Beyond Cloudy Bay 1: Two Other NZ Sauvignon Blancs

There is a pub near us which intermittently has a board outside, advertising the fact that they have Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc in stock. It saddens me firstly that a pub, in a beautiful location alongside the Thames, feels it needs Cloudy Bay to draw people in, but most of all what a draw Cloudy Bay has become.

I’m not necessarily knocking the wines (although I wasn’t bowled over by a recent tasting of the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc), but I will happily stick my head above the parapet and claim that there are a whole host of other New Zealand Sauvignons out there that are not only better, but also much better value. I’m personally don’t think Cloudy Bay delivers enough to justify its £17.99 price tag.

In certain circles, Cloudy Bay seems to have become a benchmark for the Marlborough region. However, it’s debatable how much of its cult status is more the result of clever marketing: the brand was bought in 2003 by ‘luxury goods firm’ LVMH (Louis Vuitton Möet Hennessy).

Anyhow, below are notes on a couple of NZ Sauvignon Blancs from the Marlborough region that we first enjoyed on a trip to Auckland last year. Both are available in the UK, and well worth trying as an alternative to Cloudy Bay. Over the coming weeks, I’ll also be adding notes on other New Zealand wines, made from grape varieties other than the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc.

Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc 2007
We first tried this, drinking out of mugs in a wonderfully chintzy motel near the Bay of Islands, to the north of New Zealand. Perhaps an illustration that a great wine will shine through, despite! Clos Henri was established in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough by the family of Henri Bourgeois, the renowned Sancerre producer. The first vintage was produced in 2003.

Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Although this bottle was almost three years old, the wine had lost none of its freshness. A powerful nose of mango and papaya, which was also reflected on the palate. A wonderfully complex wine with intense flavours of mango, papaya, gooseberries and green pepper, with a crisp minerality on the finish. Overall, a well balanced wine, with lovely well-rounded fruit and a zippy acidity. (18/20)

The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2009
We came across this one in the bar at the top of the Sky Tower in Auckland, where we enjoyed spectacular views across Auckland Harbour to Waiheke Island. The vineyards of the Ned are located on the southern side of the Wairau Valley and the mouth of the Waihopai Valley. The wine is named after one of the tallest peaks to the south east of the vineyard, and 2009 was just the fourth vintage to be produced.

The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2009

A very pale wine, with a classic NZ Sauvignon nose of grapefruit and tropical fruit. Crisp minerality on the palate, with hints of passion fruit, lime and gooseberry. Lovely clean finish. Excellent value. (15/20, Waitrose £9.99)

All these wines can be sourced via www.wine-searcher.com

 

Massaya Wines – a Lebanese Tasting

Our local Adnam’s Cellar & Kitchen store has the double bonus of being just round the corner, but at the same time a great source of interesting wines. Last week I attended an in store-tasting of Lebanese wines from the Massaya Estate.

The vineyard is situated in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, one of the oldest wine growing regions in the world. Sami Ghosn and his brother were forced to flee the area in the 1970s with their parents due the war, but returned in the 1990s and reclaimed the estate from squatters.

Massaya Vineyards with Mt Lebanon in the background

In 1998, they sought sponsorship from Dominique Hebrard, previously of Cheval Blanc and Daniel Brunier of Vieux Telegraphe in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, with the aim of producing world-class wines. They released their first vintage the following year, in 1999.

Massaya means ‘twilight’ in Arabic and refers to the time of day when the sky turns purple as the sun sets behind Mount Lebanon. According to Ghosn, at 1000 metres above sea level, the altitude of the vineyard compensates for its latitude, with cool nights, sunny days and average temperatures of 25 degrees making for near perfect growing conditions.

Sami Ghosn presented five wines from the Massaya range, a white and a rose, plus three reds, as well as the aniseed-flavoured spirit Arak. The white, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay is vinified in new oak, and the oak flavours were just too strong for my palate. The French influence was particularly evident in the reds, which stood out on the night. My tastings notes on these are below.

Massaya Reds

Massaya Classic Red 2007
A blend of 60% Cinsault, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. A pale, easy drinking wine, with aromas of cherries, summer fruits and black pepper. (12/20 – tasted 04/03/10)

Massaya Silver Selection Red 2005
The top wine of the tasting. 40% Cinsault, 30% Grenache, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Mourvedre. Vinified in French oak. A much deeper colour, with a lovely herby nose – perhaps a hint of mint. Very smooth on the palate with complex flavours of black fruits, green pepper and spice, with terrific length. (16/20 – tasted 04/03/10)

Massaya Gold Reserve Red 2005
The premium wine of the range. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah. Vinified in stainless steel tanks, then aged in French oak. Intense aromas of blackcurrants and sandalwood on the nose. Powerful, full-bodied wine with lots of fruit on the palate and the characteristic spice. (14.5/20 – tasted 04/03/10)

These wines can be sourced via www.wine-searcher.com
Pictures taken from Massaya website

 

Lavinia, Paris

Part of our day in Paris included a quick trip around L’Église de la Madeleine, the church which has links with so many composers, including Fauré, Chopin and Saint Saëns.

Whilst we were in the area, I couldn’t resist popping into Lavinia, said to be Paris’s largest wine store, and possibly even the biggest in Europe. Spread over three floors, it offers some 3000 French brands and 2000 from further afield.

The bulk of the wine for sale is in the basement, arranged by region and country, with reds and whites displayed together. Decorated with dark wood-effect panelling, which sets the tone for the shop, the mood is smart and sophisticated – streets apart from most UK retailers. The array of wines on display was incredible and frankly quite bewildering, although I couldn’t find any bottles at less than 12 Euros. This seemed a shame, but as my husband reminded me, buying wine for under 10 Euros in French supermarkets seems to be a hit and miss affair these days.

The premium range of wines, including several first growths and the more fragile natural wines, is stored in a climate controlled, separate area off the main show room. Unfortunately this was locked, and as we couldn’t really justify forking out for a bottle of Petrus 1945 to drink on the train home, we were left pressing our noses to the glass longingly!

Lavinia Paris

The third floor housed a quite incredible selection of spirits, particularly focussing on Armagnac and Cognacs, as well as more unusual liqueurs. There was also a full range of Riedel and Spiegelau glasses on sale, and enough wine gadgets to keep a geek happy for hours.

The wine bar sadly proved to be a bit of a let down, not least because single glasses (175ml) were charged at exactly half the price of a 75cl bottle, which limited our inclination to sample across the list. The service was also terse, even for Paris, and the waiter simply filled our glasses up without even showing us the wine we’d chosen, or inviting us to taste it. However, the wine thankfully didn’t disappoint. Michel Chapoutier, Les Mûres Saint-Joseph, 2007 is a white wine produced from Marsanne grapes, a variety native to the Rhone. Chapoutier’s wines are produced biodynamically, an approach to agriculture that employs organic methods but also timetables vineyard activities according to the phases of the moon. The wine was deeply coloured, with a powerful nose, and a lovely balance of apricots, honeysuckle and minerals on the palate. I’m rather sorry we didn’t have time to buy another bottle to bring back.

Les Mures Saint Joseph

LAVINIA 3, boulevard de la Madeleine, 75001 Paris

 

La Crémerie, Paris

We love Paris and seize any opportunity for a trip, however short. When it’s not snowing and the trains are running, the Eurostar now makes it possible to get to Paris in time for coffee on a Saturday, spend the day wandering, and then be back home by bedtime. It’s also chance not only for a little injection of French culture, but also to stock up on ‘essentials’ such as cheese and cassoulet that just aren’t the same in the UK.

Taking my parents yesterday for the day gave us chance to revisit La Crémerie, on the Left Bank, which we first discovered last year following one of Rosa Jackson’s fantastic Paris food itineraries.

La Crémerie, Paris

Situated in the St Germain region, La Crémerie is a tiny natural wine store, which has a few tables for diners, and is perhaps a uniquely Parisian experience. The wine is the main draw though, and owner Serge Mathieu stocks over 2000 bottles of mostly organic wines from small producers.

The food, however, is also well worth the trip. Serge and his wife Helene serve mostly cold food, and we enjoyed a wonderful plate of Iberian hams as well as a duck pate. There is usually one hot dish, which this weekend was a goat’s cheese quiche made with mint – an unusual sounding combination, which actually worked really well. The highlight though for us was the huge bowl of, Burrata di Corato, a mozzarella-type cheese from Puglia in Italy. Spooned from the bowl, this was incredibly rich and creamy, and quite unlike any mozarella you’d buy in the UK. To finish, D and I enjoyed quite a spectacular ‘Baba au Rhum’, which must have been steeping in the rum for a while!

There is a short list of 4 or 5 wines available by the glass, and diners can buy any bottle from the shelves to drink with a 6 Euro corkage fee. We started off with a Sauvignon Blanc (Quartz Domaine Courtois Cailloux du Paradis) from old vines grown in Sologne in the Loire Valley, which had a lovely fresh minerality. Our second wine was a dry Vouvray (Catherine & Pierre Breton Vouvray Le Dilettante Sec). Although I didn’t write tasting notes, this had more fruit flavours, and was our favourite of the two whites.

Quartz Domaine Courtois Cailloux du Paradis

As the name suggests, La Cremerie is housed in an old converted dairy and still has many original features, including the beautiful tiled ceiling. The place is unfortunately also tiny, and only seats 12 so, whilst it’s good to see it getting wider reviews, we just hope it remains off the beaten track for a while!

La Crémerie 9 Rue des Quatre-Vents, 75006 Paris, France 01 43 54 99 30

 

Oddbins Champagne Sale

Our local branch of Oddbins has always struck me as a dusty, uninspiring sort of place, but I was lured in at the end of last week by their Champagne sale. Unlike the crazy ‘slash and burn’ Champagne sales in the supermarkets just before Christmas last year, there was around 25% off most of the Oddbins sparkling wine range. This included a few big names – Pol Roger, Hiedseck Monopole, Moet etc – but also a couple of smaller brands, so I took the opportunity to try something a bit different, with mixed results.

De Carnot Carte Noir NV Brut
A Blanc de Noirs Champagne from grapes grown in Verzy, one of the Grand Cru villages in the Montagne de Reims region – the heartland of Pinot Noir production. A very lively wine initially, although the effervescence quickly dimmed. Pale golden colour with a fairly light nose – floral notes and lime, with a hint of toast. Surprisingly little fruit on the palate for a BdN, and barely a hint of toast, although I picked up some red fruit, particularly redcurrants. However, the wine had a quite overwhelming and unpleasant acidity and a distinct lack of length. (7/20 sadly)

De Carnot Carte Noire NV Brut

H Blin NV Brut
Champagne from a co-operative of producers in the Marne Valley. I chose this out of curiosity really as it’s a blend of Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Pinot Meunier is often regarded as the lesser cousin of the three Champagne grapes, and it’s fairly unusual to see it predominate in a blend. Pale lemon colour with a good mousse, and a persistent stream of fine bubbles. Lovely, fresh nose with hints of apple juice and elderflower. Very dry on the palate with flavours again of apple, with citrus and a touch of toast – quite a complex wine. Reasonable finish. (11.5/20)

H Blin & Co NV Brut

These wines are available from Oddbins, or alternatively can be sourced via www.wine-searcher.com

 

A note about scoring

Quite a bit of the research I’ve been involved with has been around scoring in clinical trials. How to measure the severity of acne accurately, to assess whether a new drug has worked, for example, or how to quantify symptoms in patients with bowel disease. There’s a wealth of literature on how these scoring systems should be used, but more importantly how they should be drawn up in the first place. For example, a score must really measure the severity of acne, ideally including the patient’s perception for example. It must also be reproducible, so that if two assessors evaluate the same patient, they will come up with the same score.

With all this in mind, you might argue that we shouldn’t score wine. Tasting is a fairly subjective process, and there are inherent variations between individual bottles, which makes it difficult to come up with just one score for a wine. Fixation with scores as a marker of quality of wine, in the manner of followers of Robert Parker, also detracts from the whole process of making new discoveries, and above all shaping one’s own personal understanding of wine. Above all, as Jancis Robinson says ‘Once numbers are involved, it is all too easy to reduce wine to a financial commodity rather than keep its precious status as a uniquely stimulating source of sensual pleasure and conviviality.’

However, abandoning both my romantic notions about wine, and my scientific principles, I am going to use a score for wines on this blog. I try to write a tasting note on most wines that I drink, not just for educational purposes, but also to make me appreciate what’s in the glass before I quaff it. I’ve found the European-style scoring system of points and half-points out of 20 (favoured by Robinson, Hugh Johnson and Decanter magazine amongst others) really helpful in evaluating wines. Looking back at my tasting notes, all my scores are between 7/20 and 18/20. However, forcing myself to put a wine in one of seven categories (see below) really helps bring the wine into focus.

0-7 Disagreeable/ Faulty
7.5-10 Sound but dull – no character or appeal
10.5-12 Enjoyable, simple and straightforward
12.5-14 Good but not outstanding
14.5-16.5 Very good – some outstanding features
17-18.5 Outstanding with great beauty and articulacy
19-20 A great wine – spell binding with a sense of wonder

In the meantime, I’ll reserve judgement on whether you can really compare wines in this way. Is a white that scores 18/20 comparable to a red with the same score? I’d be happy to fork out for both though.

 

Wine in moderation: drinking well?

I find myself in an unusual situation as a doctor working in public health by day, and a nascent wine blogger by night. A large proportion of my work recently has been around alcohol policy – a conflict of interest perhaps?

Public health is a broad church, and reducing alcohol consumption forms only part of the work we do, and yet there are times when I feel simply unable to speak about my interest in wine. I’ve heard the ‘battle’ to reduce alcohol consumption likened to the campaign to ban smoking in public places more than once. Wine has been part of European culture for centuries, yet of late it seems to be increasingly unacceptable in some quarters. In particular, it strikes me that the ‘middle income wine drinker’ has become the scapegoat for this movement.

Whilst on the surface there are similarities between alcohol and smoking, and I’ve certainly seen first hand the devastating health effects of excess alcohol in patients, this demonization of all wine consumption (and wine drinkers) worries me. There are undoubtedly health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, but I’m not going to try to advocate those through rose-tinted spectacles. The true effects of alcohol, and the causes behind alcohol abuse, are broad ranging and complex. Surely though, there’s a place for promoting drinking well – and that’s partly the aim of this blog?

The Wine in Moderation Programme is an initiative of the European wine sector aimed at ‘promoting moderation and responsibility in wine consumption and contributing towards preventing excessive consumption and misuse of alcoholic beverages in Europe.’ Whilst you might argue that the wine industry has a fairly major conflict of interest in trying to discourage the abuse of alcohol, on the other hand it’s refreshing to see this stance.

Here’s to drinking well.

 

Riedel glassware: science or myth?

I have a weakness for gadgets and gimmicks, especially if they’re wine-related. I’ve also always aspired to own a set of different glasses for every type of wine. Riedel, the Austrian manufacturer is perhaps the best known producer of grape-specific glasses, but given their price, I’ve always been sceptical about whether they’d make enough of a difference to justify the cost.

A recent ‘glass tasting’ organised by the Wine Society was a great opportunity to find out. Co-hosted by a representative from Riedel UK, it was of course a sales opportunity as much as anything else, but also a chance to test out the Riedel myth with some great wines.

The Riedel vinum range includes 28 different shapes of glass, all made of lead crystal and machine blown. The intended content of a glass determines its shape, taking into account the different constituents and flavours of different wines. The aim is to enhance key aromas and flavours, channeling the liquid into different regions of the mouth, whilst also damping down other flavours, such as oak, which tend to dominate.

The tasting included a mixture of old and new world wines and my notes are below, along with pictures of the glasses. These perhaps don’t do justice to the differences in shape and size, but illustrate the general idea. We were encouraged to transfer wines between the specific glass, others in the range, and an ISO tasting glass as a ‘joker.’

(As an aside, it was interesting to note the criticism of the traditional ISO tasting glass by both Riedel and Wine Society representatives. Whilst the shape is not ideal, the rolled rim, designed to maximise the strength of the glass, disrupts the flow of the wine and hence the accuracy of the taste. The Wine Society are apparently moving towards using Spiegelau glasses at their tastings – a company owned by Riedel.)

The Sauvignon Glass
A small bowl to hold the delicate nose of Sauvignon Blanc, and a narrow aperture to funnel the wine down the centre of the mouth, minimising the detection of acid by receptors on the side of the tongue.

Riedel Vinum Sauvignon Glass

Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, 2008, Marlborough (£12.95) is produced by Ivan Sutherland and James Healy, who were previously growers for Cloudy Bay. The grapes come from 30 year old vines, giving the wine a great finesse and purity of fruit. With notes of citrus and tropical fruit, with a tempered minerality, this was a lovely, well-balanced wine. (17/20)

In the Montrachet glass, described below, the fruity aromas of the wine were completely lost because of the large aperture, whilst it became unpleasantly acidic in the ISO tasting glass.

The Montrachet Glass
One of two glasses designed for serving Chardonnay, this has a much bigger bowl and a wider aperture, which funnels wine to all areas of the mouth in order to demonstrate its complexity.

Riedel Vinum Montrachet Glass

Catena Chardonnay, 2008, Argentina (£9.95) is a blend of three different Chardonnay harvests, all grown at different altitudes to impart different flavours. 100% barrel fermented, and allowed to undergo a malolactic fermentation, the wine is then aged on its lees for nine months, 40% in new French oak. In the Montrachet glass, this was a surprisingly fresh wine, with notes of tropical fruit and apple and a suprising minerality. (15/20)

Interestingly, in the Sauvignon glass, all the freshness and fruit was lost at the expense of oak, whilst the wine had very little nose. There was more aroma in the empty Montrachet glass!

The Burgundy Glass
A fairly bulbous glass, with steep sides tapering to a narrow aperture to concentrate the aromas, and also to funnel the wine down the centre of the mouth again, to reduce the acidity. A glass very specific to Pinot Noir. (Riedel apparently suggest drinking Pinot Noir dominated champagne from this one, so we’ll have to give that a go.)

Riedel Vinum Burgundy Glass

WS Exhibition St Aubin Rouge, 2005, Domaine Henri Prudhon (£17.00) Produced from Premier Cru vineyards that face south-east and get the morning sun. The wine is barrel fermented and undergoes a natural malolactic fermentation. Lots of red fruit on the nose, but personally I found the palate a bit of a let down. In the ISO glass the tannins were much to strong. (13/20)

The Bordeaux Glass
A tall glass, considerably bigger than the others, to draw out the aromas of a big and heavy wine. The glass also attempts to control the tannins in Bordeaux to allow the fruit flavours to shine.

Riedel Vinum Bordeaux Glass

Klein Constantia Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006, South Africa (£13.95) is produced from grapes grown on north facing slopes in the oldest vineyard in South Africa. The wine was rich and heavy in a new world style, but surprisingly fresh. Notes of black fruits, as well as dark chocolate. This freshness was lost at the expense of tannins and ‘scorched earth’ in the Pinot glass. (14.5/20)

So… we were really surprised at just how much of a difference having the ‘right’ glass makes. Thinking about the anatomy of the tongue in terms of taste receptors though, it certainly does make sense to channel the wine to bring out the best in it. It should be noted though that Riedel dominate the market for grape-specific glasses, they are by no means the only company producing them and others reckon the range produced by Chef and Sommelier is superior. We even noticed recently that a certain Swedish homeware store has produced its own range…

 

Terroirs Wine Bar

Bistros à vins are plentiful in Paris: small restaurants, offering unusual, small-production wines, alongside a limited menu of small plates, such as artisan cheeses and charcuterie.

We’ve often bemoaned the fact that this format doesn’t seem to have travelled across the Channel, despite a plethora of Spanish tapas-style restaurants in London. However, Terroirs Wine Bar has changed that.

Located yards from Charing Cross Station, Terroirs opened in 2008 with the philosophy of ‘great food and great wine sourced with an eager eye for provenance.’ The emphasis is on food and wine which is natural and free of additives and about artisan products that taste simply of their origin, or terroir.

Although the bar has recently been extended to offer a more comprehensive restaurant style menu downstairs, the menu upstairs in the main bar remains true to the traditional Parisian format. It includes a selection of charcuterie, several cheeses, other small dishes, and a short list of heartier plats du jour. All are reasonably priced – £5 for a plate of saucisson, £3.50 for a plate of Valençay goats cheese from the Loire – but it’s easy to see how the bill could stack up over an evening.

Baked Vacherin Mont d'Or

Every effort has been made to recreate the Parisian experience, right down to the traditional zinc comptoir, or bar, and a series of quirky French posters and prints on the wall – plenty to discuss if you should find conversation flagging!

The wine list is perhaps the main focus at Terroirs, and includes wines sourced from small growers who work sustainably, organically or biodynamically in the vineyard. So called natural wines are often unfiltered and unfined, making them naturally cloudy, with little or no additives or preservatives added to the wine. The list itself runs to over 40 pages, focussing mainly on French wines, with comprehensive descriptions of both regions and styles. This is obviously not the place for big brands, and it’s great to see so many wines made from unusual grapes – we noted wines made from Roussette de Savoie, Chasselas, and Jasnières grapes, all of which were unfamiliar to us. There is also an interesting selection of champagnes and sparkling wines, again mostly from small producers.

Hungry and keen to try a range of things, we ordered from across the menu, starting off with duck scratchings. These were to die for – salty and succulently fatty – and well worth fighting over. Next came duck rillettes, a shredded meat paste that was perhaps a tad underseasoned, but perfectly accompanied by the most pungent gherkins we’ve tasted in a while.

Husband ordered a baked Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese to share as our main dish. This is a cow’s milk cheese, produced in the Jura region near the French/Swiss border from cattle that roam the Massif Mont D’Or. It was baked in a wooden box, to be eaten like a fondue, and served with new potatoes, gherkins and an excellent herb salad. We also enjoyed the Noir de Bigorre Charcuterie on the side.

The service was typically Gallic and ever so slightly chaotic, but it was good to see the place heaving on a Thursday evening. The tables are packed close together, again in the French style, which makes conversation difficult, but with so much going on, and plates of food constantly going past, this wasn’t a huge problem.

The wine

We were once told in Switzerland that white wine is best served with molten cheese, as it aids digestion. Whilst this may be a myth, we took full advantage of the wine list to test the theory out.

The wine list highlights those wines that are truly natural – unfiltered and unfined, with zero or minimal sulphur – and we opted for one of these to start with.

1) Clos du Tue-Boeuf Touraine Le Brin de Chevre (2004) is produced in the Cheverny region, just south of Blois in the Loire. It is made from the Menu Pineau grape, a traditional Loire variety, related to Chenin Blanc. There is more about the producer online here.

Le Clos du Tue-Boeuf Touraine Le Brin de Chèvre 2004

The wine itself was a golden colour, and cloudy as you would expect. The nose was unusual as it was quite floral, with notes of honeysuckle, but also reminded us of the toastiness of a pinot noir dominated champagne. It was full-bodied, with refreshing acidity and a good length. To taste, the wine was complex with flavours of lime and cooked apple, and again honeysuckle. (13/20)

2) Domaine Guy Allion Sauvignon de Touraine (2008) Another white from the Loire, this time from the Touraine appellation, and produced from Sauvignon Blanc grown in sand-clay soil. A pale lemon coloured wine that was virtually clear. Pear drops and gooseberry on the nose. Good crisp acidity, with medium body. Pear drops dominated the flavours, with hints of gooseberry, apricots and citrus. Refreshing after the heavy cheese and very drinkable. (14/20)

Given the two wines were grown only 15 miles apart, the difference between them illustrates not only the diversity of the Loire, but also the sense of place of origin that Terroirs seeks to highlight.

 

Carpe Vinum

Welcome to Carpe Vinum!

By day I’m a junior doctor working in London, but wine has become more and more of an interest over the past couple of years. I’m currently working through the WSET exams, and enjoying tasting my way around the world. Current interests include wines from the Loire, grower champagnes and the process of wine production.

I’m often asked about wine, and enjoy sharing my discoveries with friends and family. This blog will cover wines I’ve enjoyed, as well as observations on the world of wine from a citizen blogger.

Carpe Vinum means ‘seize the wine’ and this blog will be ‘about wine, but not exclusively’ – I will also be touching on wider interests.