12th March 2008: The Wine Republic at Café Europa

An inaugural tasting event celebrating the founding of Beijing’s newest wine company, The Wine Republic, hosted by Managing Director Campbell Thompson.

Guests assembled at Café Europa to sample the wines of Victorian estate Mount Langi Ghiran, part of what looks to be an inspiring range, set to include other Australian producers such as Yering Station, Yarrabank, a joint venture between Yering Station and Champagne Veuve A. Devaux, Parker Coonawarra Estate, Xanadu Wines and Hewitson.

Thompson explained how it was not just important for him to import genuinely good wines into China, but that the logistics-side was a pressing concern: how wine is shipped, how it is stored and transported within mainland China; and, of course, how it finally reaches the consumer.

Those of us who have had clearly heat-damaged bottles know only too well the problems with storage and transportation that routinely occur here.

We were certainly impressed by the quality of Mount Langi Ghiran’s wines (see full tasting notes below) and welcome the appearance of The Wine Republic on the Beijing and Shanghai scenes.

Despite recent shipping, the wines seemed to be in fine fettle. The Wine Republic joins a handful of companies including Globus Wines and Ruby Red Fine Wines (both in Shanghai) that takes issues of transportation and storage seriously.

Each wine was paired by a particular dish and the food-and-wine matching was generally very well-done. Here are our notes:

2004 Mount Langi Ghiran Riesling

Appearance: medium yellow green.

Nose: instantly appealing developed Riesling nose featuring lime and grapefruit aromas with marked kerosene notes. Savoury and subtle.

Palate: mellowed ripe lime fruit with lovely acidity and excellent concentration. Good length too.

Conclusion: impressive Australian Riesling from at least 20 year-old vines. South Australia’s Clare and Eden Valleys usually get the limelight for this grape, but it’s lovely to have such a good Victorian example. Very good and capable of some further ageing in bottle if you like your Rieslings a bit older (up to 2010). Went very well with a tuna carpaccio with mango salsa. Note: The Wine Republic will carry the 2007 vintage for those who like a younger expression. Retail approx. 220RMB.

Rating: 18.5/20

2003 Mount Langi Billi Billi Shiraz

Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: attractive cool-climate Shiraz nose showing black cherry and blueberry fruit with distinctive peppery notes (that pepper is lost in hotter climates, even if Shiraz retains other spicy aromas). Non-intrusive oak, if any here.

Palate: lovely fruit, medium chewy tannins and good acidity here. Pleasant length too.

Conclusion: well put-together and drinking well now. 2003 was not the greatest vintage anywhere in Australia really and a number of reds are looking tired already (certainly in comparison with 2002 and 2005). But this wine is ready and a lovely expression of cool-climate Shiraz. Paired extremely well with a grilled duck breast and rocket and parmesan salad. Retail approx. 180RMB.

Rating: 17/20

2001 Mount Langi Cliff Edge Shiraz

Appearance: dark purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: crushed red and black fruits of various descriptions (everything from red and black cherry to Shiraz’s slight blueberry character), lovely oak (largely French oak here), mature, slightly leathery notes.

Palate: medium-high chewy tannins, although mellowed, backed up by lovely fruit and nice acidity. Alcohol is balanced as it was on the Billi Billi Shiraz above.

Conclusion: lovely cool-climate Shiraz already benefiting from modest ageing. A pretty good accompaniment to the pepper-crusted beef fillet, but I think the pepper in the dish was too much for the wine in this case. A quibble. Retail approx. 260RMB.

Rating: 18/20

2000 Mount Langi Cabernet-Merlot

Appearance: dark purple-red to black, orange rim.

Nose: dark blackcurrant fruit with some plummy notes, nice oak again here. Still quite young on the nose.

Palate: very good palate with integrated medium-high tannins, good fruit, good acidity and impressive length.

Conclusion: this wine still has some time to go really, although it’s clearly drinkable now. Very well-made; but the Cliff Edge Shiraz might be the best of the reds here in terms of quality-price ratio. A pretty good match with the gratinated field mushroom. Retail approx. 420RMB.

Rating: 17.5/20

Labels: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Featured Tastings, Merlot, Mount Langi Ghiran, red, Riesling, Shiraz, The Wine Republic, white

Featured Tasting: Jaboulet (including two vintages of La Chapelle)

Summergate hosted Christophe Brunet of famed producers Paul Jaboulet Aîné and Château La Lagune, now jointly owned and managed by the Frey family. Caroline Frey is winemaker at both properties (at La Lagune, Denis Dubourdieu, her former professor, is also a consultant). But this tasting focused solely on the Jaboulet wines – La Lagune having already been a presence at the Union des Grand Crus visit to Beijing in late November (see previous posts).

Christophe Brunet explained the current innovations the Frey family is instituting at Jaboulet. The main idea is to refine the quality of the Hermitage La Chapelle and limit its production. To put this in perspective, Brunet pointed out that in the 1990 vintage 100,000 bottles of red La Chapelle were made compared with some 30,000 bottles in 2005. A ‘second wine’, La Petite Chapelle, will shortly be released and may well represent good value, particularly as La Chapelle has now become a costly collectors’ item.

2006 also saw the re-launch of a white La Chapelle (Jaboulet had previously stopped making its top white Hermitage in 1961). This wine is a 100% Marsanne and, judging by how well the 2001 Chevalier de Sterimberg showed - see below - will be one to watch.

We tasted the following wines:

2004 Parallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône White, Jaboulet

Appearance: dark yellow green.

Nose: noticeable pear fruit with some waxy aromas.

Palate: strong pear fruit, more waxy flavours, nice acidity though too. Has kept quite well.

Conclusion: made from a blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Bourboulenc, this is impressive at its level and a nice expression of white Côtes du Rhône.

Rating: 16.5/20

2001 Le Chevalier de Sterimberg Hermitage (Blanc), Jaboulet

Appearance: dark yellow green.

Nose: complex pear fruit with nutty aromas, wax and butterscotch. Developed nose but will still probably age happily enough.

Palate: rich mouth-feel with mellowed pear fruit, toffee and butterscotch flavours and considerable length.

Conclusion: a wonderful example of aged white Hermitage, something of a rarity and thankfully relatively undiscovered in the wine world (it’s certainly not popular in fine wine markets). Still has some life ahead but drinking beautifully now.

Rating: 18.5/20

2005 Parallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône (Rouge), Jaboulet

Appearance: medium purple-red.

Nose: light red berry fruits, slight white pepper from the Grenache and some darker fruit coming through from the Syrah here. Attractive.

Palate: light chewy tannins, nice fruit, lively acidity; well put together with quite good length.

Conclusion: a decent wine at its level. Dependable stuff.

Rating: 16.5/20

2005 Les Cedres Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Jaboulet

Appearance: medium purple-red, slight orange rim.

Nose: mix of red and black fruits with some characteristic Châteauneuf spice (Grenache-dominated). Oak is non-intrusive.

Palate: chewy medium tannins, medium-high acidity and with good length, the wine does not show much oak and is largely fruit-driven.

Conclusion: a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre, this is a reliable Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It’s not going to excite in the same way that wines from single domaines in the region can, but it’s a decent expression.

Rating: 17.5/20

1988 Hermitage La Chapelle, Jaboulet

Appearance: medium purple-red, with very marked orange rim.

Nose: decaying black and red fruits with a distinct meaty nose that later shows leaves, mushrooms and other secondary aromas. Very complex.

Palate: lovely mature palate with mellowed fruit, meaty and mushroomy flavours, softened medium grainy tannins, good acidity and superb length. Unfiltered, its throws a sediment that we recommend eating! The flavours are heavenly and show what aged Syrah at this level is all about.

Conclusion: clearly a very fine wine. Collectors will debate whether the 1988 vintage is the best La Chapelle, but here’s a wine to enjoy now that seems to be at its peak and in fine condition.

Rating: 19/20

2001 Hermitage La Chapelle, Jaboulet

Appearance: darkish purple-red, already showing orange rim.

Nose: a bit closed at first, then showing complex dark fruits, corned beef, liquorice and some characteristic black pepper (a signature of cool-climate Syrah).

Palate: ripe medium-high chewy tannins, excellent acidity, integrated dark fruits, but a bit tight right now.

Conclusion: this will clearly be an excellent vintage of La Chapelle, but should be left alone at present. Very good, but try again in 2011 and thereafter.

Rating: 18.5/20 [but may be higher]

Labels: 1988, 2001, 2004, 2005, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cotes du Rhone, Featured Tastings, France, Hermitage, Jaboulet, La Chapelle, La Lagune, red, Rhone, sweet white

15th December 2007: ASC invited Pierre Lurton, General Manager of both St. Emilion's Château Cheval Blanc and Sauternes's Château Yquem to give a specialist tasting and dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing.

Before his arrival, Bertrand Carles, Buying Manager and Director of Bordeaux negociant Ginestet, gave a short introduction to the two properties, speculating on their markets in China. Carles had been travelling with Lurton throughout their tour of the country and was optimistic about the wines’ reception (hardly surprising, given the prestige of these propertites and Chinese consumers’ receptivity to French wines in general). As Carles joked, his problem is not one of selling top wines, but one of securing allocations in the increasingly competitive Bordeaux market.

Pierre Lurton first spoke about the diversity of soil types that characterize Cheval Blanc’s terroir (a mixture of gravel, sand, and clay). About 60% of the vineyard is given over to Cabernet Franc with Merlot making up the remainder. Lurton explained that in cooler vintages the early-ripening Merlot takes centre stage, but in hotter years Cabernet Franc plays more of a role. As Lurton put it, in warmer years, ‘Cabernet Franc invites Merlot for the long trip’, helping to produce wines that should have great longevity.

Whatever the assemblage, Lurton is adamant that Cheval Blanc's terroir dictates the style of the wine and its overall expression. He referred to Cheval Blanc's often silky tannins (or ‘cashmere’ tannins as Lurton put it); although this quality is presumably also achieved by care in the vineyard and limited extraction in the cellar. Cheval Blanc itself is made up from 25 different plots, all of which are vinified separately and then blended according to the nature of the year. Regular racking and fining are practised and the wine is unfiltered.

Here are our notes on the Cheval Blanc wines first. The notes on the 2004 and 1998 Château Yquem follow.

2004 Le Petit Cheval, St. Emilion

Appearance: medium purple-red, clear rim.

Nose: light red and black fruits (mix of plum and blackberry), fair bit of oak here, leather.

Palate: medium-bodied at most, good acidity, soft on tannins but these are definitely there. Not bad length.

Conclusion: 53% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc, this wine has some of the delicacy of the 2004 vintage. Although it could be approached now, it would be better to wait five years.

Rating: 17/20

2001 Le Petit Cheval, St. Emilion

Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: shows much more tobacco on the nose than the 2004 Le Petit Cheval with similar fruit underneath (blackberry, plum etc.). Oak is less prevalent, but this is because it has settled down; plus the tobacco and leathery smell is traceable to the use of oak here anyway. Complex.

Palate: more structure and tannic backbone here than on the 2004 Le Petit Cheval and better length too; also features good acidity and impressive fruit.

Conclusion: 53% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc, this wine was more impressive than the 2004 Le Petit Cheval and should age for much longer.

Rating: 17.5/20

2004 Château Cheval Blanc, 1er Grand Cru Classé A, St. Emilion

Appearance: medium to deep purple-red, clear rim.

Nose: crushed berry fruits (red and black), very perfumed with some fragrant green pepper notes from the Cabernet Franc. Oak comes in later.

Palate: strong fruit, ripe coating tannins – smooth in texture, not chewy – lovely acidity with good length. Slightly tight and clearly very young at present.

Conclusion: 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, this wine needs time. It is clearly sophisticated St. Emilion.

Rating: 18/20

2001 Château Cheval Blanc, 1er Grand Cru Classé A, St. Emilion

Appearance: deep purple-red, slight orange rim.

Nose: metallic first nose (iron, sanguineous kind of smell) followed by strong red and black fruits (chiefly plum and blackberry) along with integrated oak and considerable complexity.

Palate: ripe, silky and fully integrated tannins with excellent fruit, considerable length and fine acidity.

Conclusion: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, according to Robert Parker (but we’ve seen all sorts of different percentages for the assemblage on the same vintages of Cheval Blanc wines on the web!). This is clearly very fine St. Emilion which still has a long way to go to reach maturity.

Rating: 18.5/20

Pierre Lurton then talked in some detail about the production of Sauternes and the qualities of Château Yquem specifically. He described Yquem as ‘an icon of wine’, referring to the property as ‘the story of the Lur-Saluces family’ (rather than discussing the controversy of how Yquem ceased to be under Lur-Saluces control).

Like Cheval Blanc, Yquem is also typified by a varied terroir incorporating 130 hectares of gravel, sand, clay and chalk soils. These soils do not contribute directly to wine flavours (if at all), but do have different drainage and obviously different exposure in the vineyard itself.

Yquem is typically a blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc and Lurton explained the various risks inherent in Sauternes production, particularly given the need to wait for the right conditions over several trie (select harvests through the vineyard as noble rot develops). These separate pickings typically take place in the middle and end of September, the middle and end of October and conclude around the middle of November.

All in all, Lurton aims in Yquem to achieve a ‘clean, pure Sauternes with a good level of acidity’ to balance the natural residual sugar. It is certainly worth remembering that these are not particularly sweet wines (reaching about 130 g/l in sweeter years) - certainly alongside the likes of Ice Wine/Eiswein.

2004 Château Yquem, 1er Grand Cru Classé Exceptionnel, Sauternes

Appearance: medium-yellow gold.

Nose: very ‘fresh’ nose (with botrytis only suggested, really). Instead, there’s more evidence of fresh orange and other citrus aromas. Candied fruit with slight honey.

Palate: not super-concentrated. More of the delicate candied, citrus fruits with an excellent balance of medium residual sugar to high acidity. Good length.

Conclusion: a delicate vintage for Yquem (which is not a euphemism for ‘lacking concentration’ – this is just a different vintage). Will repay medium-term keeping.

Rating: 18/20

1998 Château Yquem, 1er Grand Cru Classé Exceptionnel, Sauternes

Appearance: distinct orange gold.

Nose: intense candied fruit, marked botrytis, spice and other complex aromas.

Palate: superb fruit, fantastic balance of robust residual sugar to delicate high acidity. The balance here really is very, very good! Excellent length.

Conclusion: this is a superb wine. Super-intense, but hardly cloying because of the fine acidity and amazing integration of the total wine. A brilliant Sauternes!

Rating: 19/20

There were limited opportunities for questions as Pierre Lurton and Bertrand Carles were coming to the end of a fairly arduous Chinese tour. But I did manage to ask Lurton if he uses different types of French oak when maturing Le Petit Cheval and Cheval Blanc respectively or whether the wines see similar oak treatment but for different periods. Lurton explained that he works with five different coopers, but didn’t divulge the types of oak used. Instead, he pointed out that Le Petit Cheval usually spends about 12 months in oak whereas Cheval Blanc would usually receive about 15-18 months.

Fongyee also managed to ask at what point the grapes for Yquem’s dry white (the ‘Y’) are generally picked each year. The blend for the ‘Y’ is quite different: 60% Sauvignon Blanc with 40% Semillon; and the grapes are usually harvested, we learnt, just before the end of the vintage.

Labels: 1998, 2001, 2004, ASC, Cabernet Franc, Cheval Blanc, Featured Tastings, Ginestet, Le Petit Cheval, Merlot, Pierre Lurton, Sauternes, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, St. Emilion, Yquem

Here are the rest of the wines from the Antinori tasting organized by Summergate and hosted by the Italian Ambassador, Mrs Riccardo Sessa and Alessia Antinori. Wines were available from Umbria and Tuscany, the original Antinori home (see separate posting for the three whites on show and the Umbrian and Tuscan wines we tasted) as well as Piemonte (Prunotto) and Puglia (Tormaresca), both also under Antinori control.

2005 Dolcetto d’Alba, Prunotto

Appearance: deepish purple colour, clear rim.

Nose: lots of red and black cherry but with noticeable almond nose and some white pepper. No oak.

Palate: chewy medium tannins (well managed here for Dolcetto!), medium-high refreshing acidity, lovely fruit and impressive length. Alcohol is well-balanced too.

Conclusion: a lovely example of Dolcetto from a strong vintage. Retail 203RMB.

Rating: 18/20

2005 Barbera d’Asti ‘Fiulot’ Vineyard, Prunotto

Appearance: medium red-purple, clear rim.

Nose: light red cherry nose with some stalky fruit. Some other savoury smells, but no oak.

Palate: bright fruit, nice acidity, and moderate spiky tannins. Quite good length.

Conclusion: medium-range Barbera in a light style. Well-made. Retail 179RMB.

Rating: 17/20

2000 Barbera d’Asti ‘Costamiole’ Vineyard, Prunotto

Appearance: dark purple-red, slight orange rim.

Nose: complex nose with intense black cherry fruit and several different savoury aromas including herbs (rosemary, oregano). Some of the spice here must be traceable to oak.

Palate: very ripe chewy tannins, great acidity and fantastic complexity of fruit and oak. Well-balanced throughout.

Conclusion: part of the Prunotto 'Cru' range and a superb Barbera! The wine does actually spend 12 months in barriques and is then aged for a year in bottle before release. Retail 660RMB.

Rating: 18.5/20

2001 Barolo ‘Bussia’ Vineyard, Prunotto

Appearance: medium to dark purple-red, slight orange rim.

Nose: immensely perfumed Nebbiolo with a mixture of black cherry and redcurrant fruit, peppermint and florality (although what flowers we couldn’t tell you!). Oak is well-integrated here as the grape variety is allowed to sing.

Palate: seems tighter in flavour on the palate (this is not a function of the gripping tannins as such). Very good length, however.

Conclusion: obviously high-class Barolo from a really good year that has an impressive life ahead. The 'Bussia' vineyard is in Monforte. The wine is aged in large French oak barrels, then in smaller barriques before being aged for a further year in bottle. Approx. 839RMB retail.

Rating: 18.5/20 [might be higher with time]

The Puglian reds from Tormaresca:

2004 Rosso Puglia IGT, Tormaresca

Appearance: medium red, clear rim.

Nose: attractive red and black cherry fruit, ‘warm’ and quite alcoholic on the nose. ‘Rustic’ in a good sense.

Palate: chewy and spiky medium tannins, refreshing acidity, pleasant fruit, quite good length.

Conclusion: 70% Negroamaro and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is an attractive blend for everyday drinking. Retail 167RMB.

Rating: 16.5/20

2003 ‘Masseria Maime’ Salento IGT, Tormaresca

Appearance: medium purple-red, clear rim.

Nose: ‘crushed berries’ with leathery notes, also savoury and, again, ‘rustic’, although that needs qualifying. There’s an alcoholic quality to the nose, probably helped by the 2003 heat. This is attractive though.

Palate: nice ripe tannins, pleasant fruit, decent acidity and a good overall balance despite the ‘warm’ alcohol nose. Good length.

Conclusion: 100% Negroamaro and very drinkable. Impressive. Retail 419RMB.

Rating: 17.5/20

Labels: 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, Antinori, Barbera d'Asti, Barolo, Dolcetto, Negroamaro, Prunotto, Puglia, Salento, Summergate, Tormaresca

A grand tasting of the various properties owned by the Antinori family organized by Summergate and hosted by the Italian Ambassador, Mrs Riccardo Sessa and Alessia Antinori. Wines were available from Umbria and Tuscany (the original Antinori home) as well as Piemonte (Prunotto) and Puglia (Tormaresca), both also under Antinori control.

The tasting itself was held in the Italian Embassy and drew a good crowd of invited guests from the diplomatic, journalistic, F&B and wine trade worlds. The majority of the wines were red with only three whites on show. We offer our notes here of those three whites together with the rest of the selections from Umbria and Tuscany. A further post will contain the wines from Piemonte and the Puglian reds.

2005 Castello della Sala ‘Campogrande’ Orvieto Classico, Umbria

Appearance: pale green with yellow tints.

Nose: largely light apple fruit.

Palate: apple fruit, pleasant acidity, light-bodied, not bad length.

Conclusion: made from 40% Procanico, 40% Grechetto, 15% Verdello, 5% Drupeggio and Malvasia, this is a crisp, food-friendly white for everyday drinking and affordable at 135RMB.

Rating: 15.5/20

2005 Castello della Sala ‘Bramito del Cervo’ Chardonnay, Umbria IGT

Appearance: medium gold.

Nose: peach and melon fruit, pleasant oak.

Palate: good fruit, some acidity here; good oak and quite good length.

Conclusion: after maceration, the must for this wine is exposed to French Allier and Troncais barriques to undergo alcoholic fermentation; but only a proportion of the wine receives malolactic fermentation in wood. This may account for the lifting acidity here. Quite well put together. Price 299RMB.

Rating: 16/20

2004 Tormaresca ‘Pietra Bianca’ Castel del Monte Chardonnay, Puglia

Appearance: medium yellow-gold.

Nose: appealing citrus and peach fruit, good oak.

Palate: pleasant acidity, strong fruit, deft use of oak and well-balanced.

Conclusion: this was probably the best white of the three on show. Well-made Chardonnay with an impressive balance of ripe fruit – no trouble ripening Chardonnay in Puglia – and good acidity (probably the element that is harder to achieve). This wine retails at 347RMB.

Rating: 16.5/20

2004 La Braccesca ‘Sabazio’ Rosso di Montepulciano DOC, Tuscany

Appearance: light to medium red-purple, clear rim.

Nose: appealing light red fruits (red cherry, redcurrant).

Palate: more pleasant red fruits, medium-bodied, good acidity, light on tannin.

Conclusion: this wine is a blend of 80% Prugnolo Gentile, 15% Merlot and 5% Canaiolo (NB Montepulciano grapes are not used to make this wine, nor are they used for Vino Nobile di Montelpulciano – if you want to drink Montepulciano, try Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from the Marches region). It only spends about 4 months in oak which might account for why we didn’t notice any oak here at first. Priced at 191RMB, this is an easy-drinking, food-friendly Italian red for more or less immediate consumption.

Rating: 16/20

2001 La Braccesca Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Tuscany

Appearance: deep purple colour with slightly orange rim.

Nose: dark black and red cherry fruit, ‘tart’ nose, discernible oak but this is well-integrated.

Palate: lovely tannins here (moderate and spiky in nature), fine acidity, pleasant dark cherry fruit and good length.

Conclusion: this wine is aged in different sizes of oak barrel for 12 months (with a proportion in barriques). It’s lovely stuff. 347RMB from Summergate.

Rating: 17.5/20

2001 ‘Marchese Antinori’ Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany

Appearance: dark purple, slightly orange rim.

Nose: marked black cherry fruit, savoury oak, slight spice, complex.

Palate: medium-high chewy tannins, lovely acidity, strong fruit, good oak and very good length.

Conclusion: a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter adding some richness and slightly darker fruit whilst the former dominates with its strong cherry quality. The oak in question is new, one-year and two-year old Alliers and Troncais French oak and the wine spends some 14 months in oak after blending. 450RMB and clearly very good.

Rating: 18/20 [but could be higher with time]

2001 ‘Pian delle Vigne’ Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany

Appearance: medium purple-red, slight orange rim.

Nose: complex red and black cherry fruit, some oak, savoury but with sweet fruits, complex.

Palate: very elegant with lovely closely knit but ripe medium-high tannins and beautiful Sangiovese fruit. Very balanced. Great length.

Conclusion: entirely Sangiovese, the wine spends some two years in a range of different sized oak vats and is also aged for a further year in bottle before release. This is clearly a very high quality Sangiovese (744RMB).

Rating: 18.5/20

Notes on the wines of Prunotto and the other Tormaresca reds to follow.

Labels: 2001, 2004, 2005, Antinori, Brunello di Montalcino, Chardonnay, Chianti, Featured Tastings, Italy, Montepulciano, Orvieto, Piemonte, Puglia, red, Sangiovese, Summergate, Tuscany, Umbria, white

Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo, Vertical Tasting

Presenting his wines at Aria restaurant in a tasting organized by ASC, Michele Chiarlo revealed that the family owns some 6 hectares of the Cerequio vineyard or about 40% of the total (with the likes of Angelo Gaja, Roberto Voerzio and Aldo Conterno controlling the rest of the vineyard).

The yield is generally at 35 hl/ha. He affirmed the care taken in extracting the better tannins from Nebbiolo before the bitter tannins take over: something the grape can easily show in less carefully made examples. 33% of production is sold in Italy with the rest going overseas, principally to the US and UK.

2003 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deepish purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: Very ripe red cherry, some ‘heat’ from the alcohol here, but there are still Nebbiolo characters coming through with some tar aromas. Oak is not over-dominant and with most of these notes I’ve hardly talked about oak because it’s well-integrated and almost hidden as Nebbiolo takes over.

Palate: big fruit, tight and close but ripe tannins; has impressive acidity for such a difficult vintage, some almond character and also peppermint and clove.

Conclusion: a very good wine for such a demanding vintage. Sensibly, they did not de-leaf in this vintage knowing that the grapes hardly needed much exposure to the sun in the fierce 2003 heat. Good, but it will never be a great Barolo year, not even from this vineyard and this producer.

Rating: 17.5/20

2001 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Medium to medium-deep purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: toasty first nose, a lot more immediately perfumed than the 2003 with a gamey aroma and beautiful red fruits (cherry, redcurrants, even cranberry).

Palate: has ripe large grainy tannins, excellent acidity and considerable finesse. There’s a great balance here on the palate with delicacy, freshness and lovely length.

Conclusion: Very good. A lovely expression of Barolo in a fine year.

Rating: 18.5/20

2000 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Deep purple-red (deeper colour than the 2001 certainly), slightly orange rim.

Nose: More tar on the first nose than perfume. Lavish fruit: more black cherry here than the red fruits you’d normally expect from most Piemonte Nebbiolos (at least those that haven’t had a bit of Barbera added!).

Palate: tannins are ripe and chunky. Considerable black fruits, but there isn’t the staying power here of the 2001 and there’s a slight problem with the palate. It’s not that the wine is short in length: there’s a gap between the generosity of the nose and a palate that gives a little less.

Conclusion: the palate notes here sound overly critical; but I can see why Chiarlo himself has more time for his 2001. This won’t last as well as the 2001 and will be an attractive earlier drinker, still of impressive quality.

Rating: 18/20

1999 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Medium to medium-deep purple-red, orange rim (similar in colour to the 2001).

Nose: Very perfumed indeed – in that way that Nebbiolo at this level is indescribably perfumed, just like great Pinot Noir. Very concentrated ripe red fruits.

Palate: has the feel of ‘sweet’ fruit on the palate, excellent acidity and gripping, ‘angular’ tannins (whereas the tannins on the 2000 were chunky and chewy).

Conclusion: very, very good indeed and, along with the 1997 and 1990, probably my favourite (with the 2001 being a close contender).

Rating: 19/20

1998 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: dark purple-red, orange rim (but orange rim is less extensive than that on the 1999).

Nose: has an immediate clove nose with tar, pepper and ripe cherry fruit.

Palate: tannins are chunky here and the palate is very much like the 2000 but with a better overall structure, i.e. the ripe cherry fruit is more integrated and there’s a better balance between fruit, tannin, acidity and alcohol.

Conclusion: very interesting to taste comparatively. Obviously similar to the 2000 in style, but better overall. Although the below rating is the same as the 2001, I think I prefer the 2001 to the 1998, at least in this tasting.

Rating: 18.5/20

1997 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Medium to dark purple-red (I know this sounds strange, but these wines are a real mix of colours and hues)

Nose: first nose has lots of violets, perfume and also rose petal. Throughout, there is the ‘sweet’, ripe red fruits of the 1999 vintage.

Palate: similar to the 1999 with ripe red fruits and perfume, but the tannins are bigger here. Excellent length.

Conclusion: the 1999 is more ‘delicate’ or lighter on the nose and palate than the 1997, but the 1997, with its relative burliness, might last longer. There are both wonderful vintages, however, and point-for-point, this and the 1990 were my top wines.

Rating: 19.5/20

1996 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: dark purple core with a real spread of red to orange in the rim.

Nose: shows a very clove and tarry nose – like the 2000 and the 1998 – with concentrated, even closed, red and black cherry fruit.

Palate: fruit is riper and ‘sweeter’ on the palate than expected with very big, chunky tannins and good acidity.

Conclusion: this wine will need a lot of time. Could do 10-20 more years and may well be superb eventually.

Rating: 18.5/20 [but could be higher with further age]

1995 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deep purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: lots of peppermint, tar and perfume with a mixture of red and black cherry fruit.

Palate: has ‘dusty’ big fruit, hefty and chunky tannins, acidity that seems higher here than on other vintages (or is more noticeable).

Conclusion: obviously impressive, but not as conversation-stopping as some of the other wines. Still very good, however.

Rating: 18.5/20

1993 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deep purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: has a very ‘Christmas cake’ first nose with clove, cinnamon and candied fruit.

Palate: shows more peppermint on the palate with lovely red fruits, decent marked acidity and ripe ‘fresh’, i.e. light, tannins (no doubt mellowed with age).

Conclusion: Ready to drink, although will still improve. A lighter, attractive vintage.

Rating: 18/20

1990 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim (still has considerable colour but has a wider gradation of orange rim than the other wines)

Nose: white truffle nose – the first wine to have this truffle quality – also other mushrooms, red fruits and some perfume.

Palate: mellowed but still lean tannins with generous fruit, complex truffle flavours and great acidity.

Conclusion: this wine still needs time in my book. It’s obviously a massive vintage and it would certainly be better to drink the 1993 before this wine. Stupendous and extremely generous of Michele Chiarlo to bring this over from his personal cellar.

Rating: 19.5/20

Labels: 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, ASC, Barolo Cerequio, Featured Tastings, Italy, Michele Chiarlo, Piemonte, red, white

Interview: Michele Chiarlo brings Barolo to Beijing

(see also Featured Tasting: The Wines of Michele Chiarlo including a vertical of his Barolo Cerequio)

I found Michele Chiarlo giving a class to the service staff of Aria restaurant. Afterwards we sat down and talked for an hour, joined by Giovanni Oliva (Asia Brand Manager for Grandi Vini d’Italia who represents Chiarlo in Asia) and ASC’s Cindy Jia. Chiarlo explained that his first visit to Beijing had been about 12 years ago and that his wines had been on the ASC list for some 8 years.

He likened the development of the Chinese market to that of the US or Japanese fine wine markets several years ago: with the exception that China is set to grow much more quickly in the early stages. He agreed that international wines will only make sense in this new market if they are paired with China’s many diverse cuisines and he recalled a successful wine-and-food matching dinner hosted by ASC in 2006 showing both Chiarlo’s wines and those of Umbrian producer Lungarotti; although he also confessed that it can be hard to make clear the virtues of Italian wines in general and Piemonte wines in particular to Chinese restaurant managers.

Chiarlo is from a family that has been working the Piemonte slopes for seven generations. They have vines in the Barolo, Calamandrana and Gavi zones (owning 50 hectares themselves with access to some 110 hectares overall). His son, Stefano, is currently the wine-maker working alongside oenologist Gianni Meleni. Michele himself has seen some 51 vintages, a tall, modestly dapper gentleman, equally modest in his conversation, but bursting with enthusiasm.

Chiarlo talked of the progress of the 2007 vintage: the weather was consistently mild throughout the year, although there was just enough rain when needed. Most of the grapes – even the fiendishly difficult Nebbiolo with its very long hang-time – achieved great phenolic ripeness. Average daily temperatures in August were around 30 degrees Celsius, with nightly temperatures of down to 14 degrees (ideal for preserving acidity). Whilst many of the wines will be impressive, Chiarlo was particularly excited about the Moscato harvest.

I asked about the developments he’d seen over his career in the vineyard and cellar. Chiarlo began green-harvesting about twenty years ago around 1984-5, following the innovations of Elio Altare, Angelo Gaja and Aldo Conterno. When pressed over the ‘traditionalist’ v. ‘modernist’ debate of the 1990s - basically, the choice between preserving traditional methods but making wines that are hard to drink young OR adopting new techniques to produce fruitier, softer wines for early drinking but ones which can lack varietal character – Chiarlo explained that producers had now learnt from both schools.

On Chiarlo's view old style wine-making can indeed keep varietal character but too many wines have tended to suffer from rough edges, unripeness and unruly acidity. New techniques such as ageing in French barriques (or adopting micro-oxygenation to make wines softer and more approachable) can obviously compromise varietal character and mask origin, but then the new attention to fermentation and what’s done in the cellar has reaped huge benefits. Most producers now have a composite approach.

Such observations have brought about changes in the Chiarlo cellar. Traditionally, Chiarlo used to macerate his Nebbiolos for about 35 days: now he opts for 15-16 days of skin contact to extract the best rather than the bitter tannins. But he still favours large barrels instead of barriques because of his desire to keep grape character and terroir intact.

Above all, Chiarlo wants wines of freshness, finesse and with enough concentration that they will express grape and vineyard/region exactly. He doesn’t want wines that will blow your head off or even ones that should be taken too earnestly. As he remarked: ‘drinking wine is not an exercise but a pleasure’. The question is, as Chiarlo then asked, ‘how much of a particular wine would you be happy to drink? One glass or more?’ This is the ultimate test of a wine’s appreciation.

Before the vertical tasting of his Barolo Cerequio, we turned to the characteristics of particular vintages and how Chiarlo decides on what to do each year. Generally speaking, Nebbiolo is not merely the last grape to be harvested: it also needs enough time in barrel before deciding what to do with it (age for longer in new oak or older wood, decide how much fining should be used, when to rack etc.).

Although, Barolo is famed for its longevity, Chiarlo insists that certain vintages have been hyped: although 2000 was a good year, for example, he would not agree with Wine Spectator’s 100 point award for the vintage (‘Perfection in Piemonte’ ran the header). Like many Piemonte producers, he prefers 2001. 1996, 1999 and 2001 are all high-quality Barolo years for the long haul. 2004 also looks to be very strong, but the excessive heat of 2003 will not, generally, give long-lived wines. The early 1990s were difficult with only 1993 pulling some weight in terms of quality and ageability; although many 1993s are essentially ready. The dreadful weather in 2002 also forced Chiarlo not to make any Barolo or Barbaresco, a difficult decision but an honest one. This integrity is reflected in the overall quality and purity of the Chiarlo range.

(see also Featured Tasting: The Wines of Michele Chiarlo including a vertical of his Barolo Cerequio)

Labels: 1993, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, ASC, Barbaresco, Barolo, Barolo Cerequio, Interviews, Michele Chiarlo, Moscato, Nebbiolo

ASC had arranged for Meerlust owner Hannes Myburgh to visit and show his wines. Sadly, Mr Myburgh could not make the event, but we did get to taste some of the best wines now available from South Africa:

2006 Meerlust Chardonnay, Stellenbosch

Appearance: medium-deep gold

Nose: ripe citrus fruit, principally lemon, lots of oak (French).

Palate: ripe lemon fruit, fair whack of oak but this is supported by the fruit. Pleasant acidity there too and impressive length.

Conclusion: one of the best South African Chardonnays I’ve had. Recently bottled, so not quite integrated yet, but this will do well in the next two years, perhaps longer. It is only partially malo-lactically fermented which would explain the lifting acidity here. The oak is showing a lot now, but will calm down (the wine is vinified in large French oak hogsheads, 60% new barrels).

Rating: 18/20

2004 Meerlust Merlot, Stellenbosch

Appearance: medium red-purple colour, slightly orange rim.

Nose: restrained plummy Merlot fruit (red plum here), marked French oak and some leathery development.

Palate: light, but fruity with more red plum, harmonious oak, pleasant lifting acidity, ripe grainy tannins and good length.

Conclusion: similar to Merlot-dominated Bordeaux in a ripe vintage. Elegant, restrained, very drinkable. The oak in question is Nevers - which the Rubicon also sees in barrique form (here it is hogshead) - in which this Merlot spends 17 months (60% in new oak).

Rating: 17/20

2003 Meerlust Rubicon, Stellenbosch

Appearance: medium purple, slight orange rim.

Nose: ripe black fruits, but already showing some savoury, developed notes (became meaty over the evening). Similar to aged red Bordeaux, but riper, with fair bit of oak.

Palate: grainy tannins, good acidity (which is marked), pleasant fruit, good length.

Conclusion: an elegant Bordeaux-blend, comprising 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc aged in French Nevers oak for two years (80% of the wine sees new oak). This wine is already drinking and will actually age more quickly than the 2001 Meerlust Rubicon (see below).


Rating: 17.5/20

2001 Meerlust Rubicon, Stellenbosch

Appearance: deep purple to black, orange rim.

Nose: concentrated black fruits (lots of blackcurrant), considerable oak, some leather but still ‘youthful’. Also has pine and iron smells from the oak.

Palate: rich, concentrated fruits, angular tannic structure that is larger than the 2003 Meerlust Rubicon, ripe but with great acidity and very good length.

Conclusion: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and aged for two years in French Nevers oak (80% of which is new oak), this is clearly an excellent vintage of this particular wine that has a great life ahead of it, if enjoyable now.

Rating: 18.5/20

Labels: 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Meerlust, Merlot, red, Rubicon, South Africa, Stellenbosch, white

2001 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains, Louis Etienne et Fils

Appearance: medium green.

Nose: Classic developed Chablis on the nose with mellow green apple fruit, minerality and even slight nuttiness here from the relative age.

Palate: more mellow apple fruit although with slightly sour acidity. Okay length.

Conclusion: This bottle was possible slightly tired, but was pretty good though. Made in a traditional style.

Rating: 16.5/20

Labels: 2001, Burgundy, Chablis, Chardonnay, France, Louis Etienne, Montmains, white

2001 Barbaresco, Produttori del Barbaresco

Appearance: lightish red-purple, pink rim.

Nose: redcurrant and slight red cherry nose with some tar, violets and some other perfume-like smell, slight spice.

Palate: delicate fruit on palate, fine spiky medium tannins, excellent fresh high acidity and a lovely balance of alcohol to acid to tannin to fruit.

Conclusion: we actually drank this over three days because it is still quite age-worthy even although not a Riserva. 2001 is also a particularly good vintage in Piemonte and the Produttori del Barbaresco always does a god job. Very, very good.

Rating: 18/20

Labels: 2001, Barbaresco, Italy, Nebbiolo, Piemonte, Produttori del Barbaresco, red

2001 ‘Le Guincare’ Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva, Monte Schiavo

Appearance: lovely gold colour with slight tinge of orange to it.

Nose: beautiful sour lemon and pear nose with nuttiness and good development (other savoury aromas like mushrooms and washed-rind cheese).

Palate: excellent acidity, balanced alcohol and at a beautiful stage. Very, very good.

Conclusion: this is lovely stuff. Italian whites get a hard press internationally (usually), in part because the wines on offer are dilute, bland and inexpressive (whereas the higher quality whites tend to stay in Italy itself). Verdicchio is a sophisticated grape that has similar ageing potential to Chardonnay from cooler climates. It has a bit more acidity though which can help. Monte Schiavo does a good job.

Rating: 18/20

Labels: 2001, Italy, Marches, Monte Schiavo, Verdicchio, white

2001 Oculus, Mission Hill

Appearance: deep purple to black, clear rim.

Nose: initial green aromas, probably from the Cabernet Franc here rather than from unripeness. Later complex black fruits and high-quality, integrated oak. Savoury.

Palate: beautiful fruit, good, firm but not astringent medium tannins, excellent acidity, good length and approachable now, although will benefit from further ageing.

Conclusion: This wine is 45% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and is Mission Hill’s top red. The green notes from the Cabernet Franc settled down after opening and this revealed itself as a sophisticated beast. Each grape variety sings through here (although the 5% Petit Verdot is not really something one could detect without considerable experience of that grape, if then). We'll be blogging on a whole range of Okanagan producers on this site. Mission Hill is the largest producer, but some of the best wines come from Burrowing Owl and Cedar Creek, among others. The Oculus is a fine thing, however. Buy whilst it's still affordable!

Rating: 18.5/20

Labels: 2001, Bordeaux-blend, Canada, Mission Hill, Oculus, Okanagan Valley, red

2001 Luddite Shiraz, Western Cape, South Africa

Appearance: deep purple to black colour, pink rim.

Nose: 'sweet and sour' nose featuring black cherry and blueberry notes. Oak is well-integrated and moderate.

Palate: rich black fruits, vibrant medium acidity, ripe chewy medium-high tannins and high but pretty well-balanced alcohol.

Conclusion: the wine is usually vinified in a mixture of French and American oak, although we're not precisely sure of the treatment of the 2001 vintage. This was really good, one of the best South African Shirazes we've had. One to watch.

Rating: 17.5/20

Labels: 2001, Luddite, red, Shiraz, South Africa, Western Cape

2001 ‘Vigneto du Lot’ Soave Classico Superiore, Inama

Appearance: medium yellow to gold.

Nose: pronounced lemon fruit, nuttiness and an overall sour, attractive almond nose. Some minerality too.

Palate: lovely fruit, minteral, very balanced high acidity and a kind of richness reminiscent of aged Chablis. Excellent length.

Conclusion: this wine had everything classic Soave should have. This is actually the best bottle of Soave we've had (to date).

Rating: 18.5/20

Labels: 2001, Garganega, Inama, Italy, Soave, sweet white, Veneto