Portugal Pics

Hi Guys,

Sorry - been offline for a while.  I had originally intended to post everyday but these last few weeks have been a little bit crazy and I've just not had the time - although I did manage to slope off to London for a day to see Peter Kay at the o2 arena.  Very funny.

Anyway - lots to report (but too little time to type) but I'll try and get that down over the next week or so.

Here are the long-since promised Portugal pics:

Portugal 2009: Part 2

Casa de Mouraz

Ok - so following on from our evening meal at Quinta dos Roques we got up the next day and headed off to the tiny village of Tondela to see Casa de Mouraz, still (just about) in Dao.  Casa de Moouraz are a really interesting producer who make biodynamic wines.  I have been selling their wines for a few years and I really like them.  They are not a "commercial" style but they are really well made and individual and you can almost taste the love and hard work that has gone into the making of them.  At this stage I had just been getting to grips with biodynamic wines so it was really good to meet some biodynamic producers to help getter a better understanding of what biodymnamism (is that even a word?!) is.  They weren't even weird!  The wines are so pure and they really do have a sense of belonging - it was great to taste them in the garden of the winery right next to the vineyards.

Luis not giving me a verbal assault!

From one of Portugal's newest stars we headed off to see arguably Portugal's brightest - Luis Pato.  Luis is a world famous producer and I have had the privilege of meeting him several times.  The first time we met was at a wine fair in Madrid when I was the buyer for Laymont & Shaw and we were his UK representatives.  I didn't know that he was exhibiting so when I saw his stand I went over to introduce myself.  After I had declared who I was his reply was - "so you are the guy who's not selling enough of my wines in the UK".  What a great start!  I stammered some inadequate reply and assured him that I would make sure that I passed his comments on to the sales team (in a vain attempt to absolve myself of all culpability!).  Since then we have had better meetings - mainly because I don't think that he remembers who I was!

A ghostly Niepoort

After a fantastic tasting with the "Duck" we set out for Port country - Vila nova de Gaia.  Here we went to Niepoort.  As I mentioned in the previous post, Dirk Niepoort is a bit of a legend himself and he does not confuse his port and wine businesses so it was really interesting to see the difference between the wine & port operations.  The port lodge was a really enchanting place and a real "Aladdin's cave".  We had the opportunity here to blend some port from samples of the current vintage.  At this stage 2007 had been declared and it was interesting as Niepoort were of the view that 2008 was also potentially good enough to declare.  This is one of the things that sets Niepoort apart - he doesn't make these decisions based on commercial criteria like so many other port houses (no more than 3 declarations a decade etc) - Niepoort's ethos is "if the vintage is good enough, then let's declare it so".  This is a really refreshing view and something that should be applauded.  Niepoort does things differently, but for all the right reasons.  As his logo states "o porto niepoort sabe...a quem sabe..."

This was the final stage of our trip, apart from a cracking meal in a rather posh restaurant which Dirk part-owns.  After this feast we headed back to the hotel where we demolished some Port (Niepoort of course) and went off to bed.  Everybody had to be up at stupid o'clock apart from myself who had to catch a train down to the Algarve as I was joining a group of friends on a stag-do.  Then the (responsible) drinking really started!

Next I'll put up some of my favourite photos from the trip.

Portugal 2009: Part 1

Just clearing up out the back of the Chapel and found a CD with some photos on it of a trip I went on last year to Portugal with some of the UK's leading independent merchant's.  Thought it would be quite nice to share.

We started off at Quinta do Ameal who is making some fantastic Organic "Vinho Verde".  The wines are actually single varietals and not in what the UK market would recognise as "vinho verde".  They are doing some really good work there and I would expect them to make quite a name for themselves in the next few years - really refreshing wines with good weight and great attention to detail in the vineyard and the winery.

Mateus

We then hopped back into the minibus and headed of to Chateau Mateus - famous as the image of the most (in)famous of all Portuguese wine.  What a lot of people don't know is that the building was only ever used as the image - thewine was never produced here.  It was a marketing solution to the fact that "all" French wine was associated with a Chateau and Portugal had none.  The producers of Mateus therefore asked the owners of this beautiful property of they could use it as the image for their wine. When deciding on the fee the owners of the property opted for a lump-sum as opposed to a percentage based on volume of sales.  OUCH.  It is now home to Lavradores de Feitoria which is basically a collection of wineries who have pooled resources and make some good wine under their own brand.  I stock their red and white.

Niepoort winery - Douro

Next we were off to the legendary Niepoort and his new purpose built wine estate, high in the hills of Douro.  Dirk Niepoort is a true modern Portuguese wine legend, he makes both wine & port but neither is a compromise.  Many producers will make a wine from the stuff they don't make port with but Niepoort treats his business with the respect it deserves.  The wines are produced as wines in their own right and they receive world-wide acclaim.  At the moment I just stock "Drink Me" (in the wines - I do a wide range of his ports) but would love to have the demand to include things such as "Redoma" - a fantastic white and a great red also.

Following on from Niepoort we headed off to Dao where we visited Quinta dos Roques.  In my opinion, along with Alvaro Castro, Quinta dos Roques are the Dao's leading lights.  We tasted through the entire range and they have some fantastic single varietal wines - their white Encruzado is a real stand-out wine for me.  I currently list the entry-level range - Correio Tinto & Blanco (not on website yet for some reason - check back soon!).  After a long tasting a boozy supper we headed off for a good nights kip in a beautiful old hotel.  We were up bright and early the next morning however to delve deeper in to the heart of Dao where we headed off to see boutique biodynamic producer "Casa de Mouraz" - where I'll pick up next time!

Focus on: Pian dell'Orino

In preparation for my new arrival on Monday (25/10/10) – the Pian dell’Orino Brunello di Montalcino 2003, I present you with a focus on the guys behind this fantastic wine:

Pian dell’Orino is one the most promising young wineries in Montalcino, located adjacent to the legendary Biondi Santi estate – the Godfather of Brunello! 

Pian dell’Orino is in the capable hands of Caroline Pobitzer and Jan Erbach. Caroline Pobitzer came to Montalcino from the vineyards of South Tyrol in Northern Italy and Jan is both wine grower and oenologist who studied in Germany before moving to France where he worked for several years, gaining valuable experience before coming to Montalcino and meeting Caroline. 

Right from the beginning Jan & Caroline studied the soil and the structure of each vineyard in order to fully understand its characteristics. Fossils, petrified shells and chalk sediment all testify to the earth’s evolutions and recount marine flooding and periods of drought in the area – quite a complex bed in which to grow vines.  Understanding the soils in which the vines are to grow is vital for Jan & Caroline – it means that they are able to make wines with a very distinct personality which reflect the innate character of each vineyard in a clear and recognisable way. The goal of Pian dell’Orino is to create and sustain the maximum harmony possible between vineyard, climate, soil and mankind.

It is owing to this philosophy that they have chosen to farm Biodynamically. For Pian dell’Orino farming is only organic if it respects and protects the complex correlations and the equilibrium of a habitat. Caroline & Jane both feel that “energy has great importance in the organisation of our daily work. In particular the phases of the moon – which affect nature and the life of all creatures, regulate growth and reinforce quality – are an important point of reference on our decision making. Our vines have never been treated with herbicides, chemical pesticides, insecticides or soluble mineral fertilisers. Their immune system is reinforced by special infusions that we make with nettles, equisetum and yarrow and biodynamic preparations. We use propolis to protect the vine from infections caused by fungi and bacteria. We plant many kinds of grasses, including aromatic varieties, in order to encourage biodiversity, maintain the contents of the humus and improve the soil structure. In our vineyards bees and butterflies have an infinite choice of beautiful flowers.” 

Pian dell’Orino feel that rigorous respect for organic criteria allows them to grow and pick grapes that are of higher quality than normal – and from these – they are able to obtain wines of extraordinary quality.  Indeed, quality is the by-word for Pian dell’Orino, they only grow the superior Sangiovese grosso and that yield is limited to a bottle per vine.  All of the harvest is done by hand and the final selection takes place on a large table, before the grapes are placed in the de-stemmer and, at last, into the barrels for vinification. The fermentation at Pian dell’Orino is induced by naturally occurring yeasts from the grape skins. Spontaneous fermentation starts between one and three days from the harvest, depending on the vintage. No extra yeasts, no industrial enzymes or further additives are used.

Macerations are long and the wines are not filtered or fined and the use of sulphur is kept to an absolute minimum.  When in cask the wines are continually checked to see how they are developing.

So – what about the wine?  Well, the Pian dell’Orino Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso. Before harvest, the grapes are individually checked on the vines and cluster thinning is done. During harvest, the grapes are checked once more on a large table before being destalked and placed in the fermentation bins. Then the grapes are left to macerate for a certain period, according to the vintage. Spontaneous fermentation starts and the temperature is automatically controlled so that it does not exceed 34°C.

The must macerates for three to five weeks, depending on the vintage, in order to obtain greater concentration and

structure in the young wine. The wine is then transferred to wooden oak barrels of 25 hectolitres where the malolactic

fermentation takes effect. After 2 - 3 years of maturing in the barrels, when the wine becomes stabilized and appears

brilliant, it is bottled without filtration. The wine is left to mature in the bottle for at least one year before labelling and

release.

The wine itself:

What does it taste like?  Well the 2003 Brunello di Montalcino was divine!  It was dense and muscular with aromas of wild herbs such as thyme but not without lots of finesse.  Multi-layered and complex with liquorice, minerals and cherry all evolving over a silky yet structured palate.  Incredibly complex, poised, elegant, weighty, fresh and BALANCED.  Beautiful.

This wine will drink well for another 10 years.

What does it cost?  The price will be £40.99 but it is worth every penny!

Somellier from FifteenCornwall's Tasting

So - I managed to sneak on to the tasting last night with Gordon Lawrence - the Sommelier from Fifteen Cornwall due to a last minute space becoming available.  I closed the shop at just gone 6pm and got the day's washing up done (such a glamorous life) and then did some tidying before I headed over to the Hall for Cornwall so I could lend a hand to set-up.

I'd never met Gordon before but I have met LOTS of sommeliers before (get ready for an off the tangent digression!).  In my experience, as I alluded to yesterday, all of the British guys and gals doing this job have been really nice people - some from other nationalities less so.  I know this may seem like a gross generalisation but this is just how it has been.  Being in the trade and maybe not fitting your stereo-typical profile of a wine merchant (I don't own ANYTHING made from tweed) I often pass under the radar of other wine trade professionals.  When I was living in London I took Cathy out for a meal at the OXO tower as a bit of a birthday treat.  The (French) sommelier could not have been ruder or more pompous.  Cathy and I were keen for different meals (fish vs steak) so we were drinking wine by the glass instead of sharing a bottle.  I therefore asked the Sommelier what the blend of the house red wine was as Cathy wanted a seafood starter but wanted a red wine.  None of the other reds by the glass suited seafood (all far too heavy) so I though the house red might do the trick - the sommeliers reply was a VERY gallic shrug, a look that said I was an uncouth oaf and a verbal response of "I don't know" - as if I was wasting his time - before he turned his back on us and ignored us for the rest of the evening .  I HATE THIS ATTITUDE IN WINE.  I of course didn't jump up and exclaim my credentials to him I just got on and enjoyed my evening and put a mental black mark against him.

Anyway, imagine my delight a few weeks later when I was invited to a vertical tasting dinner of Quinta do Vale Meao (one of Portugal's top red wines) and found myself seated next to the buyer for Harvey Nicholls (owners of the OXO tower restaurant)!  When I mentioned I had recently eaten at the OXO tower he asked me what I thought.  Well let me tell you - I certainly didn't hold back in views!  Summary - lovely meal spoiled by one of the rudest sommeliers I've ever met!  Revenge served cold anyone?

Enough of that - back to one of the good guys.  The wines that Gordon chose were his a selection of his favourites as opposed to just giving us a precis of the Fifteen wine list (although no doubt some are were listed by fifteen).  I liked this approach as I immediately felt that it was a proper tasting as opposed to a sales pitch.  The wines on show were dominated by Italy (7 out of 8) with the rogue being from Alsace.  I was personally delighted at this as Italy and Alsace tend to be very well regarded in the trade and offer something of great interest.  Italy in particular is so interesting because of its diversity and difficulty to "pigeon-hole".  I am also acutely aware of what is appealing to a member trade is not always the same for a consumer (as I am sure Gordon is too) so I also admired his choice for that reason too (not just playing for the gallery).

The tasting was the busiest I've seen and Gordon started off by giving us a quick intro of himself and how he has ended up where he is and we then launched into the wines.  First up was a Friulano - this was a very nice wine with a pleasant herbaceous character with some rich creamyness.  It had wonderful poise and fantastic weight and good balancing acidity.  Off to a good start!

Next up were 2 Soave's from 2 very different producers.  1 from Pieropan and the other from Anselmi.  These provided the perfect contrast and really made an impression on the attendees.  How can two things that are the same be so different?!  The Pieropan was my favourite (my white of the night) as it offered an edge.  It had a lovely golden colour (has seen some oak) and the nose was rich with contrasting honey and grapefruit notes with a very light hint of oxidation (which I really like) that led on to a lovely long savoury finish.  The Anselmi was much more modern and rounder from a very ripe 2009 vintage.  It was a wine that was very nice indeed but for me was more commercial.  If it came down to selling it I would go for the Anselmi all day, but for my own enjoyment I'd go for the Pieropan - this illustrates a key role in a wine buyers job - you aren't necessarily buying to satisfy your own tastes.  I like the interest factor that the Pierpoan offered - it was different, much less commercial and PROUD of the fact.

The final white was a Riesling Grand Cru from the Cave de Hunawihr - very nice but a bit too young for my tastes.  I'd like to retaste in a year or two.

For the reds we started with a Dolcetto d'Alba.  This was very nice with lots of bitter cherry (lots of Black Forset Gateau flavours).  The palate was youthful and tight and it maybe suffered a little from following hot on the heels of the Riesling.  Still, a very nice wine though.  Next up was a Barbera d'Alba from Vajra - quite a well-known quality producer.  This wine showed very well with lots of dark fruits, touch of coffee but with great depth and also freshness - I really enjoyed this dark but fresh character.

My favourite red (to my surprise!) was the Marion Valpolicella Superiore 2004 (I scored this 17 as with the Pieropan - a VERY high score for me).  I've struggled with modern Valpolicella as it has got very expensive recently and I've struggled to see why at times.  Well this was a great example that showed me I had been tasting the wrong stuff.  It was  starting to show a touch of age and had that hint of oxidation which I find helps brings out the other flavours - coffee, cherry, this wine had lots of layers.  It went through a vast range where it was dark and rich with spice and dried fruits and then the freshness would come in to play.  Complex and long - a very good wine.  Not cheap (retail circa £20) but good.

Finally was a Chianti Classico - Very good but quite young so would benefit from more time or a hearty meal.  A great example of the good side of Chianti though.

So all in it was a great tasting, very interesting and I really enjoyed the story about the Barolo!  Gordon handled himself very well and handled some tricky questions admirably and he's a united fan too - what a guy - I knew he had good tastes!

Gordon helped restore my faith that there are good sommeliers out there who want to help and advise the customer and not just to "up-sell" a customer (unlike the French guy who served me at Bluebird on the King's Road once) to make sure they get the wine and overall experience they want.  His attitude seemed to mirror very much my own approach in my own shop.  Listen to the customer, find out what THEY want and then show it to them.  After all, a happy customer is more likely to come back and to recommend you to others.  I often "down-sell" a customer if I think the wine will suit them better.

Tasting with a Jamie Oliver Fifteen Sommelier tonight!

Up on my return to Cornwall I was was quick to get involved with the local wine group - Cornwall Wine Tasting  Group There are obvious business reason as to why I should do this but I was keen as I already knew many members from when I previously worked for Laymont & Shaw and thought this would probably be the quickest and easiest way to get back in touch.

Indeed - I had actually taken several of the members on a trip around Spain during my time at L&S (whilst I was still very wet behind the ears) where we visited places such as Ribera del Duero and Rueda etc etc - and a great time was had by all (I hope!).

Not long after I landed back in Kernow I was asked if I would do a tasting for the group.  Always keen I immediately said "yes" and when I asked what the theme might be I was informed that it was already decided on and that I would be doing a "chocolate & wine" tasting.  GULP - 2 things that really don't go together particularly well - talk about throwing me in at the deep end with my potential new customers (Thanks Alison!).

Anyway, as I mentioned I am always up for a challenge so got stuck in and I had a very fun evening.  Since then I have attended several of the tastings, although it is not always possible for me as things often come up at short notice so I can't book.  Well tonight is the next tasting and it turns out I can attend so I've just emailed the group Secretary to make sure there's still a late availabitlity space.  No there isn't - damn!  Tonight it's the turn of the Sommelier from Fifteen at Watergate Bay and I was really looking forward to it.  I've met a few sommelier's on the circuit and I've always found the British ones to be decent fun (had a good trip with a chap called Chris Cooper in Portugal a couple of years ago).

Wait -what's this?  Another email from the Secretary saying that his wife can't make it so I can take her place.  Cracking stuff!  Her loss is my gain - but she owed me a favour as when I took the trip to Spain I had to hold her hand as she was afraid of flying.  We're quits now - thanks Mrs H!  I'll let you know how it went.

New World Order

I have just received my first order of a new line for me here at Old Chapel Cellars - Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir  from Oregon, USA.  I have sold this wine before, during my time at Noble Green Wines, but have only just found the confidence that I have an outlet for it here in my own business.

Drouhin is a famous name in Burgundy and they were among the first to recognise the potential that Oregon had for producing fantastic Pinot.  Domaine Drouhin produced its first Oregon wine in 1988 and they have proved to be very successful. 

The stlye of these wines is very true to their roots - Burgundian.  So much so in fact that I have tasted them before and thought that they were more Burgundian than some Burgundy I had tried!

I now hope that my customers are willing to jump in and see what the New World can do. 

As a little footnote it is worth mentioning that I've in the short time I've been writing this post I've already sold some 3 bottles!  Well that is certainly a promising start....