Flor Festival

L

Levi Dalton

Levi Dalton
It's a big world of Flor on August 6th.

Going to get some flor from around the world and do it up over a dinner. Vin Jaune, Vernaccia di Oristano, Manzanilla and more. I thought it would be cool to take a look and see if similarities or contrasts came up.

Flor is interesting, and we don't know much about it, or at least I don't, and it is manifested in more regions and with more grapes types than is generally acknowledged.

So, a dinner then. On August 6th, at the spot I am at. Flor, Voile, and friends.

Just some advance notice to folks who might have an interest.

flor.jpg
 
We've just done a mega-dinner-tasting, Jerez vs. Jura, in Madrid. Very interesting.
 
originally posted by Cory Cartwright:
Definitely piqued my interest. Had some '99 Overnoy JAUNE on sunday that was about the best thing I've ever tasted.
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Are you in NY during that part of August?

VS: any insight that you might lend would be welcome.
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
any insight that you might lend would be welcome.
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We included a few non-flor Jura wines (amazing Les Vignes de Mon Pre 1999 Jean-Franois Ganevat, aged 115 months in foudre...). We weren't too lucky with two Overnoys.

In the flor department, the varietal differences showed as much as the Saccharomyces yeast-induced similarities - the strong acidity of savagnin makes for very different wines from the low-acid palomino of Jerez. Also the fact that Jura wines are not fortified. (We're having a lively discussion currently on whether unfortified sherry could be made or not...)

In the flor section we did have a curious unfortified Spanish wine, the Navazos-Niepoort 2008, plus several Juras. The best one, Ctes du Jura Savagnin-Chardonnay 2000 Domaine Labet, was outstanding and certainly overpowered the delicate Navazos-Niepoort. We also looked into finos and manzanillas with bottle age to verify the unconventional idea that they don't have to be drunk shortly after bottling, an idea we strongly believe in. An amazing bottle of Mackenzie's Manzanilla Fina from the 1950s or 1960s proved the point. Fino Inocente Valdespino (a 2006 bottling) and Manzanilla La Panesa Emilio Hidalgo were also excellent examples of serious, traditional (darker no carbon filtration) dry sherry.

We tasted two Vins Jaunes, and the terrific 2002 Ganevat really outshone the 1997 Jean Macle Chteau-Chalon. We also had an opportunity to try the two manzanilla pasadas (older than finas) from the La Guita cellars bottled by the Navazos team, and No. 20 is probably the greatest manzanilla any of us has tasted yet. (Unfortunately only 700 50 cl. bottles were made, and there isn't a single one left on the market, it seems), and two Navazos amontillados, No. 1 and NPI. Great wines. You really have to get into truly great sherry to compete with fine Jura wines!
 
originally posted by VS:
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
any insight that you might lend would be welcome.
Click to expand...
We included a few non-flor Jura wines (amazing Les Vignes de Mon Pre 1999 Jean-Franois Ganevat, aged 115 months in foudre...). We weren't too lucky with two Overnoys.

In the flor department, the varietal differences showed as much as the Saccharomyces yeast-induced similarities - the strong acidity of savagnin makes for very different wines from the low-acid palomino of Jerez. Also the fact that Jura wines are not fortified. (We're having a lively discussion currently on whether unfortified sherry could be made or not...)

In the flor section we did have a curious unfortified Spanish wine, the Navazos-Niepoort 2008, plus several Juras. The best one, Ctes du Jura Savagnin-Chardonnay 2000 Domaine Labet, was outstanding and certainly overpowered the delicate Navazos-Niepoort. We also looked into finos and manzanillas with bottle age to verify the unconventional idea that they don't have to be drunk shortly after bottling, an idea we strongly believe in. An amazing bottle of Mackenzie's Manzanilla Fina from the 1950s or 1960s proved the point. Fino Inocente Valdespino (a 2006 bottling) and Manzanilla La Panesa Emilio Hidalgo were also excellent examples of serious, traditional (darker no carbon filtration) dry sherry.

We tasted two Vins Jaunes, and the terrific 2002 Ganevat really outshone the 1997 Jean Macle Chteau-Chalon. We also had an opportunity to try the two manzanilla pasadas (older than finas) from the La Guita cellars bottled by the Navazos team, and No. 20 is probably the greatest manzanilla any of us has tasted yet. (Unfortunately only 700 50 cl. bottles were made, and there isn't a single one left on the market, it seems), and two Navazos amontillados, No. 1 and NPI. Great wines. You really have to get into truly great sherry to compete with fine Jura wines!
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Thank you.
 
If I recall correctly, Montilla wines are usually not fortified, though the alcohols are in the 15% range, finos raised under flor. I remember from the '70s really enjoying just-shipped bottles of Alvar fino, very much, and an older wine, Abuelo Diego, I think.
 
Be sure to include the Vernaccias of Contini. They are fantastic wines. Especially the solera (unusual for the area) Antico Gregori. It has an average age betweeen 60-70 yrs. Unfortified, but "cask strength"-wine with alcohol around 17% and extremely intense mouthfeel.
 
originally posted by Arnt Egil Nordlien:
Be sure to include the Vernaccias of Contini. They are fantastic wines. Especially the solera (unusual for the area) Antico Gregori. It has an average age betweeen 60-70 yrs. Unfortified, but "cask strength"-wine with alcohol around 17% and extremely intense mouthfeel.
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2 versions will be served, the NV and the 1987. Contini Vernaccia di Oristano is a personal favorite.
 
originally posted by Morgan Harris:
Some yeasts...Levi, how do we get in on this?
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Just let me know you want to be there, and as more details come together, like menu, specific wines to be served, and price, I'll make them known.

Also, attendees bringing examples of flor to share with the group a la the original orange wine dinner, will be encouraged through more lenient pricing for those who bring something. Just let me know at some point what you intend to bring, so as to prevent duplicates.

The dinner will be in midtown Manhattan on August 6th, a Friday, and will start at 7:30pm.
 
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
If I recall correctly, Montilla wines are usually not fortified, though the alcohols are in the 15% range, finos raised under flor.
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Indeed they are not fortified. The pedro ximnez grape (the only variety used in Montilla-Moriles) has more sugar than palomino, and reaches 15% alc. naturally.
 
originally posted by VS:
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
If I recall correctly, Montilla wines are usually not fortified, though the alcohols are in the 15% range, finos raised under flor.
Click to expand...
Indeed they are not fortified. The pedro ximnez grape (the only variety used in Montilla-Moriles) has more sugar than palomino, and reaches 15% alc. naturally.
Click to expand...

I had never put that together before. Thank you.
 
Also, just to note, we're going to keep the dinner smallish. We can't fit more than 24 people in the room, so that's probably a good place to cap it.
 
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