red wine price

    ‘Tis the season for some red, red wine (and white) Part 2
    December 24, 2017

    Seek and ye shall find… Several of the best Indian wines (many red and some white!)  which may be found on our retail shelves. In Part 2 of my post on my favourites, here are some more wines to sip, store or gift.  If bought from a good retailer, stored and served in optimal conditions, these will be rewarding to drink.
     Reveilo Chardonnay Reserve 2016

    Reveilo’s Yatin Patil knows his desi consumer. “Indians enjoy fruity wines, so all our Reserves are made with this in mind.”  Reveilo has been going this route ever since they began production in 2006 and Reveilo is flying Italian winemaker’s Andrea Valentinuzzi (SDU Winery)’s first Indian collaboration.  Patil has been directly barrel-fermenting his wine – there is no time in steel tanks as convention dictates. This gives the advantage of time saved but also exposes it to the vagaries of ambient temperature, something fairly tricky for a less-skilled winemaker maker to handle especially with white wines.  Patil is quite clear that he is not a “me too” wine producer, and that his wines speak of their very own terroir and Reveilo’s winemaking style.

    Tasting notes: This one speaks of oak, but with subtlety and restraint. Apple and pear on the nose and soft and buttery on the palate but not overly so. Nice balance.

    Where and how much: Rs 1395 (€18)  in Mumbai and Pune only.

     Second pick: Reveilo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016. Their flagship Reserve Cabernet is in also-ran position only because it is still fairly young and not yet come of age. A rich, full-flavoured red wine with notes of pepper and spice. Buy and stash in your wine cellar (or at least a cool, dark place), as this one should improve as it ages. If opening anytime soon, decant before serving, Patil advises.

    Where and how much: Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Rs 1495 (€20) available in Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra.

    The Daily Dose 2016

    India is making some very nice Cabernet Sauvignons and this particular small-lot wine from Sholapur, made by well-known importer Vishal Kadakia of Wine Park with experienced oenologist Rajesh Rasal is a good example. A funky label design, a funkier name and improving vintages every year puts this wine squarely on my list. The market-savvy Kadakia has chosen to make it fruit-forward by reducing the oak interaction to just 5% to appeal to the young, hip and eager-to-dabble demographic among wine drinkers. The cherry on the viniferous cake: Kadakia says the grapes are made from organically grown, pesticide-free grapes. That works for me. Plus, extra dibs for having the most off-beat label and name.

    Look out soon for The Daily Dose white, a Sauvignon Blanc aimed to fit much the same profile.

    Tasting notes: Concentrated ripe, red fruit with hints of spice and a vibrant finish,  good structure with firm, noticeable tannins. Benefits from some decanting or aerating, being such a young ‘un.

    Where and how much: Rs750 (€10) in Maharashtra, Rs 850 (€11) in Karnataka.

    Fratelli Sette 2013

    Fratelli’s Italian winemaker Piero Masi has some serious international winemaking chops to his name, and based on that alone it would be worth picking up a bottle of their Sette, their flagship Reserve red made from a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in their vineyards in Akluj, Maharashtra, using the best grapes of each vintage. The Sette, changing its composition as required, is well-established on most top-10 wine lists. Pick one of for your wine cellar. Or gift a friend who enjoys the bold and the beautiful.

    Footnote: Sette 2013 is available in 375ml and magnum (1.5 litres) as well. The bigger size would make a great statement gift or to pop for a special occasion. It comes with its own plug-in aerator too! Elegant labeling in dark chocolate and gold.

    Tasting notes: Later vintages of Sette (the first was 2009) saw the Sangiovese dominate the Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, where earlier it was the other way around. This seems to be working. Intense, broody red wine, the dark fruit noticeable on nose and palate but reined in by the oak (14 months in oak, of which 60% new French oak ) which speaks quite definitively. An age-worthy wine, but if you want to drink it now, decant for a while. Jancis Robinson scored it at 16.5/20.

    Where and how much: Rs 1700 (€22) in Bangalore, Rs 1800 (€23) in Delhi and Rs 2000 (€26) in Mumbai.

    Grover Zampa Chêne Grand Reserve 2015

    The big strong boy of the Grover Zampa Vineyards portfolio and most beloved of many wine aficionados for its distinct oak, majestic structure, and chewy tannins. An oak-rich full-bodied blend of 55% Tempranillo (think Spain) and 45% Syrah, it is an apt food wine for that big barbecue you were planning.

     Tasting notes: Rich, ripe red fruit on the nose and palate with hints of pepper and coffee, the structure and lengthy finish all adding to create a sumptuous red wine. A perfect buy for lovers of oaky red wines. Jancis Robinson has called it a ‘proper wine!’ (exclamation mark hers!) and irrespective of Ms. Robinson’s intended meaning, this wine certainly meets all necessary concerns of propriety.

    Where and how much: Rs 1950 (€25)  in Mumbai, Rs 1850 in Bangalore and Delhi (€24).

    Second pick: Grover Zampa Vijay Amritraj Reserve Collection Red 2015

    Winemaker Karishma Grover’s own favourite from the extensive GZV portfolio (she would know, wouldn’t she?) and one that has been improving steadily since its launch three years ago. This elegant, silky blend of Cabernet, Syrah and a hint of Viognier currently makes for a delicious, fruit-rich sip.

    Available in retail for Rs1400 (€18) in Delhi, Rs1495 (€19) in Mumbai and Rs1450 (€19) in Bangalore.

    So there you have it. My own recommendations of the popular Indian red wines on my list- and I wouldn’t neglect those whites too. After all, if winter comes, can spring (or summer) be far behind?

    Disclaimer: All the wines on the lists are my own personal picks, not present here by any other means, such as paid promotions and such-like. They have been assessed either in open tasting sessions or picked up in retail at full-price.

    Enjoy!

     

     

     

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    Tastings  / Wine in India

    It’s raining awards for Grover Zampa Vineyards
    September 18, 2017

    With 82 international awards  and 42 domestic awards under its belt, Grover Zampa is India’s most awarded wine producer by a distance

    As the monsoons begin to ebb around India, the deluge of awards seems to be continuing for Grover Zampa Vineyards. One of its oldest wines La Réserve, arguably India’s first ever created premium red wine when it was launched in 1998, won a gold medal at the recent Spiritz awards held in New Delhi. GZV won a total of 6 awards: 2 gold and 4 silvers making it the most awarded of all Indian wine producing companies.

    Shalini Kumar, editor of Spiritz, explained that there were 18 categories this year, spread over three segments – hospitality, alcobev and alcobev travel retail. The jury of 12 was selected from experienced and qualified professionals within the alcobev and hospitality industry, (“Connoisseurs and professionals,”) who tasted all the bottles blind over a full day of judging. Nine Indian companies participated and the wines were judged in the categories red, white, sparkling and still rosé. As in the case of many international wine competitions, judgement was based on visual appeal, nose, palate and finish. Medals awarded were gold, silver and bronze.

    From left: Ravi Vishwanathan, Karishma Grover and Sumedh Singh Mandla receive the Winery of the Year 2017 award from Sommelier India magazine in Delhi

    Spiritz has been doing these awards since 2014, and Kumar says the uptick in the quality of wine in India has been distinctly noticeable over the last four years of the competition. “Some of them were very impressive,” she says, “The only issue that remains with wines produced in India is their consistency, something that can be blamed on logistical issues. Wine culture in India is growing, and the positive is that Indians have begun respecting wine brands in India and drinking them” – this even in the usual Old World-dominated wine menus of the star hotels.

    Grover Zampa Vineyards, with its current mega portfolio of 38 wines from 14 brands cutting across categories, has been consistently making its presence felt at the international awards too, with 82 notched up since 2013.  Forty-two domestic awards bring the grand total to 124 to date, establishing it firmly among the best wine brands in India. Not bad by any standards, especially in a wine industry as young as India’s.

    The big story here for me personally is the resurgence of the once-revered La Réserve, an oak-rich red wine with a nose redolent with red and black fruit. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, it was originally put together by French flying winemaker Michel Rolland. La Réserve had soared in its early days becoming the popular red wine brand of choice of many enthusiasts, especially among aficionados in the local Bangalore Wine Club. It had garnered approval from noted wine expert Steven Spurrier, who had proclaimed it as the Best New World wine in 2005 in Decanter magazine. Subsequently, La Réserve had lost favour with the cognoscenti, but it has since made its way back to the top since the big Grover Zampa merger in 2012 and the subsequent portfolio rejig. It also sports a glitzy new look since 2016, with Michel Rolland’s signature prominently displayed on the label. Its historical value in Indian wine circles adds undeniable weightage to the GZV portfolio even today, though bigger, more expensive wines have joined it in the spotlight.

    At another level, the Spritz gold medal for La Réserve 2014 has certainly underlined India’s abiding love for big red wines matured in oak.

    I caught up with Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO, Grover Zampa. Mandla was visiting Delhi with  Karishma Grover, winemaker and third generation member of the Grover family in the family winemaking business, and investor Ravi Viswanathan to receive the Winery of the Year 2017 award from Sommelier India magazine. The event was also a celebration of 25 years of winemaking by the Grovers. (At the very convivial sit-down dinner at Sorrento, Shangri-La, New Delhi, I also sipped another favourite and silver medal winner at the same awards: the Zampa Soirée Brut. With crisp toasty notes overlying its signature fruit-forward style, this vintage of the Soirée has also grown up and earned its right to join the party.)

    Excerpt from the interview:

    Grover Zampa recently won 4 silvers and 2 golds at the Spiritz awards. Were you expecting this? How many awards has GZ won totally  – Indian and international?

    Quality, consistency and innovation has always remained our key focus. We are the pioneering and most awarded wine producer in India. These awards firm our belief that we are moving in the right direction. We had won 82 international awards during last 3 years prior to this, plus 42 domestic awards.

    The regular favourites seem to have shown well once again: La Réserve, Vijay Amritraj Reserve Collection, Art Collection Sauvignon Blanc, Soirée Brut, etc. What does this say to you about your portfolio? And what plans moving ahead? (more…)

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    Interviews  / News & Views  / Wine in India

    Château musings and Bordeaux wine lessons
    August 30, 2017

    A summer stay in Listrac- Médoc underlined to me why terroir is always king, and what it means to be Cru Bourgeois

    Yves Raymond with his trophy. The chateau in the background

    After the hustle and bustle of Vinexpo and the oppressive heatwave that engulfed Bordeaux city this June, I headed to Listrac-Medoc for a day of much-needed R&R at a family-owned Cru Bourgeois chateau. The trip, organized by the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, would give me a short but deep dive into the less-familiar category of Bordeaux wines: the Cru Bourgeois.

    What’s Cru Bourgeois?
    Here’s a brief, simple introduction. Cru Bourgeois classification lists some châteaux from the Médoc not included in the 1855 Classification of Crus Classés, or Classified Growths. Cru Bourgeois is a level below Cru Classé in the hierarchy of Bordeaux’s complex classification system. They are often regarded as Bordeaux’s most ‘affordable’ gems, offering value and quality wines. I would say to those weeping about not being able to afford a top-rated classified growth – try a Cru Bourgeois instead. This is not an expensive wine. These are usually very well made and produced within the much-lauded Médoc region of Bordeaux’s Left Bank so offer similar blends of grapes, flavours and structure without the gasp-inducing price tags. And as experts will tell you, several Cru Bourgeois châteaux also produce wines rated higher in quality that some of the famous Cru Classés.
    The Cru Bourgeois has a long, complicated history you can read about here. Suffice to say, as of today there are 267 châteaux within the Cru Bourgeois classification spread across the Médoc. I was to visit Château Saransot-Dupré in Listrac-Medoc, owned by the Raymond family.

    Assemblage in the tasting room with Yves Raymond

    The Château and the wines
    I have had the good fortune to stay in several châteaux in the past where the lodgings ranged from quaint and rustic (Château Giscours’ old stables) to grand and stunning (Château de la Dauphine in Fronsac, Château Haut Bailly in Graves). This was the first time I was going to stay in a château that was actually inhabited by the owner-family and not run as a hotel. Experiencing family-style living in Bordeaux was a great lure.
    It was a fortuitous time to visit. Château Saransot-Dupré had just won the prestigious Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Cup at the Vinexpo the day earlier, defeating 167 competing Cru Bourgeois châteaux all competing with their 2014 vintages. Yves Raymond, owner-oenologist, was busy with interviews and photo shoots. No better time to learn about his wines.
    Saransot-Dupré has a sweeping drive, an imposing edifice like many other château in Bordeaux. But it has a cozy, lived-in air to it. Warm aromas drift from the kitchen, there’s a murmur of voices from Raymond’s office. Then there is pitter-patter of tiny paws to be heard – the chateau’s tiny four-legged babies Maila and Lily come to inspect and approve all visitors. And my room, with its antique French furniture, carpets and drapes, is worthy of long repose.
    (more…)

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    Tastings

    Vertical, Historical
    September 25, 2015

    The Orchid room of The Oberoi, Bangalore is full of people, wine pros and wine lovers. Indeed, India’s wine cognoscenti, I’d venture to say. All invited by Krishna Prasad and Uma Chigurupati, the owners of one of the newest entrants into the wine biz, KRSMA Estates, to participate in a vertical tasting of their flagship wine, the KRSMA Cabernet Sauvignon vintages 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Sommelier Magandeep Singh comperes a Q&A session with the couple during the tasting, and the Chigurupatis speak with disarming candour about the initial trials and tribulations of winemaking in virgin terroir, to support their personal passion for wine. KRSMA Estates is India’s first noted wine estate to have its vineyards in the Hampi Hills in Karnataka. (more…)

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    Interviews  / Wine in India