biodynamic wine – Vinosseur.com

A quick tasting note: Si Vintners Sophie

Sun, 26 May 2013 14:09:34 +0000

Dear blogger,

I have to say that it’s nice to get emails from afar, but it’s even nicer when these emails state that the reason for their contact is due to this blog (yes, this very blog you are reading – for the first time in 3 months – yes, I know..).

I also get emails from winemakers who would like me to taste their wine because they think that I might enjoy them. I have been disappointed a few times I must admit, but when Polish-born Iwo Jakimowicz emailed me one year ago (27/05/2012), I was intrigued. For one, I live in Poland. Two, this Polish-born winemaker claimed to make “natural” wine in Australia. Not only is Australia literally distant, but often their wines were distant as well – from the natural wine world. I knew that they are making strides when it came to making wine with minimal intervention, but these examples were hard to find in Europe, especially in Poland

He went on to tell me his story:

“My wife and I are both wine makers, between us we worked in many wineries around the world but since 2005 we have been spending our time making wine between Spain and Margaret River (Australia). Margaret River is our home but Aragon in Northern Spain is a close second as we have spent nearly 6 months each year there since 2005 running a large winery.

18 months ago we decided that the way to make wine the way we wanted (naturally!) was to start doing it for ourselves and not work for large wineries. Our love of working with old vines led us to purchasing a small vineyard in Margaret River (planted in 1978) which we have been running with biodynamics since we took over. Our plan was to focus on making wine here in Margaret River however we our love for old vine Garnacha was so strong so that we decided to also start a small project in Aragon (Calatayud) where we have made a small amount of very old vine Garnacha.”

Well, it’s been a year since we first communicated and last night I finally had the opportunity to taste.

2012 Si Vintners Sophie Rosé

From their site: Low cropping 35 yr old Pinot Noir planted in Karri loam over decomposed granite/white clay soils, grown biodynamically and harvested according to ripeness with a focus on natural acidity. Hand harvested, whole bunch pressed and spontaneously fermented in concrete eggs followed by 8 months ageing in old French oak barriques. Battonage for the first 3 months the wine was retained on lees until bottling. Made with no additives only a minimal sulphur addition at bottling. No fining or filtration.
35 dozen made

Date tasted: Saturday May 25, 2013 20:00

Of course when I read this, a few things stuck out to me: Battonage for the first 3 monhts; 8 months ageing in old French oak barriques. First I must admit that the oak wasn’t noticeable, not even to me. I assume these barriques were quite old indeed because the only influence they seemed to have on the wine was the exchange of oxygen during the wine making. However, the 3 months of battonage gave the wine a certain richness, a yeastiness, a breadiness…all characteristics I don’t particularly like in a wine. In fact, I had to train my nose to push those characteristics aside to really appreciate the fruit. And indeed I did..

Appearance: Unfiltered & slightly cloudy – a beautiful copper-roséish color

Nose: At first the wine showed those beautiful “sponty” notes that I love with hints of yeast and bread (which I don’t appreciate). After some time passed, i was able to sniff out notes of red raspberries and tangerine. The tangerine notes were particularly interesting for me, giving the wine a nice lift. No oak detected on the nose, thankfully and surprisingly.

Palate: A very well-structured and oily rosé with raspberries and tangerines also on the palate. A very open, drinkable and well-balanced wine. Nice ripe acidity and a long finish.

I liked the wine very much for its fresh, not overripe aromas, its structure, its balance and its drinkability.

In fact the wine was so beautiful that I could not help to wonder how it would have been had it been completely unsulfured, unoaked and un-battonaged. Just curious…..

I would say a fantastic early effort for the winemakers and I look forward to future releases!

*I cannot comment on the value of this wine because it was a gift and I have no idea of its price.

A (quick) tasting note: 2008 Jean-François Ganevat Chardonnay Cuvée Florine

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 08:22:51 +0000

The Jura. One of my favorite areas of wine production in France. Just head West towards Switzerland from Northern Burgundy and you’ll get there. Exciting reds made from the Poulsard grape and zingy whites made from the Savagnin, and you’ll also find the classics – Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the grape tasted here. Except, this is not the same “Chardonnay” you find in Burgundy. Rather, a Jura-type Chardonnay which gives smaller yields. You can read more about Biodynamic producer Ganevat from this very informative post.

Date Tasted: November 18, 2011 22:00

Appearance: Rich golden yellow, click on photo

Nose: “Orangina” (orange soda – very strange), minerals. Not a very open and giving wine right away – especially following the Pierre Frick Cremant. More the silent, elegant type. Restrained.

Palate: Extremely vinous, as vinous as a wine can get without adding something to get it that way. It spent 24 months in 500 liter barrels with the lees. Could lend to the vinousity. A very well integrated 12,5% alcohol – barely felt it. Not a very complex wine and not a very long finish. The best this wine offers is it’s concentration and texture.

A little too “buttery” and rich for my palate, but the structure, concentration and vinousity of this wine are major pluses. I think that many would enjoy this wine because of the mouth feel. A great wine, but not a wine I would search out for myself. However, it might be interesting to taste an older vintage. Anyone?

A (quick) tasting note: 2009 Carussin Barbera d'Asti Lia Ví

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:00:06 +0000

Although the single vineyard Lia Ví 2010, (made without the addition of sulfur for the first time), is available now & super delicious, I decided to retaste the 2009 and provide you with a quick note.

November 10th, 20:38 -HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Appearance: no development showing on this still young wine. A dark-ish garnet-red with bluish reflections.

Nose: Pure Barbera. Frutti di bosco (wild berries – mostly black, but some hints of red), hints of forest floor and black truffle. Floral, mostly purple

Palate: Great fruit attack with a minerality that gives the wine the feeling that it’s lightly sparkling, which it is not. Medium ripe acidity lending to the wine’s juiciness, the juiciness you might get if you put a handful full of super ripe berries in your mouth. Smooth, feminine tannins, just enough to make you reach for that semi-mature toma-Piemontese. A slightly bitter, semi-long finish.

I have stated before that I felt that Carussin creates bench-mark Barbera’s that everybody should be envious of. Not only the finished wine, but the grapes on the vine. This wine is alive and fun to drink. A wine that can complement all parts of the meal, even white fish without pretentions. Enjoy…

: Bruna’s babies

A tasting note: L103 09 Carussin Il Carica L'Asino VdT

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:05:13 +0000

L103 09, what? This wine is a Vino da Tavola (VdT), table wine in English. And by laws governing wine labeling in Europe, they are not allowed to put the vintage on the label. So, one way to let us know just exactly when those grapes were picked, wine makers often use L (lot) numbers to help indicate vintage. In this case, 2009.

European governing wine laws also don’t allow wine makers to put the ingredients on the back label of their wine bottles; something that is found on all food items. People just take it for granted that wine is a natural product and that of course, the wines we are consuming contain grapes, and only grapes. Many of us know that this is just not the case. There are many (even 100) additives used in every-day wine making; some natural, some not.

This why I chose to drink not only wines that I enjoy and love, but I chose to drink wines that are made with grapes, and most of the time, only grapes. Nothing added, nothing taken.

Carussin is one of my favorite producers in Piemonte, a region known for it’s age-worthy Barolo’s & Barbaresco’s, neither of which Carussin produces. They produce wines of simplicity, wines of great fruit character and wines of consistent quality, made with nothing more than quality, biodynamically grown grapes (a bit of sulfur is used, and that’s it). Their Barbera d’Asti Asinoi is my favorite barbera, and I often use it as a benchmark to which I compare other barbera’s. In my opinion, very few other barbera’s stand up to the fruit quality of the Asinoi, and once the price is considered, it’s a difficult barbera to beat.

The wine I tasted for this tasting note is Carussin’s entry level wine, Il Carica L’Asino. In 2005, a small farmhouse was purchased in the Valle Asinari region by Bruna Ferro & Luigi Garberoglio. Soon after, the family discovered the diversity of two small parcels of “Cortese Alto Monferrato” grapes which sparked their curiosity. They investigated a bit further by speaking to the previous owner, a sprightly & kind lady aged 83 years. She explains that her and her husband began to plant cuttings of Il Carica L’Asino (load on the donkey) on his land in the Valle Asinari after discovering from friends in Acqui Termi, the existence of this ancient Ligurian vine. This is a curious coincidence that links Bruna’s love for the Asino (donkey) and this ancient Ligurian variety.

The biodynamically-grown Cortese Alto Monferrato & Il Carica L’Asino grapes for this wine are usually harvested in the first two weeks of September by hand. The grapes are crushed and left to spontaneously ferment on their own in stainless steel. Nothing is added during the entire process except a bit of sulfur. A light filtration before bottling, and there you have it!

Here is some nerdy information:

Grapes: Carica L’Asino and Cortese Alto Monferrato

Alcohol: 12 %

Residual Sugar: 0,0 g/l

Total Acidity: 6,0 g/l

PH: 3,3 g/l

Volatile Acidity: 0,30 g/l

Total SO2: 30 mg/l

Date tasted: May 25th, 2011 19:24 – melanzane (eggplant) alla parmigiana in the oven!

Appearance: medium intense yellow with green reflexes. No age showing

Nose: a youthful, vibrant, medium intense nose of sweet yellow plums, arctic cloud berries and hints of elderflower. Subtle notes of sweet lime on the back end

Palate: Fresh, crisp and very fruity. Yellow plums dominate with a delicate mineral touch to give the wine a (slight) touch of weight, while remaining light and playful. Bitter almond hints surround the fruit. Medium, ripe acidity that cleans the mouth well and helps the wine linger around just long enough to remind you just how balanced this wine is. Five minutes in the glass and one degree warmer, and I find very slight hints of yeast and bread, but only slight. The bitterness also intesnifies a tad, which in my opinion makes the wine more interesting. A very well balanced, although simple, wine with a moderate 12% of alcohol. Great for aperitif or with simple tomato based dishes – like my melanzane alla parmigiana!

19:40

Nose: hints of hay start to appear.

A tasting note – 2005 Reynald Héaulé Rive Droite – thank you Pierre!

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:42:10 +0000

So I don’t update as often as I should (whatever that means). So, since I spontaneously write, as it should be, I decided to do a “live” tasting note.. That is, I am writing this as I taste the wine.. This opens me up to some critique perhaps?

Anyway, the goal here is few words, less education, and just to post

I got this wine from Pierre at La Verre Volé (Paris) the last time he was here in Bergen. I decided to crack the bottle tonight cause I felt like it and I thought it would be nice with this (wild soul on a bed of organic capers from the island of Pantelleria, fennel and potatoes..and a few other things):

Here are my quick tasting notes just to make it official:

Appearance: golden yellow – see photo

Nose: Medium intense, youthful and rich nose. When I nose this sort of wine, I feel right away that it is an organic/biodynamic wine with spontaneous fermentation (ok, Pierre gave this to me, so what else could it be?!) There is something about the expression of the wine that signals this for me right away. Hints of lees and yellow fruit, citrus and yellow stone fruit with a mineral lift giving the wine a fresh edge. Hints of alcohol on the nose. Jumps out of the glass at first.. I love wines that are alive!

Palate: A rather rich, dry palate with good acidity and a slightly bitter/mineral finish. Sits well long after swallowing. Again yellow fruit. Yellow berries and ripe citrus fruits. Hints of passion fruit? Nice food wine, not necessarily vin de soif. Well balanced. Well intrigated alcohol overall with just a hint of warmth at the end and at the back of the throat.

After just 15 minutes open the wine is tightening and becoming more citrusy and mineral on the nose and palate. The sweet, very ripe fruit I first nosed is burning off – and that’s good for me

I get sort of a Chenin Blanc feel with the wine even before researching what the hell it was I was drinking..

Ok. doing a bit of reasearch right.. At least I got the terroir correct (Loire). Wrong grape though, Chardonnay.

Be right back, gotta pop that fish in the oven!

Ok, here I am… So, I guessed chenin blanc. not sure why, just felt like it. But, apparently, it’s a whacky Chardonnay. Oh well.. follow these links if you want to read more about this small bio producer from a small northern appellation in the Loire just outside of Orléans.

Mmmm…ton vin!

EATER

Ok, the wine has been open for half hour now… vin de soif!! Et voilà!

This must be the fastest post I have written…. until next time, drink wine that you like.

A Tasting Note: Clos de l'Origine Trouble Fait 2008

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:00:50 +0000

Clos de l’Origine – Marc Barriot

1 Route de Lesquerde

66460 Maury

Tél. 09 52 15 03 17

Fax : 04 68 53 10 38

Mobile : 06 75 03 71 71

www.vin-de-l-origine.com

Marc Barriot, originally from Bandol, obtained his BTS in Viticulture-Oenology in 1995. After obtaining his degree, Marc chose to travel the world to hone in his skills and to gain experience. He finally settled in Maury in 2004 where he now cultivates 10.5 hectares of vines spread across several communities: Estagel, Montner, Latour, Maury and Caudies. He discovered slopes with magnificent old vines (min 65 yrs, except for the Syrah). Marc maintains low yields in the vineyards and he works them with love with his mule. He has been farming organically and biodynamically since the very beginning. Most of Marc’s vineyards are certified organic from the 2009 crop. Marc vinifies his whites in tank and old barrels and the grapes are harvested “green” to promote acidity, and subsequently bottled the following year with minimal use of sulfur.

The Trouble Fait is a blend of Muscat à Petits Grains and Muscat d’Alexandrie. The Petits Grains grapes come from a small 0.61 ha vineyard in Estagel with an output of approximately 13hl/ha. The Alexandrie comes from another small 0.3 ha vineyard in Maury with an output of about 3hl/ha. Talk about microscopic quantities. The grapes were picked early (as they do in Italy) to preserve acidity. Harvest was carried out by hand. Fermentation was spontaneous and the juice was left on the skins for a week at very low temperatures to preserve the structure and aromas of the muscat grape. Total fermentation lasted approx 35 days. Five months aging followed on the lees in barrels. The wine was bottled Manually in June 2009 without fining or filtration. 1300 bottles were produced in the 2008 vintage. No Trouble Fait was produced in 2009 because it was to hot for dry Muscat according to Marc. He plans to produce 1400 bottles in 2010.

Date tasted: November 2nd, 2010 16:30 (4:30pm)

Appearance: Golden Yellow with greenish/blue highlights, not totally clear, which I typically like.

Nose: Medium intense, young and open wine with aromas of pure, sweet citrus fruits. Oranges and orange peel. Hints of candied, bitter orange peel and minerals. Lemon/lime soda

Palate: Medium intense, very dry wine with very little residual sugar (in fact 3 g/l according to Marc). Medium long, fresh acidity with well integrated alcohol (12,5%). Yellow citrus fruits mostly with a medium length, slightly bitter, mineral aftertaste. Very fresh, medium bodied and delicious wine.

18:10 (6:10pm)

Nose: Lemons and hints of ginger appear for the first time. Orange peel

Palate: Limes, and very light hints of some under ripe apricots. Marc picks his fruit early, and it is evident, giving the impression that this wine is from cooler climate than it actually is. The wine now seems less ripe then when the bottle was first opened. This being said, the wine is not green.

November 3rd, 22:26 (10:26pm)

Nose: Sage and basil emerge

Palate: a tad fruitier today, but still the acid is a bit dominant. More herbs today both on the nose and palate then yesterday. Bitter almonds

*Very well balanced, but I would like a bit more fruit for the sake of high acidity

November 4th, 22:09 (10:09pm)

So many herbs both on Palate and on the nose. Still wish the fruit was a bit riper, but still, I can’t stop drinking this wine simply for it’s drinkability and deliciousness.

I like this wine overall and enjoyed drinking it over several days. Even though low in alcohol and easy to drink, I am convinced that this would go well with food, especially shellfish. I can’t help to wonder how this wine would taste with a bit riper fruit and with a little less acidity.

I have also tasted the other wines of Marc Barriot and I am particularly impressed with his whole cluster fermented Syrah called the Mon P’tit Barriot. Marc’s wines are not available in Norway today, but will be available in very limited quantities by the end of November at a reasonable price.

Nose: Lemons and hints of ginger appear for the first time. Orange peel

Palate: Limes, and very light hints of some underipe fruit like apricots. Marc picks his fruit early, and it is evident, giving the impression that this wine is from cooler climate than it actually is. The wine seems less ripe then when the bottle was first opened. This being said, the wine is not green.

A Real Prosecco!

Sun, 03 Oct 2010 13:23:53 +0000

I am sure that each and every one of you has tasted a Prosecco. That fruity and light sparkler, ranging from almost dry to slightly sweet (up to 35g/l of sugar even). You know, the one you have tasted but kind of forgotten about? Over 150 million bottles (& over 5000 producers) are produced annually of this inexpensive sparkler in the North Eastern part of Italy in the wine region of the Veneto. Most of it is mass-produced wine that is (re)fermented in big stainless-steel tanks then bottled under pressure to maintain the bubbles. Much of it is produced with grapes other than the Prosecco grape in purity (only 85% of the Prosecco grape is required to satisfy the DOC, now DOCG requirements).

The Prosecco grape is a white grape that grows in small clusters and thrives in the calcium-rich soil typical for the region. All Prosecco’s are fermented a second time, to create the bubbles. Most in pressurized steel tanks and bottled under pressure (the Charmant method). Prosecco’s can be vinified totally dry (uncommon) or left with some residual sugar (the more common version). Almost all Prosecco’s are filtered to remove sediment, but some are left “sur lees” and sold that way. Some Prosecco’s are even vintage.

I have never really appreciated Prosecco. I had always considered it that cheap alternative sparkler that I never really paid much attention to. In fact, I never really cared to pay attention to it. Until last year when I had a revelation in the form of Silvano Follador’s Cartizze.

I was invited to the taste some wines at the house of a local importer of “real” wines one Sunday afternoon in the summer of 2009. The first wine this importer wanted to let me taste was a bottle of Prosecco from the top vineyards of Cartizze. I wasn’t that enthusiastic, let’s be honest, a Prosecco? Is this why you invited me over here? But, being passionate about wine, I would taste just about anything because that’s what I do, right?

He poured me a glass. Nice mousse and a typical light, slightly pear-like, stony color. As I raised the glass to my nose aromas of yellow apples, very crisp pears, grapefruit, lemon & lime hit my nose with a supporting back bone of minerality. Ok, the crisp pear aromas were expected, but the other fruits and especially that mineral component were not. I can remember being a bit caught off guard, but I still wasn’t expecting much once I tasted the wine. As I took my first sip, the first thing that surprised me was the sudden weakening in my knees when my brain got the message that this was no ordinary Prosecco. It was super-structured and completely dry. It had essences of lemons, pears and yellow apples, but was not at all sweet as I had expected. There was a super-long mineral finish with slightly yeasty notes of autolysis (those notes we get on Champagnes!) This almost literally floored me! What?! What the hell was I drinking?

It was that summer day in 2009 that I will remember, that day when my love affair with a real Prosecco began – Silvano Follador. A small family owned vineyard inherited in 1999 by brother Silvano and sister Alberta in the quaint area of Follo in the outskirts of Valdobbiadene. Silvano feels closer to the heart and sentiment of their grandparents , who knew little about sulfur dioxide, acidity and PH, but knew every plant in their vineyard almost like the back of their hand. Silvano spends 80% of his time in the vineyards.

They use organic and biodynamic principles in the vineyards, and they produce only 4 wines, approximately 30,000 bottles. The top wine from the vineyards of Cartizze (3.4 grams of sugar in the 2008 and 6,600 bottles produced – the wine I tasted here), a Brut (3,4 grams of sugar in the 2008) , a Passito made from the grapes from their Cartizze vineyard (the 2005 had 300 grams of sugar!), and very recently a bottle-fermented (think Champagne here) Cartizze. Silvano hopes to stop using the Charmant method all together someday, and has been already trying to remedy the “coldness” of the Charmant method by leaving the wines in contact with the lees for 8 or 9 months with very little racking and carrying out secondary fermentation at 3/4 months (one reason why their sugar levels are so low). All of their wines are made with 100% Prosecco grapes, express purity of fruit and are so well-balanced that you just keep coming back for more. Although great as an aperitif, the wines of Follador have enough “body” to also be enjoyed with food like tapas, Italian salumi (salame, prosciutto, etc), white fish, sushi & sashimi.

*Available in Norway through the special ordering range at the Vinmonopolet by providing details about producer and importer.

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Welcome (Back) to Georgia Part I

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:39:15 +0000

Clay Qvevri ready to be burried neck-deep in the ground in the outdoor cellars, called Marani

Let’s go back let’s say, 7000 years, to 5000 B.C. … a time when grape-pip findings suggest that this country may be responsible for some of the first winemaking, and artifacts of the same age to help support this theory. Georgia is unique in that, today, they still employ pre-classical winemaking techniques such as fermenting and storing wine in earthenware vessels known as Qvevri, (aka – amphorae), buried neck deep in the soil in the outdoor cellars, called Marani.

crushed grapes in Qvevri

hermitically sealing Qvevri

In these Qvevri you’ll find trodden grapes: skins, stalks and all! These Qvevri are then hermetically sealed and left alone for months. The Georgians have been making wine in this way for at least 5,000 years, and they’re still doing this today. It’s important to remember that wine is native to Georgia!

Very often winemaking is done with no chemical intervention both in the vineyards and in the cellar. The resulting wine, which is be fermented either dry (without sugar) or not dry, can be extremely aromatic and seriously tannic. And I mean seriously tannic!

The Georgian Wine Society

Georgia has 3 historic wine regions: Kakheti (more than 2/3 of all Georgian grapes are grown here); Kartli (where Qvevri are rare); and Imereti. (See map above)

The most commonly grown grape in Georgia is the Rkatsiteli, (pronounced rkah-tsee-tely, and directly translated means “red vine”). This is perhaps the world’s second most planted white grape variety, the Italian variety Trebbiano being the first. The Rkatsiteli probably produces less wine (then the Trebbiano) and accounts for about half of the wine production in Georgia. It used to be the most popular wine grape in the Soviet Union, due in part to its resistance to harsh winters and partly to its universality. The Rkatsiteli’s high acidity and maturity gives it the ability to make quality wine and quality spirit. Even with all this talk of quantity, this is still considered a quality grape producing wines that can have style, character and refreshingly high acidity. Good examples are full of spicy, floral aromas that can remind us of tannic versions of Alsatian wines. If you’re curious about these wines and want to know more about what they look, smell and taste like, you’ll find out in Part II.

A tasting note: 1995 Champagne Fleury Extra Brut

Fri, 14 May 2010 12:22:52 +0000

Champagne Fleury S.A.

43 Grande Rue

10250 Courteron – France

tel: (+33) 03.25.38.20.28

The Fleury family used to grow grapes to sell to other Champagne houses. They stopped doing this in 1929 due to the financial crisis and produced their first vintage that year. In 1989 they converted to Biodynamic viticulture – the first house in Champagne to do so – the first plot to convert being a small 3ha plot. They were officially certified in 1992 and they had their first certified biodynamic vintage in 1995. Today, they own about 15ha and purchase another 12ha of biodynamically farmed grapes. They have an annual production of approx 200,000 bottles.

I was lucky enough to meet Jean-Sébastien Fleury at the Bio Millésime fair in Montpellier earlier this year (thanks Alice Feiring!). And by lucky I do mean lucky. I rarely get excited about Champagne anymore. Even though the king of sparkling wines can still make me smile from time to time, I rarely find myself smiling from ear to ear. His wines are just amazing. I smiled from ear to ear from the very first sip of the absolutely fantastic 1992 all the way to the his BdN that had been bottled without the addition of any SO2. I was so impressed in fact that I set up a meeting to go visit him and his Champagne house the next week.

We arrived at the Fleury house around 9 on a cold Friday morning in February. We were greeted by Jean-Sébastien who promptly took us on a tour of the winery and gave us a quick history of his (family’s) estate. We got to see his rosé’s still resting on it’s lees, his press and the cellar where all the wines waiting to be disgorged were “maturing”.

After this tour and introduction to the estate, he proceeded to disgorge some wines for us that were resting at a downward angle in a brine solution so that they were ready to be disgorged (for our pleasure & sans dosage of course!). Here’s a list and quick description of what he disgorged for us:

1988 – 100% Pinot Noir “Young & Energetic”
1990 – 100% Pinot Noir (under crown-cap) – “Fresh and rich”
1990 – 100% Pinot Noir – Biodynamic (under cork) – “more ‘complex’ than the crown cap ’90. What a difference!”
1992 – 100% Pinot Noir – Biodynamic & “Stunning!!”
2008 – Sans Soufre – experimental. “WOW!!!”

2008 Sans Soufre - Wow!! Very Expressive

Date Tasted: April 25, 2010 17:05 (5:05pm)

Appearance: Medium golden yellow with slight development visible. very delicate mouse flowing in 9 or 10 streams emanating from the center of the glass.

Nose: Nice ripe yellow apples and nice autolysis, with loads of freshness. Yellow biscuits, ripe, healthy fruit with slightly wild aromas. Development also on the nose. Overall, A beautiful nose and bouquet.

Palate: Very, very dry, with no or very little residual sugar. Delicate mousse helping to disperse the wine in the mouth. Coats the mouth very well with lemons, sour yellow apples and a long, autolytic finish with great balanced acidity and hints of mineral and yeast. Finish is ongoing and changing with the notes of yeast and biscuits really coming through about 15 seconds after swallowing. Very impressive acidity and freshness. Juicy, yummy and very drinkable (in my opinion, storable for up to 5-7 more years – depending on your palate)

17:30 (5:30pm)

Aromas of marzipan starting to emerge now. On the palate, the acidity settling a bit (temperature), becoming rounder and more delicate. A stunner…

This is definitely a Champagne for those who like them dry and acidic, and with the yummy ripe fruit, not unbalanced in the slightest. A seemingly never-ending finish..wow

Jacob's Christmas Menu with Biodynamic and Natural Wines

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:17:49 +0000

While many restaurants in Norway feature traditional Norwegian Christmas food, at Jacob’s Bar & Kjøkken we do things differently. Our concept for the Christmas menu is the same as usual – simple, fresh and creative food. The wines I have selected to pair with these dishes also don’t steer away from my usual focus on Biodynamic and Natural wines. Please note that since we only use the freshest of ingredients and small wine producers, the courses and the wines (and vintages) can change slightly. So, without further ado, here’s the Christmas menu and the wines: (click on thumbnails to enlarge photos and make yourself hungry and!)

Apéritif

The Starters

Sunchoke Soup with Langoustine Ravioli

paired with Domaine Bott-Geyl Riesling Les Éléments 2007 – Alsace, France

Terrine of Smoked Ham Hock and Fois Gras, Quince and Fig Chutney

paired with Battenfeld-Spanier Hohen-Sülzer Riesling 2007 – Rheinhessen, Germany

Brandade of Smoked Cod, Raw Marinated Vegetables and Crispy Bacon

paired with Weingut Fritsch Grüner Veltliner Steinberg 2008 – Wagram, Austria

Pigs Head Porchetta, Pickled Beetroots and Tarragon Mayonnaise

paired with Camillo Donati Malvasia Secco 2008 (lightly sparkling) – Emilia Romagna, Italy

Main Courses

Baked Cod, Potato and Garlic Mash, Pickled Onion, Gravy

paired with Vittorio Bera Arcese 2007 – Piemonte, Italy

Pan Fried Tusk, Ragout of Lentils and Ox Tail, Mayonnaise with Herbs

paired with Frank Cornelissen Rosso del Contadino5 2007 – Mt. Etna, Sicily

Lightly Salted Pork Ribs, Pickled Cabbage, Pork Sausage and Spicy Gravy

Paired with Arianna Occhipinti SP68 2008 – Vittoria, Sicily

Lamb with Herbs, Root Vegetables and Creamed Pepper Sauce

paired with Domaine Le Mazel Cuvée Raoul 2007 – Southern Rhône, France

Dessert

Caramelized Bread & Butter Pudding, Apple Sorbet

Paired with Vittorio Bera Moscato d’Asti 2008 – Piemonte, Italy

Dark Chocolate Cream, Orange Salad & Granité

paired with Giovanni Almondo Brachetto Fosso della Rosa 2008 – Piemonte, Italy

Locally made Brie from Ostegaarden, Stilton, Chutney, Fruit Bread

Brie paired with Silvano Follador Cartizze 2008 – Veneto, Italy

Stilton paired with Pierre Frick Gewurztraminer Steinert Grand Cru 2003 – Alsace, France