The Class of 78

It was our wedding anniversary recently and, to celebrate, I was looking for a wine from ‘our’ year.  Sadly, most would be long past their best and the few still worth drinking are way beyond our budget (even for a very special occasion).  So, we dined out (very enjoyably) instead.  But a couple of days later, by chance, I noticed a bottle in our wine rack.  The neck label said that the wine was made from grapes from a Heritage Vineyard planted in 1978, so 45 years ago, precisely the length of time Hilary and I have been together.  We had to open it, of course!

Darling Cellars (an appropriate name!) Old Bush Vines Cinsaut from South Africa (Waitrose Cellars, £16.99) was very deeply coloured for the variety (normally spelt Cinsault in France) and had lovely juicy red fruits and a hint of vanilla oak on the nose.  In the mouth, the fruits were more black than red – ripe blackberries in particular – and the oak, though still there, was very subtle and well-integrated.  A lovely, big, mouth-filling wine, despite ‘only’ 13.5% alcohol and with a long, fresh, dry finish.  A perfect partner for a rib-eye steak but surprisingly very drinkable on its own before the meal.

I’ve noted before how much South African wines have improved in the last 20 years but this vineyard planting in 1978 – still during the years of Apartheid isolation – showed remarkable foresight and must have been quite an economic gamble.  Even now, Cinsault isn’t a particularly popular grape – in its native South of France, it’s often grubbed up and replaced with the more fashionable Syrah – yet this example proved its quality, helped, no doubt, by the intensity of old vine fruit.

Tasted blind, I’d never have picked this as a Cinsault, nor as South African.  My best guess might have been a good quality Malbec from Argentina.  So, if you like those, do give this a try instead.

Old and New

Marquês de Borba’s Vinhas Velhas (Old Vines) red (Majestic Wines, £11.99) is the perfect mix of old and new.  It comes from DOC Alentejo, one of Portugal’s newest designated wine regions (DOCs are the Portuguese equivalent of France’s Appellation Contrôlée).  It was only formally recognised in 2003 when a number of smaller areas were brought together to create the one DOC.  But for winemaker João Maria Ramos that’s where the ‘new’ ends; he is a great respecter of the old ways – the grapes for his wines are not crushed and pressed by modern machines but foot-trodden in traditional stone troughs known as lagares. 

And then there’s the grape varieties he chooses, championing lesser-known indigenous varieties, in this case using mainly Alicante Bouschet supported by Aragonez (the local name for Tempranillo) and Castelão.  Somehow a small amount of the distinctly non-local Syrah also found its way into the blend.  All from old vines giving richness and intensity and aged for a year in oak barrels for harmony and complexity.

The result is delicious and a real bargain. The deepest red in colour (Alicante Bouschet is one of the few wine grapes with red rather than colourless flesh), the wine is decidedly full–bodied thanks to the 14.5% alcohol but with lovely black plum and blackberry fruits and a clear backbone of vanilla and spice from the oak ageing. This is a wine that needs to be drunk with robust food to show at its best – beef or venison casseroles spring to mind or equivalent chunky dishes for vegetarians.

I decanted it a couple of hours before drinking and the wine was still developing in our glasses a few hours after our meal so I recommend giving it plenty of air so that it opens up to show all its flavours and richness.

This may not be an obvious Portuguese wine to choose and the label doesn’t exactly shout ‘buy me’ but lovers of big, generous reds should certainly have a look at this one.