2022 is the best vintage so far for Wognum winery Siem Loos. “2018 was also very nice, but this year surpasses it.” He is therefore looking forward to the first wines made from the top harvest with great anticipation.
Loos is very enthusiastic between the tanks where, among other things, red and white wines are still maturing. Where real wine regions in Southern Europe had a hard time, it was different with him. The cause: a warm dry summer and, above all, stable weather. Very different from the year before, when it was wet spanner in the works threw.
Exceptionally high sugars
It is not the same that many more bottles can be filled, but it is mainly reflected in the quality, Loos explains. “The percentage of natural sugars was fantastic. As a result, we were already at 12 percent alcohol. That is exceptional for us, we usually have to add something. And anything you don’t have to do about it is of course great.”
The first wine is now in the bottle. A sparkling wine: ‘Secco, the Miracle of West Friesland’. So time to taste something. Loos has invited two vinologist friends for this.
Fruity nose and a roughening apricot skin
They are enthusiastic about the Secco, while they waltz, smell, taste and spit out again. Still, the favorite turns out to be a white wine still in the tank. Made with a special yeast made for more northern vineyards. “A very fruity nose, peach, citrus and green apples”, is the first verdict.
“It was fresh, had nice notes of citrus. And also the slightly roughening of an apricot skin. It was a real pleasure,” says viticulturist Martijn Dekker. He is still critical of the last wine, made with a Johanniter grape. “It just needs to sit for a while. If we give it a few more months, you will see that the acids and aromas integrate better with each other. That really makes it better.”
So just a little patience, although winegrower Siem Loos can’t wait to see what else is possible. “Perhaps a cuvée”, or a composite of several other wines. Anyway, he is satisfied with the initial reviews. “But the consumer determines whether I have made my wine well. They have to buy it and say: we will come back for that.”