Thursday, March 30, 2023

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.   


Saturday, March 25, 2023

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/—

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

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?





Wednesday, March 8, 2023

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/+