Grape Variety: aleatico

Colour: Red

Aleatico is posited by many sources to be a red mutation of Muscat a Petit Grains as the wines made from this grape tend to have a pronounced floral perfume. However, texturally and qualitatively, Aleatico is a distinctive variety with dark skin.

It is grown in Pugia and Latium and also in Tuscany and Umbria. Jancis Robinson notes that the Aleaticondi Portoferraio is a “cult wines for Italain oenophiles”. It makes fragrant natural and fortified versions. Sometimes the grapes are dried before the fermentation to give a raisiny character to the wine.

Aleatico Maremma Toscana from Massa Vecchia is from Elba and a superb example of a fortified red wine. Yes, it is pruney and rich, but that is tempered by a beautiful grapey freshness. As you nibble the wine you may wish to nibble some pecorino.

Grape Variety: Parraleta

Colour: Red

Parraleta is a low-yielding, late-ripening, delicately scented native grape variety to Somontano that has been dangerously on the edge of extinction. It is also known as Graciano in Rioja Alta where it can still be found in some of the oldest vineyards and where it was traditionally used to give structure to the blends with Tempranillo and Garnacha.

The Ballabriga family are long established family of growers that have kept alive the traditional cultivation of this variety in their vineyards in Creganzan (Barbastro). The grape is a blue-black in colour and has a lively aromatic nose with intense fruit, freshness and fragrance. There are notes of violets on the nose that express the delicateness of the feminine side to the wines from Somontano. There are subtle balsamic hints especially in the aromatics where the Parraleta woody (pine wood) characteristics can be detected.

The palate is smooth and light with the floral characteristics accentuated and intense sweet fruit flavours. The soft supple tannins are almost caressing and leave a creamy impression in the mouth.

This wine would be delicious with panfried chicken livers or kidneys or some new season’s spring lamb.

Grape Variety: Pignatello

Colour: Red

See Perricone

Grape Variety: Perricone

Colour: Red

Perricone, which sounds like it might be a faded porn star, or Neuropeptide Firming Moisturiser or a hairdresser who croons in Las Vegas night clubs and writes theme music for spaghetti westerns in his spare time, is, in fact, a lesser-cultivated gred grape, also known as Pignatello, or Tuccarino, depending upon the area. Not very popular on an individual basis, this slightly bitter wine has strong tannins and is an important contributor to several DOC varietals from the western part of the Sicily, including Contea di Sclafani, and Marsala Rubino.

For me Sicilian reds, glory be to COS, tend to be jam yesterday, today and tomorrow. The fruit has the thickness as if the sun has slowly caramelised the grape skins. Many growers are not averse to the odd oak barrel to add some more charge to the guaranteed richness. When you taste most Sicilian reds your tongue has to scoop out layers of confection to discover the real deal; more often than not the wine is just a thick veneer of oenology.

The Sachia di Perricone from Caruso & Minini, however, does not see a stave of oak, being fermented in stainless steel. The nose is focused, not so much cherries as cherry-stones, and the slightly bitter chocolate attack in the front of the mouth releases a beautiful glide of acidity which carries the red pepper fruit finish. The tannins are present, but so is the fruit, and the acidity cleans all that. Although one might look at the abv and think it was full-bodied it definitely feels lighter and fresher. Served lightly chilled this could be a ringer for Barbera.

Grape Variety: Gringet

Colour: White

I think we can claim that this will be one of the more extensive analyses of the Gringet grape.

Gringet is reputed to be either a clone of the Traminer grape from northern Italy or Savagnin Blanc, the famous grape of Jura, but ampelographical testing suggests that it is, in fact, an older variety. Now the grape has virtually disappeared from Savoie with only Domaine Belluard holding any significant quantities: a mere 8ha. Most Gringet goes into the production of sparkling wines which are a local speciality and likely to remain so.

Dominique Belluard expounds on his dislike of oak (it deadens the flavour) whilst pouring us some Gringet from the tank. He’s not a fan of stainless steel either, believing that it doesn’t allow the wine to breathe properly. As a result he has installed oval cement betons. All the wines we tasted were fantastically pure, especially the mineral Gringet from the Terre de Feu terroir. No malolactic fermentation here the fruit is beacon-bright, crystalline and the acidity sings. The wine conveys initial aromas of white flowers and jasmine, is citrus-edged with a hint of white peach, jasmine and violet and a twist of aniseed to finish. The latest Gringet cuvees from the egg-shaped tanks were more emollient and slight more textural as if the lees contact had smoothed some of the stony aggression.

A wine with this kind of brilliant acidity would surely go well with river fish such as pike or trout and with cheeses from Savoie and Jura.

Grape Variety: Vitovska

Colour: White

Vitovska hails from the Friuli region of north east Italy and the Vipava valley in Slovenia, The cultural hub of the region is the border city of Trieste, which literally straddles the border between Italy and Slovenia, as do many of the vineyards in the area surrounding the city known as the Carso. This eroded plateau, which sometimes plunges steeply towards the sea, is home to many small winemakers whose families have been farming vineyards in the area for hundreds of years, while the lines of maps were drawn and redrawn around them.

The Carso, like Friuli in general, is packed with wine varieties that most of the world has never heard of. Italy as a whole is known for its wealth of indigenous grape varieties, and Friuli in particular is home to scores, perhaps even hundreds of them. These varieties, many of which are white, are a true national treasure as far as wine lovers are concerned, as they quite often fail to resemble any other wine grapes in the world when it comes to flavors, textures, and aromas.

Vitovska is one such variety. Found nowhere else in Italy but Friuli, and rarely found outside of the Carso region, this vine is about as far off the beaten path you can get when it comes to grape varieties (a good measure of which is always whether it appears in the Oxford Companion to Wine, which it doesn’t). Characterized by small greenish-gold berries it is apparently quite a hardy vine, used to cold winters, dry hot summers, and blustery winds. .

Zidarich’s version is fermented with natural yeasts in open-top wood vats where it sees contact with the skins for eight to ten days. Ageing takes place in mid-size Slavonian oak casks and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration. Zidarich’s wines are cloudy in colour, but that is simply the result of wines that have been made with a bare minimum of intervention. Like all whites macerated on the skins, these wines should be served at cellar temperature in large glasses. Representing the purest expression of varietal in its effusion of spices, pears, jasmine and flowers Zidarich’s Vitovska has a rosy, cidery haze to it and enticing aromas of yellow cherries, apples, pears and smoke. In the mouth it is dense, yet not heavy at all, honeyed yet dry and packed full of mineral flavours. It is almost a paradoxical wine, resting on that fragile border between lightness and weight, dry and sweet. It gives the wine tension and energy and makes me want to drink more of it.

In Trieste and its environs one might drink Vitovska with mussels, fresh anchovies or fried baccala. I imagine it would also be excellent with the gnocchi, risotti and the gorgeous local polenta with warm Montasio cheese melted into it.

Grape Variety: Pinot Grigio

Colour: White

The sleep of reason, wrote Goya, brings forth fools. As far as much Pinot Grigio is concerned the seep of raisins brings forth gruel. Emasculated, marrowless, milquetoast wines. So what have we here? Cool fermentation, a touch of skin contact, a little wine to play with, but not enough to get your teeth into. The Trefili is decent, fruity and does the job. The paradigm of good Pinot Grigio is the savoury, richly nutty style from Alto-Adige or Collio. And it’ll cost you now. As for Pinot Grigio Rosa – well might ye blush. It is a red berry slushie. Formula? Pinot Grigio + Merlot = Tick The Box.

So Pinot Grigio, as we know it, is now primarily a price point and secondly a marketing tool. It is the security blanket of the lazy restaurateur who looks for high margins on cheap brands and for whom the label says more about the wine than the liquid inside.

The problem is that much PG bears no relation to its parent grape. Made in the plains of central Italy (operative word plain) from eye-wateringly high yields the wine loses all flavour and aroma – it is neutered (whether deliberately or commercially). Often the fresh neutrality will be obliterated by swathes of sulphur; this is mias-mamma of all Italian wines (with its brothers-in-crime Soave and Frascati).

PG is a surprisingly difficult grape to get right. It is difficult to ripen the bunches evenly. When picked early the grapes reveal greenness. Conversely, leaving the grapes on the vine brings higher alcohol and lower acidity levels.

The best examples of PG as mentioned come from northern Italy. It performs well in Collio and other parts of Friuli where it displays characteristics of greengages, plums and honey underpinned by a defined minerality. In Trentino and Alto-Adige the wines often reveal a mouth-watering purity.

The Mezza Corona co-operative makes first class wines from vineyards nestled amongst the foothills of the spectacular Dolomite mountains, a region dotted with medieval villages and castles of rare beauty.
Great value Pinot Grigio with typical ground almond flavour and a touch of spritz. The wine is more vinous than most with a suggestion of orchard fruits (apples, green plums) and the sort of weight that can handle most fish dishes. All of the vineyards are cultivated in accordance with “Integrated Farm Management”, an accord for more environmentally friendly agricultural processes in the vineyards to achieve a more natural and healthy product.

Pinot Grigio Bellanotte (from Friuli) takes the grape to the next level. A pre-fermentation cold maceration helps to extract the aromatic components of the grapes and an extended period in contact with the lees lends the wine its eventual softness and equilibrium. This is the true ramato Pinot Grigio with a light amber colour and a pearly sheen in the glass. The nose suggests hay, elderflower and tea rose, followed by red apple, with light tones of dried fruits and almonds. The fine acidity gives the wine sapidity and persistence.

The voluble Paolo Benassi waxes lyrical about wine and the wines of Bellanotte:” A great wine does not exist without a vein of poetry; without poetry wines become flat and meaningless” by which we infer that great wines have an inexplicable internal beauty that defines them and that to appreciate them you need a certain amount of poetry in your soul. Egregious Pinot? No, this is the real thing…

Dario Princic’s biodynamic Trebez is a triumphant triumvirate of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon if not quark, strangeness and charm. This orange-rose (ramato) wine is bone-dry with a hint of dried grape-skin and suggestion of butterscotch. It’s very understated, a wine that you have to meet more than halfway.

Grape Variety: Verduzzo

Colour: White

Verduzzo is an indigenous Friulian vine. It is definitely very ancient and was once widespread; it is described by Acerbi in his Viti Friulane né contorni di Udine (Friulian vines in and around Udine). There are two varieties of Verduzzo, or better still, two main clones: Verduzzo and Verduzzo Giallo or Verduzzo di Ramandolo.

Verduzzo verde is cultivated in the plains and gives a dry wine, whereas Verduzzo Giallo is cultivated in the hills and produces a semi-sweet, dessert wine.

Ample and fresh Verduzzo has a zesty perfume with a bouquet that is reminiscent of apple, pear, apricot and nectarine. This is a wine for baked fish dishes, thick egg omelettes and in general all egg-based dishes, lean starters and herb risottos.

Bressan’s Verduzzo Friulano is an emphatically dry wine, robust, with a bouquet which has strong accents of apple, pear, nectarine and apricot and a dry, almost tannic taste giving an almondy finish with hints of wild flowers.

Grape Variety: Tannat

Colour: Red

Tannat is normally found in the Basque-influenced regions of France near the Pyrénées. The wine is notable for its very high tannin levels and is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet franc and Fer to soften the astringency and make it more approachable. In addition to Madiran, Tannat is also produced in Irouléguy, Tursan and Béarn. Modern winemaking in the region has begun to emphasize the fruit more and utilize oak aging to help soften the tannins. Now the wines typically spend about twenty months in oak prior to release.

A French Tannat is characterized by its firm, tannic structure with raspberry aromas and the ability to age well. They often have a deep dark color with high level of alcohol. The rosés produced in Irouléguy go through very limited maceration time with the skins in order to keep the wines from getting too tannic. The resulting wines are typically full bodied and very fruity. In Béarn both red and rosés are produced from blends that include 60% Tannat and a 40% mix of Manseng noir, Fer and Courbu noir.

In 1990, Madiran winemaker Patrick Ducournau experimented with adding controlled amounts of oxygen aeration into Tannat while fermenting and ended up developing the modern winemaking process of micro-oxygenation.

The Madiran Haute Tradition from Didier Barre (Domaine Berthoumieu) is a pugnacious vin de terroir, a rustic tangle of humus and farmyard aromas, flavours of dark cherries, figs and pepper, a blend of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinenc (Fer Servadou), whilst the award-garnering Charles de Batz is oak-aged, made from 90+% Tannat and 40-100 year old vines is purple-black in colour and could probably age forever, a veritable vin de garde.

Tanatis, from the same estate, is the result of the late, late Tannat show. Raisined grapes, bulging with sugar, are picked in November and “muted” to give this soi-disant vin de liqueur, a Gascon take on Banyuls or Port, aromas of bitter-sweet cherries and prunes. Indeed the very fine estate of Quinta de la Rosa was the inspiration for this extraordinary wine. Hmm – from d’Artagnan to Portos (lousy pun). The velvet, chocolate texture in the mouth is offset by an echo of tannin – this wine would go beautifully with cheese.

Alain Brumont is the man who, in effect, redefined Madiran in the 1980s and 1990s and resurrected its reputation. Although he now makes a wide range of wines we are chiefly concerned with those bottled under the Chateau Bouscassé and Chateau Montus labels. Brumont is a strong advocate of the Tannat grape and using new oak to age the wines. Different types of oak give different accents to the wine. He also believes in terroir – indeed he has compared Maumusson to the Napa Valley. And is he a perfectionist. Let him lead you on a tour of his estate as he indicates the finer points of red soil and galet stones and something called “Grebb” or “Grip” (also known picturesquely as eye of the goat), granules and pebbles strengthened with iron and manganese oxide resulting from glacial alluvials from the Pyrenees. He even grades his organic manure into different vintages. The reds are predictably massive and backward when young like embryonic clarets (but what claret!) but with age the oak will mellow and support the Tannat, creating a profound wine. If the Montus wines are more polished, then the Bouscassé is the more terroir-driven and wilder with the classic nose of “bois et sous-bois” and hencoop. For reference the Montus Prestige and the Bouscassé vieilles vignes are 100% Tannat, low yields, hand-picked (mais, naturellement), no filtering or fining. The straight Bouscassé and Montus contain some Cab Sauv and/or Cab Franc for light relief.

The wines of Irouleguy are rustic but less intense and powerful than those of Madiran. The red Mignaberry (the name means “old vines”), from the Caves du Pays Basque, aged twelve months in barrel, is dark, structured and very pure, all morello cherries and spice, with all the wonderful digestibility of wines from this region. The proportion of Tannat (about 80%) is very high for this appellation. Savoury aromatic nose of fern, humus and warm gravel, elegant medium-bodied palate, ripe fruity finish. Similar in style to a really good Graves from Bordeaux. Good with ossau iraty, the local ewe’s cheese, admirable with roast pork or pot au feu.

Domaine Arrrextea is a biodynamic estate. Michel and Therese Riouspeyrous make two cuvees of Irouleguy. These Tannat-rich reds with their 4-5 week macerations, repeated pigeages and long elevage in oak with lees-stirring make for strong yet harmonious wines. The ripeness of the grapes emerges in crystallised black fruit scents & a full palate perfectly structured by tasty tannins.

According to Professor Roger Corder the polyphenolic Tannat grape is especially high in procyanidins and it is the region of the Gers that the French Paradox is at its most obvious. Discuss!

Grape Variety: Graziano

Colour: Red

A red grape that was once of vital importance in the Rioja region of northern Spain. Prone to disease and low yields it nonetheless produces wines of considerable weight, pigmentation, perfume and quality. The low yields proved to be its undoing in both Rioja and in France where it is known as Morrastel. It was crossed with the hybrid Petit Bouschet to produce the heartier Morrastel-Bouschet which eventually replaced it. Still found in very small amounts in the southwest of France, as well as Rioja in Spain, Mendoza in Argentina (as Graciana), and in Australia. Not to be confused with Monastrell which is the Spanish synonym for the Mourvedre. Wine (if you can find it) from Graciano has intense black fruits, red cherries and red plums and can be very long lived.

Grape Variety: Viognier

Colour: White

Viognier is a remarkably difficult grape to grow. It is prone to powedery mildew, produces notoriously low and unpredictable yields, and needs to be picked when fully ripe. If it is picked too early it fails to develop its classic aromas and rich tastes. But despite, or perhaps because of, this precariousness it has the most amazing clear, golden colour and the aroma of flowers and fruits at their freshest. Many talk of being surprised by the taste; the colour and nose hinting at something sweeter but the actually taste being dry with a variety of nuances both on the tongue and afterwards.

The significant differences in taste between the Condrieu/Château-Grillet wines and those of the rest of France and the World have been put down to a number of factors. Two of the most prevalent are the soil and the strain of vine. The soils of the Northern Rhône have a light sandy topsoil over granite while many of the other growing areas are more loamy to clay-like. There is also some suggestion that a mutant strain of the vine has appeared recently which now characterises most recent plantings and which results in grapes producing wine with less concentration.

The vines producing the best wines are over 20 years old (the Northern Rhône have vines of 70 years or older). The majority of the plantings outside the Northern Rhône mean that most are less than 10 years old which mean their potential has yet to be realised.

Although low-acidity Viogniers do not require the heavy oaking to provide balance, some sensitive use of oak barrels can enhance the overall flavour.

It is best known for its apricot, peach and spice flavours, together with high alcohol (often over the 13% mark) and low acidity. Oz Clarke described this grape as combining “spring and autumn in a single glass”. At its most perfumed it throws out notes of mayflower, acacia, jasmine, orange blossom, honeysuckle and rose – even violet. The fruits are plumptious as Nigella Lawson might say: imagine sweet plums, pear william, guava and candied peel. Texturally, Viognier is rich, powerful and oily and amongst all the flower and fruit flavours one can detect overtones of vanilla and cream and – with age – toast.

As with many white wines it is generally best consumed young, although the classic Viogniers of the North Rhône (and increasingly wines from the oldest vines in California and Australia) can develop well for much longer. Condrieu has been called ‘the most expensive early drinking wine in the world.’ You can drink it with many foods or none. Try matching it with spicy Thai cuisine, Chinese, Mexican dishes, medium to strong and salty cheeses, strong flavoured fish dishes, pork and chicken and fresh fruit.

The Condrieu from Stephane Montez (Domaine du Monteillet) is full-bodied, powerful and aromatic with aromas of lime-blossom and honeysuckle, vinous and spicy with vanillin notes, dried citrus fruits and apricots. Should be opened about half an hour before serving and not chilled too much. The oaky notes disappear by the third glass and the wine becomes rounder and fruitier with honeyed tones and almost tropical fruit flavours. This would be interesting with crab salad, seafood risotto, creamy curries or pork with rosemary.

Viognier crops up in varietal form in wines from Gerard Bertrand and La Boussolle. In blends it works particularly well with Chardonnay as in the Domaine de l’Hortus Blanc where it is intensely aromatic with a profound nose of lime blossom, acacia, honeysuckle and allspice, toasty/buttery oak on the mid-palate and ripe unctuous long finish with peaches and apricots. It is brilliant in the Terres d’Argence Mourgues du Gres where it counterpoints the Grenache Blanc and Roussanne and gives a thrilling aromatic lift to the palate. Viognier is also a major component in the multi-faceted blend of Mas de Daumas Blanc where it bequeaths intense notes of dry honey.

Grape Variety: Vien de Nus

Colour: Red

The Valle Centrale is the region’s most productive area and is further sub-divided into four areas-Enfer d’Arvier, Torrette, Nus and Chambave. The Enfer d’Arvier is a red wine producing area around the village of Arvier. The wines from this areas are blends made primarily from the Petit Rouge grape with lesser amounts of Dolcetto, Gamay, Neyret, Pinot noir, and/or Vien de Nus. Previously Enfer d’Arvier had its own DOC designation prior to being assumed in the Valle d’Aosta DOC The area of the Torrette sub-zone is located east of Arvier and produces a drier wine made with at least 70% Petit Rouge and smaller quantities of Dolcetto, Fumin, Gamay, Neyret, Pinot noir and/or Vien de Nus. The village of Nus, located east of Aosta, produces a wine made with at least 50% Vien de Nus and at least 40%Petit Rouge.

Vien de Nus appears in the Torrette wines of Cantina di Barro.

Grape Variety: Teroldego

Colour: Red

Near San Michele all’Adige, on the right bank of the Adige River, a wide plain unfolds beneath the mountains: its name is Campo Rotaliano. This is where the Teroldego, one of the country’s best grapes, thrives. It is no coincidence that this striking landscape marks the linguistic and cultural boundary between the Tyrol and Trentino, between north and south - an invisible border, yet nevertheless a border. The Noce valley, Campo Rotaliano with the towns of Mezzolombardo and Mezzocorona, has seen tribes and rulers come and go – Rhaeto-Etruscan settlers, the Romans, Celts, Longobards, Franks, Tyroleans, Austrians, Bavarians and Italians. Whether conquerors or settlers, traders or mercenaries, all have left their mark at this crossroads where valleys, rivers and mountain ranges converge and diverge.

Campo Rotaliano offers the opportunity of discovering a grape variety that has been cultivated for centuries in a context rich in contrasts and history. Always exceptional, Teroldego has for long been considered a grape of unique character giving wines with “the body and robustness of a Bordeaux”, being “somewhat rougher” and possessing “strong varietal attributes” and “a little acidity”. These are words used to describe it by a 19th-century wine connoisseur. The Teroldego grape is medium-sized and deep in colour. Its vines need rigorous pruning. Depending on the year and the weather, the grapes ripen relatively early.

The first written document in which Teroldego is mentioned by name is dated 1383, when one Nicolò da Povo undertook to give a certain Agnes, who lent him money, a ‘tun’ (around 250 gallons) of Teroldego by way of interest. Between the 14th and 17th centuries, Teroldego was grown between Campo Rotaliano and Rovereto. It is spoken of in 16th-century Mezzolombardo when it gained a foothold in Campo Rotaliano. Elsewhere its use has waned.

Time and again the “great potential” of this wine is cited. It has even proven its robustness to oidium (1890) and phylloxera (1912). Today’s area of cultivation is quite small, amounting to only about 400 hectares, 73 per cent of which yields DOC wines. The Campo Rotaliano vineyard has been divided up in the course of time into many small plots, all of which are cultivated with great care, since the land was scarce and hence precious.

Of course, any attempt at forcing this process and any imbalance in the vineyard leads to a breach in the bond linking a grape variety to a territory. Easy and seemingly effective “technologies” increase the distance between the vineyard and hence the wine from its identity and its originality.

These are the inspiring principles of Elisabetta Foradori’s work in her vineyards. The climate and soil are elements that cannot be modified, while the work of man can lead to deep changes in the grapevine. Clonal selection in the 1970s led to the homogenisation of the Teroldego grape variety and hence to its genetic impoverishment: very few clones aimed exclusively at increasing the yield were developed. The limited area cultivated with Teroldego grapes (about 400 ha in Campo Rotaliano) was soon covered completely with the clonal material. The result is that today almost all of the vineyards are cultivated with only this variety of Teroldego. In 1985 Elisabetta Foradori started her work to recover the variety’s diversity. After identifying the estate’s oldest vineyard, she started with the careful selection and multiplication of the plant specimens that had the required quality features. Their monitoring over the years led to a further selection and it was followed by others reaching up to this day. Foradori has selected 15 Teroldego biotypes that she uses for replanting. They are the qualitative “backbone” of her wines.

Ensuring a vineyard’s utmost diversity is the best possible guarantee of obtaining great qualitative results. This is the idea behind all of the work that follows in the vineyard, aimed at reaching the variety’s perfect balance thus allowing it to express itself in full and exalt its whole potential and uniqueness.

There are two distinct levels of quality that Elisabetta Foradori has aimed at producing from Teroldego: the first is the ‘Foradori’, marked by the purity, dignity and intensity of the fruit. Soft yet penetrating its sweetness is backed by a supporting acidity that weaves elegantly amongst the fruit. The second, called ‘Granato’ is a wine of greater strength, harmony, depth and nobility. Deep, almost shy on the first nose, it reveals itself as the aromas come into focus: wild berries and candied fruit make way for roasted hazelnuts, baked bread, leather, eucalyptus and pomegranate, then the full robust palate shows plenty of temptingly chewy flesh.

The vines are cultivated on different terroirs (varying quantities of pebbles and gravel), with different exposures and with differing quality potential. Despite the area being quite small, Campo Rotaliano offers a great variety of soils at a distance of just a few hundreds of metres. Another element that distinguishes these two wines is the age of the vines, the planting density and the grape yield per vine. The grapes are vinified separately, plot by plot, and only after ageing in wood are the wines from different parcels of vines blended to obtain an ideal balance.

Grape Variety: Sercial

Colour: White

Often called “The dog choker” for acidity so high that it would choke a dog, the Sercial is a Portuguese varietal that has long been a part of the production of the fortified wine Madeira. Grown on both the mainland (as Cerceal and Esgana Cão) and on the island of Madeira, the name Sercial is used more to denote the lighest and driest style of Madeira, of which most comes from the Sercial varietal. Madeiras in general can often take decades to reach maturity and the Sercial can require an even longer period of time. Those lucky enough to find Madeiras dating back to the turn of the 20th century (or even further back) will be treated to an intense and sublime concoction that combines the best attributes of Sherry and Tawny Port along with a vein of acidity and an impossibly long finish. Already oxidized, Madeira can be opened and recorked without fear of damaging the wine.

The Vin de Laurence from Mas de Daumas Gassac is an extraordinary vin de liqueur made from a double fermentation of under-ripe Sercial with Muscat à Petits Grains (these grapes are harvested in October when roasted and shrivelled). Yields are a severe 10hl/ha.  It is amber in colour and tastes of cooked oranges, sweet apricots and cloves with a hint of garrigue honey. Superb!

Grape Variety: Macabeu

Colour: White

Long established in Roussillon, Macabeu, or Maccabéo, is a varietal of Catalan origin (some say that it is originally from Asia Minor).It is a vigorous vine, whose branches break in the wind, which is sensitive to drought (it doesn’t suit dry soils) and doesn’t like fertile and wet plains where its large, compact bunches rot easily. Its ideal soil is on slopes, not too stony, hot, well-drained and not too rich. That is undoubtedly the reason why it is quite widespread in the Agly valley. Late maturing and quite fertile, Macabeu is susceptible to powdery mildew. Its grapes are of average size, with a strong skin, and a light green colour, very sweet, with a sophisticated and delicate taste. The grapes are harvested in early September for the dry wines and carefully made into an original, colourful, quite full-bodied, delicate dry white wine with quite subtle aromas and a nose of ripe fruits. When it is mature, its high alcohol content lends a full-bodied quality to some blends of red wines. In red Vins Doux Naturels, it is a secondary but important varietal. In white Vins Doux Naturels, it is the main grape. When aged, mostly associated with Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc, its qualities are accentuated and it almost miraculously produces delicate and complex aromas that are truly phenomenal.

The wines from this region obtain their unique flavour, texture and vibrancy from permeable soils - crumbly schists, gneiss, the odd vein of white quartz – and the ubiquitous garrigue.

Marjorie Gallet’s Roc des Anges Vin de Pays des Pyrenees-Orientales Vieilles Vignes (the name is a mouthful, so is the wine), from seventy year old vines grown on quartz soils, is a brilliant tender white with a rich yet delicate palate of quince and spiced pear backed by mineral intensity.

Olivier Pithon uses Macabeo in his Cotes du Roussillon Blanc, Cuvee Lais (50% of the blend with Grenache Gris). Floral aromas of vine blossom cascade out of the glass, mango, pink grapefruit and citrus arc across the palate allied to the hint of wild herbs. A vinous wine with excellent balance and superb length. His D 18 comes from yields as low as 10hl/ha. Aged in old foudres it is an extraordinary wine exuding apples, almonds, and honeysuckle, slightly sherry aromas whilst on the palate notes of and fennel, olive and dried fruit.

Macabeo is also the most widely cultivated white variety in northern Spain and the most important white grape in the Rioja region, where it’s called Viura. It’s because of Macabeo’s higher yields (and not the quality of its wines) that this variety is pushing out the more traditional white grapes used in Rioja white wines such as Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca. Macabeo-based wines are generally light high in acidity, slightly floral and fairly fruity. Macabeo is often blended with Xarel-lo and Parellada to make sparkling wines, particularly Cava.

These rich wines would work well with pork or rabbit dishes as well as meaty fish or shellfish such as hake or scallops.

Grape Variety: Ortruga

Colour: White

White wine grape found in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Used to make a light, dry or sweet wine varietal/blend usually drunk when young. Has several synonyms including Altruga, Barbesino and Vernesina.

The Malvasia Bianco Ageno includes a good dollop of Ortruga. The grapes are macerated on the skins with native yeasts for thirty days and, the wine is matured half in stainless steel and half in French barriques. Amber in colour and aromatically redolent of peach, pear and sweet apricot, this is, as Randall Grahm might say, “like Gewurztraminer on acid”. 

Grape Variety: Tinturier

Colour: Red

A tiny element in the Torrette blend (main grape variety Petit Rouge) made by Costantino Charrere at his estate, Les Cretes, in Valle d’Aosta. The wine has a cherry and cranberry nose is medium bodied with red fruit, crisp acid and velvety tannins on the palate. It would be paired with salami, vegetables and cereal based soups, young cheeses, fondue and red and white roasted meat. It is not clear whether this variety is any relation to the teinturier grapes such as Alicante Bouschet, or whether it is an indigenous variety of little-known provenance.

Grape Variety: Refosco

Colour: Red

The red grape that intrigues us here is Terrano or Teran - better known as Refosco. There is plenty of ampelographical spaghetti to unravel. The full moniker of the grape that is most often used to make the finest “Refosco” wines in Friuli is named “Refosco dal Penduncolo Rosso” which means “Refosco with the red stem”. As with so many ancient varieties, however, there has been a considerable amount of both natural mutation and cross-breeding that has left the contemporary Refosco family with several “siblings”. As implied above, Refosco dal Penduncolo Rosso is considered to be the most noble of the varieties, but there are green stemmed versions, as well as a Croatian/Slovenian branch of the family that goes by the name of “Teran” in the former country, and as “Refosk” in the latter. To complicate matters, in many cases, both types of Refosco are planted side by side in the same vineyards. Furthermore, Refosco is cultivated a bit in neighbouring Veneto under the name “Terrano”, and further south in the Romagna region under the name “Cagnina”. And just in case you’re not yet completely confused, the “Mondeuse” variety from the Savoie region in France has been proven to be none other than Refosco, though precisely how and when it arrived there is uncertain.

Refosco dal Penduncolo Rosso seems to have, judging by references made to what is almost surely the same variety, a very long history in Friuli. The earliest references to the variety were made by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder in which he refers to a black-skinned grape with a red stem that produces good wine and which was the favourite wine grape of Livia, Augustus Caesar’s second wife. Later, in an early renaissance work entitled The Annals of Friuli published in 1390 by one Francesco di Manzano, the author also makes reference to a variety that is almost surely RdPR.
Enough grape nerdery. Call it what you will, this Terrano hits all my Marcillac buttons in delivering its refreshing, sappy cargo of wine-plasma. An alluring purple-black colour leads you to sniff a wet-slate, violet-scented nose shot through hints of wild red berries and brambly fruit. The terrific belt of acidity on the palate is reinforced by mineral stoniness akin to melted iron filings (soils in this part of Friuli are very high in iron), red cherry-stone fruit and blackberries. The wine is light-bodied (11.5%) and the acidity washes the mouth beautifully. Bye-bye bottle… It doesn’t really matter what you trough with this. It would be good with lamb or beef stew, anything cooked with duck fat, or a damn fine osso buco. Classic Friulian dishes include Muset co le brovade: boiled spiced gelatinous pork sausages with grated pickled white turnips, or Marcundela, sliced sausage fried in butter, then served with a plate of pasta or an omelette.

Grape Variety: Pinot Blanc

Colour: White

Pinot Bianco, as Jancis Robinson explains, is part of the “vast family of vaguely Burgundian vines whose parents have recently been revealed by DNA analysis to be the noble, dark-skinned Pinot Noir and a rather obscure, ordinary white grape widely planted in Burgundy in mediaeval times, Gouais Blanc. Pinot Blanc’s siblings include Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gamay, Aligoté, Sacy, Auxerrois and the Muscadet grape, Melon de Bourgogne. Of all these grapes, Auxerrois is the most similar to Pinot Blanc - the main difference being Auxerrois’ tendency to ripen even more easily than Pinot Blanc.”

In Alsace, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy and Hungary, the wine produced from this grape is a full-bodied white. In Alsace, where it is used for both still white wines and is the most common variety used for sparkling wine, Crémant d’Alsace. Somewhat confusingly, the designation “Pinot blanc” for Alsace AOC wine does not necessarily mean that the wine is varietally pure Pinot blanc. (This is in difference to Pinot gris, which is a “true” varietal designation in Alsace.) Rather, the designation means that it is a white wine made from Pinot varieties. Under Alsace appellation rules, the varieties Pinot blanc, Auxerrois blanc, Pinot gris and Pinot noir (vinified white, without skin contact) may all be used, but a blend of Pinot blanc and Auxerrois is the most common. The most full-bodied “Pinot blanc” wines from Alsace, with a spicy and smokey character and moderate acidity, are likely dominated by Auxerrois grapes.

Historically, Pinot blanc was used both in Burgundy and Champagne. It is still allowed in the Champagne blend and small amounts of Pinot blanc may in principle be blended into some Burgundy wines, but very small amounts are cultivated in either region. In the Champagne region, Pinot blanc is often called Blanc vrai.

In Collio and Isonzo in Friuli near the border with Slovenia (where it can also produce excellent wines) it seems particularly at home. Here the grape’s natural body and breadth of flavour combines well with the lively raciness that results from the climate and super-clean winemaking methods here and the wines are much in demand from Italians seeking interesting whites, both oaked and unoaked.

The Pinot Blanc from Scherer is dry, fresh and grapey and has aromas redolent of apples and melons. This would go well with trout or chicken. The version from Weingut Niklas, in keeping with the nature of wines from this region, is austere with apricot stone fruit and spiky acidity.

Grape Variety: Tocai Friulano

Colour: White

Sauvignon vert (also known as Sauvignonasse & Friulano) is a white wine grape widely planted in Chile where it was historically mistaken for Sauvignon blanc. The grape is also known as Italian wine grape Tocai Friulano in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

The grape is believed to have originated in the Veneto region and from there travelled to the Friuli region and other Italian wine regions such as Lombardy. In Italy the grape was historically known as Tocai Friulano even though the grape has no known relation any of the grapes used in the Hungarian wine Tokaji even though evidence suggest that following the 17th century wedding of the Venetian princess Aurora Formentini to the Hungarian Count Batthujany that some vines of Tocai Friulano was brought with the princess to Hungary. To better distinguish the wines and to protect the Tokaji name, the European Union established regulations prohibiting the use of names too closely associated and easily confused with Tokaji. Winemakers in the Friuli have elected to just refer to the grape as simply Friulano.

From Italy the grape is believed to have spread to France where it was transported to Chile as “Sauvignon blanc”. Only in the 1990s did ampelographers determine that that the Chilean “Sauvignon blanc” was actually Sauvignon vert. Once the discovery was made, plantings of “true” Sauvignon blanc increased as Sauvignon vert (or Sauvignonasse as it known) decrease.

The flavour of the wine depends on the work done in the vineyard. Tocai can easily be rather blowsy and uninteresting. Dario Princic’s Jakot is anything but. Princic believes in delivering what nature delivers him – here the beautifully ripe, healthy grapes from biodynamically tended vineyards come into the winery (traditional fermentation vessels here) and undergo fermentation with natural yeasts. Punch downs and skin maceration account for the delicate amber colour. The nose is understated – apricot kernels, butternut and warm spice (ginger). The wine is smooth and marrow-like in the mouth edged with wild herbs, beautifully fugitive. Jakot? Tocai – forgivable persiflage. With the Hungarians causing a Furmint about the trademarking of Tokaji this delicious natural wine is a cheeky reminder to those Magyar putzes that you can take away the name but you can’t take away the identity. I can imagine this with a sliver of pecorino or one of those amazing fish soups that you can get in Trieste.

The Friulano from Marega has a fresh bright nose shows lovely fruit and a slight nuttiness. On the palate there’s a lovely freshness to the supple, nicely textured herby fruit.

Grape Variety: Terret Blanc

Colour: White

Terret gris is a white French wine grape planted primarily in the Languedoc. Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) regulations allow the grape to used in white wines from the Corbières AOC, Coteaux du Languedoc AOC and Minervois AOCs. The vine has a very long history in the region and is capable of producing full bodied wines with crisp acidity. Terret blanc is a white mutation of the grape that is less commonly found.

Barral’s white is a blend of Terret Gris and Blanc (80% of the mix) with Viognier and Roussanne making up the rest. The Terret vines are 90 years old, yields are 15hl/ha with a strict triage. Fermentation takes place in cement vats with natural yeasts and a further malolactic in barrels 1/3 new and 2/3s first and second use. No filtration or fining to leave a mark on this intense dry white with its mix of sherry and honey aromatics and incredibly pure citrus-flecked palate. Worth broaching a celebratory lobster or regal turbot for, otherwise carafe it, turn down the lights and let it have its wicked way with you.

Grape Variety: Schioppettino

Colour: Red

Schioppettino is a red wine grape typical variety of the Friuli region (northern-east Italy), native to the zone of Prepotto; cited for the first time in 1282, during the wedding between Rieppi-Caucig and cultivated in the Udine province with the name Sciopp (Pietro di Maniaco, 1823). The original name of this variety was Ribolla Nera, while Schioppettino referred to the wine it produced.

This variety is a late-season ripener; therefore, it needs higher exposures—especially in cooler climates. It has a preference for soils with a good percentage of clay, rich in calcium carbonate and in rock fragments.  In Italy traditional systems are used with medium or wide training systems. The vine is not suitable for training systems designed for complete mechanisation; in fact, it prefers cane pruning.

Wines made from Schioppettino are typically intense dark purplish colour, acidic, quite tannic and with good alcohol. A good wine is traditionally aged in oak to develop intense floral and fruity flavours especially violets, raspberry and blueberry. It is often blended with Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso (another Friulian native variety); Schioppettino is also important for DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli and Isonzo.

Intense in its warm velvety colour and flavour, Bressan’s ruby red Schioppettino presents a full fruity flavour of wild blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries and that typical Friulian rasp. At Le Due Terre in Prepotto Silvana Forte and Flavio Basilicata blend from barrel is made entirely from regional grapes – 60% Schioppettino and the rest Refosco fermented together. Dark ruby in colour, it’s a bit sappy and herbaceous, but pleasantly so, full and ripe with a high-aromatic ripe-cherry flavour.

Schioppettino can be drunk with Friulian classics such as gulasch or gùlas (peppery beef stew), cevàpici (grilled patties of minced pork and beef), rambasici (meat filled cabbage rolls) or bòbici (soup with ham, beans, potatoes, corn kernels.

Grape Variety: Ploussard

Colour: Red

Grown in Jura since the 13th century Poulsard’s names are legion: ploussard, peloussard, pulsard, polozard, mescle dans l’Ain. What an enchanting oddity! Such colour – pale colour with flickering orange, a mad bouquet with plenty of sous-bois and fruits (cherries and strawberries) in eaux de vie. A silk ‘n’ spice trail in the mouth: redcurrants, bilberries and rhubarb tied up with liquorice shoelaces.

In the quiet village of Pupillin just north of Arbois is a sign beside the road that proudly announces: World Capital of Ploussard”. It was vigneron Pierre Overnoy who established the unyielding purist precept that wines should be made without the addition of sulphur. Pierre’s father originally made zero-sulphur wine, but Pierre, who did his internship in Burgundy, experimented with it, until tasting the difference between his father’s wines and his own convinced him that the zero-sulphur wine had a finer aroma.

The vines and the cellar are now in the hands of Pierre Overnoy’s protégé, Emmanuel Houillon, who fully espouses the philosophy of his mentor. Without sulphur the quality of the grapes has to be exceptional; everything in the vineyard is done totally organically, yields are never more than 35hl/ha and Houillon turns the top six inches of soil, cutting the surface roots and thus depriving the plant’s of the topsoil’s potassium which otherwise combines with tartaric acid and lowers their acidity. In the cellars the selected grapes undergo a semi-carbonic maceration in a covered vessel, with CO2 added at the start before the fermentation supplies its own. To keep the bacteria from multiplying, the temperature is held to about 8C for about ten days of maceration. Then the temperature is allowed to rise and fermentation begins.

Houillon is opposed to adding anything to the wine. No new oak barrels influence the taste – some of the barrels in use are a century old. Before bottling, the wines are neither filtered nor fined and they retain a lot of CO2, which has an antioxidant effect and helps to convey aroma. The maceration and fermentation give little colour to the Ploussard, with its fine skin. Houillon’s pale, exceptionally light and piercingly fresh red is filled with flavours of morello cherry, redcurrants, wild strawberry and quince, a study in deliciousness, the avatar of purity. Wines such as these have an evanescent quality: they are unpredictable, variable, even fragile.

Ploussard should be served lightly chilled and drunk with game such as pheasant or partridge or with soft cheeses. It has surprising ageing potential.

Grape Variety: Pinot Meunier

Colour: Red

Pinot Meunier, like Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, is one of the many mutations of Pinot Noir. The name comes from the appearance of its leaf undersides, which look as though they’ve been dusted with flour (meunier is French for “miller"). It is also simply called Meunier in France. In Germany, it is known as Müllerrebe (miller grape) and also Schwarzriesling.

The home turf for Meunier is the region of Champagne. Its value there is due to the fact that it buds later and ripens earlier than Pinot Noir. Pinot Meunier thusly avoid damage from early spring frosts or from coulure and can be more reliably productive than either Pinot Noir or Chardonnay in this regard.

Pinot Meunier has a slightly higher natural acidity than Pinot Noir and gives some brightness and fruitiness to Champagne blends. It is, on the other hand, lower in color and tannin than Pinot Noir and wines that use Meunier in their blend are not as long-lived. This also keeps it from being a candidate for wide use as a varietal red wine, although some is used in some areas of France for rosé.

A little Meunier is planted in Australia, where it occasionally does appear as a varietal red, and also in California, used mostly as a component in sparkling wines.

Grape Variety: Malbec

Colour: Red

One of the traditional “Bordeaux varietals”, Malbec has characteristics that fall somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A midseason ripener, it can bring very deep colour, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends.

Outside Bordeaux it is known as Côt and, in Cahors, also as Auxerrois. There are in fact hundreds of local synonyms, since Malbec at one time was widely planted in nearly every area of France. Sensitivity to frost and proclivity to shatter or coulure are the primary reasons Malbec has become a decreasing factor in most of France. Although plantings in the Medoc have decreased by over two-thirds since the mid-twentieth century, Malbec is now the dominant red varietal in the Cahors area. The Appellation Controlée regulations for Cahors require a minimum content of 70%.

With their Chateau du Cedre wines the Verhaeghes aim for softness, richness and harmony through gentle extraction by long vattings and limited pigeage, malolactic fermentation and sensible use of oak Le Cedre has fabulous colour, almost impenetrably dark with glossy purple tints. With its thick cassis aromas and wild raspberry fruit this is a meal in itself and should be eaten with great reverence and a long spoon.  Jean-Luc Baldes makes wines radically different to Chateau du Cèdre, for the wines are austere and very mineral, requiring several years to soften. The emphasis on terroir is exemplified most purely in the Clos Triguedina which is aged in large old oak casks for twelve to eighteen months. The flavours are fabulous. Black cherry, figs in spirit, menthol, eucalyptus, but most dominant are the smells of dry hay and earl grey tea. One could invade Argentina with these aromas. The wine has the rasping digestibility of terroir. More authentic still is Jean Jouffreau’s Clos de Gamot. The straight Cahors is liquorice on a stick and a terrific peppery grip. The Cuvée Centenaire is made only in exceptional years: it is from one hundred year old vines. Don’t expect to be blown away by power – this wine describes subtlety and understatement. It is just on the mark, with a delicate whiff of rose-petal (interestingly Jouffreau plants roses at the end of each row of vines – it keeps off the mildew apparently) and a gentle palate of soft currant. You can most taste the wisdom of centuries.

Cot is popular in the Loire. Thierry Puzelat makes a wine called In Cot We Trust, an unabashed hymn to the naked varietial, for this is Malbec sauvage, sans filtration and sans sulphur. Bacon fat, marmite and leather, smoked meat – this wine wears its guts for garters. Puzelat has, not unnaturally, been described as the “Pope of unsulphured wine”. Well, we’re glad he believes in the living Cot.

Malbec truly comes into its own in Argentina, where it is one of the major red varietals planted. Much of the Malbec vines there were transplanted from Europe prior to the outbreak of phylloxera and most is therefore ungrafted, planted on their own roots. Sadly, over the years, phylloxera has infested Argentina, too, and vineyards are now being replanted on resistant rootstock.

Argentines often spell it “Malbeck” and make wines from it that similar in flavour to those made in Europe, but with softer, lusher structure, more like New World Merlot. Successful Argentine Malbec growers claim that, in order to develop full maturity and distinction, Malbec needs “hang time” even after sugar levels indicate ripeness. Otherwise, immature Malbec can be very “green” tasting, without its characteristic notes of plum and anise. With hefty alcohol levels, deliberately high extraction and sweetness these wines are more impressive than drinkable. Michel Rolland has done much in an advisory capacity to persuade growers to tone down the power and look for lifted fruit flavours.

Malbec is also planted in Chile, and there’s relatively little and recent acreage in California and Australia. It is usually blended with other red varietals in these countries.

Grape Variety: Nero d’Avola

Colour: Red

“The Black Grape of Avola” appears to have been selected by growers near Avola (a small town in south east Sicily) several hundred years ago. Initially, it was confined to the southern tip of the island but more recently has spread throughout the island; however, its best samples are still produced in this part of Sicily due to excellent climate and soils.

Scurati from Ceuso in Alcamo is made up from 100% Nero d’Avola. Maceration is on the skins for 12-14 days at a controlled temperature of 28 degrees centigrade in stainless steel tanks. After a total malolactic fermentation the wine is aged for a further six months in cement vats.  The wine is very clean in nature and tastes of plum and black berries and a velvety chocolate finish.  The wine would go well with grilled vegetables and even better with lighter meats or try Maccu, broad beans sometimes eaten with wild chicory, sometimes with roasted tomatoes, fried peppers and broccoli and served as a thick soup.

The dense colour of the Ceuso Custera predicts the super-concentration it provides on the palate, a grande vino in size and scope. Spiciness begins in the aroma, where the fruit mingles with scents of woody green herbs (such as the rosemary for the roast lamb you might serve with this glamorous red). Then that spiciness builds across the palate, carried on a wave of plush red fruit and deep-toned tannins. Through the finish, the full-bore spiciness goes on and on. Superb elegance for its size; this blend of Nero d’Avola, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is supple and extravagantly black. The wine is a plush mouthful of sweetly ripe fruit and ferrous tannins, filled out with toasted oak. 

Grape Variety: Prugnolo Gentile

Colour: Red

One of many synonyms of Sangiovese or, to be more precise, the Prugnolo (plummy) and Gentile (local name for Sangiovese), this one being the local name used in the town of Montepulciano. The great wines of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano can be some of the better examples of Sangiovese in the world and can take well to extensive bottle aging.

Innocente Vino Nobile is ruby red in colour tending towards garnet with age. It is a dense, spicy wine with cinnamon, plums and tea flavours finishing dry and slightly tannic with a delicate scent of violets. Perfect with steak, preferably bistecca alla fiorentina, grilled with olive oil and salt. The Riserva version is almost mahogany in colour with flavours of cooked fruits and dried tobacco secondary aromas.

Grape Variety: Touriga Nacional

Colour: Red

Touriga Nacional’s poor yields mean that it represents a tiny part of the wine production in the Douro, but plays a major part in the blends of the best ports.

The variety is increasingly being used for unfortified red wine in the Douro and in the Dão. In the latter, it is known simply as Touriga, and it must comprise at least 20% of Dão blends.

In the Douro it is grown in searing heat on steep schistous vineyards that are more rock than soil. The alternative name of Mortágua pays tribute to these harsh conditions. It is usually trained under one of the Guyot systems, and needs severe pruning to keep it under control. In contrast, the vine produces just a few bunches of blue-black grapes which vary in size from ‘small’ to ‘tiny’. Thus yields are among the lowest of any commercial grape variety.

The berries of Touriga Nacional have a high skin to pulp ratio which heightens the amount of extract in the wines. The grapes can produce intense, very aromatic wines with high tannin content.
Touriga’s most obvious characteristic is its extraordinarily bold nose of violets. It is high in ionones, volatile chemicals which give this particular smell. The fruit character is also intense: black berries, blueberries, almost liqueur-like. An agreeable backdrop of spice manifests itself in notes of cocoa and pepper. There is often a hint of bitterness. The positive side is that the tannins tend to be very fine, graphite-like, and the interplay between acid and tannin with this grape, allows wines that are powerful but also fresh and alive.

Quinta da Vegia has 20 ha of vineyard planted to Touriga Nacional, Aragonês (the local clone of Tempranillo) and Trincadeira Preta. Porta Fronha is their unoaked cuvée, bursting with crunchy red berry fruit, plus food-friendly earthy and spicy notes. Deep, bright red. Spicy, almost saline aromas of fresh red berries, plums and cherry skin. Lively and sweet, the red fruit qualities showing striking purity and focus. Really delicious wine with impressive lift and energy to the finish, which leaves a strong impression of pure, fresh strawberry and raspberry fruit.

Grape Variety: Schiava

Colour: Red

A red-wine grape thought to be native to Italy’s Alto-Adige region, where it’s extensively grown. It’s also widely cultivated in neighbouring Trentino. These regions are heavily populated with German-speaking citizens who call this grape Vernatsch.The variety is first mentioned under that name in fourteenth century documents, for example, Martin Luther drank it according to a report of the papal legate Alexander around 1520. Not sure whether any meistersingers have written deathless folk songs about it. During Mussolini’s time, a commission was appointed to judge the country’s best wines and, in 1941, they placed Santa Maddalena in the front rank alongside Barolo and Barbaresco. Considering the high esteem that the latter two wines generally enjoy, and the relative obscurity of Santa Maddalena today, this represents a jarring change in taste. Schiava is a relatively pale-skinned grape and its high acidity gives the Sankt Magdalener a biting bitter cherry freshness.This variety generally produces light-coloured, fruity wines that are low in acidity, tannin and alcohol and should therefore be drunk young. There are several varieties of Schiava: Schiava Grossa (in German, Grossvernatsch), which is the most common; Schiava Grigia (or Grauvernatsch), which is more difficult to grow but produces better wines; and the low-yielding Schiava Gentile (also called Kleinvernatsch and Mitter¬vernatsch). Another clone called Tschaggel (or Tschaggelevernatsch) produces good wines but isn’t widely planted because it’s an inconsistent ripener. The best Schiava-based wines come from the DOCs Lago di Caldaro (Kalterersee, in German) and Santa Maddalena (or St. Magdalener). This variety is also cultivated in Germany’s Wurtemburg region where it’s called Trollinger.
Served Schiava-based wines chilled with a plate of chunky blood sausage.

Grape Variety: Negroamaro

Colour: Red

Negroamaro, also Negro amaro, is a red wine grape variety native to southern Italy. It is grown almost exclusively in Puglia and particularly in Salento, the peninsula also known as the “heel” of Italy. The grape can indeed produce wines very deep in colour. Wines made from Negroamaro tend to be very rustic in character, combining perfume with an earthy bitterness. The grape produces some of the best red wines of Puglia, particularly when blended with the highly scented Malvasia Nera, as in the case of Salice Salentino. Although amaro is the Italian for ‘bitter’, the name is thought to derive from two words meaning ‘black’: the Latin ‘negro’ and the ancient Greek ‘maru’.

We list a varietal Negromaro and a Salice but they are in the price bracket where winemaking smooths the savage grape variety

Try with pizza laden with chunky spicy sausage.

Grape Variety: Mayolet

Colour: Red

The first notes related to this vine date back to the 18th century. In addition as being part of sub-denomination blends of the DOC Vallée d’Aoste, the grape has been awarded a vine sub-denomination of its own as well. The wine is ruby red in colour with garnet highlights, delicate, fine scent, good alcohol content, delicate flavour with bitterish aftertaste.

Cantina di Barro, situated on the Monte Torrette, make a delicious 100% version of this grape. Lovely ruby red colour, deep cherry, rosehip and blueberry fruits on the nose, appealingly fresh in the mouth with good development, lively finish. Imagine a Fleurie with more grip and personality. This would go perfectly with the local carbonnade or a hearty pork and bean stew. Mayolet also insinuates itself into the Torrette wines as a minor component; Petit Rouge is the main grape here.

Grape Variety: Nerello Mascalese

Colour: Red

Pleasantly earthy and flowery, with hints of tobacco and notable tannin content, the Nerello Mascalese is the best known of the Nerello varieties and the most versatile. Often a major component of DOC Etna Rosso, the Nerello Mascalese also lends itself well as an addition to aged varietals, adding a spicy, lively element.

Grape Variety: Menu Pineau

Colour: White

The producers of Menu Pineau, a typical white variety of this region, can be counted on the fingers of one hand and number Claude Courtois, Julien’s father, and the Puzelats. The variety is also locally known as Arbois and Verdet as the grapes on certain vine remain green even at full maturity. Judged as poor in quality and less modish than Sauvignon it is not planted any more, surviving purely thanks to certain local sweet wines where it forms a minor part of the blend. In Julien Courtois Originel Blanc it responds well to the extremely low yields (20 hl/ha), a third of the average for this admittedly rare variety. The specific terroir – silica and flint over clay and flint – linked to the upbringing of the wine (twelve months in barriques) confers a great deal of complexity to the final wine. A silky ensemble, both racy and powerful with ripe fruits on top of secondary aromatics of menthol, gentiane and butter and churned cheese. Carafe this wine two hours before drinking. When you drink it the following thoughts will trickle into your mind. Is it oxidised and is the wine meant to taste like this? Stop analysing, start enjoying.

I describe this as “like Chenin on acid” (man) because I pick up many of that grape’s signature aromas: wax, hay, marzipan and ripe cheese. The palate has a surprise bite of nervous acidity which brings all the aromas and flavours into clear focus. Someone at the France Under One Roof tasting observed that it reminded them an apple tarte tartin (an upside down one, surely?). Or to give it an alliterative skip how about “liquid tart tarte tatin”? Like all interesting wines this Originel changes in the glass. Bring on the Brie de Meaux!

Grape Variety: Garnacha Blanca

Colour: White

Grenache Blanc is a major variety in its own right, particularly in France, where it is an important component of many white wines from the Rhône. It is often blended with Roussanne.

Native to northeast Spain, Grenache Blanc is planted throughout the French and Spanish Mediterranean basin, most prevalently on either side of the Pyrenees. Though the vine’s acreage in the two countries is roughly the same, it is apparently France’s third most important white variety but only Spain’s ninth.

The vine is hardy, easily-cultivated, vigorous and resistant to coulure, or the failure of the flowers to develop into berries. It thrives in hot, arid, windy conditions on rocky soils but in this environment is threatened by a naturally low acidity. When yield is intelligently restricted, the fruit offers abundant fruit extract and alcohol but oxidizes easily. Properly vinified at low temperatures and without malolactic fermentation, it yields an attractive, fleshy, generously fruity wine with a fragrance of flowers and dill.

In both the French D.O.C. and Spanish D.O. appellations where it is present, Grenache Blanc is part of a blend with other grape varieties. In France, it contributes significantly to white Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes-du-Rhône, and to a minor extent in the red versions of these wines and Tavel Rosé. In Spain, it is an important component of the white wines of Navarra and Aragón and also contributes to the blends of Priorato and Alella

Grenache Blanc is significant constituent of the white wines from Chateau Mourgues du Gres. Galets Dores sees it twinned with Roussanne sur lie. The Grenache vineyards are on slopes and terraces (grès is sandstone) interspersed with loose white pebbles called Galets which reflect the heat back onto the vines. Northern exposition provides a cooler microclimate tofor the vine to flourish in. Traditional vinification in stainless steel allowing expression of the grape and the terroir. The wine is a lovely mixture of fruit and freshness with lemon citrus notes, white flowers and a touch of exotic fruit (grapefruit). Possible food soul-mates would be crayfish in a bouillon sauce, grilled sardines, veal with peaches, pork with pineapple, Cantal, goat’s cheese.The Terres d’Argence cuvée has less Grenache, more Roussanne and some Viognier. This is a beautiful combination, the different varieties harmonising to produce a complex wine with superb finesse. Ample and generous with aromatic fruit displaying limeflower and apricots, full in the mouth with clean minerality. Long finish. Scallops, blanquette de veau with girolles, goat’s cheese with honey are on the menu du jour.

Chateauneuf Blanc, Clos Saint Michel is Grenache Blanc with Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne. Lovely vermouth nose, also notes of beeswax, apricot and pear; it is full-flavoured yet subtle with floral tones, gently waxy fruit and herbs (fennel). The grape appears throughout the Southern Rhone and the Languedoc and is particularly prominent in the Roussillon. Olivier Pithon’s Cuvee Lais (named after a jersey cow) is Macabeu, Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc grown on schist-scarped soils from yields as low as 15hl/ha. Mango, pink grapefruit and citrus arc across the palate allied to the hint of wild herbs within a yogurty texture. La “D 18”, named poetically after the little road that winds next to the tiny vineyard, twins Grenache Blanc with Grenache Gris. The wines are raised in a mixture of new, one and two year old barrels as well as some demi-muids. “Grenaches particuliers pour Elevage particulier pour Reflexion Particulière pour Boisson particulière sur Route Particulière donc Plaisir particulier.” We think you’ll agree with those sentiments, particularly. Extraordinary wine – apples, almonds, and honeysuckle, slightly sherry aromas, on the palate notes of fennel.

Artesano Blanco, from the schist and slate soils of Terra Alta, is a blend of Garnacha Blanca and Macabeu. It is straw-yellow with aromas of pineapple, grapefruit and crystallised lime, full-bodied on the palate with a good leesy cut of pickled ginger and white pepper. As the wine warms in the glass the citrus flavours are replaced by sweet fig and melon.

Grenache Blanc can also make excellent sweet fortified wines. Grand Roussillon from Chateau de Jau is an exotic orange coloured, tangerine marmalade-flavoured wine made from late-harvested Grenache Blanc and fermented in open-topped containers.  Vieux Rivesaltes VDN, Gérard Bertrand is a russet-coloured, aromas of gentian, candied citrus, plum spirit, roasted hazelnuts and walnuts, gingerbread, caramel and brown tobacco with a nifty nip of acidity to help the medicine go down. Drink with macerated fruits or cheeses or collapse, if you must, into your favourite armchair with a stogie, and wreath yourself in plumes of smoke and smiles.

Grape Variety: Negrette

Colour: Red

The unique Négrette grape grows in the Fronton area (near Toulouse) in South West France. The story is that the Knights Templar brought the vines back from Cyprus almost 900 hundred years ago and called it Négrette because of its dark skin. Fronton is one of the oldest vineyards in France. It was the Romans who planted the first vines on the terraces overlooking the Tarn Valley. But it was only in the 12th century that the Négrette appeared, the variety which was to write Fronton’s history.

At this time, the vines belonged to the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. They were the ones who, on one of their crusades, discovered and brought back a local grape from Cyprus, the Mavro (which means black in Greek), out of which the Cypriots used to make a wine to “ increase their valour.” The Knights introduced this grape to their commanderies in the Occident, including that of Fronton. Over the years, the Mavro became the Négrette and is the origin of the typicity of Fronton wines, the only area in France where this variety has become perfectly and durably acclimatised.

When Calisstus II, 160th Pope after St Peter, came to consecrate the church in Fronton on 19th July 1191, he was so enthusiastic about the wine that he demanded that its praises be sung on parchment.

Much later, the two neighbouring parishes of Fronton and Villaudric quarrelled over the supremacy of their soils. The story goes that in 1621, during the siege of Montauban, Louis XIII and Richelieu, having each taken quarters in one of the two towns, sent each other a gift of the respective wines.

Négrette makes good quick-maturing wines, quite low in acidity, but with a pronounced and particular flavour of almonds, white pepper, cherries, rhubarb and liquorice. The wines are given structure by the addition of Syrah, the Cabernets and Gamay in various quantities. The wines reflect their terroir: the soil is poor, a red stone called rouget with a base of iron and quartz; you can sense their earthy digestibility, and taste the significant concentration of minerals.

The classic style of Fronton wines from Chateau Le Roc and Chateau Plaisance would be very pleasant lightly chilled. Reserve styles are also made with different blends and more tannic structure.

Grape Variety: Melon de Bourgogne

Colour: White

One of the unusual features of Muscadet, according to the Hachette Guide, is that it is not named after a geographical or historical area, but that the name probably dates from the Middle Ages when Muscat grapes from Cyprus acquired a reputation at feudal courts. After the great frost of 1709 the vineyard was replanted with a Burgundian grape variety, Melon.

Lees are the deposit or sediment left at the bottom of the tank after the wine has fermented. Although the gross, or coarse, lees are eliminated, many Muscadet producers choose to leave the wines on the fine lees to impart aromatic substance and richness to the wines. The sur lie designation contrary to supposition is not given solely to rude French producers, but to Muscadets that have been kept on the lees for more than four months and have not been racked or filtered prior to bottling – which takes place before the last day in June in the year following the vintage.

Pierre Luneau studied with the renowned Emile Peynaud and Ribereau-Gayon and has been making superb Muscadet for as long as we can remember. He keeps a variety of thoroughbred Muscadets in his stable and on his table, terroir differentiation being the name of the game. The vines may be grown on sands and gravel, on granite and gneiss mica, schist or volcanic gabbro, but the mineral, salty nuances are always present and the capacity to age built into the steely structure of the wines. Derivations aside there are few grapes less melony than the variety of the Pays Nantais (don’t forget Gros Plant! I will). Long derided as soapy mouthswill Muscadet has now regained favour with its delicious, crunchy, green-tinged, leesy character.

Oyster, oyster on the tray
Begging for un coup de Muscadet

The answer, my friend, is stirring on the lees, a process that converts green wine into something fully nourished.

Pierre Luneau Papin, as we have mentioned, is one of the apostles of fine Muscadet and makes the Melon variety jump through hoops. His baby of the litter, Domaine du Verger, is properly salty, yet you cannot dismiss it too easily. A far cry from la lavasse served up in so many wine bars. Texturally it lingers on the palate. Next up is the Clos des Allees, a single vineyard, hand-harvested wine from old vines grown as schistous soils, a maceration pelliculaire Muscadet of great depth and focused minerality. Luneau-cy abounds when you taste one of his late release old vintages (under the L d’Or de Luneau label). These are special wines - from a selected terroir of granitic micas - with phenomenal purity, length and elegance. Their development is not unlike a (good) premier cru Chablis – give them 10 years minimum before popping the cork. Finally, consider Muscadet, Clos de Noelles, otherwise known as Excelsior, or Muscadet in Excelsis, a honeydew amongst melons, an example of the relatively new Cru Communale, from vines grown on a designated terroir and aged for a minimum of 24months on the lees. Almost floral with honey-and-yeast notes of sweet brioche it has creamy texture on the palate, a rich smokiness and exceptional length. The poet Andrew Marvell wrote “Stumbling on melons, as I pass…” ” We warrant he never stumbled across a melon like this!

Grape Variety: Zinfandel

Colour: Red

Not the last grape in the alphabet (that special honour belongs to the Austrian Zweigelt grape), however, my fellow Americans, blessed by God, under one flag, one nation, indivisible, this is your one native grape variety. It comes in two incarnations: vile blush and the big rich bastard who lives on the hill. DNA fingerprinting suggests that Zinfandel is the same as the artery-hardening-to-pronounce Crljenak Kastelanski, a little known Croatian grape variety. Whatever. Capable of producing fine wines in the right hands (Paul Draper, Helen Turley and John Williams), when yields are low, otherwise can be hot and stewed. The taste of the red wine depends on the ripeness of the grapes from which it is made. Red berry fruits like raspberry predominate in wines from cooler areas, whereas blackberry, anise and pepper notes are more common in wines made in warmer areas and in wines made from the earlier-ripening Primitivo clone.

Our token example appears in a wine called Meditrina by Sokol Blosser where it is blended with Pinot Noir and Syrah.

As Byron almost said, sometimes zin’s a pleasure. Described by one wine writer as the Harley Davidson of grape varieties, I would say more like Jim Davidson.

Grape Variety: Roussanne

Colour: White

It is likely that Roussanne originated in the northern Rhône where it is today an important component in the wines of Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and the Saint-Péray AOC where it is used for both still and sparkling wine production. In recent years plantings of Roussanne have declined as Marsanne gains more of a foothold in the northern Rhône due to its high productivity and ease in cultivation. In the southern Rhône, Roussanne is a primary component in the white wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape where it can compose as much as 80-100% of the wine. It can also be found in some white wines from the Côtes du Rhône AOC. Outside of the Rhône, the Roussanne is grown in Provence and the Languedoc-Roussillon région where it is sometimes blended with Chardonnay, Marsanne and Vermentino in some vin de pays. In Savoie, the grape is known as Bergeron where it produces highly aromatic wines in Chignin.

The grape prefers a long growing season but should be harvested before the potential alcohol reaches 14% which would result in the finished wine being out of balance. If picked too soon, Roussanne can suffer from high acidity. Having said that this quality makes it a desirable partner for blending with low acid grapes such as Viognier and Marsanne. During winemaking, Roussanne is prone to oxidation without care taken by the winemaker. The wine can benefit from a controlled use of oak. In blends, Roussanne adds aromatics, elegance and acidity with the potential to age and further develop in the bottle.

Wines made from Roussanne are characterised by their intense aromatics which can include notes of herbal tea. In its youth it shows more floral, herbal and fruit notes, such as pears that become more nutty as the wine ages. Roussannes from the Savoie region are marked by their pepper and herbal notes. Oz Clarke notes that Roussanne wine and Roussanne-dominated blends can drink very well in first 3 to 4 years of their youth before entering a “dumb phase” where the wine is closed aromatically until the wine reaches 7 or 8 years when the wine develops more complexity and depth. The Roussanne Vieilles Vignes from Chateau Beaucastel is surely one of the finest au naturel examples of this variety and the white Hermitage are brilliant, unusual and ageworthy wines.

Corbières Blanc from Ollieux-Romanis is blended with Marsanne. Golden yellow, aromas of honey, French toast and cinnamon, exotic fruits on the palate, sweet spices and toast from the oak. The Domaine Mourgues du Gres Terres d’Argence Blanc is ample and generous with aromatic fruit. Limeflower and apricots, full in the mouth with surprisingly clean minerality, whilst the Cotes du Ventoux Persia, Domaine de Fondreche is another exotic full-bodied white exhibiting rich aromas of seasoned oak, gingerbread, acacia honey, marzipan and spiced melon. Open several hours before serving and decant.

A terrific example of Roussanne is the part it plays in the blend with Viognier in the white Ardeche from Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet. The merest whiff of honeysuckle is soon overtaken by profound aromas of straw, fennel, butter and yeast. The wine has notably low sulphur levels and conveys an attractive earthiness.

One might drink Roussanne and Roussanne blends with grilled turbot or plaice, although the wines would be equally attractive with crustacea.

Grape Variety: Nebbiolo

Colour: Red

The grape is thought to derive its name from the Piedmontese word nebbia which means “fog.” During harvest, generally in late October, a deep, intense fog (or smog) sets into the Langhe region, where Nebbiolo thrives. An alternative (and maybe closer to truth) traditional explanation refers to the white milky veil that forms over the fruits as they reach maturity.

Its history is believed to start in the 13th century, and it was cultivated since the 14th Century in Valtellina, an east-west valley in the Lombardy region at the foot of the Alps, north of Lake Como. Yet, the first clear written references to this grape date back to the 19th century. Until now Valtellina is the only region where Nebbiolo is grown in Italy outside Piedmont, along with the Aosta Valley.

The grape is used to make wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara and Ghemme. These lightly coloured red wines can be massively tannic in youth with intriguing scents of tar and roses. As they age, the wines take on a characteristic brick-orange hue at the rim of the glass and mature to reveal complex aromas and flavours (violets, tar, wild herbs, cherries, raspberries, truffles, tobacco, prunes). These wines often take years to become approachable as they require ageing to tame the tannins from the grapes. As part of a global trend begun in the 1990s, younger producers have sought to make their wines more approachable in their youth. Others have begun to use new barriques to smooth the tough skin of the savage beast.

Nebbiolo is also known as Spanna (in the province of Novara), Picutener and Chiavennasca.

The Gattinara from Rosanna Antoniolo comes from the Alpine foothills close to Lago Maggiore.  The soils of this region are more acidic than those of the Langhe, which, paired with the cooler climate and altitude, results in highly fragrant, elegant wines at their best in hot years. Few estates remain in this historic northerly zone, but tenacious Antoniolo, established in 1949, is surely the most dynamic; Antoniolo was the first producer in the DOCG to bottle cru wines, and is one of the only to bottle 100% Nebbiolo without blending in other varietals. 

The vineyards were planted about fifty years ago on glacial soil (high in acidity) and volcanic soils (rich in minerals). Maceration on the skins in cement vats for 14-16 days, with pumping over followed by maturation for one year in 350-500 litre tonneaux and 18 months in large oak casks (20-25hl). Notes of liquorice, rose, raspberry and soft spiciness intermingle in a pervasive aromatic profile. This fine wine will get to clingy grips with an ox-cheek stew.

The Barbaresco “Fausoni,” from 40-year old vines, is the most floral of Sottimano’s offerings with aromas of cassis, currant and mint, and a firm core of vibrant acidity. Brilliant ruby red colour and nuances of garnet red, moderate transparency. The nose reveals intense, clean, pleasing, refined and elegant aromas that start with hints of cherry, plum and violet followed by aromas of liquorice, menthol, tobacco, vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon and mace. The mouth has good correspondence to the nose, a tannic attack and pleasing crispness, however balanced by alcohol, full body, intense flavours and good tannins. The finish is persistent with flavours of plum and cherry. The 2004 Fausoni is wonderfully harmonious; rarely has a Barbaresco of this ilk drunk so beautifully in its infancy. I asked Andrea Sottimano how it would evolve: “Another two to three years with this type of expression, then, like all strong wines, it will close down for a couple of years, before waking up on the other side”.

The Barolos of Giacomo Borgogno are beautifully preserved. They are unremittingly old-fashioned - new oak lickers these wines are not for you. The winemaking process is a tribute to the great Barolos of the past and uses an extended “submerged cap” maceration process in order to conjure up the special perfumes and tastes of this ancient tradition. The resultant wine has tremendous substance and is intended to age for many years to arrive at the ultimate goal of balance and harmony.

These are not Baroli of extremes. They are not as perfumed as some, nor as brawny as others. The style is consistent, however, and shows off the differences between vintages.

2001 Barolo Liste
Magnificently proportioned wine. Crushed raspberries, almonds, liquorice, violets and sweet rose jostle for attention on the nose, and the palate doesn’t disappoint: plum-cake, prune and chocolate with a hint of tar, massive yet ripe tannins, and excellent acidity to keep the wine percolating around the mouth. 2010 - 2035

2001 Barolo Classico
Classic by name and classic in style. Restrained nose of ground spice (cumin, nutmeg) and dried fruits (prunes, figs). Savoury-tarry attack on the palate, grainy tannins, which begin to melt as the wine warms in the glass. The acidity comes into play giving the wine a purer, more linear composition and adding length to the finish. 2010 - 2030

We are fortunate enough to have stocked and tasted Borgogno Barolos back to 1961. Check out this beauty.

1961 Barolo Riserva
Medium ruby, with a hint of brick at the rim but otherwise showing very little signs of its age. The aromatic nose displays menthol, anise, and delicate, sweet flavours of dried cherries, finishing with tremendous freshness and a seamless, long and fresh finish. The wine is very lively, the grainy tannins giving grip and definition. Now - 2015

Nebbiolo goes wonderfully with game such as Fagiano (pheasant) alla Milanese, Stinco al Forno con Patate and Brasato (beef) alla Lombarda (braised with vegetables and spices). The wines come into play with the denser red meats such as roast kid, wild boar and hare, and, especially in Piedmont, venison.

Grape Variety: Romorantin

Colour: White

Legend has it that Romorantin was introduced to the Loire by King Francois I of France (1494-1547). The commune of Romorantin-Lanthenay is not far from the grape’s stronghold in the Cheverny AOC, suggesting that the grape’s name reflects a geographical connection - the king was from the region.

DNA fingerprinting has shown that it is one of many grapes to be the result of a cross between Gouais Blanc (Heunisch) and Pinot fin teinturier, making it a sibling of famous varieties such as Chardonnay and Aligoté. Gouais Blanc is a Croatian grape brought to Burgundy by the Romans. It used to be the most widely planted white grape in Germany and eastern France, grown by the peasants in the less favoured sites next to the better vineyards growing Pinot for their masters.

Romorantin was once quite widely grown in the Loire, but has now retreated to the Cour-Cheverny AOC, a small enclave of the Cheverny AOC which lies south of Blois. Most of it is made by François Cazin - he even makes a demi-sec late-harvest version, in years when it is affected by noble rot.

A Romorantin vineyard at Domaine Henry Marionnet claims to be the oldest in France. It was planted in 1850 and somehow survived the phylloxera epidemic that devastated European vineyards in the late 19th century. The wine itself tastes more like a southern Rhone (such as a Chateauneuf) being golden with warm fleshy fruit and notes of sweet hay.

Grape Variety: Pinot Gris

Colour: White

The strange case of the flipside of Pinot Grigio’s Mr Hyde, the gaunt bulimic grape versus the luscious, plush-ess, honey-and-pastry wine of Alsace and Germany.

Pinot Gris makes golden wines, plump with orchard fruits: williams pears, apples, quince and yellow plums are the fruits that one associates with this grape. Often Alsace version have this strong aroma of marzipan and sweet pastry with further notes of honey and raisins. They are oily wines (acidity tends to be low) and fairly high in alcohol.

The Pinot Gris from Framingham is made in the style of Alsace from hand picked, whole bunch pressed grapes. This version has spicy aromatics and shows apple strudel like flavours of apples, pears, raisins, pastry and cream. Some residual sugar is retained at the end of fermentation to provide alcohol balance. The resultant wine is opulent with a rich, slightly oily texture, good weight and mouthfeel, and a long finish.

All the grapes for Sokol Blosser’s Pinot Gris come from vineyard-owned fruit in the Dundee Hills area. The grapes are not de-stemmed, but pressed as whole clusters and given a slow, cool stainless steel tank fermentation lasting about a month. This is followed by an extended period of lees contact prior to blending and bottling in February the following year. The result is a wine with a firm, focused steely backbone and a creamy lushness. Now, at about 14 months post-bottling, while still exhibiting the primary fresh fruit characters of apple, pear and citrus it is just beginning to show the complex secondary earth, mineral and spice flavours and aromas that will continue to develop over the next few years. The mid-palate is fleshing out and the finish is beginning to lengthen. Pinot Gris is a versatile food wine and is particularly good with shellfish, chicken, quiches, goat’s cheese and smoked fish.

See Pinot Grigio entry for peroration on anaemic winemaking…

Grape Variety: Trousseau

Colour: Red

Red wine grape sparsely grown in several regions of southern France. Recently investigated as one of the varities found in vineyards and collectively known as Petite Sirah in California. Something of a mystery grape, it may also be the variety known as Bastardo in both Australia and Portugal.

Garnet coloured with an expressive bouquet, the Trousseau from Domaine Dugois is both delicate and elegant, musky on the nose with attractive tannins. Morello cherry, spices, blackberry jostle for attention on the palate and there is an edge of pinesap which makes this very appealing. Try with wild boar or venison.

A Trousseau specialist Lucien Aviet’s “store,” the Caveau du Bacchus in a tiny country village, is several dark, damp ramshackle rooms whose ancient stone walls shelter a helter-skelter collection of wine bottles, barrels, hoses, a cobweb-covered statue, a player piano, dusty old cartons, a gas-burning stove, a cluttered desk and a dirty sign labelled “Prière a Bacchus” (“prayer to Bacchus”). And don’t forget Gorki the mongrel. The Trousseau “Cuvée des Géologues” is made from old vines grown on limestone; it is understated initially with a hint of wild cherry and redcurrant with some musky notes in the background. Each vintage though has a particular accent. Typically it has an intense bouquet of red fruit jelly and forest berries and earthy tones and a palate marked by redcurrant and red apple skin crunchy acidity. The initial impression is of primary fruit, but this is definitely is a complex wine with the potential to unfold itself over the next ten to fifteen years. 

Grape Variety: Trincadeira Preta

Colour: Red

Trincadeira Preta is a fair weather friend and for centuries it has been chosen as one of the main varieties by the Portuguese regions with hotter summers. It is the most cultivated variety in Alentejo, but it has also a strong presence in Douro (under the name of Tinta Amarela) and in Ribatejo. It was also adopted in Estremadura, Palmela and the Algarve, though in smaller quantities. Trincadeira doesn’t flourish in damp regions or fertile soils, where it is more prone to disease. The skin of the grape is fragile and tends to be adversely affected by rot.

Its great qualities are only evident in drier regions, with poor soils and dry and hot climate during maturation. Under these conditions, and especially in Alentejo and some areas of Ribatejo, it yields wines with a good colour concentration, very fruity aromas with vegetal notes (fresh herb) full-bodied and smooth but solid tannins, allowing a good evolution in bottle. With age, Trincadeira wines gain aromas and flavours of jam, red plum and also spices, such as cinnamon and clove. In Alentejo it is often used together with Aragonez grape, forming thus a very successful pair. Several wine producers of this region choose to produce single variety Trincadeira wines, where this variety can boast all the features which made it famous.

Located in the Dão region near Penalva de Castelo, Quinta da Vegia has 20 ha of vineyard planted to Touriga Nacional, Aragonês (the local clone of Tempranillo) and Trincadeira Preta. Porta Fronha is their unoaked cuvée, bursting with crunchy red berry fruit, plus food-friendly earthy and spicy notes. Deep, bright red. Spicy, almost saline aromas of fresh red berries, plums and cherry skin. Lively and sweet, the red fruit qualities showing striking purity and focus. Really delicious wine with impressive lift and energy to the finish, which leaves a strong impression of pure, fresh strawberry and raspberry fruit.

Like so many Portuguese reds you can imagine drinking Trincadeira based wines with some wild boar.

Grape Variety: Ribolla Nera

Colour: Red

Ribolla Nera, or Schioppettino, is a red wine grape typical variety of the Friuli region (northern-east Italy), native to the zone of Prepotto; cited for the first time in 1282, during the wedding between Rieppi-Caucig and cultivated in the Udine province with the name Sciopp (Pietro di Maniaco, 1823). The original name of this variety was Ribolla Nera, while Schioppettino referred to the wine it produced.

This variety is a late-season ripener; therefore, it needs higher exposures—especially in cooler climates. It has a preference for soils with a good percentage of clay, rich in calcium carbonate and in rock fragments.  In Italy traditional systems are used with medium or wide training systems. The vine is not suitable for training systems designed for complete mechanisation; in fact, it prefers cane pruning.

Wines made from Schioppettino are typically intense dark purplish colour, acidic, quite tannic and with good alcohol. A good wine is traditionally aged in oak to develop intense floral and fruity flavours especially violets, raspberry and blueberry. It is often blended with Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso (another Friulian native variety); Schioppettino is also important for DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli and Isonzo.

Intense in its warm velvety colour and flavour, Bressan’s ruby red Schioppettino presents a full fruity flavour of wild blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries and that typical Friulian rasp. At Le Due Terre in Prepotto Silvana Forte and Flavio Basilicata blend from barrel is made entirely from regional grapes – 60% Schioppettino and the rest Refosco fermented together. Dark ruby in colour, it’s a bit sappy and herbaceous, but pleasantly so, full and ripe with a high-aromatic ripe-cherry flavour.

Schioppettino can be drunk with Friulian classics such as gulasch or gùlas (peppery beef stew), cevàpici (grilled patties of minced pork and beef), rambasici (meat filled cabbage rolls) or bòbici (soup with ham, beans, potatoes, corn kernels).

Grape Variety: Petite Arvine

Colour: White

Petite Arvine is capable of making wonderful crisp white wines that reflect its sense of place. Native to both Valle d’Aosta and in Switzerland where it is sometimes known as Valais.  The grape ripens slowly on the vine it excels in the mountains where the grapes are harvested late and the long growing season allows for a beautiful balance of fruit, alcohol and acidity. Resultant wines tend to exhibit crisp, flinty qualities with tangy grapefruit and sweet mandarin orange flavours.  Some producers also make a sweet late harvest version. 

One of the best examples of this grape is the Petite Arvine Vigne Champorette from the winery of Les Crètes. The wine displays a brilliant straw yellow colour; the nose reveals intense, clean, pleasing, elegant and refined aromas beginning with elder and pineapple followed by banana, hawthorn, apple, broom, pear and peach. The acidity is very fine and mineral notes add depth. This would be great with Fontina, Toma di Grassoney (made in the meadows) and Fromadzo, a mixture of cow’s and a little goat’s cheese, semi-sweet and very fragrant when young, saltier and richer with age.

PS (Found on the net)

3-Mercaptohexanol: An Aroma Impact Compound of Petite Arvine Wine (could this be the most boring and unromantic piece of trivial research ever?)

“The characteristic aroma of Petite Arvine, a local white wine specialty prepared from the autochthone grape variety Petite Arvine in Valais, Switzerland, is described as intense in grapefruit and rhubarb flavours. In sensory evaluation by a triangle-test, the impact of thiol compounds on the wine aroma was demonstrated. In gas chromatography-olfactometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses, 3-mercaptohexanol was identified as one of the key aroma compounds for the wine aroma. The concentration of 3-mercaptohexanol in 11 Petite Arvine wines was in the range between 210 and 6100 ng/L; all values being above the odour threshold value in aqueous ethanol solutions for this compound. “

Grape Variety: Mauzac Noir

Colour: Red

Mauzac Noir is as rare as telephone conversation between a Dodo and a Great Auk. The Plageoles version, which is the only one we have encountered, is very pretty, quite pale and floral, suggestive of dried rose, and gentle, pleasing red fruit flavours topped off with almond and white pepper. This would be delightful chilled with a plate of cheese.

Grape Variety: Verdejo

Colour: White

Verdejo is a variety of wine grape that has long been grown in the Rueda winegrowing region of Spain. The grape apparently originated in North Africa, and was spread to Rueda in about the 11th Century, possibly by Mozarabs. For most of this time Verdejo was generally used to make a strongly oxidized, sherry-like wine. In the 1970s the winemaking company Marqués de Riscal began to develop a fresher style of white wine based on Verdejo with the help of French oenologist Émile Peynaud. As a consequence, in 1980 white wines from the Rueda region were recognized by a Denominación de Origen (DO). Wines labelled “Rueda” must contain 50% Verdejo; the remainder is typically Sauvignon blanc or Viura. Wines designated “Rueda Verdejo” must contain 85% Verdejo, and are often 100% Verdejo.[

The Verdejo grapes are generally harvested at night. This is for two reasons. Firstly, it means that the grapes enter the cellar at the lower night-time temperature of between 10-15 C instead of the daytime temperature which in September can reach as high as 28 or 30 C. This then flows into the second reason which is lower temperatures means less oxidation, or browning of the juice. [

Verdejo wines are aromatic, often soft and full-bodied. When blended with Sauvignon they have a pleasant nose of elderberry and currant fruit.

Grape Variety: Rolle

Colour: White

Rolle, or Vermentino, is a late-ripening white grape originating in Spain or Madeira, or perhaps Portugal, and now widely planted in Corsica, Sardinia, and the coastal arc running from Tuscany through Liguria and into southern France, around Nice (where it is known as Rolle). It is thought to be related to the Malvasia variety and to have been brought to Italy in the fifteenth century during the period of Spanish domination.

The vines are often grown on slopes facing the sea where they can benefit from the additional reflected light.

The most famous wine made from Vermentino is probably the DOCG Vermentino di Gallura (and Vermentino di Gallura superiore) which is produced in the province of Olbia-Tempio, in the north of Sardinia. The grape is said to have been cultivated in this part of Gallura, often under the name arratelau, since the fourteenth century. Elsewhere on the island the grape is used for a variety of white wines, including sweet and sparkling variants.

Patrimonio, located in the north of Corsica, in the Saint Florent gulf, was the first region of the island to attain AC status (in 1968). Its white wine is 100% Vermentino.

In Provence, close to Nice, the grape is used for the AOC white wines of Bellet

Although it is now found throughout Sardinia, Vermentino expresses itself best, yielding wines of outstanding personality, in the Gallura, an area incessantly swept by the fierce wind from the Alps, the Mistral. The area’s dry, harsh soils are not conducive to most agricultural production.  The quality of the wine is due not only to the microclimatic conditions but also to the character of the terrain, which features a thin and poor substratum of granitic material. That material accounts for the wine’s pronounced perfume, which is balanced by a substantial alcohol level, fine fragrance and good body.

The Vermentino Gemellae from Cantina di Gallura is brilliant straw yellow in colour with light greenish reflections; intense and subtle aroma with a delicate and persistent bouquet it is dry, alcoholic, soft flavour with low acidity and an extremely pleasing bitter background. The Canayli, a wine regularly nudging three glasses in Gambero Rosso, has hints of crisp apple, melon and fresh herbs. A long, well-rounded, lemony finish make it the ideal partner with Sardinian-style braised young chicken with tomatoes, red bell peppers, crimini mushrooms, and pepperoncino, served with spicy roasted potatoes, eggplant and peppers; swordfish loin filled with shrimp, pecorino and caciocavallo cheeses, almonds and garlic or sautéed shrimp and fennel with pink peppercorns, caperberries and arugula sauce.

Pedra Majore makes superb Vermentino. Both the lie of the land and the composition of the soil make the area exceptionally suitable for Vermentino production. The soils, formed by the breakdown of the granite go deep and give mineral character and personality to the wines and the Mediterranean macchia gives its own subtle herbal accents. The I Graniti, produced from vines cultivated organically amongst scents of myrtle and cane apple blossom, is a perfect example of this style: the nose is direct with intense, pervasive aromas redolent of rennet apple and almond blossom. The palate is powerfully structured yet soft and almost round and leaves a clean, velvety feel in the mouth. This is a wine for strongly flavoured food: cheesy omelettes, dishes with mushroom-based sauces, grilled or fried fish.

Domaine Culombu makes two versions of this grape variety. Both Vermentinos are typically aromatic combining notes of citrus, fresh grass, herbs, and almonds with a crisp and acidic framework. The Domaine wine is softer in the mouth with a touch of verbena and lime; the Clos has more structure and fine mineral notes plus leesy creaminess, apricot and white chocolate undertones.

Grape Variety: Pedro Ximenez

Colour: White

Pedro Ximénez (also known as PX and many other variations) is the name of a white grape grown in certain regions of Spain, and also a varietal wine, an intensely sweet, dark, dessert sherry.

“You have to admit, Maestro, that they certainly bottle things well in Andalusia,” he said, taking a sip and giving a satisfied click of his tongue. “Look at it against the light: pure gold, Spanish sun. We have no reason to envy the insipid stuff they drink abroad.”

The Fencing Master – Arturo Perez-Reverte

PX was originally grown in the Montilla-Moriles region, and along with Palomino Fino made up the majority of grapes used in the manufacture of sherry. However, the strong resistance of the Palomino to disease has led to a great decline in the use of Pedro Ximénez in traditional sherry, and despite its continued use in the sweeter blends of sherry in Montilla-Moriles, Málaga and other regions of Andalusia, its fame now rests principally on its use in the varietal raisin wine of the same name.

The dessert wine Pedro Ximénez is made by drying the grapes under the hot Spanish sun, concentrating the sweetness, which are then used to create a thick, black liquid with a strong taste of raisins and molasses that is fortified and aged in solera.

The grape is also grown in the regions of Valencia, Canary Islands and Extremadura, and occasionally also used in making a poorly-rated table wine.

The wines of Sanchez Romate are particularly notable examples including the Cardinel Cisneros and the Vieijisimo (from an old solera), a veritable toff amongst the toffee flavoured pxs.

Pedro Ximenez ages brilliantly to produce wines that combine exotic flavours of caramelised oranges, tamarinds, prunes and treacle toffee on the one hand with a refreshing grapiness and secondary notes of grilled brazil and walnuts. It is a worthy foil to chocolate and simply delicious poured over fresh vanilla ice cream.

Grape Variety: Vernaccia

Colour: White

Vernaccia is a white Italian wine, made from the Vernaccia grape, produced in and around the Italian hill town of San Gimignano in Tuscany. Since the Renaissance it has been considered one of Italy’s finest white wines. It was the first Italian wine to be awarded Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status in 1966; on July 9th, 1993 it was upgraded to Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG).

The earliest recorded mention of the wine appear in the archives of record of San Gimignano from 1276. Due to the difficulties in cultivating the Vernaccia grape, the wine fell out of favour in the early 20th century as the more prolific Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes were planted. By the 1960s, Vernaccia di San Gimignano experienced a resurgence as its distinctive, crisp qualities established itself as a popular alternative to the more bland wines produced from Trebbiano and Malvasia blends

Vernaccia is mentioned by Dante Alighieri (Purgatorio XXIV) as leading to Pope Martin IV’s gluttony. He ate Bolsena eels pickled in the wine.

ebbe la Santa Chiesa in le sue braccia:
dal Torso fu, e purga per digiuno
l’anguille di Bolsena e la vernaccia.

Grape Variety: Tempranillo

Colour: Red

Tempranillo is Spain’s quintessential, indigenous “Noble Grape”. Jancis Robinson says in the “Oxford Companion to Wine”, that it is “Spain’s answer to Cabernet Sauvignon, while John Radford writes in the “The New Spain”, that “research indicates a possible common ancestor with Pinot Noir.” What the experts do agree on, however, is that it is a “classic” quality grape variety, and responsible for making some of Spain’s best wines. It’s a thick-skinned black grape used to make full-bodied red wines. Tempranillo responds sublimely to delicate integration of American and French oak, producing deep coloured smooth, elegant numbers capable of long aging, with sensuous notes of vanilla, cedar and soft spice. It is also ideal for making young wines, “jovenes”, where the grape imparts juicy strawberry and summer fruits flavours. The term “Tempranillo” is named after the Spanish word “Temprano”, for “early”, referring to the fact that this grape ripens sooner than the other traditional varietals in Spain (two weeks earlier than Garnacha, for example).

Its most famous expression is in the rich, velvety red wines of La Rioja, where it is mostly blended with Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano and aged in oak barricas. For some expensive and sophisticated modern Riojas, it is being blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. However, as Cabernet Sauvignon is prohibited in the DO, it can’t be mentioned on the bottle label. In Navarra, where such restrictions don’t apply, it is enthusiastically and eloquently blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Excellent examples include Guelbenzu’s “Lautus Crianza” which is comprised of 50% Tempranillo, 30% Merlot, 10% Cab Sauv, 10% Garnacha, and aged for12 months in French oak.

Unlike other classic grape varieties, like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo has a bewildering array of aliases around Spain’s wine regions. In La Rioja, Navarra, Somontano (in the Pyrenees) and the Levante (south eastern Murcia and Valencia), it is known by its international name, “Tempranillo”. However, it is also called “Cencibel” in La Mancha and Valdepeñas; “Ull de Llebre” (eye of the hare) in Catalonia; “Tinta de País” or “Tinto Fino” in Ribera del Duero; “Tinta de Toro” in Toro; and completely lacking in imagination, it is called Tinto de Madrid” for wines from…as you might guess… Barcelona. Tempranillo is used in quality winemaking outside Spain, in Portugal (where it is known as Tinta Roriz in the Douro, and is a principal component of Port and as “Aragonêz” in the Alentejo region east of Lisbon) and extensively in Argentina and Mexico.

Just as Armagnac derives its flavour from the barrels in which it is aged, so does Tempranillo leach the vanillins from the oak. The wines of Bodegas Urbina are made in the traditional idiom: 18 months to two years in American oak and then a considerable time in bottle for release. They are tawny in colour with aromas of baked fruits (plums and prunes), and secondary notes of beeswax, mushroom and old wood. The Pago di Carraovejas Crianza from Ribera del Duero, mixing Tempranillo with the Bordeaux varieties, is raised in new French oak. The warp and weft here consequently is much finer; the tannins grainier and the fruit more instantly aromatic. Tempranillo also features - minus the strong oak component - in the more joven styles of Rioja and in a blend with Bonarda (a Piedmontese variety) in the Villa Vieja damson fruit buster.

Grape Variety: Garnacha Tinto

Colour: Red

Grenache (in Spanish, Garnacha, in Catalan, Garnatxa) is probably the most widely planted variety of red wine grape in the world. It ripens late, so needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain and in the south of France. It is generally spicy, berry-flavoured and soft on the palate with a relatively high alcohol content, but it needs careful control of yields for best results. It tends to lack acid, tannin and colour, and is usually blended with other varieties such as Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvedre. Grenache is the dominant variety in most Southern Rhone wines, especially in Chateauneuf where it is typically over 80% of the blend. In Australia it is typically blended in “GSM” blends with Syrah and Mourvedre. (or as we call it Genetically Syrah Modfied)

Grenache is also used to make rosé wines in France and Spain, notably those of the Tavel district in the Côtes du Rhône. And the high sugar levels of Grenache have led to extensive use in fortified wines, including the red vins doux naturels of Roussillon such as Banyuls and Maury, and as the basis of most Australian ‘port’.

Deftly cultivated and vinified on its own, Grenache offers a cornucopia of dense, lusty aromas and flavors of black cherry, blackcurrant, jam, pepper and liquorice with an explosively mouthfilling texture and deceptively heady alcohol. Also grown in Italy, Tunisia, Australia, California, Greece, Chile and North and South Africa.

Like the Pinot family, Grenache comes in ‘black’, ‘grey’ and ‘white’ versions, plus a mutant with an altered epidermis.

The standard “black Grenache” is known as “Garnatxa Fina” in Catalan, and is the most common version.

.The “hairy Grenache” is also known by names such as Lladoner Pelud The leaves look similar to Macabeo, but with fine little hairs. Recent research in Spain into this bizarre clone indicates that it produces smaller berries with a thicker skin, which suggests a greater potential than the original for making fine wine. This is an active area of investigation.

Grenache Noir was crossed with Petit Bouschet to give Alicante Bouschet, sometimes called Garnacha Tintorera. It was an important grape during Prohibition, as its thick skins survived being transported from Californian vineyards to consumers, who were allowed to make small amounts of wine at home.

In 1961, a cross between Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon produced the French wine grape Marselan

Other names for Grenache include Lladoner, Tinto Aragónes, Roussillon Tinto, Uva di Spagna, Alicante, Carignane Rousse, Bois Jaune, Sans Pareil, Rivesaltes and Cannonau.

Beginning our journeuy in the Roussillon Grenache appears in the wines of Olivier Pithon and Marjorie Gallet (Domaine Roc des Anges). Bolstered by Syrah, and, in particular, Carignan sur schist, the grape delivers a ripe mid-palate and plenty of weight. Both these growers manage to “finesse” the grape and make wines where the acidity and minerality drive the flavour. In Fitou and Corbieres, the sweetness is even more apparent, but the warmth of the grape provides the classic garrigue bouquet of wild thyme, rosemary and oregano. Grenache also appears in Minervois in blends with Grenache and Pic Saint Loup (at Domaine de l’Hortus where it is combined in various proportions with Syrah and Mourvedre). It dominates our southern Rhone wines; the old low-yielding bush vines yield wines of extraordinary power and depth of flavour. Domaine La Barrcohe’s Pure, a wine from one hundred year old vines, is pure (natch) Grenache and pays due homage to historical Chateauneuf-du-Pape and its most celebrated grape varietal.  It embodies delicacy, an escape, a synthesis of subtle flavours: strawberries, black cherries, liquorice and a hint of toasty spice. Pure fruit and muscular minerality, beautiful texture and length with supple tannin.  It signifies the perfect balance between kindness and strength and is a testament to the marriage of wonderful old vines and the expression of terroir. Old-fashioned wine making is assuredly sympathetic towards bringing out the garrigue character: ageing the wines in old oak foudres results in a kind of positive oxidation that brings out all the latent aromas of the terroir. Mestre’s Chateauneuf, for example, displays all the usual animal aromas, game-and-gravy, plus olives, tamarinds, oranges and a mahogany smoothness derived from maturity, in other words, a right old roister-doisterer. In an age of homogenous wine and winemaking that seeks to clarify and eliminate funkiness it is a welcome alternative. The Vacqueyras from Domaine La Garrigue, the Beaumes de Venise f Domaine Ferme Saint-Martin and the Gigondas from Clos du Joncuas are also traditionally vinified – they share the common characteristics of hot earth, roasted herbs, marmalized fruits in brandy and powerful animal/leather notes.

Grenache/Garnacha in Spain often provides great value, easy drinking wines. Carbonic maceration and cool temperature fermentations make for sweet strawberry-scented fruiters. The Marques de Aragon (a wine without edges) is a good example and the old vines Garnacha from Bodegas Solar de Urbezo (seasoned with a little Tempranillo and Syrah) is like liquidised blackberries. In Priorat, Terra Alta and Costa Brava the vines are very old indeed and grow high up on poor soils – here the wines resemble their Catalan cousins in Roussillon and even, on occasions, the wines of the Southern Rhone.

Cannonau di Sardegna is none other than Grenache brought to the island by Spanish traders around the beginning of the 14th century.  Yields have been drastically trimmed on this formerly high yielding vine and an attempt has been made to come to terms with the incendiary levels of alcohol.  The neighbouring island of Corsica also has plentiful Grenache vines – here is appears in blends with Nielluccio, Sciacarello and Syrah.

Grenache-based wines take no food prisoners. Logically, they are warm winter wines made to go with meaty game casseroles, venison, beef, oxtail, stuffed shoulder of lamb and wild mushroom stews. The roses are perfect with fish soup, stuffed red peppers, ratatouille and couscous and a range of the Levantine cuisine. The juicier reds are happy to be seen with chargrilled squid, meaty skewers and sausages.

Grape Variety: Shiraz

Colour: Red

A glass of Shiraz on a Friday evening
Looking down from the observatory
The sun is melting in a wine dark ocean
It brings out the Australian in me.

Al Stewart – The Shiraz Shuffle

Grape Variety: Ondenc

Colour: White

Ondenc (Oundenc, Oundeng à Gaillac) was once widespread throughout the south west and the Loire; after phylloxera it virtually died out. Robert Plageoles preserved it in his sensational sweet wine Vin d’Autan. He also makes an Ondenc sec, “a dry wine with the allure of a moelleux”. This seductive beauty has subtle aromas of pear, quince and white flower, an imposing mouthfeel and is structured and fresh with remarkable length and lingering notes of honey and beeswax. After a spell in the glass the wine will assume delicate aromas of sherry and even ginger beer!

The Vin d’Autan, on the other hand, is made from the obscure Ondenc (“the grape which gave Gaillac its past glories”) in vintages when the grapes shrivel and raisin in the warm autumn winds. The style: similar to a Beerenauslese or a Tokaji, contriving to be sweet, yet subtly fresh:  bruléed autumn apples and pears flecked with syrup and a persistent elegant finish hinting at walnuts. According to Paul Strang, Plageoles describes it as “a nul autre comparable, il est le vin du vent et de l’esprit.”

The Autan wine, the flagship of this domain, is made from Ondenc, a grape variety originally from the Tarn Valley and which had been widespread in the southwest region of France since the Middle Ages. Phylloxera, however, almost wiped it out. Dr. Guyot, who invented cane pruning (taille Guyot as it is called in France), used to say that Ondenc produced wines that could rival the best Sauternes. Robert Plageoles replanted almost five acres (2 ha) of it in 1985.

The Plageoles don’t just stop there. They also perpetuate a way of working which was prevalent in Gaillac from the 12th to the 18th century. Robert, an avid reader of old manuscripts, has found writings on this type of work in some forgotten archives. While the way they prune the vines combines tradition and new methods (gobelet and trellising), when the grapes are ripe, the vintners go through the vineyards and pinch the peduncles to stop the sap from flowing to the fruits. The grapes then slowly dry out, thanks to the Autan wind, which blows from the southeast. Later they are carefully picked and left to desiccate even further on straw mats, with a method similar to the one used to make straw wines. After pressing, the grapes ferment and the elevage in concrete tanks lasts 12 months. Robert Plageoles and his son have always refused to use wood barrels for the elevage, as they want to keep the purity of the fruit and the characteristics of the terroir.

Grape Variety: Neblou

Colour: Red

Aka Prie Rouge, but best known as Premetta.

Lorenzo Gatta, who pointed out its early ripening, the large size of its juicy grapes, whose color reminded of deep coral red.

Currently it is cultivated in a limited area between Aosta and Avise. The wine made from its grape is very characteristic. The colour is deep pink with tendency toward orangey notes and the scent is fine, intense and characteristic, with lightly tannic flavour. Moderate ageing improves the complexity of the aroma and lowers its tannic notes. This grape appears in certain of the Torrette blends from Cantina di Barro.

Grape Variety: Riesling

Colour: White

Racy
Incisive
Exquisite
Scintillating
Lively
Invigorating
Nectareous
Glissading

Riesling is considered one of the noblest of white grape varieties, one that best expresses the terroir of the place where it is grown. It is particularly well suited for slate and sandy cl