Pacherenc Alain Brumont

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh '00
[£15.95, Haslemere Cellar, 2002 = £9, Philglas & Swiggot Ltd, T: 020 7924 4494]

I AM amazed I've only just come across this shiny, deep copper-coloured lovely. n the nose, this exuberant very sweet wine proffers a touch of linseed oil, pine nut and luxurious wet oak leaf. A touch thorny too. On the palette extraordinary pine kernels, ripe Christmas clementines, citrus zest, crystallised caramalised sugar, with a zippy, ripe, excellent acidity, sturdy mouthfeel and a resounding, high pitched aftertaste. Quite unlike any other sticky-style I've ever really tasted, this was sublimely apt and ripe. A real mouth-filler. Punchy. It was almost too powerful with it's outrageously aromatic sensation.

Consumed with roast figs, though the two fought.

Vic-Bilh translates as old country, a location deep within the languedoc, south west France.

Weinlaubenhof TBA

Weinlaubenhof Trockenbeerenauslese '95
[£Curio, contact Noel Young for a very strong range of Austrians]

QUITE A moutfull (both to pronounce and to digest). A resiliant blend of Chardonnay and normally duller than rain Welschriesling (aka Riesling Italico), this botyrtis affected wine is jubiliantly-jade in colour with a piercing ripeness, high residual sugar and a very rich, cleansing, great acidity. Handsome. The aftertaste was more of an afterburn, holding forth well into the hours after the formal tasting. A burnished brass trumpet of a wine blasting an exuberant anthem.

Smith Haut-Lafitte

Château Smith Haut-Lafitte '99
Pessac Leognan
[Approx £11.99, Vivinum, Corney & Barrow]

STILL SHOWING signs of a purple tinge at the rim and a touch brusque/damp on the nose with cedar, redcurrant and a posy of lavender, this is a gentle but highly structured food wine, so bring out the fish knives for fish 'n' chips. Ready to drink, but feels like one for the long term.

Skin contact: grape seeds from the estate are used to make Caudalie, "an extensive range of skin and body care products using the acknowledged anti-ageing properties and protective qualities of polyphenols found in grape extracts to protect and repair all skin types." [www]

Such a spin-off is an excellent way to make more money out of an already expensive product, hence top end grappas from the odds and sods of Italian Super-Tuscan Ornellia.

Chambertin Le Poissenot

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru 'Le Poissenot' '99
[Approx £35, Four Walls Wine]

FIREMAN AND winemaker Vincent Géantet has produced an amazingly forward wine already showing the verge of maturity. Overall this is a mild, friendly wine with calm new-ish oak character and a piercing aftertaste.

Mersault, Clos du Cromin

Olivier Leflaive
[£11.77, 37.5cl, Corney & Barrow]

FROM THE hills around the beautiful although touristy Beaune, this full, demonstrative golden Chardonnay from this respected négociant proffers honeysuckle with a powerful white grape juice evocation. Very rich, curranty even, with a piercing acidity, minerality and an almost new world exuberance. Soothing butter and an oak presence distract skilfully from the strong alcoholic kick. Very long aftertaste. Drinking very nicely now.

Lafite Rothschild

I WAS fortunate to be able to attend a vertical tasting of the wines of Chateau Lafite Rothschild hosted by Michael Broadbent, the John Gielgud of wine - in appearance at least. Unlike some of the wine funerals he must have attended, Broadbent himself is supple, witty and endlessly amusing; one anecdote particularly so: "...appreciating old wine is like making love to an old lady... possible, but you need a little imagination..."

Chateau Lafite (the Gascon la hite meaning hillock) requires very little introduction. Dating back to the 1670s, this has been premiere league ever since. Those doubting wine's ability to age, take note... a bottle of the 1787 sold for £105,000 at Christies in 1985 (£530 per year cellared).

The wines tasted were deemed "naked" without food, Lafite being the "supreme table wine".

FULL TASTING NOTES CAN BE FOUND HERE

Most prices are in bond, meaning duty is to be added. On the subject of top Bordeaux commanding huge prices, Broadbent said these were wines never intended for the hoi polloi anyway and Bordeaux has always been expensive. How can supply keep up with global demand, particularly with the likes of Le Pin being only 1.6ha?

Vintage advice from Broadbent: '05 is going to be a particularly fine year. Broadbent appears to detest oenologists, i.e. those who travel the globe making similar tasting wines. "Great wine was made before they were around".

My thoughts on oenologists/consultants - both modern additions to business and both driving Ferraris, perhaps off the back of others ignorance and fear... Clever.

When I returned from the tasting I perhaps stupidly tasted a rough old Chianti which tasted like chemicals after the Lafite.

*

"Lucky you, tasting through all those with the Master"

[Victoria Moore]

The English Wine Renaissance

I GAVE a lecture on this subject yesterday.

So much has happened in English Wine in the past 50 years - from no commercial viticulture to 250 commercial sites. Even today entirely new vineyards are being planted, sites are expanding considerably as demand outstrips supply and even the Champenois are investing in UK terroir - to date £1m. There is a very definite interest at the top end of the market. With any luck the adage that the best way to earn a small fortune is to have a large fortune and buy an English vineyard will soon wear completely untrue. I look forward to seeing what happens over the next 50...

The wines showcased (including facts) were:

Ridge View Merret Fitzrovia '03
[Limited supply, £19.95, sold on-site / mail-order / Waitrose]
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Est. 1994, Sussex Downs
16 acres, currently planting an additional eight
Aspires to: Champagne (and seeks advice/yield quotas from Champenois)
Low ridge of paludina limestone on a sandstone bed, hills create a rain shadow
Trails new technology, including the ‘preserveur’ anti-TCA (cork taint) wax seal
Cuvee Merret is IWSC's best bottle fermented sparkling wine
Named after Christopher Merret who described how a “gay, brisk and sparkling wine” was being drunk in London over 30 years before the French Mike Roberts a former accountant, he and Christine take a very disciplined approach
An outstanding wine - gentle, whispery, poised, like Laurent Perrier rose but with more fruit, finesse and a charming autolytic character. More subtle than Nyetimber in my opinion.

Camel Valley Atlantic Dry '04
[£9.45, on-site / mail-order / Rick Stein]
Schönburger and Reichensteiner
Est. 1989, Cornwall
Ten acres, currently planting an additional seven, holiday cottages, nature trail
Grows: Seyval Blanc, Reichensteiner, Bacchus, Schönburger (W); Triomphe d'Alsace, Dornfelder, Pinot Noir (R)
Aspires to: "Distinctive fresh Cornish style"
Screw cap, stainless steel heavily invested in
Privately owned, maverick Bob Lindo has a flair for marketing and publicity and for courting celebrity chefs (Rick Stein) who stocks his wines
"They have been used where 'Champagne' is just too down market and only 'Cornwall' will do!"
Crisp, elegant, balanced, well-made, English hedgerows, long finish, dry

Wyken Hall '04
[Around £7, on-site shop and Michelin-listed restaurant / farmers' markets]
Bacchus
Est. 1988, Bury St. Edmunds
Seven acres plus arable farm, llamas, 'edible garden', 'Good Dog' ale, maze
Grows: Bacchus, Senator, Madeleine Angevine 7672, Auxerrois, Kerning (W); Triomphe d'Alsace, Leon Millot and Pinot Noir next vintage (R)
Aspires to: wines to complement on-site restaurant
Good at courting heavyweights such as Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson (her favourite UK vineyard to visit)
Family run by Lord and Lady Carlisle, wine made by Shawsgate
“We’d like to think we’ve saved a farm and given life to an ancient farming community by bringing it into the 21st century.”
Crisp, slightly unripe stone fruits including greengages, appetising and mouth-watering, long finish, dry. A nice Bacchus. Well worth visiting the vineyard too where the chefs cook steak like a dream.

Worthenbury '04
[£8, Sold on-site / mail-order]
Sauvignon Blanc
Est. 1991, Wrexham, Wales
One acre, poly-tunnels, gradually expanding
Grows: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir
Aspires to: New Zealand
Family run, winemaker is Martin Fowke (Three Choirs)
Flying pig label/mascot - "...goes right back to the early 90's when we started the vineyard. We'd just bought The Old Rectory but not yet moved in, and were puzzling about what to with the acre of ground at the bottom which had been horse training and paddock but we didn't ride. I settled on vines and told the family over Sunday lunch back in our old house that I was thinking of planting a vineyard. Then 18 year old son knowing everything about everything said sarcastically- 'Oh Yes, and there'll be a flying pig on the label!'"
Dry, definite Sauvignon character coming through subtly on nose and palate. Quite an achievement and praise-worthy. Very pleasant indeed.

Bookers '04
[£7.50, on-site shop/cafe / mail-order / local wine merchants]
Pinot Gris
Est. 1973, Sussex
23 acres
Grows: Muller Thurgau, Chardonnay, Schönburger (W); Rondo, Dornfelder, Pinot Noir, Würzer (R)
Very significant investment in part EU funded winery
Superb courting of media locally and nationally
Founder (and former chemical engineer) Rodney Pratt quotes "lunacy" as reason he started the vineyard
Blotting paper dry, astringent and sadly a very difficult wine to make friends with.

Chilford Hall '96
[£Curio, general range sold on-site (60-70p/c conference/events centre / shop and cafe) / mail-order / Bedales, Borough Market / exported]
Est. 1972 (land thought useless for other crops)
18 acres, currently planting additional rows, largest events centre in East Anglia, nature trail, outdoor art etc.
Grows: Müller-Thurgau, Ortega, Huxelrebe, Reichensteiner, Schönburger, Dornfelder and Siegerrebe
Family run, winemaker is Chris Durrant, former pig farmer
Standing up to the test of the wine admirably, being just a touch curranty with a large presence and a duracell ("on and on") aftertaste

Sandhurst Late Harvest '01 (one month late)
[£6.50 50cl, on-site, mail order]
Huxelrebbe
350 acre mixed farm, Sandhurst, Kent - 25 acres vines, 55 acres hops
Grows: Bacchus, Reichensteiner, Schönburger, Faberrebbe, Seyval Blanc (W); Rondo, Dornfelder, Pinot Noir (R)
Family run, winemaker is Owen Elias (New Wave Wines)
Super, the late harvest character really shone through and left a tuning-fork aftertaste behind it

Errazuriz Don Maximiano

Founder's Reserve '00
Don Maximiano Estate, Aconcagua Valley - the highest peak in the western hemisphere
[£20-£22, Hatch Mansfield, Four Walls Wine, T. 01243 535353]

A STRETCH LIMO of a wine. Errazuriz's flagship Cabernet (named after the founder) is so big it almost drifts to the nose visually, like the food aromas they draw in cartoons.

Curranty, with leather and tobacco notes, this is plush yet savoury (a hint of sweat) replete with a long, lingering draft of cassis. The fruit comes from the finest and oldest plots within the Don Maximiano vineyards.

I look forward to trying the '03 which features a tiny helping of Syrah and might help add a touch of complexity.

The only issue I find is when saying the name Errazuriz which makes me sound half-cut!

An interesting blind tasting including this wine can be found HERE.

Quinta do Carmo

Lafite Rothschild/Comandador José Berardo
Alentejo, Portugal

THESE WERE the highlights of the 'Wines of Portugal' tasting (held yesterday). I found the explanation of how estate manager Joachim Roque takes to thinning the vine foilage after flowering intriguing, the theory being that sunburn will be kept to a minimum as the plant adjusts gradually to the strength of the sun. Rather like building up a tan in humans...

Apart from Portugese varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah have inevitably been introduced since the 1000ha estate (150ha of that being vineyard) was taken over in 1992.

Don Martinho '03
[£8.95, Waddesdon Manor]
The second wine and oak-free, this was underpinned by ripe berry fruit, soft tannins and a certain degree of fleshiness. Aragonez (Tempranillo) dominated. Amazingly theatrical label. Very good value indeed and drinking very well now.

Quinta do Carmo Reserva '03
[£25, Waddesdon Manor]
Playing a higher cord on the piano, this burnished silver gullwing Mercedes of a wine was more dramatic, with a very dry overall feel. A touch of caramel and coffee came through, though this will take time to open out. A modern classic.

Dom Ruinart

Blanc de Blancs '96
[Approx £65-£70, Harvey Nicholls, Fortnum & Mason]

I TASTED Ruinart's flagship fizz at the Specialist Importers’ Trade Tastings (SITT). Disarmingly subtle (a Ruinart characteristic), it suggested an almost Burgundian dry straw, barn floor edge on the nose which wasn't in any way unappealing but separated it from others in the range. Lightly coloured with tiny bubbles, good, suave bead almost impercebtible on the tongue and gentle autolytic (brioche) flavours. I would love to revisit this wine in a few years to see how it develops.

Just a thought, but considering Ruinart's parent company, 'LVMH' (Louis Vuitton, Moet, Hennessey - note the bags go first) own so many other Champagne houses, notably Moet, Veuve Cliquot, Krug and Mercier, surely some in-fighting goes on to secure the best fruit inter-house?

Champagne being such a fashion business, and brand recognition being critically important, it's always intriguing for me to see just how far producers will go to get their product connected with the right image, hence Ruinart, the oldest Champagne house was also the first to fly it's wine on Concorde in the inaugural take-off. An altogether more civilised act when compared to the wine-wasting sloppy act of Formula One spraying.

Yalumba The Octavius

XI Edition '00
Barossa
[Around £40, Harrods, Veritas, Fine & Rare, Jeroboams, Vin du Van]

THIS RIPE, succulent and very deep coloured Australian delivers generous, intense fruit and a good sturdy mouthfeel. Almost like a new generation St. Joseph.

Use of naturally occuring wild yeasts shows very assured winemaking. Very good indeed.

The name comes from the very small (90 litres), Yalumba-coopered, Yalumba-seasoned (eight years) American oak octaves. Not gaudily oaky, however, but civilised, organised and multi-layered.

Needs protein, good with spring lamb chops (roasted).

Yatir Forest

Yatir Forest '02
Judean Hills, Jerusalem, Kosher
[£24.95, Amazing Grapes]

EVERYTHING ABOUT this wine intrigues me: the elegant, economical label, backstory and of course its taste. It is chiefly made by an ambitious young Israeli (hence the weighty bottle) tending vines planted in a patchwork of four rather small vineyards. These are located in clearings in the newly planted (42 years ago) 3000ha Yatir Forest (www).

It is virtually black, with a bitter-dry tang evoking sharp, spicy green peppers, maybe even a touch of hemp? A touch closed at present, I have been monitoring it and think it will really develop over time.
Unfiltered and demonstrating restrained French oak character.

Facts:
-There are over 125 wineries in Israel;
-Carmel is perhaps the most significant, dating back to its foundation in 1882 by Edmond de Rothschild;
-Winemaking in the Yatir dates back over 2500 year ago;
-Yatir is a joint venture between Carmel (also the name of the mountain range east of Haifa) and winemakers of the Negev.

Southbrook Vidal Ice Wine

Triomphus Vidal Ice Wine '03
Maple, Canada
[$40, stockists: www.southrook.com, plus see footnote]

MY APOLOGIES for writing about a wine that is nearly impossible to find (for the reasons of a. no UK importer and b. restricted bottling - 1000 x 37.5cl only). However this note may be interesting when you compare what I think with a more traditional 'Eiswein' made in Germany from more noble Riesling.

This wine is however strongly redolent of melted mango sorbet with a steely intensity on the nose, even (feral) lime marmalade. On the palate it suggests drained canned peach juice with a sweet 'gras' texture. A very long aftertaste helps this essentially simple-tasting wine deliver all its goods harmoniously.

Worth looking into too are Southbrook's fruit liquers - outstanding and offering an explosion of flavours - try a dash of Framboise, Cassis or Blueberry in prosecco or drizzled over ice cream. I swum some strawberries in the Cassis to great effect.

Update- some Southbrook wines can be found at drinkfinder.co.uk and Majestic at Vinopolis.

Cuvée de la Chevalerie

Cuvée de la Chevalerie '03
Crémant de Loire, Saumur
[£8.99, Nicolas]

A DELICIOUS uncomplicated rosé with notes of small wild strawberies. A perfect spring appertiser - a taught everyday pick-me-up. Would be even better it it were £6.99. Made from Cabernet Franc.

Ch. Charreau

Château Charreau '03
Verdelais, Gironde, France
[Approx £6, Franglais, Calais, 75cl]

THIS JOYOUS, honeyed sweetie offers citrus on the nose, including grapefruit, with a concerted steel backbone, preceded by a sharp intial aroma of slightly unripe greengages and followed by the cleanliness and evocation of 'Pears' soap, but without the bitterness. My tasting companions also noted jellybeans, Savoy cabbage water, Tuber roses and the flesh of ripe white peaches. On the palate a heady mouthfeel echoes the meady quality, though this wine is not ultimately cloying. Canteloupe melon flavours develope within the very long aftertaste. To me this tastes £80-£95 per bottle and is a classy number. From a family run Chateau in Bordeaux and part of the 'Vigneron Independent' scheme, this is an astonishing find bearing some resemblance to de Bortoli's Noble One - this diamond is multi-faceted. Fruit rather than fungus prevails in this year.

Angelo Gaja & Tenuta San Guido

'Individualism in a World of Globalisation'
[Presentation by Angelo Gaja and Nicolo Incida della Rocchetta at the Italian embassy]

I HAVE had a good day at the Italian embassy, sampling wines I had only been able to read about before. The Italian wine renaissance it seems is indeed in full flow...

Angelo Gaja confirmed his maverick quality in his speech to the assembled wine professionals, comparing Cabernet Sauvignon to John Wayne - "a consistent but unimaginative lover"! Merlot is Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni, an altogether more restrained, "shy" and sometimes even ironic beast. But certainly no easy-lay...

He spoke out against the over-manipulation of commercial wines (regulating acidity, tannin and alcohol with barely legal hocus-pocus) and also the planting of vines in totally unfeasible areas (and countries). Draw your own conclusions although South Africa and Pinot Noir immediately spring to my mind.

Other points he raised - apart from strongly indicating that the Italians make the best wine -include the fact that Italy (and Italians) have around 1500 varieties to pick and choose from, so exploration and inventiveness is often rewarded. He sung Piedmont's (literally "foot of the mountains") praises, not only for the quality wine, but because of the beautiful snow-capped scenery in abundance. His overriding philosophy, it seems is to make wines with the ability to "suprise you".

GAJA/ROCCHETTA TASTING NOTES CAN BE FOUND HERE.

His passion reminded me perhaps logically of Marchesi Piero Antinori, who said: "Uniformity is not our philosopy.

ANTINORI TASTING NOTES CAN BE FOUND HERE.