In the Glass: 2010 Pinot Grigio, Venezia Giulia IGT, Attems, Italy

Picture: 2010 Pinot Grigio, Venezia Giulia IGT, Attems

When I used to live in Zagreb, Croatia, we basically had two options for going back to Germany to visit the family and friends: via Austria or via Italy. We would alternate and take advantage of getting to know different regions that lie between Zagreb in Croatia and Frankfurt am Main in Germany. On the Italian route, we would necessarily pass through Friuli - Giulia Venice and during lunch or dinner have a couple of glasses Pinot Grigio like the one I am writing about in this blog posting.

Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio/Grauburgunder in the World

Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio/Grauburgunder has grayish-blue fruit. This explains the name: Pinot Gris (in France), or Pinot Grigio (in Italy) or Grauburgunder (in Germany) - Gris, Grigio and Gris mean “grey”.

There are about 25,000 hectares of Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio/Grauburgunder in the world, accounting for less than 0.5 percent of total wine production. With about 12,000 hectares, Italy (Pinot Grigio) is the front-runner, with Germany (4,000 h, Grauburgunder), California (3,000 h, mainly Pinot Grigio), Alsace (2,000 h, Pinot Gris) and Hungary (1.500 h) following. Oregon, with about 500 hectares, belongs to the group of smaller producers, along with New Zealand (700 h) and Australia (300 h).

Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris/Grauburgunder is a heat-sensitive grape that does not fare well in hotter climates as it needs colder temperatures to ripen fully and produce distinct flavors. It prefers a cooler climate with long, temperate summer days.

In Italy, plantings can be found in the Lombardy region and in Alto Adige, Italy's northern most wine region, as well as in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Some 9 million cases are produced in Italy today, of which 90% is exported. Italian Pinot Grigio tends to be light-bodied, often lean; light in color; neutral, sometimes spritzy flavors, crisp and acidic. Almost all Italian Pinot Grigio wines are dry.

A German merchant by the named Johann Seger Ruland (re)discovered grapes growing wild in the fields of the Pfalz region in Germany in the 1700s. The wine he produced with these grapes became known as Rulaender; the Rulaender was later discovered to be Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris). Many wine producers in Germany sell their Grauburgunder still as Rulaender. German Grauburgunder/Rulaender tends to be medium- to full-bodied; typically dry but sometimes with noticeable residual sugar, but always well balanced with good acidity.

French Pinot Gris from Alsace can be rich and almost oily in texture. Like the German Grauburgunder, Alsatian Pinot Gris can be made in a dry or sweet-style.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Friuli-Venezia Giulia is in northeastern part of Italy. It was once part of the Venetian Republic and sections of it were under the influence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for some time. The area is known predominantly for its white wines. The Friuli-Venezia Giulia region is bordered by the Alps to the north separating it from Austria. Slovenia borders the region on the east and the Italian region of Veneto forms the western border and part of the southern border with the Adriatic Sea. The northern half is very mountainous and gives way to flatter terrain and plains on the way to the sea.

Picture: The Wine Regions of Italy

Classification of Friuli-Venezia Giulia Wines

All Friuli-Venezia Giulia wines – as all Italian wines – belong to one of the following 4 quality levels.

(1) Vino da Tavola (VDT): A very basic wine, made for local consumption; the bottle label does not indicate the region or grape variety. This is the wine you typically get served in a Pizzeria or Trattoria in Italy, when you ask for the “house wine”. Simple, cheap and decent.

(2) Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT): Wines that are considered to be of higher quality than simple table wines, but which do not conform to DOC and DOCG regulations. Sometimes, these are premium wines of winemakers who dropped the DOC designation and instead carry the broader IGT designation, allowing them to try to improve quality by using nontraditional grapes, blends, viticultural practices or vinification techniques that are not included in DOC and DOCG standards. The region has 3 IGT designations: Alto Livenza, delle Venezie and Venezia Giulia. The Pinot Grigio I tasted was an IGT wine.

(3) Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC). There are 11 DOC in the region. Almost 2/3 of the wine produced in the region falls under a DOC designation.

(4) Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). DOCG wines are a tick higher in terms of quality requirements than DOC wines (maximum yield for example), which is the highest category in Italy's wine-classification system. There are3 DOCG in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia area.

The Producer: Attems

The Attems Estate has 40 hectares of terraced slopes to the west of Gorizia under vine. The vineyards are located about 15 kilometers from the Adriatic coast. The slopes face the south and thus are protected from both the cold winds from the north and from Trieste.

Winemaking in the Attems family goes back almost 1000 years; in 1106, records show that the Bishop of Salisbury gave the Attems family the estate for the purpose of cultivating vineyards and making wine. A few years ago, Attems entered a joint-venture with the renowned Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi family.

Tasting Notes

The grapes were manually harvested in the third week of September and then for 2 weeks temperature-controlled fermented in stainless steel tanks. There was no malolactic fermentation. 15% of the production was then aged for 2 months in barriques.

Tasting notes: Rich straw yellow with shimmering, ripe tropical fruit, along with apple and pear on the nose, refined, smooth palate, lively finish.

The Importer: Michael Mondavi’s Folio Fine Wine Partners

The wine was provided to me by Folio Fine Wine Partners. Robert Mondavi’s son Michael Mondavi established Folio Fine Wine Partners in 2004, with his wife, Isabel, and their children, Rob and Dina. He co-founded Robert Mondavi Winery with his father Robert in 1966 and worked for many years in the company.

Snooth’s Global Tasting Initiative – Pinot Grigio

I am sharing this posting with the Snooth community in the framework of the Snooth Global Tasting Initiative, using the hashtag #GTiPinotGrigio on Twitter.


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In the Glass: Côtes-du-Rhône Belleruche - Blanc, Rosé and Rouge - Maison M. Chapoutier

When the legendary Rhône valley winemaker Michel Chapoutier created his Côtes-du-Rhône Belleruche — white, rosé, and red — he envisioned food-friendly wines, intended to be served with classic French home cooking. My wife cooked dinner at home and we had these 3 wines for dinner: They are indeed food friendly wines.

Maison M. Chapoutier

Maison M. Chapoutier is a winery and a négociant in Tain-l'Hermitage in the Rhône region in France. Chapoutier produces wine from appellations across the Rhône region, but it is typically their top Hermitage wines, both red and white, that receive the most attention. What Maison M. Chapoutier represents today is connected with the name of Michel Chapoutier, although Polydor Chapoutier bought the first vineyards and started the winery in 1879. In the mid-20th century Max Chapoutier led the business until 1977.

Since taking over his family business in 1990 at age 26, Michel Chapoutier has transformed Maison Chapoutier into the leading Rhône Valley producer. He combines the modern and the traditional: crusading for biodynamic winemaking, while expanding operations around the globe and experimenting with cutting edge wine making techniques. All of the company’s vineyards in the northern Rhône (54 hectares), the southern Rhône (90ha) and the Roussillon (69ha) are certified biodynamic, while the 80 hectares Down Under (20ha in Victoria and 60ha in South Australia) are cultivated organically. This makes Maison Chapoutier the largest biodynamic winery in Europe. Other innovations introduced by him include: aggressive vineyard management, vintage dating for all the estate’s wines, and the elimination of fining and filtration.

Picture: The Wine Regions of France, including the Rhone Region

Maison Chapoutier produces wines from a range of appellations in northern and southern Rhône, as well as from some Roussillon appellations. In addition, there are joint ventures in Portugal and Australia.

Maison Chapoutier was the first wine producer to introduce braille on its labels in 1994. The information presented in the braille print includes the producer, the vintage, the vineyard and region as well as the color of the wine.

Michel lives with his wife Corinne and their two children in Tain-l'Hermitage. The story of how Michel came to take over the family business in 1990, ousting his own father in the process, is complicated and occasionally brutal. There are other big names in Tain-l'Hermitage --Jaboulet and Chave, to mention just two. But it is Michel Chapoutier, who owns 25 percent of the 320 acres of vines in Hermitage and who has, in a mere decade, managed to change the way Rhône wines are made.

Côtes-du-Rhône Belleruche — Blanc, Rosé and Rouge

2009 Belleruche Blanc

Although the rich red wines and bright rosés produced there are the most famous wines to come from the Rhône valley, Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc — made from Grenache Blanc (White Grenache) with the addition of other white grapes — has long graced the lunch and dinner tables of French families. White Grenache, with its distinctive aromatic profile, gives this wine its unmistakable herbaceous and white fruit nose. While smaller amounts of Clairette help to bring the alcohol level up to a judicious 13-13.5%, it is the Bourboulenc that gives Belleruche Blanc its delightful acidity, making it a fantastic pairing for salads and seafood.

In the vineyard, the grape growers wait until peak ripeness before picking in order to allow the fruit to show its natural flavors and aromas. In the cellar, the key to the vinification is freshness: the grapes are pressed the moment they arrive in the cellar, thus retaining the wine’s bright fruit and crisp acidity.

Grapes are immediately pressed when they arrive at the winery. Settling is carried out by cold-stabilizing after 24 hours. The wine is aged in vats without malolactic fermentation.

Tasting notes: Pale yellow and clear, green apple, hawthorn and white blossoms, citrus aromas and exotic fruits, fresh and well-balanced, lot of fatness and length.

60% Grenache, 20% Clairette, 20% Bourboulenc
Appellation: Côtes-du-Rhône
Alcohol Level: 13.5%
Number of cases: 20,000

2010 Belleruche Rose

In the tradition of the Rhône valley’s great rosé wines, Chapoutier’s Belleruche Rosé is made from a blend of Grenache (roughly 75%), with smaller amounts of Cinsaut (Cinsault), and Syrah. The Grenache in this food-friendly wine gives it bright red stone fruit flavors and beautiful color, while the Cinsaut gives its delicate strawberry aroma and the Syrah its body, making it a great pairing even for the intense flavors of seafood. Rosé wine is obtained by limiting the amount of time the grape must (juice) is allowed to macerate in contact with the skins. While rosé can typically lack tannic structure (the grape skins also impart tannin to the wine), Chapoutier uses the Syrah to balance it with tannic structure.

After the grapes are pressed for the production of Belleruche Rosé, the winemaker employs a process known in French as débourbage: the grape must (juice) is allowed to settle for a period of 24 hours. This allows the solids and the liquid to separate naturally and reduces the need for filtering later. This ancient technique — now abandoned by many wineries because it is time-consuming — helps to create the wine’s gorgeous rosé color by allowing the skins to gently impart their color to the wine.

Cold setting is performed for 24 hours. The alcoholic fermentation lasts from 10 to 12 days. Aged in vats.

Tasting notes: Deep pink, with salmon-pink highlights, red fruits, currant, raspberry and cherry, the freshness is well-balanced and round.

90% Grenache, 10% Syrah-Cinsault
Appellation: Côtes-du-Rhône
Alcohol Level: 13.5%
Number of cases: 3,000

2009 Belleruche Rouge

Chapoutier’s Belleruche Rouge is made from roughly 80% Grenache (the grape variety used primarily in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to the south) and 20% Syrah (the grape used to make the Rhône valley’s most famous red wines in Côte Rôtie, Crozes Hermitage, Hermitage, and St Joseph to the north). Michel Chapoutier loves to serve this wine at Sunday lunch: its perfect balance of natural fruit flavors from the Grenache and the structure, spiciness, and gentle tannins from the Syrah make it an excellent pairing for a wide variety of dishes, from roast chicken and pork to grilled and roast lamb.

After handpicking at the peak of ripeness, extended maceration (up to 15 days) and natural fermentation give this wine its rich color and mouthfeel, freshness on the nose, and red berry fruit and structure in the mouth.

100% destemming. Maceration lasts 15 days and procures a good tannic structure which permits the ageing and guarantees the stability of the wine. The wine is aged in vats.

Tasting notes: Garnet red in the glass, red fruit aromas, well-structured, with dark red fruit and pepper notes, sustained tannins.

50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
Alcohol Level: 14%

Importer: Terlato Wines International

The 3 bottles were provided to me by Terlato Wines International, the flagship company of the Terlato Wine Group. Owned and operated by the Terlato family, the Terlato Wine Group, operating out of the Chicago suburb of Lake Bluff, Illinois, is a holding company for 13 independent companies that are owns both vineyards and wineries and is involved in the import, export, sales, and marketing of premium wines. Several of its vineyards are located in famous California wine regions: Napa Valley, Sonoma, and Santa Barbara. Flagship subsidiary Terlato Wines International markets more than 50 foreign and domestic brands of wine in the US through a direct sales force and distributors. Terlato also has global joint venture wine operations in Australia and Italy.

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In the Glass: A Rust en Vrede 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon With South African Oysters in Stellenbosch

Picture: Stellenbosch Big Easy Bar Keeper Sithembele Gumede Serving a Glass of Rust en Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

I had a Rust en Vrede 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon - and South African oysters - at the Restaurant and Wine Bar “Big Easy” in Stellenbosch.

The Big Easy in Stellenbosch

The Big Easy is arguably the best place in Stellenbosch to taste the wines Stellenbosch. It serves more than 170 wines from Stellenbosch and surrounds to complement their excellent food. You find in particular the wines of the Big Easy co-owners Jean Engelbrecht (Rust en Vrede and Guardian Peak Wines), Johann Rupert (L’Ormarins), Paul Harris (Audacia) and Ernie Els (Ernie Els wines) well represented.

The Big Easy Restaurant and Wine Bar is in La Gratitude in Dorp Street Stellenbosch. La Gratitude was built in 1798 by the first Reverend of Stellenbosch and boasts a blend of Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture. Golf star Ernie Els lent his nickname to the restaurant and wine bar, which is featuring memorabilia and photos of him. The brasserie-styled eatery offers classical food that smacks of local flavour, created by local born chef Simone Rossouw. Starters range from R45 to R70, mains from R75 to R170 and desserts from R45.

Oysters in South Africa

I had oysters (Crassostrea gigas) with Cabernet Sauvignon sauce - an unusual, but very delicious combination. The Japanese oyster Crassostrea gigas forms the mainstay of the South African oyster farming industry. It has now been cultured along the South African - and Namibian - coast for 30 years. Over the last century, oysters have been extensively moved around the globe and, although originating in the north west Pacific, the Crassostrea gigas presently has established populations on all major coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere (with the exception of the Atlantic coast of North America) as well as on the coasts of Tasmania, southern and eastern Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Around 4 million oysters are currently produced annually in South Africa; the Namibian oyster production amounts to 6 million oysters per year, with about 70 per cent exported to South Africa.

Picture: Oysters With Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce

Rust en Vrede

Through centuries there were periods when wine was produced, but for the last 33 years Rust en Vrede has specialized in producing red wine with the focus on Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Rust en Vrede was established in 1694 by the then Governor of the Cape, Willem Adrian van der Stel. It was originally made up of a larger property but in the early 1700’s was divided into two whereby the original section remained as Rust en Vrede. The first house on the estate was built in 1780 followed by the cellar in 1785. In 1790 the larger manor house was built. At the end of 1977 the Engelbrecht family took residence on Rust en Vrede. The Engelbrecht family has been grape growers since the early 1700’s and by moving to Rust en Vrede, became wine producers for the first time. Rust en Vrede is now headed by Jean Engelbrecht. Rust en Vrede produces only 20 000 cases of wine per year on its 55 hectares of land, of which 65% is exported to more than 30 countries around the world.

President Nelson Mandela selected Rust en Vrede to be served at the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize dinner in Oslo, where he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2000, Rust en Vrede became the first South African winery to be included on Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of the World list.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Technical notes: The Rust enVrede vineyards are situated on north facing slopes, hence the slightly warmer and more moderate climatic conditions. Situated in close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, cool sea breezes help reduce the vineyard temperatures during the summer months, extending the ripening period and thus allowing for big, well-structured wines to develop. The vineyards are carefully trellised and the canopy is managed in a way to ensure optimum phenolic ripeness of the grapes. Two ‘green harvests' are done annually whereby the crop is reduced to between 6-8 tons per hectare to intensify flavors. Fermented is in open top fermentation vats. The wines are aged in French 300 liter barrels for 18 months. The Cabernet clones (6) are kept separate throughout vinification, each getting a unique treatment of yeast and wood. After 18 months, the different clones are blended, bottled and left to mature for at least 18 months before release.

Tasting Notes: Dark ruby in the glass, lead pencil and cigar box aromas are dominant with a subtle hint of toffee, dark cherry aromas are also prevalent on the nose, good struture, big in stature with a prominent oak spice character on the palate, notes of tobacco and liquorice on the finish, this wine shows the potential to age superbly.

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In the Glass: 2009 Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling Trocken and 2009 Riesling Kiedricher Graefenberg Spaetlese, both Weingut R. Weil, Kiedrich, Rheingau

Pictures: Wilhelm Weil and the Robert Weil Estate in Kiedrich, Rheingau, Germany

Congratulations to Weingut Robert Weil on having their 2009 Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Trocken named a Wine Spectator Top 100 wine for 2010 in the US and on having their 2009 Kiedricher Graefenberg Spaetlese named Best Spaetlese of the Year (Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011) in Germany. The Turmberg is pretty dry with a normal level of alcohol and the Graefenberg is pretty sweet with a low level of alcohol – and both are German world class Rieslings from adjacent vineyards and the same vintage.

2009 Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Trocken

Here’s what the Wine Spectator says: A pungent, aromatic white, with gooseberry, peony and spice on the nose. Racy and vividly flavored, with citrus intensity and a laserlike finish. A bit extreme, yet full of personality and a sense of place. The Turmberg was rated #81 in the 2010 Top 100.

Kiedricher Turmberg

The Kiedricher Turmberg (“tower hill”) vineyard right next to the Kiedricher Gräfenberg vineyard, rated as a 1. Lage (grand cru). The German wine law of 1971 incorporated Turmberg into the Gräfenberg, but in 2005 it was reinstated as an individual vineyard.

2009 Kiedricher Graefenberg Spaetlese

Here is what Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011 says: A basket of tropical fruits, vibrant play of the animating acidity and ripe mangos, great Spaetlese with a fantastic finish. The Graefenberg was selected a Spaetlese of the Year 2011.

Kiedricher Graefenberg

The Kiedricher Graefenberg is a renowned vineyard, first documented in the 12th century. As the adjacent Turmberg vineyard, it is classified as a 1. Lage (grand cru).



Pictures: The Wines of Weingut Robert Weil Tasted in Kiedrich

Kiedrich in the Rheingau

It is remarkable: For its entire length of nearly 560 miles, the Rhine flows north with one exception – a 28-mile stretch where the river changes its course. Here, it flows to the west, thereby enabling both the river and the vineyards facing it to bask in the warmth of the sun all day long. This is the Rheingau, one of the medium-size German wine regions. It is a quietly beautiful region, rich in tradition. Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for Hochheim's wines contributed to their popularity in England, where they, and ultimately, Rhine wines in general, were referred to as Hock.

Picture: The Rheingau With Kiedrich

The third President of the USA - and notable bon viveur - Thomas Jefferson visited the Rheingau in 1788 and wrote that the wine of the "Abbaye of Johnsberg is the best made on the Rhine without comparison … That of the year 1775 is the best." He also referred to the Rheingau’s Riesling as the "small and delicate Rhysslin which grows only from Hochheim to Rudesheim". Impressed by the quality of the Rheingau Riesling wines, he bought 100 grapevines to take back to his estate in Virginia.

Weingut Robert Weil

Founded in 1875, Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich is currently the Rheingau’s #1 estate and among Germany’s top 10 estates. Four generations and over a century ago Dr. Robert Weil, who was a Professor of German at the Sorbonne was forced to leave Paris because of the Franco-Prussian War (1870/1871). He subsequently joined his brother August in the Rheingau and established the Robert Weil winery. Contacts throughout the world and the production of great wines brought rapid growth to the estate. Today the estate is managed by Wilhelm Weil, who owns the winery jointly with Suntory from Japan. With 75 hectares under vine, it is one of the largest estates in the Rheingau. The vineyards are planted 99% with Riesling and 1% with Spätburgunder.

Two Outstanding Wines Teach us a Lot About How German Wine is Made

Both wines are outstanding wines, made by an outstanding producer, from two top vineyards that are adjacent to each other. My hunch is that the grapes for both wines were harvested at basically the same level of ripeness. But one wine is pretty dry and the other wine is pretty sweet. Why?

Well - not because in one vineyard there was a lot of sun and in the other one was no sun. The fundamental difference is how they were vinified. The Turmberg was fully fermented , is pretty dry and has 13% of alcohol. The Graefenberg was not fully fermented so that what we have in the glass is a wine that is low in alcohol (8.5%) and high in sugar.

The VDP, of which Weingut Robert Weil is a member (in fact Wilhelm Weil is the VDP President of the Rheingau) has introduced for its members the rule, that only sweet-style wines can carry the predicate labels Kabinett, Spaetlese and Auslese. Dry wines, even if they are harvested at Kabinett, Spaetlese or Auslese level do not carry the predicate labels Kabinett, Spaetlese and Auslese, but are marketed as Qualitaetswein besonderer Anbaugebiete (QbA). QbA wines – in contrast to predicate wines – can be capitalized within certain limits. Furthermore, under German law – but not in Alsace and Austria – winemakers can add sweetreserve – sterilized juice – to the wine in order to increase and fine-tune the level of sweetness in the wine.

So, my hunch is that the grapes for both wines when harvested were very similar in terms of ripeness. The Turmberg was fully fermented and possibly a bit chaptalized to increase the alcohol level of the wine. By contrast, the Graefenberg was stopped during fermentation and some of the sugar that was in the grapes remained in the wine. In addition, the winemaker was allowed to add sweetreserve. I do not know if Wilhelm Weil did this. If he did, then he added just a little bit to finetune the wine. The main factor behind the sweetness is that the fermentation was stopped. Alternatively, he could have let the fermentation run its course and then added more sweet reserve. This would have then been a wine with the alcohol level of the Turmberg and the sweetness of the Graefenberg.

For those, who are not so much interested in technical details, just forget the above and enjoy Wilhelm Weil’s wines – both wines, sweet or dry, are world class wines.

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In the Glass: A Banyuls - a Deliciously Sweet and Fortified Red Wine from Languedoc-Roussillon

Picture: Juan Gris - Banyuls 2

Banyuls is a deliciously sweet and fortified red wine from Languedoc-Roussillon region.

Languedoc-Roussillon

The Languedoc-Roussillon wine region covers the rugged Mediterranean coastline in France between Spain and the Rhone river, where the summers are intensely hot and the winters are dominated by dry, cold, and often violently winds from the north. Grenache is the main grape variety, struggling with the dry poor soil. On the other side of the Rhone river is the Cotes du Provence region, between the Rhone river and Italy. Roussillion is the area around Perpignon at the Spanish border, including Banyuls. Languedoc is the area around Montpellier, Nimes and Sete between Roussillon and the Rhone river.

Picture: Map of Languedoc-Roussillon

The Languedoc-Roussillon is a large producer, three times the combined area of the vineyards in Bordeaux. About one out of 10 bottles of wine produced in the world come from this region. They are now eying the Chinese market.

Noilly Prat and Picpul de Pinet from Languedoc-Roussillon



Noilly Prat, the essential ingredient of the traditional Martini that is so much loved by Americans is produced there. The company Noilly Prat was created in the 1800s by a Frenchman and an Englishman, Mr. Louis Noilly (French) and Mr. Claudius Prat (British), who also had family ties, in Marseillan, where the business has remained to this very day, although the company was sold to an international vermouth producer some years ago.

What is still the same is that the main grape for making the Noilly Prat is the Picpoul de Pinet. This is a high yield grape that produces refreshing summer wines. Picpoul de Pinet is grown near the sea, just inland from the Bassin de Thau, south of Sete. The Picpoul is high in acidity, translating into freshness in the wine, which, when balanced by fruit flavours of lemon, apple or pear, provides a perfect partner to seafood, in particular the oysters farmed in the Bassin de Thau.

Banyuls is a Fortified Wine

Mother Nature, under normal circumstances, produces dry wines in the vineyard. All the sugar in the grapes at harvest disappears during fermentation and no sweetness remains in the wine. There are, however, plenty of sweet wines made around the world. There are different techniques to make a wine sweet. One of them is to let the noble rot suck the water out of the grape, so that the degree of sugar in the grapes is extra-ordinary high.

Another technique is used in Portugal to make Port wine. Port wine is made sweet by adding alcohol to the fermenting must so the fermentation stops and the sugar of the grapes remains in the wine. What you get is a wine with lots of alcohol and remaining sweetness in the wine. That is exactly the same techniques used for the production of Banyuls. Thus, Port wine and Banyuls are always sweet.

Sherry, on the other hand is made by letting the fermention go its full way so that a dry wine emerges. Then, alcohol is added to boost the alcohol level. If the winemaker stops there, you get a dry Sherry. If he also adds sterilized juice, you get a sweet Sherry. Thus, Sherry can be sweet or dry.

Finally, the Mosel Kabinett, Spaetlese and Auslese wines are made sweet by stopping the fermentation without adding alcohol. One way is to cool down the fermenting must. What you get is a sweet and light wine.

Banyuls

Banyuls gets its name from the coastal town of Banyuls Sur Mer, once a sleepy fishing town that attracted artists like Matisse, Juan Gris and Picasso because it was a cheap place to live.

It has been made since the 13th century. It was then that a physician and alchemist named Arnaud de Villeneuve figured out that the fermentation of wine could be halted by adding spirit to it, thereby leaving it sweet.

What I tasted

NV Banyuls, Cooperative “Les Vignerons”

Banyuls is allowed to ferment until it has about six percent alcohol; then spirit is added, raising the alcohol level to about fifteen percent. Many light Mosel Auslese or Spaetlese wines are allowed to ferment to 7 to 8 percent. Banyuls is made from the Grenache grape and typically spends around 8 years aging in oak for aging. Banyuls is only one of several fortified wines made in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

Picture: NV Banyuls, Cooperative “Les Vignerons”

Tasting notes: milky brown in the glass with thick legs, has clearly aged, black plums, sweet tobacco, roasted hazelnuts and raspberries on the nose, very rich and full-bodied, good, balanced acidity, coupled with vanilla and cinnamon on the palate, long and smooth finish.

Schiller Wine - Related Postings

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In the Glass: 2007 Rheinhessen with Oysters at the Ten Bells in the Lower East Side in Manhattan

In the Glass: 2001 Riesling Gold Quatrat trocken Weingut Sybille Kuntz Mosel

In the Glass: 2005 Christian's Cuvee Woelffer Estate Vineyard Long Island USA

In the Glass: A 2007 Pinot Noir from the Gault Millau Shooting Star of the Year - Estate Baron Gleichenstein, Germany

In the Glass: Pinot Noir from France, Germany and California

In the Glass: Mirjam Schneider's 2007 Merlot No.2 from Rheinhessen, Germany

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Mirjam Schneider

2007 Gau-Bischofsheimer Kellersberg, Merlot, No.2, Barrique, Lagenwein (89 Points), Weingut Lothar Schneider und Tochter

This wine made by Mirjam Schneider is a very special wine, for several reasons.

It is a red wine. Germany is traditionally a white wine country. But German red wines are increasingly appearing in the international wine market. Of course, given its location, they tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse. 30 years ago, in the international scene, people would not talk about German red wine. But this has changed. Germany now produces red wines that can compete with the best of the world. The share of red wines in terms of production has increased from 10 percent in the 1980s to about 35 percent now in Germany.

It is a Merlot. Until a few years ago, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were grape varieties that Germans would know from Bordeaux or other wine regions in the world, but it was alien to German wine making. This is apparently changing. Well, the story behind this is global warming. The head of the wine maker association in the Bourgogne has warned that in 50 years, there wouldn’t be any Pinot Noir wines from the Bourgogne any more. But we might have excellent Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlots in the Rheinhessen region. In this global warming process, there will be winners and losers. And the concept of terroir will lose its meaning, I fear.

Merlot is one of the most popular red wine varietals in the world. It is estimated to be the third most grown variety at 260,000 hectares globally, with an increasing trend, behind Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. France is home to nearly two thirds of the world's total plantings of Merlot, where it is one of the primary grapes of Bordeaux wine. It is particularly prominent on the Right Bank of the Gironde in the regions of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion where it will commonly comprises the majority of the blend. One of the most famous and rare wines in the world, Château Pétrus, is almost all Merlot. In California, Merlot can range from very fruity simple wines to more serious, barrel aged examples. I have also had some excellent Merlots from Long Island on the East Coast.

It is a wine from Rheinhessen – an area that used to be known for winemakers often focusing on quantity and not quality. Rheinhessen is the largest viticultural region in Germany. Every fourth bottle of German wine comes from Rheinhessen. The high-yielder Mueller-Thurgau accounts for about 1/5 of the vineyards. Unlike in other German wine regions, where monoculture of the vine is the norm, here the many rolling hills are host to a wide variety of crops grown alongside the grape. Rheinhessen also has the rather dubious honor of being considered the birthplace of Liebfraumilch. At the same time, Rheinhessen is among Germany’s most interesting wine regions. A lot is happening there. This is not because of the terroir, but because of the people. There is an increasing group of mostly young and ambitious winemakers who want to produce and indeed do produce outstanding wine and not wines in large quantities. Mirjam Schneider is one of them.

Mirjam Schneider sells this wine as “Lagenwein”. What is Lagenwein? Along with other winemakers, she is moving away from the classical German wine classification and has established her own quality standards. She groups her wines into 3 categories: Gutsweine (***), Ortsweine (****) und Lagenweine (*****). All wines, by law, need to be classified according to the 1971 German Wine Law. All the Schneider wines are classified as Tafelwein or QbA, according to the classical German wine classification system, and thus they can be chaptalized. But the QbA on the label of this wine is meaningless and confusing. This Merlot was at the Auslese level at harvest. And it was chaptalized a bit to increase the alcohol content. It is a bone dry wine. A top level wine.

The Schneider Estate in Hechtsheim at the outskirts of Mainz looks back to a long winemaking tradition. Already since 1715 the Schneider family has grown and made wine. Mirjam Schneider, a young lady in her 20s is the 6th generation. She has split up the work with her father, Lothar Schneider, who looks after agriculture, while she is responsible for the viticulture and the wine making in the cellar. In the farm shop of the Schneiders, you will find both fresh fruits and vegetables and wines from Mirjam's cellar.

Picture: Mainz

Mirjam Schneider says that she always wanted to become a winemaker. She did her formal education, went to New Zealand to get an international perspective and took over the winery in 2005. As many other winemakers, she is trying to push nature to the fore and chemistry to the back: “The focus of my work is dealing with nature - because wine is for me a valuable natural product. I therefore attach great importance not only to keeping the wine in the process as natural as possible, but to bring this understanding to the vineyard as well.”

Because of this Merlot, but also because of her other wines, Mirjam Schneider was awarded one grape by the prestigious Wine Guide Gault Millau in 2010 and thus is now member of the group of winemakers on the Gault Millau list.

Picture: 2007 Gau-Bischofsheimer Kellersberg, Merlot, No.2, Barrique, Lagenwein, Weingut Lothar Schneider und Tochter

Before moving to my tasting notes, here is what Mirjam had to add:
- strict pruning in the vineyard is a major quality component of the wine
- this is my second merlot vintage
- the wine was aged for 18 month in small barrels (barrique)
- the wine was filtered just once and then immediately bottled
- the grapes were harvested on October 6, 2007. At harvest, the grapes had a sugar content of 99 degrees Oechsle; this is Auslese level.
- to increase the alcohol content , the wine was chaptalized by 1.5 percent in terms of alcohol, as a lot of alcohol is lost during the tradional mash fermentation.

The Gau-Bischofsheimer Kellersberg is a south facing slopes vineyard with a sandy loess-loam soil. As its ground warms quickly, it offers Pinot Noir and Merlot optimal conditions.

Tasting Notes: Dark ruby red in the glass, tight legs, attack of cassis on the nose, with leather and charcoal, coupled with toned down vanilla, full-bodied wine, good firm tannis, good structure on the back, long spicy and hot finish. An attractive old world Merlot. I give the wine 89 points.

Weingut Lothar Schneider & Tochter
Klein-Winternheimer-Weg 6
55129 Mainz-Hechtsheim
Phone 06131 59678
E-Mail info@schneider-weingut.com
www.schneider-weingut.com

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In the Glass: Pinot Noir from France, Germany and California

In the Glass: A 2007 Pinot Noir from the Gault Millau Shooting Star of the Year - Estate of Baron Gleichenstein

Picture: Johannes and Christina von Gleichenstein

The Estate of Baron Gleichenstein was all over in the wine press these days because it is this year’s shooting star of the Gault Millau.

The Estate was founded in 1634 already. But only in recent years the Estate has taken off under the young Baron Johannes von Gleichenstein. "Increasingly, he uses the great potential of the prime locations in Oberrotweil for excellent Burgundy,” editor Joel Payne of the Gault Millau praised his wines. With his Pinot Noir of 2007 Gleichenstein also moved into the top range of German red wines and with his Pinot Gris from the Oberrotweil Henkenberg into the top range of white wines.

Baron Johann von Gleichenstein has been the head of operations since 2003 in the eleventh generation. He is now supported by his wife Christina and they have a son Philip. His father, Hans-Joachim Freiherr von Gleichenstein, took over the business in 1959 as a mixed farming operation and transformed it into a pure wine making operation.

The Estate is located in the Kaiserstuhl region in Baden, the most southerly German wine-growing area, across Rhine river from Alsace. It is known for its Pinot wines - both red and white.

We tasted

2007 Spaetburgunder Oberrotweiler Eichberg Barrique QbA Trocken Baden Freiherr von Gleichenstein

In Germany, the Pinot Noir is called Spätburgunder. It is to red wine what the Riesling is to white wine: the cream of the crop. In the US, Pinot Noir shows great promise in Oregon and California. The reputation that gets Pinot Noir so much attention, however, is owed to the wines of the Bourgogne in France, where it has probably been cultivated since at least the 4th century (first documented, however, in the 14th century).

Regardless of where it’s grown, Pinot Noir is not typically a value wine. That is so because Pinot Noir is such a delicate grape that it is difficult and expensive to grow and make into the spectacular wine it can be. It is sensitive to climate and soil, Pinot Noir needs warmth (but not intense heat) to thrive and does well in chalky soils. As the German name implies, it ripens late (spät).

Oberrotweiler Eichenberg - a vineyard with a lot of exposure to the sun. The soil consists of weathered volcanic rocks.

Barrique – the wine was in small Barrique barrels for about a year before bottling.

QbA trocken – a dry Qualitaetswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) wine where the grapes had a sugar level at harvest that allowed the wine maker to chaptalize the wine, not to increase the residual sugar level, but to increase the alcohol level; this wine had 14 percent alcohol and I would guess around 1 gram per liter residual sugar, i.e. the wine is bone dry.

Light ruby-red in the glass, with thick legs, attack of wet leaves and leather on the nose, coupled with notes of strawberries and cherries, full bodied on the palate with more red fruit tones, elegant and feminine, lasting finish.


His red wines pushed Baron Gleichenstein into the 4 grapes category Gault Millau (with 5 grapes being the maximum). He is also the winner of 2009 of the German Red Wine Award of the journal Vinum.



Schiller Wine - Related Posting

Wine ratings: Gault Millau Germany 2010

In the Glass: 2007 Rheinhessen with Oysters at the Ten Bells in the Lower East Side in Manhattan

In the Glass: 2001 Riesling Gold Quatrat trocken Weingut Sybille Kuntz Mosel

In the Glass: 2005 Christian's Cuvee Woelffer Estate Vineyard Long Island USA

In the Glass: The 2007 Liebfrauenberg Cabernet Sauvignon from Ruppert Deginther in Rheinhessen, Germany

Picture: Justus Ruppert, Weingut Ruppert Deginther, Rheinhessen, Germany

2007 Liebfrauenberg Cabernet Sauvignon, Weingut Ruppert Deginther, Rheinhessen, Germany, Euro 9.90

Stuart Pigott's wine of the month of December 2009 is indeed an extraordinary selection, for several reasons.

First, the grape variety – Cabernet Sauvignon. Until a few years ago, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were grape varieties that Germans would know from Bordeaux or other wine regions in the world, but it was alien to German wine making. This is apparently changing. A few weeks ago, I had my first Merlot from Hochheim am Main (Rheingau) and now Stuart Pigott has selected a Cabernet Sauvignon from Rheinhessen as his wine of the month. Well, the story behind this is global warming. The head of the wine maker association in the Bourgogne has warned that in 50 years, there wouldn’t be any Pinot Noir wines from the Bourgogne any more. But we might have excellent Cabernet Sauvignon in the Rheinhessen region. In this global warming process, there will be winners and loosers. And the concept of terroir will loose its meaning, I fear.

Germany is traditionally a white wine country. But German red wines are increasingly appearing in the international wine market. Of course, given its location, they tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse. 30 years ago, in the international scene, people would not talk about German red wine. But this has changed. Germany now produces red wines that can compete with the best of the world. The share of red wines in terms of production has increased from 10 percent in the 1980s to about 35 percent now in Germany.

Second, this is a wine from Rheinhessen. Rheinhessen is the largest viticultural region in Germany. Every fourth bottle of German wine comes from Rheinhessen. About one third of Rheinhessen’s agricultural area is cultivated with vines, more than 26000 hectares. The high-yielder Mueller-Thurgau accounts for about 1/5 of the vineyards, and Silvaner and Dornfelder both for 1/10. Unlike in other German wine regions, where monoculture of the vine is the norm, here the many rolling hills are host to a wide variety of crops grown alongside the grape. Rheinhessen also has the rather dubious honor of being considered the birthplace of Liebfraumilch.

At the same time, Rheinhessen is among Germany’s most interesting wine regions. A lot is happening there. This is not because of the terroir, but because of the people. There is an increasing group of young, ambitious and dynamic winemakers who want to produce and indeed do produce outstanding wine and not wines in large quantities. Obviously, Justus Ruppert, the brain behind this wine, is one of them.

Third, the wine costs ex-winery about Euro 10, which is about US$ 15. In Stuart Pigott’s judgement, you would need to pay US$ 75 to get a wine of the same quality in California. It is a bargain.

Weingut Ruppert Deginther
Kämmerstraße 8
D-67596 Dittelsheim-Heßloch/Rheinhessen
Tel.: 0 62 44/2 92
Fax: 0 62 44/5 71 34
E-Mail: kontakt@ruppert-deginther.de

In the Glass: Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - # 1 Top 100 Wine Spectator 2009

PATERSON, Wash.–(Press Release)–Wine Spectator magazine, one of the most influential wine publications in the world, has named the Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as the editors’ pick for the No. 1 Wine in the World for 2009.

Equally noteworthy is that Columbia Crest is the first wine produced in Washington state to fill the top spot in Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 wines of the world ranking.

“For the first time in the Wine Spectator’s 21-year history of creating an annual ranking of the world’s Top 100 wines, editors have named a wine from Washington state as No. 1. This is an historic moment for Columbia Crest and for all wineries in Washington,” said Ted Baseler, President and CEO of Columbia Crest’s parent company, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.

Since 1988, Wine Spectator editors have surveyed the wines that they have reviewed during the previous 12 months in order to select their Top 100 Wines of the World. The 2009 ranking was culled from 17,000 wines tasted and reviewed by editors with the final selection based on such attributes as a wine’s quality, value, availability and excitement.

Prestigious châteaux and estates from the world’s most important wine regions have held the No. 1 designation in previous years, including, Australia: Penfolds; Bordeaux: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Château Latour, Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron and Château Lynch-Bages; California: Paloma, Joseph Phelps and Caymus; Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Clos des Papes, Château de Beaucastel, E. Guigal; and Tuscany: Solaia and Ornellaia.

“We are honored that editors selected the Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as No. 1 in its 2009 Top 100 list,” said Winemaker Ray Einberger. “And it’s a particular honor to be the first wine from Washington state to receive this recognition. We have always believed that the region is among the best wine-producing areas in the world, and this reinforces that belief.”

Columbia Crest’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has been ranked previously on the magazine’s Top 100 list. In 2004, Wine Spectator ranked the 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon No. 30, and over the years 15 Columbia Crest wines have been named to the Top 100 list.

Einberger, who became head winemaker in 2003, joined Columbia Crest in 1993 and helped to establish the winery’s Reserve program, which has received consistently strong acclaim.

Columbia Crest’s Reserve wines are hand-crafted in le petit chai, a small winery within the overall winery. The chai is dedicated to Walter Clore, the father of the Washington wine industry, and it’s there that the artisanal approach to winemaking is reminiscent of the top boutique wineries and châteaux. In fact, cellar techniques are modeled, in part, on Einberger’s experience working in the cellars of Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Clerc Milon in Bordeaux and Opus One in Napa Valley.

Founded in 1983, Columbia Crest has grown from a small winery in a relatively unknown wine region to one of the most significant wineries in the U.S. and a major force behind Washington state’s emergence as a world-class wine region. More information about the winery can be found at columbia-crest.com.

Schiller Wines -- Related Postings:

Wine Ratings: Top 100 of the Wine Spectator 2009 includes Wittmann and Loosen Rieslings
Wine Ratings: German Rieslings -- Wine Spectator List of April 2009

In the Glass: Suggestions for Thanksgiving

Picture: The First Thanksgiving, Jean Louis Gerome Ferris

Thanksgiving is around the corner. Here are wine suggestions from different sources.

See Randy Caparoso's here.

See Marisa d'Vari's suggestions here.

See Eric Asimov's suggestions here.

See what the Wine Ladies Georgia and Susanne from Toronto have to say here.

The wine couple Gaiter/Brecher from the Wall Street Journal on the question: What about Zinfandel? and suggestions for a wine giving thanks.

Here is Beppo Crosariol from Canada.

Nicole Feliciano's more general suggestions on momtrends.

Laurie Forster suggests an All-American pairing with wines from Maryland. See here.

Out-of-site wines in Vienna, Virginia, USA suggestions:

What wine works best for Thanksgiving? It's the big question this time of year, and if you're like us, you've read or heard a million different answers. What's the answer? Truth be told, many different wines work well for this most American of holidays. On Saturday, we'll have three tables full of wines for you to taste, all carefully chosen to really shine on Thanksgiving, from sparkling wine to rich whites to light and fruity reds to big blockbusters that are as bold as Americans themselves. For your convenience, we've arranged the tasting notes below by categories that we think work best, and which may assist you in making your selections.

Sparkling -- Always appropriate for welcoming guests, drinking before a meal and, of course, toasting! Sparkling wines also work surprisingly well with a wide array of foods from starters to desserts.

NV Jansz Sparkling Wine (Australia/Tasmania) $23.99. Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (90 points): "Pale gold with a light mousse. Peach and melon on the nose, with a pungent floral quality building with air. A silky, fine-grained midweight with ripe orchard and pit fruit flavors and a late kick of floral honey. Finishes with gentle melon and peach flavors and impressive length. Lots of flavor for the money here."

Rich Whites -- For Thanksgiving, we prefer rich, weighty whites that complement rich foods rather than crisp, zingy wines which may seem shrill with such foods. There are no better wines in this category than Alsatian wines or Alsatian styled wines.

2007 Albert Mann Auxerrois VV (France/Alsace) $19.99. Rich, exotic wine from 35 year old vines. Full of flavors of white nectarine, ripe pear, and spice, with beautiful weight and texture to stand up to your meal. Delicious on its own, it will really shine when paired with your turkey and gravy.

2008 Inacayal Pinot Grigio (Argentina/Mendoza) $15.99. Floral with fresh apple-pear aromas and lots of weight in the mouth. It may remind you more of Pinot Gris from Alsace than Pinot Grigio from Italy.

2008 St. Innocent Pinot Gris "Vitae Springs" (Oregon/Willamette Valley) $22.99. Wine Advocate (90 points): "Classy perfume of baking spices, tangerine zest, and white peach. Smooth-textured and intense on the palate, this tasty effort will provide pleasure over the next 3 years."

Pinot Noir -- A natural pairing for turkey and stuffing, the juicy, fruity and earthy flavors of Pinot Noir work nicely with the more traditional items on your menu.

2006 Mestre-Michelot Bourgogne (France/Burgundy) $19.99. Wonderful and affordable Bourgogne showing more cherry and strawberry fruit than others in this price range. Soft, juicy and with just the right balance of wild mushroom, earth and spice to complement the pretty fruit.

2008 Vinterra Pinot Noir (New Zealand/Marlborough) Reg. $15.99; Sale $13.99. An amazing price for a Pinot Noir of this quality! Importer Notes: "The wine displays ripe, sweet plum notes with an edge of complexity on the nose. The palate is rich and round supported by fine grain tannins. Strawberry, cherry and dark berry fruit flavors. Great structure. An excellent match for most meat dishes."

2007 Patricia Green Pinot Noir "Old Vines" (Oregon/ Willamette Valley) Reg. $41.99; Sale $38.99. Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (91 points): "Bright red. Dark berries, cherry, rose and graphite on the nose. Mineral-laced cherry and black raspberry flavors are impressively precise, gaining a pleasant edge of bitter cherry skin with air. The minerality lingers on the persistent finish, adding cut to the cherry and dried rose flavors. This is balanced to age."

Old World Wines -- Many old world wines like Cotes du Rhones work well with the Thanksgiving meal for similar reasons that Pinot Noir and Zinfandel-based wines do: their rich, fruity, sometimes spicy flavors can stand up to the richness of the meal, but with a texture that avoids hard tannins.

2007 Khalkhal-Pamiès "Plaisir des Lys" (France/Minervois) $14.99. Rich, black and blue fruits laced with violets, earth, spice and a touch of pepper. This one will have folks asking, "Where can I get this wine?"

2006 Chateau des Tours Cotes du Rhone (France/Southern Rhone) $29.99. The 2005 vintage was a "secret" office wine last summer and a quick sell-out of nearly 10 cases. On this vintage, which has just arrived, Wine Advocate (90 points): "An outstanding effort, the 2006 Cotes du Rhone reveals a medium ruby color along with sweet raspberry and kirsch fruit, a silky, full-bodied texture, lovely length, and a seductive style. It can be enjoyed over the next 4-5 years."

New World Wines -- For those who want wines with big flavors that will stand up to even the richest of Thanksgiving fare, Zinfandels, New World Grenache, and Shiraz will do the trick.

2006 Twenty Rows "The Grappler" (California) Reg. $21.99; Sale $19.99. 58% Zinfandel, 30% Syrah, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. Super-delicious Zinfandel blend showing wild berry flavors and silky texture. Winemaker notes: "Seamless integration of flavors from start to finish. The wine starts out powerful yet smooth with ripe, spicy, cherry and tobacco flavors on the mid palate. The finish is accented with cedar and black pepper."

2008 Owen Roe "The Sinister Hand" (Washington State/Columbia Valley) $27.99. A blend of 62% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre. Sourced from vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills, where the proximity of the Columbia River is a vital part of the success of these traditional Rhone varietals. Dark in color with expressive fruit flavors, an excellent texture and a peppery finish.

2008 Two Hands "Angel's Share" Shiraz (Australia/Barossa Valley) Reg. $39.99; Sale -- This Weekend Only --$34.99 Not yet reviewed for 2008, The Wine Spectator put the 2007 vintage (92 points) on its list of the Top 100 Wines of 2008. Angels' Share has garnered 91 points or more in every vintage since 2003 from the Wine Advocate, where it is described as "fabulously rich, full-bodied, and voluptuously-styled." This is a great price for this hard to find wine.

Out of Site Wines
214 Dominion Road NE
Vienna, VA 22180
Tel: 703.319.WINE
E: info@outofsitewines.com

In the Glass: 2005 Christian’s Cuvee, Wölffer Estate Vineyard, Long Island, USA

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller tasting Christian's Cuvee at the Woelffer Estate


2005 Christian’s Cuvee, Wölffer Estate Vineyard, Long Island, USA

This wine—Christian’s Cuvee—is to remember the great entrepreneur Christian Woelffer, the founder of the Woelffer winery on Long Island, New York State. Christian Woelffer died last year, shortly after New Year, in a sport accident at the age of 70 on vacation in Brazil.

I had the wine with my wife at this wonderful winery in the Hamptons on Long Island. We were on our way back from Concord, New Hampshire, to McLean, Virginia. The rustic, Tuscan-style winery is set on a rise overlooking the vineyards to the east and the gently rolling Hamptons landscape to the west. This is one of the few Long Island wineries that is located in the Hamptons, while most Long Island wineries are cluttered on the North Fork.

The wine: dark red in the glass; attack of Cassis, with some vanilla notes; big mouth-feel, with a lot of tannins; lasting finish with fine acidity.

Here are the notes of winemaker Roman Roth: After an incredibly favorable growing season, we hand-picked the grapes on October 17th and 18th. Following the careful sorting process on a sorting-table, the lots were separated to ferment the Merlot grapes in a 6000 Liter upright French oak tank. All other lots fermented in 1 Ton Bins. The Merlot fermented at a peak temperature of 86°, with a total maceration of 22 days. The Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon fermented at 84°, with a total maceration of 10 days and 17 days respectively. The pump-overs and the punch-downs were done meticulously every 8 hours during the peak of fermentation. The wine was gently pressed, and the press fraction > 1.1 Bar was separated. After 4 days it went straight into 100% new oak French Barriques. Malolactic fermentation finished 100%. The wine spent 21 months in oak and was gently racked a total 5 times. Bottling was done on July 12th, 2007 resulting in 2070 750 ml bottles, 90 1.5 Liter bottles and 12 3.0 Liter bottles.

83% Merlot from our oldest Merlot vines planted in 1990 with a yield of 1.6 tons/acre; 14.5% Cabernet Sauvignon Roanoke Vineyards planted in 2000 with a yield of 1.3 tons/acre; 2.5% Cabernet Franc planted in 2000 with a yield of 1.7 tons/acre; Brix at Harvest 22.6, Alcohol 13%, Titratable acidity 5.6 g/L, pH 3.55

In little over a quarter of a century the Long Island wine industry has grown from one small vineyard to 3,000 acres of vines and over thirty wineries producing outstanding wines. Located in New York State, on the East Coast of the United States, Long Island extends some 120 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Its maritime climate, geography and soil characteristics provide ideal conditions for producing wines of exceptional quality.

Christian's Cuvee is not cheap. It costs $ 100 ex-winery.

In the Glass: 2001 Riesling, Gold-Quadrat, trocken, Weingut Sybille Kuntz, Mosel

Picture: The winemakers Sybille and Markus Kuntz

2001 Riesling, Gold-Quadrat, trocken, Weingut Sybille Kuntz, Mosel

I bought (2 cases) of this wine from 2001 this month in Washington DC at a steeply discounted price and found it outstanding when I tasted it. This is an ultra-premium quality wine.



Pale yellow, greenish in the glass; hint of honey, suggesting that some of the grapes were botrytised, wet stone and slate on the nose; elegant, generously textured and full bodied wine with marked acidity on the palate, lasting finish.
A perfect wine for food. We had Scallops in a cream sauce with it.

Here is what Sybille Kuntz says about the Gold-Quadrat: Grapes are selected from the most mature and oldest vineyard sites of the Estate and these old vines, planted in the 1920s, have low yields and small berries with intense flavor profiles. We take great care to pre-pick the steep Riesling vineyards several times. Only the healthy and most mature grapes remain on the vines. The grapes continue to ripen until they reach a natural potential alcohol level of 11-11,5 % by vol . From these very ripe and golden yellow grapes we make the much celebrated: Gold-Quadrat.




Why was the wine on the market at a steep discount? I guess part of the explanation is that the retailer found it difficult to sell the wine to the American customers, as it it a wine from the vintage 2001 already. In my view, the wine has nicely settled down in the bottle during the past years. It has not yet started to age, but has become a ripe, mature, great wine. To compare the wine with women, I would say, the wine is like the beautiful Catherine Zeta-Jones, who just turned forty, well established in her life, married to Michael Douglas, mother, very attractive and sexy. But American customers appear to prefer Sienna Miller (who I saw last weekend in a Show on Broadway in New York--an outstanding performance in "After Miss Julie", a Strindberg classic), she is in her early 20s, stunning look, very sexy, but still searching for her place in life, with great prospects.

Sybille Kuntz is an astonishing winemaker who has been present in the American market with dry Rieslings for a number of years now. She obviously has made an effort. The back label is in English. The front-label has been simplified to make it easier for the American consumer to read it, something that the American consumers always complain about.

Her efforts have been crowned by success. Sybille Kuntz has made a name for herself in the American market. She is on the wine list of many top Restaurants like Keller’s Per Se and Nobu in New York City.

But in my view, and I have been arguing with my wife Annette about this, this is a long and painful uphill battle. It is the delicious noble-sweet Riesling that American consumers associates with German wine. Look at the wine list of the restaurant Spruce in San Francisco. It has an amazing list of German wines, however most of the wines are sweet or noble-sweet.

But I agree with Sybille Kuntz. Germany is producing world class dry wines for food that can compete with any wine from around the world. And Sybille Kuntz is one of those winemakers, who bring out the best in dry German Rieslings. I am looking forward to drinking the 2 cases I bought with my wife and others who appreciate dry German Rieslings that are at world class level.

In the Glass: 2007 Edelzwicker

2007, Edelzwicker, Domaine Stoeffler, Barr, Alsace

Pale yellow in the glass, very fresh with aromas of white peach on the nose, a slight spritz of carbon dioxide quickly dissipates, pleasantly fruity, soft textured on the palate, easy drinking, with a slight sweetness lingering on the finish.

Edelzwicker is a traditional, blended wine of Alsace, typically sold in liter bottles. In the early parts of the 20th century, blending was the norm, and these blends were called "zwicker". Edelzwicker (noble-blend) is a "zwicker" made only from grapes considered to be noble. It is a fairly simple wine for day to day drinking, best in a wine brasserie to wash down a plate of chacroute garni at lunchtime!

Because of the wide variety of grapes which may be used (Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Muscat, Gewurztraminer) one producer's Edelzwicker may taste very different from the next. Quality can vary just as much as with any other category of wine. For most producers it is a very pleasant entry level wine, as this Domaine Stoeffler wine is. It is Euro 5 ex winery.