5 week Wine Course Red Nose Wine Clonmel Business Park www.rednosewine.com
5 week Wine Course
Red Nose WineClonmel Business Parkwww.rednosewine.com
Last Week
• Introduction• What is Wine • Dry versus Sweet • How to Taste Wine• The Palate • The Jelly Bean Test• The first 2 grapes discussed & tasted
Wine Regions
• Where do they make wine?• Old World vs New World• Europe
– France – Italy – Spain• New World
– Australia – Chile – New Zealand• Argentina – Germany – California
Wine regions
European Wine
France
Bordeaux
Medoc
The 1855 Classification
- First Growths (5)- Margaux, Latour, Lafite, Haut Brion, Mouton Rothschild
- Second Growths (14)- Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Barton, Cos d’Estornel
- Third Growths (15)- Palmer, Kirwan, Desmirail, Lagrange
- Fourth Growths (10)- Talbot, Beychevale, Pouget
- Fifth Growths (18)- Lynch Bages, Batailley, Cantemerle
Marathon de Medoc
Burgundy
All roads lead to Burgundy
The Right Bank
The Right Bank
Right versus Left
• Cabernet Sauvignon the king on the left– Cabernet ¾ of the blend in Medoc– Only 29% of plantings across region– Moderate yields, quality, tannic wines – Blackcurrent the big fruit ( when ripe ) – When not ripe tough & vegetal
• Merlot the boss on the right– Medium yields – full bodied – less tannic – Matures earlier than Cabernet – Adds softness, richness & body to austere CabSab– Likes limestone – St Emilion / Pomerol
An Irish Connection
• The Wine Geese • Soldiers who fled from Ireland to France after the Treaty
of Limerick in 1691• Thousands more followed in 18th-19th Century• The Barton’s and the Lynch Family VERY
important Ch. Leoville-Barton and Ch. Lynch-Bages• Chateau Clark, Chateau Dillon, Chateau Margaux,
Chateau Phelan-Segur, Chateau Yquem and Chateau Kirwan also connected
A Fethard man
Leoville – Langoa Barton
All roads lead to Burgundy
Burgundy
• “All roads lead to Burgundy”• If you think Bordeaux is complicated … • Many appellations • Multiple owners of the same vineyards• Northern Continental climate • Severe winters & hot summers• Much less rain than Bordeaux • Big danger is LATE FROSTS
Burgundy
• Calcereous clayey soil = Chardonnay • Limey soil = Pinot Noir • Mid slopes are the best they catch the deepest
layer of slope wash – they are sun traps • Shallow soils ( < 1m) but vine roots penetrate
deep into the limestone bedrock. • Vine Location is VITAL in Burgundy
– Steepness & Direction of slopes– Depth, drainage, heat retention & mineral content– It can vary dramatically within small areas
Burgundy
• Regional ACs – Bourgogne Rouge • District ACs – Macon Chardonnay • Commune ACs – Gevrey-Chambertin / Nuits St
Georges • Single Vineyard ACs – 1er Cru & Grand Cru
– Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru – Domaine de la Romanee Conti ‘La Tache’
Very different vines
Very different vines
Very different vines
Some more quotes"The First Duty of wine is to be Red...the second is to be a Burgundy" -- Harry Waugh
The Irish believe that fairies are extremely fond of good wine. The proof of the assertion is that in the olden days royalty would leave a keg of wine out for them at night. Sure enough, it was always gone in the morning. - Irish Folklore
“I only drink champagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad.Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone.When I have company I consider it obligatory.I trifle with it if I'm not in a hurry and drink it when I am, otherwise I never touch the stuff unless I am thirsty.” Lily Bollinger
Loire Valley
The Loire
Sauvignon BlancSancerre, Pouilly Fume, Touraine
Chenin BlancAnjou, Vouvray
Melon de BourgogneMuscadet
Cabernet Franc Chinon, Bourgueil
The South
Rhone Valley is broken in two
Northern Rhone = Syrah & Viognier Cote Rotie – Condrieu – St. Joseph – Crozes Hermitage – Hermitage - Cornas
Southern Rhone = Grenache & a few more Cotes du Rhone – CdR Villages – Vacqueyras – Gigondas – Chateauneuf du Papes – Lirac – Tavel
Provence & LanguedocProvence
Cotes du Provence Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Coteaux de Varois en ProvenceBandol Vins de Pays
Languedoc Terrasses de Larzac Minervois – Corbieres – FitouCoteaux de Languedoc Cotes du Roussillon
Wines to taste• White – Sauvignon Blanc
– Chateau Bauduc 2011, Bordeaux, France• Pale, green tinged hue. Crisp and fresh on the nose. • Citrus and pear notes with a faint herbal nuance. Ripe and round
on attack then long, clean, dry finish. • Attractive apéritif style white.
– The Ned 2011, Marlborough, New Zealand • Packed with herbaceous notes, underpinned with a striking hint of
citrus. • The cold nights have particularly cemented its intense flavours.
Forever fresh. • A single vineyard wine• Decanter just awarded it International Trophy for ‘Best in Show
Sauvignon Blanc” in price point.
Wines to taste• Red – Merlot ( kind of )
– Chateau Bauduc Clos de Quinze 2009, Bordeaux, France• Blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon • classic Bordeaux - an elegant structure, supple tannins, a medium
to full body• a whiff of cedar with ripe dark fruit.
– Santa Alicia Gran Reserva Merlot, Maipo Valley, Chile• Concentrated, ripe and balanced• Lots of plum and chocolate flavours. This wine was made with the
best selection of grapes and great care.• Aged in French oak for 12 months, and aged in bottle for a further 8
months before release.
What’s in a Grape ?
• White – Sauvignon Blanc
• Bordeaux, Loire Valley, New Zealand, Chile • Cool climates on poor soil • Green / Herbaceous flavours • Gooseberries, green pepper, grass, passion fruit• In warmer climates less aromatic / peachey • Add oak for more body Pouilly Fume • Sancerre, Marlborough are classic regions also
What’s in a Grape ?
• Red – Merlot • Bordeaux, Chile, California, Sth of France • Two styles in Merlot • International Style
– Grapes harvested as late as possible – Max possible intense purple colour– Blackberry / plum fruit & Soft velvet tannins – Toasty new oak flavours
• Classic Bordeaux Style– Earlier harvest / lighter body / low alcohol – Higher acidity / more red fruit characters