However this is a thriller! It is an uncorrected proof sent to me so there may well be some changes (guessing only technical details) within the book but overall its a great read and a real page turner. Even if you are not a wino like me I still think that you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
I was sent this pre-published copy of “Root Cause” by Steven Laine by Turner publishing.
Synopsis: From Turner Publishing.
Can you imagine a world without wine?
Corvina Guerra is a flying winemaker who dreams of one day settling down in her native Italy on her family’s vineyard. On a visit to a vineyard in Italy, Corvina makes a startling discovery: Phylloxera, a menacing plant louse that devastated vineyards in Europe more than a hundred years ago, has infested the vines.
After reporting her findings to her company, Universal Wines, Corvina is charged with investigating the spread of the bug. Nicknamed Philomena by the media, the aphid is soon discovered in vineyards around the world. To aid in her investigation, Corvina recruits a wine expert in London, Bryan Lawless. In pursuit of its origins, Corvina and Bryan embark on a thrilling globetrot on which they uncover that Philomena is being intentionally spread. The deeper Corvina and Bryan search, the more they become convinced that Universal Wines holds the answer to everything, and the harder they pursue their investigation the more surprises pile up. In spite of devastating consequences, Corvina and Bryan vow to continue their investigation and do what they can to contain the spread of the infestation – but time is running short and they always seem to be a step behind. Unless they can find a way to stop the Philomena – vineyards around the world will be ruined for decades; potentially causing the collapse of the wine industry. Can Corvina and Bryanget to the root cause and save the international wine industry from ruin?
About the Author:
Steven Laine was raised in Ontario, Canada and has dual Canadian and British citizenship.
He has travelled the world working in luxury hotels for international brands including The Ritz, Hilton, Starwood, Marriott, and Jumeirah.
When he was Beverage Manager of a five star hotel in London, he learned all about wine and has since visited over one hundred vineyards and wineries in Napa, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Lebanon, and South Africa.
As the only North American ever invited to be a Member of the Champagne Academy, he had the privilege to tour the major Champagne Houses in France. His circle of friends is made up of winemakers, Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers, restaurant managers, and wine distributors from all over the globe.
Steven’s debut novel, Root Cause will be released on February 19, 2019, published by Turner Publishing.
Steven currently lives in Singapore and is now working on his next novel.
Labels…. I see and hear about people buying wines all of the time because of the labels. Its obviously a great marketing tool at a certain price point to distinguish one wine from another on extremely crowded and competitive supermarket shelves to make them stand out.
Of course some of them are good, no, some of them are even great wines however more often than not at a certain low price point the label is truly the best thing about the wine!
HOWEVER…….
This is not always the case, but you do need to research your wines a little before you are just buying “that shiraz” or “that Chardonnay” because of the cool label.
Which brings me on to, in my opinion the masters of the modern art wine labelling, but I hasten to add also fabulous wine makers.
The image of the woman’s face with the wind swept hair for their company logo is that of Gabriella Rallo the “Donna-Fugata” (woman in flight)
There have been many blogs, published articles about Donnafugata, but I thought I would take a slightly different slant and concentrate on the superb labels and artwork. These are not just well labelled bottles to sell the wine, its about the story, the passione! and of course great winemaking. I have included all of the tech info, tasting notes and pairing ideas for each wine from Donnafugata too.
The name Donnafugata refers to the novel by Tomasi di Lampedusa entitled Il Gattopardo (The Leopard). A name that means “donna in fuga” (woman in flight) and refers to the story of a queen who found refuge in the part of Sicily where the company’s vineyards are located today. An adventure that inspired the corporate logo: the image of a woman’s head with windblown hair that dominates every bottle. Donnafugata labels are also works of art created or inspired by Gabriella Rallo, as are the names of the wines, and homage to art and literature.
Donnafugata are from Sicily & the Island of Pantelleria, which is about half way between Sicily & the north African coast of Tunisia.
Giacomo and Gabriella Rallo created Donnafugata in 1983, and were then joined in the business in 1990 by their children José and Antonio. They are one of (if not) the most successful wineries, internationally, from Sicily.
Giacomo (who very sadly passed away in 2016), Jose, Gabriella & Antonio Rallo
Before you start to explore the wines and the serious ART (wine bottle labels) here are a few images from my visit to Donnafugata. If you are visiting Sicily make sure you contact them for a tour and a tasting…. you will not be disappointed. I had emailed them and arranged for exactly this. Laura was an absolute delight and extremely knowledgeable and passionate about all aspects of the winery.
Winery in Marsala, Western Sicily.
The Ranges of wines in Catagories
The Barrel room cellar is a literally a Cathedral of Wine, wines calmly resting, waiting patiently to one day provide lots of wine joy to all of us!
You need to visit to experience the true expression of Art and wine.
So on to the wines and the labels.
There are 21 wines currently in the range, all of them below. They also have grappa and olive oil too.
Yes 21 wines below… IT IS WORTH THE READ! I promise! These are fabulous wines and labels.
Stephano Vitale
“Donnafugata are a homage to art and literature. Unique and inimitable, they represent a way of being, a style. Inspired by Gabriella Rallo they are designed by Stefano Vitale, an exceptional artist with a unique stroke, capable of making the personality of each wine shine”
White Wines.
Prio
An autochthonous single variety with marked scents of citrus
Prio 2017has a brilliant straw yellow color. The nose offers a fragrant bouquet with marked citrus scents of grapefruit and citron combined with notes of Mediterranean scrub. The palate is fresh and perfectly reflects the nose.
Food & wine
Perfect when paired with raw fish, mixed fried fish, stir fry veggies.
Joy, happiness, this is the meaning of prio in Sicilian dialect. It is the unexpected and authentic joy of a woman, sitting on a beach at sunset on a day in early summer, sweetly kissed by a butterfly that lands on her face. A lively and sensual label like the Catarratto signed Donnafugata
Anthilia 2018has a straw yellow color. The nose presents a fresh and fruity bouquet with notes of white-fleshed fruits (apple) combined with scents of wildflowers. On the palate we find the evident fruity note again, refreshed by agreeable sapidity. It finishes with good persistence.
Food & wine
Perfect when paired with tomato and basil bruschetta, seafood pasta, blue fish. Try also with cesar salad.
The label depicts the face of a woman, mysterious and fleeting like the Elymian civilization. Anthilìa is the name given to the city of Entella on the top of the Rocca in Roman times. Today, Anthìlia is the name of a win that is identified with the ancient territory where it has its roots. It is the first wine to have been conceived at Donnafugata and still remains to this day in the hearts of many admirers.
Lighea 2017has a brilliant straw yellow color with greenish reflections. The nose offers a rich and fragrant bouquet with classic notes of orange blossom combined with citrusy scents (citron, bergamot) and nuances of Mediterranean scrub. The nose is perfectly reflected on the palate, enlivened by a fresh mineral vein.
Food & wine
Recommended with all types of oily fish, baked pasta in white sauce, fried fish.
“From the disheveled tresses the color of the sun, seawater flowed over the green, wide-open eyes.” Thus Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa describes Lighea, the bewitching siren and principal figure in his novel. She has inspired the creation of a complex and innovative wine and an equally original label. “It was not easy to print this label”, Gabriella (founder of Donnafugata, with her husband Giacomo) recalled, “and preserve the thousand shadings of colors of Pantelleria Island, painted in the original drawing.”
Elegant notes of aromatic herbs, citrus fruits and flint. Fresh and savory, Sul Vulcano 2016 presents fine notes of aromatic herbs, citrus fruit and flint. In the mouth it is embracing, fresh and savoury, characterized by distinctive minerality and remarkable persistence. A wine of great elegance and complexity.
Food & wine
Perfect with crustaceans, vegetarian first courses and porcini mushrooms.
A goddess-volcano stands out on the Etna Bianco label by Donnafugata “Sul Vulcano”. Its intense colors, red, yellow, iridescent blacks, are those of the highest active volcano in Europe. An ancient, powerful and feminine deity: “the Mountain” as Etna is called by the locals. “Sul Vulcano” is a declaration of love: a pure wine with a marked minerality that makes you breathe the energy of this unique place located in the center of the Mediterranean.
Brilliant straw yellow, La Fuga 2017 offers a fragrant bouquet with notes of tropical fruit (pineapple) and white peach, combined with floral scents. In the mouth it amazes with its intense sapidity combined with a pleasant vein of acidity.
Food & wine
It matches well with Risottos, herbed chicken, savoury pies and fish second course.
Gabriella Anca Rallo (founder of Donnafugata, with her husband Giacomo) thought of “fleeing” and beginning a new life, passing from the arts to the land. Gabriella is a woman with the wind in her hair who is never at rest. Gabriella invented La Fuga, a label that not only suggests movement but also sunshine and the land.
Vigna di Gabri 2017 has a brilliant straw yellow color with light green reflections. The bouquet is intense and goes from floral scents (elder and acacia) to notes of white fleshed fruits (peach) combined with hints of Mediterranean maquis. The palate is enlivened by a fresh savory streak. A fine and elegant white, with an intriguing personality and surprising longevity.
Food & wine
Perfect when paired with seafood pasta, flans, baked fish.
“Vigna di Gabri” is not a fantasy name, because the wine bears the name of Gabriella (founder of Donnafugata, with her husband Giacomo), who originally wanted to create it and strongly believed in the full flavored fragrance of Ansonica. The graphics, already renewed on the occasion of the wine’s 25th Anniversary, with the 2017 vintage, pick up and emphasize some elements present in the original illustration by Stefano Vitale: a master-label that tells the link between Gabri and her Cru. The introduction of the Burgundy bottle also wants to enhance the preciousness and elegance of this wine which is one of Donnafugata’s most beloved wines.
A Chardonnay with a Mediterranean soul, elegant and long-lived
Chiarandà 2016 has a straw yellow color. The nose offers a complex bouquet with scents of fresh tropical fruit, aromatic herbs, and toasted hazelnuts. The palate is ample and well-structured, with pleasant savoury notes and a long mineral finish. An important white with a long and satisfying persistence and great aging potential.
Food & wine
Perfect with lobster, cream of vegetable soup and smoked fish, we suggest it also with roast quail.
The wine made its debut in 1992 as Chiarandà del Merlo from the names of the two vineyards where the Ansonica and Chardonnay grapes were grown. Ten years later the name has been simplified to Chiarandà and the label has been enriched with a female figure that suggests complexity and refinement.
Marked by a mild winter, with good rainfall (767 mm of rainfall, a slightly higher figure compared to seasonal averages), which was followed by a cool, ventilated spring.
Food & wine
Pleasant for an aperitivo, excellent paired with finger food, seared scallops, sole meunière.
Vintage rosè with a pleasant delicacy and structure
Marked by a mild winter, with good rainfall (767 mm of rainfall, a slightly higher figure compared to seasonal averages), which was followed by a cool, ventilated spring.
Food & wine
A rosé table wine, excellent with raw or cooked crustaceans and fish tartare. We recommend it with thinly sliced prosciutto crudo San Daniele.
An elegant woman, her face lit with a slight smile… how can we not help thinking of Mona Lisa or Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci and the many Italian portraits of women in the 1500s. A perfect balance of the elements, including, art, culture, nature. Compared with the very elegant original sketch, made on a wooden board, we just added a few touches of gold foil into the perlage, as beams of light that let us predict all the fine liveliness of its content.
An unconventional rosè, the fruit of a targeted selection of red grapes
Brilliant pink, Lumera 2017 offers an ample and fragrant bouquet with fruity notes of wild strawberries and pomegranate combined with delicate flowery scents of violets. The palate is fresh and savory with good structure and pleasant persistence of fruity notes.
Food & wine
Match with hot and cold seafood antipasti, raw seafood (especially crustaceans) and first courses based on vegetables. We also recommend it with fried fish, fresh cheeses and second courses of roasted fish.
Lumera is an evocative name, in full Donnafugata style. It’s the beloved woman, the sublime being who inspires joy and fullness of life. It’s the woman portrayed on the label, it’s the wine that bears her name. Lumera is the protagonist of a Sicilian poem that celebrates courtly love and experiments a form, the Dolce Stil Novo, which decidedly anticipates the Italian language. “Or come pote sì grande donna intrare / Per gli occhi mei, che sì piccioli son? / e nel mio core come pote stare […], ma voglio a lei Lumera asomigliare […]
Light ruby red, Sul Vulcano Etna Rosso DOC offers an elegant bouquet with notes of wild berries (strawberry and red currant) and flowery scents, along with delicate spicy nuances of cinnamon and nutmeg. Perfect harmony between aroma and taste, with good freshness and harmonious tannins. A long, balanced finish.
Food & wine
Perfect with mediterranean antipasti and first courses based on eggplant or mushrooms, meat and roast stew. Pairing options are numerous: from North-American cuisine (chicken wings, hamburgers) to moderate spicy Asian dishes (beef stir-fried, dumplings) to fusion cuisine like Tex-Mex based on meat and beans.
A goddess-volcano stands out on the label. Its intense colors, red, yellows, iridescent blacks, are those of the highest active volcano in Europe. An ancient, powerful and feminine deity: “the Mountain” as Etna is called by the locals. “Sul Vulcano” is a declaration of love: a pure wine, fragrant and elegant, that lets you breathe the energy of this unique place located in the center of the Mediterranean.
Pale ruby red coloured, Fragore presents an ample and profound bouquet featuring spices (sweet tobacco and nutmeg), floral notes (violet) and wild berries merging with mineral (flint stone) and balsamic notes. On the palate it reveals extraordinary complexity and elegance characterized by outstanding minerality and important tannins. Remarkable long finish.
Food & wine
Legumes, mushrooms and tasty meats. Fragore perfectly matches turkey and barbecue ribs. Try it also with Asian food as Peking duck, beef and pork hot pots.
Donnafugata is “projected” towards the future, like an object launched into space, attracted by invisible gravities. Illustrator Stefano Vitale captures this perpetual motion perfectly in the latest label of Fragore that represents the volcano’s roar. Donnafugata continues its journey towards the most remote corners of Sicily: east to Vittoria and then up to the highest point on the island, on the Etna volcano.
A fragrant red that amazes with its immediate pleasantness.
Brilliant ruby red with violet reflections, Bell’Assai offers a fragrant bouquet with intense flowery notes of violets and roses combined with scents of fresh red fruit (strawberries and raspberries). In the mouth it surprises with its great freshness, a perfect harmony between aroma and taste, supported by soft tannins. A fragrant red that amazes with its immediate pleasantness.
Food & wine
We suggest it with salumi, tasty fish dishes such as soups or guazzetti, try with tuna sushi.
Bell’Assai is a girl with personality who offers to the sweet Sicilian breeze the fruits of the vineyards and the scents of the countryside. She represents the spirit of those enterprising families with the love for beauty which have always been animating the territory of Vittoria. An artistic label with which Donnafugata wants to celebrate the love for the beautiful.
A refined Cerasuolo di Vittoria with a flowery soul
Intense ruby red with brilliant purple reflections; it offers intense fruity aromas, black cherry and plum notes stand out; the bouquet opens with delicate flowery nuances and characteristic spicy notes of black pepper. The palate is supported by freshness and softness that make it juicy and a real pleasure to drink. Fine and well integrated tannins. Floramundi 2017 expresses the harmonious balance Cerasuolo di Vittoria can achieve.
Food & wine
Tasty first courses, grilled meat, important fish baked in the oven. Try with pulled pork and meat dumplings.
Floramundi is a fantastic figure of a woman who is giving the gift of wonderful interlacements of flowers and fruits with velvety tones. It is a dialogue between two souls, the elegant and sophisticated one of Floral Liberty, of which Vittoria is rich in testimonies, and the fascinating and suggestive one of the tradition of the Pupi Siciliani (Sicilian Puppets). A dialogue between Nero d’Avola and Frappato to listen to with pleasure. A refined artistic label for a prestigious denomination: Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG.
Sherazade 2017 has a brilliant ruby red color with violet reflections. The nose offers a pleasantly fruity bouquet with fragrant notes of red plum and cherry, combined with light spicy scents. The palate is fleshy and perfectly reflects the bouquet revealing an extraordinary freshness. The well-integrated tannin, completes this fragrant and pleasant wine.
Food & wine
We suggest it with fish soup, pizza or classic tomato spaghetti.
Sherazade, fascinating female protagonist of the Arabian Nights has a fruity flesh voice, wrapped in a spicy drape, that tells you the fairy tale of this masterpiece of Oriental literature. An intensely Mediterranean label in lush Donnafugata style that gives you an unforgettable tasting.
Ruby red, Sedàra 2016 offers a fruity bouquet with scents of blackberries and blueberries combined with a light spicy note of black pepper. The palate displays good structure with suave tannins and pleasant freshness. A soft red, versatile for food pairing, perfect for every day.
Food & wine
Serve with lasagne, chicken cacciatora, BBQ, seared tuna.
Dedicated to the irresistible and ambitious Angelica Sedàra with green eyes, the fashinatig Claudia Cardinale, protagonist of the film “Il Gattopardo” (The Leopard) directed by Luchino Visconti. The label, also in the new version, refers to the Contessa Entellina winer
Ruby red, Angheli 2015 is characterized by an enchanting bouquet with notes of red fruits, blackberries and plums, combined with intense balsamic and spicy scents of chocolate and liquorice. Fragrant on the palate with soft tannins. It finishes with good persistence. A red with an international taste with great balance between structure and pleasantness.
Food & wine
Perfect when paired with charcuterie board, meatball in tomato sauce grilled meat and chops.
“… of loves and ladies, knights and arms…”. Would that be Angelica of Orlando Furioso fleeing on the horse portrayed on the label? Donnafugata has many “women in flight;” each of these has a past of history and tradition but, for sure, a future of softness and seduction.
Deep ruby red, Tancredi 2015 is characterized by a fragrant bouquet with notes of red fruit (cherry and plum) combined with delicate tertiary scents of sweet tobacco, chocolate and spices (black pepper). In the mouth it offers a structure with important and well-integrated tannins. An enveloping and persistent finish.
Food & wine
It will find its best pairing T-bone steak, gourmet burgers and game. Delicious also with beef Stroganoff with mushrooms.
If you remember Alain Delon in the famous movie that Luchino Visconti made from Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard, you will see that this wine reflects the elegance and ambition of that “revolutionary” man. With the vintage 2015, the labels offers a new illustration by artist Stefano Vitale who has dedicated this artwork to Giacomo Rallo, visionary captain of Donnafugata. The winery of Contessa Entellina is always there, in the clouds, almost like a mirage. In the upper right, the beloved village of Sambuca di Sicilia where some of the vineyards contribute to the blend of Tancredi. All the places where the memory of this man remains indelible and where his dreams have become reality.
Intense ruby red colored, Mille e una Notte 2015 is characterized by an ample bouquet, with fruity notes (blackberry and black mulberry) and balsamic (liquorice) and spicy scents followed by hints of cacao. The palate is soft and embracing, surprising with an extraordinary silky tannin. A remarkable long persistence on the finish.
Food & wine
We suggest it with Slow-cooked rack of lamb, pappardelle with pork ragout, roasts, tournedos Rossini.
The palace illustrated on the label is Palazzo Filangeri di Cutò where Queen Maria Carolina took refuge fleeing from Naples, the house lovedby the writer Tomasi di Lampedusa.
Gabriella captures the image and embeds it into a “Mille e una Notte” sky. A tribute to the masterpiece of oriental literature capable of recounting a thousand and one tales.
Sweet Wines.
Kabir
A very pleasant naturally sweet wine
Bight straw yellow with golden reflections, Kabir 2017 is characterized by a rich and fragrant bouquet with scents of ripe fruit (nectarines) combined with flowery notes of orange blossom and delicate savoury nuances. The nose is perfectly reflected on the palate, combined with a fresh mineral vein that balances the pleasant sweetness well. A good persistence on the finish revealing hints of pink pepper and nutmeg.
Food & wine
Perfect with anchovies, goat’s cheese, ice cream and fruit-based desserts.
From the Arabic term “The Great,” this is the name Donnafugata chose for its Moscato di Pantelleria, for its broad and noble perfumes. The label speaks the language of the island, expressing the colors, the freshness and the aromatic richness of Zibibbo. A label evoking the heroic soul of the viticulture of an island battered by wind and waves.
One of the most appreciated sweet Italian wines in the world
Ben Ryé 2016 offers an extraordinary rich bouquet with outstanding aromas obtained from the dried grapes: apricots and candied orange peel. It presents delicate hints of Mediterranean macchia. The palate is very fresh and intense, balancing perfectly the sweetness followed by a long and satisfying persistence.
Food & wine
It matches with caramelized duck, foie gras and blue cheeses. It goes well with pastries and gourmet chocolate like gianduja. Extraordinary alone, as a meditation wine.
From the Arabic term “Son of the Wind” because the wind sweeps constantly around the grape clusters on Pantelleria. And the island’s winds bring with them a profusion of fragrances so powerful that you can touch them. An author label telling the love, the care and the effort of heroic viticulture on an island unique and fascinating. A fresh and enchanting portrait that reveals its essence.
I know this has been quite a long piece but thought I really needed to give Donnafugata justice as ALL of their wines have amazing labels. I hope some are of you are still reading at this stage!!
I have no affiliation to the winery and I am not being paid for writing this piece.
I am good friends with Donnafugata and they always send me a great box of wine for Christmas, and the least I can do is give them a huge shout out for their stunning wines and a bit of info into the labels, the passion and the wines.
They are much more than labels, they are an expression of the wine from the family, terroir, the artist and of course the wine itself.
They are a large international brand and you should be able to buy in most markets locally. Please take the time and try some Donnafugata.
A few weeks ago I was extremely privileged to be invited to the prestigious Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair, London for a very special wine tasting. A tasting to celebrate the release of the 2015 Vérité wines.
VÉRITÉ & CARDINALE
Well, this was not going to be any old wine tasting.
Vérité Chalk Hill Vineyard
Vérité & Cardinale are epic wines with huge reputations too.
If you drink (and taste a lot more) a few bottles of wine a year like me (I KNOW!! Understatement of the year) you will surely know of the Jackson family wines in the USA, hugely famous for its Chardonnay. I knew a little bit but thought I must do a bit of research for information before I go to this great tasting.
1974 Jess Jackson buys 80-acre pear and walnut orchard in Lake County and replants to grapes.
1983 Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay
Kendall-Jackson debuts with 1982 vintage Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay and wins first-ever Double Platinum Award in the American Wine Competition.
From 1986 to the present day they acquired many vineyards across California, Oregon, Tuscany, Bordeaux, Chile, South Africa and Australia.
In 1991 the Jackson family purchased a stave mill in France to guarantee high-quality French oak barrels.
2003 Jess was selected by Robert Parker Jr. as wine personality of the year, and won a lifetime achievement award in 2007.
Sadly on April 21st 2011 Jess passed away.
Tasting at the Dorchester Hotel.
The Tasting was compared by Patrick Schmitt MW, the wine maker behind Vérité – Pierre Seillan, The Jackson Family master Sommelier Dimitri Mesnard and Barbara Banke – founder and Chairman and her daughter Julia Jackson.
We started the afternoon with Vérité 2015.
Winemaker Pierre walked us through the vintage of 2015. What stood out immediately is that this was going to be an epic vintage. He explained that in 49 vintages making wine this was certainly one of his finest, definitely in the top 3!.
The weather meant that the grapes were ready to harvest earlier than ever before at the end of August for the first of the 50 micro crus used in the wine, ending the harvest on September 12th. Yields were modest in small clusters but had quality and good concentration making the 2015 harvest outstanding.
He went on to explain about the micro crus further, how the different elevations, aspects and the make up of the soil on each hillside has its impact on the wines.
So each of the micro crus are harvested by hand and fermented separately, then barreled in French oak, which have also have been toasted in different ways to suit each wine. This allows Pierre hundreds of options to make sure that the final blending of the 3 wines is perfect.
Pierre uses the term micro-cru to define his approach, which is to find the very best of each particular plot within an already outstanding vineyard
His passion exudes when he is talking about Vérité, 21 years making this wine and why it is an incredibly special wine indeed.
Vérité (the French word for TRUTH) comes in 3 wines. La Muse, La Joie & La Désir
These wines are a combination of old-world experience with new world fruit. The grape varieties are all tradition Bordeaux grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Although Bordeaux varieties this is no copy of Bordeaux, these wines stand tall by themselves.
La Muse.
Merlot dominated like the Pomerol wines of the Right Bank style in Bordeaux.
Merlot 90%, Cabernet Franc 7% & 3% Malbec blend.
Ruby red in the glass, on the nose its like a wild meadow but a little restrained due to being a youngster. On the palate Blueberry, blackberry and crème de cassis. Has a spiciness which we are told is from the deep roots in the soil of the old vines which stress the vines to work harder and creates this spice. The finish of this wine just keeps on going and going. This wine is still in its infancy however a classic wine that will age for decades to come. Outstanding wine.
97 pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown , Robert Parker
97 pts James Suckling
95 pts Antonio Galloni.
La Joie. “The Joy”
Cabernet Sauvignon dominated like the wines of Pauillac – Left Bank style in Bordeaux.
Cabernet Sauvignon 75%, Merlot 14%, Cabernet Franc 7% & 4% Petit Verdot.
This Vérité is obviously quite different to La Muse, as its CAB SAV blend shouts out blackcurrants, ripe cherry & some slightly tart damson plum in there too. Its more mineral also. This is a FINE wine also and will age stunningly over the next several decades.
99 pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown , Robert Parker
97 pts James Suckling
96 pts Antonio Galloni.
La Desir. “The Desire”
Cabernet Franc dominated like the wines of St Emillion Bordeaux.
The first two Vérité wines were brilliant….. however…. this really turns up the volume to 11!
It is so elegant, the nose and palate has finesse, its soft yet with a core of minerality that runs all through from the nose, to palate onto the long finish. Waves of flavours abound each taste, Dark berries, liquorice, tobacco, cedar and oh so silky. This wine has robust tannins but the wine is structured so you could decant and drink today, but of course this wine will unfold to be a beauty for many decades to come.
100 pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown , Robert Parker
98 pts James Suckling
98 pts Antonio Galloni.
So are these Bordeaux copies? ABSOLUTELY NOT!.
THESE ARE SIGNATURE WINES FROM SONOMA COUNTY CALIFORNIA!
These are wines without compromise, they are NOT working to the 1855 classification rules in Bordeaux. With Pierre’s micro cru it allows him to make wines that are respectful of that particular vintage and not to a formulaic recipe. When each barrel is tasted he starts to understand his vision for the blend to make that years vintage the best it can be.
These wines are full of passion and spirit. True greats.
Oh and by the way ….. if the French ever change the 1855 classification rules (cant see it in my lifetime) I think they may be trying some Sonoma wines for a new Vision of great wines.
Well it didn’t stop there….
We are then treated to a ” La Muse” Vintage overview
I will give a quick run over these before I send you to sleep with tasting notes….
2012 Robert Parker 97pts Liquorice, tar , light oak and spice.
2009 RP 96 pts Very Elegant & oh so long.
2007 RP 100 pts OH BOY! One of California’s greatest vintages.
2004 RP 98 pts Cigars!
2002 RP 99pts Super fresh has years! Interesting in a decade.
A couple of months ago I was wandering around the London wine fair, when I bumped into Rosamund Barton a director of the food and wine PR agency R&R Teamwork.
She asked had I heard of winebuyers.com, as they have just started the PR for them, and if I had a couple of minutes could she introduce me to them. I was persuaded as she said they had a sour beer made with natural English pinot noir grape skin yeast…. on their stand and I was intrigued to say the least. I’m easy to bribe!
So we arrive at their stand and I was introduced to Ciara who is head of marketing. So firstly Rosamund got me a glass of the beer. Wow its good.
To be honest I have seen many wine clubs and to be honest I have only ever been interested in a couple and they are plenty but a bit samey!.
So why is winebuyers.com different? Well I chatted with the owner Ben for more answers.
Ben & Ciara
Well for a start its free to join for ever single wine buying person in the world!
Not a thing to pay, not anything, nothing at all, nil, zero, nowt, zilch, sweet fanny Adams, zip, nada… Not a dicky bird!OK so now I’m intrigued, how are these guys going to make money…
Winebuyers.com are the intermediary website between either the vineyard or wine merchants. They don’t take any transaction fee, all they do is provide the platform. They make money by charging a subscription per month to the vineyard or merchants. They even provide free trials for the vendors so they can suck it and see! This is a sliding scale for the vendors depending on how many listings that they have. From £50 ($65,€56) to £450 ($585,€504) per month.
From me looking into this business and having run my own successful business for the last 25 years its blatantly obvious numbers of people are the key. Not only vendors which creates their income but also the members of the club who are doing the most important part = buying the wine.
So far they have grown organically with membership now exceeding 24,000, they also have 27,000 wines from 38 countries on the site.
27,000 is a huge amount to choose from and I hear you all saying so how is “x” vineyard going to sell his wine rather than someone else’s. Well Ben tells me that so far they have spent £350,000 building the initial platform so people can buy from all over the world because shipping and duty tariffs all have to be in their site too for everywhere!. They have raised a further £1 million which is being spent very fast I suspect in development and another round of funding is going to happening before the end of the year. So in answer to the question they are building sophisticated software algorithm’s which will guide each buyer to their types of wines. I think time will tell to see if 27,000 listings is too much or not enough….
Their ethos is to be a one stop shop for ALL your wine needs. So if you want “x” wine then they want it listed on their site. All wine listed is in stock too as they have built systems which all vendors adhere to so stock is always live.
So I want to buy a wine from Croatia, I click on what I want and then the system places the order with the vineyard directly, thus allowing smaller vineyards to distribute where they don’t have any distribution and also sell for retail price. The system also calculates shipping and duty that is applicable wherever you live too. All vendors will be subject to a ratings system on the site too, guessing this keeps everyone on their toes.
Their plan for the next 2 years… 100k bottles listed from 2000 vendors. A big ask but really they are building numbers of both at a really fast pace now.
They will promoting wines of the day, week & month too. There is no charge to the vendors for this and they are chosen by the staff at Winebuyers. This will also be giving exposure to vendors wines.
Time will tell but if their 1st year is anything to go by and Ben’s successful track record with luxury businesses we all need to watch this space…………… I wish them all the best of luck.
If you watch cricket you will know that England have recently had a comprehensive 4 to 1 test match victories against India….. bear with me for a second this is not a complete digression after one too many glasses of wine! Ciara suggested sending me some samples of ENGLISH & INDIAN WINES I had yet to try. In fact this blog was supposed to during the weekend of the last test match a few weeks ago but the courier managed to lose the box! and then I was swanning around Italy as many of you know following me on twitter.
So Ciara sent me an English sauvignon blanc and an Indian Sangiovese…. yes Sangiovese. I know one is white and one is red before anyone says it was hardly a fair contest however, I drink and taste enough wines to judge them on their own merits.
So the English wine first….. of course!
Blackdown Ridge Estate. England
A Little history of the vineyard before we start from their website.
Blackdown Ridge Estate sits at 440 feet above sea level in the Sussex Weald, enjoying extraordinary views over the South Downs National Park.
Here we have planted vines to create fine English wines, taking advantage of the superb location and conditions.
The wines of Blackdown Ridge Estate are the result of the vision of owner, Professor Martin Cook, who has lived on the estate for 20 years. A passionate wine-lover, Martin was inspired to create his vineyard when an Italian family friend and winemaker, Antonio, suggested that the beautiful, serene south-facing slopes of Blackdown would be perfect for growing vines.
Antonio’s words inspired Martin to realise the potential of the estate and the first vines were planted in 2010. The soil of the Sussex Weald shares much with the terroir of the Champagne region of France, and this influenced our plantings of the classic sparkling wine varietals: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. These have been used to create our first sparkling wine, released in 2015.
The grapes planted for our range of still wines include the aromatic Bacchus for our single varietal English white wine, as well as Rondo, Triomphe d’Alsace and, more recently, Sauvignon Blanc.
We have 10.5 acres currently planted to vines which are nurtured throughout the growing year with an environmentally sensitive approach to viticulture that ensures optimum ripeness, yield and fruit quality.
Blackdown Ridge 2016 Sauvignon Blanc
Made from 100% Estate grown Sauvignon Blanc
On the nose its sauvignon alright but not like a huge gooseberry blast from New Zealand, this wine is certainly more like the Torraine style from the Loire in France.
On the palate its a real delight for a wine priced at this point!
Grapefruit with a tropical feel, freshly mowed lawn with a herby note too, but not flowery its dry and has a zingy citrus feel on the finish with a lingering mineral note too. This would match perfectly to creamy seafood dishes as the wines acidity would be pairing heaven. Any shellfish would be perfect too.
Retails on winebuyers.com for only £10 ($13,€11.20)
Fratelli Wines, India
Some history about this Indian winery from their website.
FRATELLI… Italian for brothers.
And so it began, and so it continues to be with Fratelli. In the beginning there was an idea. An idea born of a general conversation between the sons of the fathers. From the soles of a thriving shoe business to the soul of Italian winemaking with a Tuscan icon in Piero Masi, is how this story began and how it has since evolved. Take three families, three sets of brothers separated by caste, country and faith, a shared dream and vision. Complete this fellowship of the grape, with the main cog in the Fratelli machine, a Tuscan with over 50 vintages of winemaking experience etched in his verysoul, and the rest as they say is history.
WINE MAKING PHILOSOPHY
Piero’s winemaking ideology is born of Tuscan tradition yet unbridled in its embrace of a more vibrant and modern new world philosophy. Letting the vineyard speak is our mantra, and Piero’s minimalist approach to winemaking, ensures Fratelli wines offer a more broader diversity of wine styles.
While adopting Piero Masi’s sustainable viticultural mantra, Fratelli goes beyond just winemaking and wine production. By placing the utmost importance and unbridled commitment to nurturing the very best from our unique terroir, the end results achieved are grapes with the purest expression borne of all the Fratelli vineyards. The core focus for Piero and his team is to develop each vineyard with their own identity, personality, style and resultant grape quality, which in the end paves the way for creating high quality, artisanal wines that are true to Fratelli’s core values.
India’s largest privately owned wine estate of 240 acres, Fratelli lies just 6 hours from Mumbai and 3 hours of Pune in the Sholapur region of Maharashtra.
Blessed with unique, nutrient poor, calcareous soils with an extraordinary resemblance to those of the Bolgheri and Chianti regions of Italy, and combined with the temperate Maharashtrian climate, the resultant wines showcase varietal purity, vibrant acidity and an inherent freshness as core attributes. Currently home to several more noted international and pioneering grape varieties, the Fratelli Vineyards offer up the idiom that anything is possible in India. Time is the key.
Fratelli, Maharashtra, Sangiovese 2015
Made from 100% Sangiovese.
Well this again was unmistakeably on the nose Sangiovese……. however as many of you know Italian wines are something I spend most of my life drinking and without blowing my own trumpet I know a good Sangiovese.
As soon as I tasted this wine it threw me a curved ball… It was just so dry and way too much tannin, by that I mean how am I going to write about this wine in a positive way. I am not a critic and my intention is never to rubbish any wines but I had the ENG Vs IND piece to write….. DONT PANIC!!!
I gave this some time which I wouldn’t normally have to do with a wine at this price point and ……..
Thank god!! It came to life after I decanted for actually only 20 to 30 minutes and was unrecognisable from when it was first opened.
On the palate this wine is medium bodied with cherry fruit at the forefront, although with a odd sweetness I’m not used to with Italian Sangiovese even though this is a very dry wine. The finish is smoky, spicey with more red fruits and dry. Would work perfectly with Pizza with a spicey topping or pasta with a rich tomato based sauce.
Retails on winebuyers.com for only £11.60 ($15,€13)
Well if you have read any of my recent blogs you would have been finding out a lot more about wines from England and the UK, however I am sure that most people out there have not tried wine from India.
What I can say with complete confidence is that you will be hearing lots more and not just from little old me.
The UK wine industry is in boom time and the next 20 years will be so exciting, and although I don’t have any specific data for India, you can be assured with its diverse climate huge labour work force and huge land mass they will one day become one of the worlds large producers.
So………………………
Which wine won………
SORRY INDIA!!
BLACKDOWN RIDGE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 is the WINNER!!!
Well I know you must be amazed at the fourth blog in ten days!
I had met Tiléri and Natalie from Poulton Hill Estate vineyard at a couple wine tastings in the Cotswolds and really wanted to go and check out what they are doing.
Well my twitter buddy Swami, now lifelong food & wine friend from Iowa, told me he was coming to see me on an epic five week tour he had planned in Europe. So I started to plan a couple of days for him with me in Worcestershire. Food and wine both days was hugely important as Swami eats amazingly on his worldwide travels. With a few days before Swami’s arrival the weather forecast was superb for the upcoming days of his visit. With this in mind I thought we have to go to an ENGLISH vineyard!.
The new tasting room at Poulton Hill Estate.
So this was the perfect opportunity to visit Poulton Hill Estate in the stunning Cotswolds as its only 45 minutes from home. With only two days notice we were made extremely welcome by Tiléri and Natalie. Many thanks.!!!!
The 7 acres of the Poulton Hill Estate vineyard were planted in 2010, set in the idyllic Cotswold countryside, close to the Roman town of Cirencester and Regency spa town of Cheltenham.
The vines planted are on south facing slopes, 8800 in total, which equates to about 20,000 bottles per year. They have three white varieties: Phoenix, Bacchus, Seyval Blanc and three red varieties: Pinot Noir, Regent and Rondo.
Other than some occasional help around the vineyard Tiléri and Natalie do everything. Obviously labour is brought in for the harvest, but when I say everything I mean EVERYTHING.
These are two petite ladies and they get stuck into every single part of what’s involved within the vineyard. Vine maintenance, pruning, wires, thinning, you name it they do it. Not only that but they are the face of Poulton at many events in the UK too. Oh and the tasting room, paperwork, telephones, orders, deliveries……. EVERYTHING!
Tiléri was telling me that at an event when they told a consumer they were the ones that worked the estate the response was ” I’m sure you don’t – day to day” in which she responded, “feel free to come anytime and see that WE MOST DEFINITELY DO.
They certainly are a dynamic duo and they work bloody hard too! Both Swami and I discussed this on the way home after we had finished. We were sure that its not an easy job, however extremely rewarding when all the work comes to fruition with wonderful wines. Especially when the wines are winning awards and the wine buying public are loving them too!
2013 Brut Rosé has been highly commended at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2017.
2012 Brut English Sparkling Wine has won yet another medal. The wine won a silver medal at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly awards.
Poulton Hill Bacchus 2016 wins Drinks Product of the Year at the Cotswold Life Food and Drink Awards.
English Sparkling White 2012, awarded a Q in the Quality Drink Awards.
Responsibility to the environment is an integral part of what they do. They have Babydoll sheep that graze the orchard and wildflowers planted to help the insect population.
They have two flocks of rare-breed sheep, Jacob’s Sheep and Olde English Babydoll Southdown Sheep, two of the oldest breeds in England. The Babydoll sheep are perfect for keeping the area around the vines tidy without eating the grapes also fertilizing the soil as they go.
So Natalie held the fort and Tiléri took Swami and I to see the vines.
The first thing that we both noticed were the stunning Roses! I have only ever seen this once before at Querciabella, in Tuscany (Querciabella is a Biodynamic Vineyard)
It’s a very old tradition which is done as vines and roses are both susceptible to the same mildew and fungus and they acted as an early warning system on the end of the rows. Although these days at Poulton Estate it’s purely for cosmetic reasons as vine management today is very different to how it was many years ago.
Swami, you have cut the top of my head off… Many thanks for some of these photos though.Tiléri gave Swami one of these beautiful roses to remember the vineyardA whole new section has just been planted this year with Pinot Noir, settling in nicely.
Back to the tasting room to sample the delights of Poulton Estate wines.
Currently they make six still wines, (the reserve red was just released when we visited and not in the photo), three sparkling, a Cotswold brandy and a Sloe de Vie.. don’t worry I will explain. I hadn’t heard of it either.
Throughout the tasting it was obvious to Swami and I that these ladies certainly are involved with everything aspect in the vineyard, as their knowledge and experience, to all of our questions, from terroir to bottle was very impressive.
Bacchus 2016
Bacchus is of German origin and named after the Roman God of wine.
Grapes: Bacchus
In the glass this is light gold with a platinum edged quality too. Elderflower and peach on the nose. On the palate its fresh grapefruit, gooseberry, ripe tropical notes too. On the finish its dry and crisp with a touch of mineral right on the end. Really good on its own or with some fresh seafood it would be a delight!
RRP: £15.99
Phoenix 2015 (although now 2017 vintage)
Again the variety is of German origin.
Grapes: Phoenix
In the glass this is very light in colour indeed. The nose has fabulous elderberry and herbaceous hints reminiscent of a traditional French Sauvignon. This medium-bodied wine is packed full of flavour with notes of lychee, elderberry and gooseberry, followed by a refreshingly clean finish.
RRP: £14.99
Special Reserve 2016
Phoenix is of German origin and Seyval Blanc is of French origin.
Grapes: Phoenix and Seyval Blanc
Pale straw colour in the glass with fresh aromas of elderflower and pear on the nose. The palate is bursting with juicy peach, finishing with tones of zesty lemon sherbet.
RRP: £15.99
Rosé NV
Grapes: Phoenix, Seyval Blanc, Rondo and Regent
The NV Rosé is salmon pink in colour, has cherry and slight plummy tones with a long, long finish. Delicious summer sipping!
This wine is a delight drunk on a hot summer day or will pair with white fish, chicken or pork dishes.
RRP: £13.99
Rosé 2017
This wine was not tasted on the day and had not been released. It is available now.
It has soft, well-rounded, ripe summer fruits on the nose that lead to delicate hints of damson plum and strawberries, with a crisp, dry finish on the palate.
RRP: £14.99
Special Reserve Red 2016
Well I drank this one again last night.
Grapes: Rondo and Regent, with only 663 bottles made of this first vintage of this wine.
In the glass this wine is deep violet red in colour with a vibrant violet edge. The nose is blackberry, ripe black cherry with a touch of vanilla toastyness. The palate is an explosion of fruit! Black Cherry, quickly followed by stewed sweet plums. This wine is aged for six months in American oak so it does have a touch of vanilla although very little, and on the end it has a lovely spicey touch. Tannins are well integrated and it has a lovely soft lingering fruity finish. Really enjoyed this wine. Will also be good to see how it develops in the bottle over the next 12 months.
RRP: £16.99
On to the sparkling wine
BULARI ……..
A new name for English sparkling wine? Well Poulton Estate certainly think so.
Poulton Hill Estate has a trademark registered for ‘Bulari’ (a variation of the Latin for bubbles) as a generic term to describe English sparkling wine.
English sparkling wine producers have been searching for a catchy name to signify prestige and reflect ever-increasing quality for years now. The use of the Latin term Bulari reflects the fact that vines for wine-making were first introduced to Britain by the Romans.
As a recognition of their awards, quality and success, Poulton Hill Estate’s award-wining sparkling white and rosé wines will now be labelled Bulari. High-quality English sparkling wine producers, who meet the same strict production criteria for making English sparkling wines, will also be able to use the term under license.
Time will tell if this name catches on….. but always I hear lots banded round the industry that we don’t have a name like, Cava, Sekt, Prosecco or Champagne.
In the glass it’s beautiful pale pink with fine perlage. On the nose it’s a summer berry heaven! A Strawberry and cream delight. This was the first glass we started with on the tasting and I think Swami was surprised at how good quality this tasting was going to be. This follows by quite a long dry finish with a touch of minerality on the end.
This is great as an aperitif but equally a great food wine. In fact the first time my wife and I had this wine was at a lovely pub down the road from the vineyard and I had a burger for lunch. Paired a treat!RRP: £27.99
English Sparkling Brut
Grapes: Seyval Blanc, Phoenix, Rondo and Regent. ( not tasted on the day)
Poulton Hill Estate English sparkling wine is a rich straw yellow colour with a slight touch of pink. The nose is a lovely blend of English summer fruits, with hints of gooseberry and grapefruit. The palate is equally reminiscent of an English summer, with notes of crisp green apple, elderflower, a touch of lime and hints of redcurrant and strawberry. RRP: £60.00
Bulari
Grapes: Seyval Blanc & Pinot Noir
Pale straw golden in the glass with fine perlage, the nose is green apples and pears with citrus notes of orange, lemon and limes. On the palate juicy apple bursts across your tongue followed by citrus freshness which creates a wonderful well-rounded mouthfeel. This is very clean and fresh.
RRP: £27.99
SPIRITS:
Sloe de Vie.
Sloe de Vie displays delicious fruit flavours of sloes hand-picked at the peak of ripeness following the harvest in 2015.
Once fermented, the sloe wine was triple distilled and then bottled.
The delicate aromas and freshness of the fruit have been preserved, resulting in a spirit of exceptional smoothness. Much like a fine grappa. RRP £37.99
Cotswold Brandy.
This Limited edition Cotswold Brandy has been produced exclusively from grapes harvested by hand at the Poulton Hill Estate in 2013. Following fermentation, the base wine has been triple distilled and then matured in American Oak casks.
Cotswold Brandy has a wonderful nose of deep almond and vanilla, with hints of wood and notes of spice. The palate is beautifully soft and smooth with a fruity finish.
Each bottle of this limited release has been carefully hand labelled and individually hand numbered. Unfortunately it was only a 200 bottle run and its all SOLD OUT!
Experience Poulton Hill for yourself
It really is a wonderful vineyard to visit, the Cotswold countryside is stunning and definitely worth a visit for a weekend or longer. There are plenty of places to stay from B&B’s to luxury country house hotels.
Poulton Hill Estate Vineyard feature. Pictured tiléri charles-jones. 21/07/17 Thomas Kelsey
Poulton Hill Estate Vineyard feature. Pictured tiléri charles-jones. 21/07/17 Thomas Kelsey
Poulton Hill Estate Vineyard feature. Pictured tiléri charles-jones. 21/07/17 Thomas Kelsey
Poulton Hill Estate Vineyard feature. Pictured roses. 21/07/17 Thomas Kelsey
Poulton Hill Estate Vineyard feature. Pictured tiléri charles-jones. 21/07/17 Thomas Kelsey
You can join Poulton estate for a relaxed tour around their vineyard, where they will take you through the history and the growing of grapes. From there, you can sample a selection of their wines at their Cellar Door. Tours start at 11am and last about 1 ½ hours. Tickets cost £15 per person, with a maximum of 20 tickets available for each tasting.
Tours run Monday to Friday and one Saturday per month until Oct 2018.
For dates and to book your tour, please call Poulton Estate on: 0044 (0)1285 850257
Why not join Tiléri & Natalie for a harvest experience? Harvest is one of the best times of year at Poulton Hill Estate. There is always a great atmosphere as you will work up and down the vines in pairs picking the fruit. If you would like to help out or learn more about what happens at harvest time in a vineyard, please contact them : info@poultonhillestate.co.uk
Huge Thank you to Tiléri and to Natalie who were fabulous hosts to us. I really do take my hat off to all the hard work that you put into this vineyard. Its obvious it is so much more than a Job to you both. Salute 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
Again I wrote this blog because I love what they are doing at Poulton Estate and their wines.
I have not been paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliation to Poulton Estate.
The wine drunk last night SPECIAL RESERVE RED 2016 was kindly given to me by Swami who bought it on our visit. Thanks Swami.
Hi again…… I know 3 blogs in a week! and there is more next week too.
Astley vineyard is actually the closest vineyard to my home in Worcestershire. (40 mins south of the UK’s 2nd city Birmingham)
When I started to taste more English still wines at trade events I really had to go and visit Astley as they are 15 minutes from my house. I spoke with them on twitter for a while and then about 7 months ago in Jan 2018 I visited for the first time. I haven’t written about them until now because there were big plans afoot at Astley which will all come clear in this blog.
January 14th 2018, pruning in progress by Mum – BEV!
History:
Astley used to be the most northerly vineyard in the WORLD! When it was established in the Severn Valley, Worcestershire, in 1971.
The terroir for this part of Worcestershire where the vineyard is planted is Triassic Sandstone and about 200 million years old (ish) this provides excellent drainage and a naturally high acidity in the wines also.
The vineyard is on an east facing slope located by a deep valley which draws away cold air, 1/2 mile away from the river Severn which also moderates the micro climate.
Below is a geo map of the county. Sandstone was used for many of the old buildings in the county too.
The original founders, the Bache family, planted varieties such as Madeleine Angevine and Siegerrebe decades before its potential in England was realised. Many of these vines still stand – including their unique 46 year old Kerner – providing ASTLEY now with almost unrivalled maturity and heritage. There is also Pinot Noir, used for blending and some chardonnay……. which is used for nothing as it never ripens enough! It is being replaced in the not to distant future.
Clearing and managing the woodland has been a big task too!
Jonty Daniels who was a bit of a legend amongst small English wine producers owned the vineyard for over 24 years, and retired in July 2017.
He wasn’t going to sell to just anybody, they had to have the same vision & values for the little estate that he had. So in 2017 the Haywood family bought the vineyard and moved in, July 17′.
There are 5 Haywood’s in the Family that are involved passionately in this new venture/adventure.
Dad & Owner: Tim. Each time I have visited Tim is super busy getting his hands dirty and really getting stuck into every job on the estate. A far cry I’m sure from his past life as a Financial Director in the City.
Mum: Bev. The first time I met Bev she was pruning the vines in Jan. On their website it describes Bev as the lynch pin holding it all together. Bev if you are anything like my mother & I am sure that you are. We would all be lost without our Mums.
Son: Chris. Chris exudes passion for this project! A great guy and like the whole family 100% committed every day to anything that the vineyard requires. He spent 2 years at a luxury wine shop and is WSET Level 3 qualified, Chris is Astley’s wine man.
The Finnish Wife of Chris: Matleena, who is the business manager and accounts dept.
Daughter: Daisy. Resident Landscape Architect and artist. Daisy lends her creative eye to projects and looks after the estate woodland and gardens.
Plans.
The previous owner Jonty always had the wine made at a large commercial vineyard but the Haywood’s have other plans completely. They want control over the whole process.
The first part of this I saw a few months ago, in early May, where the foundations for the new winery & the new tasting room & shop were getting underway.
Under Construction winery and Tasting room April/May 2018
Everything has changed at Astley…… well except for the vines!. Their new Astley branding for the business together with their new beautiful bottle labels are a credit to them. A collaboration with the very talented team at Wearebeard, based in Worcester. In fact I must get in touch with them to get new pietrovini branding!
Love their new LOGO with corkscrew incorporated.
New nature inspired labels incorporating the wildlife around the vineyard. Please click on any of the bottles above to get much larger image. It will open a new page.
So now in July, just a few short months after the start of new buildings, the new shop and tasting room are complete. The winery will be finished imminently.
The new mural on the wall by WEAREBEARD is awesome!
So the new tasting room has a great layout including a bar!, plenty of tables and seating and even a quite corner to relax in too.
The whole ethos of what the Haywood’s are doing at Astley is a credit to them, they understand that they are a boutique winery with only 5 acres of vines, they will never make much more than 10,000 bottles per year. So to that end they have made the whole vineyard extremely visitor friendly, from walking through the woodland to the vineyard, or just popping in to have a glass of their wine on the new terrace. (Licence will be in place within weeks.) They will also be opening as a bar once or twice a month on a Friday or Saturday night, ticket only to enjoy their wines. Check website for updates.
Not only are they doing their own wine tasting sessions but Chris is providing monthly tastings for other wines from all over the world too. Sometimes these are just tasting nights but also they are doing gourmet food nights with wine matching each course. Which are quite the event.
Starting with a quick tour of the vines with Chris and some Q&A too.
Then a stroll up through the vines to the huge Teepee where the wines and delicious food is served.
YUM!
These events will take place frequently, there are 3 over the next few weeks. Take a look at the website link https://www.astleyvineyard.co.uk/events if you fancy a great night in the vines. Perfect Summer BBQ wines, Natural wines & the KERNER tasting experience which is not to be missed.
Join the Haywood family for a special exploration of the Kerner grape. Focusing on wines made from Kerner, you will taste an exclusive range of wines both from their private collection, as well as from Astley Vineyard’s unreleased stocks. Unlike their other events, you will sit down with their entire family and explore wine as a group.
About time I started talking about their delicious wines.
Madeleine Angevine 2016or “MAD ANGIE” as is sometimes known in the UK.
Grapes: Madeleine Angevine
Alc: 11.5%
Residual Sugar: 7.6 g/L
Total Acidity: 9.2 g/L
A delicate wine floral on the nose, on the palate grapefruit with a touch of peachy notes too. On the finish the there is crisp acidity with a little mineral note too. A real citrus blast of a wine. a real foodie wine.
RRP £ 11.00 Bargain!
Severn Vale 2016
Grapes: Bacchus, Madeleine Angevine, Kerner & tiny drop of Oaked Sauvignon Blanc too.
Alc: 10.5%
Residual Sugar: 10.2 g/L
Total Acidity: 8.4 g/L
This is a fabulous light summer wine for sitting out on the patio in the sunshine. Off dry. On the nose its apples all the way! On the palate ripe fruit with a crunchy green apple freshness delighting with a light floral note, which then leads to more rich tropical notes and citrus acidity from the MAD ANGIE and Kerner on the finish. The SB in the wine gives a little roundness on the finish, but as its only about 2% its not made it feel oaky in anyway shape or form.
RRP £ 10.00
Sabrinnã 2016
Grapes: Siegerrebe & Bacchus
Alc: 11.5%
Residual Sugar: 3.8 g/L
Total Acidity: 6.1 g/L
This is quite a big wine on the nose with a multitude of huge tropical fruit flavours filling the nose which makes you desperate to taste. Super fruity wine, yet dry. Mango, pineapple, passionfruit with the zest of limes. An absolute delight. In fact I drank one last night.
This wine is a great aperitif however it will be stunning with Asian food, spiced foods or as I had last night crab pâté on granary toast with ripe tomatoes.
RRP £ 16.00
Bacchus 2016
Grapes: Bacchus
Alc: 10.5%
Residual Sugar: 9.7 g/L
Total Acidity: 8.5 g/L
For those of you who have not heard about Bacchus, well for me it’s to England what Sauvignon Blanc is to NZ.
It’s a crisp & dry wine, it’s packed with flavours of elderflower, kiwi fruit, lime, grapefruit and crisp green apples. All this fruit flavour yet dry but with a good acidity and a lingering finish too. Every time I taste this wine new flavours appear its a really delicious wine.
RRP £ 16.00
Old Vine Kerner 2015
Grapes: Kerner from 45 yr old vines
Alc: 11.5%
Residual Sugar: 10.3 g/L
Total Acidity: 8.8 g/L
For me without a doubt this is Astley Vineyards flagship wine. Its truly wonderful, I cant quite get my head round the fact that its from Worcestershire and 15 minutes from my house!
Slightly off dry this wine is elegant on the nose with fresh elderflower & honeysuckle. On the palate its white peaches, elderflower, a zestyness of freshness too. On the end it has a little nutty and spicey touch too.
I was and am a big fan of this wine. I bought this wine, then went back within a few days to get a case. It definitely has some aging potential too.
RRP £ 19.50
.
Vintage Spakling Kerner 2014
Grapes: Kerner
Alc: 10.5%
Residual Sugar: 11.8 g/L
Total Acidity: 9.8 g/L
Now I’m going to review this when the next vintage comes out as its not now for sale as its all been sold.
What’s interesting it’s really a great English Sparkling wine that is not made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier.
RRP £ 28.50 SOLD OUT (SORRY)
But you can have by the glass in Central London at the Coral Rooms at the Bloomsbury hotel.
What a great sign! As you enter field of vines
Images above were taken by me this morning 5th Aug 2018. 46 year old Kerner vines and this years crop so far.
There are great plans a foot and the grape press is being delivered tomorrow, so I will keep you informed about Astley’s new in house winery too.
I wrote this because I love what they are doing at Astley and their wines.
I bought their wines myself and have not been paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliation.
Well I mentioned in my Part 1, WINE GB, piece last Sunday about Robb Merchant who is the Chairman of the Welsh Vineyards Association and also owner of White Castle Vineyard whom I had met at the Wine GB event in London.
White Castle Vineyard is owned by Robb & Nicola Merchant, situated in the beautiful rolling countryside of Monmouthshire (WALES!) in the village of Llanvetherine close to the towns of Abergavenny and Monmouth.
Robb had worked for the Post Office in South Wales for a long time in a senior management role which was a pretty stressful life and he decided to get away from the rat race.
Robb & Nicola purchased the 12 acre small holding in 1995 which they then converted the milking parlour barn into their home. It was then 2008 before the dream of owning a vineyard became a reality, 5 acres of a gently sloping, south facing field was purchased adjacent to the property. Soil samples were tested to see if it was ok for vines and they had the thumbs up, so off they went and purchased the vines.
In May 2009 the first 4000 vines were planted. Pinot Noir Précoce, Regent, Rondo, Seyval Blanc & Phoenix varieties so now there certainly was no going back. In May 2010 they planted another 800 vines this time the variety was Siegerrebe.
So in early May one beautiful sunny Sunday morning I suggested to Mrs D that we should take a ride out in the car….. towards Abergavenny…. maybe call in to a vineyard… I have to say my wife is a super star and enjoys wine too….. although just about tolerates by obsession.
On to Google……. I know they are open. I intend to surprise Robb unannounced. Which I have to say he took extremely well as he was busy and had a tasting/tour an hour after we arrived. Sorry Robb. Proper Gentleman.
After a quick hello and introductions to our wives we decided to check out the 5 acre vineyard. Now I know to some people this will sound so small but the passion that Robb & Nicola put in is incredible. Their aim is to make boutique wines (and making them they definitely are) and because production is less than 10,000 bottles per year unfortunately most of their wines will go to the ever expanding top restaurants (including Michelin Star) in the area. Although there is nothing stopping you ordering the wines directly from their website. However there are plans for expansion of the vineyard…. watch this space.
So through the Grade 2 listed barn, dating back to 1581! Now been totally restored, as a tasting room, for tours, hire and events.
Over the beautiful river bridge, wow the water is so clear! I know it looks empty but it really is not. The water of these rivers and streams in Wales is incredible.
To the Vineyard where the vines are waking up from their winter sleep. 6th May 2018.
So after a walk around, seeing how the different vines (grape) varieties were at different stages of growth we went back to the tasting rooms to try WELSH WINE!
Now because of their size its not practical to have their own winery, so they use Three Choirs Vineyard for their winemaking which is only 25 miles away. https://www.three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk/gloucestershire .
That said Robb & Nicola decide the whole process of how they want the wines made.
Starting off with “GWIN GWYN” 2016 which is Welsh means WHITE WINE.
On the nose its predominantly Elderflower, then on the palate its a lime, gooseberries, and super fresh. Its a dry wine with a lovely zesty finish. Also right on the end of the finish I was getting sherbet (but not in a fizzy way!)
Next was the White Castle Brut sparkling wine:
Made from 100% Phoenix Grapes 12% ABV RRP £30.00. 1000 Btl Production
When poured this wine has super fine perlage, zesty fresh on the nose. On the palate it feels soft & delicate with elderflower & gooseberry notes classic of the Phoenix grape.
Next up was White Castle Regent.
100% Regent Grapes. 11.5% ABV. RRP.£18.50
This pours red with a violet edge and looks and smells super fresh. On the palate its fruit, fruit and then more fruit! Blackberry, Morello Cherry with a lovely smokiness too. Its so fresh and a would be a delight on a summers day with a BBQ or any time with a plate of charcuterie. This wine I think would also be lovely, slightly chilled down to 12-14c
RONDO was next.
100% RONDO grapes, 11.5% ABV RRP £17.50.
Again this red wine is bright cherry red in the glass, fresh berries on the nose with a touch of spice too. In the mouth its black fruit all the way, medium bodied not to heavy at all but dry on the palate finishing with a lightness of oak too. Spends 4 months in OAK.
Next to PINOT NOIR…. But not any old PN
100% Pinot Noir Précoce 2016, Known in Germany as Frühburgunder. This is a mutant of original PN which ripens earlier for cooler climate vineyards. 12% ABV RRP. £20.00
This for me really is their flagship wine. This wine spends 9 months on oak
25% No OAK, 25% New OAK, 25% + 25% in differently aged oak barrels. Then blended.
On the nose it has a much bigger and bolder feel than the Regent or Rondo. In the mouth its fresh but at the same time a great richness of cherries with blackberry touch too, vanilla, lightly spicy and subtle toasty notes too. So soft on the palate and so well balanced with tannins and acidity. (The PN Précoce is known for its lower tannin and acidity and it really shows) I liked this wine a lot. In fact Robb put me a case by please!
I actually had this wine last night, you can check my twitter feed. I was sat in the garden when my neighbour, knowing I like the odd glass of wine (really???) asked what I was drinking, Welsh wine I replied….
She laughed, yeah yeah, no really what are you drinking I told her I was deadly serious and she should try it. She tried the wine (well her face was an absolute picture.) and then put down the glass and picked up the bottle…. I cannot believe that this wine is from Wales, it really is WELSH WINE! its delicious so smooth full of fruit and well just…. delicious!. My reply was that its only 40 minutes away near Abergavenny and you can go and visit and get your own haha.
Last but not least….. DESSERT WINE yes really a dessert wine made in WALES.
1581 its called, due to the date of the old Croft Barn, it is made from 100% Regent grapes. This is delicious and should be drunk with a beautiful cheese, figs and dates platter. Only 500 Bottles made. I will be reviewing this later after a tasting with friends. I’m going to see who guesses where its from and what its made from…… NO ONE WILL HAVE A CLUE!
So overall are these wines any good?
Well I guess the proof is in the purchases. I bought all of the wines reviewed!.
You should go and visit! You will certainly have a very warm welcome from Robb & Nicola.
Below are some great pictures Robb has sent me from the 2016 & 2017 harvests.
If you are in area please go and visit, there are lots of top restaurants near by also.
Which is a great independent resource for the consumer find out more about locations and which Vineyards that are open to the public. They have great maps online.
Great Britain is making seriously good… no seriously bloody great wines!
Wine GB is the premier wine event for the UK wine industry held at the Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Hall in London. All of the Vineyards at the event are listed at the end of this blog with their websites and twitter handles too. Please check some of them out.
For sure Great Britain is known for its stunning (worldwide) award winning sparkling wines, however what really was the shocker for me is how fantastic English still wines have become also!.
Just a few FACTS about GB wine industry to get you started:
(ALL FACTS FROM WINE GB WEBSITE)
Commercial Vineyards: 502
Wineries: 147
Hectares Under Vine: 2554 (6308 Acres) Hectarage planted has tripled since 2000
Vines Planted in 2017: 1 Million
Predicted Planting for 2018: 1.5 to 1.7 Million Vines
Types of wine sold: Still wine 32% (1.9m btl) Sparkling 68% 4m Bottles
Export: 27 Countries (4% of wine produced)
Top Grape Varieties: No1. Pinot Noir 31.5%, No.2 Chardonnay 30.2% No.3 Pinot Meunier 9.5%. These 3 sparkling varieties account for 71.2% of all grapes grown in GB currently.
So I spent the morning tasting Sparkling wines. From table to table, one vineyard to the next the quality was outstanding. Below were my sparkling wines of the morning, however ALL the sparkling I tasted on the day were of such a high quality.
Hambledon: Vineyards: Première Cuvée NV RRP £42.50
Gusbourne: Blanc de Blancs 2013 RRP £35.00
Nyetimber: Blanc de Blancs 2010 £43.99
Cottonworth: Classic Cuvée NV RRP £28.00
Now I have written a few pieces lately on Sparkling wines (check the archive) so I am not reviewing any of these sparkling wines today. What I have mentioned earlier are the wonderful still wines GB is now producing.
I bumped into my great wine buddy Mike again! (www.pleasebringmemywine.com @pbmmw – twitter) who told me that I needed to taste a wine. I was stood next to the Welsh Vineyards Association stand. I did not have very high hopes. How wrong was I!
OK once again I was proved to be a complete muppet! I ended up being there 20 mins and having a great and interesting tasting!
So I was introduced to Woody from Montgomery Vineyard who poured me a glass of white wine
It was 100% Solaris grape variety 2016.
Solaris meaning “Sun” is an early ripening variety originally from Germany and perfect for the cooler climate of Wales. Its fruity & Zesty with a fresh slightly off dry feel, then with tropical, slightly nutty finish. Great Summer sipping! Approx RRP. £20
Then came the second wine. RONDO 2016: This is a medium bodied red with a big redberry fruit burst. Rondo is again a cool climate grape variety. Approx RRP £20
I’m looking forward to visiting soon to further follow up on these wines. (please note this vineyard is not open to the public ….. YET)
Then I met Robb Merchant, who is currently Chairman of the Welsh Vineyard Association & also owner of White Castle Vineyards in Abergavenny. Only about 40 mins from my house actually…. but that’s another story in a couple of blogs time (next week I promise!) 5 Acres 4800 vines, truly a great story. Pinot Noir Précoce 2016 Approx RRP £20
This intrigued me to start to look for all the other still wines at the tasting.
Denbies Wine Estate was my next stop. This estate is based in Surrey in the south East of England and the vines were planted in 1986. Denbies is currently the largest producer in the UK with circa. 500,000 bottles per year. Now they make a lot of sparkling wines but I was interested mainly in their range of still wines.
What drew me too the table was I saw in the catalogue that they had Pinot Gris & I love Pinot Gris.
The Pinot Gris poured was very pale in colour, so a good start. On the nose there was brioche and ripe fruits. It has lots of body and has a full on mouth feel, but with zesty acidity on the finish its beautifully balanced. Approx Retail £17 Bargain!
PINOT NOIR 2016. Well I’m quite fussy about the old PN as it goes but I was pleasantly surprised by this full on single varietal PN. Fairly light cherry red in the glass. On the nose and the palate it was a plummy/raspberry delight. I could have easily pulled up a chair, sipped all afternoon and would have done if there was also a nice plate of charcuterie.
Just before I left Denbies table I was asked would I like to try the dessert wines. Well to be honest that was a new one for me. I actually didn’t know GB wine industry made any. I was put right then and have been since too. I’ve always been a fan of dessert wines and have at least 20 different types at home. So of course I jumped at the chance.
Denbies produce 2 dessert wines. Noble Harvest 2016 & The Brokes Botrytis Ortega 2016
Both Wines are made from 100% Ortega Grapes. While the Noble harvest was delicious, golden in the glass & heavenly on the palate 12%ABV (RRP £24.95 Half bottle) The Brokes Botrytis 2016 was just stunning wine and winemaking. 10%ABV deep rich golden nectar in colour, absolutely heavenly on the nose, and the palate is divine, caramelised orange, a touch of vanilla from the oak barrels and OH OH OH so rich. Yet on the finish it is not cloyingly sweet and is a pretty clean finish. Only a 500 bottle production unfortunately but if you can get it its worth the cost. RRP £60.00
Before I bore you all to death I have one more wine to share with you.
Simpsons Wine Estate “The Roman Road Chardonnay 2017”
Ashleigh from Simpsons was telling me that it wasn’t quite ready as it had only been bottled for less than 2 weeks, however they were really wanting to show the trade their new Chardonnay. This was their 2nd vintage of the wine only. On my initial tasting I was very impressed considering the length of time in the bottle and had barely had time to settle. I then tasted the wine another month later at the London Wine Fair and it was developing amazingly.
This is an elegant Chardonnay, it has only spent for 3 months in French Oak.
Its fresh on the nose, with a lime zestiness and white peaches (just like the wonderful ripe white peaches I have in Italy for a true Bellini)
On the palate its mineral, citrus and super clean with the slightest touch of vanilla & spice on the finish. This wine is very good. RRP £22.99
The Roman Road Vineyard, is situated alongside the route the Romans first marched when invading England in AD 43, bringing with them the first vines. FACT!
The reason I haven’t written about this tasting until now is very simple. I wanted to go and explore what I had locally, central UK, within an hour of my house for more still wine gems. These blogs will be ongoing over the next two weeks and are on small boutique vineyards.
White Castle Vineyard, Astley Vineyard, & Poulton Hill Vineyard.
Please see below links to all the vineyards at WINE GB and also the relevant associations of county’s too. Also a great resource is the WINEGB website. Please take the time and explore these wonderful vineyards.
Keep a look out for the branding above as you are going to see a whole lot more of it in the not so distant future for sure!.
Let me explain more.
Some time ago now I got chatting to Richard James. (@RathfinnyRich – twitter handle, you should follow him, he has a great sense of humour & even posts wine occasionally, ha ha, actually with very interesting wine posts!) We started chatting about the vineyard (Rathfinny) where he works and lives in East Sussex on the south coast of England.
It sounded fascinating that although the vineyard was purchased in 2010 they were yet to launch their sparkling wines. When you are starting to produce sparkling wines in the UK you definitely have to be in it for the long haul…… however ALL that changed last week.
Rathfinny spectacularly launched their sparkling wines at the extremely prestigious setting of Somerset House in London.
Before I tell you about the day though let me give you some history behind the Rathfinny Estate and story so far.
Rathfinny Estate was founded in 2010 by husband and wife, Mark and Sarah Driver. They bought a working arable farm of some 600 acres (242Hectares) which in 2012 was planted initially with 50 acres of the three great sparkling wine grapes of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier. There are now 185 acres of vines planted and another 215 acres will planted before 2021 making this England’s largest vineyard. There is also a small quantity of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris planted on the estate.
Although I’ve yet to visit the vineyard, (I will be visiting later this year) what is strikingly clear from the Rathfinny website, literature and launch event is that Mark & Sarah are extremely serious about their wine business. Mark quit the rat race of being a hedge fund manager (bloody hard work!) in the city of London managing a $6 Billion fund and found himself a two year viticulture course which was the start of realising his dream of owning a wine estate.
The Rathfinny Estate vineyard is located within the South Downs national park. Three miles from the sea, it has chalk soil and its in south facing slopes making ideal conditions for producing some world class sparkling wines.
The brand new £5.5m purpose built winery was nominated for a RIBA award (Royal Institute of British Architects).
What is very impressive is that from day one the winery has been built to be self-sufficient both for water and energy. The winery is currently the largest in the UK.
Image: Stephen BlowersImage: Martin SwattonImage: Stephen Blowers
There has been enormous investment in this venture, starting with the initial investment in the property, planting the vineyards and now with 36 full time staff.
It doesn’t stop there either, down the road in the village of Alfriston you will find the Gun Room so called because its said to be once the gun store Duke of Wellington. This is currently Rathfinny’s Cellar Door, where you can taste wine and also buy other gifts and wine-related products, championing local goods and artists, although from June this is moving down to the main estate Tasting room.
Image: Stephen Blowers. New Tasting Room on the Estate
You can eat & stay here too, built originally for seasonal workers you now can B&B in style at the Flint barns. A new restaurant too!
With this hugely impressive set up and plans to have over a million bottle production within the next decade then you need to employ top Vineyard managers and winemakers which is exactly what they have done.
Cameron Roucher, The Vineyard manager. Bio from Rathfinny Website.
Here from before there were vines, Cameron came to Rathfinny after many years growing and working at some of the most prestigious wine companies in New Zealand and Australia. His early life saw him growing up on a hill country sheep farm, but it was a passion for growing that led him to vineyards. He has subsequently only ever worked in the wine industry. With the help of his team has built the vineyard from the ground up, and knows every inch of the site. He brings experience, knowledge and essential management skills in the area of vineyard management and production to Rathfinny.
Jonathan Médard, The Winemaker. Bio from Rathfinny Website.
Hailing from Epernay in the heart of Champagne, Rathfinny’s winemaker Jonathan Médard brings a wealth of international experience to Rathfinny Estate. On receiving a degree in biochemistry and a master’s in Oenology (Université de Reims), he trained in the wineries of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Champagne Louis Roederer, Moët & Chandon and Champagne Boizel prior to honing his expertise in California and Virginia at Newton Vineyard and Kluge Estate respectively. An alumnus of the University of California at Davis’ Wine Executive program and fluent in three languages, Jonathan was most recently Vice President of Winemaking for up and coming Central Coast California winery, Conway Family Wines. He is excited to return to his sparkling roots with Rathfinny.
So finally onto the launch event! Somerset House on the Strand in London.
The day was split into two parts, the afternoon launch of the 2 new wines at a trade/press tasting and then a Gala evening.
The most important factor….. The wines…. Are they any good?
Well if you know anything about me and my twitter feed since 2015 if I talk about a wine then I like it. I’m not trying to be a MW or top notch wine critic so if I don’t like it I don’t post it. So you don’t need to be a rocket scientist after I have written this piece to understand these wines are damn good!
First up is the Rathfinny Estate 2014 Blanc de Blancs.
Release June 2018
100% Chardonnay
36 Mths Lees aging
Dosage: 4g/l ( fruit picked as ripe and late as possible for maximum flavour)
ABV. 12.5%
Vintage notes: 2014 was moderately warm and dry growing season, little rain during flowering (June) and Veraison (September) Harvest started 19th Oct for a small crop of high quality fruit.
Note: The label on the wine, has a zagged edge to its top … actually no its the “Seven Sisters”, or as most people know them as “The white cliffs of Dover”
The famous White Cliffs -The Seven Sisters…OK in this pic one was having a day off!2014 Blanc de Blancs
Pale gold in colour, persistent perlage. Apricots with a super fresh zesty feel on the nose. Zesty lemon hits the palate which quickly turns into creamy apples. Mineral notes drive right through this wine. The terroir of the chalk shining through for a dry crisp finish. Overall for a first release of their sparkling wines…. 1st Class!!
The Blanc de Blancs was an absolute perfect pairing for these super fresh Oysters that had been flown in that morning from Jersey.
Rathfinny Estate 2015 Rosé
Release June 2018
50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Meunier
24 Mths Lees aging
Dosage: 2.5g/l
ABV. 12.5%
Vintage notes: Spring arrived late in 2015 after a cold winter, budburst and flowering were a week later than the 2014 vintage. Reasonable flowering from a warm summer provided a ripe yet small crop. Harvesting started 19th October. August and September was high rainfall but despite this the fruit was high quality and clean. Bearing in mind these vines were only planted in 2012 it was a brilliant result.
This wine is a delicate pink in the glass, vibrant perlage on the pour. The first thing that hits you is the berry fruits on the nose. On the palate its like an Eton Mess. (for those that don’t know what the hell Eton Mess is – Its smashed up strawberries, Chantilly cream and meringue. I now how to goggle the origins of this…..
Well it seems Eton Mess was first mentioned in print in 1893 and it is commonly believed to originate from Eton College and is served at the annual cricket match against the pupils of Harrow School.
The finish is long, vibrant mousse but although so fruit driven it it still dry and mineral too. GREAT WINE. Served perfectly with bite size Victoria sponges. (forgot to photo those…. ARRRGHHHH)
Interestingly when I said to Richard at the launch that I could see all the top restaurants in London and further afield serving this with afternoon tea the response was that initially the first delivery is going to the Savoy for exactly that!
Both these wines are very good indeed. Equally, both will pair with food but also delightful to drink on their own as an aperitif!
This first vintage is small, being just 5000 bottles of each of these wines…… however this estate is built for much bigger things. I can see in the future that RATHFINNY will be asked for, like people ask today for Moet and Verve.
This event was run incredibly well and I have to say that the PR company that Rathfinny are using are obviously seasoned pros!
After the afternoon tasting, my wife and I had a quick bite to eat and then on with the glad rags for the Gala evening.
We were greeted by an entrance of video screens of the estate and also (faux) vines planted all the way down the aisles. Down some steps we entered into the gala and wow it looked amazing down in the old vaulted basement rooms of Somerset House.
As product launches go and in my 25 years in business I have seen many, however not many are ever as smooth and polished as this Rathfinny launch event. I tip my hat to Sarah, Mark, everyone at the estate involved & their PR company for this “Grand” event.
Oh before I go they also have a collaboration making Gin from the wasted skins of the grapes. Oh boy its good! As any of you know me on twitter I am very partial to proper GIN. For research purposes only I tried a G&T and a Negroni. This is done in a venture with @SilentPoolGin (twitter) website https://silentpooldistillers.com/
I have left the comical parts until the end to keep you all enthralled, please stick with it as don’t want to stretch to PART 4. haha
OK I’m now on a roll and they will be regular I assure you.
Well after the previous fabulous evening’s events and an early night……………. (no comment) we had to be back in the tasting room at 9:30 sharp….. OK we were on Italian time so give or take 30 mins ish.
We were told to wear warm clothing and to wear some good boots too. By the way the fog was lifting enough to see Friuli for the first time in full techno colour! We were definitely in wine country. Vines, vines and more vines.
We had already had breakfast before we left the hotel but on arrival we were greeted by great coffee……….Would youexpect anything else from Italians!) and some delicious pastries too. Well we were going out on a winery tour in the cold and possibly having to do some work in the vineyards too…… so plenty of both was consumed by me.
So everyone (as predicted within 30 mins of allotted time) had arrived and it was time for a winery tour.
Philosophy :
I mentioned in Part 2 that although Angoris is a large producer in Friuli they are far from a huge commercial bash out the wine type of business.
So what are they about then?
They are about this little chap! But its not always that easy…..
Martha Locatelli started to tell us about their Sustainable development program and that economic growth by itself is JUST not enough, development is real only if it improves the quality of life in a long lasting way for the future generations. For environmental sustainability it means the ability to enhance the environment as a “distinctive element” of the territory, while ensuring the protection and renewal of natural resources and heritage too.
To this end it must be always be 3 ways, these are fundamental & inseparable for development of Angoris. Now for quite a large producer 100,000’s bottles per year this is no mean feat.
SOCIAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ECONOMICS
Now I know that’s all very easy to say…. however below is what they have achieved since 1997. Please take a minute to take this in. Some of you might think that this is me just rambling on about ECO this and ECO that, but really many wineries have to step up to the plate too, they cannot be just about how many bottles can they produce. It has to be about the future generations of vineyard owners too. Now this does not have to be that all wines need to be natural, Organic (many wineries follow the Organic principles but they are too close to their neighbouring vineyard that still sprays insecticide etc) or by bio dynamic principles. Sustainability is key to a successful vineyard.
Since 1997 they began a process for improving the energy saving in the winery and increasing the purchase of modern equipment for sustainable management of the vineyard and the cellar. 1997: it was possible to reduce the use of water for cleaning the cellar thanks to a winery water well. 2001: a careful process of reforestation started, which has had as result 35 hectares woods in the company property, composed of different species of trees. 2010: They bought special machinery to recover the product during the treatments in the vineyards, it helps us to avoid the waste;
2014: with the target to obtain agricultural products through a low environmental impact they have agreed to: 1) Integrated production: a system of agricultural production, which uses all the means of production and for the safeguard of agricultural productions from adversity, with the target to minimize the use of chemical substances and rationalize the agricultural fertilization, respecting the economic, ecological and toxicological principles. 2) S.Q.N.P.I.: National Quality Integrated Production System; 2015: Usage of last generation wine filtration system, which permits a total elimination of pollution by-products (flours, filters); 2015, 2016 and 2017: They receive the award Ecofriendly, founded by Verallia in collaboration with the guide Vinibuoni d’Italia. It is an award, assigned to the companies and to the consortium, that stand out for their dedication to the environment sustainability values; 2016: They now use modern machinery for mechanical removal of the grass and infestant plants in the vineyard, removing totally the chemical weeding; 2017: Now have obtained agroclimatic environmental compliance with regard to membership of SQ.N.P.I. for the year 2016.
In 2013 a photovoltaic system of 1800 m² and 200 kw has been installed on the roof, this helps us to avoid the emission in the atmosphere of several hundreds tons of carbon dioxide every year.
The Winery Tour:
Well we walk into the winery and they are old school and also state of the art when it comes to machinery.
Note: Top right where you see the yellow writing in the wall mounted box. This shows how much electricity they are producing and when not using what is going into the national gridAlthough now not used the old boys take pride of place in the winery
We then had a masterclass from Alessandro Dal Zovo, the winemaker at Angoris on the 1648 Brut Spumate.
Showing us how the sediment sits in the bottle prior to disgorging.
Then we tried the 1648 with No dosage (no added sugar), it’s delicious, so fresh with huge green apple fruit and vibrant acidity. I know its not to everyone’s taste to have a wine with no dosage but I always love to try it. When you taste wine with no additional sugar added it truly shows the quality of the wine making. Often, sugar is used to mask faults that a wine may have but when tasting NO DOSAGE you can truly have only brilliant wine. What it also shows is the confidence in Alessandro’s ability as a wine maker to produce a superb product. You would not offer a NO DOSAGE product to all of your distributors at a grand event if it was not superb wine. The 1648 is normally 7mg/l of added sugar so its still pretty dry.
Off out into the vineyards:
Villa Locatelli is a total of 630 hectares – vineyards, woods and arable land 85 hectares of vineyards in Collio, Colli Orientali and Izonzo regions of Friuli 50 % wines sold in Italy – 50 % wines exported to 35 Countries in 5 Continents
We then moved onto the Pinot Gris vineyard behind the winery to witness the demonstration of some a state-of-the-art machinery which eliminates the grass/weeds etc. on the sub-rows of the vineyards. This equipment allows Angoris to join the system of National Quality of Integrated Production, without the use of pesticides. Its’ incredible to watch this equipment at work. As the sensors touch the vines it carefully goes around them as to not damage them, but gets everything else in between!
From the 2 pictures above you can see how these old vines are developing. What is really interesting is how much stone there is in the soil. These were ancient flood plains hence so many small stones.
After the Pinot Gris vineyard we all got onto a coach and travelled through Cormons onto the small town of Rocca Bernarda. We then meandered, for a couple of miles, up a small winding road. (poor coach driver, would have been hard enough in a car!! although didn’t seem to phase him one bit)
These terraces are pretty steep but that’s not the challenging part to this land. Its only a few feet below the surface that is all rock.
This shows how over time how the water has eroded this rock (beneath the ground)
The walk from the road though the vineyard with the mountains in light fog ahead of us was truly magical. It was fresh day, it had rained through the night and into the early hours of the morning and the fog was finally clearing! What is interesting is that although it had rained quite a lot, it was not really wet under foot. It had all drained down through the soil and into the rock below. I’m hoping that the vines roots grabbed some on its way past!
Please Note: I am the only one with appropriate footwear & not wearing the not very fashionable Polythene booties………
This vineyard is in the eastern hills from the Angoris winery and we are now looking out over Friuli to the forests of Slovenia which are only about 6 miles away.
We kept walking until we reached a sign saying that we had reached the rows of Tocai Friulano vines which were planted 65 years ago.
I was then given these (see below) …… Disguised in a wine box, could have done with a glass of wine about now, when we all opened our boxes to find Secateurs & gloves. We were to have a pruning masterclass.
Note to self at this point… PAY ATTENTION TO Alessandro or I am going to destroy a 65 year old vine!
Its a good job that I had a clear head and didn’t spend until the early hours in the hotel bar with some other distributors after the gala event the night before………….. PHEW!
OK I need a hair cut Mike! @pbmmw (twitter) look him up he’s a blast & also knows about wine too! #butifidothegreyshowsthrough – Far to vain I know!
So Alessandro showed us on a few vines.
3 things to concentrate on….
Take away all last years branches that are not needed
Decide which branches left and right that you are going to use for this years growth
However, when doing 2. you have to be thinking about the next buds for the following years
So its my turn…….. Drum roll please….. getting prepared……
Safety first glasses and gloves!
So after our masterclass I think I pretty much knew what I was doing.
So the easy bit was getting rid of the branches growing in the wrong direction. What I mean by that is that they are growing towards you and away from you. These are no good as you want them to travel left and right on the trellis and not everywhere. OK these were eliminated…. all going to plan so far. So all the old stuff out the way I have to decide on this years left & right branch and the year afters buds too.
Well I thought I would talk through with Alessandro exactly my plan…. his response VA BENE! (it’s all good in Italian) not really surprised because I was obviously a natural he then said cut away! I am joking slightly here over an extremely, even most, important job in the vineyard… (by the way I wasn’t joking that I was a natural pruner extraordinaire!)
Job Done! Only 85 Hectares to go……….OMG
After my little bit was done Alessandro said …. great job you are a natural pruner, you have the job, Obviously I was super pleased with the praise until he said only 85 Hectares to prune…. this job takes 25 people full time (subject to weather) 4 MONTHS!!! GULP! Wow that really is an extraordinary amount of work all done very carefully by hand, you cant take your eye off the ball as you may be OK this year but you were not looking for next years BUDS!
When everyone had had a go pruning (not up to my standards obviously) they said time for a snack, so back up the vineyard towards where we had left the coach… I say that because it had now disappeared.
Well we were now greeted by a feast of sausages, lardo / bread and mulled wine to warm us up.
Now this is the best ever portable camping stoveI really want one of these!
So delicious and just what we needed as it was January after all….
I then noticed that the coach had come back into view… phew didn’t want to walk all the way back. In true Italian style (as we had just eaten) it’s now time to get on the coach as we are going for more tastings and lunch.
So now we arrive at a restaurant, Its owned by Angoris and almost before I got through the door a glass of wine was thrust into my hand by one of the waitresses… Don’t mind if I do! Oh boy it was delicious, an Angoris Pinot Blanc and just what I needed after my endurance in the vineyard.
We then proceeded to try another 6 wines from Angoris and a delicious Buffet lunch. Loved the food…. OK the wines too haha.
So when we were finishing, I got to see the real Angoris, Martha showed what she and the company are really about.
Martha called in every member of the Angoris staff one by one that had been in involved in Passagio to huge rousing applause for them all. You knew it was with heart felt joy for each and every member of staff, that had made the Passagio dal Angoris a wonderful success and that all attendees had had an amazing time.
It’s not just a company it’s a family, staff included!
I will never forget my couple of days at Angoris… Actually I can’t wait to go back.
![Sauvignon-Blanc-2016[1]](https://pietrovini.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/sauvignon-blanc-20161.jpg?w=453&h=432)
