Category: wine reviews

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Bosco Falconeria, Azienda Biologica Simeti-Taylor, Partinico, Sicily

Organic Cattarato 2010

Mr Whirly says:

“In the 1960’s Mary Taylor left New York city for Palermo for six months vacation. She fell in love with a Sicilian, her husband Tonino, and stayed there. She set up, with Tonino, high up in the hills above Palermo, her own organic vegetable farm and was one of the first Organic vineyards in Sicily. Natalia her daughter makes the wines and cares for the vines. Cattarato is widely planted in the western side of Sicily. There’s a lot of it since Sicily produces a lot of wine. This is no ordinary Cattarato: bush trained vines called “ Alberello” and vertical trellis for eight year old vines at 800 feet. Fermented in tank, temperature controlled. This wine evokes smokey peaches and apricots with some lovely woody touches, except its straight out of stainless steel tank. Its complex, rounded and elegant . Lovely expression of this grape and a great food wine. We had it with some lovely fresh Caponata and other salad’s, straight from Mary’s garden and it was a match made in Sicily.”

Organic.

Alcohol: 12.0%

P1020848Mr whirly with Mary, Natalia and Tonino after the most splendid of lunches, June 2rd 2012

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Velenosi, Marche

My first venture into the delights of the Italian wine world where the romance and passion of the wines and people is so strong.

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When I was in Los Angeles in April 2010 and about to get stuck by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud I visited Pizzeria Morro, voted by local LA foodies in Zagats (USA version of the Good food Guide) as the most popular restaurant in this sprawling metropolis. I arrived at the restaurant, slightly worn out after a long walk from the Hollywood hills and Sean, the barman, looked after me beautifully, especially after he found out I was in the wine business. Within twenty minutes I had tasted five wines and one of them was the one on the right here. I visited the vineyard in November 2010, returned in late March 2011 to taste the new Vintage I started to import this wine, Lacrima di Morro from D’Alba, as well as a white grape from the area, Passerina in May 2011. They are wines that emphasise the beauty and romance of the wine business in Italy.

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LaCrima di Morro D’alba, ( from D’Alba just east of Ancona) 2012

Mr Whirly says:

“ An extraordinary “Turkish delight” wine that really is very unique. I fell in love with this wine in Los Angeles 24 months ago and still love it. ”

Alc vol: 13.0%

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Passerina 2012

Mr Whirly says:

“ A wonderful aperitif wine that exudes a sensuous bee’s wax feel with some honeysuckle aroma’s too. This wine originates around Ascoli Piceno in Marche.”

Alc vol: 12.5%

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Visciole 2012

Mr Whirly says:

“ A top wine for all seasons. This wine rocks with Black forest gateau and Eton Mess.”

Alc vol: 14.5%

50 cl bottles ( very beautiful, see middle picture)

Winemakers tasting notes:

“ This is a traditional way of making pudding wine in Marche that dates back many centuries. It’s made my blending unripened black cherries with red grapes. The basic ingredient is sour cherries (called Visciola). Based on a traditional recipe, sour cherries are harvested, they ripen during the first weeks of July, and are left to soak in sugar, partly whole and partly crushed. This product is then decanted for a few days and finally filtered. A syrup with high concentration of sugar is thus obtained, which is then mixed with wine. Strawberry, raspberry, ripe wild cherries, jam aroma’s, scents of peach and ripe pear.”

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Domaine Allois, “Terre d’Ailleul’s” 2011

what imagery, what history, what a sublime wine too….this wine was discovered in the most lovely of little markets in Saignon, above Apt, in July 2011….

Mr Whirly Says:

“ An herbaceous and savoury wine that needs big food to take it on like Calves Liver or Pork chops with a rich grain mustard sauce. 100% Ugni Blanc so totally unusual and defined. For that reason alone it is to be respected.”

Wine makers notes:

Winemaking:

“This wine born from old vines that we have taken care from the cultivation to the optimal maturity.

Obviously to obtain the best aspect, we chose to harvest manually and select the best grapes.

The winemaking is done in barrels like in Burgundy, with stirring of the lees and temperature controlled in order to have a wine that is round and aromatic.  Six Months in oak.”

On the palate:

“This wine present itself as a yellow colour with a light gold reflection. The smell develops aromas like white flower, syrup and white fruit, honey and wax, with some light touch of young wood bringing fresh taste. The mouth is concentrated at the first. It is a wine quite structured with some nice length and citrus aroma, flowers and honey.”

Terroirs : Sand and clay with calcareous subsoil

Grape variety: Ugni blanc  (100%)

Alc Vol: 13%

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Cepage Muscat, 2011

NEW ARRIVAL!  New vintage 2011

November 2013: more detailed tasting notes to follow but more fresh pear on the nose rather than pear drops!

Excited, excited and yes so excited by this wine. Muscat? Possibly one of the oldest grapes around, certainly dipped in history and culture…never been that enamoured by it, too much yucky sweet stuff but this wine rocks and is really quite sublime! Made with Muscat of Alexandria (originally from Alexandria in Egypt and Petits grains, the oldest and noblest variety of Muscat. Its berries are much smaller than the Alexandria berries, which are oval in shape. Hence the name, Petit Grains)

Mr Whirly says:

“ I tasted this wine recently with Jamie Younger at the Palmerston and thought the wine was wonderfully infused with tangerine peel, zesty and with wonderful fresh acidity.”

Alc vol: 13.5%

Winemakers tasting notes:

Two varietals of Muscat, Alexandria (40%) and Petit Grain (60%), grown on clay and schist soil. 40 year old vines. Very expressive and complex nose smelling of pear and lychee.

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Al Cortal Rouge, 2009

My idea with this wine is to try to show how, with a little bit of luck and quite a morsel of effort too, one can find a really fabulous wine for around £7! Well £7.50. But I think this wine is so well made, I love the combination of the four grapes and I also love its Catalane worthiness and stature; it has that lovely country feel of passion and hard work that emphasises this wine is Catalane. It reminds me very much of the wines I would taste as a young lad in the hills above Bergerac, near Sigoules, where we would cycle and fill up a 10 litre flagon every other day and it would cost 30 francs. Good honest country farm wine!

Mr Whirly says:

“ Four grapes make up this wine, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Carignan. I think its a belter of a wine for the price, full of tasty fruit and ready for drinking now, with a couple of years of age. Great wine to show off this little sub- appellation of Roussillon, Cotes Catalane and a wonderful wine by the glass for all you restaurants out there looking for some quality.”

Winemakers tasting notes:

Grapes grown on Granite and Schist , carbonic maceration for the Cabernet Sauvignon, traditional maceration for the Syrah, matured 5 months in tank. Ruby colour, very fruity nose, rounded and soft in the mouth, ready to drink now.

Alc vol: 14.5%

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Antithese 2006

I tasted the 2007 vintage with Guilhem in the morning but then over lunch tasted the 2006! Oh yes. This is simply delicious. Syrah as it should be with a touch of 100 year old Carignan grapes.

Mr Whirly says:

“ This wine is as pure an expression of Syrah with a dash of Carignan ( from those amazing one hundred year old vines planted in granite that you see on the Ribas wine page) as one would want to feel. Deep wine with some lovely age but the fruit is still rich and strong.”

Winemakers notes:

“It’s got  a deep bright red colour. A complex combination of red fruits, smokiness and spiciness. The good acidity carries this complexity of aromas throughout the palate. Good length. Hints of black fruit and flower. Better to be decanted half an hour before serving. To be served around 16°C.

Alc Vol: 13.5%

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Rouge No 9,Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalane

New vintage No 9 ( 2009) arrived January 2014

Mr Whirly says:

“This wine represents Riberach’s benchmark wine, their really exciting wine at a great price. It is a wine that is made from their youngest vines, 30 years: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and oaked for 18 months. The vines are grown on a Schist soil which gives the wine a smokey feel. Top, top wine. A delight and again fantastic value.”

Winemakers notes:

“It’s got deep bright red colour ; smoky, creamy nose. A Good mouth fill without astringency; hints of black fruit. “

Alc vol: 14.5%

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Riberach Blanc, Synthese, 2012

New wine arrival, November 2013 and a  new wonderful wine to whirl!

My first white from Riberach, who are now a fully accepted Bio-Dynamic and Organic vineyard. These guys know how to make wines,

As they say themselves:

“ we are 4 friends, is an idea of old vines on schist and granite soils at high altitude, is a matter of philosophy reflected in 30,000 bottles and 10 hectares of vines.”

This wine is oh so subtle, so light and fresh. Most wines form this part of France are not like this, then again this wine is not like most wines. Look at the grapes: Grenache Blanc ( sexy grape is ever there was one) Carignan ( I have yet to find out if they are from the 100 year old vines growing out of the Granite rock that I went wild about in August 2011)and  the local grape, Maccabeu. An infinitely superior wine and one that I think many of my clients, including my best man, need to try!

Mr whirly says: ( wine tasting notes to follow once I have tasted this wine with clients)

Winemakers tasting notes: ( to follow shortly)

Alc Vol: 12.0%

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Bandol: Chateau D’Azur

Chateau D’Azur, Bandol, 2009

I have always wanted a Bandol in the pack and now I have one! Karen Frankel (my buddy from San Francisco on this wine sourcing trip in July 2011) and I were incredibly excited about  our little trip to Bandol. We again cut to the chase and found a lovely wine shop in rather a disappointing town centre, sadly, too many tourists shops and headed out of town to discover the delights of the surrounding countryside. The next morning, after much driving around the country roads and getting lost, the art of following signs to vineyards that then suddenly disappear, again being witnessed by ourselves we eventually drove into the unassuming driveway of Chateau D’Azur. Our efforts were not in vain!

This wine is made by up and coming star Gael Cluchier for owner Paul Chavel. Made from 90% Mourvedre and the remaining 10% is made up from small parcels of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah.

Mr whirly says:

“ Juicy and fruit forward yet unlike a lot of Bnadols this wine drinks so well immediately after the cork has been taken out of the bottle.  Great fruit forward wine yet with subtle summer herb aroma’s“

Winemakers notes:

“ The vines were planted in 1990. We do not use chemical products on the vines and we also use Organic fertiliser. Hand picked in small bins. Yield: 30hl/ha. Crushed and de-stemmed. Fermented and Macerated over three weeks and pumped over everyday. Pressed after three weeks and blended with the freely run juice. Malolactic fermentation before the winter. 18 Months in Bordeaux Oak barrels. Blended and bottled in the summer of 2011. Intensely dark colour. This wine is strong. Spicy (pepper, cinnamon and Liquorice) and also Toasty. Decant and leave for one hour. Good ageing potential

Alc vol: 14.0%

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Cairanne, 2009

This wine is now sold out. New Vintage arrives March-April 2014.

It’s a right old Cairanne! And this really is anything but. Not old in anyway and very fresh and exciting, this lesser known Cotes de Rhone Village is very much treading its own path into the new age of wine growing in France, where wines that sell at that optimum price point, £10-14, really are shining through. I tasted this wine with Audrey Armand on that sun blessed evening on the 27th July 2011 and thought it was exactly what I wanted in a top quality Rhone, that doesn’t have the price tag of some of the better known appellations a little further south but most definitely has the quality. This wine is made from older vines, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. If you can, decant and leave for an hour.

Mr Whirly says:

“ A pure delight of joy. I bought this wine from the little village north of more recognised names in Southern Rhone because it provides great quality at a great price. This is a special cuvee and like all their wines, the grapes are picked with meticulous attention and care. Smooth and juicy with hints of tabacco and liquorice as well as a hint of black cherries and white pepper. Fantastic value for the quality of the wine.”

Alc vol: 14.5%

Winemakers notes:

This is a Special cuvée – limited production wine. AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages, Cairanne , Cuvée LOUIS red 2009.

Terroir: hill side limestone. Old vine Grenache, 50%, 25% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre. Hand harvested and selective picking. De-stemming, long maceration, aged in oak barrels that are two years old for 6 months. This wine has a deep red purple colour, the nose is intense and complex, black pepper, mineral and after breathing we discover ripe aromas of cherry and coulis sauce with light toasted notes. In the mouth this wine has a well balanced structure, powerful with fruit flavours and elegant tannins with a long finish with some light vanilla showing through. Can be aged for up to 6 years and drinking beautifully now.