Well the evening started with a resounding pop, if not a bang! A capacity crowd were presented with the first flight of four sparkling wines that were selected for their typicity and quality. After some table based discussions Richard set proceedings in motion with the first challenge – what was wine number 1?
The majority of members and guests correctly identified the first wine as a Prosecco and discussions then changed to why this was a good example of Prosecco and what you should look out for in wine of this type. It was generally considered that this wine was fruity and fresh and easy to drink. Slightly off-dry, the wine was well balanced and had a good finish, if not the most complex of sparkling wines. The typical “nose” of pears was quite prevalent and another good identifier of a Prosecco. What people were surprised about was the fine bubbles which are not unusual for good quality Prosecco (typically people assume the tank method results in coarse, unintegrated bubbles). What was however noticed was that the wine did go flat more quickly than the other three in this flight, which were all traditional method.
People had far more difficulty separating the next three and identifying what style of wine they were. The next in the frame was a fine example of a bottle aged Cava. Many people were expecting the Cava to display the classic notes of wet wool, lanolin, rubber and for want of a better description “baby sick”! However the style of Cava is changing and this example, though from a staunch traditional winemaker, displayed more of the newer trend of a more citrus note, typically lemon and in this instance a combination of dried lemon peel and lemon sherbet. Being bottle aged for 36 months gave this wine far more maturity and complexity than the Prosecco. Interestingly from a price point there is little between them, but the Cava is certainly the more expensive to produce and the more challenging on the palate. Perhaps a good reflection of the global demand for Prosecco and its rising prices vs the less popular Cava and the downward prices pressures. Perhaps Cava is the sparkling bargain we’ve all been looking for?!
Wines 3 and 4 were a New World sparkling, displaying the increased richness on the palate reflecting the growing conditions in California and a NV Champagne. Both were considered to be very good, but quite different in the tasting experience. The Champagne did display the high acidity and the brioche resulting from the autolysis in bottle on the lees and was certainly considered to be a classic Champagne style. People were generally surprised to find that this was a Tesco Finest, but it is a go-to wine for Richard (when on discount!). The New World was Quartet, which also received excellent feedback and at £19.50 was considered pretty good value.
Following this we moved onto flight 2; a tasting and discussion based around the differences between a Blanc de Blancs and a Blanc de Noir. Having selected two leading Growers Champagnes (which on greater inspection, one turned out not to be a Growers!) Richard was quite surprised how different these were to when he tasted them some 12 months ago. As such, whilst explaining the differences between the two styles the discussion turned to differing production methods, which better reflected the differences between these two excellent Champagnes. The BdB was a classic in many ways, displaying delicacy, white flowers and hazelnut, but was also a good example of a classic production method as used in Champagne today. By contrast, the BdN showed some rather unclassical notes of (intentional) oxidation, providing a greater depth and richness to the flavors and nose, but less of the classic fruitier/bruised apple note that was expected from a BdN. The BdN is a biodynamic wine and uses no added sulphur. A very interesting, if unexpected, result and discussion.
Our final flight of the evening was pitting two high quality wines against each other – one we knew was Champagne and the other English. How are they different and why? Which did you prefer? Well the majority of people when asked to pick one went with the Charles Heidsieck NV. In fairness this multi-award winning wine is hard to beat, even when retailing at £40. Exceptional depth and complexity, with a long finish. Highly representative and a classic producer at the top of their game with more than 400 reserve wines to choose from! The English was the award winning Wiston 2010. So a vintage wine rather than the NV blend. There were significant counterpoints between these wines and in fact we thought overall that despite being over 5 years old the Wiston is still too young to display properly and hasn’t had time to develop the more mature flavours and fully integrate the components of the wine. In fact presently it is far too effervescent and does need time to settle. A worthwhile investment for 5 or more years if you can a) get some and b) have the patience to cellar it for long enough!
What this did bring about was an interesting discussion on the pressures on English sparkling wine. Demand is very high – great for sales but bad for a) allowing the houses to mature the wines long enough and b) allow the build-up of reserve wines to add complexity, consistency and depth to blends. Secondly Richard felt that English sparkling should not follow Champagne too closely and make its own way to its own unique offering. Thirdly that the recent success has been built on quality and that English wine legislation should ensure that quality isn’t sacrificed for demand. Finally English wines seem to be able to bottle age for longer than pretty much every other sparkling wine and thus you should buy and keep and see how they develop. The producers haven’t had the time nor the stock to test this themselves, so perhaps we can all do a bit to continue to global advance of English Sparkling!
The evening concluded with a glass of English Demi-Sec and a chat with friends, members and Richard.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Richard for being an excellent and informative host and Front of House for another flawless performance. See you all soon.
Philip Spinks
21 January 2016
The Wines
Bisol Jeio Brut Prosecco NV
11.5%, Italy, Veneto, Glera, www.bisol.it
Desiderio Bisol was nicknamed Jeio by his wife; the Selezione Jeio Bisol is a tribute to him. The Jeio Prosécco di Valdobbiadene is made from the best grapes grown in all 16 of Bisol's vineyards, which have been making Prosécco di Valdobbiadene since 1542. The wine is obtained from selected grapes grown on the hills around Valdobbiadene at an altitude of 250 meters (820 ft.). A brilliant straw yellow and an extremely fine and vivacious mousse, with a fruitiness emerging - pleasing, fresh and elegant. The blend is 90% Prosécco, 6% Pinot Bianco and 4% Verdiso. A notably “brut” personality, this wine makes an ideal accompaniment for the entire meal.
Cava Duran Gran Reserva 2010
11.5%, Spain, Penedès & Cava, Xarel.lo, Macabeo, Parellada, Chardonnay www.cavaduran.com
**Recent Awards: Best Cava in the UK, Wines from Spain Awards 2015**
This Gran Reserva Cava is made with the blend of the traditional Cava grape varieties: Xarel.lo, Macabeo and Parellada (30%, 25% and 20% of the blend, respectively) with Chardonnay contributing 25% of the blend. It comes from the Upper region of Penedès, cultivated in vineyards of 315 meters altitude. This Gran Reserva Cava has been aged for more than 36 months in bottle. Try it with a roast, meat (white and red) dishes, poultry, oven-roasted fishes, shellfish, oysters, rice dishes or with cheeses
On the nose, bakery and toasty aromas. It is balanced, with a fresh entry and a long pronounced finish. Given its good acidity level this Cava should age very well, probably developing more tertiary aromas and tastes with time.
Louis Roederer Quartet Brut NV
12.0%, USA, California, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir www.roedererestate.com
A standout wine for class, complexity and balance from the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, California. Wonderful lemon and brioche notes on the nose are very reminiscent of Champagne, but with a little more ripeness and generosity. The mousse is fine, yet firm and the flavours really develop on the palate, encouraging a second sip. The blend is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir.
Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne NV
12.5%, Champagne, France, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir www.tesco.com
The producer, Union Champagne in Avize, is the largest owner of premier and grand cru grapes in Champagne, owning some 1200 hectares of vines, thus giving them access to the lion's share of the best quality. The Chardonnay grapes used in this champagne come only from Premier and Grand Cru vineyards near Avize, and the Pinot Noir comes only from the Grand cru villages of Bouzy and Ambonnay.
A classic blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with the grapes coming from top-rated Premier and Grand Cru vineyards, this is a sophisticated Champagne with classic toasty aromas and fresh, crisp citrus and apple flavours. Serve chilled, on its own or with canapes like smoked salmon blinis, or go crazy and have it with fish & chips - a great match!
Pierre Peters Cuvée de Réserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV
12.0%, Champagne, France, Chardonnay www.thewinesociety.com
Exquisite Blanc de Blancs composed of Chardonnay from grand cru villages in the Côte des Blancs, with the majority of fruit coming from the great village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. This graceful, smooth and finely-tuned Champagne has great purity of fruit.
Champagne Peters is a house with a long history and a fine reputation for Blanc de Blancs wines from 19 hectares of vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Cramant and Avize in the heart of the famed Côte des Blancs.
For six generations, since Gaspar Péters arrived from Luxembourg and married in to a Champenois family, they have grown grapes here. In 1919 Camille Péters became one of the pioneering growers who decided to harvest, make and bottle his own wines and the family have never looked back.
Today they own nearly 18 hectares of prime vineyard sites, planted entirely with Chardonnay and the sixth generation is in place in the form of Rodolphe Péters. He farms the east-facing slopes sustainably and all the fruit is hand harvested parcel by parcel. Gentle handling is the order of the day, to ensure that the very best juice possible is obtained, and each stainless-steel fermenting tank is marked with the vineyard source of the juice.
In addition to the best juice the family have established a deep reserve of older wines in a system that owes something to the soleras of sherry, with wines dating back twenty years or so. In 2007 the family released their first rosé wine using bought-in Pinot Meunier fruit and a dash of their own Chardonnay which is added after saignée of the Pinot.
Grower Champagnes are made by the same people that own the vineyards. They grow the grapes, produce the wine, bottle it and sell it. This may seem obvious but it is especially compelling in Champagne, a region dominated by the successful ‘Grandes Marques’ (or big brands) whose skill is in selecting and buying grapes from these growers. In an interesting spin of the system, many of these growers now prefer to do it themselves.
Grower Champagnes tend to be made using more traditional methods: barrel fermentation, lower yields and, increasingly, a much more sustainable approach to farming.
Marguet Blanc de Noirs Brut NV
12.5%, Champagne, France, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier www.thewinesociety.com
Benoît Marguet is another new kid on the block and handles with great dexterity his family’s vines, some of which are farmed biodynamically. The vineyard is scattered, but the heart is on the so-called Côte des Noirs which includes the superb, perfectly sited grand-cru village of Ambonnay. This cuvée is made from black grapes only, 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier. The style is full, rich tasting and beautifully rounded. A lovely Champagne that can be drunk with ease with or without food.
A union of two Champagne houses, Champagne Marguet was formed around 1875, Champagne Bonnerave Frères was founded in 1905. In 2005 the Marguet-Bonnerave house became Champagne Marguet Père et Fils.
Fifth generation Benoît Marguet handles his family’s vines with great dexterity, some of which are farmed biodynamically. The vineyards are scattered but the grapes come primarily from premier and grand cru villages, namely Ambonnay, Bouzy and Mailly on the Côte des Noirs.
In addition to using grapes from his own vineyards, Benoît also buys in grapes from like-minded producers from other highly esteemed villages such as Verzy, Mareuil sur Ay, Cumières and Rilly la Montagne. The addition of grapes from these different crus brings extra complexity to the assemblage.
Farmed organically and where possible biodynamically, the base wines from each cru are vinified separately in tanks and small oak barrels. In keeping with the tenets of biodynamism, work in the vineyard and winery is carried out according to the lunar cycle wherever possible.
Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV
12.0%, Champagne, France, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay www.charlesheidsieck.com
One of the most awarded Champagnes in tasting competitions and deservedly so. With a high percentage of reserve wine (dating back 10 years), this is a profound, sophisticated and harmonious style with rich biscuity flavour and complexity.
The non-vintage Champagne is made with painstaking attention to detail. 60% of the blend is wine vinified that year (using an equal split of the three main Champagne grapes; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) and the remaining 40% is a blend of reserve wines – a mixture of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ranging from between five and 20 years old. There are over 400 to choose from – more than most other Champagne houses – and once the team has decided on the blend, the wine is aged for a minimum of 3 years.
This process is actually much more complicated than the production of their vintage Champagne, although this is still selected from 60 separate possible crus, achieving a majestic complexity. The vintage champagnes are aged for three to ten years before release, and can of course age comfortably for many years thereafter.
Wiston Cuvée 2010
12.0%, South Downs, England, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier www.wistonestate.com
This wine has been aging in Wiston’s cellars for almost 3 years. It has been fermented in 5-6 year old Puligny-Montrachet barrels, giving it the ability to gain character over time. It is made up of 33% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 22% Pinot Meunier and is given a very low dosage at disgorging, to enable the clarity of the fruit to shine through. Will age well but excellent to drink now.
The Wiston Estate has been owned and managed by the Goring family since 1743. Its 6000 acres straddle the chalky slopes of the South Downs and the flat clay soils of the weald. As Harry Goring says, “No one seemed particularly interested in hundreds of acres of barley and wheat but plant 16 acres of vineyard and people are fascinated”.
The Vineyard is situated on the South facing chalk slopes of the South Downs. Planted in 2006 with the traditional varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, it is sited on a periglacial dry river valley on the Upper Cretaceous Chalk, which closely resembles the physical and chemical composition of the world renowned Côte de Blancs (Champagne).
There are no herbicides sprayed on the soil, which enables the microbiological activity to thrive and a “boisselet” (mechanical hoe) is used to keep the weeds under control.
Nyetimber Demi-Sec NV
12.0%, Sussex, England, Chardonnay www.nyetimber.com
Nyetimber have become the first English wine producer to create a Demi Sec. This unique and delicious sparkling wine is 100% Chardonnay grown on the Nyetimber estates in Southern England. It has a dosage of 45 grams per litre residual sugar, making it ideal for when a sweeter wine is required, such as to match with a dessert or perhaps even wedding cake. The lean, highly acidic Chardonnay is capable of producing is a great base wine for this sweet dosage, creating perfect balance in a sparkling wine that is sweet, but also crisp and ultra-refreshing. Only a small amount of this experimental demi-sec has been produced and it is sure to be in high demand.