“No other fruit gives you such a diversity of aromas as grapes do after fermentation. This is the most fascinating aspect of grapes. The fruit has a variety of natural flavours reflective of the grape varietals as well as the terroir or microclimate in which the vines grow. And it is the finest estate-grown grapes that have gone into the production of the new brand of Indage Vineyards from Champagne India Limited. The brand has two series –the Platinum series and the Gold series,” said sommelier, Jacob Alexander at the launch.

“Indage Vineyards wines have been created as a celebration of CIL’s journey of 25 years of excellence in oenology and viticulture in the tropics. The wines deliver exceptional and unique fruit and flavour profiles,” added Alexander. Both the series offer one white and one red wine. The Platinum series has two varietals – Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot Shiraz, priced at Rs 700; while the Gold series has a Chardonnay Semillon and a Shiraz Cabernet, priced at Rs 465.

Alexander encouraged guests to offer their thoughts on the wines before he shared his views, all the while saying that wine tasting is an individual thing. As the session progressed he distinguished between primary aromas in a wine that derive from the grapes, the secondary aromas that stem from the fermentation process and the tertiary aromas that come from either maturation in the barrel or ageing in the bottle.

Tasting notes:
White Wine
Platinum series Sauvignon Blanc. A light bodied wine with a soft straw-yellow hue. It has citrus flavours on the nose (because of its minerality that comes from the vines going deep into the soil in search of nutrients) and fresh green apple and green pepper on the palate.

Gold series Chardonnay Semillon in 70:30 ratio. A medium bodied wine with a golden yellow colour. It has hints of oak as it is oak-aged for a few months and has aromas of apricot and peach, which are complemented with melon, peach and fig on the palate.

Red Wine
Platinum series Merlot-Shiraz in 85:15 ratio. A medium-bodied deep red wine that blends the red fruit aromas of Merlot with the spicy flavours of Shiraz. Well-balanced tannins.

Gold series Shiraz-Cabernet in 70:30 ratio. A medium-bodied, deep ruby-red wine. It blends spicy flavours of Shiraz with the cherry and black olive flavours and strength of Cabernet, with soft and elegant tannins.