Volnay Vielles Vignes 2009 - Alliterative Burgundy for fans of claret

An eye opener for a Burgundy novice like me

Regular readers of this blog, if there are any, may note that I don't blog much about Burgundy. This is for a really simple reason. I don't know much about the region, or the wines. I haven't had the time or the budget to explore the decent stuff. Finally, being completely honest, Pinot Noir is really not my favourite grape. I often find it a little lightweight for my tastes, which are far more Bordeaux, Rhone valley or Languedoc aligned when it comes to French wines. However, I'd be the first to admit to not having tried much decent burgundy, given its cost and my slight prejudice against the grape. 
The one region I have always been a fan of which focuses on Pinot Noir is Central Otago in New Zealand. 
Back in 2009 I was in Marlborough and Queenstown and tasted quite a few South Island Pinots. Many of the Central Otago wines I had, I loved. They have an intensity and complexity that I enjoy in other regions. I've got a case of 2010 Rippon Vineyard, Rippon Mature Vine which I am really looking forward to tasting at some point soon, probably Christmas.
Anyhow, back to Volnay. Now this is a find. The manager of the wine bar in Prague where I tried this last week told me many of the wines from this area have these below characteristics. 
Some more about it is here, from Invino.com. A lot more is here, and this link is worth a click..
If you can find this wine, it's about £20-30 a bottle, as far as I can tell.
Here are my tasting notes from the half bottle we tried:

2009 Domaine Poulleau Pere & Fils Volnay, Cote de Beaune, France

Rich acid nose, spicy, earthy forward fruit. Minerality, definite age on the front of the palate and then the Pinot breadth and smoothness kicks in. Long finish, bit of oak and vanilla (but in a very good way!)

This wine was a bit of an eye opener for me. I haven't had a Burgundy like this before. That's more likely due to my ignorance (in fact it definitely is). This wine really ticked all the boxes for me and I'll be hunting out more in the future.

Chateau Ricardelle La Clape 2009, Cuvée Juliette 2009 - "Prepare the hounds"

Love the label

If you like big punchy but complex reds, there's plenty of Australian wines out there that meet that requirement, apparently. I just haven't had many of them yet. 

The key word is complex. I've found plenty of big Aussie reds, and even bigger South African ones, but I do find them a bit one dimensional. Sorry. 

I've clearly not had the right ones (although I did have some of Vergelegen's best and was not that wowed at the time) 

So I tend to stick to French reds, and the odd Southern Italian too. You just cannot beat either region for value. 

In the eponymous Wine Bar in Prague recently (here's a few photos of the place ) I discovered yet another Languedoc wine that I knew/know little about. 

This Chateau Ricardelle La Clape 2009 is a great example of a powerful, aromatic, silky yet complex modern red from this under rated region. Family owned, according to this site. 

The vineyard is very close to the sea near Narbonne in the far south of France, an area I visited last summer when I had a look at Gerard Bertrand's L'Hospitalet. 

Here's a post on that particular visit from September 2013.

The Cuvée Juliette 2009 which I tried in Prague is, according to the bar manager who knows the Chateau personally, named after the wine maker's daughter. 

The label is fantastic, good to see a Chateau with some imagination and creativity. 

The wines are very reasonably priced too. This exact wine is hard to track down but the others from Ricardelle seem to be under £15, even from BBR.

The Cuvée Juliette 2009 is a mix of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, a blend common in this area, and is aged in French barriques for 12 months. My tasting notes are here:

Ricardelle
Huge, smooth, dark berry cassis, and chocolaty flavours, 14.5% alcohol but slips onto the palate and has a finish like rich velvety silk. Alcohol taken to its limits but balanced given the huge fruit. Has a complexity that some 'Parkerised' wines lack. A man's wine (generally speaking!), no doubt. 

Despite the high alcohol levels (unavoidable this far south it seems) it went wonderfully with the utterly superb beef bourguignon in Prague's Wine Bar (linked above and well worth a visit), and pictured below. Both wine and wine bar are well worth a visit if in Prague or Southern France.

The simply named "Wine Bar" in Prague does superb nosh

Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi - Punchy italian white that represents good value

14.5% but don't let that put you off...

One of the many pleasures of travelling around Europe is the wines you find which you don't see much of at home. Or more likely, just hadn't looked at much.

This Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi 2009 I discovered in a restaurant in Prague after much googling of the wine list to match something with seafood.

I know almost nothing about the region, or didn't until I read a few articles, but this is a wine I would advise checking out.

It's not for the faint hearted though.

Here are my tasting notes from last night:

Dry, rich, reminiscent of bone dry white bugundy but with a focus that feels Italian. Restrained nose. The age of this 2009 is coming through. Strong acid, zero citrus/lemon (hooray) 

Slightly off bitter finish. High alcohol at 14.5 which adds to the texture, but you wouldn't know it was quite that much unless you checked. Definitely a palate cleanser but also so much more than that, lots of complexity. 

According to several reviews the finish is supposed to be of toasted almonds, but my palate is clearly not advanced enough for that. 

More about the region is here. The Riserva, as so often in Italy, is worth paying a few Euros more for, apparently. 

Wine-searcher makes it sound compelling enough simply by describing the location:

"The Castelli dei Jesi wine-producing zone encompasses the hilly territory around the town of Jesi in the province of Ancona. This area features fortified villages which were built here in medieval times, and which give rise to  the Castelli part of the DOC name. The terroir here is ideal for the production of mineral-tinged dry white wines, thanks mostly to its calcareous, clay and limestone-rich soils and a relatively dry maritime climate."

A chance to try some Sicilian wines off the beaten track

Berry Brothers has what looks like a well researched and reasonably priced (though not particularly cheap) offer on Sicilian wines at the moment.

Having spent some time there myself indulging, I can attest to the quality and originality of Sicily's wines.

The Berry Brothers blog tour with lots of detail, which is well written and researched, starts here.

I went with these to try a cross section. I'll report back in with tasting notes in due course.

2011 Quota 600, Etna Rosso, Graci, Passopisciaro, Sicilia 75cl £29.00

2012 Perricone, Porta del Vento, Camporeale, Sicily 75cl £14.95

2013 Catarratto, Porta del Vento, Camporeale, Sicily 75cl £15.95

2012 Kerasos, Nero d'Avola, Valdibella, Camporeale, Sicily 75cl £12.50

2011 Grappoli del Grillo, Marco De Bartoli, Marsala, Sicily 75cl £23.25

2011 Faro, Bonavita, Messina, Sicily 75cl £24.95

Bisquertt Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2009 - A very decent Chilean quaffer

This is a solid easy drinker from Chile's Colchagua valley.

Now at five years old it's got a certain maturity, lots of forward fruit with balanced oak (i.e. not too much vanilla) and black cherry, some cloves and cassis.

You can't seem to go wrong with Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. I've not had one I disliked.

Some are over the top on the fruit, the alcohol and the American oak (which gives the vanilla undertones)

This one was around £14 bought at duty free in Guilin airport in China.

Some of the other wines from Bisquertt seem to be a lot cheaper, the same in USD, so perhaps I over paid.

On the other hand this is apparently a reserve so who knows.

Anyhow, it's nothing hugely special, but goes down wonderfully as I drink it here in Taiwan on holiday, with, of all things, wasabi soy nuts.

Not ideal food matching, but the Bisquertt can handle it.

Perhaps this wine is not to everyone's taste, but very tasty nonetheless. A Burgundy fan probably won't like it.

The producer has a lovely website, and says Wine Spectator rated it a top value 2009 Cabernet.

Their site is here, worth a look around.

CNP Du Pegau 2005 - simply stunning

This Pegau 2005 is without a doubt the greatest CNP I've ever had.

That may not be saying much given my limited experience but I've had a few beaucastel wines of various vintages.

None have matched this wine so far.

I had it in my current favourite London restaurant, 10 Greek St, over lamb, which it suited perfectly. 

It was a few weeks ago and I neglected to write any tasting notes. I was too busy enjoying the Pegau.

Many rate 2005 as a 19/20 wine year. There are not many of them. 1945, 1961, 1982, 1990. Perhaps 2000 but I disagree with including that year. The Bordeaux wines of 2000 taste well, a bit green, a bit thin for me.

This 2005 Pegau is a rare beast these days. Demand must be high and stocks low. Experts at London's Hedonism wines (a must see) say they can't get hold of any. 

It had everything you want in a great CNP: A slight mustiness, open, full but subtle fruit, plenty of complexity and an intensity that filled the mouth and lasted much longer than you'd expect. 

It was around £50. At restuarant rates that's an absolute steal. 

It's around £30 at retail. Here's some background on the chateau.

It's around £30 at retail. Here's some background on the chateau.

Gerard Bertrand Minervois 2010

This carignan and syrah (surely shiraz?) blend is truly excellent value in a Languedoc region that undoubtedly combines big quality flavours and low prices like no other.

At around £8-9 from UK retailer Waitrose you can't go wrong. 

The blend is well balanced, lasting and benefits from a couple of hours in the decanter. Big alcoholic fruit, but never overpowering. As it oxidises it mellows. 

I visited the vineyard near Beziers in August 2013 and was impressed with it variety, scale and hospitality.

Their top wines can age 10-15 years, which is highly unusual in the region. 

Faugeres, not far away, with its schist soils, also has some very solid wines, as long as you don't mind big flavours and high alcohol. Par for the course considering the sun, grapes and terroir.

Excellent and rare aged white from the Loire: Domaine aux Moines Savennieres 1998, yes, I said 1998

About as unique as white wine gets, and I
mean that in a good way...

This is a really unusual white wine. I'm usually a red man, but am developing my white wine palate sporadically.

My tastes run to the stronger, heftier wines around. Although I draw the line at about 14.5% alcohol and am not a fan of the huge South African or Australian reds with over powering alcohol and/or fruit.

Back to whites, I have discovered good white Burgundy in recent years (2008 Meursault being a particular but pricey favourite).

Also Carbonnieux from Bordeaux is a cracker, if not cheap.

This white on the left here, Domaine aux Moines 1998 was an extraordinary find at Vinoteca in Soho, recently.

It's amazing aged white wine. You rarely see whites this old that are not sweet wines, so if you can find it, it is well worth a try. The dryness comes off as it breathes, although one out of the three bottles I have tried had gone over the edge. It's hard to explain how it tastes. Like nothing else in white wine.

Imagine a Sancerre with more richness, breadth and a little, well 'edge' to it. Plus the aged flavours. Not to everyone's taste, but very tasty nonetheless. It's about £15-20 at retail prices, which is a real steal, if you can find any left. 

2003 Dofi, superb Priorat at a very good price, if you can buy it

According to a few sources, winemaker Alvaro Palacios is an established wine legend, making unusual wines in Catalunya, Spain, home of the the under-rated priorat grape.

This guide to his work is full of praise.

Having only tried one of his wines I find it hard to comment.

The one I did try though, pictured, at 10 Greek St restaurant London (ask them for the secret wine book), was an absolute cracker.

No less than Parker himself gives it 92-94 and he says it is:

“Super-expressive, rich, and full-bodied,
with wonderfully integrated acidity, tannin, and
wood...."

It was a couple of months ago when I was lucky enough to try it and that chimes with my memory. I recall fantastic structure which I hadn't expected, and superb full bodied balance and depth. The tannins reminded me of the Gironde.

It's hard to find and not cheap. We paid about £40-45 in the restaurant, and that looks like the retail price too from what I can tell on wine-searcher.com.

If the 2003 isn't available, the other vintage reviews seem to indicate that Alvaro Palacios is one to watch.

Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano Risera 2007, two good options

2007: Bad in Bordeaux but superb in Montepulciano

From a layman's point of view, i.e. mine, 2007 seems to have turned out quite well in Montepulciano.

Back in 2010 a blogger who undoubtedly knows more than I, wrote that the:

"2007 vintage was a nervous and aggressive vintage in Tuscany, with brambly acidities and sharpness that have yet to settle out".

Further thoughts and reviews are here.

I've been sampling the odd bottle of Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano Risera 2007 from a couple of sources over the last two years and I think the vintage must have moved on considerably from 2007.

The Riserva vintages are not made every year so one should have relatively high expectations.

Some interesting background on the region can be found on the Berry Brother's site here.

Interestingly, I had no idea how much smaller the production volume is when compared with nearby Brunello and Chianti. Berry's says that: "Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG covers only 820ha - compared to 12,000ha for Brunello di Montalcino and 7,000ha for Chianti Classico".

Berry's also writes that: "Stylistically, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano combines the richness of Brunello di Montalcino with the perfume of Chianti Classico. Without the limestone spine of other top Tuscan sites, the wines tend to be medium to full-bodied with firm tannins, lively acidity, fleshy strawberry and cherry fruit and hints of tea leaves. The best examples should age 8 to 15 years while Riservas can last for over two decades."

So if you want to tell your friends you are drinking a wine that is slightly off the beaten track, this is a good one to sample. I find rare tuscan steak and wild boar both go very well with these wines.

What I like about the two 2007 vintages I have had is that they, unlike some other good italian wines, don't break the bank when you drink them in a restaurant. That matters quite lot given how pricey a lot of decent, and a lot of frankly mediocre, Italian wine can be.

First up, the wine pictured is available in London's Boca di Luppo for about £45. That's not bad for such a good eatery (Boca is fabulous, eat at the bar if you can).

Here's the producer website. Retail prices seem to be about £18-20 in the UK. That makes it a bit of a gem in my book. Their description of it as "dry, harmonic, fruity and velvety, with an elegant texture and long finish" is a decent one. I would add that it has that lovely slightly aged, earthy Sangiovese tinge on the end and into the finish of a sip. For the price, retail or in Boca, it's a decent option indeed.

The second option is Avignonesi's Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano Risera 2007 which I think is even better than the Carpineto above.

I always buy it at Negozio Classica in Notting Hill, London, which is one of my favourite places to hang out. It's always relaxed there, the food is fabulous and the italian wine selection unsurpassed. The restaurant is part owned by the Avignonesi vineyard, a trend I would love to see more of, and the benefits are clear. 

The Avignonesi Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano Risera 2007 is not cheap, around £50-60 as a I recall it in the restaurant, but as a special treat it is unmissable. And it likely come with an expiration date given how limited general Montepulciano production is. Drink it while it lasts.