#276 Chivite Gran Fuedo - a blast from the past

Back in my Oddbins days, the wines of Bodegas Chivite sat on my shelves and I didn't pay them much attention.  They were cheap, sold moderately well and I really can't recall ever trying them.

However last week, I finally got round to trying them again, and found, to my surprise, that I'd been missing out on a few wines for the best part of a decade.

The company was founded in Navarra in 1647, and has expanded to include wines from Rueda and Ribera del Duero, but it is still one of the most respected and important Navarran producers. 

I started with their 2009 Gran Fuedo Blanco, an unoaked Chardonnay, and despite it being a bit too cold, it had a lovely, light, simple aroma with lots of apples, citrus - both grapefruit and lemon - and just a hint of graphite.  The palate was clean, a lovely texture, just a hint of yeasty flavours, and with more apple and citrus.  With a retail price of £8.99, this is a super wee wine.  8/10

Moving onto their famous 2009 Gran Fuedo Rosado, I found that this pink Garnacha was a pleasent wine, but was confused by its 91 points awarded by the Penin Guide.  Sure, it was light, with a hint of peach and strawberry leaves on the nose, but the palate was quite fruitless and although clean, it was a bit boring.  Not bad, just boring, and that is a bigger crime in my book.  5/10

The reds picked things up, and the 2005 Cran Fuedo Crianza (Tempranillo, Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon) showed lots of red berries, crunchy red apple skin and a lot of spice and creamy elements on the nose.  The palate was spicy, leather hints and cherry stone galore, all coated in a dusting of cocoa.  At £7.99 it is a good wee wine.  7.5/10

Finally, the 2004 Gran Fuedo Reserva, a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, was tasty.  Big rounded nose, with lots of menthol and mint.  A lovely structure with cherry jam, black peppercorns and green peppers.  It is a very punter friendly wine, but still, at £10.99, it delivers the goods.  8/10

These wines are decent bottles for the price, and it is a shame that I found the rosado to be dull, but maybe it was just that I tried it on a freezing November day!  There is one wine from their range that I am eager to try again, the Coleccion 125 Blanco, a stunning Chardonnay that, quite rightly, wins loads of awards.  I suggest you try and get your hands on, what I think, is one of the greatest white wines from Spain. 

Gran Fuedo Website

By Peter Wood with No comments

#275 Lark's Tasmanian Whiskies

Tea to Chinese, Coals to Newcastle, Steel to Sheffield...  These are just some of the phrases that, I am sure, Doug Clement is hearing now that he has imported a pallet of Bill Lark's Tasmanian whisky into Scotland.  But why not?  Suntory have been importing their whisky from Japan for over ten years now (ok, it helps that they also own Bowmore and Auchentoshan, but we will forget that for a bit) and Amrut have been selling Indian whisky here for over five years.  

Add in Penderyn and The English Whisky Company and we can see quite easily that there are many countries trying to sell their version of the Scottish drink to the Celts.  And that is without even considering the Irish and American whiskies!

I first came across Bill Lark when he paid me a visit in my shop whilst he was visiting Scotland, consulting on the new Kingsbarns Distillery, near St Andrews.  He informed me of his microdistillery back in Tasmania, and that he uses small 50 and 100 litre barrels to mature his Malt Whisky, allowing the liquid to mature quicker, but what amazed me was his passion for Scottish whisky.  Sure, he could have started promoting his company if he has wanted, but the reality was he wanted to talk to me about whisky - and that endeared Bill Lark to me.  I later asked him to take part in my "6 Questions with..." column, and without a hesitation, he agreed, and then a few months later, our paths crossed again, when he was on a motorbiking whisky holiday with a few mates around Scotland.  Again, never once trying to promote or sell his product, he (and his pals) just stood in my shop trying whiskies with me and then bought a few to take with them.

So it was with great relief that now that I've finally got to try his whiskies, I found that I really liked them.  Always bottling single casks, the two malts I tried were lightly peated and distinguished from each other by their alcohol strength.

Lark 43% Single Malt Whisky

Light pear drops on the nose, with some cereal and just a touch of sweet smoke.  A little chemical element, but with some minty aromas and a bundle of dried apricots and raisins.  The palate is lovely and spicy, very creamy but with a lot of power.  The alcohol is noticeable, but is calmed by white chocolate and a berry element.  Gingerbread appears on the palate with some Parkin and dark toffee.  It is a really tasty bottle of whisky.  8/10

Lark 58% Single Malt Whisky (cask LD119)

Everything you taste in the 43% whisky is here, just amplified!  Having said that though, this whisky has an exceptionally creamy texture, a lot more mint and with a sugared almond flavour.  It also integrates the higher alcohol level much much more than the lower strength malt, and has a herbaceous finish that I like a lot.  Adding a little water opens out the Parkin and berry elements a bit more in this malt and actually reveals a much more honeyed flavour.  8.5/10

There is only one problem with these whiskies though.  And it is the price, which at over £90 per bottle (and the 58% is a 500ml) is a BIG ask.  They are better malts than some £90 whiskies I have tried, but as is the sad case with a lot of whiskies, the contents of the bottle are not always the determining factor that drives someone to buy a particular brand.  A shame, as these are cracking Malt Whiskies.

By Peter Wood with No comments

#274 Wine Trumps

When I was eleven years old, I used to play Top Trumps.  The card game with lots of data on a specific subject (I used to play with Cars, but there was football, pop stars, anything really) where you would win cards from your opponent and build up your collection of useless bits of cards with a picture of a Ferrari F40 and information on its horsepower, price, exclusivity and all sorts of other meaningless technical knowledge.  I remember loving playing the game and building up huge pack of car cards.

And now The Wine Adventurer, through The Waiters Friend company, has released “Wine Trumps”, taking this playground card game and bringing it up an age group with wine as the subject.  The statistics given are “Still drinking from” (older is better), “Average price per bottle” (higher wins), “Rarity” (Rarer is better), “Established” (older is better) “Vineyard size” and “Production” (larger is better – why I am not certain – we changed it that smaller was better) as it is more exclusive!

I’ll admit, I started off with a severely cynical view of this, thinking that it would be another idea coming from someone who fancies making a quick buck and that it is going to fail tremendously.  But I gave it a go.

The first few cards we played were full of mocking about how silly this game was.  However, we rapidly got hooked.  Competitive urges came to the fore, we were arguing how Cheval Blanc’s production of 72,000 bottles was supposed to be better than DRC’s Romanee Conti’s mere 5,400 and how Henschke’s Hill of Grace was drinkable from the 1970’s and therefore beat Krug Clos d’Ambonnay that is only drinkable from the 1990’s, despite the fact that the first vintage of this wine was in 1995!

This is a generational game. Adults (and when I say that, I mean adult men) who grew up playing Top Trumps and who are now wine buffs will no doubt buy one of these packs of cards, or get given one of these games for Christmas, and they will secretly enjoy battling their Penfolds Grange against their pal’s (or child who has been forced to play the game) Trimbach Clos St Hune.

By Peter Wood with No comments

#273 The Liberator

It isn’t often that a new way of selling wine is introduced onto the market, let alone one that uses a super hero to do it, but that is exactly what Richard Kelley has recently launched.  Kelley is one of the leading authorities on South African wine having lived there for seven years and seen the rebirth of this country’s wines as a post apartheid nation.  And now he has created “Rick”, or to use the super hero name “The Liberator”, who’s role is to seek out and liberate rare South African wines from being blended into lesser wines or disposed of in bulk. 

They are all bottled with comic book labels, and a limited run of bottles per ‘Episode’ (release).  It is a clever idea – after all, even a huge producer like KWV will have small parcels of good wine, shining like a Batsignal from the humdrum rubbish that they usually bottle - but it would never sell under their own brand.  The Liberator would allow this wine to make it to market, hidden behind colourful packaging with not a hint of the big brand.  Similarly, extra wine for a small producer can be put out in this fashion, to get feedback on their wine without needing to establish themselves in the UK.  I took a look at the first two Episodes of the Liberator.

Superman has to be the greatest superhero.  Originating in comic books, he got several big budget films starring hunky action heroes in skin tight lycra.  Well, unfortunately, Episode 1 from The Liberator, is more of a Bananaman – a geek that has a pet crow and is voiced by the Goodies.  Essentially, it is a poor show in comparison to its illustrious, and sexier, stablemate.  This 2009 blend of Chenin, Viognier, Chardonnay and Clairette Blanc called The Bureaucrat has light oak aromas, hints of lemon, pineapple and a savoury sweetness that reminded me of black bean sauce.  The palate has more oak, quite fierce alcohol and a lot of bitter elements to it.  Then a flavour as if someone had put toffee sauce on salty popcorn.  It really is a pretty poor show for £13.  6/10

Episode 2 however, the 2008 Unsung Hero, is a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Grenache and is pretty tasty.  Light cherry and chocolate on the nose with sweet coffee coming through.  There is a little rubber on the nose, and some charred red peppers.  The palate is quite thick, some stone fruit and a dark liquoricey element with more pepper and tree bark elements.  Good spice on the finish and some more savoury elements.  7.5/10  This wine might not be Superman – no doubt that Rick will come up with some outstanding wines in the future that will take that role, but this is definitely a Batman – maybe Val Kilmer’s Batman, but still Batman!

I like the concept that Kelley has come up with, and I do know his palate to be a good one.  This concept of liberating hidden wines from South Africa is aimed squarely at the South African wine enthusiast or at someone who likes the cartoony labels.  The enthusiast is going to relish the chance of trying strange and wonderful wines from the Cape, but at some point, they are going to want to know who makes these wines, and where the fruit comes from.  I hope the Liberator becomes one of the great superheroes and not a Captain Caveman!

The Liberator

By Peter Wood with 3 comments

#272 Bad wine day is tomorrow! Beaujolais Nouveau 2010

 

And on the third Thursday of November it was decreed that the world would sup from the cup of weakness.  Our tasting books would be filled with negative comments and pubs that were last decorated in 1983 hold "Beaujolais dinners"with totally inappropriate food to match this light wine.  

Anyhoo, as has become accustomed on this website, here is my note for the 2010 Georges Dubeouf Beaujolais Nouveau: Light, confected fruit, a horrible sweetness coming off too.  Mushed up banana that has gone brown, with a strange petrolium hint.  And now I have to put it in my mouth....

...well, I survived that, and the fruit is pretty... awful.  It is violent, alcoholic with a watery watermelon Jolly Rancher flavour, and watermelon Jolly Ranchers are pretty lightly flavoured anyway so that tells you how weak this is.  Seriously, if you want to spend a tenner on Beaujolais, don't spend it on this filth, spend it on a decent wine, like either of these.

By Peter Wood with 1 comment

#271 6 Questions with.... Dirk Niepoort

Since the formal retirement of his father in 2005, Dirk Niepoort has run the family's wine business that he joined in 1987.  Dirk, with his sister Verena, are the fifth generation of this Dutch family that produce, not only some of the finest ports - try their 20 year old Tawny, it is the best I have ever tried - but some benchmark Douro wines as well.  We asked him six questions...  

What would you do if you hadn't joined your family company in the wine trade?
I would start working in a restaurant cleaning dishes……and would by now own my restaurant

What is the best wine you have ever made and what is the worst? 

The best I believe is the vintage 2005.  The worst……probably a few that were never bottled..

Describe yourself in three words.
Stubborn, naive, in love with good wine

Aside from Portugal, what countries wines do you like drinking on a regular basis? 

Burgundy, Burgundy, Burgundy, Rhone, Riesling from Germany, Riesling from Austria ………….

What is your most prized possession? 

My health and a fantastic family

Name three people, real or fictional, living or dead, that would make your ideal dinner party guests, and what would you be drinking?
Nina, Luis, and I leave a third person open because there would be too many to choose from. In fact the ideal number would be 6 people.  (he would be drinking) 1964 Krug, 1990 Chablis from Raveneau, 1995 Meursault Coche Dury, 1990 Cote Rotie Jamet, 1991 DRC La Tache, 1948 Taylors Vintage Port & 1975 Fritz Haag Auslese Goldkapsel.

With thanks to Danny Cameron of Raymond Reynolds

Picture courtesy of David S. Eley of A Good Nose
Niepoort's Website

By Peter Wood with No comments

#270 No to Nouveau. Drink '09 Beaujolais instead

Beaujolais is all too frequently overlooked by wine snobs.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a proud wine snob, but there are many people who profess to know all the good vintages of Bordeaux and Burgundy and refuse to drink anything else.  They will scoff at a perfectly good 2003 vintage Champagne in favour of a 2002 and they will just turn their nose up at Gamay from Beaujolais – regardless of the vintage.

Well more fool them, because 2009 is a stonking good year in Beaujolais.  I visited the region last year and everyone was telling us that this vintage was going to be great.  Obviously, the first Beaujolais that we all got to try was the Nouveau last Autumn, and even though it was its usual light and fluffy self, there was a bit of quality to it. A year on however, and ‘proper Beaujolais’ is being released and the 2009 vintage has produced some seriously good wines.  I recently tried a pair of wines from two producers, and was staggered.

2009 Domaine Alain Chatoux Beaujolais Vielles Vignes

Coming froom low yielding vines that were planted in 1933, it has a light raspberry dominant aroma, hints of herbs and just a smidgen of Beaujolais Banana and bubblegum!  The palate is light, more fruit dominance, and a little hint of carbonic maceration, but a lovely spicy structure.  Very silky, very elegant and very very tasty.  At around ten pounds, this is outstanding.  8.5/10

2009 Domaine de la Chaponne La Forge Chiroubles

Dried, and baked fruit on the nose.  Cherries and a lot of a rather strange frying pan steak juices on the nose - but I love it!  It is quite powerful, a bit of booze, but with some leathery elements.  The tannins are nicely fuzzy, obviously gentle though, and the finish is long, dry and with cranberry and raspberry stalk flavours. Another cracking Beaujolais at £13. 8/10

So in a few weeks time when everyone is crying out for 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau, or if you are wanting a red with your Thanksgiving Turkey, don’t bother with the latest (overly priced) plonk from this French region.  Go back to the great year of 2009 and get some Beaujolais with a years age.  You will spend the same but get a vastly superior wine.

By Peter Wood with No comments

#269 An enemy from within? Martinez Port

Now in its 220^th year, Martinez was established by Spaniard Sebastian Gonzalez Martinez, who built his company up to be the biggest shipper of port to the UK when he retired in 1849, but since then has slumped considerably.  Passing through the hands of Harvey’s of Bristol, Allied Domecq it is now with the Symington Family Estates, owners of Graham’s, Warre’s and Dow’s. 

I’d tried a few Martinez vintage ports before, including the 1927 and the 1958, but their main range of ruby, Late Bottled Vintage and Tawny’s had never come across my path.  So, presented with the opportunity, I jumped at it.

Unfortunately, the likes of Taylors, Fonseca and Symington’s own Grahams LBV are the biggest obsticle for Martinez’s two red ports at this time of year, as they hack back the prices of their LBVs to under a tenner.  To the average punter, just looking at the price, Martinez will always get shunned in favour of a promotion from one of these discounted brands. 

And that is a shame, because both the Fine Ruby and the 2005 Late Bottled Vintage are really good ports.  The Fine Ruby, retailing at around £11, has lush cherry and damson jam aromas, with fresh fruit backing it up, a lot of dark chocolate and toffee too. A juicy palate follows on, with slight savoury elements, and five spice chocolate coming through late on.  It is a nice port, and well worth the money.  7.5/10

The Martinez LBV 2005 is a lot lighter, and that pleased me.  Herbal aromas with blueberries and a slight cough drop smell to it, which I liked a lot.  There is a spiced sweet fruit chutney flavour at first and then a wallop of pepper, mint and alcohol.  Having said all that, it is a really tasty port, much better than the likes of Grahams and Taylors and, even at £14, is a good buy.  8/10

I’m a big fan of Tawny port and Martinez’s 10 Year Old Tawny is one of the best that I’ve had in a long while.  A nose full of raisins, a malty element that reminded me of a port casked Speyside whisky, and lots of nuts and dried fruit peel came leaping out of the glass.  The palate is very soft, more cereal elements and dried raisins, dates and peanut mixed with honey and bitter marmalade.  A staggeringly good port at £23.  8/10

Finally was the 20 year old Tawny, and again there are two main problems.  Firstly, it isn’t as good as Niepoort’s, but it also isn’t the £50 that Niepoort’s 20 year old is.  The second problem is that it is priced similarly to Taylors 20 Year Old Tawny, that has the big name and, more importantly around Christmas, a fancy box that makes it perfect for a present.  I know that it isn’t important, as the contents of the bottle are the bit that makes it good or bad, but commercially, Martinez are missing a trick here.  Put it in a fancy box, charge an extra quid and you will sell more – simple! 

Having said all that, this £33 port is pretty good.  It’s flavours and aromas pretty much echo the ten year old, just more subtle, more balanced and, more importantly, better quality!  Honey roasted nuts, with lots of toasty elements come through on the finish, that is wonderfully dry.  It is a great port, and well worth the money.  7.5/10

These ports are all good, and worth the money, but if Symingtons are going to make Martinez great again, they need to look at the pricing, the marketing and the competition from both outside and inside their group.  In the meantime, if you are a port drinker and fancy a great port and don’t mind spending a few extra quid for a product that is much better than the competition, take a look at Martinez - you might find you prefer it over Graham's or Dow's!

By Peter Wood with 1 comment