Schildknecht?

Anyone know what he’s up to these days? Oregon winemakers–did he ever review the 2012’s?? I was really looking forward to reading them. Thanks.

My email said he was done and I haven’t received any new notice yet. I’ll start bottling 12’s in August.

Has Schildknecht ever before reviewed Oregon? Making the transition from Old World to New World is not easy.

And then there’s the whole question of whether you should judge New World wines by Old World standards or by New World standards.

I thought that Rovani did a magnificent job in judging the 2001 German vintage, but then he suffered a world of hurt when he started giving the monster scores to wines like Quilceda - essentially giving a New World score to a New World wine, rather than dismissing it with Old World disdain.

Schildknect took over all or most of Rovani’s coverage for a while. He was also very enthusiastic about Oregon and Washington.

So is Schildknecht able to make the transition from Old World AFWE over to New World big and blowsy and candied sweet?

a recent sighting:

http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=101218

Did he say anything about his plans for the future?

Yes, he seemed equal opportunity open minded towards styles. In any case, based on his Austria coverage I’d say he likes the heavier wines much more than the more refined styles.

I thought he did an excellent job in covering Oregon pinot the last few years. He was very enthusiastic about the top 2011’s–an AFWE vintage.

Didn’t seem to deter Galloni much.

Schildknecht on the 2009 Quilceda (a 96 score). Yeah, he has that old world sensibility working

Incorporating a mere 2% of Merlot (from Palengat Vineyard) and dominated by fruit from Champoux, with strong assists from Red Mountain’s Klipsun and Tapteil, Quilceda Creek’s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon perpetuates the deeply toasted nuttiness, bittersweet herbal intensity, and above all chocolate and dark berry confiture familiar from its stable mates. But here there are liberal sprinklings of baking spices; headily decadent floral garlands; and high-toned suggestions of fruit distillate – kirsch, framboise, sloe – to add complexity and allure. As with the other Quilceda 2009s, torrefaction and richness are not purchased at the expense of vivacity, as this flagship Cabernet positively courses with energy, leaving the tongue aquiver. The sheer palate-staining finishing intensity of berry concentrate brings some realization of the tannin underlying this powerful Cabernet, but given how mouth-coating and sweetly rich it is, no obvious sense of grain let alone roughness can be detected. I suspect this will have two decade’s solid aging potential.

Quilceda Creek’s nearly quarter-century long history and success in showcasing Washington State’s potential with Cabernet Sauvignon scarcely require recounting at this juncture as both that history and the resultant wines have achieved near-legendary status. It’s worth noting, though, the extent of the Golitzins’ association with Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills (which also happens to be where I recently met and tasted with them.) Fruit from the Mercer Ranch already played a significant role in the course of Quilceda Creek’s first two decades, and when this property became Champoux, the Golitzins acquired a 21% share (a decision Alex Golitzin calls “the greatest thing that ever happened” to Quilceda Creek.) With the replanting of most of Champoux’s Cabernet following severe frost damage in 2010, the vineyard mix of Quilceda Creek’s releases will necessarily change significantly for the next several years and likely diminish somewhat in overall volume. Powerful Cabernets from top sites in Red Mountain – notably Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Tapteil – have also been constants from the early years of this winery, and it is in that viticultural neighborhood, and in collaboration with Ciel du Cheval proprietor Jim Holmes, that Alex and Paul Golitzin planted their first estate vineyard in 2001, whose fruit they subsequently determined cried-out for separate bottling – a judgment rendered once again on the wine (dubbed Palengat – Jeanette Golitzin’s maiden name) that issued from a high-density vineyard acquired in 2006 adjacent to Champoux. Fermentations – utilizing several yeast strains – can last anywhere from 14-50 days, explains Alex Golitzin. “Some lots we push through fermentation; others we slow down,” part of a process he and his son see as guaranteeing that no matter how sweetly and seamlessly ripe their wines (and those are certainly two ineluctable adjectives for them!) “you don’t get a sense of sur-maturite.” At least a third of what is vinified ends up being declassified into a bottling labeled simply as “Red Wine,” and Golitzin notes that “this selection is made from the get-go, during primary fermentation when we’re grading (what’s in) every fermentor (of which there are 38) by taste. After malolactic, we do the same thing by fermentor – not (afterward) by barrel, because (assessing) barrels get(s) tricky. One might all of a sudden taste good but that’s not a reliable guide.” (Press wine, insofar as it is utilized, also ends up here.) Given that all, save for this “second wine,” see 100% new barrels, it’s worth noting that most of those are crafted expressively for the winery and include a major share of five-year-aged barriques from Taransaud similar to those from that tonnelier that have in the past couple of years begun to find their way in small numbers into other cellars worldwide. All of the wines spend just under two years in barrel, and those of the 2009 collection finished with just over 15% alcohol.

plenty. not to worry, old boy…

Anyone know if the Wine Advocate has found a new reviewer for Oregon wines yet?

Based on the most recent threads on the Squires board with “Oregon” in the title…Roy Piper is a front runner. [berserker.gif]

RT

Yeah, but Roy may be a better fit at WS seeing that he came to visit and really pushed his love for a Napa Cab. :wink:

Simple answer, make your Pinots taste more like Cali Cabs and both will be happy. Marcassin and Kistler did it for years. Ever try a Paul Hobbs Pinot? :wink:

RT

Consider me completely surprised. Love his reviews on Beaujolais. This note you posted is vintage Schildknecht, but I would not have guessed that he would gush over QC.

As with many of his notes, he uses a term I had to look up: Sloe.

Now I know what a “Sloe Gin” is . . . seems an apt characterization for this wine.

Sloe gin is a red liqueur made with gin and sloe (blackthorn) drupes, which are a small fruit relative of the plum. Sloe gin has an alcohol content between 15 and 30 percent by volume

His timeliness is what ultimately killed his reviewing career, I’m still waiting for Germany and Alsace reviews 2-3 years after the vintage, that is not a pro consumer time frame.

Maybe David doesn’t have a pro-consumer timeframe. He’s a very interesting fellow. I like to think he has a life and pursues it, timeliness be damned!

Peter Rosback

Sineann

Was he fired from WA or did he leave?