Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Summer red wine recommendation

Though this has developed into a very interesting discussion of wines we really have moved away from the original post which was referring to "Summer red wine recommendation" and specifically lighter styled wines.

I agree with someone who mentioned Rose as an excellent summer wine, to be consumed cool or chilled naturally. We have had some excellent Rose from Provence, and, of course, Mateus Rose is always excellent.

But to get back to reds I quite like a cool (not chilled) slightly sparkling red wine. The two that I prefer are Lambrusco, mainly from the region near Modena ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambrusco) or the much less known Bonarda dell’Oltrepò Pavese ( Wikipedia (Italian) - the Wikipedia entry does not really do it justice and the English version refers mainly to a different wine from Argentina). A quite pleasant Lambrusco can be had that has an alcohol content of about 11% but the similar styled Bonarda is a little more robust and usually has about 13% alcohol.

Very interesting article Mario and I agree completely with the contents. We found the wine interesting, as we had not seen a wine at 17 degrees before but I'm not advocating ever stronger wines rather the opposite. Chaptalisation imho is the scourge of the wine industry and much practiced, particularly in the past in the production of champagne.
We have recently bought some Champagne from Jérôme Prévost - Champagne La Closerie - a small producer of some 2000 bottles p.a. He does not chaptalise and most years his champagne is also Zero Dosage, so in a good year no added sugar at all - just an old style product and excellent drinking.

I heartily recommend it to wine enthusiasts, even if it is not red wine... (no champagne emoji on TM!)

Whilst I agree with the general drift about unnecessarily high alcohol levels in some wines, having worked briefly in the wine industry I have to slightly take issue with you on chaptalisation. Wine growing is a precarious business at the best of times, and chaptalisation can be necessary in extremis because of the vagaries of the French climate, in much the same way as Australian wine growers are allowed to irrigate their vines (which is strictly forbidden in France). It is just a function of the climate.

If, for example, it starts throwing it down just before the grape harvest starts, and you are bringing in grapes with a sugar content at 9,5%, you'd end up with a wine that was unsaleable. Result = disaster for the wine grower. By adding cane sugar to bring it up to 11,5%, the problem can be remedied. Any good winemaker will only chaptalise very reluctantly as it is not the way to produce an excellent end product.

It's use is supposed to be strictly enforced, and in the french market limited to (IIRC) 2%. I agree with you that it's use when it's not strictly necessary should be stamped out.

Sorry Stewart, not on red wine again but nevertheless a very interesting thread. I hear what you say Giles and also understand it. I've also been involved with wines and spirits for most of my career and as such I know that many in the wine industry are very much against chaptalisation.

With the advent of global warming and higher temperatures in wine growing areas both in Europe and the New World, the justification for chaptalisation is not really there, apart from very exceptional circumstances. In fact most if not all of the champagne houses have purchased land in Kent to hedge against the fact that it may become too hot in champagne at some time in the future. As I mentioned earlier Jerome Prevost is making wine as far north as Gueux without sugar by concentrating on the vineyard, not the cellar

English sparkling wine is no longer a joke partly due to this climatic change and marques such as Nyetimber have shown what is possible here. Whether they have to chapatilise is a moot point and I don't know the answer never having been involved in English wine? 😀

You are quite right Brian , that to make great wine you need to concentrate on the vineyard. As with all food and drink, it's hard to make an excellent finished product with poor quality raw ingredients.

Concerned to see in the Guardian this morning that the wine growers all over France are struggling against heavy frosts, made worse by the fact that March's warm weather means that the shoots were unusually well advanced. Many vines are badly damaged.

It's a risky business.

A bit early for it Giles, but maybe touché is relevant!

I do think it is early days, I have tried to speak to our man in Bordeaux for an update (they are negociants and part of a large group so have contacts throughout France) but his mobile is off which probably means he's in Archachon for the weekend...

Very interesting - thanks... didn't know anything about this chap.

From yesterdays Telegraph:

Tattinger puts faith and fizz in English wine
English sparkling wine was once regarded as a bad joke, and the poor relation of French champagne. But now it has gained a certain cachet as Taittinger, the French champagne house, planted its first vines in Kent.

The family company plans to produce its own sparkling wine under the name Domaine Évremond - after Charles Saint-Évremond, a French nobleman said to have introduced 17th-century London to champagne at the court of King Charles II.

The vineyard is situated at Chilham, close to Canterbury. Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, the firms president, said the area is perfect for growing. He said: "We believe the combination of chalk soils, climate and the topography of our site in Kent are ideal for producing quality sparkling wine."

It makes sense. The cost of land in the Champagne region and restrictions on planting mean that the opportunities for expansion there are expensive and limited.

Given a suitable ''terroir'' and climate, there is no reason why wine of similar quality cannot be produced in Kent. With the Taittinger name (one of the most respected in Champagne) behind it, they will have no trouble selling the product for a premium price.

Thats good news. They have traditionally done a good job as well.

If you go north of San Francisco then Domaine Carneros (the local Taittinger estate) is one of the first you come to in Napa and it is one of my favourites. Domaine Carneros is a very nice fizzy and along with J my local favourite.