Ogier Chateauneuf-du-Pape Terroir Masterclass
Friday 26 April 2013
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We welcome back Anne Roque who hosted our excellent Laroche Chablis Masterclass in February to host a Ogier Chateauneuf-du-Pape Terroir Masterclass at West London Wine School. This tasting will compare four Chateauneuf-du-Papes which are completely the same apart from the soil type (the terroir).
Expression de Terroir
In 2011 Ogier launched a fascinating series of wines celebrating the different terroirs of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The 'Expression de Terroir' series bottled four distinct cuvées, all made with identical winemaking and using similar grape blends, allowing fans of this region to contrast and compare the resultant wines which should, in theory, express their terroir quite clearly. The four terroirs in the series are:
Galets Roulés – rolled pebbles carried into the vineyards by glaciers with a rounded, polished character. The roots of the vines can go up to five metres deep, and the pebbles absorb heat which is released at night.
Safres – a soil composed of compressed fine sand. It has evolved from marine sediment, with no stony pebbles and low in limestone. It is said to be a soil that drains very well.
Grès Rouges – red sandstone, iron-rich with sand, gravel, pebbles and sea shells from marine sediment. Retains water but at the same time it drains well.
Eclats Calcaires – formed from porous limestone. A relatively shallow soil, the roots do not go deep, but obtain water from cracks and fissures in the crumbling rock.
Decanter Magazine listed the Safres 2009 in their top wines of 2012: "Rich, spicy forest fruit, jammy strawberry, earth, mineral outcrops and blackcurrant nose. Elegant style with round, soft tannins, generous weight and a long, fruity, rich finish. Quite complex, integrated and delicious. 19pts/20"
The Tasting
The tasting will discover these four cuvees above from the 2010 vintage plus Ogier's blended Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the Clos de l'Oratoire des Papes Rouge 2010, too discover which soils they use in their final blended style – fascinating! We'll kick off with a their white Chateauneuf-du-Pape for good measure. Six very premium wines in a very tasty tasting (all wines £25-35 a bottle)