Many people hold memories of their first bottle of Grange close to their heart. Much like other history-defining events, when people talk about Grange the conversation tends to become a game of “Where were you when…?”

The opportunity to taste three in a row was too good to miss. For the launch of the new Grange 2008 we also tasted 1998 and 1990. All three vintages make a fascinating trilogy.

Grange 2008

There is intense interest around this wine since it received 100 points from Lisa Perrotti-Brown in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. The expectations are so high that if the wine was a person I am sure it would have closed down immediately from stage fright. This is a famous vintage for wine in South Australia, although not all wines are showing as well today as Grange. The 2008 vintage was extremely hot in South Australia with thirteen days over 35 degrees heat in March (this is not even usual in the middle of Summer in January). It was so hot not even the refrigeration in the winery struggled. However, luckily for Penfold’s they had spent 1995 to 1998 doubling their fermentation capacity so they were able to take advantage of all the excellent fruit. The Grange 2008 has delicious blackberry and mulberry fruits enveloped in warm baking spices.  The fruit has great clarity, purity and focus with very fine tannins and a long and complex finish. Still very young, it became more understandable when tasted alongside older vintages.

Grange 1998

This was another vintage released with much fanfare – I remember it well. Even taxi drivers would talk to you about it if they knew you worked in wine. To all the people who bought this wine, I hope you still have some bottles: it is an absolute knock-out and drinking very well now. It has a beautiful freshness to the fruit – the acidity is enlivening and balances the lush and jammy fruit with lift and verve. In the glass, it develops an intriguing animal and sweet leather character with great refined tannins and a texture that can almost deserves its own term, ”Grange-like”.

It is fifteen years old now; it will develop more in the next 5 years – Grange develops in stages, and it will reach another stage of development over the next 20-25 years. One of the criticisms of Australian wine is that they don’t age and develop. Justin Knock MW said it is the first time he has tasted some development in the 1998 – showing just how long-lived these wines really are.

Grange 1990

This wine is almost more perfume than liquid. It is still very youthful and fresh with a light taffeta touch of black fruits, truffles, aniseed and fennel. This is a fascinating wine to taste against two greats such as 2008 and 1998 – it does not have the power or focus of the fruit, but it still has the same freshness and ‘Grange’ texture of very refined tannins. I have to admit, I was carried away by the greatness of the wine, and my imagination drifted to a dinner at a white-table cloth restaurant – this would be perfect on an anniversary dinner. It may close down again but it still has a good five years ahead of it.

Thank you very much to Penfolds and Justin Knock MW for leading the tasting.

If Bordeaux is like the Hollywood of wine, during En Primeur week, the cellars are the sets. The tanks are shined to a mirror, the barrels are in perfect rows. After tasting the 2012 Chateau Palmer in their dramatic tasting room, Thomas Duroux excitedly whisked us away to show us around the new cellars.  As one of the Fine Wine team’s favourite wines, we were excited, too.

The attention to detail at Chateau Palmer is evident from the vineyard to even the lighting.

“Guess where the lights are from?” he asked us half-seriously, “Italy – the best lights are from Italy!” A native to Bordeaux (his mother is Italian) he also spent time as a winemaker at Ornellaia in Bolgheri before starting at Chateau Palmer in 2004.

Over the past five years, Duroux has been adopting organic practices in the vineyard and reducing the yields. In 2012, the yields were only 28 ha/l – this is very low compared to other Chateaux on the Left Bank (and last year in a low-yielding vintage, it was even lower, the lowest since the 1961 vintage at only 21 ha/l).

In this video, we ask Thomas Duroux about the lower yields and also talk about his approach to organic viticulture:

 Keep up to date with all the latest releases on the Bibendum Fine Wine website. You can also taste the 2012 vintage for yourself at our Annual Bordeaux Tasting at Lord’s on 5 June, 2013.

After two days, our impressions of the left bank are very mixed. 2012 is not a uniformly good vintage for Pauillac, St-Julien, St-Estephe and Margaux. There are some good to very good wines but there are also some fiercely tannic, extracted and very difficult wines. As Ben Collins said on the way over the bridge to the right bank, “There are wild swings in likeability.”  He immediately followed this up by asking whether likeability was even a word. Regardless of what the OED might say, the sentiment is correct.

Some wines were hard work while others were a breeze; some tasted like the sort of wine we like to drink and others – those that were obviously manipulated or over-extracted – did not.

This state of affairs should not a surprise if you remember back to last year’s weather of heavy rain in April and drought-like conditions in late summer. In Bordeaux, the rain returned at picking time, which was quite late in October. It all spelled trouble for the vineyard managers.

Often we have found that all the energy has gone into the Grand Vin, whilst the quality of the second wine has been sacrificed. Compared to 2011, the fruit can be very intense and concentrated in the better wines. This is due to the ruthless selection of grapes. Only those deemed perfect make it past the beady eyes that patrol the sorting tables.

Of course, the top chateaux can afford to be selective and compromise quantity to ensure quality. They are also aided by new developments in technology. It seems all much of the proceeds from the bumper 2009 and 2010 vintages have been re-invested into the latest equipment for the vineyard.

So, is it all doom and gloom? Absolutely not – 2012 tastes similar to a more concentrated version of 2008. Not a vintage of the century but neither is it a write off. Let’s be straight: there will always be smart finds in Bordeaux every year and there are definitely some beautiful gems amongst the 2012s if you look hard enough.

However, both merchants and consumers will have to be very selective about what to buy. Get the right advice. If the Bordelaise are sensible with prices, there will be plenty of very enjoyable wine for several years to come.

Here are our standouts from the Left Bank:

Ashika Mathews – d’Issan & Palmer

“One of the best wines from d’Issan I have tasted – ripe, clean, delicious fruit. Palmer was lifted, classy and understatedly sexy”

Alex Marton – Sociando-Mallet & Grand Puy Lacoste

“Sociando is still something of a hidden gem – good effort this year in a difficult vintage. GPL is yummy – lovely, silky wine”

Juel Mahoney – Lacoste Borie

“This is wine. Power but not forced, round and supple – this second wine of Grand Puy Lacoste is a great taste of this blue-ribbon Chateau”

Ben Collins – Tronquoy-Lalande & Pichon-Baron

“Tronquoy-Lalande is like a mini-Montrose with volume turned down and it should be a sensible price, too. Over at Pichon, years and years of work is really paying off. Top, top, top.”

Today we are visiting the great wines of Pomerol and Cheval Blanc. We have hunch there might be some more favourites to come. Stay tuned…

We only have one CD in the car as we drive around the superstar chateaux on the left bank of Bordeaux: The Best of Rod Stewart. “It was only £2.50,” said Ben Collins, unwrapping it from its plastic, “No wonder went HMV bust.” We wondered how he could have paid so much – much as we wondered about the possible prices of the 2012 vintage before we had even left Bordeaux airport.

This is the crux of the problem with the vintage this year: will the chateaux set the price to be enticing enough to buy? So, with the gravelled tones of Rod Stewart, swinging around the D2, we visited some of the biggest names in wine.

Do ya think I’m sexy?

Well, yes, if you must know. The first growths still have it.  Purists may blanch – they do not like describing wine in such lustful tones – but it would be a hard heart that did not race when faced with some of the wines we tasted today: Margaux, Latour, Lafite.

You really want Margaux (the commune) to be sexy, but not all vintages are and only a handful of chateaux ever achieve the silky, ethereal state of the ideal Margaux. Usually it is one of the patchiest of appellations. Not in 2012. The young guys at Chateau Margaux looked sharp. A younger generation is taking over the reigns – Alexandra, daughter of owner Corinne Mentzelopoulos, greeted us, then Thilbault, son of Paul Pontellier, walked us through the wines in the cellar. Because Chateau Margaux wass the first wine we tasted, it became the benchmark wine to judge all the others. A tough gig for any wine to follow.

After Chateau Margaux, we nipped across the commune to Chateau d’Issan, where we were able to answer Rod’s question with a definite ‘yes’. This chateau has really pulled its socks up in recent years. It has excellent intense and concentrated fruit that promises to become a luxurious experience when it is ready to drink in five or so years’ time.

Some guys have all the luck

After a few back to back listens of the Rod Steward album, we begin to notice the same character showing up: The Young Heartbreaker. Rod may as well have been crooning about St Estephe.

The wines were heartbreaking stuff, but not in a bittersweet wistful teenage summer holiday way. More like seeing a scratch down the side of a beautiful car. The firm tannins of St Estephe this year are hard work. Even Lafite, bordering on St-Estephe, showed a bit of the same reticent character. Some of the big names were playing very hard to get – the fruit was hidden by enormous tannins.

The exception to the rule is Tronquoy Lalande, which was a great surprise after tasting some others in the appellation. Buyers will need to be selective this year.

Before lunch at Chateau Phelan Segur, we tasted through the 2008 to 2012 vintages. The 2009 and 2010 clearly jumped out as excellent. As someone who prefers the austere tones of 2010, it was difficult not to be charmed by the caress of 2009. How did 2012 compare? “2008 plus plus plus,” according to MD Veronique Dausse.

This is not a bad thing, the 2008 Phelan Segur is a relatively affordable, satisfying drinking wine, and clearly 2012 will be too – but this brings us back to the central issue of what we will be asked to pay.

Maggie May

When 2012 is on form, the wines will be a joy to drink. The best of the Left Bank show luscious concentrated fruit due to the intensive selection of the grapes in this variable vintage. This selection is very visible in the second wines – they tend to be hollow, light and lacking. It is clear every last good grape has gone into the Grand Vin.

Over at Lynch Bages, Ben had a twinkle in his eye. “I think you should put the prices up!” he said to Jean-Charles Cazes, “The wine is so good!” He was joking about the prices of course, but truthful about the wine, both Lynch Bages and Ormes de Pez did show very well indeed. During the day there was a constant repartee about the prices. We say they are too high, the chateaux owners comeback with their dry Bordelaise wit. All very light and fun, but underlying it all we all know price is the main issue with this vintage.

Put simply, if the prices are unreasonable, then why should anybody buy it? We won’t take a position on it if it is too expensive; there are better vintages still out there.

Our conversations with the chateaux will continue tomorrow. As Rod says, “Wake up Maggie, I think I have something to say to you…”

Before we arrive in Bordeaux to taste the 2012 wines in barrel, here is a round-up of what the pundits are saying about the 2012 vintage conditions:

 “Bordeaux 2012 – early pickings” Martin Krajewski,  for Jancis Robinson, 3 September 2012

“…I think it is already fair to say that this will not be so much a winemaker’s vintage ‘made in the cellar’ as some have been predicting, but a vintage that will be remembered for those who worked well in the vines throughout the year and were rewarded by their diligence, great efforts and good decision-making at critical times during the difficult middle part of the growing year.” (Read more)

 ”Bordeaux 2012 – end in sight at last“: Gavin Quinney, Chateau Baudoc, for Jancis Robinson, 17 October 2012

“The 2012 vintage has all the hallmarks of an older-style, classical vintage – October harvests for both the Merlot and Cabernets were not unusual in the past. We can expect yields from leading châteaux to be low, however, and stricter selection for the grands vins might affect the volumes further. With lower yields nowadays, better viticulture and precision sorting – let alone technological advances in winemaking – it will be fascinating to see how the wines turn out.” (Read more)

“2012 Vintage Report: France” James Molesworth at Wine Spectator November 16, 2012

“Bordeaux vintners had their second straight difficult year in 2012. The season started wet and cool, leading to an uneven flowering and reduced crop. Then, a long dry stretch stressed vines and led to uneven ripening. … Following the dry stretch, heavy rains fell in late September through late October, creating some disease pressure and forcing some growers to pick under wet conditions….” (Read more)

“Bordeaux 2012: testing vintage looks better for whites and roses say producers,” Richard Woodward, Decanter Magazine online, 14 March 2013

“”‘You remember some vintages with a sense of calm and tranquillity – they’re like a gentle, contemplative horseback ride through the woods,’ said Jean-Christophe Barron, technical manager at Château de Rouillac in Pessac-Léognan.

‘We’ll remember 2012 as the toughest three-day event or a round of show jumping at the Olympics, requiring concentration, timing, agility and poise.”" (Read more)

“The 2012 vintage assessment fast approaches…”, Decanter China, 14 March 2013, Jane Anson

“I have begun tasting some of the 2012 reds and whites already, and have found some interesting wines. 2012 saw an extreme period of drought in August and early September, but bookended by a wet spring and a wet end of season. Vintages like this are where soil types really come into play, particularly in terms of their ability to moderate the supply of water – draining it when necessary, and retaining it when things get too dry.” (Read more)

“Bordeaux 2012 outshines early fears” The Drinks Business, 3 April 2013, Gabriel Savage

 ”Despite its 2012 vintage keeping a relatively low profile so far, Bordeaux producers are reporting good results and strong international interest in the run up to next week’s en primeur tastings.” (Read more)

The only thing certain before Bordeaux En Primeur is nothing is certain. Bordeaux is a large region with many different micro-climates and soils – in a vintage as variable as 2012, this makes an impact. There were no easy wins in 2012 for winemakers and it will be very interesting to see who stepped up to the plate.

Follow the Fine Wine team when they are in Bordeaux next week, starting Monday 8th April on twitter and with our regular blog updates.

Jerez Xeres Sherry

Sherry is one of those rare beasts - one of the world’s greatest wine styles that is easy to explore on a budget. Unlike Burgundy or Bordeaux, it is easy to taste some of the best the region has to offer without having to remortgage your house.

Sherry has fantastic complexity nad an incredible array of flavours. Its savoury, umami characters make it an excellent match with food, as we found at a seminar at our Annual Tasting back in February, but if you want to find out more, where do you start? Right here, with the Bibendum Guide to all things Sherry.

What is Sherry?

Quite simply, it is a fortified wine from southern Spain with a history that stretches back over 3000 years – the words Jerez and Sherry originates from the Arabic word, “Sherish” – although the origins of most of the styles we drink today are found in the mid-19th century.

The Grapes

The main grape is Palomino which makes most of the top wines and all the dry ones. The best grapes are grown on a very chalky, bright-white, soil called Albariza. Palomino receives some excellent back up from Pedro Ximenez which produces intense sweet wines either on its own or in blends.

The Region

Sherry can be produced anywhere in Andalucia’s “Sherry Triangle,” the three points of which are the towns of Jerez, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlucar de Barrameda. In practice, most Sherry is made by a few big houses in Jerez. Those made down at the coast in Sanlucar de Barrameda are labelled Manzanilla.

Much further inland than Jerez, near Cadiz, is the region of Montilla-Moriles that makes wines that aren’t technically Sherry at all, but given they look like Sherry, taste like Sherry and are made pretty much exactly the same way, we are going to ignore the letter of the law and include them here. Sorry, if that offends any Sherry purists out there.

Winemaking

Most Sherry starts its life as a dry white wine at about 12 % alcohol. Once fermentation is over, the cellarmaster has a choice: will the wine become Fino or Oloroso? Wines that are showing particular finesse and elegance will be designated as Fino, while any wines showing body and power will be set aside to make Oloroso. The difference comes in the level of fortification. Finos are fortified lightly to around 15%, while Olorosos are given an extra bit of spirit to take them up to around 18%.

The Flor

Flor is the magic ingredient that makes dry Fino and Manzanilla Sherries among the very best wines in the world. It is a yeast that abounds on the walls of the bodegas’ cellars and grows on the surface of the wines, protecting them from oxidation and changing the character of the wine, adding a unique nutty, salty, umami character.

Flor does not grow on the surface of Oloroso wines owing to the higher level of fortification and the desire for these wines to age in a deliberately oxidative style.

The Solera System

The solera system is Sherry’s way of ageing and blending wines to ensure consistency. In its simplest form, it can be imagined as an inverted triangle of barrels. Every time the bodega needs to bottle some wine, it draws some off from the bottom barrel, topping it up with some wine from the barrels above. This next level of barrels is then filled with wine from those above and so on and so on. Many soleras in Jerez are several decades old and since no barrel is ever emptied, there is always some of the oldest wine in the final blend.

Sherry Styles

Fino

What is it? The most famous style of dry Sherry, made in Jerez and fortified to just 15% or 15.5% making it the lightest style too.

What does it taste like? When just opened it will be fresh, light and savoury with a nutty, almond-like character. Keep it in the fridge and drink it quick, though. The all-important freshness will disappear within a week or so.

Drink it with: Something salty - smoked almonds, the very best jamon, olives - or Jeremy Lee from Quo Vadis’s epic baked salsify with parmesan.

Manzanilla

What is it? A Fino made in the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda. The seaside climate adds an extra saline tang and degree of freshness.

What does it taste like? Like a really good Fino with an extra spring in its step.

Drink it with: Seafood

Amontillado

What is it? A Fino where the Flor has died away and the wine has begun to oxidise. Beware commercial versions of medium-dry Amontillado that are sweetened with a dollop of Pedro Ximenez.

What does it taste like? A good dry amontillado can taste of hazelnuts, citrus peel and cinnamon, with a slightly bitter bite.

Drink it with: Emily O’Hare, sommelier at the River Café, recommends a porcini mushroom risotto

Palo Cortado

What is it? A freak of nature! Palo Cortados are very rare, elegant wines that are chosen to become fine Finos only for the fickle Flor yeasts to stubbornly fail to develop. This means that the wines age in an oxidative Oloroso style.

What does it taste like?

A blend of the elegance of Fino with the power of Oloroso. Think toasted hazelnuts, citrus peel and tangy acidity.

Drink it with: Everything and anything – a cheeseboard is a great place to start.

Oloroso

What is it? An Oloroso sherry is fortified to a higher strength than a Fino and ages without the protection of Flor, giving it a rich flavour and more oomph. It can be dry or sweet; the latter are blended with sweet Pedro Ximenez wine.

What does it taste like? Full-bodied, robust and rich. Dry versions often have tangy Seville orange notes while sweeter wines are like Christmas cake in a glass.

Drink it with: Dry wines with big robust meaty main courses, and sweeter versions are amazing with terrines and cheeses.

Pedro Ximenez

What is it? A grape! Usually used to make some of the most intense, complex sweet wines in the world. It can also be used to make off-beat Finos in Montilla-Moriles.

What does it taste like? Treacle tart. Only better.

Drink it with: Rum and raisin ice cream. Even better. pour it over ice cream for a boozy affogato.

En Rama

What is it? An unfiltered Fino or Manzanilla bottled straight from the cask for extra flavour and freshness. The trade-off is a reduced shelf life. These wines need to be drunk as soon as possible after bottling.

What does it taste like? Your favourite Fino or Manzanilla but with an extra level of flavour. An en rama bottling from a great producer is very hard to beat.

Drink it with: The finest jamon you can afford.

by Gareth Groves

According to the Chancellor, 10,000 pubs have closed in the last decade. Yesterday, George Osborne announced that he was going to help the industry by not only ending the beer duty escalator but cutting a whole penny off the current duty figure. He’s generous like that.

The policy strikes me as both positive and pointless.

‘Positive’ because ending any of the alcohol duty escalators is to be welcomed. The policy masquerades as a ‘sin tax’ to deter us from crippling the NHS and trashing city centres. In reality it is much simpler than that. It is just a nice little earner for Number 11, a never-ending source of cash to help fill the barer-than-ever Treasury coffers. The fact of the matter is wine duty has gone up 50% since 2008 and the start of the economic crisis. Bibendum MD Michael Saunders elaborates on this theme over at the Huffington Post.

‘Pointless’ because the Chancellor didn’t extend the policy to wine and spirits – and given that wine and spirits make up over 40% of the drinks bought in pubs the chances are that our local hostelries are not going to be any better off.

It’s all very well taking 1p off beer duty but if you are going to put 10p on every bottle of wine (or 3.33p on every large glass to put it another way) then nothing is going to change.

It’s a classic budget day policy: good for a quick headline (London’s Evening Standard went with “Things can only get bitter”); good for a jolt of patriotic fervour (there’s nowt more British than a proper pint in a proper pub); and good for the annual tax revenue figures. Populism in action.

It’s just a shame that the coalition could have adopted an alternative policy that would have actually supported the on trade and had wider benefits for the economy.

The EU allows member states to introduce a differential rate of VAT for accommodation, food and drink in the hospitality sector. This policy was introduced to recognise the importance of this sector to jobs. France adopted it recently and created an extra 29,500 jobs in the first twelve months. Imagine if the government did the same over here, now that really would be a boost to the pub sector.

The long and the short of it is, George Osborne could have opted to encourage growth and jobs. Instead he penalised responsible drinkers and businesses whilst claiming he was doing the exact opposite. Another wasted opportunity.

Not everyone understands an amaro bitter on the first taste. The combination of herbs and citrus can come as quite a shock if you are expecting something sweet. Yet somehow once the taste is developed for a bitter amaro, there is nothing quite so satisfying after a meal.

Amaro have a long tradition in Europe, in particular in Italy, to aid digestion. A glass after a long, indulgent Sunday lunch is believed to ease the stomach. Perhaps because amaro is a very Italian drink, it not only helps to aid after-dinner digestion but a glass is also makes a good excuse to stay at the table for more eating and conversation.

In Italy, there are as many amaro bitters as there are different regions. Whereas Fernet Branca is the bitter of the north, Averna is distinctly Sicilian with its bright and refreshing bitter characters. Lemons and oranges impart a warm citrus flavour.

Averna is also one of the most versatile bitters for mixing drinks. While the traditional way to drink Averna is in a shot glass with a wedge of lemon, or over ice with a slice of orange, the complex bitter and aromatic flavours provide a vibrant flavour palette to create cocktails.

The original Averna recipe was developed in Benedicitine abbeys where the friars produced the herbal tonic following a secret recipe. The Averna story began in 1859, when the friars gave Salvatore Averna, a wealthy textile merchant in Sicily, the recipe as a token of gratitude. Salvatore produced the bitter at home for his guests, but it was not until his son Francesco presented the bitters at fairs around Europe that the modern story of Averna started.

Over the past four generations, the Averna family have turned what was a family past time into one of Italy’s most renowned digestive liqueurs.

What’s a little bitterness amongst friends? That’s amaro. You don’t have to drink it straight up after a meal. Here are two classic cocktails with a Sicilian twist created by our Spirits team, Paul McFaydden and Nick Rodgers:

Averna Negroni

25ml averna
25ml gin
25ml sweet vermouth

Built in the glass onto fresh ice and stirred. Garnish with an orange zest.

Averna Manhattan

In a short glass pour 2 parts bourbon with 1 part 50/50 sweet vermouth and Averna, a splash of cherry liqueur, add ice and stir.

Add a lemon twist.

How do you drink yours? We’d love to hear your cocktail recipes!

Tasting the Bin Series wines from Penfolds last Friday at Tate Modern was like meeting up with an old friend. Despite the years that have gone by since last tasting these wines, the Penfolds house style is instantly recognisable.

With the dark red wines from South Australia set before us, making a stark contrast to the grey London sky, we were ready to taste one of Australia’s most famous families of wine, or as Penfolds say, the Descendants of Grange.

Here is some background information on the Penfolds Bin Series, followed by tasting notes on the new vintages.

What is a “Bin”?

Nowadays Bin is used on many wines in Australia, but the term originally refers to the compartments where wineries kept the wine. They numbered the compartments, Bin 1, Bin 2 etc depending on where they sat in the winery. The Bin numbers have nothing to do with the quality of the wine.

What is the connection between the Bin Series and Grange (Bin 95)?

The now legendary Penfolds winemaker Max Schubert began experimenting with different parcels of fruit in the 1950s. The first Bin wine was created in 1951 and was simply known as Bin 1. While Max Schubert was working on what was to be his masterpiece, he experimented with different parcels of fruit in different Bins. In 1964, the Grange was designated as Bin 95. Resulting from these experiments with different blends and vineyards, we find the Bin Series wines.

What is the characteristics of the Penfolds house style?

Penfolds’ house style is defined by their multi-regional blending, fruit ripeness (although not overripe), the use of fine-grained American (and increasingly French) oak, and barrel fermentation and maturation.

Where does the tradition of blending come from?

Penfolds’ house style emerged from its long history of producing fortified wine.

With a history spanning over 150 years, up until the 1950s most of Penfolds’ production was focused on (what was called at the time) ”port”. The focus on blending, which is common to fortified wines, extended to the table wines. Without the constraints of using fruit from a single-vineyard, winemakers could choose the best possible fruit with the ‘outstanding characteristics of each vineyard.’

In fact, port’s dominance in the Australian market at the time led to Max Schubert being ordered to stop production of Grange in 1957 by the head office, because, according to Max himself, he was “accumulating large stocks of (dry table) wine which to all intents and purposes were unsaleable.”

Max continued making dry table wines undercover regardless. In 1962, when the 1955 Grange was shown to great acclaim in the Australian wine shows, Penfolds had already set an irrevocable course towards table-wine production.

The Wines

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz

Often referred to as ‘Poor Man’s Grange’ or ‘Baby Grange’, in part because components of the wine are mature in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. First made in 1960, by the legendary Max Schubert, this was the wine that helped to build Penfolds solid reputation with red wine drinkers. The original reason for this uniquely Australian blend of Cabernet is the Cabernet available in the 1960s lacked mid-palate structure which was compensated by the rich Shiraz.

My notes on 2010 vintage: “Inky black in colour, the fruit floods the palate. It has a very dense weight in the mouth yet also smooth and velvety with seamless tannins. This is a very serious wine, almost a throwback to the great wines of the mid-nineties. If this is closely related to the Grange, then I also look forward to the Big One when it is released in May.”

Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon

Launched with the 1990 vintage in 1993, 407 was developed in response to the increasing availability of high quality Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. Inspired by Penfolds Bin 707, Bin 407 highlights Penfolds multi-region, multi-vineyard blending, with a core of ripe fruit supported by French and American oak.

My notes on 2010 vintage: “The fruit from the Coonawarra/Padthaway region dominates with the herbaceous, green capsicum characters and a fresh lift of mint on the finish.”

Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz

There are four distinct styles of Penfolds red wines. Single-vineyard (Magill Estate Shiraz, Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon), single-region (Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz, RWT Barossa Shiraz) and multi-regional blends (Grange, Bin 707). The Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz delivers a fourth approach, with Penfolds showing it’s hand at sub-regional expressions. Marananga lies very close to the centre of the Barossa Valley floor – slightly to the north and west, where warm dry conditions and rich and red soils provide the backbone to some of the region’s best known wines.

My notes on 2010 vintage: “Expecting a bosh of fruit after the beautiful, complex aromas, the 150 is a pleasant surprise on the palate: elegant and lighter bodied. The berry fruit melts into a creamy almond (amaretto) character. This is still early days for this wine.”

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz

First made in 1959, Bin 28 is named after the famous Barossa Valley Kalimna Vineyard purchased by Penfolds in 1945 and from which the wine was originally sourced. Today, Bin 28 is a multi-region, multi-vineyard blend, with the Barossa Valley always well represented.

My notes on 2010 vintage: “A hedonistic wine with ample and voluptuous fruit on the palate. It has crowd-pleasing berry and chocolate character that will reassure lovers of bold Australian reds.”

Penfolds Bin 138 Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre

The Barossa Valley was planted extensively with Shiraz, Mourvedre and Grenache by the early settlers. In the 1950s Penfolds started experimenting with table wine blends of Shiraz and the robust grape variety Mourvedre. In response to a growing international market for the highly perfumed wines of the Southern Rhone, Penfolds introduced the 1992 vintage of the old vine Barossa Valley Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre.

My notes on 2011 vintage: “Justin Knock MW tells us at the launch that this is the wettest vintage since 1974. Many Australian winemakers don’t have much good to say about 2011, yet the lack of full-throttle fruit did not disappoint; in fact, it is all the better for it. The wet vintage is reflected in the colour of the wine, which is lighter and less dark than its fellow Bins. Sweet Asian 5-spice on the nose, and even a touch of charcuterie savouriness leads to a palate of dark chocolate, dried figs and black fruits. One of my favourite wines from the tasting.”

Penfolds Bin 23 Pinot Noir

The name Bin 23 is derived from the Pinot Noir maturation Cellar 23 at Magill Estate. The relationship between Penfolds and the cool-climate, high altitude Adelaide Hills follows in the footsteps of the success and development of the Penfolds Cellar Reserve Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir.

My notes on 2012 vintage: “Strawberry jam and blueberry pastille on the nose, this is a full-bodied Pinot Noir with a plush, mouth-filling softness. This is a very fun style of Pinot Noir – and fun is a worthy attribute to find in a wine.”

Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mourvedre

First released in 1960, yet discontinued in Australia in the 1970s at the height of the white wine boom. The original Bin 2 was an ‘Australian Burgundy’ style (despite its Rhone varieties) – typically a soft, medium-bodied wine based on Shiraz. The Bin 2 blend of Shiraz and Mourvedre is still relatively uncommon in Australian table wines. Also known as Mataro or Monastrell, Mourvedre was introduced to Australia in the 1830s.

My notes on 2011 vintage: “In Australia, this vintage is not considered as great as the 2010 vintage. Yet this lighter style of wine is very attractive even if it is not as intense as the 2010. This is the little brother of the Bin 138, and for a wine that is the fraction of the price, it is not too bad at all. Soft, juicy, confident fruit – it would be a great wine for casual drinks.”

Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling

Created in the 1990s as part of the evolving Penfolds white wine development program, captures the attributes of Eden Valley. The region’s high altitude and cool climate induces Riesling with great finesse, elegance and capacity for long-term cellaring. South Australia has gained worldwide recognition for producing definitive world-class Riesling, with the Eden Valley at the very head of the field. In their youth, the wines possess focused apple/lime aromas, with a mineral edge and marked natural acidity, contributing significantly to the palate texture and flavour.

My notes on 2012 vintage: “What struck me was how self-assured this wine is. A fantastic ginger and lemon/lime perfume with the same again on the palate but in a generous liquid form. There’s no jarring acidity, or steeliness one would expect from this region – everything is wonderfully integrated. Ready to drink now but has the capacity to age.  This is a beautiful vintage for Clare and Eden Valley.”

*Thanks to Penfolds for the background information (in italics).

Apparently we all lie when asked how much alcohol we drink. According to new research by University College of London, there is a significant gap between the amount of alcohol purchased in the UK and the amount we admit to consuming.

Unfortunately, it is extremely unlikely that this shortfall can be accounted for by collectors of fine wine filling their cellars with bottles to be enjoyed in coming decades once they have arrived at optimum maturity.

The truth is people don’t understand the guidelines that surround alcohol. The concept of a unit of alcohol is actually quite complicated. The UK’s definition is 10ml of alcohol (it varies in other countries), all very scientific but not very useful to the average drinker.

We need something more tangible: how many units are in this glass of wine or that beer? The problem, of course, is it depends on the product and the size of the serve. Even something as relatively straightforward as a pint of 4% beer comes in at 2.3 units – hardly the easiest number for consumers to get their head around.

The difference in units between a 125ml glass of a 12.5% wine and a “large” 250ml glass of a 14.5% blockbuster is over two whole units, but how many drinkers leave the pub thinking they’ve just had “a glass”?

The predictable response from politicians to the University College of London survey has been legislative: increase duty on alcohol, ban multi-buys and introduce minimum pricing. None of this is likely to have much of an impact.

Cumulative duty on wine has already increased by 36% since 2008 and on spirits by 31%. Multi-buy legislation in Scotland has had a negligible effect on volume sales when compared to other regions in the UK, and a 40p or 50p per unit minimum price will only influence those on lower incomes rather than everyone who needs to think about their alcohol consumption.

What is required is more, and better, education with an emphasis on drinking less but better. Drinking excessive amounts of cheap alcohol is bad for your health and can have serious knock-on effects for society as a whole.

It is also a bad business model for the wine industry. With duty and other fixed costs rising, margins are being squeezed. We need to convince consumers that they will have a much better experience by spending a few pounds more on a bottle of wine; that they could buy one brilliant £10 bottle rather than two £5 bottles. They will get a much better product to drink and we make a more profitable sale.

To do this we need to be thinking less about sales volumes and more about the consumer experience. We need to find ways to help people discover new wines and be less intimidated by the supermarket wine aisle or restaurant wine list. Our Taste Test concept tries to do exactly that.

The pipe dream is a society made up of informed, happy consumers buying a bit less often but spending more money on better wines when they do make a purchase. This way, everybody wins.

However, unless we all do our bit to educate drinkers and build an argument that there is real value in buying better wines, it will remain just that: a pipe dream.