Tag Archives: wine

Cirque grenache gris 2014 #grenache #france #wine #roussillon

Posted on by

20150227_165506 (1)
The Cirque Grenache gris 2014 is a wine from the Catalan coast, from the Languedoc-roussillon vineyards.
The Tautavel wine-growers take care of this traditional variety grenache gris next to the Vingrau village.

The label sketches a Mediterranean climate landscape where, next to the chalky-clay cirque, lay vineyards that have been cultivated since Roman times.

This wine has an IGP appellation Côtes Catalanes (Indication Géographique Protégée), evidence of this wine-variety’s authenticity.

We had the occasion to taste this refreshing wine. Its visual appearance shows a light wine robe, with a gold green reflection. The nose is delicate, fresh and sour. When we taste, we feel a little of white peach. The aroma reveals itself  in a second time : the wine has a floral aftertaste.

It is a light,  summery, feminine wine that we particularly advice to accompany shellfish.

20150227_165524 (1)

Anastasiya Tretyak

A GREAT CHILIEAN WINES TASTING

Posted on by

BRUSSELS-ProChile, the commercial organisation of the Embassy of Chile organised a great wine tasting at the Thon Hotel Stephanie to promote the wines from Chile.

chile

PROCHILE gathered recently lots of winemerchants to produce a  great event displaying lots of chilan wines. ue to the distance between Belgium and Chile, more winemerchants than producers were there and grape sorts like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, syrah and carmenere enjoyed lots of visitors: professional visitors from the belgian wine sector and also Chili lovers. Previous to the tasting a funny cocktail presented the best aspects of the chilean culture and dancers from the Andes mountains played music and danced. A lovely evening too…

 

2011 VINTAGE AT CHATEAU MALARTIC-LAGRAVIERE, 1st GRAND CRU CLASSE PESSAC-LEOGNAN

Posted on by

 

More than a winemakers’ vintage: a vintage that required cool-headedness and a tailored approach!

 

If there are vintages for which the precision of the work in the vineyard is particularly important, then 2011 is a fine example!

 

The dry weather and early development of the vines were key factors for this vintage, and it was thanks to the precision of the work in the vineyard that we were able to extract the full potential of every plot.

 

Leaves were removed in the spring on a parsimonious basis, depending on each vine; the first green harvests take into account the age of the vines and their root development, with a view to avoiding stress. This meticulous work carried out by the Château’s permanent team continued after the beneficial rain in mid-July with a second removal of leaves and thinning of the bunches in August in order ensure uniform ripening, which had been uneven due to the dry weather between May and July. The minimum use of pesticides approach (full ploughing, grassing, no herbicides, mixed hedges surrounding the vineyard…) initiated more than ten years ago also contributes to balanced ripening and the aromatic complexity of the grapes, particularly in the more complicated vintages…

 

At harvest, the grapes had reached optimal ripeness with very satisfactory balances, but selection was still important and extremely thorough. More successive sortings were necessary for the white grapes than for a more classic vintage, and the sorting of the red grapes was a huge task.

 

In the vats, the extractions were slow, but we prefer to let time have its effect… This patience is rewarded because as a result of this slow process, the grapes release silky, beautifully formed tannins.

 

 

 

The wines produced at Malartic-Lagravière in 2011 offer superb purity of fruit, very rich and yet also very refined, accompanied by a silky, elegant, complex tannin structure. Definitely a vintage to taste as soon as you can!

Mrs Severine Bonnie of Chateau malartic-Lagravière with our editor

 

 


BORDEAUX 2009: A MAGNIFICENT VINTAGE

Posted on by

Weather conditions this year have been particularly favourable for the vine’s growth cycle and the grapes’ ripening process.

The months of July and August saw high temperatures and a generous amount of sunshine. This fine weather continued into September, with an alternation between cool nights and warm daytime temperatures, which encouraged a concentration of aromas and an increase in anthocyanins (pigments). The grapes ripened ideally and harvests dates are now being staggered.  Crops being gathered are perfectly healthy.   It is too early to make an estimate about harvest volume.We should keep in mind that hailstorms during the month of March caused significant damage to 19 000 hectares of vines (15% of the total Bordeauxwinegrowing region).  The extent of this damage varied considerably from one plot to another in vineyards, but the result is a decrease in production.

Dry white wines

Harvests of white Sauvignon grapes begun on 27th August in the earliest-ripening areas.  In September harvesting of this variety became widespread and continued afterwards with the Sémillon variety.

Red wines

Merlot grapes are currently being picked.  Harvests of this variety begun in mid-September for the earliestripening areas.  The berries are intensely aromatic, full of  fl avour, showing excellent concentration in sugar; the pips are crunchy and the skins appear to have marvellous colour potential (anthocyanan evels are high).  Acidity levels are low; this is an indication of excellent ripeness.Harvests will continue with Cabernet Franc in the  first days of October, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, depending on the earliness of certain terroirs and how ripeness has developed.

Sweet white wines

 

CIVB A. Benoit

CIVB A. Benoit

Gathered by successive stages of manual sorting on the vine, harvests of grapes for sweet white wines have barely begun.  Weather conditions at present are ideal for these grapes that undergo the infl uence of an extremely specifi c micro-climate.  Humidity, in the form of early-morning mists, encourages the work of the botrytis cinerea fungus (noble rot), a vital factor for producing these wines.  Very warm daytime temperatures dry out the grapes and concentrate all their fl avours.  The grapes express remarkable aromatic potential.

 

HENRY BORZI

Recent Entries »