Languages and styles
Hello and welcome to the September edition of the l’Art du Vin wine club!
I hope that you are all well and managed to enjoy some of the late summer sunshine that came our way towards the end of the month.
This edition, I would like to focus on the importance of language when it comes to the stylistic labelling of wines. In order to do so, we are going to focus on two grape varieties.
First up, we have Pinot Grigio. Or should I say Pinot Gris. Well, I will let you in to a little secret - they are in fact the same thing. Exactly the same variety, just so named depending on the country they are grown in. At least, that was the case originally. However nowadays, producers use one name or the other to give us an indication as to the style of the wine in the bottle.
Generally, Pinot Grigios are light, crisp and wonderfully refreshing, packed with zippy flavours and bright acidity. Pinot Gris on the other hand tends to be richer, with more stone fruit and tropical fruit flavours. They also often possess a savoury, spice note ensuring they are fantastic gastronomic wines.
On the red side of things, we will hone in on the differences and similarities of Shiraz and Syrah. Broadly speaking, Shiraz is bold, full-bodied and ripe, bursting with concentrated flavours. Syrah tends to be more restrained, with elegant floral notes on the nose and a longer, silkier finish.
So, as you enjoy your case this month, you can indulge in the knowledge that it is all in the name of research! Please do get in touch to let us know your favourites among the selection.
As always, I thank you for your continued support.
Enjoy!
Philippe
Pinot Grigio, Fidora, Veneto, Italy 2023
Producer
Emilio Fidora presides over the oldest organic estate in the Veneto region. In 1974, his grandfather, Guido, took the decision to convert his family vineyard from conventional to organic viticulture. Behind his decision was a desire to strive towards two key principles – the avoidance of chemicals and the promotion of biodiversity.
By the mid 70s, it was widely accepted that using chemicals was the most innovative way to grow crops. Guido noticed that young farmers in the region no longer had access to books, research or teachers who advocated any other form of agriculture other than that which was chemically driven.
At the time of this conversion, Guido was clear that his move to organics should not be seen as a regression or a nostalgic throwback to a bygone era. Rather, in his eyes, it was a leap forward in terms of quality, health, sustainability and, most importantly, environmental responsibility.
Nowadays, under Emilio’s watchful eye, the philosophy of the estate continues to revolve around the importance of biodiversity, and they are extremely proud that their vineyards are home to a burgeoning population of hares, foxes, pheasants and countless species of bird. They see the presence of animals as a key indication that their land is healthy, thus allowing them to produce wines that are truly reflective of their natural surroundings.
Tasting Notes
Emilio’s Pinot Grigio comes from a single vineyard at Tenuta Civranetta, the old family estate, close to the lagoon of Venice. The grapes are de-stemmed and soft-pressed before fermenting in stainless steel, followed by ageing on fine lees for 10 months before bottling. The resulting wine is rich, fresh and packed with flavours of pear, apple and floral hints. Quite simply Pinot Grigio at its very best.
Food Pairing
Perfect accompaniment to a bright, fresh dishes such as salads, grilled squid or lemon and herb chicken
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Pinot Gris ‘Little Darling’, Darling, Marlborough, New Zealand 2023
Producer
The Darling project was born in 2007, when Chris Darling and Bart Arnst decided to join forces to make terroirs-driven wines in the region of Marlborough, New Zealand. Previously, they had been making wines for other producers but both had reached the stage in their career where they felt the time was right to begin working for themselves.
They are now very much at the vanguard of organic wine production in Marlborough, with all of their wines certified organic by BioGro New Zealand.
Tasting Notes
The team at Darling are masters at extracting beautiful freshness and acidity from all of their wines – and this Pinot Gris is no exception. Expect luscious pear and citrus flavours on the palate, all lifted wonderfully by bright acidity before a long, fruit-laden finish.
Food Pairing
Try with poultry dishes or shellfish. This wine is a particular star with spicy Indian food – a cuisine that can often be hard to match with wine.
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Syrah, Feudo Arancio, Sicily, Italy 2022
Producer
This modern-style estate is based on the windy south coast of Sicily. It encompasses two distinct vineyard areas, with plots in Sambuca di Sicilia in the west and Ragusa in the east. The team cultivate a range of indigenous grape varieties, which are all vinified separately before any blending takes place. This result is a range of wines that offer excellent value for money and show true varietal character.
Tasting Notes
This bold and spicy Syrah shows lush notes of wild berries, black pepper and thyme. The fresh acidity is perfectly framed by the lush, velvety tannins.
Food Pairing
The sort of wine that is the perfect accompaniment to a meat and cheese board – but also equally enjoyable on its own without food.
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Shiraz ‘Stone Spring’, Stepping Stones, South Australia 2022
Producer
Stepping Stone Vineyards is a project led by cult natural wine producer Xavier Goodridge. The key mantra for this range came from Xavier, who wanted to demonstrate that wines made from these regions with great care and attention to sustainability can still make it to the UK market and offer good value for money!
Organic farming methods are employed throughout and the resulting wines all showcase the same DNA – bags of fresh fruit and wonderfully well balanced elegance.
Tasting Notes
The grapes for this Shiraz are hand harvested, destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in open top, stainless steel tanks. They are then matured in old Puncheon barrels for 6 months, racked into tank and bottled with no filtration, no fining and just a small amount of sulphur.
This is very much Barossa Shiraz that has been dialled down intentionally, aiming for a slightly lighter, fresher style. However, it still packs all the intense savoury flavours of thick blackberry compote, black pepper and typical iron-rich beefy flavours that you would expect.
Food Pairing
An extremely versatile wine for this time of year as it could lend itself to matching any late summer BBQs but is also perfectly at home with the first warming stews of the autumn.
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