Age of the vines: 25 years

Harvest, vinification and ageing: Direct pressing for half, the other half is pressed after maceration Vinification and fermentation in stainless steel vats. Malolactic made. Bottled
for prize de mousse in January after the harvest and aging on slats for 18 months. Disgorgement with 5grs of sugar per liter

Holding time: Aging potential 2 years.”

Jura

Between Burgundy and Switzerland. Jura makes some truly distinctive whites and reds. Some need context and a few tastings to understand but they can be lovely. Oh, and the amazing Comte, the gruyere style cheese comes from this area. The whites (especially Savagnin) grow under a flor yeast (like Fino Sherry) they call ‘Voile’ and make the great Vin Jaune – A wine that is just without peer but expensive will age forever and very hard to place in a meal.

Non-Vintage (NV)

These wines are based on one vintage but will contain ‘Reserve Wine’. Reserve wine old stocks that they keep specifically to blend into the Non-Vintage wine. The purpose is to have a consistent and reliable drink every time someone buys their NV. NV Champagne must spend 12 months on lees at a minimum and 15 months in the bottle before release. Most quality houses age their Champagne for much longer than that to achieve the desired level of Autolysis.

The NV style came to be as a way to use the grapes that weren’t perfectly ripe. Champagne was so marginal of climate that it was unlikely they would get a drinkable wine every. Holding on to that wine and blending it across multiple vintages allowed them to use the grapes and make an agreeable style.

Pinot Noir

This is the most elusive grape. It is relatively early ripening and extremely sensitive to terroir. Its perfect place on earth is the Cote d’Or in Burgundy. So haunting are great red Burgundy’s charms that growers everywhere try to emulate them. Pinot Noir is not just a one-trick pony; it can make great reds, rosé, sparkling and even sweet wines, whites on occasion and I’ve tasted a decent fortified Pinot Noir too. Adding body, perfume and richness to Champagne it also adds red berry and floral/rose petal notes along with spice and subtle layers.

French Wine

The land that so many New World (not European) wine producers look to emulate. To generalise about French wine, I would say it is savoury, lighter-bodied wine. They are the definition of elegant, complex. There are many styles, though. And there is a French wine for every palate. They lead the world in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy. Sparkling Wine in Champagne. Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux. Syrah(Shiraz) and Grenache in the Rhone Valley. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris in Alsace. Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley. Gamay in Beaujolais.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

Sparkling Wine

Fizz, bubby, bubbles. It is a wine with bubbles in it. There are many ways to put the bubbles in, and many styles and flavours you can find. Important to know that you should never buy cheap Sparkling. Champagne is still the quality leader of the world. But great Sparkling can be found in Moscato (sweet), Prosecco, Franciacorta (Italy), Cava (Spain), Australia, New Zealand, Loire Valley and Burgundy Cremant (France).

Rose Wine

Rose in Europe is like water. It is everywhere, and everyone drinks it. In Australia, Rose has been a second class citizen, often seen as a compromise between white and red. This is not the case at all. Rose is wine style in its own right. It can be still or sparkling. Dry (bone dry!) or sweet. It can be simple or complex. It can be young drinking, or some Rose can age for a long, long time. If you write off Rose, then you are the one missing out.

Rose can be achieved by leaving red grapes on skins for a shorter amount of time. The Saignee (to bled) method sees juice run off the concentrate the liquid to skin ratios. Tache (stain) is a common way to make sparkling Rose, adding a dash of red wine to a white base.

The grape used to make Rose drives the style. Grenache, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo are all classic examples. And as you might imagine, they are all quite different in flavour and structure.

Champagne Rose is a delight; some can taste like Red Burgundy with bubbles. Southern France, especially Bandol, excel at top level Rose. Spanish and Italian Rose are often worth seeking for more casual drinking.

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.