MYFoodDiary: Organic wine tasting @ Denise The Wine Shop

Written by chuiling on November 28, 2011 in MYFoodBible - 2 Comments

Date: 21 November 2011
Time: 7pm
Where: Denise The Wine Shop, Sri Hartamas
Why: Gulfi Organic Wine tasting

Organic wine. Ever had any?

This would have been a first for me too.

So, just what is organic wine?

In simple terms, it is wine made from grapes grown through organic farming, which excludes the use of artificial preservatives, fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides.

That night’s tasting was wines from Gulfi, which was just awarded the Best Italian Wine Estate for the Year 2012. Located in the best parts of eastern Sicily, the estate is committed to making wine in a way that respects the environment and is in equilibrium with the surrounding ecosystem.

As David, the founder of Denise The Wine Shop, explained to us, Sicily was never previously known for its fine wines – only for second-rate grapes which were then exported to Italy for blending with other grapes. Until a few prominent families in Sicily decided to get together to raise the ‘standard’ of the wine, that is.

Gulfi wines come from old vines in the most ancient and well-known districts of Pachino and Val di Noto: Maccari, Bufaleffi, Baroni and San Lorenzo. Here is where their crus are born: Neromaccarj, Nerobufaleffj, Nerobaronj and Nerosanlorè, all of which are authentic expressions of the territory that they originate from.

All grapes are Nero d’Avola, or a blend of.

The only white of the evening, Valcanzjria, is a blend of several Chardonnay clones, grown on the plains of Chiaramonte Gulfi and white grape varieties of eastern Sicily: the Caricanti and the Albanello. With slight shades of lychee, hints of cedar and fresh notes of citrus, this was a good light wine to start the night.

And now, the reds…

The Cerasuolo Di Vittoria is a blend of Frappato and Calarvisi Nero d’Avola grapes. This is a simple, soft and easy drinking red with fresh hints of watermelon and strawberries.

The Nerojbleo has aromas of blackcurrent jam, black olives and pine bark. This is a heavier wine compared to the first two and has a slight chocolate finish at the end.

The Nerobufaleffi is a full-bodied red, that has a full concentration of fruit and juniper berries with hints of bay leaves. This powerful wine also scored 93 points by Robert Parker and is definitely one of the highlights of our tasting.

The Neromaccarj (92 points by Robert Parker) is a complex wine with hints of strawberry and raspberry jam as well as shades of coffee. Dry on the palate, this is another full-bodied red worthy of attention.

The Nerobaronj is another intense red with an earthy nose. Taste has hints of persimmon and coffee, with a structured and harmonious, long lingering finish. Robert Parker score: 92 points.

The Nerosanlore is an elegant red with a cherry and flowery nose. The harmonious and lingering finish on the palate makes this wine pleasant to drink – not too heavy, not too light – with or without food. This was my favourite wine that evening.

Grapes grown on the slopes of a volcano. The Reseca comes from the Poggio single vineyard in Randazzo, at 850 metres above sea-level. It is made exclusively from wines cultivated in alberello (small tree) style, that scramble along the Etnean mountain on black terraces of lavic earth and that sink their roots in the primordial soil of Europe’s tallest volcano: Etna.

The Reseca has a complex nose with hints of rosemary, currants and hazelnut. Its finish, savoury and elegant.

And with that, the Gulfi tasting concluded for the night. But David decided to throw in a surprise bottle. The Krio Curto Syrah 2009.

Also from Sicily, the Curto estate is located in south-eastern Sicily. First taste of the Krio Syrah 2009 reminds of ice-cream soda. There is a slight effervescent taste to the red but unlike that of a sparkling. However after some breathing, the effervescent sort of disappeared and you are left with hints of liquorice.

So, after all that wine, which were the ones I like best and would probably buy and drink again? First on my list would be the Nerosanlore 2006. Coming second would be the Reseca 2006, and third, the Nerobaronj 2006.

Cheers!