GRAND CRU (PERTH) TASTING GROUP EUROPEAN REDS TASTING 29 APR

[Waiters Friend]

G’day

Grand Cru is a Perth based tasting group which meets approximately monthly. Twelve of us converged on the Terrace Hotel (the Sommelier Room) for our April tasting – a tasting with a difference. The theme was ‘European Reds – the Road Less Travelled’. This meant an absence of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the usual French suspects, and therefore a few surprises. We also covered a number of countries.

The first wine of the night, however, was not a red at all, but a Spanish white. The Domaine Pierre Boris Le Blanc 2013 is a mixture of Macebeu (40%), Grenache Gris (30%) and Carignan Blanc (30%) and is from Corbiere. Yellow in colour, the wine opens up with a cider-like waxy apple nose, along with lemon zest, honey, an a hint of dried apricots. The cider allegory continued through the palate, which is tart, slightly bitter and a little spritzig. Finishes short.

The first red was a surprise, and a good wine to open the reds. It’s a Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato (Piedmont) 2013 (Ruche is the grape variety). Garnet in colour, and a highly distinctive nose of rose, rose and more rose. Tasters added further qualifiers – rose scented soap, rose water, rose perfume. As the wine opened up, we also got olive tapenade, rosemary and a slight smokiness. The palate was less intense only moderate grip, little or no oak, light to medium bodied, and a short finish.

Next up was a Pitti Blaufrankisch 2013 from Burgenland, Austria. Again, garnet in colour, with a modest cherry plum nose, accompanied by cotton candy, sarsaparilla, and cherry cola. The wine has low tannins, minimal oak and moderate acidity. Some tasters considered it to be Grenache-like or Beaujolais-like, and other comments included ‘gluggable’ and ‘refreshing’. There was some discussion about the wine being the product of carbonic maceration. A moderate finish completed this light-bodied wine.

This was followed by a Mencia – the Petalos Descendientes De J Palacios 2010, from the Bierzo region of Spain. Garnet in colour, the wine started off with almost no nose at all, and eventually gave up some rhubarb, burnt toffee, spicy oak and herbs, all in small quantities. The palate was more revealing, with bright cherry fruit, a slight bitterness, and the tannins and acid overpowering the modest fruit. Short finish.

We stayed in Spain for the next wine, a Faustino Rivero Ulecia Reserva 2008 (Rioja). Purple in colour, with raisins, grapey fruit, some savouriness and spice on the nose. The palate showed more fruit sweetness, chalky tannins, more raisin fruit and dried plums – all well integrated. This got a few votes from the tasting group, and at about $12, was definitely the bargain of the night.

For a European Reds tasting, we mysteriously moved to Argentina for the next wine – a Privada Bodega Norton 2010 from Mendoza. The bottle had the distinction of being the tallest and heaviest of the night. Purple or dark plum in colour. The nose has big blackcurrant fruit, juicy plums, white pepper and milk chocolate. The palate showed grippy crunchy tannins and considerable oak. The wine is quite well balanced and medium to full bodied.

We returned to France for a M.Chapoutier 2010 Gigondas (Rhone). Red/ purple in colour, with a somewhat closed nose showing smokiness, pickled vegetables, licorice spice, stewed plums and salami. The palate is quite savoury, with green olives, medium tannins and a short finish. We suspect the use of older larger format oak for this wine.

The Tres Picos (3 mountains) Borsao Garnacha 2012 (Spain) is a typical Grenache. Garnet in colour, with big ‘lolly’ jammy fruit, vanilla (in the crème brulee sense) and caramel possibly derived from the oak and candied orange peel. This is a fruit driven wine, with medium tannins, high acid, and shows aniseed and freshness.

The next one turned out to be one of my favourites for the night – Chateau De Pibernon Bandol 2008 (Mourvedre is the grape variety). Red purple in colour, with the hallmark Mourvedre blueberries and mocha, along with some beef stock, tar, graphite and sweatiness. The palate shows savouriness and leather, with blue and black fruits. Perhaps a fraction short on the finish, but I didn’t mind. This had taken me back to the French countryside.

We left Europe again to head to South Africa, and the 2013 Diemersfonten Pinotage (from Wellington). Most of us could not get past the nose on this, with coffee, tar and burnt rubber. The palate revealed a little dark chocolate but was overpowered by the coffee and rubber. Unfortunate.

Next to Italy, and the Paololeo Primitivo Di Manduria DOCG 2012. Purple in colour, opening with seaweed, oyster and brine (or umami?), some minerality, vanilla custard, plums, dark fruits and blueberries. The palate is complex, with grippy tannins, and this would make a good food wine.

This was compared to a Margaret River (that well known European location!) Zinfandel – the Churchview St Johns 2011. Deep purple in colour, with a whopping 16% alcohol and French and American oak. The nose showed raisins, preserved figs, dark fruits, and considerable oak. The palate is lifted, with more raisins and the palate seems lighter than the alcohol and oak would indicate. This has apparently got better in the past 2 years.

Finally, back to Italy for the Castello Banfi Brunello Di Montalcino 1999. Purple red in colour, with a nose of tobacco, tar and dried fruit. The palate was one of those where a lot is going on at once – savouriness, and zingy fruit bouncing off the tongue. One taster described this as ‘seamless’ and it’s certainly well balanced and integrated. As it turns out, this was voted Wine of the Night by a fair margin, with a countback placing the Rioja and the Bandol in equal second.

These tasting events are a fabulous way to spend a weekday evening, with excellent company and in this case a fascinating variety of wines. Thank you to those who were there, and the sommelier of the Terrace Hotel for showing some of us through their 3000 bottle temperature controlled cellar.

Cheers
Allan

[Dave Dewhurst]

Interesting night by the looks of things. Good work Allan! I am a big fan of Bandol and especially the Pibarnon, but usually have them much older as they develop so well. I also have a soft spot for Banfi, even though they are one of the massive producers I think, as I have had lovely Chianti Classico Riservas and Brunellos from them.

Cheers

Dave

[JamieBahrain]

Hi WF

Who was the Ruche producer? I can't make it out from the picture.

Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato is a pretty new DOCG for Piedmont and there a two emerging styles including very serious, oaked and age worthy versions. Quite the time warp back in history if you ever visit some of the smaller villages.

The Palacios, havimg had this as a quaffer in cases over a number of vintages always reminds me of Frugal Farmer from Rockfords. Crap wine from a good producer.

[via collins]

Another hand up for the joys of Bandol.

Had a Ch Pibarnon 2005 last weekend, hoping for something a little more open than most 05s I've had from France.

And so it was. Super good, still relatively young, but enormously rich. I've decided that 2007 is the best year that I can daily access there, and have been building up reserves of the 07s from Pibarnon and Gros du Nore.

All things being equal, I should make one, or both of the wineries later in May.

Glad that the 06 caused happiness