Hoe vaak gebeurt het dat je een van de belangrijkste wijnschrijvers op aarde blij kunt verrassen met wijn die ze nog niet kent? Het overkwam een team van By the Grape op zaterdag 21 augustus.
’s Ochtends om halftien belden we aan bij het tweede huis van Jancis Robinson in de Languedoc. Terwijl documentairemaker Fred van Dijk en Derrick Neleman Jancis’ huis onveilig maakten en haar man Nick Lander in de keuken filmden (waar hij onze lunch stond te koken), zat ik met La Robinson op de bank voor een uitgebreid interview.
By the Grape had een aantal Nederlandse wijnen vooruitgestuurd om die samen met Jancis Robinson te kunnen proeven. Tijdens het interview werd duidelijk dat Jancis niet al te veel verwachtte van die proeverij. Maar toen ze een uurtje later in haar tuin, in de schaduw van een grote boom (het was een bloedhete dag), de eerste slokken nam, spatte de verbazing van haar gezicht. Ze was totaal verrast door de kwaliteit van Nederlandse wijn. Beter dan Engelse wijn, vond ze. Complimenten voor de wijnmakers, zei ze. In no time stuurde ze een tweet de wereld in: Just tasted a range of Dutch wines. SO surprised by how well made they were.
Later die dag kondigde ze aan zéker over deze Holland-grown wine surprises te schrijven op haar site. En dat heeft ze gedaan. Kijk op www.jancisrobinson.com voor haar verslag, dat als titel heeft: My most surprising tasting ever.
Het interview met Jancis kun je binnenkort lezen in By the Grape Magazine. De documentaire, inclusief de proeverij, zal te zien zijn op de iPadversie van By the Grape Magazine.
Om video te bekijken van dit bezoek download de app in ade App store hier>>
Anda Schippers belandde via diverse tussenstops in de wereld van eten en wijn. Ze werkte eerder voor Wining&Dining, en is nu freelance auteur en eindredacteur, onder andere bij Perswijn en Het Groene Blaadje. Daarnaast vertaalt ze wijn(cursus)boeken uit het Engels. Haar missie: heel Nederland moet elke dag lekker eten, met een goed glas wijn erbij.
In de By the Grape shop vind je een ruim aanbod biologische en Fairtrade wijnen, bovendien bezorgen we gratis door heel Nederland en leveren we hoge service voor eerlijke prijzen. Wil je liever persoonlijk door ons geholpne worden kom dan naar onze wijnwinkel in Velp vlak bij Arnhem. Parkeren kan hier gratis voor de deur. Direct naar onze shop>>
By the Grape Winery
Hoofdstraat 21
6881 TA Velp
hallo@bythegrape.com
088 1180700
Wij staan tijdens de ruime openingstijden voor je klaar in Velp.
Prijs-kwaliteit
Ik ben zeer zeker vóór de consumptie van NL-wijn. Ik heb er inmiddels een aantal geproefd. Naar mijn bescheiden mening leuk amateur-gedoe en als curiositeit het vermelden waard. Maar sorry hoor, de prijs-kwaliteit verhouding is volledig zoek. Voor deze prijzen koop ik zowel in NL als ook in mijn vakantieland FR heel wat betere wijnen.
Proefnotities
Going Dutch - the tasting notes
26 Aug 2010 by Jancis Robinson
Below are my notes on the wines presented in My most surprising tasting ever. Tasting these wines was a real pleasure, the pleasure of discovery. The film shot by By the Grape's talented film-maker Fred van Dijk will show my transformation from condescending scepticism to surprised delight.
As I said, the wines were carefully chosen, to present Dutch wine's most attractive face presumably, apparently by senior Dutch wine writer Hubrecht Duijker, and it was just a shame that the St Martinus wine by the flying Dutch winemaker Stan Beurskens didn't make it in time.
I do not have prices for these wines and assume that, since they are all made on very small-scale vineyards, the costs are relatively high. Nevertheless, they show what can be done in this corner of northern Europe - as had already been hinted by the exceptional Belgian Chardonnay I chose as a wine of the week, admittedly benefiting from being grown in a walled vineyard.
Landwijn is Dutch for the equivalent of Vin de Pays (there is no higher quality designation) and is followed by the name of the province.
ACHTERHOEKSE
This is the biggest Dutch wine producer, apparently, a 24-ha co-op with 12 members, and winemaking advice from both South Africa and Germany. Rather traditional packaging.
Achterhoekse Solaris 2008 Landwijn Gelderland 14 Drink 2009-2010
Not quite the natural bounding-out-of-the-glass fruit that was apparent in the vinifera whites. Cardboardy smells on the nose. Quite a sweet start and I’d like a little more refreshment. I could imagine this would be a bit tiring to drink in any quantity. Slightly industrial finish. 13%
Achterhoekse, Op Holt Regent 2008 Landwijn Gelderland 14.5 Drink 2010
Oaked. Dark crimson. French barriques apparently. I expected these to overwhelm the fruit but there was a clean enough nose (even if very slightly dusty). The finish was pretty tart but there was certainly sufficient weight on the mid palate. 12.5%
APOSTELHOEVE
This is the oldest Dutch wine producer, with 8 ha of vines near Maastricht.
Apostelhoeve Riesling 2008 Landwijn Limburg 16 Drink 2010-2015
Clean and bright fruit, some age. Some sweetness but overall very harmonious and confident. Clean fruit. Quite light, Ruwerish. Not enormously subtle but very respectable. 11.5%
Apostelhoeve Pinot Gris 2009 Landwijn Limburg 15.5 Drink 2010-2011
Full bodied – quite sweet and maybe very slightly heavy but with sufficient acidity. Well balanced, maybe a bit heavily chaptalised? 13%
Apostelhoeve, Barrique Pinot Gris 2007 Landwijn Limburg 16.5 Drink 2009-2012
I thought this might have been swamped by oak but yet again I was wrong. Mid copper. Alsace! Well-judged oak. Faded glory in the nicest way. Toasty, dry and complex. Inspiring for food matches. Long. Was great with a sweet coconut, creamy, lightly curried chicken with ginger.
Apostelhoeve, Cuvée XII 2009 Landwijn Limburg 16 Drink 2010-2012
Very pale. Quite a complex nose. Well married, lots of acidity and quite a bit spritz. Reminds me of Friuli blend. Fresh and light. Very appetising. A blend of Müller Thurgau, Auxerrois and Pinot Gris.
Gelders Laren, Kus van Thérèse Rosé Regent 2009 Landwijn Limburg 16 Drink 2010-2011
Pale orangey rose colour. Not much nose – light rose petals. Slight hint of pepper. Delicate and as well balanced as its red 2008 stablemate. Not too sweet. Bravo! 12%
COLONJES
They also grow Recortis, Cabernet Blanc and Johanniter.
Colonjes Regent 2008 Landwijn Gelderland 15 Drink 2010-2011
Unoaked. Respectable crimson. Clean, fresh, rather Cabernet Franc-like nose. Sweet and light on the front palate. Lots of acidity, very clean, nice for a lunch out of doors. Non industrial – very frank. 13%
Colonjes, Barrique Regent 2006 Landwijn Gelderland 16 Drink 2008-2012
Pale crimson. Clean nose that’s quite sweet with some evolution. Well balanced. Good middle. This is proper mature wine. Slightly tart finish but very respectable. 13%
DE KLEINE SCHORRE
This is the owner of the vineyards shown here, and the winery shown with my article yesterday. I was very impressed by their wines, some of the lowest in alcohol - perhaps not chaptalised? They have 8 ha of vines in total.
de Kleine Schorre, Schouwen-Druiveland Pinot Blanc/Auxerrois 2009 Landwijn Zeeland 16.5 Drink 2010-2011
This company’s 8 ha of vineyards make it one of Holland’s biggest! Based in Zeeland and close to the sea, they are working with a company in Luxembourg which presumably explains the interest in Auxerrois. Very light but clean nose, just off dry but well judged. Real Pinot Blanc character. Lightly fizzy. Very refreshing. 11.5%
de Kleine Schorre, Schouwen-Druiveland Auxerrois/Pinot Blanc 2009 Landwijn Zeeland 16 Drink 2010-2011
More mineral nose than the Pinot Blanc-dominated sister blend. Lots of body and then fresh citric acidity. Perhaps a little simpler and sweeter than the more Pinot Blanc-dominated blend. 11.5%
de Kleine Schorre, Schouwen-Druiveland Pinot Blanc 2009 Landwijn Zeeland 16 Drink 2010-2012
Tangy and quite rich, sweet start and quite heavy. Nothing industrial - very clean. Lively – with true Pinot Gris character. 12%
GELDERS LAREN
There's quite a complicated story to the wines that are packaged in such eye-catching flasks (see yesterday's illustration). The Gelders Laren vineyard is owned by Gert Jan Voortman and Diana van der Biezen. They asked Thérèse and Johny Boer from the three-star restaurant De Librije in Zwolle to help them sell their wines and set up a joint venture. The grapes are vinified at a Dutch winery called Hof van Twente by winemaker Roelof Visscher, who is in turn advised by Dr Dietrich Marbe-Sans of Germany. Is that enough names for you?
Gelders Laren, Kus van Thérèse Cabernet Blanc 2009 Tafelwijn 15 Drink 2010-2011
This means ‘Therese’s kiss', apparently, and is made by Gert Jan Coortman and Diana van der Biezen, in collaboration with Jonnie and Thérèse Boer of the De Librije restaurant in Zwolle, and Hof van Twente winery in Bentelo. De Librije is a famous three-star restaurant with shop attached where these very eye-catchingly packed half litres are on sale – at quite a price, I should imagine. Very jazzy, squat 50 cl flask. There are indeed some blackcurrant-leaf Cabernet aromas. Mouthfilling fruit. Lots of acidity. Green finish, very tart. A curiosity rather than a whole, thrilling wine. 11.5%
Gelders Laren, Kus van Thérèse Barrique Solaris 2009 Tafelwijn 14.5 Drink 2010
American oak again, and like other Solarises, a rather tired nose but with more freshness than the Achterhoekse example. Very full and round. Heavy. Mousey flavours – more vinifera genes, please! 13%
Gelders Laren, Kus van Thérèse Regent 2008 Tafelwijn 16.5 Drink 2010-2012
Healthy colour, looks as though there’s been some development. When told this had been American oaked, I expected the worst: an overlay of vanilla perhaps. But in fact the oak was well integrated and the nose was very attractive with good fresh attack and some nicely fully ripe fruit. No tartness, just good balance. Very well done. Long. A real surprise. 13%
Gelders Laren, Kus van Thérèse Edelzoet Solaris 2009 Tafelwijn 15.5 Drink 2010-2012
Smells a bit tired and industrial. Lots of natural sweetness; a sweet wine. Good acid – nice white peach juice. Very well made. But Solaris just doesn’t smell attractive to me alas – too many of the wrong genes!
Verlakkerij
Leuk hoor, een link naar een betaalde site. Levert dit wat op voor jullie?
Positief
Wat een negativiteit in twee reacties. Ik heb het artikel even van de betaalde site gehaald, leesbaarheid zal lastig zijn?
My most surprising tasting ever
25 Aug 2010 by Jancis Robinson
26 Aug - see new information below.
Last Saturday I took part in what was probably the most surprising tasting of my life. Over the last 15 months I have discovered good wine in Turkey, Russia and in bottles that had been brought to London from Baja California in Mexico. The vineyards that supplied these wines are all well within the traditional bands of temperate climate around each hemisphere that are popularly supposed to be responsible for the world's wine production, so they did not surprise me greatly.
But the wines I was due to taste on Saturday had been sent from the well-named Netherlands, way to the north of France and Germany's northernmost vineyards, on very roughly the same latitudes as English vineyards but without nearly such a strong, moderating maritime influence. And no Gulf Stream to warm up the land either. I was not optimistic and was expecting to have to be extremely tactful while tasting them with the Dutch group that sent them.
This was the film crew from By the Grape, a Dutch magazine and website that was filming me for what they hope will be the first wine magazine available on the iPad, and they had sent two boxes of wine on ahead. One contained a dozen conventional-looking bottles. The other had half a dozen extraordinarily squat, actually very stylish, clear glass half-litre stoppered flasks with rubbery slipover labels proclaiming them to be Thérèse's Kiss (Kus van Thérèse in Dutch). The stoppers aren't screwcaps but seem to do the job perfectly adequately. Breakthrough packaging for wine?
After the whites had been chilled for a while in our freezer, and I'd been grilled for a while by wine writer Anda Schippers, Derrick Neleman of by the grape set out all the wines on a shaded table in our garden. But the garden was in the Languedoc on one of the hottest days of the year and I was getting seriously worried that the reds would get too hot, so I began by tasting them, a range of four wines all made from the Regent grape. Regent has some non-vinifera genes in it but smells quite fresh, and to judge from these four examples of very respectably fruity wine, seems extremely well suited to the Dutch climate. The Dutch also seem to have mastered the difficult art of oaking wine grown in a relatively cool climate. One of the most impressive examples of red Regent was Thérèse's Kiss, of which there was also a pink version, which was next in line to be tasted while I had the remains of red wine in my glass.
Blow me, if this pink wine wasn't rather good too. Much better balanced than most rosés which tend to be either too sweet or too tart. It actually had some vinosity, some fruit in the middle.
By now the whites, which had initially been too cold, were covered in condensation and it was high time to taste them. Thérèse didn't impress me nearly so much with her whites, which were based on a very uninspiring, very obviously non-vinifera hybrid called Solaris which seems to be popular in Holland. From the same stable came a Cabernet Blanc, a white wine with the smell of the Sauvignon Blanc genes in Cabernet Sauvignon but not much vinosity.
But the examples of Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc from other producers were really very convincing indeed - almost textbook varietal flavours - and a couple of them had aged extremely well too. My tasting notes, scores and suggested drinking dates will follow tomorrow. The image incidentally is of the Kleine Schorre winery where some extremely competent Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois and Pinot Gris is made. I'll show you the vineyards tomorrow.
I was initially told there are now about 150 hectares of vines in the Netherlands in total (whereas there are more than 1,000 in the UK)and reckoned that most of these vineyards must be tiny since there are 178 of them, and the estimated annual Dutch wine production is about 750,000 bottles a year. However, see an update from a Dutch winemaking consultant below.*
Most Dutch wine is labelled Landwijn, the equivalent of Vin de Pays, and carries the name of the province in which it was grown. Alcohol levels are in the 12-13% range and most wines are presumably chaptalised although, to my palate, they don't seem as obviously chaptalised as some of the less good English wines.
This selection of wines, chosen partly by the renowned Dutch wine writer Hubrecht Duijker, did not include any fizz, so I assume this is not Holland's pride and joy the way it is England's. It might be unfair to compare this small selection of presumably the best that Holland can do with the still wines of England and Wales, but I must say that if I compare what I tasted last Saturday with my last tasting of English wine (see English wine - how does it taste?), the Dutch win this particular play off hands down - especially but not exclusively when it comes to reds. I wonder if their climate is milder? Their yields lower? Or perhaps their winemaking consultants, variously from Luxembourg, Germany and South Africa as well as the Netherlands, are more skilful? Dare I return to Blighty after having made these unpatriotic comparisons? I hope so as Nick and I plan to start the long trek home tomorrow.
I will publish my Dutch tasting notes then to keep you amused as we do battle with the autoroutes.
* René van Druenen of VitiConsult adds the following:
The traditional bands of temperate climate are shifting to the north in this hemisphere, maybe rather faster than many people realize: the southern part of the Netherlands for instance now has the same climate the Champagne region had only 10 years ago.
Because of their resistance to infections with fungi the last decade has seen a lot of new vineyards planted with what are sometimes considered non-vinifera varieties like Regent, Rondo, Acolon, Cabernet Cortis (red) and Solaris and Johanniter (white). But the climate change is mainly responsible for the fact that the last few years have seen an increase in new vineyards (mainly located in the southern part of the Netherlands) planted with varieties that are most commonly associated with regions like the Champagne and Alsace in France. And the climate change is also responsible for the fact that chaptalisation is less and less necessary.
Only a small number of vineyards call in the help of consultants from other countries, most vineyards try to develop their own expertise (like real pioneers) or call in the help of Dutch consultants. Sometimes colleagues hiring out their expertise to supplement the income they generate with their own vineyard, sometimes falling back on the only company that has specialised in viticulture (aptly named VitiConsult).
solaris op holt
Zou Jenis oook de achterhoekse wijn Solaris op holt geproefd hebben. Deze goddelijk.
te koop via www,puretaste.nl
Mogen we het hele artikel lezen?
Of moeten we dan eerst voor 69 dollar lid worden van de purple pages??
De Kus van Therese, Regent Barrique
Hoi Carel,
Nee hoor ze vond bijvoorbeeld De Kus van Therese, Regent Barrique 2008 ook erg mooi
groet
Derrick
Bijzondere ontmoeting!
Voelde me al zeer vereerd de kans te krijgen van Jancis Robinson haar thuis te mogen bezoeken. Maar toen ze me zojuist de e-mail stuurde met de kop " My most surprising tasting ever" kreeg ik toch echt kippenvel en kan ik niet ontkennen trots te zijn op de Nederlandse wijnboeren en wijn!
Derrick
witte of rode ??
I guess that she was flabberguested door de witte wijn en niet die akelige rode rode regent (what's in a name!)
carel van der staak
regent
Wel, ik proefde héééérlijke regent van de biologische wijnhoeve De Colonjes!
En ook de rest van hun piwiwijnen mochten er meer dan zijn.
Peter Vandamme - Vlaanderen
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