The RAW Wine Fair returned to London earlier this month for a two day event featuring over 160 producers of organic or biodynamic wines. These are minimum intervention wines which are truly authentic and have a real sense of place. Speakers Corner featured a number of talks and tastings led by the producers themselves or industry experts. For a break from the hustle and bustle of the main tasting room I was lucky to attend Understanding Bubbles, a tasting of six sparkling wines led by Patrick Schmitt MW. It was a lovely opportunity to compare such very different wines and the quality was very high indeed.
Ancre Hill. Triomphe. Pet Nat. Ancre Hill is a family owned vineyard in Monmouthshire, South Wales. Vines were first plated here in 2006 and they now have 12 hectares.The estate has been fully biodynamic since 2010 and was given certification in 2014. Triomphe is a variety which is able to ripen even in cool summers so may well be thought to be highly suited to the climate in the UK. A wild ferment and without fining or filtration this wine is ruby red in appearance with a slight haze and an intense nose of red fruits. I have never been a fan of red sparking wines finding them too aggressive on the palate but this is rather pleasant, the lower pressure in the bottles gives a wine which is gently sparkling on the palate and much the better for it.
Cantina Furlani. Surlie. Alpino. Alto Adige. 2017. From vineyards at a height of 700m close to the city of Trento in Northern Italy. Produced with a wild ferment, unfined, unfiltered and with no added sulphites. Lovely aroma of pear and green apple, barely sparking with touch of sweetness. This is a very drinkable wine and I wish I had another glass.
Champagne. Franck Pascal. Fluence. 2012. Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier it has the faintest of pink tinge when held to the light. It’s toasty, lemony and nutty with a great finish. This is really excellent stuff, a standout wine.
Agricola Alessandra Divella. Blanc des Blancs. Franciacorta. 2015. Made from 100% Chardonnay and vinified in old oak this is a very fine, elegant wine. It’s toasty and with nice body and lovely texture. Serious stuff. Excellent.
Meinklang. Foam White. Burgenland. Austria. 2017. An orange pet nat made from Pinot Gris, unfined, unfiltered and with no added sulphites. Orange in appearance and the nose is quite aromatic, there are stone fruits, candied peel and a touch of residual sweetness. For me this is a wine that is probably best enjoyed along with some food.
Swik Wines. The Beav. 2018. A natural pet nat from the Pacific Northwest of the United States. A rather bonkers mix of 50% Cinsault, 40% Gewurtztraminer and 10% Riesling. Macerated on skins for two weeks and a wild ferment in stainless steel without any fining or filtration has produced a wine which is a light orange, salmon colour with a slight haze. A really interesting wine and I mean that in good way. Floral, perfumed and with nice texture, this is a wine that invites you to have another glass because it is just a little bit different and there is nothing wrong with that.