I came across a quote when thinking about this post:
A poet never takes notes. You never take notes in a love affair. - Robert Frost
It seemed appropriate to what I wanted to talk about, but it immediately reminded me of that other great line from Robert Frost:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. (From "The Road Not Taken")
There are so many wine tastings at this time of year, and I really can't go to too many, but I decided that I would pop into the Croatian Wine Tasting, partly because I was intrigued to learn more about these wines that I really do not know anything about, ... and because it was relatively close to where I live.
I was not disappointed (nor, it seems were my friends Jim and Colin)
Knowing nothing about the wines I wasn't sure where to start, so I went with table 1. Why not? Certainly, at least for me, the Road MOST Travelled was convenient.
I was immediately struck by the diversity of one particular grape, the white Malvasia Istriana (or Malvazija Istarska). There were so many different style. Crisp, fresh. Some with floral aromas, others rich, dense and even loaded with vanillin from oak ageing, but all with a bright, lively acidity. Quite a discovery (even Michel Rolland is getting in on the act).
I continued tasting and learning until I came upon a revelation: Trevor and Judith from Pacta Connect
It seems that these two have a passionate affair with Istria. This passion means that they have dedicated themselves to selling nothing but Croatian wine. In a wine world dominated by pop star wine grapes, big brands from a limited number of countries, and selling at around £4.50, this could be a recipe for disaster.
Except this is no straight commercial venture. They are PASSIONATE (I couldn't make this any bigger) about these wines, their producers and their stories. It isn't that they don't take notes, in fact it is the opposite. They spent years researching the wines and the producers before deciding who to work with - a luxury many importers do not have or fail to even try. It is more that they ignored all the evidence telling them not to bother in the first place. They were doing this ... so it was now about doing it justice.
Although I had been picking through other lists, I went through almost every wine on their 3 tables because they were so interesting. It also means I did not do Croatia justice as I ran out of time to move beyond Istria.
The wine world needs more passionate mavericks
Now, there are probably great wines in MANY parts of the world, but we rarely come across them. How are we supposed to know what to try when we go beyond the regular lists we are used to and available everywhere we go?
The wine world needs more passionate mavericks who take the road less travelled, explore where it leads, and beat a path that will, one day, make all the difference.
The range is amazing and worth exploring in person. I believe you can buy from them direct (check out the Pacta Connect site) but they also appear to tour the country, showing the wines at events and tastings, converting more and more wine lovers to the wonders of Istria and Croatia.
Here are a few of my selections:
Clai SV Javov 2009 (Malvazija Istriana) - almost impossible to describe. It was like a dry version of a fabulous concentrated and rich sweet wine. Complex, rich, honey, nut, but dry and with a fresh finish with wonderful length. Gorgeous!
Clai Ottocento Bijeli 2009 (Malvasia Istriana, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris) - almost a rich, sherry quality to this dry white. Complex and nutty, with some oxidative ageing notes, and still loads of acidity a lift from the alcohol.
Cossetto Malvazija Rustica 2009 (Malvazija Istriana) - Fresh and floral nose, but also hints of clove and honeyed. An amazing aroma promising much, and delivering in the mouth with smoky, herbal and those clove notes. The wine is made from very late harvested grapes that are also left to dry partially in the winery before making the wine, concentrating the remaining juices amazingly.
Coronica Gran Teran 2007 (Teran) - This nose is fab! Red fruit, wood, forest, herb, ... and the taste offers all of these with a spicy, rich but still fresh package. Oh yummy!.
Piquentum Teran Rouge 2009 (Teran) - My notes start with "Another wow!". Almost perfumed red fruit, with a mineral, almost talc-like quality, but dark & wild red fruits of the forest. Bright flavours, the acidity making it dance in the mouth despite the richness, with lots of tannin and a very pleasant finish.
Clai Ottocento Crni 2009 (Merlot, Refosco, Cabernet Savignon) - Amazingly complex. SO much going on it is hard to pin down. Layer and layers of flavour, but never cloying or over the top. Spice, fruit, acidity, tannin, and balance. Reassuringly expensive.
"If you could only pick one grape to drink the rest of your life, what would you choose?"
Not a fair question, but it was a thought inspired by a game I overheard on the radio when I was daydreaming. I assumed I knew the answer to that ... but the more I thought about it, the more I was not sure. In the end, I cheated and decided it would have to be one for white and one for red, but even so I was stuck.
I have to admit I am a cosmopolitan drinker (not the cocktails!). I like variety and believe that there is no "one best style" in most cases. There are simply too many issues to consider.
So it finally dawned on me that the answer (at least for the white) had to be ... Chenin Blanc.
It was an odd choice. In truth, I drink very little of it, but when I do I am often blown away. It makes everything from great sparkling wine, wines that are INCREDIBLY dry, through delicious, almost dry but rich to full on luscious and sweet wines. One grape. So many wines.
What does the grape "Chenin Blanc" evoke for you?
For many, unfortunately, it is a fairly simple, often dull, white wine usually from South Africa.
It certainly should not have to be that way. Chenin Blanc was (and might still be) the most planted variety there, so it was grown more for volume than quality, but there are great South African versions - I'm fond of the wines of Ken Forrester, A A Badenhorst and De Trafford.
However, for Chenin Blanc lovers, the variety and complexity of the wines of the Loire Valley (it isn't all about Sauvignon Blanc thank goodness!) have to be ranked amongst the world's very best. This blog is not the place for in-depth looks at Loire wines - for that I point you in the direction of the indefatigable Jim Budd and his Jim's Loire blog.
So, when I saw an offer for some Chenin Blanc with a little age (though not yet nearly enough) on a special price, I jumped at the chance.
I bid/bought a case of bottles of Villebois Chenin Blanc 2007 from the Naked Wines Marketplace (in its first iteration). I have had a slightly mixed experience with the wines from this producer (who sells wines mainly thanks, it seems, to Naked Wines) but thought it worth a punt. According to their site, they focus almost entirely on Sauvignon Blanc but I'm rapidly getting bored with this grape (if I'm honest), so I am not sure what the story is to this wine, although the label implies it comes from their main vineyards.
This particular wine reminds me of baked green apples and hay on the nose. It smells bright yellow. It is a big, round wine in the mouth, showing the ripeness of the grapes, but maybe also a hint of some botrytis in there too. It has the sharpness of the filling of a bramble & apple pie, and also finishes with crispness and notes of honeyed, cinnamon spice.
I paid £45.96 for 6 bottles, including delivery - making this wine £7.66 a bottle. A proper steal.
However, it is now no longer available, but you might want to keep an eye on the site as it seems to have been quite popular, so you never know when they might find something from 2008 ;)
