Volker, Robert and myself met up for our regular visit to the local Bistro...I take along the wines..and they try to guess.
The first wine you know...ABC Hildegard...and I wanted to share it with them. I was just as impressed as before and, although they gave it fewer marks than I did, they rated is highly. It went well with fresh Octopus on a light salad.
(Interesting....we weighed the empty 'heavy' bottle of Hildegard..1200 grammes..compared to 400 grammes that a 'normal' bottle weighs)
The first red I had purchased in a shop in Freiburg..never seen it before..and it is nowhere to be found elsewhere..just this little old shop....
It was superb. Dr Heger himself described the work on the Achkarrer Schlossberg in 2003 as extremely hard and the yield was low. BUT..it had been worth it. The 40 year-old vines produced what he states to be the best they have harvested. The wine spends 20 months in barrique.
Spätbugunder *** Spätlese trocken
"Grosses Gewächs" Barrique 2003
Baden, Germany
Almost at once there was a cherry aroma of real elegance, forest smells and a little burnt wood, really classic...the palate showed great concentration..ripe fruit...was very soft, slightly sweet with a gentle spiciness..perfect balance..no edges..at it's peak you would think..but will certainly please for another 5-6 years. We were thouroghly impressed and agreed together on
Points 18.5
The second red I had decanted..and as the wine developed in glass...which we all like to enjoy...maybe a longer airing would benefit it more next time.
Ojai "Melville Vineyard"Santa Rita Hills Syrah 2003
California, U.S.A.
Deep opaque colour..thick 'long legs' filled the glass...gamey nose with ripe berry fruit...deep spices..a little dry at first( which meant the blind tasters went elswhere with their thought)...you then expect a tannin bomb...but the wine is surprisingly soft. As it opened in the glass..so the palate became a touch sweeter showing thick ripe berry fruit...the tannins are there for it's future..but the whole balance made it all a very enticing wine...with more airing..drink it now..but 5 years will do it no harm
Points 17.75+
4 comments:
Hello Barry,
Given that Heger's Spätburgunder is already denoted as both Spätlese trocken and Grosses Gewächs, I'm curious as to why he uses the *** (not that he's the only one). Any idea? Does it tie in somehow with the three barriques in the corner of the label or is that just another level of discrete iconography?
Hi David,
The three *** denoted 'Special Selection' and was used before the wine became a Grosses Gewächs. They just left it on the label after the new regulations...
I called that small shop. they still have 2 bottles...guess what?
I'm guessing that you're planning to pick them up and send them to me ;-)
First part correct!
but Muhammad must come to the mountain..if he wants to drink gold.
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