Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts

Monday, August 3, 2020

Wine. What's it all about? Pét-Nat. And now there's an Irish one!

Wine. What's it all about? Pét-Nat
And now there's an Irish one!  
From Greece to Baltimore!

So what’s this Pét-Nat wine they are all talking about? Firstly, it is an abbreviation for pétillant naturel, the French term that roughly means naturally sparkling.

Is it then a copy of champagne? Far from it. It is the other way around if anything, as Pét-Nat has been around longer. Pét-Nat is bottled while still undergoing its first round of fermentation. The French call this process “methode ancestral” and you may see that on the label. 

You may see “bottle fermented,” or, the Italian, “col fondo,” (more or less a  pét-nat Prosecco). The crown cap and a little bit of sediment are other clues!

The method is pretty widespread across the wine world - I enjoyed a Greek one recently. Most are fun and good with food, especially lighter dishes. Great for al fresco lunches and that is where I came across the Greek - see below.

And now there's an Irish Pét-Nat, though not for sale yet! Produced by Mark Jenkinson Slane Co. Meath. It was unveiled in last Saturday's Drinks Theatre event in Ballymaloe and presenters Colm and Seamus says it is "fantastic, an Irish Pet Nat Rosé from Chardonnay & Pinot Noir vines in Tandardstown". For more, including next Sat's Natural Wine event, check the Drinks Theatre on Instagram.

Entré Vinyes Oníric Pét-Nat Penedes 2019, 12.5%, €13.45 Mary Pawle


Colour of this Spanish version is more lemon than yellow, cloudy. Floral aromas of modest intensity. You will get a big white “head” but it won’t last kissing time. Fresh, plush and, helped by the lovely pleasant feel of the sparkle on the palate, it is instantly accessible, with second glass appeal for sure. All this, along with the white fruit and just enough acidity to ensure a harmonious and easy-drinking experience, makes this one of the Highly Recommended.

Onric in Catalan translates as dreamer and Entre Vinyes is a personal project of Maria Barrena (Azul y Garanza in Navarra), the aim being to rescue old forgotten vineyards and restore a balanced ecosystem. This 60-year vineyard, surrounded by a rich biodiversity, is in the Baix Penedes region (in Catalonia) close to the Med. The grapes used are Xarel-lo (70%) and Muscat.

Azul y Garanza are very happy to add this one to their portfolio, “a clear reflection of the place they come from”. And I’m very happy too that Mary Pawle has imported it. An excellent example of the type and very well priced as well.

Mary Pawle tells me this has proved extremely popular. She stocked it in Urru in Bandon,  Manning’s Emporium, Ballylickey  & The Connemara Hamper in Clifden. Worth a try but you'll be lucky to get bottle.

Casa Belfi Col Fondo Organic Frizzante Rosso NV, 11.5%, €21.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny   

This Organic sparkling red wine is made from Raboso grown at the vineyards in San Polo di Piave (where they have been making wines since 1607). It is naturally fermented in the bottle, an Italian Pét-Nat. Raboso is a local Venetian variety named Raboso “Fiery in Italian”. But don’t worry, nothing extreme in this bottle! Piave is named after the local river and is famous for its cows milk cheese and for a decisive battle there during WW1.

Back to our frizzante which has a ruby red colour, with fine and persistent perlage. Fresh and fruity (sharp red fruit), floral and with spicy aromas. In the mouth, it is dry, with balanced tannins and a pleasant acidity. Quite a backbone of flavour and more assertive than white frizzantes. Highly Recommended.

Food pairings: This Rosso is recommended for rich first courses with meat sauces, salami, grilled and roast white and red meat. Serve at 10-12 degrees. This, they say, “is the same type of sparkling wine that our grandparents used to drink”.

Col Fondo: at the end of the alcoholic fermentation, the wine is racked off and stored in stainless steel tanks. As it ages the wine is frequently stirred in order to keep the yeasts in suspension (battonage). When the temperature starts rising in Spring, the time is perfect to make the wine sparkling.The still wine is bottled with some residual sugar and the consequent alcoholic fermentation forms the bubbles. There is no disgorgement. Magic!


Kamara Pure Rosé. A Greek Pét Nat in the Baltimore Sun

In July, we were enjoying a superb lunch in the sunny courtyard (right) of Baltimore's Customs House where Michelin chef Dede now operates. Could this get any better? Believe or not, it did. We (all the customers) were invited to taste one of the wines that the management had been trying out in the shade with Fionnuala of Wines Direct. 


Maria, Ahmet Dede’s business partner, told me they do that here and that they want good wines that their customers can afford, particularly by the glass. Our sample was that bit different, a delicious, light and easy-drinking Pét Nat, not from France but from Greece! What a lovely bonus. A friendly touch in a friendly and cool place. And that rosé went very well indeed with my chicken salad. 

Check Wines Direct for more details here

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Very Good Wines From The Badlands

Superb Wines From Spain's Badlands

Badlands? In Spain? You may well ask. The Bardenas Reales is a semi-desert natural region, or badlands, of some 42,000 hectares in southeast Navarre (Spain). The soils are made up of clay, chalk and sandstone and have been eroded by water and wind, creating surprising shapes, canyons, plateaus, tabular structures and isolated hills. Here there is extremely arid soil where the vines are grown organically. And this is where you’ll find Azul y Garanza.

Azul y Garanza  “Naturaleze Salvaje” Navarra (DO) 2017, 13%, €21.85 Mary Pawle


The Intro: a limited edition, single vineyard, organic, low intervention, unfiltered red wine made from 100% Garnacha in the northern Spanish province of Navarra. “Naturally wild”.

The Lowdown: Mid to dark ruby. Red fruit, berry and cherry, in the attractive aromas, strongly fruity on the palate and a touch of sweet spice.  A fresh and sufficient acidity ensures harmony through to the satisfying dry finish. 

The Conclusion: Another well-made wine from the enterprising outfit that is Azul y Garanza, a terrific example of the Garnacha, and Very Highly Recommended.

The Background: The Garnacha vines have an average age of 40 years and grow at an altitude of 550 meters. They add: "The wine spends 6 months in amphora and 6 months in used 300 L barrels. Fertilizer: No Treatments: Sulphur (minimum dose). Eminently drinkable especially with lighter meat dishes, rich seafood, warm salads."

Tip for opening the bottle: the cork is sealed with wax. Don’t worry. Get out your waiter’s helper type corkscrew. Many easy-pull type corkscrews just can’t handle the wax. Simply angle your corkscrew into the top of the wax. Next, slowly twist the auger in, as you gradually bring your corkscrew to an upright position. Proceed as normal and the circle of wax on top will come away with the cork. This is fine at home but openings in a restaurant may require a little more finesse!

Desierto de Azul y Garanza Navarra (DO) 2007, 14%, €39.00 Mary Pawle

“Desierto is an exclusive wine made solely by the grapes from our Desierto (desert) vineyard.”

The purity of the nearby desert gives the vineyard an advantageous pathway to produce this bio wine without too much trouble. Perhaps the biggest human intervention is its 15 months in French oak.

Intense cherry colour with some lightening on the rim. Aromas are of ripe dark fruit, some savoury notes, and also smoky notes. Flavours deep and long-lasting, amazing concentration, fleshy, with a persistent finish. A singular wine from a pretty unique location and Very Highly Recommended.

There was a little bit of sediment in the 2007! Didn’t note that though when I enjoyed the 2012 a few months earlier. But no bother in any case.

Monday, June 15, 2020

Class in Glass from Navarra's Tandem Winery

Class  in  Glass  from  Navarra's  Tandem  Winery



Latin is a theme at the Navarra based Tandem winery. Tandem itself is Latin for “finally” (and nothing to do with cycling in this case) while the names of the individual wines are in Latin (or derived from it): Casual, Inmacula, Ars In Vitro, Ars Nova, Macula, Ars Memoria, and Inmune.


Tandem was founded in 2003 by Alicia Eyaralar, José María Fraile and a small group of wine-loving relatives and friends. The vineyard is quite close to Pamplona and on the northern edge of the Navarra wine region. 



Speaking in Cork in 2018, Jose Maria said: “We like freshness and elegance and luckily we’re in the coolest part of the appellation. It is super green where we are, a big contrast with the desert in the south. The Atlantic influence, the cool summer nights, and picking late in the season is good for the grapes and we get that natural acidity.”


The Ars in Vitro (art in glass) is an unfiltered, unoaked red wine with fruit and fragrance and a silky palate. “How wine for me should taste,” remarked Tandem’s Jose Maria Frail, speaking in Cork’s 12 Tables. 
With Jose Maria (left) in Cork 2019

This has been raised in concrete. “Nowadays, concrete is accepted, the epoxy lining has made the difference, more complexity, more tannins, more colour, finesse and elegance.” 

It is a blend of Tempranillo and Merlot. And yes, that acidity is there too, making it a versatile wine at the table. Enjoy, as I did recently,  this complex red, its long lasting red and dark fruit flavours. Fresh, enjoyable, pleasant and ideal for any occasion.


O’Briens say:  “..classy red from a boutique, quality obsessed producer in Navarra…  expresses the pure cool climate Yerri Valley Tempranillo and Merlot fruit without the use of oak".


Dark ruby is the colour here. Joes Maria, as you would expect, had this spot-on at 12 Tables, summing up the blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as fresh, fruity and long. “More complex, more spice and great with lamb.” Great too with duck as I found out later.

This rich and complex red has been aged a minimum 24 months in concrete vats plus 9 months in 300-litre French oak barrels. Open, decant and let it breathe for half an hour before enjoying with a roast leg of lamb (or duck!).

The Latin Ars Nova translates to new art and indeed Ars Nova was a musical movement in the 14th Century which brought about the advent of volume in music. And Tandem thought this very applicable to their philosophy of this wine which also has their trademark acidity. 

Importers O’Brien are also very happy with this one: “One of the finest reds we have seen from Navarra; only a producer performing at the very highest level is capable of making such a wine - a masterpiece in innovation and testament to the passion of this boutique winery.” 

Music to Jose Maria’s ears and to those of Tandem’s customers. Play on, maestro!

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Behind the scenes at El Bulli with the men behind the versatile wins of Gallina de Piel

Behind the scenes at El Bulli with the men 
behind the versatile wines of Gallina de Piel
David, in Dublin last year.

David Seijas and Ferran Centelles both worked as sommeliers at the world-renowned El Bulli. Liberty MD Davie Gleave introduced the pair at the latest online masterclass.  “We have been working with David for the last year, since we started distributing his wines, Gallina del Piel. David and Ferran will be talking about their El Bulli experience, talking wine lists, food and wine pairing, service, and working with a team of sommeliers. David will also talk about the transition from sommelier to winemaker. His wines from Gallina de Piel are made with the aim to create a versatile selection from Spain’s gastronomic northern regions; Catalonia, Aragon and Galicia. It should make for a very interesting discussion”.

The pair met at El Bulli and David remembers his first day. “I was 19 years old and the first thing I was told was there were 55 different types of glass here. And that first day was spent learning about how to correctly use those 55 glasses. It was crazy!”

Ferran
Ferran, like David a sommelier in the famous restaurant, also had some amazing figures, like the two million applications annually for seats. With the restaurant closing for six months every year, it meant only 8,000 of those applications would be successful!

The wine list ran to over 1,600 bottles with Burgundy, Bordeaux, sparkling and Spanish wines highlighted. “It was a friendly place not a very formal service, but the wine menu was classic”.

Ferran continued: "There were over 10,000 bottles a year consumed, about 1.5 bottles per person per visit. There were 40/50 preparations (dishes) on the menu. David: ”With all those dishes, the pace was fast, kept up over 4.5 to 5 hours”.

Ferran again: “We tried to slow the drinking, to make people relax and not to drink too quickly. It was part of our job to encourage them to take it step by step. We had to pay attention, it was intense. ” And he revealed that the very best bottles weren’t opened with the food. “They were opened after the coffee, when people were relaxed, not in a rush.”

While some 65% of the wines chosen at El Bulli were based on the recommendations of the somms (four on duty per day), the duo admitted that food pairing wasn’t a strong point there, especially with the huge number of “courses” flying out from the kitchen.

They developed an electronic wine menu “quite cool and revolutionary for its time”. It was very quick and very easy to use and people could choose online from it.

All the info and stats from one year was studied and became a guide for the following year. You can see from the chart they shared that white wines was most popular with 30% and both men were disappointed that Sherry could only manage 5%. Ferran: “We don’t see why Sherry is not more appreciated.”

David said the El Bulli experience, with 6 months open, 6 months closed, "was like having two different lives in one year". “Fifteen hours working per day and then the time off at a different pace entirely.” “A time to do research,” according to Ferran.

And that research continued when El Bulli closed for good in 2011. David built up his wine experience by travelling all around Spain, checking vineyards, varieties, talking to the people on the ground; other activities included teaching on the subject and writing wine books.

“Now, I’m bottling what I learned from all the people I’ve met over the last ten years.” Understanding the menu is part of that, the tapas culture in Spain, the fact that the same place can have fish and meat and more on the menu. So he sought to make wines that are “dynamic” and “versatile”, wines that work across the menu. "All the chefs from El Bulli now have their own restaurants and I wanted to sell to them.”

Both agreed that El Bulli may have been the best restaurant in the world but was probably the worst for pairings. “We weren’t good at that,” said Ferran.  David added it was very difficult to pair in such a varied menu though there were some outstanding matchings. And so wine and food pairing became an obsession with them.
The Gallina pyramid

It was at El Bulli that David learned that you need a versatile wine and he found inspiration in the work of Jennie Cho Lee MW and founder of the Asian Palate. She emphasises “versatility and drinkability”.

So David’s wines are made to “respect the cuisine, respect the gastronomy, repect the food”. All this is important. “Freshness and fruit-driven is important, always with local grapes.” And he is now working on single vineyard wines, the top of his personal pyramid. The red will be from very old Carignan, the white from a local grape in Tenerife, both will be very limited in supply.

Gallina de Piel Mimetic Calatayud (DO)  is his “entry level" red which, like the white, I have absolutely enjoyed and recommend.

It’s a bright juicy Garnacha (98%) - David is a major fan of this grape - with an engaging freshness. Colour is a mid to a dark ruby. Dark fruits with a touch of herb (marjoram), feature in the aromas. First thing I noticed on the palate is the balance, no extremes in this graph, and that perfect harmony continues between the delicious fruit flavour and acidity. A touch of spice adds interest through to the lengthy finish. Elegant and fresh, this is Very Highly Recommended.

Gallina de Piel, `Ikigall` Penedès (DO) 2018 is the white.
Eye-catching labels.

Mid straw is the colour. Fragrant for sure, floral and citrus (lime). Immediately you note that tingly feel at the tip of your tongue, a feel that soon spreads, right through to crisp finish. Citrus flavours are subtly influential in this fresh and rather elegant white. Highly Recommended.

Xarel-lo is a light-skinned grape from Catalonia, northeastern Spain, and is one of the region's most widely planted varieties. It is perhaps best known for its role in sparkling Cava. The other grapes included here are Malvasia (10%) and Muscat of Alexandria (5%).

Now I have to start climbing his pyramid!

After a very informative and often humourous presentation, the Q&A at the end was necessarily brief. There was a question about how different varieties may deal with climate change and in the answer Ferran called Tempranillo “a stupid grape”! “Garnacha is a very clever plant, can adapt to temperatures, knows how to deal with high temperatures, and shuts down. But Tempranillo stays working, a stupid grape! Garnacha is more for the future.”

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Three Highly Recommended European Whites

Three Highly Recommended European Whites
Catarratto. Vintage 2019

Baglio Bianco Catarratto Terre Siciliane (IGP) 2018, 11%, €19.55 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

A few days of skin maceration gives this its amber colour. Colour is not the only result from the three or four days of skin contact, as you’ll note. The nose is rich too, apple and cinnamon in the mix. The palate also is rich and textured. It’s full of flavour and a bit spicy too and it’s dry all the way to the long finish. Highly Recommended.

Bianco is certainly a bit of a misnomer here as this is most definitely an orange wine, a cloudy deep amber in colour, unfined and unfiltered. And Le Caveau say it is a “fantastic introduction” to orange, “both from a flavour and price point of view”.

Orange wines also have a higher level of tannins, more like red wines, and indeed can match foods where previously red would have been the only choice. Some orange wines can be tough going if you’re not used to them but this one is quite easy-drinking. 

Pairings suggested by the importers are free range pork with apple sauce; a herby roast chicken; and cheeses such as Durrus. Catarratto, by the way, is Sicily’s, and Italy’s, most popular white wine grape. Baglio also produce a red from the Nero D’Avola grape. Their organic Rosso is fresh and fruity and also a delicious easy drinker.

Millet Sauvignon Blanc Côtes de Gascogne (IGP) 2019, 11.5%, €12.95, Wines Direct

Colour is a very pale straw.  The fresh vibrancy of the aromas (floral notes, pear) make an immediate impression, a good one, and that follows through onto the lively palate where citrus fruits and an invigorating acidity go all the way through to the decent finish. 

Quite a lovely wine from Armagnac country where much of the grape harvest goes to the distilleries to make the local brandy (don’t ever ever call for a Cognac around here!). Millet themselves say they are devoted to “the production of Armagnac”. A very enjoyable wine and Highly Recommended. Must try and remember this for Sauvignon Blanc Day next year.

Millet recommend serving at 9 ° C, alone as an aperitif, or with a meal. “It harmoniously accompanies starters, goat cheese, Landes asparagus, fish and shellfish.” Importers Wines Direct point in the direction of Rich Fish, Light Fish and Shellfish, Hard Cheese, Fresh Greens
Esteban Martin “Viña Canal” blanco Cariñena (DOP) 2018, 12.5%, €* Wines Direct
This blend of Chardonnay and Macabeo has a light straw colour. Pleasant, if delicate, aromas with both floral and fruity notes. Lively and fruity (tropical hints), good acidity as well and a decent finish. Excellent aperitif and should go well with fish and shellfish. Versatile and Highly Recommended.
Cariñena is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines produced in the area of the same name which is in the province of Zaragoza (Aragón, Spain). It was awarded DO status in 1932. 

€* Bought in mixed case.

Monday, May 4, 2020

Muscato the link in these distinctive whites from Spain and Italy.

Muscato the link in these distinctive whites
 from Spain and Italy.




There is no one "true" Muscat, but rather a great many incarnations, each with its own regional nuance and character, according to Wine-Searcher.com. Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is known as Moscato (bianco) in Italy. Moscato d'Asti is a well-known Italian example, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise in Provence is a French one, both sweet. Muscat also features in Las Cuadras (you'll note its exotic aromas) but Viognier is the main grape here and the wine is dry.

Las Cuadras “Viognier and Muscat A Petits Grains” Costers Del Segre (DO) 2018, 12%, €14.95 Wines Direct 
Valva Martínez de Toda is a young and innovative winemaker responsible for this distinctive and impressive Catalan white wine Las Cuadras, a blend of Viognier and Muscat.

Light straw is the colour, with a tint of green. Fresh and pleasant aromas of exotic fruit, touch of citrus. A little tingle on the introduction and then that juicy fruit sweeps across, distinctive, delicate and delicious, some sweet notes too, but there’s a notable acidity there also, right the way through to the moderately lengthy finish. Highly Recommended. Nice to have a few of these handy for summer days in the back-garden.

The vineyards that produce Las Cuadras are located in the Costers del Segre area of Catalonia in north eastern Spain. The name means 'Banks of the Segre' – a river which originates in the Pyrenees and is a tributary of the Ebro. The large Raimat estate is the best known in the DO which shares some of its vineyard with the Cava region.


Importers Wines Direct recommend pairing it with: Spicy Food, Pork and Poultry, Light Fish and Shellfish and Hard Cheese

Bera Moscato d'Asti DOCG 2018, 5% abv, €17.95 Wines Direct.

Rich aromas, mainly floral, (and a bubble or two as well hits the nostrils) in this light gold low alcohol wine from Italy. The aromas persist as you sip. Bubbles galore but nothing too sparkly (Frizzante rather than Spumante) and not overly sweet either because there is a balancing acidity. A really lovely light tasting wine made with the Moscato grape. Recommended.
Versatile too. Jancis Robinson says it reminds her that wine can bring you joy without having to be serious. And recommends it for Breakfast (even the Full English) and Brunch. 
Importers Wine Direct propose pairing it with Soft cheese, game and dessert while the producers suggest matching it with desserts and in particular with creams, fruit tarts, and pastries. Serving temperature - 6 to 10 degrees.
Just to give you a rough guide to the degree of sweetness, the Asti residual sugar is 130 g/l while in Sauternes is can be anywhere from 120 to 220 g/l;  Beaumes de Venise is 110 g/l; Coke, by the way, is 113.