Friends who travelled to Colombia on a bird-watching expedition spoke of meeting a chap who had returned to the country to sight the five remaining unseen bird species (having already clocked up the other 1949!), ignoring all others in his resolve to tick off those final five. Train-spotting, plane watching, visiting every pub in a city, etc, etc: it’s not quite a Pythonesque quest for the holy grail, but a quest it is indeed to tick off those boxes.
Wine buffs are prone to the collector mentality too, often in one of two forms. One; a desire to taste the perceived best wines in the world, ticking off all of the Bordeaux growth wines from the 1855 classification, each of the top Burgundy vineyards, or Grange and Hill of Grace, the two most revered wines in Australia. This quest has become daunting in recent years, with price increases making this a pursuit for the well heeled.
Secondly: to taste as many different grape varieties as possible: once you notch up 100 you can join the online Wine Century Club. A reasonably easy task you surmise given that there are supposedly more than 1300 grape varieties around the world, but a tight core dominate both domestically and internationally. Sleuthing wines from the far corners of the world is key (my rarest might be Tazzalenghe tasted in Friuli. Italy), but there are several uncommon ones locally.
Tannat — de le Terre, Teroldego — Maison Noire, Fiano — Jenny Dobson, all in Hawke’s Bay, Osteiner — Rippon and St Laurent — Judge Rock, both Central, Würzer and Zweigelt — Seifiied, Nelson. More boxes ticked, — enjoy the quest!
Here are three uncommon ones you can search for.
2018 Giacomo Fenocchio Langhe Freisa
Rating Excellent to Outstanding
Italian variety, related
to Nebbiolo grown in
Piedmont in NW Italy.
Attractive funky/
truffley quality, spices,
cardamom, flower
petal. Bright,
engaging. Darker feel,
tilled earth, tar, plum,
tea leaf wrapped in a
corset of fine tannins
lending a drying,
grainy close.
Underlying perfume.
Neatly manages the
balance between fruit,
perfume and structure.
Quietly gorgeous.
2011 Pheasant’s Tears Kakheti Saperavi
Rating Excellent
From the ancient
winemaking land of
Georgia in Eastern
Europe. Fascinating
nose, earthy, wisps
of funk, wood polish,
fragrance. Tanginess
and coolness driving
this, fruit intensity
underpinning it, dried
fruits, currants,
cranberry,
blackcurrant later.
Powerful tannic core,
racy acidity, amazing
dryness and phenolic
grip, crying out for
food.
N 2020 Apostolos Thymiopoulos Earth & Sky Xinomavro
Rating Outstanding
A Greek red wine from
the Naoussa region in
Macedonia in the north
and a Decanter "rising
star" winemaker.
Intensity and depth,
spices, undercurrents
of herb. Powerful yet
light on its feet, the
tannic structure neatly
coiled, sweetness of
fruit yet dry with
acidity a counterpoint.
Wonderful complexity
and energy. Just a
thrilling wine.
