Bisol ‘Cartizze’ Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore 2008, Veneto, Italy (£22.99 Bibendum) Starts off lush and peachy, but then the minerally restraint kicks, adding a drier, more serious, clay-like edge and keeping you coming back for more. S-
Cono Sur Brut NV, Bío-Bío, Chile (£9.99 Morrisons, Oddbins, Tesco.com) Toasty sweet’n’sour Riesling character comes through strongly on the nose, also in the mouth. It tends to take over what without it would have been a quite elegant wine. Shame. C+
Codorníu Reina Maria Cristina Cava Brut Reserva 2007, Catalonia, Spain (£18.99 Majestic) Relaxed, confident style, showing some maturity, but still with a core of earthy citrus fruit, and a touch of herbs, a touch of sweetness, but nicely balanced. S-
Petaluma Croser 2006, Piccadilly Valley, South Australia (£16.06 Bibendum – £11.08 in the sale from Feb 2nd-15th) Showing some creamy, even cheesy lees edges, along with some of the strained chocolatey richness of a touch of oxidation. But these are all in balance with the rest of the wine, and the bready/biscuity citrus and pineapple get their chance to shine. Rich but dry, classy style. S
Champagne Moutard Cuvée des 6 Cépages 2004, France (£37.50 – Sommelier Wine Co, Markinch Wine Gallery, Winos, Den Boer Wines, Kevin O’Rourke Wines, Divine Wines, Vineyards, Cherchez le Vin, Ashbourne Wines, K D Brands Ltd, John Gordons Ltd, Beverley Bollons, The Larder, The Naked Grape, Bacchus)
(the 6 Cépages are Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier)
Not much on the nose, or in the mouth. Has a creamy, herby edge, but not a great deal of flavour coming through at the moment. Nor with further time – am I missing the point here? B
A rather diverse sextet of sparkling wines that I’ve just tried from various parts of France and northern Italy…
Blason de Bourgogne Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé NV (£9.99 Waitrose) Slightly bitter edge, but then opens up to show ripe raspberry and cherry. Not complex but a nice drink. B-
Réserve de Sours Sparkling Rosé NV, Bordeaux, France (£10.98 Private Cellar) Sl confected, rather sweet and simple strawberry fruit, OK, but a bit young and raw. C
Bisol Desiderio Jeio Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut NV, Veneto, Italy (£9.15 Bibendum) Fresh, frothy, almost sherbet-like, soft peachy fruit, attractive but very simple style. B-
Bisol Crede Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore Brut 2008, Veneto, Italy (£14.57 Bibendum) Less frothy but more grip and minerally character here, one of those wines that creeps up on you, an almost volcanic minerally note. B+
Champagne Moutard Champ Persin Côte des Bar Chardonnay NV (£25.99 Woods Wines, Ashbourne Wines, Sommelier Cru) Quite toasty, a lemony edge that’s almost like Semillon (!), quite ripe and plush, not fine but honest, balanced and tasty. B+
Champagne Moutard Vignes Beugneux Côte des Bar Pinot Noir NV (£25.99 R Campbell & Sons, Hanslope Wines, Woods Wines, Kevin O’Rourke Wines) A smoky edge here, ripe, even spicy fruit with a creamy/yeasty richness, very ‘wine-y’ Champagne, rich but dry, with an almost briney tang to the finish. S-
An Armani suit is an Armani suit regardless of whether it comes in a bag or a box and Parma ham is Parma ham, whether it’s wrapped in cellophane or waxed paper. But under Italian law, Soave Classico is only Soave Classico if it comes in a bottle with a cork. The same is true of Valpolicella Classico. If producers want to use alternative closures, they have to drop the ‘Classico’ bit and just sell their wine as generic Soave or Valpol.
Last year, Allegrini bit the bullet and bottled it’s entire UK and Ireland allocation of its 2007 Valpolicella with the stelvin screwcap. This year, it’s the turn of Soave superstar Pieropan to make the switch. ‘The UK, the US and Australia will take their entire allocation of 2008 under screwcap,’ says Andrea Pieropan. ‘We’ve taken this step to improve the quality of the wine drunk by the final consumer. Our wine is unoaked, and its charm lies in its perfume and elegance, so we need a closure that captures these characters in the bottle.’
Both estates are imported into the UK by Liberty Wines, whose MD David Gleave MW is firm fan of screwcaps, as you’ll see by this on the company’s web site. Says Gleave, ‘In our opinion, Italy’s tardiness in adapting this new technology is having an adverse effect on the competitiveness of their wines in the U.K. market. Over the past 30 years the image of Italian wine has been transformed, largely due to the willingness of many producers to embrace new technology and techniques in response to market trends. Yet these same producers, who see the benefits of adopting screwcaps for their wines, are now being held back by the law.’
So far (as at Allegrini) there’s just just the one stelvin-ed wine at Pieropan. And the 2008 Soave is up the standards expected from the estate, plush, almost waxy in texture with aromas of cream and nuts, gentle floral apple and peach flavours and a herby edge to the finish. RRP £10.99 per bottle.
