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The Indonesian province of Bali has been described as “not
a wine-lover’s dream”. The Balinese government imposes
steep duties and taxes on imported wines, and itinerant imbibers
can expect to be surcharged for stuff from Australasia and beyond.
In any event, rosé-loving travellers
are not in Bali for vino, but there is a home-grown wine experience
that should not be missed.
Bali’s grape-growing region is Singaraja, along the island’s
north coast. Hatten Wines launched in mid-1994, bottling a young
Rosé called simply that. It later
expanded to a sparkling rosé,
called Jepun. Sanur-based Hatten uses
a local grape Alphonse-Lavallée
(pictured), known also as Ribiera seedless table grape variety
(of French origin) not intended for wine and are not typically
used elsewhere for that purpose. Mainstream varieties like Cabernet
Sauvignon and Chardonnay were tried, but failed to fruit and
were susceptible to termites.
The Alphonse-Lavallée
is grown on overhead trellises (or pergolas), using small pruned
trees as supporting posts. Hatten Wines’ French-born winemaker
Vincent
Desplat makes red, white and Méthode Champenoise
sparkling wines, plus a Pineau des Charentes-style apéritif.
If the rest of the range is like the pinks, Desplat’s is
a major achievement in tropical viticulture. Hatten Rosé
strikes an impressive balance between a food and drinking wine,
with an alcohol content of 10.5% by volume. The bouquet has
a pronounced strawberry bias, and is slightly unequal to the
finesse of the taste, which is nicely balanced. The flavour
is otherwise balanced and well suited to the wine’s body
and density. It has a clean finish that is not overlong.
Bali’s tropical climate means that grapes are constantly
harvested from evergreen vines every 120 days – so wine
can be produced year-round. Indeed, Hatten recently celebrated
its ‘100th vintage in seven years‘. Fermentation of
Hatten’s Rosé takes place
in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, helped by selected
champagne yeasts. The end result shows great integrity to the
grape.
Judging by samples, Hatten Rosé
is a good traveller, but unlikely to improve with age, and cellaring
is not recommended. Hatten Wines is pursuing opportunities to
bring its wines to the European market, and its two pinks are
spearheading this; indeed they should start appearing on the
wine menus of some of the UK’s more upmarket Indonesian
restaurants over the summer 2003. www.hattenwines.com,
www.baliunkorked.co.uk
- From ROSÉ EXPOSÉ 2003 EDITION, BY STEVE BROADHEAD
& JAMES HAYES. |
