The best (and costliest)

THE WINE CLUB

Yet another day, yet another wine tasting, yet another set of fine wines that impact the olfactory senses and flow smoothly down the gullet "" only, this time the wines are Indian!

I've written before about Reveilo from Vintage Wines Nashik but was recently privileged to taste their Reserve range "" and while the regular wines are good enough, the reserves are simply sublime.

A quick recap: Vintage Wines is a boutique winery located at Niphad, near Nashik, whose first vintage was produced in 2005. The Patil family have been farmers in this area for generations, and have 200 acres of vineyards "" of which 50 acres are currently under grape vines, with more being converted every year.

"Reserves", as you know, are wines that have spent time maturing in oak barrels "" this imparts an extra smoothness and oaky notes to the wines.

Of course, the wines need to be of special quality to benefit from barrel maturing in the first place "" which is why only 5-10 per cent of any winery's production is ever labeled as "reserve". The wines were:

Reveilo Chardonnay Reserve 2005: Probably the only genuine Chardonnay in India is made by Vintage, and their Reserve has such a brilliant yellow colour that it initially makes one think that the wine must be oxidised.

It certainly is not, and has an intense aroma of pineapple and vanilla along with notes of melon and citrus fruit "" a bit closed at first, then developing as the wine warmed-up a bit.

The taste is surprisingly smooth and balanced and not too dry despite being fairly strong (we're told there is 5-6 gms of sugar, and 14.4 per cent alcohol) "" delightful! The wine has spent nine months in new Hungarian oak barrels, and has evidently benefited enormously, reflected in the MRP of Rs 1,145.

Reveilo Syrah Reserve 2005: Good colour, the wine's aroma is dominated by notes of berries/cherries, with some oak and flint on the side "" perhaps due to the barrel maturing (again, nine months) the spicy notes so characteristic of Syrah grapes are quite subdued. The taste is quite smooth and balanced and fairly long-lasting. This will be priced at Rs 1,045.

Reveilo Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2005: The deep, almost inky colour presages a complex wine, and we are not disappointed: typical bouquet of blackcurrants, but with added notes of pepper and spice "" and yes! "" some coffee and chocolate later on. This is a full-bodied wine with complex velvety tannins and a very long and persistent after-taste. Lovely! Worth every penny of the Rs 1,345 asking price.

The last (but not the least) was the Reveilo Late harvest Chenin Blanc 2006 "" its deep orangish -yellow colour promises something special/ different. We are rewarded by an intense bouquet of raisins, figs, honey and nuts and a sweet but balanced taste that is delightful.

This blockbuster of a wine was made with hand-sorted grapes that had accidentally shrivelled on the vine "" the fermentation surprisingly took the wine upto 20 per cent alcohol strength, surely a record.

Thankfully the bottled product is "only" 17 per cent v/v "" still hugely alcoholic, and not for the faint-hearted. The price (Rs 845 per 375 ml bottle) is also for a discerning few.

The wines we tasted took the quality of wines made in India to another plane altogether "" they're certainly the most expensive Indian wines and will probably be sold only to the five-star luxury hotels and a few fine-dining restaurants: a pity, because I'm sure there are a few wine connoisseurs out there who would love to get their hands on a bottle or two.

Here's hoping that some retailers do get over the mindset that "Indian is cheap" "" and also that more Indian vintners have the vision and gumption to make small quantities of very good wines for a discerning audience. Cheers!

al.chandra@gmail.com