I det nordøstlige hjørne af Spanien finder du vinområderne Priorat og Montsant. Herfra driver vinmager Albert Jané stolt sit værk: vingårdene Ritme Cellar og Acústic Cellar. I marts byder Albert og Erik Sørensen Vin indenfor til virtuel vinsmagning og som en lille forsmag, kan du læse dette interview med vinmageren (engelsk).

What soils do you have in your vineyards and how do they influence your wines?

We have 2 cellars: DO Montsant where the soil mostly is clay and sand; clay soil gives freshness and fruitiness to the wines, and sandy soil makes the wines more ripe and more powerful. In the other cellar, DOQ Priorat, there is the unique and singular Licorella soil (slate) which affects a lot the wines …making them more espiritual and mineral and very very dark and very powerful. It is amazing how different the wines of Priorat are compared with Montsant – and the main reason for this difference is the very singular Llicorella soil of Priorat.

What is the aging potential of your wines, and when do you think they are ready for enjoyment?

For the red wines the potential aging is for sure 15 to 20 years or maybe more. If people like fruity juicy wines they should drink them during the first 5-8 years; if people prefer more aged and complex wines they should keep them for a longer time.

In Rioja they talk about a new classification, what about in Priorat – are there any talks about that in this area?

Priorat and Montsant are very small wine areas, so not many possibilities of changes. There are the specific classifications of wines for the name of the village where the vineyards and the cellars are i DOQ Priorat.

What is the biggest difference between you and your dad in the winemaking?

My dad did an amazing job teaching me about seriousness and quality in working, but during his time the wine business was more classic and closer. He was looking for quality wines. Now we can look for both quality wines and also singular and personal wines which express where they come from – using native varieties.

Where do you see Montsant in 10 years – will this area always be considered as the “little brother” of Priorat?

I don’t think this is real right now. Montsant is getting more and more important with its own singularity and personality; Priorat wines are different. Montsant is plenty of very very old vineyards, and the quality of the wines are amazing and very very good. At least in our case our Montsant and Priorat wineries are similar in style and singularity.

Do you have any experience with other grape varieties at your estate?

We have a lot of experience with Garnatxa and Carinyena, also with Garnatxa Blanca, Macabeu, Garnatxa Gris and Pansal. We used to work a little bit with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

What are the main differences between your wines from Montsant and Priorat?

The style because of the soil conditions. We are doing almost the same in the cellar. Our Priorat wines are deeper, darker, more mineral and more espiritual style wines because of the behavior of Llicorella soil. Our Montsant wines are fruitier, juicier more friendly and more open…because of the clay and sandy soil conditions of the soil.

Can you draw some parallels to music in you wines and in the winemaking in terms of rhythm, dynamics, timbre…?

We are looking for acustic, unplugged, fruity, juicy, honest, unplugged wines with a lot of sense of history, culture and landscape of the historical areas where they come from. In Priorat we want to show the rhythm (= “ritme”) and singularity of Priorat area and its specific soil.

What are the main climatic challenges you have as a winemaker in Priorat and Montsant?

Old vineyards are very smart and their wisdom are good at adapting to the challenge of the climate. We are looking for higher altitude vineyards and also north facing vineyards to be able to harvest them later.

What are the main characteristics of excellent Montsant and Priorat wines?

Intensity, powerful, character, unique personality because of the exceptional area where they come from and the very old vineyards with very low yields.

In your mind, how do your wines stand out and differ compared to other Priorat and Montsant wines?

From the beginning we had a very very clear idea of wanting to show “unplugged wines” with not much “make up” both in terms of human influence, low influence of barrels aging and very simple wine making enabling us to show the true character of the singular native variety vineyards …. acustic …unplugged wines.

Se udvalget fra Ritme (Priorat)
Se udvalget fra Acústic (Montsant)

Kom til virtuel vinsmagning med Albert Jané og Erik Sørensen Vin – fredag d. 19. marts kl. 16-17. Læs mere og køb smagekassen her. Du er også velkommen til at kontakte din vinskonsulent på vin@eriksorensenvin.dk / tlf.+45 43 46 99 00 eller besøge vores butik, hvis du vil vide mere om vinene fra Ritme/Acústic og det øvrige spanske vinsortiment.

Denne gang sætter vi fokus på høsten 2020 hos Champagne Henriot sammen med cellarmaster og winedirector Alice Tétienne, der tiltrådte huset i februar. Hun kigger tilbage på et år og en høst, der har været både forbløffende og udfordrende. Blogindlægget er på engelsk.

Under scorching heat, the first half of August foreshadowed a particularly early harvest. The sugar fortification of the grapes skyrocketed and the acidity was reduced. The House thought of anticipating the harvest of its vineyard. Maturation monitoring, through the analysis and tasting of the grapes, has been strengthened and brought closer together.

Every day the team would visualize, perceive and feel the evolution of the grapes from each Terroir and micro-Terroir of the Henriot vineyard.

From August 10, lots of discussions with winegrower partners took place, in order to share impressions and doubts and help each other in the choices relating to this particular harvest. Finally, a phenomenon of stagnation took place, requiring patience before declaring the harvest officially open. Was it waterstress? Indeed, the drought that has been in place for 6 months could confirm it. However, no other signs visible, the foliage was beautiful, massive and the vine as a whole healthy.

The vines took the time to build the profile of the grapes. Heterogeneity has been the highlight this year. Heterogeneity between vintages, between grape varieties, between localities and even within the same plot, pushing Maison Henriot to review its model of berry sampling and tasting. In fact, the berry tasting in the dining room has been abandoned. Indeed, the apprehension of the vines and the 2020 grapes required a presence «in the field» in order to use every clue provided by the vine in the choice of harvest date.

The three main parameters taken into consideration at the harvest by Maison Henriot, sugar, acidity and aromatics, did not agree on the date forthe beginning of the harvest.

A frequent issue! Sometimes a declining perception of acidity, a potential degree in the target but an absent aroma, or optimal acidity and aroma but a need for additional sugar enrichment. In short, all possible patterns have been found. As the skins of the grapes became thicker and the grape seed dressing specific to each case, the definition of maturity was more delicate than usual. In fact, it was the feeling that largely determined the harvest decisions this year. No room for modeling.

2020 is the year for setting up pre-harvest plot tours with Henriot partner winegrowers.

This moment of visiting the vineyard, discovering the terroirs, tasting the grapes, sharing and talking about the choice of harvest kick off and the organoleptic requirements of Maison Henriot, was particularly auspicious in this context. 106 vineyard plots were visited by the Cellar Master of Maison Henriot on 26 different vintages, to meet partner winegrowers, with a true collective mindset and a vision of excellence.

The first cuts for Henriot began in Montgueux, at a partner winemaker on Friday August 21. Then the harvest continued in Trois-Puits, Vaudemange, Villers-Marmery, Sézanne, Damery, Verzenay…

Harvest on the Champagne Henriot vineyard

The harvest began on Monday, August 24, with grapes from Ay, Pisse-Loup and Brise Pot, for the red wine making used in the House’s future rosé blends. Then, it continued in Chouilly, Epernay and Avenay, to finish on Wednesday September 2 (and Friday September 4 for our partners).

The rules were reversed for this harvest. The Côte des Blancs which begins after the Montagne de Reims, Chardonnays which are slow to ripen, early Meuniers and upset picking circuits. The sanitary condition was
perfect, as were the weather conditions. Mood was good. The picking was smooth, the presses were not clogged. Yields lower than expected, due to scalding and decuiding, especially on the Pinots, may have been the source of this feeling of fluidity.

Those involved in the harvest have discovered a new way of working, with distancing and other good health practices. The link was kept differently, by regular calls, more recurring visits although short and wearing the
mask.

In terms of expression and vintage quality, Champagne Henriot is eager to discover the base wines. It is not easy to make judgment so far, although there is enthusiasm. All the grape varieties presented the characteristics sought by the house and the cherished Chardonnays to Champagne Henriot look very promising.

This year was the year of the terroirs. In fact, the usual heterogeneity of terroir expressions was amplified during this harvest. A key outcome of this 2020 harvest is the great need for observation in the vineyard in order to harvest grapes that meet its requirements and that highlight the Terroirs, as Apolline, founder of Maison Henriot in 1808, wanted.

– by Alice Tétienne, Cellar Master, Vine and Wine Director of Champagne Henriot.

Om Champagne Henriot

Champagnehuset Henriot blev grundlagt i 1808 og er stadig den dag i dag ejet og drevet af famillien Henriot. Der lægges vægt på finesse, exceptionel elegance, kompleksitet og fylde.

Henriot fokuserer på Chardonnay, men benytter også Pinot Noir og Pinot Meunier til at opnå den ønskede – meget elegante og raslende sprøde – stil. De benytter sig af en imponerende høj mængde Premier og Grand Crus fra de bedste Chardonnay parceller. Disse terroirs bidrager til vinenes lange holdbarhed.

Husets top cuvée, Cuvée 38, er et strålende eksempel på den friskhed, dybde, kompleksitet og det ultimative udtryk af terroir, som kældermesteren skaber. Samme oplevelse af renhed og elegance går igen i Henriots Blanc de Blancs.

Huset beskriver selv deres stil som “chiseled” – mejslet! Deres Blanc de Blancs er mineralske og komplekse, og Brut Souverain, på Chardonnay, Pinot Noir og Pinot Meunier, er præcis og balanceret.

Vinene høster store anmelderroser over hele verden. Det er et champagnehus i den absolutte top.

Vil du vide mere om Champagne Henriot – kontakt din vinkonsulent på vin@eriksorensenvin.dk eller tlf. +45 43 46 99 00.