Posted
by Paul Howard
on Jan 4, 2010
in Features
Some moons ago I was looking forward to meeting James and Annie Millton at their winery in Gisborne but was thwarted by storms and then a huge landslide that blocked all access. On returning to the UK I exchanged emails with James about organics and biodynamics. With apologies in advance for any misrepresentation, here is my edited version.
In what way is organic wine important to your customers?
Many customers are becoming aware of the “sameness of taste”, the globalised nature of produce, the lack of seasonality. Some of our customers drink our wine because they enjoy it and also because they do not react (badly) to it. Remember, it is not only the lack of pesticides in the vineyard that makes a difference but, for me anyway, the over-use of nitrogen yeast supplements, enzymes and stabilisers that have a profound effect on the taste of wine.
How is organic wine perceived by your customers in price and quality terms? Do you think organic wine has been a sales success?
Our prices are very competitive compared to conventional wines therefore customers who know what we do find them very agreeable. Sales of organic wines might only be <4% in the world and this says a lot about who controls the shelves. Every environmental disaster creates another round of consumer questioning. Sales have been very successful for us and we know that there is a brand loyalty with our wine.
Why do you believe that biodynamic methods are important?
I’ve been doing it for 25 years. Nothing else motivated me to do this, it was my choice. I know it works and I have gone now beyond believing. It is innate and habitual. For all the right reasons BD production is important. It cares and repairs. BD respects that people are involved with the operation. We work with diversity and cooperation. If you take the logic of BD you can’t deny its existence – you become convinced. If you want to enter into the spirit of BD it is very big and very enlightening. Nature has a fond forgiveness if you respect her and give back more than you take.
What image does biodynamic wine have?
It appears that now it has a very high image, especially when you see who is now changing in this direction. Yet when we think of sheep (one following another) I thought that New Zealand was well endowed in this field yet I am still a too rare voice in this South Pacific island!
Should biodynamic wine be the leader of the organic wine category?
It is the high ground, it is the logical progression and those who say “no” have a problem with what they don’t know or are suspicious of. Biodynamic wine production answers the questions left remaining from organic production. This has so much to do with soil health and the ongoing flow on benefits going right through the chain.
How important is Certification, both to you and to your customers?
The big markets want third party endorsement and assurance. The certification requirements are huge but it makes you stop, reflect and look ahead and plan. Being certified should not really be the point but Demeter certification assures buyers that our produce is biodynamically grown. Before a wine can be great it must first be true.
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Posted
by Paul Howard
on Jan 3, 2010
in Reviews
James and Annie Millton’s established their vineyards in 1984 and make a delicious range of hand-crafted fine wines. Pioneers, they’ve been biodynamic from the outset, long before many more famous estates around the world converted to the creed. Their estate is at Manutuke, just outside Gisborne in New Zealand, in North Island’s Poverty Bay, the first city to see the rising sun each day.
While Gisborne remains an unfashionable Kiwi wine address there can be no doubt that this estate ranks as one of New Zealand’s very best and James is one of the leading lights in antipodean biodynamics.
The Naboth’s vineyard is arguably Millton’s best site, a single steep vineyard devoted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, now incorporated within the larger Clos de Ste. Anne estate named after Annie Millton. As such, their Pinot Noir is one of their flagship wines and sits at the top table of Kiwi Pinot alongside those from the better known Central Otago, Martinborough and Marlborough regions.
A light faded crimson colour, the quality of this wine is apparent from the very first sniff, offering up a complex perfume of raspberry, cranberry and cherry fruit with Parma violets, smoke and a note best described as newly turned earth. The character of the palate is, to resort to a burgundian description, feminine. There’s elegance, grace and balance rather than naked power, with moderate alcohol and a refreshing level of acidity. It presents a silky texture but with enough grippy tannin to make it excellent with food (roast duck hit the spot for me). Undoubtedly this is fine Kiwi Pinot – high intensity red berry and cherry fruit overlays earth and forest floor before a long spice finish rounds things off.
Drinking perfectly now, it will remain at peak for around the next 2-3 years. This is exciting Pinot Noir – and at a very sharp price for the quality and personality on offer.
Availabilty in the USA: 67 Wine, New York, $44.99
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Posted
by Paul Howard
on Nov 30, 2009
in Reviews
Up in the Lebanese Bekaa valley at around 1,000 metres is an extraordinary property whose wines have become virtually synonymous with Lebanon. Serge Hochar has continued to make French-influenced wines here in spite of the various conflicts that have raged and blighted this beautiful but unstable region. He seeks to make only what nature will allow.
“The harmony of nature is better than anything we could ever create. I believe it should be a priority to seek to drink what is ‘true’ rather than what is ‘good’. I once produced a wine that was technically perfect but it lacked the charms of imperfection.”
These statements are the key to appreciating the wines, the best known being the unique Chateau Musar Red – a still modestly-priced wine that commands a strong cult following and that shows a distinctly different personality in every vintage. As it is made to develop and change, opening a bottle always has an anticipatory thrill.
So much for the red. It’s no great surprise to find that if the Chateau Musar White is less familiar it is just as individualistic; in fact it is a white wine that shares many similarities with red wine as well as one that has been criticised for faults by wine writers.
The White is an organic blend based on two grapes indigenous to Lebanon that date back thousands of years: Obaideh and Merwah. It is believed that Obaideh may be an ancient ancestor of Chardonnay, with Merwah playing a similar role for Sémillon, both vines journeying overland to Europe with the Crusaders. It is clear that this part of the middle-east is a cradle of viticulture and both grapes could be imagined to share some flavour characteristics with their modern siblings. However, to my knowledge, no DNA profiling has yet been undertaken and so the relationship remains mysterious.
These white grapes are grown higher up in the mountains at around 1,200 metres, where they are less affected by the intense heat of summer than the red grapes broiling on the Bekaa Valley plain. They are harvested in mid October when very ripe, so have good fruit concentration yet fairly low acidity, sugar and tannins. And yes, I did say tannins – more usually associated with red wines. The grapes then need to be transported from the Bekaa vineyards to the winery – and this perhaps contributes to the oxidised character shown by this wine. At the winery the grapes are partly fermented in French oak barrels for nine months, after which they are blended and bottled at the end of the first year. However, the bottles are not released to the market for another six years! Hence this 2001 was not released until late 2008, explaining why this older vintage is currently available –Chateau Musar does some of the ageing for you.
Rule one when serving Musar White is that it needs only the lightest of chills to show it at its nuanced best – 14/15 degrees is ideal. Give it an hour in the fridge door, after rule two has been observed: always decant it for an hour or so before serving – the additional aeration really does bring out the spectrum of flavours. Rule three is always drink this wine with food. This is a wine to dine for. There’s a whole range of Lebanese mezze that fit the bill, or try Tabbouleh or Fatoush.
A golden/amber colour, this wine is a joy to look at, with gleaming depths. The nose shows a wide range of aromas; brioche or pastry perhaps, more definitely marzipan, quince, apricot, apples and pears. Leave it to open up in the glass and vanilla and honey notes also peep through.
The honeyed palate is full bodied, despite being only 12.5% alcohol. Nuts, caramel/butterscotch, apples and quince all vie for your attention. Then comes the deliberately oxidised note, faulty perhaps yet best described as, “so wrong it’s right”. The firmness of a little savoury tannin (yes, some tannin in a white wine) creeps in before a slippery, polished texture leads to a fading marzipan finish. To paraphrase Serge Hochar, it’s these charms of imperfection that keep you returning for more.
In style then, it reminds me of a highly traditional white Rioja, as was common in Spain twenty years ago but now seldom seen, superseded by fresh, linear, modern wines.
For me, this 2001 vintage is exciting drinking now and is also a far more pleasurable wine than that of the previous 2000 vintage. But, aged eight, it is still youthful and is likely to have extraordinary development potential over the next 20 years – so best buy some to drink now and some to put away.
With no Lebanese food to hand, I enjoyed my bottle with a Wild Mushroom Jalousie, the puff pastry and chanterelles offered an excellent combination.
In the USA, priced at $29.00 at Flickinger Wines, Chicago
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Posted
by Paul Howard
on Oct 13, 2009
in Reviews
Dominique and Patrick Belluard own this biodynamic estate of just 13 ha at Ayze, in the heart of the Haut Savoie valley of l’Arve. They are the third generation of the family to run it since it was created in 1947. They took charge in 1988 and converted to biodynamics in 2001.
The domaine is located high up in the Alps at 450 metres; with Mont Blanc forming the dramatic backdrop to ancient south facing vineyards that date back at least to the 13th Century. The conditions here are remarkably good for quality grape growing – heat generated under clear skies by day ensures ripeness, yet the cold nights also help retain fresh acidity. Belluard make excellent wines from the local Savoie grapes; Altesse white and Mondeuse red. However, they also grow something unique – 12 ha of the ultra- rare Gringet grape which is found nowhere else but around Ayze and is sometimes referred to locally as Petite Rousette.
Indeed, Belluard grows the vast majority of Gringet as there is only another 1 ha allocated between 15 other local producers. So you probably won’t find anyone else in the world but Belluard making pure expressions of Gringet. While some Gringet is used to make traditional method sparkling wine, their premium still white wine is called Le Feu. It is so named because the Gringet grows on red-streaked glacial deposits that are rich in iron called Terre Feu.
Gringet was once thought to be related to the Savagnin grape of the nearby Jura and so be part of the Traminer family. However, this has recently been disproved by DNA testing, so its origins remain a mystery. Some claim it has been grown here since before the arrival of the Romans, while others suggest it came all the way from Cyprus with itinerant Monks in medieval times.
On the evidence of Le Feu, Gringet is a grape that fully deserves to be discovered. A mid-yellow colour, the nose has a light rose perfume and a hint of aniseed, turning more towards jasmine as it warms in the glass. No wonder then that comparisons with the Traminer family are made, yet the nose seems more finely delineated and ethereal than most.
The palate invites all those clichés about inhaling crisp mountain air and skinny-dipping in glacial meltwaters. What it has is precision and focus from plenty of acidity, helped by blocking the secondary malolactic fermentation in the winery and so preventing it from turning broader and creamier. Flavour-wise, there are gentle hints of peach and pear, with an underlay of quince, possibly picked up from the wine spending time on its lees. The wine has an unusual sarsaparilla note before a fleeting glimpse of honey rounds things off. There’s good balance too, between the fruit, acidity and a relatively light 12% alcohol – that makes it easy to drink and good with food. This is subtle stuff that will have you refilling your glass in almost indecent haste.
Le Feu is drinking perfectly now, yet Dominique Belluard suggests that it will develop a more honeyed tone over the next 3-5 years. Food wise, this would be a versatile white wine to match with goat’s cheese, scallops and fresh water fish such as Trout or the wonderful local Omble Chevalier.
In US available at around $25.00
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Posted
by Paul Howard
on Aug 28, 2009
in Book Reviews
The first edition of this book ignited this writer’s fledgling interest in all things vinous some twenty-five years ago. It was the first wine book I ever bought, almost by accident. I was initially attracted to it because of the superb illustrations by Paul Hogarth rather than by the words; they added to my treasured collection of Hogarth-illustrated Graham Greene paperbacks. These marvellous pen pictures are thankfully retained in this new edition and remain almost as indispensable as the writing itself because they convey the joy of wine better than almost any photograph. However, I soon became captivated by the writing style and sheer erudition on show. To this day I still refer to the 3rd edition, its bright blue cover prominent on my bookshelf.
Since then this encyclopaedia of wines, vineyards and winemakers has expanded enormously, reflecting, in Hugh’s own words, “the most eventful quarter-century in the history of wine.” The subject of wine has changed fundamentally in many ways during this time, as this book bears witness; from the rise of the New World to the development of the global wine village, from the dominance of international wines to the continuing adoption of biodynamics and from vintage variation to global warming. Back then, entries on China, India and Uruguay would have been merely eccentric footnotes, now these regions loom ever larger in our future.
In this new edition the content has been sensitively updated by Stephen Brook, with the heart of the book still arranged on a country-by-country basis, listing key producers in succinct detail. But there is much more besides, with chapters covering grapes, winemaking and wine styles and not least giving practical advice on enjoying wine – from buying through to serving and tasting.
Any test of an encyclopaedia should, in my view, be made my dipping into the contents, particularly to check out the reviews of favourite wineries and to discover unfamiliar entries to fuel future exploration. The book is a unique lens of preference and discovery, where entries are graded on a simple four-star system and web addresses are helpfully included. Given that the book covers the global wine scene and some well known producers are naturally self-selecting entries then three examples chosen almost at random must suffice to illustrate the quality and depth of coverage. I could of course have listed hundreds more.
Firstly, I was delighted to see Domaine Belluard listed in the Savoie section, whose biodynamic white wine, made from the ultra-rare Gringet grape, made such a favourable impression on me just a few weeks ago. Secondly, welcome recognition is given to Fox Run Vineyards, arguably the best wine producer in New York’s Fingerlakes region, which bought back fond memories. Finally, Quinta de Covelha from Portugal’s Minho rightly focuses on their exciting red and white blends.
This book does what says on the cover – a constant companion to my own wine journey. While I have amassed a collection of hundreds of books on the subject of wine it’s still a privilege to continue to learn from and enjoy Hugh’s subtle writing style. His most articulate and concise prose manages that rare three card trick of being authoritative, up-to-date and entertaining.
For anyone setting out to discover wine then this book, alongside The World Atlas of Wine and The Oxford Companion are the indispensable tomes. For those of us already immersed in wine lore this book is no less essential – it raises the bar to which we all strive another notch.
Hardback, published by Mitchell Beazley (ISBN-13: 978-1845334574) and available in the USA from the 15th of September 2009, RRP $60.00. Amazon has it listed at $37.80.
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Posted
by Paul Howard
on Aug 28, 2009
in Reviews
Slovenia is a middle-European country that was once part of the former Yugoslavia, whose western Goriška province borders the Friuli region of NE Italy. The border between them runs through a small wine area with a violent history, known to Italians as the Collio and Brda to the Slovenes.
Once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, this area bore witness to bloody encounters during both world wars. The current border was established at the end of World War Two and remained the frontline during the Cold War that followed.
Those that drew up the border were neither respecters of existing family relationships or property ownership – it frequently runs straight through vineyard holdings. Whereas today you don’t even need to show a passport to cross over, during the Cold War workers were only allowed across a heavily patrolled divide by day and a curfew operated at night. Consequently, the location of the winery dictates whether the wines that come from this area are Italian or Slovene.
In the meantime individual Italian estates were able to develop their winemaking reputations while the Slovenes were forced into collective farming and obscurity. In 1991 Slovenia declared independence and the end of communism. Increasing prosperity and stability were further enhanced by them joining the EU in 2004. Now there are a number of Slovenian winemakers that are becoming known for their stunning artisanal wines
Similar red and white grape varieties are grown on both sides of the border, but reputations on both sides are generally founded on white wine. However, the Slovenian wine style is different because the border has separated winegrowing and winemaking traditions. While there are exceptions to this, the Slovene whites are in general richer, more complex and long-lived compared to their fresher Italian counterparts. A terrific example is Teodor Belo reserve white, made by Marjan and Salko Simčič.
Marjan and Salko (there are other local winegrowers called Simčič) own 16 hectares of vines. As with many of their counterparts, the vineyards straddle the border, with half in Slovenian Goriška Brda and half in Italy’s Collio.
Teodor, like many Slovene whites, is a blend – of 60% Ribolla with 20% Sauvignonasse (aka Friulano) and 20% Pinot Grigio. The grapes are traditionally farmed without modern synthetic chemicals and are late-harvested by hand.
The Simčič wines are also made naturally, without fining or filtering or adding sulphur dioxide before final blending. The white grapes are macerated before fermentation to extract every last bit of flavour and complexity. This extended skin-contact is unusual outside Slovenia and in the wrong hands produces clumsy, heavy wines.
However, Simčič has a modern winery with new technology, so the result is a structured wine of considerable complexity and deep colour but where freshness and drinkability is also retained. A combination of stainless steel and oak casks are employed for fermentation, with maturation of the three base wines on their lees taking 28 months in various woods before final blending and bottling – only 5,133 bottles were made of the 2004 vintage, with bottling in February 2007.
Teodor is a distinctive and terroir driven white wine that is capable of further ageing and is excellent with food. It needs chilling, but 14 degrees C is quite enough – any colder and it won’t reveal all its nuances.
In the glass it’s a deep brassy yellow, flecked with amber. The nose is distinctive and striking, with hints of dried flowers, butterscotch and vanilla.
The palate is Burgundian in texture and elegance – a great compliment. It is very rich, highly extracted and intense, yet balances that with sheer complexity and depth of flavour and just enough fresh acidity. It is creamily textured, with a long dry finish and mineral undertow. Pear and cider-apple fruit suggest a hint of oxidation, while butterscotch, fig and quince jostle for attention. A touch of honey and a tang of peel suggest a very slight influence of botrytis from the vineyard. An Italianate bitter note – probably the influence of Ribolla –makes a final counterpoint.
This is both a stunning and an intellectually interesting wine that also makes a great introduction to Slovenian wine for the uninitiated.
It’s drinking well now but with the capacity for more development over the next five years. Fish dishes or cheese are the obvious matches, but wild mushroom risotto is near perfect.
In the USA, Hi-Time Wine Cellars of Costa Mesa, CA (www.hitimewine.net) stock it for $25.98.
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Posted
by Paul Howard
on Jul 15, 2009
in Reviews
The Val di Cecina is a picturesque and unspoilt region of rolling hills toward the coast of Tuscany just north of the Bolgheri wine region, the new frontier for Tuscan wines over the past couple of decades. It is also known as Il Giardino (the Garden), thick with oak and cork trees.
The close proximity to the sea and an altitude of 150-250 metres make a local microclimate where the summer Mediterranean heat is tempered by onshore winds and cool nights.
What is now the Caiarossa estate was, until 1998, a farm known as Podere Serra all’Olio. Today it extends over 39 hectares, with 16 hectares of vines. The rest of the estate is virgin woodland and ancient olive grove. When the new vineyard was created, geological analysis uncovered a dozen different soil types and eleven different grape varieties are grown! Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre are the reds; while the whites are Chardonnay, Viognier and Petit Manseng. This is an unusual mix, even in Tuscan frontier territory, where the dominant paradigm is usually the Bordeaux grapes plus indigenous Sangiovese.
In 2004, Caiarossa was bought by Eric Albada Jelgersma, He is a Dutch entrepreneur that also owns two respected Grand Cru classé estates in Margaux, namely Château Giscours and next door neighbour Château du Tertre.
Today the estate produces four wines, two white and two red – all designated as Toscana IGT.
The flagship wine and the main subject of this review is the eponymous Caiarossa (a cuvée made from the very best red grapes that was first made in 2002), of which some 25,000 bottles are produced each vintage. As has become common on the Tuscan coast, Sangiovese does not play a leading role in this wine; rather it is the Bordeaux varieties that dominate. More unorthodox is to find a wine made from eight different varieties including those more common in the Rhône, these being Merlot (31%), Petit Verdot (20%), Cabernet Franc (17%), Cabernet Sauvignon (16%), Sangiovese (9%), Grenache (3%), Syrah (2%) and Mourvèdre (2%).
The second red wine is Pergolaia, also made since 2002. This is 95% Sangiovese with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, a more traditional wine aged only in older oak.
Then there are tiny amounts of white. The dry Caiarossa Bianco is made of equal parts Viognier and Chardonnay and there are just 1,400 bottles made each year. Equally rare (1,450 bottles) is a late harvest dessert wine made from Petit Manseng called Oro di Caiarossa.
All are excellent, but the flagship Caiarossa is simply stunning. Here’s why.
Firstly, the farming method employed is Demeter-certified Biodynamic. Preparations of BD 500 cow manure and BD 501 silica are used, complemented by homeopathic treatments of nettle, willow, chamomile and horsetail.
All harvesting is by hand and yields are kept deliberately low to maximise quality. The grapes are taken to a purpose-built winery which is inspired by the tenets of Feng Shui! This influence manifests itself in the architectural design and the colours employed to encourage positive energy. Partially built into the hillside, gravity moves the wine gently through the production process without pumps. The grapes arrive at the top level, where they are hand-sorted and destemmed. The fermentation then takes place on the level below in a combination of oak casks and open barriques. After this is completed the wine matures in the barrel room on the lowest level.
Caiarossa is a skilful blend made by an experienced winemaking team, aged in a mixture of barriques and larger oak casks for 12-14 months. The philosophy is to let the wine express a sense of place, hence only 35% new oak is used – a relatively low percentage, particularly when so many ambitious operations tend to employ new wood at much higher levels.
All the Caiarossa wine labels depict a head of Dionysus that was discovered at the nearby town of Volterra. This dates back to the Etruscan 4th Century BC and is owned by Jelgersma. Fittingly, the Greek god of wine illustrates the no-expense-spared meticulous philosophy of Caiarossa.
Given that this is still a young red wine, it was given a two-hour decant prior to serving in order to help it show at its best. The colour is a deep concentrated ruby, opaque and with viscous pink legs in the glass. Clearly this is a super-ripe wine of extraction and power. A quick check of the alcohol level (14.5%) means this is a wine to be approached with no little trepidation, but the way the alcohol is hidden away and still in balance with the fruit, tannin and acidity is evidence of masterful wine making. Just a touch of alcoholic heat gives it away.
The nose is well worth lingering over, so postpone the pleasure of tasting for few minutes more. Dark fruits waft up, damson and black cherry, accompanied by traces of smoke, menthol, truffle and earth, something new to discover each time the glass is raised. Now finally, the palate: rich, velvety and lush as expected, but this wine shows great structure and cool control rather than the flabby jammy qualities of so many big modern reds.
The polished tannins seem to bind all that dense fruit together into a seamless melange of mouth-filling flavour without a hint of harshness, while the stony acidity is lip-smacking and keeps you coming back for more. An exuberant black cherry and damson fruit character is present, but other things are lurking deeply in the mix – liquorice, fig, tar and leather notes peep through and will probably become more evident with bottle age. Meanwhile the smoke and a hint of torrefaction on a long slightly bitter finish complete the package.
Caiarossa has the surefootedness of a Chamois, but is it a taste of Tuscany? Most certainly. It’s a Supertuscan star that occupies the same firmament as the likes of Ornellaia, Sassicaia and Lupicaia.
This graceful wine is ready to drink now and while there are not enough vintages to confirm how this wine will age, the anticipation would be that it will continue to develop over the next five years and still be at peak in ten.
And food? Heaps of mushroom risotto makes a wonderful combination.
Caiarossa is available in the USA at around $65 for the 2004, which has a little more Sangiovese in a superb vintage. Expect the 2005 soon.
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Posted
by Paul Howard
on May 26, 2009
in Reviews
JosMeyer is easily found in Wintzenheim, it’s on the main street and approached via a lovely cobbled courtyard that features all the usual hallmarks of Alsace. There are half-timbered buildings featuring ancient oak beams, window boxes full of Pelargonium and red Roses climbing around doorways. Birdsong surrounds us and Bees buzz. Looking up, the sky is a deep azure and without a cloud. The elaborate ironwork sign featuring grapes and vignerons marks the entrance.
Wintzenheim is a small village in the heart of Alsace, just west of Colmar. Nestling in the foothills of the Vosges, the rain shadow created by these mountains means this area is one of the sunniest and driest places in France. Biodynamic and organic wine growing is therefore both feasible and relatively common. Wintzenheim is sandwiched between two large Grand Cru vineyards; Brand is to the north near the neighbouring village of Turckheim, while Hengst is south towards Wettolsheim. There is a feeling here of being surrounded by a patchwork quilt of fields, soils, slopes and vines.
The JosMeyer estate was founded 1854 by Aloyse Meyer and remains family run. Jean Meyer took over in 1966. Now in his early 60’s he has the appearance of a much younger man. He joined us for the latter part of our visit and two remarks he made struck me. While talking about perfectionist winemaking he said, “I make wine with humility and pleasure” and, “always remember first to please yourself in order to please others”. This sums up his thoughtful and artistic manner.
Christophe Ehrhart joined JosMeyer in 1995. He is now wine grower and Managing Director. If you are sceptical about biodynamics then Christophe’s highly articulate explanations will soon convince. Both men are sure that BD methods are responsible for the significant and consistent quality improvements at this estate during the last decade and that further improvements are possible.
All JosMeyer wines are deliberately made to accompany food. The house style is to vinify to dryness. They therefore resist the upward spiral of ever-increasing ripeness that is becoming commonplace in Alsace; increased alcohol levels and/or residual sugar are spoiling some Alsace wines. At JosMeyer only minimal levels of residual sugar are left for balance and alcohol levels are deliberately restrained. JosMeyer wines are about soaring aromas, freshness, balance, elegance and subtlety. Given that Alsace wine labelling gives little clue to the final sweetness of the wine then JosMeyer wines are reliably dry.
Christophe adds, “You must look elsewhere for those over-ripe extrovert wines that rely on immediate impact but that rapidly become boring”.
Biodynamic conversion commenced in 1999. The first fully biodynamic vintage was in 2001 and official certification is given by Biodyvin. Because the vineyards were always farmed by close to organic methods then biodynamic conversion here was a matter of evolution rather than revolution. As you would expect there is great attention to detail to ensure sustainability and respect for the environment – even the wooden storage palettes are fashioned from untreated timber.
JosMeyer make enough horn manure (BD 500) to share between ten other estates. They also use BD 501 horn silica, plus BD 508 horsetail and BD 504 nettle. As usual these are applied in very dilute quantities: 100g diluted in 200 litres of water will treat 1 hectare – the idea is to stimulate the life of the soil, not feed the vine. Consequently, copper and sulphur treatments used to combat fungal diseases are reduced – with biodynamics, JosMeyer are able to use less than 50% of the allowable dose.
JosMeyer have 25ha of vineyard in total, all within 3 kilometres of Wintzenheim. This includes just 5 ha of the much divided Brand and Hengst Grand Cru.
Brand has a quality reputation extending back to the middle-ages. A steep south facing cirque at about 340 metres altitude, it’s characterised by free draining and acidic sandy soils derived from granite. Hengst meanwhile can trace its origins at least as far back to the ninth century. It is a large wind sheltered slope rising to 360 metres, with marl soils derived from underlying limestone. Hengst means “Stud Horse” (i.e. Stallion) in the local dialect as it has a reputation for powerful, muscular wines.
The JosMeyer wine range is typically wide given the generous vinous palette of Alsace. Their holdings yield 27% Riesling, 25% Pinot Blanc/Auxerrois, 21% Pinot Gris and 19% Gewurztraminer. In addition to these four grapes they also have small quantities of Muscat (3%), Chasselas and Sylvaner (3%) and Pinot Noir (2%).
Yields are very low compared to the Alsacien average in order to pursue quality over quantity. The maximum yield allowed is 80 hl/ha + derogation but JosMeyer is generally 55-60hl/ha, but even lower for the Grand Cru at only 40-45 hl/ha.
Vine propagation is by cuttings taken from their best vines (sélection massale) rather than clones and vines less than 5-8 years old are excluded from the vintage. The vines are densely planted to encourage deep rooting and extract varietal character, especially necessary for Pinot Gris.
Other practices designed to maximise quality include hand-harvesting and the use a table de tri to reject imperfect grapes. There is no de-stemming, the gentlest pneumatic pressing is used and subsequent fermentation is only with naturally occurring wild yeasts. As you would expect, there’s never any chaptalisation required – the addition of artificial sugar to the grape juice at fermentation is rightly an anathema.
Fermentation takes place in 1,200 litre open oak vats that have been used since 1895. Being so old, the wood is completely inert and imparts no flavour. There are also 6,000 litre ceramic vats and modern temperature controlled stainless steel. Slow, cool fermentations preserve aromas and some Carbon Dioxide is also retained in the wine as an anti-oxidant. This means that JosMeyer need to use even less Sulphur Dioxide preservative.
The secondary (Malolactic) fermentation is usually blocked. A naturally occurring ‘malo’ can be an uncertain event in Alsace and the preservation of fresh malic acid is part of the JosMeyer style and also enables the top wines to develop in bottle over many years.
Jean Mayer also has a willingness to blend if it benefits the final wine. And not just varieties are blended either – the Hengst and Brand Grand Cru Pinot Gris was blended together in 2000 to create ‘H&B’. Heresy! Jean Meyer felt that this created a far better wine in that particular vintage even though by doing so the Grand Cru designation was surrendered.
As is common in Alsace no wood is used in maturation. The wines are given a very fine filtering to leave them bright before bottling in traditional flûtes. Less traditional are the striking labels that reflect Jean Meyer’s love of Modern Art. There is also a pragmatic use of closures; cork is used for those wines designed for ageing in bottle, while screw caps are used to ensure freshness for the wines designed for earlier drinking. The wines are arranged in clear quality/price levels:
• Generic – entry level varietal wines or blends for early drinking. The blends are what Alsaciens once called Edelzwicker before that description became devalued;
• Artists’ Range – classic varietal expression based on aromatic and fruit purity with aging potential;
• Prestige Range – terroir classics that need bottle age, perhaps 5 years;
• Grand Cru – terroir giants that can be delicious in youth but demand at least 10 years to reveal all their subtle nuances and complexity;
• Vins d’Exception – small quantities of sweet late harvest wines – Vendange Tardive (VT) or Sélection des Grains Nobles (SGN) – made if vintage conditions permit.
Tasting Notes
The wines featured below were tasted at JosMeyer. I was honoured to be tutored by Christophe Ehrhart and latterly Jean Meyer on a warm spring morning.
Naturally the conversation included suggestions for food pairing. This is the land of copious helpings of Pig and Cabbage. Choucroute Garni, sausages, pork and bacon are all delicious with Alsace Riesling, as is goose. Onion tart and risotto is superb with Pinot’s Blanc, Gris and Auxerrois, while Gewurztraminer is brilliant with the local Munster cheese. The usual fish and seafood matches are all possibilities and then there’s oriental cuisine; Alsacien wines combine well with subtle Thai or sushi and sashimi flavours. Specific suggestions are made with each of the tasting notes.
Pinot Blanc, ‘Mise de Printemps’ 2006. 12.5%
Artists’ series. The first wine to be made each year. Sandy soils, actually 20% Pinot Blanc and 80% of the closely related Pinot Auxerrois. Pale, fresh and floral – white blossom. Very dry with good refreshing acidity underpinned by a streak of minerality, no spice development yet. Excellent length and balance. The 2005 has developed a spicier finish and a 2006 cask sample confirmed these impressions. Simple dishes like Asparagus or vegetable dips.
Pinot Blanc ‘Les Lutins’ 2004. 12.5%
Prestige series. From older vines over 35 years old at nearby Herrenweg – much more clay in these soils. Bigger and more intense nose, peachy. Very pure greengage fruit, hint of residual sugar, no more than that. Real palate weight and intensity, broad body and a spice finish. Pinot Blanc is so under rated in my view. White meat and Quiches. Christophe also suggested eggs – I can see this working well with an omelette.
Pinot Auxerrois ‘H’ Vieilles Vignes 2004.13%
Grown since 1959 on the Hengst Grand Cru but can’t officially be a Grand Cru as the Auxerrois grape does not qualify… hence ‘H’ for Hengst! All the terroir of Hengst is here: a pale glinting gold, flecks of green. Marzipan/almonds on the nose. A very powerfully rich palate, bone dry but lifted by refreshing acidity and chalky minerality underpins grapefruit and apple flavours. Watch out white burgundy! Lovely now but try not to touch before 2010 and always decant it. The 2001 shows more development and is now probably at peak: fat in the mouth and a lovely silken texture with apricot and peach.
Riesling ‘Le Kottabe’ 2005. 12%
Artists’ range. Green apple nose, fleeting traces of petrol. Very youthful so little complexity, this wine is more fruit driven with a nice lime and green apple character – but it feels very slim, precise and focused and has excellent length – fine tolerance engineering would be a good analogy. Pebbly minerality. Leave 2/3 years. Sashimi heaven.
Riesling ‘Les Pierrets’ 2004 12.5%
Prestige range; and a big step-up in quality. Older vines, the majority from the north face of Hengst. Very young and tightly wound, 2010 at the earliest, but all the right signs are there; pale lime green, gentle petrol and focus. This is much bigger, broader and more powerful; Christophe Ehrhart described the wine as having “shoulders”. Big flinty minerality on the palate, stone fruit cocktail. Will be splendid; be in no doubt and terrific value. Fish, sushi.
The 2001 had superb honeyed fruit, long length, minerality and rapier acidity, showing the benefit of bottle age.
The 1999 has deepened in colour to a golden hue, is very dry and less complex and probably at peak, nicely balanced with subtle tones and a hint of orange peel amid the petrol and stoniness – very good with home-made crab fishcakes, I assure you.
Riesling Grand Cru Brand 2004. 13%
Ying – the rush of Life. Old vines and sandy soils, an outstanding Grand Cru site. Acidity like a knife, precise and pure fruit, huge length. Tight and austere; an intellectual wine needing bottle age. 2010 earliest for broaching, 2015 probably better.
Riesling Grand Cru Hengst 2004. 12%
Yang – the power of Nature. First impression is that this is softer textured, then the acidity hits – a function of the chalky soils of Hengst, JosMeyer’s other outstanding Grand Cru site. Slightly darker colour, power and ‘shoulder’, more open than the Brand, a touch richer and delicious drinking now, lovely stone fruit/apricot flavour. Resist all temptation to drink before 2010 and decant it. Will do well with Lobster or Comte cheese.
The 2000 (12.5%) was a real standout, just starting to benefit from bottle age; a wet stones nose and a whiff of petrol then an explosive palate – rich rewarding and very pure with a melange of spices on the finish.
A 1997 decanted was simply stunning with a fresh Crab, all mineral focus and almost ethereal on the nose. Strong yet delicate – a prima ballerina of a wine.
Riesling Grand Cru Hengst 2003. 12.5%
Compare this 2003 to the vintages above. Deeper and more open – that hot vintage makes this atypical – but still there are nice surprises in store. Less acidity, but still enough to carry the wine. Not classic in the way the 2004 or 1997 are. Christophe Ehrhart feels that that their BD vines coped better with heat stress and so still produced grapes that could make balanced wines, in contrast to the large crops of over-ripe flavourless grapes from those that used chemical treatments. There’s brioche or toast on the nose. More open, with stone fruit and herb reminders – thyme and rosemary. Will probably age quicker. Still a delicious experience. Roast Chicken and herbs would be a fine pairing.
Pinot Gris, ‘Le Fromenteau’ 2005. 13%
Artists’ series. A perennial favourite of mine from the JosMeyer range, Fromenteau was the dialect name for Pinot Gris in the middle Ages. A lovely floral nose with hints of nuts, the palate has that soft texture, the fruit overlays some pear, earthy and meaty flavours. Muscular yet fresh, dry and easy to drink now, will improve over the next 2/3 years. Mushrooms, terrines and tofu are all mouth watering food suggestions.
The 2006 has white blossom aromas, broad and muscular, well balanced with earth and subtle spices underpinning pear and quince fruit. Fresh now, leave for a couple of years to develop further. Remarkably consistent every year, so buy and drink with confidence.
Pinot Gris ‘1854 Fondation’ 2000. 14%
Prestige range. Very different from Fromenteau and another step up the quality ladder. Vanilla tinged honey, a rich, rounded grainy texture and much bigger bodied. Yet the alcohol is still in balance. Huge ripe fruit flavours and a slightly sweet gingerbread mid-palate, a hint of residual sugar. Orange peel (a little botrytis?). On the cusp of dry/off-dry. Everything comes together on a long length. A lovely subtle combination of taste and texture. Drinking now. Ideal with Foie Gras or a big powerful cheese like Reblochon.
Pinot Gris Grand Cru Brand 2001. 13%
And this is the quintessence of Pinot Gris from a great vintage. There’s huge power, superb white blossom aromatics and that precision that seems to be the hallmark of the Brand Vineyard. A sumptuous honeyed texture, the most harmonious balance of fruit, acidity, alcohol and a touch of residual sugar. Figs and quince on the nose and palate. A dried fruit character (dried apricot?) on a lingering farewell, with hints of spice. Drinking now but will improve yet, no rush. Joyous and life affirming.
Pinot Gris Grand Cru Hengst 2001. 13%
No actually, this really is the quintessence of Pinot Gris. Honey, vanilla, peach, minerals, quinces. Concentration and intensity, yet finesse and elegance. Densely textured and slightly bolder than the Brand, dried fruits with hint of nut and smoke on the finish. The best Pinot Gris I’ve encountered? Heading toward off-dry. Leave another 5 years – what can that bring?
Pinot Gris Grand Cru Hengst 2002. 14%
A golden yellow with some viscosity, the nose is white flowers and just a hint of botrytis. The honeyed palate, off-dry, is full bodied and powerful, with a mouth filling texture leavened by good levels of acidity. The fruit is quince, quince and then more quince; a streak of minerality runs through before dried apricots appear on the finish. There’s just a hint of smoke. There’s certainly muscularity and vigour, but combined with precision and elegance. And yet it’s not really ready at age five, this wine could do with at least another five years sleep, but so hard to resist now. A roasted vegetable tart made with filo pastry proved to be a fine match.
Gewurztraminer ‘Les Folastries’ 2005. 13.5%
Artists’ series. JosMeyer dry style – very dry. Fabulous rosewater and lychee aroma, good varietal typicity and fresh acidity, full-on fruity palate and the expected spices kick in at the end. Dry forward style and avoids heaviness or excessive oiliness. Excellent wine, rather fine drinking from an exceptional year. Few wines work with fresh tomatoes, this is one of them – try with tiny cherry tomatoes, nothing else!
Gewurztraminer ‘Les Archenets’ 2000. 13.5%
Prestige range – more serious Gewurztraminer with bottle age. Deepening brassy gold. Turkish Delight and smoke aromas rise from the glass to meet you, less pungent but more complex than Folastries. A thicker, oilier palate so typical of Gewurztraminer, yet leavened with fresh acidity so not tiring to drink. Roses to the fore, especially on the length. At peak now, though I prefer Folastries. Fresh tomatoes? Slice them with pepper and balsamic vinegar. Cheese? The powerful stench from the local Munster cheese is perfect. Apparently mild curries work well too.
Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Hengst 1995. 12.5%
This wine had been open for eight days, a really special way to conclude this tasting with a Grand Cru wine at age 12 from a lovely vintage. The nose has developed honey and honeycomb (think cinder toffee), there’s quince and Mirabelle (a local yellow fruit) too. Mirabelle again on the palate plus the unmistakable orange peel trace of botrytis – very late harvesting has brought wondrous golden complexity. Some residual sugar but remarkably dry and well balanced. All-a-tangle complexity. An exotic wine for contemplation, I’m assuming it’s a late harvest Vendange Tardive rather than a Sélection de Grains Nobles. I kept thinking about Tarte Tatin afterwards. Old vines, planted in 1954.
Final thoughts (for now)
My personal JosMeyer favourites are the Pinot Gris Grand Cru from Hengst and Brand; both are truly the essence of Alsace. The Riesling and Gewurztraminer Grand Cru rank among the finest examples too. But don’t overlook the “humbler” wines in the range – they bring much pleasure and represent great value.
Far from the simulacra of the mass market, JosMeyer make beautiful wines that are highly accessible and affordable. This is a superstar property run by people with perfectionist passion that epitomises the very best of Alsace and Biodynamics.
JosMeyer et Fils SA
76, rue Clémenceau
68920
Wintzenheim
France
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