Are Chilean wines holding up during the recession?

A recent piece of research from Chilean investment bank Banchile concluded that Chile's ability to offer quality wines at cheap prices would see it gain market share from foreign competitors who generally have greater labour and raw material costs. It gave a "buy" recommendation for Concha y Toro shares and classed them as "medium risk" (the main risks being exposure to foreign exchange markets due to 80% of its sales being exports and climatic risk).

Wine Exports

Whilst Concha y Toro shares may currently be undervalued, data from inside the Chilean wine industry does not paint a wholly rosy picture. According to the monthly export figures of wine industry association Vinos de Chile, growth in exports of wine peaked in October 2007 and has since tumbled back down to Q2 06 levels.

Government statistical body ODEPA notes that, while the volume of total wine exported in 2008 was 3.5% lower than in 2007, there was actually a 9.6% increase in total value due to higher unit costs and a shift towards bottled DOC wines rather than bulk and non-DOC wines. In 2009, despite a 9.5% increase in volumes exported in the first 6 months, unit prices have decreased once more, meaning the value of 2009 wine exports to August is 2.7% lower than in 2008. From this it may be surmised that Chile is slightly increasing its export volumes, although prices are being squeezed. In terms of recession-proofing, this is not necessarily a bad sign, as despite lower margins, market penetration (and therefore brand development) is increasing.

Total Exports and the Price of Copper

Whilst total Chilean exports by value have fallen in the last 7 quarters (see table below - click on image for larger version), this comes on the back of 4 years of sustained growth, meaning they are still at Q1 06 levels. Chile is the largest exporter of copper, making the Chilean economy highly dependent on world copper prices.



From Q3 05 there was a pronounced spike in copper prices (see graph below), although they then fell sharply in Q1 08. The export data therefore needs to be read in the light of these fluctuations in the price of copper. Copper prices are important for the Chilean wine industry however, as they directly affect Chilean GDP and therefore the national wine market, but perhaps more importantly because several Chilean wineries are owned by companies or families with interests in the copper sector.

New Wave Spanish Wine Awards 2009

This tasting took place yesterday at The Worx in Parsons Green. On show were a selection of 110 Spanish wines which to qualify had to be either imported into the UK or be shown at the Wines from Spain annual generic tasting.

The Cantosan Brut sparkling Verdejo from Grupo Yllera offers fantastic value at £5.99 and is a good alternative to Cava. (See Jancis Robinson's comments on the same here.)

Getariako Txakolina Getaria 2008 is an interesting Basque wine which comes in an Alsace-shaped bottle. Made from indigenous Basque grape varieties, it is slightly Pinot Gris-ish, has a little residual sugar and is only 11% abv. Moving from the eastern to the western side of northern Spain, Galician producer Bodegas Docampo's Vina do Campo is also Alsatian in character and also refreshingly low in alcohol (12%). At £9.95 it is very fairly priced.

The judges (chaired by Tim Atkin MW) seem to have looked for varietal typicity when awarding best of category. The Best White Under £10 went to Castrocelta Albarino 2008, a classic Albarino with tons of apple and green melon. Best Value White was awarded to Frutos Villar's Maria de Molina 2008, clean and crisp citrus flavours and a pronounced nose - outstanding value at £5.99. Best Red Under £10 went to the Luna Beberide Mencia 2007, two years old but still a vivid purple colour and equally young-tasting, with a palate of zippy red cherries.

Some of the reds, especially those from the more traditional regions, were disappointingly over-oaked and tannic. A refreshing exception was Can Rafols dels Caus' Gran Caus 2001, a deep garnet-coloured 'Bordeaux on steroids' with really concentrated fruit (and a lot of sediment in the bottle). Pretty good value at £15.99. Ochoa's Vendimia Seleccionada 2001 was garnet coloured, with a vegetal claret-like nose and some good fruit on the palate (but will it keep much longer?) A Pinot Noir from Ronda was predictably baked and showed why Andalucia's climate is just too harsh for thin-skinned Pinot Noir.

As to price, there seemed to be quite a few good value wines in the up-to-£15 bracket, but in the £30-50 range I would generally have wanted more for my money. There still seems to be a line of thought in Spanish winemaking that quality is directly related to the amount of new oak used. It seems to me that oak should never be used as a flavour component in its own right, but rather to compliment the all-important primary fruit character. If it overpowers the fruit, it is not doing its job.

In the small fortifieds section there was a lovely Moscatel de Grano Menudo (aka Muscat a Petits Grains) from Bodegas Camilo Castilla and a fantastic, delicate Palo Cortado from Fernando de Castilla (which, incidentally, was also the Best Wine of Show and Best Dry Sherry!)

Rutherglen

Rutherglen is a fortified wine grown in the hot, dry, continental climate of North Eastern Victoria in Australia. The soil is water-retaining deep red loam (see below).


The grapes used in the production of Rutherglen are Brown Muscat (a clone of the old world Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains which is found in the classic French Vins Doux Naturels) and so-called "Tokay" (Muscadelle).

Viticulturally, Rutherglen is unirrigated (water being scarce and so strictly controlled by the Australian authorities). The grapes shrivel, concentrating the sugar and allowing the grapes to achieve 20-22% potential abv without botrytis.

The wine is fortified to interrupt fermentation, in the traditional Port manner, leaving a minimum 160g/l sugar. Ageing takes place in a solera-like system. It is oxidative and evaporation takes place. Once bottled, Rutherglen does not develop further.

The 3 styles are Classic (which must be 5 years old); Grand (10 yo); and Rare (15 yo, but is usually much older). These categories also indicate increasing quality, concentration and sweetness.

(Sources: WSET materials, The Oxford Companion to Wine)

Fortified wine comparisons

The following is a comparison of some key features of Port, Sherry and Madeira.

Climate, topography and influences

Port - Hot continental, very dry. Serra do Marao shelters Douro. Sudden heavy rain and hail. Lack of water.

Sherry - Humid, despite low rainfall. Sunny and hot. Mediterranean. Levante/poniente winds.

Madeira - Humid, hot, subtropical, high rainfall.

Microclimates

Port - Cima Corgo best region. Also Baixo Corgo and Douro Superior.

Sherry - Sanlucar sea influence for ageing Manzanilla

Madeira - North/south split (north cooler - Sercial; south warmer - Bual)

Soils

Port - Schist, broken into terraces.

Sherry - Albariza (white, water-retaining, over 60% chalk). Also barros and arenas.

Madeira - Volcanic, fertile. Decomposed red or yellow tufa, with small round iron-rich basalt stones.

Grapes

Port - Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cao

Sherry - Palomino, PX, Moscatel

Madeira - Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, Malvasia (Malmsey), Tinta Negra Mole

Viti

Port - Guyot-pruned, wire-trained. Terraces. Hand-harvesting on socalcos (6,000 vines/ha); small tractors on patamares (3,500 vines/ha).

Sherry - Vara y Pulgar pruning (similar to Guyot). Bush or head-trained vines. Hand harvesting. High yields (max 80 hl/ha).

Madeira - Tiny plots, small terraces, access difficult, hand-harvested. Trellises. Levadas (irrigation).

Vini

Port - Rapid extraction, lagares (foot/mechanised), fortified early. Vinified in the Douro (but maturation in Villa Nova de Gaia, see below).

Sherry - Free run/press wine (fino/oloroso). Flor. Fortified late spring (i.e. about 9 months after harvest). Mitad y mitad. Solera, in one of the 3 towns. (For PX and Moscatel, raisins, fermentation stops naturally.)

Madeira - Sercial and Verdelho little/no skin contact, fermented until almost dry, then fortified. Boal and Malmsey - fermented on skins for max extraction, fortified early.

Fortification

Before fermentation - Moscatel de Valencia, Samos Doux (Muscat of Samos), Vins de Liqueur (e.g. Pineau des Charentes)

To interrupt fermentation - Port, Boal, Malmsey, VDNs, Samos VDN (Muscat of Samos), Fortified Cyprus Wine, Rutherglen (Victoria), Mavrodaphne of Patras

After fermentation - Sercial, Verdelho, PX, Moscatel, Sherry, Commandaria (Cyprus)

Not fortified - most Montilla-Moriles, Samos Nectar (Muscat of Samos)

Fortified to a:

- low level - Fino, Manzanilla, VDNs

- medium level - Port, good Oloroso and Amontillado (in sherry, ageing increases levels of VA)

- high level - everything else

Acidity

Port - high

Sherry - low (with ageing, can gain sufficient volatile acidity to get up to medium)

Madeira - high

Maturation and finishing

Port - Aged in Villa Nova de Gaia, although some quintas are building warehouses in the Douro - cheaper, easier access. Cask ageing vs bottle ageing. Some Ports are bottle-aged so are not finished before bottling and will throw a deposit (Vintage, Crusted, Traditional LBV); others are filtered and cold-stabilised before bottling (Tawny, LBV).

Sherry - Aged in solera system, the object of which is consistency of style. (The solera system was started in 2nd half of 19th century for commerial reasons - previously sherry was vintage-dated.)

Madeira - The estufa system is central to Madeira viniculture. By heating the wine with hot water pipes for 3-12 months (3-6 in cuba de calor; 6-12 in armezem de calor) the effects of a sea voyage through the tropics are simulated. Vintage Madeiras are aged in the Canteiro system, which uses the heat of the sun, for anything from 20 to 100 years! A small and decreasing amount of Madeira is aged in soleras - known as Solera Madeira, the date indicates the foundation of the solera.

Vintage variations

Port - Vintage Port varies, as does LBV. Crusted is a blend of years so will be more uniform. Colheita (vintage tawny) varies; other tawnies do not - esp Tawny with Indicated Age, where the age indication refers to a particular style. (Beneficio - output prescribed by law.)

Sherry - There is almost no vintage Sherry - the solera system blends out vintage variations (same in Montilla Moriles).

Madeira - Vintage and Colheita Madeiras vary; other styles aim for consistency.

Trade and Legal Structures

Port - Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Portugal (IVDP)

Sherry - Consejo Regulador Vinos de Jerez y Manzanilla (see website)

Madeira - Instituto do Vinho da Madeira (IVM)

Markets

Port - Portugal, US (now more than UK), UK, France (now more than UK, esp young tawny styles to drink chilled as aperitifs)

Sherry - Spain, UK, Netherlands

Madeira - UK, cooking wine

Principal Producers

Port

Normally labelled under the name of the shipper.

Symington Family Estates - Graham's, Warre's, Dow's, Quinta do Vesuvio, Smith Woodhouse, Martinez, Gould Campbell and Quarles Harris. See website.

Taylor's - independent family company - Quinta de Vargellas (produced first Single Quinta Vintage Port in 1958). See history and website.

Quinta do Noval - owned by AXA. See website.

Sherry

Gonzalez Byass - Tio Pepe Fino (GB website and TP history)

Vinicola Hidalgo - La Gitana Manzanilla, Napoleon range

Also Antonio Barbadillo, Pedro Domecq, Emilo Lustau and Sanchez Romate

Madeira

There are only 6 companies licensed for export:

Henriques & Henriques

Madeira Wine Company (Blandys, Cossart Gordon)

Also Justinhos, D'Oliveiras, Barbeito, HM Borges


White Grapes - Palomino, Muscat/Moscatel, PX, Malvasia, Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Gouveio

Black Grapes - Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cao


Oxidised Wines - Oloroso, Madeira, Rancio-style Grenache-based VDNs (eg Banyuls Rancio), Rutherglen, Aged Tawny Port, Amontillado and Palo Cortado (although both start anaerobically)

Not Oxidised - Fino, Manzanilla, Ruby/Vintage Port, LBV, Muscat-based VDNs


Sources: WSET, The Oxford Companion to Wine

Sherry

Here are some essential sherry facts:

Location

Cadiz, Andalucia

Aged in bodegas in Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda (below)


Climate

Humid, despite low rainfall. Sunny and hot. Mediterranean.

Winds - from east (levante) hot, dry conditions; from west (poniente) cooler, more humid.

Soil

Albariza - white, water-retaining, over 60% chalk

Barros and Arenas soils are much less important, especailly in these days of reduced demand for sherry - many vines on these soils have now been grubbed up. However, Moscatel is grown in some arenas areas.

Grapes

Palomino, PX and Moscatel

Viticulture

Pruning - vara y pulgar (similar to Guyot)

Training - bush vine (en vaso) or head-pruned (trunk is trained into a knob at the top)

Yields - high - max 80hl/ha

Vinification

For Palomino, there are two distinct pathways - one for free-run juice and one for press wine. The below chart is a bit simplistic but the majority of the free-run juice will end up as fino and the majority of the press wine as oloroso-styles (i.e. matured without the influence of flor - see earlier post on flor). The relatively high fermentation temperature (28 C) is due to the fact that primary fruitiness and fermentation esters are not wanted.



For PX and Moscatel, the grapes are dried in the sun until they shrivel and become raisin-like. The high concentration of sugars means the fermentation stops naturally at about 5% abv, leaving 200-400g/l residual sugar. PX is fortified with mitad y mitad at around 54% abv and is aged oxidatively in a solera.

Styles

Fino - flor prevent the wine from oxidising; "salty", acetaldehyde nose and taste

Manzanilla - fino aged in Sanlucar de Barrameda - climate moderated by sea

Manzanilla Pasada - older than c.8 years - flor starts to die and wine oxidises

Pale Cream - fino sweetened with rectified, concentrated grape must (RCGM)

Amontillado Seco - aged first under flor (min 3 years), then oxidatively (usually by refortifying and moving to new solera, but sometimes by allowing flor to die away); "hazelnut" on palate

Blended Amontillado - sweetened using younger amontillados/fino/other

Palo Cortado - like Amontillado, aged first under flor then oxidatively; fuller-bodied; PC solera wine sometimes not under ullage

Oloroso Seco - aged oxidatively (without flor), sometimes for several decades; "walnut" on palate; although not aged under flor, may have some flor influence as flor forms on all sherry pre-fortification

Oloroso Dulce/Cream Sherry - sweetened oloroso (using PX or other)

PX and Moscatel - 15% abv, solera-aged

Trade/Legal

Bodegas de Crianza y Expedicion - shippng companies which dominate production, located in 3 main sherry towns (Jerez, Sanlucar, Puerto de Santa Maria)

VOS - average age at least 20 years old

VORS - 30 years

Also 12yo and 15yo

See also my post on fortified wine comparisons.

(Sources: WSET materials, The Oxford Companion to Wine)

Madeira

Grown in humid, subtropical heat, and on fertile, volcanic soils, Madeira's "noble" grape varieties are Sercial, Verdelho, Boal/Bual and Malvasia/Malmsey. The majority of Madeira is actually made from the inferior Tinta Negra Mole grape variety. See table below for comparisons.



The gradations in the site climate seen in the above table are mostly due to altitude.

Plots are typically tiny and on small terraces, so mechanisation is impossible. Trellises are used to raise the canopy off the ground and irrigation is via channels known as levadas.

There is a steady increase in residual sugar throughout the styles of Madeira. Sercial typically contains 1.5% residual sugar (NB NOT g/l), Verdelho 2.5%, Bual 3.5% and Malmsey has over 4%.

The diagrams below give an outline of ageing and styles of Madeira.

Above: Estufas

Above: Canteiro - Vintage Madeira maturing in
600L wooden casks, heated only by the sun

Sources: WSET, The Oxford Companion to Wine

See also my post on fortified wine comparisons and Jamie Goode's Spotlight on Madeira.

Port

Here is a summary of the essentials of port viticulture and production - to help me with my WSET Diploma fortifieds revision, but hopefully also of general interest!

Location

Grapes for port are grown in the Douro region of Portugal. The best plots are in the Cima Corgo, from the slopes around the village of Pinhao (see photo below). Lower quality grapes (e.g. for young ruby port) are grown in the Baixo Corgo to the west and the Douro Superior to the east, which stretches all the way to the Spanish border.


Climate

The climate in the Douro is hot continental and very dry, becoming increasingly so further inland. The hills of the Serra do Marao shelter the Douro from the Atlantic influence. Climatological hazards include sudden bursts of heavy rain which can cause erosion and damage terraces and hail in the summer and autumn which can damage crops. Lack of water is a constant problem - weeds are removed from vineyards to remove competition for water.

Viticulture

The soil is schist, which due to the steep slopes is formed into terraces. Vines are Guyot-pruned, wire-trained.

The older, narrower walled terraces known as socalcos are often only two rows wide and are planted densely (c. 6,000 vines/ha). Maintenance of the walls is costly and time-consuming and the narrow gauge means tractor access is not possible, which is why in the 1970s the terracing system known as patamares was introduced. This involved bulldozing wider terraces into the hillsides and replacing stone walls with ramps bound by vegetation. Vertical planting has also been introduced (known as vinha ao alto) to enable mechanisation.



(left, socalcos; right, patamares)


Many vineyards contain long-forgotten mixtures of indigenous grape varieties. Modern regulations permit around 20 grape varieties, the most important of which are:

Touriga Nacional - "quality" - the highest quality Douro grape, low yields, high colour and tannin, very aromatic.

Touriga Franca - lighter, softer, rounder, very perfumed though and good heat- and drought-tolerance

Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo in Spain) - "medium" (colour, tannin, concentration) but adds finesse, good length and good in cooler years

Tinta Barroca - "high" (colour, tannin, acid, mustweight); early-ripening, cooler sites

Tinta Cao - v low yields, but good for ageing

Quintas are classified into Categories A-E (A is best) using a complex points system which rates them according to 12 physical factors including vines, location, aspect, gradient, soil and shelter.

Vinification

Macerated vigorously for only 2 or 3 days, for a rapid extraction of colour and tannin. Traditionally this was done by foot-treading in large granite lagares.

Premium ports use foot treading (or the mechanical equivalent - the "robotic lagar" developed by Symingtons). Cheaper ports use a mixture of roto-vinifiers, vigorous pumping-over, thermo-vinification and (in decreasing numbers) autovinifiers.

Once the wine reaches 6-8% abv (with c. 90-100g/l sugar), it is fortified to interrupt fermentation. One part aguardente (77% abv) mixed with 4 parts wine to give c. 20% abv.

Ageing

Port can be either cask aged or bottle aged. Young ruby port is aged in large concrete or stainless steel vats (20-100,000 litres). Oak is used for more expensive ports, although never new oak.

Wood-matured ports - aged in wooden casks (or sometimes cement tanks) and are ready to drink straight after fining, filtration and bottling. E.g. tawny port (which is aged in wood for so long that it loses its colour and turns tawny).

Bottle-aged ports - aged for a short period in wood and bottled without filtration. May take 20-30 years to be ready to drink. E.g. vintage port.

Styles of Port

Ruby - spend less than a year in cask

Reserve Ruby - aged for up to 5 years, more flavour

White - skin contact, most released while young (made from white-skinned grapes such as Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Mourisco)

Tawny:

- Fine - basic, can be blend of ruby and white
- Aged - oxidatively for c. 8 years in cask
- with Indicated Age - 10, 20, 30 or "over 40" - refers to a style
- Colheita - vintage

LBV - single year, 4-6 years in cask then cold-stabilised, filtered and bottled. Ready to drink on release, does not improve.

Traditional LBV - single year, but not cold-stabilised and filtered so will form a deposit and improve, although can be drunk on release

Crusted - blend of years, not cold-stabilised and filtered, ready to drink but will improve (fairly recent invention of Symingtons and others to appeal to vintage port market, although this is a blend of years)

Single Quinta Vintage - released in years when a full vintage not declared, to satisfy consumer demand for dated ports (although some producers only ever release sqv's)

Vintage - bottled within 2 years of vintage, ageing takes place in bottle

Beneficio

The beneficio is the annual authorisation of the amount of port that may be produced. Decided in July/August.

Tasting - the Port "Holy Trinity"

(1) sweet; (2) fortified to a high level; (3) high acidity (i.e. high sugar, high alcohol, high acid)

See also my post on fortified wine comparisons.

(Sources: WSET materials, The Oxford Companion to Wine)

Other Fortified Wines

Here is an outline of some less-common fortified wines:

1. Spain - Moscatel de Valencia: made from Muscat of Alexandria and mostly fortified before fermentation to c. 15% abv; simple fresh perfumes.


2. Greece - Muscat of Samos: Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, grown at altitude on hillside terraces, can be fortified before fermentation (Samos Doux), to interrupt fermentation (Samos VDN) or unfortified (Samos Nectar). It comes from the Greek island of Samos, in the Aegean and is allegedly "Greece's most famous wine" (after retsina).

3. Greece - Mavrodaphne of Patras: a Greek appelation in the Peloponnese which produces a fortified sweet red made from the Mavrodaphne grape, cask aged for a long time, giving a tawny colour.
4. Cyprus - Commandaria: Cypriot wine, made from sun-dried grapes, fortified after fermentation has stopped naturally. Fermentation achieves only a low level of alcohol - about 10% abv (NB PX is even less). Aged oxidatively for at least 2 years in oak at the coast. Static or solera systems can be used.
5. Cyprus - Fortified Cyprus Wine: sherry-style, fortified mid-ferment, cask-aged for a year then sweetened with concentrated grape must (although there are dry styles aged under flor in solera).

6. Australia - premium vintage and tawny styles are made from Rhone varieties (esp Shiraz); to a lesser extent, Madeira- and Sherry-styles; see separate post on Rutherglen

7. California - basic cream sherry-styles, but sweetened; some quality Muscats and Port styles

8. South Africa - Port-style wines using Rhone/Port varieties; Sherry styles; Moscatel

(Sources: WSET materials, The Oxford Companion to Wine)

Montilla-Moriles

Five need-to-know facts about Montilla-Moriles:

1. Montilla-Moriles is a D.O. (Denominacion de Origen) in Cordoba, Andalucia. It was created in 1945.

2. The predominant soil is albariza (white Andalucian soil, high limestone content, dries without caking, releases water slowly to vines over growing season); 70% of grapes are Pedro Ximenez (also some Airen and Muscat of Alexandria but NOT Palomino); and vines are low-yielding bush vines.

3. Vinification is similar to sherry. Fino styles are not fortified but get to 15% abv naturally. Oxidised styles (Oloroso styles) can be aged naturally or fortified. The terms Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso etc may be used within Spain but are restricted to Sherry in other EU countries, where they are re-labelled as Pale Dry, Medium Dry, Pale Cream and Cream.

4. A solera system is used, as for sherry.

5. The minimum age for Montillas is 2 years (rather than 3 for Sherry), but the majority are much older.

(Sources: WSET materials, The Oxford Companion to Wine)

Flor

1. Flor is a benevolent film-forming yeast which, in a winemaking context, can form on the top of partially-filled barrels of maturing sherry, protecting the wine from oxidising. It is typified by those yeasts native to Jerez.

2. A by-product of the action of flor yeast is the chemical acetaldeyde, which gives fino-style sherries their distinctive "salty" aroma. The presence of acetaldehyde causes the "sherry-like" nose of some unfortified wines which are made using flor or flor-like yeasts.

3. Flor feeds on glycerine, polyphenols, higher alcohols and volatile acidity.

4. It only develops in wine which is between 14.5 and 16.0% abv (and not, as per legend, due to a magical, ineffable quality in the Andalucian air). It forms on all sherry pre-fortification, so even some Oloroso Seco styles may have some flor characteristics.

5. It is used in the production of Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado and Palo Cortado. In the case of Amontillado, the yeast either die away naturally after consuming all the glycerol, gradually exposing the wine to oxygen, or the wine is moved to a different solera mid-process. Palo Cortado makes use of the second technique only and so can be fuller-bodied than Amontillado.

(Sources: WSET materials, The Oxford Companion to Wine)

Vins Doux Naturels

Here are 5 essential facts about VDNs.

1. Despite their name, VDNs are not naturally sweet. They are fortified mid-ferment (at about 15-18% abv) to arrest the fermentation process, as is port, a technique known as mutage.

2. VDNs are generally either Muscat- or Grenache-based.

3. The most common Muscat grapes are Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains (used for Muscat de Beaumes de Venise from the Rhone and Muscat de Saint-Jean de Minervois from Languedoc-Rousillon) and Muscat of Alexandria (used in Muscat de Rivesaltes, also from L-R).

4. Grenache (or sometimes Grenache Blanc) is used to make Rasteau from the Rhone and Banyuls and Rivesaltes from L-R.

5. Grenache-based VDNs can be aged oxidatively. The terms Rancio, Ambre and Tuile all indicate oxidatively-aged VDNs. Hors d'age indicates a wine that has been aged for at least 5 years.

A contrasting style is vin de liqueur or mistelles, made by adding grape spirit to grape must (the process known as mutage). Fortification occurs pre-ferment, meaning there are no secondary fermentation products and the final product tastes more sprirt dominated than VDNs. E.g. Pineau des Charentes.

Rivesaltes
(L-R, French Catalonia, near Perpignan)

Banyuls-sur-Mer
(L-R, French Catalonia, near Perpignan)

Beaumes de Venise
(Rhone, near Carpentras)

Vaison la Romaine
(Rhone, near Rasteau)

(Sources: WSET materials, The Oxford Companion to Wine)

English Wine Producers Tasting 2009

This annual tasting at the end of April coincided with English Wine Week, a campaign started some five years ago to promote English wines and vineyards. The sporting location was different - Stamford Bridge instead of Lord's this year - but the wines were broadly as I remembered them from 2008. In general terms, the sparkling wines stood head and shoulders above the still ones, the whites were patchy and there were next to no stand-out reds.

The highlights of the tasting for me were:

Chapel Down Brut Vintage Reserve NV - mostly small bubbles, crisp nose of stainless steel minerality and gooseberries, crisp/acidic/fresh on palate with a nice level of fizz; slightly synthetic aftertaste

Camel Valley 'Cornwall' Brut 2006 - Chardonnay-ish nose and palate, light malolactic, light, non-aggressive bubbles; bit of residual sweetness on the finish

Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2001 - mixture of large and small bubbles, very creamy nose, richness on palate - a foody wine


The future of English wine certainly seems to be sparkling. There are some pitfalls which need to be avoided, such as over-chaptalisation (Three Choirs?) and uneven bubbles which fade quickly (Bookers?) Trying to imitate Champagne should also be avoided (Nyetimber - especially their Classic Cuvee?)

The down-side of committing to a future of sparkling wine production is that it is much more capital-intensive than still winemaking. For this reason Stephen Spurrier says he is considering a joint venture with an established champagne house, Duval-Leroy (see article). Maybe this is the way forward for start-up English wineries. Convincing French champagne houses that they need an English producer on their books may well be a difficult task though...

Info Mine: The Carbon Cycle

Here is a quick 5-step look at the natural cycle of winemaking (with thanks to David Bird and with distant memories of GCSE science).

1. The leaves of the vine absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The roots absorb water from the soil. These raw materials are converted into sugars by means of photosynthesis. The sugars are stored in the vine's grapes.

2. At this point the grapes are picked. The sugars are then converted into alcohol by the process of fermentation. Fermentation is kick-started by yeast, which is present in the atmoshere, on the skins of grapes and - in a winemaking context - absorbed into the walls, ceilings and surfaces of a winery.


3. Eventually - long after most wine would hopefully have been drunk - the wine will be attacked by bacteria and will turn into vinegar.
4. The vinegar will itself decompose, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

5. The cycle starts all over again!

Wines of Chile Syrah & Sparkling Wines Tasting

The purpose of this tasting on Monday was to showcase two up and coming Chilean wine sectors. Syrah is increasingly being touted as Chile's Next Big Thing, especially that coming from more northern regions like Elqui and Limari. Sparkling wine is being produced in increasing volumes, although I have been underwhelmed by Chilean fizz in the past and this tasting didn't change my mind.

The northern Syrahs, though, were lovely. A lot of Chilean Central Valley wines are extremely fruit-driven. Too much so in my opinion, although alcoholic fruit juice appeals to the mass market, which is what Chile until now has concentrated on. Elqui and Limari, however, seem to be producing Syrahs with fruit flavours that, although present in barrel loads, are balanced by the wines' acidity and even have a touch of old world-like austerity to them at times.


The Elqui Valley (above) is Chile's northermost wine producing region and until recently was known more as the home of Pisco than for wine. It is sun-baked semi-desert, being the gateway to the Atacama, and has large day-night temperature variations. The clear, starry nights have made Elqui one of the best places for astronomy and there are several observatories dotted around the valley. Annual rainfall is just 70 mm (compared to over 700 in Bordeaux, for example). The most important moderating climatic influence is the 'Camanchaca Fog' which rises from the river in the mornings, enveloping the vines in a blanket of cool air.

For under a tenner, Mayu's 2006 Reserva was excellent value (Guy Anderson Wines) as was the Falerina 2006 Reserva (Great Western Wine), both from Elqui. Limari seems to be where the larger players have set up - Concha y Toro, Santa Rita and Undurraga all produce good Syrahs for around £10, although rather more commercial in style than those from the Elqui Valley.

Wines of Portugal Tasting

This took place at Lord's Cricket Ground yesterday. I am always pleasantly surprised by Portuguese wines, although they have a tough time in the UK market, especially in the on-trade which often finds it hard to find a home for them. This is probably due in part to our newfound love of varietal labelling - Portugal's myriad indigenous varietals (350 apparently, of which around 50 are in regular use) are not very consumer-friendly.

One producer which is managing to make impressive headway is Casa Santos Lima, a family business from just north of Lisbon. An impressive 95% of production is exported (over 3 million bottles annually). Their Arinto, Syrah and Palha-Canas were particularly good for the money.

Other highlights were:

Luis Soares Duarte Perfil Reserva 2005 - indigenous varietals, ruby coloured with concentrated fruit from low yielding old vines (unrepresented in UK)

Wine&Soul Guru White 2007 - an oaked white, also old vines, with a lively zing to it (Corney & Barrow)

Wine & Joy (Quinta da Falorca) - whole range was good, with particularly well-priced entry-level wines (armit)

Gambero Rosso tasting with Stephen Spurrier

This took place earlier this week as part of Gambero Rosso's 2009 'road show'. 17 wines were chosen from the GR portfolio and Stephen Spurrier spoke about them in an eloquent yet refreshingly down to earth manner.

Spurrier's tasting notes were formulated off the cuff but were impressively concise. I jotted down a few examples, such as "more than a sparkling wine, a wine that happens to sparkle" (Berlucchi Cellarius Rose 2004); a "sun-filled wine" (GIV F. Candida Frascati 2007); "more Chablis than Sancerre" (Sauvignon Zuc di Volpe); and "bramble and hedgerow vigour" (Barbera in general).

Spurrier also alluded to the divide between old and new world producers regarding regions (old world) versus varietals (new) and left little doubt that he is of the old school in this respect - Chablis, not Chardonnay, and Sancerre, not Sauvignon, if you please.

My highlights from the tutored part of the tasting were:

Cavit Altemasi Brut Trento DOC 2002 - bottle-fermented fizz, 90% Chardonnay, fleshy and soft but dry, light sparkle, would be good with food

Pio Cesare Barolo DOCG 2004 - wild violets, long time in wood (large oak casks, Spurrier suggested), with a hint of Burgundian Pinot Noir

Fontanafredda Vigna La Rosa Barolo DOCG 2004 - a great example of a wine with huge natural fruit concentration, from low-yielding vines (NB 2004 was a v good year for Barolos)

Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2001 - classic Amarone - strong, dark, raisiny fruit with a 'sweet' edge

Argentina's U.S. exports on a winning streak

Published on Decanter.com 16 February 2009 - click here to read.

Argentina’s 2008 wine exports to the U.S. increased by 29% in value and 13% in volume on the previous year, making Argentina the only country to significantly increase its American sales during what proved to be a challenging year for the global wine trade.

These figures, from the U.S. Department of Commerce, revealed that by contrast, Australian exports to the U.S. dropped by 10.5% in value and 8% in volume over the same period. Total wine imports by the U.S. stagnated in 2008.

James Forbes, UK Director of Wines of Argentina, paints a similar picture for Argentinian imports in the UK, which have seen 20 months of consecutive growth in both value and volume terms. He also notes that Argentinian wines are being sold increasingly in the on-trade and the specialist wine sector.

This pull to the premium end of the spectrum suits Argentina well for two reasons. Its wine market is predominantly domestic, with only 17% of wine produced being exported. Producers can therefore sell their lower-end wine at home and concentrate on quality in their export products.

Secondly, the Malbec grape is a marketeer’s dream – easy on the palate, easy to pronounce and, despite its French origins, increasingly becoming synonymous with Argentinian winemaking.

Australia Day Tasting

My first trip to the Emirates Stadium, a dramatic setting in which to taste wine whilst watching the groundsmen mow the hallowed turf. There were good 'Spotlight Rooms' focusing on Aromatics, Cab Sauv, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and something called "Alternative Variteals & Blends". My picks (in no particular order) were:

1. Scorpo Pinot Gris 2007, Victoria - vanilla, oak, with a petrolly nose

2. Ten Minutes by Tractor McCutcheon Chardonnay 2006, Victoria - delicate tropical fruit

3. Hollick Wines Hollaia Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Coonawarra SA

4. Domaine A Coal River Valley Pinot Noir 2005, Tasmania

5. Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards Block 6 Shiraz 2006, SA - 114 year-old vines, great spice and pepper

Metzendorff Tasting

This took place at Somerset House and was a good-sized tasting - not an overwhelming number of wines but enough to be interesting. The highlights for me were:

Ayala Blanc de Blancs 2000 - Ayala has been around since the 19th century but was recently bought by Bollinger (who, incidentally, owns 80% or so of Metzendorff). It is a good - and cheaper - alternative to the big Champagne brands and this vintage Blanc de Blancs was my pick of the range, with just the right amount of autolytic creamy yeastiness. I find that Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) Champagnes tend to be bigger and more 'foody' than those blended with Pinots Noir and Meunier.

Roda Cirsion 2006 - this wine is towards the top of the range of this Rioja producer. Great red fruitiness, although more rounded and elegant than the Roda 2004 and Roda I 2004 which were also on show.

Turkey Flat Grenache 2005 and Mouvedre 2006 - these are both at the cheaper end of this Barossa producer's range and represent great value for money - if, that is, you like big, fruit-driven wines. The Grenache especially was a fruit explosion, with raisins and dark cherries. They also make a luxurious, viscous PX.

Henriques & Henriques - I think the whole range from this Madeira producer is lovely but again would single out the lower-end wines as they provide such good value for money. The 3 Year Old Full Rich and the 5 Year Old Finest Medium Rich were both serious bottles of Madeira for astonishingly low prices (due in part to lack of demand in the modern world, as is also the case for much Sherry and Port).

Taylor's - speaking of Port, I must mention Taylor's (the minority owner of Metzendorff by the way). The 20 Year Old Tawny was my favourite, although the 10 Year is also very good and is nearly half the price.

Oregon and Washington Tasting

This took place yesterday at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. Despite majestic views across St James' Park to the Houses of Parliament, the grey drizzly weather was appropriate for a tasting which completely failed to excite.

As is usual at trade tastings, the wines were classified into retail price brackets, of which the cheapest (A) was £5 - £7 and the most expensive (E) was £20+. Flicking through my notes, the only wines which impressed at all were in category E (apart from a couple of dessert wines, but they came in half bottles). If money is no object, Oregon and Washington are undoubtedly capable of making some lovely wines, but the rank and file were too often bland and predictable, and at worst were overly alcoholic and/or downright horrible.

It is always interesting to see where the crushes of tasters form at these events, as - like Land Rovers on safari - they act as beacons for the best action. Here, the tasting density was highest around the category E (i.e. most expensive) Pinot Noirs.

For the record, my favourites were:

DeLille Semillon Sauvignon - crisp, with mild petrolly aroma

K Vintners Viognier - one of only 2 Viogniers on show, impressive

Domaine Serene Coeur Blanc - white Pinot Noir, in an enormous bottle, gorgeous viscous stone-fruit

Alder Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon - Bordeaux-ish old world, delicate but good tannins

One final observation is that the alcohol levels were in general too high for my liking and many wines felt 'hot', leaving an uncomfortable alcohol burn in the back of the throat. This is a global phenomenon (see my notes of last week's New Zealand tasting), which some say is a result of global warming (hotter, sunnier ripening periods leading to more sugar in the grape and higher alcohol content), whilst others blame it on the increasing Robert Parker-isation of the global palate. While there may be some truth in the former, I suspect the influence of the Parker empire may well extend up the US west coast to these two regions.

New phylloxera outbreak in Yarra

Published on Decanter.com 19 January 2009. Click here to see the article on the Decanter website or on the image below for a larger version.


A new outbreak of phylloxera was declared in Australia's Yarra Valley last month.

According to Victoria's Department of Primary Industries, 'a detection of the grapevine pest phylloxera has been made in an existing control area in the Yarra Valley, north east of Melbourne'.

The so-called Maroondah Phylloxera Infested Zone (PIZ) was declared after phylloxera was detected in the region in December 2006.

The declaration restricts the movement of grapevine materials, machinery and equipment out of the PIZ.

Senior DPI plant standard officer Greg King said that following a recent notification of poor vigour in a number of vines, 'samples were taken from the affected vines and DPI's reference entomologist confirmed the presence of the pest'.

The Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board of South Australia is the only body of its type in the world established specifically to deal with phylloxera. It publishes information on recognising phylloxera and warns that detections tend to be made up to several years after the initial occurrence of the infestation.

Grape growers in other regions, especially those who have had regular contact with the Yarra Valley or with high volumes of wine tourism, have been advised to be particularly vigilant in looking for signs of phylloxera.

Phylloxera is a small yellow root-feeding aphid. It only targets grapevines, which it kills by attacking their roots.

NZ Annual Tasting

Yesterday's annual New Zealand tasting at Lord's was extremely well-attended. The crush at certain producers' tables, especially around the lunchtime peak, felt more like a bar on a Friday night. Not ideal tasting conditions maybe, but it shows there is real interest in New Zealand wines at the moment.

The central tables consisted of a 'walk through taste tour', showcasing Riesling and Pinot Noir (and sensibly steering clear of Sauvignon, which is in danger of overshadowing NZ's other varieties). My favourites from this selection were Muddy Water James Hardwick Waipara Riesling 2007 (at the dry end of the Riesling spectrum, with great lively fruit), The Crater Rim 'Blacks Lot 7' Pinot Noir Waipara 2007 (violets, smooth and silky and, at 14%, no hint of alcohol burn) and Felton Road's Pinot Noirs (see below).

I was (maybe naively?) surprised that 14% seemed to be the average alcohol content for the Pinots. Apparently this is due to the fact that many of the Pinot Noir clones were originally brought to NZ from Burgundy, which has less sunshine and is cooler than many NZ winegrowing areas. The NZ Pinot berries therefore tend to develop more sugar, meaning more alcohol in the finished product.

Central Otago's Felton Road is a really interesting producer, a practitioner of - in their own words - "medieval winemaking". They are 100% organic and will also be wholly biodynamic once various certification periods have been completed. The highlights were their Block 5 Pinot Noir (from a select portion of their Cornish Point vineyard) and a Vin Gris, made from free-run Pinot Noir juice (delicate with a slightly salty finish). Although their Pinots are all around the 14% mark, the alcohol is completely integrated with the fruit.

I noticed several producers now make 'unwooded' or 'unoaked' Chardonnays, with no malolactic fermentation. These tend to have pleasant crisp, citrussy flavours and - if such a comment is not a redundancy - taste very typically of Chardonnay.

Seresin's range was very good as expected (especially the Reserve Sauvignon 2008 and the 'Rachel' Pinot Noir 2006), as was Craggy Range.

For Sale - Chateau Latour

According to the Sunday Times, the renowned Pauillac estate is being discreetly offered to potential buyers by French investment bank Lazard. The Château Latour estate covers 78 hectares, but only grapes from the 47 hectares that directly surround the château - known as L'Enclos - go into the flagship first wine.

While the Sunday Times cites a potential pricetag of €150m-200m (£145m-193m), sources in Bordeaux suggest that the property would “not go for less than €600m”.