Montes Outer Limits Sauvignon blanc news

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Wine Advocate #213June 2014 IssueReviewer/taster: Luis Gutierrez

94 points

2011 Montes Alpha M

The 2011 Montes Alpha M is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with some Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. 2011 was a bit cooler than 2010, and the wine might have more edges, and a little higher acidity. I find better balance in this 2011 compared with the 2010, with nerve and acidity, volume and great balance. The nose is still closed, less expressive and benefits from air, but there is a greater sense of harmony and integration, and I think in the long run it will be a better wine. This is a classic. Drink 2015-2027.

93 points

Montes Taita 2007

The 2007 Taita 2007 is the new super-mega wine from Montes. I tasted it once with Aurelio and was impressed by its sheer power. It’s a dark and brooding, concentrated example of a Cabernet-based wine from a special soil on an old glacier which was first produced in 2007. The wine is dense and powerful, with aromas and flavors of aromatic herbs, lactic touches and aromas of blackberries, dark spices and good underlying acidity. It’s full-bodied and intense, and should live a long life in bottle. If you’re into big, concentrated, powerful wines, this one is for you. I wouldn’t touch it for at least a couple of years. Drink 2016-2022.

93 points

2011 Montes Folly

The 2011 Folly Syrah is pure Syrah from the upper slopes of the Montes vineyard in the Apalta Valley. It has a serious, somehow closed, backward nose, and it takes time to show the aromas of ripe plums, olives and raspberries as they are also covered by the notes of the wood, but the palate seems to have the stuffing to balance the wood tannins and improve in bottle. It’s quite full-bodied, with good freshness and focused varietal flavors. Give it some more time; this is a very good Syrah that requires some patience. Drink 2015-2020.

92 points

2010 Montes Alpha M

The 2010 Montes Alpha M is a typical Medoc blend of a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% of both Merlot and Petit Verdot from their vineyards in Apalta next to the winery in the Colchagua Valley. It is aged in the best French oak barrels in a magnificent cellar with Gregorian chants continuously playing through the PA system. It’s a serious, meaty Bordeaux blend with a Mediterranean accent, aromas of red and black fruit, earth and some floral undertones, a medium-bodied palate with slightly dusty tannins, good freshness and balance, and it should get polished with some more time in bottle. I tasted 1999 and 2004 and they are still young and vibrant, but obviously there are (huge) differences in oenology and viticulture, especially since 2009. Drink 2015-2025.

91 points

2011 Montes Purple Angel

The 2011 Purple Angel is Carmenere with some 8% Petit Verdot to try to balance the low acidity of the Carmenere: the Petit Verdot acting like the bones and the Carmenere would be the meat. It has abundant black fruit aromas. There is a mix from two different plots of Carmenere from Apalta (riper, more black fruit) and Marchigue (cooler, adding more peppery flavors and aromas) within Colchagua. It aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. This 2011 is still very young with roasted coffee aromas from the barrels, notes of mint, chocolate and fine-grained tannins, moderate acidity and a powerful profile. For a cool vintage like 2011, there is a remarkable absence of green aromas and flavors, achieved by low yields and managing irrigation. This is still very young and shows a primary, fruit-driven personality. It should age well and develop more complexity, as I saw in the 2003 and 2007 vintages. Drink 2015-2020.

91 points

2013 Montes Outer Limits Sauvignon Blanc

The 2013 Outer Limits Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from Aconcagua Valley from the coastal and northern zone of Zapallar, seven kilometers from the sea, which provides freshness. It’s a powerful wine, with pungent aromas extracted from the skin for some seven months contact, with a mineral feeling, akin to a Sancerre, serious and austere, with gooseberries, tomato leaves, ending again mineral and saline. This is a superb Sauvignon Blanc. The vines were planted in 2006 and the first harvest bottled was 2011. Experiment with iodine-rich seafood, like sea urchin. Uhhhmmm! Drink now-2017. 

Montes News Purple Angel 2011

POL ROGER CELEBRATES ’02 CHURCHILL LAUNCH

19th June, 2014 by Gabriel Savage

Pol Roger officially launched the 2002 vintage of Sir Winston Churchill yesterday, following record sales of this prestige cuvée in the UK market last year.

The event in Epernay marked the 14^th release of the Champagne house’s top expression, which was created in honour of the famous British statesman who was a friend of the Pol Roger family and well-known fan of its product, even naming one of his racehorses after the brand.

The cuvée’s inaugural 1975 vintage, created 10 years after Churchill’s death, was launched exclusively in magnums in 1984 at his ancestral home Blenheim Palace to coincide with the 40^thanniversary of D-Day.

Every previous vintage release of Sir Winston Churchill has been given the blessing of its namesake’s daughter Lady Mary Soames. However, following her death last month at the age of 91, Churchill’s great-grandson Randolph Churchill attended this latest launch, declaring “We relish our relationship with Pol Roger.”

Explaining that the expression was originally modelled on acclaimed vintages such as 1928 or 1934, Pol Roger’s managing director Laurent d’Harcourt summed up Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill as representing “the best of the best”, using only the first pressing of grand cru grapes.

In contrast to the Pol Roger Brut Reserve NV, which is released after around three years and made from a blend of around 40% Chardonnay with the remainder Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is matured on its lees for about a decade prior to release and contains a considerably higher proportion of Pinot Noir.

“The recipe is a closely guarded family secret but the vintages that Churchill drank were around 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay,” hinted Pol Roger UK sales director James Simpson MW.

Indeed, he noted, “Chardonnay only really came in with global warming in the ‘50s and ‘60s,” adding that the variety is “great for prettiness, but Pinot Noir is what gives the wine its ageability.”

Building on this theme, Hubert de Billy of Pol Roger explained: “The idea behind Churchill is a full bodied wine with some bubbles.”

Pol Roger will release Sir Winston Churchill 2002 in the UK on Monday, although a second allocation is likely to be made available next year. Nevertheless, with Simpson confirming that the total allocation is “tiny, 100s of dozens”, the Pol Roger team anticipates strong demand for this prestige cuvée from a vintage that has been highly acclaimed across Champagne.

In the Netherlands Pol Roger Champagne is sold at www.wijnkring.nl

News from Nautilus New Zealand

‘All you need to know about Oxford Landing

‘All you need to know about Oxford Landing’

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylCkWx2Om-Y 

‘All you need to know about Oxford Landing’

(click on the link for the movie)

‘Personal tasting with Andy La Nauze’ 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjLAKND-xf0

‘Personal tasting with Andy La Nauze

(click on the link for the movie)

De wijnen van Oxford Landing worden in Nederland geimporteerd door Verbunt WIjnkopers en verkocht in de horeca en via het netwerk van Wijnkring winkels (www.wijnkring.nl) aan de particulier.

www.oxfordlanding.com

Bezoek aan Graham's

De afgelopen dagen mocht ik met een groep @Wijnkring ondernemers het premium porthuis Grahams bezoeken. Onderstaand treft u een verslag van de reis.

Op zondag 1 juni vertrokken wij met Transavia vanaf Schiphol naar Porto. Na een voorspoedige vlucht (met net iets te weinig beenruimte) namen we de taxi naar Restaurant O Gaveto. Hier werden wij opgewacht door onze "guide" Pedro Leite.
Wij werden getrakteerd op een fantastisch sea-food banket en een super typisch Portugese rijst-sea food schotel.

 
 

Het dessert was een combinatie van twee eiergerechten en natuurlijk een zachte kaas.

Na dit diner brachten de taxi chauffeurs ons met ongekende snelheden naar ons prachtige Hotel Teatro (www.hotelteatro.pt), een design hotel, ietwat donker van binnen maar meer dan 5 ster waardig.










Maandag 2 juni
Na een korte nacht en een groots Europees ontbijt vertrokken wij naar de Graham's 1890 Lodge. De rondleiding door een poolse dame startte met een nieuwe video presentatie over de historie.

Impressie van museum van de Symington famlie:

The Grahams Lodge is gebouwd in 1890 op de heuveltop in Vila Nova de Gaia. Vanaf het terras heeft u een prachtig uitzicht over de Douro en de stad Porto. het unieke microklimaat ter plaatse is perfect voor het ouderen van Portwijnen.

In de kelder liggen de "pipes" hoog opgestapeld. De groep genoot van de tour, veel kennis werd hier opgedaan over dit bijzondere wijnhuis.

Na de rondleiding mochten we proeven:

1. Graham's Six Grapes: heerlijk diep rood fruit, veel kruidigheid. Perfect bij chocolade dessert of sterk smakende kazen
2. Graham's The Tawny: gekoeld tot 12-14 graden celcius, diepe amberkleur. Kaneel, pruimen, rozijn en vijgen in de afdronk. Heerlijk bij o.a Crème Brûlée.
3. Graham's 10 year old tawny: mooie bruinige kleur, tonen van honing en vijgen. Heerlijk bij appeltaart met kaneel.
4. Graham's 20 year old tawny: gouden kleur tinten, veel tonen van noten in de neus en smaak. Te serverven bij noten, gedroogd fruit, fruitcake of met vanille ijs.
5. Graham's 40 year old tawny: licht amber goud kleurig. De geur is overweldigend. Whisky drinkers halen hun hart hierbij op. Super intens in de smaak, heel delicaat. Hier moet donkere chocolade bij (75%).
6. Graham's Single Harvest Tawny 1969: overweldigende kleur, diep amber. Tonen van noten, rijpe vijgen. Deze special edition wordt slechts in een oplage van 712 flessen op de markt gebracht.
7. Graham's Vintage 1983: prachtig paars van kleur, verbazingwekkend hoe veel fruit en zuren nog aanwezig zijn in deze wijn. Prachtig! Onder het genot van wat harde kazen en een sigaar....

Na een voortreffelijke lunch in Restaurant Vinum (http://www.vinumatgrahams.com/) vervolgden wij onze reis per trein naar Tua, een klein dorp waar Quinta Dos Malvedos gelegen is.

 

 's avonds na het diner kregen we nog een aantal zeer mooie port wijnen te proeven. De klapper van de avond Grahams Vintage 1975

De volgende dag hebben wij de wijngaarden bezocht en de gebouwen waar de druiven worden geperst en vergist. Na deze rondleiding werden wij per boot naar Pinhao gebracht alwaar wij een lunch kregen in Restaurant LBV79.

Origineel vat uit 1903

replica van oude pronk waarmee pipes naar Porto werden verscheept

Na de lunch werden met de boot teruggebracht naar de Quinta. Hier hebben we 's avonds nog een aantal zeer fraaie wijnen mogen proeven. Waaronder een vintage 1977.

De verticale proeverij van Grahams Vintage Malvedos was er één om nooit te vergeten.

 Na een goede nachtrust werden wij op woensdag ochtend uitgezwaaid. 's middags mochten wij lunchen in The Factoryhouse (http://blog.grahams-port.com/tag/factory-house/)

Het was een wonderbaarlijk mooie reis!