FLORAL WINES

 

With temperatures still hovering around freezing, and wearing five layers to keep out the cold, I am writing this in the vain hope that by the time you read it spring will have sprung at long last!

When assessing wine prior to drinking it, one uses one’s nose to identify the key notes that will help to establish not only the grape variety, but also how the wine was made, by whom, where it was made, and its age.

The three key aroma groups are fruity, floral and vegetal; in general, whilst one or two will predominate, wines will have many nuances of aroma, which will be dependent on a wide range of factors.

Certain wines, if well made, have distinct aromatic characteristics, and with spring in mind, my thoughts have turned to wines with a distinct floral characteristic; in this case, violets.

As one would expect, floral notes are most commonly associated with white wines; lavender, ylang ylang, jasmine, orange blossom, iris and honeysuckle being common; while rose and violet are by far the most predominant, and associated with both red and white wines.

There are a number of grape varieties associated with floral nuances, but in narrowing down the choice, my top three recommendations with violets as a characteristic, are one red, made from the Nebbiolo grape, and two whites made from the lesser known Viognier; a nice tie in here is that recent work on DNA analysis has found a genetic relationship between Nebbiolo and Viognier.

Nebbiolo is most dominant in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, and these wines are reknowned for their powerful intensity. Nebbiolo is made into Barbaresco, but my recommendation here is the more fragrant, powerful and tannic Barolo. Available locally is the Terredavino 2008, 13.5% abv, at £15.99.

There are two famous appellations in Northern Rhone, where the only permitted grape is Viognier; beguiling, musky, and surprisingly masculine for a white grape and if well made, producing very special wines. The all-viognier appellation of Condrieu, and also Chateau Grillet, a single-chateau estate only 9.4 acres in size, are the only appellations in Northern Rhône that are exclusively white wine appellations, so look out for these wines, which are not always easy to find. More easily available are the single variety wines produced in the New World. Here I’m recommending the Australian Yalumba Eden Valley 2011 Viognier, 12.5% abv, costing £12.99. Stay away from the much cheaper Pays D’Oc wines as in general they lack substance and character.

Next month, with Father’s Day on the horizon, we’ll have a look at wines with more masculine characteristics – leather, tar, tobacco, farmyard…… but I’ll leave the cat’s pee for another time!

RED WINES Nebbiolo – violet, dried rose Pinot Noir – violet, rose petal Cabernet Sauvignon – violet Merlot – violet Cabernet Franc – violet Gamay – iris, peonies

WHITE WINES Viognier – violet, iris, ylang ylang, orange blossom Vedelho – honeysuckle Sauvignon Blanc – elderflower Riesling – rose, jasmine, honeysuckle Pinot Gris – rose, violet Gewurtztraminer – rose, lavender Muscat – jasmine, ylang, ylang Colombard – honeysuckle