uncorked No Comments September 17th, 2015 Franciacorta, General

Italian Alpine bubbles: bellissimo

There is a sparkle in the chill fresh waters of Lago Iseo, and now there some most sustainable growth in Italy’s premier wine region alongside these ripples in Franciacorta.

While nowhere in quantity to France’s finest (304 million bottles), news this week by the Gambero Rosso organisation said 15 million bottles of the sparkling style Franciacorta (Lombardy province) from te cool, hilly southern lake sites are made.

The set is metodo classico, that age-surviving manual and individual method of preserving Franciacortian chardonnay and pinot nero base wines on their dead yeast. The earliest drunk wines generally age that way for 18 months though older makers can hold bottles longer.

There are three thousand hectares designated Franciacorta DOCG with 110 members in the local producing organisation (consorzio) though about 170 brands exist (renegade non believers). Ten years ago there were 50 makers .

A third of the region is in conversion to bio dynamique vine growing.

I found my way from the lakeside to the small village of Montecelli Brusati (a series of small rolling hills behind the living spaces typifys) to greeted by the folk from the Gussalli Beretta-owned Lo Sparviere, a very old stone property and set of 16th century buildings.

The original family have lived there for five generations, and which Beretta is preserving.

The external winemaker is a composed Francesco Pollastri, a 40 odd vintage grounded veteran keeping the ways in the cellar quite simple.

Vineyards are generally planted and harvested as separate varieties, mainly chardonnay, the bulk of the 20 hectare spaces. A little pinot nero from several sites breaks the rule and is blended to make a single rose bubbles . The current La Sparviere Rose, no vintage on the label but it is from 2010, keeps it more simple.

Lo Sparviere Pinot Nero Rose

The stellar wine is the single chardonnay wine with vintage age; I was first attracted to the brand by drinking the 2008 (AUD 75), current is Lo Sparviere Brut Millesimato 2009. It gleams, pale, expressive, intense chardonnay tangerine, bitter peach or nectarine fruit flavours, and coiled acidity. A cool place, and a warm year wine.

Lo Sparviere Brut Millesimato 2009

Then the next step: Lo Sparviere Dossagio Zero 2008, just named with three glasses (very prestigious) in Gambero Rosso’s 2016 listings of top wines; worth celebrating though small amounts are kept this long. No sugar, just measuring a gram which the yeast does not eat, this is very composed and a long time keeping “blanc de blancs” with lovely linear lime grass acidity. Other wines are dosed at 8 grams to compare the subtle sweetness.

WHERE TO STAY IN FRANCIACORTA: Try staying on Lake Iseo (beautiful views) at the romantic 4 star Rivalago in Sulzano; close by to all vineyards, grand hotel and excellent service.

EAT IN FRANCIACORTA: try Ristorante Gaudenzi, very focussed on local foods, particularly lake-caught fish, plenty of Franciacorta bubbles; via Cantarana 1, Rodengo Saiano; +39 030 6810422

The author visited the Gussalli Beretta-owned Lo Sparviere sparkling wine property in Monticelli Brusati on September 16, 2015.

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uncorked No Comments July 31st, 2015 General

Tip of the tongue: wine making off the beaten track with Bent Road Wine

When you encounter a wine brand with quirkiness it is worth being loved.

And that’s exacly what I feel about wine making at Bent Road, a wonderful business being developed by Glen Robert, Robert Richter and colleagues, coincidentally on Bents Road at the south-western tip of the granite country.

“We decided to drop the ‘s’ from the business name for continually spelling it for customers who often mistook us as Benz Road Winery” Glen said … Read article

By Peter Scudamore-Smith, Master of Wine

Published in Queensland Smart Farmer, August/September 2015

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uncorked 2 Comments July 30th, 2015 General, Queensland

Tip of the Tongue: saperavi wine now available in Queensland

It is no secret that the Georgian dictator Joseph Stalin who one ruled Russia exclusive drank wine of the saperavi grape. Now here is a chance for Quensland drinkers, too. Some of the largest Australian plantings of saperavi occur in the South Burnett. The wines are richly coloured, the taste long-flavoured and very memorable … >> Read more

By Peter Scudamore-Smith, Master of Wine

Published in Queensland Smart Farmer, Feb/Mar 2014

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uncorked No Comments July 17th, 2015 France, France Tour Visit Post, General, Varietal tasting

Viognier: is it Rhone

What portion of white wine drinkers enjoy viognier is a question I often ask. That is because so few viognier inbibers appear to be around, and even fewer Anglophones who pronounce its name as the French do.

In short does viognier have a problems with survival. Uncorked’s recent 2015 Wine and Food Tour of the Rhone Valley certainly identified a style shift in the viogniers tasted.

The whites of the Rhone are quite polarised: marsanne and roussanne in the north (though many do not grow roussanne because it is a curly producer); viognier around Condrieu, in the north also, then a big drop down to the southern Rhone for the six traditional varieties, grenache blanc, clairette, bourboulenc, ugni blanc, viognier, roussanne. Also there is an existing romance with the mid-Rhone marsanne and roussanne-producing appellation of Saint-Peray, solely white; each negociant appears to have some.

In general there is no more powerful white wine in the mouth than these devils-products of hot climate, massive natural skin tannins, powerful bitter-sweet, high ripeness fruit flavours that persist for many, many seconds and are ever-lingering.

Under this platform M Chapoutier presents Condrieu Invitare 2014 (AUD 75); hardly recognisable as varietal viognier, slim, composed, no oak, no oil, no overt viognier fruit, just a fresh, tight, dare I say it, steely-tannin, no opulence, clearly a style change to engage more drinkers.

Mild young viognier

I would too. Big white Rhone is too much.

The Rostaing Condrieu La Bonnette 2013 (AUD 170) is made quite traditionally by Rene, and tasted in his modest cellar. It has pale colour, nice aromatics of no great intensity, no great opulence yet the tell-tale slippery feel of full ripeness viognier in the mouth. Drink this young, don’t keep it or it builds more in the bottle. Not a good idea.

Rene Rostaing-viognier artisan

Yves Cuilleron in Chavanay, just below Condrieu is a white Rhone specialist to me, and two tastings were conducted there this tour, both times underlining the excellent winemaking and viticulture pursued at this grower and negociant.

Cuilleron has ten hectares of terraced vines in Condrieu: La Petite Cote 2013 (AUD 46 375 ml) is a carefully tempered viognier, mild-coloured which tells you a lot (no over-development), is a one parcel blend aged in older barrels for 9 months, apricot nose, yes, a taut palate is even better with this wine, excellent.

Mild viognier

Viogniers easily over-develop. Cuilleron Condrieu Vertage 2011 (AUD 130) shows the opposite, rich in the mouth, yes, but still composed yet from a year of leanness, a blend of parcels, 50% new oak, 50% old oak; a delightful drink with slipperiness, just ready for some oily fish. The 2013 is current release though Cuilleron showed 2011 at the cellar for demonstration.