Over 25.000 tasting notes

One of Norway's largest wine tasting note archives, containing more than 25.000 tasting notes. All tasted by one taster, not a panel, so Norway's most consistent archive as well. To find tasting notes? Search; mywinesandmore "wine name" on google, to find all notes from one property.

Wednesday 20 May 2020

Is there terroir in Montepulciano?

The easy answer is, off course it is, but do you really find any evidence of it? That can be more difficult to answer. For the last seven years or so I have attended the Anteprime de Toscana with a yearly visit to Montepulciano, the region that makes the famous Vino Nobile the Montepulciano. During the 30 hours or so that the tastings and programme in Montepulciano lasts, I taste some hundred to hundred and thirty wines or thereabouts, depending on the vintage. So, it gives an insight, even if maybe not a proper in depth look at the latest vintage. 

But I have been missing one thing. And that goes out to all the regions of Toscany actually. I want to understand the terroir more, I have almost been longing for a tasting of terroir. I know Tuscany isn’t Burgundy with everyone making several wines from small parcels all over the place. And even Chianti Classico’s new Gran Selezione is sometimes single vineyard wines and other times the blend of the best parts of the estate but can come from whatever grapes the winemaker found to be best. Meaning that for us consumers, we don’t really get to grasp with terroir as such. You need in depth knowledge of each wine you taste to know if it is from a single vineyard or a blend of different vineyards.


So the last two years I have snuck out after the tasting is finished in Montepulciano, much to the anger of the consorzio organising the event. But I want to learn. I have had some great visits organized by the consorzio as well, seeing vineyards of Boscarelli with a follow up tasting after of their lovely wines.  It was indeed great, and they are not the only ones. But after lunch, and before these organized events, I normally have 3 to 4 hours to kill. And instead of sitting around in the fortress were this event is held, I want to see vineyards. Anteprime de Toscana should show more wineries. And more vineyards.

I am a quick taster, so I appreciate that some journalists might need the entire day at the fortress, but why should that keep me from working? Exploring? Investigate? Learning? Last year I managed to sneak out to see Salcheto and experienced their new ecofriendly winery that was a great way to learn a bit more about this region. All the care that one winery does to manage their part of reducing their carbon footprint. To help cool the wine cellar as an example, they grow a wall of hillside perennials on the outside. The plants and thin layer of soil gives enough shadow apparently, so you do not need the air conditioner running that much. Or at all. Most of us hear cars are the worst, or airplanes, but air conditioning is one of the worst carbon dioxide emissions there is. I never heard about just this one detail at the fortress. And I have never seen it anywhere else either. So, I would say a few hours well spent. 


This year I decided to organize something as well, this year I contacted Avignonesi. And the consorzio went mad... Took pictures of me and a fellow wine writer as we left, as if we were criminals. But we just want to learn more about this part of the world. I am only there for about 30 hours a year. Why spend 4 of those staring at a stone wall? And I learned more about terroir in Montepulciano during those few hours spent at Avignonesi, than during the last seven or eight years tasting in the fortezza in the town. 

Because Avignonesi make wine proofing terroir ideas. I did not even know they did. They make single vineyard wines, as they do in Burgundy. Not one special vineyard. Or maybe two. No, I got to taste five, some years they make six or even seven. Some are further apart; others are just across a narrow road from each other. Just like Burgundy! And I wish a tasting like this had been organized by the consorzio, this is what grips us as wine critics, this is what we learn from. I think this is what fascinates consumers as well. At least those geeky enough to read about wine. And for the future, I hope other wineries all over Tuscany can do similar tastings. Maybe not because they actually make the wine and bottle it, but to understand what different terroir can give in the final blend. 


Here is La Badelle soil and how Avignonesi describe it. 
SOIL TYPE
Soil of marine origin from the Pliocene (3-5 million years ago) rich in clay and silt, with the presence of deep, blue sodic clay. Rich in limestone, the soil is alkaline and does not present much organic matter.
VINEYARD SPECIFICS
This vineyard was planted in 2000. The vines are cordon-trained at an altitude of 375 meters a.s.l. / 1,230 feet a.s.l. and grow at a density of 5,882 plants / hectare (2,351 plants / acre) with a East, South-East row orientation.

I found it floral, bright and red fruity, giving an unusually bright expression and unusually elegant Vino Nobile. It showed a refinement that sometimes is rare in Sangiovese that can be very structured and firm. It seems to be a variety were balancing finesse and details is very difficult without losing weight. This balances both. 


La Banditella in the words of Avignonesi.
SOIL TYPE
Soil of marine origin from the Pliocene (3-5 million years ago). Rather deep, alternating calcosol and brunisol, brown in colour. The texture goes from clayey to sandy and the presence of limestone, in the form of calcium-carbonate aggregates, varies based on the type of soil. Moreover, there is a good presence of pebbles of fluvial origin.
VINEYARD SPECIFICS
This vineyard was planted in 2002. The vines are cordon-trained at an altitude of 300- 320 meters a.s.l. / 984-1050 feet a.s.l. and grow at a density of 4,464 plants / hectare (1,785 plants / acre) with a North row orientation.

For me Banditella was tighter, firmer and more structured, gave less floral and scented notes, but you could feel them behind, so maybe they will turn up more with age. 

Poggetto di Sopra in Avignonesi’s words:
SOIL TYPE
A sedimentation from the Pliocene (3-5 million years ago) of marine origin, the Poggetti di sopra vineyard is permeated by a vein of deep, blue sodic clay. Rich in silt and limestone, but with little or no stones in the underground, the soil is alkaline and does not present much organic matter.
VINEYARD SPECIFICS
Selection of the best Sangiovese grapes planted in our historic Poggetto di Sopra estate at 300 meters a.s.l.
In 2016 the grapes come mainly from the 38-year-old vineyard called Caprile which is guyot-trained with a density of 2,564 vines / hectare. (1,025 plants / acre).

This is almost a blend of the former two, has more on the nose than Banditella at this stage, with more structure than La Badelle, but showing more details and nuances already. 


I have been longing for a Sangiovese tasting like this for years, and we even had two more single vineyards, Oceano and La Stella. Tastings where the same team makes wines from different soils in Tuscany. This is amongst the most fascinating tastings I have done in Tuscany and I did not even know these wines exist. With around 4000 bottles only, they won’t be easy to find, but if you get a chance to taste two or more of these side by side, it is one of the rare opportunities to really taste terroir, not only in Montepulciano, but in Tuscany. There are a few more that do this, but I do not know anyone doing up to seven single vineyards! 

In the end, it would be for the best for Vino Nobile de Montepulciano as a region if the internal issues riding the Consorzio and some of the producers stop, they are stronger together than apart. 

2015 is the first vintage of these single vineyards from Avignonesi, and trust me, they are worth seeking out. But they are rare, so probably difficult to find.


2017 Avignonesi Nobile de Montepulciano 
Bright ruby. Scented, red berries, some floral notes nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, red fruits, juicy, some spices, liquorice, lighter bodied, good length. 87

2016 Avignonesi Nobile de Montepulciano
Bright ruby. Cherries, raspberries, some spices, floral nose. Scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, bright, fresh and detailed, elegant. 88

2017 Avignonesi Nobile de Montepulciano Oceano
Ca 4000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, raspberries, anise, floral notes, nuanced and detailed nose. Almost peppery. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, spices, red fruits, almost a citrus note to it, long. 93

2017 Avignonesi Nobile de Montepulciano La Stella
4000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, red fruits, tighter, bright and nuanced yet somehow dense nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, cherries, red fruits and a touch of blackberries, some spices, firmer and structured, long. 93


2017 Avignonesi Nobile de Montepulciano Banditella
Ca 4000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, red berries, floral, nuanced, tighter nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, some structure going on here, cherries and red fruits finish, long. 92

2017 Avignonesi Nobile de Montepulciano Le Badelle
Ca 4000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, raspberries, anise, bright and detailed, nuanced nose. Floral. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, cherries, anise, bright red fruity, elegant if structured, long. 92

2017 Avignonesi Nobile de Montepulciano Pogetto di Sopra
Ca 4000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, red berries, floral, nuanced, cherries, detailed nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, fruity, anise, spices, bright, but a little bit flat on the tasting curve here and there, long. 92

2016 Avignonesi Nobile de Montepulciano Pogetto di Sopra
Bright ruby. Scented, red berries, floral, strawberries, nuanced nose, detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, anise, juicy, elegant texture, nuanced, long. 94

2015 Avignonesi Nobile de Montepulciano Pogetto di Sopra
Bright ruby. Scented, red berries, floral, nuanced, ripe fruits, strawberry jam nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, anise, spices, bright, elegant and long. 93

Friday 8 May 2020

Unexpected gold!



A trip to Spain and Alicante with friends this winter gave us the idea that maybe it would be good to visit some wine producers of the area. Via Facebook, we announced our plans as well as a few targeted PMs to winemakers and journalists who know Spanish wines much better than I do. And a few names were mentioned more than once in the following correspondence. 


Gutiérrez de la Vega was one of those names. I found them on Facebook, got a visit booked, and a few days later we went off in our rental car, heading for the hills a bit north of Benidorm. We stopped outside a rather large door in a tight street and a gentleman opened the door looking back at us. Hello, I said, we are here to visit you! Yes, I know! he replied.

There aren’t any real signs that this town house is a wine producer, and it is located in a village with narrow roads, so hard to see how trucks can get in there to pick up pallets of wine. But we walked around the building and were let into a lovely house with an utterly charming Moorish inspired small courtyard and a huge kitchen. Classic music constantly playing in the background and it was soon clear that our host Don Felipe Gutiérrez de la Vega is a man of great love of the arts. 


The winery was originally in a country house but moved to today’s cellars in 1982. And in this old mill the wines now rest for years in some cases even decades before Felipe find them ready to be bottled. Some are produced in tiny quantities. Not Burgundy tiny, properly tiny. Hundreds or even tens of bottles only. The star of the show is Moscatel, a variety I personally find too often be a bit too grapey, lacking some complexity even if there can be superb ones from Madeira. I was about to taste some of my greatest to date of the variety!


But I also came to adore the Giró variety, pronounced here-oh. In fact, the entire visit was breathtakingly refreshing. New takes on a variety I have a so-so relation to and discovery of new ones. And Felipe talking about literature, opera and music in general. And back in time, Alicante used to make wines in a similar style to that of Jerez and Madeira, but hardly any does it anymore. Late harvest Monastrell wines showing such purity and finesse, and you can see a tradition that can also be traced stylistically to the border regions with France, with Banyuls and Rivesaltes. 

The dry Casta Diva Cosecha Dorada is the main production white with around 20.000 bottles. This Moscatel de Alejandria is made from calcareous clay vineyards at about 200 meters of elevation from vines between 30 and fifty years. If you see a bottle of their Tio Raimundo, grab it. You will probably never see it again as the production is a meagre 364 bottles. Same as the above but vineyard is at about 100 meters elevation and vines are 40 to one hundred years old. 


Cosecha Miel is still Moscatel de Alejandria but now 100 meters of elevation on limestone soils and 40 years old vines. About 9000 bottles are made. Casta Diav Reserva Real was made for the wedding of now King of Spain’s dinner, and since then a solera has been created, so 100 bottles are made each year from this solera. The 2002 tasted below was singing! Again, from limestone soil. 

Over to red wines, Viña Ulises is made of Garnacha and Monastrell on marl and limestone at about 200 meters altitude, 30 to 50 years old wines and a production of about 9000 bottles. Rojo y Negro is Giro of 60 years old vines from 200 meters altitude and again marl and limestone soils. Production is 6000 bottles. Principe de Salinas has vineyards at around 600 meters and sandy soils with 70 years of age from the Monastrell variety and 6000 bottles are made. 


Imagine after John Lennon’s song is Giro on calcareous clay at 600 meters and the vines are 80 years old and only 1200 bottles are made. The sweet Monastrell, Recondita Armonia is from sandy soils at 600 meters and 60 year old vines and 6000 bottles made. The 1987 Recondita Armonia Fondillon Solera is made from ungrafted Monastrell in sandy soils and the vines are 70 years old and only 400 bottles produced each year. And even rarer versions exist, the 1978 tasted below was made in a 30-liter barrel, only bottled twice for commercial purposes and then only ten bottles made. Same goes for the 1979. The 1985 was made in a 125-liter barrel, so here 30 bottles were made. These are all 500ml bottles. These three were made from each of Felipe’s three children’s birth years. 


Gutierrez de la Vega make wines of personality and elegance, and elegance can be difficult to achieve in a warm and sunny climate, but these wines taste Mediterranean but still shows finesse and nuances as well as freshness that you normally need to go further North to find. A stunning discovery for me, and we also bought quite a few bottles with us and tasted over the following weeks in Spain and enjoyed them highly. These will not be easy to fins, but in Spain you may find them at El Corte Ingles. At least we found a few there. As Felipe brakes some of the regions rules on how to make wine, he, as arguably the most exciting wine producer of the region, is only classifying his wines as table wines. The old story of quality and rules not necessarily going hand in hand.


2018 Gutierrez de la Vega Sparkling Sweet Moscatel
Towards lemon yellow. Citrus, orange blossoms, fresh nose. Fresh acidity, elegant light mousse, lemons, tangerine, oranges and candied lemons, long finish. 90

2017 Gutierrez de la Vega Sparkling Sweet Moscatel
Lemon yellow. Citrus, fruity, nuanced nose, some oranges nose. Fresh acidity, richer, fruity, orange, nuanced, intense nose, detailed. Long. 91

2018 Gutierrez de la Vega Casta Diva Golden Harvest
Pale lemon yellow. Apples, some tropical fruits, elegant, lightly scented nose. Medium acidity, apples, roses, some citrus, good length. 88

2019 Gutierrez de la Vega Monte Diva
Pale lemon yellow. Rosemary, intense, dried fruits, some citrus nose. Fresh acidity, again rosemary, oranges, candied lemons, fruit driven, long. 90

2016 Gutierrez de la Vega Tio Raimundo
Watery lemon yellow. Flor, some honey, orange notes, nuanced, herbs, thyme notes nose. Fresh acidity, elegant texture, oranges, minerals, saline, nuanced, sublime balance, touch of nuts, long. 93

2018 Gutierrez de la Vega Rio Raimundo Moscatel Plus
Golden. Oranges, roses, incredible nose, detailed, layered and nuanced, detailed, lilies and violets. Fresh acidity, nuanced, intense, detailed, creamy, layered, citrus, flowers, superb balance, long finish. 95

1997 Gutierrez de la Vega Violetta
Straw yellow. Honey of all kinds, subtle ones and more forward, floral notes, oranges and candied lemons, detailed yet so rounded on the nose you don’t necessarily notice it. Fresh acidity, intense, oranges, orange peel, candied oranges, thyme notes, rosemary, chalk, saline, detailed, long. Stunning balance. 96

2018 Gutierrez de la Vega Ulizes Giro
Bright garnet. Strawberries, anise, some faint spices, floral nose. Fresh acidity, soft texture, red berries, anise, elegant, good length. 88

2019 Gutierrez de la Vega Ulizes Giro
Bright ruby. Some spices, red fruits, elegant nuanced nose. Thyme. Fresh acidity, red berries, juicy, fresh, red fruits, good length. 89

2017 Gutierrez de la Vega Imagine Blue Harvest Giro
Bright ruby. Red berries, anise, some spices, liquorice, sweet roses, Louis Odier, faint mint touch, raspberries nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, red berries, juicy, some spices, bit leaner bodied, elegant texture, long. 90

2018 Gutierrez de la Vega Rojo y Negro
Ruby. Red fruits, anise, some spices, blackberries nose, liquorice nose. Some cinnamon. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, juicy, red fruits, lovely balance, elegant, long. 91

2013 Gutierrez de la Vega Rojo y Negro
Ruby. Red berries, some anise, some spices, vanilla, this has some Syrah in it that the recent vintages does not. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red berries, spices, peppery, minerals, nuanced, long. 91

2018 Gutierrez de la Vega Reservado Para Super Felipe (Tambourine)
Not released, one barrel for the family, Giro and Merlot. Ruby. Incredibly floral, nuanced, subtle, like velvet for the nose, thyme, rosemary, intriguing nose, so subtle. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, red berries, nuanced, detailed, layered, stunning balance. 94

2019 Gutierrez de la Vega Monastrell Herto del Piño
Bright ruby. Red berries, touch of herbs and anise nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, red berries, elegant, lovely balance. Good length. 89

2014 Gutierrez de la Vega Rojo y Negro
Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, liquorice, notes of thyme and rosemary, intense. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, dark fruits, spices, liquorice, nuanced and detailed, long. 92

2007 Gutierrez de la Vega Principe de Salinas
Monastrell. Ruby, garnet rim. Dark berries, anise, some spices, tobacco and some dates, faint leather note nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, dried fruits, blackberries and structure, bit firmer, leathery liquorice finish. Long. 90

2000 Gutierrez de la Vega Viña Ulizes Crianza 
Ruby, garnet rim. Scented, leather, nuanced, dates, figs, detailed, mint high note, faint thyme. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, red berries, structured, leather, liquorice, firm, nuanced, elegant yet firm, long. 93

2016 Gutierrez de la Vega Monastrel semi sweet
Not sold. Ruby. Very ripe raspberries, some lime peel notes on top, somewhat spicy, touch balsamic nose.  Fresh acidity, ripe, fruity, some structured, elegant acidity, cassis and ripe raspberries, good length. 89

2018 Gutierrez de la Vega Recondita Armonia Monastrell Dulce
Ruby. Blackberries, anise, raspberries and spices, deep and rich nose. Fresh acidity, playful, figs, raspberries, some orange notes, detailed and layered, so playful, intense and rich, stunning balance, long. 96

2019 Gutierrez de la Vega Recondita Armonia Monastrell Dulce
Ruby. Dried fruits, some thyme, rosemary, detailed, liquorice, some mint nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, dates, figs, plums, spices, nuanced, soft and gentle, long. 94

2017 Gutierrez de la Vega Recondita Armonia Monastrell Dulce
Deep ruby. Dark fruits, pure blueberries like you have hardly smelled them before, some liquorice, a faint whiff of honey, some Christmas spices, some rosemary notes with air, dark chocolate notes, candied violets nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, red and dark fruits, touch balsamic, balsamic poured over a bowl of raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, bit narrower finish, elegant. Very detailed. 94

2016 Gutierrez de la Vega Recondita Armonia Monastrell Dulce
Deep ruby. Somewhat withdrawn, more floral, blackberries, dates, subdued, elegant, dark fruity nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, spices, blackberries and anise, juicy, lacks some lift, ling. 91

2009 Gutierrez de la Vega Recondita Armonia Monastrell Dulce
Ruby with brick rim. Aged on lees of 1988 and 1998. Dates, anise, some figs, nuanced, layered, intense, liquorice, touch of mint and chocolate, white chocolate, coconut, raisins nose. Incredible nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, subtle, smooth, nuanced, so gentle yet intense, incredible balance of all levels, long. 97

2017 Gutierrez de la Vega La Diva A Maria Callas Moscatel Dulce
Golden with amber hue. Rosemary, grilled apricots and pineapples, fresh apricots, orange peel, orange marmalade nose. Honey. Fresh acidity, intense, detailed, rich, bitter notes, white albedo of orange and lemon, detailed, almost a minty note in the finish, long. 93

2009 Gutierrez de la Vega Casta Diva
Pale lemon yellow. Apricots, citrus peel, floral, nuanced and detailed nose. Fresh and citrusy, nuanced and detailed, refreshing, stunning balance. 91

2014 Gutierrez de la Vega Casta Diva Moscatel Cosecha Miel Montserrat Caballe
Golden. Apricots, peach, pineapples, nuanced, pure and bright nose, detailed, layered, incredible brightness. Fresh acidity, detailed, lemon curd, intense, fruit driven, pure and elegant, beautiful balance, long finish. 93

2018 Gutierrez de la Vega La Diva A Maria Callas Moscatel Dulce
Pale golden. Nuanced, lemons, detailed, floral, orange blossoms, lemon curd, lime peel, touch of bitterness, long. 93

2002 Gutierrez de la Vega Casta Diva Cosecha Real Solera
2019 bottling. The base of this wine was served when the now king of Spain got married in 2004. Three barrels of 225 liters each is what this solera is comprised of. 100 bottles bottled every year. Golden. Honey, orange marmalade, orange blossoms, candied lemons, so pure, detailed and nuanced, lilies nose. Fresh acidity, elegant texture, superb balance of all elements, so incredibly pure, nuanced and bright, long. This has a purity of aromas that is properly rare. Maybe some will have difficulties seeing all the filigree details here, how incredibly well-mannered all elements are, this is like great Muslim architecture. Massive amounts of details, but not always that easy to see. You need to sit down. Relax. Focus. Attention. 96

2016 Gutierrez de la Vega Costa Diva Esencia Moscatel Dulce
Deep amber with golden rim, viscous. Amber, dried fruits, honey, apricots, nuanced, detailed, lemon peel, orange blossoms, floral notes, rich yet subtle. Fresh acidity, intense, superb acidity, mind blowing, subtle yet so playful, like a Spanish Flamenco guitarist whose fingers dances along the instrument late at night, in trance, sublime body and texture, liquid gold, such depth, creamy yet playful, then stops. Pauses. But the silence after Mozart is still Mozart as they say. And here we go again, then the aftertaste kicks in. Dates, raisins, sultanas, figs, apricots, honey, incredible. And wow, the power, the subtlety, the balance, the layers, this is one of the greatest wines I have tasted. Aftertaste for minutes. 100

2015 Gutierrez de la Vega Costa Diva Esencia Moscatel Dulce
35 litres made in 2019! Amber. All types of spices, incredible nose, green tea, black tea, Earl Grey, white tea, apricots, some thyme and rosemary. Honey, of all levels. Acacia honey. So intense. Fresh acidity, elegant, detailed, some lemons, oranges, detailed, nuanced, perfectly ripe oranges, total harmony, so gentle yet so intense, one of the greatest wines I have tasted. Incredible length. 100

2019 Gutierrez de la Vega Costa diva Esencia Moscatel Dulce
Golden. Apricots, touch honey, detailed, citrus, intense and layered, stunning nose, still fermenting very slowly and not yet in barrel. Fresh acidity, fruit driven, nuanced, detailed, layered, detailed, creamy, nuanced, lemons and lemon curd, long. 96

1987 Gutierrez de la Vega Recondita Armonia SF “Solera”
2020 bottling. Amber. Mint in abundance, detailed, stunning nose, rosemary, thyme, dried fruits, detailed nose, incredible depth. Saline. Inside old sail ships, bit of teak, salt, mahogany, wood polish, maybe even brass polish. Fresh acidity, nuanced, detailed, intense, layered, deep, gorgeous balance, even some youthful raisins to liven it up. Long. Incredible. 100

1978 Gutierrez de la Vega Recondita Armonia SF Felipe
Amber, golden hue. Coffee, nuanced, mint, detailed, some caramel, dark chocolate, mint, detailed, layered nose, stunning balance. Fresh acidity, smooth, citrusy, detailed, layered, incredible balance, stunning balance, long, gorgeous. 100