I’ve been flat out tasting this last month, so it has been particularly tough to select just two Wines of the Month. Suffice to say the incumbents are extremely worthy of their position. Especially when I’ve tasted more than a dozen tip top Vinho Verdes of late from Old Masters and relatively new ones to the genre. Plus my red appeared in a superb line up of Australian wines from vines aged some 70-170 years old.
Quinta de Ameal Solo Loureiro 2014 (Vinho Verde DOC)
Solo has nothing to do with Han Solo in fact. Though it sounds short and snappy, the name has no less than three meanings for owner, Pedro Araujo. First, it’s a tribute to Ameal’s soil (Solo in Portuguese ), second to this wine being “oenologically minimalist, no interferences, a self made wine” and third, being made solely of one variety, Loureiro (the regular cuvée has a dash of Arinto). Although I’m pretty damn sure that Quinta do Ameal has no silex or flint (soils are granitic), this wine took me to Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé with its hint of flint and curry leaf to the nose. In the mouth it’s not so far apart from a really (sorbet) pure, crisp Sancerre either, with its blackcurrant bud, steely grapefruit and wonderful linearity – an almost piercing, lip-smacking acidity. On day two it retained its purity, precision, length and minerality beautifully. The force was most certainly with this wine. Outstanding. The only thing that was missing was some oysters!!!!!! 11%
Hewitson Old Garden Mourvedre 2012 (Barossa Valley)
It was love at first sip when I originally encountered this wine in 2010 (Hewitson Old Garden Mourvedre 2007, reviewed here). Now 162 year’s old, the world’s oldest-known Mourvedre vines continue to sing a fantastic solo – winemaker Dean Hewitson sees no reason why they shouldn’t keep going for decades yet, even a century or more. The 2012 was a standout of the 15 whites and reds shown at the Wine Australia Old Vine seminar which I chaired last month (alongside this former red Wine of the Month – a stunning example of Hunter single vineyard Shiraz/its outstanding 2014 vintage). Like the 2007 Old Garden, the 2012 shows terrific varietal savoury character. And from a better balanced year than the 2007 (a year of drought and frost), it has a bit more lift, line and juice to animate its backbone of spicy, fine tannins (15% whole bunch). Sweet, fleshy black plum fruit is layered with complexing saddle soap, liquorice, orange peel and Campari notes. Beautifully structured, balanced and long, it is a very lithe, elegant representation of Mourvedre. The perfect wine to hunker down with. 14.3%
Recent Comments
Hi Sarah, Thanks for this great post! Reading your reviews makes me happy that I have a few bottles of (the regular) Noval from 2015 onwards!! All
Thanks for the suggestion. I know Lance Foyster quite well. However I have just found the Wine Society are now listing an Encruzado for £15.50