Masterclasses are such a
popular part of Decanter's annual Fine Wine Encounter in November every year, that we are
sure that readers will appreciate the chance to attend a single Masterclass day in Spring
1999, at the Landmark Hotel in London.
Whether you come to just one of them or attend them all, all
three Masterclases are bound to create considerable interest for the fine wine lover. This
is a unique chance to learn about one of New Zealand's legendary (and on-allocation only!)
producers, Cloudy Bay, together with their prestigious parent company from Australia, Cape
Mentelle; and an equally famous name from the Rhone, Chateau de Beaucastel. Less well
known in England, pheraps, but a real find, is the Bava estate from Piedmont in Italy.
The Bava winery is a family-run affair that has quietly become
more established on the international wine scene since the family decided to concentrate
on making the highest quality traditional wines from the Monferrato area, starting with
Barbera.
For those looking for something different, Roberto Bava's
masterclass is a must. Taste the rare Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato, a mono-varietal
wine made from a grape brought back from extinction by the efforts of growers like the
Bavas, and now making a perfumed red wine of great style and originality. Try Bava's new
Dolcetto, the "Controvento" (deliberately named as a real
"counterblast" to the foreign grape varieties in Piedmont). Try the
"Arbest", one of the new-style barrique-aged Barberas. Or
"stradivario", another prize-winning Barbera ("Highly Recommended" in
Decanter's April 1999 edition).
The Highlight of the tasting will the UK début of the news Bava
wine, "Pianoalto". This is best described as new type of "Super
Barbera" and comes from the new family estate of Piano Alto di Crena. Here the family
has experimented with what Roberto intriguingly calls a "100% Barbera made in a
Cabernet Sauvignon style" and what the rest of the world might call, more simply, a
"Super Piemontese". Naturally, the better-known classics, such as Barolo, will
also presented, together with the "Super Bianco" "Alteserre".
Everybody agrees that Italian wines always matches food
perfectly. Helped by Decanter's Contibuting Editor, Brian St Pierre, Roberto Bava will
illustrate the point with some of the classic tastes of Piedmont. As well as these, even
chocolate will be on the menu
