Saturday, October 13, 2012

A Good Week's Drinking

A week's drinking...and some real delights.
Tried over a couple of days...two very different styles of GV from two areas in Austria
First up...
Bernhard Ott Grüner Veltliner
Rosenberg 2009
Wagram, Austria

They call Bernhard Ott 'Mr Grüner Veltliner'...so I purchased a mixed bunch of his wines...mainly 2010 & 2011.
A single bottle of the 2009 vintage seemed the best choice though to drink at the moment.
The vines of the Rosenberg vineyard are around 50 years old.
Deepish yellow when you compare to other examples...white pepper...spices...tropical fruit. The mouth feel is fairly weighty...which increased with the second glass.
An Auslese in style...residual sugar ...so I left it for 48 hours...and it seemed to have calmed down a touch. Very glossy though and would have faired better...if the Alzinger hadn't shown more minerality.
Points 17



Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Reserve 2011
Wachau, Austria

Opened the day after the Ott...and this had a tobacco smokey smell...delightful aroma of pears with airing...considering this is young it was very approachable. That is the plus with these GV's...they are good young...but will benefit with a few years aging. The rest of the bottle was then compared the next day with the Ott wine...and showed great minerality...a touch of sweetness...but this will disappear with a year's aging.  Perfect balance almost...and was the winner of the two wines
Points 17.5



and yet a third version...this time Kamptal

Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner
Ried Lamm Reserve 2011
Kamptal, Austria

If I remember correctly...the first GV I ever tasted was from this property.
Green-yellow in colour...tobacco nose...apple fruit...honey notes...and a full palate...but with a thrilling dose of minerals...leaving you with a slim wine...a contradiction to all that went before.
Points 17.25



Markus Molitor, Brauneberger Klostergarten
Spätburgunder ** trocken, 2004
Mosel, Germany

A real find...almost missed it. Still available at € 35,-- (PS...3 days later I hear that I had the last 2 bottles)
You would think it risky maybe...2004...8 years for a Mosel red...but you would be wrong...and delighted to drink this.
The Mosel has very few properties who seriously deal in Pinot Noir. The top wine from Molitor is just beautiful...and the wines are very Burgundian in style...both the vines and the large bottles are from France.
Delicate gentle vanilla...this does not hit you full-faced...it just pokes you in the cheek...then rubs your eyes...then tickles your nose. You get my drift...gently does it...and I love the whole. You can't buy this smell...well...not often enough.
The palate gives you smooth velvet...and it still has some tannins in there keeping it lively. A wine for Mozart...not Beethoven. A wine for Soul Lovers...not Heavy Metal Freaks.
17.5...but I am being mean...just forget about marks here...and....it held up great overnight...so it should age for a few years more. I need to check if there are more available.












No comments: