Biodynamic stars of the wine world

WINE: INFLUENTIAL FRENCH WINE magazine La Revue du Vin de Francethis month has a tasting of wines from Le Montrachet, France's greatest dry white vineyard, featuring two of its greatest exponents, Dominique Lafon and Anne-Claude Leflaive. Nothing unusual about that, except that the wines were biodynamic, and both producers are now practitioners and advocates of biodynamic viticulture. This would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. But biodynamics, once the preserve of the loony fringe, has now moved into the viticultural mainstream with adherents in every corner of the globe.

A few years ago, I went to a lecture from the high-priest of biodynamics, Nicolas Joly, and came away thinking he was mad. I garnered page after page of very usable quotes, mostly highly critical of chemical companies and large producers. But when it came to tasting his wines, I found them oxidised and lacking in fruit. They should have been very good; Joly is proprietor of Coulée de Serrant in the Loire Valley, another of the great vineyards in France, so great that it has its own Appellation Contrôlée, one of only two vineyards so honoured.

Joly would probably argue that I was tasting terroir, the natural flavours derived from the soil and climate of his vineyards. I suspect he would have added that I was used to drinking unnatural, confected, chemical wines.

Part of me wants to believe in a natural way of growing grapes, but my more cynical side wonders just how much influence the cosmos can have on a plant. Most forward-thinking vine-growers now practice integrated pest management, or what the French call la lutte raisonée, roughly translated as "intelligent struggle". This involves using weather patterns and other scientific methods to minimise interventions in the vineyard. It is one step short of organic, but does encourage the development of a healthy long-term environment for vines.

The difficulty is that monoculture of any kind creates the ideal environment for pests to multiply, and by its nature, viticulture demands monoculture. A vine takes three to five years before it begins to produce good quality grapes and in established regions, large areas will be densely planted with just one crop – the vine.

Biodynamics is more than just changing the method of farming; it means developing a completely different philosophy, working in harmony with nature and the astronomical cycle. Only natural herbicides and pesticides are permitted, and herbal and mineral preparations and composts are added at certain times of the year. Many producers are happy to work in accordance with the lunar cycle, and point out that this is only returning to what their forefathers did for centuries. Matthieu Barret of Domaine du Coulet argues that biodynamic “teaches you to use what you need, and no more. It is about having an open mind. It is a scientific quest to discover and to find”.

In Ireland, Mary Pawle of Mary Pawle Wines (www.marypawlewines.com) has been the standard bearer for organic wines for the past decade (the other champion of biodynamic wines is Febvre Co). She lists no fewer than nine biodynamic growers, alongside a great many organic producers. “It has been a struggle at times,” she says. “Biodynamic methods have been viewed with suspicion and often ridiculed in the past, but when you meet the many level-headed producers and taste the wines, the results speak for themselves. As more and more of the big names are convinced, public perception is slowly changing.”

Biodynamics is not just about making wine, it also stretches to tasting. Various wine professionals, including Tim Atkin of the Observer, claim that we taste wine better on “flower” and “fruit” days. These are days on which the phase of the moon is regarded as been most beneficial for the growing of flowers and fruits, in a system devised by Maria Thun.

A year or two ago, I ran a series of tasting experiments using a biodynamic calendar; the results were inconclusive. However, supermarket chain Marks Spencer has conducted some long-term tests and its team claims to have found the same wines duller on “root” days. Since then, it always holds its press tastings on fruit or flower days.

BIODYNAMIC WINES

Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2006, Margaret River, Western Australia, 13.5%, €49.99Expensive, but this is the best Chardonnay I have tasted this year. Fans of white Burgundy, used to shelling out this sort of money for their Pulignys and Meursaults, should have no problem paying a similar sum for this wine. It is superb, with rich, creamy, complex fruit, perfectly judged spicy oak, cut through with zesty notes of lime, and a finish that lingers beautifully. Stockists:64 Wines, Glasthule; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Fallon & Byrne, Dublin 2

Domaine Mittnacht Riesling 2007 Alsace, 12.8%, €21.50The label says (roughly translated) "the moon, the stars, you, me, together, that is all". The wine is quite deeply coloured, with intense honeyed, smokey apple fruits, but with a good acidic backbone; I would try it with mildly spicy chicken, scallop and prawn dishes. Stockists:Corkscrew, Dublin 2; 64 Wine, Glasthule; Wicklow Arms, Delgany; Redmond's, Ranelagh; Thomas's Deli, Foxrock; Sweeney's, Glasnevin; McCabe's, Mount Merrion; The Gables, Foxrock; O'Donovan's, Cork; Donnybrook Fair, Dublin 4

Sepp Moser Grüner Veltliner Wolfberg 2007, Kremstal, Austria, 12%, €18.50This is a delicious wine, perfect to drink on its own or with lighter fish and seafood. Behind the lowish alcohol and crisp acidity lurks some beautiful clean melon fruits, with a touch of real class. Stockists:Wicklow Arms, Delgany; Redmond's, Ranelagh; Thomas Deli, Foxrock; Sweeney's, Glasnevin; McCabes, Mount Merrion; The Gables, Foxrock; O'Donovan's, Cork; Donnybrook Fair, Dublin 4

Cornas 'Brise Cailloux' Domaine du Coulet 2006, 13%Another expensive wine, but also well worth the money; a heady mix of soft ripe liquorice and dark cherry fruits with a strong mineral edge and refined tannins coming through on the finish; a wine with wonderful power and finesse. Stockists: 64 Wine, Glasthule; Redmond's, Ranelagh; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Donnybrook Fair, Dublin 4

Two Under Twelve

Y Caro Chardonnay 2008, 14.3%, €9.99O'Briens deserves praise for its efforts in stocking both organic and biodynamic wines. In particular, it has a range from Alvaro Espinoza of Emiliana in Chile. The Chardonnay is big and plump with soft rounded, sweet ripe tropical fruits; drink on its own, or with chicken dishes. Stockists: O'Briens

Y Caro Red 2007, 14.7%, €9.99Not quite as seductive as the white, but still good value; big and bold, with peppery dark fruits, and some well-integrated tannins on the finish. Partner with something substantial, such as a casserole of beef. Stockists: O'Briens

On The Grapevine

ITALIAN FLAVOURNext Friday, the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, Co Waterford will host a Chianti dinner, featuring the wines of Rocca della Macie. Tel: 024-87800 or www.thecliffhousehotel.com.

NECTAR WINESopened its shop in Sandyford Village in Dublin four years ago, and is celebrating with a wine sale, featuring some 50 wines at sharply reduced prices.