A condensed summary of Cava wines including history, regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, wine making, styles, wine law and business.
Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.
Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.
A condensed summary of traditional method Cremant wines from France including history, regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, wine making, styles, wine law and business.
Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.
Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.
A condensed summary of Champagne including history, regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, wine making, styles, wine law and business.
Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.
Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.
A condensed introduction to Sparkling wines including, regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, different wine making methods, and styles.
Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.
Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.
At this year’s bi-annual Austrian wine tasting in London Adam & I came across the charismatic Marion Ebner-Ebenauer of Weingut Ebner-Ebenauer and their wonderful range of wines. The Weinviertel is Austria’s most northern region, an expansive, windswept area that borders the Czech Republic. There is a lot of variation in soils and climate across the region and historically it has a reputation for easy drinking characteristically peppery Grüner Veltliner, falling rather in the shadow of the Danube regions like the Wachau. However it looks like Ebner-Ebenauer are well on the way to demonstrating just what serious age and worthy wines the region is capable of producing.
At the helm of this historic family estate are Marion and Manfred Ebner-Ebenauer, their winery, based in the town of Poysdorf, has been producing wine for over 400 years.
The backbone of their philosophy lies in single-vineyard bottlings that aim to reflect the unique voice of each plot. Their 20 hectares are scattered like puzzle pieces across a patchwork of soils, originally a safeguard against hail, now a key asset with some of these vineyards boast old vines over 70 years of age.
In the vineyard, everything is farmed organically, with grapes picked entirely by hand at optimal ripeness. Careful handling, minimal oxidation, and small harvest bins preserve the clarity and integrity of the fruit.
Down in their 400 year old cellar, a low-intervention approach prevails with wines fermenting spontaneously. Alongside the single vineyard wines they make a range of cuvées called the Black Edition which includes a Grüner Veltliner, using extended skin contact and fermentation in barrique to coax out texture and complexity.
Their méthode traditionelle Sekt, aged on lees for years and disgorged only when truly ready, has been turning heads abroad, winning international awards for its finesse and depth.
A quick search of the web and social media and Ebner-Ebenauer crop up repeatedly, this an image savvy couple who make great wine in a great way, what’s not to love?
A recent tasting of wines from New South Wales by Wine Australia I tasted some very unique Semillon wines from the Hunter Valley. Hunter valley is near the east coast of Australia and at between 30 and 33 degrees of latitude hot during the day and with intense levels of sunlight. In fact the climate is classified as sub-tropical! So how does this region produce high acid fresh and lean and age worthy Semillons?
Viticulture and Winemaking
The region’s warm, humid climate is moderated by coastal breezes and morning mists, reducing disease pressure and allowing for slow, steady ripening. The secret to the distinctive style of Hunter Valley Semillon is that the grapes are often harvested early, sometimes with alcohol levels as low as 10-11%, to preserve acidity and freshness. Also sandy, well-drained soils contribute to the grape’s signature crispness.
In the winery, Hunter Valley Semillon is made with minimal intervention. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel to maintain purity, and oak is rarely used. The result is a wine which is very lean. In its youth it can be somewhat closed and a little undemonstrative featuring citrus notes and green apple, with high acidity and a light, delicate texture.
Bottle Aging Potential
The surprise is that despite its austere youth, Hunter Valley Semillon is famed for its extraordinary aging ability. Over time, often 10 to 20 years, the wines develop complex flavours of honey, toast, and nuts without any oak influence, while retaining their vibrant acidity.
These lovely characteristics emerge after about 8 or 9 years and a number of wine makers hold wines back only releasing them once they are mature.
Sclavos winery takes a minimum intervention approach to wine making and is transitioning to biodynamic practices in the vineyards.
Their goal is to craft natural organic wines that showcase the unique characteristics of local grape varieties, influenced by their microclimate. After harvest, grapes undergo careful hand-sorting to remove any unsuitable fruit. Vinification employs modern techniques, including stainless steel tanks, pneumatic presses with nitrogen environments, and oak fermenters.
Mavrodaphne is traditionally made as a sweet wine on Kefalonia and in order to protect the PDO classification dry versions are actually not allowed to be labelled as Mavrodaphne! Sclavos along with others, has long advocated for the recognition of red dry wines from this variety. The winery is introducing new expressions of Mavrodaphne Kefallinia, continuing its pioneering efforts in dry vinification and aging, a practice initiated 25 years ago.
The Mavrodaphne variety undergoes three weeks of fermentation, followed by over a year of aging in French oak barrels of varying sizes (225L, 500L, and large oak tanks).
The winery has 14 hectares of their own vineyards, but buys some grapes in to produce 160, 000 bottles annually.
The wines:
Alchymiste 2020 Mavrodaphne and Moschatela grapes picked relatively early. This wine is made in stainless steel tanks producing a rose colour wine. On the nose crushed raspberries and chalk dust. A nice fruit mix with a smoky slightly animal note – goaty! also malt loaf. It is fresh and medium bodied with soft powdery tannins.
Orgion 2020 Mavrodaphne aged partly in French oak barrels. There is a floral jasmine note also smoke and again malt loaf. The oak is very subtle and fills it all out the wine making it a bit rounder. Very nice.
Xinodos Biodaynamic 2020 From old vine Mavrodaphne + 17% Vostilidi, co-vinified. Matured for one year in big barrels. The wine is dark and concentrate. It is dry with red and blue fruits and has the tannin and acidity to age well.
Vin Doux Du Soleil 2020 Made from sun dried Moschato grapes. Intense concentrated fruit, good acidity, very long.
A good wine friend organised a trip to Barbaresco this May to join the annual Tavola festival and taste the new release of the 2019 vintage. There is of course no better way to experience and fall in love with the wines of a particular place than to taste them in situ and you can find tasting notes and photos to make you envious, in our write up of the trip.
The Tanaro River
Our friend is a great fan of Italian wines but particularly loves the wines of Barbaresco favouring them even over the noble wines of Barolo. So here I thought it would be interesting to compare the wine making regions of Barbaresco and Barolo. Both prestigious they of course have many similarities but also a few key differences that give each a distinct character.
Barbaresco DOCG, lies in the heart of Piedmont, northeast of the Barolo DOCG. It is known for producing wines of finesse, elegance, and exceptional aging potential, exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape. While Barbaresco and Barolo share similarities, significant differences in climate, topography, and winemaking regulations distinguish the two appellations.
Climate and Topography
Barbaresco’s climate is continental with notable influences from the Tanaro River winding through the region and helping to moderate temperature extremes. Compared to Barolo, Barbaresco has a slightly lower elevation, typically between 200 and 400 meters above sea level, resulting in a milder microclimate. Nebbiolo ripens earlier here contributing to wines that are more approachable at a younger age compared to Barolo’s often more austere structure in youth.
On the rolling hillsides of the region many of the best vineyards face south or southwest, allowing optimal sunlight exposure, however variations in altitude and orientation create diverse terroirs across the region’s key communes: Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso, and a small portion of Alba.
Soils and Terroir
Barbaresco’s soils are primarily composed of marl, a mixture of clay, limestone, and sand. This composition is thought to result in wines with refined tannins and a more delicate structure than those of Barolo, which generally has a higher proportion of sandstone, contributing to its more powerful, tannic profile. The relatively fertile and compact nature of Barbaresco’s soils encourages a softer expression of Nebbiolo with floral, red fruit, and spice-driven aromatics.
Wine Laws and Grape Varieties
Under DOCG regulations, Barbaresco wines must be made from 100% Nebbiolo and undergo a minimum aging period of two years, with at least nine months in oak. Barbaresco Riserva requires at least four years of aging. This contrasts with Barolo, which mandates three years for standard wines and five years for Riserva, further reinforcing Barbaresco’s reputation for earlier drinkability.
Barbaresco vs. Barolo
Clearly both appellations produce amazing wines and the wine makers approach, whether traditional or modern also has a big influence, but Barbaresco’s wines are typically lighter in body, more perfumed, and approachable sooner than Barolo’s. Whilst comparatively more delicate they can still be very long lived and developing great complexity with time in the bottle.
WanderCurtis Wine 