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