What's Worth Drinking

Think of Germany and odds are that you’ll eventually think of Riesling. Think of Chile, New Zealand, and Australia, and the odds of Riesling coming to mind are probably much smaller. Even still, all three of these countries turn out their own interesting takes on this classic varietal, and today we’ll be talking about just that.

Our first wine comes from the cold climate Bio Bio Valley in the far south of Chile. The fruit is estate grown and the wine is made in a dry style. Our second wine is nearly the exact opposite, coming from the comparatively warm region of Waipara on the eastern side of New Zealand’s south island and made in the off-dry style. Our final selection returns us back to the dry style with a single vineyard wine from the region of Eden Valley in South Australia.

Wine #1: Porta 2010 Bio Bio Valley Reserva Riesling

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Crisp notes of pear, green apple, and hard white peaches introduce this wine’s nose. Lots of lime and lemon tones show through as well with faint hints of white flowers, a very subtle petrol note, and a bit of crushed stone.

Completely dry and crisp on the palate, there is a sharpness to this wine, almost reminiscent of not fully ripe stone fruit. A biting acidity and intense minerality bring the region’s cold climate center stage and offer an incredibly lean take on the varietal that is rarely found. Notes of lime and lemon are the dominant players in this one’s flavor profile, with a subtle streak of very hard white peach showing through toward the end. Clearly not your typical Riesling, but something possibly worth looking into for fans of the crisp, minerally style.

Worth Trying. 86 points.

Wine #2: Waipara Springs 2007 Waipara Riesling

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White peach, sliced Asian pear, and lime peel show immediately on the nose with a faint hint of jasmine, petrol, and beeswax coming through shortly after. A pleasant minerality that suggests notes of wet stone also opens up with a spin in the glass.

Endearingly off dry, this wine introduces itself with an enjoyable sweetness that is tempered by a fresh, bright acidity. Lovely floral tones frame a core of citrus fruit in syrup, petrol, and beeswax with a firm stony undertone showing in the background. This is an easy to love wine with nice balance and a lasting finish, a solid effort.

Worth Trying. 88 points.

Wine #3: Pewsey Vale 2010 Eden Valley Dry Riesling

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This wine’s aroma reveals notes of white peach, lively tones of lime, and a light hint of cut green pear. Small white flowers and roses make an appearance as well, with notes of green tea, rubber, and wet stone showing through as well.

As the name suggests this wine truly is dry allowing its fresh acidity and crisp palate really to shine through fully. This is a refined wine that offers a wonderful balance between refreshing structure and fully developed fruit flavors. Notes of ripe peaches and pears combine with a floral element at the core and are framed beautifully by a wet stone and petrol edge, giving this wine an impressive amount of layering.

Worth Buying. 91 points.

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The Grapevine: Have you ever had a Riesling from any of the countries featured today?

Sip of the Day: Alois Kracher 2006 Neusiedlersee “TBA #2″

Last Friday we talked about two dry white wines from Hungary’s Tokaji region, a spot that’s famous for its sweet wines. So today I wanted to turn the tables a bit and cover a sweet wine from a place that’s known for its crisp, dry whites.

That place would be Austria, home of the iconic Grüner Veltliner grape. Although these vibrantly fresh, undeniably unique wines seem to dominate most of the conversations you hear about Austrian wine today, many of their sweet wines are also truly spectacular. Some of the most notable of those are made with the Muskat Ottonel grape, a member of the well known Muscat family.

Which is why today’s Sip of the Day features just that. Coming from the esteemed Kracher family, this wine is a Trockenbeerenauslese, or TBA. This indicates that the grapes were harvested at the highest level of ripeness on the Pradikat scale. Only individually harvested grapes that have been infected with botrytis, called “noble rot”, are used in the making of TBA wines. Botrytis, a type of vineyard mold, pierces the skins of the grapes, allowing moisture to escape and concentrating their flavor, sweetness, and acidity, while yielding its own unique spicy aroma and flavor. These wines can only be made when conditions are just right for noble rot to take place, and because only grapes that have been infected are used, production quantities are extremely low. With low yields also come high prices, but these wines are so unique and decadent that they are absolutely worth looking into.

Very dense floral tones of white roses and gardenias drive this wine’s aroma. Coming through almost as strongly are tones of apple jelly, peaches, pears, tangerines, and subtle hint of citrus blossoms. A spin in the glass reveals some honey and a light touch of beeswax.

The palate is just as deep and concentrated as the nose leads you to expect. Tones of honey and beeswax seem to appear in both the flavor profile and the mouthfeel, giving this wine a wonderful richness. The same complex cocktail of fresh fruit and floral tones that was found on the nose makes its way to the palate, showing through in an ever changing evolution of flavors that lasts long into the finish. This is a very impressive, action packed wine that truly delivers.

Worth Trying. 93 points.

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The Grapevine: What’s your experience with Austrain wine?

Today I felt like doing something different. If someone asked you to think of a wine producing country, odds are that the first one that comes to mind is not going to be Hungary. Probably rightly so, but there is more to Hungarian wine than one might think. The country is most famous for their deliciously decadent dessert wines made in the region of Tokaji. These are easily some of my personal favorite sweet wines, offering endless layers of depth and complexity while remaining in perfect balance with an almost luminous acidity. My last article on Hungarian wine featured two of these beauties, and if you missed it, I’d highly recommend checking it out here. These are truly some wines that no one should go without trying.

Even still, no one can live on sweet wine alone which is why today we’re going to be taking a look at two dry Hungarian whites. Also coming from the Tokaji region, these wines are both based on the Furmint grape, which also serves as the base for the country’s sweet wines. Our first is entirely varietal, while the second shows what this varietal can do when blended with other native (Hárslevelű) and international (Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc) grapes.

Wine #1: Chateau Megyer 2008 Tokaji Dry Furmint

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Very crisp and fresh on the nose, this wine shows strong intonations of green and golden apples, sliced oranges, and intense mineral notes of chalk and crushed limestone.

There is an interesting balance of crisp minerality, fresh, tangy fruit, and a waxy roundness to this wine’s palate. Notes of sliced oranges, green apples and pears, and an element of crushed stone define this wine, with a fresh spritz of lemon coming through toward the finish. Fresh and pleasant, this would be a great wine to explore for those Pinot Grigio drinkers who are looking to try something new.

Worth Trying. 87 points.

Wine #2: Sauska 2009 Tokaji Cuvee 113

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Inviting yet reserved, wet granite and delicate notes of peach introduce this wine’s aroma. Hints of sweet tea, rose hips, and a complex mixture of fresh fruits also appear, adding a greater sense of dimension and complexity.

Fresh and balanced on the palate, this wine is defined by pure, luminous fruit. Notes of kumquats, oranges, and peaches unfold on top of a firm mineral base of crushed stone. This wine is juicy and clean with a crisp finish, making it a great aperitif or an ideal match for salads and light dishes.

Worth Trying. 90 points.

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The Grapevine: What’s your favorite obscure white wine?

I’m sure that there are those who would not think of serving anything other than sparkling wine on Valentine’s Day. Likewise, big bold reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or sweet wines like Moscato d’Asti clearly have become iconic accompaniments to the holiday. But for some reason, when I think about Valentine’s Day, Cru Beaujolais is one of the first wines that comes to mind. Silky, soft, and elegant with flavors and aromas of ripe red berries and fresh picked flowers, it’s easy to find the romance in these wines.

This is the second time I’ve covered Cru Beaujolais on the site, and if you missed my first post, be sure to check it out here, it talks about some pretty awesome wines. In that article I mentioned that “Cru Beaujolais is made from only ten specific growing regions, and can be seen as the apex of wine produced here. Each of the individual regions brings a slightly different personality to their wines. Moving roughly north to south, the ten Crus are: Juliénas, Saint Amour, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, and Côte de Brouilly. Wines from these places are famous within the region and may or may not say Beaujolais on the label, and will certainly not state that the grape is Gamay. Although this might be confusing and frustrating at first, this ambiguous labeling is actually a good thing. Because so many people are unfamiliar with these wines, they are drastically underpriced, and you can often easily drink some of the finest wines of the region without having to venture out of the $20-30 price bracket, and some excellent wines may even be less.”

Today we’re talking about three more of the ten Crus, and as an extra Valentine’s Day bonus, each one is priced under $20, leaving you more money for roses and chocolates for that special someone. And what better way to start off than with a wine from the Cru, Saint Amour…

Wine #1: Domaine des Champs Grilles 2009 St. Amour Cru Beaujolais

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This wine’s aroma is soft and somehow almost powdery. It shows a complex array of delicate red raspberries, crushed blueberries, violet petals, fresh orange peel, and a very faint hint of white pepper and vanilla.

The palate is silky and smooth with persistent dusty tannins. Driven by dried raspberry and blueberries, it also shows some interesting notes of cacao powder, white pepper, and fresh orange peel. Medium bodied, but with a certain ripe richness, this wine’s bright acidity and delicate tannins give it great depth and a very refined feel.

Worth Buying. 90 points.

Wine #2: Georges Duboeuf 2008 Régnié Cru Beaujolais

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Sweet smelling notes of plump ripe strawberries and raspberries show initially on the nose. Red rose petals and violets seem to bloom out of the glass, with notes of Concord grapes and a subtle hint of limestone showing on the edges.

Ripe, soft and supple with a fresh acidity on the palate, this wine is defined by red fruit and flower petals. A hint of limestone along with its dusty tannins add some additional depth, which is further developed as notes of leather, mushrooms, and beet peels make an appearance toward the finish. This is an interesting wine with a surprising earthiness, offering a somewhat different departure from what most might expect from a Beaujolais.

Worth Trying. 87 points.

Wine #3: Mommessin Domaine de La Conseillere 2009 Juliénas Cru Beaujolais

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Crushed raspberries and ripe strawberries define the aroma. Juicy notes of pomegranate and a faint tone of blueberry juice also show through with a deep floral quality and an edge of kitchen spice appearing as well.

Ripe, refined, soft, and elegant, this wine shows an incredibly bright and plush core of red fruit. A delicate spiciness and a juicy acidity give it a liveliness from the very first sip. Light bakery notes, hints of ground coffee, and white pepper then come together with red currant, red plum, and strawberry, creating a very enjoyable and captivating drinking experience. An elegant and silky wine with extremely subtle dusty tannins, this is an attractively demure Gamay that keeps your palate constantly moving and your mind thinking.

Worth Buying. 91 points.

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The Grapevine: What’s your experience with Beaujolais?

Sip of the Day: Salwey 2008 Baden “Kaiserstuhl” Pinot Noir

Last Friday’s post on German Scheurebe inspired me to talk a little more about the wines of Germany. I noticed that so far I have only covered German white wines on the site, so today I thought I should branch out a little with something different. Although Germany is typically known for their white wines, Rieslings especially, about one third of their total vineyard plantings are to red varietals. While exploring German reds it is possible to find interesting wines made from unique varietals like Trollinger, Dornfelder, and Lemberger, but the most planted, and most commonly used red varietal is Spätburgunder, better known as Pinot Noir.

That’s why today I’ve chosen to talk about a Pinot Noir from the Baden region of Germany. It is labeled as a “Erzeugerabfüllung” wine, meaning “producer bottled”. Similar to estate bottled (Gutsabfüllung), this term recognizes the producer’s hands on involvement with the winemaking process, but also allows them to use grapes sourced from cooperatives. This is important in the Baden region, where the vast majority of grapes come from cooperatives, rather than single estates. Baden, along with the neighboring Württemberg region, is one of Germany’s best know regions for Pinot Noir, so today’s wine is a classic example of the style.

Pomegranate and cherry pits show initially on the nose with thin coffee tones showing through and some very light notes of mushroom hiding in the background. Hints of crushed raspberries and wet stone open up with a spin in the glass, adding a nice little bit of subtlety.

Ripe but soft, clean but gentle, this wine has everything very nicely in order, with the flavor and mouthfeel in perfect balance. Crushed raspberry, pomegranate, and cherry pit drive the palate with tones of coffee grounds and subtle notes of forest moss adding some depth. There is also a very delicate hint of wild strawberries lingering on the edges and into a lengthy finish. This is a very pleasant and nicely integrated Pinot Noir that is true to the subtle German style. Well done.

Worth Trying. 90 points.

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The Grapevine: Ever had a German red? What were your thoughts?

It occurred to me the other day while I was going through my archive of past posts that it’s been a while since I’ve talked about any wines from Germany. I was actually a little surprised by that because I’m a huge fan of German wines. No matter what varietal you get or what region it’s from, it seems that a well made German wine will almost always deliver a style, finesse, and balancing acidity like almost nothing else on the market.

Another thing I love about German wine is the variety of unknown grapes that you can find if you know where to look. Obviously Riesling is the first varietal that comes to mind when you think about Germany, but there are plenty of unique and unheard of grapes that are absolutely worth seeking out. One of them is Scheurebe.

And today I just so happen to have two of them lined up. But first, what is Scheurebe? The answer to that is actually not entirely clear. We know that Scheurebe is a cross of two other grapes, and that one of its parents is Riesling, but there is still some debate as to what its other parent is. Regardless of its lineage, the cross yielded a grape that had some similar characteristics to Riesling, but with its very own unique flavor profile. Vibrant and aromatic, historically Scheurebe has been used to make some great sweet and off dry wines, but when harvested at a full enough level of ripeness it can also make some very interesting dry wines. These wines can be sort of hard to find, but I was lucky enough to come across both a dry and sweet version, both of which we’ll be talking about today.

Wine #1: Pfeffingen 2009 Pfalz Spätlese Trocken Scheurebe

Coming from the region of Pfalz, our first wine is a trocken Spätlese, trocken meaning dry and Spätlese, literally “late harvest”, indicating a full level of ripeness when the grapes were picked. It is also labeled as a “Gutsabfüllung”, meaning that it was single estate produced and bottled.

Ripe, sweet smelling white peach and nectarine notes introduce the nose of this wine, with faint hints of melon, gardenia, and apricot showing in the background, all on top of a pumice and sea stone minerality.

The minerality and ripe fruit that show so clearly on the nose appear just as strongly on the palate. Luminous tones of white nectarine, golden apple, and crisp, spritzy notes of crushed sea stone unfold at first. Notes of Mandarin orange, kumquat, and gardenia then give another layer of complexity and last into the finish. This is an impressively multi-dimensional wine with great depth and freshness.

Worth Buying. 91 points.

Wine #2: Schweinhardt 2009 Nahe Spätlese Scheurebe

Like our first wine, this one is also estate produced and bottled from grapes that have reached the Spätlese level of ripeness. However it differs in that it comes from the Nahe region and is made in the traditional off dry, somewhat sweet, style.

Crisp notes of cut pear, cucumber, and white peach show on the aroma, with tones of honeysuckle, beeswax, and a very delicate petrol-like edge opening up with a spin in the glass.

Showing a subtle sweetness on the palate, this wine is loaded with notes of honeyed peach and pear on top of a pumice mineral undertone. Lots of fruit, stone, and floral tones drive this one, bringing everything together nicely and making it an easy to enjoy pour that would be a perfect match for salads, spicy dishes, or on its own.

Worth Trying. 88 points.

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The Grapevine: How often do you drink German wine?

Sip of the Day: Jaillance NV Clairette de Die

Last week I posted an update to my facebook and twitter talking about today’s featured Sip of the Day. There’s just so much to love about this wine, its uniqueness, its sweet, bubbly fizz, and its quality for the price, I could hardly wait to talk about it.

This complete package sparkler is a Clairette de Die, a classic, somewhat sweet wine from France’s Rhone Valley made with a legally mandated blend of 85% Muscat and 15% Clairette grapes. What makes these wines stand out from the crowd is their own unique production method. Most sparkling wines undergo two fermentations, the first converting the grape juice to wine and the second trapping carbon dioxide in solution and making the wine bubbly. Clairette de Die wines are different. They’re made in a historic style called the méthode ancestral, a modern day reproduction of the very first technique used to produce sparkling wine. As a wine is fermenting, if its temperature drops significantly enough, the yeast cells can go into a temporary state of dormancy, effectively pausing the fermentation. It is believed that the first sparkling wines produced were unintentionally made this way when wines that had not fully completed fermentation were bottled, later becoming carbonated as they finished fermenting in the bottle.

The same basic process is followed with these wines, as they are chilled, bottled, and returned back to warm enough temperatures for them to begin fermentation again and start making bubbles, which are then trapped in the bottle. The final result is a fresh, vibrant, and somewhat sweet bubbly that offers a taste of winemaking history. Best of all, this one comes in at just around $15 a bottle.

Floral and fruity on the nose, this wine has an impressive balancing minerality too. Orange leaves and flowers, canned Mandarin oranges and peaches in syrup and a hint of crushed stone all show at once aromatically.

This wine is just as balanced and impressive on the palate as it was on the nose. It’s sweet and fruity, ripe and delicious, and drenched in honeyed floral tones. Deep, multidimensional, and juicy, notes of sliced golden apples, oranges, and tangerines mix with an interesting minerality reminiscent of crushed stone and quinine. It’s sweet but very nicely layered and crisp with a refreshing finish.

Worth Buying. 93 points.

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The Grapevine: How often do you buy bubbles?