2020 - The Unusual Vintage

Whilst 2020 has no doubt been an ‘unusual’ vintage, there have been some rare windows of opportunity this year to taste some truly excellent wines.

With this mini series, I am going to focus on three top tier producers that may fly under the radar for many next to the giants in their respective fields, but let me assure you, the attention to detail and quality that results is worth the journey in seeking them out.

First is D’Oliveras, the quintessential Madeira producer. Centuries of history, wines over 100 years to taste, and an unforgettable experience with Luis D’Oliveras himself.

Second is Bruno Paillard, the epitome of grace and bastion of quality in Champagne. I was incredibly privileged to be welcomed to Maison BP by the inimitable Alice and her father Bruno.

Third is La Scolca. As a card carrying fan of ‘Barolo Boys’ I always have a soft spot for producers in Italy who seek to innovate and break free of the ‘controllata’ and the establishment with new types of quality. Not least of all, the chance to speak to another 100year dynasty of family winemakers, currently in the hands of Chiara.

It would be remiss of me not to discuss the plethora of zoom events and virtual tastings that I have hosted through these strange times. We’ve had a lot of laughs (more important than ever in the current lockdowns) and a lot of lessons learned, and I will share some of those with you all.

Last but not least, having engaged with a wide spectrum of those in the industry, I would like to share my 2c for the future of the industry, where we go from here and what’s next.

Best,


Andrew

Tasting at Pereira D’Olivera “D’Oliveras” with Luis D’Oliveras.

So for a brief introduction to the subject matter and the uninitiated, Madeira is a style of wine that can trace its lineage over 300 years. The name is from the Island of the same name, a charming bucolic little rock in the Northern Atlantic. The wine comes from the dry (Sercial) all the way to the sweeter styles of Boal.

What makes the style of wine so unique, and the focus of this tasting, is the faintly incredible ageing potential. We went as far as the 1907 (tasting notes below) but Luis will happily sell you wines from as back as the 1850s..

1999 Sercial

Nuts and honey. Not candied per se, but elements of almost an alpine lodge. Complex and interwoven. Hints at sweetness but without being so (think Christmas pudding without the sugar). Finish is so expressive. Moreish, dangerously so.

1989 Sercial

Subtle, more so than the 1999. ‘All enveloping gentle acidity’ I had in my scribbles at the time. Somewhat quite remarkable how zippy it is on the palate. For the most ridiculous tasting comment of the day, I award myself the prize with ‘tangy challenging firework’. Strong.

1969 Sercial

Now the character is evolving. This is more like a ginger cake. Baking spice, mellow. Still has the acidity in the front of the palate to keep everything interesting. Fascinating drop.

1907 Malvazia Reserva

Deep copper colour, but still vibrant. Textured, warm and inviting. First aromas were something akin to a lime pickle that’s sweet - a kind of reduced confection of citrus fruit, that’s none too saccharine. Quite how you know how to balance the acidity on these wines to last >100 years is beyond me. What a privilege.

As a last side-bar, we stayed at the Belmond in Madeira and they had a bottle of this painted on their Fresco.. Must be in the stars.

What did I learn?

Listening to Luis’ family journey through the generations and acquisitions, two things really stood out. Wine-making requires tenacity that few I think truly appreciate. It’s gritty, gutsy work in the fields in order to be able to show the elegance in the glass. Secondly, it’s patience. It’s a cliche, and a common theme amongst the most revered houses, but not rushing the release and having the self-confidence in delayed delivery makes the experience all the more special.

Thank you to Luis and his family for sharing their journey with us.

Tasting at Maison Bruno Paillard, with Alice & Bruno Paillard.

Tasting at Maison Bruno Paillard, with Alice & Bruno Paillard.

Earlier this year (in one of those narrow gaps between lockdowns), I made a trip to Champagne to meet with a number of individuals involved with both on and off trade to understand how the evolving Covid-19 landscape was shaping the wine industry. Whilst the findings were both eye opening and largely as expected (and will be the subject of a future article), the trip did afford the opportunity to visit a handful of producers who I have a lot of time for, in this instance the inimitable Maison Bruno Paillard.

For a quick bit of background, Bruno Paillard Champagnes prize something which stirs my soul in the world of wine.. ‘elegance’. All too often I see tasters dive headlong into technical notes and/or scores from critics, but I often find the source of the greatest pleasure (and more informative conversations) are with the winemakers themselves on the style they are emulating.

One of my favourite quotes was ‘not confusing complexity with heaviness’. I couldn’t have expressed the intangibility and ethereal nature of what makes a wine great better myself.

A quick word on the 2020 Vintage after discussing with a few in Montagne de Reims - challenging but rewarding. Great dispersion in plot sites, some grumbles over yields but overall the quality is there.

We tasted 3 wines with Alice and Bruno - details below.

Bruno Paillard - Première Cuvée

There’s nothing quite like the casual mic drop of your house blend being a multi-vintage comprising >30 crus and 25 vintages. Extra brut (as the house style), first press only. Golden hues in the glass, hint of straw complexion. Nose first shows cool climate chardonnay - more citrus than stone fruits. Pinot Noir contributes a little more subtle power of an undercurrent through it all. The acidity is just something I can never quite believe. It’s so light, so pure and so ‘clean’. Low dosage really shows what the juice is doing and its just oh so right.

Bruno Paillard - Rosé Première Cuvée

I must admit, I’m not a Rose fan. There I’ve said it. But one to never back down from a challenge, Alice opened this cuvee. Only first pressing again, but here’s where the technical skills get impressive. It’s made from two discrete approaches to Pinot Noir.. (I) Red wine from the PN comes from prolonged maceration on the skins, plus (2) before any of this, white wine is extracted from the grape via a quick pressing and a separation from skins. Add a little chardonnay and… wow.. The colour is just alive in the glass. It’s vibrant, shimmering and alluring. Think warm copper but lighter. Hints of violet and wild strawberry on the nose. Absolutely spellbinding.

Bruno Paillard - MILLÉSIMÉ 2012 Blanc de Blancs (New Release)

So part of the reason for the delay in sharing this adventure is we tasted this wine ahead of the global release and as such out of respect did not comment. But now the cat is out of the bag, I’m thrilled to share.

First off, the art. A Japanese artist (Takehiko Sugawara) was tasked with capturing the theme of ‘strength and grace’ and despite the covid-19 headaches of getting the actual artwork over, it encapsulates the style beautifully.

Grapes 2/3 Mesnil and 1/3 Oger from Cote de Blancs, all grand cru. 2012 was a ‘crazy’ year with spring hail and comparatively ‘compact’ or dense wines that Bruno likened to a firework. I Can understand why they held this back for a few extra years to find its feet.

Disgorged April 2019 with just 3g/l dosage.

The nose is like a coiled spring and definitely rewards patience. I was expecting more white flowers, but in fact the first aroma I landed with a limestone/ lemon rind mix. Somewhat unhelpfully, my notes called this ‘like the moment you unearth a lemon meringue fossil.. mature, inviting, fresh’. Palate just sings. Density and compactness I can concur with. A superbly built wine, but definitely one for a little age to find its feet. Bravo!

As a side, I must mention Hedonism wines in London for bringing us together in the first place all those years ago.

Would love to extend our thanks one again the Paillard family for hosting. Also to Bruno for his enduring charm and executive direction, and last but definitely not least, to Alice, the magician who weaves it all together (and with a technical gift to somehow answer all my questions and still be courteous!)

La Scolca - Tasting with Chiara Soldati

The Soldati family procured the estate that would become la Scola at the conclusion of the First World War and to this day the estate is run by descendants of the Soldati family. I’m always curious to dig a little deeper into the nomenclature of a winery’s name, and La Scolca reportedly comes from the colloquial ‘sfurca’, or looking forward into the distance. It would be poetic to say it’s reflective of a forward looking wine style, but in honesty it’s due a farmhouse location.

The Cortese grape is not the most well known varietal, but certainly within Piedmont the Rovereto’s Gavi is widely acknowledged as some of the finest examples. Alas before this slides inexorably into a dry manuscript of the region and its history, this was an exploration into an unusual topic.. what does aged Cortese taste like? How do the flavours of this less common noble grape fare in comparison with the old favourites? Without further ado, onto the wine.

Gavi La Scolca

Pale straw colour in the glass. Delicate if austere initially in the glass. Well rounded acidity. Fresh and lively if perhaps without the greatest complexity. I likened it to the jovial barber that you have a quick catchup with. Friendly, approachable and consistent.

Gavi Etichetta Nera, ‘Black Label’ DOCG

Made from much more mature vine stocks (hand picked clusters, vineyards >60yrs of age). I know, I know, I shouldn’t judge a wine by its label, but I have and I did. It looks like a much more premium item here. Oyster green lip mussel tinge to the meniscus in the glass, with a common hay/straw colour to the body. Nose has more power here. We’ve not added a turbocharger, but there are more cylinders firing in unison. White flowers giving way to a more nutty profile. Almonds? Acidity in check but present and correct. Pleasingly long finish.

Gavi 2007 D’Antan

So to answer the question that none of you asked, but my curiosity led me to answer, what does a 10yr+ Gavi evolve into? Well, first it’s important to bear in mind the context. Low yields, steep slopes.. lots of care. Decade in the cellars (from the impassioned adjectives in Chiara’s voice, one really does get the sense if the wine asked for a bedtime story it would get two..) Temperature was key with this wine.. give it some space. I found it really hit its stride around 40 minutes after opening. If the Black Label had the cylinders, this was like the Spinal Tap moment .. but.. like a great Fleetwood Mac record, volume up to 11 a generation ago. It’s mellowed a bit now. It’s still got the long hair, but it has the knowing smile of having done it all - and is now ready to enjoy its years. Toasted nuts, flint, some white fruit.. but think risotto level nuttiness. Acidity still holds it own but the star is the almost waxy layer of aromas and textures in the glass. Complex, intricate, beguiling.

So, does Cortese age? Well, with the right care and attention it most certainly does.

Next time you’re tempted with those white truffles from Alba at this time of year, be sure to consider this as the accompaniment as well the usual fare from Puligny. As a side, I’d also highly rate Batar from Querciabella in the similar league for Italian top tier whites as a rival to those from Bourgogne.

Thank you to Chiara for her enthusiasm and level of detail she shared with her winemaking approach.

Hyde Vineyards - 2012 v 2014 Pinot

One of the most intriguing comparisons I’ve had on my Napa trip was to taste side by side the vintage variation at Hyde for their Pinot Noirs. The 2012 showed hints of a much warmer, more generous year in terms of climate. Well layered red fruits, underpinned by a backbone of dried spices and even hints of spice.

The 2014 by contrast, tasted much more like a youthful, red-fruit led zinger of a Pinot. Now of course, there is two years more in the bottle for the elder brother, but when you also bear in mind there was a 0.8% alcohol difference in the wines we tasted (14.9 for the 2012 versus 14.1 for the 2014) it just goes to show how much Hyde is willing to bear all and represent their fruit faithfully in the bottle.

Which one would I take? The 2012.

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Tipple in the Press

There have been a few nice write-ups over the years, thought it would be helpful to collate a few of the favourites into one place.. Enjoy!

Wynland - ‘Tipple Takes Off’

https://www.wineland.co.za/tipple-takes-off/

Le Bon Bon - ‘Tipple Feature’

https://issuu.com/le-bonbon/docs/london_-_septembre

Jancis Robinson - Richard Hemming MW feature on Wine Apps

https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/best-wine-labelscanning-apps

London Evening Standard - ‘Festive Five’ Wine Apps

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life

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