Iconic Swiss Varietal Tasting with Paolo Basso: Clos de Tsampéhro Tsampéhro Rouge 2011

This is another in a series of posts recounting a Tasting of Iconic Swiss Wines at DWCC2014 with Paolo Basso, the World's Best Sommelier. The wines that have been treated previously are listed at the bottom of this post. This missive covers the tasting of the Clos de Tsampéhro Tsampéhro Rouge Edition I 2011 AOC Valais. But first, a little background.

Clos de Tsampéhro is a newly reconstituted estate located in the town of Lens in the district of Sierre and the wine region of Valais. The 2013 vintage was the first under the new ownership, hence the designation Edition I. The maps below show the AOC Valais and the location of Lens and Flanthey (the name on the label) in what is colloquially referred to as the Middle Valais.

Lens and Flanthey shown in solid ovals

The climate in the Middle Valais is Mediterranean-like with 2500 hours per year of sunshine. The towering mountain slopes to the north of the region provide a rain-shadow effect for the Rhone Valley at this spot, with most of the rain deposited on the slopes on the northern side of the mountain. This keeps the valley rainfall levels to approximately 500 mm/year. Only the dry, hot wind called the Foehn can scale these mountain barriers. Temperatures range between a low of 0.2 degreesC in January and 20 degreesC in July. A significant diurnal temperature variation promotes slow and balanced grape ripening.

A soil survey and analysis was conducted in 2009 and characterized the soil as a limestone scree composed of shales, acidic, and of a sandy-loam texture.

The vineyard extends over three contiguous hectares at 600 m elevation with a length of 320 m amd a width of 115m. Slopes in the middle of the vineyard can range between 35% and 55%. Aspect is primarily south and southwest, providing excellent sun exposure for the fruit. The vines are sited on small terraces to reduce the shade from one line to the next.

Source: tsampéhro.com

Source: tsampéhro.com

The vineyard is farmed organically and biodynamically but the estate is certified in neither. The existing soil is bolstered with micro-doses of manure, as needed, and organic material from ground pruning material. The dry climate and rapidly draining soils do, on occasion, dictate irrigation which is satisfied by meltwater from surrounding alpine glaciers routed through ancient water channels.

The varieties planted on the estate are as follows:
Whites:

• Savagnin Blanc -- 1,250 square meters
• Chardonnay -- 1000 sq. meters
• Reza -- 1,250 sq meters
• The Completer -- 750 sq meters

Reds:

• Pinot Black -- 2,500 sq meters
• Cornalin -- 3,000 sq meters
• Merlot -- 4,500 sq Meters
• Cabernet Sauvignon -- 1,600 sq meters
• Cabernet Franc -- 1,400 sq meters

These vines are planted at a density of 10,000 vines/ha and are green-harvested in July and August to get to 3 to 4 bunches/vine.

The vegetative period of the 2011 vintage in Lens had well-above-normal temperatures (> 4.8 degreesC) which gave way to a long summer with dry conditions which allowed optimal flowering and berry development. It was cooler and wetter after July and a Foehn (strong, hot, dry wind) episode was recorded in late August. Weather conditions were favorable during harvest.

The Tsampéhro Rouge is a blend of Cornalin (40%), Merlot (35%), and Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc (25%). The grapes were hand-harvested and then cold-macerated. The must was inoculated with selected yeasts and fermented for 20 - 28 days in solid oak tapered bowls. The wine was then transferred to 10 hl conical oak vats for four months for MLF and development. They were racked to oak barrels for a further 24 months of aging.

Source: thomasvino.ch

A total of 6000 bottles of 750s and 150 magnums of this wine was produced.

Tasting Note -- On the nose, overripe cherries, currants, fresh strawberries, and blackpepper. On the palate a sweet character, pointing to overripeness. Extracted wine with intensity and character. Ripe, extracted tannins. Long, intense aftertaste of spice and licorice.

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Previous Iconic Swiss Varietals Tasting posts:

Leyvraz St-Saphorin Grand Cru Les Blassinges 2012
St-Jodern Kellerei Visperterminen Veritas Heida 2012 AOC Valais
Jean-René Germanier Vétroz Cayas Syrah du Valais Réserve 2009

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

La Paulée Collectors Dinner and the wines of Domaine Méo-Camuzet

The reputation of La Paulée precedes it. A decadent, boisterous celebration of Burgundy rotating annually between San Francisco and New York, it was the brainchild of Sommelier Extraordinaire Daniel Johnnes but is now, to all intents and purposes, owned by New York Chefs, New York Sommeliers, Burgundian vignerons, and Burgundy lovers from all over the US. It was held in NY this year and we were there. It was all that was promised; and more.

La Paulée initially extended over a few days but it has now grown to the point where official events stretch out over an entire week and local wine retailers milk it for almost a month. The first event that we attended was the Collectors Dinner held at ElevenMadisonPark and featuring the wines of Domaine Méo-Camuzet. Dinner would be served in the private dining room above and to the left of the main dining room (as you enter the restaurant) so, after we were relieved of our coats, we were ushered up the stairs to the check-in area.

Ron and Bev were already there and were positioned strategically at the entrance to the cocktail/dining area. After stopping at the check-in station, we joined them and were quickly accosted by a waiter offering glasses of Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2007. We were informed that this was the first place in the world that this vintage of this Champagne was being poured.

A variety of Canapés were served during the cocktail hour and were consumed with delight by the arriving attendees. After much socializing and imbibing, we were invited to take our seats. Daniell Johnnes, in the introduction, mentioned that this particular dinner used to be held on the weekend (and used to be the highlight of the weekend). Given the growth of La Paulée, it had now been pushed back to Wednesday night.

The first course served was a Cyclopean (my word) Oyster Vichyssoise with Caviar which was accompanied by additional copious amounts of Delamotte.

The second course was Lobster Poached with Daikon Radish and Citrus accompanied by a Champagne Salon 1983 en magnum. We were informed that the Champagne House only had 24 of these mags in its cellar and five had been sent to this event. The wine had been disgorged in June 2012. The 1983 vintage had experienced bad spring and winter weather but had been very good for Champagne, with high acidity and excellent sugar levels in the fruit being the order of the day.

The lobster was exceptional and bolstered by the Salon with its notes of orange rind, citrus, distant bread, tropical fruit, and green apple. Excellent acidity and mousse.

At the conclusion of the second course, Jean-Nicolas Méo, the winemaker at Domaine Méo-Camuzet, was introduced to talk about his estate and the wines on offer for the dinner. He began by noting that his domaine is both recent and old. Old in that the vineyard has been in the family since its founding by Etienne Camuzet in the early 1900s but recent in that producing its own wines is a relatively recent endeavor. His father, Jean Méo, inherited the estate upon the death of his aunt in 1959. Jean-Nicolas came to Burgundy in 1989 to run the estate and encountered Henri Jayer, one of the sharecroppers working on the estate -- and a brilliant winemaker in his own right -- and learned at his feet.

In Jean-Nicolas' view, Burgundy has changed dramatically over the past 25 years: Vintages seem to have been more difficult in the last few years and have been cooler. He sees 2006 as the end of an era. It was a ripe vintage which was harvested at the end of September. It was high in alcohol but balanced and not as lush as the 2005. It is a vintage which has evolved slowly. He wished us an enjoyable dinner.

The third course was a Foie Gras marinated with Black Truffle and Purple Potato accompanied by a quartet of 2006 Méo-Camuzet wines:

• Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Chaumes
• Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Aux Murgers
• Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
• Corton Grand Cru Clos Rognet

The wines yielded a spectrum of different aromas and flavors. The Vosne-Romanée showed coconut and spice, strawberries, savoriness and a slight phenolic note. It had strawberry cherry on the palate, excellent weight, and was balanced with a nice, round mouthfeel. The Nuits-St.-George was unyielding on the nose with spice and a slight creaminess on the palate. This wine was non-complex. The Clos Vougeot yielded strawberry, with a lemon tinge, tobacco, leather, spice, dill, and tree bark. Length and intensity wanting. The Corton showed pinot fruit, coffee, and mocha on the nose and power and weight on the palate. Great length and intensity. Still young.

The next course was Celery Root Braised with Black Truffle. The wines were from the Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Brûlées climat and were produced in the years 2002, 1999, and 1990. The wines were served youngest to oldest in this flight, an approach that differs from my preference. The dish was excellent. The 2002 Les Brûlées showed strawberry, spice, dried herbs, and rosemary. Vibrant. Jumped off the palate. Chewy. Long, herby, savory finish. This turned out to be the wine of the flight. The 1999 Les Brûlées exhibited strawberries, spice, walnut, coffee, and mocha. Savoriness on palate. Finish could have been longer. Strawberry, vanilla, and elegance were the hallmarks of the 1990 Les Brûlées along with a marked color differential. Blackpepper on palate. Evolved. Slight bitterness. Finish interruptus.

The meat course was Venison Roasted with Parsnip and Mushrooms braced by Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Cros Parantoux (1999 and 1988) and Richebourg Grand Cru (1999 and 1988) wines. Prior to the start of the course, Jean-Nicolas rose once again to describe the wines. He sees these two wines as being flagships of the domaine. He thinks that the 1999 shows "tight" at this time but is the greatest vintage that he has ever made. Nineteen eighty-eight was Henri Jayer's last year and so this vintage is made unfiltered. His (Jean-Nicolas) style is a little more "hands on."

The 1988 Richebourg exhibited deep red fruit, rhubarb, créme brulée, spice, earth, and vanilla. Weight and intensity on the palate. Long, savory finish. This is still a young wine. The 1988 Parantoux was corked. The 1999 Richebourg had a nose of classic Pinot fruit and spice. A little shoe polish. Delivers on the palate. Great intensity and life. Long, spicy finish. A young wine. The 1999 Parantoux was open and less finely honed than the other wines in this flight. Still young though. Overall the Richebourgs were better wines than the Cros Parantouxs in this flight. Slightly disappointing for me as I have a romantic attachment (Jayer-inspired) to the Parantoux.

Sorbet with Crème Fraîche and Maldon Salt
Shortbread

This was an excellent event. Fifty-three Burgundy devotees, excellent food, great wines, and one of the leading winemakers in the world explaining his wines to us. Daniel Johnnes invited the Chef, Daniel Humm, to take a bow for the excellent fare that he had placed before us. We showed our appreciation for his great work. What a start to our La Paulée.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Domaine de La Romanée-Conti 2012 Vintage Preview: A La Paulée tasting with Aubert de Villaine

One of the most highly anticipated events of the 2015 edition of La Paulée de New York was the Domaine de La Romanée-Conti (DRC) 2012 Vintage Preview which was to be held at Daniel and led by the Domaine's co-Director Aubert de Villaine. This event was the first sold out because: (i) of the high esteem in which the Domaine and its wines are held; (ii) it was going to be the first public tasting of this vintage since its bottling; and (iii) given the size of the vintage, there were probably not going to many tasting opportunities of this type in the future. Four of the Domaine's labels were scheduled to be included in the tasting.

Daniel Johnnes (La Paulée founder and Sommelier extraordinaire) introduced the event and then turned the floor over to Jack Daniels, principal of Wilson Daniels, DRCs US importer. Jack added his words of welcome -- to include that the wines had been opened 40 minutes prior and apologizing beforehand for the fact that allocations for this vintage were going to be exceedingly low. He then yielded to Aubert who began with an extensive discusssion of the vintage conditions.

According to Aubert, 2012 had been a vintage of constant change. It was warm in March but then became cold and rainy in April, making it very difficult to work in the vineyards. The vines flowered in the cold weather leading to millerandage. The weather became warm again in June but a heat wave therein caused the loss of some berries. The weather became better in July but then August brought storms. The berries experienced rapid sugar gains in the August- September period. There was no sign of botrytis so they waited to harvest and eventually began on September 21st. It rained for two days during harvest and remained cold. The berry skins were thick, however, and, in addition, the soil did not transfer water to the berries. The final 2012 crop was one-half to one-third the size of a healthy crop.

The wines tasted at the event were as follows:

• DRC Échézeaux Grand Cru 2012
• DRC Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru 2012
• DRC La Tâche Grand Cru Monople 2012
• DRC Romanée-Conti Grand Cru Monople 2012

The Échézeaux exhibited pale strawberry, creaminess, and leather on the nose. On the palate ripe Pinot fruit, attractive levels of acidity, spice, balance, and great length. Slight astringency and long, drying finish.

The RSV was less structured than the Échézeaux. On the nose a floral rose aroma along with ripe Pinot fruit, vanilla, and a hint of reduction. On the palate ripe fruit, complexity, and a long, sweet finish. Somewhat reserved and mysterious. A sense of something hidden.

The La Tâche exhibited layered Pinot fruit, richness, wax, and earth. On the palate strawberry, hot spices, baking spice and a long finish.

The Romanée-Conti had cherry, tree bark, and baking spice on the nose to go along with hot spice and savoriness on the palate. Complexity and power. Long, balanced finish.

In his summarization of the tasting Aubert indicated that the 2012 DRCs had a tendency towards reduction. They had persistence and depth on the palate and are all approachable at this time. They were recently bottled and he was surprised at how well they have taken to the bottle. They are still young but, even at this early stage, are already displaying their individual characteristics:

• Échézeaux: character
• RSV: an elegant nose yet austere and hard in the mouth
• La Tâche: layering
• La Romanée-Conti: reserved complexity.

He saw the wines of the vintage as being somewhat akin to those of 1991 and 1992 but cautions that we should take them as they are.

Aubert then turned the proceedings back over to Daniel Johnnes for the closing and he reminded us that these wines were th epitome of terroir wines in that they are farmed and vinified similarly yet exhibit such different characteristics.

These wines were all of exceptional quality and will bring years of pleasure to those "fortunate" enough to acquire (now) and drink (later) from the miniscule stock.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Iconic Swiss Varietals Tasting with Paolo Basso: Jean-René Germanier Vétroz Cayas Syrah du Valais Réserve 2009

In this post I continue the tale of the DWCC14 Iconic Swiss Varietals tasting led by Paolo Basso, the World's Best Sommelier. The wines reported on previously are listed at the bottom of the post. The wine treated herein is the 2009 Jean-René Germanier Vétroz Cayas Syrah du Valais Réserve AOC Valais. This was not the third wine tasted at the event. I have diverged from the tasting order so that the AOC Valais wines can be presented sequentially. As I have done in the previous posts, I will provide background on the region, winery, and wine prior to providing the tasting notes.

The Valois AOC has been described previously. Vétroz is a commune within Valais with vineyards on the lower hillside, below the commune of Conthey, and on the alluvial cone of the Lizeme in Balavaud. The south-facing hillside vineyard covers an area of 144 ha and is sited on black shale (formed from marine sediments deposited between 160 and 170 million years ago) and glacial moraines. The Balavaud portion is 67 ha in size and its soil is comprised primarily of large pebbles.

The primary varieties grown in the commune are:

• Reds
• Gamay (21%)
• Pinot Noir (18%)
• Syrah
• Gamaret
• Whites
• Fendant (Local name for Chasselas -- 23%)
• Amigne (16%)
• Petite Arvine
• Johanisberg
• Muscat
• Malvoisie

Wines with the following characteristics are allowed to refer to themselves on the label as Grand Cru de Vétroz:

• White varieties: Chasselas or Amigne grown in the 1st zone
• Red varieties: Pinot Noir or Gamay grown in the 1st or 2nd zones
• Vine age: > 7 years
• Vine density: 7000 vines/ha.

Location of Vétroz wineries (Source:www.grands-crus.ch)

Jean-René Germanier was founded in 1896 by Urban Germanier and until the 1940s, wine was the hallmark of the enterprise. The establishment switched its focus to liqueurs in the 1940s but re-oriented to the grape beginning in the 1980s. It is currently helmed by third-generation enologist Jean-René Germanier and his nephew Gilles Besse. The average age of the vines is 35 years and the estate is working towards organic certification. The winery produces a number of classic AOC Valais wines as well as a number of blends and Reserve wines.

The Cayas Syrah du Valais is 100% Syrah made from grapes grown on shale soil in Balavaud, Vétroz, and Chamoson et Fully. The grapes are macerated for 10 days prior to a 20-day alcoholic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation and aging occur in 50% new oak barrels.

Tasting Notes -- On the nose balsamic, vanilla, blackpepper, meat, gaminess. On the palate, round, dusky, sweet sensation. Ripe fruit. Savory mid-palate. Rich, young tannins. Great acidity. Long, intense finish with vanilla and balsamic aftertaste.


Previous Iconic Swiss Varietals Tasting posts
Leyvraz St-Saphorin Grand Cru Les Blassinges 2012
St-Jodern Kellerei Visperterminen Veritas Heida 2012 AOC Valais


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

El Carajo International Tapas and Wine (Miami, FL): Excellent food where you buy gas

What do you get when you divert a 1,925-mile-long raging torrent into a narrow, bounded canal which has its own tributaries and whose own flow is regulated by locks which open and close on a regular basis? You get the point in Miami where I-95, the longest North-South highway in the union (passing through 15 states between its origin point in Maine and its terminus in Florida), ends ignominuously at Route 1 in the vicinty of SW 32nd Road, dumping its contents unceremoniously on the already frustrated and harried travelers plying that route. But you also get, just a block or so further west (at 2465 SW 17th Avenue), El Carajo International Tapas and Wine, a standout in the burgeoning foodie industry segment designated as Gas Station Restaurants.

Both CNN.com and The Washington Post have published articles within the past year describing the Gas Station Restaurant trend and profiling some of the practitioners. Filling stations are viewed as attractive restaurant sites because their locations on street corners provide good visibility and great access. In many cases ownership of the two enterprises are divergent and co-location can provide benefits to both parties:

• The gas station owner gets help with overhead costs
• The restaurant gets a relatively inexpensive space with guaranteed foot traffic
• Customers get to eat great food in a "surprisingly" pleasant environment.

I heard about El Carajo from Andres Montoya, the owner of The Wine Barn, who visited the establishment when he was in Miami recently for that city's installment of the Bordeaux UGC 2015 Tasting Tour. He spoke glowingly of the food and wines and expressed amazement at the location of the venue. Words like "non-descript" and "gas station" peppered his discourse. It sounded like an adventure so I made a mental note to visit the next time I was in town. That opportunity presented itself last weekend when I travelled south for the South Beach Food and Wine Festival.

So there I was on Friday afternoon. Dumped unceremoniously from I-95 into the unmoving traffic on Route 1. I was familiar with this road. I had had many a traffic-laden trip on it on my way to Coconut Grove. The traffic here is relentless. Suddenly my GPS announced "You have reached your destination." I had been busily chatting away but paused to look for the establishment. I saw no sign of food or a food establishment. There was a gas station over to my right but it did not look promising. But, again, it was the only gas station around so I made a right turn into the cross street and pulled warily into the entrance. There were quite a few cars parked at the site. More than one would expect at a "normal" gas station. I wedged my car into the only available "parking space" and headed for the building entrance.

According to NPR, El Carajo is a bakery, wine store, and restaurant that was founded by Richard Fonseca and which he currently operates along with his wife and three sons.The Chef is one Luis Barbosa whose tapas, paellas, grilled meats, cakes, and large portions are legendary.

The first impression that you get stepping through the entrance is that you have entered the ultimate retail wine warehouse. Bottles of wine are everywhere. The convenience store/gas pump checkout is to the left as you enter with the deli/bakery off to the far right.

A passageway leads from the forward commercial areas to a more dimly lit section of the establishment. A bar consisting of high-top tables and seating on both sides is at the far end of this hallway while the restaurant seating areas are positioned to its right and left.

At the table, the menus were rolled up into tightly wound cylinders the shapes of which were maintained by a thin rope tied around the circumference. It was cute but reading it was a constant battle as it struggled valiantly to return to its accustomed position (rather than yield up the secrets of its offerings). When I was finally able to view the menu in its totality, the contents were truly impressive, both in terms of the number of items on offer and the reasonableness in terms of cost. You need time to fully digest its contents.

I started out with a Galician Soup whose components included Smoked Pork, Sausage, Bacon, Bok Choy, Serrano Ham, and White Beans. It was heavenly. It was almost a meal by itself. By the way, the corkage fee was very reasonable so I accompanied the soup with a bottle of Maison L'Orée Meursault Premier Cru Charmes that I just happened to have in my wine bag. I followed the soup up briskly with a hot Tapas called Fufú de Cangrejo (Savory Mashed Plantains Topped with Fresh Crab prepared in a Spicy Enchilada).

Platinos

I rounded out my meal with an order of Costillas Canarias -- six succulent and perfectly seasoned Grilled Ribs accompanied by an authentic spicy Canarias sauce. This was a huge portion. I could not handle it in total. I meekly ate what I could and nudged the remainder gently to the edge of the table.

There is a lot of energy at this establishment. The food is good. The staff is friendly and helpful. You can bring your own wine if you desire but do not fear if you forget the bag at home. They have more than enough to fulfill your needs.The timeliness of the service is not 5-star but, what the heck, you are in a gas station. This is a do-over.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

42-label Sine Qua Non tasting: The white wines

Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non (SQN) introduced his winemaking style and variety preferences in a 1994 4.5 barrel offering and, since that initial vintage, his wines have become some of the most sought after in the trade with managed access to limited production (approximately 3500 cases annually) and sky-high auction prices being the order of the day. Manfred's recent accident, and no definitive information as to his prognosis, has filled the wine world with a sense of dread and is further fueling the upward price pressure.  To honor the potency of the legacy that he and his wife Elaine have created, and to show solidarity with Manfred and his family during these trying times, wineontheway.com organized and hosted a tasting of 42 SQN wines at Luma in Winter Park on January 31, 2015. The wines included in the tasting are shown below. In this post I will cover the white wines tasted.

Whites	Reds	Sweets
2008 Kolibri	2004 Poker Face Syrah	2006 Noble Man Chardonnay
2009 On the Lam	2004 Into the Dark Grenache	2006 The Strawman Roussanne
2010 The Monkey	2004 Ode to E Syrah	2007 To the Rescue Grenache
2011 The Moment	2004 Ode to E Grenache	2008 Jinete Bajo Roussanne
2012 In the Abstract	2005 Atlantis Fe 203 1A Syrah
2012 Pearl Clutcher	2005 Atlantis Fe 203 2A Grenache
	2005 11th Nail in my Cranium Syrah
	2005 The Naked Truth Grenache
	2006 Raven Series Syrah
	2006 Raven Series Grenache
	2006 A Shot in the Dark Syrah
	2006 In the Crosshairs Grenache
	2007 Labels Syrah
	2007 Pictures Grenache
	2007 Dangerous Birds Syrah
	2007 Dangerous Birds Grenache
	2008 B-20 Syrah
	2008 The Line Grenache
	2008 The Duel Syrah
	2008 The Duel Grenache
	2009 Upside Down Grenache
	2009 The Thrill of Stamp Collecting Syrah
	2009 This is NOT an Exit Grenache
	2009 This is NOT an Exit Syrah
	2010 Five Shooter Grenache
	2010 Five Shooter Syrah
	2010 Stockholm Syndrome Grenache
	2010 Stockholm Syndrome Syrah
	2011 Dark Blossom Grenache
	2011 Dark Blossom Syrah
	2001 Midnight Oil Syrah
	2002 Just for the Love of it Syrah

Early SQN wines were produced from grapes sourced from Alban, Stolpman, Babcock, and Bien Nacido Vineyards, among others, but, as shown in the table below, with the passage of time, Krankl has developed his own fruit sources. Syrah and Chardonnay were still being sourced from White Hawk and Bien Nacido Vineyards with the latter also being the home to laboratory blocks of the main Rhone varieties.

	11 Conf.	Cumulus	The Third               Twin	Molly Aida
Status	Owned	Owned	Owned	Owned
Size	22 acres	6 acres
Location	Santa Rita  Hills AVA	Oak View  (Ventura)	Santa Ynez  AVA	Tepusquet Canyon
Planted	2001	2004, 2008	2010
Climate	Cool	Warm	Moderate
Soils		Sandy	Sandy
Varieties	Syrah (10  acres) Grenache  (8 acres) Roussanne  (3 acres) Viognier  (1 acre)	Syrah  (2.5 acres) Grenache  (2.5 acres) Roussanne  (1 acre) Petite Manseng Touriga Nacional Mourvedre Petit Sirah	Syrah Petit Sirah	Mourvedre
Planting  Density	2420  vines /acre	4350 vines/acre
Yield	1.5 tons /acre
Roots	N/A	Own-rooted	Own-rooted

We arrived at the tasting as scheduled and stood in awe of the number of wines arrayed before us on the tasting table. A total of 18 persons were participating with the whites and dessert wines set up more informally but the full range of reds had been poured for each position. There was a lot of work ahead. A lot of work had been ongoing since pouring began at 2:30 pm. It was now 6:00 pm.

The white wines were stationed on a table to the back and side of the main table and participants were poured the five wines sequentially.

2008 Kolibri, 2009 On the Lam, 2010 The Monkey, 2011 The
Moment, 2012 In the Abstract, and 2012 Pearl Clutcher (L to R)

Adam Chilvers of wineontheway.com pouring one of the whites

Bev, Parlo, and Gigi Chilvers

Usual suspects

The fruit sources, blend components, and aging regimes for the whites tasted are illustrated in the chart below.

	2008 Kolibri	2009 On  the Lam	2010 The Monkey	2011 The Moment	2012 In the Abstract	2012 Pearl Clutcher
Fruit Source Estate Bought	82% 18% (Bien Nacido)	11 Conf Bien Nacido			11 C + Cum  Bien Nacido	- Bien Nacido
Varieties Roussanne Viognier Chardonnay Petit Manseng	69% - 31%	48% 18% 34%		57% 7% 17% 19%	31% 16% 37% 16%	- 100%
Aging Regime New French Used Concrete eggs Stainless steel	25% 75% X			X X X X	27% 48% 25%	92% 8%
Aging Period					19 months	19 months

Conf = Confessions; Cum = Cumulus

Before turning to the tasting notes, let's examine some of the considerations associated with the wines. According to http://www.winelit.slsa.sa.gov.au/grapeswines.htm, the characteristics of the indicated varietals are as follows:

• Marsanne
• Distinguished by its high alcohol level and deep color
• Light, dry short-living varietal produced in France; more body and character in new world settings
• Does not usually age well
• Addition of juice from Roussanne results in a more aromatic, delicate, and interesting wine
• Viognier
• Adds full body, spiciness, peach, apricot, honeysuckle
• Chardonnay
• Fruity bouquet of peaches and melon from warmer regions with more acidity and freshness on its fruit palate
• Petit Manseng (Appellation America and vindefrance-cepage.org)
• Best known for the production of sweet wines in its native France
• Aromatic, with peach, citrus, cinnamon, and tropical fruit notes most notable
• Great acid retention

And now on to the notes. It should be noted that these wines did not get the exposure to oxygen that the red wines did (and in many cases it seemed as though that would have helped).

2008 Kolibri -- Pungency on the nose along with coconut, marmalade, walnuts, roasted nuts, and almonds. Oily texture, weighty on the palate. Big. Rich. Heat. Spicy.

2009 On the Lam -- Aromatic. Sweet white flowers, nutty, herbs, thyme, and parsley. Weighty on the palate with hint of petrol. Spicy red pepper.

2010 The Monkey -- Nuts, spice, white flowers on the nose. Rich and oily on the palate. Slight phenolic note and saline character. Hearty savoriness.

2011 The Moment -- Juicy fruit, aromatic nose. On the palate burnt orange, rich, thick. A little more acid than I have encountered to date. Smoke and pepper.

2012 In the Abstract -- Tropical fruits, orange, creme brulee, walnut, pine, beer, green bark. Almost Burgundian on the nose. On the palate spice, nut, oily. Great texture. Long, oily finish.

2012 Pearl Clutcher -- Vanilla, spice, oiliness, smoke, pepper. On the palate smooth, velvet texture but with weight. Tobacco and nutty flavors on palate. Hurrah for acidity.

In all honesty I prefer my white wines light on their feet and with near-searing acidity. I like Assyrtiko and Roulot Meursault. These were not those wines but I would have liked to have revisited them two days later. I just thought I would throw that out there.

Next up? The reds of course.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Iconic Swiss Varietals tasting with Paolo Basso: St-Jodern Kellerei Visperterminen Veritas Heida 2012 AOC Valais

One of the highlights of the 2014 DWCC Conference was a tasting of Iconic Swiss Varietals with noted sommelier Paolo Basso. I reported on the background of the tasting and the first wine tasted in a prior post and will cover the environment around the second wine and the tasting notes in this post. The second wine tasted was the St-Jodern Kellerei Visperterminen Veritas Heida 2012 from the Valais AOC.

Valais AOC is the largest Swiss wine region, stretching 120 m along the right bank of the Rhone river and encompassing a surface area of 5259 ha. Fully half of the country's wine is produced therein.

Source: swisscellars.com

The climate is continental with cold winters, hot summers, and an autumn warmth which -- in combination with the Foehn wind -- favors the maturation of late-ripening varieties. The region is one of the driest in Switzerland with annual rainfall averaging 600 mm.

The main portion of the vineyard is situated in the 50-km space between Mantigny and Sierre where elevations range between 450 and 800 m but, in the commune of Visperterminen, elevations can reach up to 1150 m, some of the highest vineyard elevations in Europe. The vineyards are owned by a total of 23,000 landholders and are located on a variety of soil types. The primary varieties in the region are Pinot Noir, Chasselas, and Gamay.

Located at the entrance to the Visper Valley, Visperterminen is home to some of the highest vineyards in Europe. The lowest vines are planted at 600 m on the banks of the Vispa from where the vineyard rises steeply -- defined by short terraces with dry stone walls -- to elevations in excess of 100m. The south-facing slopes cover 42 ha of limestone-infused clay and sand soils.

Vineyards of Visperterminen. Source: swissinfo.ch

Visperterminen is also famous for the Heida variety, a small. low-yielding grape that is also known as Paien in the region and Savagnin blanc and Traminer farther afield (Other synonyms includee Nature and Gelber Traminer). This ancient grape, whose origins lie in the sub-alpine regions of eastern France, is grown own-rooted or grafted in Visperterminen and its wines are sometimes referred to as the "pearl of the Alpine wines."

Now back to the wine. The Heida Veritas is produced by St. Jodern Kellerei, a coop established in 1980 to produce and market the wines of the growers in Visperterminen and Visperta. The coop has 500 members and produces 18 different wines in 400,000 bottles from 300,000 liters of wine.

The grapes for the wine are grown on a 0.4-ha plot on lightweight, dry moraine and slate soils. The 100-year-old, Gobelet-trained vines are planted at 9000 vines/ha and are farmed after an integrated production philosophy.

The grapes are destemmed and macerated for 8 hours prior to fermentation. Fermentation is conducted in concrete eggs using selected yeasts. After fermentation the wine is aged on the lees for 6 to 8 months with lees-stirring. The wines are gently filterd prior to bottling.

Notes: This wine exhibited ripe fruit on the nose with pineapple, lychee, overripe peaches, banana, and dried aporicot being the most notable. Rich and warm in the mouth with a savory palate. Round with a long finish. Elegant.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme