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Indian Sharad Grapes

After purchasing a batch of grapes from a hot, humid, dirty fruit stand in Chennai and making a decent batch of wine with it, I had to do a bit more research on them. What I found is quite illuminating and promising.   

The grapes I vinified were sold as Sharad Seedless which I traced on Google as a mutant cultivar of Thompson Seedless from the 70′s. Thompson has its own interesting story, having been re-branded in the 1880′s from its “original” name of Lady de Coverly by an unscrupulous fruit salesman named Thompson. What even Thompson didn’t know was that these are an old grape commonly known as Sultanas but historically identified as Kishmish Chornyi.   

Kishmish is an ancient seedless variety with unknown origin. It was used for raisins and wine by the Turks and the Persians. Travelers in the Ottoman Empire wrote about the fine wine made by this variety and others at the time. They asserted that the grapes had high potential if only the producers applied a quality-minded approach. Sound familiar?

As it turns out, Kishmish, and hence Sharad, are indeed Vitis Vinifera and thus produce a decent wine when played to their strengths.

Being Seedless, Sharad, has an advantage in terms of unwanted tannins, while its thick skins makes it a challenge to crush and press. The finished wine is clean and classic, with little obvious varietal character. Sugars are low and acid is moderate, leading a pretty well balanced wine overall. 

Though I have to chaptalize and oak in order to get a modern tasting wine, this is not uncommon in European wine making.  

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Extreme Winemaking

Is a good test of a winemaker making a great wine from great grapes, or making a good wine from grapes that were never meant to make wine? I mean, if you were given 60 lbs of Chateau Margaux cab and merlot grapes, all you would really need to do is not mess it up right?  You might not make a 99 point wine with it that will be impressing critics in 2055, but you would have to really screw up to make something undrinkable.  

Well here in Tamil Nadu, India, it isn’t quite that easy. Imagine you were given instead 60 lbs of a mutant strain of Thompson Seedless that you really knew nothing about. Now imagine that the grapes had travelled an unknown distance in extreme heat, probably on an oxcart for at least part of the journey, and you had no idea how long it had been since they were picked. This is what I am making wine with here in Chennai. Am I crazy?  Read on to find out.

These are the grapes I am using above. They are called ‘Sharad Seedless’ and are actually a cultivar of Thompson Seedless, which, as you may know is V. vinifera. These grapes taste pretty good; their skins are crunchy, and they have almost no rotten berries due to the spacious clusters of oblong shaped fruit. The brix of these grapes tends to be around 20-21 as they are grown for yield and not for maximum sugar concentration.  I have to chaptalize at up to 20% to get these up to 25 brix. 

This is what 20 lbs of these grapes looks like on the “crush pad”, (that is not a wine made with these grapes in the photo obviously) and you can see my daughter going to work on these. These firm grapes are not easy to crush, and they take a lot of stomping to get them all.  I sheepishly admit I was sore the day after my first attempt. I remove most of the stems, especially the green ones after the grapes are completely crushed. To help break down the skins I add 1/4 tsp per pound of pectic enzyme. This does an effective job of helping to release the juice, color and tannin.  I also add about 2g (1/4 tsp) of KMS (sulphite) into the vat during the crush. I bring all of these extras back from the U.S. when I visit.

I ferment these grapes in a wide plastic bin with a lid that clips on. You can see the cap forming on this wine that has been in the fermentor for 1 day. I like to use Vintners Select MA33 to help reduce the malic acid content as I cannot get a malo culture here and the conditions are not optimal for conducting a malolactic secondary fermentation. To be honest, I haven’t tried, and maybe someday I will. I usually ferment with about 1-2 oz of French medium toasted oak chips that I bring back from the States with me. 

It is not easy to keep the fermentor cool in the tropics, and these grapes will go up in smoke if you’re not careful.  They also produce a lot of heat and I’ve had a batch like this ferment out in 2 days before. 

I punch down as often as I can to avoid infection of the cap and to homogenize the must and release heat. You can see that the grapes do produce a beautifully colored wine.  I could easily press after only a fe days, but as i don’t have a proper press I need to let the skins break down as much possible for the the best yield at runoff.  

I am experimenting with cold soaking half the batch of grapes in my spare fridge and adding them later to extend the fermentation out, keep the must cooler, and extract as much character, structure, and color from the skins as possible. I also hope this will yield a more nuanced wine with less heat on the palate. 

This is my ghetto system of runoff/pressing. I purchased these items from various container shops in Chennai, the coolest of which are in Parry’s Corner.  The perforated metal cylinder is a stainless trash can liner.  It works. The bin below is a stainless milk jug holding about 3.5 gallons. I think I paid 6 dollars for it. 

I let the wine mature in plastic bottles: 5 gallon water jugs if I have enough wine.  If it’s a smaller batch I’ll use 5 L water bottles that I bought full of filtered water. I add plenty of oak chips to it to give it that refined edge. Without the chips its still good, but not impressive. 

As you can see the finished young wine has quite a gorgeous ruby purple color. You may not believe me, but it actually tastes pretty good. It has a mildly tart cherry and grape flavor with the oak showing nicely after some air. Tannins are light with just enough structure to hold it together until I drink it. It is a bit high in acid, but I like lively wines in the tropics. I do have the option of deacidification if necessary. I don’t like what that does to the wine though, so I’ll continue to drink it as is. All in all, it is a good test of winemaking skill and determination.  

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2013 Meerlust Estate Merlot Stellenbosch This edgy Merlot develops a powerful smokey chipotle aroma and washes over the palate with pure acidic cherry and black fruit. A rich and concentrated merlot that is probably the best of that variety I've had.

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Nothing if not rich, this blend of cab, merlot, shiraz, and pinotage is sticky with blackberries and hoisin sauce. A bit of heat on the finish makes perfect for a chilly evening and hearty food. It's no slouch and held up well for 24 hours. An absolute steal for 12 USD.

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Dunham vs. Saviah Syrah

In pitting these two head to head I hope to explore how two of Washington’s top Syrah producers express this grape grown in adjacent terroir.  Both are Walla Walla wineries and both wines are from the other side of the Columbia basin.  

Saviah is known for great value wines from Walla Walla and beyond while Dunham hangs just beyond reach of the average consumer, saving itself for someone special. I got lucky tonight.   

It was stunning to see the vast differences between these two brethren and I know that not all of it can be attributed to terroir.  One of them blends lovely barrel character with obvious site-specific character while the other is more of a clear prism into the life and times of a single place on earth.  Can you guess which is which?

Saviah 2008 Syrah Red Mountain

A beam of graphite and sanguine minerality hit you first with this wine on both the nose and palate.  A full-bodied and soft core of blueberry and currant fruit carries the wine tenuously across the palate with silky pleasure, but perhaps missing a bit of acid for pizazz.  Tannins are almost totally kneaded in and the wine finishes with a subtle woodsiness.

Dunham 2008 Syrah Columbia Valley

Smelly, satisfying and noteworthy, the Dunham hits the senses with briney marine funk, soy, and toast and takes to the palate confidently with blueberry and mocha on a lightly grippy texture.

Conclusion-ish

This was not at all by design,  but evaluating these wines is not an easy one as it exposes the criteria gap that will perpetually conflict those who think and write about wine.  Do I reach for the intellectual, reserved, promising Red Mountain, or the warm, open, and highly interesting Columbia Valley (primarily Lewis and Frenchtown). If the Red Mountain had offered some better texture and savory notes, perhaps, the choice would be easy, but alas, it is a bit too aloof at this stage and I can’t get excited about it.  

Dunham does it again with a wine that offers both complexity and approachability.  Its not on the shelves nearest you anymore, but at 7 years past vintage this shows the lovely curve these wines have and can still go further.  

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#quentin #wallensee #vineyards

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2013 Raats Dolomite Cabernet Franc Stellenbosch A rich and complex Franc with a bit of pyrazine meanness and mesquite in the nose that translates to a lively, taught palate of veggies,black cherry and effective tannins.

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2011 Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva

I am compelled to write about this wine for two reasons.  1) I love the cigar tobacco that wafts from the glass and soothes the palate and 2) the polyphenolic joyride this takes you on is superb.  Beautiful ruby purple on the swirl liberates evocative aromas f sweet kelp, dark chocolate, and the aforementioned puro integrating splendidly. On the palate this wine fills the mouth with seamless beauty, palate coating soft tannins, and mouthwatering perfumed red fruit typical of the appellation. 

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2013 Krsma Estates Sauvignon Blanc Hampi Hills. Wow, this blows the labels off any other Indian white I've had. Great lime flavors and very clean. Solid varietal flavors and a great package.

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An unexpected treat this one. Incredibly pure aromas of melting lard hover around rim of the glass and reappear the finish. A soft mouthfeel warms the palate for stewed black fruit, while the silky texture carries the savory flavors on and on through a palate so balanced it's as if taking breath would disrupt it.

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Mas Amiel 2010 Vintage Blanc Vin Doux Naturel

The Vin Doux Naturel style is made by stoping the fermentation quite early by fortifying with grape spirits. This Maury AOC uses Grenache Gris for this, yielding a nicely balanced dessert or aperitif wine that is big and honey sweet with just enough acidity and structure in the finish to keep it interesting. Light floral and mineral aromas keep the nose lifted. Anything from Mas Amiel is a winner and this is highly enjoyable.

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2012 Sur le Fil Faugeres A bit young, but this massive wine shows great balance and mouthwatering blackberry infused with licorice. Biodynamic.

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The walls of #Carcassonne backed by the #Pyrenees. #southoffrance 🏰

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Admiring the vines in the #minervois.

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The Terrasse and the Pic

The Pic Saint-Loup has few challengers for king of Languedoc terroir, but there are some and they are good.  It is informative to drink these lithe wines against other terroirs from the Coteaux du Languedoc which is soon to be known only as the Languedoc with subappellation names such as these.  

L’ Éctriture 2009 Terrasses du Larzac

The Terrasses du Larzac occupies a large swathe of land north of Montpellier and West of the Pic St. Loup.  You have to drive or walk through these vines on your pilgrimage to St. Guilhem-le-Desert, so they are a familiar sight to many a wandering soul in the South of France.  Backed by imposing granite hills, these grapes benefit from the tempering effect of the cool air from the Larzac plateau which creates significant diurnal swings that, reportedly, can reach 20°C (68°F). The resulting freshness is evident in this wine.  Bringing 70% Syrah and 25% Mourvedre to the table, rounded out with a tad of Grenache,  this full-bodied wine is American oak-influenced with a sauvage character coming through in the nose.  It is big and round,  with engaging tannins that balance the sweet fruit, but can’t hold up completely, leaving a bit of cloying, hot plum on the finish.  The mouthwatering index is medium on this, making it a great sipping wine, but one that can also accompany a light meal.  

Mas Brugiere 2012 L’Arbouse Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup

The Pic Saint-Loup was the first subappellation of the Coteaux du Languedoc just west of the Terrassess du Larzac. Even without its own AOP, its the heir to the throne of any Languedoc Grand Cru system that could be devised.  The Mas Brugiere L’Arbouse is a highly aromatic 60/40 Syrah/Grenache blend, with Syrah coming from stony red clay that takes longer to ripen and the Grenache from soft limestone.  It gets a natural fermentation in a gravity-fed system and is aged partly in concrete and partly in large oak vats.

The wine is picture perfect from this region, with a bright, fresh character in both the nose and the palate. Red cherries and garrigue dominate, with the drink-now palate finishing balanced, fresh, and irresistible.  Light in tannins, high on bright red fruit, this would be nice with a wide variety of light fare, pairing as I would a Pinot or a  Loire Cabernet Franc.  

Overall,  this Pic Saint-Loup is not the most terroir-driven of this appellation, but it is a great quaffer with some lovely garrigue highlights. the L’Éctriture is a more serious wine, better for the fireside and pondering the potential of the other Languedoc subappellations.  The first is a good buy at 13 Euros in France, while the L’Éctriture is solidly overpriced at 30 Euros (yes you read that right).  There is no need to spend that much - yet - for a good Languedoc wine.  

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Picking the Right Picpoul

Picpoul is one of France’s ancient grapes, ripening by the lazy Mediterranean behind the Bassin de Thau in the Languedoc region between Bézier and Montpellier. It lives in a symbolic symbiotic relationship with oysters, which are also grown nearby in the shallow lagoons of the Bassin.  You cannot have “huitres” without picpoul, and you certainly can’t have picpoul without “huitres”.  

This evening I let 4 readily available AOC Picpoul de Pinet wines face off with their oyster companions to see which one pairs up the best.  What are the qualities of a picpoul that make it such a great companion to these lovable molluscs?  This is not the time for eloquent waxings about terroir, for these are not expensive wines. I have not yet found a Picpoul de Pinet that didn’t break a 5er, so I’m going to keep it real in this one.

The Wines

Condamine L’Eveque 2014 Picpoul de Pinet G. Bascou

Montagnac 2014 Picpoul de Pinet

Ormarine 2013 Picpoul de Pinet

Chateau de Castelnau Picpoul de Pinet 

Tasting Notes

On its own, the Ormarine was the most interesting, with a nose that smells marine, but has some great buttery notes.  Full-bodied and fresh, this seems like it would do well with the molluscs, and it did, with an iodine finish that was saline and dry, but perhaps not to everyone’s liking. 

Right behind the Ormarine out of the glass is the Chateau Castelnau, with lovely pear and savory lime.  With the shellfish, though, it became completely disjointed, gaining an unfriendly herbal quality.  

The Montagnac was not far behind either as a standalone picpoul, with great dry minerally lime that gets the mouth watering; however, chasing an oyster is where this one stands out.  It held its own and even improved with the oyster, with the crisp lemon-lime picking up a mildly sweet quality along with the salty flesh to enhance the wine a touch.    

In 4th place on all accounts was the hapless Condamine, which on its own was pathetically unfocused and somewhat flabby.  Chasing an oyster, it became buttery and flaccid, completely breaking down.  

Provenance is varied in this bunch, with the Condamine from Pomerols (not the famous one) a step inland from the Bassin.  Castelnau is at the northern extreme of Picpoul de Pinet, far from the sea, while the Montagnac is a touch closer on a hill southwest of Pézenas.  At the home of the AOC itself is the Ormarine, commanding a nice view of Pinet.  Perhaps what we are tasting here is a touch of terroir; if that were the case at Eur 4.00 per bottle, I would have to let out a little chuckle, but this is the value garden of Europe and these Occitans do take their wines seriously, even at these prices!  

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Extreme #1stworldproblems. #wine #plonk