Hampi Hills

    Here comes the Syrah!
    May 22, 2018

    KRSMA Estates is gearing up to release the first ever vintage of their much-awaited small-batch Syrah. Co-founder Uma Chigurupati explains its background and how it fits with their own winemaking ethos.

     

    It’s a truth universally acknowledged that whatever India’s KRSMA Estates does with its small but focused portfolio, becomes news. This is not unusual for KRSMA, established as one of the top wine brands in India in a few short years.

    Their flagship wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon, now with its fourth vintage in the market, has been winning awards ever since its high-profile launch. The Sauvignon Blanc has its steady fans, and its second label, the youthful, fresh K2 has also made its mark.

    Over the last few years, insiders have been hearing whispers about a bright new star – a premium Syrah, quite unique to its terroir – being added to the portfolio. Founder Krishna Prasad Chigurupati himself had confirmed this, adding that the grape has been doing exceptionally well in the dry, schist-rich soils of Hampi Hills, where KRSMA’s vineyards occupy pioneering pride of place, not too far from the historical UNESCO World Heritage site.

    KRSMA co-founder Uma Chigurupati at the vineyards in Hampi Hills

    I was fortunate to have a first tasting of this wine with the Chigurupatis in Hyderabad. Over dinner, Krishna Chigurupati poured a red wine, bright ruby and deeply aromatic into my glass without a word of explanation. What is this? I asked. One whiff and the question proved redundant. The distinct aromas of black pepper, spice and bright red fruits identified it: this was KRSMA Estates Syrah 2016, of which only 800 bottles have been made for this vintage. Pairing effortlessly with my perfectly cooked prime cut of meat, the Syrah impressed with every sip. On release, it promises to take its place among the best Indian red wines.

    So, on a visit to the vineyards shortly thereafter, I sat down with co-founder Uma Chigurupati (incidentally also a qualified soil microbiologist) and asked her about their Syrah, now three vintages produced and the 2016 vintage shortly set to launch. The conversation gave insights into the functioning of this family-owned wine producer, barely a decade in the business, who believes that quality is king. Also, the unique terroir of Hampi Hills and the singular winemaking practices of KRSMA Estates, reasons which make it one of the top wine brands in India.

    Watch the video interview with Uma Chigurupati, below.

    The KRSMA Estates Syrah 2016 will be released end-2018 or early 2019. Price and availability not yet finalised.

    http://www.krsmaestates.com

    Twitter: @KRSMAEstates

    Instagram: @krsmaestates

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    Interviews  / Wine in India

    The KRSMA Manifest 2018: Sip of things to come
    April 17, 2018

    Just four years after its ritzy launch, India’s KRSMA Estates is busy re-doing, re-thinking and re-vamping its portfolio. The single constant factor is a laser-focus insistence on quality.
    A quick check in with the Chigurupatis spells out the changes and the constants.

     

    KRSMA wins Best Indian Winery at the Living Foodz Epicurean Guild Awards 2018

    At the recently held Living Foodz Epicurean Guild Awards 2018 in Mumbai, the award for Best Indian Winery was given to the Hampi Hills-based KRSMA Estates by a 22-member jury.

    This is not the first time that KRSMA has won an award and it is unlikely to be the last. In the four years since its launch, it has quickly established itself as a quality-focused owner-driven Indian wine producer who pretty much marches to its own drumbeats, steering clear of crowd-pleasing decision-making. And its wines, currently available in just two Indian cities fly rapidly off the shelves.  Regular grumbles among wine lovers about the difficulty in accessing stocks has given it something of a cult following. Whenever I travel to other parts of India, wine-loving folk often ask me KRSMA-related questions. What’s up? What’s new?

    When I recently met up with both the owners at a KRSMA wine dinner at Bengaluru’s new dining hot spot, The Smoke Co, it was a rare opportunity. Krishna Chigurupati keeps busy with his ‘day job’ at his pharmaceutical company and his wife Uma her own commitments (though they continue to remain firmly hands-on with their wines) so it’s a rarity these days to catch them both together over a KRSMA-paired meal. Ergo, it was the perfect moment to get a first-hand update on the ‘what’s up’ and ‘what’s new’ questions.

    Uma and Krishna Prasad Chigurupati

    Seated next to Krishna Chigurupati at the dinner, I asked him about the latest from the Hampi Hills. Here’s an update.

     

    KRSMA Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

    After the release of KRSMA Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, the 2012 vintage was released and sold out in a jiffy, establishing KRSMA as one of the top wine brands in India. However, Krishna Chigurupati deemed the 2013 vintage not good enough to be bottled as their flagship Cabernet. Things improved with the 2014 vintage, which if you can get your hands on a bottle, is presently drinking at its peak. 2015, the current vintage in the market is still growing into its elder sibling’s boots but promises to reward the patience of those willing to wait a few more months. “Stocks of the 2015 will last until early 2019,” Chigurupati tells me. “Our Cabernet is improving year on year. Wait for the 2016.  And I think the 2017 will be very good.”

    Updated reports on the Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 from the KRSMA winery says to expect good things and more from the 2016 vintage –  a wine that will be fruit forward (red fruit and dark berries) with good structure from the oak (currently a little harsh as expected but will settle) and all the complexity you can expect from one of India’s top red wine brands. Promise of excellent acidity and balance.

    And as for the Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, it has reportedly been harvested at the perfect time, is showing promise of perfect fruit and acidity and is developing rapidly. Should be a biggie. (more…)

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    News & Views  / Wine in India

    Move on, Marlborough
    May 5, 2016

    …this is India!

    A report on the tasting of the new vintage of  Sauvignon Blanc from KRSMA Estates in India’s Hampi Hills, where the focus is letting the terroir speak for itself

     

    I have been tracking KRSMA Estates since before its launch in February 2014, and its journey so far has illustrated growth in the most positive way – that the making of wine in a mint-new, untapped region in India is possible given time, commitment and focus.

    The tasting in progress - KRSMA Sauvignon Blanc2016 and KRSMA Chardonnay2016

    The tasting in progress – KRSMA Sauvignon Blanc2016 and KRSMA Chardonnay2016

    KRSMA estates is owned by Krishna Prasad and Uma Chigurupati, a couple with a passion for wine and marathons (they hold Guinness world records – marathons run as a couple in all seven continents, for example) has been covered in my blog site earlier; and their historical vertical tasting of their flagship Cabernet Sauvignon (2011 to 2015) last year as another milestone event. Wine is the couple’s passion – their ‘day job’ is running a pharmaceutical company, which helps pay to support this passion.

    On this warm sunny Saturday in Bangalore, it was time to change colours, shifting focus away from their attention-grabbing reds to their white wines. The KRSMA Sauvignon Blanc 2016 was being readied for launch this July, and a small, focused tasting of this wine along with the KRSMA Chardonnay 2016  was being held at Ssaffron, the fine dining Indian restaurant on the 18th floor of the Shangri-la, Bengaluru. I had been hearing good things about the KRSMA white wines and was keen to see the outcome.

    The KRSMA Sauvignon Blanc has been undergoing subtle changes over vintages, evolving and developing under the watchful eyes of the Chigurupatis and their visiting South African winemaker, Adriaan Foot from Cape Town. This blind tasting of the 2016 vintage was to be a testing of the waters (or wines, so to speak), tasted in juxtaposition with a well-established crowd pleaser Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough (which turned out to be Cloudy Bay 2014). While we knew the KRSMA wine’s identity, that of the ‘other’ Sauvignon Blanc was not revealed until the tasting was done.

    On to the tasting: the lightly floral and herbaceous notes of the KRSMA Sauvignon Blanc 2016 were refreshing. The wine, a pale lemon in hue, had an excellent balance and structure, with a neat acidity which made its presence felt without being overwhelming, and a medium-long finish. Delightfully fresh and moreish, with tiny notes of fresh herbs and scented flowers unfurling on the palate, marking a distinct identity. This, acknowledged Uma, was a trait of the Hampi terroir, the home of KRSMA. The wine is 12.9% ABV with total residual sugar of 2gm.

    With Uma Chigurupati, Business head Vishal Nagpal, winemaker Adriaan Foot (KRSMA Estates), Aneesh Bhasin and Kripal Amanna at the tasting

    With Uma Chigurupati, KRSMA business head Vishal Nagpal, winemaker Adriaan Foot (KRSMA Estates), Aneesh Bhasin and Kripal Amanna at the tasting

    “Wine is first and foremost an extension of its terroir,” said Foot. As far as the world-popular expressions of Sauvignon Blanc are concerned, Foot believes there’s a time and place for each one of them including the well-favoured tropical- fruit rich style that is New Zealand’s pride and joy.  In response to the appreciative comments about the acidity in the KRSMA wine he said, “Acidity in wine is like salt in your food – there must be balance between too little and too much.”

    Foot would know. In his native South Africa, Sauvignon Blanc is finally establishing an identity of its own after years of experimentation and study. “In South Africa, we have done plenty of study on the flavour compounds in the Sauvignon Blanc grape, even conducted a world blind tasting of the different expressions with a panel of winemakers. The answer was as expected: nowhere can one make a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc except in New Zealand.” The next question: so why the benchmarking exercise? KRSMA Estates business head Vishal Nagpal explained that they wanted the yardstick for the KRSMA  to be the world’s acknowledged favourite – the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. “To compete internationally we need to compete with the best in the world,” agreed Foot.

    The unanimous consensus at the tasting table was that while the Cloudy Bay was a delicious wine, KRSMA more than stood its ground with its own unique character. (more…)

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    Tastings  / Wine in India