Te Mata Estate is New Zealand’s oldest winery, dating from the early 1890’s. Vines were first planted at Te Mata Estate in 1892. The original three vineyards produce its most famous wines: Coleraine, Awatea and Elston.
It is a New Zealand family-owned winery, based in Hawkes Bay, North Island. John & Wendy Buck have been co-owners of Te Mata Estate since 1978. Te Mata’s wines are renowned as the country’s finest.
They produce a stunning array of red and white wines including Coleraine and Awatea Cabernet/Merlots, Bullnose Syrah, Elston Chardonnay, and Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc.
Coleraine was first made in 1982 vintage. It is a Bordeaux style wine described by Decanter magazine as “New Zealand’s First Growth”. It is made from their finest selections of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. It is one of New Zealand’s iconic wines.
We are delighted that Toby Buck, the son of the owner, will be over from New Zealand. Toby will talk us through the history and his family wines.
We will have a selection of five wines including Coleraine, served with a three-course dinner in the private room of the award-winning Boca Di Lupo restaurant in Soho.Tickets price is £95pp
We have a limited amount of availability for this dinner so on this occasion will not be going through Eventbrite.
Please email adam@wandercurtis.com for ticket requestsand payment information
Our next wine dinner with Te Mata Wines. Please e mail or use contact form below to request tickets
The onset of 2024 has left me reflecting on my inherent Francophilia. This got the better of me towards the end of last year. I had been meaning to visit Alsace for years. It took so long partly because of my preference for red wine and more recently due to Covid.
My favourite varietal though is Gewürztraminer. This is very much a marmite love or hate grape. For me it’s love. The most textured, succulent, floral powerhouse of a wine I’ve ever tasted was a Matawherho Gewürztraminer from Gisborne in New Zealand. It was an early 1990’s vintage tasted at a masterclass with my boss of the time Dr David Durham at his home next to Cloudy Bay, Marlborough New Zealand in 1995.
The 1976 Hugel Gewürztraminer with a nose distinctly reminiscent of cannabis was a highlight of many years of wine tasting.
This grape has mesmerised me since. I also have great appreciation of the other white Alsatian varieties. Well made Pinot Gris is also beautifully textured and aromatic. Riesling whilst not my first go to drink due to its high acidity playing havoc with my gastrointestinal equilibrium is still a wine I highly regard.
So I finally made it to Alsace, and the wait was worth it. Not only for the wines but for the delightfully preserved chocolate box towns and villages such as Colmar, Riquewihr and Ribeauville. It really feels like an amalgamation of France and Germany as its geography and history suggest.
I stayed in central Colmar at the Hotel Le Colombier. This is very conveniently located centrally and for the electric bike store on the same street. This is an excellent way to explore the region as there are many dedicated wine cycle routes throughout the area.
I wasn’t wild about the food, quite pork base and Germanic. They do an interesting pizza type of thing called a Tarte Flambee in French and FlammeKueche in German.
It was the first day of the Rugby World Cup so the flight was awash with excited fans.
I’d had also long wished to visit Chateau Coutet in Barsac having met Aline Baly on many occasions in London. I’m also a fan of dessert wines, again not everyone’s taste. Aline was in Paulliac but generously arranged the Maitre du Chai, Laurier Girardot to entertain us.
We started in the vineyards surrounding the pristine opulent Chateau.
Laurier discussed the terroir, which is slightly different to Sauternes and a little further from the River Garonne. The style here being a little less unctuous than Sauternes and perhaps less botrytis. They also make a dry white. The wines as ever, were finely balanced, long and delicious with complexity evident in older vintages.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Next up a flight to Marseille, en route to another region I’ve longed to visit, Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
It’s one thing reading about the ‘Galets’ (larger pebbles/ smooth rocks) which are characteristic of the area. it’s another thing to see them. The entire vineyards are literally covered with layers of Galets with virtually no soil evident. These rocks have been washed down from the Alps over millions of years dating to when the area was the bed of the Rhone river.
Beaucastel were in the midst of the most fascinating new build. They had a competition amongst world renowned architects who tendered for the job. It was finally won by and Indian based firm. In keeping with Beaucastel organic and biodynamic sustainability, the new structure is being built with products of excavation.
The excavated earth for the new cellar is gently crushed and then taken to a large vertical mold and compressed. This creates the large slabs to build the new winery. It already looks amazing and effortlessly blends in with the environment.
We tasted the 2008 and 2019 Beaucastel and also a 100% Roussane of which little is made. The wines as expected were spotlessly balanced and full of fine grained tannins.
I was impressed by the Chateau Mont Redon range, especially with their most moderately priced Lirac which is full of fruit but also has a lovely mouthfeel. I have been buying en primeur Mont Redon from the wine society for many years.
Final visit of the day was to a very welcoming and passionate Antoine at Chateau La Nerthe.
He gave us the historical background. There have been grapes here since Roman times. More recently they were one of the pioneers of the Appelation Controlle system
This a stunning chateau with views reaching far and wide. We toured the cellars and we were lucky enough to witness a live ‘remontage’ and sample 4 day old Mourvèdre from the tank. It was surprisingly delicious given its age.
Wine tasting here can be a little confusing as 13 grape varieties are permitted.
6 white grape varieties: Grenache blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Picpoul and Picardan. Grenache blanc, a mutation of Grenache noir, is the most commonly used grape variety. Red grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse, Terret, Counoise, Muscardin.
We tasted a range of their wines including
Château la Nerthe 2014 Clos de Beauvenir – it had an oxidised nose, almond, nice freshness and texture Good food wine
Château la Nerthe Barrel sample, Syrah amazing for only 4 weeks old! Full of fruit Soft tannins Delicious!!!
2020 Château la Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape 25% Mourvèdre, Balanced, good year, plenty of fresh fruit alcohol well integrated
2019 Château la Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape . 35 %Mourvèdre Syrah 31 %Grenache 33 % about a third each A bit more serious than 2020 and probably need more ageing to develop complexity
2020 Château la Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Cadettes which is made from their best grapes 9.000 bottles only GSM blend
2019 Château la Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape Cadettes 55 % Mourvèdre floral earthy savoury serious big wine.
Antoine then brought out a blind wine which I immediately described as Pinotesque. I was happy to be correct in my deduction that it was one of their very limited production 100% Grenache.
This tasting was one of the highlights of many years of different wine trips. Thanks to @bossofthewine, Bruce Baldinger and the New Yorkers. We had serendipitously met them on the tour of the old Synagogue in Carpentras the day before and tagged along to this visit.
Finally I must not forget the opulent Chateau La Coste in Provence. It was a short drive south from our accommodation in Lourmarin through the beautiful countryside towards Aix en Provence near the village of Le Puy-Sainte – Reparade.
This is a real destination owned by Irish property magnate Paddy Mckillen. It has its own art and architecture walk, 600 acre sculpture park, a luxury hotel Villa La Coste multiple very high end restaurants and excellent wine.
Despite the breadth and depth and quality of wines across the world, there’s nothing quite like returning to La Belle France!
Umberto Cantele third generation of Cantele Wines of Puglia hosted this memorable evening at Fredericks a day before Burns night 2024.
Adam, his father and brother visited Umberto at Cantele winery in Salento a few years ago and have been long planning this dinner.
The whole family is involved in the business. They have 50 hectares of their own vineyards and manage a further 150 hectares. Their primary focus is on local native grapes of the region, including Primitivo, Negroamaro and Susumaniello for the red wines, and Verdeca and Malvasia Bianca for the whites. The winery also produces pure expressions of international varieties such as Chardonnay.
Aperitif
2022 Verdeca, Cantele, Puglia Stone fruit with ice texture and medium acidity
With Starter
2021 Teresa Manara IGT Salento Chardonnay
2021 Teres Manara Vendemmia Tardiva Chardonnay The star of the show tonight
rich textured beautiful oak integration caramel vanilla butter stone fruit
With maim
2021 Amativo, Cantele, Puglia lovely blend of NegroAmaro and Primitivo delicious rich black fruits hints of smoke and choclate
2022 Primitivo Puglia IGP, Cantele
Thanks to the crowd of 31 who braved dry January. Special thanks to Umberto who gave us great insight into his family winery and brought his Italian warmth to a London January.
Esporão was founded in 1973 by José Roquette and Joaquim Bandeira,
They are one of the leading wine companies in Portugal and one of the largest organic wine producers.
They have three wineries – Herdade do Esporão in Alentejo,
Quinta dos Murças in Douro and Quinta do Ameal in Vinho Verde –
In Alentejo, all of their vineyards are certified organic, as well as those at Quinta dos Murças, Douro. They own 623ha of organic vineyards – the biggest ownership in Portugal, representing about 18% of total organic production in the country.
We tasted a selection of their wines from their three regions, Vinho Verde, Duoro valley and Alentejo with a matched three course dinner in Frederick’s private room on Tuesday February 7th 2023. Hosted by Pedro Lopes Vieira Sales Manager at Esporao Wines
Aperitif –
Quinta de Ameal Loureiro
From the Lima sub-region of Vinho Verde, the birthplace of Loureiro, this vibrant wine really shows the huge potential for this eminently approachable variety. Reminiscent of lemon sherbets, zingy, fresh and lively, yet intense and balanced wine, that will evolve well over the next 15 years
Starter –
Smoked salmon with potato & beetroot salad Frederick’s Waldorf salad
Monte Velho white
A blend of Antão Vaz, Roupeiro and Perrum from 18-years-old vineyards planted on granite, schist and clay soils. Fresh and balanced, with a firm body, citrus and white fruit characters and no oak.
Herdade do Esporão Reserva white
An organic blend of Antão Vaz, Arinto and Roupeiro, fermented and matured for 6 months in a combination of tanks and new American and French oak barriques. The calling card for the range with an elegant, creamy palate, notes of peaches and nutmeg.
Esporão Reserva Red was the first wine launched in 1985 and it still represents the estate’s diverse winemaking history. A true Portuguese blend of native varieties that are fermented separately, then blended together and aged for 12 months in American and French oak barrels, with a further 8 months of ageing in bottle before release. Black fruits, nutty and black pepper notes intermingle on the rich and complex palate that doesn’t disappoint.
Quinta dos Murças Reserva red
This Reserva is from some of the oldest vineyards of the estate, located between 150m and 280m with a south and westerly exposure. Its special terroir gives the final wine its complexity and longevity. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Sousão, Tinta Amarcela, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz combined with 12 months in oak result in an intense, balanced beauty dominated by black fruits and spice
Dessert
Pear & almond tart, clotted cream
Quinta dos Murças Tawny port
A wine with gravitas and history, from the first vertical vineyard planted in the Douro Valley in 1947. One hectare of vines is planted on schist soils at altitudes greater than 262m, with a southeast exposure. The highest expression of the estate terroir, characterized by great harmony and elegance, with fine mature tannins and balancing acidity, with a great ageing potential.
Full disclosure, I have a very soft spot for Austrian wine. It is undoubtably through my partner, who is Austrian, that I have grown to love the many and varied delights that the country and its people have to offer. It’s fair to say that family Curtis pulls its weight when it comes to consumption of Schnitzels, quaffing of Greuner Veltliner and bashing of mogul pistes. Oh, and it goes without question that Semmel are the best bread rolls ever and nobody makes better ryebread.
Anyway, we’ve written at length about Austria’s fabulous white wines: Greuners and Rieslings from the Wachau, Kamptal and increasingly from Traisental along with the characterful Sauvignon Blancs from SudSteirmark, but not enough about the country’s excellent red wines. My suspicion is that a lot of Austrian red wine just doesn’t make it out of the country because demand at home is so healthy. So, I was delighted be invited to a lunch spotlighting Zweigelt and the grape’s many faces organised Neusiedlersee DAC.
Zweigelt is the most planted red grape variety in Austria, second only to Gruener Veltliner in terms of vineyard area. It is a cross between Austria’s other two main red grapes, Blaufraenkisch and St. Laurent, the former, late ripening with high acidity and firm tannins and the later early ripening with delicate fruit and moderate tannins. The result, it is argued, is a wine that displays the best of both and is fruit forward, with gentle acidity and soft tannin. It can be made in a forward fruity style at a great price point or through selection and sometimes aging in barrique as a more structured reserve wine capable of many years bottle age.
Neusiedlersee DAC (designated area of origin) is located to the east of the Neusiedlersee a large lake on the boarder between Austria and Hungary. The designation is only for the production of Zweigelt and sweet wines although most of the winemakers in the area also produce a variety of other wines too.
Some nice Burgenlaendlisch drinking slang!
To demonstrate this the aperitif served before lunch was a Welschriesling Voll Freude 2021 by Georg Preisinger. Fresh with citrus and apple served gespritzt. The perfect refresher: half wine and half sparkling mineral water.
Next a young 2021 Zweiglet by Preiner Wein, served with an autumnal mushroom risotto.
Very fruit forward with accessible berries and a whiff of spice on the nose. A nice midweight body, soft tannins and good freshness. Well balanced and a collaborative partner to the delicate risotto flavours. Tasty!
The main course of grilled sweetbread was served with single vineyard Zweigelt by Gebrueder Nittnaus, Zweigelt Golser Ried Luckenwald 2004.
The wine demonstrated how well the variety can develop in the bottle in the right hands.
On the nose cut strawberries, damp forest floor, a touch of vanilla from the Barriques. It retained a lovely juiciness on the palate with complex tertiary notes of mulch and mushroom. Great length. Excellent and it held its own against the richness of the sweetbread.
Finally with a desert of baked apple and vanilla cream a TBA Welschriesling Siddartha 2018 by Johannes Muenzenrieder. Wow a delicious nose of peach, roasted nut and honey, more of the same in the mouth, lovely balance and length. Sweet wines from near the Neusiedlersee benefit from the morning mist and afternoon sun and somehow retain great freshness.
The line up of Zweigelts on the free pour table displayed a spectrum of wines most of which were juicy and tasty from the off with some cellared samples that had developed lovely complexity. There were nice examples by Artisan Wines, Weingut Kummer, Keringer, Preiner Wein, Hannes Reeh, Salzl Seewinkelhof and Allacher.
Hopefully we’ll start seeing some of these lovely Zweigelts appearing in shelves in the UK soon!
The magnificent vista from the sauvignon plots on the high ground at Veritas
I was very keen to visit Veritas. Andrew Hodson, the owner like myself is also an English Doctor. There is a long historical connection with physicians and wine. Amongst many examples is the founder of Penfolds in Australia by Dr Christopher Penfolds who was a member of the society of Apothecaries in London. For more information about this I strongly recommend reading ‘Wine & Medicine: An Enduring Historical Association‘
Andrew and Patricia bought the land at Veritas 23 years ago and have transformed it into one of the go to destinations in Virginia wine country. Alongside producing supreme quality wines they have onsite luxury accommodation, a lovely restaurant and manage events and weddings. It’s a magnificent property.
Emily Hodson, Winemaker, Veritas Winery
I was lucky enough to be hosted by Emily Hodson, winemaker and daughter of Andrew. It is very much a family run business. Emily’s brother George the general manager also popped in to say hello. We sat over lunch and tried a series of Veritas wines.
After the tasting, Emily took us to explore the land in her 4WD. This led us to the peak of the property at over 1000 feet and to panoramic views over to the blue mountains of the Appalachian range. The Appalachians stretch thousands of miles parallel to the East coast of the United States.
She showed us the Afton mountain gap. This is one of the few gaps in the mountain range which allows for a flow of wind. This helps decide the orientation of the vines on the hilltop. The air flow provides not only a cooling effect from the heat of the Virginian Summer, but also helps to suppress disease which would be prominent in the humid conditions. The Sauvignon Blanc vines were thriving in this environment.
Wines tasted- whites
Veritas Scintilla 2015 sparkling wine
Traditional Method
100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blanc, dosage 7 g
Aged On lees 7 years. This was the First vintage
Brioche toasted almonds marzipan fresh apple and lemon crisp and refreshing.
Grown at higher altitude and benefits from air flow through the Afton mountain gap
Veritas the momentarius collection 2019
Monticello white blend, no rules on what grapes to use or the vilification process
Petit manseng, chardonnay, viognier and sauvignon blanc.
Aromatic Sauvignon Blanc feels the most predominant. Nice balance.
Veritas the momentarius collection 2021
More restrained than 2021 and the petit manseng characteristics come through
Could not make a 2020 vintage as frost destroyed much of the crop in this part of Virginia
Wines tasted -reds
Veritas Cabernet Franc 2009
Bordeaux nose of cedar, tobacco and some aged character coming through, also effects of barrel hints of smoke and chocolate
Soft tannins nicely integrated, fruit dropped out
Initially slight Smokey and sulphurous but this blew off and complexity developed.
Veritas. Cabernet Franc Reserve 2017
As Benoit at Pollak had found the 2017 was a Great vintage. Emily’s description made me laugh out load!
‘As happy as it can be’
Delicious ripe cherry a fruit Bomb.
Pot pourri, floral, dry petals, and some dried herbs such as thyme really seductive nose, fabulous.
Veritas Cabernet 2021 franc
Plenty of fruit raspberries, nice balance of oak
More simple candied fruit but delicious easy drinking a bit more Pinot like
Veritas 3 2009
3 winemakers 3 vineyards 3 grapes a collaboration with Veritas, Pollak and King Family
A blend of 3 grapes Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet franc
Fruity fresh, lively, balanced with a Savoury salty mineral element. Chocolate pudding on the finish
Veritas Reserve 2019
Their Flagship wine
Can’t use ,vintners reserve, name due to name protection rights. I suggested Emily’s Reserve which went down well.
Violet chews, floral elements came through.
Veritas Petit Verdot 2019
Aromas of blueberry , Intense colour, deep ruby
Chunky dark thick skinned berries
A bit tight closed needs a decant nice rounded tannins, food wine, some violet notes
Lilies floral improved. Tried over the next few days whist in Washington DC and became more complex.
Veritas Petit Verdot 2017
Blueberry jam lots of delicious fruit a great top vintage clearly evident
Veritas Petit Manseng 2014
Dessert wine Great retention of acidity
Nuttiness slight oxidation 85g/l per litre sugar
Lovely complex most of candied pineapple and hazelnuts very ripe apples beeswax
Really well made, Jurancon like dessert wine
This tasting highlighted the potential in Virginia to establish some novel grape varieties such as Petit Manseng.
This grape in many ways is highly suited here. It ripens late leading to high sugar but retains its acidity
The thick skin helps with disease resistance and the high skin to pulp ratio intensifies flavours.
The 100% petit Verdot rarely found in the Old world seems to work here with the warmer climate.
It was interesting to try along with traditional varieties some more unusual wines such as dry Petit Manseng and 100% petit Verdot.
I managed to pick out some of Emily’s personal characteristics in the wines, such as the violet aromas from the Cabernet Franc and the blueberry in the 2009 Petit Verdot which has parcels of grapes grown on heavier clay soils.
It was also lovely to see the collaboration and friendliness between the winemakers exemplified here by the Veritas 3.
Matthieu Finot, Winemaker, King Family Vineyards
French winemaker Matthieu very kindly networked me in with local winemakers which facilitated my arrangements in Virginia.
I really like the way the winemakers join forces in the wine industry. This is something I have found throughout the world and is a joy to see. In so many walks of life people work against each other, more interested in bettering their own aims. Not so in the wine industry. It’s about sharing ideas, sharing innovations and helping the industry as a whole.
Matthieu was a shining example of this. He is from Northern Rhone and has a vineyard with his brother. He has worked in Bandol, Rhone and also Burgundy.
Matthieu proudly showing off his magnificent range of King Family wines
The wine industry is still relatively new here despite the planting of vines dating back hundreds of years by Thomas Jefferson at his Monticello estate. Matt is carrying on with developments and is planting Nebbiolo here. His favourite wines are Pinot and Syrah, but it’s too warm and wet here and the Clay soils don’t lend to those varieties Cabernet franc red does best being more resilient. The Soil is not right for Cabernet Sauvignon You can also do a lot with Cabernet Franc, such as Rose dessert wine, light style red and more full bodied red. It doesn’t have the acidity of the Loire and doesn’t show the methoxypyrazines shown in the old world. Matthieu wanted to produce a dry rose when he first came here. There was Some scepticism doing a dry rose now it’s the biggest seller.
Wines tasted, reds
King family Crose
100% merlot medium colour 1 day skin contact
Their biggest seller, Sold in cans too
Nice red fruits and balance
King family Petit manseng
I tried a dry petit manseng at Veritas too
High acidity, some honey and nutty notes and candied pineapple nicely crafted
Kings family vineyard Brut Blanc de Blanc 2015 100%Chardonnay
7 years ageing on Lees
Chalky Lemon apple crisp fresh
Kings family vineyard Viognier 2021
Watermelon apricot bitter finish
Not same oily texture as others. Harvested a little early so a fresher style
Kings family vineyard Chardonnay 2021
Barrel fermented with malolactic 25% new oak light citrus fruits fresh smokiness oak
Kings family vineyard mountain plains 2021
A blend of Chardonnay petit manseng and viognier, third each
Petit manseng does well in the Basque Country humid and clay in Jurançon
Works well here too maintain acidity and high brix. Very high acid good
18 months barrel, pineapple nuts some oxidation
Kings family vineyard ViognierOrange wine
Skin contact Viognier orange wine
Fermented like a red wine with punch down and malolactic
Very interesting complex nose Spicy nutmeg saffron orange, clove
Tannins but soft, served at room temperature fine but bitter tannins
Big wine interesting
Kings family vineyard Cab franc
Light style
Harvest early 12.3% wants fresh light style
Tuesday evening pizza night wine simple fresh light fruity
Bit savoury slightly vegetal
Kings family vineyard Meritage 2019
Flagship red which sells the most
18 Months in barrel
Merlot, petit Verdot, cab franc and Malbec blend
Needs time to develop slight bitter
Kings family vineyard Meritage 2008
Matthieu pulled something a bit older out of the cellar, Unfiltered wine
Showing some Bret horsiness with some fruit and good structure
Kings family vineyard Petit verdot 2019
Blue fruit, deep colour lots tannins full bodied
This tasting highlighted how well some varieties are doing here, such as viognier and petit verdot
I like the style of Cabernet Franc less pyrazined and more fruit forward which can be very green and herbaceous in places such as Chile and also Bordeaux but here seems to be a nice balance between new and old world. In the hands of gifted winemakers such as Matthieu it was also interesting to see the range of wines made and the embracing of new styles such as the viognier Orange wine.
Monticello AVA, view from Pollak Winery with the Blue Mountains of the Appalachian range in the background
Blind Mondays in London was the fabulous concept of Guillaume Raffy. A team of wine lovers would meet on Monday evenings in a pre selected London restaurant and bring along hidden wines, following a theme.
I’ll never forget the Nebbiolo evening.
One wine stood out. More full bodied and fruit forward than Nebbiolos I’d had before, but with that lovely seductive perfume and classic structure.
The wine was revealed – Barboursville vineyards, Virginia, Nebbiolo, part of the Zonin family.
That was about ten years ago and I’ve been planning to visit Virginia since.
To further whet my appetite the book ‘Billionaires Vinegar’ helped set the scene.
A bottle of Lafite, with the initials of Thomas Jefferson, dated 1787, was offered to Christie’s by Hardy Rodenstock, a German wine collector . He refused to say exactly where it had come from. Allegedly a hidden cellar in an unidentified 18th century house in Paris, possibly part of a Nazi hoard.
Jefferson spent time in France and was an avid wine lover. He regularly sent wine back to Monticello, his home in Virginia. He set up some of the first Vineyards in Virginia in the 1800’s.
Bottle of Chateau Lafite from Jefferson’s house in Monticello
There are now 1200 hectares of planting and 220 wineries. The AVAs are Eastern Shore, Monticello, Northern Neck, North Fork of Roanoke, Rocky Knob, Shenandoah Valley.
I will focus on Monticello AVA and have chosen five wineries to visit based on reviews in Decanter Magazine and from personal contacts in the wine trade.
The supremely talented Benoit with degrees in Oenology and Viticulture from Bordeaux Blaqufort
Winemaker Benoit Pineau took me on a mini safari around the 100 acre property, planted with 34 acres of vines.
It’s a beautiful property with a large decked tasting room overlooking a lake with the blue ridge mountains providing the backdrop.
Benoit discussed the disease pressures here in Virginia. They have high humidity and high rainfall in summer. Up to 900mm to 1000mm annually make it a relatively high rainfall region for viticulture.
Note the mounding at the base of the vines to protect the graft site for the winter
They can’t grow organically as pesticides are required. Furthermore there is a frost risk. In 2020 most of the vine growth was wiped out. Then there’s the small matter of hurricanes, which can wipe out a harvest. Not to mention Deer and Bears necessitating the perimeter fencing . Oh, and netting to prevent the birds stripping the grapes.
It’s a wonder they can make wine here at all!
The soils are mainly clay with silt so Merlot and Cabernet Franc do well here but there’s less Cabernet Sauvignon which ‘doesn’t like it’s feet wet’. They are planting their first Nebbiolo vines which explained the mounds of soil surrounding each vine base to protect the graft sites throughout the winter as in the photo above.
Wines tasted – white wines
Pollak Sauvignon Blanc 2021
French style Sauvignon, French clones, restrained
Neutral oak Crisp fresh
Served a bit cold and then opened up.
Lovely balance
Pollak Chardonnay 2020
Hints of peach, banana apples pear
Beautiful balance again
Pollak Viognier 2021
Floral and apricots.
Lovely texture, Viognier typically has lower acid
Difficult to press as skins thicker often giving a Rich oily texture
Very smooth with good length. Lovely
Pollak Pinot gris 2021
Delicious, ripe pear on the nose
Mouthfeel Is rich and slightly oily, balanced, alive, Skin thicker, Lees 4 months, Little battonage
Award winning wine. Beautifully crafted
(Vin pair voted in top 50 wines of the world)
Wines tasted – red wines
Red wines. Benoit generously served one of their best vintages 2017 which he described as perfect.
The ‘perfect’ 207 vintage selection
Pollak Cabernet Franc 2017
Fantastic with a nose of blueberries, raspberries
Tons of fruit, No greeness No herbaceousness
Delicious ripe soft tannins. Really enjoyed a Cabernet Franc without all that Capsicum greeness.
Pollak Meeitage 2017
CF 60% merlot 24% petite Verdot 16%
Beautiful balance, 18 months 40% French oak
Bordeaux blend
I didn’t realise they have to Pay a dollar case to use the name Meritage!
Ripe delicious tannins, smooth and well balanced.
Pollak smuggler 2017
Merlot 56% cf 24% CS 20%
Slightly more pyrazine and black currant
Beautiful balanced too
More structure more tannic than Meritage
Pollak Mille fleur
100% petit manseng
Petit Manseng is Popular in Virginia following Horton winery winning a competition in California.
It is however difficult to grow, has high acidity but can lose acid fast in the heat.
This was fortified and stored in barrels for 5 years
Really complex, Brazil nuts, Prunes.Delicious
A wine transfusion? Benoit’s creativity demonstrated here with bag of red wine connected by tubing to maintain full barrels
This was a great start to my exploration of Virginian wines. Benoit is passionate and focused and brings experience from working in France, California Australia and even a spell making rum in Guadaloupe! The wines tasted were top quality. It’s a shame I can’t get them at home in the UK!
The late afternoon breeze begins to dissipate the heat of the day, the sun gently sinks over the sea, islands in the distance emerge in silhouette as the sky shades pink and purple. Evening time on the Greek islands. Hard to improve on that I hear you murmur?
Well actually there is a way to dial up the experience: make sure you are enjoying a glass of chilled Robola on the island of Cephalonia!
In Captain Corelli’s Mandolin the bottles of Robola that the drunken priest downs while hiding from his flock would bear, I imagine, little relation to the excellent wines the island currently produces. However, the storey does serve to illustrate the very long tradition of wine making on the island which stretches back over centuries of Venetian influence.
Wine is produced on several of the Ionian islands but Cephalonia is known as the home of one of the best Greek white wines Robola. Perhaps not as famous as Santorini’s Assyrtiko but definitely worth searching out particularly if you enjoy fresh, crisp and minerally wines with elegance and structure. The best are grown in poor limestone soils high up on mount Ainos.
Grapes drying at Sclavos Wines
Robola is not the only show in town though indeed there is a bewildering array of grape varieties grown on the island. The other main grape varieties are Mavrodaphne and Muscat Blanc. Mavrodaphne is a red grape traditionally used to produce a sweet red wine, thanks to the Venetians love of the Passito method of sun drying their grapes, but now also made into a delicious dry reds too.
Local wines are widely available in all the tavernas, many stocking the excellent entry level Robola produced by the Cephalonia Cooperative which arrives in a cloth sack. Also, sometimes some more premium higher altitude and even single vineyard Robolas by the Cooperative and wineries such as Gentilini. Do try the various alarmingly coloured rose wines (think Aperol Spritz) that are made on the island too!
Sadly, I only managed to visit Sclavos Wines and Domaine Foivos whilst on the island and as Adam has recently reviewed Sclavos Winery here I will focus on Domaine Foivos.
Domaine Foivos
Domaine Foivos was formed when Theodore Orkopoulos bought the Matzavino family winery which is one of the oldest wineries in Greece. In fact, Theodore believes that Homer mentions the wines in the Iliad!
The estates vineyards are located in different parts of the island and contain a large range of very old indigenous grape varieties many of which are pre-phylloxera. Since the phylloxera louse killed off most native European vines by attacking their roots nearly all modern vines have been grafted onto American vine roots which are resistant so it is unusual to find old ungrafted vines that have survived.
It became evident during our three hour long tasting that Theodore possesses just the sort of boundless enthusiasm and a relentlessly enquiring mind needed to fully grasp the wine making opportunities that this precious library of vines presents.
Theodore Orkopoulos winemaker at Domaine Foivos
We started with a master class on Robola show casing different wine making techniques applied to grapes from the vineyards on mount Ainos.
Black Label Cephalonian Robola, 2021.
The vines are fully pressed and allowed a bit of skin contact.
The nose is a little floral with a touch of pink grapefruit. On the palate nice fruit, good balance and freshness and a pleasant prickle from the skin contact. A very nice wine that has tension and character.
Blue Label Cephalonian Robola, 2021.
This wine is also made with a full press but without any skin contact.
A refined nose of peach and wet stone. In the mouth a slimmer body and softer acidity with good length. This wine is available in the UK. It would work well as an aperitif to go with the sunset followed by the black label with dinner at the local Taverna.
Barcarola Cephalonian Robola, 2021.
This version of Robola is made with only the first free run juice of a selection of the grapes.
It has quite a different nose, much more perfumed, floral with delicate citrus notes. Theodore describes it as more pure expression of the grape. Again, a lighter body, very nicely balanced with a long lingering finish. This is a more premium wine.
Orange Robola 2021
This wine is made with 5 days skin contact which is relatively restrained by natural wine making standards so it is not very ‘orange’ in appearance. Possibly why I liked it so much! Ripe fruit on the nose, white peach, rounder on the palate with more ripe fruits and a nice prickly sensation. Very tasty.
Amphora Robola, 2021
This wine is made in small clay amphora.
On the nose more herbal notes over the top of peach, wet stony notes and something floral like lilac. Also complex in the mouth with a very nice texture and length.
East – West Robola + Assyrtiko, 2020
This wine is a 50:50 mix of Robola from Domaine Foivos and Assyrtiko from Zanthi.
It has a rich nose of peach and other tropical fruits and on the palate a lovely a mix of peach fruit and salty citric notes from the Assyrtiko.
Asteris Robola Rose, 2020
A bit of mavrodaphne is added to give a splash of juicy fruit to layer on top of the peach and citrus profile of the Robola. This is not one of the alarming coloured roses mentioned in the introduction, looks very respectable.
Lemona Sun dried Robola, 2012
Grapes are dried in the sun for up to 20 days. Then pressed to make this amazing sweet wine. Around 10kg of grapes are needed for each half bottle!
On the nose sweet fruit, caramel. In the mouth complex flavours of lemon, nuts and honey. Very long, great balance with real lift and length.
Appropriately named after Lemona goddess of the environment.
Foivos is one of the few wineries offering so many versions of Robola and it’s a result of Theodoros’ continuing search to discover all aspects of the grape.
The masterclass of Robola over, Theodore explained what had prompted him to start to experiment with using amphora. It’s understood that the ancient Greeks heavily watered their wine down and Theodore wanted to find out why. He set about making wine using clay amphora in the way that the ancients did, which included adding wooden staves and found that the results were good. However, Theodore realised that storage of the wine in clay amphorae over weeks and months would cause the wine to oxidise badly. So, the theory is that by the time the important religious festivals came around in the new year the wine from the last harvest would have needed to be heavily diluted to make it drinkable.
Theodore also believes that the ancient Greeks stored wines under water possibly to try and prevent it spoiling through oxidation and this has also led Foivos to carry out some very interesting experiments in aging wine under the sea.
Nautilus White, 2021
Made from blend of Tsaousi, Vostilidi, Muscatel and Muscat grapes this wine is bottle aged for 6 months in the winery aquarium which creates and environment of total darkness, constant temperature and lack of oxygen. On the nose lemon pith, lemon peel, fresh green herbs and a floral note. In the mouth round, medium acidity, more pith and citrus notes with a pleasant slight bitter bite at the end. Very vibrant and long. Available in the UK.
Nautilus Rose, 2021.
Mavrodaphne, Muscatel, Muscat, Tsaousi and Vostilidi grapes. Also bottle aged in the winery tank. Very aromatic, wild flowers and wet stones. On the palate soft red fruits, super dry with a fresh lift and a dry salty finish. Very nice in deed. Exported to British Columbia amoungst other places.
47 and 47 Undersea
47, 2017
The wine is a remarkable blend of 47 varieties: 41 whites and 6 reds to make a rose. This is where the field ‘library’ of indigenous grape varieties comes in.
Mineral, stony notes on the nose with fresh cut soft red fruit. On the palate strawberries, raspberries then baked lemon, very fresh. Complex with waves of flavours, long.
47 Undersea, 2017
As if 47 wasn’t extraordinary enough the same 47 varieties have also been bottle aged for 18 months under sea. The wine is stored in cages at depth of 22 m. As with the Nautilus wines this ensures, darkness, constant temperature and lack of oxygen but in addition higher than atmospheric pressure and a saline environment.
This wine has a different nose to the straight 47, with less obvious fruit, the fruit more integrated with the mineral notes. In the mouth tangy fruit salad flavours, complex with a stony and salty edge. Amazing to see the difference to the non-sea aged version
Red varieties.
Myesis, 2017 (initiation)
Made of 3 grapes mostly Mavrodaphne but with Cephalonian varieties: Theiako and Araklino.
A nice whiff of marzipan oh the nose with a bit of spice. A good medium body with soft rounded fruit and subtle barrel notes.
Daphne Daphne, 2016
This is a dry wine made from 100% Mavrodaphne. On the nose, plums, farmyard, smoke. In the mouth medium body, a bit of lift, dark fruits and savoury notes, medium soft tannins. Very tasty.
Amphora Red, 2021.
Another dry red mostly Mavrodaphne with 15% Vostilidi. The clay amphora gives the wine an overdose if oxygen for about 2 weeks while it ferments. Also, the amphora mean that the fermentation temperature is uncontrolled.
Nice balance, medium acidity, soft but mouth coating tannins. Lovely.
42, 2016
Another remarkable blend this time of 42 red varieties from heritage vineyards. Theodore says the grapes compete in the glass to come out on top, a continuing battle with new winners presenting themselves at each stage of the wine’s development. A rich nose of dark and red fruit and smoke. Medium body, a kaleidoscope of fruits, toasty notes, complex. Delicious!
Methyse, 2004.
Named after a follower of Dionysus the god of winemaking.
This is the traditional sweet wine of Mavrodaphne.
Super dark in colour, nose of chocolate, Kirsch, dried oranges and Christmas spices. Sweet but with enough freshness to lift it, complex and very long. A real treat!
Tasting the Foivos range of wines with Theodore at his cellar was a fascinating experience! It is wonderful that way he takes inspiration from the past, cherishes local heritage and yet continues to explore and experiment with new ways of expressing the wines. Do seek out the wines and try them.
Dona Paula Masterclass ‘Taste The ultimate Malbec’
Taste the Ultimate Malbec
This was a very Informative masterclass presented by Martin Kaiser Director of Viticulture and Winemaking at Dona Paula. It featured a mini vertical tasting of their top wine, Selección de Bodega. Patrick Schmitt MW also provided a valuable insight.
Mendoza was founded in 1562 and Spanish settlers planted wine for sacramental purposes.
Argentina gained Independence from Spain in 1816 which led to a new wave of immigrants. The population rose from 2 to 8 million between 1869 to 1914. In 1865 Miguel Pouget brought French varieties to Mendoza.
A big advance came when a 1000km trainline was built from Buenos Aires to Mendoza
The 1929 wall St crash caused global economic collapse and a decrease in wine production
There was later another wave immigration and the population became the largest wine consumer in the world in 1980 112 Litres per person per year!
Don Paula was founded in 1997 with French and Chilean investment
First production was 1999
The vineyards are high altitude with a dry continental climate as they are long way from the Atlantic and Pacific. Rainfall is low.
Because of altitude the Minimum temperatures are similar to Cahors and Bordeaux but the Maximum temperatures higher
Martin talked about using a number of studies including Electro conductivity affected by Water running down slopes moving stones.. Studies can map out best areas and aid in where to plant
Wines tasted
Estate Malbec 2021
Alluvial soil and Loess
Black fruits dark plum blackberry
slightly closed nose olive bay leaf
A little like cool climate Syrah
Altitude blend 1100 2019 Malbec 60 cab Sav Syrah
More pure fruit blackberry and black currant chocolate hint tobacco raspberry and some floral notes soft tannins cheeks mainly soft fruity
Altitude blend 1550 2019 cab franc Malbec casavecchia (Italian variety)
More acidic white wine acidity a sudden watering of cheeks. Medium soft tannins on the cheeks,some chocolate and tobacco
Sélection de bodega 2006 alluvial 1350 m Uco Valley
At yeast 1 month maceration, new oak 2 years, soil calcium carbonate
Very smooth mouthfeel, soft integrated dry powdery tannins, especially cheeks and gums
Really long delicious 🤤 fortunate to taste an old Malbec of such quality
(Reminds Patrick of old Massetto, wish I’d tried some!)
Sélection de bodega 2012
Black fruits and florality, soft tannins cheeks and palate, nice acidity and balance, lively but not as seductive as 2006, slight meatiness in nose ? 2y limestone in soil. Savouriness provides the match of Malbec and steak with finely chopped herbs
Not the fatness fullness richness of the 2006 but delicious too.
Sélection de bodega 2019
More red berries raspberry,, red cherries fresh.
Clean acidity chalk mineral elements.
Impressions-
This was a good reminder of the quality of Argentinian Malbec with approachable soft tannins and a lovely mix of red and black fruit and a nice balance of acidity
We were very fortunate to taste an 16 year selection which was really rich and complex and shows the ageing potential of top Argentinian Malbec and the quality produced by the Dona Paula Estate
It was Interesting to compare the effect of different altitudes and soils.
There was a certain meatiness/meat juice bloodiness in the 2012 possibly reflecting the limestone soils and I can see why Malbec is often the perfect match for steak.
I am most grateful to Martin Kaiser and Patrick Schmitt MW for the excellent presentation and Isabel Distin from The drinks business for the kind invitation.
This was an excellent preparation for our forthcoming WanderCurtis wine dinner on Thursday 27th October with Zuccardi wines from Mendoza. When quizzed about Malbec next week I’ll have more idea!
WanderCurtis Wine 