Wine Pairing: 4 Classic Dishes to Pair With Sparkling Wine – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Wine Pairing: 4 Classic Dishes to Pair With Sparkling Wine – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

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Famous Wine Regions: The Best Of Italian Toscana – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Famous Wine Regions: The Best Of Italian Toscana – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Famous Wine Regions: The Best Of Italian Toscana

• Fine Wine Blog

Home to some of the world’s most noteworthy wine regions, Tuscany is known for producing stellar wines from its diverse vineyards. From Florence to Chianti, Ornellaia to Tignanello, Tuscany has produced extraordinary wines for hundreds of years.
Famous for some of the best fine wine to come out of Italy, the region is widely known for its distinctive nature and distinguished reputation among wine connoisseurs from around the world.

Introduction to Tuscan Wine

Italy produces some of the most celebrated wines in the world, and Tuscany is central to that observance. Located in central Italy, Tuscany’s Mediterranean roots and rolling hills make the region's vineyards lush and fertile – the perfect grounds for growing an ideal grape.
Recognized worldwide as coming from one of the top wine making regions of the world, Tuscan wine gains its infamous reputation from the Sangiovese grape – the pillar variation of all of Tuscany’s topmost red wines.
Tuscany has ancient traditions dating from the day of the Etruscans. With perfect weather and soil conditions, the abundant vineyards bear grapes that are much sought after and renowned. Wine and winemaking are as much a part of the Tuscan civilization as the olive trees that the region is also known for.

Moncharm’s Top Tuscan Selection

We’re proud to provide an extraordinary selection comprising some of the best that Italy has to offer in our online wine shop. Here are 3 super tuscans from various vintages that we’re pleased to recommend. Please click on the year number of each Tuscan for more information on the specific vintage.

1. This Sassicaia, 2006 – as the wine that started it all, Sassicaia remains one of the most desirable super tuscans. The 2006 vintage features a bouquet of smoked fruit, leather, and layers of earthiness.

One of the region’s great vintages, the 2006 boasts a spectacular combination of ripeness and acidity complemented by a complex nose that blends dark fruits and berries with minerals and dried herbs. Other distinguished Sassicaia vintages that you should look at are the 2005 and 2007.

2. The Tignanello, 2008 follows the great vintages from Italian winemakers. This selection is captivating and precise with subtle notes of tobacco, black cherries, smoke and liquorice.

A multi-layered consistency with silky tannins that will caress the palate. This elegant vintage has an unexpected lushness that’s balanced with perfect acidity. Other notable Tignanello vintages that you should look at are the 2007 and 2010.

3. This Solaia, 2007 is an extraordinary selection of striking quality. Translated as “sunny one” from Italian, this Solaia features an elaborate bouquet full of black cherries, crème de cassis, dark fruits, mocha, and oak.

The palate is rich, balanced, and full of delicacy. The notes are rounded and graceful, with layers of fruits and firm tannins. Generous and effortless, this delicious choice has all the subtlety and layers that you would expect from the Tuscan region. Another special Solaia vintage that you should look at is the 2001.

Making Your Choice

We provide a vast array of wine selections to suit both novices and seasoned collectors. Our wine shop offers some of the best fine wine from Tuscany, as well as other famous regions from around the world.
Browse through our extensive collection of the world’s finest, and you’re guaranteed to find the ideal vintage to suit your own taste and unique personality. If you have any questions or queries, please contact our experts – we’ll be quick to respond and happy to help!
Image source: Flickr

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Moncharm Ltd

Oldest Champagne Bottle: 170 Years Ago Vs. Today – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Oldest Champagne Bottle: 170 Years Ago Vs. Today – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Oldest Champagne Bottle: 170 Years Ago Vs. Today

• Champagne Today • Fine Wine Blog • Old vs. New Champagne • Oldest Champagne

The 170-year-old Champagne was found in the summer of 2010 in a newfound shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The 168 bottles were uncorked, and came to be known as the world’s oldest Champagne bottles in good condition today.
The discovery was a great opportunity for us to learn more about Champagne from 200 years ago, how it was made, how the tradition was different, and most of all – what did it taste like? Researchers wondered as well, having studied its chemical composition over the past few years. We summarize their findings below.

About The World's Oldest Champagne

Researchers were amazed by how well the 168 bottles found have aged, noting that the conditions at the bottom of the Sea were nearly perfect for aging.
The Champagne landed horizontally by luck, sat at a constant temperature between 4 and 6 degrees, in dark surroundings, and under just the right pressure at the bottom of the sea.
"After 170 years of deep-sea aging in close-to-perfect conditions, these sleeping Champagne bottles awoke to tell us a chapter of the story of winemaking," the researchers said in their recently published study dated 20th April 2015.
Divers were only able to salvage 145 bottles in good condition, with the rest found to be contaminated, or simply popping the cork due to the sudden pressure change when they were brought to surface.
Out of the 145 bottles, 96 of them were found to be from the Juglar Champagne house (which closed down in 1829), produced in the same family that owns Jacquesson today. Another 46 bottles represented Veuve Clicquot – who was selling a lot of Champagne in the Baltic at that time – and were dated 1841-1850.
Last but not least, 4 bottles represented Heidsieck & Co.

Tasting Notes

Researchers began by comparing its chemical composition to that of modern champagne, and have found that they were very similar aside from a few notable distinctions. First off, the oldest Champagne bottles had around 20 times more sugar in their composition (150 grams per liter) – a characteristic of people’s tastes at the time.
Secondly, the Champagne contained higher concentrations of iron (likely because of the different wine vessels that were used at that time, which contained metal), copper and table salt as compared to modern wines.
All of this has resulted in a sweet taste, with an aroma “of mature fruit, with yellow raisin tones and a considerable hint of tobacco”, a clear acidity to back up its sweetness, and “an extremely clear flavour of oak cast storage.”
Even though incredibly old, there was also “a freshness about the wine” – according to sommelier Ella Grüssner Cromwell-Morgan, who sampled the very first bottle that was brought from the wreck.
Additionally, the chemist who studied the wine’s composition was only allowed to drink 0.1 millimetres. Even so, he noted that the quantity was “adequate” and that the Champagne was great – “It was amazing. It had a tobacco aroma. It was such a great moment,” he said.

Oldest Champagne Bottles On Auction

At the first auction in 2011, a Juglar bottle was sold for €24.000, while a Veuve Clicquot bottle fetched €30.000. The latter set a new record over the previous $84.700 from 2008 held by two bottles of 1959 Dom Perignon Rosé.
In May 2012, 11 more bottles were auctioned in Mariehamn, Finland (close to the original location where the bottles were found) for $156.000. A Veuve Clicquot was the highest priced bottle, fetching €15.000 itself.

Back To Modern Times

The shipwreck was a great find, attached to it an opportunity to discover the depth of a previously missing piece of history. In modern times however, we have the chance to make our own history, with our own modern and reputable Champagne houses.
Three of our favourite history-making bottles include:

1. This Krug, 1996 – an incredible Champagne house with a track record of producing some of the world’s best Champagnes.
2. This Louis Roderer Cristal, 2005 – today one of the only still independent Champagne houses, it produces this famous Champagne Cristal.
3. This Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose, 2005 – the flagship wine of the Taittinger Champagne house, a Maison de Champagne with a rich, globally recognized spanning over 280 years.

Great for collectors and drinkers alike, you are guaranteed to find a label that will suit your taste among our collection.

Make Your Pick

You can find all of these amazing wines – and more – in our collection of world-class labels at the Moncharm wine shop.
Please take a moment to look through our selection, and if there is anything we can help with or for any questions or queries, please feel free to give us a call or write us a quick message. Our experts will respond promptly, and will gladly jump in to help!
Image source: Flickr

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Wine Aromas: Where Do They Come From? – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Wine Aromas: Where Do They Come From? – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Wine Aromas: Where Do They Come From?

• Fine Wine Blog • Wine Aromas • Wine Flavours • Wine Tasting

The wine aroma wheel, as seen on SA Uncorked (click here to enlarge)

If you’re a fellow wine lover who likes to read tasting notes, we’re certain you’ve repeatedly stumbled upon various descriptions such as "the complex bouquet is rich with notes of earth; black fruit and lead pencil interwoven in notes of minerals and oak wood.”
Many beginners that discover their newfound love for fine wine are often left wondering. What does this description mean? Where did these wine flavours come from? Did they actually blend black fruit into this wine? And what on Earth does “earth” mean?
In today’s article we will demystify wine aromas. You’ll learn where they come from, what they mean, and how you can identify them yourself the next time you taste wine. Let’s get started!

Where Do Wine Aromas Come From?

First of all, it’s important to note the difference between a wine’s aromas and a wine’s taste. The wine aroma has everything to do with our sense of smell. The wine taste has everything to do with the various senses inside our mouth. Combined, they result in wine flavours.
Because a very important part of the wine tasting experience happens inside our nose, extensive research has been conducted over the years to better understand how the wide variety of wine aromas come to be.
In short, wine aromas are the result of hundreds of different compounds (including alcohols) that combine to give a wide variety of unique perceived aromas. Because when we drink wine we might feel a strawberry texture combined with a slightly sour taste in our mouth, and a sweet smell in our nose, our brain is likely to put the pieces together and tell us we’re tasting strawberries.
The compounds that give a wine’s aromas differ for every wine, and they are influenced at 3 stages.

1. The Grape Growing Process

Known as primary wine aromas, they’re influenced by the type of grape used, as well as the environment that it grew in. Aromas in this group include earth (petroleum, red beet, volcanic rock, etc.), fruit, herbal, spice, and others.
An earthy vintage that bursts onto the palate with dark fruits, this Ch. Pontet Canet, 2006 is a sublime example that takes its aromas from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit-Verdot.

2. Fermentation

Known as secondary wine aromas, they’re influenced by the fermentation process – which involves yeast and other microbes. Fermentation induced aromas include mushroom, truffle, lager, butter, cream, and others.
A great example of a Champagne well known for its creamy, fermentation induced aromas accompanied by a lively explosion of fruity notes is this Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose, 2005.

3. Aging Process

Known as tertiary aromas (or the wine’s “bouquet”), they are the result of aging (time spent in bottles or oak barrels, as well as oxidation). Aromas derived from general aging include tobacco, coffee, and dried fruit. Aromas derived from oak aging include vanilla, smoke and coconut.
This Tignanello, 2008 is one of our favourite Super Tuscans, and a masterpiece known for its persistent smoke and tobacco bouquet, accompanied by notes of black cherries.

Wine Aromas In Practice

You can use the directions in this article to pin down your own personal preferences in wine aromas!
By taking note of what you feel the next time you have your favourite wine, you’ll begin to develop your personal flavour profile. This will allow you to explore new wine varieties that have subtle similarities to wines you already know you like, taking the guess work out of the equation.
And in the meantime, why not take a look through our online wine shop? We feature a rare selection of the world’s finest wines, each with its own set of aromas waiting to be discovered!

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