Five random wines (Orta, Dom. des Huards, Ganevat, Arche Pages, Staffelter Hof)

In early January me and two of my friends got together for computer-related stuff. As we all were also more or less wine geeks, everyone brought a bottle or two, which were poured blind, naturally.

I brought Orta Rkatsiteli and Ganevat Poulprix with me. I had bought that Orta bottle on my trip to Georgia; when I visited Orgo winery in Tsinandali I was showed around by a young lady who said she worked at the winery, but also made her own wines with her husband under the Orta Winery label. She also told me that if I were interested, there were a few places in Tbilisi where I could find their bottles, and as luck would have it, I managed to find one bottle in a wine shop I stumbled upon when looking for last-minute purchases before our flight back.

  • 2017 Orta Rkatsiteli Qvevri - Georgia, Kakheti (10.1.2021)
    An unfiltered naturalist Rkatsiteli vinified in kvevris. Bottled unfiltered. Bottle #62 of total 2990 bottles. 12% alcohol.

Pale golden yellow color. Waxy, somewhat restrained and slightly sweet-toned nose with wonderfully nuanced aromas of honey and cantaloupe, some beeswax, a little bit of terracotta, light floral tones, a hint of fragrant exotic spices and - after the wine has opened - a subtly musky touch of something more animale. The wine is savory, harmonious and enjoyably textural on the palate with a medium body and dry flavors of umami, resinous phenolic tones, some poached pear, a little bit of spicy red apple, light stony mineral tones, fruity hints of ripe quince and nectarine and a floral touch of exotic flowers. The wine isn’t a big or muscular kvevri wine, but instead from the lighter and more delicate end of the spectrum. Good, balanced sense of structure with the moderately high acidity and gently grippy medium-minus tannins. The finish is savory, long and slightly oily with subtly grippy tannins and dry flavors of wildhoney, some apple core, a little bit of quince, light resinous phenolic tones, a hint of beeswax and a touch of ripe cloudberry.

A very nice, tasty and wonderfully clean Rkatsiteli from the lighter end of the spectrum; this isn’t a substantial and aggressively tannic kvevri wine, but instead on that shows the characterful, local typicity but is relatively “white wine” in its expression. Nevertheless, when I poured this wine blind, the first guess was that “this seems like a kvevri / amphora wine”. It didn’t take much longer to guess this was Rkatsiteli, although people were surprised how light and delicate the wine was - lacking the robust, tannic qualities one often associates with the style. All in all, a very nice, fresh and versatile kvevri wine. I managed to buy the wine at mere 5,17€, and that is really a bargain. (91 pts.)

Somewhat youthful, pale yellow-green color. Dry, leesy nose with aromas of saline ocean air, some flinty notes of reductive smoke lending a slightly toasted quality to the nose at first, light apple-driven fruit, a little bit of ripe white peach, a mineral hint of chalk dust and a touch of wool. Overall the nose has “Loire” printed all over it. The wine is ripe yet dry and relatively neutral on the palate, nevertheless suggestive of juicy sweetness. Flavors of leesy yeast, some grassy herbal tones, a little bit of tangy salinity, light golden apple tones, a hint of wool and a touch of fresh pear. The reduction lends a subtly smoky note to the taste, but it disappears quite quickly. The high acidity lends good sense of structure and some nice twang to the wine. The finish is long, tangy and acid-driven with intensely neutral aftertaste of saline minerality, leesy yeast, some tart green apple, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, light lemony citrus fruits, a herbal hint of grassy character and a touch of fresh orange.

A nice, fresh and wonderfully mouth-cleansing Romorantin. Even though I had tasted the wine less than a month ago, I didn’t manage to correctly guess the wine - instead my guesses were immediately in the vicinity: I first guessed Chenin Blanc, then followed by Chablis and Muscadet Sur Lie. I guess people aren’t wrong when Romorantin from Cour-Cheverny is often described as somewhat similar to Chardonnay grown in Chablis. All in all, this is a lovely wine, but it’s just too young for its own good - I know these Huards Romorantin wines can age wonderfully for years, but when opened young they are still quite linear, coming across as rather similar to a young entry-level Chablis. They really need years before they start to show their best. This is good stuff that is in dire need of further cellaring - no need to return to this in the next 5 years. (88 pts.)

  • 2018 Anne et Jean-Francois Ganevat Poulprix - France, Vin de France (10.1.2021)
    A blend of purchased Gamay from Morgon, Beaujolais, and Poulsard and Savagnin from Jura. Depending on the source, the wine is anything from 60 % to 80% Gamay, while the remainder is Poulsard and Savagnin (sometimes Enfariné as well) in unknown proportions. Aged for a year in old oak barrels. Vinified without any SO2. 13% alcohol.

Translucent, youthful and very slightly hazy purplish-red color. Rather natty and quite funky nose with aromas of bretty barnyard, carbonic sweet dark-toned fruit, some lifted notes of VA, a little bit of acetic character, light cherry tones, a hint of ripe strawberry and a touch of peppery spice. Overall the funky, phenolic notes of brett lend a rather noticeably lambic-like note to the nose, while the sweet, carbonic character makes the wine feel pretty much like a naturalist Beaujolais from the funkier end of the spectrum. The wine is dry, juicy and very slightly effervescent on the palate with a medium body and quite crunchy flavors of ripe boysenberries, some bretty notes of leather and stable floor, light acetic notes of VA, a little bit of sweet strawberry, a hint of blackcurrant juice and a touch of Band-Aid. The subtle fizz dissipates after a short while, but the wine remains quite lively, thanks to the high acidity. The tannins feel rather soft and easy, lending only a little bit of grip to the mouthfeel. The finish is juicy, funky and subtly fizzy with a hint of tannic grip and rather long and quite natty aftertaste of black cherries, some barnyard funk, a little bit of ripe boysenberry, light vinegary notes of acetic VA, a ferrous hint of blood and a touch of earth.

A juicy, fruity and quite balanced naturalist red that would be very nice if it weren’t for the excessively natty overall character. I don’t mind some sauvage character or bretty barnyard funk, but here these qualities jump at you from the glass and I must say I was honestly (and very positively) surprised that the wine wasn’t mousy - even after having been open for more than an hour. The wine feels like a mousetrap of the highest degree, so I can imagine it will turn mouse if left open for too long, but fortunately this wasn’t a wine that is mousy after opening or having been open for mere 15 minutes. We agreed it was at its best after an hour or so, when the CO2 had dissipated and the most volatile qualities had settled down a little bit, letting the more vibrant fruity characteristics more to the fore. Nevertheless, even then this was a wine that is honestly VERY funky and natty - I found the wine thoroughly drinkable and even somewhat enjoyable, but I wouldn’t blame anyone if they deemed this wine undrinkable. The more I drink these Ganevat reds (be they nĂ©gociant or estate wines), the less I like them. Ganevat makes some of the most thrilling wines in Jura, but I think that the otherworldly qualities don’t extend to the dry red wines. Feels a bit pricey for the quality at 22€. (82 pts.)

  • 2012 Celler Arche Pages EmpordĂ  Ull de Serp Finca La Closa - Spain, Catalunya, EmpordĂ  (10.1.2021)
    From a Carignan vineyard planted in 1976. Fermented and macerated for 22 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for 15 months in a new 500-liter oak barrel. Annual production approximately 600 bottles. 15% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Hazy, even slightly cloudy and moderately opaque figgy color. Dense, very evolved and really powerful nose with unctuous aromas of sweet raisins and dried dates, some Bourbon oak, light caramel tones, a little bit of minty herbal character - even mint chocolate - and a hint of overripe plums. The alcohol lends a slightly boozy touch to the nose. The wine is ripe, dense and juicy on the palate with a full body. Rich, very extracted and somewhat sweet-toned flavors of toffee, some raisiny fruit, light Bourbon-like notes of caramel and vanilla, a little bit of mint chocolate, a hint of prune and a touch of cocoa. The mouthfeel is soft and very chewy and the high alcohol lends quite pronounced heat to the palate. The acidity feels rather modest, but while the tannins at first feel rather soft and mellow, they turn out to be quite ample and slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is ripe, rich and juicy with quite a bit of tannic grip and long flavors of overripe plums, some caramel and milk chocolate notes of oak, light raisiny tones, a little bit of minty herbal character and a hint of blackcurrant jam. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a very warm note.

A heavy, ponderous and ridiculously over-oaked monster of a wine that tastes like it is aged in Bourbon barrels - always down to the searing alcohol heat. I guess the idea was to make a super-intense, extracted and massively concentrated blockbuster wine that would age like crazy, but it seems the wine behaves exactly as I’ve expected these overripe monolithic monsters to behave: the low acidity doesn’t seem to grant much aging potential to the wine and the combination of high alcohol and excessive ripeness seems to set the fruit on a path in which the fruit turns raisiny and pruney in no time. The person who poured the wine to us said the wine was surprisingly evolved compared to how it was only a few years ago, but seeing the style the wine was made in, I’m not particularly surprised. All in all, this feels like a wine I would’ve not enjoyed in its youth and age does not seem to have benefited the wine at all. Not recommended. Overpriced for the quality at approx. 30€. (71 pts.)

Luminous, medium-deep lemon-yellow color. Sweet, somewhat evolved and very attractive nose with immediately recognizable Riesling aromas of honey, some lemon marmalade, light candied ginger tones, a little bit of mature nuttiness, an evolved hint of rich, creamy custard and a touch of wet stone minerality. Tasting the wine confirms my impression that this is a sweet Riesling. The overall feel is lively, clean and light-bodied with a sweetish to high-end medium-sweet flavors of honey, apple juice, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of lemon marmalade, light candied ginger notes and a hint of stony minerality. The crisp acidity lends tremendous intensity and sense of structure to the wine. The finish is firm, quite long and very acid-driven with medium-dry flavors of ripe Golden Delicious apple, some lemon marmalade, light steely mineral tones, a little bit of tangy salinity, a hint of honey and a touch of crunchy star fruit.

My first guess was 2010 Riesling from Mosel, but it was impossible to judge whether this was a SpÀtlese from the rich end or an Auslese from the fresh and crisp end (the 2010 part was easy, based on the tremendous acidity here). I decided on SpÀtlese, but in the end the wine was Auslese. Nevertheless, this is fun, delicious and very impressive stuff. The wine is starting to show some mature qualities now, at 10 years of age, but it is still far from its apogee. Drink now or within the next 15-25 years. Not really a transcendent Mosel Auslese, but a very fine wine all the same. Recommended. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Got to agree with this. Liked the first few of the reds that I tried, but haven’t liked them at all recently. Don’t know if the wines have changed, or if it’s just me, but I haven’t been a buyer for a few years now.

Still love the whites.

Yes indeed. I’ve had some of Ganevat’s better reds some while ago, and they were pretty great, although not nearly as remarkable as Ganevat’s whites. However, I’ve been less enthused by Ganevat’s reds bottle after bottle. I doubt that my tastes have changed so much that I wouldn’t consider those reds I’ve had earlier as great, but instead I feel that these more recent bottles have been noticeably more funky and wild than before. I wonder if there has been some kind of change in the process or if there is something else going on?

I have my own explanation for this (I hinted at it in passing in the other thread some days ago), but it is probably not very politically correct :slight_smile:.
There was a similar “trend” with Stephane Tissot’s wines at some point just over ten years ago or thereabouts. I used to love his wines back in the early and mid ‘00s. Then, all of a sudden, vintage after vintage after vintage of both Poulsard VV and Singulier started tasting increasingly supernatural and, on the whole, a lot more anonymous to me. Understandably, perhaps: the previous style was now probably no longer sufficiently cutting-edge, given the direction in which the rest of the scene had evolved. And with Brignot and the like working right next to you and being best buddies with Racines, Cremerie, Papilles Insolites, le Verre Vole’ and what have you, you just have to do something about it, don’t you
 It’s not nice being left behind :slight_smile:
There I people whose judgement I generally trust and respect telling me he’s now reined it in a bit again. Couldn’t care less. They all cost twice or more what they used to when they were good, plus I’ve moved on :slight_smile:

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