Open That Bottle Night: Augusti Torello Mata Reserva Cava Brut 2006

Open that bottle night is a great idea to drink those bottles of wine that you look at and occasionally stroke, hoping that the right occasion will just present itself. It is also probably a better idea if all my wine wasn't on the other side of the world. Nay bother, where there's a will there's a way and my way was to try the vintage cava I had  previously been eyeing up on The Matterhorn wine list.

Augusti Torello Mata has created a real gem that shows his passion and precision in producing sparkling wine. Located in the heart of Cava-land, Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, Penedes, Mata was the first of his family to get into the wine business back in the 1950's. The Xarel-lo, Parellada and Macabeo old vines are maintained with a nod to sustainability, hand harvested with each vineyard vinified separately and then aged for  three years before release.

Augusti hasn't been wasting his time, this was superb! Before I tucked into it, the wine was a sight to behold, columns of tiny bubbles formed fine beading on the rim and the nose was a pronounced mix of almonds, crisp green apples, crackers (edible not party) and yeasty fresh bread proving.

On the palate it was far softer and riper than I was expecting, those big flavours from the nose had mellowed to sit very comfortably together bound by a very creamy mousse. Not the longest finish I've had from a glass of sparkling wine but last night it performed beautifully. An absolute gem that would change people's minds about cava being just a party plonk.

Bubbles for Beth 2006 and Nigella's Chocolate brownies

1. The Doctors range is made by two real live doctors, John and Brigid Forrest

2. Beth is a real person, their daughter. The wine was made to celebrate her passing her Masters in Oenology

3. Nigella's chocolate brownie recipes are faultless.

Now we've got that out of the way,  on to the aforementioned Bubbles for Beth.

A traditional method sparkling Syrah/Malbec blend (80/20) the grapes are vinified together, bottle fermented and then left on the lees for 30 months. The resulting wine has a taste of summer pudding* which is apparently very much an English dessert.

Fresh strawberries, blackberries, blackcurrants and raspberries are all bound together with hints of vanilla and spice which then follows through to a richer, chocolatey and liquorice finish. The mousse was a little aggressive on first taste but soon settled itself down to a far more pleasant mouth feel and an enjoyable glass of fizz.

I think despite tasting of summer pudding, it was far too hot yesterday for sparkling red wine so the ideal time to drink it is when the day has cooled down (or it's winter) and there is a tray of freshly baked , slightly gooey and indulgent brownies awaiting you. I find the recipe in Nigella's Feast book for snow flecked brownies will be ideal for the occasion. I never bother flecking them though, just wait until they are no longer radioactively hot and then dive in!

Nigella Lawson's Feast 
The Doctors website


*summer pudding is made by soaking white bread in berry juices and using that to line a pudding dish. Fill the middle with summer berries and use some more of the bread to make a lid. Leave in the fridge and turn it out once it's all set. Should look a bit like the pictures, just click here...Summer puddings

No.29: Domaine Chandon Blanc de Blancs 2006

Domaine Chandon, Yarra Valley

Blanc de Blancs is a funny old thing. If you had asked me a couple of years ago how I liked my bubbles I would have said without a shadow of a doubt  heavy on the Pinot Noir but then I tried some really good Blanc de Blancs from Ruinart, Gloria Ferrer and one of my favourite champagnes of 2010, Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 1999.

With fruit sourced from around the Victoria region this is another belter from Domaine Chandon. A beautifully aromatic nose with hints of citrus, apricot, white flowers and nuts  which continues on the palate with crisp, fresh apple, some creaminess and an enjoyable intensity. I still stand by my food and wine pairing of blanc de blancs and jamon and in an exceptionally slow penny dropping moment I think my enjoyment of great b de b's over the last couple of years has in no small coincidence collided with discovering really good Spanish hams.

Iberico in particular is so sweet, juicy and salty that the thought of a casual afternoon spent with very fine company, a bottle of the 2006 B de B from Domaine Chandon and the stunning backdrop of the Yarra Valley would be hard to beat.

Morton Estate Premium Brut NV

I love half bottles, particularly half bottles that contain bubbles so when a friend recommended I go to Moore Wilson's in Wellington I was a very happy girl to see they had a good selection of bubbles from around the world. As I had a small person to entertain far too early the next morning a half bottle of Morton Estate Premium Brut seemed ideal.

This traditional method sparkler is stainless steel fermented and made with fruit sourced in Marlborough and Hawkes Bay. A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier the Morton Estate had flavours of mushrooms, baked apples, candied peel and a little hint of spice. 

This was a perfect mid-week sparkler, lots of interesting flavours and a good length for a wine that has been nicely put together. There are more complex sparkling wines from New Zealand out there but for something mid-range this was an unexpected treat.

 http://www.mortonestatewines.co.nz

No:18 Jacob's Creek NV

Nice picture isn't it.....Wellington at it's finest when it's not blowing a gale or clouding over!

I'm afraid this is as good as it gets for this review. I tried to give it the best chance I could by having it on a gorgeously sunny day when I was hot and just ready for a glass of bubbles but it still isn't great. I know that it's at the cheaper end of the market but there are others out there which are only a few dollars more, if that and it really is worth spending that little bit more.

The fruit is over-ripe apples, lemons and mandarins with a few bready notes. The bubbles are large and feel sharp in the mouth with a bitter finish on the palate I'm struggling to find the love here. I'm not against big brands per se, some do excellent jobs such as Lindauer and Codorniu for example and I have nothing against Jacob's Creek at all, they make drinkable popular wines but this isn't great bubbly, it's a bit battery farming for grapes and it shows. 

Not a high point for the top 100, it's a shame that the big brands aren't doing something a little better than this to show the masses how good sparkling wine can be.

No.7: Domaine Chandon NV, Yarra Valley

I love LVMH as a luxury company because their wine goodies are just so deliciously desirable, I mean who wouldn't want a pure white kettle barbecue? Or the lovely deck chair to sit in whilst you're watching your dinner cook?

All the extras are so appealing as they are incredibly good quality. I still love my Moet & Hennessy bag that I was given after doing a bit of modelling for the launch of Moet Rose in the members bar I was working in over 10 years ago. It has been around the world with me and it doesn't look a day older, just like me! (I have a painting in the attic, everything is fine....)

Domaine Chandon is better known to its English drinkers as Green Point, the name of the location of Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley.  The thing with LVMH is the fabulous extra-curricular shop items are not a smoke and mirror diversion to the wines. There are many Domaine Chandon wines in the list and it makes sense to start at the beginning with the NV.

Ripeness is the key word for Domaine Chandon NV, fresh ripe pineapple, nectarine, apples, quince and lemons with hints of nougat and breadiness on the palate. The wine is clean, fresh and fruity which makes it ideal for shenanigans. Whether it's a birthday a wedding or a general get together this wine is a perfect choice for something you could happily drink a few glasses of on its own but without having to compromise on quality.

That said I'm not sure you can do better than a few glasses at Domaine Chandon on the patio overlooking the vineyard. You can, once fortified with good bubbles, raid the shop and not wince at the bill so you can fill your boot with a happy mix of wine and grown ups toys before someone chauffeurs you back home. Now that sounds like a plan....

No:4 Jansz NV Methode Tasmanoise

Jansz is probably one of the best known sparkling wines from Tasmania, it has previously appeared on the blog as a bargainous bubbles which is a factual statement. When it comes to bang for your bucks the Jansz NV delivers on every level, incredibly well put together and a real treat to enjoy around the globe so folks in the UK, New Zealand and the States can get involved.

Lemon, crisp green apples and honeysuckle combine with a creamy mousse and fine persistence to produce a truly classy fizz that has consistently impressed me over the years.

Wineseeker sparkling tasting, the Pretty Woman version

Now sometimes as wine folk it's very easy to forget that spending $60 on a bottle of wine is not a bargain to a lot of people. It's also quite easy to forget that some people don't know where Rioja is, or that Montepulciano is both place and grape. It's also really easy to forget to be nice to people.

The scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts is still dressed like a hooker and she walks into the dress shop in order to get herself into some decent garb and is soundly rebuffed is a little too common in the wine world sadly. 

As I don't look like the sparkling wine goddess that I am, I have been into a few wine merchants and been looked up and down and then ignored because I don't look like I'm going to buy the good stuff. The problem with that is, you're a shop and I spend my money on wine, books and dresses that's about it and in that order. 

Luckily Wineseeker in Wellington isn't like that at all, they cover the two essential factors a wine shop should have, after nice wine of course, they are intelligent and nice.

I stumbled across their shop after about a day or so  in Wellington and the manager Rebecca was friendly and passionate about wine even before she found out I was also a wine nerd. They have several tastings at the store and on the Friday before Valentines Day they did the decent thing and held a sparkling tasting.

The two sparklers on tasting were Daniel Le Brun Blanc de Blancs 2002 and Jean-Marc Vigreux-Frere NV Champagne.

The Daniel Le Brun was a sneaky little wine whose youthful freshness belied its almost 9 years ageing.  Sprightly and full of fresh lemons, baked bread and dairy notes on the nose the palate followed through with some baked and fresh apple flavours and a lot less maturity than I expected particularly considering it has spent 6 years on the lees.

I was reliably informed that the Huia Blanc de Blancs 2004 that they tried at a tasting earlier in the week is far closer to what one would expect from a  B de B with a little age on it.
 
The Jean-Marc Vigreux-Frere was  actually the first champagne that I have had in  a little while as I'm trying to stick to my New Years resolution of drinking local. Produced by a family who have been a going concern since the mid-80's it was a tasty treat.

The wine showed nougat, candied fruits, baked apple and hints of ground almonds with a creamy mousse and a very pleasant finish.

Wineseeker have a great selection of wines and are truly passionate about their wines in the way good wine merchants should be. Wine isn't only for us chosen few, it is for everyone to enjoy and if there were more places like Wineseeker then the wine buying public would be a little bit happier and less likely to buy mass marketed tat than they are now.

Contact them for future tasting details and general wine purchasing at...
Wineseeker,  86-96 Victoria Street, Wellington, 04 473 0228
www.wineseeker.co.nz

No:20 DB Selection Sparkling Brut, de Bortoli

Just north of Yarra Glen is Dixon's Creek where the de Bortoli winery can be found. Previous to my current mission I was more familiar with de Bortoli's belting still and fortified wines. Having sold some of them at Majestic Wine in the UK it was always a staff favourite to put on the tasting counter as we could pretty much guarantee that the wine would sell out before the bottle was empty leaving just enough for a wee sample at the end of the day for the team.

The DB Sparkling Family Selection is pretty much in the same vein as it is an instant treat. Fresh ripe lemons, apples and a hint of pineapple on the nose followed through on the palate with fresh bread, touch of yoghurt and white blossoms make this a very enjoyable sparkler. I nearly forgot to write a tasting note for this wine as the combination of a sleeping child, Glee and a great glass of fizz of a Friday evening was one of those pleasures you can't measure.

No.58: Yarrabank Vintage 2006

Sadly this is not for me

One of the joys of the wine industry is that it's easy to make friends all over the world, they have nice wine and they are usually in beautiful places,

Yering Station

so dropping in to see Yering's Chief Winemaker Willy Lunn wasn't too much of a hardship. The 2006 Yarrabank was disgorged end of September 2010 and although it is still settling itself in it was the perfect glass of bubbles to sit down with at the end of another hot day in the Valley.

Showing rich stone fruits, nuts and spices on the nose the palate continues with some of those big flavours but also brings some citrus, fresh lemons, to the proceedings giving structure and crispness.

The fruit is sourced from the Coldstream Hills area of the Yarra Valley and shows that this area can produce some real class with their sparklers if the Yarrabank is anything to go by.

Valentines Day-It doesn't have to be shit.

Valentine's Day. Shocking day of commercialism where rough blokes and serial cheaters buy their better halves giant cards and even bigger teddy bears. 

So what do you do if you a) like your partner too much to spend it with a hundred other couples or b) are currently without a better half?

Well I have a little suggestion that may sound a little more tempting. Invite people you like/love over to your home for dinner. Before they arrive go shopping and buy some really tasty ingredients to cook a spectacular meal but before you get home stop at the local wine merchants or cellar door if you're lucky enough to have one of those around that makes the bubbly stuff.

Maybe something like this for a cheeky welcome drink...

Domaine Chandon Etoile Tete de Cuvee

And then something from these guys, perhaps...

Camel Valley. Obviously.

or maybe this guy...

Dom Perignon

By now you should be laughing, chatting and very possibly finding an old 80's/90's CD and singing (badly!) along to the Eurythmics. I have never done this, me? Nooo! Far too sensible and restrained to sing badly in a friends lounge in between laughing like a drain. Classy and sophisticated me!

When you are all just about but not quite ready for tea and bed, a sneaky, slightly sweeter glass of Taittinger Nocturne is a lovely way to round off the evening.

From the Taittinger caves

So coupled up or not, falling into bed after a joyous evening with those you love and some delicious champagne can make Valentine's Day a day to look forward to can't it? Not shit in the slightest.