Tag: Organic

Bunch Spring Tasting

One of the great things I like about Bunch Natural Wine Bar on Berry Street in Liverpool is that there is always something different to try. It is a welcome challenge to step out of your comfort zone and give something new and unfamiliar a try. The beauty of wines by the glass is that you don’t have the financial commitment to the whole bottle so if a wine turns out not to be to your particular liking its not such a costly mistake. Not that I ever come across many that I don’t like, there are simply some I prefer, and all of the wines are worth the effort of getting to know even if the odd one just remains a casual acquaintance. The spring tasting, held in the shop last week, was another great example of the diversity of wines on offer and most of them are well worth getting to know better.

I Wish I Was a Ninja. Testalonga. PetNat. 2018 Swartland. South Africa. The more I drink the wines of Craig Hawkins the more I like them. Here is a producer that really is worthy of further investigation. This was a new wine to me and it is absolutely delicious. Made from 100% Columbard, it’s off dry with 25g/l residual sugar. Pear, apple and elderflower along with a gently carbonation and lovely texture. A well balanced and refreshing wine for the summer ahead.

Fruit Basket. Yetti & the Kokonut. 2018. Eden Valley. Australia. From a 95 year old block in South Australias Eden Valley which contains 13 different grape varieties I have enjoyed this wine on several previous occasions. Revealing something different with each sip, it is a fruit salad in a glass. Sadly it didn’t reveal its true beauty tonight but I won’t let that put me off as I know how good it can be!

Chinuri. Iago Bitarishvili, 2015. Kartil. Georgia. They have been making wine in Georgia for 8.000 years or so. This is traditionally made from the indigenous Chinuri grape variety. It is an orange wine made in clay pots called qvevri. The pot is filled with grapes, buried and left for 6 months before pressing and bottling. It produces a style of wine that can divide opinion as it did on the evening but in the hands of a producer such as Iago Bitarishvilli I can’t think of a better place to start exploring these wines. It is dry with flavours of orange and pear with a touch of dried herbs. There are tannins here but nothing too heavy and the finish is incredibly long.

Basis Nobody. Matthias Warnung. 2016 Kamptal. Austria. A field blend of 90% Gruner Veltliner and 10% Zweigelt. Whole bunches are placed in a large old wooden vat for ten days. The bunches are then pressed and the wine bottled with the addition of a minimal amount of sulphur. The result is a delicate and elegant style of rosé that got better and better with each sip. Dry with lovely strawberry fruit and a touch of fennel. A very appealing wine.

Jumping Juice Half Full Red. Patrick Sullivan. 2018. Victoria. Australia. Mainly Shiraz with the addition of some Semillon and Viognier, this is an incredibly delicious and drinkable wine. For all those that think Aussie Shiraz is only a big, bold wine try this. It is so juicy with bags of soft red fruits a lovely texture and a gentle touch of savouriness on the finish. Delightful.

Blaufrankisch. Nachbil. 2016. Transylvania. Romania. To finish a very easy drinking and not unpleasant red. This wine has black fruits and is savoury and smokey. A slight sweetness to the fruit, nicely textured and a long finish.

RAW Wine Fair

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.

Greystone/Muddy Water

Greystone wines purchased Muddy Water in 2011 when the owners retired. The two sites couldn’t be any more different. Greystone is much bigger at 37 hectares and is on limestone. Muddy Water, on the other hand, is only 12 hectares and is on a clay substrate. The wine making philosophy however is very similar, both estates are certified organic and there is a philosophy of creating the best wines possible from the different terroirs.

Greystone Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Barrel fermented in old French oak. Wild fermentation. A very Loire Valley style of Sauvignon. Gentle gooseberry, nettle and delicate stone fruit. This wine is nicely balanced and has a good finish.

Muddy Water Estate Chardonnay 2015

A very nice lighter style of chardonnay which exhibits some lovely citrus fruit. Quite mineral in character.

Greystone Chardonnay 2016

A richer style of chardonnay with tropical fruit and fully integrated oak giving a nice balance to the wine. A good citrus finish.

Greystone Sand Dollar Pinot Gris 2016

Tropical and stone fruit abound in a wine which has a lovely balance of fruit and acidity. The finish is dry and lingers with subtle tropical fruit.

Greystone Sea Star Riesling 2016

A lovely bone dry style of Riesling with herby notes and apricot stone fruit. The wine has lovely texture and is well balanced. Very nice.

Greystone Riesling 2017

Off dry in style this wine is full of fresh flowers, tropical fruits and limes. There palate is rich but with crisp acidity. A very nice Riesling indeed.

Greystone Gewurtztraminer 2015

Aromas of herbs, flowers and lime make this a very appealing wine. The palate has spicy tropical fruit with a splash of Turkish delight. Another success, very drinkable indeed.

Muddy Water Estate Pinot Noir 2016

Aromas of cherry, red berry fruits and violets. The palate has cherries and red fruits with a subtle earthy element. Tannins have some grip but this is drinking well.

Greystone Pinot Noir 2016

Nose opens out to give dark cherry and vanilla. A more complex offering than the Muddy Water and perhaps with better potential to age. There are savoury notes and a nice red berry finish.

Muddy Water Estate Pinotage 2016

Aromas of black fruits, vanilla and tar. The palate has depth with soft black plummy fruit. it is smokey and savoury and nicely balanced. Very nice and a rare find in New Zealand.

Greystone Basket Star 2013 (167g/l residual sugar)

Gold in appearance. Light, fresh aromas of apricot and orange. Palate has great balance with caramelised oranges and a touch of honey. A wine of great pleasure.

Muddy Water Estate Sugar Daddy Riesling 2016 (108g/l)

Rich and complex with honey, oranges and caramel. It has great depth and richness  and is well balanced, it is a wine to savour.