Vintage Roots Trade Tasting 2014

Congratulations to 25-year old Vintage Roots on their March 2014 trade tasting. A good selection of interesting wines from a company committed to promoting organic and biodynamic wines at affordable prices.

A couple of cracking sparklers to start with:-

• Barone Pizzini Franciacorta Brut 'Animante' NV – a biodynamic wine with hallmark lemon acidity and a toasty edge from the lees ageing. Delicate and superb value at £19.99 RRP.
• Champagne Fleury Blanc de Noirs NV – very fruity with notes of raspberries, citrus and biscuit plus an aromatic touch of stone fruit. RRP £28.

Among the white wines, the ones I really liked were:-

• Meinklang Grüner Veltliner 2012 – apples, limes, melon and stonefruit notes with a touch of spice. This is a food-friendly, but easy to drink on its own, example of a wine made from the increasingly popular Austrian grape variety. RRP £9.99.
• Barone Pizzini Pievalta Verdicchio Classico Superiore 2012 – a real stand-out for me. Grapefruit and apricot freshness with minerality, hint of nuts, good structure and well rounded. Delicious value too at £10.25 RRP!
• Albet I Noya Lignum Blanc 2011 – Probably the first organic wine I ever had was from the legendary Catalonian winery. This particular blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Xarello was a fruity mouthful of lemon cream with a hint of apples. £10.95 RRP.
• Beetle Riesling Trocken 2012 – A lovely Mosel Riesling, full of lime and apple fruity character with a dry, mineral edge. Super. £11.50 RRP.
• Sicily's Feudo di Santa Teresa was represented on the day and the tank sample of Fiano 2013 was impressive with its refreshing upfront fruity notes of citrus, peaches and apricots.

Quinta do Romeu were also represented and I particularly enjoyed their Rosé 2013, made from three Portuguese grape varieties. Lovely berry and stone fruit notes.

Among the reds, there was a similarly enticing mix of styles:-

• Domaine de Brau 'Pure' Cabernet Franc 2011 – loads of ripe fruit notes, particularly cherry, with mint and a touch of smoke on the palate. An interesting and well-made Cabernet Franc for £9.95.
• Château Maris 'Old School Rouge' 2011 – a Minervois blend of Syrah and Grenache with rich, earthy, dark fruit and herbal notes plus a hint of spice. £9.75 RRP.
• Azul y Garanza 'Seis' 2011 – a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Navarra with plum and black fruit character plus soft vanilla and light chocolate overtones. £13.50 RRP.
• Feudo di Santa Teresa's Frappato 2012 was beautifully aromatic and full of juicy berry fruit. It's also a good example of a light red wine that would benefit from being served slightly chilled. For drinking young. £10.75 RRP.
• Quinta do Romeu's Reserva 2010, another blend of three Portuguese grape varieties, was fruity (berries and plums to the fore) and elegant with a hint of toast and a persistent finish.

The sweet wine on show was Château Dudon Sauternes 2011. Smooth and fruity with notes of apricots, grapes and honey, backed up by good acidity, this is a food-friendly sweet wine that would go particularly well with blue cheese. £17.50 RRP.

Good to see some organic beers and ciders on show too. It's always a pleasure to taste Freedom Brewery's Organic Dark Lager and I also particularly enjoyed Stroud Brewery's Organic Budding Pale Ale and Dunkerton's Organic Perry.

Thanks to Neil, Lance, Niall and everyone else at Vintage Roots. Cheers!

This review is replicated from my original Facebook post.