Swiss Made 3

Ticino Merlot 2003
Vinattieri Ligornetto, Switzerland
Scarlett, medium deep; animal, sweetish nose..very attractive; first impression on tasting...soft, sweet fruit, well integrated mild tannins; aged in oak..a very pleasant drink..nothing at all wrong with it..BUT EUROS 32!!! ($43)
Points 16

Red Roc d'Anglade # 2 & 3

Roc d'Anglade 2003 & 2002
Roc d'Anglade, Languedoc, France
When Remy Pedrenos joined forces with Rene Rostaing..the great Cote Rotie winemaker,...to start Roc..it could only go on to be a success. He produces 2 reds..the 'Clos De La Belle', a Syrah of excellent quality and the Roc d'Anglade..a melange of Carignan, Syrah and Grenache.
I tried the two below on consecutive evenings.......

Vintage 2003
Not as deep as the Clos de la Belle of the same vintage: super smooth, liquorice, peppery,juicyness...as you can see..a mixture..you get the feel..that the 3 grapes are each pushing to be first past the post...certainly an interesting wine...2003 was a dry vintage..and that showed at the finish..so..only
Points 16.5
















Vintage 2002
Clear brick-red; meaty aromas; soft velvety fruit..gentle tannins...enough acidity to carry the fruit and makes for a well balanced wine.All the wines are quite lush and rich..but never overdone..retaining a coolness.......
Points 17

Quinta de Roriz Reserva 2002

Quinta de Roriz Reserva 2002
Douro, Portugal
Read about this wine on a blog..and decided to buy some..
Medium deep, still quite purple; smell of plums,
dates, marzipan... medium full flavour, already
showing softness, the fruit bitten slightly by the
gentle tannins, earthy notes, just about perfect now
but will no doubt hold for 5 years...
Points 17.5
This went down so well...I have to admit..
I finished off the bottle alone!

Austrian White

Schlossweingut Graf Hardegg
White Reserve vom Schloss 2005
Seefeld-Kadolz. Austria
Light yellow with green tinges; first impression..the Veltliner gives the higher Chardonnay content(70%) a delicious balance; melons, peaches aroma; acidity harmonious with the soft fruit gives a mouthful of
medium weight, quite complex, a wine that will delelope over 3-5 years..
if you want a 'French' comparison..more a Chablis than a Meursault
Points 16 +
Went very well with the Sauerkraut, Leber & Blutwürst.. a German speciality...Sauerkraut..
which we eat with Liver and Blood Sausages..delicious................really....

Red Roc d'Anglade # 1

After rating the white from this vineyard
highly..and hearing that he was more a 'red'
specialist..I purchased 6 mixed vintages
of his two red wines..here the first tasted:
Roc d'Anglade 'Clos de La Belle' 2003
Vin de pays du Gard, Languedoc
Deep, thick colour; perfumed Syrah...
ripe, spicy,slightly meaty nose...
sweet fruit; palate shows a rich
spicy intensity, 13.5 % ..
but at no time does this wine
seem 'heavy'..more a coolness...
rather like a Cote Rotie..
very good....3-5 years said the merchant..
but a pleasure now..
Points 17.5

Sicilian Bargain

Planeta La Segreta Blanco 2006

Sicily, Italy

Medium yellow gold; whiff of nuts an the nose..then pears..and quite complex;

the mix is Grecanico, Chardonnay, Viognier
and the wine is quite full but no heavyweight..
perfect summer drinking and excellent partner
to my havana cigar

Cost Euros 9....well worth it...

Points 16

Swiss Made 2

The reason stated in an earlier post..why I had never tried too many Swiss Wines over the last 30 years...Price..Quality...and below is the perfect example

Ronco Angelo Vinattieri Ticinesi 2004

Switzerland

Price Euros 20...($28)..Medium deep colour;
reserved, slightly meaty, whiff of Merlot;
soft, easy taste with a gentle bite...
sounds boring.. and certainly nothing
to write home about...and too expensive..
there are better wines at half the price.

Points 14

PS....I have never been a lover of
Merlot only wines....
why do the Bordelais mix it?..
they know something...

Ziereisen Rhini 2002...Wow!!!

Ziereisen Blauer Spätburgunder Selection Rhini 2002
Baden, Germany

A couple of years ago I 'found' Ziereisen's wines..the Rhini 2002 had been awarded 1st prize in Decanter magazine...I bought a few cases..and enjoyed the first 2 cases in their youth...

At the start of 2006 it became a little more difficult to drink..was it past it's best already?..a little disapointed I decided to keep 2 bottles..who knows..one day it may come round..

Well..dear readers..here we are...quail breasts....and Pinot was required..so..having pulled the bottle in and out of the cellar...
I finally opened it...and wow..glad I did...

To be honest.. with other wines from Ziereisen.. I find them
to 'live'..if that is how I can describe them..they have good
times and less good..rather like humans I guess...and my
patience had paid off here..and Herr Ziereisen's know-how as well of course..

Medium colour, light, browning rim; nose exhudes ripe smokey Pinot; goegeous sweet flavour. perfectly balanced, the fruit just filled the mouth..had to keep going back...

Points 18

PS..I purchased 36 half bottles of the Rhini 2004..which
I have been divulging over a period..have about 10 left now...
I will leave these alone for a few months methinks... (if I can)..

WATCH THIS SPACE!!

Pesquera Crianza 2004..

Pesquera Crianza 2004

Bodegas Alejandro Fernández

Ribero del Duero, Spain

Deep purple colour, 'legs';
concentrated nose of earth
and plums; flavour leans towards
cassis, ripe tannins but very
approachable already with
sweetness of ripe fruit and
then a good backbone..
very compact..
needs about 5 years

Points 17 +

Pinot Noir Garden Party

A hot friday evening, a beautiful garden, excellent food and the promise of one of my favourite pastimes..drinking Pinot Noir..
We started with some white Asparagus salad..accompanied by a
Huber Weißer Burgunder trocken 2005..
light style..nice balance of fruit and acidity.
The main course comprised of slices of duck and some lamb filet...with roast potatoes and antipasti....you could choose when, what and how you ate...very relaxing..(the Greek idiot neighbour playing Techno music was not gonna spoil it.. They are still searching for his brain..poor soul)



And so to the Pinot Noir/Spätburgunder tasting...the information we were given..
2 Vintage 2005, 2 Vintage 2004 and one wine older..
3 of the five wines were from Germany..

I tasted the wines through as they were served....all had been decanted shortly before serving..and kept cool..(it was 30 degrees)...Pinot Noir tastes good slightly cooler..and the warm air brought it to the right temperature.


I then went through them all again..with the main meal and the excellent cheeses that followed.

As I drink a lot of the grape(they call me Mr. Pinot).. I was able to say the first three were Germany..I even 'thought' the 3rd wine was Huber..with his slighty dryer style.
As to the last two..as the Gravitas was a poor bottle( I had recommended the wine for the tasting)..and the host had made a funny comment.. I guessed the 4th wine to be the Gantenbein...all in all.... it was pleasing to give some right answers..not always the case in blind tastings.. you can easily turn from 'Expert' to 'Amateur'



1.
Waldumer Pfarrberg 2003
Co-Op Waldulm,
Baden, Germany
Brick red, reserved aroma..medicinal..did open
up in the glass; smokey, cherries,
fair flavour and a dry finish.
How can a Co-Op produce this..
well 2003 is the answer...

Points 15.5














2.
Salway 'RS' 2005
Salway,
Baden, Germany

A delicious Pinot Noir with a brick color and aromas of dried cherry, leather, earth and oak. On the palate it is light and elegant with sweet and spicy oak and terrific balance.

Points 17.5










3.
Malterdinger Bienenberg 'R' 2004
Huber,
Baden, Germany

Medium deep...dark cherry smell;
soft, meaty flavour with a dry finish,
dry finish..the Huber style...maybe too long in oak.

Points 16
















4.
Gantenbein 2005
Gantenbein
Fläsch, Switzerland

After my visit to Rebstock Guesthouse..the host also spent a few days there..and had tried the Gantenbein 2004..hence his wish to have the Vineyard in his tasting..we managed to get hold of the 2005.
Lighter colour than previous three; smokey aroma; some upfront acidity which was harmonius with the gentle Pinot fruit..improved with airing.

Points 17


















5.
Gravitas 2004
Saint Arnaud's Vineyard,
Marlborough, New Zealand
I had recommended this wine after my tasting a few weeks ago..
It was not at it's best here..a bad bottle..so really unfair to mark it.
I gave the host another bottle a day later..and await his comments.

PS...as much as I enjoy tastings...I feel that the wines need to be tasted alone...in the above case.. the Gantenbein...watch this space...

PPS....The host tasted the 2nd bottle on the Saturday evening...was very good....

Trilogia 2004

Christos Kokkalis Trilogia 2004
Greece

After tasting the 2nd Wine Mova 2003 I searched for the top wine of the same year..nowhere to be found..so..2004 it had to be.
Warning..this is not for the faint hearted,
share it with a few friends..drink it alone in 10 years.

Deep, red-brick; cigar aroma, intense closed nose; needs plenty of work..decant a day in advance!...chewy tannins...it's all there...but not exactly a 'delight' at the moment.
Points 17+

White Pearl from the South

Blanc de Roc d'Anglade 2005
Remy Pedrano,

Anglade, France

A vineyard near to Nimes...Chenin Blanc(Grape grown mainly in the Loire) & Grenache Blanc..used oak barrels;
medium yellow; minerally aromas..developed with airing..filled out; quite full-bodied. soft acidity with the gentle fruit of the Chenin Blanc, soft texture with a freshness, lovely long finish...a summer wine but with plenty of character..needs airing..decant if you have time.

Points 17.5

Pinot Noir from Austria

Schlossweingut Graf Hardegg
Pinot Noir vom Schloss 2004
Weinviertel, Austria

Light colour makes you think ..oh oh..but his leads to an aroma of berries, raspberry dominant; soft,silk flavour; ready to drink and excellent value for Euros 15

Points 16

PS.. at a recent blind tasting I found many Austrian Pinots made in a completely different style to Burgundy and Germany...this is not the case here...my style...

Domain Gourt de Mautens 2003

Domaine Gourt de Mautens 2003

Rasteau, France

A Cotes-du-Rhone Villages for over 30 Euros..has Parker been at it again?..well..no idea as yet..but..this is the type of wine he thrives on...so I'll get in first..

Dense, deep purple/red in the glass, heavy legs; a 'cool' nose, dark cherries; complex, amazing mid flavour, slightly 'porty'....the proverbial 'iron fist in a velvet glove' fits perfectly here. The vintage 2003 was a humdinger..jokingly I said..you need a knife and fork to cut through it...BUT..this is so well balanced, and the aforementioned 'coolness' throughout tasting..means this is no blockbuster to drink and then search for the aspirins..but a superb wine with finesse and elegance that would leave many a Chateauneuf-du-Pape in its wake...

Points 18 +

More about Domaine Gourt de Mautens here.