, widely available including O’Brien’s nationwide and SuperValu nationwide.

This is one of my favourite grapes. Just loved the nose here, intensely aromatic, fruity and herby. You get a mouthful of super flavour, the heady fruit and herb scents still there in the initial burst and longer and then a gorgeous finish. Crisp and fresh, it is just the job for the months ahead, indoors or outdoors, on its own or with your favourite salad. One of the more scented Verdejos, this is Very Highly Recommended.

Have you a recipe that will take you to Paris?

Cono Sur Bloggers Competition 2015
Have you a recipe that will take you to Paris? Maybe to Chile!

We won the Irish section of this competition last season and had a ball at the final in Paris, just pipped for the Grand Prize which was a trip to Chile. Cono Sur are doing it all again this year and it looks bigger and better than ever. Entries will open on June 4th, so stay tuned. But you don't have to wait until next week to start thinking up your recipe to match one of their brilliant Single Vineyard wines. In the meantime, take a look at our night on the Seine.

Silencio. Chile's Best Cabernet Sauvignon

Silencio. Chile's Best Cabernet Sauvignon

It could well be a Silencio Night in some Irish homes this Christmas. But not too many. Silencio is the new premium Cabernet Sauvignon from Cono Sur and only nine barrells were produced. It won’t be that easy to get your hands on one of the bottles and Irish distributors Findlaters are likely to be under pressure!

The new wine, and it is superb, was launched at an lunch in Dublin on Monday. Cono Sur MD and winemaker Adolfo Hurtado was at the Trinity City Hotel, joined by some of the crew from the Paris Bloggers Final, including yours truly. Great to meet some of the other Irish contestants, Jeni Pim and Melanie May.

Adolfo was delighted that Chile has just reached the Number One country position in Ireland. “Ireland is important to us. We are one of the leaders of organic wine production and the biggest producer of Pinot Noir in the world.”

They certainly make some gorgeous Pinot Noir, including the iconic Ocio, and this 2010 Silencio is fast heading in that lofty direction. “It spent 26 months in new French oak barrels and a further two years aging in the bottle. It comes from the Alto Maipo area in the Maipo valley. This valley is a great area for Cabernet Sauvignon and the Alto is even better. We have deliberately chosen a less arrogant name as we let the wine do the speaking.”

It has already been declared by the top Chilean wine magazine as the “best Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile”. Matthieu Tiche, their Export Manager and one of the friends we made in Paris, is very excited about the aging potential of this wine. He sees it as having a potential of ten years and declared it  “a sleeping beauty!”.

“It has an intense ruby red colour and delicious aromas of red fruits, berries, and cassis, with well integrated oak. The palate has great balance and concentration with smooth seductive tannins and a long finish.”

Maybe you will be lucky enough to get a bottle or two of Silencio for Christmas. But, if not, Cono Sur has some other red gems in its portfolio. I have to admit that the Ocio Pinot Noir has captured my palate. If it must be Cabernet Sauvignon for you - the cook here, another veteran of the Bloggers Final, is a Cab Sauv fan -  then check out the 20 Barrels Limited Edition or maybe the Single Vineyard Block 18, both also from the Maipo.

We enjoyed an excellent lunch with Cono Sur and Findlaters at the Trinity City Hotel. The opening Classic Caesar Salad was matched with the Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (a beautiful aromatic wine from the Casablanca valley). The Silencio was paired with Roast Sirloin of Beef. The assiette of homemade desserts was accompanied by the Single Vineyard Riesling. The Riesling, with impressive freshness and minerality, comes from the Bio Bio valley which is at about the same latitude as the middle of New Zealand’s South Island.

Seine-sational Night on the River. Cono Sur Blogger Competition Finalé

Seine-sational Night on the River

Cono Sur Blogger Competition Finalé

It is midnight in Paris. We are moored on the left bank and the boat is rocking. No! The boat is moored on the left bank and we are rocking.

Finland’s Johanna Koskiranta has just been announced as the winner of the Cono Sur 2014 Blogger Recipe Competition but the celebrations, led by team Cono Sur, are for everyone, the Chileans, the Finns, the Swedish, the Irish, the English, the French, and more, including at least at least one American.

The private boat trip on the Seine was a surprise. We started more or less at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, cruised under the bridges of Paris, the illuminated buildings adding to the magic. A lovely meal and Cono Sur wines enhanced the pleasure. The focus was very much on three reds this evening: the 20 Barrels Syrah and the 20 Barrels Cabernet Sauvignon and, perhaps my favourite, the Ocio Pinot Noir.

The day had started with a cook-off in L’Atelier Beaubourg (close to the Pompidou) with Clare and myself representing Ireland, Anna for Sweden and Johanna for Finland. Some gentle bubbles to ease us into it - loved that Cono Sur rosé - and, with lots of friendly chats going on, there was no pressure.

Our Irish dish, being plated up.
Includes Truly Irish Rashers and
the magical Irish Shellfish Butter by IASC 

Well, maybe a little when the dishes were presented to the judges: Adolfo Hurtado (MD and winemaker at Cono Sur), Jo Mansell (UK) and Christopher Carpentier, the top Chilean Chef (he is the main man on their Masterchef). Christopher too was enjoying the day, helping the various contestants (he helped us get the scallops out of their shells), and then he laid on a lovely lunch dish (duck, pasta and some of that “lovely Irish bacon”, Truly Irish rashers from our supply!).

You may see details of the three dishes here.

Our first international cap!

We left the cookery school about three o’clock and headed back to the hotel. Quite often in France, we end up at a Brocante event. And there was one on close to the hotel, a huge one, stretching all the way up to the Bastille and back down at the other side of the water (Pt. de Plaisance de Paris Arsenal). But we didn't have the car this time so didn't go browsing for bargains.

Instead we strolled up to the nearby Bastille, now a huge roundabout. And then took a walk in the beautiful Place des Vosges. There are some fascinating art galleries in the covered archway around the old square, amazing work inside. Then onto the Marais before coming back to Bastille via Rue St Antoine, a street full of food: restaurants, takeaways, fruit shops, cheese shops, wine shops, full of people, colours and aromas, a lively place as dusk and drizzle descended together.

Chef Chris concentrates as a contestant gives a summary of the dish.

We also had some free time after arriving on Thursday and used that to take a walk along the left bank, stopping at the riverside book stalls, before ending up at magnificent Notre Dame.

Later, we went out to dinner but the restaurant we had picked wasn't opening until 8.00pm. We were hungry, so settled on the nearby all day Tarmac. We had a very enjoyable meal here. I tucked into the Escargots from Burgundy and a Lamb Tagine, lots of fruit with the lamb, while CL had goats cheese with sun-dried tomato and then Cod with a gorgeous piperade sauce.

Back then to the hotel and a glass of St Emilion, relaxing ahead of the busy Friday. It was a busy enough time on the Friday but very enjoyable, all relaxed and informal throughout. If you want to party, get the Chileans to organise it! And do enter the Cono Sur Bloggers Competition next year!

More Paris pics below.

The birdmen of Notre Dame

L'Escargot at Tarmac

Notre Dame detail

Notre Dame under grey clouds

A wee bit of friendly pressure in the kitchen

Dinner at Tarmac, superb Tagine on right.

Evening in Place des Vosges

rue St Antoine. A cheese shop.

Fun and food on board. Chef Chris with winner Johanna

More frolics.

Arriving in Cork, Sat afternoon.