RHWine Tastings Tuition Tours Off the Beaten Track: Slightly more unusual 26 April 2013
Hondarrabi Zuri Basque region grape Corbou Blanc (Jurancon) Prone to wind damage Trellised on high pagodas in Spain Small bunches of very small berries
Txomin Etxanis Txakoli 2011 Basque Region wine 3 DO regions produce Txakoli, - Guetaria, one of smallest DO s and 2 near Bilbao Only local consumption for centuries Declining until 1980 Now 400 ha and 24 wineries Atlantic is greatest influence Txomin Etxanis has 35 ha vines Modern wine making
Sauvignon Blanc White aromatic grape Best in a cool climate Loire Valley, New Zealand, South Australia, Chile, S. Africa Green fruit flavours and vegetation High acidity Not suitable for ageing Sometimes oaked
Puklavec & Friends Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Based in Jeruzalem, cool climate region 300-340m als, Calcareous base rock with clay/sand soil on marl Slovenia s largest wine producer Martin Puklavec started in 1930s. Became Co-op in 1960 s, bought back in 2009 1200 ha vines (half bought in from Friends) All grapes hand picked Significant investment in modern winery
Tamâioasa Româneasca Muscat Blanc a petits grains Very old variety Grown all over world Small berries Very susceptible to pests Makes dry, sweet and fortified wines with grape flavours.
Prince Stirbey Tamâioasa Româneasca Sec 2012 Specialise in indigenous grapes 20 ha in total, indvidual sites 2 ha Tiberie vineyard, south facing, brown/ red loam with limestone Produce 70-80k ltrs pa
Rotgipfler Austrian Grape Traminer X Roter Veltliner Only fund in Thermenregion of Austria Reddish-bronze vine shoots Needs warm south-facing sites with calcareous-based soils Only about 105 ha (0.2%)in Austria - decreasing Late ripenning High in extract, alcohol, and bouquet
Heinrich Hartl, Rotgipfler, 2010 Thermenregion, Austria South of Viena 2196 ha, 675 m asl Hot summer and dry autumns Average of 1,800 hours of sun pa In Autumn, continuous circulation of air dries the berries after dew or rain. Soils range from relatively heavy, dense clay, sandy loam and brown earths with a high shell limestone content. The weathered layers of pebbly soil over alluvial deposits encourage drainage and retain warmth.
Merlot Thin Skinned Soft Tannin Can cope with wet feet Adds softness Red fruit flavours, unless over ripe or too hot Body Alcohol Can be elegant Likes oak
Tannat Basque region grape, Notable in Madiran wines Now well established in South America, Uruguay and Argentina Extremely high tannin Dark, small berries Susceptible to mites and leafhoppers Produces big, powerful, deeply coloured, tannic wines with marked acidity which age well.
Pizzorno Merlot Tannat 2010 Uruguay South of the country in Canelon Chico region High altitude About 20 ha Established 1910 Owned by same family Interesting training systems
Vranac Black Stallion Vigorous, productive Thin skinned berries Likes warm soils Cousin of Zinfandel Deeply coloured Full bodied Tannic Makes strong wines
Plantaze Vranac 2010 Lake Skadar Valley, Montenegro Largest vineyard in Europe, 2,300 ha 11 million vines Founded in 1963, now one of largest companies in Montenegro Ćemovsko polje, flat and sunny area located south of Podgorica
Syrah Classic grape of Northern Rhone Highly coloured High tannin Small berries Ripens early Sept Likes warmth Aromatic (raspberry, blackcurrant,violet, black pepper, spice).
Domaine des Ouled Thaleb Tandem Syrah 2009 3000 ha planted in 1927 near Cassablanca Now only 400 over 3 sites Make in partnership with Thaleb (owners) and Thalvin and Alain Graillot (Rhone wine maker) Oldest vineyard in Morocco
Zweigelt Produced in 1922 by Fritz Zweigelt Early budding, mid ripening High yields - need careful canopy management to keep quality up Austria s most widely planted red grape Styles vary depending on yield.
Rabl Zweigelt Titan 2009 Langenlois, Kamp Valley, Austria Low intervention style Strict quality control Each vineyard and site treated differently
RHWine Tastings Tuition Tours London May 31 Take Away Wines June 28 Literary Wines July 26 Last of the Summer Wine Chianti Tours 17-21 October www.rhwine.net
RHWine Tastings Tuition Tours Thank You! www.rhwine.net