Cool drops from Europe from Bibendum Wine
Sometimes, buying wine is as much about ‘who’ as ‘what’. If you know who the importer is you’re well in front.
Bibendum Wine
Led by the indefatigable Robert Walters, this Melbourne-based firm has a wine portfolio extraordinary in its breadth and depth. No matter where the wine is from, this is a name to track down.
For details of retail stockists, go to bibendum.com.au
2014 Verget Macon Vergisson La Roche ($55)
Notwithstanding the continuing dark shadow of premature oxidation (premox), France’s Burgundy region remains pre-eminent as the birthplace of the greatest expression of the chardonnay grape. Under screw cap, there is nothing to worry about with this wine from the region’s southern tail, the Maconnais area. This is white burgundy in the style that has historically inspired so many new-world winemakers: dazzlingly bright peach and nectarine stone fruit, minerally flavours, generously built with a roundness and shape from judicious oxidative handling (vinified and aged in 15 per cent new allier oak). If you like sexy Margaret River chardonnay, you’ll love this.
2015 Algueira Mencia Joven Ribeira Sacra ($35)
The northwest of Spain, a historic area whose renaissance is recent, is a decidedly cool-climate growing environment, with above-average rainfall and the nearby Atlantic Ocean moderating temperatures. This “joven” (young) mencia vines cuvee sees no wood during fermentation or maturation. As a result, the wine displays a youthful exuberance of red and blueberry fruits and spicy aromas, staying cool throughout the palate of medium density and length. Not complex, but chock-full of stylish, juicy drinking pleasure. Although hardly a lightweight, it manages to remain light on its feet.
2014 Pierre Gaillard Saint-Joseph ($58)
Part of the northern Rhone valley, the Saint Joseph appellation, when created in 1956, comprised just 90ha. Since then it has grown to about 1100ha, spanning almost 50km north to south, from the northern extremities of Cote-Rotie and Condrieu to the southern limits of Cornas and Saint-Peray. This wine is from terraced vineyards close to the Cote-Rotie appellation and exhibits some of the traits of that area: shape and style trumps weight and size. In the northern Rhone, 2014 produced elegant and balanced wines and this is a charming example, with its complex, medium-bodied palate featuring characters of olive, spice and dark cherry against a background of minerality and crunchy acidity. Delicious now.
2014 Massolino Langhe Nebbiolo ($53)
I know … another Langhe nebb. I promise to not review any more anytime soon — unless, of course, yet another delicious example comes along. For starters, it’s a Stelvin closure; bless them. This is from younger vines in Serralunga (barolo). Different from other recently reviewed nebbs that were briefly “aged” in stainless steel, this was matured in big oak for 18 months before bottling and is way more tertiary in its colour, aromas and flavours. As a result it presents more like a scaled-back barolo, with characters of earth, mineral and tar, with ever-present fragrant notes reinforcing the elegance. The resolved level of the fruit and tannins make this just as gluggable as its more primary contemporaries. And it went down a treat with pan-fried chicken livers casa nostra.