Grace Wines Tasting, Part 1

 Grace Wines is a Japanese family business which celebrates 100 years this year. I had an opportunity to taste the full range with Ayana Misawa, the 5th generation winemaker. In this first part, I will review the classic range of Koshu wines grown in the hilly Katsunuma district of Yamanashi, north of Mt. Fuji. Koshu was first cultivated in the Caucasus region more than 1000 years ago and brought to Japan via the Silk Road. Today, it is Japan's signature grape variety.  

The best way to think about the traditional Grace Koshu wines is that there are three varietal wines and two single vineyard wines. I will report on them in the order of the tasting, which was perhaps not ideal. The first was the 2021 Koshu Kayagatake. This is a blended wine from vineyards in the Mt. Kayagatake region. The soil is volcanic. This is a very light and delicate wine, but it lacks of the precision of the later wines (89 points).  

This was followed by the 2021 Grace Koshu. This is the village wine from Katsunuma Village and the standard bearer of Grace Wines. The soil here is predominantly clay with sand. The delicate flavours include white flowers, white peach, and grapefruit. There is more intensity here than in the first wine, and the supple acidity keeps it fresh (91 points). This was matched with the 2012 Grace Koshu. This wine had a golden colour, but it was still fresh with some toasty notes added. There was a little sweetness on the finish. This wine reminded me of a maturing Hunter Valley Semillon (93 points). 

The 2021 Gris de Koshu should perhaps have been the first wine. However, the 4g of residual sugar made it more aromatic and moved it down the tasting order. The Gris is another regional wine. It is a little broader and has a bit of a jammy character (88 points).

The first of the single vineyard wines, the 2021 Hishiyama Vineyard Koshu, comes from a vineyard at 550m, while most of the fruit for the wines above comes from vineyards of 300-400m altitude. This means lower yield, and increased drainage from the granite floor. These terroir features are well translated into the wine. There is some smokiness on the nose, in addition to white flower. The wine has more drive and energy. Earthy notes and minerality on the finish add complexity to the still delicate fruit flavours. I liked this wine a lot (94/+++ points). 

The 2021 Toriibira Vineyard Koshu from a nearby vineyard is more south facing. It has particularly long sunshine hours, but also significant diurnal temperature differences. The soil here is clay, gravel, and some slate. This is a riper wine with a bigger mouthfeel, good intensity, but still in the 'delicate' space (92 points).

Then there is the 2021 Toriibira Vineyard Private Reserve from a special block of this vineyard. This wine is riper and displays tropical fruits; melon, yellow peach and papaya. This is the first Koshu which sees oak, three months of seasoned oak. It works well (94 points).

In part 2, I will describe wines which are less standard or expected, some are revelations. But for now, are Grace Wines the most delicate in the world? I think they are, in my experience.   

Two Traditional, Disappointing White Wines

 Remember buttery Chardonnays? White wine is quite susceptible to different winemaking techniques. I recently tasted two mainstream varieties, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Riesling, which reminded me how these wines used to taste in the ‘old days’. Passionate wine drinkers have moved on, and so have leading producers.

The first was the Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. Immediately, the palate gets attacked by grassy and gooseberry flavours. They are so strong, it is irrelevant that otherwise the wine is well made.

Score: 85/—

Gunderloch is highly regarded for their sweet and late harvest wines, such as Trockenbeerenauslese. The entry level is the Gunderloch Fritz Riesling. This wine is slightly sweet, but the main issue here is the lack of structure. The wine sits slightly round in the mouth, not moving down the palate. It is neither refreshing nor delicate.

Score: 85/—

Cape Mentelle Trinders Cabernet Merlot

 

Trinders is the second or maybe third level of red wines at Cape Mentelle. Therefore, when the 2017 Cape Mentelle Trinders Cabernet Merlot was opened, I did not expect too much. Indeed, the wine was friendly, easy to drink. I did not think too much about it, but decided to review it on the second day of opening.

And what a revelation it was. The dark fruits on the nose were pure and of medium intensity. This translated perfectly onto the palate. Blackcurrant, blackberry, mulberry notes, tobacco and some gun powder created a great mouthfeel. It is more characteristic of Cabernet Sauvignon than Merlot. This is a medium- to full-bodied wine, very harmonious. The firm tannins lead to a long finish: beautiful.

Score: 93/+++

PS: This wine and a note that a Taylor’s Chardonnay had just won a major competition made me reflect on the show awards system. Here, the first impression counts. This mostly translates into very fruity wines with a lot of oak. The Trinders reviewed above would not have had a chance. Does this mean avoid medal winners like the plague?

Chartron et Trébuchet Pouilly-Fuissé

 When people think of White Burgundy, they mostly think of the Montrachet and Meursault subregions. However, prices of these wines have increased just as much as for Red Burgundy, making these wines special occasion wines for most. A bit further south, as part of the Mâconnais subregion, is the appelation of Pouilly-Fuissé. Only Chardonnay is grown here, and offered at a fraction of the price of its more famous neighbours.

The 2021 Chartron et Trébuchet Pouilly-Fuissé is not a very complex Chardonnay, but it is very clean. Yellow flower scents are attractive on the nose. Stone fruits and lemon zest hit the palate first. The wine is enriched with oatmeal and hazelnut flavours, probably delivered by light to medium toasted oak. This is a good quality food wine, not too demanding on the palate.

Score: 91/+

Two excellent American Pinot Noirs

 When it comes to American Pinot Noir, it is safest to avoid the 2019 and 2020 vintages. 2019 was very small, and 2020 affected by wildfires. However, 2018 and 2021 were very good.

At a recent tasting, I found two American Pinot Noirs standing out. The first was the 2018 Willakenzie Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. This not well known Oregon winery has 420 acres of vineyards across a diversity of soil, aspect, and elevation. The structure built around grippy tannins is the major feature of this blended wine. Blue fruit flavours give way to savoury notes of mushroom and licorice. This is quite different from a pretty wine; more like a grizzly bear, but well balanced (94 points).

The second wine was the 2021 Littorai Les Larmes Pinot Noir. Littorai is one of the influential and trend setting wineries in Northern California, pushing in particular higher altitude vineyards closer to the coast. Most wines are single vineyard, but Les Larmes is a blend from Sonoma vineyards. This is quite a fresh and racy wine. Red fruits, in particular pomegranate feature. The wine shows firm minerality and a lasting finish (94 points).

Portuguese White Wine

 Portuguese white wine is not something you come across every day. Recently I had the opportunity to taste five high quality Portuguese white wines. They showed interesting personalities, quite different from anything you would taste from France, Italy, Germany, the US, or Australia. All these wines are blends of a number of indigenous varieties. The winemakers claim this is not important. It is about the site.

The first wine was a 2019 Antonio Madeira A Liberdade from Dão. This is a blend of 23 varieties, wines come from two vineyards 25 and 80 years old. This wine has a darker, almost golden colour. In the mouth, the wine is quite thick with yellow peach on the front palate, but merging into lemon curd and a saline finish. The structure is more rounded than linear and the acidity not high (92 points).

The second wine was the 2019 Luis Seabra Xista Ilimitado from Douro. Louis Seabra studied under Dirk Niepoort, the most influential white wine maker in Portugal. This wine had a lighter colour, probably reflecting higher altitude vineyards. and more of a citrus flavour, and also stone fruit. There is Asian Five Spice and good energy in this wine (92 points).

The third wine was different again. The 2018 Vinho Imperfeitos D&V Code from Dão and Vinho Verde is made at tiny volumes and is a bit of a cult wine. The wine has good drive on the back of citrus flavours. This is quite a gentle wine. There are almond flavours on the palate. The acidity is medium. This wine is perhaps the most sophisticated of the line-up, but the price is hard to justify (93 points).

My favorite was the 2019 Antonio Madeira Branco. This wine has incredible personality. The wine is very peppery. The wine has more of a herbal character, with celery, fennel, and ginger prominent. This is quite a unique wine, very spicy. It would work well with Asian food (93 points). 

The final wine was the 2020 Luis Seabra Xisto Cru Branco. It is a field blend, as the others, with Rabigato the main variety. The vines are at least 70 years old, grown on schisty soil. The dominant flavour in this wine is pineapple. The wine has spent time on lees. It has some lactic or creamy feel, probably from malolactic fermentation. There is some minerality on the palate. The wine is well balanced with a bit more acidity than in the other wines (92 points).

If you like a more full-bodied white wine, you go for #1. If you like a citrus wine more closer to what you know, wine #2 is for you. Wine #3 is only for people where money is no object. Wine #4 is the most unusual, very spicy. And wine #5 is the most worked and complex wine. 

After Five Wine Co. Aglianico

 I am continuing with my exploration of less mainstream varieties. Aglianico is a highly regarded grape variety of Southern Italy, mainly grown in Campania. Australian wineries are interested in hot climate varieties for obvious reasons. The After Five Wine Co. is a second label of Purple Hands, focussing on single vineyard wines in the Barossa. The 2021 After Five Wine Co. Aglianico comes from Williamstown, the most southern sub-region of the Barossa Valley. 

This wine is black fruited with blackberry and mulberry flavours. The wine has good concentration and is full-bodied. However, I find it somewhat rustic, not very round in the mouth. I taste a sharp edge, based on firm acidity. The tannins are coarse. Obviously, this wine is too young to drink. Some of the rough edges will mellow over time.

Score: 88/0

Ferdinando Principiano Langhe Nebbiolo

 Langhe Nebbiolo is a wine made from the Nebbiolo grape which does not meet the strict criteria of Barbaresco or Barolo denomination. There can basically be three reasons for this. The grapes may come from the wider Langhe region, they are declassified, or they are young. The most interesting case for me is when the wine is made from young grapes. This then expresses the typicity of Nebbiolo in the Barolo or Barbaresco region, as well as give an early insight into the vintage (away from the usual hype) of the Barolos to come. So today I review the 2021 Ferdinando Principiano Langhe Nebbiolo.

The fruit comes from the southern part of the Barolo region, mostly Serralunga, I think. The colour of the wine is very bright, rose petal notes emerging from the glass. 

On the palate, you notice the freshness and lifted character of the wine, with red cherry, redcurrant and pomegranate flavours building a harmonious mouthfeel. Earthy and savoury notes are in the background, but will become more of a factor over time. The tannins are very silky, and the finish is long and lasting. This is a terrific expression of young Nebbiolo.

I like this wine a lot. And at the fraction of the Barolo prices, I will be drinking more of this style.

Score: 93/+++ 

 

Envinate Taganan Tinto

 I am currently keen to explore wines I have not tried before, as evidenced by the last few posts. Today, I am going to Tenerife, the Spanish island in the Atlantic. Envinate owns a number of vineyards on the island. Taganan is a village wine made from vineyards at the northern tip of the island. The vineyards  sit at an altitude of 75 to 400 meters, the minimum vine age is 50 years, grown on basalt. The 2020 Envinate Taganan Tinto is a blend of several local varieties. The winemaking is modern, using indigenous yeast, and a considerable amount of whole bunch. The wine is matured in used small barrels for 12 months.

The wine has a bright red colour. Fresh red cherry flavours hit the palate. This is a lively wine, at just 12% alcohol. There is some spice and earthy notes. This is a fruity wine, balanced by some pronounced acidity. The finish is a bit plump and not long.

Overall, this is a refreshing and vibrant wine, well made, but not complex.

Score: 88/+ 

  

Unico Zelo New Releases

 Unico Zelo is my favourite producer of natural wines next to Gentle Folks. It also has a very strong environmental bend and co-operative focus. I cannot quite understand Unico Zelo's portfolio, but in any case, I just tasted three wines just released. They are all based on Italian varieties, better suited to Australian climate or at least the warm areas where these wines come from.

The 2022 Jade & Jasper is the Fiano. The fruit comes from the Riverland. Obviously, most Riverland fruit is for large industrial production, but there is now one or the other grower who is serious about quality and Unico Zelo has access to them. This wine is very fresh, with peach flavour and with a good acidic backbone. Not much complexity, but a well made quaffer (86 points).

The 2022 Truffle Hound, as the name suggests, has its conceptual home in Piedmont. It is a Nebbiolo/Barbera/Sangiovese/Merlot blend. I struggled with this. One would expect quite a savoury and gamy expression, but this wine is quite fruit forward as well. The fruit is from Clare Valley and McLaren Vale. There is some licorice and spice on the palate, but the fruit is very dominant (86 points).

My pick of the three is the 2022 Fresh A.F. This is a Nero d'Avola with added Grenache and a dash of the white variety Zibibbo from Riverland. Brendan and Laura Carter love Nero d'Avola the most, because it is so water efficient. The cherry fruit is very vibrant. In terms of fruit weight, the wine sits between a Rosé and a Pinot Noir. I recommend to drink it slightly chilled. A great pizza wine (88 points).

The key feature about these wines is their freshness. I think about them as grape juice with alcohol. They are well made, very drinkable, and well priced.

Thymiopoulos Xinomavro Young Vines

 Wines from Greece have not achieved the same level of general acceptance as, say, wines from France, Germany, Italy, or Spain, despite its long history of winemaking. However, this may be changing. Assyrtiko from Santorini is certainly on the map now. The leading red variety is Xinomavro, and its leading region Naoussa in Macedonia. Until now I was skeptical about this having had some quite harsh wines from there some years ago. However, this has all changed since I have been exposed to the 2020 Thymiopoulos Xinomavro Young Vines. This is a very good wine which offers sensational value.

This wine is quite floral and lifted on the nose. The colour of this medium-bodied wine is bright. Earthy notes add to the red cherry and cranberry flavours. The wine is elegant with an appealing texture. It is light footed, and defies its 13.5% alcohol level. The tannins are well integrated and seamless. It could be taken for a Pinot Noir.

This is a very well made wine. It is the entry level. Apostolos Thymiopoulos is making five or six other reds which I have yet to try. I bought a 12 bottle case of this wine, which I rarely do. I highly recommend this wine. 

Score: 93/+++

  

Coriole Fiano

 I am not very experienced with Fiano. This 2022 Coriole Fiano is as bland as its label.

It starts with good fruit purity and flavours of green apple, pear, and grapefruit. Once the wine gets to the mid palate, it loses itself. I am not sure if it is a lack of acidity, intensity or texture. The finish is medium minus.

This is a pleasant summer drink, not very demanding. A number of wineries in McLaren Vale are pushing Fiano. I hope some more interesting wines will emerge.

Score: 86/-