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Red Herring Wine Club News

 

 

Dopff Au Moulincelebrates 450 years 

 

The Riquewihr-based Alsatian house Dopff 'Au Moulin' is 450 years old and has a series of celebrations throughout 2024.  Members will recall the outstanding tutorial presented last year to the Club which included the rare Grand Cru.

 

Dopff 'Au Moulin' have created a number of firsts for the wines of Alsace since 1574 including the famous sparkling wine, Crémant d'Alsace.  This year it is to launch an Anniversary Cuvée and introduce a signature cocktail.  It will also hold tastings which will include historic vintages back to the 1944 harvest.

 

 

 

Club's Honorary Treasurer Retirement

 

Doug Keating has retired as the Club's Honorary Treasurer and to mark the occasion, the Club arranged a specially commissioned pair of fish symbol cufflinks by the leading designer Brett Payne.  The gift was presented to Doug during the recent Bordeaux tasting at Panter and Hall.

 

 

Doug receiving his gift from Conal Gregory, the Club's Chaiman.

 

 

Doug showing the contents of his gift to the attendees at the tasting.

 

 

 

 

Doug's gift being admired by current  Club Committee members Richard Peatfield (left) and Nick Seymour (right).

 

 

Following the tasting, the Club received the following letter from Doug; 

 

Dear Conal,

 

It was good to see you yesterday evening and I am pleased that the Red Herring Wine Club is still going strong and hope it will continue to do so for many years yet.

 

Mainly, though, I wanted to send you my sincere and heartfelt thanks for the wonderful silver herring cuff-links by Brett Payne. I am delighted with them and will always think of you and Red Herring when wearing them. In particular we dress up when performing a concert with the choir so I will get plenty of opportunities to wear them. (Many of our music scores are from the Eboracum Popular Choral Series so another reminder of York!)

 

Please keep in touch and I look forward to attending the occasional tasting to say hello.

 

Many thanks and my best wishes,

 

Doug.

 

 

 

Early 2024 Wine News

 

Penedes first to be organic

 

The Catalonian district of Penedes plans to be the first appellation in the world to become entirely organic in 2025.  Its President, Joan Huguet, said he felt organic wines were "better for our landscape, more healthy and more sustainable."  Currently 1 million bottles of sparkling and 18 million bottles of still wine are produced, notably from the autochthonous Xarel-lo vine.  The regulation will make organic practice compulsory if the Penedes name is to be used on labels.

 

 

Veuve Clicquot under water

 

 

Champagne House Veuve Clicquot (part of LVMH) is experimenting with storing bottles in the sea.  The idea came from the discovery of Veuve Clicquot which had been in a Baltic Sea shipwreck dating from 1852.  Recent tastings of the 19th century Champagne showed the wine to be in a remarkably good condition which is explained by the lack of light, absence of oxygen, high pressure and consistently cold temperature.

 

 

Computer with a great palate

 

Scientists at the University of Geneva have devised a computer programme which can reveal where the vines were cultivated in a glass of red wine.  They believe the secrets of the terroir (geology, microclimate, vineyard position) can be unveiled.  The analysis should give confidence to genuine wines as opposed to counterfeit bottles.  The process uses gas chromatography.  The research involved 73 wines from seven Bordeaux properties across different harvests.

 

 

Celebrity  wine

 

 

The growth in wines made or endorsed by celebrities continues apace.  The latest is Finnish Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas who has teamed up with Oliver's Taranga Vineyards in Australia's McLaren Vale.  The wine is called Ihana which means "wonderful" and "lovely" and is a Shiraz.  Bottas used his free time between racing to visit different wine regions.  The new line is restricted to 5,000 bottles.

 

 

New Cava levels

 

Spain's popular Cava (sparkling wine made by the Traditional method) now has a new set of vineyard and production laws.  The new label names as for a Cava de Guarda for younger sparkling wines which spend up to nine months on the lees and Cava de Guarda Superior where the minimum ageing period is double at 18 months.  It is also possible to show other terms: Reserva (18 months ageing), Paraje Calificado (36 months).  All wines labelled Guarda Superior must declare their vintage and date of disgorgement.  Colour coding will help consumer recognition.

 

 

 

Star of the Douro - Quinta da Pedra Alta

 

 

Pedro Patricio, Trade Counsellor, welcomes the Club to the the Portuguese Chancery in Belgravia for the Quinta da Pedra Altra tasting presented by Andy Brown.

 

 

Andy Brown providing the history and background of Quinta da Pedra Altra to the members and guests during the Club's December tasting.

 

 

 

Winter Wine News

 

New Grape Varieties for Bordeaux

 

Since spring 2021, Bordeaux growers have been able to plant six new varieties: two whites (Alvarinho and Liliorila) and four reds (Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan and Touriga Nacional) provided they do not exceed 5% of the total area planted or over 10% of a blend.  Their names cannot be disclosed on the label!

 

The new regulation is to find vines which adapt to the Bordeaux geology with climate change.  However, only 150ha have been planted, largely of Marselan (a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon with Grenache Noir made in 1961).  It is usually found in Uruguay, Brazil, China, Spain and Languedoc.

 

 

Wine jars 5,000 years old

 

A tomb complex at Abydos in the Egyptian desert, west of the Nile, has revealed wine jars that have been dated back 5,000 years.  The archaeologists were excavating the tomb of Meret-Neith, dating from the first dynasty of ancient Egypt.

 

 

First wine harvest at 'Downton Abbey'

 

Highclere Castle, the Hampshire site for the television series Downton Abbey, has harvested its first vines.  Lord Carnarvon planted one hectare of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in 2018 after finding their walled garden had perfect chalky soil.  Heavy rain adversely affected the Chardonnay.  The plan is to make a pink sparkling wine of 4,000 bottles annually and the name "Chateau Highclere" has been registered.

 

 

New Austrian classification

 

Austria has approved a new vineyard classification which allows top sites to be designated Grosse Lage (equivalent to Grand Cru) or Erste Lage (equivalent to Premier Cru).  The 77 members of the Traditional Wine Estates of Austria say the new classification will help consumers to more easily understand Austria's vineyards and wine.

 

 

Sparkling choice from bass player

 

Alex James, the Blur bass player, has launched a sparkling wine in conjunction with Furleigh Estate based in Dorset.  It joins his Britpop range.  Furleigh was first planted in 2005 by two actuaries, Ian and Rebecca Edwards.  It lies on a former dairy fam at Salway Ash, Bridport and covers 16ha.  Oz Clarke described its 2009 as having "fabulous creamy, bread-crust savoury richness...(and) vivid, bracing acidity" (Oz Clarke English Wine).

 

 

Hospices de Beaune organic conversion

 

Arguably the world's most famous wines sold at auction - made by the Hospices de Beaune in the heart of Burgundy - has announced the completion of three year project to convert its lands to organic farming.  The 60ha estate is split into parcels which have been bequeathed to the Hospices in perpetuity.  Each November the newly fermented wine is auctioned with the proceeds benefitting the charity.

 

 

Hambledon sold

 

England's oldest commercial vineyard, Hambledon, has been purchased by wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd and Port producer Symington Family Estates for £22.3m.  Hambledon was planted in 1952 by Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, very close to the birthplace of cricket on Broadhalfpenny Down in Hampshire.  It was acquired by Ian Kellett in 1999 when the vines were only four hectares and today exceed 200ha with a modern winery.  Hambleton featured as one of the sparkling wines at the Club's tasting which compared UK sparkling wines with Champagne.

 

 

 

 

Wonders of Alsace - Dopff Au Moulin

 

 

The Club returned to St. Mary's Moorgate for an evening of Alsace wines from producer Dopff Au Moulin tutored by Etienne-Arnaud Dopff, 13th generation Head of Dopff Au Moulin.

 

The evening commenced with two sparkling Crémant wines then progressed through the classic Alsace grape varieties - Pinot Gris, Riesling (including one not yet commercially available) and Gewurztraminer.   Etienne thanked the Club for the organisation and the enthusiasm of the Red Herring members attending the event.

 

 

 

Sassicaia - The Icon Wine of  Italy

 

 

The Club visited the London Welsh Centre to taste a stunning white wine, Broglia Gavi di Gavi, and then no less than 8 vintages of the Italian Iconic wine - Sassicaia.  The Sassicaias shown were from eight successive vintages from 1999 to 2006 and would cost around £15,500 to replace!

 

 Master of Wine, Andy Howard (who runs his own wine consultancy Vinetrades and contributes to both Decanter Magazine and the website JancisRobinson.com) returned to the Club to tutor the tasting following the Chateau Mouton-Rothschild tasting of a couple of years ago.

 

 

 

English & Welsh Fizz v Champagne

 

 

The English and Welsh sparkling wines and Champagne tasted at the September tasting.

 

 

The Enchanting Loire Valley

 

 

Chris Hardy, Managing Director of Charles Sydney Wines (left) discussing the Loire Valley wines with Club member, Simon English (right).

 

 

Wines of Bohemia

 

 

The Club was delighted to visit the Embassy of the Czech Republic for a special tasting of wines of Bohemia which was tutored by Alzbeta 'Betty' Sutera.  Betty was born in south-east Moravia and studied viticulture and winemaking before moving to the UK.  She is the founder and CEO of Wines of Bohemia, based in Bath.

 

The wines included a Traditional-made sparkling Riesling/Pinot Blanc (Bohemia Sekt), a crisp 2020 Sylvaner from Svoboda, a late harvest Pinot Blanc 2020 and a wine made from the little known Palava vine (a crossing between Gewurztraminer and Mueller-Thurgau).  The nine wines shown concluded with a delicious sweet Gewurztraminer 2019.

 

 

Alzbeta (Betty) Sutera

 

 

Wine News

 

French help for vine growers

 

A fund worth £132m has been awarded by the French Government to assist French vine growers who have had to uproot vines following the over-production of wine.  Part of the financial help comes from EU sources to launch a distillation campaign.  Some estimate that up to 3m hectolitres need to be distilled for perfume and bioethanol.

 

 

 

Château Minuty from Provence

 

A majority purchase of Provence producer Château Minuty has been made by luxury group LVMH (which owns Moet and Krug).  The company also owns leading rose maker Château d'Esclans.

 

Minuty was established under Napoleon III and lies in the St. Tropez peninsula.  It has received Grand Cru Classe Côtes-de-Provence status since 1955. 

 

 

 

Wine market in China falls

 

Wine production in China was 214m litres in 2022, a fall of 21.9%.  This was not compensated byimported wine which fell by 21.1% to 340m litres.  The highest production in China in recent years was the 2012 vintage.

 

 

 

 

Organic Wine Growth

 

Organic wines are predicted to be worth almost £4bn by 2027, according to Technavio, with Europe contributing over one-third of the growth.  The major producers are Spain (27% of the market), France (25%) and Italy (24%), according to the OIV.  Far smaller production is made by the US (3.6%), Turkey (2%) and Germany (2%).

 

 

 

English sparkling under the water

 

Rathfinny, based at Alfriston in East Sussex, has always been at the forefront of innovation.  It was first planted on chalk slopes near Eastbourne in 2012 with 10,000 trees to create windbreaks. Mark and Sarah Driver appointed an NZ vineyard manager and a French winemaker.  Their latest venture is to age the sparkling wine for six months under water. A stock of Rathfinny's Classic Cuvee 2018 has been submerged at 30m depth at 66 degrees N, almost inside the Arctic Circle, to see the effect of cool conditions, pressure and little light.  Driver said the result arrested the development of the wine under cork and maintain its freshness.  Now he is to try storing for a longer period prior to the wine being served aboard Hurtigruten cruise ships.

 

 

 

New 'ocean-friendly' cork

 

One of Sicily's leading wine producers, Donnafugata, is the first to use an innovative closure from plastic salvaged from coastal sites in south-east Asia.  The eco-conscious cork (called Nomacorc Ocean) has been applied to Damarino Sicilia Bianco DOC which is a blend of Ansonica, Catarratto and other autochthonous vines; other wines in their portfolio will also use the closure.  Already the decision has resulted in 1.15 tonnes of ocean-bounded plastic being recycled.

 

 

 

Burgundy purchase by Bollinger

 

The Champagne house of Bollinger has acquired Château d'Etroyes which lies in the Mercurey and Rully appellations of the Cote Chalonnaise district of Burgundy.  The grapes will be used for wines under the 'Domaine Chanson' label which Bollinger bought in 1999.  Chanson was founded in 1750.

Bollinger plans to convert the 50ha property to organic farming this year and gain certification by 2028.  Already Domaine Chanson's 78ha is converted or in the process.

 

 

 

Bordeaux estate sold

 

The St Estephe property of Château Cos Labory, rated 5eme Cru Classe in 1855, has been sold by the Audoy family to Michel Reybier who also owns famoust Château Cos'Estournel. Cos Labory has 18ha: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.

 

The purchase brings the two estates again under one owner as in the mid 19th century for five years (1947-1852).  Cos Labory used to be called 'Cos Gaston'.  The plan is to keep the sites independent.  Reybier also owns vineyards in Hungary and Provence.

 

 

 

Chile uproots vineyards

 

Chile has uprooted 6,080ha of vines, which is 4.5% from 2020 to 2021.  Most of the reduction has taken place in the Casablanca and San Antonio coastal regions but also inland (Cachapoal, Colchagua and Maipo).

 

Cabernet Sauvignon is the main variety to be reduced (falling by 2,300ha) but is still the country's most planted vine.  Syrah, Pinot Noir and Merlot were also included in the uprooting.  Drought conditions have been blamed as the cause.

 

White varieties were less affected with small quantities of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc taken out.

 

 

 

Global blend in one bottle

 

Michel Rolland

 

Pangaea

 

A 'Bordeaux-style' premium red designed by Michel Rolland has been created using grapes from three continents: Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa, California), Cabernet Franc (Helderberg, South Africa), Malbec (Uco valley, Argentina), Merlot (Bordeaux) and Petit Verdot (Spain).  Each wine is barrel-fermented in its region of production and then shipped in stainless steel containers to Napa where Rolland makes the final blend.  The first release was only 2,250 bottles for the 2015 harvest with the 2016 announced at Vinexpo Asia in May 2023.

 

 

Bordeaux removes vines

 

The Bordeaux region's wine governing body (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux, known as CIVB) has announced Government funding to take up to 9,500 hectares out of production.  The total permitted area is currently 108,000ha.  The over-production is 40m bottles (300,000hl) annually but additionally the CIVB says 200,000hl is sold at "unremunerative" prices.

 

To encourage vine removal, the Governement has authorised 38m euros and the CIVB will add 19m euros to take out around 10% of the region's vines (£50m in total).

 

Research by the Gironde's Chamber of Agriculture revealed that almost one in three Bordeaux winemakers was facing financial difficulty.

 

 

Stone age planting 11,000 years old

 

Genetic research has discovered that grape cultivation was evident as long as 11,000 years ago - far earlier than archaeologists used to think.  Earlier work suggested vine plantings started around 8,500 years ago but DNA work on 3,525 cultivated and wild samples have taken the dating to the early Neolithic period 2,500 years before.

 

The American Association for the Advancement of Science presented the evidence at a Washington DC conference (reported in Science magazine).  It is not known if the grapes were grown for eating or for wine production.

 

 

Kylie launches sparkling pink

 

 

Kylie Minogue has launched a sparkling pink with no alcohol, aimed at those who wish to moderate their drinking.  It is made from "premium" European grapes, high-altitude organic tea from China's Yunnan province and other sources.  It is described as combining complexity, a fine balance and dry finish, and is available at £7 from Tesco.

 

 

 

Château Lafite-Rothschild

 

New wine from Lafite-Rothschild

 

First Growth estate Château Lafite-Rothschild has launched Anseillan du Château Lafite-Rothschild which is its first new wine since Carruades de Lafite.  The new wine is named after the village that has been part of the estate for half a century.  The property was originally used to house the estate staff.  The initial release is from the 2018 vintage and is a blend of three varieties: 48% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Petit Verdot.

 

 

Napa Valley Monopoly

 

 

Board game Monopoly has introduced a new version for wine lovers.  Instead of street names, famous locations in California's Napa Valley are used whilst retaining the usual Community Chest.  The names include Frank Family Vineyards, Hall Wines, Jam Cellars and Sterling Vineyards.

 

 

New vines for South Africa

 

South Africa is now growing a far wider range of vines. Saurwein has launched Chi Riesling, Radford Dale has made wines from Gamay (the traditional vine of Beaujolais) and Robertson is making Albarino on its Springfield estate.  Jessica Saurwein's winery is based in Stellenbosch and the Chi Riesling is described as a "semi-dry gem celebrating the life force...steely, stony and vibrant" by the authoritative Platter's Wine Guide.  Radford Dale is a Helderberg winery founded in 1998 whilst giant Robertson was established in 1941.

 

 

Bamboo robe for Laurent-Perrier

 

Champagne house Laurent-Perrier, based in Tours-sur-Marne, has produced a Cuvee Rose with a bamboo robe that is inspired by jungle flora.  The design symbolises the natural environment.  The 'robe' is made from enamel and printed with a bamboo-like motif which can be detached and reused on other bottles. It is the fifth such design since 2016.

 

 

The wine is made entirely from Pinot Noir and shows hallmarks of raspberry, strawberry and red cherry fruits.  It is offered at almost £75 of which £1 will be given to Plantlife to support wildflowers, plants and fungi.

 

 

 

New members

 

The Club can accept a few new members who would enjoy attending regularly. Have you a friend or family member who would like to join?  Please email:  membership@redherringwineclub.co.uk

 

 

 

Swiss Tasting

 

The Swiss Ambassador to the UK, HE Markus Leitnerthe , and his wife honoured the Club by attending the recent Swiss wine tasting held at St. Katharine Cree, in the Aldgate ward of the City of London.  Founded in 1280, the current church was built around 1630 and escaped the Great Fire of London in 1666 and suffered only minor damage during the London Blitz in the Second World War.

 

 

The Swiss Ambassador to the UK, HE Markus Leitner (centre), attending the Chateau de Luins tasting with Dr Richard Peatfield, RHWC Membership Secretary (left) and Conal Gregory, Master of Wine, RHWC Chairman (right).

 

DRESS CODE

The Club asks that members and guests dress smartly when attending tastings as many of our venues are prestigious and have dress codes.  Gentlemen are asked to wear a jacket and tie.  Please remember to inform your guests in advance of the event.

 

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