Wine Review: Tair Gafr Oes Gafr Eto Rosé 2022

A cool new Welsh frontier masks an underwhelming wine

A few weeks back I talked about Natural Wine, its roots in traditional winemaking, and looked at lovely Beaujolais offering. Whilst it most definitely qualifies as a Natural Wine, it would be a bit facetious to say that this is the image conjured when we talk about Natural Wine in the modern day. No, Natural Wine is either exalted as the hip new thing that Millenials and Gen Z drink on the daily, or what inexperienced wine makers call their swill that smells of dung and tastes like sweat (which, I might have mention, is certainly not wine).

Will this be the GOAT?

Wine: Oes Gafr Eto Rosé
Producer: Tair Gafr
Grape(s): Orion, Regent
Country: Wales
Region: Vale of Glamorgan
Alcohol: 9%
Vintage: 2022
Price: £23.05 from Wally’s Delicatessen

On my trip to Wales, I did a bit of research beforehand, and actually found it’s got more than a few vineyards! There are a few producers making traditional still wine (Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc etc) but there’s so much room for experimentation! Aside from a lot of producers using lesser-known grape varietals (Regent, Siegerrebe), there was a lot of Natural Wine on show. Feeling up for a little fun, I nabbed this wine, the Oes Gafr Eto Rose 2022, on the way back home via Cardiff.

From this AMAZING delicatessen!

Based off a popular Welsh folk song Cyfri'r Geifr (which translates to “Counting the Goats”), this wine hits all the hallmarks of modern Natural Wine. Tair Gafr, the winery, is very small with only 3000 vines planted (seems big, I know, but those number are astronomical at larger vineyards). They are organically certified with The Soil Association, which I assume means they’re industry-leading Dirt Nerds(TM). Not only do they avoid commercial pesticides and fertilisers, they made their own sprays from the nettles, willow and horsetail that grow around the vineyard. And to top it all off, they’ve got a bunch of animals that promote biodiversity in the vineyards (and double up as lawnmowers, no doubt).

“I should join a union…”

That’s a lot of concern put into making sure the wines are as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. And good on them! It’s one of the reasons so many younger people are interested in Natural Wine. But, the proof is in the pudding (or the bottle!). Is this wine any good?

Up pops our old friend carbonic maceration. I delve into it in my previous review, but it’s a fermentation method that aims to up the drinkability of younger wine, making them fruit-forward and tasty. That’s what happening here with their Orion and Regent grape varietals. Both hailing from Germany, Orion is a hardy grape that’s ideal for short growing seasons (and dour British weather) whilst Regent provides body and keep tannins low whilst giving the colour to this Rosé.

Not your average Rosé colour

And what a gorgeous colour it is! Provence has a lot to answer for, basically making Rosé wine synonymous with pale pink, but this has character. A lovely hue, to be sure. On the nose, it’s a wonderful bouquet. Thanks to the carbonic maceration, you get a blast of strawberry, almost to an artificial (but not unpleasant!) degree. Somewhere in there is an almost cidery smell, possibly brought on by the dead yeast at the bottom of the bottle.

However, once you get past the brilliant colour and enticing aromas, the taste fall very, very short. Immediately you recognise this as incredibly light-bodied, almost like water. The enticing aromas I mentioned above? All toned-down, subtle to the point of elusive, like a whisper. Acid? Gone. Tannins? You’re having a laugh. The only thing that could’ve been left was fruit, and it’s like you’ve turned up at 5pm at the farm shop. Everything’s gone. This essentially turned into strawberry-flavoured Volvic. It’s a searing disappointment to a promising start.

IYKYK

I’d have been more interested if it actively tasted bad. But there’s just nothing to write home about. I did notice that when drank at colder temperatures, it was more pleasant in the mouth, feeling a tad thicker. But that’s all the grace I’m going to give this wine.

That being said, I can see a context where I’d enjoy this wine more. Super chilled, on a hot summers day with friends. It is eminently drinkable, just boring. No one is going to be raving about this wine, and if you just need something that refreshes in between conversations, that’s okay. But in and of itself, it doesn’t really have a leg to stand on. Especially not when it’s over £20 for the pleasure…

I’m not going to give up on my Natural Wine journey, or my Welsh Wine journey for that matter! I love the stories behind Natural Wine, and the people who produce them. I very much think there’s better Welsh Wine out there, I just need to save a few pennies and get the good stuff. I guess this means the only way I can go is up, right?

Chin Chin,

Your Welsh-Wine-Learning, Disappointed-Sad-Boy, Natural-Wine-Hunting, Wine Review Ben

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