A Couple Of Superb Reds from Argentina and Austria

A Couple Of Superb Reds from Argentina and Austria

Susana Balbo Crios Malbec Mendoza 2018, 14%, €16.75 Wines Direct

The aromas, warm, moderately spicy and massively welcoming, are the stand-out feature of this dark-red/purple Malbec from Mendoza, crafted by Susana Balbo, one of the best known wine people in Argentina. It is warm too on the palate, full of sweet red fruit flavours (plum and blackcurrant), again that spice, dark and delicious, and a terrific harmonious finish as well. Very Highly Recommended. 

Importers Wines Direct recommend pairing it with Pasta and Pizza, Game, Beef and Lamb. The vineyard tell us that it has spent 9 months in 100 % French oak, and they put Tuna steak, lamb, hamburgers on their matching shortlist. 

The Crios series of wines is aimed at connecting with “young, adventurous wine drinkers looking for unique varietals and regions, as well as with those seeking reliable, quality wines that fit their budget”. Reckon a lot of the recent “cocooners” would have a keen interest here as well.

Susana Balbo, the first female enologist in Argentina after graduating with honours from Don Bosco University in Mendoza in 1981, is an Argentinean game changer “of incredible skill and experience” according to Wines of South America. She is regularly hired as a consultant abroad and has made wine in Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, South Africa and Spain. Dominio del Plata, her own label, is among the country’s most successful, with her Malbec and Crios Torrontes its signature wines.

Wellanschitz Neckenmarkt Zweigelt Klassik (Burgenland, Austria) 2016, 13%, €17.75 Wines Direct

The Zweigelt grape is a brilliantly hardy grape that is well suited to the Austrian climate and it is the most widely planted red grape there. It was created in 1922 from a crossing between Saint-Laurent and Blaufrankisch. According to Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, the terroir here is ideal for the red grape: In this landscape, which is not unlike the Médoc, red grapes ripen reliably every year.

Colour is a dark ruby. Attractive bouquet of ripe dark berries. Medium bodied, it is juicy, fruity (blackberries, cherries, raspberries) and nicely spicy on the palate, very fresh too with engaging medium acidity and a long dry finish, tannins integrated. Highly Recommended.

Should be perfect with the foods suggested by importers Wines Direct: spicy food, soft cheese, pork and poultry, beef and lamb. Serve at 14-16 degrees. Note also that it is vegan friendly.

This classic Zweigelt was fermented spontaneously in stainless steel and then traditionally matured in large wooden barrels. “The work of the winemaker is full of humility and awe. Any manipulation, falsification or acquisition, which would alter the cultural asset of the wine are prohibited at Wellanschitz vineyards.” This is the real thing from the Austrian wine-maker.

Gamay on the double. But not from its usual home!

Gamay on the double. 

But neither from its usual home!

Henry Marionnet Touraine (AOC) 2015,   12%, €16.65

 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This Loire red is produced from hand-picked Gamay grapes and the recommendation is to serve it between 8-9 degrees in summer, a few degrees higher in winter.

Mid ruby colour. Raspberry and strawberry figure in the reasonably intense aromas. Juicy and fruity, a touch of spice, excellent acidity and a decent enough finish. The producers say it is imperative to drink it fresh and young, that is to say between 1 and 18 months. I’m afraid I’m a bit late as regards the recommended age, but this 2015 still tasted lively and fresh. Still, Highly Recommended. Might even be Very Highly if I can get a more recent vintage!

The large Touraine area is not usually associated with the Gamay grape but Henry Marionnet, passionate about traditional and natural methods, is generally considered to be the ace producer of the varietal in the Loire.

Some unusual notes (maybe something’s lost in translation) on the website.

1 The harvest is entirely picked by hand with great care and that almost exclusively by women.

2 It is the wine of a whole meal….You will feel good tasting it because the dishes served will appear more light.

3 because of its lightness, it is able “to be drunk with large swipes”.

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Radford Dale “Thirst” Gamay WO Stellenbosch South Africa 2018, 10.0%, €20.95

64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This one kind of grows on you. Unless you shed it first.

A strikingly light red colour and a funky aroma are the initial greetings from this Gamay, officially classified as a light red. It is indeed light on the palate, expressive red fruits and no shortage of tannin before a lengthy finish with a lingering bitter bite (a little reminiscent of Campari). As well as this Gamay, they also produce a Cinsault and a Clairette Blanche. 

In the Thirst series, the South African vineyard’s aim is to make refreshing, lower alcohol, lower sulphur, wines, with minimal intervention. “We have not stripped them of any natural components and they are neither fined nor filtered and can show an amazing haze." 

"Thirst wines are like a live rock concert rather than a manufactured, boyband studio album. Our aim is to express their environment, their varieties  and vintage, in the most natural way. Our simple logic is the less you manipulate a wine, the better it is - and we therefore capture its integrity, energy and individuality.”

If you like funky rock, try this. If you fancy Boyzone, you're outta time. The initial aromas may not be that inviting, but this light fruity wine gets friendlier as you get to know it.

Wine Duo Charles and Charl tell us about their Qvevris in the Swartland! And much more about this hot dry wine region of South Africa.

Wine Duo Charles and Charl tell us about their Qvevris in the Swartland! 

And much more about this hot dry wine region of South Africa.

Wine from the Qvevris

The Swartland is 65kms north of Cape Town. The climate is hot and dry. Viticulture here it is not straightforward, according to Fairview and Spice Route owner Charles Back. “You have to be very careful to select good moisture retaining soil in the first place, soil that can trap the moisture and slowly release it later when needed.”

“We monitor winter rainfall very carefully and if the rain isn’t enough, the yield must be cut. We use bush vines and the canopy has to be managed.”

Charl du Plessis, the winemaker: “Your grape variety selection is also very important. I’d love to do Pinot Noir but no way here. Must look for new varieties, also with climate change in mind.”

Hot and dry

Dry conditions significantly reduce the risk of fungal diseases and make it easier to go organic. Charles: “We had been asking ourselves how to add value when the yield is down and organic is the answer. We have the attributes that lend themselves to organic.” 

Charl: “This is our third year of conversion, also a learning curve for us and hopefully we’ll see the benefits. I reckon that in 10 to 15 years time, most producers in South Africa and worldwide will be growing organically.”

"Without [Charles Back]…the Swartland would still be regarded as a rural backwater" wrote Tim Atkin, who awarded the winery 'Cru Bourgeois' status in his South Africa Classification in 2019. And Liberty MD David Gleave endorsed that opinion as he introduced the “double act” from the Spice Route and Fairview vineyards in a ‘backwater’ that has been transformed to a globally recognised hot spot for premium South African wine.

Amoskuil, their farm in the Swartland where the cellar is and the majority of the vineyards are, is in its final year of organic conversion. If all goes to plan, most of the Spice Route wines from the 2021 vintage and beyond will be certified organic.

Winemaker Charl told us about another “surprise” development here, their importation of 20 qvevris from Georgia. But first Charles: “Again, as part of our drive to add value, we are always on the lookout and when I got a chance to go to Georgia, I said ‘let me go!’. I was blown away, over 500 indigenous varieties and a biblical style of wine-making.” 

Qvevris

So blown away was he that he ordered the first batch of ten qvevris. “I hadn’t tasted wines like this before. I was thinking if I could apply very precise modern methods to the process, I could do well."

Charl went there in 2018 and did a vintage. “It was a big challenge for me and I learned a lot. No chemicals added, all done naturally, white wines on skins for six months, red for three years!”

A qvevri is huge earthenware amphora (800 to 1200 lts) sunk into the ground and used for wine fermentation and storage. The hand-made terracotta pots have been fired and coated inside with beeswax.

Underground

Back in Swartland, the qvevris have been installed underground and the duo seem determined not to have the extended maturation of the Georgians. “Probably a bridge too far for the average winemaker, somewhere in between. There’ll be a focus on cellar hygiene the whole time, that’s vital.”

Their Georgian Qvevri are built into the cellar at Klein Amoskuil in Malmesbury! 

Tasting time

Charl: ”They are filled with blends, one white, one red, and all the grapes are organic, all sustainable. It’s the total opposite of normal, especially for the white. We ferment on the skins, extract a lot of tannins which yield more anti-oxidants and that helps prevent spoilage and the colour is amber or orange. The way to go!” 

“It is an acquired taste but has a big following around the world, with the younger age group engaging and more into it.  Great food wine.” Charl sees a big future for these wines and is very positive about them. Look out for them under their Obscura label.

Quite a few questions in Q&A towards the end about different varieties, varieties that might do well in the Swartland.
Charles: “There are some Greek varieties that might do well eg Assyrtiko but though it is well suited, there is no big commercial appeal to it.”

Q: Viognier in South Africa?

A: The high cropping level is a problem, need to manage the canopy. Treat it as a red grape early on, the aim always to get the correct balance between the alcohol and the tannins.”

Q: Pinotage? Like it or don’t like it?

A: Charles says he sees a big future for it but not the old style wine that some of us outside of South Africa are familiar with. “If you really apply yourself to Pinotage, you can make a very good wine from it, more fresh, juicy, flavoursome. And it is ideally suited for Mediterranean style rosés.” And he went on to say that there is still a lot to discover from Chenin Blanc, that there is the possibility of getting a broader range of wines from it.

Q: How do you clean the qvevris?

A: “I’m skinny,” said Charl.

Charles (left) and Charl

Charles and Charl are quite a duo but how did they end up together. Charles was on the lookout for good terroir in the Swartland and was tasting Chardonnay in the local cooperative, an influential one. It was “amazing” and he followed up by going to the grower and buying the farm at Klein Amoskuil. 

His first wine-maker left to open his own business a few years later. Charles had already noted the prowess of Charl. “He was always winning competitions and so I said if I cannot beat him, I’d better get him to join me.” And so they ended up working together at the end of the 2001 in time for the fourth vintage at Spice Route and have been making wine, and jokes, together since then.

Previous masterclasses in this current series:

Chilean Wine Maestro Aurelio Montes

The Day The Vines Died in Alto Piemonte with Luca de Marchi
Matt Thompson's Blank Canvas in Marlborough

Portuguese Grape Varieties with Antonio Braga

A masterclass from Tuscany by wine-maker Paolo De Marchi

Rebooting Armenia's Ancient Winemaking with Zoric Gharabian

Barolo 2016 with Franco Massolino and Giuseppe Vajra

Biodynamic Californian Winemaker Ted Lemon of Littorai

Charles Heidsieck is "freshened up" by Cyril Brun

Cellar Master Émilien Boutillat Details Climate Change Challenges.

Pinotage in the open top "kuipe" for fermentation

Wine Maestro Aurelio Montes Takes It To The Limit One More Time

Wine Maestro Aurelio Montes

 Takes It To The Limit One More Time

Down here, you don't pay tax on the part of the building that stands in the water!

Aurelio Montes, noted as one of the pioneers of top class Chilean wine, is taking it to the limit one more time. “If you don’t go to the limit, you won’t know what you can achieve,” he told us on last Tuesday’s Liberty Wine organised masterclass. Thanks to the magic of Zoom, Aurelio (wearing beret and poncho) was talking to us from a cool southern Chile on his way to the Chiloé Archipelago to check on his latest vineyard, this one on an island.

“I have known Aurelio for 7 or 8 years,” said Liberty MD David Gleave as he introduced him. “Known of him for much longer. He is always looking out for new areas, always pushing the barriers. It gives his wines an extra dimension. He is still full of energy and enthusiasm and a man of great knowledge.” 

Before

Aurelio said he was always seeking quality through innovation, never afraid to employ new technology. “Happy we have achieved so much. I enjoy too much what I do.” And then he took us through his Chilean vineyards. (He also has an international presence).

He has had an eye for a good location from his university days. As a 21 year old he visited a place (150km south of Santiago) and began to dream of making vine in Apalta. “Time went on,..” before, years later, with his partners, “we bought a bit of land”. “We planted the vineyard and were totally correct. The quality was amazing. Then we started planting on the hillsides and the neighbours thought we were crazy. Year by year though it was good - for Syrah, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon and more. Then we started getting noticed.” And Montes began to grow - they have no less than three pages of wines in the Liberty catalogue.

After

“I’m a moving kind of guy.. never stay still.. just can’t stay in one place. Why not move to the coastline?” And so they did, to Marchigüe. “Just 6km to the coast, more gentle slopes, a rolling landscape and the temperature of course is more coastal. .. mainly reds but a little Chardonnay, Viognier. Results here were even more encouraging, wines with character and personality, really fantastic. We are now trying Touriga Nacional, Tannat, more. We were the first ones there and it’s been an amazing experience. A beautiful place. I take a look every week and I never get tired of it.”

And the coast was the draw again for his next move, to Zapallar “an expensive summer resort, in the Aconcagua Valley”. They were by the sea but there was a lack of water, a worldwide problem due to climate change, he said. “So thinking of the future, we started a programme of dry farming, we built a reservoir and we have two deep wells and deliberately keep the yields low. Results are great, fantastic concentration, great expression and personality plus acidity. It’s been a wonderful challenge, a big vineyard and we are always exploring”. And they’ve had success with Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

“It is totally coastal influenced. In morning there’s mist and fog and then a shy sunshine from mid day. The vines grow happy. The grapes ripen slowly.” And you can find these coastal beauties in the Outer Limits range, also imported by Liberty. Aurelio was sipping the Pinot (possible best in Chile) as he spoke.

As he said, they are always exploring. He is delighted with the “little bit of Syrah, looking fantastic, a lighter coastal wine, lot of character and freshness.” And David Gleave endorsed that opinion.

The reservoir

“We are fearless,” continued Aurelio. “We don’t stop always trying things.” Albarino is next on the list. He related how he was in Spain about 3 years back and “fell in love” with Albarino and “is moving some here as Zapallar is like Rias Baixas”.

Coastal viticulture has been good to Aurelio and so the next logical step for this regular yachtsman was to set up on an island and he found it in Chiloé, 1200km south of Santiago. “You have to go to the limits to discover how far you can go! It is beyond the viticultural limits.”

You’ll often hear of the cooling influence of the Humboldt current off the Chilean coast. Fortunately, for Aurelio, the current doesn’t get in around the Chiloé Archipelago and so the temperature on the islands is a few degrees higher than you might expect! Otherwise it would probably be too cold for the vines.

“The soil is volcanic, one metre deep, fertility not that big. There are 120 inhabitants, 10 kids in school and there is a culture of fishing. We decided to plant seven varieties.” That was in 2016. No harvest yet but 2021 will tell what the Mechuque vineyard (which runs down to the sea) is capable of. Knowing Aurelio’s record, you wouldn’t be betting against him!

Where next for Aurelio?

* All pics are screenshots from the masterclass.

Previous masterclasses in this current series:

The Day The Vines Died in Alto Piemonte with Luca de Marchi
Matt Thompson's Blank Canvas in Marlborough

Portuguese Grape Varieties with Antonio Braga

A masterclass from Tuscany by wine-maker Paolo De Marchi

Rebooting Armenia's Ancient Winemaking with Zoric Gharabian

Barolo 2016 with Franco Massolino and Giuseppe Vajra

Biodynamic Californian Winemaker Ted Lemon of Littorai

Charles Heidsieck is "freshened up" by Cyril Brun

Cellar Master Émilien Boutillat Details Climate Change Challenges.

Impressive Whites from the Languedoc and Bergerac. Fruity, French and Fabulous.

Well-known in Bergerac!

Impressive Whites from

 the Languedoc and Bergerac

Château Petit Roubié Picpoul de Pinet, AC Coteaux du Languedoc 2018, 12.5%, €14.10 Mary Pawle

Picpoul de Pinet is becoming a star wine, according to Grapes and Wines (2015). 

Picpoul is the grape name and it is found in the Languedoc and the best of it seems to be from the village of Pinet, on the edge of the Med and about 90 minutes east of Carcassonne. It is a very old grape variety and the name means lip—stinger (after its high acidity).

It has a pale gold colour. Aromatic for sure - citrus, melon and floral. Rounded and abundant fruit flavour (apple, lime, grapefruit), generous mouthfeel (close to creamy), a perky acidity and a decent finish. Highly Recommended and Very Highly Recommended with seafood. Serve at 8 degrees seems to be the official line but mine is one or two below that!

Importer Mary Pawle introduces this 2018 as a dry white, with a green-gold hue. Crisp and apple-y. “Often referred to as the Muscadet of the South, it is excellent with oysters and most shellfish.”

Château Petit Roubié has been practising organic farming since 1985. Floriane and Olivier Azan have owned the estate since 1981 and have developed, thanks to a judicious choice of winemaking, a very attractive range indeed. 

Their lands are in a historic area; if you visit, you can still see vestiges of the Via Domitia (the Roman road) in their scrubland. And those Roman engineers were building on top of an even older “road”. The wine, I’ve read, is presented in a Neptune bottle though that, as far as I know, has nothing to do with the Roman god of the sea.

Terroir Feely “Sincérité” Vin de France 2018, 13.5%, €22.20 Mary Pawle

You find out much about this 100% Sauvignon Blanc, in shorthand, on the label: Zesty fruit. Memories of the sea. Sincerity of nature. Hand-harvested. Indigenous yeast. Unfined. Vegan friendly. Organic. Biodynamic. Demeter.

In the glass, it has quite a light straw yellow. Gooseberry and citrus feature in the aromas. Lively and zesty attack, amazing flavours (more or less tracking the aromas) from then right through to the long finish, flavours are not at all extreme though, and with matching acidity, all’s in harmony here. A delicious refreshing wine, with minerality, perhaps from the limestone soil, and Highly Recommended!

Chateau Feely is in Saussignac (well-known for its sweet wines) in the Bergerac region but its wines are labelled ‘Terroir Feely’ because most Feely organic, biodynamic and natural wines are bottled under the ‘Vin de France’ label and in France, Feely tell us the word ‘Chateau’ is reserved for AOC wines.  “Since vintage 2014 our wines fit the natural wine standard defined by SAINS a French natural wine association”.

Why is it called Sincérité? “A pure Sauvignon Blanc originally named ‘sincere’ as a play on words with Sancerre due to the minerality and the pure Sauvignon Blanc character. It is a wine that is direct and acidic with a purity and freshness that is like sincerity.”

Serve at 7°-8°C with Fish and seafood, Fresh goat cheese and Salads.