The fair fruits of labour
Oct 9 2009 by Helen Savage, The Journal
We picked for just a couple of hours. It was really part of a harvest festival, to celebrate the end of what promises to be a fabulous vintage.
We followed the tractor and trailer back the winery and watched while our grapes were separated from their stems, crushed and pumped into the huge concrete fermentation vats. They’ll stay there for a week or two before the deep-coloured juice is run off and the remaining solids pressed – though little of the tannic press wine will be added to the best blends.
We tasted the new white wines, made from grapes picked almost a month earlier. They were still cloudy and dominated by the yeasty smells of fermentation, but it was immediately clear that 2009 is rather special. The fruit is perfumed and intensely flavoured.
The harvest is now all safely gathered in and Gérard is excited. At this early stage it looks as good as 2007, which is as fine a vintage as the Languedoc has ever seen.
The full picture will only truly become clear in a month or two’s time as the young wine falls clear and regains the flavour of those wonderful brambly or black cherry flavoured grapes.
I have almost washed the dirt and grape stains out of my jeans and I’ll report in a week or two on Gérard’s wine that’s already in bottle and readily available in local shops.
WINE OF THE WEEK
Nobilo Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2008 Thresher £8.49
Purply young red from New Zealand’s North Island with a lovely, sappy smell and a juicy brambly, plum and spicy taste, with just a little tannic bite. Try it with grilled but still pink Northumbrian lamb – beautiful.
WINE EXTRAS
Sir Cliff Richard is in the region this week, playing at Newcastle Metro Radio Arena on Monday.
His wine, grown on his Algarve Vineyard, is cheaper than any ticket for the event and is well worth a try. I’ve just samples his Verdelho 2008 and was much impressed, even at £9.99 a bottle. It’s a creamy dry white with a spicy smell and tangy green fruits taste, with a long creamy finish. It would be delicious withgrilled prawns. Go to www.mollybrownswinelist.co.uk.
Verdelho, a native Portuguese grape, also does very nicely in Australia. De Bertoli Verdelho 2008 is crisper, greener and lighter than Sir Cliff’s wine and is good value for £5.88 at Waitrose. If you enjoy unusual, wine go to tomorrow’s Wine on the Tyne event at St James’s Park and sample the goodies imported by locally-based specialists.
Tickets are £15, tel: 07921 509 535.
