Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Visiting Jim Law and his Linden Vineyards with Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux, USA

Picture: Anne Cuvelier from the Cuvelier family that owns Chateau Leoville-Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux. Jim Law from Linden Vineyards and Christian G.E. Schiller

Anne Cuvelier from the Cuvelier family (that owns, inter alia, Chateau Leoville-Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux) was in town (Washington DC) for the Heart’s Delight Event. On the side, Annette Schiller from wine tours by ombiasy organized a winemaker dinner with her at Eola on P Street in Dupont Circle in Washington DC. Anne also wanted to visit Virginia wineries. We visited 3 of the leading wineries in Virginia, all three of them intertwined with Bordeaux: Boxwood, Linden, RdV.

For more on the visits with Anne Cuvleier, see:
Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Visiting Rutger de Vink and his RdV Vineyards with Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux
Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Visiting Jim Law and his Linden Vineyards with Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux, USA
Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Tasting Through Recent Vintages at Boxwood Winery in Virginia: With Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville - Poyferre in Bordeaux, Annette Schiller from Wine Tours by Ombiasy and Boxwood Winery General Manager Rachel Martin, USA (forthcoming)
Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Touring Virginia with Anne Cuvelier, Chateau Leoville-Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux (forthcoming)

See here for the Leoville Poyferre Dinner at Eola:
Château Léoville-Poyferré Winemaker Dinner with Anne Cuvelier at Eola in Washington DC, USA

For upcoming ombiasy wine tours by Annette Schiller, see:
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

This posting focuses on Linden. We visited Linden Vineyards in the early afternoon. We were guided by Jonathan Weber, who is Linden’s cellar master. Later, Shari Avenius, Linden’s General Manager and Owner/Winegrower of Avenius Vineyard and Jim Law joined us.

Pictures: Anne Cuvelier from the Cuvelier, Shari Avenius, Linden’s General Manager and Owner/Winegrower of Avenius Vineyard, Annette Schiller from wine tours by ombiasy, Linden's Cellarmaster Jonathan Weber and Christian G.E. Schiller at Linden

For more on Linden, see here:
TasteCamp 2012 in Virginia, USA – A Tour d’Horizont
Jim Law and Linden Vineyards in Virginia – A Profile, USA

Linden Vineyards

Jim Law, with family help, purchased what was then an abandoned hardscrabble farm in 1983. The first 6 acres were cleared and prepared for planting. The 1985 planting included Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Vidal and Seyval. The first vintage was 1987 and the first release and opening of the winery was in 1988.

Pictures: Linden Vineyards

“In 2002 we built our dream crush/press facility that we believe will put us in the position to make great wines. New sorting tables and the gentler handling of grapes have already yielded wines with more purity and finesse” said Jim.

Pictures: Anne Cuvelier from Leoville Poyferre, Shari Avenius, Linden’s General Manager and Owner/Winegrower of Avenius Vineyard, Annette Schiller from wine tours by ombiasy, Linden's Cellarmaster Jonathan Weber and Christian G.E. Schiller at Linden

Three vineyards supply all the grapes used to make Linden wines: Hardscrabble, the estate vineyard, 21 acres surrounding the winery; Boisseau, 4 acres, 7 miles west of Linden, and Avenius, 5 acres, less than one mile north of Linden Vineyards.

Jim Law

An Ohio native, Jim is the owner/winemaker of Linden Vineyards and winegrower of Hardscrabble. He studied in Europe. 2 years teaching of agriculture as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zaire led to the desire to grow grapes.

Pictures:Annette Schiller, Christian G.E. Schiller and Didier Cuvelier at Château Léoville-Poyferré in St. Julien. For more see: Lunch with Didier Cuvelier at Château Léoville-Poyferré in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux

Jim’s first vineyard job was in Indiana where he traded work for a place to live. He then got a real job in Ohio at Chalet Debonne where he learned the nuts and bolts of grape growing and cellar work. In 1981 Jim was hired to start a winery in the Shenandoah Valley where he fell in love with the area and viticultural possibilities. In the mid 1980s, while establishing Linden Vineyards, he consulted for other wineries and taught winegrowing at local community colleges.

Shari Avenius

Shari is Linden’s Director and Owner/Winegrower of Avenius Vineyard. A New York native, she went to college in Virginia. Since 1989 Shari’s background in laboratories and management has made Linden a well-oiled machine. Along with all her responsibilities at Linden, Shari planted her own eponymous vineyard in 1996.

Linden Wines

Jim Law: “I am always mindful that a wine’s first job is to complement a meal. Because of this I prefer wines that have good acidity and structure, with moderate alcohol. My inspiration comes from Europe. The vineyards are my focus. Soil, site and micro-climate are more important than grape variety. We are winegrowers and our best wines carry the vineyard designation on the label.

Pictures: In the Cellar

Many of our wines are unfined or unfiltered. We work hard in the vineyard to get as much concentration from the grape as possible. We are non-interventionists in the cellar. The result is wine with more flavor and texture. This can be at the expense of sediment or haze in the bottle. This is a risk that we feel is worth the benefit.”

Vineyard Practices

“Our vineyard practices are French inspired. For many years I traveled to California to learn techniques and philosophies in the vineyard. Eventually it became apparent that I needed to look east rather than west. In the non-Mediterranean viticultural areas of France, growers experience situations similar to ours here in the mountains of Virginia: diverse soils, erratic weather and a small scale. They have learned to micro-manage each site according to its needs. They have learned how to change vineyard practices as the growing season unfolds: hot, wet, dry, cold.”

Pictures: Jim Law in the Hardscrabble Vineyard during a Visit in May 2012

We got a tour of the Hardscrabble Vineyard by Jonathan Weber.

Pictures: Touring Hardscrabble Vineyard

Tasting Linden Wines

We started with some barrel tasting in the cave. Then we moved on and had 4 wines in the tasting room.

Avenius Chardonnay 2011

The Avenius site is known for its rocky soils and thus produces leaner wines with mineral characteristics.

Floral notes combined with lemon and a hint of vanilla on the nose, reminds me of a Chablis, fresh, lemon and mineral notes on the palate, good finish

Avenius Chardonnay 2010

I picked up citrus and tree fruit notes on the nose, very fresh (no malolactic), mineral aromas and good acidity on the palate, with an lively finish

Pictures: Tasting - Shari Avenius, Anne Cuvelier, Jim Law and Christian G.E. Schiller (and Jonothan Weber and Annette Schiller)

Hardscrabble Red 2010

Hardscrabble Vineyard is on top of the Blue Ridge at 1,200 to 1,400 feet with an eastern to southern slope. moderately shallow, well drained rocky, mineral soils give depth, structure and length. Vines planted from 1985 to 2006. Older vines planted at a density of 600 to 800 vines per acre. Younger vineyards at 1,500 to 2,500 vines per acre.

83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot  and 3% Petit Verdot.

Red fruits and cedar notes on the nose, prominent tannins with flavors of cherries, raspberries and hints of black pepper on the palate, good finish.

Hardscrabble Red 2009

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 7% Cabernet Franc.

Jim Law: The 2009 vintage included for the first time our new steep slope plantings. We hand sort before destemming and then again afterwards to remove pink berries and stem pieces. 15% bleed. An average of 5 days cold soak. Fermentation begins naturally (no added yeast) in small one-ton fermenters. Punched down and pumped over averaging two times per day. Extensive post fermentation macerations make for a total cuvaison of 28 to 30 days. Malo in barrels. The wine was aged in new (50%) and slightly used French oak barrels for 21 months. Bottled July of 2011. Nose: Blueberry jam, pâtisserie, vanilla lift and smoky underbrush. Palate: Dried cherries, savory, very linear, energetic, and fresh with assertive, long tannins.

Leaving

Pictures: Leaving

schiller-wine: Related Posting

Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Visiting Rutger de Vink and his RdV Vineyards with Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux

Northern Virginia Magazine October 2012: Wine Recs from Local Winos

Visiting Jennifer Breaux Blosser and Breaux Vineyards in Virginia, USA

Virginia Wines Shine in San Francisco - 2012 San Francisco International Wine Competition, USA

Judging Virginia Wines in Suffolk, Virginia - Virginia Wine Lover Magazine Wine Classic 2012

Northern Virginia Magazine October 2012: Wine Recs from Local Winos

As Close as You Can Get to (French) Champagne at the US East Coast – Claude Thibaut and His Virginia Thibaut Janisson Sparklers at screwtop Wine Bar

Jim Law and Linden Vineyards in Virginia – A Profile, USA

Boxwood Winery in Virginia: Lunch with Wine Makers Rachel Martin and Adam McTaggert in the Chai between the Tanks – TasteCamp 2012 East Kick-Off, USA

Book Review: "Beyond Jefferson's Vines - The Evolution of Quality Wine in Virginia" by Richard Leahy, USA

TasteCamp 2012 in Virginia, USA – A Tour d’Horizont

Virginia versus the World – A Blind Taste-Off, USA

Château Léoville-Poyferré Winemaker Dinner with Anne Cuvelier at Eola in Washington DC, USA

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics

Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina

Lunch with Didier Cuvelier at Château Léoville-Poyferré in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux
Tasting with Alfred Tesseron the last 10 Vintages of Château Pontet-Canet in Washington DC, USA/France

Tasting the Wines of Chateau Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, with Owner Basil Tesseron at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA/France

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) on North America Tour in Washington DC - Schiller’s Favorites

Owner Jean-Bernard Grenié and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos Presented the Wines of Chateau Angélus and Chateau Daugay at Black Salt Restaurant in Washington DC, USA

An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Château Pape-Clément, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan

Château Pape-Clément is a Cru Classé de Graves. The winery and vineyards are located in the commune of Pessac, in the larger Bordeaux City area. Château Pape-Clément belongs to the wine imperium of Bernard Magrez, which now covers about 40 estates in Bordeaux and other parts of France as well as in the rest of the world. Last September, I toured Château Pape-Clément with Winemaker Arnaud Lasisz. This was organized by Annette Schiller, wine tours by ombiasy.

See:
Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France

Château Pape-Clément and the City of Bordeaux

The outskirts of the city of Bordeaux are the birthplace of the phenomenal Bordeaux wine boom. It was here – in the Graves - that the region first gained its reputation, as early as the 14th century – hundreds of years before Dutch wine merchants and producers drained the marshes of the Medoc. In the Middle Ages, much of the Claret - as red Bordeaux is called in the United Kingdom - shipped to London was grown within in easy distance to the Quai de Chartrons in Bordeaux.

For centuries, Graves encompassed all the vineyards south of the border with the Medoc, in a great sweep around the city of Bordeaux with the exception of the sweet wine appellations of Sauternes, Cerons and Barsac, which are nestled within the boundaries of the Graves, but are independently recognized because of their outstanding noble-sweet white wines. But in 1987, the Pessac-Leognan appellation was carved out of the northern end of the Graves, encompassing Graves’ most respected producers.  The four key producers in Pessac-Leognan are Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion (both in American hands), Laville Haut-Brion and Pape-Clement

Picture: Bordeaux City

Interestingly, these chateaux are within the city limits of Bordeaux and well within the Bordeaux beltway. This is the most urban wine area I have seen in Bordeaux and perhaps in the whole world. Indeed, the vineyards of Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, Laville Haut-Brion and Pape Clement are surrounded by suburban development.

See:
In the Wine Capital of the World: the City of Bordeaux, France

Bernard Magrez

Bernard Magrez is a self-made man who made his fortune as the founder of the William Pitters spirits company and the low-cost red Bordeaux brand. But for the past 20 years or so, he has been involved in quite a different, more upmarket side of the business: he has acquired prestigious vineyards and wineries, first of all in Bordeaux, then in other parts of France and more recently around the world. The total count at the moment is about 40 wine estates.

See:
Château Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan and the World Wide Wine Empire of Bernard Magrez, France 

Château Pape Clément

Pape-Clément has one of the longest and best documented histories of all Bordeaux châteaux. The vineyards were planted in 1300 by Bernard de Groth, who later became Pope Clément V and moved the papacy to Avignon.

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Ombiasy Wine Tours, with Wine Maker Arnaud Lasisz at Château Pape-Clément, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan

See:
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013 

The noble de Groth family was based in Sauternes. In 1299, Bernard de Groth became Archbishop of Bordeaux. His brother (who was Archbishop of Lyon) gave him as a gift what later would become Chateau Pape Clement to be used as private residence as Archbishop of Bordeaux. Bernard de Groth lived there for 6 years. In 1305, Bernhard de Groth became Pope Clement V and felt that he should donate the property to the church.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller, Annette Schiller, Ombiasy Wine Tours, with Wine Maker Arnaud Lasisz in the Vineyard

In the hands of the church, the Pessac estate continued as a site of viticulture for many centuries, right up until the Revolution when it was confiscated and sold off as a bien national. In 1939 the estate was bought by the Montagne family; they appointed Bernard Magrez as General Manager in 1985. It is now owned and run by Bernard Magrez.

Pictures: At Château Pape-Clément, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan

The vineyard area consists of 32.5 hectares, 30 of which are planted with red grapes varieties (60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot). The remaining plots are cultivated with white varieties of 45% Sauvignon blanc, 45% Sémillon and 10% Muscadelle.

Pictures: At Château Pape-Clément, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan

Production of the Grand Vin - Pape Clément – is: 7,000 cases of red wine and 350 cases of dry white wine. Additionally, there are 2 second wines - Le Clémentin du Pape Clément and Le Prélat du Pape Clément.

Wine Searcher Average Prices (in US$)

2011    85
2010  205
2009  166
2008  125
2007  126
2006  154
2005  214
2004  111
2003  135
2002  132

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) on North America Tour in Washington DC - Schiller’s Favorites

The Saint Emilion 2012–2022 Classification, Bordeaux

Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics

A Glass of Bordeaux – What Else? – With Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos

Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France

Tour de France de Vin: 6 Days, 7 Regions, 3500 km - In 6 Days through 7 Wine Regions of France

The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany

Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France

Owner Jean-Bernard Grenié and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos Presented the Wines of Chateau Angélus and Chateau Daugay at Black Salt Restaurant in Washington DC, USA

An Afternoon with François Mitjavile at his Tertre Rôtebeouf - A Saint Emilion Cult Wine Producer

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

In the Wine Capital of the World: the City of Bordeaux, France

Château Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan and the World Wide Wine Empire of Bernard Magrez, France 

Ranking 12 Rieslings: Finger Lakes (USA) versus Germany

Picture: The 2 Rieslings with the Highest Overall Scores - both from the Finger Lakes Region

The Finger Lakes Wine Alliance provided me with 6 new releases, all Riesling, from the Finger Lakes region in New York State. I complemented the Finger Lakes Riesling wines with 6 German Rieslings from my cellar, which I thought would fit in terms of quality level and price point. We tasted the wines blind during a dinner at our house in McLean, Virginia, with a group of wine friends.

Annette Schiller, wine tours by ombiasy, prepared the dinner (6 courses) and also prepared tasting notes (see below).

Celebrating Finger Lakes Wines in Washington DC

This was the fifth such tasting at our house in McLean, Virginia. Here are postings on schiller-wine about earlier events.

Celebrating the Rieslings of the Finger Lakes Region, New York State, US East Coast
Celebrating the Arrival of the Finger Lakes 2010 Riesling in Washington DC, USA
Celebrating the Release of the Finger Lakes 2011 Riesling in Washington DC, USA

Riesling in the World

Worldwide, there are about 34.000 hectares planted with Riesling. Germany – with 22.400 hectares – accounts for 2/3 of the total. The second largest Riesling producer is Australia, with 4500 hectares. But this is only about 1/10 of the total. Nevertheless, Australia was a bit underrepresented at the 1st International Riesling Symposium. Alsace follows with 3500 hectares. Austria, the US with Washington State and New York State as well as New Zealand make up the remainder. But overall Riesling is really a niche wine, accounting for only less than 1 percent of total wine production in the world - but a very special niche wine.

Finger Lakes AVA

The Finger Lakes AVA in upstate New York State encompasses seven glacial lakes, although the majority of plantings are around Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga Lakes. Most vineyards are planted on hillsides overlooking the lakes. These deep lakes help to moderate the climate, as stored heat is released from the lakes during the winter, keeping the weather mild (relative to surrounding areas) and preventing early frosts. The reflection of the sun off the lakes during summer extends the growing season. This cool-climate region is often compared to the wine-growing region of Germany, and like Germany, has had special success with Riesling.

Pictures: Finger Lakes in New York State

The Finger Lakes include 4,452 hectares of vineyards, making it New York State's largest wine growing region. New York State is with Washington State the second largest wine producer in the US, with a bit more than 10.000 hectares. Of this, 400 hectares are accounted for by Riesling.

Annette Schiller’s Tasting Notes

Picture: Annette Schiller, wine tours by ombiasy with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen in the Mosel Valley. The forthcoming Germany trip of Annette Schiller includes a wine tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in the Mosel Valley.

See:
Germany Wine and Culture Tour August 2013

Here are Annette Schiller’s tasting notes.

Overall Conclusion

This tasting was a very interesting show off between Finger Lakes and German Rieslings with the result that the Finger Lakes wines were on par with the German wines.

Pictures: The Tasters

All 12 wines tasted were very different with regard to level of sweetness and style, but all were on a surprisingly high level of quality, regardless of the different vintages and of their origins. All wines showed the Riesling’s flinty and fruity aromas, with the Finger Lakes Rieslings much heavier on the floral/fruity side whereas the German Rieslings exhibited more minerality.

We tasted the 12 Rieslings in the following order.

12 Rieslings: Tasting Notes

Picture: 12 Rieslings and Jake McGuire from DC Style Report

Swedish Hill Winery 2011 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA

Distinctive floral aromas on the nose, elegant interplay of fruitiness and acidity on the palate, well-structured lean body, and fresh, lingering finish.

Winzergenossenschaft Bornich, Loreley 2009, Riesling trocken, Mittelrhein, Germany

Nice bouquet of honey and yellow fruits with a hint of citrus on the nose, pronounced minerality, a mouth feel of stone and gravel is reminiscent of the Loreley rock, where the vines grow, round, firm finish.

See also:
The Wines of Loreley , Germany

Balthasar Ress 2011, Von Unserm, Riesling, Rheingau, Germany

Perfect Riesling aroma on the nose: citrus, ripe apple, peach with just a faint hint of tropical fruits, concentrated fruit, minerality, and a spirited yet stable acidity make this bone dry wine the ultimate summer wine, crisp and lingering finish.

See also:
Hanging out with Rheingau Winemakers: Dirk Wuertz, Desiree Eser, Alexander Jakob Jung, Hansi Bausch and Christian Ress in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Glenora Wine Cellars 2012 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA

Exotic tropical and citrus flavors on the nose, pronounced sweetness with a hint if acidity, considerable minerality adds to the balance on the palate, medium bodied with a good finish.

Lakewood Vineyards 2012 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA

A racy, beautiful Riesling, an attack of citrus on the nose and lots of yellow fruit flavors, a light to medium bodied, elegant wine with perfect acidity / sweetness balance, earthiness and minerality, and a crisp lingering finish.

Standing Stone Vineyards 2012 Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA

A somewhat restraint bouquet of citrus, pear, and tropical fruits on the nose, considerable residual sugar on the palate, offset by a pronounced acidity, well balanced, medium bodied, mellow mouth feel and long finish.

Kuehling-Gillot 2010 Qvintera Riesling trocken, Rheinhessen, Germany

Beautiful bouquet of ripe apple and peach on the nose, lively acidity and just the right hint of sweetness on the palate paired with noticeable minerality, full bodied with a long finish.

See also:
The Wine Maker Couple H.O. Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot, with Roland Gillot, Lead Wine Tasting of Kuehling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot, Germany

Clemens Busch 2009, Vom roten Schiefer, Riesling, Mosel, Germany

Restrained bouquet of citrus, apple, peach flavors on the nose, concentrated fruit paired with a settled sweetness, spirited acidity and earthiness achieve elegance on the palate, light bodied with a broad finish.

See also:
With Wine Maker Clemens Busch in Puenderich at his Winery in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Red Newt Cellars 2011, Sawmill Creek Vineyards, Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA

Pronounced yellow fruit aroma and a whiff of citrus and quince on the nose, distinctive sweetness on the palate, elegant combination of fruit and minerality, opulent finish.

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2012 Red Oak Vineyard Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA

Attack of honeysuckle, pear, floral aromas on the nose, pronounced sweetness and fruitiness combined with a restrained acidity on the palate leave a mellow mouth feel, exquisite finish.

Dr. Loosen 2011, Riesling Dry Red Slate, Mosel, Germany

Attack of tropical fruits, ripe peach, citrus, and also floral aromas on the nose, sweetness is elegantly balanced by a crisp acidity and minerality reflecting the wine’s slate origin, light bodied with a clean, everlasting finish.

For more on Ernst Loosen, see:
Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA
Ernst Loosen and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World
A Riesling Guru and a Killer Guitarist cum Cult Winemaker: Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers and their J. Christopher Winery in Newberg, Oregon
Wine ratings: Two American/German wines - Eroica and Poet's Leap - on Top 100 Wines from Washington State list for 2009

August Kesseler 2011 Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau, Germany

Notes of ripe peach, apple, citrus, and spices on the nose, the residual sugar and concentrated fruit are perfectly balanced with a stable acidity, full bodied with a crisp, very fresh, broad finish.

See also:
A Pinot Noir Star: Visiting August Kesseler and his Weingut August Kesseler in Assmannshausen, Germany

Ranking

There were 10 of us. I asked all participants to rank the 12 wines and then aggregated the ranking. The best score could have been 12 and the worst score could have been 120. The actual scores ranged between 47 and 81.

1  (47) Lakewood Vineyards 2012 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA
1  (47) Standing Stone Vineyards 2012 Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA
3  (52) August Kesseler 2011 Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau, D
4  (54) Glenora Wine Cellars 2012 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA
4  (54) Kuehling-Gillot 2010 Qvintera Riesling trocken, Rheinhessen, D
6  (56) Clemens Busch 2009 “vom roten schiefer” Riesling, Mosel, D
7  (70) Dr. Loosen 2011 Riesling Dry Red Slate, Mosel, D
8  (71) Swedish Hill Winery 2011 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA
9  (72) Winzergenossenschaft Bornich 2009 Riesling trocken, Mittelrhein, D
10(73) Red Newt Cellars 2011 Sawmill Creek Vineyards Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA
11(77) Balthasar Ress 2011 Riesling “Von Unserm”, Rheingau, D
12(81) Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2012 Red Oak Vineyard Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA

Dinner

Annette Schiller prepared a simple, but delicious 7-course dinner.

Cucumber with Cream on Slice of German Bratwurst

Spundekaes - A Specialty from Rheinhessen and the Rheingau

Salmon and Apple-Cucumber Salad

Green Asparagus with Prosciutto and Guacamole

German Potato Salate and Bratwurst

American Artisan Cheese Selection

Fresh Strawberries and Quark in a Crepe Cone

schiller-Wine: Related Postings

1st International Riesling Symposium, Rheingau, Germany

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions - I have Counted Five

How does a Sweet German Riesling Become Sweet?

Impressions from the Riesling & Co World Tour 2010 in New York

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose

American and German Winemakers Among the 7 Winners of Trophies of Excellence of the Riesling Du Monde Competition 2010

German Winemakers in the World: Hermann J. Wiemer

German American Wines: (1) NV Two Worlds Pinot Noir, (2) Poet's Leap Riesling and (3) Herrmann J. Wiemer and his Finger Lakes Rieslings

German Wine Makers in the World: Dr. Konstantin Frank (USA)

Christian G.E. Schiller Leads Tasting of US-American Wines in Hochheim, Germany

Celebrating the Rieslings of the Finger Lakes Region, New York State, US East Coast

Dr. Frank Wines from Finger Lakes Featured at State Luncheon for Chancellor Merkel in Washington, D.C., USA

Kruger-Rumpf (Germany) and Dr. Frank (USA) Rieslings – The Wines I Brought to the 2011 European Wine Bloggers Conference (#EWBC) Opening BYOB Party

The Wines of Loreley , Germany

Celebrating the Arrival of the Finger Lakes 2010 Riesling in Washington DC, USA

Celebrating the Release of the Finger Lakes 2011 Riesling in Washington DC, USA