Meeting 440 - -" Wines of Argentina and Chile"
Friday 20th August 2021 Neville Hall, Waltham St LawrenceSpeaker: Duncan Ross, Berkmann Wine Cellars
It was a great pleasure to have Duncan Ross of Berkmann Wine Cellar back after such a long break.
He presented us with an excellent variety of wines from mostly new suppliers to Berkmann.
Duncan's first wine was the Norton Finca Colonia Collección Gruner Veltliner with a hint of nettles
on the nose and crisp rather sharp lemon palate and quite acidic finish. A very pleasant and easy drinking to start the evening.
Masi Tupungato is a winery combining Venetian experience with Argentinian terroir.
The Passso Bianco made principaly of the local Torontes grape had a flowery nose with lemon anf tropical fruit on the palate.
We visited the Matetic San Antonio vineyards 3 times during the evening.
Firstly to taste the Sauvignon Blanc
with its flowery nose and tropical fruit on the palate. The Corrafillo Pinot Noir proved to be very popular
with its cherry nose and full fruit and tannins on the palate. It had been 11 months in oak.
Finally, the EQ Cool Climate Syrah was equally full with sloe and raspberry on the nose and plenty of
tannin to balance the plummy fruit - very long on the finish.
The Pulenta Estate was founded in 2002 by Brothers Hugo and Edmundo Pulenta
The VIII Chardonnay with a classic buttery nose had spent 9 months in French oak,
gooseberry fruit on the palate with gentle acid showed a very pleasant clean citrus finish.
A step up from the same winery was the Palenta Estate XI gran Cabernet Franc . A complex luscious nose
with hints of spice and raspberry. The palate was equally complex with full fruit and ripe tannins,
the wine had been in French Oak for 18months and was clearly the most popular wine of the evening.
Finca Perdriel Malbec from the Norton Mendoza Vineyard spent
12 months in oak. It had a stone fruit nose with full fruit and tannins which boded well for a good few years in the cellar.
The unusual horseshoe shape of the gravity fed Haras
de Pique winery showed the combined interests of the family in wine and horses. The Hussonet Gran Reserva
Cabernet Sauvignon, named after a famous Chilean colt, justified its name. It had been 12 months in oak
and 12 months in bottle before release, was full of fruit and tannin and had a very long finish. One of the top three of the evening.
Julie had provided an excellent platter of meats and cheese.
Washed down with a Morandé Merlot from Casablanca, Chile. A plate of excellent summer fruits completed a most enjoyable evening.
| Aperitif: Norton Finca la Colonia Coleccion Gruner Veltliner, Mendoza 2020 | 6+ | 10.78 |
|
The Whites: Matetic Corralillo Suvignon Blanc, Chile 2020 |
7+ | 10.80 |
| Passo Bianco Masi Tupunga, Argentina 2020 | 7+ | 10.54 |
| Pulenta Estate V11 Chardonnay, Argentina 2019 | 7 | 11.10 |
| The Reds: Matetic Corralillo Pinot Noir, Chile 2018 | 8 | 14.40 |
| Matetic EQ Syrah, Chile 2015 | 7+ | 21.36 |
| Norton Finca Perdriel Malbec, Mendoza 2018 | 7+ | 12.47 |
| Haras de Pirque Hussonet Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile 2015 | 8 | 13.61 |
| Pulenta Estae X1 Gran Cabernet Franc, Argentina 2018 | 8+ | 28.80 | The supper wine : Morande Estate Merlot Reserve, Chile 2019 |
7 | 9.73 |