Category Archives: Wines

Austria, Wines

Wine Notes: Kremstal

 

What I Learned:

Kremstal (Krems Valley), in Krems, Austria,  along with its associated village of Stein, and a narrow band of area on the opposite side of the Danube, form a wine district known as Kremstal. This district lies on both sides of the Danube River and its tributary, the Krems River. Vineyards lie above the communities on high slopes overlooking the communities and the rivers. Loess and sedementary soils predominate in this region.

Noted Ried (named vineyards) in Stein are: (from up to down river) Steiner Pfaffenberg and Hund; with other esteemed vineyards being: Pitschental, Altenburg, Grillenparz, Danzern, and Schreck.

Wine-making in the Krems region dates back about 2000 years. As Christianity moved east, monastic organizations revitalized the tradition. The oldest vintner association in Europe, the Hauerinnung Krems-Stein, has been here since 1442. In 1938 it founded Winzer Krems, a name that endures today. Its cooperative winery, Sandgrube 13, is located at the same address in Krems, and worth a visit.

Like the neighboring Wachau wine region, the Gruener Veltliner is the single-most cultivated grape, accounting for half the annual production. While grown elsewhere, this grape, and the white wine it produces, is Austria’s claim to fame in the wine world. Riesling is the second most cultivated grape. White varietals predominate here, and other white varieties include, Rivaner known elsewhere as Mueller-Thurgau), Muskatteller, Neuburger, and Pinot Blanc and Gris. Grown to a lesser extent, the red varietals include Sankt Laurent and Zweigelt.

 

What I tasted:

2016 Rivaner, Winzerbraut, Qualitaetswein, Halbtrocken, Winzer Krems (Niederoesterreich): An off-dry white wine with medium minus gold color; a nose of green apple and ripe white peach, toasted nuts, peach and slight spice flavors; medium acidity, nicely balanced overall.

2015 Sauvignon Blanc, Kellermeister Privat, Niederoesterreich, Qualitaetswein, Trocken, Winzer Krems: A dry white wine with medium minus gold color; light boxwood, gooseberry nose, with boxwood and citrus flavors, with a hint of spice; medium plus acidity.

2015 Gruener Veltliner, Frauengrund, Kremstal DAC, Josef Dockner: A dry white wine with light gold color; a floral and spicy nose, both sweet and sharp; floral, honey, tangy spice, vanilla and grilled peach flavors; mild acidity.

2014 Riesling, Ried Grillenparz, Erste Lage, Kremstal DAC Reserve, Weingut Stadt Krems: A dry white wine with light gold color; a sweet grape nose, and tropical fruits, turpentine, and spicy, mustard-like flavors, with a hint of minerality; medium acidity with a smooth finish.

2013 Gruener Veltliner Steinberg, DAC, Weingut Hutter: A dry white wine with a dark gold color; floral and fruity notes with a hint of grapefruit, very mild acidity.

2013 Riesling, Stein Terrassen, Weingut Hutter: A dry white wine with light gold color; floral notes with a slight hint of grapefruit; medium acidity.

 

 

France, Wines

Wine Notes: Cotes de Beaune Savigny

 

What I Learned

The Burgundian wine region known as the Cote d’Or has a northern section and a southern section. Cote de Beaune is the name of the southern section.  This part of the Cote d’Or famously produces some of the most esteemed white wines in the world, in addition to some very good red wines, which is the reverse of the northern section known as the Cotes de Nuits.

The Cote de Beaune is generally speaking more famous for its white wines, such as those from the crus in Meursault, or Puligny-Montrachet or Chassagne-Montrachet. However, Savigny-les-Beaune is known primarily for its red wines. Like Pommard, a bit further south in the same district, and also well-known for its reds, Savigny lies at the mouth of a transversal valley. This type of valley, formed by the Rhoin River in Savigny, crosses a crestline, the Cote d’Or, at right angles. Hence in Savigny, this means a narrow, fairly protected valley with steep sides, with west- and south-facing vineyards, ideal for vines.

While there are no Grand Cru in Savigny, there are just over 20 Premier Cru, perhaps the most well-known being Aux Vergelesses, at the border of the neighboring town Pernand-Vergelesses. The village has its own Village Appellation, Savigny-les-Beaune Controlee, as well as its Premier Cru Appellations, for both red and white wines.

The Pinot Noir wines of Savigny-les-Beaune have good aging potential. (In fact, one bottle I had purchased then stored, I only got around to drinking 11 years later, and found it soft, and rich in flavors and mouthfeel.) In any event, the wines in Savigny are good, representative Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, with as good a price-to-quality ratio as a wine lover is likely to find anywhere along the Cote d’Or.

 

What I Tasted

2014 Pinot Noir, Aux Grands Liards, Appellation Savigny-les-Beaune Controlee, Domaine Giboulot (Savigny): A dry red wine with medium red brick color; a floral and peppery spice nose, with forward flavors of vanilla, oak and red cherry flavors; medium tannins.

2008 Pinot Noir, Savigny-les-Beaune, Appellation Savigny-les-Beaune Controlee, Domaine Andre Morey: A dry red wine with medium plus brick red color; a nose of spice and light tobacco; flavors of vanilla, slight fruit, and a hint of herbaceousness; medium tannins. (Consumed in 2019!)

2007 Pinot Noir, Savigny-les-Beaune, Appellation Savigny-les-Beaune Controlee, Domaine du Chateau de Meursault: A dry red wine with light medium ruby red color; slight red berry and spice nose, with flavors of the same; medium plus tannins.

2006 Pinot Noir, Aux Clous, Appellation Savigny-les Beaune Premier Cru Controlee, Pierre Andre: A dry red wine with medium plus ruby red color; spice, red berry and wood nose, with stewed red berries and spice flavors; high minus tannins.

 

 

 

Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Franconia’s Silvaner

 

What I Learned

Along the Main River in Franconia (Franken, in German), there are three wine districts of good repute: Maindreieck, Mainviereck, and the Steigerwald. This post focuses on the Maindreieck district only.

The Main, flowing basically from east to west, is a tributary to the Rhine River. The river makes three consecutive and dramatic curves close to the heart of Franconia, essentially going from east-west, to north-south, then south-north by Ochsenfurt, before curving roughly east-west again. The Maindreieck is thus a triangle (Dreieck) of land surrounded on three sides by the Main River. This area has become a paragon of viticulture in south central Germany. The most important and undoubtedly best-known town for wine culture in this area is Wuerzburg.

In Franconia, Riesling is not king, as it is in many other wine-growing regions of Germany. Silvaner plays that role here. In fact, it is one of the most important varietals for this particular area. Known officially in Germany as the Gruener Silvaner (Green Silvaner), genetically-speaking it is the same varietal as the less widely spread Blauer and Roter (blue and red) Silvaner mutations. Franconian vintners have grown Silvaner since the 17th century. Like the river, it came to Germany from the east, Austria, and moved westward, as far as the Rhein-Hessen wine region. It now grows even in the United States. The first definitive reference to it in Germany occurred in Eisenheim (location of a “Silvaner” trail), thus this small Franconian village is known as its German birthplace.

Many locals prefer Silvaner over Riesling. I find it the perfect spring-time wine. Slightly cooled, it has ripe stone fruit and fresh green grass/herbaceous flavors with a hint of minerality, with less acidity and  a fuller mouthfeel than Riesling. Perfect for sunny but cool days when a Riesling’s bracing acidity could produce a chilly versus a warm overall sensation. Analogous to the season, it is usually produced to drink young, and those lucky enough to have a bottle of this wine should probably drink it within a couple of years.

 

What I Tasted

2017 Silvaner, Kabinett, Trocken, Praedikatswein, Weingut Hirn (Eisenheim): A dry white wine with medium minus white gold color, floral nose with a hint of spice; surprisingly neutral on the palette; smooth mouthfeel with medium acidity.

2017 Blauer Silvaner, Obereisenheim Hoell, Kabinett, Trocken Deutscher Praedikatswein, Weingut Kramer (Eisenheim): A dry white wine with medium minus gold; on the nose a spiciness reminiscent of cardamom, with floral, green wood, and spicy mustard flavors; medium plus acidity, with a full but tingly mouthfeel.

2015 Silvaner, Spaetlese, Grosse Gewaechs, Trocken, Praedikatswein, Weingut Hirn: A dry white wine with medium yellow gold color, spice cinnamon, vanilla, floral; cantaloupe, vanilla, apricot; medium acidity.

2016 Blauer Silvaner, Trocken, VDP Gutswein, Weingut Arnold (Randersacker): A dry white wine with medium gold color with a hint of rose; nose of red apple, vanilla and spice, with red apple, vanilla and slight toasted nuts flavors; smooth mouthfeel, medium plus acidity, but with a touch of honey after.

2016 Silvaner, Wuerzburger Schlossberg, VDP Erste Lage, Trocken, Staatlicher Hofkeller Wuerzburg: A dry white wine with rich yellow gold color; with green apple nose, and a spicy, green apple flavor; medium acidity with a smooth, crisp finish.

 

 

 

 

Switzerland, Wines

Wine Notes: Switzerland’s Zurich Appellation

 

What I Learned

Switzerland’s Zurich appellation is located behind the well-known Thurgau appellation on the shores of Lake Constance (Bodensee, in German), and the Sankt Gallen appellation to its east. It has five sub-districts, and clockwise, circling from north to south around the city of Zurich they are: the Zuercher Weinland, the Winterthurer Weinland, the Zuerichsee, the Limmattal, and the Unterland. Overall, the Zurich district is cooler, and more elevated than the vineyards in Thurgau, along the lake. Although fed by numerous rivers that feed into the Rhine, they are neither as large nor as temperature-moderating as the Rhine. The whole canton is covered by 613 hectares (1515 acres) of vineyard, according to the latest figures (2019). White varietals are less prominent (by approximately 2 to 3) than red ones, of which the Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir) features most prominently. It has a couple of interesting grape varietals, rare elsewhere.

Raeuschling, a white grape varietal, was well-known and highly cultivated in this part of Switzerland for several centuries. Like the Mueller-Thurgau grape that later replaced it, it was a varietal for cooler climates. It produces a crisp, acidic wine.

Gamaret, a cross between Gamay and Reichensteiner, is a red grape varietal first planted in the 1970s. Developed by Swiss scientists, its popularity originally spread quickly. In addition to the Zurich area, it grows in significant quantities as well as in the Vaud, Valais, Geneva and Ticino cantons.

 

What I Tasted

2015 Riesling-Sylvaner, Worrenberger, Erb zur Post, Halbtrocken, AOC Zurich, Weinbau Post (Volken): A dry white wine with medium gold color; a sharp, green apple and slight spice nose, with citrus, green apple and spice flavors; medium plus acidity, with a slightly acidic finish.

2015 Gamaret, AOC Zurich, Trocken, Weingut Bauer (Berg am Irchel): A dry red wine with dark minus purple red color; a tobacco, chocolate and leather nose, with vanilla, blackberry, chocolate and leather flavors; a complex and interesting varietal wine with high tannins (opened in August 2019).

 

2014 Pinot Noir, Worrenberger, Erb zur Post, Trocken, AOC Zurich, Weinbau Post (Volken): A dry red wine with medium ruby red color; a fruity nose with a hint of floral notes, and blackberry flavors, with a hint of floral honey; medium plus tannins, with a slightly acidic finish.

 

 

 

Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Baden’s Breisgau District

 

What I Learned:

The Breisgau area of Germany’s Baden Wine Region has some unique topography, both natural and manmade. From the plain, you see ridgeline after ridgeline, each rising higher as it moves away from the Rhine, and toward the upper reaches of the Black Forest to the east.

This district produces red and white wines, in almost equal quantities. Mueller-Thurgau is the most planted white varietal, followed by Rulaender (Grauer Burgunder/Pinot Gris), and then Pinot Blanc. The Pinot (Burgunder) varietals are widely planted here. In fact, according to the Weinlandbreisgau.de site, the Blauer Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir) constitutes a whopping 42.9% of all wine made in the Breisgau. Combined with the Pinot Blanc figure of 9.5% and the Pinot Gris figure of 12%, this means that the Pinots themselves constitute over 60% of all wine from this area.

Most planted varietal in the Breisgau area around Kippenheim is the Spaetburgunder. Other areas within the Breisgau grow the red varietals of Regent (developed in 1967 in the neighboring Pfalz wine region) and Cabernet Mitos, and Riesling and Chardonnay as other white varietals. All other grapes grown each constitute less than one per cent of the total.

 

What I Tasted:

2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Ettenheimer Kaiserberg, Trocken, Deutscher Qualitaetswein, Wein und Sektgut Weber (Ettenheim): A dry white wine with medium gold color; nose of gooseberry and citrus, with gooseberry, citrus and slight spice and pear flavors; medium plus acidity, with a tart finish, well balanced and a great representative of this varietal wine.

2012 Weissburgunder, Ettenheimer Kaiserberg, Trocken, Qualitaetswein, Weingut Jaeger (Ettenheimweiler): A dry white wine with medium gold color; citrus flavors with a full mouthfeel.

2011 Grauburgunder, Ettenheimer Kaiserberg, Trocken, Qualitaetswein, Weingut Jaeger, (Ettenheimweiler): A dry white wine with light gold color; floral notes with a trace of minerality, and a full, smooth mouthfeel.

Sekt, Brut, Blanc de Noir, Deutscher Sekt, Wein und Sektgut Weber (Ettenheim): A dry red sparkling wine vinified white, with very fine, lively bubbles, and dark minus golden color; floral and yeast nose, green apple and bread flavors; medium plus acidity.

 

 

 

 

 

France, Wines

Wine Notes: Drome’s Cotes du Rhone

 

What I Learned

Cotes du Rhone covers a large area, but this post covers only wines from the central part of the Department of Drome, on the left bank of the Rhone River. In the area between Montelimar (of nougat fame) and Orange (a famed Roman colony), where the Drome meets Provence’s department of the Vaucluse, this part of the large Drome department is tellingly known as the “Drome Provencale.”

In this region, Lyon is a distant northern memory, and Avignon is only an hour south by car. It is an area that is overwhelmingly agricultural, with a triad of Mediterranean crops: Lavender, olives, and of course, grapes. Viticulture has a pre-classical history here, as many believe the vine was introduced not by the Romans, as is so often the case in regions north or west of the Alps, but by the Phoenicians, some 500 years BCE.

Within the Cotes du Rhone appellation, there are two, higher, or more esteemed appellations: The Cotes du Rhone Village, and the Cotes du Rhone “Named Village” appellations. Rousset les Vignes, Saint Pantaleon les Vignes, and Suze la Rousse, among others, are named villages, within the Drome, and all within my defined scope.

Here, in the Drome, the Appellation Cotes du Rhone wine is true to the humbler roots of its terroir. The red wines are fruit-forward, untamed and unpretentious wines, with definite value for money. As the tasting notes below note, in this area, even the simple (and inexpensive) Cotes du Rhone wines are flavorful, full-bodied wines. It is where vineyards large and small are in abundance, and family run wineries co-exist with cooperatives. Most of the wine produced here is red, with some rose, and a small amount of white wine.

The Cooperative of the Vignerons de Valleon, making Cotes du Rhone wines with grapes from Saint Pantaleon des Vignes and Rousset les Vignes, is a significant contributor to the economy in this area of a very rural Drome. It produces Cotes du Rhone red, white and rose wines, and Cotes du Rhone Village red (only) wines. A commemorative cuvee “Le Petit Train,” honors the little train from Nyons to Pierrelatte, that used to pass over a viaduct within the township of Saint Pantaleon les Vignes, where the cooperative is located. The cooperative also sponsored the wine-themed trail which crosses over the viaduct at one point on its itinerary. History, vines, wines and pride of community all in one, making it a great place to visit! (See https://www.valleon.fr/ and the associated Nutshell for this trail here. )

 

What I Tasted

2017 Le Petit Train, Appellation d’Origine Controlee Cotes du Rhone, Vignerons de Valleon (Saint Pantaleon-les-Vignes): A dry red wine cuvee (Grenache, Syrah), with dark purple-red garnet color; nose of smoke and green wood, with a hint of dark cherry, flavors of the same; medium plus tannins.

2017 Rose Les Frangins, Appellation Cotes du Rhone Controlee, Domaine des Gravennes (Suze la Rousse): A dry rose with very light salmon color; strawberry and green wood nose with strawberry, strawberry leaf, oak and slightly mineral flavors, medium tannins, and a slightly acidic finish.

 

2016 Vin Blanc, Café du Centre, Appellation Cotes du Rhone Controlee, Domaine Gris-des-Bauries (Taulignan/Bedoin): A dry white wine blend (primarily Clairette) made by the domaine above, and bottled for the eponymous cafe/restaurant, with medium gold color; a floral and spice nose, with nutmeg, vanilla, and fruity flavors, medium acidity, with an unexpected mildly tart finish.

 

2014 Viognier, Appellation Cotes du Rhone Protegee, Domaine du Jas (Suze la Rousse): A dry white wine with pale gold color; a mineral and sandalwood nose, with sandalwood, vanilla, smoke and slight white fruits flavors, medium finish.

 

Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Baden’s Tauberfranken

 

What I Learned  

A bit of the Baden wine region lies far north, with some of it in the German State of Bavaria! Baden’s Grosslage Tauberklinge extends north from around Assamstadt to the area around Homburg am Main. Much of this district lies along or quite near to the Tauber River. Other sectors lie in small valleys of minor Main River tributaries, or of tributaries to the Tauber River.

The Taubertal (Tauber (River) Valley) is a very diverse wine growing area. Following along the course of the river, upstream (south) to downstream (north), you find 3 regions (Franconia, Baden and Wuerttemberg) and 4 districts represented: Franconia’s Mainviereck District, Baden’s Tauberfranken District, Wuerttemberg’s Kocher-Jagst-Tauber District, and Franconia’s Maindreieck District. All this within about 120 miles of a fairly narrow river valley! The frequent district changes reflect the diverse soils and growing conditions in each region. Of course, these differences result in a variety of unique wines produced along the Tauber.

Continue reading Wine Notes: Baden’s Tauberfranken →

Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Baden’s Kaiserstuhl

 

What I Learned

The Kaiserstuhl is a wine district within the German wine region of Baden. Baden has a large number of wine districts, and with almost 4300 hectares (over 10,500 acres), it is the largest of all nine wine districts in Baden.

This district is one of the warmest sites in Germany, with some of the highest average temperatures and the highest average hours of sunshine per year. In this district, the vines are planted mostly in terraces, mostly on south facing slopes of the Kaiserstuhl, maximizing exposure to the sun in this already sun-drenched (relatively speaking) district. Another interesting aspect of this district is its base. It is volcanic, as this whole area was once one giant volcano. A layer of loess lies on top of the remnants of the old volcanic lava, which seems to retain heat to an amazing degree. The cuts in the terraces reveal incredible depths of the light-colored loess layer.

Continue reading Wine Notes: Baden’s Kaiserstuhl →

France, Wines

Wine Notes: Givry

 

What I Learned

The town and township of Givry, surrounded by vineyards, lies in the sub-region of Burgundy known as Cote Chalonnaise. In this area, which also includes neighboring Dracy-le-Fort and Jambles, different appellations are in effect. From lower to higher on the quality scale they are the appellation of Bourgogne, the appellation of Cote Chalonnaise, and the appellation for the Givry. In addition to the Givry village appellation, there are similar village appellations for nearby Mercurey, Rully, and Montagny-les Buxy. While some experts opine that Mercurey consistently produces the highest quality wines of these four villages, Givry runs a close second. Both produce mostly red wines from Pinot Noir grapes. Montagny-les-Buxy produces exclusively white wines from Chardonnay grapes. Givry produces only about ten percent white wine, but these wines can sometimes provide discerning tasters an unusual licorice note.

Continue reading Wine Notes: Givry →

Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Wuerttemberg’s Untere Neckartal

 

What I Learned

In the German region of Wuerttemberg, a lot of wine is produced. Much of it grows on steep hillsides facing the Neckar River, but some of it is produced in the valleys of its main tributaries. Wuerttemberg is a hilly state, with well-drained, sun-facing slopes in many districts. The vines and orchards compete to cover slopes in Wuerttemberg’s wine district of the Untere Neckartal (also known apparently as Wuerttembergisches Unterland), near Heilbronn, in southern Germany.

Continue reading Wine Notes: Wuerttemberg’s Untere Neckartal →