Dinner with Felton Road

On Wednesday night... 
We enjoyed the most fantastic evening in our Church Street shop with Nigel Greening, owner of one of New Zealand's two Grand Cru wine producers - Felton Road, Central Otago.

Witty, irreverent, hugely informative and passionate, Nigel hosted a superb night where he attributed much of his success through luck.  Nigel was very modest about his achievements but as we all know, you make your own luck.  

It is through a mixture of clever planting, adoption of Biodynamics, a concept of "place" (or as the French call it, "terroir"), a strong belief in minimal interference in winemaking and an incredible attention to detail, that has put Felton Road into a position where they could get lucky.

In a relatively short period of time, Felton Road has established itself, not only at the forefront of New Zealand's wine industry but as a world wide leader of biodynamic winemaking.  This vision and passion is rewarded each year with great wines and they have been awarded with one of only 2 "Grand Cru" status' in New Zealand.

The wines we tasted were simply superb but because Felton Road is now so-over subscribed, all their wines sold on an allocation basis, selling out in most vintages before they even hit our shores.

But, joy of joys, we have an allocation of the sublime 2012 vintage, that Nigel reckons is possibly the best vintage so far!

How do you get some??
I have the following 2012's (and one 2011) available (delivery later this year) but due to the very limited quantities, please let me know what you would like and I will do my best to secure the stocks for you.......a bit like olympic tickets!

To place your requests, just reply to this email and I will divide these up as best I can - you CAN (and are encouraged to) ask for individual bottles too!

The exceptional "Blocks"
Much as I dislike tying purchases of one to another, as the Block 3 & Block 5 are so rare and difficult for me to get, I fear I must.

So, to get a bottle of either one of the mighty Blocks, you will need to buy 12bt of the Bannockburn Pinot Noir and 6bt of either the Cornish Point or Calvert

A Visit to Galicia Part 2

Tuesday - 3^rd Visit

9am: Bodegas Carballal, DO Valdeorras

A small, modern winery in Valdeorras, making a great range of fresh, modern styles of wines, more commercial but I reckon should be fantastic for the Summer:

2011 Sileno Blanco

Palomino/Godello 11.5%

Fresh, clean, light and fruity, nice character. 

2011 Erebro

100% Godello

Very good, with lovely depth, touch of spice, really nicely put together with real sense of complexity. 

2011 Sileno Red

Mencia/Garnarcha

Lovely crunch blackberry /cherry and blueberry notes.  Spicey, fresh fruited, lifted and delightfully honest. 

2011 Erebro

100% Mencia

Good deep fruit, intense, ripe, fresh, lovely lively fruit.  Good dark fruit with herbaceous notes of undergrowth finishing with a touch of bitter chocolate.  Excellent 

A worthwhile visit and I hope to get some of this in for the Summer.

Visit 4

Do Campo Gacio Valdeorras:

We eventually found this tiny wine estate tucked away in the Galician hills.  Walking up the very old hamlet, greeted by the barking of dogs and under the suspicious glares of old men in work overalls, we finally came upon the charming Manuel and Remedios.

Manuel is a practising dentist and has been producing wines in his wife’s old grandfather’s winery for the past few years, making organic Mencia, Tempranillo and Godello - this was my revelation of the trip!

This is a real cottage industry, without even a website to look at and producing about 6000 bottles a year.  Made in a meticulously clean cellar, the wines are a sensation!

The vineyards are located on the hillside, at an altitude of 650 to 700 meters, with a northeast-southwest orientation. The climate is transitional between continental and oceanic, temperatures are extreme with snow in the winter and yet in the Summer it can rise to over 40c!

2012 Godello 12.5%ish

Rich, spicey, apple, hawthorne, lovely, rich and lively.

Very good balance on the palate, pretty, pithy, floral notes, with a wonderful freshness and intensity.  Slight nutty/savoury notes on the finish, opening up with more salty, savoury, complex notes – utterly sublime! 

2012 Mencia 80%/Tempranillo 20%

The nose just hits you, awesome dark briary fruit, really rich and complex yet fresh and luscious.  That touch of savoury nuttiness on the palate too, this stunning mid-bodied style of wine is simply sublime too.  Perfect! 

Visit 5

Bodega Forjas del Salnés

Rias Baixas

Overnight stay at the lovely Gran Talaso Hotel in Sanxenxo http://www.hotelsanxenxo.com/

Rodrigo is one of Spain’s new wave winemakers who look at the wealth of their history for the inspiration for the future.  Passionate about old vines and old varieties, Rodri vinifies about 25 different cuvees, some single vineyard, some multi vineyard, some in 2 year old oak, some in concrete but all with one key goal in mind – terroir!

We visited the new winery first and tasted the very impressive range of 2012 wines from cask.

Rodrigo is perhaps best known in Spanish wine circles for his stellar reds produced from the indigenous Galician varietals Caiño, Espadeiro and Loureiro, however his whites are also outstanding. They are fermented with natural yeasts and then matured on lees for months to give complex, full-bodied wines with a fresh acid backbone and a briny tang on the finish

2011 Leirana Albariño

Made from a selection of vineyard sites, this albarino displays a terrific nose of pear, stonefruit and a delicious fruit and acidity on the palate.  This wine is far greater than the sum of its parts and set to become an icon of the region. A wine with real depth and interest.

2009 Albarino En Barrica

The Barrica used here are old, so there is no new oak effect on the wine, here the barrels give the wine an extra degree of richness, roundness and more weight.  Grown on granite sand covered with a layer of humus over granite bedrock; very poor fast draining soil that vines struggle in and phylloxera cannot live in, just perfect! Many of the vineyards are deceptively old with some vines up to 200 years old. The grapes are hand picked so that only the ripest most succulent fruit is used for Rodrigo`s wine which is matured in old oak barriques. Ripe stone fruits with a hint of cut grass and sandlewood on the nose with stone fruits and antique oak with well balanced acidity on the palate.

A Visit to Galicia Part 1

Go Go Galicia

Landing in the Atlantic mists surrounding the modern airport of Santiago Compostella, myself and my fellow Galician adventurers (Ben from Carte Blanche Wines, Tamsin from Wadebridge Wines and Tamlyn from Jancis Robinson.com) rocked off for three days packed full of dramatic, twisting roads, beautiful scenery, delicious indigenous wines and lashings of porky and fishy goodness!

Galicia is Spain’s beautiful and North Eastern region that enjoys a decidedly Atlantic perspective.  With the highest level of rain in the country, Galicia is a beautiful, green region, marked by hilly, to almost mountainous terrain.

Famous for its seafood and of course pork, the dishes of the region have a charming rusticity, focussing on simple foods where the quality of the ingredients shown through.

Dominio do Bibei, Ribeira Sacra

http://www.dominiodobibei.com/web/index.html

A stunning mixture of modern and ancient, this is a truly New Wave winery that is making some utterly unique and exquisite wines.

This is one incredibly bold and inspiring project.  With the aim of reclaiming and rebuilding the mostly abandoned, ancient terraces around the winery, to get Dominio de Bibei to the position where it can realise its potential, has taken monumental effort and also a small fortune!

The first part of our visit was to orientate ourselves with the various vineyards.  This involved some pretty extreme off-road action, and the usages of some serious gearing on one of the UK’s undoubtedly finest exports, the mighty Landover.

Although we did see one which hadn’t actually managed to judge the angle of a descent well enough…..fortunately, we only drove part that at the end of the visit!

After a fascinating, tour, with the weather outside being decidedly Galician (not known as Green Spain for nothing!) and chilly too, we dived inside the winery for lunch for a delicious warm cod, lentil and chick pea soup, great breads and of course some mighty fine pork product, in this case, classic air dried jamon and some of the best chorizo I have tasted.

So, replenished, recharged and rewarmed we headed off towards the separate white and red cuveries to taste first from barrel the current vintages followed  by heading down towards the Cathedral like tasting room.

These guys only focus on the unique character of the local and indigenous varieties that include Mencia, Garnacha, Brancellao and Mouraton for the reds and Godello, Albariño, Treixadura and Doña Blanca for the whites.

Some a re vinified in oak, some in concrete, some even in the very on-trend “eggs” (Sorry I forgot to get a picture!)

We tasted extensively from all their cuvees in the winery but as these are not finished wines I have only included the finished wines we tasted:

2009 Lalama Red 12.5%

Made from a blend of 80% Mencia, the rest a balance of Grenache and Mouroton.

“Rich, opulent with a lovely ripeness, fresh, slightly tight and beautifully focussed.  Ripe, fresh dark raspberry fruit, finishes long and fine”  Drink now – 2018 

2010 Lalama Red 12.5%

“Thrilling, with more definition and freshness than the 2009.  Beautiful, elegant and pure – this is for fans of Fine Burgundy!”  Drink now – 2020 

2003 Lalama Red 12.5%

The first vintage, made from a blend of Garnacha and Mouroton.  Considering this was their first vintage I was mightily impressed.

“Elegant, fine, long and pure with light notes of coffee, mocha, truffle and leather showing light signs of ageing.  Finishing long and fine”  Drink now – 2015 

2010 Lapolo White 13%

17% Albarino, 60% Godello, 17% Dona Blanco, Treixadura

An excellent complex white with a delicious grainy purity with notes of melon and pear.  A lovely length and texture.  Drink now – 2015 

2^nd Stop

Casar de Burbia, Bierzo, nr Ponferrada.

http://www.casardeburbia.com/en/casar-de-burbia

Buying grapes in the higher regions of Bierzo, is another fairly recent project, starting in the late 1990’s.

The main varietals of Bierzo are Mencia for red and Godello for white and we tasted 2 Godellos and 7 Mencia’s of various levels of quality.

The hospitality was incredibly kind and the wines were rich and weighty but I am not sure they’ll feature on our shelves yet.

Overnight Stay at The Aroi Hotel in Ponferrada

http://www.aroihoteles.com/hoteles-ponferrada-bierzo/hotel-ponferrada/hotel-aroi-bierzo-plaza

A really good hotel and great value to boot – no doubt helped by it being a Monday night in the 2^nd week of January.  Downstairs they had a decent bar, so following a quick beer, we left for a wine bar around the corner…..more godello…….and back to the Hotel’s classic, earthenware, old school tapas bar, with - you guessed it - about 5 different types of pork, 2 cured and 3 cooked, the best tasting of the two cooked were some wonderfully rich sausage stew, one made from chorizo and one from black pudding, and whilst visually challenged, they were might delicious!

50 Fabulous Wines all Under £15 Wine Tasting

50 wines under £15.00 – Here are 3 of them …

We are holding a tasting on Saturday 2^nd March 7.30pm – 10.30pm at the Church Hall opposite our Weybridge shop showcasing our range of wine wines under £15.  This is a perfect opportunity to come and discover some great wines and the opportunity to sign up to our loyalty card too, giving you the very best discounts around.

To taste the 50 wines and book your ticket click here

The following is just 3 of the beauties that will be on tasting…

NV Dolci Colline Prosecco – £9.99 a bottle

The One-Liner

The perfect fizz to add a touch of sparkle to an otherwise ordinary day

Tasting Note

Fresh and gently fruity fizz from northeast Italy (Veneto) with citrus and green

apple aromas. Delicate and lively on the palate with ripe, lightly grapey fruit,

zesty acidity and a clean, refreshing finish.

Producer Details

Set up in 2003, Adria Vini is a winemaking venture jointly owned by Boutinot and Araldica Vini Piemontesi, the leading co-operative in Piemonte. All areas of production, from grape selection through to vinification,

maturation, blending and bottling are meticulously overseen by Araldica's Claudio Manera and Lella Burdese.

In The Vineyard

From selected parcels of Prosecco grapes grown northeast of Treviso. Hand harvested at optimum ripeness to give the required balance between aromatics and good acidity.

Food Recommendations

Serve chilled as an aperitif or with peach juice for the perfect Bellini

Awards & Press

NV: Vintage: Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 - Bronze

NV: International Wine Challenge 2010 - Bronze

NV: Decanter Awards edition, October 2012

Nieto Malbec Reserva 10.99 a bottle

  

The One-Liner

A blockbuster of a red - a complex but juicy fruit palate and a long persistent finish. Excellent value.

Tasting Note

Full bodied with great concentration of vanilla, mocha, blackberries, sweet

spices and clove. The palate is rich and warming with vanilla, more black

fruit, plums and cherries, as well as leathery notes. The wine is vibrant and

well structured, with powdery, fragrant tannins. A great wine with a fresh

finish.

Producer Details

Nieto Senetiner has grown to become one of the leading stars of Mendoza. The vineyards and winery were developed in 1969 and continue to be extended and updated. Nieto have vineyards in virtually all of the best sub

districts of Mendoza from which they produce typical and classic wines, characterised by the uniquely appealing balance of power and finesse that defines the best wines of Mendoza.

In The Winery

Aged in French oak barrels for 10 months.

Food Recommendations

A treat with rich, red sauce based pasta dishes, game

and matured cheeses.

Awards & Press

2011 Vintage: International Wine Challenge 2012 -

Bronze

2010 Vintage: IWSC 2011 - Silver

2010 Vintage: IWC 2011 - Bronze

2009 Vintage: Argentina Wine Awards 2010 - Trophy

2007 Vintage: IWC 2009 - Silver Trophy

2011 Vintage: International Wine Challenge 2012

2010 Vintage: 88 points Wine Spectator October 2011

Pinot Grigio “La Giareta”, Marcato  £7.99 a bottle

Miles better than your average PG due to its weight on the mid palate and excellent alluring long finish.  Great value for money

Tasting Note

Medium gold yellow colour. Ripe, with some red fruit sensation, dry hay and nut hull. Solid and developed with a mineral finish.

Producer Details

The knowledge of terroir combined with passion are recurring themes in the production of the Marcato wines. The family owned estate focuses on innovation with the enthusiasm and drive that characterises the new generation. Every Marcato wine has its own spirit and history determined by grape variety and vineyard, the harmony between vine and soil, their special qualities verified through centuries of know-how and refined by experience.

Food Recommendations

White meat and poultry.

Loire Trip of Discovery

Setting off early on Monday Morning, Joe, David and myself made quick work of getting to Angers, one of the many historic towns in the Lorie valley, for the Foires des Vin de Loire.

What quickly became apparent when tasting through the opening salvo of wines that had been grouped by region,  is the tremendous diversity that can be found from the Loire. 

When we talk of Terroir, it has to be viewed as an all in one encapsulating factor, it’s not just soil but the differing climatic influences each region feels and this climatic fact is possibly one of the most important factors when determining the quality an styles of the wines from the Loire. 

This possibly accounts for the lack of 1er Cru or Grand Cru vineyards as whilst the individual vineyards give differing styles there is not the same degree of quality levels to be found as a result of differing vineyard sites.

So what did we find?

Domaine Bedouet – Muscadet – organic and thrilling – but can I sell 600bts?

Domaine Gitton Pere et Fils – Sancerre & Pouilly Fume – a re-discovery as I first shipped from here 10 years ago!

Emile Ballande – Coteaux de Gienois & Sancerre – complex and deeply textured

Chateau du Petit Thouars – Touraine Rouge – sensationally well priced but need time

Clos de L’Elu – Anjou Rouge – brilliant modern organic source of reds

Jonathon Didier Pabiot – Pouilly Fume – we already do his basic wine, tasted the amazing top cuvees

Thomas Labaille – Sancerre - we already do his basic wine,  but again tasted the amazing top cuvee

Leduc Frouin – Anjou – good Anjou Blanc, Cremant de Loire and sublime Coteaux du Layon

Eric Louis – brilliant Sauvignon and Pinot Noir from Touraine, Sancerre and Menetou Salon

Seguin – Pouilly Fume – some really good, elegant mineral and classically gun flint styled Fume.

Where did we stay?

Possibly the worst hotel  to date, other than a Thai place I stayed in on Koh San Road back in 1988.  With the aroma than can only be conjured up by chain smoking for 2 days in a very small space, whilst there was an en suite shower, the rest was on par with Pentonville but without the same levels of fear.

Where did we eat?

1^st night at the local chain grill which was actually pretty good steak and frites washed down with a faugeres – you can’t do the same wines you’ve been tasting all day!

2^nd night –

We got back from a very successful day of tasting and got ready to hit the town.

Taxi duly arrived and dropped us off by the quite amazing Angers Castle and we headed off into town.  40 minutes later and it was getting a bit nippy and I was getting more thirsty and we hadn’t found anything that looked that exciting but that was all to change when  we found a very cool little wine shop – Le Pifometre, 64 Rue Bressigny.

The best way to find out what’s going on when you’re in a new town is find your local independent!  Phillipe, the charming caviste quickly had us sorted, recommending Le Cercle Rouge,  a very cool, slightly messy, rustic wine bar with a belting wine list full of things we’d never come across before………..

A local Presion to kick off, a plate of charcuterie and then a slightly overtly esoteric bottle of “natural” wine from the Jura……

The thing about “natural” wine is most of it is a bit weird and unbalanced and whilst this greatly improved with the meats, it still remained a bit awkward and gawky…..if a wine can be those things!

Restaurant Aux P’tits Oignons http://www.cityvox.fr/restaurants_angers/aux-p-tits-oignons_200120552/Profil-Lieu

We had a really good, simple meal with classic rustic French dishes, such as ouef en concotte, potage, terrine de lapin, and filet de mignon de porc.  This was washed down with two wines from Rousillon – one from 2010 Cotes du Rousillon Domaine Gauby and the second 2008 Olivier Pithon Cuvee Lais – both sensational.

So back to one of the world’s worst hotels but at least replete!

The next morning we were up early and drove off to the local Carrefours to load up with French goodies.  As ever I overly stocked up with wines under 5euros and some hopefully brilliant Alsace Grand Cru’s for 8 euros a bottle (!!!) – just think how oggd it would be if they got rid of Duty in the UK….!

Needless to say food was on the agenda too so to accompany the Alsatian I found some delicious looking Choucroute (I’m not sure if my wife will be so appreciative!) and a rabbit, as I love the French farmed rabbit, plus lots of lovely salads, meats etc etc…….

Now I’ll have a few wines from Gitton open to try in the Vineking social in Church street tonight, so come and try these and you’ll see why I’m so excited about the wines..

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!

For Scots everywhere this Friday the 25^th of January is of course Burns night. An evening on which to celebrate the life and work of Robert Burns, the great bard of Scotland.

The key ingredients of a Burns supper are always Haggis, reciting some Burns poetry and drinking whisky so here at the Vineking we asked our resident whisky expert Mark (the manager of our West Road shop) to review the taste and flavours of the Scotch whiskies stocked at the Vineking.

AnCnoc 12yo Highland Single Malt

AnCnoc meaning “the hill” is distilled at the Knock Dhu distillery not be confused with the Knockando distillery located a few miles down the road.

The AnCnoc 12 Year Old is renowned the world over. Known as a must have in any whisky drinkers collection, it’s light and yet complex, smooth yet challenging. And each twist and turn delivers a surprise. In fact, this is a dram that has something for everyone.

Nose Soft, very aromatic with a hint of honey and lemon in the foreground.

Colour Amber with a slight yellow hue.

Taste Sweet to start with, an appetising fruitiness and a long smooth finish. A malt for every occasion.

The Singleton of Dufftown

Perfectly balanced, naturally rich and smooth, The Singleton of Dufftown is a single malt that sets itself apart from other whiskies.

Its exceptional smoothness and depth of flavour is achieved through longer fermentation and slower distillation.

It’s then aged for 12 years in a combination of hand-picked American and European Oak so the rich, natural flavours stay in perfect balance throughout maturation.

With its deep golden colour and notes of toasted nuts, rich fruit and brown sugar, The Singleton 12 Year Old is sure to entice your taste buds.

This would be the ideal gift malt to introduce people to the wonderful world of whisky.

Bunnahabhain 12yo Islay

This entry level Bunnahabhain bottling comes in a redesigned bottle. This 12 year old is lightly peated for an Islay single malt and consequently is a light, fresh dram. Now at the higher strength of 46.3% - for more complexity and flavour.

Nose: Fresh, sweet. Seaweed, malt.

Palate: Soft, supple. Sherry, nutty. A little sweetness, malty, juicy sultana. Slightly coastal.

Finish: Sherried, mochaccino, herbal, balanced salty tang.

Glen Garioch 12 yo Highland

The Garioch – pronounced ‘Geery’ – is a tract of richly fertile land, some 150 square miles in extent, bounded on every side by rolling hills and some eighteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.  Glen Garioch Distillery was established as early as 1797 – one of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland.

The Glen Garioch 12 Years Old gains its distinctive Highland character from maturation in two wood groups: American Bourbon, and Spanish Sherry casks. Each stage of the marriage adds distinct characteristics to the final single malt. Bourbon to soften and Sherry to add depth of flavour – fresh heather, poached pears and just a hint of oak.

Compass Box Spice Tree

Whisky Bible Awards 2011: Best Scotch New Brand; 95.5 Points

A whisky that was termed illegal in its previous release due to its use of oak staves for producing its distinctive style.  The Compass Box guys have rereleased The Spice Tree after successfully producing its spicy oaky character through “legal” practices.  This is a vatted malt based on predominantly 10 yr old whiskies with a large proportion coming from the Clynelish distillery.  The final blend is then  aged in specially made casks with new French oak heads.

Nose: Fragrant and aromatic with notes of dried herbs, spices, oak and vanilla. Has a bourbon note to it and a peppery tang.

Palate: Gingernut biscuits, toffee, spices, herbal, vanilla, very rich and peppery.

Finish: Very spicy, big and rich.

Fettercairn Fior

The name Fettercairn means ‘foot of the mountain’.  Fior is the Gaelic word for 'true', the Fettercairn distillery lies not far from the River Esk in the Eastern Highlands.

Fior comprises a significant amount of 14 and 15-year-old spirit, along with 15 per cent heavily-peated five-year-old whisky from first-fill Bourbon barrels. Sherry and smoke on the weighty nose, with ginger, orange peel, toffee and vanilla. Significantly smoky on the palate with orange, treacle toffee, dark chocolate and a Sherried nuttiness. The addition of water causes the heavily-peated component to really shine through. Smoky toffee, liquorice and mildly spicy oak in the pleasingly lengthy finish

Springbank 10 Year Old Campbeltown

Picked up the top prize in its category at the World Whisky Awards 2010.

Campbeltown used to be known as the whisky capital of the world due to the high concentration of distilleries in the town. Known and loved amongst whisky enthusiasts the world over, Springbank is produced using lightly-peated barley and a unique two-and-a-half-times distillation.

Blended from a mixture of Bourbon and sherry casks, the light colour of this malt belies the richness of its character. The nose has a wide range of aromas, from citrus fruits to pears and a hint of peat, while the palate shows touches of smoke, vanilla essence, nutmeg, cinnamon and the salty tang characteristic of the distillery.

Longrow 14yo Campbeltown

This is a heavily peated whisky from the Springbank distillery, matured in bourbon and sherry casks.

The nose is of medium-body. There are notes of cut hay and earthen roots, a little dried grass, cereals and malted barley. There is a certain freshness present and a very subtle smoke develops. The palate is quite thick and sweet. There are plenty of rich cereal notes, barley and just a hint of peat. The faintest wisp of smoke tapers up with a little malt extract. The oak develops a bit with pepper and spice. The finish is long with the peppery oaked tannins proffering ample staying power.

Bruichladdich The Laddie Ten Islay

Bruichladdich is the only major distiller to distil, mature and bottle all its whisky on Islay.

Rich and assertive with that unique creaminess of the Laddie. The non chill-filtered spirit drifts serenely over the palate, warming the taste buds. It is going to linger with you as long as malts twice its age.

You can find Mark at our West Road shop in Reigate where he’ll be able to tell you more about whisky and of course wine.

To buy any of these whiskies then either pop into one of our shops or call us on 01293 771 305