The enterprising firm, Ad Bibendum, was the first in Belgium, which I know of, to go big on Southern Hemisphere wines, particularly Antipodean, building up a wide and good selection of boutique wineries. Lately, however, the emphasis seems to be moving towards Spain and Austria where their portfolio has also become impressive. In this Spring tasting, there were only two Australian and no New Zealander wineries represented and one of these, the excellent Rocky Gully and Frankland Estate, had already been on show in the Autumn. Spain and Austria were, however, well represented, including encores of the superb Nigl estate and some of the Spanish. Hard though it was, I decided to miss the Frankland and Nigl tables in order to make new friends amongst the wines.
This tasting is further confirmation of the number of interesting whites now coming out of Spain with original flavours from local varieties like Albariño, Godello and Verdejo allied to a crispness which would have been impossible a generation ago. Most of the reds were very powerful and quite tannic but in most cases here heavy wood tastes, a bit of a Spanish disease, were avoided and the standard was quite high; I thought that there was less differentiation in character between most of the reds than between the whites but the Bierzos from the Mencia grape were an exception to this with brighter, more tangy fruit and rather more finesse than the others.
There is one fly in the ointment. Full pricing seems to be the policy here and I noted very little decent QPR.
Primo Estate with Virginia Vineyard and Joseph, South Australia http://www.primoestate.com.au/page.php?section=29 .
The wines were presented by the enthusiastic and knowledgeable Richard Van Ruth, who explained to me that the estate was founded by an immigrant from Marche, Italy, and that his son, now in charge, still takes a lively interest in Italian techniques and prefers a more elegant and less block-busting style than many Aussies. Certainly the wines here were more digestible than some of the fruit and tannin bombs from the Spanish tables, impressive though some of those were.
Virginia Vineyard Riesling/SB/Chardonnay 2005 – (€8) was refreshing and showed Riesling aromatic, Chard roundness and SB tartness on the finish; I thought that these elements clashed somewhat; 13.5/20.
Primo Estate “La Biondina” Colombard 2008 – (€13), made from 92% Colombard and 8% SB, showed nice crisp aromas, including an acceptable hint of cat’s piss, and fresh acidity against a round background; 15/20.
Joseph Pino Grigio d’Elena 2008 – (€19), made in the Italian style, was my favourite of the three whites with nice meaty and floral aromatics and roundly refreshing fruit; a very nice PG; 16/20+.
Primo Estate “Virginia Vineyard” red 2006 – (€12), made from 44% Shiraz, 42% CabSauv, 11% Merlot and 3% others, showed cedary notes on its red fruit aromas and nice tangy fruit on its medium weight palate; 15/20.
Primo Estate “Zamberlan” CabSauv/Sangiovese 2006 – (€19), 70% CabSauv and made by the Ripasso technique, showed some soft yet bright leathery damson and good mouth-fill with noticeable touches of wood; 15.5/20++.
Primo Estate “Shale Stone” Shiraz 2006 – (€20) showed even more wood than the previous of a creamy sort but there was nice bright fruit, good acidity and tannins and I am hopeful that the wood will integrate; 15/20 now.
Joseph “Moda” Cabernet-Sauvignon/Merlot 2007 – (€35), 80% CabSauv and 20% Merlot with the Cabs undergoing the Amarone technique, was the outstanding wine in this line-up with full body, rich complex fruit as befits the technique, mild hints of toffee and differentiated from, and IMO preferable to, most Veronese Amarones by some lively acidity and classy Cab style tannic structure; 17/20.
Joseph Sparkling Red (€36) is made from Shiraz, CabSauv and Merlot wines by a sort of Solera technique whereby a base of old wine is topped up by new Moda (click on link for more details). This is an intriguing concept but the result was not really to my taste; there were oxidative notes exuding from the plush and round body and fruit and a bitter tang on the finish; perhaps a fresher bottle of this would grow on me; 13.5/20 for this one.
Joseph “La Magia” Botrytis Riesling/Traminer 2008 (€19 for 375ml) showed nice aromas of marmalade and a musky, rich and toffee tinted palate; I would have preferred more minerals and acidity to balance the sweetness; attractive, nevertheless, but was put into the shade by the Chamber’s Muscat which Richard Van Ruth pointed me towards (see below); just 16/20.
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Dido & Venus, Monsant and Clos Martinet, Cims de Porrera, Priorat.
Dido “La Universal” Montsant 2007(€18), 30% Garnacha, 40% Merlot, 30% CabSauv, was fruity and supple but seemed slight coming after the Priorats noted below; I should have tried it first; NR.
Martinet Bru Priorat 2005 (€27), 45% Garnacha, 25% Merlot, 30% CabSauv, showed deep dark fruit, liquorice and tar notes and tannic structure; 16/20.
Clos Martinet “Vinyes del Mas d’en Martinet” Priorat 2006 (€55), Garnatxa, Carinyena and others, was more leathery in its aromas and showed softer and more generous fruit than the previous but still plenty of tannic structure; 16.5/20.
Clos Martinet Priorat 2005 (€55), 45% Garnatxa, 15% CabSauv, 20% Syrah and 20% Carinyena, was also leathery and showed rick dark fruit and marked tannic structure; 16.5/20+.
Cims de Porrera “Classic” Priorat 1998 (€60), 65% Carinyena, 32% Garnacha, 3% CabSauv, was much more complex and expressive than the previous with mint, leather, herbs and tar to exalt the deep dark fruit and still marked tannins; 17/20.
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Oro Wines http://www.jorge-ordonez.es/vistas/Orowines-Group.aspx
I learn something new every day. The wineries below from all over Spain appear to belong to this group and were ably represented by Sales Director, Jordi Flos, and by Loren Gil. The guiding light behind this group is Jorge Ordoñez who is apparently a large importer into the USA.
Botani - Sierra de Malaga - Moscatel Seco (W) 2007 (€18) was prettily perfumed and surprisingly refreshing; 15.5/20.
La Cana - Rias Baixas – Albariño (W) 2008 (€16) was quite aromatic with juicy sweet-seeming lime notes yet with racy crisp acidity and minerals; 16/20++.
Shaya – Rueda (W) 2008 (€14), made from Verdejo old vines, could have been mistaken by me for a Sauvignon with its gooseberry aromas touched by the cat and its deliciously crisp and somewhat austere fruit (compared with the juiciness of the previous); 15.5/20++.
Val de Paxarinas – Bierzo “Capricho” (W) 2007 (€14), made from 75% Godello and 25% Doña Blanca, showed the Godello round creaminess allied to fleshy “gras” and good freshness; 16/20.
Val de Paxarinas – Bierzo “Herencia del Capricho” (W) 2006 (€35), made from the same varieties as the previous with 12 months new oak ageing, showed slightly soggy pineapple aromas on a burnished palate redeemed a mineral and fresh finish; 15.5/20.
Garnacha de Fuego – Catalayud 2007 (€8) showed a well balanced and quite restrained but attractively peppery fruitiness; 15.5/20++ QPR.
Bodegas Ateca - “Old Vines” Garnacha – Catalayud 2007 (€16) was more intense and structured than the previous with tar notes; 16/20.
Can Blau – Montsant 2007 (€21), made from 34% Mazuela, 33% Garnacha and 33% Syrah, showed dark fruit, minerality and structure; more intense than the Dido Montsant above; 16/20.
Atalaya – Almansa 2007 (€15) was made from Monastrell, Garnacha and others. Amansa is an appellation previously unknown to me located in the eastern part of La Mancha to the south of Valencia. The wine was attractive with chocolate and tar notes and good acidity; 15.5/20.
Volver – La Mancha 2005 (€25), 100% Temranillo, was meaty and savoury in aroma with jamminess of fruit redeemed by density and tannic structure; 15.5/20.
Xestal Mencia - Bierzo – 2004 (€18) stands out from the previous series of reds by its finesse, fresh acidity and brightness of fruit which are allied generous body and mouth-fill; 16/20++.
Ucedo – Bierzo – 2004 (€35), 100% Mencia and matured in new oak, is still somewhat closed aromatically but shows impressive density of fruit, amplitude and tannic structure with wood notes well in the background: potentially 17/20.
Alto Moncayo – Veraton – Campo de Borja 2006 (€28), 100% Garnacha, showed a polished and gently perfumed wood patina from 30% new oak ageing which was beautifully integrated with fine rich spicy fruit and good structure; 16.5/20+.
Alto Moncayo – Campo de Borja 2006 (€41), 100% Garnacha, was similar with extra complexity, finesse and length; 16.5/20+++.
Clio – Jumilla 2006 (€38), made from 70% Monastrell and 30% Cab and by an Aussie winemaker who insists on barrels from an Aussie cooper, comes from a region which used to be associated with plonk by the tanker load; things are looking up; there was rich sweet fruit here laced with tar, liquorice, chocolate and not enough caramel from the wood to be offensive; I don’t get Jay Miller’s WA 95/100 but I might buy this wine at €15-20; 16/20+.
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Columela & Ossian (Rueda), Aalto (Ribera del Duero), Paixar (Bierzo) http://www.aalto.es/e_about.htm
I do not know whether these are under the same ownership but they were shown here at the same table and were all represented by Javier Zaccagnini. I loved the Rueda and Bierzo but the much praised and powerful Aaltos (Miller 95-98) were far too woody (French) for my taste at this stage.
Columela MMVIII – Rueda (W) 2008 (€8), 100% Verdejo, was beautifully crisp and fruity in a somewhat Sauvignon style; 16/20+ QPR.
Ossian – prephiloxenic Verdejo – Viño de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon (W) – 2007 (€30) is aged in new wood for 24 months; this heavy wood treatment was most in evidence by a certain soft pineapple aromas but was otherwise well integrated and the palate was velvety and complex with good freshness; 17/20.
Aalto – Ribera del Duero – 2005 (€30) showed somewhat jammy aromas and richly sweet upfront fruit set in a pungent wood patina; will this integrate and turn into something beautiful? 14/20 now.
Aalto – Ribera del Duero “Seleccion ad Bibendum” – 2003 (€55) was also woody and jammy but added a tar dimension to the rich fruit; 14.5/20 now.
Aalto PS – Ribera del Duero – 2005 (€93) was extremely concentrated and powerful, with, as a result, much better integrated wood which only obtruded by toffee notes on the finish; 16.5/20 with clearer + potential.
Paixar Mencia Bierzo – 2004 (€56) was still a bit closed aromatically but showed the brightness and distinction of Mencia with notes cherry, grapes, herbs and cloves and excellent body, finesse and length; 16.5/20 ++ with 17/20 ++ potential.
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Schäffer & Zeter (Pfalz), Oliver Zeter (Pfalz), Ercavio & La Plazuela (Vinos de laTierra de Castilla – “VTC”)
These were all presented by oenologist, Alexandra Schmedes. She is consultant at the first, a partner at the last and a friend of the second.
Schäffer & Zeter http://www.schaeffer-zeter.de/v1/v1_EN/index.php
Riesling “Wetterkreuz” Pfalz 2007 (€11) was bright, meaty and floral; 15/20.
Grauburgunder “Silberberg” Pfalz 2008 (€11) was meaty and peachy with unusual freshness and minerality for the variety; 16/20 QPR.
Chardonnay “Kirchberg” Pfalz – unwooded - 2008 (€11) had round fruit and a brightness and mineral freshness which added interest to an often bland wine type; 15.5/20++ QPR.
Oliver Zeter http://www.zeter-wein.de/v02/agentur/te ... .php?id=12
These are all made from recently planted vines.
Sauvignon blanc Pfalz 2008 (€14) was fresh and crisp; 15/20.
Viognier Pfalz 2008 (€17) added crispness and minerality to the spicy fruit of a wine type which can cloy in its usual habitat; 16/20 QPR.
Chardonnay Pfalz (€17), partially barrel fermented, showed generous fruit with lime notes together with good crispness; 15.5/20++.
Ercavio and La Plazuela http://www.bodegasercavio.com/Masquevinos.htm
Ercavio Tempranillo “Roble” VTC – 2007 (€10) showed the usual burgeoning dark fruit with touches of liquorice and mint and no traces of the molasses and caramel which bothered me on some bottles of 2005; 15.5/20++ QPR.
Ercavio Tempranillo “Roble” VTC – 2006 (€9,50) was smoother and more aromatic with boiled sweet touches; 15.5/20++ QPR.
La Plazuela VTC 2005 (€46), 80% Tempranillo & 20% Garnacha, showed much greater concentration and complexity with rich dark fruit and oily touches; 16.5/20.
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Rolf Binder “Hales” Shiraz – Barossa Valley 2006 (€12). I usually like this wine but this time I found too much confected boiled sweet though I liked the tar undertow; 14.5/20.
Leeuwin Estate “Celebratory Blend” Shiraz - Margaret River 2005 (€22); again I normally like Shiraz from Leeuwin and again I found too much confected boiled sweet on this quite full bodied and structured wine; 14.5/20.
Moric Blaufränkisch Burgenland 2007 (€17) showed smoky savoury fruit; 14.5/20.
And the best for last –
Chambers Rosewood (Victoria) Rutherglen Muscat (€11 for 375ml), amber coloured, was a revelation of complex and deeply rich flavours and aromatics with Oxford marmalade, raisins and fine molasses; 17.5/20 QPR!!