Saturday 2nd July 2022: The SWAS 2022 AGM hosted by Sioned & Peter in East Preston

This was the first SWAS AGM to be held in the Summer following the decision made at the 2021 AGM. Peter & Sioned very kindly hosted the event in their garden in East Preston. In another break from convention the wine tasting following the AGM was presented by a local guest supplier, Jack Banner from Gusto Wines based near Arundel.

The SWAS 2022 Annual General Meeting

The AGM was led by SWAS Secretary Sally, SWAS Treasurer Peter Holmes took the Chair. The Business was swiftly concluded by 3.26pm

[must be a record...! - ed.]

(Agenda for the SWAS 2022 AGM)

(Minutes of the SWAS 2022 AGM)

SWAS July 2022 Wine Tasting Presented by Jack Banner of Gusto Wines, nr. Arundel, on the Theme of "Unsung Heroes of the Old World"

List of wines tasted

The Whites:

1. Dopff & Irion Pinot Gris; 100% Pinot Gris; Alsace, France; Priced at £14.99 - available for £13.49

Intensely yellow in colour, this Pinot Gris reveals honeyed aromas. This wine has aromatics reminiscent of a fruit cocktail full of stone fruits, melon and green mango. These characters are richly replicated on the palate, with a full textured mid palate and an off-dry finish. Hand selected grapes from the vineyards define this Pinot Gris by enhancing its attractive aromatic qualities, highlighting delicious stone fruit citrus and pear flavours. It is perfect with Foie Gras, Sushi, fish and poultry in sauce or game. Great with Asian cuisine and pork dishes.

2. 2019 Joaquín Rebolledo Godello; Valdeorras, Spain; Godello grape; 13% abv; Priced at £ 16.99 - available for £14.49

Bright, golden colour with greenish reflections. Expressive primary aromas of white flowers, camomile and fragrant herbs, fennel and thyme, citrus, white stone fruits, apricot, peach, mineral and balsamic. Flavourful, rounded and textured, peach fruit-filled mouthful, harmonious and well structured with a flourishing fruity finish. Perfect with seafood, shellfish, risottos and pasta.

3. 2019 Les Vignes Retrouvées AOC Saint Mont; Plaimont, Gascony, France; Priced at £11.99 - available for £10.99

In tribute to the ancient local grape varieties, Les Vignes Retrouvées (“the rediscovered vines”) offers the purest expression of the Saint Mont terroir. Stubbornly preserved over generations and central to the future of the appellation, these ancestral varieties yield an elegant, authentic wine. Using local gros manseng, courbu and arrufiac grapes.

With its very light colour, straw-yellow with green highlights, the lively intensity of its fresh floral aromas, the subtle toasty note, and its ripe fullness in the mouth that remains fresh, fruity and digestible, this is one of the flagship Saint Mont whites.

A food friendly wine. Press Reviews: Daily Express 11th Jan 2020 “This is a lively and refreshing dry white wine using local gros manseng, courbu and arrufiac grapes to create a versatile wine that promises hints of grapefruit and a touch of honey. Very fruity and good with food. – Matt Nixson”

Platinum 1st Oct 2019 “It’s always tempting to stick with familiar names. However, it’s in the obscure places that you find bargains with exciting flavours. The zesty ripe orchard fruit intensity of Les Vignes Retrouvées comes from the local grape varieties gros manseng, petit courbu and arrufiac, grown in Saint-Mont, Gascony. It’s a great alternative to New Zealand sauvignon as an aperitif or with fish and seafood, barbecued vegetables or lightly-spiced chicken. – Joanna Simon”

The Guardian 24th Aug 2019 “Exotically fruity but dry blend. – Fiona Beckett“

The Reds:

4. 2018 Due di Due Rosso IGT Puglia Lupo Meraviglia; Puglia, Italy; 14% abv; Priced at £10.25 - available for £8.99

A blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera it has an intense red colour. Elegant and balsamic notes of licorice complete its bouquet. As for the palate, this wine shows a great structure thanks to the numerous and perfectly balanced tannins. Ideal for first courses and grilled, red meat

5. 2017 Tor Del Colle Riserva Salice Salentino DOC; Puglia, Italy; Malvesia Nera, Negroamano, Sangiovese; 13.5% abv; Priced at £9.99 - available for £8.99

A ruby red wine with dry, full, robust, velvety, warm and harmonious flavour. The nose is pleasant and intense. Recommended with roasted and red meat. Excellent with aged cheese.

6. 2020 Villa Doluca Red Klaslik Legend; Eastern Anatolia, Aegean, Turkey; Merlot, Alicante, Garignan grapes; 14.5% abv; Priced at £12.95 - available for £11.49

Villa Doluca Classic Red is a dry red wine produced from a blend of three different varietals: Okuzgozu grapes from Eastern Anatolia for its fruity character, Alicante grapes for its easy to drink, Carignan grapes for balanced and full-bodied structure. Villa Doluca Classic Red has fruity, smooth and complex chracteristics.

7. 2018 Karavitakis The Little Prince Red; Kotsifali /Mandilaria blend; 13.5% abv; Priced at £12.75 - available for £11.49

Full of generous velvety dark-plum fruit, and rich on the palate

The Karavitakis winery is located in Pontikiana in the Kolymvari area in Chania, Western Crete. The Karavitakis family have produced olive oil, raisins and wine for many generations. Founded by Manolis Karavitikistakis, using the experience he gained running a large winery in Italy, he modernised the family’s vineyards. The winery is now run by his son, Nikos. The winery owns vineyards in several areas of Crete, concentrating on growing and vinifying local grape varieties.

In the last 20 years or so, the dynamic Karavitakis family has overhauled its vineyards, built a new winery and planted new varieties. Viticulture is sustainable, with no chemicals used.

They are part of a movement called Wines of Crete, including many other young independent growers, which has challenged the older-generation’s view that the old oxidative wines were best.

As well as owning their own vineyards the family also obtain grapes from small estates with which they work closely, sending their own agriculturalist to assure themselves of the quality vineyard management and of the fruit. Nikos Karavitakis is the new generation making wine here and like his father he champions local varieties such as the white, apricot-scented Vidiano and red Kotsifali and Mandilaria varieties. This attention to detail and the forward thinking go arm in arm with the traditional values of the family.

Tasting Note: Kotsifali is used as a backbone for this wine offering soft texture and plum fragrances and mandilari adds deep ruby red color tanins and jam flavors. A red wine which can be enjoyed even without food.

Critics: Jancis Robinson 16/20

8. 2019 Il Falchetto 'Pian Scorrone'; Piedmont Italy; Barbera D'Asti grape; 14.5% abv; Priced at £15.49 - available for £14.29

This 2018 is straight from the winery, so is very youthful in style. It may need another 4-6 months to settle and really show at it’s best – which is a vibrant and fruity, unoaked, and very enjoyable red. We were really impresed, and at this price level we haven’t tasted anything on a par. Enjoy over the next 2-3 years. A Gusto gem, the ‘Pian Scorrone’ Barbera from Il Falchetto is a great introduction to this Italian red grape and to the style of the estate.

9. 1998 Chateau de Sabazan, Saint Mont; Plaidmont, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinenc, Tannat blend; 13% abv; Priced at £ 25.00 - available for £23.00

Situated in the heart of South West France, the Plaimont vineyards stretch from the foothills of the Pyrenees to the hills and valleys of Gascony covering a uniquely rich terroir. A thousand wine growers defend the ideals of a cooperative and are committed to managing their vineyards with respect for both the environment and their own time-honoured traditions.

Château de Sabazan, in the Saint Mont Appellation, is situated in the medieval village of Sabazan, near Aignan. Work in the vineyard dictates a seasonal rhythm to the lives of the village some hundred and fifty souls who live between the thirteenth-century Romanesque church and the Château which was rebuilt in the 15thcentury with stones dating back to the 13th. In 1987 Plaimont vinified wines made with the Château de Sabazan harvest for the first time and five young local winegrowers were given responsibility for management of the vineyard in an attempt to improve the social economic situation of this village otherwise doomed to desertification.

The Raffle:

No raffle at this Tasting

The Early Supper Menu:

Fresh Salmon with Potato Salad, Green Salad and Endomami Beans. Dessert was Brown Bread Ice Cream with Fresh Fruit (Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries) followed by a Selection of Cheeses.