Barrels & Bottles Wine Blog
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As we finally get 2008 on the move after the sluggish January that always seems to follow Christmas, there appears to be a squeeze on the horizon for wine prices from our beloved leader "Mr G Broon".
My forecast from 2006 was that when the government have finished penalizing the smokers, they would start on the drinkers. I have often wondered over the past couple of years whether there is an ulterior motive in the supermarkets attitude to pricing of alcohol. My theory is that as they get people out of the habit of drinking out in pubs and restaurants, by offering ludicrously cheap cases of beer and wine, mostly below the cost at which they are buying them, they lull them into a false sense of security and then wham, the prices go right back up after the habits have been formed of drinking at home.
Some may say this is an admirable attempt by the big 4 to reduce drinking and driving. No-body would argue with that benefit and any initiative to reduce deaths on our road by drinking and driving should be applauded, but I am suspicious of this being the real reason behind the campaign. The government have also tried to support the drinks industry via their claims that Malt Whisky duty should not be increased and in fairness the duty has not been increased dramatically over the last few years. Wine duty currently sits at £1.36 per bottle of still wine plus vat.
What will happen in 2008 is as follows:
* The government will increase duty on still wine by 25 to 30p per bottle making the duty costs around £2.00 per bottle including vat.
* The government will increase duty on Malt Whisky and other spirits by maybe 3%
* They will probably increase the duty on beer by around 5p per pint.
* There will be some hot air about how this will stop binge drinking and under age drinking.
* The Euro will continue to strengthen against the pound making European wines relatively more expensive, by as much as 10%
If we are to target binge drinking we need to tackle the Alco pops industry, a product that we have refused in 30 years to stock despite it being a massive sector of the market. We also need to target high strength large format ciders and cheap vodka. By holding the price of spirit duty we have actually encouraged the proliferation of cheap vodkas and other spirits.
The reality is that the majority of malt whisky sales are actually for export and therefore are not valid for duty payments, so we can in no way say that this policy has worked. We still allow supermarkets to sell promotionally with alcohol, eg 3 cases of beer for £20, when the real cost should be almost double that and we still allow off licenses to sell 2 liters of cider in plastic bottles (pet) directly targeting the youth and alcohol abusers market.
By increasing the duty on wine we are targeting centrally the middle market, the casual wine drinker, the side of the market where people have been proven to be the most informed about the choices they are making on their alcohol consumption.
Is this the nanny state in overdrive or are we simply a sitting duck target for the coffers of the treasury. None of us will know the answer for sure. It could be that by increasing the price of duty, the UK will have many less alcohol related diseases. It could also be that the informed drinkers who make their choices are just being targeted as a money bank.
If we could target the needy areas such as underage drinking, leading to lack of teenage control and violence, I would be 100% for it. Unfortunately I cannot believe that the policy of driving wine duty prices upwards, the strength of the Euro against the pound and the determination of central government to keep the tills ringing with tax, will improve the UK's health in the slightest. We will see price rises of 15 to 18% on most European wines and around 9 to 12% on non European wines this year.
Perhaps this is the year for stocking you wine cellar properly, but do it early, preferably before the end of March because the Chancellor is going to hit you this year and he is going to hit you hard, right where it hurts!
Andrew Coghlan
My forecast from 2006 was that when the government have finished penalizing the smokers, they would start on the drinkers. I have often wondered over the past couple of years whether there is an ulterior motive in the supermarkets attitude to pricing of alcohol. My theory is that as they get people out of the habit of drinking out in pubs and restaurants, by offering ludicrously cheap cases of beer and wine, mostly below the cost at which they are buying them, they lull them into a false sense of security and then wham, the prices go right back up after the habits have been formed of drinking at home.
Some may say this is an admirable attempt by the big 4 to reduce drinking and driving. No-body would argue with that benefit and any initiative to reduce deaths on our road by drinking and driving should be applauded, but I am suspicious of this being the real reason behind the campaign. The government have also tried to support the drinks industry via their claims that Malt Whisky duty should not be increased and in fairness the duty has not been increased dramatically over the last few years. Wine duty currently sits at £1.36 per bottle of still wine plus vat.
What will happen in 2008 is as follows:
* The government will increase duty on still wine by 25 to 30p per bottle making the duty costs around £2.00 per bottle including vat.
* The government will increase duty on Malt Whisky and other spirits by maybe 3%
* They will probably increase the duty on beer by around 5p per pint.
* There will be some hot air about how this will stop binge drinking and under age drinking.
* The Euro will continue to strengthen against the pound making European wines relatively more expensive, by as much as 10%
If we are to target binge drinking we need to tackle the Alco pops industry, a product that we have refused in 30 years to stock despite it being a massive sector of the market. We also need to target high strength large format ciders and cheap vodka. By holding the price of spirit duty we have actually encouraged the proliferation of cheap vodkas and other spirits.
The reality is that the majority of malt whisky sales are actually for export and therefore are not valid for duty payments, so we can in no way say that this policy has worked. We still allow supermarkets to sell promotionally with alcohol, eg 3 cases of beer for £20, when the real cost should be almost double that and we still allow off licenses to sell 2 liters of cider in plastic bottles (pet) directly targeting the youth and alcohol abusers market.
By increasing the duty on wine we are targeting centrally the middle market, the casual wine drinker, the side of the market where people have been proven to be the most informed about the choices they are making on their alcohol consumption.
Is this the nanny state in overdrive or are we simply a sitting duck target for the coffers of the treasury. None of us will know the answer for sure. It could be that by increasing the price of duty, the UK will have many less alcohol related diseases. It could also be that the informed drinkers who make their choices are just being targeted as a money bank.
If we could target the needy areas such as underage drinking, leading to lack of teenage control and violence, I would be 100% for it. Unfortunately I cannot believe that the policy of driving wine duty prices upwards, the strength of the Euro against the pound and the determination of central government to keep the tills ringing with tax, will improve the UK's health in the slightest. We will see price rises of 15 to 18% on most European wines and around 9 to 12% on non European wines this year.
Perhaps this is the year for stocking you wine cellar properly, but do it early, preferably before the end of March because the Chancellor is going to hit you this year and he is going to hit you hard, right where it hurts!
Andrew Coghlan
A small harvest of exceptional quality
The harvest of 2007 was of exceptional quality and was characterized by its lower than normal yields, down 30% - 35% when compared to 2006. This meant that the Syrah yields were as low as 25hl/ha, the Marselan 30hl/ha, the Grenache at around 35hl/ha and the Carignan at 45hl/ha.
These lower yields combined with good weather and a long ripening period meant that the grapes had greater concentration of fruit and minerality and will produce some stunning wines. 2007 is Camplazens Best Harvest in Ten Years!!
Why were the yields low?
The reasons for the lower than normal yields for the 2007 harvest started as early as the summer of 2006. The number of flowering sites at the base of the buds which determines the number of flowers and hence the future number of bunches of grapes is largely set in the summer of the preceding year. The cool weather and lack of rainfall from April – September of 2006 was particularly unfavourable for floral initiation and had a significant influence on the flowing initiation for 2007. The further rain and high winds at the time of the flowering in April 2007 again reduced the buds that formed producing even lower overall yields.
The Weather
A mild early spring gave every indication of an early harvest, possibly one week early but as the ripening season progressed it was clear that the harvest would be actually be prolonged. Regular rainfall throughout the spring was welcome but exposed the vines to a high risk of disease, particularly mildew, however due to the good health of the vines and selective treatment all problems were averted. As usual, the summer was dry right up to the harvest with climatic conditions favourable for slow and consistent ripening. The grapes were able to reach full maturity both from the perspective of sugar and acidity and also phenolic ripeness with almost full and complete ripening of the pips. The result was a harvest that exhibited complex and intense aromas, excellent skin colour, and ripe harmonized tannins.
The Harvest
The favourable weather conditions and the absence of disease or rot enabled us to harvest at the moment of optimum ripeness.
The Viognier was the first to be picked. This took place on September 6th at 4:00 a.m. so the grapes could be pressed when they were still cold in order to preserve the aromas. The must was then immediately transferred to the fermentation tank, thereby limiting exposure to oxygen and maintaining the quality of the fruit.
The first red to be harvested was a parcel of young Syrah on September 13th. The Syrah was also harvested early in the morning so that the grapes could be cold macerated in the temperature-controlled vats prior to the start of the alcoholic fermentation.
The older Syrah was harvested 15 to 17 days later.
The Grenache was harvested during the final days of September and the first week of October and at the same time the Old Carignan was hand picked for fermentation by Carbonic Maceration.
Finally, the Marselan, which is normally the last to mature, was brought in to the winery on October 10th.
With the exception of the Old Carignan, all the red grapes were harvested by machine. Machine harvesting of mature grapes means that essentially all of the stems remain on the vines while the machine shakes off the berries. This is a most efficient separation of the grapes from their stems and when followed by mechanical de-stemming (which can now be performed on the harvesting machine itself) means that essentially “clean” grapes are delivered to the winery. Nonetheless, at reception the grapes are de-stemmed a second time to ensure the almost complete removal of any residual green vegetable matter before being transferred to the fermentation vats.
In 2007 we harvested 19 parcels of vines in order of their maturity. The must was then divided up in to separate vats with the objective of achieving a gradation of quality of each grape type. This year the harvest comprised:
20 ha Syrah from 8 parcels fermented in 6 vats
8 ha Grenache from 5 parcels fermented in 3 vats
5 ha Marselan from one parcel “La Defriche” fermented in 3 vats
1.2 ha of Old Carignan from 3 parcels, in 1 vat.
1.2 ha of Viognier from 2 parcels, in 1 vat.
The Wine Making
The extended harvesting period allowed more attention to be given to the wine making process. In 2002 we had modernized and extended the cave and installed 10 pairs of vertically separated duel fermentation tanks. The tanks enable us to perform controlled fermentation and precision management of the maceration of the grape skins, which rise to the top of the mixture in the vats. For each vat this involves a combination of the sustained regular mechanical turning over of the cap (piegage) and pumping the juice from the lower tank over the cap in the upper tank to obtain optimum extraction of the soft tannins from the skins. In this way we avoid any risk of over-extraction of the harsh tannins that can be present if some of the pips have not fully ripened.
This year we were also able to successfully conclude the Carbonic Maceration of our Old Carignan.
The harvest of 2007 was of exceptional quality and was characterized by its lower than normal yields, down 30% - 35% when compared to 2006. This meant that the Syrah yields were as low as 25hl/ha, the Marselan 30hl/ha, the Grenache at around 35hl/ha and the Carignan at 45hl/ha.
These lower yields combined with good weather and a long ripening period meant that the grapes had greater concentration of fruit and minerality and will produce some stunning wines. 2007 is Camplazens Best Harvest in Ten Years!!
Why were the yields low?
The reasons for the lower than normal yields for the 2007 harvest started as early as the summer of 2006. The number of flowering sites at the base of the buds which determines the number of flowers and hence the future number of bunches of grapes is largely set in the summer of the preceding year. The cool weather and lack of rainfall from April – September of 2006 was particularly unfavourable for floral initiation and had a significant influence on the flowing initiation for 2007. The further rain and high winds at the time of the flowering in April 2007 again reduced the buds that formed producing even lower overall yields.
The Weather
A mild early spring gave every indication of an early harvest, possibly one week early but as the ripening season progressed it was clear that the harvest would be actually be prolonged. Regular rainfall throughout the spring was welcome but exposed the vines to a high risk of disease, particularly mildew, however due to the good health of the vines and selective treatment all problems were averted. As usual, the summer was dry right up to the harvest with climatic conditions favourable for slow and consistent ripening. The grapes were able to reach full maturity both from the perspective of sugar and acidity and also phenolic ripeness with almost full and complete ripening of the pips. The result was a harvest that exhibited complex and intense aromas, excellent skin colour, and ripe harmonized tannins.
The Harvest
The favourable weather conditions and the absence of disease or rot enabled us to harvest at the moment of optimum ripeness.
The Viognier was the first to be picked. This took place on September 6th at 4:00 a.m. so the grapes could be pressed when they were still cold in order to preserve the aromas. The must was then immediately transferred to the fermentation tank, thereby limiting exposure to oxygen and maintaining the quality of the fruit.
The first red to be harvested was a parcel of young Syrah on September 13th. The Syrah was also harvested early in the morning so that the grapes could be cold macerated in the temperature-controlled vats prior to the start of the alcoholic fermentation.
The older Syrah was harvested 15 to 17 days later.
The Grenache was harvested during the final days of September and the first week of October and at the same time the Old Carignan was hand picked for fermentation by Carbonic Maceration.
Finally, the Marselan, which is normally the last to mature, was brought in to the winery on October 10th.
With the exception of the Old Carignan, all the red grapes were harvested by machine. Machine harvesting of mature grapes means that essentially all of the stems remain on the vines while the machine shakes off the berries. This is a most efficient separation of the grapes from their stems and when followed by mechanical de-stemming (which can now be performed on the harvesting machine itself) means that essentially “clean” grapes are delivered to the winery. Nonetheless, at reception the grapes are de-stemmed a second time to ensure the almost complete removal of any residual green vegetable matter before being transferred to the fermentation vats.
In 2007 we harvested 19 parcels of vines in order of their maturity. The must was then divided up in to separate vats with the objective of achieving a gradation of quality of each grape type. This year the harvest comprised:
20 ha Syrah from 8 parcels fermented in 6 vats
8 ha Grenache from 5 parcels fermented in 3 vats
5 ha Marselan from one parcel “La Defriche” fermented in 3 vats
1.2 ha of Old Carignan from 3 parcels, in 1 vat.
1.2 ha of Viognier from 2 parcels, in 1 vat.
The Wine Making
The extended harvesting period allowed more attention to be given to the wine making process. In 2002 we had modernized and extended the cave and installed 10 pairs of vertically separated duel fermentation tanks. The tanks enable us to perform controlled fermentation and precision management of the maceration of the grape skins, which rise to the top of the mixture in the vats. For each vat this involves a combination of the sustained regular mechanical turning over of the cap (piegage) and pumping the juice from the lower tank over the cap in the upper tank to obtain optimum extraction of the soft tannins from the skins. In this way we avoid any risk of over-extraction of the harsh tannins that can be present if some of the pips have not fully ripened.
This year we were also able to successfully conclude the Carbonic Maceration of our Old Carignan.
Labels: camplazens, france, wine
Champagne Lallier has recently announced a zero dosage wine - showing a return to a unique French wine-making tradition.
Fruit for the cuvee is exclusively Grands Crus (80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay), this wine has aged 4 years on lattes with cork stoppers maintained by staples. A feature particularly with bottles and magnums for just a few bottles. The wine undergoes partial malolactic fermentation.
After many years spent in the quiet of their vaults, the "Zero Dosage" Champagne has no further sugar added to the blend.
It seduces with its maturity and delightful elegance. The attack is frank, vivacious and creamy. The aromas are well advanced and the finish is a beautiful minerally.
Fruit for the cuvee is exclusively Grands Crus (80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay), this wine has aged 4 years on lattes with cork stoppers maintained by staples. A feature particularly with bottles and magnums for just a few bottles. The wine undergoes partial malolactic fermentation.
After many years spent in the quiet of their vaults, the "Zero Dosage" Champagne has no further sugar added to the blend.
It seduces with its maturity and delightful elegance. The attack is frank, vivacious and creamy. The aromas are well advanced and the finish is a beautiful minerally.
Labels: champagne
As wine suppliers to The Red Lion at Stone Edge, Chesterfield we were pleased to attend the Derbyshire Life luncheon hosted there in December 2007. Food and Wine editor Amber Locke wrote:
"Sustainable-farmed baked Welsh Turbot was served as the main course, topped with Menai Strait Oysters and served a foamy sabayon. The fish was cooked to perfection; juicy and meaty and with a refined flavour and the delicate, slightly salty oysters and elegant sabayon adding an even more luxurious touch to this stunning dish"
"To accompany this a tropical fruit-flavoured and minerally New Zealand Highfield Sauvignon Blanc was served. As this is one of my favourite wines this course was an all-round winner for me and one of the most enjoyable dishes and successful food and wine pairings I have experienced all year"
"Dessert was served as a trio of puddings: a coffee creme brulee, a cube of sticky toffee pudding and a slim wedge of lemon tart. All provided different degrees of sweetness and a contrast of smoothness and texture. The final Gartelmann wine of the day was a Late Harvest Ambrosia. Its sumptuous nutty and apricot flavours made it rich and luscious and at the same time fresh and clean tasting, providing a happy and complementary pairing of the puddings"
"The quality of food, cooking and the excellent standard of service at The Red Lion is certainly something to be admired and with a 25 bedroom luxury boutique hotel being built by the owner in the field next door... this is certainly a venue to watch!"
Derbyshire Life and Countryside
The Red Lion, Darley Road, Stone Edge, Chesterfield 01246 566142
"Sustainable-farmed baked Welsh Turbot was served as the main course, topped with Menai Strait Oysters and served a foamy sabayon. The fish was cooked to perfection; juicy and meaty and with a refined flavour and the delicate, slightly salty oysters and elegant sabayon adding an even more luxurious touch to this stunning dish"
"To accompany this a tropical fruit-flavoured and minerally New Zealand Highfield Sauvignon Blanc was served. As this is one of my favourite wines this course was an all-round winner for me and one of the most enjoyable dishes and successful food and wine pairings I have experienced all year"
"Dessert was served as a trio of puddings: a coffee creme brulee, a cube of sticky toffee pudding and a slim wedge of lemon tart. All provided different degrees of sweetness and a contrast of smoothness and texture. The final Gartelmann wine of the day was a Late Harvest Ambrosia. Its sumptuous nutty and apricot flavours made it rich and luscious and at the same time fresh and clean tasting, providing a happy and complementary pairing of the puddings"
"The quality of food, cooking and the excellent standard of service at The Red Lion is certainly something to be admired and with a 25 bedroom luxury boutique hotel being built by the owner in the field next door... this is certainly a venue to watch!"
Derbyshire Life and Countryside
The Red Lion, Darley Road, Stone Edge, Chesterfield 01246 566142
I enjoyed a fine Magnum of Tour de By Medoc cru Bourgeois 1997 with the Christmas festivities. The interesting thing was that we expected the wine to be quite forward but when first open the wine was quite closed and youthful.
As each glass went from the Magnum, the wine became softer and rounding off the bottle on Boxing day it was absolutely as smooth as silk. It made me think about the other magnums of Tour de By that I have in the cellar, especially the 2005 that I had been thinking would drink well by the 10 year mark. I have scheduled this back to 2020 now, as the wine is so big, it would be a shame to spoil it by drinking it too young.
It got me thinking about how people decide to drink their wines at the optimum time. The vast majority drink wines too young, but many wait until it is too late. My advice is to check the core to rim comparison and make sure there is some colour differentiation between the two aspects. Also check the nose. If it is still closed, give the wine another couple of years at least before rechecking.
If it is too young, leave it to stand for 48 hours open. This will lead it to come forward by about 2 years, making it much softer to the palate.
Andrew Coghlan
As each glass went from the Magnum, the wine became softer and rounding off the bottle on Boxing day it was absolutely as smooth as silk. It made me think about the other magnums of Tour de By that I have in the cellar, especially the 2005 that I had been thinking would drink well by the 10 year mark. I have scheduled this back to 2020 now, as the wine is so big, it would be a shame to spoil it by drinking it too young.
It got me thinking about how people decide to drink their wines at the optimum time. The vast majority drink wines too young, but many wait until it is too late. My advice is to check the core to rim comparison and make sure there is some colour differentiation between the two aspects. Also check the nose. If it is still closed, give the wine another couple of years at least before rechecking.
If it is too young, leave it to stand for 48 hours open. This will lead it to come forward by about 2 years, making it much softer to the palate.
Andrew Coghlan
Barrels & Bottles have been shortlisted as a finalist in this year's Drinks Retailing Awards in the Innovation of the Year category.
The competition is run by the drinks industries Off License News and covers all aspects of the drinks trade from manufacturing through to retail sales. The awards are being announced on 5th February at the Dorchester Hotel, London.
The competition is run by the drinks industries Off License News and covers all aspects of the drinks trade from manufacturing through to retail sales. The awards are being announced on 5th February at the Dorchester Hotel, London.
Labels: news
By Mike Edmonds:
A brewery executive was on the verge of tears when he had to smash two bottles of Australia's best known wine, worth $3000, at the airport. Neil Grant, the southern region general manager with Fosters Australia, ran foul of the tough security rules at Melbourne's Tullmarine airport as he was about to board an Emirates flight to the UK.
"I was going to conferences in Scotland and Ireland, and grabbed a 1980 and an '82 Grange from my personal cellar," Mr Grant said. He estimated the two bottles were probably worth about $3000.
But he'd forgotten about the 100ml liquid rule applying to carry-on luggage, and although the precious Grange slipped through Customs he came unstuck at the final security check.
"I had the lady from hell, who said 'No sir, this is going to be bloody destroyed' even though the Emirates people were happy to find my baggage and pack it for me," he said.
"I said 'this is like a work of art, it's irreplaceable, do you know what you're doing here'.
"She had them in her office and I said I wanted to put them in the wheelie bin myself.
"I was worried that they'd just go downstairs and someone would open the bin and there's two bottles of Grange, so I smashed them.
"I thought if I'm not going to be able to drink them, nobody is.
"I'm still in mourning over it."
Mr Grant said he wanted to take the Grange overseas to share with others at the conferences and show off some of Australia's best produce.
"They were just totally inflexible about anything we suggested to get it fixed," he said.
"I offered to open it there and then and let everyone have some, but they said 'No sir, you can't do that here'."
Story from news.com.au 31st December 2007
A brewery executive was on the verge of tears when he had to smash two bottles of Australia's best known wine, worth $3000, at the airport. Neil Grant, the southern region general manager with Fosters Australia, ran foul of the tough security rules at Melbourne's Tullmarine airport as he was about to board an Emirates flight to the UK.
"I was going to conferences in Scotland and Ireland, and grabbed a 1980 and an '82 Grange from my personal cellar," Mr Grant said. He estimated the two bottles were probably worth about $3000.
But he'd forgotten about the 100ml liquid rule applying to carry-on luggage, and although the precious Grange slipped through Customs he came unstuck at the final security check.
"I had the lady from hell, who said 'No sir, this is going to be bloody destroyed' even though the Emirates people were happy to find my baggage and pack it for me," he said.
"I said 'this is like a work of art, it's irreplaceable, do you know what you're doing here'.
"She had them in her office and I said I wanted to put them in the wheelie bin myself.
"I was worried that they'd just go downstairs and someone would open the bin and there's two bottles of Grange, so I smashed them.
"I thought if I'm not going to be able to drink them, nobody is.
"I'm still in mourning over it."
Mr Grant said he wanted to take the Grange overseas to share with others at the conferences and show off some of Australia's best produce.
"They were just totally inflexible about anything we suggested to get it fixed," he said.
"I offered to open it there and then and let everyone have some, but they said 'No sir, you can't do that here'."
Story from news.com.au 31st December 2007
Barrels & Bottles
- Unit 5b Broom Business Park
- Bridge Way, Sheepbridge
- Chesterfield, S41 9QG
- Tel: 01246 453399
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