There is a very pleasant small town in Buckinghamshire, not far from where the nation's prime ministers like to play lords (or lady) of the manor to entertain dignitaries and despots from overseas, called Wendover.
At the top of the hill the High Street becomes Pound Street and, at No.2, you will find No.2 Pound Street. This is a wine shop and delicatessen that carries and interesting range of wines, selected directly from the producers, and and equally interesting range of cheeses from the UK. There are a few tables and a small counter / bar at which a coffee or the contents of the shop can be enjoyed and there are always a few bottles of wine for tasting. The black pudding scotch egg I bought for lunch was quite remarkable.
V is a tricky customer for red grape varieties and I was giving up hope of finding anything either based on or even using Vespolina until I was draining the last of the coffee and I spotted:
Week V (2014) 'Uvaggio', Proprieta Sperino, Coste della Sesia Rosso, DOC. 2010. No 2 Pound Street £24.50
As with last week's Ugni Blanc, the grape of the week, Vespolina, is a minor blending partner and not a solo performer. In fact it represents only 15% of the blend, as does Croatina, leaving the 70% lead role to be played by Nebbiolo.
In week D (2014) I described the three red stars of Piedmont: Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, and didn't even know, at that point, Vespolina is also grown in Piedmont.
Its name suggests it might be a fuel used to power the scooters favoured by the Mods in the 1960's (and since), but it has nothing to do with wasps even if nobody knows where the name really originates. The grape is found mostly around Gattinara and is related to Nebbiolo and a number of other regional varieties. This is Italy and so it also has a long list of pseudonyms which I am not going to list, you will be pleased to read.
Nebbiolo is one of the world's great grapes, producing wines with complex aromas and flavours, but it needs a bit of time to develop and for the tannins to integrate with the fruits and alcohol. In this bottle the roles played by both Vespolina and Croatina is to provide a balancing softness to the overall blend. At only four years old a varietal Nebbiolo, such as a Barolo or Barbaresco, would be needing a little longer to reach its best or, quite possibly, to be drinkable.
Here we have a bright, medium intensity ruby coloured wine with aromas and flavous of cherry and plum. The tannins are smooth and balance well with the lively acidity. It is dry, but not mouth-puckeringly so, having only 1.6 g/ltr of residual sugar and at 13% abv it is not too heavy. Even at this young age it is already very drinkable and this suggests that the producer's decision to blend the three varities, together with the wine spending 18 months in variously sized and aged oak vessels, has had the desired results.
At the top of the hill the High Street becomes Pound Street and, at No.2, you will find No.2 Pound Street. This is a wine shop and delicatessen that carries and interesting range of wines, selected directly from the producers, and and equally interesting range of cheeses from the UK. There are a few tables and a small counter / bar at which a coffee or the contents of the shop can be enjoyed and there are always a few bottles of wine for tasting. The black pudding scotch egg I bought for lunch was quite remarkable.
V is a tricky customer for red grape varieties and I was giving up hope of finding anything either based on or even using Vespolina until I was draining the last of the coffee and I spotted:
Week V (2014) 'Uvaggio', Proprieta Sperino, Coste della Sesia Rosso, DOC. 2010. No 2 Pound Street £24.50As with last week's Ugni Blanc, the grape of the week, Vespolina, is a minor blending partner and not a solo performer. In fact it represents only 15% of the blend, as does Croatina, leaving the 70% lead role to be played by Nebbiolo.
In week D (2014) I described the three red stars of Piedmont: Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, and didn't even know, at that point, Vespolina is also grown in Piedmont.
Its name suggests it might be a fuel used to power the scooters favoured by the Mods in the 1960's (and since), but it has nothing to do with wasps even if nobody knows where the name really originates. The grape is found mostly around Gattinara and is related to Nebbiolo and a number of other regional varieties. This is Italy and so it also has a long list of pseudonyms which I am not going to list, you will be pleased to read.
Nebbiolo is one of the world's great grapes, producing wines with complex aromas and flavours, but it needs a bit of time to develop and for the tannins to integrate with the fruits and alcohol. In this bottle the roles played by both Vespolina and Croatina is to provide a balancing softness to the overall blend. At only four years old a varietal Nebbiolo, such as a Barolo or Barbaresco, would be needing a little longer to reach its best or, quite possibly, to be drinkable.
Here we have a bright, medium intensity ruby coloured wine with aromas and flavous of cherry and plum. The tannins are smooth and balance well with the lively acidity. It is dry, but not mouth-puckeringly so, having only 1.6 g/ltr of residual sugar and at 13% abv it is not too heavy. Even at this young age it is already very drinkable and this suggests that the producer's decision to blend the three varities, together with the wine spending 18 months in variously sized and aged oak vessels, has had the desired results.
No comments:
Post a Comment