A little Argentinian Sunshine on a Wednesday Afternoon: Carelli Wine Tasting

What with the weather being so unpredictable of late and sunshine never guaranteed, I was extremely excited about tasting some delicious fruity Argentinian wines to at least have a taste of some warmer climates… and that brings me to this delightful tasting at Amathus Soho!

Bodegas Carelli is run by a father and son team, both named Enrique, meaning that the winery is well into its third generation of Carellis! Enrique junior is hosting this event and welcomes us all warmly with a great smile and enthusiasm and leads us straight into an introduction of the Carelli’s winery.

Enrique Carelli Junior

The winery lies on 34 degrees latitude (hence the name of one of their brands of wine) and the vineyards sit on various different altitudes, which define the style of wine that they produce – the higher the altitude correlating to the better the quality. It was built in 1895 and Enrique’s grandfather bought the building in 1943. The walls are made of Adobe brick that our 1m thick to help protect the wines during fermentation. The Argentinian climate is a key player in the resulting wines; they have about 2cm of rain a year and even this is mostly hail when it occurs. The vines are therefore watered using a careful channel system from a reservoir. Intense afternoon sunshine is also a danger so they have mastered the best way to shape the vines so as to protect them; winding them in an East-West orientation. The product of the vineyards, careful vine management and magnificent wine making skills are 34 degrees and Carla Chiaro ranges of their wines – the 34 Degrees range being the first up for tasting today!

Carelli Wines

The aim of this range was to really express the fruit itself and show the quality of the grapes that can come from the Argentinian climate, altitude and great wine making of Bodegas Carelli. These wines have spent no time in oak and are young, fresh and bursting with delicious fruit. The white Torrontes showed floral aromas and flavours with hints of apricot and tropical fruits, yet had a crisp dry finish. We enjoyed this along with some mature cheese that had chilli flakes inside showing that this is a great wine to have with spicy foods! The Cabernet/Merlot rose had notes of strawberry, raspberry and red cherries but was still a dry style of rose. The balance of acidity and length made this great as a wine you could drink on its own but would certainly stand up to enjoying with some light foods. The Cabernet Sauvignon was delicious and just what you want from a drink now, fruity red – black fruits, brambles, great smooth tasting and a lovely finish! And who can forget Argentina’s claim to fame and the first of two Malbecs in the tasting; lovely fruit flavours and velvet tannins and a smooth finish; great to enjoy with the cured meats that were there to nibble on though the tasting.

The other two wines on tasting are from their Carla Chiaro range – situated at 1,100m altitude and thus a cooler region and suitable for some more complex styles of wine. The first, the Bonarda, didn’t disappoint. The first of the tasting to show some oaky notes due to gentle ageing it expressed black fruits, black cherries and fine tannins. The rich fruit flavour was balanced elegantly with hints of oak and the long lasting finish was simply delicious. Last, but not at least in any way, their 2009 vintage Malbec. Aged 12 months in second fill oak barrels, it showed a complex array of vanilla, sweet spice, black fruits; balanced perfectly with well rounded tannins and a very smooth finish.

These wines are great for an evening in with friends, or simply to enjoy with dinner – in fact, I took the Torrontes and the Cabernet Sauvignon away with me for an evening of just that! Thanks Enrique!

Click here to try the wines for yourself! >>>

 

By Clare Corlett

Amathus Drinks

Presenting Rhum Agricole with Sugar Cane Kings; Clement & Rhum JM – by Nick Bell

We were delighted this week to be joined by Audrey Bruisson from Rhum Clement and Rhum J.M. to talk to us about this

Rhum JM and Clement Bottles

fantastic Agricole Rhum from Martinique. Though Agricole is only around 2% of all Rhum consumed, Clement is now present in 60 countries across the world and is a world leader in production.

Clement has been producing Rhum for 125 years now, and as such they have mastered the techniques of production. This includes having their own estate grown sugar cane so they can maintain high standards from field to bottle.
In order to maintain the Rhum Agricole AOC there are specific rules to make sure that the Rhum is of sufficient quality. This includes only allowing 24 hours to pass between harvesting and beginning fermentation; and having to spend the first year of production in barrels from Limousine before transferring to Bourbon barrels. Due to the climate of Martinique there will be losses of 8-12% from each barrel every year. This in turn makes aged Rhum Agricole a very precious liquid – which the tasting definitely proved.

Clement and Rhum JM tasting samples

We were given the chance to try 7 different Rhums from their range, starting with the incredibly smooth and delicious Clement Premier Canne. After this we were lucky enough to be able to taste the first bottle of Select Barrel in the UK. This was followed by the VSOP, which had a smooth and mellow taste with a delicate roasted cocoa aroma. We moved on to the J.M. after these, and the difference was apparent immediately. The JM Rhums had a more powerful aroma and were rich with spicy, vegetal notes. We progressed from the White, to the Gold and finished with the VSOP, which was a truly intense Rhum.

We were treated after the Rhums to some incredible Ti Punch Sorbet made by Marc Woods from Rumbling, followed by a Ti Punch – a great way to spend a Wednesday evening!

By Nick Bell
Amathus Soho
Wardour Street, London, W1F 0UN

Nothing like a bit of Krug to really make a Monday Evening!

This Monday Evening saw the long awaited Krug tasting event at our City branch in Leadenhall. The much anticipated showing met with crushing demand for tickets while scrutiny and curiosity overtook on the night.

Krug Tasting at Amathus City, Leadenhall Market

Charmingly hosted by senior brand manager Olivia Jalibert who gave a brief introduction before we launched into the Grand Cuvee ‘multi vintage’ blend, Krug’s flagship product renowned for its power yet lightness of touch. There were no disappointments here. A waxy lemon and apricot nose led to a subtle blossomy, stone like minerality, with Krug’s signature trace of oxidisation reminiscent of a seductive amontillado. And what zing with freshness of acidity! herein lies the secret of the lightness of touch.

Next in quick succession came the vintage 2000, a very forward style and weightier version. This displayed a more caramel like, baked yeast nose, ‘like putting your nose into a bakery’ Olivia remarked. In an instant the room became divided with opinions, for and against, vintage or multi-vintage, ‘Big and Heavy’ or lighter and fresher.

To round the evening’s tasting off, the house Rosé was served. Having warmed slightly to Olivia’s preferred serving temperature; very subtle, almost imperceptible aromas of fruit, pinot noir and Turkish delight arose from the glass. Olivia conceded that Krug’s philosophy for this bottling is to keep it ‘more krug than Rosé’, it almost demanded the accompaniment of sushi and wasabi.

And so the evening drew to a close, our thanks go to Olivia and Krug themselves for providing us with superb champagne and delightful company.

If you would like to hear about the latest news and events at Amathus City in Leadenhall Market, please email us at City@AmathusDrinks.com or check out our webpage here>>>

Right to left – ‘Multi Vintage’, Vintage 2000, Rose

By Tom Brown,
Amathus City

Tovaritch! Vod-koff – Battle of the Brands

Today is the Amathus Vod-koff blind tasting session and I am sat in front of a flight of 8 clear spirit samples. Knowing that they are vodka, my brain flits back and forth from previous memories of rounds of vodka “samples” whilst out with friends. However, surprisingly, this time my nose is not overwhelmed by the stench of alcohol, but instead I actually smell nothing! I lean forward to check its not water and the light citrus fumes of quality, premium vodka tickles my senses… OK, now I am ready…

Introducing the event is Eugenio from Tovaritch! Vodka. He explains that the object of today and of Tovaritch! as a brand is not to sing and shout about an amazing brand but to sit and consider it against the market leaders. It wanted to create a product that was premium and in competition with the big names; Grey Goose, Belvedere, Ketel One – but was at a lower price point.

Tovaritch! is a Swiss company but its productions are 100% Russian and are proud to claim that this has always been the case. Not widely known it has positioned itself more in the trade market with an aim to become a leading bar house vodka – offering premium quality at great value cost.

Tovaritch! translated means “Comrad” – so called main to convey their worldwide values as a company; never drink alone and socialise with your friends with Tovaritch. The bottle design uses red and silver – red in association with spirits and vodka, and a silver man to represent an image of a “Comrad” socialising with friends in a social environment.

Distilled 5 times, Tovaritch! removes all impurities to create a pure vodka without flavour and is filtered 20 times and very slowly to create a smooth and quality product. It is made from organic grains which means they have not been transformed or enhanced/altered in any way. It is reduced using artisan water from melted snow, and blended with the distilled spirit to create an exceptionally pure spirit.

So now we get to the blind tasting! We are all set to the task of tasting our way through the vodkas, and this is no easy task! All the vodkas are at premium quality and only a couple stand out above the rest… (3) for its rich and vanilla creaminess, (4) for a somewhat “raw” feel to it, and (7) for its distinct floral and perfumed nose profile! We all put our heads together and comment the following:

(1) A peppery smoke on the nose and quite a warming alcohol on the throat – though this was the first one so our palates are probably just adjusting. Long finish.
(2) Quite creamy, smooth. Oily and a little sweet spice.
(3) Rich, rounded, with a creamy vanilla and a hint of citrus on the nose – otherwise very odourless!
(4) Raw tasting – quite aggressive in comparison to the previous and it has a quite a raw element to it.
(5) Quite a silky feel but in terms of flavour, very nondescript.
(6) Grassy notes and a long finish.
(7) Floral, perfumed, sweet to smell and taste – I was wondering if this had been a flavoured vodka by accident!
(8) Earthy notes such as mushroom and a long finish.

Eugenio agrees along with us that vodka is a hard spirit to compare as it is known for its neutrality and qualities lending well to cocktails; as opposed to different expressions of the spirit itself. With lots of shocks and surprises along the way, the results were revealed…

(1) Rye-based Belvedere
(2) Wheat-based Absolut
(3) Wheat-based Tovaritch!
(4) Barley-based Sipsmith
(5) Wheat-based Grey Goose
(6) Wheat-based Ketel One
(7) Grape-based Ciroc (unflavoured!)
(8) Potato-based Chopin

There certainly were some shocks in there as people realised that their favourite/house vodkas were not so hot comparibly! Also, Eugenio described how there were debates in the industry as to whether Ciroc can be classed as a vodka due to it’s base being grape, but controversy aside, it cannot go unsaid that Tovaritch! had a great response blind! It clearly matched its competitors in the field and among the crowd came in the top 2/3 favourites of the bunch – but here’s the real shock, it is not only the cheapest but is priced at almost HALF the price of others at its level of quality!!

As I head for a rather strong coffee to find my feet again, I will leave you with a link to try for yourself! Working well in many, many vodka cocktails or enjoyed on the rocks in real Russian style – here is Tovaritch! Vodka >>>

By Clare Corlett
Amathus Drinks

Idiom Wines with Roberto Bottega – by Tom Brown

Last Monday saw the Idiom wine tasting event at our city branch in Leadenhall, hosted by family member and producer Roberto Bottega. For those not familiar with this offering, Idiom are one of South Africa’s most recently celebrated and award-winning winemakers. Their wines have won top awards at the latest Decanter trade magazine competition and this was a wonderful opportunity to sample the wines and meet the man who knows them best.

To begin the evening we started by comparing the 2009 and 2011 viognier. Two contrasting styles meant a leap from a broader richer fruit to a lighter zestier and younger version showing the typical viognier characteristics of peach and apricot.

Then moving swiftly onto the reds, in both the sangiovese and zinfandel, we discovered the sangiovese showed a wild fruit very reminiscent of those from Italy, but richer and softer, while the zinfandel beguiled the party of attendees with its savoury aromatics of fresh rosemary and mint with a rounded rich black fruit on the palate and a wonderful freshness and length to finish.

With barely enough time to savour the deliciously rare and succulent sirloin steak prepared by the butchers of Leadenhall located directly opposite, we moved seamlessly onto Roberto’s latest offering of barbera and nebbiolo. Both reflected Roberto’s passion for all things Italian, in keeping with his Italian family roots. Each wine showed the unmistakable traits of their Mediterranean origin; cherry and liquorice, tobacco and lozenge, the Barbera unique with its freshness, a personal favourite of Roberto’s.

Onwards and upwards to the prestige blends of the house, the standard bearers of the firm and the wines winning accolades both here and at home. First came the Bordeaux Blend, firm but supple enough to allow the rich plum merlot fruit to come to the fore, while the Cape Blend, replacing the merlot with pinotage, that notoriously unpredictable grape, filled the palate more broadly splitting opinions as ever between the guests.

And then came the surprise, an unreleased pinot noir, two in fact, a 2010 and 2012, first to try being the oldest. An interesting offering, these are both experimental bottlings trying to pin down the elusive qualities of the earthy yet ethereal grape of Burgundy. The 2010 showed signs of maturation, maybe a hint of rubber, while the 2012 positively sang with poised fruit, perfect extraction and vibrant freshness, this will be an interesting one to watch, if it ever graces our shelves here at Amathus.

With a further offering of ribeye steak from our friends and neighbours the butchers at Leadenhall the evening came to a close. A good time was had by all. Lastly, came the vote for everyone’s favourite wine which threw up the usual conflictions and good humoured debate. All in all this was an enlightening evening hosted warmly and personably, we look forward to more of the same.

The wines are available in store and online for you to enjoy!

By Tom Brown,
Amathus City

Artisanal Cachaça: The Versatility of Germana, by David T Smith

With the closing of London’s Olympic Season for 2012, my thoughts turned to the host of the 2016 Games and the 2014 Football World Cup, Brazil. With the sporting world’s eyes on this South American powerhouse, no doubt interests will also increase for their national spirit, Cachaça.

Anyone who is familiar with the drinks industry will know that Gin, Cognac, Rum and, now, Tequila have all grown in popularity, but, for many, Cachaça still remains an unfamiliar spirit.

An introduction to what Cachaça is can be found here on the Amathus site and so, to avoid repetition, let’s move on to looking at one brand in more detail.

Germana is made by Uniagro, but was first made by the Caetano family on their Vista Alegra ranch in 1912; the family still retain some ownership today. The name “Germana” means something that is genuine, pure, without mixing. It was also the name of a mystical nun who used Cachaça in medicinal preparations.

Germana is an artisanal Cachaça, made without the addition of sugar or chemicals and from spirit that is distilled in copper pot stills. They also use natural fermentation (using the cornmeal-fed yeast in the sugar cane) for their mash.

Today, we are looking at their Unaged Cachaça (40%ABV), but Germana also make Cachaça that has been aged for 2 years and 10 years, as well as a Single Barrel and a Heritage bottling. Some of the bottles are wrapped in dried banana leaves, which is hark back to a tradition started a century ago to protect the bottles as they were transported.

On its own
Nose: Very fruity: figs, raisins; lots of jammy fruit. Also, a touch of spice.
Taste: Quite thick in texture, this is also rather rum-like, with flavours of dark treacle and raisins. It reminds me somewhat of Pusser’s or Wood’s Rum. The finish was clean, woody and dry.

Caipirinha
Cooling and clean, with some hints of smoked ham and anise. Simple, but effective and with character, this is very easy to enjoy, having some depth but not being overly-complex.

But there is more to the spirit than these two drinks and it is not just a beverage for the hot months; to illustrate this, I have used the unaged Germana in four seasonal cocktails.

Spring – Marmalade Sour
[30ml Cachaça. 10ml Lemon Juice, 1tsp Marmalade, 2 Dashes Orange Bitters - SHAKE]
This is a variation on Harry Craddock’s Marmalade Cocktail.
This drink is superb. I like gin, but I actually prefer this drink with Cachaça. The sweet, juicy elements of the Cachaça complements the rich, bitter-sweetness of the marmalade, with the lemon juice bringing balance to the drink. Delicious.

Summer – Woody Woodpecker
[40ml Cachaça, 15ml Orange Juice, 10ml Galliano - SHAKE]
OK, so this is not exactly the epitome of Brazilian tradition, but it’s a variation on a drink that many will be familiar with, the Harvey Wallbanger.
The drink is smooth and clean, but surprisingly sweet, making it more well-suited to a post- rather than pre-dinner drink. The sweet Galliano brings out the sweet, fruity flavours of the Germana. For a tarter drink, add 10ml of lemon juice.

Autumn – Rabo de Galo
[30ml Cachaça, 10ml Red Vermouth - SHAKE]
A traditional Brazilian cocktail, this is simple, but packed full of flavour. Warming, with the herbal notes, this is well-suited as an aperitif to stimulate the appetite. Very tasty.

Winter – Quentão
A traditional drink for the Brazilian Winter; a sort of mulled Cachaça. I used a mix of Cachaça, sugar, water, ginger, cloves and other spices, along with citrus peel, which I heated in a saucepan and then served in heatproof glasses.
The spicy ginger and christmas spices complement the juicy and jammy notes of the Cachaça, making for a cosy, warming and comforting drink – perfect for keeping the chills at bay.

After exploring Germana Cachaça a little more, I am impressed with its versatility, being easy to use in a whole range of cocktails, from summer coolers to winter warmers. My favourite was the Marmalade Sour, although I am quite fond of drinking Germana on its own.

 

By
David T Smith
Summer Fruit Cup
david@summerfruitcup.com
http://www.summerfruitcup.com
07759 419997

The World’s Most Awarded Rum – Flor de Cana! By Clare Corlett

As a keen rum fan I had been looking forward to this event all summer. As it came up to 3pm, the crowds were assembling and the anticipation was mounting. Marc Catalán, brand ambassador for Flor de Caña, introduced himself and we were off…

It was instantly apparent that Marc was passionate about rum and, more specifically, this unique rum from Nicaragua, Flor de Caña (“Flower of the Cane”). He explained that, to date, it remains the World’s most awarded rum in the market and is currently the leading brand in Central America, as well as a growing position in the UK and emerging markets. Flor de Caña is owned by the Pellas family, an Italian family based in Chichigalpa, and the rum is produced solely from their sugar mill in San Antonio, and has been for 122 years. What is remarkable and extremely uncommon is that they own this sugar mill, and do not import from outside – which means that they have complete control over the entire process, and in terms of what this means to the resulting quality… well, the rums speak for themselves!

Before I go on to tell you about the different samples, I will just take a moment to talk about the slow-ageing process that takes place. What this means, essentially, is that everything is matured and aged naturally. There is no chemicals or additives – not even caramel – added to adjust colour and there is no blending of ages to alter taste. It is this natural ageing and patience that creates the smooth, silky textures and pure flavours in all of their rums.

Extra Dry White 4yr
This is the only 4yr white rum on the market! Crystal clear in appearance, (achieved through filtration with charcoal) it is extremely light-bodied with a delicious exotic taste of coconut and subtle hints of vanilla. Smooth enough to enjoy alone but also a great base for some tasty cocktails.

Gold 4yr
In essence, this is the same as the Extra Dry without the charcoal filtration. In reality, this transpires into a smooth tasting and more vanilla dominating taste, with that coconut profile making a more subtle appearance. Very silky texture.

Grand Reserve 7yr
A clear mahogany coloured rum, perfectly balanced and it said to make the “perfect rum and coke”! Defined vanilla and dark chocolate flavours and a wonderfully smooth finish that lingers in your mouth.

Centenario 12yr
Moving more into the realms liking to a fine brandy – this would be for those partial to a neat tipple topped with ice or water.. It is reddish-amber in colour and a semi-sweet, chocolate aroma with notes of caramel and nougat. These follow through onto the palate with some wooden characters from the 12 years ageing in barrels.

Centenario 18yr
Of every barrel roughly 80% of the original contents is lost by evaporation through these 18 years. This gives you an idea of the fine quality, concentration and finesse of what we are about to taste… pure amber with notes of almonds and chocolate. This is a melt-in-your-mouth, silky rum, oozing with finesse and sophistication. A rum worthy of no contact than that of from glass to mouth…

Floridita & Meza Food

Along with these great rums were some light bites provided by Floridita and Carom @ Meza. These were devine. There were mini lamb samosas… lobster pastries… pork belly… tasty doritos… and finished off with an amazing strawberry sorbet and puree. Just recalling these makes my mouth water. Check out the photo if you don’t believe me! Yumm…. (see below for website information).

To end a great tasting of rums and Cuban and Indian infused delicacies, came some cocktail ideas of what can be done with Flor de Caña. For a list of ideas please see here

Clare Corlett
Amathus Drinks

With special thanks to Floridita and Meza for the fabulous food and venue for the afternoon tasting!!