Alentejo Vinho de Talha, amphora & ‘Pote de Barro’ wines

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DOC Vinho de Talha rules introduced in 2010 aim to preserve core traditions.  They provide that:

  • the grapes must be de-stemmed;
  • the fermentation must be undertaken in impermeable pots (‘talha’);
  • the wine and the skins must remain in talha until November 11th (St. Martin’s day); and
  • the grapes must be sourced from (and permitted by) Alentejo’s DOC sub-regions (Borba, Évora, Granja-Amareleja, Moura, Portalegre, Redondo, Reguengos and Vidigueira).

I’ve been entranced by talha wines since my 2015 visit with traditional and contemporary talha wine makers, reported in two posts, here and here.  It is worth emphasising that there can be a world of difference between the two (which I have categorised separately below), additionally between Vinho de Talha DOC wines and those wines (let’s call them hybrid) which ferment in talha without skins or on skins but only for a short period.

Typically made by producers whose bread and butter is mainstream wines, contemporary talha/amphora styles tend to be fresher, with more refined phenolics/tannins.  Benchmark Vinho de Talha DOC examples have texture and layer thanks to skin contact.  And they are capable of great finesse in the right hands and the right pot!  Check out my Decanter report here on Portugal’s most expensive wine release – Herdade do Rocim Jupiter Code 01 2015.   Whilst friendly, entry level contemporary Vinho de Talha and ‘hybrid’ examples can be a little too ‘clean’ and less interesting for it.

Conversely, the more traditional styles from dedicated talha makers now bottling their wines can tip into oxidative and lack freshness and/or detail.  But the best are spicy and multi-layered.  Technically trained winemakers are, perhaps, better able to hedge against losing purity and freshness without losing personality or ‘soul.’  Treading the line brilliantly, XXVI Talhas are a case in point.

As this tasting demonstrated, quality and style is varied within each category.  The different grapes, terroir and pots themselves (clay density, porosity, size and condition) influence the resulting wines and, where bottling these wines is a relatively new development, inevitably producers are still finding their way.

If you are interested to find out more, the Alentejo Wine Commission has published a terrific guide with video interviews about the history and evolution of talha wines here.

The chapter about talha wines in Simon Woolf’s and Ryan Opaz’s new book, ‘Foot Trodden, Portugal and The Wines That Time Forgot,’ is a great read on the traditional culture of (unbottled) talha wines.

The Centro Interpretativo do Vinho de Talha opened at Praça 25 de Abril 11-14, Vila de Frades, in 2020 to lead visitors through the history, culture and process of talha winemaking.  Moves are afoot to reinforce the culture and tradition of talha wines yet further by applying for UNESCO Intangible Heritage Cultural status.

Last September, a group of producers independently established the Association of Vinho de Talha Producers (APVT) to protect and promote traditional talha wines with their own seal of identity and quality.  You will see ‘APVT’ alongside the names of producer members below.

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Are natural winemakers in denial about mousiness?

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http://www.themorningclaret.com/2017/are-natural-winemakers-in-denial-about-mousiness/

 

USA orange wine

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Besides Italy and Georgia, Slovenia and Croatia also make orange wines, and over the last five years, adventurous winemakers in the United States have gotten in on the action. “People making orange wines, by their nature, are more experimental,” says William Allen, winemaker and owner of Sonoma County’s Two Shepherds winery. Allen himself made orange wine from a blend of Roussanne and Marsanne grapes in 2011. He even makes an orange-style wine from a grey grape called Trousseau Gris—it looks like a rosé but tastes like an orange wine.

http://news.hvino.com/2014/10/a-guide-to-orange-wine.html#more

Trelab presented a poster about ongoing Qvevri research at the recent Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers annual meeting.

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Trelab presented a poster about ongoing Qvevri research at the recent Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers annual meeting.

via The Qvevri Project.

Characterization of Selected Organic and Mineral Components of Qvevri Wines

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Characterization of Selected Organic and Mineral Components of Qvevri Wines

via Characterization of Selected Organic and Mineral Components of Qvevri Wines.

the 2 d Qvevri Wine Symposium in Georgia – Four Monasteries and no funerals: Georgian Adventures

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Qvevri Wine Symposium in Georgia. Some were writers and photographers, some were winemakers who used clay pots in their vinification, and others were grizzled wine trade pros with a natural swerve to their step. The trip was organised to a t, balancing the needs of education, culture-vulturing as well as copious spiritual – and spirituous – refreshment. One can say without doubt that coming into contact with another culture teaches you about your own.

via Four Monasteries and no funerals: Georgian Adventures.

Marks and Spencer serves up orange wine surprise from Eastern Europe | Mail Online

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Wine expert from M&S, Jeneve Williams, said: ‘Most ‘normal’ white wines are produced by quickly separating the juice from the seeds and skins, keeping a pale colour.‘Orange wines, or amber wines as they are often called are actually white wines produced more like reds – with prolonged contact with the crushed grape skins and seeds, resulting in a deeper colour from the pigments found in grape skins. ‘When visiting Georgia earlier this year to blend new wines, we were excited to try the style – and were impressed with the complexity of the wines.

via Marks and Spencer serves up orange wine surprise from Eastern Europe | Mail Online.

Rkatsiteli (Quevri) – Alaverdi Monastery | Buy Georgian Wines Online | The Georgian Wine Society

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Price: 21.99  GBP (Equivalent per bot

via Rkatsiteli (Quevri) – Alaverdi Monastery | Buy Georgian Wines Online | The Georgian Wine Society.

kvevri — Food Stories

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They get these massive clay pots called qvevri, and they bury them in the ground. Then they whack everything juice, skins, stems in there, seal it up with clay and let it all separate out. The wine is then drawn off the top very carefully using a special jug on a stick. They use a really old grape variety called Rkatsiteli which comes out freakin’ orange! Then there’s another one, which is red and called Saperavi. They’re both native to Georgia. The first time I tasted the orange wine, I was quite taken aback; that stuff is just totally unlike any wine I’ve ever tasted; kinda funky but, you know what? I got into it. By the end of that trip I think we were all a bit Georgian.

via kvevri — Food Stories.

2008 Pheasant’s Tears Rkatsiteli, Republic of Georgia – Vinography: A Wine Blog

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For anyone who has yet to try an orange wine, this is as good a place to start as any, and the price is right. While not as complex as some of the efforts produced by Gravner and others, it is delicious and possesses all the wonderful qualities that led me to fall in love with orange wines the moment I had my first — exotic aromas, mysterious tannins, and wonderful abilities to complement food.You’ll have to be the judge as to whether it lives up to the winery’s namesake — the wine that was so good it could make a pheasant cry.Tasting Notes:Earning its local nickname as “fire wine” this bright, nearly neon orange glass smells of exotic flowers, candle wax, candied apricots and just a hint of tomato. In the mouth the wine has a wonderful creaminess that is offset by somewhat stiff tannins and bright acidity. That creaminess leans towards a waxiness as flavors of orange peel, fresh ripe apricots, and exotic spices swirl in a beautifully textured concerto. The finish is long and features that waxy quality along with floral notes and the grip of tannins. Excellent, and exotic. Will benefit from decanting. 12.5% alcohol.

via 2008 Pheasant's Tears Rkatsiteli, Republic of Georgia – Vinography: A Wine Blog.

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