When having a Riesling tasting, it is quite natural to expect most - or all - the wines are German. Well, a friend of mine wanted to have a Riesling tasting, but without the usual suspects. We did have a few German contenders as well, but this time the main focus was on nicht-deutsche bottles!
And, as it almost invariably happens, we did have some additional bottles before and after the tasting proper (for example @AskoKassinen brought that Chapoutier and that Bodegas Ponce bottle came from my cellar).
All the wines were tasted blind; both the Rieslings and the extras.
- 2017 M. Chapoutier Viognier Collines Rhodaniennes - France, RhĂ´ne, Northern RhĂ´ne, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes (9.12.2023)
12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep lemon-yellow color. The nose feels ripe and sweet-toned with somewhat evolved aromas of juicy peach, some hay, a little bit of savory spice, light honeyed nuances, a hint of apple jam and an oxidative touch of nuttiness. The wine feels rich, somewhat oily and quite ripe on the palate with a moderately full body and somewhat evolved flavors of ripe red apple, some peachy tones, a little bit of developed honeyed richness, light notes of apple sauce, a hint of stony mineraltiy and an oxidative touch of roasted nuts. The acidity feels rather high - surprising, when the variety and the warm vintage are taken into account. The finish is dry, juicy and a bit viscous with slightly linear, medium-long flavors of ripe peachy fruit, some honeyed notes, a little bit of stony minerality, light sweeter nuances of apple jam, a hint of roasted nuts and a touch of salinity.
A pleasant but also somewhat linear and slightly uninteresting Viognier. Surprisingly fresh and balanced for the variety, but otherwise not really giving much. I guess this might've been more interesting a few years ago - the wine doesn't feel like it was built to age and it seems like it is already starting to go into decline now. Pretty enjoyable, but nothing really beyond that.
(83 points) - 2013 Chehalem Riesling Three Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (9.12.2023)
A wine made with fruit from three estate vineyards, Stoller (43%), Ridgecrest (40%) and Corral Creek (17%), that were harvested between October 7th and 14th. Fermented with selected yeasts, aged in stainless steel for half a year, sterile filtered, bottled on March 3rd, 2014. 10% alcohol, 11 g/l residual sugar, 9,85 g/l acidity and pH 3,01. Total production 630 cases. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep lemon-yellow color. The nose feels fragrant and very identifiable as Riesling with noticeably German aromas peach and apple jam, some reductive rubber notes, a little bit of petrolly diesel, light lemon marmalade tones, a floral hint of apple blossom and a touch of persimmon. The wine feels crisp, airy and pretty acid-driven on the palate with a medium body and dry-ish flavors of fresh red apples and steely minerality, some ripe lemony citrus fruits, a little bit of stony minerality and a hint of tangy salinity. While the wine is wonderfully fresh and precise on the palate, it maybe lacks a bit substance and some of that depth promised by the vibrant nose. The brisk, incisive acidity nevertheless adds great structure and energy to the wine. The finish is crisp and lively with a rather long, dry-ish aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some crunchy red apple tones, a little bit of steely minerality, light saline mineral notes and a floral hint of apple blossom.
A lovely, refreshing and sophisticated Riesling that everybody identified as a German Riesling. Nobody thought even for a moment if this wine could've come from outside Europe! All in all, the wine had wonderful, captivating aromatics very true to the variety, but on the palate the wine felt a bit thin and linear - especially when compared to the heady nose. Not badly, though - this was a lovely wine in any case. I just wish the taste would've managed to match the depth and intensity of the nose - I wonder if it was because of the age, or if this wine has been like this since release?
(89 points) - 2014 Georg Mosbacher Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Pfalz (9.12.2023)
100% Riesling from Forster Ungeheuer. Fermented spontaneously and aged in stainless steel and old oak casks. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale-to-medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose feels a bit reticent yet fresh and focused with aromas of crunchy yellow apples, some developed honeyed tones, a little bit of peachy stone fruit, a hint of stony minerality and a vague hint of herby spice. The wine feels dry, balanced and somewhat concentrated on the palate with a bit linear flavors of stony minerality, some ripe citrus fruit tones, a little bit of spicy red apple, light saline mineral notes and a hint of fresh peachy fruit. The high acidity lends good sense of balance and structure to the wine. The finish is dry, crisp and slightly spicy with a rather long aftertaste of ripe, zesty citrus fruits, some spicy red apple tones, a little bit of tangy salinity and light stony mineral notes.
A sophisticated, crisp and balanced GG Riesling. Perhaps a bit understated in character, but the wine might just be in a slump now. While a thoroughly enjoyable in its own right, I expected something a bit more from a 9-yo GG. However, as the wine doesn't really show any signs of age yet, I wouldn't be surprised if the wine continued to evolve and improve for many years more.
(90 points) - 2016 Azienda Vinicola Falkenstein Riesling Alte Rebe - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Val Venosta (5.12.2023)
12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep lemon-yellow color with lime-green highlights. The nose feels youthful, somewhat closed and rather reduced with aromas of rubber and something weird that one described as "tennis ball reduction", some herby green tones, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, a hint of honeydew melon and a faint petrolly touch of diesel. The wine feels crisp, rather neutral and bone-dry on the palate with a medium body and quite lean and somewhat understated flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some rubbery notes of reduction, light stony mineral notes, a little bit of herby greenness, a floral hint of apple blossom and a touch of sharp Granny Smith apple. The brisk acidity lends good freshness and structure to the wine. The finish is crisp and lively with a medium-long aftertaste of sharp Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light steely mineral notes, a little bit of herby greenness and a hint of that tennis ball reduction.
While we had big difficulties in trying to pinpoint the country and region the wine came from, we had no problems whatsoever in guessing how the bottle was stoppered - almost immediately with the first sniff, several people asked if the wine was closed with a screwcap. And, yes, the wine was closed with a screwcap. Despite its 7 years of age, the wine doesn't show any signs of development, but instead comes across as very reductive and quite closed. As the wine didn't open up at all during the whole evening, I guess one needs to let this wine age for many decades or open it a day or two beforehand. And I'm not sure if the wine is going to be any good even if it lost its reduction. If the Italian Falkenstein wines are like this, Hofgut Falkenstein needn't worry.
(75 points) - 2019 Ktima Gerolemo Riesling - Cyprus, Paphos (5.12.2023)
100% Riesling from the village of Omodos. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale lemon-yellow color. Surprisingly ripe and sweet-toned nose with lush aromas of peach and pineapple, some spicy tones, a little bit of honeyed richness and a candied hint of gummi bears. The wine feels rich, ripe and sweet-toned with a moderately full body and rather tropical flavors of peach candies and gummi bears, some apple jam, light honeydew melon notes, a little bit of ripe pineapple, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of vague spicy character. The moderately high acidity manages to keep the wine quite nicely in balance, lending it good sense of structure. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat tropical with a rich aftertaste of peachy stone fruit, some apple jam tones, a little bit of pineapple, light candied notes of gummi bear and a hint of floral spice.
A tasty but maybe a bit too big and ripe effort for a Riesling. This is a nice and balanced white from the somewhat weighty end, but perhaps a bit too weighty and atypical for the variety - at least if you are expecting classic Riesling aromatics, freshness and minerality. Not a bad wine in any way - I just prefer whites with a slightly lighter overall feel a bit more freshness. It's hard to assess whether the wine is capable of aging and improving from here or if it will just fade away, but it is drinking very nicely right now. As the wine didn't feel that typical for a Riesling, people guessed that this must be a Riesling from a country very unusual for the variety - and one that must be quite warm, ie. located somewhere south. Greece was the first guess and it didn't take much longer to come up with Cyprus. Priced somewhat according to its quality at approx. 20€.
(86 points) - 2015 Weinhof Herrenberg Ockfener Bockstein Riesling LochRiesling "Steinmetzrausch" - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (5.12.2023)
13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale lemon-yellow color with faint greenish highlights. The nose feels fragrant, fine-tuned and somewhat sweetly-fruited with aromas of ripe citrus fruits, some beeswax, light notes of nectarine, a little bit of stony minerality, light floral notes of apple blossom and a hint of exotic fruit. The wine feels youthful, focused and sinewy on the palate with a medium body and slightly off-dry flavors of stony minerality, some ripe lemony citrus fruit notes, a little bit of honeyed richness, light saline nuances, a hint of beeswax and a touch of pineapple. The high acidity lends great sense of energy and structure to the wine. The finish is crisp, lively and acid-driven with a long, off-dry aftertaste of ripe citrus fruits, some juicy Fuji apple tones, a little bit of steely minerality, light exotic notes of pineapple and a hint of fresh nectarine.
A lovely, sophisticated and very harmonious Riesling with just the right amount of residual sugar - not really enough to make the wine sweet or soften the acidity, but just enough to add some richness and nice boost to the fruit. As the wine feels still so very vibrant and youthful, I can easily see this wine evolving and improving for a number of years. Great value at approx. 15€.
(92 points) - 2015 Stagård Riesling 501 - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal (5.12.2023)
100% biodynamically farmed Riesling. Fermented spontaneously, aged in an old 500-liter oak casks until bottling. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Very subtly hazy yellow-green color. The nose feels a bit restrained, subtle and nuanced with aromas of key lime, some fresh red apple tones, a little bit of waxy funk, light honeyed nuances, a hint of mirabelle plum, a touch of pineapple and a whiff of creaminess. The wine feels crisp, brisk and focused on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of fresh red apples, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of waxy funk, light sharp notes of key lime, a hint of pineapple and a touch of sweet white peach. The mouthfeel is quite rich and a bit viscous, but the racy acidity helps in keeping the wine very fresh and structure-driven. The finish is dry, long and quite acid-driven with an intense aftertaste of key lime and ripe lemony citrus fruit, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of waxy funk, light pineapple nuances, a hint of creaminess and a touch of honeyed richness.
A very focused, brisk and serious dry Riesling that is more subtle than particularly expressive, yet manages to feel very focused and intense, thanks to its bracing acidity. The subtly funky and vaguely creamy overtones add some wonderful complexity to the aromatics and to the flavors. A very lovely effort indeed. Drinking really well right now, but I can see this wine evolving and improving with additional aging. Solid value at 27€.
(93 points) - 2013 Grosset Riesling Polish Hill Clare Valley - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (5.12.2023)
100% organically farmed Riesling from a single vineyard planted in 1996. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Youthful, pale and quite limpid lime-green color. The nose is laughably easy to identify as an Australian Riesling with its aromas of key lime, some ripe lemony tones, a little bit of smoky reduction, light crunchy Granny Smith apple nuances, a hint of tennis ball can and a touch of steely minerality. The wine is very youthful, brisk and bone-dry on the palate with a light-to-medium body and intense, fresh flavors of sharp Granny Smith apple and apple peel bitterness, some key lime, a little bit of beeswax, light steely mineral notes, a hint of tangy salinity and a distinctive touch of that tennis ball reduction. The bracing acidity lends tons of electric energy and incisive structure to the wine. The finish is crisp, long and lively with a bone-dry aftertaste of key lime and Granny Smith apple, some apple peel bitterness, light steely mineral notes, a little bit of lemon juice, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of smoky reduction.
A youthful and virtually unevolved Clare Valley Riesling that feels like it was bottled yesterday, yet it is more than 10 years old. While I appreciate how screwcaps keep the wine from getting corked, I really don't like the idea of cellaring a wine for decades in the hopes it would evolve into something complex and interesting, yet it tastes like it was just released with brisk, youthful and very linear fruit profile. This is a terrific wine that shows great potential for aging with its impressive acidity and remarkably intense fruit flavors. However, I wonder if that screwcap allows the wine to evolve anywhere from here? Or if it just takes a century for this wine to get anywhere? I doubt this wine is getting anywhere from here in a reasonable amount of time.
(90 points) - 2022 Viña Cono Sur Riesling Single Vineyard Block 23 Rulos del Alto - Chile, BĂo-BĂo Valley (5.12.2023)
100% organically farmed Riesling. Fermented and aged for 4 months in stainless steel tanks. 13,5% alcohol, 10 g/l residual sugar and 7,5 g/l acidity. Tasted blind.
Youthful and quite intense yellow-green color. The nose feels youthful, very fruit-driven and rather tropical with expressive aromas of apple juice, some floral notes of chamomile and herby noble hops, a little bit of ripe white peach, light sweet notes of exotic fruit candies and a hint of acacia honey. The wine feels ripe, broad and lively on the palate with a moderately full body and youthful, off-dry flavors of ripe Golden Delicious apple, some juicy white peach, light steely mineral tones, a little bit of freshly pressed apple juice, a herby, pilsner-like hint of noble hops and a touch of honeydew melon. Despite the ripeness and richness from the residual sugar, the overall feel is surprisingly balanced and structured, thanks to the high acidity. The finish is ripe, rich and fruit-driven with a rather long aftertaste of white peach and freshly pressed apple juice, some herby notes of noble hops, a little bit of steely minerality, light honeyed nuances and a hint of nectarine.
A ripe, exotic and somewhat voluptuous yet still balanced Riesling. I was very positively surprised by this wine; usually this has been a bit too soft and excessively fruit-driven in style - occasionally with a bit too much of petrolly diesel character - but this time the wine felt like a ripe and fruity but also surprisingly balanced and harmonious Riesling with good sense of structure. Not too overdone, not too exotic, not lacking in freshness and structure. Probably the best vintage of this label that I've tasted over the years. I'm glad we tasted this blind! Good value at approx. 15€.
(91 points) - 2014 Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier Kirchenstück Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Rheinhessen (5.12.2023)
Made with biodynamically farmed Riesling from the KirchenstĂĽck Grosse lage vineyard. Fermented spontaneously, aged in stĂĽck and doppelstĂĽck casks. 12,5% alcohol, 0,8 g/l residual sugar, 6,3 g/l acidity, pH 3,14 and total SO2 55 mg/l. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep and quite intense yellow-green color. The nose feels exceptionally big and voluptuous with tropical aromas of pineapple and fruit cocktail, some wizened apple tones, a little bit of buttery character - has the wine gone through MLF? - light nutty notes of slivered almonds, a hint of of acacia honey and a touch of ripe nectarine. The wine feels big, ripe and quite tropical with a rather full body and dry flavors of passion fruit and pineapple, some juicy nectarine, a little bit of beeswax, light mineral notes of wet rocks, lactic hints of creaminess and molten butter and a faint petrolly touch of diesel. The moderately high acidity feels a bit inadequate to lend enough balance to such a big and ripe wine. The finish is rich, ripe and quite concentrated with a long aftertaste of sweet peachy fruit, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of beeswax, light honeyed tones, a hint of apricot jam and a touch of cooked cream.
A very impressive and exceptionally big and ripe Riesling that felt atypically voluptuous - even for a GG. The wine had some odd creamy and buttery tones, which prompted many people in the tasting to wonder if the wine had seen some MLF. I don't know whether it has - or where the lactic notes have come from - but the wine did really stick out in a Riesling-only blind tasting. While I thought the wine was impressive and enjoyable in its own right, the combination of quite big and somewhat heavy body and a bit modest acidity made the wine feel a bit clumsy, slightly lacking in balance. As the wine doesn't feel particularly old, I can imagine it will age wonderfully for many, many years more - but I'm not sure if additional aging is going to help the wine get more balanced in any way. Perhaps a bit pricey for the quality at approx. 35€.
(89 points) - 2016 F.X. Pichler Riesling Federspiel Loibner Burgstall - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (5.12.2023)
12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Youthful, pale yellow-green color. The youthful and somewhat reductive nose was immediately identified for a wine closed with a screwcap. Aromas of lemon marmalade, some weird gaseous tones (that I always associate with FX Pichler wines - perhaps some SO2?), a little bit of crunchy yellow apple, light herby, green notes of birch leaves and a hint of fresh white peach. The wine feels crisp, youthful and - at first - slightly prickly on the palate with a medium body and dry, quite linear flavors of sharp Granny Smith apple and tart key lime, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of that gaseous FX Pichler character, light herby green nuances and a hint of borderline under-ripe white peach. The high acidity keeps the wine fresh and balanced. The finish is crisp, lively and somewhat steely with a moderately long aftertaste of sharp Granny Smith apple, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light green herby nuances and a hint of borderline under-ripe white peach.
This was still super youthful and very linear, showing very little complexity and no signs of age whatsoever, despite the 7 years of age - for example no developed petrolly qualities were present. The spritzy, somewhat reductive overall character was immediately recognizable for a wine bottled under a screwcap and several people pointed that out immediately. Very shortly afterwards the wine was identified as a Pichler wine, due to the odd gaseous note that seems to be the house aroma - I wonder where that comes from? Is it SO2? A tiny bit of botrytis? Are the wines fermented with a selected yeast strain? All in all, this felt like a Pichler wine through and through. I wonder how much age does the wine need to develop in a meaningful way, if at 7 years of age it felt like it was bottled and released yesterday? Priced somewhat according to its quality at 17€.
(87 points) - 2015 San Leonardo Riesling - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino (5.12.2023)
The 3rd vintage of this label. 100% Riesling from 10 to 30 yo vineyards in the Cembra Valley. Cold-soaked for 12 hours with the skins, fermented in stainless steel tanks. Aged for 12 months in new and once used 700-liter French oak tonneaux. 13% alcohol. Bottle #85 of total 6000 bottles. Tasted blind.
Luminous, medium-deep lemon-yellow color. The nose feels ripe, rich and slightly evolved with aromas of beeswax and some sweet yellow fruits, some honeyed tones, a little bit of ripe nectarine, light buttery notes of oak lactones, a hint of apple jam and a touch of floral lift. The wine feels ripe and slightly oily yet still surprisingly lively on the palate with a moderately full body and quite youthful flavors of ripe nectarine and juicy apricot, some apple jam tones, a little bit of honeyed richness, light floral notes of roses and apple blossom, a hint of peach marmalade and a touch of creamy oak. The high acidity lends good sense of balance and structure to the wine. The finish is ripe, juicy and surprisingly lively with a long, dry aftertaste of peachy stone fruits, some apple jam tones, a little bit of honeyed richness, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of floral lift and a touch of creaminess.
A big and quite idiosyncratic but also surprisingly balanced and harmonious take on Riesling. The wine shows more weight and richness than your run-of-the-mill Riesling from Trentino-Alto Adige, but it manages to retain good sense of freshness and lively energy. This wine sort of plays to the same strengths as the similarly oak-influenced Von Winning Rieslings, but maybe with a bit less zip and minerality and with more oomph and concentration. Although the nose here felt a bit evolved, the wine is still quite youthful on the palate and I can see the wine developing effortlessly for at least a handful of years more. Priced according to its quality at approx. 40€.
(92 points) - 2019 Kuentz-Bas Riesling Eichberg - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (5.12.2023)
100% biodynamically farmed Riesling from the Eichberg Grand Cru vineyard. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale lemon-yellow color with faint greenish highlights. The nose feels clean, ripe and slightly primary with a bit reticent aromas of ripe citrus fruits, some crunchy red apple tones, a little bit of honeyed richness, light mineral notes of stone dust, a hint of beeswax and a touch of cantaloupe. The wine feels firm, youthful and balanced on the palate with a moderately full body and dry-ish flavors of zesty citrus fruits, some cantaloupe notes, a little bit of honeyed richness, light stony mineral notes, a sweeter hint of apple jam and a touch of greengage. The high acidity lends wonderful sense of precision and structure to the wine. The finish is rich, ripe and youthful with a long aftertaste of ripe citrus fruits, some cantaloupe notes, a little bit of fresh red apple, light stony mineral notes and a hint of honeyed richness.
A ripe, youthful and moderately big but also wonderfully fresh, precise and structured Riesling. I've written in my notebook that "this feels pretty much like an Alsatian Riesling", so I guess the wine is quite true to the variety and the region! Seeing how youthful - even somewhat primary - the wine is, I can see it benefiting greatly from additional aging. Probably going to really hit its stride only 10 years from the harvest, but even then the wine is thoroughly enjoyable already now. Recommended.
(91 points) - 2016 W. E. Frank Niersteiner Hipping Riesling Grosse Lage - Germany, Rheinhessen (5.12.2023)
The debut vintage of this label. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite intense and moderately deep yellow-green color. The nose feels youthful, fresh and clean with intense aromas of apricots and apple jam, some steely mineral notes, a little bit of acacia honey, light creamy tones, a distinctive hint of toffee and a touch of orange marmalade. Lots of things going on here! The wine feels ripe, harmonious and silky on the palate with a moderately full body and intense, dry-to-dry-ish flavors of peach, some apple jam, light acacia honey notes, a little bit of creaminess, a hint of wizened nectarine and a touch of mineral spice. The mouthfeel is very slightly viscous and oily, but the moderately high acidity manages to keep the overall feel fresh and balanced. The finish is ripe, juicy and vibrant with a long aftertaste of greengage and wizened peach, some honeyed tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light apple jam notes, a hint of creaminess and a touch of exotic spice.
A surprisingly big, ripe and rich Riesling that comes across as a bit oily and weighty, but fortunately not clumsy or blowzy. There's good sense of complexity and a tiny bit of developed character as well, but as the overall feel is still pretty youthful, I can see this wine aging and developing additional complexity for a good number of years more. Nice stuff.
(90 points) - 2014 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Auslese *** - Germany, Rheinhessen (5.12.2023)
The label only says "Riesling Auslese ***" and the back label adds the detail that this comes from the Rothenberg vineyard. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Intense, moderately deep lemon-yellow color with faint greenish highlights. The nose feels rich and sweetly-fruited with intense aromas of peach and apple jam, some honeyed tones, a little bit of floral spice, light exotic notes of ripe pineapple and a mineral hint of wet rocks. The wine feels clean, focused and quite concentrated with a medium body and intense, moderately sweet flavors of honeyed richness, some lemon marmalade tones, a little bit of overripe pineapple, light floral notes of apple blossom and heady exotic flowers, a hint of aromatic spices and a touch of tangerine. The high acidity makes the wine feel wonderfully fresh and precise, despite all the richness and sense of concentration. The finish is rich, ripe and sweet with a long aftertaste of honey, some apricot jam tones, a little bit of floral spice, light stony mineral notes, a hint of pineapple and a touch of overripe peach.
A very balanced, tasty and attractive Auslese with a good deal of richness and enough acidity to offset a good deal of that sweetness. At 9 years of age, the wine is still relatively young and it will continue to evolve and improve for a great number of years more. Highly recommended.
(93 points) - 2002 La Stoppa Macchiona Dieciannidopo Emilia IGT - Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Emilia IGT (5.12.2023)
A blend of organically farmed Barbera (50%) and Bonarda Piemontese (50%) from the oldest estate vineyards (some up to 60 yo). Fully destemmed, fermented spontaneously and macerated for 40 days in stainless steel tanks and concrete vats. Aged in 1500, 2000 and 4000-liter Slavonian oak botti for "as long as needed", which usually translates to a few years. Vinified without any added SO2, bottled unfined and unfiltered. To my understanding this is the same wine as La Stoppa Macchiona, the flagship wine of the winery. The Diaciannidopo label only tells this is a library release, which is released only 10 years of aging. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Moderately evolved cherry-red color with a somewhat maroon hue. The nose feels sweet, somewhat evolved and moderately rustic with intense aromas of juicy black cherries and cherry pits, balsamic notes of VA, some barnyardy notes of bretty funk, a little bit of leather, light strawberry tones, a hint of blueberry juice and a touch of raisiny dark fruit. The wine feels ripe, evolved and very umami-driven on the palate with a rather full body and intense, savory flavors of wizened dark berries, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of dried blueberry, light ferrous notes of blood, bretty hints of leather and barnyard and a touch of acetic tang. The wine is high in acidity with still surprisingly assertive and grippy tannins. The finish is long, savory and moderately grippy with a long, complex aftertaste of wizened black cherries, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of dried blueberry, light tart notes of crunchy lingonberries and sour cherries, bretty hints of leather and barnyard and a touch of forest floor.
A beautifully evolved, balanced and complex Italian red. The overall feel here is very rustic and unabashedly unpolished. This is not a ripe and glossy blockbuster, but instead a flagship wine from a time that really doesn't exist anymore. With its notes of bretty funk and VA, this wine probably doesn't appeal to a regular consumer, but for people who like rustic, unpolished wines with great sense of flavor intensity and evolved complexity, this is a bullseye. A terrific effort, priced according to its quality at approx. 50€.
(94 points) - 2021 Bodegas Ponce Manchuela PF - Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Manchuela (5.12.2023)
100% Bobal from an old (80 yo), ungrafted vineyard in Manchuela. PF officially stands for "Pie Franco", ie. ungrafted vines. The hand-harvested grapes are crushed by foot, then fermented spontaneously and aged in old, neutral oak casks. 13% alcohol.
Youthful, slightly translucent ruby-red color. The nose feels youthful, somewhat primary and still a tiny bit lactic with some yogurty notes of MLF along with aromas of blueberries and black cherries, some crushed dark berries, a little bit of fresh boysenberry, light inky tones, hints of aromatic herbs and peppery spice, a reductive touch of flint smoke and a lifted whiff of VA. The wine feels ripe yet also very fresh, crunchy and juicy on the palate with a medium body and clean primary flavors of tart lingonberries and fresh strawberries, some brambly notes of black raspberries, a little bit of juicy blackberry, light gravelly mineral tones, a reductive hint of gunpowder smoke and a faint touch of VA. The overall feel is wonderfully focused and structured, thanks to the high acidity and firm, rather grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is youthful, crunchy and somewhat grippy with a long aftertaste of fresh red berries, some brambly raspberry tones, a little bit of juicy blueberry, light tart cranberry tones, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of peppery spice.
If there are people who think Bobal is a simple grape variety incapable of greatness, this is a prime example of the opposite: the wine is very serious, focused and impressively structured for a Bobal with a great sense of flavor intensity. The only real problem with the wine was that it was just opened way too young: the wine still retains quite a bit of those primary fermentation esters that lend a bit sweet, candied overall feel to the wine, whereas the lactic notes of MLF have yet to disappear. As the wine shows great potential for aging, I really see no problems in letting the wine wait for at least a few years. Most likely the wine will keep wonderfully for many years more. Superb stuff with lots of upside. Simply outrageous value at 14,90€.
(92 points) - 2004 Château Cos d'Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (5.12.2023)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (74%), Merlot (23%) and Cabernet Franc (3%). Aged for approx. 15 months in oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Dark, slightly evolved and quite opaque black cherry color with a somewhat mature maroon hue. The nose feels ripe, complex and slightly evolved with intense and somewhat polished aromas wizened dark plums and ripe blackcurrants, some toasty coffee tones, a little bit of tobacco, light cedary notes of cigar box, a sweet hint of mocha oak, a touch of black cherry and a whiff of woody spice. The wine feels ripe, dense and chewy on the palate with a rather full body and intense flavors of ripe blackcurrants, some wizened black cherries, a little bit of tobacco, light evolved savory notes of meaty umami, oaky hints of toasty mocha coffee and woody spice and a herbaceous touch of leafy greenness. The overall feel is pretty structured and tightly-knit with the quite high acidity and rather grippy tannins. The finish is dense, long and quite grippy with an intense aftertaste of ripe dark plums, some wizened blackcurrants, a little bit of tobacco, light savory notes of meaty umami, a woody hint of pencil shavings and a toasty touch of mocha oak.
A rather modern and glossy yet still quite balanced and impressive vintage of Cos. The oak use feels a bit more in-your-face than what I'd prefer - even at 19 years of age the wine still shows quite a bit of that toasty mocha character - but the overall feel is still quite structured and both the flavor and the aroma intensity have not suffered one bit from the age; on the contrary, the wine seems to be firing on all cylinders now! Although the wine is starting to exhibit some more evolved nuances, I feel the wine is still going to not only keep, but evolve and improve for many years more. I just hope those oaky nuances would integrate with the vibrant fruit notes and tertiary flavors as the wine ages! All in all, despite its rather oaky, modernist leanings, this is a solid vintage of Cos with lots of upside. Recommended.
(93 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
