Priorat: first impressions
Wednesday 10 June
I’m in Priorat with big hopes. The region became a big name in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with top class wines emerging from Alvaro Palacios, Rene Barbier et al. After just six hours here, I’ve been given the opportunity to taste more than 80 wines from the area. And I am underwhelmed.
There have been a few star wineries: Mas Doix, Sangenis I Vaque and Conreria d’Scala Dei. But there have been a lot of very average wines too. I reckon all the hype surrounding Priorat has set my bar way too high. Spanish expert, John Radford, told me that even in the best regions there was still a lot of crap - and his words rang true tonight.
Nevertheless, I have been astounded by the breathtaking scenery – it’s like the Douro Valley but without the Douro. And there’s definitely a style that could make me a convert to Priorat: elegant, fleshy fruit with a silky palate and mouthwatering acidity to finish. However, if I want to continue drinking these wines I’ll have to marry a rich man. Unless my lovely boyfriend wins the lottery (I bought him a scratchcard at the weekend: he didn’t win) the wines of Priorat will remain elusive except for on press trips. I am hoping I will have better things to report tomorrow…
Hasta manana amigos…
Wine revolution
Tuesday 9 June
The world of fine wine is undergoing an internet revolution.
Fine wine trader Bordeaux Index launched Live Trade, a two way trading service for 60 of the world’s top wines two months ago, giving the public the power to bid and sell wine directly without a broker. The company claims it has recorded around £4m worth of trade in its first two months.
Now wine broker Fine+ Rare has launched a new web tool allowing users to value their fine wine collections and sell them at the click of a mouse. Users of the site can type in their portfolio to find out current market prices. It takes a 10-15% fee for brokering the wine if you wish to sell.
Hot on their heels is Berry Bros & Rudd. The London-based fine wine merchant is set to launch a new service that will allow customers to trade their reserves on the BBR site and set their own bid prices. Berrys takes a 10% fee from the sale.
So what does this all mean? The customer ultimately benefits from greater transparency of prices and gains greater control over buying and selling their own wines. The public have greater information than ever before about the quality of the wines on the market and their value.
However, this doesn’t mean the merchant is becoming obsolete. The public still need reliable advice and trusted avenues to buy and sell. Established names like Berrys, and Fine + Rare will continue to profit amid the proliferation of (sometimes untrustworthy) internet traders.
Let me know what you think about the changing face of fine wine investment.
Check out my Fine + Rare story and BBR article on decanter.com.
Callooh Callay: bar review
Saturday 6 June
After a full day of tasting on Tuesday, I headed to Shoreditch to check out a new cocktail bar, Callooh Callay. It was included in The Independent’s Top 50 bars recently, so I went along to see what all the fuss was about
The inspiration for the bar comes from Lewis Carroll’s poem ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll Callooh Callay originally featured as part of his novel ‘Through the Looking-Glass’. However, I felt more like I was in Narnia having to walk through a wardrobe to get to the ladies. I have to admit the loos were the highlight of my visit with the walls entirely covered by old cassette tapes.
Sean Ware, winner of 42 Below Cocktail World Cup 2008 is mixing the drinks. I recommend the Tahnee’s Margarita, a blend of Cazadores Blanco, agave syrup, lime, crème de peche and raspberries (although not cheap at £8.50 - considering how fast I drunk it).
Marco Schnepf (Greenhouse, Smith’s of Smithfields and Gordon Ramsay’s Maze) heads up the kitchen but it’s just bar snacks to soak up all the booze so don’t expect any Michelin-starred cuisine. Go for the mixed platter for 2 for a tenner which, included cute spring pea tarts (more seasoning please), potato and leek croquettes with smoked paprika dip and a couple of other light bites.
It’s a pretty cool and quirky place to hang out and the drinks menu in the form of a newsletter is a nice touch. But you can say goodbye to the best part of £25 for three drinks so not one for the budget-conscious.
65 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY
Hands off! Riesling’s ours, says Alsace
Friday 5 June
Believe it or not, the Alsatians are trying to prevent other French regions using Riesling and Gewurztraminer on their labels.
The new European wine law, which will come into force on August 1, will allow vin de table growers to use varietal labelling for the first time. In France, Alsace has been the only region that labels its wines varietally. Now, Alsace producers are claiming their image will be cheapened by vin de table producers using ‘their’ grape varieties on the labels.
The Ministry of Agriculture has put together a group to look at their request but come on…you cannot be serious? The Alsatians want a 10-year grace period so that they don’t rely on varietal labelling and can improve the region’s image. Hate to say it, but shouldn’t they have thought about improving the image before? Perhaps making a style of wine that doesn’t have you wondering if the wine is sweet or dry when you pull the cork?
Ribeauville gets trendy
Which brings me to a tasting at Bibendum this week with Cave de Ribeauville. The co-operative has brought in Bordeaux consultant Denis Dubordieu to help them make a more modern, drier style of wine.
Philippe Dry, general manager and a friend of Denis told me: “We want to show we make fresh varietal wines that the UK likes. One of the main issues in Alsace is sweetness. We are now trying to make really dry Riesling that are approachable in youth as well.”
The wines from the 2008 vintage are really clean, modern and dry with light body and well-integrated alcohol. However, with only 3.5g of sugar and total acidity of 10g (Ph 3.0) on the Riesling Prestige and similar figures on its other wines, I found the acidity a little too searing. I feel a trip to the dentist is imminent. Nevertheless, I like their direction and wines like this are what would give Alsace a better name – not banning others from using Riesling on the label!
Rioja: the debate
Wednesday 3 June
Rioja has traditionally been a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha, given a little oomph by a dash of Mazuelo (a.k.a Carignan) and Graciano. However, more and more producers are now turning out 100% Tempranillo Rioja. Should we be mourning the demise of the blend or is it the way forward?
A few numbers for your first: In 1912, Rioja had 44 varieties planted, dropping to 11 in 1942 and in 2000, just seven. Juan Carlos Sanchez of Vina Ijalba said: “Now we only have seven varieties and three of them make up more than 80% of the mix. Diminishing diversity is a bad thing.”
Tempranillo makes up 80% of all plantings but 25 years ago, there were more Garnacha vines than Tempranillo. Not any more. While all producers at this week’s Rioja forum in London agreed Tempranillo was the region’s finest variety; it didn’t necessarily mean a 100% Tempranillo makes the best wine. Sanchez added: “Tempranillo is one of the best varieties in the world but in my opinion it’s a poor idea that all Rioja should be 100%. We need to diversify.”
Behind the label
The idea of putting the varieties on Rioja labels was proposed - but most shouted it down. Rioja is seen as a brand by many consumers and putting Tempranillo on the label isn’t necessary, in the opinion of both winemakers and UK importers. Melissa Draycott, head of buying for First Quench told producers: “By putting Tempranillo on the label you are perhaps opening the door for even more copycat Riojas. You could lose some of your sales to them. I would like to see more information on your back labels for consumers that are interested though.”
White way
Rioja is red. Out of 63,500ha planted in the region there are only 4,000ha of whites of which 96% are Viura. I think you’ll agree Viura is a fairly neutral and uninspiring variety. Rioja has traditionally aged its whites in oak oxidatively making a wine that is distinctive but a million miles away from what consumers want to drink today. Forget fresh and aromatic cos Rioja ain’t got it. That’s why a raft of new varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Verdejo have been approved last week as blending partners with Viura. My story should be going up today on decanter.com Whatever you think of this change, let’s hope we see a more modern style. It is such a strong brand and should capitalise on its name with whites - and more pinks please too.