2013: Year of the Midi

You may have heard about the difficulties of the 2013 vintage in Bordeaux and Burgundy...i.e. there won’t be much wine! These may be the most famous regions but remember they are just a small part of la belle France. There is one place where there are some fruity, spicy, rich, simply fantastic (in fact downright sexy) wines this vintage. Yes, we’re back in Tony’s old stomping ground, the Midi, Languedoc-Roussillon. And the secret to finding the best wines? Working with true vignerons, guys who spend most of their time in the vineyard where it all happens.

These guys are not always easy to find. I’m sure Tony or our winemaker Mark will happily fill you in on my mistake in planning our route. Yes there are two towns with the same name, and yes they are 2 hours apart, and yes, we did end up driving all over the Languedoc in the most ridiculous order imaginable. And we had to do a lot of driving at night so even missed out on the view! But even if it was the long (very very long) way round, it was worth the effort. From Joseph Bousquet at 4 Pilas, to Baptiste at Domaine Torquebiau, le rugbyman Alain at Roquebrun and Jean-Luc Terrier at Domaine Autugnac, we are going back to our roots, working closely with these growers to find spectacular wines that over-deliver for the price. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay too expensive and in short supply in Burgundy? Merlot been decimated in Bordeaux? Alsacian Gewurztraminer in great demand? It’s all in the Midi (yes even Gewurz), along with the more traditional inky dark Syrah and Grenache, and mouth-watering Viognier and Roussanne. So forget all the doom and gloom about 2013: it’s going to be the year to head south, go where the sun shines, and drink up Midi style. But I won’t bore you with more details. Read Tony’s blog here: http://lwcoukblog.wpengine.com/?p=162. He says it all.

The Lost Vineyards of Spain

Last week I drove over 3,200km and tasted over 200 wines across regions from Rioja to La Mancha to Valencia, but the trip started and ended in the North East of Spain in the lost vineyards of Navarra and Aragon. There are very few things as exciting as standing among century old vines in wind-swept and isolated mountains, even if the temperatures feel decidedly arctic! With the threat of snow - in fact there was a lot of it around Rioja and Madrid - the backdrop was both eery and beautifully desolate. 

The beginning of this road-trip epic was in a tiny corner of Navarra, not far from Pamplona. The town is called Sada, and the bodega appropriately takes its name from its location: the winery is a small cooperative entirely made up of growers from Sada, mostly all related to each other!

As you can see this area is home to some very very old vines, most of which are Garnacha with an average age of 70 years and some as old as 100, and is also very very high. Cool climate Garnacha. From here you can look out towards the Pyrenees but only if the blustering winds don't knock you over. The vines really have to fight to survive but they certainly do flourish. There is nothing else for miles: pure air and rich terroir for the Garnacha grape. Have a look at the isolation:

The bodega itself was founded in 1939 but it's almost unknown outside this corner of Spain: for most of its history it sold wine in bulk, either to other wineries or to local restaurants and bars. This may have been the source of the wine that Hemingway used to drink in vast quantities when he frequented the bars of his favourite city Pamplona. And if it's good enough for Hemingway, it's good enough for me! As the great man wrote, wine "...offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing." Sada's Garnacha offers just such a thing!

In the past few years Sada has engaged the services of two talented wine professionals with strong credentials: a winemaker who used to work with Spanish superstar Telmo Rodriguez at the top Rioja bodega Remelluri, and a manager who worked with some of the top wineries in Ribera del Duero. This duo are now keen for the rest of the world to discover their well-kept secret.

We tasted some lovely 2012 Garnacha but also tasted some very young wine still bubbling away in tank as it is still fermenting. Try to work out what this Garnacha is saying!

So from this exciting start to the trip, we can jump ahead to an equally exciting finish! Still in the North East but this time we move closer to Zaragoza, Aragon, and an almost extinct grape variety...Vidadillo. The bodega is Vinae Mureri in the tiny town of Murero which sits along side the River Jiloca.  Below you can see the area (marked by the square).







This is a very old winemaking region of Spain. In Roman times the area - Bilbilis, close to the modern day town of Calatayud - was famous for its wines, mostly Garnacha but a few other varietals were planted there as well. And now in the surrounding mountains there are still vines which are over 100 years old, pre-Phylloxera stock. Add into the mix an altitude of 850 - 1,100m, it becomes clear why this is a very special place.

In the 1920s Vidadillo was as dominant in this area as Garnacha is today. But it was a very productive grape - four times as much produced off the vine as Garnacha - so it was considered inferior. The grape itself is also a lot bigger than others, twice as big as Garnacha and  it was a difficult grape to control in the winemaking process, and so a lot of the planted area was ripped up. But this is an amazing grape variety that just needs some extra love and attention...

In Jancis Robinson's book on grapes ("Wine Grapes") Vidadillo is described as a nearly extinct variety that is unrelated to any other grape and only found in the North East of Spain. I found it had an almost Italian or Burgundian quality: high acid, floral aromas of violet and wild herbs with a huge lick of blackcurrant on the palate. It is elegant and concentrated, with its old vine heritage shining through (see the withered 100 year old vines below).

It's not easy to get to these vineyards as only parcels remain now dotted among the rough and rugged mountains in this valley. We got a flat tire (fortunately not my car!). Apparently this is the winemaker's fifth this harvest!

Jose Antonio owns this bodega and is not put off by the odd flat tire! He has a glint in his eye and loves to tell the stories of his parents and grand parents working the same vineyards that he is now looking after. His passion for the area - and for Vidadillo - is clear. Over lunch I think he managed to explain the history of the region going back almost as far as pre-historic times!

Jose Antonio on the left, sitting

And finally, once we get some of this lovely Vidadillo into stock, if you need any inspiration for a food match, look no further than in-season mushrooms. The stuff dreams are made of...!

The Hungarian Frontier

It has to be said that I am often confused, perplexed, bemused by a whole raft of things, not just wine! But there was one wine that was very confusing - in a good way - this past week. I was in the town of Villany, southern Hungary, tasting through some red wines from the region. We moved through some of the lighter styles of wine - Portugieser, Pinot Noir - and then we got to the Cabernet. It was one particular blend that confused me the most: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Kékfrankos. From the very first smell, I suddenly thought I was back home in Australia, or perhaps in another New World region, but certainly not in Europe. On the nose this wine was explosive. Minty, packed full of red berries. And the New World style continued on the palate with punchy, big, mouth-filling flavours. I was thinking Mclaren Vale, Margaret River. Seriously good wine.

This could be a great source of big rich red wine. The region is at the same latitude as the northern most part of Bordeaux, and sits on a vein of limestone soil, seen below in these caves that run underneath the Csányi winery. And the best news...the wines certainly stack up against their more expensive New World counterparts.

Winemaking in Villanyi has been traced back to Roman times, and then to the ancient Celts, through to the Serbs living in the area after the Turkish occupation, and finally to the German settlers who can be thanked for shaping the modern industry. Outside of Hungary this region has been relatively unknown but domestically it is renowned for its quality red wine production. In any top restaurant in Budapest, the best Hungarian reds will most definitely come from Villanyi. I know, I tried quite a lot. And they are really really good!

So why is this region not known outside of Hungary? It's location might have something to do with it. Three hours south of Budapest, and that's with the relatively new motorway. I'm not sure how many tourists would be drawn to this part of the world, especially given that most people stick to Budapest or may venture to Tokaji but no further.

Previously known as Chateau Tileki, Csányi Winery was founded in 1881 by Zsigmond Teleki who we could say saved Europe from phylloxera. It was Tileki who experimented with different types of rootstock resistant to the disease. His work was carried on by his sons, and thanks to their innovative efforts, phylloxera was beaten. So Csányi has a proud history which also extends to the quality of the wines it produces. Below is the new winemaking team.

From Villanyi we moved back to Budapest as a base to get to Torley, and look at the vineyards and new 2013 wines including our customer favourite, Campanula Pinot Grigio. I think the 2013 vintage is looking better than last year with ripe fruity wines with crisp acidity. Visiting the Campanula vineyards, it's easy to see why: they are beautiful.

And finally, an interesting aside. I have discovered that there is a complimentary artisanal industry around Etyek where our Campanula wines come from: ham production (and palinka but that's a whole other story!). In this part of the world, they say that ham making is as old as the practice in Spain and Italy. There are tiny houses all throughout Etyek with amazing smoking facilities to produce beautiful specimens like this:

So next time you are drinking or recommending Campanula or our other Hungarian wines, think about some funky food matches with cured ham...A match made in heaven!

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Bacchus was Bulgarian

Yes that's right. Bacchus, the ancient god of wine wasn't Greek as we are all taught but, in fact, was Thracian. He was said to live in the Rodop Mountains which are part of modern day Bulgaria. Forget Greece: the original wine deity was Bulgarian! So can we say that Bulgarian wine is actually divine? Based on what I've tasted over the past couple of days, yes!

There is a long history of winemaking here on the Thracian planes. According to archeological studies, the territory that Bulgaria now occupies may have been one of the first winemaking regions in the world, and is certainly the first to have decreed a geographical "denomination" in 2 AD. This is hardly surprising given the climate and soils are naturally suited to wine production, as well as the central role of Black Sea towns on the ancient trading route: Nessebar, Sozopol, Varna. 

Not only is there an ancient winemaking tradition here on the Thracian planes but there is a long history linking Laithwaite's and this region. Tony Laithwaite was the first person to export wine from Bulgaria in the late 1970s when the country's wine industry was controlled by the state monopoly Vinipex. By the early 1980s Bulgaria was exporting 1.2 million bottles of wine outside the Soviet Union, half a million of which were consumed by our Laithwaite's customers. Bulgarian Cabernet was big! 

But following the disbanding of the USSR, Bulgaria suffered from a downturn in industry, lack of investment, and a constant egress of population. In fact, Bulgaria is one of the poorest coutries in Eastern Europe. The wine industry also stagnated as producers struggled to access the tools they needed to make high quality wine, and so could no longer find a route to market or could only sell their cheapest, high volume wines to supermarket chains. But recently, some growers have risen from the post-communist difficulties to develop modern wineries with cutting-edge technology while looking after the fantastic vineyards that have always flourished in this part of the world.

This story of renewal can also be linked to Laithwaite's. Back in the 70s and 80s a young Margo Todorov worked for the state monopoly. As Tony explains, Margo was one of the few people who could speak English in the government-run export board for Bulgarian wine. He was exposed to the more modern wine styles from all around the world that were in our range at that time, and the methods by which those wines were made. He took all this knowledge back to Bulgaria to help develop the wine industry there. Since the 90s he has invested his time and money in building the most successful independent commercial winery in democratic Bulgaria. Now he is keen to return to his routes and see his wine sold by the company that put Bulgaria on the map.

Margo's winery is Domaine Boyar, and they have made a special Cabernet based on the wine that was so well-loved by Laithwaite's customers 30 years ago. This is a rich, bold Cabernet, full of juicy red fruits with just a touch of oak to add structure and complexity. 

The wine is named after the treaty which gave Bulgaria its independence from Turkey after five centuries of rule, and so it is a name very dear to our Bulgarian  friends. This special Cuvée Cabernet will relaunch Bulgaria into the Laithwaite's range, and continue the exciting developments of our Eastern European portfolio. We were there first in the final decade of the Soviet Union, and now we can be there as Bulgaria focuses on developing a quality wine industry opening up its well-kept secrets to an eager drinking public!

Beyond the Forest

Spooky eh? Where else could this be but Transylvania. I'd venture to say that this is one of the richest wine regions in the world in terms of myths, legends and fascinating history. The legend of Count Dracula began here, based on the true history of Vlad Dracul. And we walked past his house in the stunning fortified town of Sighisoara (he didn't answer).

We discussed impaling (Vlad's son Tepes became extemely well-known for the practice) and, would you believe it, embroidery too. Apparently embroidery was The Impaler's second favourite hobby, after the killing thing.

This somewhat colourful history aside, the town of Sighisoara is beautiful with pretty buildings, dramatic rooftops and cobblestone streets.

It was the perfect start to our Transylvanian adventure even if it was a trek to get there: 4.30 start on a Sunday, early (very budget) flight, landing at Targu Mures "Transylvania's International Airport" (look it up - I had to!). And then a lot of time on a bus, driving through the Transylvanian countryside. This really is Europe's final wine wilderness...

Whilst we didn't see an actual vampire, I can understand why stories abound in this corner of the wine world. Transylvania - or "Ardeal" in the ancient tongue - translates literally as "beyond the forest", and for long hours we drove through beautiful wilderness, ancient villages, and dark imposing old Saxon towns with winding streets leading to beautifully preserved buildings. But here even the houses have intent; in the pituresque towns of Sibiu and Sebes, one could be tricked into thinking they are watching your every step...

We discovered that the gory history of Transylvania even reached into the wine world. Burebista, the warrior king from the first century BC made the brave, and foolhardy move of banning wine production. Can you believe it? Well, the locals couldn't and he met a gruesome end, á la Julius Caesar. There's a lesson there: don't ever mess with the wine.

Conquering Emperor Trajan was a big oenophile, insisting that only the best - Romanian - wine be served at his infamous victory dinners (of roasted pigeon and hay-smoked hare, apparently). Even Plato - widely acknowledged to be a pretty smart guy - reckoned that Romania had the "best vineyards in the world". Fact. So how could we learn more about these wonderful vineyards and long winemaking history? Of course, on horseback...

I hope this photo looks commanding, as though I'm in charge. Pretty sure the horse was. Even though I'm Aussie, I've never been the horseriding type. May have been on a pony when I was 10! But I braved it, and managed to survive the ride through the Halewood Sebes vineyards. Wow was it worth it. The grapes may had been harvested but the leaves had started to take on their autumn hues. It's easy to see why there is so much great wine coming from Romania with beautifully tendered vineyards like these.

But it's not just the vineyard. We are lucky to be working with the unsung superstar winemaker of Romania. Lorena has travelled and worked extensively in other wine producing regions, in particular spending several vintages in California honing her craft. This comes through in her love of smart, aromatic whites and boldly-flavoured, blockbusting reds.

Not surprising then that my favourite find of this trip was the perfect blend of the New and the Ancient world. Local grape Feteasca Negra (in Romanian the Black Maiden) is a dark, luscious beauty that, paired with spicy Shiraz is amazing. And all the whites have been picked at just the right time so they are aromatic and super crisp. A new Sauvignon is on its way. Tropical, explosive flavour. A lot to look forward to. 

The Grapes Come In

Finally it's not just the white grapes being harvested in Rioja: the reds at last are being picked but with loads of variation in the vineyards, it looks like it will take a while for those with the sense and patience to wait. It's been tough work for the harvesters in the Gómez Cruzado vineyards as only very small areas are being picked at a time in order to bring in the grapes at the right levels of maturity and at similar levels of quality. This means the harvesters have had to move from site to site within vineyards, as well as from one vineyard to another quite frequently. While taking more time, this will ensure the hard work is done in the vineyard, and grapes of lesser quality are kept out of the tanks where the best material will ferment away, destined for Reserva level and above.

Fortunately the rain has mostly kept away this week so grapes are coming in with more frequency. Sure, as I've said, there is variable quality but with all the work having been done in planning how to harvest, the last bunches of grapes to be discarded are easily spotted on the sorting table. Not many botrytised bunches are getting through which could mean the difference between great wines -from wineries taking the time and care to sort - and the bigger wineries where less attention is paid at this vital step. Even where producers have the latest technology on the sorting lines to measure the density and size of the grapes - a machine that costs a fortune! - it still takes careful attention and people power to sort the grapes of lesser quality.

We've also now had the chance to taste some of the earliest juice just in from the pressed grapes. Some of the early parcels look very good: full of bright red fruits with length and great acidity which should make long-lasting well structured wines: again proving that careful planning in the vineyards is crucial this year. Very happy that we are working with these sorts of growers!

An interesting thing to watch this year will be the quality of wines from the various regions of Rioja. Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa often produce high quality grapes that benefit from a long maturation and cooler climate than the warmer Rioja Baja. With the rain, the risk of disease and botrytis is very high in those regions so it is testing for growers who are keen to get their grapes in. But with the later harvest this year, Rioja Baja has some very good parcels of vines which are benefitting from longer time to develop. We visited some particularly good parcels of old vine Garnacha. A very interesting year developing...

Harvest Time

I know I'm on holiday, and yes I acknowledge it may appear a little weird to take a vacation in a place where I also do a lot of work. But if you love it, what can you do! So I'm in Rioja for the 2013 harvest. A late one. But it is also going to be very interesting, and my initial thoughts are ... this is one of those years that will really benefit the guys with older vines and who really work the vineyards. 

Yesterday evening we walked through many of the small parcels that will eventually go into the making of Gomez Cruzado Vendimia Seleccionada and Gomez Cruzado Reserva. It was really interesting to taste the difference in maturity between some of the parcels, and the different character of the fruit depending on the soil, aspect, and in particular the age of the vines. The picking date will be key. There are disease pressures - we saw quite a bit of botrytis following all the rain over the past few weeks - and ripening was slow. But we were in some of the best sites in Rioja Alta and tasted from a lot of older vines so most of this fruit is looking good.

At this stage, white grapes have come in but we are waiting on a day to start picking the reds. Looks like some work Wednesday (conveniently allowing us to make the Gastronomia festival in San Sebastian on Tuesday!) and then a lot of harvesting Friday and Saturday. The biggest threat to this plan is more rain. True at the moment I am sitting in some glorious Autumn sun looking out over the Cantabrians but this could change...Fingers crossed!

Mád Furmint and Fungus

On Friday afternoon I drove through the great Hungarian planes, that run all the way to Belgrade, to reach the Tokaji region.

Not far from the Polish, Ukrainian and Romanian borders, this area of Hungary is a gorgeous pocket of rolling hills, vineyards, and historic villages. This area used to be part of the greater Tokaj-Hegyalja region within the Kingdom of Hungary, but was divided between Hungary and Czechoslovakia after the Treaty of Trianon. A region rich in history, and - of course - the wine isn't bad either... dry or Aszu (actually pronounced Ossu!) style.

View of Mád through Tokaji vineyards

The Royal Tokaji Company is located in one of the three principle villages of the Tokaji region Mád. I love it for the name alone: I'm sure we all think we sometimes live in the village of Mad!

There I was met by Istvan, the winemaker of over 15 years. With an armoury of stories and a twinkle in his eye, he showed me around his precious cellars. Friday afternoon was all about tasting the dry furmints, blends and single vineyard wines. As good as all these wines are, the most exciting moment was tasting our new exclusive blend from the 2012 vintage that we put together a few months ago from very young components. So this was the first time we tasted the finished product. It is also the first time that the Royal Tokaji Company has done an exclusive blend for any customer, and we will also have an exclusive label. You will love the wine!! To be launched October.

Istvan tasting with us from barrel. New exclusive 2012 blend.

From the barrel room, we then headed to the old underground cellars which are full of fungus. If you are interested in this (and Istvan certainly is!!) have a look at the video below where all is explained...

My favourite story of the visit was about a group of Masters of Wine who were visiting a few years ago. There were 33 in the group but after the cellar visit, only 30 got back on the bus. Three were lost in the tunnels, the lights went out, and there was no mobile phone coverage. Being down in the cellars when told this story, I could see how the three involved weren't impressed by the experience. But Istvan recounted the story with a gleam in his eye: 30 out of 33 wasn't bad, no?

Saturday morning was all about Aszu wines. This was such a treat and reminded me to remind you all that we should be telling all our customers to get their hands on a bottle. With as much vineyard variation as Burgundy, and as much complexity as any of the world's great wines, everyone should have a bottle in their cellar. 

 

For more photos, go to: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151697779296241.1073741844.738991240&type=1&l=fc048378be 

 

Sunset over the Tokaji vineyards

It's All Hungarian To Me

Could someone please have warned me? Yes, I'd seen this local grape variety Juhfark in written form but it never occurred to me how it might be pronounced. If anyone is in doubt, come and ask me. Honestly couldn't believe my ears! Means "sheep's tail" by the way...

Apart from the impossible to pronounce language (or the embarrassment of pronouncing some words correctly!), Hungary is going to be a continuing great source of interesting varieties to which we can introduce our customers. Like Kiraly Leanyka. This local white variety literally translates as "the little princess". Lovely idea for the story behind the brand and easy to say! It has traditionally been used in blends but is a super fresh, delicate white with a lovely name. We are going to keep a parcel of this aside from the 2013 vintage so we can try a single variety wine. Gabor is on the case...

Winemaker Gabor Laczko

The Danube Also Rises

As I write this from a cafe safely perched on the Buda castle hill in Budapest, below the Danube is gushing past, rising and rising as it heads east. The volume of water is now seriously impressive. Towns in the Danube's path in Germany have already been inundated, and now northern parts of Budapest have been evacuated. The hot temperature and the summer sun belie the dangerous flow of the river.

Redundant street sign!

Sand banks are being constructed while the closest roads to the river have already been submerged. I hear tomorrow will be the peak: good thing I am flying out tonight!

Sandbanking on Danube

Just out of Budapest, vineyards have also had a lot of water from weeks of heavy downpours but if the sun of these past few days stays out for a while, 2013 looks like a good vintage. Which is why I am here. Lots to do to prepare for new vintages of Campanula as well as loads of other opportunities...Trying to stay a step ahead...!

Original poster from Torley, home to Campanula

With three strong regions in our Central & Eastern European range - Hungary, Romania and Moldova - now is the time to push these forward as well as looking at some other regions in this area. Why? Amazing history, changing social and political trends, unique personal stories, and the wines are getting better and better. I want to bring a few more interesting wines, especially reds into the range over the next year - watch this space - but for the immediate future, whites are the superstars. And there's a big opportunity... with NZ prices going up and a practically non-existent vintage in the Loire, where can we look for consistently good quality and value Sauvignon Blanc? We're missing a trick if we don't push Albastrele and Paris Street Sauvignon Blanc (both award winning!). And now I'm looking to complete the trio from Hungary with a new SB to launch with the '13 vintage.

For more photos of the flooding Danube and Budapest, go to:

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AND 

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