April 2021 - Fer, Baga, Gaglioppo

 

3 More obscure grape varieties: Fer, Baga and Gaglioppo. Wines 227/8/9 in my wine century. I thoroughly recommmend the Gaglioppo from the Wine Society at £9.50. The other 2 - not so much so. All 3 from the Wine Society

Fer

The Grape:

Fer (also known as Fer Servadou, Pinenc, Mansois and several other synonyms) is a red French wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France and is most notable for its role in the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) wines of Gaillac, Marcillac and Béarn but can also be found as minor component in the wines of Madiran, Cabardès and Bergerac. The grape is also featured in red blends from several vin de pays regions in the south west with significant plantings coming from the Aveyron department.

The Wine: Marcillac ‘Lo Sang del Pais', Domaine du Cros 2019 - £9.50

 

Wine Society Blurb

These steep, iron-rich slopes in south-west France have been good vineyard country for centuries. This is the key estate that has led the present revival. Ruby-coloured, quite full in this exceptional vintage, and rounded with flavours of raspberry and plum.

My Thoughts: 

Its OK. Perfectly fine French Country red. But doesn’t really have much about it. Full bodied, but little else. 6/10

Would I buy it again? Probably not

Baga

The Grape:

Baga is a red Portuguese wine grape variety[planted primarily in the Bairrada DOC. As a varietal, Baga produces tannic wines with high acidity.

Synonyms - Baga is also known under the synonyms Baga de Louro, Baguinha, Bairrada, Bairrado Tinta, Baya, Carrasquenho, Carrega Burros, Goncalveira, Morete, Moreto, Paga Dividas, Poeirinha, Poeirinho, Povolide, Preiinho, Pretinho, Preto Rifete, Rifete, Rosete, Tinta Bairrada, Tinta Bairradina, Tinta da Bairrada, Tinta de Baga, and Tinta Fin

The Wine: Vadio Bairrada Tinto 2017 -£14.50

 

Wine Society Blurb:

This Portuguese red is crying out for the rich and fattier dishes the baga grape complements so well. This is an elegant wine from the Bairrada region and a small family-owned estate, with cherry and raspberry fruit and firm tannin structure.

My Thoughts:

A full bodied red, but so many of the other Portuguese red varieties are better and cheaper. Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira etc. 6/10

Would I buy it again? Probably not – certainly not at £14.50

Gaglioppo

The Grape

Gaglioppo is a red wine grape that is grown in southern Italy, primarily around Calabria. The vine performs well in drought conditions but is susceptible to oidium and peronospora. The grape produces wine that is full-bodied, high in alcohol and tannins with a need for considerable time in the bottle for it to soften in character. It is sometimes blended with up to 10% white wine.

Origin

Gaglioppo - recent studies using DNA profiling instead indicate an Italian origin. The grape is believed to be an offspring of the Calabrian wine grape Mantonico bianco. It was previously claimed that it was introduced to southern Italy around the same time as the Aglianico vine.

An Italian study published in 2008 using DNA typing showed a close genetic relationship between Sangiovese on the one hand and ten other Italian grape varieties on the other hand, including Gaglioppo. It is therefore likely that Gaglioppo is a crossing of Sangiovese and another, so far unidentified, grape variety.

The Wine: Cirò Rosso Gaglioppo, Santa Venere 2018 - £ 10.50

 

The Wine Society Blurb:

Brilliant fruity Calabrian red from gaglioppo grapes grown organically in a vineyard that overlooks the the sea at the very toe of Italy. In the past, such wines were blended out of recognition to improve northern wines, but when carefully and intelligently made, as here, you will find them a revelation.

My Thoughts:

A very nice, fruity, medium bodied red – perhaps similar to a good valpolicella. I really liked it. 8.5/10

Would I buy it again – Yes. Very much so.

March 2021 Counoise, Elbing and Kadarka

3 more obscure grape varieties. Counoise (S. France), Elbling (Mosel) and Kadarka (Hungary). Grape varieties no 224/5/6 in my WIne Century.

All obscure for a reason, but I'm doing this so you dont have to! I wouldn't bother with any of the 3 again, quite frankly. 

Counoise is a dark-skinned wine grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley region of France. Counoise is also grown in California and Washington. Counoise adds a peppery note and good acidity to a blended red wine, but does not have much depth of colour or tannin. There were 638 hectares (1,580 acres) of Counoise in France in 2000.

Counoise is one of the grapes allowed into the blend of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine. In 2004 only 0.5% of the appellation's area was planted with Counoise. Some producers who favour the variety use about 5% of it in their blends, and those account for most of the plantings. One such producer is Château de Beaucastel, which is noted for using all the 13 allowed varieties.

It appears in this wne from the Wine Society: 

Côtes-du-Rhône, Château de Montfaucon 2017

£11.95 Bottle

Made from a big blend of Chateauneuf varieties, inculuding counoise, this exudes warmth and well being! Richly flavoured, concentrated and long Rhône red that is perfect winter fuel.

Well, its 5th on the list of Grapes in this wine - so less than 5% at best.

Was it any good? - OK. But not great. Better Cotes de Rhone are out there. 

Would I buy again? No. 

Cadarca or Kadarka or Gamza is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. It has a long history and is popular in Romania and Bulgaria, where it is known as  Gamza. It used to be an important constituent of the Hungarian red cuvée Bull's Blood of Eger or Szekszárd, but has long been in decline in Hungarian plantations, to be replaced by Kékfrankos and Portugieser.It is also grown in most other central European and balkan countries where it is sometimes known as Cadarca or Skadarska.[3]

Cadarca (Kadarka) wine is characterised by full, easily recognizable taste, deep aroma and dark or medium dark colour. Kadarka is often used for cuvees including some of the Egri Bikavérs, and also for production of table wines. The best Kadarka is grown in Minis, Romania from 17th century.

In Bulgaria, Gamza is mostly cultivated in the northwestern and central northern regions, in the Danubian Plain. Until the recent decades, Gamza was the dominant grape varietal in these Bulgarian regions. The main features of Gamza are a large yet compact cluster of small, almost spherical grapes, dark blue to black in colour.

It appears in this wine from the Wine Society:

Áldás Egri Bikavér, St Andrea 2018 - £12.50 Bottle

This Hungarian blend of eight varieties including kékfrankos (a.k.a. blaufränkisch) and pinot noir is a brilliant expression of the traditional 'bulls blood' style. Packed with dark-cherry, bitter chocolate and bramble flavours, with a cedar and bay leaf note on the finish.

Well, its 6th on the list of Grapes in this wine - so less than 5% at best.

Was it any good? - Not great. Better red wines out there. 

Would I buy again? No. 

Waitrose Elbling £6.99

 

The Waitrose blurb: - Elbling. Mosel Qualitätswein. This is a truly ancient variety from the Mosel Valley, with historic family links to Riesling. Zingy, aromatic, and full of vibrant sherbet, lime and floral flavours, it has been brought back to the limelight here to show off its zippy refreshing style.

Elbling is a variety of white grape which today is primarily grown in the upstream parts of the Mosel region in Germany and in Luxembour. The variety has a long history, and used to cover much of Germany's vineyards from medieval times and was that country's most cultivated variety until the early 20th century, but has been in decline ever since. As of 2006, there were 583 hectares (1,440 acres) of Elbling vineyards in Germany, which made it the country's 23rd most grown variety of grape. Of that vineyard surface, 575 ha or 98.6% was found in the Mosel region In the same year, there were 122.9 hectares (304 acres) of Elbling grown in Luxembourg.

Was it any good? - Not great. I suspect it went out of fashion as Riesling is better. 

Would I buy again? No. 

 

January 2021 - Juhfark (Hungary)

 So, being the 3rd Thursday of the month, decided to have a special wine. This one is another Wine Century wine - #223. The Juhfark Grape from Hungary, bought from The WIne Society

Nagy-Somloi Juhfark Kolonics 2018

Juhfark is a VERY rare grape variety. Even Wikipedia only gives it 3 lines.

Nagy-Somloi is the Hungarian region. Kolonics is the producer.

From the Wine Society - £16.

 

From The Wine Society blurb

With a richness and generous full dry flavour similar to good Meursault, this Hungarian white was a wonderful recent discovery for us. Juhfark (which means, literally, 'sheep's tail') is a rare grape now almost exclusive to Somloi in the west of the country, and clearly Kolonics has mastered its secret strength.

Juhfark is a grape native to Hungary and this example has richness and a generous, full and dry palate whilst maintaining fresh acidity. A charming and pure wine with flavours of apple, straw, apricot and a mouthwatering savoury finish.

What did I think?

I rather liked it. As the WS blurb says, it is full bodied, and pretty intensively flavoured

Quality: 9/10.

Value: 7/10 – quite expensive

Would I buy it again? - Maybe, maybe not. Its good, but not £16 good.

Christmas Wine and Wine Century #221/222

 

Christmas and Century Wines.

Well, the terrific wine I had for Christmas was a 2005 Riesling from the Mosel. 

 

Dr Hermann – Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese. Bought from Majestic, about £16 a bottle, Limited stocks, so probably all gone by now.

This is a great wine – classic old riesling, that essence of petrol which you either love or hate. I love it. Sweet, but with some acidity. Full bodied yet light.

I shall be visiting Majestic again shortly to see if they’ve any left.

Quality – 10/10. VFM – 9/10. Would I buy it again? Oh Yes….

Century wines – 2 from Moldova, via the Wine society.

Wine century wines 221, 222

Chateau Vartely – Viorica, White. 13.5% . About £7. No longer listed

 

Dry White Wine produced from viorica grapes, from the south of Moldova. The wine has a golden yellow colour. Aroma: Lemon, Apple, Basil. Taste: Acacia and berries with balanced acidity.

For me this was a good wine - full bodied, lots of flavour and acidity.

Quality – 8/10. VFM – 9/10. Would I buy/drink it again? I wouldnt say no…

Chateau Vartely – Feteasca Regala, White. 13.0% . About £7. No longer listed

 

Dry White Wine produced from Feteasca Regala grapes, from the central areas of Moldova. The wine has a rich straw colour. Aroma: Field flowers and new mown hay. Taste: Gentle, easy and silky

For me this was a pretty ordinary wine - really, not much to say.

Quality – 6/10. VFM – 6/10. Would I buy/drink it again? No - I’d not really bother. It’s fine, but….

More November Wines - WIne Century

 Another 2 wines from the Wine society. 

1. Hasandede 2017 - Turkey. 

This would be wine #219. A dry white wine from the Ankara region in Turkey. £8.50. 

The back label says: "It has notes of mint, laurel, linden, quince, lemon leaves. It has grapefuit and green apple aromas with a fresh and aromatic palate" 

A very ordinary white wine, I'm afraid. Think Ski-Chalet bulk Vin Blanc. 

Not dreadful, but simply not that good. I have had worse, and it wasn't undrinkable, but... 

Quality - 5/10. VFM - 4/10. Would I buy again? No. 

 

2. Roter Veltliner 2019 - Austria.

Wine #220. Roter Veltliner, Familie Mantler "Ried Sandburg" £8.50. This is a very similar, but completely unrelated grape to the Gruner Veltliner. Still a white wine. The problem for this wine, is that it is quite nce, but very similar to the much more familiar Gruner Veltliner, but simply not as good. 

Quality - 7/10. VFM - 7/10. Would I buy again? No. Buy GV instead 

November wines - Wine Century

 2 Recent wines which might be of interest

Bulgarian Misket

The Wine Society £6.95

Tasting Notes:

Misket, from Bulgaria, is nothing to do with the more famous "muscat" but does share similar characteristics. The nose is bursting with aromas of juicy oranges, blossom and roses, which continues on the crisp, refreshing palate, where it is joined by notes of zesty lime.

I have to agree with this – quite similar to a Muscat, but not so in-your-face grapey. A very good wine at the price – I'd give it 8/10 for quality and 9/10 for VFM. Definitely buy again

This was my Wine Century Wine no: 217. I'm working towards 300, but not in a serious manner – it is getting too much like hard work. Far harder to find and procure the obscure varieties! 

 

German Dunkelfelder. Toni Jost, Cuvee D, Dunkelfelder/Spatburgunder

Vineum, Boppard. Approx 10Euro.

Wine Century Wine no: 218.

Dunkelfelder is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. It was created by German viticulturalist Gustav Adolf Froelich (1847-1912).[1] He probably crossed Färbertraube (a teinturier) with Blauer Portugieser.[2] The variety, initially called Froelich V 4-4, did not receive any attention for several decades until work was continued on it at Geisenheim grape breeding institute in the 1930s. It was named Dunkelfelder (dunkel = dark) by ampelographer Helmut Becker, due to its unclear parentage and its dark colour. Dunkelfelder received varietal protection and was released for general cultivation in 1980.[1]

In 2006, there were 372 hectares (920 acres) of Dunkelfelder in Germany, with an approximately constant trend.[3] Plantings of Dunkelfelder are primarily found in Ahr, Baden, Nahe, Palatinate and Rheinhessen.[1]

This is very deep red/purple wine, but light and not tannic. Certainly a bit different

I'd give it 8/10 for quality and 8/10 for VFM. Definitely buy again

 

German WInes from Boppard, Middle Rhine

In mid-August, I was able to get away for a few days to Boppard in Germany, to meet some old friends. Boppard is at the centre of the Mittel-Rhein wine region so I took the opportunity to buy some wine while I was there. There is a shop called Vineum Boppard which sells and ships wine to all across the EU, and ships 18 bottles for 15Euro, so about 80p/bottle.

The shop also acts as a kind of a wine bar; you can sit outside on the square and taste 3 wines for 5 Euros, from a very large range. This also means that they have plenty of wine open to taste when you are buying too.

Their website is www.vineum.com

One of the big problems with German wine is that it is very difficult to get the good stuff in the UK; the bad old days of Blue Nun, Liebfraumilch and Black Tower all but destroyed the UK German wine sales. In Germany, in Boppard, however, there was a massive range of great local wines all at less than 10Euro a bottle, which you just cannot get in the UK.

So, I bought 18 bottles for shipping, about 8 different wines, all tried in the shop. Mostly white, a rose, and a red.

So, once it turned up – about 10 days later, I took the opportunity to have some fellow wine society members round to check out 4 of them.

Wine 1

Weingut August Perl. Bopparder Hamm, Feuerlay, Hochgewachs. Riesling 2019. Trocken. 12.5%

**8.01 Euro

A classic light, Rhine Riesling. An easy drinking Riesling, dominated by citrus fruits, 8/10

 

Wine 2

Weingut Heilig Grab. Bopparder Hamm, , Hochgewachs. Riesling 2018. Trocken 11.5%

**7.65 Euro

Some spritz in this one, a little more age than Wine 1, which actually takes the fine edge off it. Otherwise very similar.7/10

Wine 3

Weingut Lorenz. Bopparder Hamm, Riesling Spatlese 2017. Feinherb 11.0%

**8.91 Euro

This one is a little older, nearly 3 years in the bottle. Feiherb is much the same as Halb-Trocken, but without the precise legal definition for acidity and residual sugar. Has a maturity to it. It felt a bit flat directly after the 2 Trockens, but returning to it later, was much more rounded and just nicer. 8/10

 

Wine 4

Weingut Konigshof. Bopparder Hamm Feuerlay, Riesling Auslese 2016. 9.0%

**15.21

The best of the 4. This is a classic sweet Riesling, with a great balance of sweetness, fruit, acidity. Almost perfect.9/10

** All prices were after 10% discount, without shipping. We got 10% off for 18 bottles, then the shipping was 15 Euro, so it all balanced out pretty much