For wine lovers around the world who enjoy wine and the good life Vol 15 Issue 2, Summer 2019 INDIA SommelierTHE WINE MAGAZINE

Sula Vineyards’ SOMMELIER INDIA WINE MAGAZINE VOL 15 ISSUE 2, SUMMER 2019 SUMMER 2, ISSUE 15 VOL MAGAZINE WINE INDIA SOMMELIER INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK page 36 Tuscany AN OENOPHILE’S PARADISE page 42 The story of a Bordeaux gem CHÂTEAU BIAC page 52 Muse Vineyards in Virginia page 22

INDIA’S PREMIER WINE MAGAZINE. CONTROLLED CIRCULATION 36

Volume 15 Issue 2 Summer 2019

VOL 15 ISSUE 2, SUMMER 2019 `250 Founder Reva K Singh contents Publisher Shiv B Singh Advisory Council Dhruv M Sawhney – New Delhi 08 OENOPHILES’ NOTEBOOK fourth time, reports on the Steven Spurrier – London Wine news and trends for the wine 2019 Governor’s Cup Ravi Viswanathan – Singapore enthusiast competition in Virginia Editor in Chief Reva K Singh

11 NEW FLAVOURS 18 BORDEAUX 2018 – A LOOK Chief Copy Editor Bunny Suraiya Shoba Narayan discovers new INTO THE FUTURE Tastings Co-ordinator Gagan Sharma Aussie wine aours an Ronald Rens, who tasted barrel Correspondents – India experience worth travelling for samples of the 2018 vintage for Raghu Bahadur, Brinda Gill, Aditi Pai, Kaveri Ponnapa, Ruma Singh Sommelier India, recommends 12 CALIFORNIA IS BACK keeping an eye on the second wines 52 THE STORY OF A 66 ROLL OUT THE BARREL Correspondents – Overseas Rosemary George – UK, Renu After a drought of California BORDEAUX GEM Gagan Sharma brings us up to Chahil Graf – EU, Mira Advani wines on restaurant lists in Europe, 22 MUSE VINEYARDS Isabel Beau de Lomenie visits speed with the beer scene in India Honeycutt – US, Alessandra Piubello – Italy, Jancis Robinson – there has been a sea change, Renu Chahil-Graf visits Robert Château Biac in the Entre Deux Mers and the fascinating story of India 28 UK, Michèle Shah, Steven Spurrier says Jancis Robinson Muse and Sally Cowal’s winery and falls in love with the estate and Pale Ale – UK, Carol Wright – UK and is impressed by the couple’s 32 WEEKEND ESCAPE the wines Contributing writers 14 INDUSTRY INSIDER dedication and determination On a recent trip to India, Mira 72 CHEF RITU DALMIA – THE Alok Chandra, Roopa Gulati, Suneeta S. Kanga, Shoba Narayan, Keshav Prakash founded The Vault Advani Honeycutt made a special 58 IN THE PITS PATHBREAKER Gagan Sharma in 2013 in Mumbai to offer a curated 28 ALL ‘BOUT visit to Fratelli Vineyards in Akluj and Carol Wright explains why vines Kaveri Ponnapa interviews chef- Administration and Accounts collection of artisanal spirits, writes Rajiv Kehr, Chevalier de Ordre de was charmed by the experience are planted in pits of volcanic ash in entrepreneur, Ritu Dalmia, who is in Harendra Singh Brinda Gill Coteaux de Champagne, shines Lanzarote on the Canary islands the process of opening her eighth Design Inkspot Inc a spotlight on two of his favourite 36 SULA VINEYARDS’ restaurant, the second in Milan Layout Artist T M Jose 16 WINES OF VIRGINIA – THE caanes alon and INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK 62 ENCHNATING ALSACE Printed at GOVERNORS CUP Delamotte As te rof le o ndian wine driners Gustasp and Jeroo Irani take the 76 BREAKING BREAD EIH Ltd, Unit Printing Press, Steven Spurrier, judging for the evolved, so did the style of wines route and fnd it a Vetro at The Oberoi, Mumbai, offers Plot no. 22, Sector 5, IMT Manesar, Haryana - 122050 from India’s leading producer, Sula. heady experience an enjoyable Cellar to Table dining Rojita Tiwari reports experience. Brinda Gill takes us Sommelier India is a controlled through it course by course circulation quarterly produced by CMI, Consolidated Media Int, 42 TUSCANY – AN OENOPHILE’S C-320, Defence Colony, New Delhi – PARADISE 80 CAPITAL FLAVOURS 110 024, India. T +91-11-2433-1013. 72 E [email protected]. Tuscany offers the wine traveller Now in its 12th year, Wasabi by W www.sommelierindia.com. a diverse mix of rich experiences. Morimoto maintains its stellar Michèle Shah, a long-time resident, reputation for contemporary Subscription: One year `1000. Two years `2000. Three, `3000 acts as our guide Japanese cuisine, writes The views expressed in the Kaveri Ponnapa publication are the writers’ own 48 CALVADOS THE SPIRIT OF and not necessarily those of the NORMANDY 82 GLOSSARY publishers. Gustasp and Jeroo Irani travelled Wine terminology and foreign to orand or teir f rst taste o words explained ON THE COVER: Photo courtesy: Muse Vineyards 42 the apple brandy, Calvados

2 Sommelier INDIA JULY-SEPTEMBER 2019 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2019 Sommelier INDIA 3 “I only drink champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not” – Coco Chanel “Champagne! In victory, one deserves it; in defeat, one needs it” – Napoleon Bonaparte “Champagne is one of the elegant extras in life” – Charles Dickens

opping open a bottle of champagne is a great way to celebrate a special occasion. However, those of us who have watched “Sideways”, the cult movie about wine, will remember Miles coming to the realisation that opening a great bottle of wine does not call for an occasion but is in fact an occasion Pin itself. Likewise, popping open a bottle of champagne is a celebration of the joys of life. Only wine made from grapes grown and harvested in the Champagne region and produced according to the regulations of the region can be sold as champagne. Everything else is a sparkling wine of another name. Grapes have been cultivated in the Champagne region for almost 2000 years and it was the Romans who gave this region the name “Campagnia” because of its resemblance to the rolling hillsides of PERSPECTIVE southern Italy’s Campagnia region. Champagne is approximately 145 km or 90 miles northeast of Paris and has a long history of producing unique wines from its chalky soils. It is roughly two hours by road from Paris to get to Reims (pronounced Rance). Even though the capital of the region is Châlons en Champagne, the most important city is actually Reims with its famous cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Palais du Tau à Reims where many French kings were crowned. All ’Bout Several coronation banquets have been held at the Palace du Tau and that is where the ceremony took place in which I was appointed as a Chevalier de Ordre de Coteaux de Champagne, the official fraternity of the major Champagne brands, back in June 2016. The Champagne region is subdivided into five wine producing districts: Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Sézanne, and the Aube or Côte Champagne! des Bar. Here the grape varieties are predominantly (38%), (31%) and (31%). The Côte des Blancs, situated around Epernay is, as the name suggests, home to the finest expression of Chardonnay. Thanks to its chalky soil and cool Rajiv Kehr, Chevalier de Ordre de Coteaux de climate, Chardonnay reaches its greatest heights here, bringing freshness, acidity and Champagne, shines a spotlight on two of his favourite complexity that are unrivalled in any other region. Good quality Chardonnay grapes are difficult and expensive to source, which explains why a Blanc de Blancs champagne made

– Salon and Delamotte of 100% Chardonnay juice is more expensive than a regular Brut. Photo credit: Leif Carlsson

28 Sommelier INDIA JULY-SEPTEMBER 2019 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2019 Sommelier INDIA 29 There are 320 villages in the Champagne region of which only 17 are before it is finally ejected under pressure in the process called disgorgement. classified as Grand Cru and 42 as Premier Cru. Of the 17 villages classified A skilled remuer (bottle turner) is able to riddle 5000 bottles in an hour. as Grand Cru six are in the Côte des Blanc: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Since 1988 Champagne Salon and Delamotte have been owned by Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, and Oiry. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, nestled in the heart of Laurent Perrier, whose financial backing allows them to continue to be the Côte des Blancs, planted with 100% Chardonnay and classified entirely truly boutique and unique in their own ways. Delamotte celebrated 250 as Grand Cru is the king of champagne vineyards. It is here that the most years in 2010. I love the saying on their Coat of Arms: “Vive et Ma Ama” profound expression of Chardonnay’s delicate freshness truly comes to the or “Live and Love Me”. That’s the feeling evoked in us as we sip on the fore and where magnanimous nature offers a wine that is purity itself. Many champagne whose style can be described as elegant, finessed and delicate consider a Blanc de Blancs champagne to be an ideal aperitif or the perfect with zesty notes. In the years that Salon is not produced, the juice is accompaniment to oysters and caviar, with Champagne Salon and Krug diverted to the production of the Delamotte Blanc de Blancs. This small Clos du Mesnil being the most outstanding expressions. With tremendous secret explains how Delamotte offers such great pleasure at excellent complexity of flavour and a long finish, they are capable of aging for decades. value for money.

alon is a unique champagne. It was created in 1911 from its first elamotte produces five different expressions of champagne. vintage of 1905. Aimé Salon, a champagne connoisseur, first Delamotte Brut, a blend of Chardonnay (55%), Pinot Noir (35%) Sbecame enchanted and then seduced by the terroir of Le Mesnil. Dand Pinot Meunier (10%), is aged on the lees for around three He decided to create a champagne at the beginning of the 20th century years and comes with a dosage of around seven grams of sugar per litre. made of only one grape variety, Chardonnay from only one village, Le Delamotte Blanc de Blancs is made only from Grand Cru Chardonnay Mesnil-sur-Oger from only one vintage with no blending. Thus was born from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger and Cramant. This is my favourite, as it the Blanc de Blancs. Salon champagne is produced from a one-hectare is complex, yet approachable and offers tremendous value for money. It is parcel owned by Salon, called Salon’s Garden, and from 19 other smaller also aged on its lees longer, for four to five years, while the legal minimum

Grand Cru parcels all situated in the village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The Serge Chapuis requirement is only 15 months. The vintage release Blanc de Blancs is bottles are aged for an average of 10 years, which enables them to gain aged for nine years on lees and is even more complex, being a blend of complexity before being released on the market. The current vintage of only Chardonnay grapes from the Grand Cru villages of Le Mesnil-sur- Salon in the market is 2007 while, uniquely, the 2008 vintage will be Oger, Avize, Oger, Cramant and Chouilly. released only in magnums. There is much anticipation regarding the Delamotte Rosé is made by the saignée method. After 24 to 72 hours announcement of the release date. The cellars of Champagne Salon still a small portion (10-15%) of pink juice is ‘bled’ off from black-skinned hold bottles of almost all the vintages ever produced. grapes that are undergoing extended maceration for red wine production. Aimé Salon, who headed Salon till his death in 1943, produced only It then goes through the secondary fermentation in the bottle bringing 11 vintages in his lifetime. Remarkably, Salon recognised only 37 vintages elegance and structure to the wine. This method is seldom used in in the 20th century as being worthy of being bottled as Salon. There is no Champagne. More commonly, a small amount of still, red wine from greater testament to the uncompromising quest for perfection followed at Champagne (5-20%) is added to an otherwise white blend for a rosé Salon. Today, the House of Salon, along with its ancient neighbour and champagne prior to bottling. sister house, Champagne Delamotte (the fifth oldest Champagne House, The rarest expression of the House of Delamotte is the Delamotte founded in 1760), are directed by Didier Depond who, with untiring energy, Collection of champagnes. This is a late disgorged release after a minimum travels the world from America to Japan, promoting Salon champagne. The of 12 years, but with no fixed upper age. For instance, the 1999 vintage has Japanese, with their eye for precision, naturally recognise and appreciate the just been released after being aged for 20 years. I have tasted the Delamotte beauty that is Salon. Salon has been produced only in select vintages, the Collection vintages of 1964 and 1970, from magnum. They both rate most recent being 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007. 2008 is to be released in amongst the greatest bottles of wine I have had the pleasure of tasting. magnums at a future date. When I first visited Champagne Salon in 2013, I was not sure that Riddling or remuage, an old, tried and tested method to ensure that the I would gain entry, as it’s open only to professionals, and that, too, very champagne is crisp and clear is still done by hand at Champagne Salon and Clockwise from top: Delamotte estate at selectively. I was received by Audrey Campos, who said that Didier Depond Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is 100% pure Côte Delamotte, even though it is just as effectively done with a machine called des Blancs. Didier Depond, President might drop by to say “hello” for a few minutes. The “few minutes” lasted a gyropalette. The practice involves gradually tilting the bottle from its of Champagne Salon and Champagne from 2:30 till 6:30 pm and we hit it off brilliantly! v horizontal position to a vertical one by twisting it a quarter turn neck-down, Delamotte. He is passionate about Champagnes Salon and Delamotte were launched in India in early April 2019 developing the image of these two sister so as to bring the sediment (a mixture of dead yeasts) to the neck of the bottle houses at the heart of the Côte des Blancs and will soon be available at five-star hotels and select retail outlets.

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