Posts Tagged ‘Mo’ Wine Group’
Trocken und korken
Rheinhessen 2014, Riesling, Trocken, Weingut Keller ($27.45, 10558446)
100% Riesling. Manually harvested. The must gets around 20 hours of skin contact. Cool-temperature fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in stainless steel tanks and lasts two months. Matured on the lees with no stirring in stainless steel tanks for four months. Reducing sugar: 4.1 g/l. 11.5% ABV (12% per SAQ.com). Quebec agent: Valmonti.
Developing, minerally nose that turns a little perfumy, is shaded by lemon-lime-grapefruit and “vanilla ice cream” aromas and eventually gains green melon notes. Faintly spritzy in the mouth. Full of ripe fruit and minerals. Bright – not sharp – with acidity, showing some depth (age will bring more) and possessed of an appealing sour edge. Dry but not austerely so. Finishes long and clean. While this didn’t appear to push the assembled tasters’ buttons, I liked its focus and balance. Would make an excellent pairing for trout and other freshwater fish (all the better if there’s some bacon present) or a simple roast chicken, not to mention herb-inflected southeast Asian cuisine. (Buy again? A bottle to take to Nhu Y, for sure, and maybe a couple more for the cellar.)
Nahe 2014, Riesling, Trocken, Vulkangestein, Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich ($29.50, 12721454)
12% ABV. Quebec agent: Avant-Garde.
Corked. Which was a shame because you could tell this is, if anything, even finer than the Keller.
MWG October 8th tasting: flight 1 of 7
White and red Macedonians
Tikveš Winery is said to be the largest wine producer in not only the Republic of Macedonia but the entire Balkans. The Tikveš plain gives the wine region its name; Bela Voda is a small area within it notable for its Mediterranean climate and clay soils. Both wines are from the winery’s flagship “Terroir” line. Due to heavy rains, no Terroir wines will be made in the 2014 vintage.
For a winery whose website makes a big deal about wine education, the lack of technical information on these wines is surprising. What’s more, the Quebec agent’s website has been AWOL for more than a year. Could we be talking about unorganic wines made with selected yeasts and subjected to manipulation in the winery, including fining and filtering? No telling but I’d guess yes.
Tikveš 2013, Bela Voda, Tikveš Winery ($27.10, 12510657)
A 50-50 blend of Chardonnay and Belan (which may be Plavai or Grenache Blanc, which the winery bottles as a varietal, or something else entirely). Matured in French oak barrels. Reducing sugar: 2 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Horizon.
Ash, lemon, chalk, a hint of vanilla butter and an intriguing if faintly acrid floral note that put me in mind of narcissus and daffodils. A mouthful of ripe but fundamentally savoury and dry fruit. The bright acidity, vein of minerals and layered flavours are as unexpected as they are welcome. A long saline finish completes the picture. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Tikveš 2012, Bela Voda, Tikveš Winery ($27.10, 12510121)
A 50-50 blend of Plavec (aka Plavac Mali) and Vranec. Matured in French oak barrels. Reducing sugar: 4.1 g/l. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Horizon.
Blackberry, cassis and fig, all a bit stewed, along with some ink and wood. Meaty and chewy in the mouth, ultra-ripe and heading into fruit bomb territory. The soft tannins and acidity do little to counter an impression of heaviness that is only augmented by the unsubtle oak. Smooth, yes, and of undoubted quality but also one-dimensional and unrefreshing. (Buy again? Doubtful.)
A bottle of the red drunk a couple of weeks earlier prompted a more favourable reaction. In fact, along with the arrival of the Ardoisières wines, it was what inspired the idea for a white/red tasting. That bottle, consumed over an evening and with food, came across as New Worldish but not to a fault: “Like a Merlot and Zinfandel cross. Flavours but not texture a bit jammy. Sweet but not cloying fruit. Velvety tannins. Soft but sufficient acidity. Mineral underlay. Mostly integrated oak. Good finish, dusted with cocoa and edged with a faint bitterness. Reminds me of the two Majorcan reds.” In any case, at the tasting, the white – far less fruit-driven and oak-dominated – was the more interesting of the two.
MWG July 16th tasting: flight 5 of 6.
White and red Blots
Two estates but the same owner-winemaker: Jacky Blot.
Montlouis-sur-Loire 2012, Clos de Mosny, Domaine de la Taille aux Loups ($32.50, 12303674)
100% Chenin Blanc from the oldest vines (averaging will over 50 years) in the centre of the 12-hectare stone-walled clos. Farming is organic but uncertified as such. The grapes are manually harvested during the second of several passes though the vineyard. Depending on the condition of the fruit, whole and/or partial clusters are harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and no chaptalization. Matured on the lees in oak barrels (one-quarter new, one-quarter second fill, one-quarter third fill and one-quarter fourth fill) for 12 months. Racked once or twice to clarify the wine. Before bottling, the barrels are tasted, selected and blended. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Reducing sugar: 4.3 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Vini-Vins.
Complex, changing nose: honeycomb, citrus, soap, seaside minerals and a hint of honeysuckle, then gaining parsnip, raw honey and quince nuances. Full and rich in the mouth, albeit a little austere at this stage in its development. Flavours tend to apple, peach, powdered ginger and something more root vegetable-like (“Japanese turnip” per one taster) with a definite mineral underlay. Comes across as quite dry, its reducing sugar levels notwithstanding, perhaps due to its glowing acidity. Long, layered and delicious, full of potential, a lovely wine with at least another decade of life ahead of it. (Buy again? Yes.)
Bourgueil 2013, Mi-Pente, Domaine La Butte ($36.00, 10903684)
Blot’s top red cuvée. 100% Cabernet Franc. The grapes come from vines averaging 60 years old and grown in a five-hectare plot located in the middle of Blot’s sloping 12-hectare Bourgueil vineyard. Yields are an exceptionally low 25 hl/ha. Farming is organic but uncertified. Manual harvesting. After destemming, the grapes are transferred to oak vats for alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts (no chaptalization), daily punch-downs for 10 days and regular pump-overs. Maceration lasts an unusually long five weeks. After malolactic fermentation in oak vats, the wine is matured in oak barrels (one-third new, one-third second fill, one-third third fill) for 16 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Reducing sugar: 1.4 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Réserve & Sélection.
Expressive nose of slate, turned earth and ripe red fruit (initially in the background though coming to the fore as the wine breathes) along with faint kirsch and green pepper and a streak of oak that one taster termed “mid-range chocolate ice cream.” Equally expressive in the mouth, despite its youth. Quite extracted – on the top side of medium-bodied – but not heavy. The velvety fruit is tense with fine if tight tannins and firm acidity. Layers of flavour, including well-integrating oak, unfurl as the wine moves across the palate. Finishes, minerally, clean and long. Carafe several hours in advance if drinking now or cellar until it peaks, probably in 2020 to 2025. If this wine were a Bordeaux or Burgundy, it would be retailing for two or three times as much. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG July 16th tasting: flight 4 of 6.
White and red ABCs
Santa Barbara County 2013, Pinot Gris–Pinot Blanc, Au Bon Climat ($27.70, 12510690)
Pinot Gris (66%) from purchased grapes grown in the El Camino and Sierra Madre vineyards and Pinot Blanc (34%) from old vines grown in the estate’s Bien Nacido vineyard. Barrel-fermented. Underwent full malolactic fermentation. Matured on the lees in neutral barrels for six months. Reducing sugar: 1.7 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Smoky, slightly sour, vaguely mineral nose with yellow fruit evocative of ground cherry jam. Plump and a little lumbering in the mouth. Round, chewy and, reducing sugar levels be damned, coming across as off-dry. The impression of sweetness is countered by streaming acidity but reinforced by unignorable butterscotch flavours. Dries out a little on the long finish overtoned with white grapefruit pith. Might work better in the context of a meal, especially one featuring white meat, though even then the lack of refreshment would be a downside. (Buy again? No.)
Santa Barbara County 2013, Pinot Noir, Au Bon Climat ($31.50, 11604192)
A blend of Pinot Noir (95%, from six vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley, two vineyards in the Los Alamos Valley and one vineyard in the Santa Rita appellation) and Mondeuse (5%, from the Bien Nacido vineyard). We kept most small lots of Pinot Noir separate for the first 6 months. Matured in oak barrels. Reducing sugar: 2.2 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Red berries, cola and sweet spice on the nose. A lactic note marks the palate. Fine tannins and fluent acidity give the fruit a semblance of structure but do nothing to counter its candied edge. Finishes clean and spicy if a little short. Supple and admirably un-Syrah-like for a Santa Barbara Pinot Noir but ultimately a bit cloying. That said, the wine will probably benefit from six months in the cellar. In the States, this can often be found for well under US$20, at which price its lack of éclat might be more forgivable. (Buy again? No.)
Technical information for these wines has been hard to find. They may have been made from organically farmed grapes. They may have been fermented with indigenous yeasts. They may or may not have been filtered or fined. Neither the ABC website nor the Quebec agent’s website are particularly helpful in this regard.
While members of the group, myself included, have enjoyed Au Bon Climat wines in the past, neither of these bottles pushed our buttons. Indeed, a couple of tasters declared that both wines’ “sweetness” (more properly termed their perceived sweetness, if the residual sugar figures are to be believed) made them difficult to drink. Even those who didn’t complain weren’t excited about them. A disappointment then.
MWG July 16th tasting: flight 3 of 6.
White and red tears
The July MWG tasting (yes, I’m way, way behind in posting notes, including some from as far back as April) was built around a conceit: six two-wine flights, each consisting of a white and a red from the same producer. As the wines were served double-blind, it gave the tasters a unique set of data on which to base their deductions and wild-ass guesses.
Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio 2014, Bianco, Mastroberardino ($21.00, 972877)
100% Coda di Volpe from sustainably farmed vines averaging 15 years old and growing on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Manually harvested. Low-temperature (15-16°C) alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks typically lasts 15 days. Not allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured three months in stainless steel tanks and a minimum of one month in the bottle. Reducing sugar: 2.1 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vinitor Vins & Spiritueux.
Discreet nose of ash, white fruit, citrus, chalky minerals and a whiff of pilsner hops. Smooth and fruity on entry, drier on the mid-palate and gaining a bitter edge on exit. There’s a lightly honeyed quality to the fruit, a dusting of minerals, an underlying stream of acidity and some herb flower overtones on the longish finish. Enjoyable if a little tame. (Buy again? Sure.)
Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio 2013, Rosso, Mastroberardino ($23.55, 972869)
100% Piedirosso from sustainably farmed vines averaging 15 years old and growing on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Manually harvested. Following a cold-soak maceration, fermentation with racking and pump-overs takes place in temperature-controlled (23°C) stainless steel tanks and typically lasts 10 days. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Matured six months in stainless steel tanks and a minimum of one month in the bottle. Reducing sugar: 2.8 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vinitor Vins & Spiritueux.
Initially odd cheese rind gives way to sour cherry and plum, a hint of spice and some smokey minerals. In the mouth, it’s medium-bodied and very dry. The ripe fruit is textured by light, raspy tannins and soft-glow acidity. What minerals there are are dark and in the background. The pleasantly bitter finish is not particularly sustained, though a lactic note lingers. If, on the one hand it’s kind of earthbound, on the other hand it’s got a kind of earthy appeal. (Buy again? Sure, especially to try with the winery’s suggested pairing of grilled swordfish.)
MWG July 16th tasting: flight 1 of 6.
Orange juice
Last up were COS’s two orange wines.
IGP Terre Siciliane 2012, Ramì, Azienda Agricola COS ($30.00, 12461525)
Inzolia (50%) and Grecanico (aka Garganega, 50%) from biodynamically and organically vines averaging ten years old. The grapes are manually harvested, destemmed, soft-crushed and macerated on the skins and pips for ten days. Temperature-controlled fermentation (with indigenous yeasts) and maturation take place in concrete tanks. The wine is filtered before bottling with a 2-micron filter. No sulphur is used during the wine-making but a small squirt of sulphur dioxide is added at bottling. Reducing sugar: 1.5 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Delicious nose of straw and beeswax with hints of dried apricot, sun-baked stone and spice. Smooth and full in the mouth. The muted fruit is perfumed by dried orange, blanched almond and faint powdered ginger overtones. Bright acidity and supple tannins add tension and firmness. Long, balanced and remarkably fresh. While this may not be a radical example of the category – Orange Wine 101? – on its own terms it is wholly satisfying. It may also be the most versatile cheese wine in existence. (Buy again? Definitely.)
IGP Terre Siciliane 2012, Pithos, Bianco, Azienda Agricola COS ($42.00, 12316352)
Grecianico from biodynamically and organically farmed vines averaging a bit less than 15 years old. Manually harvested. The whole-clusters are fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured seven months in 400-litre terracotta amphorae, which are buried up to their necks to impede oxidation. Further maturation takes place in the bottle. Unfiltered. Minimally sulphured. Reducing sugar: 1.5 g/l. 10.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
By both the winemaker’s and agent’s admission, high in volatile acidity, not that you can see it. Complex nose of straw, banana peel, white spice, almond, dried yellow fruit, crushed rocks. So suave in the mouth. Smooth textured, fluid and fresh. The fruit is understated – though you definitely taste the skins along with grapes – and lightly tinted by salted caramel. Faint tannins add structure and an intriguing astringency, particularly on the finish. Not a shouter but no less wonderful for it. (Buy again? Yes.)
Carafe these several hours in advance and don’t make the mistake of drinking them too cold; remember, they’re as akin to red wines as to whites. I usually find 14-16°C (around 60°F) about right.
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 6 of 6.
Vittoria! Vittoria!
In Italian, cerasuolo means cherry-red. The word also appears in the names of two appellations. Cerasuolo d’Abrruzo is a Multepulciano-based rosé from central Italy. Cerasuolo di Vittoria is a red wine made in southeast Sicily, specifically in the province of Ragusa and parts of Caltanissetta and Catania.
Though Cerasuolo di Vittoria has been made since the 17th century, it wasn’t granted DOC status until 1974. Since 2004, it has been Sicily’s only DOCG. By law, Cerasuolo di Vittoria must be a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato, with the former constituting between 50 and 70%. Within the DOCG is a large zone, centred around Vittoria and including the original DOC, whose wines are entitled to the Classico designation provided they have been matured 18 months or longer.
Viewing Cerasuolo di Vittoria as the wine with the deepest roots in the region and the most expressive of the regions’ terroir, COS has made it the estate’s flagship.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 2011, Azienda Agricola COS ($34.75, 12484997)
Nero d’Avola (60%) and Frappato (40%) from organically farmed vines. Fermented in stainless steel tanks on the skins and with indigenous yeasts. Matured 15 months in 20 and 40-hectolire oak foudres and several months in bottle. Unfiltered. Reducing sugar: 2.7 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Cherry with a hint of pastry and overtones of balsam and spice. Medium-bodied. Fresh and fruity from start to finish, laced with bright acidity, graced by silky tannins. A mineral backdrop and touch of earthiness add welcome dimension. The long finish is appetizingly tart. Not what you’d call complex but so approachable and drinkable. (Buy again? Yes, though not without wishing it were a little less pricey.)
Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 2011, Delle Fontane, Azienda Agricola COS ($79.00, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Nero d’Avola (60%) and Frappato (40%) from organically farmed vines around 20 years old grown in the Delle Fontane vineyard. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in glazed cement tanks. Matured 15 months in 20- and 40-hectolire oak foudres for the Nero d’Avola and in glazed concrete tanks for the Frappato. After blending, the wine is matured several additional months in the bottle. Unfiltered. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
A nose to get lost in: cherry again, a whack of limestone and overtones of earth, dark minerals, marzipan, flowers (rose?) and dried herbs (bay?). A sip reveals a gorgeous surface and considerable depth, a wine denser but somehow not heavier than the estate Classico. The fruit is sweet yet the wine is dry. The layers of flavour – more like veils, actually – include minerals, tar, licorice and mushroom. Fine tannins and sleek acidity are in perfect balance. The structure, texture, complexity and weight are very Burgundian, in fact, though the aromas and flavours are anything but. The finish goes on and on. Gorgeous. I could drink this forever. (Buy again? If you can spare the pennies, sure.)
And, yep, the post’s title is another opera reference, this time to the second act of Tosca.
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 5 of 6.
COS and effect
The second half of the April 14th tasting was led by Giusto Occhipinti, one of the two partners of Azienda Agricola COS. Giusto’s last name contributed the O in the estate’s acronym (current partner Giambattista Cilia contributed the C, while the S comes from former partner Cirino Strano). Though the wines made by Giusto’s niece Arianna Occhipinti arguably have a higher profile these days, it was COS, founded in 1980, that showed the way, that spearheaded the revolution in winemaking in the region. (Back in 2010, when she she led a MWG tasting, Arianna herself said it was Giusto who initiated her into winemaking.)
The estate is located in Acate-Chiaramonte, outside of Vittoria in Ragusa province in southeast Sicily. Originally owing only three hectares, COS acquired the nearby Villa Fontane estate and its nine hectares of vines – which they have since expanded to 17 hectares – in 1991. In 2005, they purchased a neighbouring estate with an additional 20 hectares of vines and an 18th-century wine cellar. They renovated the wine cellar and built new winemaking facilities, with 150 in-ground amphorae, which they inaugurated in 2007.
Early experiments with then-modish international varieties led them to focus – though not exclusively – on local varieties, especially the Nero d’Avola and Frappato for their flagship Cerasuolos. The partners also adopted biodynamic practices in the early 1990s, as they consider them the best option for expressing the region’s terroirs. Clay amphorae were first introduced in the fall of 2000. Cellar practices are non-interventionist: ambient yeasts; no additives except for a small squirt of sulphur dioxide at bottling; no fining or filtering. The unusual shape of the squat bottles is inspired by an ancient flask unearthed during excavations on the property.
Our tasting began with the estate’s three entry-level wines.
IGP Terre Siciliane 2013, Il Frappato, Azienda Agricola COS ($28.20, 12461488)
100% Frappato from organically farmed vines around a dozen years old. Macerated and fermented on the skins with indigenous yeasts for 10 days. Matured 12 months in glass-lined concrete tanks. Reducing sugar: 2.3 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Fresh nose of crushed raspberry, light spice and pumice. It’s a supple wine, on the lighter side of medium-bodied, with pure sweet fruit, sustained acidity and lacy tannins. As the fruit dries and fades, background minerals come to the fore on the long, bitter-edged finish. Very elegant and drinkable. Food friendly, too (think pasta, rabbit stew or grilled tuna). (Buy again? Yes.)
IGP Terre Siciliane 2013, Nero di Lupo, Azienda Agricola COS ($29.30, 12538561)
100% Nero d’Avola from organically farmed vines around a dozen years old. Macerated and fermented on the skins with indigenous yeasts for 10 days. Matured 18 to 24 months months in terracotta amphorae and glass-lined concrete tanks. Reducing sugar: 2.3 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Reductive at first, then yielding a fresh nose of red fruit, slate and sandalwood. Medium-bodied. Supple but more structured and dimensional than the Frappato. A fundamentally dry and savoury wine, remarkable for its dark, tart fruit, mineral underlay, overall balance and lightly spicy finish. Delicious. About as far as you can get from the run-of-the-mill Nero d’Avola. I’ll drink to that. (Buy again? Yes.)
IGT Sicilia 2010, Maldafrica, Azienda Agricola COS ($31.00, 12465155)
When I asked about the origin of the name, Giusto explained that, in Italian, maldafrica is, among other things, a kind of homesickness for an exotic place. In this case, the non-Sicilian varieties were planted by a régisseur who hailed from Bordeaux. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Merlot (45%) and Frappato (10%) from organically farmed vines around 20 years old. Fermented on the skins with indigenous yeasts in terracotta amphorae. Matured in Slavonian oak barrels and in the bottle. Reducing sugar: 1.8 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Cassis, slate, hints of tobacco, red meat, leather and spice. Medium- to full-bodied and, like every other COS wine, balanced, civilized and supple. The ripe, solar, savoury fruit is intense yet lithe, the acidity smooth, the tannins round. Work your way through the layers of flavour and you’ll find a substrate of minerals. Tobacco and cedar scent the long finish. True to both its Bordeaux and Sicilian roots, this elegant wine is the “kind of pure and racy warm-climate red that should have New World winemakers seriously questioning their modus operandi (looking at you, Napa),” to quote my note on the 2009. Unfortunately, there is very little left in Quebec. (Buy again? If the opportunity presents itself, absolutely.)
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 4 of 6.
Flight of the Rosenbergs
The first half of the tasting ended with a pair of wines from the Rosenberg vineyard, which the estate describes as a “gentle to moderate slope facing east-northeast … a terroir of fairly deep soil, with limestone rocks covered with small parcels of sandstone or flint. The limestone confers power, the clay gives fatness, the sandstone and flint, minerality, subtlety and breeding.”
In both cases, the manually harvested grapes were sorted at the vine and in the cellar, where the whole clusters were gently pressed. The must was allowed to settle for 12 hours, then racked into stainless steel vats for fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Nothing was added except a squirt of sulphur dioxide at the first racking and at bottling. Lightly filtered at bottling.
Alsace 2011, Pinot Gris, Rosenberg, Domaine Barmès Buecher ($31.50, 11655811)
Matured 16 months, 10 of them in demi-muids. Reducing sugar: 11 g/l. 15.1% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
A fairly funky nose off the bat, some candied pear and white peach and a dusting of ashy minerals but mainly hay and straw with flowers in it. Rich and not devoid of residual sugar though coming across as fundamentally dry. The unctuous texture is cut by a current of bitter acidity. Impressive breadth and length. The alcohol adds power but otherwise is transparent. Went very well with some of the cheeses served after the tasting. (Buy again? Yes.)
Alsace 2012, Gewürztraminer, Rosenberg, Domaine Barmès Buecher ($31.50, 11655774)
Reducing sugar: 28 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Perfumy but not to the point of caricature: rose, citrusy Muscat grape and a hint of honey. Rich and verging on off-dry, though fluent acidity, a mineral matrix and white spice overtones hold the sugar in check. A bitter thread wends its way through the long finish. A beguiling, classic expression of the grape. (Buy again? Yes.)
It says something about the balance of these wines that I was dumbfounded when, post tasting, I learned the alcohol content of the Pinot Gris and the sugar content of the Gewürz.
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 3 of 6.
Three of one
A trio of Rieslings followed, all made essentially the same way. Harvesting was manual. The grapes were sorted in the vineyard and the cellar. The whole clusters were gently pressed. The must was allowed to clarify by settling for 12 hours, then racked into stainless steel fermentation vats. Fermentation was with indigenous yeasts. No chaptalization or other additions, including fining agents, were used. Minimal amounts of sulphur dioxide were added at the first racking and at bottling. All the wines were lightly filtered at bottling.
Alsace 2012, Rosenberg, Riesling, Domaine Barmes Buecher ($31.50, 11896121)
Clayey limestone (mainly chalk) with sandstone and flinty substrates. Matured in stainless steel tanks. Reducing sugar: 6.3 g/l. 12.8% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Winey nose of apple, white flowers, quartz and hints of pineapple and petrol. Smooth, supple and pure. Fruity but ultimately dry with high but well-integrated acidity. Long. “Des beaux amères,” rightly remarked Giusto Occhipinti. Accessible now but with the potential to improve. (Buy again? Yes.)
Alsace Grand Cru 2011, Steingrübler, Riesling, Domaine Barmes Buecher ($48.00, 12214161)
Limestone with clay, marl and coarse sand of granitic origin. Matured 12 months on the lees in demi-muids. 15% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Deeper, more complex, classic nose: crystals galore, vaporous sweet yellow and white fruit and citrus zest and a whiff of kerosene. In the mouth, it’s tense, tightly coiled and multidimensional. Very dry. The fruit tends to grapefruit including some pith on the long, minerally finish. The steeliest and most powerful of the three, though the alcohol is far less apparent than the percentage might lead you to believe. Will surely benefit from another four or five years in the cellar. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Alsace Grand Cru 2010, Hengst, Riesling, Domaine Barmès Buecher ($48.00, 11010343)
Marl limestone. Matured 12 months on the lees in demi-muids. Reducing sugar: 3.8 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
More open and upfront, fruitier than the Steingrübler: apple and lemon against a backdrop of minerals and distant petrol. Richer and sunnier in the mouth, the fruit more voluptuous. Approaching off-dry though the sugar is held in check by buoyant acidity and a fainly bitter, white-mineral underlay. Long. A bit monolithic for now but the potential is obvious. The pick of the trio for several of the tasters present. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 2 of 6.
Brett happens 