During the 11th edition of Vinobio in Amsterdam, organized by Ghislaine van Melman Communication, I went in search of the trends and highlights. I did all of this in 90 minutes. Why? Because making choices sometimes provides a good focus and is a challenge. It was a challenge for me, but also for the importers and winemakers, I noticed.
What were the key trends and highlights?
In short, the trends and highlights can be summarized in the following points:
- Biodynamic champagnes that are actually so certified
- Lower dosages in champagnes for more structure, taste and energy
- More classic style in natural wines
- Ratafia is the hit of the moment
- Drinking and making drinkable, clean, pure and energetic wines
- Wines that are made around the wine legislation in order to produce the best wines, organic and biodynamic
- Dry style wines from areas known for sweet wines
- Natural wine is not only funky and crazy, but just fresh, pure and juicy
- Importers are increasingly choosing a personal selection of wines and only sell what they themselves like
- Organic winemakers from all over the world are looking for importers
What is ViniBio?
Vinibio is the largest tasting event for organic, biodynamic and natural wines in the Netherlands. More than 30 importers and international wine producers have participated in this event. The growing market for organic wines makes this one of the most attractive events for both existing and new wine lovers who want to discover the peculiarities of organic wines.
Jeroen Vonk and Ghislaine Melman
Pierre Ache Wines
Tr Wines – Tokaj 2018
Delicious dry Tokaj, an area that is mainly known for its sweet style wines. This wine is beautifully dry and reminded me of a Fino, but with the Tokaj nuances: floral, salty with a hint of currants, but then dry. Really beautiful, this is definitely a trend for the coming time!
Champagnist
Chelou – Un coin sur terre
A nice fresh style, spicy but still nice and fruity, orange but not too sharp or firm, nice highlight. This comes from the South Rhone and is a blend of different grapes (Chenin, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Viognier, Grenache Roussanne, Petit Manseng, Muscat).
Noordman Wine Import
Josmeyer – Chante Pinot Natural Sparkling
Spontaneously fermented in the bottle, this wine has a very fresh style, is energetic with lots of fruit and fine minerals. It is playful and serious at the same time, which makes you smile because it is more complex than you would initially think. This biodynamic wine comes from Alsace and is made from Gewurztraminer, Muscat and Pinot Blanc.
JF Courtier en Vins
Tulipe Noire 2023
This is a very beautiful Provence rosé which has the recognizable color of a Provence rosé, but with a much spicier and more intense scent and taste. This is due to the combination of Tibouren, Grenache and Cinsault, where especially the Tibouren gives the recognizable scent and taste, according to Jean Francois, who talked about this highlight. This rosé is suitable for drinking as is, but can also be combined with various dishes. It is the ultimate wine where a sun is very pleasant.
Daxivin
Lelarge-Pugeot Tradition N.V. – Champagne premier cru AOC
According to Niels from Daxivin, a trend is the natural wine in a classic style, drinkable and away from funky things. He demonstrated this with the Champagne from Lelarge-Pugeot Tradition N.V. Champagne premier cru. A biodynamic champagne with more meunier that gives a nice bite, nice bitters with an elegant structure. This is a nice example of a biodynamic champagne that fits this trend.
TuurlijkWijnen
La Guixera – El fantasma de la llibertat 2018
According to TuurlijkWijnen, the trend is that natural wines only come onto the market when the maker finds them good enough to drink after sufficient bottle aging. An example of this is this white/orange wine from Penedes, an area known for the Cava, just like the grape from which this wine, La Guixera, is made: Xarello.
The soil on which this grape grows consists of different layers of minerals, which is clearly noticeable. Due to the bottle aging, the wine is round and elegant, a balance between white freshness and orange structure. The roundness is also enhanced by the old vines. The minerals are beautifully present, with different layers, from limestone and clay to something that reminds of kimmeridge. It was great to taste this and I look forward to tasting this wine again in a quieter environment.
Clavelin
Ratapoil Plein poing 2016
A beautiful wine from the Jura, which according to Jan from Clavelin is really a trend in the wine world. Jura is adjacent to Burgundy and is mainly known for its oxidative style wines. However, many small wine growers also produce other types of wines. The price-quality ratio in this area is more favorable than with the neighbors, which is why this area is a trend that should definitely be watched.
The wine I tasted was exceptionally beautiful, with delicious acids and a satisfying mix of reductive and oxidative, beautiful fruit and a very long aftertaste that makes you curious about the different layers that you smell and taste in this wine. It is a very pure wine, not for everyone, but therefore also fun to discover.
That is also a trend that Jan sees a lot: people increasingly want to discover things in wine. So we have two trends to grab!
Verkerk Wine Import
Ca’ del Vent | Franciacorta Brut Nature “Route 66” 2019
This is an example of a wine that was produced outside the regular wine legislation with the aim of making the best wine, both organic and biodynamic! According to Mattijs Koornneef, this is a trend that is especially visible among the younger generation of winemakers. This biodynamic wine, made from 100% chardonnay with a second fermentation in the bottle, comes from the Franciacorta region. The wine first matures for 6 months on wood before the second fermentation takes place. Then the wine rests for another 25 months sur latte without dosage. This results in a very elegant and refined mousse with beautiful apple and pear tones, citrus, rosemary, thyme, supplemented with wood, vanilla, fresh and matured flavors that alternate, and a spicy aftertaste. Together they form a very exciting palette.
Au Paradis
Domaine Santamaria Tranoï Blanc 2022 IGP Île de Beauté/Corsica
A very fresh, fruity and exciting Vermentino from Corsica, with a beautiful mineral structure and ripe fruit tones in a salty jacket. Very pure and energetic, making you want to know, smell and taste more. This also makes me curious about more wines from Corsica, an area with which I myself am not very familiar.
Domaine Jérôme Galeyrand Chaumont 2021 Côte de Nuits/Bourgogne
A young, yet perfectly drinkable Aligoté? Yes, that is possible, as proven by this one from Domaine Jérôme Galeyrand. Nice name too, Jérôme, after all that is the French equivalent of Jeroen :-) But now about the wine. The Aligoté wines I have tasted so far were mainly sour and only really good after a few years in the bottle. This is not the case with this wine. This is due to the minimal intervention during the making of this wine and the ripeness of the grape, which is better brought out by biodynamic work and climate change. This wine is tight, fresh and beautifully fruity. It provides exciting energy and minerality in a pure and pure jacket. Really very beautiful!
Domaine Jérôme Galeyrand Côte de Nuits Villages 2021 Côte de Nuits/Bourgogne
And then the red wine from this Domaine, a beautiful Pinot Noir from old vines (1960) that offers a very beautiful combination of fresh and matured red fruit, supplemented with elegant vanilla and spicy tones. The smell is super attractive and keeps changing, just like the taste. It really is a wine to enjoy for a long time. Thank you very much, Joris, for letting me taste these two wines from Domaine Jérôme!
Château de Mille
Château de Mille blanc 2022 A special wine from Luberon that is made from 70 year old vines of Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Vermentino. This wine has a nice structure, it’s fresh, fruity and nicely rounded. The special blend is created by different forms of vinification: a part is processed in stainless steel, concrete eggs, old wooden barrels and a part in amphoras. It is a young wine that is best drunk young and can be kept for a maximum of 5-8 years.
Kortegarde Wine
Casa Los Frailes Monastrell Rouge 2021 Valencia Spain
Drinkability is a trend here. Monastrell, known as Mourverde in France, is often considered a heavy wine. However, this Monastrell from Casa Los Frailes is totally different. It is nice and juicy with ripe red fruit, but without it becoming too sweet. It is fresh, spicy and easy to drink.
Château de Sannes 1603 Sannes Rosé 2022 AOP Luberon France
This is a fine drinkable rosé with a pleasant spiciness and elegance. It has nice raspberry and strawberry touches with a fresh and spicy finish. Therefore, this rosé is also excellent to combine with beautiful dishes.
Fattoria Lavacchio Cedro Chianto Rufina 2019 DOCG Tuscany Italy
Rufina stands for letting the wine rest. This happens in large barrels to let the wine rest and ensure that it is optimally flavored before it is sold. This is a trend that you often see: only sell the wine when the winemaker thinks it is good enough. This wine has a warm glow that gives elegance and excitement with lots of red fruit. The elegance is emphasized by subtle wood and spiciness.
Sommelier Wines
BertramBaltes Ahrweiler Spätburgunder 2019 Ahr
Nice expression of a typical Spätburgunder from the Ahr. Enjoy delicious earthy tones, beautiful red fruit, structure with soft tannins and a beautiful finish. It is a young fresh wine with beautiful curves, which is super fine drinkable.
De Geluksdruif
Comte Abbatucci – Faustine old vines 2021
Very special red wines come from Corsica, with ripe tones and refined complexity. They are biodynamically produced, with beautiful pure flavors and elegance.
Brederode
Castel Oualou Lirac Réserve Fût de chêne 2019
This is a top example of a wine that is deliciously stubborn. No fancy castle with turrets was allowed on the label, that would look too much like a chateau and that’s a no-go. This wine comes from Lirac, a super beautiful spot opposite Chateauneuf du Pape. Made with the GSM blend, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, this wine has a sturdy body, with preserved fruit and a chic depth.
Charles Frey Macération
This delicious biodynamic Gewürztraminer with a little bit of Riesling (10%) gives the wine a nice ripeness and fruitiness. It has a wonderful color and is nicely aromatic. It is a good example of what a biodynamic Gewürztraminer can be.
Charles Frey Riesling Grand Cru Frankstein 2019
Delicious ripe Grand Cru Riesling that, despite its youth, is very good to drink. A little bit of gasoline, ripe peach, and dried and fresh apple and pear. Excellently made!
Charles Frey Pinot Noir Quintessence 2020
This is a beautiful example of Pinot Noir from Alsace, originating from the granite slopes on the Grand Cru Frankstein. It results in a light style with a nice structure, a full body, and soft, elegant tannins, complemented with fruit tones and toast.
Anfors Imperial
Massa Vecchia Toscana Rosato 2020 IGT Toscana
Rose on the deep side that is deliciously round and juicy, with ripe red fruit, strawberry, cherry, and lots of herbs and spices. Exciting and enjoyable. A bit barny but super pleasant and certainly not too much that it goes towards brett. Recommended for the summer to drink nicely chilled.
Luis Pérez – El Muelle de Olaso – Vino de Pasto – 2022
This is a beautiful example of a dry wine made from Palomino Fino, known from the sherry, but then unfortified. It is just a white wine. What a beautiful combination of scents and flavors that are recognizable from a Fino but then lighter. Floral, chamomile, apple, pear, herbs; deliciously soft and easy to drink. You really must try this.
Dis Donc Champagne
Champagne Marie Copinet – Blanc de Blancs, Brut Cuvée Leonard – Millésime 2013
This is a beautiful example of a biodynamic champagne full of elegance. The delicious fine mousse and the combination of fruit, toast, and brioche make it a real party in your glass.
Maxime Blin – Nos Moments Carte Blanche
This is the perfect example that a lower dosage gives more flavor and structure. It is made from Meunier (85%) and Pinot Noir (15%). The elegance of the Pinot Noir is well noticeable, as is the structure of the Meunier. Due to the lower dosage, this wine has more zest and a deeper taste.
Vincent Couche Ratafia de Chardonnay
Ratafia is the hit of the moment. It is perfect as an aperitif mixed with tonic but also delicious to combine with various cheeses. By doing it uncooled, cooled, and with an ice cube, you can even combine it with different cheeses at the same time, you take 3 glasses and pour the 3 preparations in, easy, playful, and very tasty!
This Ratafia de Chardonnay from Vincent Couche is wonderfully warm due to the spices. Nice sweet and syrupy but not too sweet, beautiful tones of Honey, peach apricot, apple and a bit of citrus.
Pacheco Pereda
Pacheco Pereda Estirpe Organic 100% Malbec 2022 Agrelo, Mendoza
This is a beautiful organic Malbec from Argentina, exactly as you would want a Malbec to be. Sturdy yet soft, with present tannins and soft acids, wrapped in an elegant style. It has beautiful red fruit, both fresh and ripe, with a spicy finish. The winemaker is still looking for an importer in the Netherlands. After tasting this excellent wine, that probably won’t take long anymore.
What is Ratafia?
This Ratafia comes from the Champagne region in France and is made with grape must and Marc de Champagne (a grape brandy). It is a liqueur or fortified wine that can be prepared in various ways. Ratafia is known for its sweet taste and an alcohol content between 16 and 22%.
The preparation of Ratafia includes:
- Grape must: The base of Ratafia is grape must, the juice of unpressed grapes. In some recipes, other fruits are also used, such as cherries or apricots.
- Sugar: Sugar is added to sweeten the Ratafia.
- Herbs and spices: Various herbs and spices are used to flavor Ratafia, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, vanilla, and bay leaf.
- Alcohol: Alcohol is added to stop the fermentation and preserve the Ratafia. This can be vodka, brandy, or another neutral alcohol.
Conclusion of a lightning visit to Vinibio
It was very exciting to challenge myself, the importer, and the winemakers in a short time by looking for the trend or highlight they had brought. This challenge resulted in dynamic conversations where the focus was clear. It is interesting to keep an eye on the different trends and see what they will do next summer and beyond. I would like to thank all importers and winemakers for taking up this challenge with me. Special thanks to Ghislaine from Melman Communication for organizing Vinibio and the invitation.
Previously published on Anne-Wies.nl
