Ice Wine

You say Eiswein, I say Ice Wine, otherwise is doesn't count as an I.

At the International Wine Challenge on the last day of medals week, the panel to which I had been admitted as the associate judge finished its duties with a short flight of two wines. Both Ice Wines and both European. One silver medal, one gold.

As the medals have not yet been announced I don't know if this week's choice is a winner in the competition, or not. But is does come from the same country and of made from the same variety as the gold medalist.

Week I (2015) Ernst Triebaumer Eiswein, Rust, Burgenland. 2012. Uncorked £19.95 37.5cl.

The country in question is Austria and the grape variety its most famous and nearly unique Gruner Veltliner.

Gruner Veltliner is quite fashionable as a dry white wine, having performed well in blind comparisons with some top white Burgundies. It is tangy and herbaceous with a spicy character and ages well.

But this is not a dry wine at all. No, this little chap has somewhere around 200 g/l of residual sugar, compared to maybe 5 g/l for its dry friend. We are definitely in late harvest territory here, very late indeed. However, the makers of Ice Wines don't just leave the fruit hanging for an extended period before picking to wait for concentrated sugars and fruit ripeness, they have another trick up their sleeve.

The clue is, of course, in the name. The fruit is picked in winter, usually very early in the morning, on a day when temperatures have dropped below freezing and the grapes themselves are frozen. The fruit is crushed and the frozen water components of the juice remain in the press, resulting in a grape must with more concentrated sugars and phenolics (flavours).


The result, in this case is an inviting golden yellow with aromas of honey, peach and barley sugar. It is luscious, thick and spicy-sweet with all kinds of flavours from caramelised pineapple to light maple syrup. It has a long satisfying finish and is altogether excellent. Not cheap, but then not something you would drink every day, so worth it as an occasional treat.

As I said earlier, I don't know if this was our gold medal winner and can't find out for another couple of weeks, but I won't be surprised to find that it is. If it isn't then perhaps Herr Triebaumer would be well advised to enter the competition next year.

Hallett Vale

I had the pleasure this week of spending Friday at the Oval cricket ground where the International Wine Challenge has its home. I was acting as an associate judge on a panel of five that was led by a Master of Wine, no less, and included a Portuguese wine maker and an importer who also specialised in Portuguese wines. Care to guess what the first flight of the day comprised? Yup, red wines from Portugal. The stress that put on this particular associate with aspirations to be promoted made for an interesting start to the day.

In homage to my more experienced colleagues I have selected not a Portuguese wine, but an Australian wine made with a distinctly Portuguese grape.

Week H (2015) Hallett Vale, Touriga Nacional, Barossa Valley, 2013. Tesco £11.99

Touriga Nacional is one of the principal grapes used in the production of Port and this wine bears some similarity with that lovely drink. Port is, of course, fortified with grape spirit before the fermentation has converted all the grapes' sugar to alcohol and, as a consequence, left sweet and strong. Usually around 20% abv. This wine is dry, and a modest 13% abv. Modest, that is, in comparison both to Port and to most Australian red wines.

It is an intense ruby colour, and has a pronounced blackcurrant nose. It tastes of rich black fruits, plums and licorice, has velvety tannins, well integrated acidity and alcohol, and a full, almost chewy, body.

In some ways it is a fairly typical Australian wine, in that it is a 'big fruit' style, but the choice of grape variety makes it interesting. Australia is known for Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, but there are a great many other varieties grown. Touriga Nacional is not the most common by any means, although there is perhaps a reason that it can be found.

For many years, most Australian red wine was produced in a Port style, that is, fortified and sweet. Touriga Nacional, being famous for its role in Port may have been a reliable choice to plant in the knowledge that it lends itself well to that particular style.

The winemakers at St. Hallett have been working with this variety for 35 years and that is when the boom in Australian wine production and export was getting into its stride and we should I think be grateful that they didn't grub up the Touriga in favour of planting the more fashionable and predictable grapes that soon dominated the vineyards.

My first formal class in wine tasting was led by a gentleman with a preference for Portuguese wines and Touriga Nacional featured more than once in the first few classes. So I raise my glass in thanks for his help in starting me on such an enjoyable hobby. Cheers, Mike.

Grechetto

I have been to similar events before, but this one was different. On previous occasions the premises had ceased to be operational and the sobriquet applied only historically. But this time I actually did attend a piss up in a brewery. In my professional life I have been involved in a countless number of these, but only metaphorically. This one was the real thing to celebrate a significant birthday of one of the founders' better halves. The brewery in question was Haresfoot, in Berkhamsted, with music provided by a very competent band, The Measures.

What's this got to do with this week's wine? Did I drink it at the party? Nope, it was just a great evening and I wanted to share.

Week G (2015) Grechetto, Umbria, IGT. 2013. Tesco £6.99

Coming from the centre of central Italy, Grechetto is an indigenous variety that most frequently is blended with a range of other varieties to add richness and flavour. It appears blended with Trebbiano as Orvieto, a regional wine of Umbria, which is where this one comes from, but in an unblended varietal form.

The wine is classified as IGT, standing for some Italian words meaning it is typical of the area from which it comes, but is not qualified to use a protected name (like Orvieto). As I have mumbled before to no-one in particular, this doesn't necessarily mean it is a lower quality, just it doesn't satisfy all the criteria for a more specific name.

The back label recommends drinking it as an aperitif, or with grilled chicken or seafood. I am enjoying it with a cheese and pickle sandwich and a packet of Marmite crisps. It doesn't comment on whether that would be an advised match, but it's working for me.

It has nice stone fruit flavours and the odd hint of something cirtusy, perhaps grapefruit.

It's a medium bodied type thing and has a nice 12.5% abv, is crisp without being tart and generally very enjoyable.

At the price this could easily become a reliable regular, drink it any time white wine. It has enough about it to be pleasing at almost any time and doesn't make you feel that you've done something you shouldn't. On the other hand, although I will buy it again, I won't be making a big fuss about it.

Falcon's Perch

Last week we visited, in a vinous but otherwise virtual sense, a part of Galicia in North West Spain. This week we are in a region colonised by the Spanish in the early 17th century and so it is likely that there is some historic connection between this week's Monterey and last week's Monterrei.

Our current spelling can be located in California and has throughout its history been Spanish, Mexican and American. It has been home to such notables as Robert Louis Stevenson, John Steinbeck, Clint Eastwood and, the pick of the bunch, Frank Zappa.

Our reason for visiting is that it is home to Jerry Lohr, who has been making wine in the region since the early 1970's.

Week F (2015) Falcon's Perch Pinot Noir, Monterey County. CA. 2011 Constantine Stores £17.75

I first came across the name J.Lohr as a scribbled note on a battered bible, owned by The One, and asked who it was. The answer was that The One had tasted a wine at a church house group (natch) and wanted to make a note of the name for future reference, Good call, as without this I may not have selected this wine for a recent family celebration to mark a significant birthday of the M-in-law. It is rude to discuss a lady's age so I will simply say that had Downton Abbey been a documentary she could have first appeared early in series three and would have been in the same school year as Lady Mary's daughter.

It is always something of a mixed blessing being handed the wine list at a gathering such as we had for, on the one hand, it provides the opportunity to drink something that I can be reasonably confident I will enjoy, but on the other have very little confidence that it may please others to the same degree.

On this occasion, however, I was congratulated for my selection to the point that I that I felt it necessary to remind my companions that I didn't actually make the wine myself and that the real credit should go to Mr Lohr.

Why did it receive such praise? Well, to start with it was as full and rich a Pinot Noir as I can ever remember tasting. The red fruit, cherry and floral or violet notes were all there but there was a depth to the colour and a concentration of flavours that surprised and indeed delighted. Silky and smooth it was a great wine. Now there are probably Burg-hounds out there who would have said it was getting towards jammy, but I wouldn't agree. There was a finesse to it which balanced the unexpectedly big qualities it had.

The producer's website reveals that there is a blend of 76% Pinot Noir (just enough for a US wine to declare a single varietal) and 24% Valdiguie, a variety previously believed to be Gamay, the Beaujolais grape, and this contributes some of the rich colour. The flavours are put down, at least in part to the cool growing season in 2011 which gave the fruit ample opportunity to develop fully before the harvest.

Why 'Falcon's Perch'? Well, it is named after the bird that has made it's home in the trees near to the vineyard and who does s sterling job protecting the grapes from other birds and mammals that could otherwise get there first. And we should be grateful.