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Monday, 9 April 2012
Glassware, when, what
A brief discussion (I could go on a lot longer!) about glassware and how it makes a difference to your wine tasting/drinking experience. Originally featured in TWD Magazine January and February Issues.
Does glassware make a difference? The answer is yes, no and maybe. The hardest part about glassware is a lot of it comes down to personal preference, although it is quite a fascinating topic once you delve into it. A lot of factors effect how a glass can change the way you perceive a wine; the size and shape of the bowl, the size of the aperture, the lip - is it a cut or rolled rim and how it is shaped to deliver the wine onto your palate. And not to be overlooked is aesthetics. If it looks good before you've taken a sip, you will probably receive the wine more favourably. Thankfully there is no right or wrong on this topic as stated before, a lot of it comes down to your preference.
To continue our study on glassware, this month we will focus on shapes and styles. First up, everyone really needs the classic Riesling/Sangiovese shape as modelled above (Riedel Vinum Riesling Grand Cru glass). It is a great shape for most varieties and most occasions. It is especially good for aromatic whites - Riesling, Pinot Gris and lighter reds - Sangiovese and Gamay. If you were going to buy one glass, this is the one.
Aromatic reds such as Pinot Noir, Grenache or Nebbiolo and fuller whites like big Chardonnay or Viognier benefit from large bowled glasses that are akin to brandy balloons to allow the aromatics to shine. I'd recommend a shape like the Burgundy glass above.
For more structured reds - Cabernet, or Shiraz, taller glasses with a smaller opening do the trick, putting the focus on the structure. They tend to deliver the wine is such a way to focus the structure on the palate. The Bordeaux style glass above is the go.
For Champagne or sparkling wine, flutes are great for traditional styles. But when I am drinking Grower Champagne or sparkling with a really interesting base wine, it has to be in a proper wine glass like the Riesling style. Is that wrong? No, I feel it allows the bubbles to die off and the more interesting characters in the wine to flourish. But ultimately it comes down to my preference. I would recommend you give it a go: The worst that could happen is you drink some Grower Champagne!
Not recommended is drinking from the following wine 'glass'...
Not crystal clear? Let me know what you think
Does glassware make a difference? The answer is yes, no and maybe. The hardest part about glassware is a lot of it comes down to personal preference, although it is quite a fascinating topic once you delve into it. A lot of factors effect how a glass can change the way you perceive a wine; the size and shape of the bowl, the size of the aperture, the lip - is it a cut or rolled rim and how it is shaped to deliver the wine onto your palate. And not to be overlooked is aesthetics. If it looks good before you've taken a sip, you will probably receive the wine more favourably. Thankfully there is no right or wrong on this topic as stated before, a lot of it comes down to your preference.
 |
| Riesling Style Glass |
 |
| Burgundy Style Glass |
Aromatic reds such as Pinot Noir, Grenache or Nebbiolo and fuller whites like big Chardonnay or Viognier benefit from large bowled glasses that are akin to brandy balloons to allow the aromatics to shine. I'd recommend a shape like the Burgundy glass above.
 |
| Bordeaux Style Glass |
For Champagne or sparkling wine, flutes are great for traditional styles. But when I am drinking Grower Champagne or sparkling with a really interesting base wine, it has to be in a proper wine glass like the Riesling style. Is that wrong? No, I feel it allows the bubbles to die off and the more interesting characters in the wine to flourish. But ultimately it comes down to my preference. I would recommend you give it a go: The worst that could happen is you drink some Grower Champagne!
Not recommended is drinking from the following wine 'glass'...
Not crystal clear? Let me know what you think
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.
Friday, 23 March 2012
How To Drink A Birth Year Magnum
First published on Tuesday, 30 December 2008 on www.ieatidrinkiwork.com.au
Lanson is one of the oldest champagne houses, founded in 1760. They source fruit from 800 acres (approx 323.2 hectares) of vineyards in Champagne. They make a great range of wines and the vintage is always lovely and great value.
Additional information to the story. Added 24/03/2012.
As it would turn out, the perfect way to drink my birth year magnum was on a glorious day in November '09 at Bress Winery in Harcourt. Adam Marks and his wife Lynne put on a lovely lunch for myself, my wife Kristina and S.A. friends Matt & Tel.
The wine was in great shape, developed of course, but in no way over the hill and in fact remarkably bubbly in both senses of the word. Strong savoury, brioche, caramel and nutty notes were interwoven with floral, citrus and spice. The palate was rich and full. Still going strong but definitely developed.
The magnum was a catalyst for a very long day, thankfully Matt doesn't drink so we could get home.
Interestingly the day ended when Lynne, quite sensibly suggested Adam needed to go inside and we should head home. But lets never mention that again. And just remember the good times.
Overall, I would definitely say that is how you drink a birth year magnum: Friends and good food. The memory of which will stay with me forever.
It has been something of a habit over the years. Here are a few other birth year wines, drunk with less consternation and more... well, Gusto. All are fondly remembered.
.jpg "Lanson Brut 1982") |
| What a handsome fellow he is. |
After the initial buzz of being given a magnum of Lanson
1982 died away, I realised the person who had given me the present had also
created quite a serious problem. What do I do with 1500ml of vintage champagne?
Obviously, I will drink it, but putting to one side my wife’s idea that the two
of us should just crack it now, I need to work out who I should share it with.
How many people? What sort of food? And most importantly, how might I console
myself in the case that it has passed its best or is faulty?
I have to drink the wine soon as it is quite old, but the
generally held view that champagne is ready to drink when released doesn't
always hold true. Vintage champagne can age gracefully and evolve into a very
different (but equally appealing) drink. Even some non-vintage blends improve
with time. It just depends on how much you love the fresh, racy, zesty flavours
of youth compared to the more savoury richness and fullness of age. My magnum
also has the advantage of being "recently disgorged", which means it
has been on lees for most of its 26 years and was only disgorged in the past
few years. The lees -- the dead yeast cells from the secondary fermentation in
the bottle -- have a preservative effect on the wine which slows down its
evolution, but also adds more complexity and richness as those cells break down
and become part of the wine.
.jpg "Lanson Brut 1982") |
| I have kept the bottle. It survived the great cull of 2011. |
Conventional wisdom says you get five to six decent glasses
out of a standard bottle (750ml), so if I limit myself to six people it means
everyone gets two glasses from the magnum. Trying to choose who to share the
Lanson with is proving more stressful than choosing wedding guests. I find I
now spend my spare moments looking at people, thinking "I like you, but
are you Lanson worthy?"
The issue of food is less stressful. Given the champagne
will have big flavours and a fair bit of weight I would choose something
flavoursome, rich and savoury. Crayfish, white meats or pâté are all classic
choices.
I guess the simplest thing to do is to take the magnum, two
back up bottles of champagne and five friends to my favourite restaurant. Out
of interest, I emailed Lanson to ask what they suggested I do. They failed to
comment on whether the wine would still be drinking well, which is
understandable because after 26 years in the bottle there is no guarantee
(especially when sealed with cork!). The winemaker did, however, have a helpful
suggestion: the wine would be "the ideal choice for a romantic
evening". Maybe my wife is on to something!Lanson is one of the oldest champagne houses, founded in 1760. They source fruit from 800 acres (approx 323.2 hectares) of vineyards in Champagne. They make a great range of wines and the vintage is always lovely and great value.
Additional information to the story. Added 24/03/2012.
.jpg "Me Leroy, Lanson and Ngeringa - the line up for lunch.") |
| Yep, I was excited. (And hairy). |
The wine was in great shape, developed of course, but in no way over the hill and in fact remarkably bubbly in both senses of the word. Strong savoury, brioche, caramel and nutty notes were interwoven with floral, citrus and spice. The palate was rich and full. Still going strong but definitely developed.
The magnum was a catalyst for a very long day, thankfully Matt doesn't drink so we could get home.
Interestingly the day ended when Lynne, quite sensibly suggested Adam needed to go inside and we should head home. But lets never mention that again. And just remember the good times.
Overall, I would definitely say that is how you drink a birth year magnum: Friends and good food. The memory of which will stay with me forever.
.jpg "Lanson Brut 1982 The big moment.") |
| Look at that bead. It was full of life. |
It has been something of a habit over the years. Here are a few other birth year wines, drunk with less consternation and more... well, Gusto. All are fondly remembered.
.jpg "Hospices de Beaune, Troplong Mondot, Coulee de Serrant.") |
| Not surviving the cull of 2011 - Birth Year Bottle of Burgundy. Bought in Burgundy. |
.jpg "Leeuwine Estate, Mount Mary, Andre Clouet, Jacquesson.") |
| Also not surviving - Mount Mary Pinot and Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet from '82 |
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.
 |
| 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.
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Riesling To The Occasion
Imagine coming back from holiday and a supplier asking if you'd like to attend a large Riesling tasting featuring some of the best German producers (with a few ring ins). Well that is what happened, and of course I said "Oh God yes!". It is after all the best way to ease back into the working cycle (don't believe me? Try it for yourself).
In my mind Riesling is the ultimate terroirist - it transmits the flavours of the soil it is grown so faithfully. Couple this with the fact that Riesling tends to reject outright any wine maker influences that could cover these natural characters (think new oak or malo) and you've got the a pretty unstoppable force.
Might I also add to this that Riesling is delicious!
So many highlights... So much lovely Riesling.
JL Wolf -Dr Loosen's sister estate in Pfalz. Brilliant wines. Wachenheimer Riesling 2009 was so amazing. Pure, clean, mineral, great perfume and great balance. Just so drinkable, but the balance points to a long and healthy life ahead of it.
Donnhoff Nahe based, they make trocken (dry) styles and also QMP wines (ask what this is). Their mango and tropical, off dry, fleshy and intense Norheimer Kirschheck Spaltese 07 was excellent and certainly lingered in my mouth after I had spat. Equally good was their dry Niederhauser Hermannshole Grosse Gewaches 08, spices and herbal, tight young, citric and texturally appealling.
Heymann-Lowenstein Making dry wines from the Northern part of the Mosel known as the Terrassenmosel (not surpringly the vineyards are terraced in this area). These guys make some truly amazing Riesling!. The entry level Schieferterrassen had it all. Very expressive wet stones (in a good way), pepper & spices, stonefruits. It is long, dry, intense, silky and just a hint of bitterness. The Von Blauem Schiefer was the next step up in intensity and presence. The Rottgen was dense, grapey and appley, floral. The perfume dances over your palate. Superb wine! Their Kirchberg was similar to the Rottgen but had more of everything and great length. The best was last for sure. Uhlen Rothlay showed floral, apples, grapes, spice. So young and pure. It's youthful simplicity coupled with an amazing mouthfeel made this wine a pleasure to taste.
A. Christmann Another of the Pfalz brigade (it is a really great and underappreciated region!). The whole line up of trocken wines were perfumed, and full of finesse and class. The Grosse Gewaches in particular are worth mentioning. However we were treated to a very small (but still, extremely generous) taste of his Idig #1 Eiswein. A wine made from grapes left to freeze on the vine. Sauternes like concentration and intensity. Really complex, really satiny mouthfeel. A little taste is often enough because the flavours lingers for so long. Beautiful!
Wittman calls Rheinhessen home. their wines are pure and direct. Some good perfume lift with some more 'funky' sort of notes too. They had an interesting Silvaner on tasting too. Nice to try some of these quirky varieties.
Brundlmayer So these guys are Austrian, not German. But the wines are really, really good. A couple of pretty Gruner Veltliners (Yum!) and some mineral laden, clean and fruitful Rieslings.
Georg Breuer Those who are paying attention may remember we've sold some of these wines before. I do love the wines from Breuer. This time there was only the Berg Roseneck to taste, but it showed all the hallmark pretty florals and fruits with the underlying structure and power.
Ring ins
Huber Germans making Pinot Noir? And Pinot Blanc? Yep, that is what we have here. They were brilliant too. The Noir was like a light and minerally Mercurey and the Blanc was spicy, white fruited and citric with and oaky/creamy finish.
Pittnauer Austrian Reds Zweigelt and St Laurent. Hard to compare to other varieties. They are both dense, savoury, meaty with a savoury undergrowth character. The St Laurent is more silky and dense. The Zwiegelt leaner and more savoury.
Sadly I did not get to taste everything, but I was easing myself back in after all...
 |
| This is what the grape in question may look like. |
In my mind Riesling is the ultimate terroirist - it transmits the flavours of the soil it is grown so faithfully. Couple this with the fact that Riesling tends to reject outright any wine maker influences that could cover these natural characters (think new oak or malo) and you've got the a pretty unstoppable force.
Might I also add to this that Riesling is delicious!
So many highlights... So much lovely Riesling.
JL Wolf -Dr Loosen's sister estate in Pfalz. Brilliant wines. Wachenheimer Riesling 2009 was so amazing. Pure, clean, mineral, great perfume and great balance. Just so drinkable, but the balance points to a long and healthy life ahead of it.
Donnhoff Nahe based, they make trocken (dry) styles and also QMP wines (ask what this is). Their mango and tropical, off dry, fleshy and intense Norheimer Kirschheck Spaltese 07 was excellent and certainly lingered in my mouth after I had spat. Equally good was their dry Niederhauser Hermannshole Grosse Gewaches 08, spices and herbal, tight young, citric and texturally appealling.
Heymann-Lowenstein Making dry wines from the Northern part of the Mosel known as the Terrassenmosel (not surpringly the vineyards are terraced in this area). These guys make some truly amazing Riesling!. The entry level Schieferterrassen had it all. Very expressive wet stones (in a good way), pepper & spices, stonefruits. It is long, dry, intense, silky and just a hint of bitterness. The Von Blauem Schiefer was the next step up in intensity and presence. The Rottgen was dense, grapey and appley, floral. The perfume dances over your palate. Superb wine! Their Kirchberg was similar to the Rottgen but had more of everything and great length. The best was last for sure. Uhlen Rothlay showed floral, apples, grapes, spice. So young and pure. It's youthful simplicity coupled with an amazing mouthfeel made this wine a pleasure to taste.
 |
| This is what they mean by Terrassenmosel. |
A. Christmann Another of the Pfalz brigade (it is a really great and underappreciated region!). The whole line up of trocken wines were perfumed, and full of finesse and class. The Grosse Gewaches in particular are worth mentioning. However we were treated to a very small (but still, extremely generous) taste of his Idig #1 Eiswein. A wine made from grapes left to freeze on the vine. Sauternes like concentration and intensity. Really complex, really satiny mouthfeel. A little taste is often enough because the flavours lingers for so long. Beautiful!
Wittman calls Rheinhessen home. their wines are pure and direct. Some good perfume lift with some more 'funky' sort of notes too. They had an interesting Silvaner on tasting too. Nice to try some of these quirky varieties.
Brundlmayer So these guys are Austrian, not German. But the wines are really, really good. A couple of pretty Gruner Veltliners (Yum!) and some mineral laden, clean and fruitful Rieslings.
Georg Breuer Those who are paying attention may remember we've sold some of these wines before. I do love the wines from Breuer. This time there was only the Berg Roseneck to taste, but it showed all the hallmark pretty florals and fruits with the underlying structure and power.
 |
| Berg Roseneck in all its glory |
Ring ins
Huber Germans making Pinot Noir? And Pinot Blanc? Yep, that is what we have here. They were brilliant too. The Noir was like a light and minerally Mercurey and the Blanc was spicy, white fruited and citric with and oaky/creamy finish.
Pittnauer Austrian Reds Zweigelt and St Laurent. Hard to compare to other varieties. They are both dense, savoury, meaty with a savoury undergrowth character. The St Laurent is more silky and dense. The Zwiegelt leaner and more savoury.
Sadly I did not get to taste everything, but I was easing myself back in after all...
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Sign Up To Our Newsletter And Win Stuff
We are just about to announce the winners from Jan & Feb in our March issue of TWD Magazine. It's not too late to sign up to find out they are.
The Prizes:
Everyone who signs up gets a chance to win a $50 gift voucher. One random winner will be announced each month.
The top referrer each month will be given a special gift (to be decided each month. But it will be awesome). Make sure everyone you talk to nomiates you when they sign up!
The Prizes:
Everyone who signs up gets a chance to win a $50 gift voucher. One random winner will be announced each month.
The top referrer each month will be given a special gift (to be decided each month. But it will be awesome). Make sure everyone you talk to nomiates you when they sign up!
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