SITT, London. 28th February 2024

 

SITT (Specialist Importers Trade Tasting) takes place twice a year and always has something of interest to us.

We have mentioned previously France's search for new grape varieties and here was one already in production; an Albarino from Aude, the departement in the extreme south-west of the country counting Narbonne and Carcasonne among its cities. The back label says this wine is part of a series called 'Les Vignes Rares' - wines made outside the rules and 'pas autorises dans les apppellations.'

Domaine Ciceron have Verdejo also in this series. Perhaps there are others in the pipeline but this is a start.

Next a Pardilla from Ribera del Jucar. Bodega las Calzadas are the producers. 'Wine Grapes' tells us that since 2009 the name has been established as Pardillo. We also learn that Pardillo is a local La Mancha variety which is non-aromatic. With 3,547 ha in 2008 it is yet another Spanish secret so quite wonderful to find this bottle here.

Also unexpected and wonderful was this other Spanish secret: Garrut. This is a really promising variety or so we thought. We had paid rather a lot to get a bottle of Partida Creus's Garrut and really loved the wine.

Or so we should: Garrut is a Catalan synonym for Monatsrell! 

This rare grape variety business is a minefield.

Verdoncho is a bona fide Spanish secret which came to save our reputation. We had enjoyed a version made by Jesus Recuero and here was another one. 'Wine Grapes' calls Verdoncho 'Undistinguished La Mancha blending material but in the right hands it makes an interesting 'vaut le detour' kind of wine.

 

Hungary is very active in the grape-crossing business. New varieties under 'Z' alone include Zeusz and Zenit.

Zenit is what you get when you cross Ezerjo with Bouvier. Apparently that is also the case for Zeusz.

There's more: Zengo. Even another Ezerjo x Bouvier cross. All were produced by Ferenc Kiraly in the early 1950s in Pecs.

Kiraly Ferencs obviously had a thing for Bouvier because he obtained yet another crossing beginning with 'Z' in 1951, this time with Furmint and named Zeta.

Thomas Allen (right) as Baron Zeta.

No doubt after Baron Zeta, the character in Lehar's 'Die lustige Witwe' (1905) who is the 'Pontevedran' ambassador to France of course. 

The story gets even more operetta-ish when you look up Bouvier - in 'Wine Grapes' naturally.;

'The Austrian-born banker and winery-owner Clotar Bouvier (1853 - 1930) discovered this and other varieties in 1900 in his vineyards in Hercegovascak (Herzogenberg) near Gornja Radgona (Oberradkersburg), in North-East Slovenia. Bouvier first used it to breed other varieties in his own nursery and later started to sell it in Austria and Slovenia. DNA parentage analysis has suggested that Bouvier could be a natural cross between PINOT and an unknown variety.

Bouvier was used by its discoverer and others to breed Bianca, Kabar, Veritas' [and those beginning with 'Z' above].