Fellow Wine Lovers,
Another short week this one, with more on the horizon – we could really get quite used to these long weekends!
For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to pop in yet this week, I’ll fill you in on what you’ve missed – frankly nothing. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that everyone is taking advantage of a nice Easter break somewhere less wet than here or that you are all keenly avoiding Alex for fear of him regaling you in torturously tedious detail about how much money he won on his Phil Mickelson Masters tip. Either way, the bell above the door hasn’t tinkled as much as it usually would…
So, we’ve spent quite a lot of time reading what’s been going on in the world. Okay, in fairness we spend a lot of time every week catching up on the news, as evidenced in our amateur assessments every Friday lunchtime. On the whole, we found it quite hard to find much to report on – less coverage of the junior doctor’s strike than we thought we would find, lots of coverage of Joe Biden in Ireland and lots about that controversial Labour Party poster of Rishi Sunak.
So, realising that perhaps we should actual get on and do some work, we looked to the world of wine for our entertainment which sadly didn’t involve opening a bottle of Meursault but did involve us buying a couple of new lines.
Ferghettina Franciacorta Brut NV – £25.00
For a long time we have resisted the temptations offered by Franciacorta, on the grounds that we often found the wines to be too expensive when they arrive in the UK and consequently not terribly competitive when put up against the wines of Champagne. For those of you that don’t fancy looking at Google, let me save you the trouble. Franciacorta is a sparkling wine produced in northern Italy, from the province of the Brescia, Lombardy. Widely considered to be Italy’s finest sparkling wine due to the fact that it has more complexity and finesse than Prosecco or Moscato d’Asti, it is produced in the traditional method using Chardonnay, Pinot Nero (and occasionally a spot of Pinot Bianco), and is undoubtedly a homage to the fine sparkling wines of northern France.
Ferghettina is a family run winery, founded in 1991 (sparkling wine production in the region only started in the 1960’s) and their Brut NV is a blend of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Nero. It is aged for 30 months on it lees and has a palate laden with some citrus zing, some ripe golden apples, some floral blossom and some hazelnut too. As you can perhaps tell, we are fans….
Staying with Italy, we see the return of Le Volte dell’Ornellaia 2020 – £30.00. Whilst not officially a new line for us, the grapes in this wine were yet to have been born when we last sold this, in those halcyon pre-Covid days, it deserves to be mentioned. As the winery themselves say: Instantly enjoyable, versatile and playful, Le Volte dell’Ornellaia is all about conviviality. This bright red wine opens the door to the world of Ornellaia and simply shares the passion for quality that is experienced every day on our estate and with every sip.
So far as a tasting note is concerned, it’s hard to argue with Jane Anson’s appraisal:
“Grabs you from the first moment your nose hovers over the glass. Smudged charcoal runs into raspberry, underbrush and mandarin orange peel that speaks of Tuscan sun. Excellent quality, good persistency in the glass as it stretches out through the palate. Everything feels in balance, and this provides another indicator that 2020 is a great vintage in this corner of Italy – Le Volte is (almost) 100% Merlot but has freshness and nuance.” 93 points
Domaine Richard Saint Joseph Cuvée Prémices 2020 – £23.99. It had come to our attention that we were looking a little bit short in the Northern Rhône department so we acted immediately. This is from a family estate in the small village of Chavanay located at the heart of the Pilat, the top of the Rhône valley. 100% Syrah, this is a super fruity Saint-Joseph with light notes of red fruits and pepper, really approachable right now and a great all-rounder.
We also have a couple more wines in the pipeline but sadly they haven’t arrived in time so more fun to be had next week!
Looking ahead to the weekend, Alex now tells me that there are two things I should be aware of. Firstly, it’s International Malbec Day on Monday, which strictly speaking isn’t the weekend but does give me a guide as to what to open today. Secondly, he tells me that Escaria Ten, Cape Gentleman, A Wave of the Sea, Recite a Prayer and Born By The Sea are all at 100-1 in the Grand National tomorrow at 5.15pm. I’m not sure if he thinks he’s some sort of renascent John McCririck but frankly, I still wouldn’t touch his tips with a bargepole – I reckon Back On The Lash at 50-1 sounds far more his level!
With International Malbec Day having been mentioned, I think perhaps we should crack open a bottle of Bodegas Staphyle Iris Malbec 2021 – £9.99 for tasting later. This is from Lujan de Cuyo, which is pretty high altitude wise and home to most of the smart names in quality from Mendoza. The winery was originally built in 1930 but was fully updated in 2002 by boutique winery Bodegas Staphyle. The wine is brilliant, youthful and bright with light tannins, cherry and berry fruit characteristics and a lovely easy going finish.
For a white, a cheeky little Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa has been tugging at my sleeve. Barton Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2020 – £13.49. We like the wines from Barton and it seems you do to. The cool maritime climate of Walker Bay is ideal for Sauvignon and this one is all about green pepper, gooseberries, and grapefruit, underlined with a crisp minerality and a medium- bodied citrus finish – ideal!
That’s it from us for this week, and remember it’s another short weekend this one, with more on the horizon – we can’t really get quite used to these long weeks!
Alex & Wayne
Park Vintners
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