Month: November 2013

I don’t have a single all-time favourite wine. It depends on the season, with whom I’m sharing it and what’s on the plate in front of me. Normally at this time of the year it would be a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Riesling. But right now it’s a Cabernet Franc from New Zealand, an extraordinary Cabernet Franc that beats anything I have drunk from the Loire, Clos Rougeard included. I might even prefer it in a taste-off with Chateau Cheval Blanc, although this Premier Grand Cru Classe “A” has Merlot in the blend. So let’s just say it is the best single varietal Cabernet Franc I’ve ever drunk.

It’s from a small biodynamic producer, Pyramid Valley Vineyards, from north Canterbury in NZ’s South Island.. The grapes are sourced from a tiny vineyard of less than a hectare in Hawkes Bay a region better known for its Cabernet Sauvignons and Syrah. Winemaker Mike Weersing has coaxed amazing flavours from the handpicked grapes. Much fuller, richer and silkier than the Loire’s Cabernet Francs, it has a lovely mouth feel and long but soothing finish. Simply brilliant. I have managed to get hold of 100 bottles of this nectar and am debating whether to share with my clients or put it all away in the cellar. So twist my arm if you want to taste a truly amazing Cabernet Franc.

John Borrell

Pinot Noir is not a grape that Poles fall in love with immediately. In fact many people’s first impressions are that it is too light, insipid even. Bigger, fruitier wines are preferred, whether they are from the New World or from southern Europe where hot summers enable grapes like Primitivo and Monastrell to ripen fully and be turned into heavy, fruity, high-alcohol wines.

I found myself explaining this last week to Mark Weldon and Sarah Eliott who own Terra Sancta, a winery on Felton Road in Central Otago, probably New Zealand’s top address when it comes to Pinot Noir. They are keen to sell in Poland and my explanation of Polish tastes was a preface to saying yes, I will sell your wines in Poland because I think they are great – but don’t expect huge sales.

We have some wonderful Pinot Noirs in our portfolio including Peter Finlayson’s Tete de Cuvee from Hermanus in South Africa, one of the best Pinots I have ever tasted, and Duckhorn’s Goldeneye from the Anderson Valley in California. It was good enough to be served at President Obama’s inauguration lunch. They sell slowly and to the small number of people who prefer finesse to muscularity.

I think that Pinot Noir is a grape you develop a taste for as you get older. Big, fruity wines are less appealing as the years tick away, especially when they are accompanied by high levels of alcohol as many now are. You are also often better able to afford them.

So I told Mark and Sarah not to worry too much about sales here. If others didn’t snap up Terra Sancta’s wonderful Pinot Noirs, I would drink them. I am just the right age to be a Pinot Noir drinker, especially if it’s as good as Terra Sancta’s Mysterious Diggins, Peter Finlayson’s Tete de Cuvee or Duckhorn’s Goldeneye.

John Borrell