Friday, November 25, 2011

Great Wines

I love going to our local Bistro and taking along wines that I hope will impress friends.
What is a great wine?....one that is world wide known or a wine that few have tasted and only known to the few.
Cuilleron's top Condrieu and Guigal's La Doriane are both great wines....so it was good to hear my fellow tasters compare the first wine with the aforementioned.
They tried to nail it down...but the exotic feel had them struggling.
Erwin Sabathi Limited 111
Sauvignon Blanc 2008

South Styria, Austria
Quite full...but in no way fat. I can see this aging well...but the general consensus of opinion was...why wait?
What an aroma...cassis and top class gooseberries with a touch of lychees.
After all that...you would expect a fruit bomb maybe...nope...this is elegant classy fruit...tropical with a dash of citrus... a hedonistic juice...and
worth
Points 18.25
A great wine.



The first red was a property I had only just found after returning from Baden and checking out a wine forum.
Enderle & Moll have 3 reds...a Villages...the Muschelkalk...which I tried a couple of weeks ago....and this one which has had people raving about it.
Did it live up to the hype?
Enderle & Moll
Buntsandstein Pinot Noir 2009

Baden, Germany
We concentrated on this one...as we ate...as it told us it needed nourishment...and the Hollerith was a completely different animal.
Opened 24 hours in advance but left in the bottle to air.
A whiff of glue at first...and a general feel of minerals and reserved fruit. It had the guys guessing...New World...Rhone...Syrah...but not a German Pinot...and it does not
taste like one. Earthy...and changing it's spots as it evolved in the glass. At the moment the Muschelkalk 2009 is the easier....but I bow to those on the net who think this will evolve into a GREAT wine....
A reserved marking here...a wine in it's infancy
Points 17

We had had a quick smell of the next wine...and a sip...the unanimously decided not to compare it with the Enderle & Moll.
It would be drank and enjoyed all on it's own.
Joachim Hollerith Maikammer Heiligenberg
Maximus Pinot Noir 2007
Pfalz, Germany
Opened only one hour before drinking.
Instant appeal...no messing around sticking your nose deep into the glass...the bouquet came out to greet you. Classy smokiness with smells of cherries & forest berries. The fruit just so perfect... and rolled over the tongue. Just a touch earthy...and with a length and elegance that says...GREAT wine. The guys were getting close to saying Gerrman....but I kept telling them the bottle was heavy with a large punt....ha ha...and they opted for U.S.A. Jim Clendenen.
Now that is a compliment!
Points 18

1 comment:

Edward said...

Barry,

One of wines great pleasures is the sharing of special bottles, and being able to befuddle and be befuddled when tasting blind.