First of all, what is Movia Puro Rosé? Is Movia Slovenian or Italian? I believe half of the vineyards are in Slovenia but the Puro is DOC Collio (in Friuli-Venezia-Giulia). Everything is natural and organic at Movia. Puro is a traditional method sparkling method, using 100% Pinot Nero. After one day of maceration for the delicate colour, the lightly crushed grapes are gently pressed for fermentation. Only natural yeast is used for the fermentation. The base wine is then matured for about 4 years in French oak barrels before fermentation in bottle. I believe that at Movia, they do not use the standard sugar and yeast formula as liqueur de tirage. Instead they add the must or young wine from the new harvest (with the naturally available yeast) to help put the second fermentation in bottle in action (need some help with the translation from Slovenian)? The wine then spends more than 2 years in bottle prior to release. Unlike most sparkling wine, no disgorging takes place prior to release to ensure a long life for Movia. This wine is released undisgorged, with its lees still at the bottom of the bottle. The winemaker believes that taking the lees away from the wine diminishes its flavours and the lees help extend the life of the wine (almost endlessly). So your next question is: how did I disgorge this special wine?? I decided that I would spare my friends of an embarrassing mess in the restaurant and rather make a fool of myself and make a mess at home.
Here's what I did: First I had to turn the magnum bottle on its head inside the fridge for about 2 days (I said about 2 days because halfway through the first day, I accidentally knocked over the bucket in which I had it precariously ensonced at an angle, upside down, and so I had to almost start again). Then about half an hour before I took it out of the fridge, I filled the bottom of the bucket with ice cubes so as to chill the settled sediment at the neck of the magnum bottle. Half an hour later, I took it out of the fridge, with the bucket and fill the bucket half way with water. Then with one hand holding the magnum upside down with neck submerged in the icy water, I plunged the other hand in the freezing water to first remove the wire muzzle and then slowly ease out the cork.....And the next thing I heard was an explosive noise in the bucket, with crystal-like particles landing on my face, together with a few gushes of sparkling wine! I spared no time to turn the bottle right side up and discovered that I had only lost about a quarter of the magnum (sorry, Corinne)! Not too bad for a first attempt, I thought. Next time, I'll get a bigger bucket and will know when to pull up the bottle much earlier.
So what did it look, smell and taste like???
Very clear! Salmon pink. Redcurrant, raspberry, earthy, savoury, complemented by some warm spicy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. Very harmonious and tasting so fresh with a creamy mousse and very fine-textured bubbles. Lovely lengthy finish, without any of the slight bitterness you sometimes find with traditional method rosé champagne. 17.5/20 (I encourage you to buy a bottle and try it for yourself! Well worth the effort!)
After such an impressive start, the evening continued with a few other interesting wines.....
1978 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
Lemon gold. Honey, lanolin, quince, pain grille, grilled hazelnuts, nougat. Medium body, well-balanced and structured. A fine finish, but I would advise drinking over the next 3 - 4 years, if you still have this wine, before the acidity runs out. 17.5/20
1992 Meursault Charmes, Lafon
Lemon peel, butter, smokey, melon, dried fig, grilled hazelnuts. Medium-full bodied. Firm acidity. Very long, slightly spicy(liquorice) finish. Beautiful! Drink now and for next 6 - 8 years for optimum enjoyment. 18/20
1987 Leroy Volnay Champans
Animal, savoury, tobacco, red cherry, raspberry, spicy, floral. Some volatility started to reveal itself. Rather lean and ungenerous. A wine that saw much better days 4 - 5 years ago? 14/20
1995 Margaux
Blueberry, black cherry, liquorice, herbaceous, cedar, with just a hint of leather. Beautifully structured, with firm velvety tannin and well-balanced acidity, very soft and elegant but quite subdued. Lengthy finish. A wine still taking its time to evolve, even after 2 hours of decanting and further time in the glass. 18/20
1993 Hermitage, Chave
Chocolate, coffee, red cherry, blackberry, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, with a medicinal finish. Medium bodied. Medium acidity. Soft and silky, rather weak mid-palate and short on the finish. 16/20
1996 Yquem (half bottle)
Honey, apricot, orange peel, marmalade, nutty, smokey, biscuity. Medium- full bodied, firm acidity, well-balanced. Expressive and precise, without being flamboyant. 18/20
I would like to retaste the 1995 Margaux, perhaps alongside the 1996 Margaux, again....to see how these two vintages compare!
No comments:
Post a Comment