One of the most highlighting things in my agenda last week was the organization and execution of the conference call we had with Michel Rolland and two well-known winemakers of his team as Thierry Haberer and Marcelo Pelleriti.

Michel Rolland is one of the most charismatic people I have met in the wine world. You can pick out his passion and of course his magnificent palate! When you share a tasting with him, he is usually very solemn since he likes concentration but it is fascinating to observe his ability to distinguish the best grape parcels just through tasting wine in its different stages. Then together with the winemaker they take decisions in order to get the best out of these grapes.

Along the conference (and before and after it!) we covered different topics but most importantly I would like to concentrate about Valle de Uco. I would like to highlight some comments that were made by Michel;

• “When I went to Valle de Uco for the first time I was impacted by its view! The mountains are magnificent. But there was something else… I could smell it… Valle de Uco has an outstanding terroir due to its altitude, soil composition and weather conditions. I was lucky as well of course to have chosen one of the best terroir from Argentina!”

• “There is just one way to succeed in Argentina… making good-quality wine! And not getting crazy with prices!”

• “Of course I believe in Malbec! When I started working with it when it was still undervalued, even being paid less than a Criolla grape! Fortunately we were able to change the history of this noble grape and it has become a really appealing grape for wine lovers”

• “There are many other varietals that grow well in the Valley. That is why in Clos de los Siete in Valle de Uco we have 60% Malbec and then we have other varietals such us Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir among the reds and Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc among whites”

• “One key element to get quality of grapes in all varietals is to manage yield correctly. That will be essential to be able to make good wine in Argentina”

• “Of course Argentina is a success in USA. In Europe it is more difficult but little by little it is finding new interesting markets as it can be Denmark, Norway, Sweden and UK”

• “Torrontés is a very interesting grape and I think it is a question of time to conquer new markets. It will be very successful in 10 years! It has interesting attributes as its crispness and easy palate that can be very appealing for many consumers”

• “It is very possible to make amazing out of young vines! Taste our 2001 wines and you will see! Of course with old vines you have a natural low yield that provides a natural balance and concentration. Yet, it depends on how these old vines have been managed. You can also make terrible wine from old vines if the management has not been the correct one “

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Mathias and Stefanie have recently purchased a lot in our project of Private Vineyard Estates in Valle de Uco.  They are wine passionate and are determined to be part of this exciting experience of making your own wine!

They were able to join me for a wine tour at Pomerol and Fronsac. We started the day at Chateau Le Gay, Marcelo Pelleriti, guided us through a fabulous tasting of all 2009 oak casks and barrels. It was amazing to enjoy the different character Merlot can get according to the soil it came form. Finally, we ended the tour tasting with Chateau Le Gay 2008 and Chateau La Violette 2008, both wines 98 pts parker!

Afterwards, we went to Chateau Le Bon Pasteur, Michel Rolland’s Chateau at Pomerol, where Thierry, agronomist and oenologist was waiting for us. We started the tasting with barrel tasting of Bordeaux white varieties. It was great since I have been in Bordeaux this the first time I taste whites of the region. They have a very small production of whites and it is all micro-vinified. We tasted Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet blended with Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. All these wine will be finally blended so as to obtain a classic Bordeaux white wine. Tasting didn’t finished there, we continue tasting the best barrels 2009 and 2008 of Merlot and Cabernet Franc… if it would have been for Thierry, we could have stayed there tasting wine ceaselessly, but it was time to go to St. Emilion for lunch. Luckily, Marcelo and Thierry joined us for lunch so we were able to continue talking and learning about wine throughout the whole meal.

We finished the wine tour at chateau Fontenil, another of Michel Rolland’s Chateau in Fronsac. Moving to another terroir made even more evident this huge character that the soil and climate gives to wine, and how winemakers have to learn to interpret it so as to get the best of it.

I lost track of how many wines we tasted.. I just can say that it was great tasting these amazing wines with passionate people as Mathias and Stefanie… and of course with such knowledgeable winemakers as Marcelo Pelleriti and Thierry  Haeberer.

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It is true that there have been times I have lost track of time when tasting wine… but let me tell you that never in the way we did last Saturday. We had a superb tasting in a kind of cavern restaurant where you could not say it was daytime or nighttime outside… it was like going through a tunnel time where lunch and tasting lasted 5 hours!
We were 11 wine passionate people enjoying of eleven amazing wines!!! Of course, all wine accompanied by true exquisite Spanish food.
It would be hard for me to talk about everything we ate… because it was an endless ceremony of different delightful dishes… but I can tell you much more about the wines we had… that out of 11 I could not say I disliked one. It was that kind of tasting where the quality is so elevated that no wine could be discarded. For sure I liked some of them better than others…And I had my favorite wines as well!
1.    FRANCIS COPPOLA FAMILY WINES CHARDONNAY 1997 – NAPA
It was absolutely in great shape for its twelve years. It had a beautiful nose that started with softly toasty hazelnuts and as soon as it started breathing it became fruitier with some touches of green apples and passion fruit. Velvety and crisp, good volume and really nice integrated acidity and lingering finish.
2.   CHATEAU LE GAY – SAMPLE WINE PARCEL LA ROUTE MERLOT 2009 – POMEROL
We started with a wine that despite of not being ready we could start feeling the great vintage 2009 will be for Pomerol. Appealing purple with black hues with smooth tannins that you wouldn’t guess it is a month-old wine!
3.  BERGSTROM  PINOT NOIR 2006 – DUNDEE HILSS VALLEY -  OREGON
An absolutely great exponent of a true Pinot Noir. Elegant nose, black cherries, earthy minerality and subtle spices. Finesse in its tannins and fabulous explosion in mouth. A Pinot that could be compared easily with first-class Burgundy Pinot Noirs.
4.   LACHIN PINOT NOIR 2005 – OREGON
Much more exotic on the nose and palate. Concentrated cherry and an appealing touch of earthiness, which complements the full-flavored, bright, ripe fruit. Excellent mid-palate and it really lingers on the finish.
5.  CHATEAU LE GAY 2002 – POMEROL - 90% Merlot – 10% Cabernet Franc
This is what Robert Parker wrote about this wine…“A deep saturated purple color is accompanied by aromas of plums, figs, and black cherry liqueur. This dense, full-bodied, muscular, firmly tannic Pomerol should be cellared for 5-8 years, and enjoyed over the following 10-20. This is clearly a property to watch now that it is in the hands of Catherine Pere-Verge, who is intent on taking it to the summit of Pomerol. In a challenging vintage for this appellation she has produced one of the most powerful and concentrated wines of the year (with the assistance of Michel Rolland). Bravo.” … After 6 years I say again Bravo!!
6.  BUGADER 2005 – Joan d’Anguera Montsant – TARRAGONA
Montsant, a relatively new D.O., surrounds the famous D.O. of Priorat southwest of Barcelona. With its 70% Syrah it shows all the characteristics of first-class Syrah. It had a bit of rustic tannins for my taste, on the nose it is smoky, meaty and even slightly earthy. On the palate the wine is rich with blackberry flavors.
7.    RIDGE MONTE BELLO 1997 – Santa Cruz Mountains – CALIFORNIA – 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, 11% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Elegant fruit whose tannins have softened considerably after 12 years without losing character. Still I think it should be drunk now or in no more than 2 years…Naturally signs of time are started to be noticed. I loved it though!
8.   BALTHVS 2004 – BORDEAUX SUPERIOR – Merlot
40 year-old Merlot vines gave birth to this wine. It is a concentrated wine, lot of black fruit and tobacco. Personally I think it needs more time in the bottle to be fully enjoyed.
9.    PSIS TEMPRANILLO 2007 – RIBERA DEL DUERO
Peter Sisseck has made this exciting wine. It is supposed to be a revelation concerning its style. I personally liked it a lot. Juicy and really pleasant acidity. A very attractive wine.
10.   LINDAFLOR MALBEC 2005- MENDOZA
Well… what can I say… I have been in love with Lindaflor 2004 for a long time now. Lindaflor 2005 was rich, intense, with amazing velvety tannins but still needing time. I think this wine has a great aging potential… so we need to wait for it at least a couple of years if possible.
11.   OPUS ONE 2005 – NAPA – 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec.
The result of a partnership between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild to create a Bordeaux style blend in Napa Valley. Outstanding concentrated aromas of blueberry, violets, licorice and a touch of nutmeg and black pepper. In mouth it is so velvety, elegant but concentrated as well… I have to say that it was definitely my favorite of this unforgettable tasting!

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We are having long days… We are in the middle of harvest but the grapes in tanks and barrels (we are doing barrel fermented Merlot) start demanding our attention.

At the Chateau, we have received mainly Merlot, but also yesterday we processed a bit of Malbec or Pressac as it is called in Bordeaux before the Argentine Malbec became worldwide known. Now it is called Malbec here as well… What can I say about it…the berries are a bit bigger compared to Merlot here… and also compared to the good quality Malbec in Argentina. Tasting it I can say that it lacked sweetness and the skin was not as thick as our Malbec.

This difference is mainly due to the different Terroir… Well what does it mean?  For you to have an idea, almost every morning there is a thick frog and after noon we start seeing the sun if we are lucky, that is to say, not every day. Compared to Mendoza, the land of sunshine… well we have many more sunny days and our sun brightens very early in the morning every day. That fact, among many others, seems to benefit our beloved cepage MALBEC! Imagine, that I  was even talking to some French workers from the region and they think that Malbec is originally from Argentina, and that it was brought later to France… Malbec is a synonym of Argentina!!!

Here in Pomerol the 95% of grapes is Merlot. And you can see its great potential since you start tasting the grapes. Thick skin, firm but with velvety tannins that you can start tasting from the very beginning and really pleasant acidity. Elements that will all contribute to the quality of the wine.

Knowing when to harvest is a key decision. It is necessary to learn how to taste grapes, what to expect and decide about the right moment to get the best of it. A task that requires training. We chewed the berries and talked about the skin, the pips, the acidity… Definitely I can assure that a good wine is born at the vineyard as it is said. You could feel the differences in each berry in the different lots despite it was all merlot!

To conclude I can say that there is no doubt Merlot can be an brilliant wine.. for those who after the movie Sideways stopped drinking this grape varietal… don’t forget that Merlot is the grape to make one of the most expensive wines in the word as it is Petrus. Today Pomerol is one of the finest and most expensive of the Bordeaux vintages.

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