Best’s Great Western Old Vine Pinot Meunier 2010

It’s been a tough week and a half so far working vintage.  Early starts and long days are par for the course, so I can’t complain about them.  Equipment issues are more of a pain, with a pair of pumps needing repairs so far.  The worst for me though is the physical exertion, in stark contrast to my otherwise fairly cushy life, and this year it’s been compounded by an accident (which was completely my fault) involving a forklift, a barrel rack and my head.  Three stitches and a tetanus shot later later I’m fine, albeit with a black eye, but enjoying this (unrelated) day off to do some writing instead of just resting.  And what better way to make the most of it than with this bottle of Best’s Great Western Old Vine Pinot Meunier 2010.

A grape familiar to any student who has covered Champagne, Pinot Meunier is something of a tough nut to crack for those of us interested in varietal wines.  First, within Champagne while it is the second most widely planted variety, it is not as highly regarded as Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.  That means that while many houses use Pinot Meunier in their wines, few draw attention to that fact or produce varietal examples.  There are some exceptions, including Krug, though I have yet to sample one.  Second, as a grape it is not commonly found outside of Champagne.  It is permitted in the Loire, though not widely planted, and can be found in Lorraine near the border with Luxembourg and Germany.  Within Germany itself there are plantings but very few notable examples.  In the New World, there are fewer plantings still, and it’s typically used in blended sparkling wine with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  That makes this wine exceptional, as a still, varietal Pinot Meunier, before I even open the bottle.

As a Pinot, this variety is nearly identical at the genetic level to the other Pinots (Noir, Blanc, Gris, et al) except for the accumulation of mutations over the course of propagation through replanted clippings.  It differs from Pinot Noir in that it buds and ripens later, making it less susceptible to late frosts and therefore gives more reliable yields.  It also does well in clay soils, in addition to limestone, meaning it can be more widely planted throughout Champagne.  Furthermore, it can have higher acidity than Pinot Noir, though it isn’t thought to have as much ageing potential.  It’s easy to see why it would be a popular grape for growers, even if some houses prefer not to acknowledge their use of it.

Best’s Great Western was founded in the 1860s by Henry Best in the Great Western area of Victoria, roughly 180km west by northwest of Melbourne.  Best spent nearly 50 years building the business until his death in 1913.  Soon thereafter, it passed to William Thomson who had been running a neighbouring winery at Rhymney.  He and his family continued to expand the business, which is now in the hands of the fifth Thomson generation.

The company is best known for its Shiraz, with their Thomson Family Shiraz in their Icon Range featuring on the Langton’s Classification as Outstanding and their Bin No. 0 Shiraz as Distinguished.  This Pinot Meunier and a Pinot Noir round out that range, while their Concongella Collection and Great Western Range include more Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and a Dolcetto, in addition to a Champagne produced in a partnership with a small house in L’Aube.

The Great Western is a subregion of the Grampians in Victoria.  While there are a number of subregions described as pending approval or used informally, Great Western is one of only fourteen subregions in Australia officially recognized by the Geographical Indications Committee.  The region is moderate to cool, with a Mediterranean climate and some influence from the Southern Ocean and from altitude that ranges from 240-440m .  The soils are varied, but principally clays and loams with good water retention.

As to this wine, in the glass it is clear and bright, with a medium minus garnet colour and very slight legs when swirled.  On the nose it’s clean and youthful with medium intensity and notes of black cherries, some Pinot Noir funk, some black pepper, and some forest floor/mushroom scents.  Later, there were additional notes of dark chocolate and coffee.  On the palate it’s dry with high acidity, medium minus body, medium intensity, medium minus fine tannins, medium plus alcohol, and a long length.  There are notes of black cherries, liquorice, cranberries, coffee, star anise, and black pepper.

This is a very interesting wine, and I think very good quality.  If served it blind, my first guess would have been Pinot Noir with punched up acidity.  I was expecting fruitiness but that was not exclusively the case.  Instead it also has a fair number of developed characters despite only being two years old.  I can’t vouch for varietal typicity, but it certainly has complexity and it does linger on the palate.  While I’m drinking it far to young, I’m fairly certain they made more than just this one bottle so I’ll have to secure another.  And also, having now tried my first varietal, still Pinot Meunier, I honestly don’t understand why it isn’t more widely planted.  Apparently it’s also being used for more than just sparkling wine in New Zealand, so I look forward to finding out more.

Changing Lanes 2005

Jean Dubuffet, a French painter and sculptor, described the concept of Art Brut* as “pieces of work executed by people untouched by artistic culture, in which therefore mimicry, contrary to what happens in intellectuals, plays little or no part, so that their authors draw everything (subjects, choice of materials employed, means of transposition, rhythms, ways of writing, etc.) from their own depths and not from clichés of classical art or art that is fashionable.”  Art Brut, also known as raw art or outsider art, is essentially work done by someone outside the artistic community, without the restrictions of accepted norms.  Today’s wine is a bit of Art Brut in a bottle, the Alpha Box & Dice Changing Lanes 2005.

Alpha Box & Dice is the work of Justin Lane, founded 2008, and home to an alphabetic collection of wines.  Essentially set up as a garage enterprise, Lane sources grapes from a stable of local growers and makes wines based more on his personal tastes than on established conventions.  While his “Hercules” Shiraz, “Rebel Rebel” Montepulciano and “Tarot” Grenache varietals may sound conventional enough, his “Apostle” Shiraz/Durif, “Fog” Nebbiolo/Cabernet Sauvignon/Tannat and “Golden Mullet Fury” Muscadelle/Chardonnay wines give perhaps a slightly better idea as to his unconventional thinking when it comes to what varieties might sit well together in a blend.

Mark Lane and Justin Lane

This wine in particular is a good example of Lane’s willingness to try something out of the ordinary.  Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon are not typically found together in Spain or France, but in Australia they’re fair game as blending partners.  Similarly, this wine is a collaboration with another winemaker, Justin’s brother Mark Lane, which again isn’t so out of the ordinary.  Mark sourced some particularly good Tempranillo, vinified it, and sent some of the best barrels to Justin, who was doing the same with Cabernet Sauvignon.  What is unusual is that Mark Lane works in Western Australia, some 3000km from Justin Lane in McLaren Vale, South Australia.  That makes this wine one of the most geographically diverse I have ever encountered.  In terms of wine being an expression of the varietal characteristics of the grapes, the terroir and the intention of the winemaker, this has all three, times two.  And while it has no impact on what’s in the bottle, the label features a lenticular print of mugshots of both winemakers, with the image changing depending on the angle at which it is being viewed and it’s easily the most creative label I’ve ever seen.

While I don’t typically comment on branding, Alpha Box & Dice does it well.  The convention they’ve established of wine names with an alphabetic theme works well, though it remains to be seen what happens after Z.  Each label is uniquely designed, and while they have little in common with one another, they sit well together in a group.  Even the cellar door has a quirky, rustic feel to it, which flows nicely from the old garage in the country where the wine is made.  Should it ever grow into a $500/bottle ultra exclusive, mailing list only winery, I officially call dibs on the parody label Art Brut & Dubuffet.

While Dubuffet used his term Art Brut to refer to art produced by asylum inmates and children, I use it in the more general sense of self taught.  In many ways this applies to Lane, as he has no formal qualifications in winemaking, and his approach to what can make a good wine is uninhibited by tradition or fashion.  That said, he’s not strictly speaking quite so much the outsider.

Justin Lane grew up in the Hunter Valley, and while not from a wine family, he spent much of his time in vineyards and after an abandoned attempt at studying viticulture, worked with Hardy’s and Tatachilla wineries.  Those experiences opened the door for him to work vintages in France, Italy and even Moldova.  In Australia he helped run a cooperative in McLaren Vale called Redheads Studio, which provided him with the network of growers needed to found Alpha Box & Dice after his partner bought him out in 2007.  He’s recently co-founded an eating and drinking establishment in Adelaide called Cantina Sociale that sources barrels of wine direct from producers and pours them by the glass.  While I don’t do bar/restaurant reviews, I’m a fan.

How does all this come out in the wine?  In the glass this wine is clear and bright, with a dark garnet colour and quick, stained legs.  On the nose it’s clean and developing, with high intensity and notes of sweet spice, dried red fruit, persimmon, pomegranate and strawberries.  On the palate it’s dry but with some fruit sweetness, medium acidity, medium plus body, medium plus intensity, high alcohol, medium minus fine tannins and a long length.  There are notes of chocolate, pomegranate, black pepper, as well as dried fruit, both red and black.

This is a very good quality wine.  It’s big in most respects.  It has much more fruit than tannin, and while some of it comes across as dried fruit, it’s much more fresh than I would expect 7 years after vintage.  It’s not for everyone – at 15.5% ABV it’s not a timid wine, but if you want a big fruit bomb that is showing itself to be capable of ageing, it’s a good bet.  So while Lane has no formal winemaking credentials, there is nothing about this wine that suggests he needs to go back to school.

* Art Brut also happens to be the band that played at my wedding.

Cantina Santadi Carignano del Sulcis Grotta Rossa 2009

While I’ve been on something of a quest for new and interesting grapes, there’s certainly more to learning about wine than just grape varieties.  Today’s selection is about the place, because while this is made from a familiar variety, it’s from a region we have not visited before.  So we’re off to Sardinia with the  Cantina Santadi Carignano del Sulcis Grotta Rossa 2009.

Sardinia is an island in the Mediterranean between Italy and North Africa, just south of the French island of Corsica.  It has a colourful history, having been run at different times by the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Aragónese, Spanish, Austrians, and the House of Savoy.  It joined what was to become Italy in 1861 and is run as an autonomous region.

In terms of wine, there isn’t as much history, colourful or otherwise.  There is historical evidence of viticulture pre-dating the Carthaginian rule, but other forms of agriculture dominated, particular cultivation of grain and grazing of livestock.  While vines, mainly of Spanish origin, were imported under the rule of Aragón, wine has not been as important culturally or economically on Sardinia as it has been in mainland Spain, Italy or France.  Plantings were encouraged and subsidized after World War II, resulting in a rapid expansion of vines and availability of low quality, high alcohol wines used for blending on mainland Italy.  However, funding was cut in the 1980s and such bulk wine production has dwindled greatly.

Though there are almost twenty Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) regions and one Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) established on the island, production of quality wine is somewhat undermined by the expansiveness of some of the DOCs (including the entire island in several cases) and high limits on yields.  Vermentino, Cannonau (also known as Garnacha Tinta, or simply Grenache), Carignano (Carignan), Vernaccia and Malvasia are widely planted, as are some of the more common Italian and international varieties, but there is not a wealth of popular varieties unique to the island the way there is with Sicily.  I’ve seen references to Cannonau, Carignano and Bovaleddu as bring native Sardinian grapes, but for our purposes they are Grenache, Carignan, and Graciano respectively.  On the other hand, Monica Nera, Nasco and Nuragus are a red and two white grapes respectively that have yet to be identified as anything other than Sardinian.

As to Carignan, it is a grape that is familiar to long time readers of this site, but for a recap it is worth having another look at the Carignan (blend) I tried from De Martino last year.

Carignana del Sulcis is a DOC in the southwestern tip of the island, including two smaller islands, Sant’antioco and San Pietro.  A DOC since 1989, it is one of the few areas within Italy where Carignan is grown, and in addition to the standard varietal bottling, there are levels of quality defined as Riserva and Superiore which require additional ageing.   Rosé and Passito wines are also produced.  The climate, as with the island as a whole, is as Mediterranean as you can get, and soils vary with clay, sand and limestone, though the island as a whole is known for decomposed granite as well.

Cantina di Santadi is a large cooperative winery established in 1960.  It had its start producing vast quantities of bulk wine which was sold unbottled and unbranded.  Fortunately, a change of management in the 1970s resulted in a shift, and the coop has moved from being an anonymous supplier of cheap wine to being a rare example of a coop with a strong focus on quality wine production.

To that end, they’ve worked in close partnership with Giacomo Tachis, one of Italy’s most famous winemakers.  One of the driving forces behind the massive improvements within the Italian wine industry through the 1970s and 80s, he has been involved with Antinori and helped create the Super Tuscan Sassicaia.  He’s long had an interest in Sardinia, and in particular believes that Carignan, not widely loved or revered in the production of fine wine, is especially well suited to the climate and soils of southern Sardinia.

Today the company produces over a dozen different wines, DOC and IGT, red, white and rosé, as well as a grappa. Beyond Carignan, the company makes use of Cannonau (Grenache), Bovaleddu (Graciano), Vermentino, Monica Nera, Nasco, Nuragus, Sangiovese, Syrah, and Chardonnay in their wines.  In addition, they released a special edition 1960-2010 commemorative bottling comprised of Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which could be called a Super Sardinian.

As to the wine in front of me, in the glass it’s clear and bright, with a dark ruby colour and quick, thick legs.  On the nose it’s clean and developing with medium intensity and notes of cherries, sweet spice, pomegranate, and strawberries.  On the palate it’s dry with medium acidity, medium body, medium minus tannins, medium alcohol, medium plus intensity, and medium plus length.  There are notes of black cherries, liquorice, some red meat, dried red fruit, and small goods.

This is a good quality wine.  It was interesting for more than just its origin, but not overly complex.  Despite having good intensity, I felt myself reaching for descriptors as the fruit was somewhat indistinct.  However, it certainly suffered no faults and was pleasant to drink.

Larch Hill Winery Mad Angie Madeline Angevine 2009

There are some topics that I find interesting which are made more so because I know there will be people who want to read about them.  Posts about Wine & Spirits Education Trust exams are popular because there’s a small group of people who care a great deal, and even if I’m not a huge authority on the subject, they’re often happy for whatever information or analysis I can provide.  Today’s topic, on the other hand, will be of interest to very few, if any, other people in the world.  Nevertheless, if obscure grapes are your thing, I hope you enjoy this post concerning the Larch Hill Winery Mad Angie Madeline Angevine 2009.

When I was studying with the WSET, I often found it unusual that they devoted any time at all to wine production in the UK.  While there are some interesting wines being produced there, particularly sparkling wine from the south of England, the quantities and their impact on the global wine trade are so insignificant that it hardly seems worthwhile devoting pages to them in the syllabus.

That said, were it not for having to study wine production in England and Wales, I never would have heard of Madeleine Angevine.  Course materials from 2000 in the Advanced class describe it as “A variety that supports the British climate and gives a good yield.  It is perhaps best used for blending as it is low in acidity.”  At the Diploma level in a more recent study guide, the variety is relegated to the “Less Important” topic list.

The grape variety is of relatively modern origin, having first been cultivated in 1857 and released in 1863.  It ripens early, often ready for harvest by Sainte-Madeleine’s Day (22 July) from which it takes part of its name, while the city of Angers in the Loire Valley contributes the rest.  It is the offspring of two grapes not currently used in commercial wine production, Circé and Madeleine Royal, and has been used as a parent for other varieties, notably Siegerrebe and Madeleine X Angevine 7672.  It only has female flowers, which means it cannot self-pollinate, requiring other vines to be planted nearby.  It does well in cool climates, and while it has all but vanished in the Loire, it seems to be embarking on something of a second life in the Pacific Northwest, particularly Washington, USA and British Columbia, Canada.  It is also used as a table grape within Krygyzstan.

You may have noticed that I didn’t list the UK among places it is planted, and there is a good reason for that.  Despite what I quoted from the out of date course materials, Madeleine Angevine as described above is not what was planted in the UK.  In fact, their vines are the Madeleine X Angevine 7672, cultivated originally in Germany as a self-pollinating offspring of Madeleine Angevine and an unknown father.  There are other plantings of one or the other (possibly both) in Sweden and Denmark, but I can’t determine which.

Unfortunately for me, I was unaware of the grape until I moved to Australia, some thousands of kilometres from the nearest planting, cursed to forever remember its name but with little prospect of ever tasting it.  That is, until a trip to Vancouver allowed me to stock up on obscure varieties bred for cold climates.

This one is from Larch Hill Winery, in the now familiar Okanagan Valley of British Columbia – read my post on the JoieFarm Chardonnay for more information if the Okanagan Valley is unfamiliar.  Owned and run by Jack and Hazel Manser, the vineyard and winery were conceived in 1987 and planted commercially after five years of experimental plantings.  The list of their vines reads like a Who’s Who list of cold climate crosses – Ortega, Madeleine Sylvaner, Siegerrebe, and Agria, as well as this Madeleine Angevine.  In addition to their own plantings, they source Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Maréchal Foch and Merlot from neighbouring growers, and their site also lists Semillon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Reisling, and Lemberger (Blaufränkisch).  Their wines are largely varietal bottlings of the above, with a few blends, and a trio of dessert wines.

A quick note on the spelling of the grape variety in this wine – the bottle says “Madeline” but their website has the extra “e” in “Madeleine” that is the more typical spelling.  I don’t understand why they’re using two spellings.  As with most things, I consider Wine Grapes to be the final word.

In the glass this wine is clear and bright, with a pale lemon green colour and a few quick legs when swirled.  On the nose it’s clean and developing, with medium minus intensity and notes of pear, custard, lychee, and red apple.  On the palate it’s dry, with medium plus acidity, medium body, medium minus alcohol, medium plus intensity, and medium plus length.  The palate matches the nose in terms of pear, red apple, and lychee, but also brings with it rosewater and a honeyed character.  It makes the wine taste slightly sweet, but not in a residual sugar sort of way.

This is a very good wine.  It has a rich flavour, with balanced intensity and length.  While it is fruit dominated, it’s a fairly complex collection of fruit, and the rosewater almost gives it an aromatic quality.  While I get very excited at the prospect of trying new varieties, I set my expectations low in terms of how they will taste when it comes to obscure crosses.  Generally speaking, if they produced exceptional wines, they would be more widely planted, right?  While that sounds pessimistic, it means the surprise is all the more pleasant when I come across something I thoroughly enjoy, like this wine or the Niche Wine Company Foch from back in December.

Honeytree Estate Hunter Valley Clairette 2012

It used to be that I would keep my eyes open for interesting varieties, and be pleased when I happened to come across them.  Recently though, I’ve moved to the next level and I’m actively seeking them out.  Here is one I put on my list of wines I’d like for my birthday, the Honeytree Estate Hunter Valley Clairette 2012.

So Clairette.  The name, which can mean pale, clear or bright, is thought to originate with the light hairs found on the shoots and the undersides of mature leaves, rather than with the pale colour of the grapes.  It is vigorous, even in poor soil, and grows unusually straight and strong vines, which do not require stakes even in areas of strong winds.  It ripens late and can produce high levels of alcohol, though sometimes at the expense of acidity.

It is at home in southern France, and gives its name to three appellations there:  Clairette de Bellegarde, Clairette du Languedoc, and Clairette de Die.  The first two are still, varietal wines while Clairette de Die is sparkling and typically a blend dominated by Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.  The same region produces Cremant de Die which is 100% Clairette.  It’s also commonly found in regional Vin de Pays of southern France, and can be a component of a number of Southern Rhone wines, including  Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  As evidenced by this wine of Australia, it’s planted outside of France, with notable concentrations also found in Italy, Russia, South Africa and even Lebanon.

Even though this is the first pin in the region on the map, this is not the first wine we’ve encountered from the Hunter Valley.  Unfortunately for cartographic accuracy, the Will Taylor Hunter Valley Semillon from last year ended up pinned in Adelaide where their offices are located, but the description of the region from that post is still viable.  As I mentioned in that post, while the region is identified with Semillon, there are a wide range of varieties planted, including Chambourcin which is on my list to try.

Honeytree Estate is a small producer in the Hunter Valley region.  It was planted in 1970 and now owned by Robyn and Henk Strengers.  Henk is originally from the Netherlands, and despite their boutique levels of production, some wine is exported there.  Their holdings consist of 23 acres of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Semillon as well as this Clairette.  Plantings of Traminer were grafted over to Clairette after the very successful 1998 vintage.  They’ve also produced something called Vindouce, and while the half bottle size, tasting note of luscious and low alcohol level suggest it is a dessert wine, I can’t find any firm details, though there is mention of ice wine on their Facebook page.

As to this wine, in the glass it is clear and bright, with a pale, pale lemon green colour.  I use “pale lemon green” quite a bit as these days it’s the industry standard white wine colour, but really, this wine is borderline water white.  It shows very small legs when swirled.  On the nose it’s clean and youthful, with medium plus intensity and bright notes of tropical fruit – passion fruit and rock melon – as well as grapefruit, some lime, and a little vanilla.

On the palate it’s dry, though there’s enough fruit that I had to taste it a few times to decided if there was any residual sugar.  I don’t think there is.  It has medium plus acidity, medium minus body, medium plus flavour intensity, medium minus alcohol, and a medium length with a clean finish.  The palate matches the nose, with the grapefruit notes being somewhat more pronounced, but still with the tropical fruit – melon and passionfruit – as well as a hint of coconut.

This is a good wine – well made, youthful, and while it’s nearly all fruit, all the flavours are crisp and distinct.  While I hate myself for saying so because it’s such a cliché, it’s a perfect summer quaffer.  There is nothing present in the glass that doesn’t please.  If you’re looking for a serious wine with layers of complexity and great ageing potential, this is unlikely to satisfy, but if you want something to drink while the sun is shining, you can do much worse.

This is my first varietal Clairette, and my first Australian Clairette, so clearly I am not an expert on the topic, particularly when it comes to tasting.  However, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say for the record that my first thought when I tasted it was that it was uncannily similar to a South Australian Colombard that I’ve recently enjoyed.  So while Wine Grapes doesn’t list any connection between Colombard and Clairette, it does make me wonder if it’s possible that some Colombard vines in South Australia are actually Clairette, or if some Clairette vines in the Hunter Valley might actually be Colombard.