An Explora+on of Wines of the Mediterranean Rim of France and Spain.

Transcription

1 An Explora+on of Wines of the Mediterranean Rim of France and Spain.

2 Explora+on of the Mediterranean Mediterranean Climate Wine Laws of France and Spain Grapes of the Regions Historical Relevance to Vi>culture Tas>ng through the Region

3 Murcia to Nice

4 Climate Summers are longer than winter, and the winter is very mild. Very few places experience snow in a Mediterranean climate. The seasonal changes are due to changes in ocean currents and water temperature. The climate is known for warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters. 38 degrees to 43 degrees la>tude

5 General wine Informa>on Great Whites wines come from Cold Climates Great Red wines come from Warm Climates Cold climates yields acidity within the final wine All grape juice is White Red wines fermented with skins, White wine do not Tannins exist in skins, seeds, and stems of Grapes 5

6 Tas>ng What fruits are present? Dark red and black fruits for red wines White and light color fruits for white wines Is there acidity in the wine? Do we detect other flavors? Such as flowers or herbs, or earthy aromas. Is the wine balanced? Does the wine have length? 6

7 French Wine Classifica>ons and Label organiza>on

8 The three official >ers of French wine quality classifica>on: AOC (Appella>on d'origine Contrôlée) indicates the geographical origin, quality and (generally) the style of a wine. The Europe- wide equivalent of AOC is AOP (Appella>on d'origine Protégée). All Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines fall into the AOC category.

9 Vin de Pays Vin de Pays means 'wine of the land', although it is oaen translated as 'country wine'. Its Europe- wide equivalent is IGP (Indica>on Géographique Protégée). This category focuses on geographical origin rather than style and tradi>on, and gives winemakers greater stylis>c freedom than AOC. Vin de Pays was introduced in the 1970s, and by the year 2000 there were more than 150 individual VDP >tles, covering about a quarter of French wine produc>on.

10 Vin de France / Vin de Table Vin de France replaced the outdated Vin de Table category in 2010, but remains the most basic quality >er for French wine. This is the least regulated (and least used) of the three categories; Vin de France wines can be made from grapes grown anywhere in France, but their labels do not men>on a specific region of origin. Vintage and grape variety statements are op>onal.

11 Terroirs Varied geological structures and micro- climates are dis>nc>ve Roussillon characteris>cs, which means there is terrain to suit and maximize the characters of every grape varietal. While soils are predominantly clay/limestone, shist and gravelly, some specific terroirs were recognized a dis>nc>ve AOP cer>fica>on, ie. Côtes du Roussillon Villages Caramany from gneiss and granite terrain, Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France from terrain containing a dominance of grey schist, Côtes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde from sands of gneiss and granite and Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel from a limestone- dominant terrain. The Crus from Côtes du Roussillon les Aspres are from gravel or small pebble soils with yellow clay as a liant. The Crus of Collioure and Banyuls are born from vines planted on very narrow terraces, oaen directly on to the parent Cambrian grey schist rock and on to poor, acid soils. The Maury terroir sits mainly on Ap>an, nonmetamorphic black schist at the heart of the Agly Valley.

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13 History of French Catalan When the Catalans rose against the Spanish Crown in 1641, Louis XIII of France entered the conflict on the side of the former. Aaer a protracted war, the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659) secured Roussillon and part of the Cerdanya (Cerdagne) to the French crown, crea>ng the French province of Roussillon. Roussillon/French Catalan is one of the historical coun>es of the former Principality of Catalonia, corresponding roughly to the present- day southern French département of Pyrénées- Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees). It may also refer to Northern Catalonia or French Catalonia, the first used by Catalan- speakers and the second used by French- speakers. A 1998 survey found that 34% of respondents stated they speak Catalan, and a further 21% understand it.

14 Roussillion/ Pyrenees- Orientales Roussillon was incorporated into France as a province in 1659 and became the department of the Pyrenees- Orientales (prefecture Perpignan) in The sea and the mountains come together in this region. Roussillon is a small area with an extremely varied landscape and a sunny, hot climate that favours vine growing. Shaped like an amphitheater, it is open to the Mediterranean Sea to the East and surrounded by three massifs: the Corbières to the North, the Pyrenees with the Mont Canigou to the West and the Albères to the South. Three rivers, the Agly, the Têt and the Tech, define the topography of the region. Between these rivers and mountains, each terroir has its own characteris>cs.

15 Roussillion/ Pyrenees- Orientales The Pyrenees Orientales are ranked 9th among the French Departments in terms of produc>on, which represents 2% of the na>onal produc>on in volume. They produce at least 80% of AOP cer>fied French Vins Doux Naturels (For>ed Sweet Wines). Roussillon produces dry s>ll wines and Vins Doux Naturels (For>ed Sweet Wines). With 14 AOP cer>fied wines, stemming from 23 different grape varie>es, and with its characteris>c patchwork of terroirs, Roussillon offers a diverse range of wines with dis>nc>ve quali>es.

16 White and gris grape varie/es Muscat a pe*ts grains- It represents a quarter of the white grapes grown locally. It is the main variety of the Muscat de Rivesaltes AOP, in which it expresses all its fresh and intense aromas with notes of citrus, exo>c fruits, rose and oaen spices that are elegantly musky. It is also used for dry wines, crea>ng a freshness full of crisp fruit. Muscat of Alexandria- It represents a liole less than a quarter of the white grape vines. It is the ideal compliment to Muscat pe>ts grains, adding finesse and strength. Its large, firm and tasty grapes are par>cularly fragrant when picked at full ripeness. It is characterised by floral and orchard fruit notes.

17 Macabeo- At a liole less than a fiah of the white grape vines, the Macabeo grape is one of the bases for Rivesaltes Ambré AOP. It reveals complex aromas that are characteris>c of natural sweet wines when it is aged in an oxygenated environment. It is oaen used in dry white wine blends for its finesse, liveliness and its delicately fruity notes. Grenache blanc- It represents a liole more than a tenth of the white grapes. It is also the base for Ambré natural sweet wines; it fully expresses itself when aged in an oxygenated environment. It creates rich wines with floral and aniseed notes, fleshy, creamy and long on the palate. Vinified as a dry wine, it reveals mineral and floral notes and a great finesse (par>cularly when aged in barrels).grenache grisit differs from Grenache blanc in the colour of its skin which is a subtle grey- pink. It covers nearly a tenth of the white grape vineyard. It is a versa>le grape that can be used for natural sweet wines, dry whites and also rosés. It gives rosé wines a very bright and very pale pink colour. In blending, it provides elegance and a mineral edge in all kinds of wines.

18 The remaining white grapes The remaining white grape varie/es in decreasing order are: Chardonnay, Vermen/no, Viognier, Sauvignon, Roussanne, Marsanne and Tourbat (also called Malvoisie du Roussillon). All of these grape varie/es represent less than a tenth of the white vines and are oeen used in small amounts in blends, to give diversity and complexity to all Roussillon wines.

19 Red grape varie/es Grenache noir- Nearly 40% of red grape vines are of this essen>al variety. It is used for most dry red and rosé wines and is the king of the grapes for all natural sweet red wines such as Maury, Banyuls, Rivesaltes Grenat and Tuilé. Picked when fully ripe, the grapes' expression is unique and provides roundness, creaminess, intense frui>ness and smooth tannins to sweet and dry wines. It is also used to make fine, refreshing and crisp rosé wine. Syrah- Also known as Shiraz, this grape represents a quarter of the red vines and develops characteris>c aromas. Depending on the terroir and the vinifica>on, its broad paleoe of expression lends itself to gastronomic rosé wines, or lighter fresh and fruity reds, and more structured wines for laying down. Raspberry, redcurrant, blueberry, blackberry and violet are expressed in the lighter wines whilst the more full- bodied develop aromas of liquorice, peppermint, truffle and violet and depending on the ageing, even musk and mocha.

20 Carignan- Planted over less than a quarter of the red grape vineyard, the old Carignan vines produce wines of excellent quality with fine and ripe tannins on the poor Roussillon terroirs. For the most part, the grape is vinified using carbonic macera>on to create soaer tannins. The aromas tend towards delicious fruity and spicy notes like prune, cherry, dark fruit jam, toasted and scrubland notes. Blended in red wine, it is the backbone that provides structure and strength. Mourvèdre- In addi>on to the 3 key red grapes in Roussillon, Mourvèdre covers a liole over 5% of the vineyard. It is added in small amounts to blends to strengthen the structure and the aroma>c complexity (pepper, truffle and dark berry notes). The range of red grapes also includes the following varie>es:merlot, Cabernet- Sauvignon, Lladoner pelut (hairy version of Grenache noir), Cabernet Franc, Cinsault, and Marselan. Some are used in rosé wines, others in small amounts for red wines or on their own for unusual wines that add to the diversity of the Roussillon wine produc>on.

21 AOP dry wines AOP Collioure (white, rosé, red) AOP Côtes du Roussillon (white, rosé, red) AOP Côtes du Roussillon les Aspres iden>fied by a selec>on of small plot AOP Côtes du Roussillon AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages (red)from which stem 4 specific produc>ons iden>fied by the name of the village: AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Caramany AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel AOP Maury Sec (red)

22 The AOP cer>fied Vins Doux Naturels (for>fied sweet wines) AOP Rivesaltes (Ambré, Tuilé, men>on Hors d Age and/or Rancio, Grenat, Rosé) AOP Maury (Ambré, Tuilé men>on Hors d Age and/or Rancio, Blanc, Grenat) AOP Banyuls (ambré, tuilé, men>on Hors d Age and/or Rancio, Blanc, Rimage, Rosé) AOP Banyuls Grand Cru (tuilé) AOP Muscat de Rivesaltes (white)

23 The IGP (Protected Geochart Indica>on) The IGP are here classified either by zone or by region. 3 families can be listed: IGP Côtes Catalanes IGP Côte Vermeille And, all over the area, IGP d Oc (Languedoc Roussillon IGP)

24 Time to Taste! 24

25 Chateau Saint Roch Vielles Vignes Grenache Blanc 2015 APPELLATION- Côtes du Roussillon VARIETY- Grenache Blanc, Marsanne AGE OF VINES- 50 years FARMING Prac>cing organic SOIL- Schist, clay limestone, gravel ALTITUDE- 200 meters AGING- 5 months in concrete R. Parker, Wine Advocate R. Parker, Wine Advocate $18 25

26 Figuière, Le Saint André Rosé, Var IGP, 2016 GRAPES VARIETIES - Cabernet, Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache TASTING NOTES- Pale salmon pink in color. Nose has notes of white flowers that then develop into white peach skin. The palate expresses the velvety texture of citrus peel and the zes>ness of an essen>al oil. Not mandarin, not lemon, not orange, more like kumquat. There's something astringent, green, >ght and fresh. $14

27 Domaine Lafage, Miraflors Rose Côtes du Roussillon, 2016 APPELLATION- Côtes du Roussillon VARIETY- Mourvedre, Grenache Gris AGE OF VINES FARMING- Prac>cing organic SOIL- Alluvial gravel ALTITUDE meters FERMENTATION- Hand harvested, direct press, fermented in tank AGING- 4 months in tank 90 R. Parker, Wine Advocate $18

28 Domaine LaFage, Tessellae Carignan Vieilles Vignes, Côtes Catalanes, 2014 APPELLATION- Côtes Catalanes VARIETY- Carignan AGE OF VINES- 70 years FARMING- Prac>cing organic SOIL- Schist ALTITUDE- 275 meters FERMENTATION- Hand harvested, destemmed, cold pre- fermenta>on macera>on, fermented in concrete AGING- 12 months in concrete tanks (80%) and demi- muid (20%) R. Parker, Wine Advocate R. Parker, Wine Advocate R. Parker, Wine Advocate $17

29 Domaine Lafage, Bas>de Miraflors, 2014 APPELLATION- Côtes Catalanes VARIETY- Syrah, Grenache AGE OF VINES- 55 FARMING- Prac>cing organic SOIL- Alluvial gravel, schist ALTITUDE meters FERMENTATION- Hand harvested, co- fermented in tank, 42 day macera>on AGING- 12 months in concrete tanks R. Parker, Wine Advocate R. Parker, Wine Advocate R. Parker, Wine Advocate $14

30 Wine Fiay Five All of these wines are available for sale by Wine Fiay Five. There will be a sales sheet on the last presenta>on that can be used for ordering your wines from any retailer. Anyone who is interested in ordering wine from the class selec>ons should turn in sheet at the last class, or if you d like wines earlier. You can purchase them by ing: thosthorne@gmail.com Wine Fiay Five offers free home delivery for purchases of $100 or more. 10% discount for mixed case purchases