Mondovino tasting notes

Argentina

Bodega Catena / Mendoza

1. Malbec 05

bit overripe flavors, very smooth tannins, on midpalate bit alcoholic. 

2. Cabernet Sauvignon 02

simple ,but good.

Australia 

Penfolds

3. Thomas Hyland Shiraz 05

typical, Australian sweet fat flavors, soft tannins, bit alchoholic, good.

4. BIN 2 Shiraz / Mouvedre 06

spicy, good structure, ok.

5. BIN 128

fruity, spicy, after a while overripe flavors and some volatile aroma components

Chile

Vina Ventisquero

6. Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 08

reductive, green, hints of exotic flavors, ok on palate

7. Carmenere Reserva 06

green, eucalytus, good tannins, good length.

8. Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 06

extremly fruitforward, extract sweetness!!, good structure and length, very good !!

9. Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva 06

fruity, smooth tannin structure, very good !!

10. Grey Carmenere 06

hints of green flavors, but typical for variety, good length, very good.

Germany

Weingut Prinz von Hessen / Rheingau

11. Riesling H trocken 07

simple, fruitforward, good acidity.

12. Riesling QBA trocken 07

good balance, 7 g RS, ok.

13. Riesling Johannisberger Klaus

show good minerality, very distinctive, very typical.

14. Riesling Auslese sweet

good acid structure but rather few flavors on the nose.

France

Champagne Deutz

15. Champagner Brut Classic

brioche, good mousseux, good length.

Champagne Pol Roger

16. Champagner Vintage 99

white bread flavors, good but short.

Champagner Roederer

17. Champagner Brut Premier 

brioche, buttery, mousseux and length very good.

Chapoutier / Cotes du Rhone

18. Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Bernadine

smokey oak flavors, Brett, rather short and flat.

Italy

Fattoria Zerbina / Emiglia Romagna

19. Ceregio Sangiovese Superiore 06

very simple, ok.

20. Marzieno Ravenna Rosso 03

acetone, no tannin structure, alcoholic.

Frescobaldi / Tuscany

21. Chianti Castiglione 06

simple, but shows good cherry flavors on the nose, good.

22. Tenuta di Castiglione 06

spicy, good tannins, but bit alcoholic.

23. Chianti Nipozzano Riserva 05

bit volatile and Brett!!

24. Mormoreto 05

overripe flavors, very dry tannins, short.

La Brancaia / Tuscany

25. Tre 06

simple, ok.

26. Chianti Classico 05

Brett .. nothing else!

27. Il Blu 06

smoky, smooth tannins, good lenght, ok.

Austria

Weingut Willi Bründlmayer / Kamptal

28. Sekt Brut 05

coarse mousseux, fresh, ok.

29. Grüner Veltliner Käferberg 07

soapy, typical Löss GV.

30. Riesling Heiligenstein 07

good acid structure, just few flavors in the nose, not very "loud".

31. Riesling Lyra 07

typical Löss RR, no minerality.

32. Riesling Heiligenstein Alte Reben 07

Löss flavors on the nose, good acidity, rather high RS.

Weingut Hannes Hirsch / Kamptal

33. Riesling Zöbing 07

bit soapy, plastic flavors, short.

34. Riesling Heiligenstein 07

bit reductive, good acid structure.

35. Riesling Gaisberg 07

fragile but typical flavors on the nose, rather high RS, good acidity.

36. Grüner Veltliner Lamm 07

fat, good length, shows ripe yellow apple flavors on the nose, good.

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg / Kamptal

37. Grüner Veltliner Grub 07

bold, complex aromas on the nose, good length, very good!

Weingut Bernhard Ott / Wagram

38. Grüner Veltliner am Berg 07

fruity, peach and honey melon flavors, rather simple on the palate.

39. Grüner Veltliner Der Ott 07

fruitforward, good length, ok.

40. Grüner Veltliner Rosenberg 07

voluptuous nose, good extract, good length, very good.

41. Riesling Von Rotem Schotter 07

very typical nose, stone fruits, peach, good acid structure, good length, very good.

Spain

Bodegas Paixar / Bierzo

42. Bodegas Paixar 05

oxidative, indifferent structure, bit alcoholic, unbalanced.

Clos Galena / Priorata

43. Galena 05

slight Brett falvors, acetone, loads of oak, high alcohol.

44. Clos Galena 05

acetone, smooth tannins, bit alcoholic.

Ebano / Ribera Duero

45. Ribera der Duero Crianza 05

fruitforward, extract sweetness, good tannin structure, very good.

Valminor / Ribera Duero

46. Albarino 07

fruity, good acidity, but rather simple and short.

South Africa

Thelema / Stellenbosch

47. Sutherland Sauvignon Blanc 07

very typical nose (for South African SB), good acidity.

48. Chardonnay 06

good acid structure, oak very well integrated.

49. The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon 05

eucalyptus, mint, cool flavors on the nose, good tannin structure, perfectly balanced, very good!!

United States

Fetzer Vineyards / California

50. Chardonnay Valley Oaks

good nose, oak, high RS.

Gallo Vineyards / California

51. Sauvignon Blanc Dancing Bull 06

bit phenolic, simple.

52. Chardonnay 06

oak flavors, simple, extract sweetness. ok.

53. Chardonnay Sonoma Selection 07

fat, oaky, typical Californian CH,

54. Laguna 05

pure vanilla flavors, fat, bold wine.

I had some more Austrian wines but ... you know!

Mondovino

Last Friday the Austrian fine wine retailer Wein&Co. hosted its annual tasting "Mondovino" at the Hofburg in Vienna. Wines from all over the world were poured by winemakers, salesmanagers and proprietors from the about 100 estates on show.

It was very nice to meet some friends from South Africa and I had the opportunity to show them around in my home town (unfortunately just in the wine bars ;-)). Good advice ... take more time than 1 night ... Vienna is a great city and I would love to be your host!

Find some pics from this gorgeous wine fair at  WEIN & CO - 2008-11 MondoVino 08 - Aus Lust am Leben!

Tasting notes will follow soon!!

Young wines

Just found this interesting article on young Austrian wines. It seems like winemakers are not able to satisfy the needs of all journalists. 

On the one side young wines are appreciated and on the other side doomed and which are the "not interesting varieties" dumped in the various young wines??

from: Der Standard - Online - 5.11.2008

Jagd nach der Jugend 

Lasst den Junker lieber links liegen, fordert Luzia Schrampf

"Der ist ja biblisch alt", mault der Angebetete, dem man einen 2002er Roten schmackhaft macht, der gerade richtig schön ins trinkfähige Alter kommt: Die Farbe ist dunkelrot wie Rotwein, nicht blauviolett, die kratzigsten Tannine sind rund geschliffen, das Ganze hat sich zusammengewachsen und duftet beerig und würzig und abwechslungsreich aus dem Glas, dass es eine Freude ist. "Gibt's nicht schon 2008er?" Dass das Gegenüber trotz aller Reize auf Jüngeres besteht, gibt schwer zu denken.

Jungweine sind ein bisschen wie Botox-Gesichter. Die Ausdrucksmöglichkeiten sind bei beiden ziemlich eingeschränkt, hier durch Lähmung, dort durch brachiale Einheitsvinifikation - trotzdem mögen es viele so haben. Und das, obwohl ein Wein, der im September noch als Traube am Stock hing, Anfang November nur mit vielen technischen Mätzchen klar und duftend in der Flasche sein kann.

Dass es der Steirische Junker in Österreich geschafft hat, den international fest etablierten Beaujolais nouveau zu verdrängen, ist eine Meisterleistung der Vermarktung. Und dass dieses Erfolgsrezept mittlerweile von allen Regionen kopiert wird, sei auch gestattet. Schließlich wird mehreren Seiten Gutes getan: jedem Winzer, der seine mäßig aufregenden Sorten unter einem Jungwein-Label doch gewinnbringend verkaufen kann. Und den österreichischen Weintrinkern, die Frucht und Spritzigkeit lieben wie sonst niemand.

Dass dieser Wahn nach Jugend auch auf die ernsthafteren Weine durchschlägt, ist leider wirklich bedauerlich. Nur wenige wissen mit Aromen etwas anzufangen, die sich außerhalb des Frucht-Spektrums von Jungweinen bewegen, das ebenso attraktiv wie endenwollend ist. Sie verzichten auf ein samtiges "Mouthfeel", das nichts mit der Anmutung von Schmirgelpapier zu tun hat, das man mit zu jungen Weinen mitgeliefert bekommt. Die Komplexität von reifen Weinen bleibt ihnen verschlossen. Dass ein guter Wein auch mit der Reife Frische bewahrt, haben sie noch nicht verstanden. (Luzia Schrampf/Der Standard/rondo/31/10/2008)

Terroir ... what else?

Bernhard found this interesting insight in the traditional winemaking techniques of Domaine Patrick Hudelot / Burgundy.

Now we know the cause for the sweatiness in some French wines ;-)

Domaine Patrick Hudelot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33nkJ8Y_VAs

white and red

Yesterday I have tasted two absolutely different wines. Yes of course ... one was white and the other one red  ... but beside this fact they were really different in taste and style.

Both wines were tasted blind in my favorite tasting glass Riedel Riesling - Vinum Extreme Series

1. Vouvray 2006 - Domaine Huet 

showed strong aging aromas on the nose, no fruit, no structure, the same on the palate, residual sugar, very unpleasant. 

No chance to determine Chenin Blanc or Vouvray in this bottle.

2. Blaufränkisch Eisenberg 2006 - Uwe Schiefer

rather light in color, red berries and spicyness on the nose, good tannin structure and balance, 12,5%abv. and that creates a typical, easy drinking BF, very good and good value for money (9€ at cellar door)

Saint Martin

This weekend was the traditional blessing of the new vintage by the pastor in my region. Besides the delicious "Martini" goose on the menu of nearly every restaurant lots of wineries hosted tasting of the young wines from 2008 and of course older vintages.

"Martini" is a good opportunity for Austrian wine lovers to get to know what the new vintage tastes like and is also enjoyed by our neighbours from Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Especially visitors from the Czech Republic showed great interest in our wines and they have changed from mere wine drinkers to wine lovers and real connoiseurs during the last years.

 

Find an actual review of young wines at B-Blog

wine of the month October

Unbelievable but true. After this long time I posted another wine of the month.

check out at: Wine of the month

Champagne tasting

I was recently invited at a Champagne trade tasting at LeCru in Vienna. Attendees were mostly buyers and sommeliers. The tasting was perfectly organised and held blind. 

Link:  Le Cru - 100% Champagne - demnächst in Wien

Have a look at my score card: (first number: my score, 2nd number: mean score)

 

1 Bouvet-Ladubay Extra Brut 82 81,4 

2 Robert Moncuit Extra Brut 83 83,2 

3 Pierre Peters Extra Brut 85 82,8 

4 Michel Arnould Brut Tradition 75 78,7 

5 Pol Roger Brut Réserve 83 83,8 

6 Taitinger Brut Réserve 82 84,9 

7 Arnould Rosé 76 81 

8 Bergeronneau-Marion Rosé 85 84,9 

9 Veuve Cliquot Vintage Rosé 1999 

10 Taitinger Rosé 83 83,5 

11 Maurice Veselle Rosé 84 85,1 

12 Daniel Caillez Rosé 81 85 

13 Veuve Fourny Cuvée 'R' 87 86,6 

14 DOM 79 80,5 

15 Krug Grand Cuvée 81 79,1 

16 Bouvet-Ladubay Instinct 86 86,5 

17 Lenoble Gentilhomme 1999 91 86,8 

18 Veuve Fourny Millésime 2002 90 88,5 

19 Taitinger Prelude 88 86,7 

20 Pierre Peters Les Chétillons 2000 89 87,5