St. Jeannet

25 km from Nice, opposite the micro-vineyard of Bellet is a forgotten appellation called St. Jeannet. This is one of those tiny historic terroirs like Colares in Portugal in danger of being annihilated by developement and the encroachment of modern life.

We haven't tasted the wines of St. Jeannet but the story has been enough to make us not only wish we had but to recruit us to the cause of preserving this idiosyncratic vineyard. Unlike the vast majority of our good causes, St. Jeannet's singularity lies not in the varieties of grapes grown there (Rolle/Vermentino, Muscat, Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot and Syrah) but in the fascinating method of vinification traditional to the area.

This includes, for the red wines at least putting the wine in clear glass 'Bonbonnieres'


and leaving it to the mercy of infra-red rays, temperature fluctuations and no doubt an amount of oxydisation. We have seen some of these methods in the Jura (oxydisation) and Friuli (elevage in amphorae) but St. Jeannet seems to embrace all these together.


We have it on the authority of Olivier Cautres of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, a connoisseur of rank if ever there was one, that the white is something very special indeed.

In 1950, vines accounted for one third of the land of the commune of St. Jeannet making it famous for table grapes as well as wine. White wine from Rolle was kept in granaries and subjected to heat and cold making a madeirised, fruity dessert wine which was known and available in Paris.

Horticulture and developement almost killed the vineyards but about twelve producers remained and fought back. Prominent among them was the Rasse family who have persevered and whose wines are always snapped up before they can find their war very far.

Just in case, dear Slotovino reader, you think we have gone soft in the head from recounting this sentimental story, there is a silver lining in the shape of yes, you guessed it, a very rare grape variety indeed: St. Jeannet, no less which is believed to have originated here in our St. Jeannet and is now to be found only in Argentina where it accounts for one wine, Finca El Reposo St. Jeannet.

We glean from Google that this is "a long lost variety planted in Argentina in 1912", and that this is "the only planting of Saint Jeannet left on the planet on a plot located in Cruz de Piedra, Mendoza." Another brave soul maintains "This variety originally from Asia, was introduced in Southern France by the Greeks. The Benegas family brought it to Mendoza. Its main characteristic is its late ripeness and acidity. In the beginning of the 20th century, this wine was used to enhance the acidity and body of the sparkling wines." We haven't yet found the connection with the commune of St. Jeannet and we haven't heard of any of this variety still growing there but here is an interesting story to be sure and wine is surely better for having a past, don't you think?

Triomphe d'Alsace

The lowly hybrid Triomphe d'Alsace has never made a good wine and rarely even a drinkable one. We should know having tried to do so ourselves on several occasions and having tasted as many commercial examples as possible whether in blends or straight.

Triomphe's only virtue seems to be that the vine itself is immensely obliging. Whatever you do or don't do in terms of pruning, spraying, feeding etc. it will come through almost anything the English and for all we know Welsh, Irish and maybe even Scottish climates can throw at it with fruit ripe enough to make wine of sorts. It's the wine that is the problem - or has been until now.

We started off trying to get as much sugar and concentration as possible but this mongrel crossing (K319/3 Knipperle x Vitis riperia x Vitis rupestris or else Vitis riparia × Vitis rupestris × Goldriesling, no one seems sure) has a thoroughly unpleasant bitter characteristic which precluded it from making cooking wine, Sangria, vinegar or any use whatsoever. We then asked our winemaker, the brilliant Vince Gower of Stanlake Park to try to get more acid and less fruit into the equation and in 2009 he produced something almost drinkable if rather peculiar.

Our 2010 harvest was going to be our last attempt at making wine. In the meanwhile we had discovered that our grapes made a delicious grape juice so if we couldn't make wine this time it would be grape juice in future. We decided to try just one more thing - a blanc de noirs.

Triomphe is a teinturier with red flesh as well as skins so as well as being a ridiculous concept, it was never actually going to make a white wine and so it happened that we ended up with a pink one.

Vince has filtered and stripped out the unpleasant Triomphe flavours leaving a light, slightly watery but hopefully refreshing rose that could have come from one of the lower shelves at the supermarket. A triomphe indeed!

Slotovino January clearance tasting

With the help of over 20 friends we tasted the following bottles most of which have already been mentioned in this blog

WHITES

Schloss Proschwitz Elbling 2008, Sachsen. 11.5%
Jan Ulrich Goldriesling Sachsen 2010 11.5%

Colonjes Johanniter Groesbeek, Netherlands, 2008. 11.6%

Chanton Visp Gwäss (Gouais) Valais, 2006 Switzerland. 11.8%

Albòre Spergola. Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa DOC. VFQPRD. 12% (Sparkling)

Dom Diego Azal Vinho Verde, Minho, Portugal. 12.5%

Stitti Mantonico, Calabria 2007. 13%
Teliani Valley Tsolikouri 2007, Tvishi district of Lechkumi. Georgia, 13%
Sclavus ‘Metageitnion’ Vostilidi, Cephalonia 2009, Greece. 13.2% (Orange)
Bermejo Diego Seco Lanzarote, 2008. 13.3% [= Vigierega/Vijariego]
Marani Mtsvane NV Kakheti, Georgia 13.5%
Cogno Anas-Cetta Nascetta, Langhe 2007. 13.5%

Intrepid Ortrugo, Colli Piacentini, Emilia Romagna 2009. 13.5%

Qinta dos Currais Síria Beira Interior, Portugal, 2008. 13.5%

Vin d’autan Ondenc. Gaillac. Robert Plageoles & fils, 2001. 9.8% (Sweet)

REDS

Colares Adega Regional Ramisco Portugal 1992. 11%
Grisard Cuvee Persan, Savoie. 12%

Chateau Changyyu-Castel Cabernet Gernischt 2003, Shandong Province, China. 12%

Tenuta Zagaria Uva di Troia Vigna Grande 2005. Castel del Monte (BA),13%

Terenzuola Vermentino Nero 2009. IGT Toscana. 13.5%

Benanti Nerello Capuccio, Etna. 13.5%

Dominio Dostales Prieto Picudo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Y Leon 2005. Sp13.5%

Satrapezo Saperavi 2006, Kakheti Georgia 13.5%

Pianetta di Cagnore Vernaccia Nera, Marche 2001. Italy.13.5%

Piovene Porto Godi Tai Rosso, Colli Berici, Veneto. 13.5%

Plageoles: Domaine des tres Cantous 2008, Prunelart, Gaillac. 14%

C’a Bruzzo Tocai Rosso (now Tai Rosso) Vigna Veccia, Colli Berici, Veneto 2008. 14%

Centomoggia Casavecchia Terre dei Principi Castel Campagnano Campania 2006. 14% (corked?)

Ambrusco Palagrello Nero Terre dei Principi Castel Campagnano Campania 2006. 14%

Brecce Rosse Vernaccia Nera, Serrapetrona, 2005. 14%

Vinoplod Vinaria Babić, Sibenik, Croatia NV. 14.3%

The most contentious wines were the Sclavus ‘Metageitnion’ Vostilidi Orange wine, the Chateau Changyyu-Castel Cabernet Gernischt 2003, Shandong Province, China and the C’a Bruzzo Tocai Rosso Vigna Veccia with votes both for and against. The Croatian Babic wasn’t much liked but there were some surprise standouts with the Dutch Colonjes Johanniter leading the way.

Also favoured were the Schloss Proschwitz Elbling, Albòre Spergola, Teliani Valley Tsolikouri, Intrepid Ortrugo and the Vin d’autan Ondenc Gaillac doux by Robert Plageoles in the whites and the Grisard Cuvée Persan, Tenuta Zagaria Uva di Troia, Terenzuola Vermentino Nero, Benanti Nerello Capuccio, Dominio Dostales Prieto Picudo and the Satrapezo Saperavi in the reds.

It was surprising that so many of those present had never heard of most of these varieties and gratifying that they were pleasantly surprised by most of them.

Joining the Slotovino Hall of fame are

Elbling

Johanniter

Ortrugo

Ondenc

Tsolikouri

Casavecchia

Palagrello Nero

Uva di Troia

Vermentino Nero

To which, in honour of the Plageoles family, (see Slotovino Roll Call of Honour) we take the opportunity to add Mauzac in all its 7 manifestations. A productive and fun evening. To be repeated one day. Here is now an updated Slotovino Hall of Fame list.

Whites:

Antao Vaz
Auxerrois
Bombino (Trebbiano d'Abruzzo)
Doradilla
Elbling
Encruzado
Goldriesling
Gringet
Johanniter
Loin de l'Oieul
Loueiro
Mauzac
Ondenc
Ortrugo
Pecorino
Perlé
Spergola
Torbato
Trajadura/Treixadura
Verduzzo
Vilana
Welschriesling (Riesling Italico)
Xarel-Lo

Reds:

Ancelotta
Argaman
Baga
Blauer Wildbacher
Canaiolo
Casavecchia
Cornalin
Folle noire
Francisi
Gascon
Graciano
Grolleau
Gropello
Maglioppo
Marselan
Mencia
Nerello Capuccio
Osoleta
Palagrello Nero
Perricone (aka. Pignatello)
Persan
Piedirosso
Pineau d'Aunis
Plavac Mali
Poulsard
Prieto Picudo
Pugnitello
Ramisco
Romé
Saperavi
Sciacarello
Tinto Cão
Uva di Troia
Vermentino Nero
Vernaccia Nera
Vranec

Report - Christmas and New Year 2010/11

As hinted already in these pages, there were surprises good and bad over the holiday season. This is inevitable if you palm experiments off on guests instead of offering them someting tried and tested. Sorry to say we just like living dangerously. We learned that you have to have several alternatives up your sleeve though and this time, we needed them.

So here's the balance sheet:

Credit

L'Albore Spergola (see Blog entry)
Simonutti Pineau d'Aunis 2008
Biddenden Dornfelder 2009
Tbilvino Khvanchkara 2007
Strohmeier Blauer Wildbacher Lestoa Rot
Strohmeier Blauer Wildbacher Lestoa Rose
Col Sandago Blauer Wildbacher 2005
Margaretenhof Dornfelder 2006
Ch. Haut Chaigneau Lalande de Pomerol 1999
Bean & Beluga White

Debit

C'a Bruzzo, Tocai Rosso 2008
Domaine Grisard Cuvee Persan 2009
Niepoort Palomino
Hatzidakis Voudomato 2008
Strohmeier Rose
Bartucci Bugey Cerdon Sparkling Rose
Grafen Neipperg Schwarzriesling 2009
Bean & Beluga Red

Concerning the successes, the Biddenden Gribble Ridge Dornfelder was outstanding. The first English red we have ever had of which a case would be welcome. The Tbilvino was a semi-sweet blend of two varieties unknown to us: Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli. This was first brought to our attention by the 24 year old Georgian Verdi baritone Mikheil Kiria who told us that Kvanchkara was the best Georgian wine.

Here he is outside the Louvre (he's the one in the foreground).

We were told it resembled more a luscious New World red than a sweet wine as such and that description was quite right. We drank it as a Vino da Meditazione rather than with food which nonetheless would have been possible.

Blauer Wildbacher was the standout successful variety of the season. Even the Italian version from the Colli Trevigiani was excellent.

The Margaretenhof Rheinhessen Dornfelder was the house wine of the cafe at Dresden Airport

but that didn't prevent it from being delicious. Together with Blauer Wildbacher, Dornfelder really shone in these days.

As you see, we are already strayng into our German trip in the first days of January (of which more later) and here we list a wine which was given to us and not one we had bought in for the obscurty of its grapes. This was the phenominal Chateau Haut Chaigneau -


not only the very best Lalande de Pomerol we have ever tasted but in fact the very first really good one. All previous examples we had ever tasted had been disappointments to the extent that we had quite given up on this rather unloved Appellation. It just goes to show how things have improved in Bordeaux over the years. We believe there are such things as a good Cotes de Bourg or Blaye and even drinkable Boreaux Superieurs and plain Bordeaux!

The White Cuvee we tasted at the Semperoper bar was made by a new Gastronomie in Dresden called "Bean and Beluga" (geddit?) from local white varieties whch were explained to us but which we have forgotten. They may have included Goldriesling. At under 12%, this was excellent. Unfortunately their Red blend was not as successful, containing the first German Cabernet Sauvignon to pass our lips together with Merlot. This was 14% and didn't bode well for German Cabernet Sauvignons for which there is apparently something of a mode.

The other disappointments need some explanation because some of these wines have been highly praised in this blog. The C'a Bruzzo Tocai Rosso and Grisard Persan are both different vintages from those we were so happy to discover and we may not have given these particular wines enough time to breathe or may not even have stored correctly. The Niepoort Palomino definitely tasted oxidised or maybe we should say 'rancio'. We're not sure if that is how this sherry grape is meant to be or if it was just as a result of having been stored too long in our rather warm cellar.

Real disappointment came with the Hatzidakis Voudomato.

They warned us it was sweet but the sweetness of this beverage was such as to make it consumable only by dribbling it over Vanilla icecream. Our 50cl bottle sits on top of the fridge awaiting the odd occasion when it can be used. This may not come for a while! A pity because the vines are not only from the uber-obscure Voudomato variety but are said to be the world's most ancient at 500 years old.

Strohmeier's Rose was their only non-Blauer Wildbacher wine we tasted. It was a perfectly acceptable Schilcher but nothing as interesting as ther Lestoa Rose (made from Blauer Wildbacher).

We have enjoyed Grafen Neipperg's Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) in the past but maybe 2009 was not a great year for this grape or perhaps it needed more bottle age.

Nothing wrong with the Bugey Cerdon Rose - just that we didn't realise it was Demi-Sec which was our fault because we were aware it was 8% alcohol - the same as wines like Moscato frizzante or Asti Spumante. That kind of thing is liable to get you into trouble when guests arrive and you offer them a sweet sparkling wine as an aperitif.

Slotovino Roll Call of Honour

Robert and Bernard Plageoles In 2011 we would like to institute the Slotovino Roll Call of Honour to celebrate those brave souls who are responsible for propagating or rescuing 'heritage' grape varieties in danger of extinction. We have come across a few of these already in our travels and we believe they should be celebrated as much as their wines which we also celebrate in the famous Slotovino Hall of Fame. We love lists at Slotovino so here is our embryonic Roll Call of Honour together with the grapes relevant to each name; Giuseppe Apicella, Alfonso Arpino and Luigi Reale - Tintore Emilio Bulfon - Cividin, Cjanorie, Forgiarin, Moscato Rosa, Picolit Neri, Sciaglin, Ucelut Casali Viticultori - Spergola Francisco Figueiredo and others - Ramisco Jean-Pierre and Philippe Grisard - Persan Walter Massa - reviver of Timorasso and leader of a new wave of winemakers in South East Piemonte Jose Luis Mateo Bastardo, Caíño Redondo, Caiño longo, Zamarrica, Brancellao, Sousón, Arauxa, Dona Blanca and Monstruosa de Monterrei in Galicia Heinrich Mayr for nurturing the white heirloom variety Blaterie at his Nusserhof property near Bolzano, Alto Adige Robert & Bernard Plageoles, 7 types of Mauzac, Ondenc, Prunelart, Verdanel etc. Domenico Pedrini and Gianni Chiste' of Azienda Agricola Pravis, Lasino (near Trento), Negrara and Gropello di Revo back from increasing obscurity in the Trentino area. The Rasse family (Rene and his sons Georges and Denis) for maintaining the idiosyncratic St. Jeannet appelation (near Nice) when almost all other vignerons (there were 70 in the 1950s) have sold their land to developers. It is in this case the Terroir if not the varieties which were endangered although some rare Braquet is grown together with Mourvèdre, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Rolle, Ugni Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat and Grenache Noir and the bizarre and ancient method of aging the reds in 'Bonbonnieres' before putting the wine in oak barrels. The smaller surviving growers include Mimi Lorenzato, Roger Barrière and Lazare Giambi. Agricola San Felice - Pugnitello Luigia Zucchi - Nibio the regeneration of the ancient grape variety, Nibiò, which once held position as Monferrato's noblest and highest value. 200 years of neglect nearly resulted in its extinction, but producer Luigia Zucchi has fronted the campaign for its rebirth. There are no doubt many more and we will add to the list, but this is a start and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Spergola is last entry Slotovino Hall of Fame, 2010

We hail the rare Emilian grape Spergola as our last addition to the Slotovino Hall of Fame in 2010. We were dubious about adding this to our order from Bat and Bottle but it has turned out to have been one of our Christmas stars. At £8.75 for a bottle of Casali's L'Albore Spergola Secco, Vino Frizzante Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa (Reggio Emilia) we have placed an order for multiple bottles and look forward to drinking this appley sparkling wine in the place of any Prosecco or several Champagnes of our acquaintance for some time to come. Restaurants would do well to offer this amazingly good value sparkler instead of some of the boring and disappointing wines we so often find in this sector.

As we owned up some time ago. we were wrong to dismiss sparkling wine out of hand. Together with our discovery of sparkling Cabernet Franc from the Loire by Ackerman (£7.99 from Waitrose) this Spergola is indeed a discovery which we can recommend unreservedly.

NB. We found a pink Cremant de la Loire also made from Cabernet Franc so Ackerman are not exclusive in this felicitous choice of grape for sparkling rose.

Paris - a moving feast

Some things change, others not. Quite a blow was the disappearance of our friend Julien in the Rue Charlot. Julien had worked for a number of years for Oddbins, Camden Town and his shop Caviste Julien was a really excellent neighbourhood place where a tremendous variety of wines were to be found. Could it be that Julien's stock was too eclectic? Certainly his successors "Nysa" while maintaining some of his stock seem to be headed in a more conventional direction. Nysa were holding a tasing party for their opening. We were trundling by, laden with shopping when a friendly inebriate on the pavement outside told us 'ne hesitez pas, entrez!' So we did. There was one of Julien's bottles on tasting, a nice Alsace Pinot Blanc (13.5%). We bought it - from what the shopowner said, perhaps the only one sold that evening. Still everyone seemed to be having fun.

This leaves the shop Le Versant Vins in the nearby Marché des Enfants Rouges even more of a beacon of interest in the area.

ALL the wines there are naturel or biologique. We studied the selection more attentively than on previous visits and were even more impressed than before. We bought a jolly Pineau d'Aunis sparkler with a fizzy drinks type cap for closure. We didn't realise this was white or just off-white until opening it but it was not a disappointment. No doubt someone makes a red sparkling Pineau d'Aunis but we recall that quite a lot of this grape goes to make Rosé. We couldn't resist buying a bottle of Simonutti's Pineau d'Aunis and were glad to have it to follow Julien's Alsace Pinot Blancs that evening when we ate a slightly spicy fish stew created by Mrs. Slotovino. Both were excellent accompaniments to this wonderful dish.

In restaurants and bars we had better luck than usual. Brasserie Balzar's Saumur Rouge was so good we forgot to look at the label and the Beaujolais at l'Auberge Pyrenées Cévennes in the Rue de la Folie Méricourt was so good we called from London to find out what it was. It is by Paul Durdilly, a negociant of Southern Beajolais, so the wine is just Beaujolais - not from any of the Villages. Delicious. At the Bar du Theatre opposite the Theatre Hauts de Seine at Puteaux, you are served an equally delicious Touriga Francesa from the Douro if you ask for a 'vin rouge' at the bar. OK, it's a Portuguese Bar but still, it takes some courage to do such a thing in France, especially with a twinkle in the eye from the server.

Our old friend Rupert marched us up the Rue de la Montagne Ste. Genevieve to 'De Vinis Illustribus', an interesting establishment for those interested in old vintages. We had a very informative tutorial from Lionel Michelin who had taken over a famous institution run by Jean-Baptiste Besse until about 4 years ago. We were shown the ancient cellars and some venerable bottles were trotted out so we could see their labels, shoulder levels etc. They even have a small but enticing selection of modern wines including a Hungarian Cabernet Franc we happen to have at home: 'Ikon'. Rupert managed to find something here from the 21st century.

From there it was only a hop, skip and jump (OK the weather was cold) to Les Caves du Pantheon which impressed us even more than on our first visit - the good impression being directly proportional to the greater amount of time we had there. Rupert found another two bottles at this address. We shared the selection of a Bugey sparkling Rosé


which at 8% prOmises to be something out of the ordinary as well as a Carignan Blanc (!)

a Terret Blanc

and a Greek dessert wine made by that most interesting Santorini producer, Hatzidakis from a grape variety called Voudomato. It is claimed that some of the vines on Santorini are 500 years old. This wine (Voudomato)is only 11% and is available from Green and Blue in London. Don't try their Clapham branch though. It closed down sadly not long ago. Things change in London too.

The Caves du Pantheon is a medium-sized shop but one that repays any amount of time. The laconic and amusing person we recognised from before is a mine of interesting information. Our only other port of call was another place we had cased on a previous visit - La Cave des Pupilles in the Rue Daguerre, This was thronged with Christmas shoppers and sterangely enough there was a Greek wine tasting going on including the rarissimo Vostilidi grape we had bought from Caves du Pantheon a year ago. We left them to it and will return another time as we believe there may be some interesting wines here.

Our real reason for going to Paris though was to pick up a consigment of Domaine Grisard's Persan,

a Savoyard wine so rare that it is not even available in Paris. Persan was one of our greatest finds of 2009


so we hope it will not disappoint this time. That would definitely be a move in the wrong direction.