Just before our memorable Col D’Orcia wine dinner at Fredericks Count Francesco Marone Cinzano told us of the estates long history, his love of Sangiovese and extended an invitation to the winery to all our followers.
The storey of Col D’Orcia
The Count talks about what makes Sangiovese so special in Brunello di Montalcino.
Thoughts on the magnificent 2010 vintage and an invitation.
My visit to this beautiful area, world-famous for it’s magnificent luscious Ice Wines
revealed other interesting wine discoveries.
Niagara-on-the-lake is an area of neatly manicured gardens, immaculate houses,
pristine clean cars , everyone is polite and considerate.
It reminded me of the film ‘The Truman Show’ !
I arrived as veraison commenced in Niagara Wine country paradise.
Vintners Quality Alliance Ontario VQA classifies Niagara-on-the -Lake as a distinct area .
There are four main terroirs. On the Niagara Lakeshore, sandy soils provide good drainage
and the temperatures are modified by the lake.
Along the Niagara river there are sandy soils and air currents modify the temperature.
Four mile creek lies below the escarpment with red shale soils with silt and clay.
St David’s Bench beyond the escarpment was carved by glaciers and has rich clay soils .
After a brutally cold winter approximately 15 % of vine loss had occurred, though due to microclimates
such as Konzelmann only 6% loss secondary to the lake effect only property.
First stop Riverview Winery cellars, 1339 Lakeshore road on the wine route along the Niagara river gorge, spectacular scenery after a morning at the falls.
Their Pinot Grigio fresh, pear, clean balanced .
Vidal ice wine pure nectar honey apricot floral wonderfully elegant
Ice wine from red grapes is very rare this Cabernet Franc was interesting.
Next visit –
Konzelmann Estate winery dates back 122 yrs
Herbert Konzelmann remarkably at 78 yrs old is still the winemaker and owner .
They make a range of styles.
Wines tasted
Riesling light citrus lemon .
Gewurtztraminer 24 brix hint tropical fruit and lychee
Vidal ice wine- pure nectar mango lychee rich and fantastic.
Cabernet Sauvignon ice wine red fruits strawberries hint cassis.
Just down the road , Hinterbrook is a new winery 5 years old.
Jacob the assistant winemaker showed me around including the ozone cleaned cellar full of oak barrels.
Interesting finds were their unusual Franc blanc a white wine made from Cabernet Franc red grapes.
Then my namesake red wine ‘wanderlust’
The Riesling ice wine had a min sugar 125g/l less sweet than Vidal .
A short cycle later and we arrived at Jackson Triggs
This is a larger set up producing 1.4 million bottles and has a sister winery in Okanaga BC.
Wines tasted
Sparlikng wine Method Champenoise, Brut from Chardonnay,Pinot noir and Riesling citrus ,fresh, fruity mineral.
Gewurtztraminer some floral aromas
Sauvignon blanc 2013 lovely fresh gooseberry floral
Pinot noir first vintage , chocolate vanilla some red fruit,good
Gewurtztraminer ice wine luscious delicious floral honey mango tropical fruit texture balance length 5 star my favourite wine so far , phenomenal !
Next stop, just prior to a massive rainstorm,Two Sisters 
This is a new winery next to Peller , opened November.
Two sisters from an Italian family background who’s family are in the Toronto building trade.
This is a no expense spared Italianate palatial mansion.
The excellent restaurant, Kitchen 76 serves up fine fare with a huge open kitchen and Pizza oven.
Highly recommended for lunch or dinner with a beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking the vineyards
They make a lovely red blend , eleventh post, red cherries, plum,
hint of liquorice soft ripe velvety tannins smooth drinkable with pesto pizza with truffle and Bistecca .
Their Cabernet Franc 2010 is good, smoke hint of coal tar spice herbs . Carbonic Mac giving maximal extraction
I tried their two ice wines Riesling and the rare Cabernet Sauvignon Ice wine -red fruits, rhubarb, strawberry rich full length like sucking on a red fruit sweet the flavours persist , fantastic .
My final stop was Peller Estates. Part of Andrew Peller Limited
which includes many other brands including Trius,Wayne Gretzky, Sandhill and others it is the largest wine producer in Canada.
Recommended for their excellent wine portfolio and for lunch or dinner
outside on the patio amongst the vines is the Barrel House Grill.
Started with a lovely sparkling Rose from Gamay noir,Chardonnay and Pinot noir
with an ice wine dosage , lovely ripe peach and pomegranate .
Followed by
Gewurtztraminer had typical rose and spice but subtle .
Private reserve Pinot Noir with 9 months in the barrel – truffle, earth, pepper smoky, pomegranate and cherry
Private reserve Cabernet new oak ,plum, cherry, cocoa, vanilla and cassis.
Two fantastic Ice wines-
Gold Award winning Riesling, citrus lemon tangerine apricot beautiful balance long length delicious.
Cab Franc length ++++ sucking on sweets 230 g/l sugar, white currant,rhubarb strawberry, candy, molasses and pomegranate another gorgeous Ice wine.
Recommended Accomodation
Lakewinds Country Manor just fabulous , outdoor heated pool, Billiards table , delightful gardens , marvellous hosts Steve and Jane Book early !
Recommended dining
Niagara-on-the-lake patio restaurant
Kitchen 76 Two Sisters Vineyards
The Niagara wine region is a real treat . The land is flat and easy for our usual wine tour transport,on bikes.
The people incredibly friendly and accommodating.
Nearly all the wineries are on a walk in basis with regular tours and minimal fee tastings.
Winery restaurants serve excellent meals often with lovely views
And of course, above all, Ice wines to die for !
Montalcino was this year’s choice for the annual WanderCurtis Wine trip.
The biggest decision was not the location, but how to get there!
Travel Options:
Tuscany is easily accessible from London – Ryan Air to Pisa. BA or easy jet Florence. Ryan air Perugia. BA and Easy Jet to Rome. We arrived in Pisa Car Hire is easy, but note it is quicker to follow the red line from the airport than wait for the hot crowded rickety bus transfer, it’s only 500m.
We took the route via the coast then through classic Tuscany landscape. Olive groves, cypress trees, rolling hills, neatly manicured rows of Sangiovese, hilltop walled medieval towns, fields of wheat and corn with heady aromas of spring flowers. It is such a treat on all the senses.
Bike Hire -recommended e-biketuscany based in Pienza. Excellent range of very well maintained bikes and somewhat embarrassingly opted for the electric bikes on viewing the ascent to Montalcino!
The Fuligni Estate spreads over approximately one hundred hectares of land in an almost continual strip on the eastern side of Montalcino. The vines extend over ten hectares, are primarily located at Cottimelli at altitudes varying from 380 to 450 meters above sea level. We were given a vineyard tour and explanation of viticulture including: yields, cordon training, bunch restriction & green harvesting. Next stop just down the road to:
Met by Barbara this small property produces 60000 bottles and recently the 2010 received 100 points from Suckling . Vineyards, founded and planted 1970, are in both the north and the hotter southern area of Montalcino. Follow link for full wine review and tasting notes.
The most perfect host Agnes led us through a progressive barrel samples. We could sense the evolution from fresh ripe strawberry and cherry fruit onto more savoury, herbal, spicy & complex aromas through barrel age and blending of parcels. A truly memorable experience during which we were lucky enough to meet the owner & winemaker Andrea.
A much larger property. Nicola guided us through their excellent range over a wonderful lunch at Il Leccio showing us just what fantastic food wines Brunello & Rosso di Montalcino are. Beautiful gardens impressive winery buildings. Samples from huge 150 hectolitre Slovenian Barrels. Col d’Orcia welcomes guests to visit the winery and superb lunches featuring organic produce from the estate can be arranged.
The most enchanting garden with intoxicating aromas of orange and lemon blossom and the most beautiful Tilia tree under its shade we were welcomed with Fresh Strawberries and chilled mineral water. Sensationally elegant perfumed wines. Full tasting notes
Pieve Santa Restituta Wonderfully manicured vineyards . Ethereal winery with classical music and film projected onto the whitewashed walls designed to give employees the perfect ambiance to create Gaja’s masterpieces.
Costanti Some of the highlight wines of our tastings. Visits and tastings can be booked on the winery website.
Highly Recommended. This Hotel has stunning views over Val D’Orcia, a small but lovely swimming pool and is an excellent location .The owner is laid back and extremely helpful. Breakfast simple but well presented. Also recommended a small family run hotel and right in the middle of Town Il giglio.
Dining in Montalcino
La Pieve is a hamlet set among a picturesque landscape just nine kilometres from Montalcino. Brunello vineyards stretch as far as the eye can see. We fell upon this country resort with a guesthouse, restaurant, wine bar and chapel with serendipity on our cycle ride. There is a wonderful outdoor area right next to their own vineyard with wonderful views. I think we were kept away from the main restaurant on account of our lycra and perspiration ! Wonderful fresh local food , traditional ‘Pinci’ Pasta and cured local meats.
Other Recommendations
This less known area on Italy’s southern heel was our choice for the annual wine trip for the Male Wander fraternity .
Chosen partly to get off the beaten track and mainly for our love for the fuller sweeter styles of Primitivo wines.
We made our way via miles of flat olive treed planes ( 60 million of them in Puglia ) South West to the Ionian Sea via the Trullied town of Alberobello. Arriving too late at Masseria Bagnara to be fed, we drove around Lizzano finally finding ‘5 Stelle’a small oasis of basic but fine nourishment . The first Taste of Primitivo in a carafe for 6€ a litre , and excellent too with spinach and ricotta pizza , bresaola and Caprese salad.
Friday morning we headed to Cantele winery after a short stop in Manduria .
Cantele is a family run winery in Guagnano. the winery was completed in 2003 but this is now third generation.
We had the fortune to be take around by Umberto Cantele .
Antipasti Fava bean Purée , local greens , mixed chargrilled vegetables
Wine match Cantele Alticelli Fiano -Stone and exotic fruit alternated by delicate floral notes and fresh herbaceousness
Ripe grapefruit nose lush texture and mouthfeel long and refreshing.
Pasta , traditional local Pugliese Orechiette.
Wine match
Cantele Rohesia negroamaro Rich and lingering, with hints of red berry fruit, strawberry, pomegranate, and cherry. Complex aromatic character with a note of flint.
Fresh raspberries crisp long
Main -Thinly sliced beef , local roasted chicory and vegetables
Wine match
Fanoi 2010 old vine Primitivo : Seductive, rich, and smooth. Powerful structure with acidity that balances the wine’s elegant tannic character.
decanter review 2010 96 points
Full bodied packed with black fruit concentrated later leather liquorice herbs intense
A meal in itself !
Dessert-Local grape tart
Wine Match
Le Passanti Fiano passito Very intense, as if it were produced in a bee hive rich with floral and fruit aromas. Acacia honey and Cane apple. Orange flower and bergamot.
A fabulous lush rich intense raisoned finish
Umberto entertained us about everything from running marathons , the philosophy of Italians ,graphic design of labels to the engineering of machine harvesters .
a true highlight of many wine tours and a must visit in Puglia.
Next stop Masseria li veli
Part of the Falvo family
Marvellous restored palatial building guarded by two sleeping dogs who looked like they’d knocked back their fair share of Negroamaro !
Another great tour and tasting by the passionate informed Giovanni
Tried the more unusual Susumaniello 2013 Salento IGT.
Evening , a visit to old town Lecce packed with baroque architecture churches restaurants .
Saturday a drive down the Ionian Coast to Gallipoli .
The weekend Could not have finished better than with 2010 Cantine San Marzano Primitivo Sesstanni overlooking the sea with sun setting.
There’s a small renaissance of old vine Primitivo, though unfortunately most of it has been pulled up following EU incentives.
So intense and concentrated left an almost permanent coat on the glass. Lush textured so balanced for 15% alcohol.
We all craved for more,surely the best sign of a blockbuster.
We couldn’t have ended on a bigger high, can’t wait to return in July !
First world problems
It seems that, just occasionally, I must have been a little over enthusiastic in my wine purchases because I’ve noticed that there are a few more bottles in the cellar than I strictly need. When I recently looked into the options to off load some of this excess stock I found there to be quite a few well established forums for private owners to sell their wine. Clearly I am not alone in having eyes bigger than my palate.
When you consider that one is often buying wines, at the finer end of the scale ten or more years ahead of their optimal drinking windows it is perhaps not surprising that one can end up with case or two too many of a particular type of wine or vintage. Also one’s tastes evolve over time and so the dream cellar your younger self worked so hard to assemble might not match that of your ungrateful older self. Whatever the case the good news is that there are a number of ways in which one can create some room in the cellar whilst at the same time some cash in the bank.
The easiest wines to trade are those that are still in storage by the case In Bond. In Bond means that the duty and VAT due on wine when imported and sold have not yet been paid and it is possible to store the wine indefinitely in a special Bonded Warehouse in this state of limbo, only incurring the tax when you have it delivered home. Investment grade wines tend to be traded in Bond and the fact that they are stored in these specialist temperature and humidity controlled warehouses provides some assurance of their condition.
Fine wine merchants
The traditional broking services that fine wine merchants provide have in recent years been expanded and to a degree automated to allow wines other than the just investment wines to the traded. Berry Brothers and Bordeaux Index both run exchanges that allow customers to list wines for sale. BBR appear to allow customers to choose any asking price they like whilst BI encourage customers to choose price within a range of their calculated average market price. Both merchants charge a 10% commission on any sale which seems to include or not be liable to VAT.
I’ve tried both platforms found them easy to use and they bring your wine to the attention of all their other customers. The main disadvantage is that you need to have the wine stored with the merchant already. BI allows you to transfer wine into storage with them but BBR only allow wines bought and stored with them to be traded. Also if the merchant has the same wine in stock already then it will list its own before any that it is broking.
Before listing anything its worth looking to see if any cases of the same wine are on offer and what the asking prices are. So far I’ve managed to sell two cases of 05 Bordeaux that I bought through BBR both for a fair price and another two cases of wine through BI again at more or less market prices. As the merchant is essentially broking the wine it’s great because there is nothing more to do but wait for the funds to appear on your account, which could happen a little quicker.
Independent on line trading platforms
An alternative to broking your wine through your existing wine merchant is to use a purpose built on line trading platform. There are two that I have come across: Cavex and Wine Owners.
Cavex appears to be aimed at the investor collector and is set up as a trading platform allowing one to monitor the fine wine market and buy from and sell to others registered on the platform, however only wine stored In Bond can be traded. Cavex charge only 3% commission on any sale which is attractive but also charge the buyer a premium of 3% + VAT (so 3.6% all up) too to its worth considering this when setting prices.
Setting up an account is free and one can upload details of any wines you might consider trading including the price you paid for them. This can be done manually, which is reasonable quick because there is something akin to a predictive text function that recognises most wines and then allows you to choose the vintage etc. Alternatively if you have your collection on something like Excel one can export and upload a csv file and Cavex will set up your cave for you.
Once your wines are listed the platform automatically shows the lowest price that the same wine is offered on the exchange and also the highest bids that may have been made. Once on the exchange all one’s wines are listed whether offered for sale or not and the exchange allows other members to bid on all wines listed. An email notifies one of any bid within 10% of the offer price and one can then accept it or counter by modifying the price. The web site is reasonably easy to use but kept crashing while I uploaded my wines.
So far I have sold one case of Bordeaux 2009. After a round of bid and counter offer it went at just below the ‘market’ price but with the benefit of the low commission rate. Interestingly this was not an ‘investment’ grade wine so clearly users are not just speculators. One thing to bear in mind is that once a bid has been accepted one has to organise the transfer of the wine to the buyer’s bonded warehouse. This is not difficult to do but may result in some charges in the region of £10-£20 if they don’t happen to use the same one as yours. If the wine is being shipped abroad and apparently a lot goes to the Far East then the costs are borne by the buyer. The funds which had been held by Cavex arrived in my account from quite quickly after the wine had been transferred.
The Wine Owners platform is similar in principle but offers much more in the way of cellar management. The platform encourages one to upload your entire wine collection and does not restrict it to wines stored IB. This is an excellent feature particularly if you have wine stored Duty Paid with the Wine Society or even at home in a wine cellar. Again Wine Owners offer to upload your wine collection for you if you send it to them.
Once uploaded the website provides information on the current & historic value of the wine, drinking dates, critics scores plus a record of the information you provided on the storage location, price paid, quantity remaining etc. The website is very user friendly and has some brilliant features such as the ability to search through your cellar by region, vintage, readiness to drink etc.
One can offer wine for sale on the exchange and also other users can make speculative bids on any of the wines you have uploaded. The trading fees are 6.5% + VAT (7.8% all up) sellers fee and buyers also pay a fee of 2.5% + VAT (3%). For a charge Wine Owners will inspect the condition of your wine thereby allowing cases cellared at home to be traded. I imagine that once a transaction has been agreed there will be costs involved in transferring or delivering the wine although it is not clear from the tutorials to who they fall.
Although I’ve received numerous bids on wines both offered and un-offered they have unfortunately so far been all cheeky bids well below the market price. So as yet it’s difficult to judge how effective a trading platform it is. I have noticed however that at least one of the cases that I have listed with them appears on the wine-searcher website so they are in reaching a larger audience of buyers than just those registered on the site.
On line wine actions.
When it comes to selling on a few bottles of wine from the cellar at home there are a couple of options. If one had enough to make up an interesting mixed case, which included a few attention grabbing trophy wines, then it would be possible to consign the wine to an auction house like Bonhams. I’ve bought wine from Bonhams on several occasions but to date have never attempted to sell anything in this way.
I have however recently been using UK online auction platform BidforWine with some success. Bidforwine works in a very similar way to eBay; one writes a description of the wine, takes photos of the bottles and gives information on its condition and provenance. The lot can be offered with or without a reserve price, one can set the start the price & choose the duration of the auction. Buyers have the option to collect the wine themselves or to pay for having it shipped. Sellers generally promise to pack bottles in ‘Polysafe’ type polystyrene tubes for safety and use a tracked delivery provider like Parcel Force. Like EBay there is a system of feedback to allow buyers to assess seller’s past performance. Sellers pay a small listing fee which depends on whether one sets a starting or reserve price and an 8.5% + VAT (10.2%) commission on any sales.
I’ve listed 3 lots to date, the first, a pair of bottles of mature Bordeaux from a well-known chateau, had 8 bidders competing for it and sold for a fair price. The second a mixed case of lesser known Bordeaux chateaux but from stellar vintages which generated less interest and sold very cheaply. I had listed both of these with no reserve and a starting price of a pound but I wasn’t prepared to sell the third lot, two quite expensive bottles of another well-known Bordeaux, at a loss so I listed at a fair starting reasoning that if they didn’t sell I would have lost nothing. The auction is still running but there is already a bid for over the this price. On can search the results of past auctions in order to see what prices a wine one is considering selling has achieved which is obviously helpful in deciding whether to sell and what to set the starting price at.
Unsurprisingly it appears that popular wines are easier to sell for a fair price than more obscure but equally good wines, so better to drink them up and trade the usual suspects. Ultimately when I have bought via auction the attraction has been the opportunity to pick up more mature wines at a bit of a discount to the current market price so it’s worth bearing this in mind in deciding to sell.
Comparing costs
So what would price would one set with each of these options if one wanted to receive say £200 net from the sale?
On the face of it, it is cheapest for the purchaser to buy via the merchants as they only pay £220, then Bid for Wine at £222.74, Cavex at £230.47 and then Wine Owners at £239.90. However there would either be a transfer or delivery fee to pay with Bid for Wine which would make it similar to Wine Owners.
Final thought.
Probably the most effective and easiest way I’ve found to exchange wine has been direct with wine friends of mine. Provided the wine is good, splitting a case purchased or buying and selling a few bottles at the price originally paid always works a treat.
And with money in the bank and space in the cellar there’s only one thing to do……………
Links
The whites on show were mostly 2013, a warm year with ripe fruit, making the wines from Kremstal & Kamptal even more lush & inviting than usual, for me though the slightly fresher more structured wines of the Wachau shone brightest.
Bründlmayer, Kamptal.
These are always very seductive wines, soft & open but with great underlying structure.
Klassik ‘Kamptaler Terrassen’ Grüner Veltliner 2013.
This is a great immediately accessible lighter body wine, lovely broad fruit, touch of mineral, enough freshness & lift and medium length. Lots of drinking pleasure. (top pick)
Grüner Veltliner Loiser Berg 2013
A delicious blend of herbs, ground spice, minerality and ripe green fruit, more weight, great length. (top pick)
Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 2013.
A fuller bodied wine, ground herbs & spice with intense fruit and creamy texture. Lovely.
Grüner Veltliner Lamm 2013
This is a fully bodied concentrated wine with a Burgundian lick of wood, intense ripe stone fruit, compact and age worthy.
F.X.Pichler, Wachau.
Very sought after wines with an international reputation, deservedly so because the wines are consistently outstanding.
Grüner Veltliner, Loibner Klostersatz Federspiel 2013.
Fantastic to see some Federspiel wines on show, these light to mid body style Grüners (with less than 13% alcohol) for me offer superb drinking pleasure, top notch examples such as this have all the floral, mineral and fruit complexity you could wish for in their youth. Great balance and length.
Grüner Veltliner, Loibner Steinertal Smaragd 2013.
A bit reticent compared to the Federspiel, floral, white peach, intense on the palate tight fruit stoney mineral. Great structure that will no doubt unwind over time.
Grüner Veltliner, Dürnsteiner Liebenberg Smaragd 2013.
More giving with stone fruit & ripe pear on the nose, mouth filling fuller body with perfectly balanced acidity, delicious long and really sexy.
Riesling, Burgstall Federspiel 2013
Another superb Federspiel, riveting, super fresh, tight mineral, compact fruit, great balance and satisfying length. Leaves you wanting more (on a west facing terrace at sun down!). (top pick)
Riesling, Steinertal Smaragd 2013
Nice tight mineral, fresh white peach, compact core full of promise & great length. Super refined.
Riesling, Dürnsteiner Kellerberg Smaragd 2013
Broader and softer than the Steinertal, ripe stone fruit, subtle herby spice, good acidity & incredible length.
Weingut Joseph Ehmoser, Wagram.
Great value quality wines.
Grüner Veltliner, von den Terrassen. 2013.
Nice ripe ear, floral, medium acidity and length. Good quality everyday drinking. 2013 was a warm year and so this vintage has a bit less of the fresh bite that I particularly enjoy in a Grüner.
Grüner Veltliner, Hohenberg, 2013.
Made in concrete eggs that keep the wine in motion and contact with the lees, sure enough the wine has a nice creamy texture, lovely spicy notes, very good.
Riesling vom Gelben Löss 2013.
A round and accessible fruit driven riesling, good mineral notes, round body and great length. Will repay a couple years in the cellar to develop some of those classic riesling characteristics.
Weissburgunder, 2013.
Fuller bodied and riper than the GV & Rieslings rich fruit, spicy, quite big and intense. These can be age worthy wines developing honey and dried fruit and spicy notes.
Knoll, Wachau
One of the top wine makers in the Wachau, producing outstanding traditional wines, a personal favourite. It would have been nice to see some of their Federspiels which are extraordinarily good.
Grüner Veltliner Ried Kreutles Smaragd, 2013.
Floral nose, hydrangea, peach, ground spice, pear and gooseberry, perfect balance and good length. Lovely. (The Federspiel Knoll produces from this vineyard is always drop dead gorgeous but in short supply).
Grüner Veltliner Reid Loibenberg Smaragd, 2013.
Intense mineral and spicy notes, concentrated ripe stone fruit, quite full bodied & very long.
Grüner Veltliner Ried Schütt Smaragd, 2013.
The Schütt vineyard seems to produce consistently beautiful refined wines. This has a nose of sweet white flowers, ripe pear, nectarine, superb balance and compact body, long. Fantastic. (top pick).
Riesling Pfaffenberg, Kabinett, 2013. (this is just outside the border of Wachau in Niederoesterreich. The Kabinett is equivalent to Federspiel style).
Lovely tight fruit, soft texture, bright acidity and good length. Lighter body. Enjoyable now but with good future.
Riesling Ried Kellerberg Smaragd, 2013.
Ripe apple, pear, hawthorne and spice, intense on the palate, high acidity, tightly coiled. Excellent.
Riesling Ried Schütt Smaragd. 2013.
Tight nose, floral, tropical fruit, compact body, good balance again tightly coiled but deep and refined.
Petra Unger, Kremstall.
Grüner Veltliner, ‘Q’ 2013.
A light fresh wine with green apples, classic touch of pepper and good lift.
Grüner Veltliner Reserve, Gottschelle, 2013.
More substance than ‘Q’ nice ripe pear, crisp apple, medium body and enough complexity to sustain one’s interest.
Grüner Veltliner, Alte Reben Oberfeld, 2013.
Old vines in deep sandy soils giving a intense and complex wine, fully bodied and demanding.
Riesling, Classic Hinters Kirchl, 2013.
Lovely rich and spicy riesling with great fresh acidity really delicious. (top pick).
Riesling Reserve Steiner Gaisberg, 2013.
Old vines, more classic riesling character, intense, complex and long.
Grüner Veltliner Eiswein Oberfeld, 2012.
Unusual to have GV ice wine and something very special, intensely sweet but with good acidity, complex, poached spiced pear, very very long. Superb. (top pick)
Stad Krems,Kremstal.
Grüner Veltliner Loessterrassen 2014
Nice fruity, medium light body, rounded & soft, medium length.
Grüner Veltliner Klassik Weinzierlberg. 2013.
More structure, light fruit and ground spicer, god acidity.
Grüner Veltliner Reserve Stein. 2013.
A selection from two vineyards near Stein, floral, ripe pear, balanced with good length.
Riesling Steinterrassen, 2012.
Good freshness, medium light body, medium length. May fill out a bit more with a year or two more?
Riesling Reserve Schieferterrassen, 2013.
Lovely ripeness, lots of fruit, touch of mineral and medium acidity. Good length.
Schloss Gobelsburg, Kamptal.
Grüner Veltliner Loessterrassen, 2013.
Light, crisp GV with a soft texture, great everyday drinking.
Grüner Veltliner Reserve Steinsetz, 2013.
Ripe pear, bit of ground pepper & spice, quite intense, medium acidity ad good length.
Grüner Veltliner Reserve Renner, 2013. (Reserve is equivalent to Smaragd, 13% +)
Again concentrated, ripe and a little heavy, good length.
Grüner Veltliner Reserve Lamm, 2013.
Vines are trained in a lyra form to maximise ripening, concentrated, ripe stone fruit, peach, even pineapple notes, full body & very long.
Grüner Veltliner Reserve Tradition, 2012.
This wine spends longer in inert large oak barrels allowing it to breath. Flowers and peach on the nose, wide and rounded on the palate full body but great fresh acidity ( 2012 was a more classic year). (top pick).
Riesling Reserve Gaisberg, 2013.
Floral nose, big spicy full bodied, medium acidity.
Riesling Reserve Heiligenstein, 2103.
More linear structured, compact fruit, medium body and acidity, long finish.
Hirtzberger, Wachau.
Grüner Veltliner Rotes Tor Federspiel, 2013.
Lovely mix of ripe pear, ground spice, stones and enough freshness and length. Excellent. (top pick).
Grüner Veltliner Axpoint Smaragd, 2012.
Really ripe green and stone fruit, intense, minerals great balance & freshness, a top notch Wachau GV. (again 2012 just seems to have that extra freshness and structure).
Grüner Veltliner Honivogl Smaragd 2012.
More opulent & fruit driven than the Axpoint, very well balanced and complex.
Riesling Steinterassen Federspiel 2013.
Light to medium riesling with medium acidity and length.
Riesling Hochrain Smaragd 2011.
A wine with great structure, intense & tightly coiled at the moment, good length and promise.
En primeur season is upon us again. BBR host one of the most comprehensive Burgundy tastings which I recently attended with wine brother & Burg aficionado Stuart Grostern. Stuart’s palate & knowledge of the region is fine & deep so we are delighted to share his detailed tasting notes here as contributing editor. 
Tasting notes from the Burgundy 2013 en primeur hosted by Berry Bros & Rudd (BBR), held at One Great George last week Tuesday Jan 13th.
Quite a range of wines on taste, and I arrived early enough to partake in many of the grand cru reds. In summary, the tasting really turned out to be very pleasant, maybe it was a fruit day in the biodynamic calendar, or maybe these wines are just tasting great at this stage. Either way, the vintage is very beautiful and characteristic of place.
For the reds, wines showed beautiful perfume that took you quite immediately to their places of origin. Tannins were fine, with great acidity, ripe fruits, few green flavours and little over extraction. Most of the wines were mid to lighter weight in the villages and premier crus, and concentration is good in places. The Grand Crus showed even more character but in line with expectation, were a little more closed and less forthcoming.
In white, more powerful ripe and concentrated wines have been made, and they felt more like 2010 whereas reds reminded me more of 2007 but with greater fruit. Everything I tasted in white had ripe fruit, strong acidity and varying degrees of concentration that became more pronounced the better the site. On the whole, the whites take this vintage over the reds for depth, concentration and probably relative ageability (meaning the whites will age longer for whites than the reds) but for pure charm and for medium term drinkability, the reds are lovely and many will reward 5 years in cellar. Vosne and Chambolle are the standout appelations in the Cote de Nuits for me. 
My one complaint is prices but then again, this was not a big vintage. However, despite a strengthening GBP against the Euro, prices are up in the premier and grand cru wines. Villages wines are on par if slightly down year on year. You have to wonder why you would want to buy this vintage in any quantity at the premiers and GC levels given average landed price to consumers for minimum 6 bottles is £50-£70 per bottle for premiers and anything from £80 upwards for GCs?
Here’s the list of wines tasted on the night (42 in total). Generally, my ratings describe nose in first sentence, followed by taste starting with fruit, acidity, tannins, balance, and length. I have arranged by appellation below, (generally) north to south for white, and south to north for reds. Ratings are Good (G), Very Good (VG), Very Very Good (VVG) and Excellent (E) – not very scientific but reflect the overall experience of each from a small tasting pour (with a couple of exceptions where I poured myself). Tasting conducted over the course of 2.5 hours.
WHITES
Dominique Lafon, Bourgogne Blanc Smoky, not showing a lot of fruit. Nothing special. G
Jean-Phillippe Fichet, Bourgogne Blance Vielles Vignes Heard a lot of people talking about Fichet wines well before I got there. I found out why. Smoky, lemony nose. Super concentrated fruit with honey and mineral notes. Great concentration and depth. VVG
Sylvain Loichet, Ladoix, Les Grechons 1er Cru Apple and mandarin nose, unusual. Good lemon fruit attack and big acidity, medium concentration. VG
Dominique Lafon, Meursault Smoky, sweet lemon nose. Medium weight, good intensity of lemony fruit and high acidity. Very persistent. VG
Jean-Yves Devevey, Meursault Les Vireuils Chalky sweet lemon nose. Sweet fruit, mid weight. Good concentration balanced by acidity. Good length. VG
Bouchard Pere et fils Meursault Les Perrieres 1er cru Green apple, but otherwise closed nose. Intense lemon and mineral with great acidity, concentrated sweet fruit and finish, just hinting about what’s underneath. Very impressive. E (I bought 6)
Jean-Phillippe Fichet, Meursault Les Gruyaches Super smoky nose, a little unyielding. Very tight, great acidity, very concentrated but hard to taste. Very very long. Wow but not very pleasurable. On feeling, this is VVG.
Jean-Phillippe Fichet Meursault Les Tessons Sulfuric and woody and mineral nose, very intense, a bit gluey and quite typical from the many times I’ve tasted Tessons from other makers. Reassuring. Super concentrated fruit, ripe apples, mineral with a very very long finish. Very impressive. E
Michel Bouzereau &fils Meursault Les Perrieres 1er cru Lovely nose, light yet concentrated. Acidity very apparent, good concentration but not intense. Very balanced. VG
Patrick Javillier Meursault Les Tillets Subdued nose of lemon and apples. Good acidity and intensity, very nice balance. Good depth and concentration with mineral finish. VVG
Patrick Javillier Meursault Tete de Murger Closed nose, unyielding. Concentrated full mouthful with puckering level of acidity, hints of honey. A full plush, silky wine, very balanced and very long. E
Antoine Jobard Meursault Les Poruzots 1er Cru Big smoky charred nose with lifted white flowers. Very tart acidity dominated at this stage so impossible to taste. VG or better?
Jean-Yves Devevey, Chassagne Montrachet Richer fatter fruit nose, lemon and honey. Tart lemon, high acidity but not very sweet and a little hot. Lingering finish. G
Jean-Noel Gagnard, Chassagne Montrachet le Cailleret 1er cru Pretty white flowers and stone fruit, vanilla and light passion fruit nose. Great fruit concentration, mandarin, apply. Really long. VVG
Chateau de Puligny Montrachet Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres 1er cru Sweet lemon, pure mineral and whiteflower nose. Intense linear lemon fruit, concentrated, great acidity and balance, great elegance. E
Domaine de Montille Puligny Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er cru Lemony fruity nose with mineral. Very intense, tart apple and lemon, mineral and very concentrated. VVG
Domaine de la Vougeraie Clos Blanc de Vougeot 1er cr An unusual offering which I’ve tried in the past, a white from the Cote de Nuits made from very old vines. Sweet fruit, lemon and mineral nose. Wonderful concentrated fruit, very deep but also achieving great balance and a lightness. VVG
REDS
Comte Armand, Volnay Intense floral nose, reminiscent of Barolo including roses and violets. Wonderful balance, mid weight with dark fruit character and good length. VVG
Domaine de Montille, Volnay Taillepieds 1er cru Repressed fruit, cinnamon and pepper nose. Slightly harsh tannins masking fruit. Hard to taste. Not sure.
Benjamin Leroux Volnay Clos de la Cave des Ducs 1er cru Interesting nose, definitely Volnay perfume with Pommard fruit and some animal essence. Mid weight palate, black fruit, taut acidity and good concentration. Good length. VG
Comte Armand, Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er cru Dark fruit nose, violets, animal. Strong dark fruit intensity but quite closed. Dryish tannins but good intensity and concentration accompanying the tannins. Long. VVG
Domaine de la Vougeraie Nuits St Georges Clos de Thorey 1er cru Animal, strawberries, spices, vanilla, slightly confected. Lovely lifted fresh sweet cherry fruit, not overly complex but good balance and length. VG JF
Mugnier, Nuits St Georges Clos de la Marechale 1er cru Strong black liquorice and vanilla nose. Dark fruit showing, slightly overripe, or maybe overextracted. Tannins rough. Very concentrated. OK but not to my taste at this stage.
Domaine Jean Grivot Nuits St Georges Les Pruliers 1er cru Lovely perfumed nose of strawberry and roses. Very tannic, slightly harsh but then softened. Good core of fruit, with a medium finish. VG
Domaine AF Gros Vosne Romanee Aux Reas Great perfume, very Vosne with tea, rose, and spices. Very characteristic. Sweet lifted fruit. Mid weight. Lovely and complex already. Beautiful. VVG
Domaine AF Gros Vosne Romanee Maizieres Darker fruit here, savoury, with tea, almost bloody. Tart dark cherry fruit. Good persistence with tannins in check. Very long. E
Jean-Luc & Eric Burguet Vosne Romanee Les Rouges 1er cru Ripe dark fruit, a little jammy and spice nose. Dark, tart but ripe fruit. Refined tannins. Super concentrated, nice persistence and medium length. VG
Domaine Lamarche Vosne Romanee Les Chaumes 1er cru Slight cola, spice, vivid cherry nose. Sweet fruit, vanilla, with intense acidity and very tough tannins. Very intense wine with sour cherry dominant. A lot there. Good length. VVG
Domaine Lamarche Echezeaux grand cru Majestic nose of dark fruit, perfumed roses and plums, tending to black currant. Dark fruit with high acidity, tannins already integrated. Growing intensity in this wine, very balanced with excellent concentration. VVG
Maison Roche de Bellene, Echezeaux grand cru Concentrated grape juice nose, perfumed blackberry and darker alcoholic fruit in abundance. Very balanced, fruit overwhelming acidity but mid palate a little hollow. Medium bodied and length. VG
Domaine Lamarche La Grand Rue grand cru Beguiling nose, super perfumed, the essence of beauty and elegance defined. Very ripe fruit (too ripe?) with blackcurrants and dark cherry. Great balance. Very long and persistent. Very special. E
Domaine Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot grand cru Dark fruit nose with animal scents. Cherry fruit, with a good core of concentrated materials, quite deep with a long finish. VG
Domaine de la Vougeraie Clos de Vougeot grand cru Very sulfuric nose, with dark cherry and kirsch nose. Sweet brambly fruit but quite closed. Some banana too. Dryish tannins with a darker fruit finish. Good length. VG
Domaine AF Gros Chambolle Musigny Quite dark for a Chambolle. Sulfur and sweet confected strawberry nose, a lovely perfume. Sweet ripe lifted fruit. Very balanced. VVG
Domaine Michele and Patrice Rion Chambolle Musigny Les Cras 1er cru Beautiful floral nose, light strawberry essence. Sweet cherry, good persistence without heaviness leaving a slight bitter aftertaste. Lovely overall and quite complex. VVG
Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle Musigny Exotic nose with spices and perfume. Slightly sour cherry, Asian spice, some peel character, light ethereal body with a medium finish. VVG
Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle Musigny Les Baudes 1er cru Initial hint of horseradish (I’ve experienced this in her 2004 Chatelots), strawberry but not giving away much. Sweet strawberry fruit with raspberry. Intensely fresh with beaming acidity and integrated tannins. Quite intense wine. VVG
Louis Boillot Gevrey Chambertin Assembled from 7 different parcels with average vine age of 60 years. Lovely dark cherry aromas, fresh and perfumed. Sweet cherry, almost lavish with very refined tannins, good acidity and balance. VVG
Louis Boillot Gevrey Chambertin Les Evocelles Dark and meaty with sandalwood nose. Cherry fruit, tart acidity, giving the cherry a sour edge. Bracing acidity, tannins good, a real mouthful. VG
Dujac Fils & Pere Gevrey Chambertin Red cherry and cinnamon, with sandalwood nose. Cherry fruit, but woody. Mid weight with good concentration and medium length. G
Jean-Luc & Eric Burguet Gevrey Chambertin Mes Favorites Lovely mid cherry and strawberry with great perfumed rich nose. Great nose. Fantastic balance of fruit, acidity and tannins. Quite closed but very good persistence into back of throat indicating there is a lot of matter here. Very good length. E
Benjamin Leroux Gevrey Chamertin Les Champeaux Very perfumed for a Gevrey. Quite closed but dark fruit and grapey character. Tannins ripe and mid weight as well as concentration. Is this Gevrey? G
Stuart posts on the Wine Spectator forum as BirDungy
Bodegas Salentein wine tasting at Gaucho Piccadilly 23.09.14
Salentein Bodegas were pioneers of the Uco valley of Argentina and have 15 vintages under their belt. Chief winemaker José Galante previously of Catena Zapata presented their premium range of wines produced from the bodegas’ three different vineyards, each at different altitudes. San Paulo the highest at 1600m plus producing pinot and chardonnay, La Pampa at 1200 to 1400m and El Oasis at around 1000m. Irrigated with mineral water off the mountain!
Chardonnay Plot no. 2. 2012.
Single vineyard from San Paulo raised in french oak. Restrained nose , some ripe peach and a hint of toast. In the mouth apricots, peaches ripe fruit, luscious mouth feel, a little citrus and some secondary oak. Quite long. great balance medium full bodied. good acidity.
Chardonnay 2012 Primus.
A blend selecting the best from different vineyards also raised in new french oak for 9 months.
On the nose more perfumed with peach & a touch of vanilla. In the mouth intense ripe exotic fruit more vanilla, nice freshness, very long and persistent. High alcohol but great balance, full bodied.
Primus Pinot 2011
Vinification starts with 10 to 15 days of cool maceration and to keep the fruit fresh oxygen is carefully excluded. Aged 9 months in barrels with only 10% new oak.
On the nose strawbery chew, sweet fruit, clean bright fruit, a touch herbaceous. On the palate again red fruit, some cooked fruit, baked tart, herbs, long persistent. medium body, med to high acidity high alcohol but balanced.
Numina Cabernet Franc 2011 Spirit Vineyard.
Lovely delicate raspberry perfume, persistent bit of ripe capsicum . In the mouth again sweet soft red fruit, savoury notes, very long land great freshness. Fantastic.
Malbec Plot 21. 2011.
Single vineyard with sandy soil.
Slightly closed nose, then black fruit a touch of blackcurrant & some baked tart.
On the palate: blueberries, blueberry pie, nice freshness and length.
Malbec Primus 2010.
Again a blend of the best from largely stoney ground giving more body and power.
On the nose cocoa powder, sweet ripe blackberry, some spicey woody notes. The same in the mouth with very ripe soft tannins very full bodied, very long, really outstanding.
Salentein Grand VU blend, 2011. 73% malbec 27% cabernet sauvignon with 24 months in oak. Only 6000 bottles made
On the nose black fruit, cocoa powder, coconut, toast complex and lush.
Lovely full bodied, luscious ripe blackberries, a complex fruit compote topped with coconut & cocoa powder, this is a pudding in its self. A rich delicious power house of a wine.
In summary the single vineyard wines are more restrained and probably appeal to those with an old world bias, whereas the Primus ‘blends of the best’ are unapologetic celebrations of ripe fruit & textural richness. Though I loved the Malbec Primus the Numina Cabernet Franc was probably the wine of the tasting for me, embodying the old world qualities of freshness, elegance & structure with the pure fruit clarity of the new.
Imbibe wasn’t all about imbibing at Olympia this week.
There was a serious amount of education , including excellent presentations on Wine Faults and Wine and food matching.
The main wine faults include –
1) Oxidation , which can cause the formation of
ACETALDEHYDES –sherry character
ETHYL-ACETATE-nail polish aroma
ACETIC ACID- vinegar nose
2) Reduction, from too little Oxygen –
poor nose ,cabbage unpleasant.
Also lack of Nitrogen stresses fermenting yeast resulting in Hydrogen Sulphide formation which can give rubber and rotten egg aromas.
3) IPMP (2 isopropyl 3 methoxy d3 pyrazine )
Green pepper/ capsicum aromas
4) Anisoles , flat dead wines ,cardboard .(As little as 1 Nanogram detectable!)
TBA from wood preservatives,pesticides
TCA and TeCA from microbes in the cork
5) Brettanomyces , Yeast can develop in barrels, which can produce
4Ethylphenol- dirty nappy,band aid horsebox aroma
4Ethylguaiacol-bacon ,spice,clove ,smoke ,leather aromas
6) Geosmin (Jos-min) earthy ,beetroot , aroma after rainfall on soil (petrichor)
A Terpene made by Streptomyces bacteria.
After a serious 45 minutes of information it was time for the real fun ..Absinthe , Creme de Cassis , Artisan beers , Pure Vodkas and general amazement of everything on display !
I recommend 2 days at Imbibe next year.
It started at Bodegas Muga with their Blanco and 3 days later finished in glorious sunshine at Riscal with their Rosado.
In between we enjoyed the pleasure and indulgence of Roda , La Rioja Alta , Cvne , Contino , Vina Real and Ysios,
Interspersed by the fine dining experiences of Beethoven , Terete and Las Dueles.
Haro marks the Western edge of Rioja country surrounded by Rioja Alta .It’s a short car journey from Bilbao.
Recommended accommodation is Los Agostinos ( previously a convent , military headquarters and a jail ! )
It is ideally located for visiting the wineries which are all together a short walk over the river near the train station.
The location is important . After the phyloxerra crisis wiped out Bordeaux vines in the 1870’s the bordelaise turned to Rioja to supply their empty cellars.
Huge oak casks were transported across the Pyrenees for this purpose . On arrival at Bodegas Muga the Steam engine and cask is parked outside reminding us of the roots of the wine industry here. Full tasting notes to follow
Senor Revel-Chion, Tour organisor and general Master of ceremonies had worked up a fine appetite, so following recommendation of the locals we headed to Beethoven .
Not as might be implied the Haro philharmonic orchestra , but instead a symphony of food and wine matching, conducted by our travelling sommelier Mr Stuart Grostern.
A note of warning , there are in fact three Beethoven outlets 1,2 and 3 . For fine dining make sure you book Bethoven 2 .
The place was a tad quiet but the food did not disappoint . The most enormous hunks of rare T- Bone sliced up on sizzling sharing platters served up with Vina Tondonia 1994 , Prado Enea 2005, The Vina Real was corked and returned.
A bottle of Roda Reserva in the square for the world cup opener was the fitting end to a busy first day .
Friday morning started at Bodegas Roda Edurnay’s tour was impressive with Coloured barrels and a photography exhibition of their new perfectly clean winery.
So clean infact that our fitness coach Gerald managed to headbutt a window which was so polished it wasn’t visible.
We toured the old cellar from the 1800,s which gently sloped
leading down to river Ebro ready for the barrels to be shipped out to ports afar.
We tasted Roda and Roda 1 and their lovely extra virgin Olive oils
Next stop and literally next door as all the wineries are huddled around the train track, the magnificent La Rioja Alta
Francisco conducted the most entertaining tour . The cellars . Their own cooperage.
The original copper wiring and tracks as Haro was the first town 0utside London to have electricity.
The vast storage facilities the amazing tasting room. We were treated like kings. Francisco a gem.
The tasting was awesome including 10 wines from Alta’s four properties , La Rioja Alta SA , Torre de Ona in Rioja Alavesa , Aster in Ribera del Dueros and Lagar de Cervera in Galicia.
Full tasting note will be posted .. incredible and going home gifts ! A beautiful book ‘Three centuries of la Rioja Alta’ and a bottle of Vina Ardanza. Incredible wines and generosity.
This was going to be some act to follow !
Next stop CVNE with the lovely Marta Echavarri.
A tour of most mouldy cellar ever seen! More fantastic wine including Imperial Gran Reserva 2007.
It was time for a well earned late lunch at Terete.
Young lamb slow cooked the speciality. Tim’s continued craving for the white asparagus, Stuart and Kiran happily let loose our wallets and the extensive wine list
Wines with lunch included Imperial Reserva 1978,Vina Bosconia lopez Heredia 1991, La rioja Alta 904 2001
We didn’t realize, we were sitting on top pf a fully functioning winwery making 10,000 bottles just for restaurant.
Time to burn off some calories . Big Gerald led us up a mountain bike past Villa Alba .We refreshed ourselves with a swim in the Ebro .
The day ended in the square to the dismay of the flag clad locals as Spain were handed a lesson from the Dutch.
Saturday
Senor Revel-Chion had assured, this is Spain, we would have no problem taking our bikes on the train from Haro to Logrono. Unfortunately , probably as the nation was in abject misery from the football we were denied and headed by car to Contino.
Lorena was our most hospitable tour guide of this French style single vineyard winery. Part of the CVNE stable located near LaGuardia at a bend in the River Ebro.
We were welcomed by their beautifully made Contino Blanco 2011 on the terrace overlooking the vines .
Then on to Vega Real located on the Cerro de la Mesa hill in Rioja Alavesa. 40 million euros and 7 years to build . A gargantuan project, a tome to wine .
A 57 m barrel sunk into a mountain.The brainchild of Bordelais architect Philippe Mazieres.
Cellars bored into mountain side.Massive stainless steel UFO’s lifted into place with 6000 kg of grapes, with a 25 ton capacity crane mounted with a pivot capacity.
9 storey towers, skyscrapers of wine storage . 8 depth barrel storage illusionary roofs, barely conceivable .
Tasting of rare single varietal Graciano 2006 ,Vega Real Oro 2009 . Kiran for once didn’t ask for spittoon ! The proof in the pudding of the quality of these wines.
Next stop , the lovely 13th Century Medieval walled town of Lagardia for tapas . Set up high on a hilltop with marvellous panoramic views of Rioja wine country.
A circular bike ride through the vines on the camino natural to mountain village of San Vicente and beautiful village of Briones kept us lively until
dinner at Las Dueles. This is a top recommendation for any stay in Haro. Fillet steak and foie gras , tender octopus with smoked paprika . 904 Alta 2001, 809 Alta1998. Tondonia 1994, Alion 2007.
We were in a most relaxed state for England’s opener against the Italians .
Sunday
Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria mountain range is the stunning Bodega Ysios It has to be seen to be believed .
A huge winery now owned by Pernod Ricard. A stunning wavelike roof made up of horizontal aluminium columns, giving a mesmerising pixelated appearance .
Polished wood gently undulating surrounds the entire winery and enormous beams of Canadian pine for the roof .It was built for a much larger production. Temperature controlled cellars meant no excavation was required, The tasting room jets out over the vineyards . No expense spared.
There was only one way to finish this beautiful journey .
Lunch on the terrace at Marques de Riscal with views over the wine growing area, the medieval village of Elciego and the mountains in the distance.
It took four tonnes of titanium to create the multi-coloured convoluted roof . Created by Frank O Gehry famous for the Guggenheim in Bilbao.
We highly recommend a trip to Rioja . The quality and value of the wines, the stunning architecture , the lovely landscape and views , the excellent food.
Six very satisfied Oenophiles in planning for our next WanderCurtis wine Journey.
If you would like any more information about Wine Travel in Rioja Please contact us .
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