I will cheerfully admit I am a huge fan of Austrian wines. When a winemaking teacher tipped me off to the existence of Gruner Veltliner it opened up a whole world of textural, aromatic white wines that are almost more fun to smell than to drink (almost but not quite!). After years of enjoying Austria's Riesling and Gruner the importer decided to challenge us with reds. Yep, reds from Austria. Made from native grapes that suit the climate. And they are very darn good too. I even heard a whisper of some Austrian sparkling eventually coming into the country at some stage too.
So when the importer asked if I would like to showcase some of the Austrian wines I was dead keen.
Austria can be just as confusing as Germany when it comes to decoding what the labels mean. At least they almost always list the variety used on the label. From experience the best thing you can do is get to know the producer and their style after that it is just a matter of working out which is vineyard name, what is marketing speak and what is quality level. The notes from the night can be view here and as always the best way to learn is by doing, so you can purchase the wines here. Feel free to email to chat about an introduction pack for similar.
Champagne Jacquesson Cuvee 735 At the time of the dinner we had no access to Austrian sparkling wine. Champagne would "have to do". I loved the crisp and refreshing nature of the 735. Very zesty, a hint leesy but perfect for a warm night to lead into the aromatics. Jacquesson make some great Champagne that have flavour and interest as a drink but often get forgotten sadly.
Bracket One. Gruner Veltliner - textural wines with power and complexity. Great transmitter of terroir.
Stift Goettweig Grüner Veltliner Gottweiger Berg DAC 2011 Soft, floral, spice (pepper), musk, savoury and dough. The palate was zesty and clean. This wine shows the mid-weight Gruner style, it was so well balanced I found myself emptying the glass sooner than I meant to.
Prager Grüner Veltliner Hinter Der Burg Federspiel 2011 Using 100% stainless steel the Prager team want the purity of variety and terroir to shine. This was noticeably lighter than the other three in the bracket. I enjoyed the pure, fresh, grapey, floral, Clean and doughy notes. The acid was more noticeable in this wine as were the phenolic structure and there was even a hint of the Gruner bitterness too. This made it a very refreshing drink.
Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Axpoint Smaragd 2011 Riper, peach, melon, zesty fruits, mineral/chalk, hint of funk and grapefruit. Great mouthfeel and balance makes this wine a joy to drink. This wine was a bit of a talking point. A lot of people loved the power in the this wine but a few people found it a bit challanging. It really showed the progression from light through to full Gruner.
Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner Loiser Berg 2000 Being able to try an older bottle really puts the wines into context. It is said that old Gruner takes on similar characters to aged White Burgundy. There was plenty of toasty, honey, zesty and tuna characters. The wine still had the purity of floral and grape/grapefruit perfume and the texture was amazing. Just a great example of how well the wines age.
Bracket 2. Riesling - dry wines with drive and purirty.
Domaine Wachau Riesling Terrassen Federspiel 2011 This is "just" the entry level. Wow! Sweet fruits, waxy, grapey, green apple. Very crisp, long and satisfying. The wine was just everything that great Riesling should be. Such an enjoyable drink.
FX Pichler Riesling Loibenberg Smaragd 2011 I must confess a love of Pichler wines. This wine did not disappoint. Pure, spicey, grape and powerful. There was hints of exotic fruits as there was probably a touch of botrytis in here but that only made the wine more complex. Lots of mid palate stuffing in this wine. A hint of saline but just dripping with ripe stone fruits. This is a keeper for sure.
Emmerich Knoll Riesling Vinothekfuellung Smaragd 2011 A mouthful to say and to drink. A blend made for wine bars (Vinothek) in a slightly fuller and more forward style. Lots of spice, red apple and a mixture of overt fruits best summed up as "like a hippy commune". The palate was full and satisfyingly harmonious. Great for drinking now. Will probably improve with time but I'd never find out.
Bründlmayer Riesling Heiligenstein Lyra 2001 A great producer and vineyard from a hotter year and this wine certainly provoked discussion. I loved the silky mouthfeel and fresh toast and cured limes. It was however at the end of its life and definitely needs to be drunk. Some people loved it, some thought it was too old. I think I'd like to restaste to be sure ;)
Bracket 3. Native reds - What are they like? Closest I can come is a divine blend of Nebbiolo, Syrah, Tempranillo and Pinot Noir. You just need to try them.
Pittnauer St. Laurent Dorflagen Villages 2011 St Laurent is thought to have descended from Pinot Noir a long time ago. This is an entry point to the variety and was full of smokey, blood oranges, dirt, mineral and meaty. The palate was tart, with red fruits, soft and tasted of the earth. Fine tannins and a hint silky. I think this variety suits the foods we eat in Australia.
Pittnauer St. Laurent Altenberg 2007 The next step up, a single vineyard example. Darker, fuller and with more pronounced mineral and earth. The palate showed lots of cherry cola and had such a great feel and balance. A very impressive wine that would hold its own next to a lot of more famous Old world wines.
Moric Blaufrankisch Burgenland 2011 Blaufrankisch offers a step up in weight and intensity compared to St Laurent. This village level wine was full of sweet fruits, plums, hint of prune and currants. Although very primary there is a lot of depth and glimpses of savoury notes. The palate is full but not heavy and there is a nice perfume that carries through the wine.
Moric Blaufrankisch Neckenmarkter Alte Reben 2007 Single vineyard from high altitudes. This was a serious wine. Rhone like earthy/limestone and dried meats, red and blue fruits and a fair weight on the mouth backed up with great tannins. I'd love to see this wine with more time in the bottle as it was quite compact at the tasting.
Emmerich Knoll Grüner Veltliner Beerenauslese 2007 500ml To finish we had the pleasure of this sweet wine. Luscious, balanced and seamless. There was a plethora of tropical fruits and floral characters. The perfect way to draw a close to a lovely evening that showed off how good Austrian wines are.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Austrian wines or if you are curious to know more please get in touch.
Showing posts with label cellar love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cellar love. Show all posts
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Dinner With William Downie 10/07/12 at Scopri
It was 5.59pm on Tuesday and I took a call from Matthew Hanson who I have chatted to regularly for well over 5 years now and who runs Fine Wine Appreciation Melbourne http://www.finewineappreciation.com.au/ . He said he had a last minute withdrawal from his William Downie dinner so would I like to come along? "It starts at 7pm" he added. I had been keen to go as I've loved Bill's wines since day two (there is an amusing story about day one but I shall save that for another time!) but the dinner filled up before I responded. Given I had just opened a bottle of wine to cook dinner with and it was corked, it was obviously a sign that I should go. So I did.
Bill Downie has been on a wine making odyssey that has seen him work at tiny producers and large wine factories most notably in Australia and Burgundy. Since 2003 he has also been making Pinot Noir under his own name from the Yarra Valley and subsequently added Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland to the range complemented by a one off wine (or two).
I made it to Scopri - fast becoming my second home with plenty of time to spare and a thirst! The dinner was to be four courses, each matched with a pair of wines Bill had made. Once again I have to say that Scopri's ability to match food to wine is outstanding.
Roasted quail with puy lentils and pancetta
William Downie Mornington Pinot Noir 2011 Red berries, bright fruits, floral, vibrant, pure Mornington Pinot. The palate was tart, clean with a hint of oak and spice, clean and crunchy.
William Downie Mornington Pinot Noir 2008 Much darker in colour and flavour than the 2011. 2008 was much warmer compared to the wet and cold 2011 vintage and it showed in all the wines. Curranty, aniseed, hint savoury.
Richly fruited in the mouth with more muscle and tannin. Great length with red fruits coming up on the finish.
Potato ravioli with veal ragu
William Downie Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2011 Red fruits, spice, earth, jubey, lavender, pepper, dense. Silky, great flesh, vibrant, spice, fine and lean with a flinty note. Very long, fine and even tannins, savoury finish. Much more dense and savoury compared with the Mornington.
William Downie Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2008 Dark, plums, currants, spice, rose petal/floral, lifted.
Rich mouthfeel, ripe fruits, vibrant, sour cherry, muscular tannins and a hint bitter (in the positive refreshing mould), good length.
Braised beef cheeks
William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2011 Tart, tea leaf, smoke, roses, red fruits, blood orange, pretty nose with an earthy edge. The palate showed red fruits that were vibrant and juicy with some dark fruit almost fruit cake like notes. The finish was fine, taut and structured. Great finesse. Possibly my favourite of the 2011s but it really is just splitting hairs and a little bit unfair to compare such young wines.
William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2008 Dark and meaty. Some of the spiced hung meats, oaky, dense and intense. In the mouth it offered lifted lavender, creamy big oxy berries. Sweet fruits, silk, vibrancy, fine fruit tannins, good length and a hint of bitterness.
Italian cheeses
Thousand Candles 2011 This is the first release of this wine. I won't try and replicate Bill's story about this wine because I couldn't fake his passion and belief. But this wine came about when he was asked to make a wine that speaks of the best of what Australia can do. He has full control of the process from the vineyard to the final packaging.
The wine is from one vineyard in the Yarra Valley and is a blend of Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The blend came about because Bill and the team felt that on their own they had three OK wines, but together they had a wine that offered "Truth in the Glass". The wine spoke of where it came from. The wine making process was simply "Whole bunches in a vessel." No destemming, no yeast additions, no crushing, no punched downs or pump overs. Even the Sauv Blanc was made with full stems and skins. In fact it spent almost a year on skins which would be considered almost heresy in most peoples winemaking manuals.
The wine itself was stunning. Dusty, gravel, earth, stemmy, tight, tart red berry fruits, hint sappy with spice. The palate was juicy, vibrant, silky, meaty, with great fruit tannins, smoke/flint. It evolved a lot in the glass. I felt like I could picture the vineyard in my head as I drank it. I'd love to visit the place in the near future. It sounds amazing.
There is quite a lovely story about how the name and the label came about. But that takes a bit of time and if far better to hear from Bill himself.
William Downie Petit Manseng 2009 Hailing from the King Valley, this wine came about because Bill had no Pinot in 09. So rather than compromise he thought he'd find something completely different. Petit Manseng makes brilliant high acid sweet wines in the Southern French region of Jurancon. This wine was a fair facsimilie. Tropical, floral, pure and clean. With a waxy bitterness and piercing acid to balance out the sweetness. It had great intensity and was a lovely way to finish the evening. Only topped by a second glass of the Thousand Candles!
Overall it was a great experience. It's not often I get to taste so many classy Australian wines in one sitting. So I have to say thanks to Matt for the invite and Bill for the wines!
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| Bill's three Pinots.(LtoR) Gippsland, Mornington, Yarra. |
Bill Downie has been on a wine making odyssey that has seen him work at tiny producers and large wine factories most notably in Australia and Burgundy. Since 2003 he has also been making Pinot Noir under his own name from the Yarra Valley and subsequently added Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland to the range complemented by a one off wine (or two).
I made it to Scopri - fast becoming my second home with plenty of time to spare and a thirst! The dinner was to be four courses, each matched with a pair of wines Bill had made. Once again I have to say that Scopri's ability to match food to wine is outstanding.
 |
| The back labels are a bit more informative.... A bit. |
Roasted quail with puy lentils and pancetta
William Downie Mornington Pinot Noir 2011 Red berries, bright fruits, floral, vibrant, pure Mornington Pinot. The palate was tart, clean with a hint of oak and spice, clean and crunchy.
William Downie Mornington Pinot Noir 2008 Much darker in colour and flavour than the 2011. 2008 was much warmer compared to the wet and cold 2011 vintage and it showed in all the wines. Curranty, aniseed, hint savoury.
Richly fruited in the mouth with more muscle and tannin. Great length with red fruits coming up on the finish.
Potato ravioli with veal ragu
William Downie Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2011 Red fruits, spice, earth, jubey, lavender, pepper, dense. Silky, great flesh, vibrant, spice, fine and lean with a flinty note. Very long, fine and even tannins, savoury finish. Much more dense and savoury compared with the Mornington.
William Downie Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2008 Dark, plums, currants, spice, rose petal/floral, lifted.
Rich mouthfeel, ripe fruits, vibrant, sour cherry, muscular tannins and a hint bitter (in the positive refreshing mould), good length.
 |
| Yep, I defaced my menu with all the vital notes you are currently reading. |
William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2011 Tart, tea leaf, smoke, roses, red fruits, blood orange, pretty nose with an earthy edge. The palate showed red fruits that were vibrant and juicy with some dark fruit almost fruit cake like notes. The finish was fine, taut and structured. Great finesse. Possibly my favourite of the 2011s but it really is just splitting hairs and a little bit unfair to compare such young wines.
William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2008 Dark and meaty. Some of the spiced hung meats, oaky, dense and intense. In the mouth it offered lifted lavender, creamy big oxy berries. Sweet fruits, silk, vibrancy, fine fruit tannins, good length and a hint of bitterness.
Italian cheeses
 |
| Thousand Candles - you just have to taste it. |
The wine is from one vineyard in the Yarra Valley and is a blend of Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The blend came about because Bill and the team felt that on their own they had three OK wines, but together they had a wine that offered "Truth in the Glass". The wine spoke of where it came from. The wine making process was simply "Whole bunches in a vessel." No destemming, no yeast additions, no crushing, no punched downs or pump overs. Even the Sauv Blanc was made with full stems and skins. In fact it spent almost a year on skins which would be considered almost heresy in most peoples winemaking manuals.
The wine itself was stunning. Dusty, gravel, earth, stemmy, tight, tart red berry fruits, hint sappy with spice. The palate was juicy, vibrant, silky, meaty, with great fruit tannins, smoke/flint. It evolved a lot in the glass. I felt like I could picture the vineyard in my head as I drank it. I'd love to visit the place in the near future. It sounds amazing.
There is quite a lovely story about how the name and the label came about. But that takes a bit of time and if far better to hear from Bill himself.
William Downie Petit Manseng 2009 Hailing from the King Valley, this wine came about because Bill had no Pinot in 09. So rather than compromise he thought he'd find something completely different. Petit Manseng makes brilliant high acid sweet wines in the Southern French region of Jurancon. This wine was a fair facsimilie. Tropical, floral, pure and clean. With a waxy bitterness and piercing acid to balance out the sweetness. It had great intensity and was a lovely way to finish the evening. Only topped by a second glass of the Thousand Candles!
Overall it was a great experience. It's not often I get to taste so many classy Australian wines in one sitting. So I have to say thanks to Matt for the invite and Bill for the wines!
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Barbaresco Dinner at Matteo's 04/06/12
Continuing my Italian Odyssey (sadly without leaving Melbourne) Patrick's group assembled to taste most of the Single Cru wines from one of the worlds best cooperatives Produttori del Barbaresco
from the fantastic 2007 vintage.
Barbaresco is in the region of Piedmont in North West tip of Italy, you can read a general overview of the region I wrote for TWDs Piedmont Dinner. Barbaresco is made with 100% Nebbiolo, a variety that packs a fair punch with tannin and acid power. They are notable for their ability to age and evolve very slowly for a very long time. The classic descriptor for the variety is "Tar and Roses" supported by a lot of savoury characters with some red fruits.
The 2007 vintage was celebrated for its long ripening season that allowed the grapes to reach maturity and therefore the resulting wines to be aromatic with plentiful but ripe tannin and a rich core of fruit. Something that was a common theme amongst the wines we tasted on the night.
None of these nights would function without Champagne. Happily it was the same one I loved at our last dinner at Mezzo Bar.
Lanson Gold Label Vintage 2002 Zesty and citrus with strong autolytic undertones. Really refreshing and enjoyable.
Sadly we did have to sacrifice doing our regular study of Riesling for this month. But it was for a good cause.
The next eight wines are all from Producttori del Barbaresco and the vintage 2007. They are all single cru (single vineyard). First of all let me say that they were all excellent. They all showed a common theme of savoury wines with a tight core of fruit and a firm, ripe corset of tannins. Trying to split these in terms of quality was almost impossible, but it was well worth the 'headache'.These were all stunning wines and well worth tasting. But the other theme they all had in common is they need a lot of time. Check out TWDs Produttori del Barbaresco offer for pricing and availability.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Asili' Dry, floral - roses, cherry, stones, rubber, limestone, aniseed.
Tart, tannic and bacon fat, fine tannins, minerals, great length, great core, spicy, meaty, long, ripe. A very majestic wine and the wine that stood out to me as being the best in a great lot of wines.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Moccagatta' Dense, earthy, fresh red lift, smokey, blood orange, dusty.
Tart, zesty, clean, crunchy, cardamom, herbal finish, dry fruit tannins.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Montefico' Light, spice, rubber, hint of mint?, sweet plums.
Plush and silky, smoke, mineral, fruit tannins, fruit cake, chocolate, comparatively soft.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Montestefano' Red currants, tart, fine, spice, earth, black stones, soot, pepper.
Round, silky, tart, mineral, fine, hint bitter, cardamom.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Ovello' Roses, floral, red fruits, spice and sweet spices, ripe sweet fruits.
Dry, savoury, very tannic, cinnamon.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Paje' Dark, rubber, blue and black fruit, spice, tea leaf, dense, hint of oak.
Silky, dense, dark fruits, hint oaky palate too.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Pora' Red fruits, fresh, lively, tea leaf, deep, rich cinnamon.
Silky, dense, v tart, clean, cinnamon, good length. A very good wine.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Rio Sordo' Floral, red fruits, stones, tea leaf.
Great balance, red fruits, dry tannins, mineral drive, density and fat. Very, very good wine.
Options Wine - This month was a good lesson in not over thinking this part of the night!
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Asili' 1997 Initially it looked really old. Cloudy, brown and a bit unappealling to the eye. The nose was quite waxy, savoury, tea leaf, hint of VA and a fair whack of aniseed.The palate had undergrowth, sweet fruits, chocolate, red apple, rose petal. Fine, balanced and long.
At first I was thinking old Chateauneuf du Pape, but after re reading my notes for this post I don't know why, it reads like all the other Barbarescos we just tried. When we were told it was Barbaresco and from the same Cru as one of the wines already on the table I remember aniseed and went with the only other wine I had tasted that had that character. So atleast I picked the Cru.
This wine really opened up with time in the glass and with more time it showed its true class and value. These wines are seriously cheap for the quality level.
There was also a Macedon Pinot, glass of beer and a glass of Cognac. None of which I feel the need to remind myself of.
from the fantastic 2007 vintage.
 |
| It is a sight of beauty. |
The 2007 vintage was celebrated for its long ripening season that allowed the grapes to reach maturity and therefore the resulting wines to be aromatic with plentiful but ripe tannin and a rich core of fruit. Something that was a common theme amongst the wines we tasted on the night.
None of these nights would function without Champagne. Happily it was the same one I loved at our last dinner at Mezzo Bar.
Lanson Gold Label Vintage 2002 Zesty and citrus with strong autolytic undertones. Really refreshing and enjoyable.
Sadly we did have to sacrifice doing our regular study of Riesling for this month. But it was for a good cause.
The next eight wines are all from Producttori del Barbaresco and the vintage 2007. They are all single cru (single vineyard). First of all let me say that they were all excellent. They all showed a common theme of savoury wines with a tight core of fruit and a firm, ripe corset of tannins. Trying to split these in terms of quality was almost impossible, but it was well worth the 'headache'.These were all stunning wines and well worth tasting. But the other theme they all had in common is they need a lot of time. Check out TWDs Produttori del Barbaresco offer for pricing and availability.
 |
| Asili defintely stood out. But it was in great company. |
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Asili' Dry, floral - roses, cherry, stones, rubber, limestone, aniseed.
Tart, tannic and bacon fat, fine tannins, minerals, great length, great core, spicy, meaty, long, ripe. A very majestic wine and the wine that stood out to me as being the best in a great lot of wines.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Moccagatta' Dense, earthy, fresh red lift, smokey, blood orange, dusty.
Tart, zesty, clean, crunchy, cardamom, herbal finish, dry fruit tannins.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Montefico' Light, spice, rubber, hint of mint?, sweet plums.
Plush and silky, smoke, mineral, fruit tannins, fruit cake, chocolate, comparatively soft.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Montestefano' Red currants, tart, fine, spice, earth, black stones, soot, pepper.
Round, silky, tart, mineral, fine, hint bitter, cardamom.
 |
| So hard to separate these wines. |
Dry, savoury, very tannic, cinnamon.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Paje' Dark, rubber, blue and black fruit, spice, tea leaf, dense, hint of oak.
Silky, dense, dark fruits, hint oaky palate too.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Pora' Red fruits, fresh, lively, tea leaf, deep, rich cinnamon.
Silky, dense, v tart, clean, cinnamon, good length. A very good wine.
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Rio Sordo' Floral, red fruits, stones, tea leaf.
Great balance, red fruits, dry tannins, mineral drive, density and fat. Very, very good wine.
 |
| So similar yet so different. A great problem to have. |
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Asili' 1997 Initially it looked really old. Cloudy, brown and a bit unappealling to the eye. The nose was quite waxy, savoury, tea leaf, hint of VA and a fair whack of aniseed.The palate had undergrowth, sweet fruits, chocolate, red apple, rose petal. Fine, balanced and long.
At first I was thinking old Chateauneuf du Pape, but after re reading my notes for this post I don't know why, it reads like all the other Barbarescos we just tried. When we were told it was Barbaresco and from the same Cru as one of the wines already on the table I remember aniseed and went with the only other wine I had tasted that had that character. So atleast I picked the Cru.
This wine really opened up with time in the glass and with more time it showed its true class and value. These wines are seriously cheap for the quality level.
 |
| Like a kid at a candy store. |
Fonseca 10yo Tawny Corked - curse the silly things. Given we were already quite full of Nebbiolo it was probably a good thing.
There was also a Macedon Pinot, glass of beer and a glass of Cognac. None of which I feel the need to remind myself of.
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Piedmont Dinner and Masterclass at Scopri 15/05/12
It is with a lot of pride I can write about the inaugural Wine Depository dinner which took place on Tuesday 15th May 2012.
The goal was to have a casual and informative night on one of the worlds great regions: Piedmont. In many ways it is the Italian equivalent of Burgundy, but has a style and charm of its own.
The wines are imported by Peter Johns from Deja Vu and he kindly donated his time and came along to discuss the wines we had selected.
Scopri put together a magnificent menu to match the wines and came to the party by supplying a lot of glassware. Their wine service was second to none and I highly recommend a visit for any wine lover (yes they allow BYO).
You can see the brief notes I prepared for the evening and the order form if you are seriously tempted by what you've read. Orders can be emailed to philip@thewinedepository.com.au
On Arrival Zeppole al Formaggio - Parmesan Fritters
Paitin Roero Arneis 2009 Lovely drinking. Appley, floral, mealy, nice mid weight palate, zesty acidity and clean finishing. This matched brilliantly with parmesan fritters and showed the strength of the whites in the area.
Entree Fettuccine al Ragu Lucano - Handmade fettuccine with traditional three meat ragu
Brezza Barbera d’Alba Santa Rosalia 2009 Showing unoaked Barbera, this wine had the classic cherry & red berry with a hint of roses. The palate was plush, soft and easy drinking. It was a hint simple, but incredibly drinkable and enjoyable. |
Paitin Campolive Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2008 The superiore refers to a wine that has an extra level of ripeness - something that is celebrated in cold climates. This was definitely a step up in quality. It showed more density, earthy, graphite and tea leaf characters to balance out the red berry fruits. The palate made a nice tart element along with a pretty bergamot note. A really great example of Barbera.
Cheese & CoffeeFormaggi Misti - Selection of Italian Cheeses
Luigi Pira ‘Marenca’ Barolo 1998 This really shows how the Pira wines change with a bit of time. It was really tart, zesty, savoury, truffle, aniseed, earth and clay. The palate was silky with a tart mouthfeel. It was still quite young, but the balance was far better. This wine is approachable now but would benefit from about 5-10 (possibly more) years to really come together.
Patrizi Moscato d’Asti 2011 The traditional way to cleanse the palate after a meal before getting stuck into the Grappa. I was a hint sceptical at first, but after tasting it I have seen the light. This is a really lovely, fresh, vibrant slightly fizzy drink that is so refreshing. There was great balance between the grapey, floral notes, the light sweetness and the soft fizz. Contextually it was perfect and really easy drinking.
Brezza Grappa di Barolo NV There were more than a few turned up noses at the poor Grappa. It showed some obvious spirit character. But once you got beyond that you could see hints of the Nebbiolo that had been used to make it. The palate was really clean and I found my self reaching for one of the rejected glasses before too long.
Sadly, that was the end of the night. Apart from our quite old Taxi driver 'educating' us on the 'brilliance' of Justin Timberlake. But that is a story for another night...
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| The private room at Scopri. An ideal setting. |
The wines are imported by Peter Johns from Deja Vu and he kindly donated his time and came along to discuss the wines we had selected.
Scopri put together a magnificent menu to match the wines and came to the party by supplying a lot of glassware. Their wine service was second to none and I highly recommend a visit for any wine lover (yes they allow BYO).
You can see the brief notes I prepared for the evening and the order form if you are seriously tempted by what you've read. Orders can be emailed to philip@thewinedepository.com.au
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| Pira - One of the modern masters of Piedmont. |
Paitin Roero Arneis 2009 Lovely drinking. Appley, floral, mealy, nice mid weight palate, zesty acidity and clean finishing. This matched brilliantly with parmesan fritters and showed the strength of the whites in the area.
Entree Fettuccine al Ragu Lucano - Handmade fettuccine with traditional three meat ragu
Brezza Fossati Dolcetto d’Alba 2008 Choosen to represent the Northern style of Dolcetto. Dry, compost, spice and cloves. Very earthy. The palate was dark, earthy with a stoney minerality. Nice structure too.
Luigi Pira Dolcetto d’Alba 2008 Representing Southern Cru Dolcetto. Red fruits, rose petals, meaty with a hint of 'funky' sulphides and terracotta notes.
The palate was dry, spicy and clean. Despite being light of weight it packed a fair punch of tannins which the fettuccine soaked up brilliantly.
Luigi Pira Dolcetto d’Alba 2008 Representing Southern Cru Dolcetto. Red fruits, rose petals, meaty with a hint of 'funky' sulphides and terracotta notes.
The palate was dry, spicy and clean. Despite being light of weight it packed a fair punch of tannins which the fettuccine soaked up brilliantly.
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| The first bracket of reds certainly set a high standard. |
Brezza Barbera d’Alba Santa Rosalia 2009 Showing unoaked Barbera, this wine had the classic cherry & red berry with a hint of roses. The palate was plush, soft and easy drinking. It was a hint simple, but incredibly drinkable and enjoyable. |
Paitin Campolive Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2008 The superiore refers to a wine that has an extra level of ripeness - something that is celebrated in cold climates. This was definitely a step up in quality. It showed more density, earthy, graphite and tea leaf characters to balance out the red berry fruits. The palate made a nice tart element along with a pretty bergamot note. A really great example of Barbera.
There seemed to be an even split between love for Barbera and Dolcetto at the table.
Mains Spezzatino Rustico di Capretto al Forno - Kid Goat baked 'rustico' with fresh grated pecorino. |
| The big show. Nebbiolo is definitely the pinnicle of Piedmont. |
Bruno Giacosa Casa Vinicola Nebbiolo d’Alba 2009 A lovely entry point to Nebbiolo, but don't let that fool you. This is a seriously good wine! Cherry, roses, tar, spice, waxy apple, earth and tea leaf. The palate showed silky red fruits, tart acidity and spices. It was long, lean and elegant. This is an excellent wine for the price!
Bruno Giacosa Casa Vinicola Barbaresco 2005 Despite its age this was just a baby. Dense, tea leaf, apple skin/waxy, tart red fruits. The palate was savoury, dry, mineral laden, and structured! Young and aggressive now, it was well balanced and has a great future ahead of it. It showed a great core of fruit and a lingering floral note on the finish. This was the most expensive wine on the table and it showed its pedigree really well.
Luigi Pira ‘Marenca’ Barolo 2005 Pira is a modern producer who uses new oak barriques in production of their top wines. This was a fair shift from the much more traditional Giacosa style that uses large format old oak. This really polarised the table, some loved it, some didn't. The wine did really open up and change with air though.
Initially it showed a lot of oaky, coconut and vanilla notes. It really dominated the nose. With air some plums and cherry came through. The palate was tannic, dry and very youthful. This was just a baby and I believe it will age wonderfully. As was proved with the next wine.
Bruno Giacosa Casa Vinicola Barbaresco 2005 Despite its age this was just a baby. Dense, tea leaf, apple skin/waxy, tart red fruits. The palate was savoury, dry, mineral laden, and structured! Young and aggressive now, it was well balanced and has a great future ahead of it. It showed a great core of fruit and a lingering floral note on the finish. This was the most expensive wine on the table and it showed its pedigree really well.
Luigi Pira ‘Marenca’ Barolo 2005 Pira is a modern producer who uses new oak barriques in production of their top wines. This was a fair shift from the much more traditional Giacosa style that uses large format old oak. This really polarised the table, some loved it, some didn't. The wine did really open up and change with air though.
Initially it showed a lot of oaky, coconut and vanilla notes. It really dominated the nose. With air some plums and cherry came through. The palate was tannic, dry and very youthful. This was just a baby and I believe it will age wonderfully. As was proved with the next wine.
 |
| So elegant and refined. |
Luigi Pira ‘Marenca’ Barolo 1998 This really shows how the Pira wines change with a bit of time. It was really tart, zesty, savoury, truffle, aniseed, earth and clay. The palate was silky with a tart mouthfeel. It was still quite young, but the balance was far better. This wine is approachable now but would benefit from about 5-10 (possibly more) years to really come together.
Brezza Grappa di Barolo NV There were more than a few turned up noses at the poor Grappa. It showed some obvious spirit character. But once you got beyond that you could see hints of the Nebbiolo that had been used to make it. The palate was really clean and I found my self reaching for one of the rejected glasses before too long.
Sadly, that was the end of the night. Apart from our quite old Taxi driver 'educating' us on the 'brilliance' of Justin Timberlake. But that is a story for another night...
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Dinner at Mezzo 07/05/2012
Having missed one month due to work pressures, the Mezzo crowd were all pretty keen to catch up and taste some seriously good wine. And we were far from disappointed despite cork playing a starring role in two of the wines. CURSE YOU VILE THINGS! This month the theme was 2004 Burgundy, a vintage that I have tasted a lot of and enjoyed since release. A lot of people don't rate this vintage because it was a cold vintage, but the good producers made excellent wines. The wines below are a good example.
Lanson Gold Label Vintage Champagne 2002 I'm a huge fan of Lanson Champagnes (see why) and this wine only served to further my love. Great texture, zesty, floral, good amount of yeasty/autolytic notes and plenty of life in it. This is one Champagne that definitely lends itself to aging. Even a few years on this would have some of the lovely honey, toast, brioche and truffle notes that good older Champagne develops.
Maurice Ecard Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Narbantons 1er Cru 2004 Floral, mineral, ironstone, chocolate, tea leaf, dried leaf, herbal tart and hint oxidised.
Nice tart acid, clean, fresh, rounded, mineral/stoney, chocolate, very long.
Everything you want from a good Savigny!
Robert Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges Les Vaucrain 1er Cru 2004 From the Southern end of the village of Nuits this wine initially showed signs of TCA. It did also show some good character too. Herbal, dry, leafy sour, pickles, red fruits, potatoes. The nose certainly changed with air.
The palate showed coffee, chocolate, increased density, good flesh, nice tannins if a hint on the astringent side, ironstone. V. long and persistent.
I'd love to see another bottle of this as I have had a few of their 04s and they just had more lift. The makings of an excellent wine were there though.
Jean Grivot Nuits-St-Georges Les Boudots 1er Cru 2004 This vineyard is situated at the Northern end of Nuits right next to Vosne and was served as a bridge between the Chevillon and the Mongeard that followed.
It was lovely, almost wine of the night! Floral, lifted crushed ants, currants, tobacco, blood orange mulch, mulberry.
Dark cherry, tart, chunky tannins, stoney, marachino cherry, hint bitter.
Very enjoyable wine from an excellent producer
Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru 2004 Defintely the wine of the night. Les Suchot is a Premier Cru situated amongst some of the greatest of the Grand Crus. At its best it rivals them. Tonight, it was by far and away the best wine on the table.
It opened up a lot with time in the glass. Coffee, savoury, rocket, pepper, brown spice, clay, meaty, pickle, dense, musky, oak.
On the palate it was dense, silky, pretty, red frutis, musk, violet and cherry. It was a complete Burgundy that just made me happy to be drinking it.
Bruno Deaunay-Bissey Echezeaux Grand Cru 2004 This was an unsual wine. It was green as a they come on the nose, a really good example of why people might dislike the vintage.
The palate was much better though. It had dark fruits, olives and minerals. But it was still tart and green. I have no experience with this producer but it was a shame because it wasn't all that enjoyable.
Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux Grand Cru 2004 Sadly this was a corked as they come. It was almost DNPIM (Did Not Put In Mouth). But curiosity got the best of me and I instantly regretted it. It was definitely and undeniably corked.
Options Wine
Lynch-Bages Pauillac 5th Growth 2004 If you saw my notes from last Matteo's Dinner (here) you would remember the pride I had at picking the options wine. Well it all came undone tonight. I thought it was Italian, then Merlot based and then Patrick gave up and told us what it was.
Earthy, dirt, dense, clay/terracotta, hint beef and pepper.
Fine moderate tannins, limes tones. Long, floral cherries, seductive.
It was an excellent wine but just a baby. It has a lot longer to go yet!
Additional Wines
Grosset Gaia Cabernet 2002 I'm not sure how we came to be drinking Gaia. It was definitely welcome on the table, but as always, Australian wine tends too look sweet, thin and bland after a lot of good European wines.
I thought it looked quite smart if you ignored the French winese. Currants, cherry, clay, earthy, stalky. The palate was silky, elegant and it looked young and lean despite being the equal oldest wine on the table.
Good old screwcaps, sealing in freshness and keeping away nasty cork taint!
Outis Nessuno Etna 2007 So this was the last wine of the night and if you don't know much about it, neither do I. It comes from Sicily and the region is Etna which is near the Mount Etna volcano. The varieties are Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, both of which are native varieties.
It was a lovely drink, but again after all that old wine looked and tasted almost like a fortified. There was some nice characters there.
Lanson Gold Label Vintage Champagne 2002 I'm a huge fan of Lanson Champagnes (see why) and this wine only served to further my love. Great texture, zesty, floral, good amount of yeasty/autolytic notes and plenty of life in it. This is one Champagne that definitely lends itself to aging. Even a few years on this would have some of the lovely honey, toast, brioche and truffle notes that good older Champagne develops.
Maurice Ecard Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Narbantons 1er Cru 2004 Floral, mineral, ironstone, chocolate, tea leaf, dried leaf, herbal tart and hint oxidised.
Nice tart acid, clean, fresh, rounded, mineral/stoney, chocolate, very long.
Everything you want from a good Savigny!
 |
| Most of the 04s we tasted. |
The palate showed coffee, chocolate, increased density, good flesh, nice tannins if a hint on the astringent side, ironstone. V. long and persistent.
I'd love to see another bottle of this as I have had a few of their 04s and they just had more lift. The makings of an excellent wine were there though.
Jean Grivot Nuits-St-Georges Les Boudots 1er Cru 2004 This vineyard is situated at the Northern end of Nuits right next to Vosne and was served as a bridge between the Chevillon and the Mongeard that followed.
It was lovely, almost wine of the night! Floral, lifted crushed ants, currants, tobacco, blood orange mulch, mulberry.
Dark cherry, tart, chunky tannins, stoney, marachino cherry, hint bitter.
Very enjoyable wine from an excellent producer
Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru 2004 Defintely the wine of the night. Les Suchot is a Premier Cru situated amongst some of the greatest of the Grand Crus. At its best it rivals them. Tonight, it was by far and away the best wine on the table.
It opened up a lot with time in the glass. Coffee, savoury, rocket, pepper, brown spice, clay, meaty, pickle, dense, musky, oak.
On the palate it was dense, silky, pretty, red frutis, musk, violet and cherry. It was a complete Burgundy that just made me happy to be drinking it.
 |
| The Two Echezeaux |
The palate was much better though. It had dark fruits, olives and minerals. But it was still tart and green. I have no experience with this producer but it was a shame because it wasn't all that enjoyable.
Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux Grand Cru 2004 Sadly this was a corked as they come. It was almost DNPIM (Did Not Put In Mouth). But curiosity got the best of me and I instantly regretted it. It was definitely and undeniably corked.
Options Wine
Lynch-Bages Pauillac 5th Growth 2004 If you saw my notes from last Matteo's Dinner (here) you would remember the pride I had at picking the options wine. Well it all came undone tonight. I thought it was Italian, then Merlot based and then Patrick gave up and told us what it was.
Earthy, dirt, dense, clay/terracotta, hint beef and pepper.
Fine moderate tannins, limes tones. Long, floral cherries, seductive.
It was an excellent wine but just a baby. It has a lot longer to go yet!
 |
| Lynch Bages 2004 - Awesome wine. Just a baby. |
Additional Wines
Grosset Gaia Cabernet 2002 I'm not sure how we came to be drinking Gaia. It was definitely welcome on the table, but as always, Australian wine tends too look sweet, thin and bland after a lot of good European wines.
I thought it looked quite smart if you ignored the French winese. Currants, cherry, clay, earthy, stalky. The palate was silky, elegant and it looked young and lean despite being the equal oldest wine on the table.
Good old screwcaps, sealing in freshness and keeping away nasty cork taint!
 |
| Awesome Aussie Cabernet - Grosset Gaia 2002 |
Outis Nessuno Etna 2007 So this was the last wine of the night and if you don't know much about it, neither do I. It comes from Sicily and the region is Etna which is near the Mount Etna volcano. The varieties are Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, both of which are native varieties.
It was a lovely drink, but again after all that old wine looked and tasted almost like a fortified. There was some nice characters there.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Wines From The Cellar
Over the past little while I've been tasting wines from TWD's cellar to make sure they are still in good condition (yep, that is the real reason for sure!). Here are some of the highlights.
You can see the current list here and email any orders or questions to: philip@thewinedepository.com.au
DOMAINE RASPAIL-AY GIGNONDAS 2008 & 1998
Founded in 1854 with 18 hectares under vine planted to Grenache (80%) Syrah (15%) and Mourvedre (5%) proprietor Dominique-Ay keeps things very simple at Gigondas’ (a highly under rated appellation in Southern Rhone) finest address – one red and one Rosé. The Raspail-Ay Gigondas reflects the appellation’s characteristics faithfully in an elegantly robust style which needs four or so years for the tannins to meld with the wine.
The 2008 shows all the youthful Grenache dark fruits, with raspberry and rose lift backed up with a strong savoury streak, lovely fine structure and a mouth filling weight. Needs a bit of air but is lovely.
The 1998 shows stunning similarities to the 2008 with more leather and earth characters coming through. Still altogether and in great health.
CHATEAU DE BEAUCASTEL COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL 2008
One of the top Chateauneuf du Pape producers. Stunning wines that age well and impress no end. One of the few producers to actively use all the 13 permitted varieties. This wine is from their vineyards just outside of the Chateauneuf boundary but still offers great depth and plenty of rich fruit. Dense fruit cake, chocolate, earth, gravel, leather, game, olives and spices. Very dry palate with firm tannins but with the flesh to balance it out. Opens up with air and offers some red fruits and roses.
ROCKFORD DRY COUNTRY BAROSSA VALLEY GRENACHE 1995
An icon of the Barossa and Australia. They make great wines and wines to last. This is more red berries and a hint sweeter than the Rhones but no less impressive or drinkable. The extra fruit and floral components balance out the strong meaty, peppery and leather notes.
COLLECTOR WINES LAMP LIT WHITE 2010
Small batches and made by hand with a lot of care. The fruit sourced around the Canberra District, these wines have been impressive since day one. A classy example of Marsanne (with a hint of Roussanne and Viognier) – really fragrant, honeysuckle, peach and melons with a floral lift. The palate is rich and generous of flavour but is not fat or oily. There is the slightest hint of funk/doughy/leesy character which adds a nice dimension. Really lovely drinking.
DOMAINE AUX MOINES SAVENNIERES-ROCH-AUX-MOINES 1997
Savennieres is a neighbour of Vouvray but not nearly as well-known region with only Nicholas Joly producing wines that you hear of. This Domaine, headed by a clearly talented Mother & daughter team makes some truly fascinating wines. A lovely example of older Chenin Blanc. Minerally with tight acid, pepper and spices. Pears and stone fruits. Lovely floral lift. Showing some caramel development with a hint of smoke. The palate is rich but with a steely dryness and a lime like acid streak.
DOMAINE BAUMARD SAVENNIERES 1996
A sadly unheralded producer of some of the best whites in the world. Again, all made from Chenin Blanc and made with love and attention to terroir. These wines will age for a long time, but make some fascinating drinking all through their life. Very clean and pure, precise minerally acid that everything else is built around. Showing youthful stone fruits, stones and a hint of honey. This is a great drink.
FRANKLAND ESTATE ROCKY GULLY RIESLING 2010
Frankland Estate is one of Australia's best Riesling producers. Making wines from the Frankland River Region in Southern Western Australia, they use a lot of German, Austrian and Alsatian techniques to make textured and complex Rieslings and more. This is one of their entry level wines and looking to be bargain of the year! Floral, lovely layers of flavour and great structure. This a stunning example of what they can do.
KILLIBINBIN BLEND LANGHORNE CREEK 2002 Langhorne Creek for many years has been bolstering the big brand wines from South Australia – mostly anonymously. Which is a shame because the region has great potential in its own right. This is a lovely Cab/Shiraz blend that has richness, plenty of flavour – dark and red berries, leather, spice, earth and a hint of spirit (without being hot). The palate is lush and delicious. Drinking beautifully now.
JOSEPH FAIVELEY CLOS DE ROI MERCUREY 1ER CRU 1996 Faiveley are a large business in Burgundy who own large parcels all over the Cotes. Including 70ha in Mercurey – a mostly overlooked region South of the Cote d’Or. The wines here make a lighter, more minerally, cleaner style. But as this wine shows, they still offer great drinking AND great value. Minerals, iron stone with rose petals, raspberries and tart red fruits. The palate is lean and clean with fine grain tannins that linger. Really impressive drinking.
DOM MONGEARD-MUGNERET CHAMBOLLE MUSIGNY 2004 A lovely producer of silky, rich Burgundies that are drinkable young, but have a surprising knack of holding on for longer than you may think. This is a really impressive effort from a difficult year. Lots of red fruits, dark plums and olives with a hint of stem. Shows the typical Chambolle like silk, flesh and vibrancy.
You can see the current list here and email any orders or questions to: philip@thewinedepository.com.au
DOMAINE RASPAIL-AY GIGNONDAS 2008 & 1998
Founded in 1854 with 18 hectares under vine planted to Grenache (80%) Syrah (15%) and Mourvedre (5%) proprietor Dominique-Ay keeps things very simple at Gigondas’ (a highly under rated appellation in Southern Rhone) finest address – one red and one Rosé. The Raspail-Ay Gigondas reflects the appellation’s characteristics faithfully in an elegantly robust style which needs four or so years for the tannins to meld with the wine.
The 2008 shows all the youthful Grenache dark fruits, with raspberry and rose lift backed up with a strong savoury streak, lovely fine structure and a mouth filling weight. Needs a bit of air but is lovely.
The 1998 shows stunning similarities to the 2008 with more leather and earth characters coming through. Still altogether and in great health.
CHATEAU DE BEAUCASTEL COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL 2008
One of the top Chateauneuf du Pape producers. Stunning wines that age well and impress no end. One of the few producers to actively use all the 13 permitted varieties. This wine is from their vineyards just outside of the Chateauneuf boundary but still offers great depth and plenty of rich fruit. Dense fruit cake, chocolate, earth, gravel, leather, game, olives and spices. Very dry palate with firm tannins but with the flesh to balance it out. Opens up with air and offers some red fruits and roses.
ROCKFORD DRY COUNTRY BAROSSA VALLEY GRENACHE 1995
An icon of the Barossa and Australia. They make great wines and wines to last. This is more red berries and a hint sweeter than the Rhones but no less impressive or drinkable. The extra fruit and floral components balance out the strong meaty, peppery and leather notes.
COLLECTOR WINES LAMP LIT WHITE 2010
Small batches and made by hand with a lot of care. The fruit sourced around the Canberra District, these wines have been impressive since day one. A classy example of Marsanne (with a hint of Roussanne and Viognier) – really fragrant, honeysuckle, peach and melons with a floral lift. The palate is rich and generous of flavour but is not fat or oily. There is the slightest hint of funk/doughy/leesy character which adds a nice dimension. Really lovely drinking.
DOMAINE AUX MOINES SAVENNIERES-ROCH-AUX-MOINES 1997
Savennieres is a neighbour of Vouvray but not nearly as well-known region with only Nicholas Joly producing wines that you hear of. This Domaine, headed by a clearly talented Mother & daughter team makes some truly fascinating wines. A lovely example of older Chenin Blanc. Minerally with tight acid, pepper and spices. Pears and stone fruits. Lovely floral lift. Showing some caramel development with a hint of smoke. The palate is rich but with a steely dryness and a lime like acid streak.
DOMAINE BAUMARD SAVENNIERES 1996
A sadly unheralded producer of some of the best whites in the world. Again, all made from Chenin Blanc and made with love and attention to terroir. These wines will age for a long time, but make some fascinating drinking all through their life. Very clean and pure, precise minerally acid that everything else is built around. Showing youthful stone fruits, stones and a hint of honey. This is a great drink.
FRANKLAND ESTATE ROCKY GULLY RIESLING 2010
Frankland Estate is one of Australia's best Riesling producers. Making wines from the Frankland River Region in Southern Western Australia, they use a lot of German, Austrian and Alsatian techniques to make textured and complex Rieslings and more. This is one of their entry level wines and looking to be bargain of the year! Floral, lovely layers of flavour and great structure. This a stunning example of what they can do.
KILLIBINBIN BLEND LANGHORNE CREEK 2002 Langhorne Creek for many years has been bolstering the big brand wines from South Australia – mostly anonymously. Which is a shame because the region has great potential in its own right. This is a lovely Cab/Shiraz blend that has richness, plenty of flavour – dark and red berries, leather, spice, earth and a hint of spirit (without being hot). The palate is lush and delicious. Drinking beautifully now.
JOSEPH FAIVELEY CLOS DE ROI MERCUREY 1ER CRU 1996 Faiveley are a large business in Burgundy who own large parcels all over the Cotes. Including 70ha in Mercurey – a mostly overlooked region South of the Cote d’Or. The wines here make a lighter, more minerally, cleaner style. But as this wine shows, they still offer great drinking AND great value. Minerals, iron stone with rose petals, raspberries and tart red fruits. The palate is lean and clean with fine grain tannins that linger. Really impressive drinking.
DOM MONGEARD-MUGNERET CHAMBOLLE MUSIGNY 2004 A lovely producer of silky, rich Burgundies that are drinkable young, but have a surprising knack of holding on for longer than you may think. This is a really impressive effort from a difficult year. Lots of red fruits, dark plums and olives with a hint of stem. Shows the typical Chambolle like silk, flesh and vibrancy.
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Dinner At Matteo's 02/04/12
A memorable night for two reasons - some truly amazing wines, and the fact that two people pulled out last minute so there was a lot more wine than we needed. The plus side was there was no real disappointments, the downside was it was hard to decide what not to drink.
We started of course with Champagne and then did a horizontal of German Rieslings from 2007, five Hermitage, an option wine and Port.
Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve NV BCS is always a lovely drink, zesty, mid-weight and with a spicy oystershell note. Clean enough to make you down the first glass before you know what has happened.
Donnhoff Tonschiefer Riesling Trocken Nahe 2007 White peach, floral, candied lime, chalky, dense nose and very tropical. The palate is silky, showing mango flesh, tropical fruits, spice and quite zingy acid. Long finishing and unbelieveably enjoyable.
Dr Burklin Wolf Wachenheimer Altenberg Riesling Trocken Pfalz 2007 I would venture that the cork or storage had let this wine down just a little. It was dirty, kerosene, spice and a sulphur like note. It was developed beyond the other two whites.
The palate was full and powerful, chalky and quite balanced but a hint simple. I've had quite a few of these producers wines and this is not the norm. Shame.
Joh Jos Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Mosel 2007 Obviously a different beast because it is quite sweet compared to the two dry wines. It definitely showed too. Floral, vibrant, peaches, grapes and pepper. The vibrancy follows through into the mouth along with the floral notes, citrus and flint. The mouthfeel is lush and silky, it is incredibly long lasting and really well balanced - it does not finish sweet.
This is just a baby and certainly showed the most potential to improve.
Guigal Hermitage 1999 Guigal always offer good drinking and this wine really set the tone for the bracket. Smoke, iodine, limestone, green olives, toast, spice, pepper, meaty, oak.
Sweet red fruits reminiscent of wine gums, olives, liquorice, spices, hint burnt, hint toffee, very long, vibrant, generous.
Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage 1999 Darker and more backwards than Guigal, brooding, oxidised dark berries, pepper, hint of brett? and herbal notes.
The palate was floral, blue and black fruited, silky and lush, tangy acid, meaty, chocolate with nice fine elegant tannins, just a hint of portiness. Very, very long.
Delas Feres Hermitage 1997 Grassy almost gruyere like, herbal, red fruits, floral, almost Burgundian and a hint meaty.
Palate is dry, astringent with a floral and tropical fruit sort of finish. Savoury minerals, smoke, spice, tea leaf, mouth filling and great length.
Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage 1997 Again, this wine was oxidised or poorly stored. It showed coffee, choco and a strong sherry/port/madeira character. It showed impeccable pedigree though.
Gritty tannins, dry and bitter and a hint rubbery. There was some silk to balance it out and porty and clove notes. I'm positive there are better bottles out there and I suspect they will be brilliant.
JL Chave Hermitage 1997 Smoke, spice, dense, raw oak - sappy, stoney, soot, iodine, brown spice, liquorice. The nose on this wine was amazing. It was a clear step up in quality (which is saying something!).
The palate was savoury, silky, elegant, fresh, fine characters of smoke, chocolate, oak, dry spice, dry earth, tea and a hint tropical/pineapple.
This wine was really, really good.
Option Wine
Chapoutier Cote Rotie 1997 The worst question in wine options? Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Rhone. You think they would be so easy. But with age, there is a lot of crossover between characters. Thankfully this wine smelt similar enough for me to place it in the Rhone but the tannins were sufficiently different for me to put it out of Hermitage. Stunning wine.
Smokey, sausages, gruyere, red fruis, tea leaf.
Full palate with a spine of tannins, chocolate, smokey and meaty, peaty with a hint of cheese. Quite savoury.
Cockburns Quinta Dos Canais Vintage Port 2008 Young port is always a mouthful and can be hard to see the quality. The wine was dense, elegant and balanced with a hint of orange rind and a strong impression that it wants to be left alone for another 10-15 years.
We started of course with Champagne and then did a horizontal of German Rieslings from 2007, five Hermitage, an option wine and Port.
Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve NV BCS is always a lovely drink, zesty, mid-weight and with a spicy oystershell note. Clean enough to make you down the first glass before you know what has happened.
 |
| Three excellent Riesling producers |
Donnhoff Tonschiefer Riesling Trocken Nahe 2007 White peach, floral, candied lime, chalky, dense nose and very tropical. The palate is silky, showing mango flesh, tropical fruits, spice and quite zingy acid. Long finishing and unbelieveably enjoyable.
Dr Burklin Wolf Wachenheimer Altenberg Riesling Trocken Pfalz 2007 I would venture that the cork or storage had let this wine down just a little. It was dirty, kerosene, spice and a sulphur like note. It was developed beyond the other two whites.
The palate was full and powerful, chalky and quite balanced but a hint simple. I've had quite a few of these producers wines and this is not the norm. Shame.
Joh Jos Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Mosel 2007 Obviously a different beast because it is quite sweet compared to the two dry wines. It definitely showed too. Floral, vibrant, peaches, grapes and pepper. The vibrancy follows through into the mouth along with the floral notes, citrus and flint. The mouthfeel is lush and silky, it is incredibly long lasting and really well balanced - it does not finish sweet.
This is just a baby and certainly showed the most potential to improve.
 |
| These were the Fantastic five Hermitage. (Please excuse the dodgy stitch). |
Guigal Hermitage 1999 Guigal always offer good drinking and this wine really set the tone for the bracket. Smoke, iodine, limestone, green olives, toast, spice, pepper, meaty, oak.
Sweet red fruits reminiscent of wine gums, olives, liquorice, spices, hint burnt, hint toffee, very long, vibrant, generous.
Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage 1999 Darker and more backwards than Guigal, brooding, oxidised dark berries, pepper, hint of brett? and herbal notes.
The palate was floral, blue and black fruited, silky and lush, tangy acid, meaty, chocolate with nice fine elegant tannins, just a hint of portiness. Very, very long.
Delas Feres Hermitage 1997 Grassy almost gruyere like, herbal, red fruits, floral, almost Burgundian and a hint meaty.
Palate is dry, astringent with a floral and tropical fruit sort of finish. Savoury minerals, smoke, spice, tea leaf, mouth filling and great length.
Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage 1997 Again, this wine was oxidised or poorly stored. It showed coffee, choco and a strong sherry/port/madeira character. It showed impeccable pedigree though.
Gritty tannins, dry and bitter and a hint rubbery. There was some silk to balance it out and porty and clove notes. I'm positive there are better bottles out there and I suspect they will be brilliant.
JL Chave Hermitage 1997 Smoke, spice, dense, raw oak - sappy, stoney, soot, iodine, brown spice, liquorice. The nose on this wine was amazing. It was a clear step up in quality (which is saying something!).
The palate was savoury, silky, elegant, fresh, fine characters of smoke, chocolate, oak, dry spice, dry earth, tea and a hint tropical/pineapple.
This wine was really, really good.
 |
| Given to us blind, it is one of the few mystery wines I've picked 100% correctly - it is harder than it sounds. |
Option Wine
Chapoutier Cote Rotie 1997 The worst question in wine options? Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Rhone. You think they would be so easy. But with age, there is a lot of crossover between characters. Thankfully this wine smelt similar enough for me to place it in the Rhone but the tannins were sufficiently different for me to put it out of Hermitage. Stunning wine.
Smokey, sausages, gruyere, red fruis, tea leaf.
Full palate with a spine of tannins, chocolate, smokey and meaty, peaty with a hint of cheese. Quite savoury.
 |
| Some of the best VPs I've had were Single Quinta rather than the 'big show'. |
Cockburns Quinta Dos Canais Vintage Port 2008 Young port is always a mouthful and can be hard to see the quality. The wine was dense, elegant and balanced with a hint of orange rind and a strong impression that it wants to be left alone for another 10-15 years.
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Good Old Burgundy
A nice relaxing lunch yesterday at Mr Bianco in Kew was a great excuse to pull out a bottle that had been burning a hole in my cellar.
We started with a bottle of the Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling 2010 - You've no doubt heard me go on (and on) about it before, but it is stunning. Here are my original notes. Such beautiful perfume, great balance and great flavours.
J Confuron Contetidot Nuits-St-Georges 1988 - Re-released a few years ago direct from the Domaine this wine was stunning when it landed and possibly even better yesterday.
The colour had held up beautifully, a light strawberry with just a tinge of orange. But I believe these guys have used a lot of stems in production which could easily account for the orange (rather than it being obvious signs of age).
At first smell it was quite tart and made my heart sink a little. But as it had time in the glass it developed beautiful rose petal, cherry, and raspberry notes. There was plenty of pepper, gravel/ironstone/iodine and savoury notes. Overall though, it was remarkably fresh and vibrant.
The palate was mid-weight, had a good attack of red berries and crunchy acid on the front. As the wine swept back there was a silkiness and flesh that softened me up and then the Nuits-St-Georges tannins kicked in hefty but fine, gritty and long lingering. Luckily the classic Burgundian 'peacocks tail' perfume was also present and made for a beautifully long lasting experience after each sip. This is all the more impressive that it is Village level, not Premier or Grand Cru. Great old Burgundy indeed!
I first tasted this producer in about 2003 when the tasting group I was organising went through a line up of their 2001s to try and understand 'house style' and as a great excuse to taste six awesome Burgs. They own 7 hectare in the Cotes de Nuits. They tend to use cold soaks before fermantation with all the stems (imagine making a tea like infusion out of the crushed grapes and their stems). Stems tend to give the wine a tart, acidic edge which is great if they are ripe but can be mouthpuckeringly sour if they are not. This can mean that the producer sacrifices immediate appeal for long term drinking. The best exponents of the use of stems tend to make the most long lived Burgs in my experience.
Therefore this Domaine is often best enjoyed with some bottle age.
We started with a bottle of the Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling 2010 - You've no doubt heard me go on (and on) about it before, but it is stunning. Here are my original notes. Such beautiful perfume, great balance and great flavours.
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| A graphic depiction of the label. If you see one of these, grab it! |
J Confuron Contetidot Nuits-St-Georges 1988 - Re-released a few years ago direct from the Domaine this wine was stunning when it landed and possibly even better yesterday.
The colour had held up beautifully, a light strawberry with just a tinge of orange. But I believe these guys have used a lot of stems in production which could easily account for the orange (rather than it being obvious signs of age).
At first smell it was quite tart and made my heart sink a little. But as it had time in the glass it developed beautiful rose petal, cherry, and raspberry notes. There was plenty of pepper, gravel/ironstone/iodine and savoury notes. Overall though, it was remarkably fresh and vibrant.
The palate was mid-weight, had a good attack of red berries and crunchy acid on the front. As the wine swept back there was a silkiness and flesh that softened me up and then the Nuits-St-Georges tannins kicked in hefty but fine, gritty and long lingering. Luckily the classic Burgundian 'peacocks tail' perfume was also present and made for a beautifully long lasting experience after each sip. This is all the more impressive that it is Village level, not Premier or Grand Cru. Great old Burgundy indeed!
I first tasted this producer in about 2003 when the tasting group I was organising went through a line up of their 2001s to try and understand 'house style' and as a great excuse to taste six awesome Burgs. They own 7 hectare in the Cotes de Nuits. They tend to use cold soaks before fermantation with all the stems (imagine making a tea like infusion out of the crushed grapes and their stems). Stems tend to give the wine a tart, acidic edge which is great if they are ripe but can be mouthpuckeringly sour if they are not. This can mean that the producer sacrifices immediate appeal for long term drinking. The best exponents of the use of stems tend to make the most long lived Burgs in my experience.
Therefore this Domaine is often best enjoyed with some bottle age.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Matteo's Dinner 06/02/12 - Bring A Bottle Night
One of the highlights of the year is Patrick's Bring A Bottle Night. Not to take away from his hard and inspired work of assembling wines of a theme and quality suitable for our demanding palates, but on this night everyone pulls out all stops to bring a bottle of incredible quality.
We did have a few corked/NQR wines this night. However, in the past, we've had an unbelieveably good strike rate.
The rules are simple:
* Each person brings one bottle.
* This bottle is least 10 years old and from a classic European Region.
* Each wine is served blind. Only the convener of the night knows all the wines.
* Each wine is guessed using the 'options' game.
* A good night is had by all.
This night we indulged in...
Larmandier Bernier Brut Tradition NV Champagne Still my go to Champagne when I have the luxury to drink it. Floral, good stone fruits, plenty of chalky/minerally/stoney notes. Great balance on the palate. Opens up with time in the glass as it gets warmer. Delicious. All hail the king of the growers!
Josmeyer Pinot Gris Vieilles Vignes 1997 Alsace Smells lovely. Floral, lime, pure, crystalline, talc, banana skin, dry and savoury.
The palate is lean with nice mouthfeel, very clean, hint oxidised on the finish. A great drink.
Muller Caroir Haatdter Burgergarten Riesling Trocken 2000 Pfalz Spice, peaches, melons, floral and lime. Just a whiff of liquid paper (but in a good way if that makes sense?).
Zesty, dry, citrus icypole. Less body than the Josmeyer but really refreshing.
Dr Burklin Wolf Ruppertsberger Geisbohl Riesling Spatlese 1970 Pfalz Really rich. Crab meat like, peppermint, toasty, minerally/stoney, buttery.
A lot of richness on the palate. Hints of botrytis, honey, creme brulee and spice. Looking really good for its age.
Incidentally I tasted this wine with Patrick about 9 years previously as a young, timid and beardless wine sales assistant. It tastes better than I remembered then.
Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape 1999 Rhone Valley This was my wine. I smelt it in my initial run through and thought, "Gee I hope that isn't mine". D'Oh!!!! It was stale, that is all I can say. It wasn't corked. Didn't seem oxidised. It was just stale. I have tasted this wine previously and it was stunning. As James Halliday once said, "There are no great old wines. Just great old bottles."
Rayas Pignan Chateauneuf du Pape 2001 Rhone Valley Stoney, red fruits, floral, compost, zesty. Perhaps a hint of brett? (what is brett?)
Silky, meaty/bretty, vibrant fruits, dry leaves, pickles. A really enjoyable wine from a great producer.
Sassacaia Bohlgeri 2000 (update 26/3/12 thank you anonymous) Tuscany The initial offering of a Barolo was corked. So our generous donator went and sourced a bottle of Super Tuscan to fill in our line up. Frustratingly, I did not write down the vintage. I shall find it and correct this error!
Bananas, vibrant, liqueur fruit compote, caramelly oak.
Rich, ripe, vibrant, jelly fruits, very firm tannins. Young, dense, tight, syrupy fruits and tar.
Impressive wine, very young though and has a lot of time ahead of it.
Hammand-Geoffrey Gevrey Chambertin La Bossiere 1er Cru Monopole 1998 Burgundy Dry, minerally, stoney, tea leaf, zesty.
The palate was rich, light, mineral laden clean and fresh.
Chateau Ferrand Lartigue St-Emilion 1996 Bordeaux Beautiful nose. Pure, rich, lifted, cheesy. Lovely.
Light, pretty, fresh, aromatic. A very Burgundian Bordeaux in a lot of ways.
Chateau Cos d'Estournel St Estephe 1993 Bordeaux Pea, straw/grass, red fruits, smoke, minerals.
Dry, stoney, silky, pepper and jelly fruits.
This is one of my fav Bordeaux Chateau. It is always a pleasure to taste this wine!
Chateau Lagrange St Julien 1995 Bordeaux Corked. Sadly. It happens. What did James Halliday say again?
Chateau Soutard St Emilion Grand Cru 1989 Bordeaux Pure, dry leaf, herbal, minerals.
Silky palate, dark fruits, meaty, jelly fruits,
currants, dry tannins. Resembles an old Coonawarra Cab.
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1989 Bordeaux Pure, dark, steak, plums, currants, floral/violets.
Silky, pure, dry spice, seamless, clay notes, tobacco.
Another of my fav Bordeaux. It was looking spectacular!
Fonseca Vintage Port I missed the vintage of this wine too. However, it was young, vibrant and rich. Like any of the charming Grand Marque Port houses.
We did have a few corked/NQR wines this night. However, in the past, we've had an unbelieveably good strike rate.
The rules are simple:
* Each person brings one bottle.
* This bottle is least 10 years old and from a classic European Region.
* Each wine is served blind. Only the convener of the night knows all the wines.
* Each wine is guessed using the 'options' game.
* A good night is had by all.
This night we indulged in...
Larmandier Bernier Brut Tradition NV Champagne Still my go to Champagne when I have the luxury to drink it. Floral, good stone fruits, plenty of chalky/minerally/stoney notes. Great balance on the palate. Opens up with time in the glass as it gets warmer. Delicious. All hail the king of the growers!
Josmeyer Pinot Gris Vieilles Vignes 1997 Alsace Smells lovely. Floral, lime, pure, crystalline, talc, banana skin, dry and savoury.
The palate is lean with nice mouthfeel, very clean, hint oxidised on the finish. A great drink.
Muller Caroir Haatdter Burgergarten Riesling Trocken 2000 Pfalz Spice, peaches, melons, floral and lime. Just a whiff of liquid paper (but in a good way if that makes sense?).
Zesty, dry, citrus icypole. Less body than the Josmeyer but really refreshing.
Dr Burklin Wolf Ruppertsberger Geisbohl Riesling Spatlese 1970 Pfalz Really rich. Crab meat like, peppermint, toasty, minerally/stoney, buttery.
A lot of richness on the palate. Hints of botrytis, honey, creme brulee and spice. Looking really good for its age.
Incidentally I tasted this wine with Patrick about 9 years previously as a young, timid and beardless wine sales assistant. It tastes better than I remembered then.
Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape 1999 Rhone Valley This was my wine. I smelt it in my initial run through and thought, "Gee I hope that isn't mine". D'Oh!!!! It was stale, that is all I can say. It wasn't corked. Didn't seem oxidised. It was just stale. I have tasted this wine previously and it was stunning. As James Halliday once said, "There are no great old wines. Just great old bottles."
Rayas Pignan Chateauneuf du Pape 2001 Rhone Valley Stoney, red fruits, floral, compost, zesty. Perhaps a hint of brett? (what is brett?)
Silky, meaty/bretty, vibrant fruits, dry leaves, pickles. A really enjoyable wine from a great producer.
Sassacaia Bohlgeri 2000 (update 26/3/12 thank you anonymous) Tuscany The initial offering of a Barolo was corked. So our generous donator went and sourced a bottle of Super Tuscan to fill in our line up. Frustratingly, I did not write down the vintage. I shall find it and correct this error!
Bananas, vibrant, liqueur fruit compote, caramelly oak.
Rich, ripe, vibrant, jelly fruits, very firm tannins. Young, dense, tight, syrupy fruits and tar.
Impressive wine, very young though and has a lot of time ahead of it.
Hammand-Geoffrey Gevrey Chambertin La Bossiere 1er Cru Monopole 1998 Burgundy Dry, minerally, stoney, tea leaf, zesty.
The palate was rich, light, mineral laden clean and fresh.
Chateau Ferrand Lartigue St-Emilion 1996 Bordeaux Beautiful nose. Pure, rich, lifted, cheesy. Lovely.
Light, pretty, fresh, aromatic. A very Burgundian Bordeaux in a lot of ways.
Chateau Cos d'Estournel St Estephe 1993 Bordeaux Pea, straw/grass, red fruits, smoke, minerals.
Dry, stoney, silky, pepper and jelly fruits.
This is one of my fav Bordeaux Chateau. It is always a pleasure to taste this wine!
Chateau Lagrange St Julien 1995 Bordeaux Corked. Sadly. It happens. What did James Halliday say again?
Chateau Soutard St Emilion Grand Cru 1989 Bordeaux Pure, dry leaf, herbal, minerals.
Silky palate, dark fruits, meaty, jelly fruits,
currants, dry tannins. Resembles an old Coonawarra Cab.
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1989 Bordeaux Pure, dark, steak, plums, currants, floral/violets.
Silky, pure, dry spice, seamless, clay notes, tobacco.
Another of my fav Bordeaux. It was looking spectacular!
Fonseca Vintage Port I missed the vintage of this wine too. However, it was young, vibrant and rich. Like any of the charming Grand Marque Port houses.
Monday, 13 February 2012
Adventures with Olde Wines.
A little while ago I purchased a couple of crates of old wines from Australia. They were cheap and came with no guarantees where they had been kept or what shape they were in. I've had a few wines that were good enough to warrant the price of the whole purchase and I have slowly gone through the wines when I am in the mood to freely pour wine down the sink because it is terrible.
My most recent attempt included four such bottles. They weren't all bad, I did enjoy one small glass of the Redman Claret 69 - it had red fruits and a rose petal like note, it just was faded and not built to last 43 years. And the Osicka's Cabernet NV (from the 70s, probably a blend of vintages) was still reminisciently Cabernet. But too dried out to actually enjoy.
There is a point to this story: When tasting old wine, always have a back up... or two. Thankfully mine performed superbly.
My most recent attempt included four such bottles. They weren't all bad, I did enjoy one small glass of the Redman Claret 69 - it had red fruits and a rose petal like note, it just was faded and not built to last 43 years. And the Osicka's Cabernet NV (from the 70s, probably a blend of vintages) was still reminisciently Cabernet. But too dried out to actually enjoy.
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| The 'misses' |
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| The Back ups |
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Is It Cellarable?
Originally feature in our TWD Magazine October and November Issues.
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So I do bang on a lot about cellaring wine. You've all probably heard me talk about it or read how good and important it is. So I guess I should equip you with at least the basic knowledge on what makes a wine cellarable (it's not price!). For me it is balance. If all of the wines' parts; acid, tannin, flavours, sugar (where applicable), alcohol and even savouriness are all in balance and nothing sticks out overtly then it will probably age quite well. In the same vein, if a wine is seriously lacking in any of these qualities then it will probably struggle. The problem with a balanced wine is that is it often easy to overlook. Wines with a strong defining feature will often stick in our brains for that very reason. It is the one flaw in Australia's excellent show judging circuit... More to come on this topic.
Last month I started explaining what makes a wine cellarable. To summerise; the balance of the wine is the key. There are, of course, always exceptions. Hunter Semillon, which can seem so piercingly acidic young, ages so well and so gracefully it is truly one of the treasures of the world. It builds weight and stuffing in the bottle. Nebbiolo (especially from the regions of Barolo and Barbaresco) is another example. Traditional styles are unbelieveably tannic on release; so astringent they can border on unpleasant if you have to taste more than a few. But these tannins (somewhat) meld into the wine so the beauty and elegance comes to the fore.
Is there a quick way to know this? No, apart from asking someone who has experience in the matter. The only way to learn is to taste wines both young and old and try to see the connection. It takes a lot of practise. Yep, that's right. Practise drinking wine.
Does this help or does it pose more questions? Let me know via email, or on Facebook.
Sign Up here or email us
So I do bang on a lot about cellaring wine. You've all probably heard me talk about it or read how good and important it is. So I guess I should equip you with at least the basic knowledge on what makes a wine cellarable (it's not price!). For me it is balance. If all of the wines' parts; acid, tannin, flavours, sugar (where applicable), alcohol and even savouriness are all in balance and nothing sticks out overtly then it will probably age quite well. In the same vein, if a wine is seriously lacking in any of these qualities then it will probably struggle. The problem with a balanced wine is that is it often easy to overlook. Wines with a strong defining feature will often stick in our brains for that very reason. It is the one flaw in Australia's excellent show judging circuit... More to come on this topic.
Last month I started explaining what makes a wine cellarable. To summerise; the balance of the wine is the key. There are, of course, always exceptions. Hunter Semillon, which can seem so piercingly acidic young, ages so well and so gracefully it is truly one of the treasures of the world. It builds weight and stuffing in the bottle. Nebbiolo (especially from the regions of Barolo and Barbaresco) is another example. Traditional styles are unbelieveably tannic on release; so astringent they can border on unpleasant if you have to taste more than a few. But these tannins (somewhat) meld into the wine so the beauty and elegance comes to the fore.
Is there a quick way to know this? No, apart from asking someone who has experience in the matter. The only way to learn is to taste wines both young and old and try to see the connection. It takes a lot of practise. Yep, that's right. Practise drinking wine.
Does this help or does it pose more questions? Let me know via email, or on Facebook.
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Matteo's Dinner 05/12/11
One of my most favourite traditions (second only to Burgundy on Boxing Day) is Patrick's Monday dinners held on second month at Matteo's in Brunswick.
This month we looked at four German Rieslings from the excellent vintage of 2007 and three Bordeaux from the much overlooked 2001. Plus the usual Champagne on arrival and mystery wine to finish.
My highlights were the Von Buhl & Kunster Rieslings and the Ferriere. Of course it is quite hard. At these dinners the quality of wine we drink means some great wines are overlooked.
*A NOTE OF WINE NAMES*
So when you get to the German wine names don't freak out. All those words mean something (mainly where they are from and the quality/ripeness level) and sort of mean nothing. German wines with short names are generally not as interesting! Email me if you want an explaination
On Arrival
The Champage was De Sousa Grand Cru NV Blanc de Blancs - No great thing. Have made better wines at cheaper prices. But the Champagne always suffers once the food and the main show arrives.
Entrees
Muller Catoir Haardter Burgergarten Spatlese Trocken 07 - Dirty, dough, zest, mineral, peach, hint of lime. Balanced and clean, long. Lovely wine, but the most simple of the three sound wines. Will definitely improve with time though.
Von Buhl Jesuitengarten Forst Trocken Grosses Gewachs 07 - Lime, floral fresh, dough, hint of soda water, slate/stone. Great harmony, length, delicate, perfumed, dense back palate, v. long. V. impressive. Unfortunately v hard to get hold of any.
Franz Kunstler Holle Grosses Gewachs 07 - Kerosene, dirt, floral notes and minerals. The palate was spicy, long and mineral. Very clean, and a bit chalky. Great wine, all compact and ready to spring into action in 15 or more years.
Von Buhl Paradiesgarten Deidesheim Trocken Grosses Gewachs 07 - Corked. Curse those vile pieces of bark.
Mains
Figeac St Emilion 1er Grand Cru 01 - Hint alcoholic, cherry choco, cheesy, caramel/oaky, dry spice. Quite silky, bitter choco, dark spice, rich mouthfeel, dry tannins. Good wine, a good olde worlde take on a new world style.
Pontet Canet Pauillac 5th Growth 01 - I think this was slightly oxidised. But still quite drinkable. Dark fruits, hint backwards (oxy), herbal, plums, meaty, hung meats, floral notes, smoke. Pepper and dry - clay like notes.
Montrose St Estephe 2nd Growth 01 - Classy, violets, sweet red & black fruits, currants, spiced ham. Rich in the mouth with lovely silk, a floral lift. Was long and clean. Impressive.
Mystery Wine
Ferriere Margaux 3rd Growth 98 En Magnum - Beautifully perfumed and floral. V pure, hint varnish, dried meats, brown earth, pepper and oak. Very silky with fine dry tannins. The wine did fade a bit, but the initial taste was brilliant. Comfirms that magnums are the perfect storage vessel.
No port to finish. Disappointing, but given I had a cold and could barely hear, probably the wiser option.
This month we looked at four German Rieslings from the excellent vintage of 2007 and three Bordeaux from the much overlooked 2001. Plus the usual Champagne on arrival and mystery wine to finish.
My highlights were the Von Buhl & Kunster Rieslings and the Ferriere. Of course it is quite hard. At these dinners the quality of wine we drink means some great wines are overlooked.
*A NOTE OF WINE NAMES*
So when you get to the German wine names don't freak out. All those words mean something (mainly where they are from and the quality/ripeness level) and sort of mean nothing. German wines with short names are generally not as interesting! Email me if you want an explaination
On Arrival
The Champage was De Sousa Grand Cru NV Blanc de Blancs - No great thing. Have made better wines at cheaper prices. But the Champagne always suffers once the food and the main show arrives.
Entrees
Muller Catoir Haardter Burgergarten Spatlese Trocken 07 - Dirty, dough, zest, mineral, peach, hint of lime. Balanced and clean, long. Lovely wine, but the most simple of the three sound wines. Will definitely improve with time though.
Von Buhl Jesuitengarten Forst Trocken Grosses Gewachs 07 - Lime, floral fresh, dough, hint of soda water, slate/stone. Great harmony, length, delicate, perfumed, dense back palate, v. long. V. impressive. Unfortunately v hard to get hold of any.
Franz Kunstler Holle Grosses Gewachs 07 - Kerosene, dirt, floral notes and minerals. The palate was spicy, long and mineral. Very clean, and a bit chalky. Great wine, all compact and ready to spring into action in 15 or more years.
Von Buhl Paradiesgarten Deidesheim Trocken Grosses Gewachs 07 - Corked. Curse those vile pieces of bark.
Mains
Figeac St Emilion 1er Grand Cru 01 - Hint alcoholic, cherry choco, cheesy, caramel/oaky, dry spice. Quite silky, bitter choco, dark spice, rich mouthfeel, dry tannins. Good wine, a good olde worlde take on a new world style.
Pontet Canet Pauillac 5th Growth 01 - I think this was slightly oxidised. But still quite drinkable. Dark fruits, hint backwards (oxy), herbal, plums, meaty, hung meats, floral notes, smoke. Pepper and dry - clay like notes.
Montrose St Estephe 2nd Growth 01 - Classy, violets, sweet red & black fruits, currants, spiced ham. Rich in the mouth with lovely silk, a floral lift. Was long and clean. Impressive.
Mystery Wine
Ferriere Margaux 3rd Growth 98 En Magnum - Beautifully perfumed and floral. V pure, hint varnish, dried meats, brown earth, pepper and oak. Very silky with fine dry tannins. The wine did fade a bit, but the initial taste was brilliant. Comfirms that magnums are the perfect storage vessel.
No port to finish. Disappointing, but given I had a cold and could barely hear, probably the wiser option.
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