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Wine Dimensions September 2006

Dear Friends of Monolithos,

In this issue, we continue our attempt to comprehend the wine-tasting vocabulary.

Wine tasting involves analysing, speaking and describing impressions and sensations, and making judgement. In fact, it is all about communication. To be a good taster, you need to be a good communicator. So when you have to describe your next wine to someone, endeavour to describe it in such a way that the description will conjure up a mental picture of what the wine is like. It is a worthwhile philosophy. Some have even made a fortune applying it. In fact, the struggle to develop a lucid and coherent vocabulary for wine tasting has been going on for centuries.

In previous newsletters, we described the various wine dimensions and basic terminology commonly used for describing wine tasting perceptions. When faced with the task of talking about a particular wine, appearance and colour are described first, and then comes the smell, followed by taste (e.g. level of sweetness, acidity, bitterness, tannin levels, weight/body, alcohol and length of aftertaste) before a final judgement is made on its overall balance and flavour. Habit and training eventually help you to develop a systematic approach and a link between impressions and the words you consider meaningful.

When tasting or comparing wines try to assess the following attributes:

Appearance

Hue: Its colour, e.g. purple, red, yellow
Depth: How deep the wine appears, i.e. dark, medium or light
Clarity: The transparency of the wine

Aroma

Includes all aromas, (e.g. fruit, winemaking, maturation)

Intensity: The amount of lift from the glass
Concentration: Strength of aroma
Expression: Distinctiveness of character
Complexity: A diversity of harmonious smell sensations
Cleanliness: Absence of winemaking faults

Palate

Intensity: The amount of flavour activity in the mouth
Concentration: The strength of flavour
Body: The weight displayed in the mouth; an amalgam of viscosity, flavour concentration and (in reds) astringency
Astringency: Drying, roughing and puckering sensations derived from tannins
Other Texture: Includes alcoholic warmth, creaminess
Complexity: Diversity of complementary textures and flavours. Measured by how long a wine holds your interest

Balance:

A wine is in balance when no one character dominates your psyche

Structure: An amalgam of balance and timing of the appearance of sensory characters to produce a wine that is seamless

Persistence:h3>

The overall time that a wine impacts on the senses after swallowing

Like any skill, serious tasting requires a combination of technique and experience. The more you do it, the better you become. The effort to describe wine through tasting, and to share your views with other tasters, creates a common experience that builds bonds between people.

Remember that tasting is not a test – your subjective response is more important than any "right answers". The bottom line is – wine that tastes good to you is good wine.

The goal in tasting wine is not to "find" the same aromas and flavours some other taster is describing. If you can sharpen your own perceptual abilities and develop your own vocabulary to articulate them, you'll not only derive more pleasure from the wine itself, but also stimulate better conversation.

Some of the most common descriptions used in wine tasting notes and literature in assessing a wine are the following:

Primary fruit characteristics

White wines

Chardonnay - melon, tropical fruit, peach
Riesling - citrus, lemon, limes, toasty
Sauvignon Blanc - herbaceous, grassy, cut grass, capsicum, gooseberry
Semillon - grassy, lemon, lime, citrus, apple

Red wines

Cabernet Sauvignon - blackcurrant, leafy, mint, berry
Shiraz - spice, pepper, mint, plum, blackcurrant
Merlot - herbaceous, violets, plum, berry
Pinot Noir - strawberry, cherry, perfumed, gamy

Developed characteristics

Aged White Wine Descriptors

Honey
Toasty

Aged Red Wine Descriptors

Earthy Dusty
Cigar box Tobacco
Leathery Chocolate/Mocha
Barnyard Truffles

Oak Maturation Descriptions

Oaky Charred
Vanilla Pencil Shavings
Cedar Burnt
Nutty Sawdust
Bacon Buttery
Coconut Toast
Smoky

It is advisable to limit your description to four or five lines. Below we provide you with a few examples of tasting notes relevant to the eight wines produced by our winery:

Monolithos Cabernet Sauvignon

This complex, medium-bodied wine features a lean profile that opens up with a little breathing time. The colour is intense ruby with purple edges. The wine has a well-developed bouquet, both elegant and complex, with a good balance between blackberries, plums, cherries, sweetness and light oak. These flavours continue in the palate, mingling with black fruits, vanilla and mineral. With relatively low tanning, it is recommended to accompany rich red meats (beef, lamb and goose), especially when cooked with herbs. It is also an excellent companion to spicy or grilled foods of all types. Serve at 16 -18 C.

Monolithos Red Table Wine

Monolithos red dry table wine is made from the Cyprus indigenous Mavro grape variety. It has been blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to give a darker, richer colour. The wine has a nice depth and intensity, despite being young. It has ripe fruit aromas, agreeably soft but with an elegantly approachable touch of freshness. Dry in character, yet not harsh, with a nicely developed structure that envelops the palate, its rounded finish is enhanced by a subtle touch of tannin. Still rather young, its promising quality should enable its full potential to develop over the next 1 to 5 years. The tannins are supple, but provide enough structure for heavier meals. This wine is recommended to accompany rich red meats (beef, pork, lamb). Serve at 16 -19 C.

Monolithos White Table Wine

The blending of Xynisteri with Malvasia Grossa results in a balanced, refreshing and dry wine with a pleasant taste and aroma. It is a rather intense, bright, straw-yellow colour with green hints. The wine has a nicely aromatic bouquet of spring flowers, green apple, banana, fresh pineapple with a finish of citrus. The result is a balanced, refreshing, dry and pleasant taste and aroma. It is recommended to accompany hors d’oeuvres, pasta, fish, crayfish, lobster, prawns and white meats (veal or pork). Best served chilled: (7 -12 C)

Santa Monica Slightly Sparkling Rose

Santa Monica Rose, made from the Cypriot Mavro and Syrah grapes, is a slightly sparkling wine unlike any other ros . Its effervescence and fruitiness complement its colour perfectly. Complex aromas of strawberries, cherries, and vanilla lead to a palate rich with sweet fruit flavours, however it is remarkably soft and well balanced. It is a delicate wine that demands you pay attention - serve it as an aperitif to sip lightly on the veranda before your meal or with light meals, hors d’oeuvres, appetizers or even better still with desserts such as tarts and baked sweets, Recommended serving temperature: 7 -9 C.

The Santa Monica slightly sparkling (frizzante) white wine

The slightly sparkling (frizzante) wine captures the essence of the Xynisteri and Malvasia Grossa grapes. This transparent, pale, straw-coloured wine shows glints of gold against the light. It pours up with a light foamy froth that drops back quickly, leaving a visible bubble stream. Attractive scents mingle citrus with a hint of apple. It's clean in flavour, snappy lemon-lime with a creamy, carbonated mouth-feel and a relatively long finish. A residual sweetness is concealed by the carbonation, leaving a flavour impression that's semi-dry. The wine is balanced by bright acidity and offers a completely new taste experience, which will appeal to those who like something different. It is recommended to accompany pasta, fish, light meals or on its own. Recommended serving temperature: 7 -9 C.

Ayios Stephanos Red

The blending of three grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and the indigenous Cyprus Mavro) results in a beautiful, dark purple colour which has a pleasant and rich Mediterranean personality, showing a lot of character and smoothness with a balanced structure. It is a smooth, medium- to full-bodied wine with mild tannins and very long legs, and is packed with a medley of black fruits and a light touch of oak. The characteristic pepper/spice edge from the Syrah component is evident, but the wine still retains plenty of local character. Delicious, easy drinking on its own, but powerful enough to handle a nice chunk of cheddar as a late night filler. It is recommended to accompany rich red meat dishes, pasta and strong savoury cheeses. Serve at 14 -16 C.

Ayios Stephanos White

Ayios Stephanos (white) is a blend of the Cyprus indigenous white grape Xynisteri and Malvasia Grossa. This bright, pure, crystal clear coloured wine with attractive pale green hints has an elegant fresh aroma and is smooth, rich and crisp on the palate with an array of delightful fruity spring flowers, green apple, banana, fresh pineapple, soft and well balanced. On the palate, its elegant freshness – soft yet still dry – is in harmony with its length, giving a nicely aromatic persistence on the finish. This wine can be recommended to those who like young, dry wines that are supple yet perfectly balanced. It is recommended to accompany sea or freshwater fish, with oysters, shellfish, grilled fish or a buffet of hors d'oeuvres poached or in a cream sauce, or at the start of a meal and as a fine aperitif. It should preferably be served chilled at 7 -9 C in order to appreciate its refreshingly dry and attractive character.

Monolithos Rose

Monolithos Rose is a still wine made from the indigenous Cypriot grape Mavro and Syrah. It is deep pink in colour with good clarity, full-fruited and refreshing with a Mediterranean flavour and aroma. It is a delicate wine with complex aromas of strawberries, plums, cherries and sweetness that lead to a palate rich with semi-dry fruit flavours and a finish of honey. It is a wine that demands you pay attention; serve it as an aperitif to sip lightly on the veranda before your meal. It is also recommended to accompany pasta, fish, light meals or on its own. Best served chilled (7 -9 C)

Wine News and Information

Up to 60% of Australia's 2007 wine production is under threat from drought. If the weather does not break within the next six weeks, experts warn, the grape crop will be decimated. The affected growers produce the grapes that make up more than 60% of Australia's total wine production.

“If we end up with zero water, there will be mass deaths of vines,” said Mike Stone, CEO of the Murray Valley Winegrowers Association. “There will be vines that survive, but they will be in a sick and sorry state.” According to Stone, the vines can survive lack of water without damage until budburst in August and September. He said the industry is hoping for rain over winter, to ensure they get at least a third of their normal water allocation for the critical spring period. “At least the vines would be alive, though it would result in a decline in yield,” Stone said.

Stephen Strachan, chief executive of the Winemakers Federation of Australia, said that Australia's major export brands were unlikely to be affected by the news. “What the wineries will do is channel fruit into their most important brands, which they'll protect.”

Of more concern is whether grape growers can survive another bad year. Frosts, bushfires and drought reduced 2007 vintage yields by 4%, compounding the woes of growers coping with plummeting grape prices forced upon them by the previous year's grape glut.

Often, tasters use words to describe wines such as immense, muscular, powerful etc. Words that, to some, mean high alcohol, full bodied, rich wines most likely made in the new world tradition. Speaking of powerful, Robert Parker, founder of “The Wine Advocate”, has been called the most powerful wine critic, not only in America, but the world. Fair or not, he has been blamed for, and credited with, much of the current economic status of individual wines. Parker is best known for popularizing the 100-point scale to rate wines, and if he gives a high number to a heretofore unrecognized wine, its value increases immediately. A low score does not mean certain doom to other wines, but it certainly doesn't do anything for their current market strength. The area where he runs into conflict, as do all critics, is when his personal tastes and preferences are not shared by others. Tasting is subjective, after all. Although he denies this generality, Parker tends to favour wines such as described at the top of this column. Interestingly enough, he liked many of the French wines from the notorious 2003 vintage and rated them highly.

2003 was the summer of the infamous heat wave that ravaged France and left thousands dead. In response, numerous vintners produced no wine at all that year, sold their grapes and cut their losses, or produced only lower-end wines under their second and third labels. It was a vintage of overly ripe grapes, abundant alcohol, and big, powerful wines. Regardless of your personal views on global warming, one thing is clear. It's heating up out there, and the atmospheric changes being seen as unusual weather patterns are having a definite effect on world wine production.

Cooler climates are reaping benefits, as a longer growing season and higher temperatures mean fruit with additional ripeness and the potential for complexity. Places already hot and dry are dealing with the problem of losing that very complexity, as the grapes are ready too quickly and must sometimes be harvested much earlier than in the past.

Steven Crump of Essex, England, cheated investors out of 74,000 by telling them TV chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver was involved in a non-existent company called Virtual Vineyards. Crump, his father-in-law Bruce Watkins, and Roland Anthony, a British businessman based in Barcelona, established phoney stock brokerage Gilberts and sold shares in the fake wine project at 3.50 apiece. Crump was charged with seven counts of fraud, sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to repay the investors. His accomplices received suspended sentences.

Monolithos Monthly News

In mid March to April, the vines begin to "push" and bud break occurs. At this point, it is important to protect the vineyard from frost. The first buds start to open as leaves begin to develop along with the new growth. An equally crucial period during the vineyard cycle is flowering, which occurs toward the middle of May. Delicate and tiny, grape flowers can be easily dislodged by wind, rain, or even cold weather. If a good-sized storm hits the vineyard during the flowering period, much of the crop may be lost before the flowers self-pollinate, or "set," to form berries. The warmer temperatures encourage the vines to flower. The growers hope for warmer weather to assist in this critical stage. Soon after flowering, the petals drop, as tiny hard green grapes start to become visible. April, and warmer weather, brings weeds. The soil is worked again and unwanted vegetations are removed.

This year, we at the Monolithos winery are extending our Syrah vineyard with 1,200 new plants. Our first task was to cultivate the land. After the soil has been tilled completely to provide a loose, workable planting bed for the vines, the planting will take place. This is scheduled for the coming weekend. Steps in planting vines include (a) marking rows, (b) marking vine spaces and (c) planting vines. The vineyards will be tightly spaced, with a minimum density of 1,000 vines per acre (6' x 8' spacing).

In the winery, most of last year’s wines are ready for bottling, including Monolithos Red & White as well as Ayios Stephanos White. The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2004 Ayios Stephanos Red are now available and ready for drinking.

If at any time you are passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery or purchase any of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his “Fig Tree Villa” in Pachna, so do not hesitate to phone him at 25-816212 or 99-165995.

Regards from all of us here at Monolithos and always remember:

Drink wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep and you will not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo, drink wine and be saved.

(Mediaeval German saying).

Regards from all of us here at Monolithos