schiller-wine

Pictures: Chris Morris, Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve, Désirée Eser, Weingut August Eser, Frank Morgan, Senior Vice-President Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.

Chris Morris is the Master Distiller of Brown-Foreman, including Woodford Reserve, the ultra-premium Bourbon Whiskey from Kentucky in the US. He recently spent a couple of days in Germany to promote his Whiskey and American Whiskey in general, including at a Whiskey tasting and dinner at the Grand Cru Bistro in Frankfurt and at the “Im Schiffchen” in Duesseldorf as well as the Bar Convent in Berlin.

See:
American Whiskey Producers in Germany
Amerikanische Whiskey Hersteller in Deutschland
18 US Distillers at Bar Convent Berlin 2013, Germany
With Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris on a Whiskey Tour in Frankfurt, Duesseldorf and Berlin, Germany
An American Whiskey Tasting and a Dinner with Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris at “Im Schiffchen” (2 Stars Michelin) in Duesseldorf, Germany

A less official event was a visit of a Rheingau winemaker, Désirée Eser, Weingut August Eser, in Oestrich Winkel (Rheingau). There are many winemakers that we could have visited on the route from Frankfurt to Duesseldorf, but I called Désirée Eser because I remembered that she had studied in California. It was a short visit, but both the visiters and the hosts enjoyed it very much. Désirée Eser started to import her wine to the US and Chris Morris, after tasting the wines, is very eager to have the Weingut August Eser wines distributed in Kentucky, where he lives.

The Rheingau

It is remarkable: For its entire length of nearly 560 miles, the Rhine flows north with one exception – a 28-mile stretch where the river changes its course. Here, it flows to the west, thereby enabling both the river and the vineyards facing it to bask in the warmth of the sun all day long. This is the Rheingau, one of the medium-size German wine regions. It is a quietly beautiful region, rich in tradition. Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for Hochheim's wines contributed to their popularity in England, where they, and ultimately, Rhine wines in general, were referred to as Hock.

Picture: The Rheingau

The third President of the USA - and notable bon viveur - Thomas Jefferson visited the Rheingau in 1788 and wrote that the wine of the "Abbaye of Johnsberg is the best made on the Rhine without comparison … That of the year 1775 is the best." He also referred to the Rheingau’s Riesling as the "small and delicate Rhysslin which grows only from Hochheim to Rudesheim". Impressed by the quality of the Rheingau Riesling wines, he bought 100 grapevines to take back to his estate in Virginia.

Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve is the smallest of the about 20 distilleries in Kentucky. It is unique in using a triple distillation method. This employs three copper pot stills, built in Scotland. Woodford Reserve is operated by the Louisville-based Brown-Forman Distiller Corporation, which also owns Jack Daniels.

Pictures: Chris Morris, Désirée Eser and Frank Morgan

Woodford Reserve traces its origins back to 1797, when Elijah Pepper moved from Virginia to Versailles, where he distilled corn whiskey in a small distillery behind the county courthouse. In 1812 he moved his operation to the present site on Glenn's Creek. In 1941 Brown-Forman bought the distillery used it to produce their Early Times whiskey. By the 1960s Bourbon sales were falling and Brown- Forman sold the distillery to a local farmer. The buyer proceeded to make the car fuel substitute 'gasohol' in the distillery for a short period, but when that venture failed, the distillery lay silent for 23 years. Then, in 1994, with interest in 'small batch' Bourbon rising, Brown-Forman bought back the semi-derelict site and restored it to showpiece condition. In 2003, the present Woodford Reserve name was adopted for both the distillery and its whiskey.

Between 40 and 50 barrels a day are filled at Woodford Reserve distillery. The resultant whiskey is bottled at six to seven years of age. The mashbill comprises 72 per cent corn, 18 per cent rye and 12 per cent malted barley. Bourbon whiskey must be at least 51% corn, and many bourbons are as high as 80%. A bourbon mashbill with 18% Rye is fairly high and helps distinguish Woodford Reserve’s slightly spicy character.

Pictures: Chris Morris, Désirée Eser, Christian Schiller and Frank Morgan

In the Brown-Forman family, a lot of time and attention is paid to Jack Daniels, the whiskey from Tennessee, and for good reason: it’s one of the best selling spirits in America. Although Jack Daniels gets lots of attention, it’s Woodford Reserve that is the crown jewel in Brown-Forman portfolio. Run by master distiller Chris Morris, Woodford Reserve focuses on producing small batch premium bourbon.

Chris Morris

Chris Morris is seventh Master Distiller for Brown-Forman, since the company began in 1870. A Louisville native, Chris Morris has grown up around bourbon his whole life. His dad was a production manager, and his mother worked in the art department at Brown-Forman. His career with Brown-Forman began in 1976, as a trainee. Chris Morris holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bellarmine College in Louisville, a master’s degree in liberal arts from Texas Christian University, and a master’s degree in marketing from Webster University.

Pictures: Chris Morris, Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve, Désirée Eser, Weingut August Eser, Frank Morgan, Senior Vice-President Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.

At Weingut August Eser in Oestrich Winkel

Weingut August Eser is a small, family owned winery in Oestrich in the Rheingau, producing 6000 cases of first class Riesling and Spaetburgunder annually.

The first time I tasted the wines of Weingut August Eser was many years ago in Duesseldorf; my cousin was a big fan of the wines of Weingut August Eser and always served them when he invited.

Désirée Eser Eser: “Our family-winery in the heart of the German wine growing region Rheingau has 10 hectares of 90% Riesling and 10% Pinot Noir grapes. Our cellar dates back to 1650 and it is here that our wines mature and develop their lively aromatic character which is fruity and floral. Our wines are made in both dry and balanced sweet styles. As a member of the VDP, our goal is to produce top quality, distinctive wines. 95% of our production is sold in Germany. I have justed started to export to the US – through “The Varietal” in California and AP Wines in New York.”

See:
Hanging out with Rheingau Winemakers: Dirk Wuertz, Desiree Eser, Alexander Jakob Jung, Hansi Bausch and Christian Ress in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany
Meeting Winemaker/Owner Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser, at the Banks of the Rhein River in the Rheingau in Germany

Désirée Eser

Désirée Eser is the granddaughter of August Eser (she is the youngest of his grandchildren), after whom the winery is named. Desiree took over from her parents Joachim and Renee Eser, who remain very active in the winery, in 2007. She is the first Eser woman at the helm of Weingut August Eser, in the 10th generation.

Désirée Eser has a distinguished educational background. She got the “Abitur” (the highest high school degree in Germany), did a 3 years apprenticeship at Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf /Pfalz, spent a year at UC Davis in California and finished with a Masters Degree from the University of Geisenheim (Diplom Ingenieurin für Weinbau und Önologie).

Pictures: Désirée Eser, Christian Schiller and Annette Schiller

Dirk Wuertz, one of Germany’s leading wine bloggers and himself a distinguished winemaker, says: “Desirée Eser is a figurehead of the new winemaker generation in the Rheingau. With a distinguished education and international experience, she very successfully leads this traditional winery in the heart of Oestrich in the Rheingau. Her wines are true Rheingau classics, true and honest expressions of the terroir they come from. The vineyard portfolio of Weingut Eser is amazing, including the best sites all over the Rheingau.”

The Weingut August Eser Grand Cru Vineyards

Désirée Eser: “Our vineyards are spread over 17different single sites in eight different villages along the Rheingau region. This is quite unusual, however it offers you the opportunity to enjoy the Rheingau region in its whole diversity. Seven of the vineyards belong to the group of Germany’s absolute finest vineyards. This top level category of vineyards has just been renamed to Grosse Lage (Grand Cru in Bourgogne): Oestricher Lenchen, Oestrich Doosberg, Erbacher Siegelsberg, Winkeler Jesuitengarten, Hattenheimer Nußbrunnen, Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen, Rauenthaler Rothenberg and Winkel Hasensprung."

Pictues: In the Cellar of Weingut August Eser

The Weingut August Eser Wine Portfolio

Désirée Eser took us through the Weingut August Eser wine portfolio. She started out by the essentials in terms of their winemaking philosophy:

“- selective harvesting by hand
- several selections of the grapes on the vine
- limited yield
- sensitive crushing and processing of the grapes
- slow and controlled fermentation for a better flavour development
- fermentation in wood barrels in combination with stainless steel tanks
- red wines in traditional wood barrels and barriques."

The Weingut August Eser wine portfolio consists of 4 different groups:

Trockene Rieslinge und Blanc de Noir- Dry Riesling and Blanc de Noir wines: A large range of dry wines, from an Estate Wine for Euro 6.10 to the ultra-premium VDP.Grosses Gewaechs wines for Euro 19.80.

Feinherbe Rieslinge - Feinherbe Rieslinge – Off-dry Rieslings: About a dozen Kabinett and Spaetlese Rieslings fermented in an off-dry style. It includes: 2011 Riesling 10. Generation "My way" Riesling Kabinett, which is a very personal wine of Désirée Eser.

Vollmundige und edelsüße Rieslinge – Fruity-sweet and noble-sweet Riesling wines: 14 wines, mostly in the Auslese level, including a 2010 Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Auslese for Euro 33.

Spätburgunder – Pinot Noir: 5 red wines.

Hier ist der Schaum ein Traum... - Sparklers: 2 wines, a “Perlwein” and a Sekt, brut.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

American Whiskey Producers in Germany

Amerikanische Whiskey Hersteller in Deutschland

18 US Distillers at Bar Convent Berlin 2013, Germany

With Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris on a Whiskey Tour in Frankfurt, Duesseldorf and Berlin, Germany

An American Whiskey Tasting and a Dinner with Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris at “Im Schiffchen” (2 Stars Michelin) in Duesseldorf, Germany

Hanging out with Rheingau Winemakers: Dirk Wuertz, Desiree Eser, Alexander Jakob Jung, Hansi Bausch and Christian Ress in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Meeting Winemaker/Owner Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser, at the Banks of the Rhein River in the Rheingau in Germany

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Oliver Haag, Weingut Fritz Haag, in Seattle at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous

There are 3/4 influential wine guides in Germany: the Eichelmann and the GaultMillau, followed by the Feinschmecker. Just a few days ago, a new wine guide, joined the trio with their first release: Falstaff Weinguide Deutschland.

The 2014 Eichelmann Wine Guide Deutschland was released in November 2013. The Eichelmann uses a scale of 1 to 5 stars. In the 2014 Guide, Eichelmann presents 940 wineries and 8850 wines. 2 of the 5 star winemakers lost their 5th star in the 2014 edition; I will report about the group of 5 star winemakers in a separate posting.

Here are the special awards of the Eichelmann Wine Guide Deutschland 2014.

Best White Wine Collection of the Year: Weingut Keller, Flörsheim-Dalsheim in Rheinhessen.

"Great Riesling has to be demanding, can be stressful, estate wines should be fun. Klaus-Peter Keller’s wines do this” said Gerhard Eichelmann. Klaus Peter Keller received this award for the second time, after 2006.

See:
Germany’s Top 10 Winemakers (with 5 Grapes) - The Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013

Best Red Wine Collection of the Year: Weingut Friedrich Becker, Schweigen, Pfalz.

“The Pinot Noir Collection is once again very impressive - from „B“ to “Heydenreich“ all wines show pure fruit, structure, and herbs and spices. Great cinema" Gerhard Eichelmann said.

See:
5 Top Wine Makers at Premier Cru Wein Bistro in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller and Helena Becker, Weingut Friedrich Becker

Best Collection of Noble-Sweet Wines of the Year: Oliver Haag, Weingut Fritz Haag in Brauneberg, Mosel.

“Faszination Mosel-Riesling“summarized Gerhard Eichelmann in his speech. "All wines possess freshness and fruit, elegance and finesse, purity and complexity."

See:
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Picture: Oliver Haag, Weingut Fritz Haag, at the International Tasting - Beyond Dry Riesling in Seattle

Rising Star of the Year: Weingut Klumpp aus Bruchsal im Kraichgau (Baden)

“Everything is all right and on track at this winery” said Gerhard Eichelmann. Weingut Klumpp, which is an organic winemaker, steadily improved in recent years. "The Klumpp family has everything under control, which is demonstrated by its excellent entry-level wines (Gutswein) as well as powerful single vineyard wines, with substance and structure” said Gerhard Eichelmann.

See:
The Top Wine Makers of the Kraichgau - The Northern Part of the Baden Wine Region in Germany

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Werner Klumpp, Weingut Klumpp

Wine Classic: Riesling Doosberg, Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn, and Riesling „Milestone“ Doosberg, Weingut Querbach

In addition to the four winemakers, Gerhard Eichelmann presented a wine that he would call a German Grand Cru. This year, he selected two wines from the same vineyard, the Doosberg in Oestrich: Riesling Doosberg of Peter Jakob Kühn, Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn, and Riesling „Milestone“ Doosberg of Peter Querbach, Weingut Querbach.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Peter Querbach, Weingut Querbach, at Premier Cru in Frankfurt, Germany

See:
Chat Sauvage Versus Peter Querbach– An Impromptu Pinot Noir Wine Tasting with Kai Buhrfeind at His Grand Cru Wine Bar in Frankfurt, Germany

Picture: Annette Schiller and Peter Jakob Kühn, Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn, at the 2013 Rheingau Riesling Open at Schloss Johannisberg, Germany. Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn was one of the 16 wineries included in the 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours, organized by Annette Schiller

See:
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Previous Years’ Eichelmann Wine Guide Deutschland

Best German Wines and Winemakers – Eichelmann Wine Guide Deutschland 2013 Awards, Germany

Best German Wines - Eichelmann Wine Guide 2012 Awards, Germany

Wine ratings: German wine --- Eichelmann 2010

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Germany’s Top 10 Winemakers (with 5 Grapes) - The Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013

5 Top Wine Makers at Premier Cru Wein Bistro in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

The Top Wine Makers of the Kraichgau - The Northern Part of the Baden Wine Region in Germany

Chat Sauvage Versus Peter Querbach– An Impromptu Pinot Noir Wine Tasting with Kai Buhrfeind at His Grand Cru Wine Bar in Frankfurt, Germany

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Best German Wines and Winemakers – Eichelmann Wine Guide Deutschland 2013 Awards, Germany

Best German Wines - Eichelmann Wine Guide 2012 Awards, Germany

Wine ratings: German wine --- Eichelmann 2010

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Jean-Nicolas Méo from Domaine Méo-Camuzet at Johann Lafer’s Stromburg

When Caroline and Armin Diel presented their new releases at Johann Lafer’s Stromburg, they had also invited a Bourgogne producer - Jean-Nicolas Méo from Domaine Méo-Camuzet – to complement their Nahe wines. I have already reported about the Diel wines: This posting focuses on the second part of the tasting: the Bourgogne wines of Domaine Méo-Camuzet.

See:
Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany

Domaine Méo-Camuzet

Domaine Méo-Camuzet is one of the most celebrated domaines of the Côte d’Or, located in the heart of prestigious Vosne-Romanée.

It was founded at the beginning of the last century by Étienne Camuzet, a member of the French Parliament for the Côte d'Or from 1902 to 1932, who selected vineyards whose location and reputation were of particular interest to him; many of his vineyard holdings remain in the estate today, and many of them are among the most exceptional in the region. Etienne’s daughter Maria Noirot inherited his vineyards but she herself had no children so, at her death in 1959, she bequeathed the domain to Jean Méo, a distant relative.

Pictures: Pre-tasting Reception, with Armin Diel and Dirk Wuertz

The estate did not begin selling wines under its own label until 1985 and after 1988, it progressively took charge of the vineyards as the ‘metayage’ (sharecropping) contracts with the vintners expired.

Today, the estate manages 15 acres itself with another 13.5 under contract (although all is harvested and vinified by the estate). The estate is now run by Jean-Nicolas Méo, son of Jean Méo, who is in charge of technical and administrative matters.

Domaine Méo-Camuzet bottles four Grands Crus (Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot, Corton Clos Rognet, and Échezeaux), ten Premiers Crus (from the communes of Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-St-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, and Fixin), several village wines, one Bourgogne Rouge, and one white.

Pictures: Tasting

Jean-Nicolas also spent most of his life in Paris. When he took over in 1985, in lieu of continuing to rent out their highly-pedigreed vineyards, he made the bold decision to slowly start reclaiming the land for the domaine’s own bottlings. He called upon the resident expert, one of Burgundy’s greatest winemakers of all time, Henri Jayer, for guidance. Henri had spent over forty years farming parcels from Méo-Camuzet under his own label. For three years, he mentored Jean-Nicolas during the transition and finally decided to retire in 1988. Though Henri Jayer passed away in 2006, his legacy endures to this day.

Jean-Nicolas has since directed the cellar and sales. The estate's technical team is currently led and managed by Christian Faurois, who went to viticultural school in Beaune.

Jean-Nicolas Méo’s Philosophy of Winemaking

The Vineyard

“For many years, our wine estate has rejected the use of chemicals alone and attempts to encourage a natural balance by using authorized organic agricultural products and specific practices, including ploughing, by paying particular attention to our vine-growing techniques which attempt to prevent diseases and keep yields in check. These practices are not just for show: their objective is to achieve a harmony between the vine and its environment and to allow the terroir and climate, specific to each vintage, to express themselves.

Pictures: Jean-Nicolas Méo

The Harvest

For several years now, we've been hearing about green harvesting (which should be done from late July onwards, automatically, even in older vineyards), but this is more a way of keeping yields in check.

The harvest itself takes place in late September, at a date which is very carefully chosen, and everything must be done to ensure that the grapes which arrive in the vat are as intact, as ripe and as healthy as possible.

Pictures: Jean-Nicolas Méo

Winemaking

Temperature control is the essential contribution which modern techniques have made to our work, which, apart from that, remains very traditional. It enables us to make a marketable wine, even if excessive standardization of vinification would quickly lead to trivialisation.

The grapes are put into the vats where they stay for 3 to 5 days, macerating in their juice while the temperature is still low (15°C/60°F), before fermentation begins naturally. During fermentation, temperature control is maintained just to protect the wines from exceeding a critical threshold (34-35°C/93-95°F).

Pictures: Jean-Nicolas Méo, Caroline and Armin Diel

It is better for this fermentation cycle, which lasts between two and three weeks, to come to an end slowly, and our concrete vats help us to maintain mild temperatures which fall slowly.

There is not much extraction, the harvest does not undergo too much treatment or manipulation: little sulphur, little capitalization or acidification, only pigeages at the end of the fermentation.

That is how the individual character of each wine can express itself... but the grapes must be of excellent quality from the beginning!

Wine Maturing

It's not all over at the end of the wine-making process. The conditions under which the wine is matured can have a great influence on its appearance and stability, and thus on its ageing.

Pictures: Jean-Nicolas Méo, Caroline Diel and Annette Schiller

Whether it should be put into new casks or not is an important decision: using casks allows a controlled oxidation of the wine, which stabilises it but also brings aromas, which marry with those of the wine... or become dominant.

Other circumstances also count a lot: at what moment and how quickly the malolactic fermentation takes place, the interaction with the lees, particularly for white wines of course, the management of the racking and the degree of aeration you wish to give to the wines... Each step must be carefully thought out.

Bottling

The wines are racked and blended in vats three or four weeks before, and bottling comes after about 17 months in barrels (the harvest of year 'N' is bottled between January and July of year 'N+2').

Pictures: Post-tasting luncheon

The wines are bottled by gravity, which prevents them from being shaken up too much, and without filtration, which could spoil them. But for a few exceptions, the wines are not fined (e.g. clarified) with egg whites, as they don't need this to stabilize them. By doing so, they do not suffer any trauma that could alter their true nature. This is the general principle that always prevails at the estate: respect the fruit, treat the wine for what it is - a living substance that deserves respect.

A modern bottling line enables us to take the precautions that are necessary to ensure good-quality corking and thus good ageing of the wines. The corks are carefully selected and specifications are imposed on the suppliers. Ah, those corks! They are a big source of worry for the vinegrower and the wine-lover... The capacity they have to spoil the work of several years is particularly frustrating...
After the bottling, the work of the winegrower is finished, so to speak: it is now up to the wine-lover to make sure that the storage conditions (15°C / 60°F maximum) and drinking conditions are optimum, but that's another story...”

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Jean-Nicolas Méo

The Wines we Tasted

2011 Hautes-Cotes de Nuits Clos St. Philibert

Winemaker notes: Thanks to its originality, this very generous wine avoids the generic characteristics of its appellation. Its rich and often tropical aromas, its freshness and mineral character are remarkable.

When this wine is young, its nose is captivating and well developed, whereas the palate is less pronounced, still marked by the acidity. We would advise a few years of ageing for this wine to achieve a perfect balance.

2011 Bourggogne Rouge

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru “Aux Boudots”

Winemaker notes: A wine which is very typical of the appellation Vosne-Romanée: its roundness, its fleshy plumpness, its discreet but effective structure. Its great maturity and its balance belie the reputation for austerity which goes with Nuits.

This wine ages well, but shows the best it has to offer at the beginning of its development: the fruit is there in generous quantities without its counterpart, the aggressiveness which can be felt in certain other appellations.

2011 Vosne-Romanee

Winemaker notes: A wine with fine intensity, supported by a lot of freshness and a pronounced mineral character. The silkiness and balance of the appellation are also present and generally speaking, the wine is well developed aromatically.

Despite its acidity, the wine is very accessible, even full of charm to start with. But it ages very well, gaining in depth and balance.

2011 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru “Les Chaumes”

Winemaker notes: There is much finesse and elegance in this wine, very typical of the Vosne-Romanée appellation. Fullness and charm coexist here in a wine which is not as awe-inspiring as the superb 'crus', 'les Brûlées' and 'Cros Parantoux', but which is easy to drink and will quickly seduce you.

The good vintages age well, but this wine has a distinct advantage in its youth: indeed, its finesse makes it ideal for early tasting.

2011 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru

Winemaker notes: Is this a wine which expresses the Cistercian rigor which gave birth to it? No, its image is rather that of a refined gentleman: the grapes mature early here, but still give wines of great finesse, with a lace-like texture, which lines the palate, with superb length.

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Jean-Nicolas Méo

The inherent complexity of a 'grand cru' can be felt fairly quickly, it is an easy wine to approach. A wine which can be drunk young, but which sometimes surprises us with its longevity.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Visiting Armin and Caroline Diel and their Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in Germany

Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany

President Obama Serves a “German” Riesling at State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao

Visiting Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington State - Where Armin Diel’s Poet’s Leap Riesling is Made, USA

Terry Theise: 2012 Vintage Wines - Highlights and Superlatives, Germany

Phil Bernstein’s Third Annual German Riesling Tasting with the German Wine Society, Washington DC Chapter - Rieslings With a Touch of Sweetness

Caroline Parent-Gros Presented the Wines of Domaine A-F Gros in the Bourgogne at Chef Bryan Voltaggio’s Range in Washington DC

The Premium Soliste Wines of Former Famous Chef and Now Famous Winemaker Claude Koeberle and the Great Food of Chef Patrick Bazin at Bazin’s on Church in Northern Virginia, USA

Back to the Roots in the Bourgogne: WillaKenzie Estate Wines in Oregon - Winemaker Thibaud Mandet Presented WillaKenzie Wines at Open Kitchen, USA

Burgundy Dinner at Bistro Vivant with Negociant Extraordinaire Jeanne-Marie de Champs, USA

Dinner with Owner/Winemaker Eric Bonnet of Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France/USA

Meeting Gregoire Pissot – the Winemaker at Cave de Lugny in the Maconnais– in Washington DC, USA/France

Puligny Montrachet Winemaker Dinner with Sylvain Bzikot, Domaine Bzikot Pere et Fils, at Jacques Imperato’s Mediterannee Restaurant in Northern Virginia, USA

In the Pouilly-Fuissé AOC in the Bourgogne, France

Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron, Côte de Nuits, Winemaker Dinner with Owners/Producers Alain and Sophie Meunier at Todd Gray’s Equinox in Washington DC, USA

Dining with Côte de Beaune Winemaker Pascal Maillard, Domaine Maillard Père et Fils, at Restaurant 2941 in Virginia, USA

Picture: André Apolinário from Taste Porto Food Tours at Flor dos Congregados

The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, La Rioja, Spain, did not only take me to Spain, but also to Portugal. The conference included 3 pre-conference press trips, including one to the Douro Valley, which started in Porto. The Douro Trip was my top choice and I was very happy when I heard that I had been selected. Off to Porto and the Douro Valley!

We flew to Porto a couple of days before the tour started. The organizers of the DWCC, Ryan and Gabriela Opaz, who are based in Porto, where so nice to arrange an optional food tour of Porto with André Apolinário from Taste Porto Food Tours.

See:
The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain
A Douro Valley Tour from Porto Upstream to the Upper Douro Region, Portugal

Porto

Porto was built along the hills overlooking the Douro river estuary, and its historical center was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1996.

The city is quite varied architecturally, with medieval as well as modern living side by side. Porto's geography is hard on the feet, but pleasant to the eye, despite the incredible number of dilapidated buildings. Across the river from Porto proper is the City of Vila Nova de Gaia, where you could find the Port Wine Cellars, such as Cálem, Fonseca, Sandemans, and Kopke. The luxury Yeatman Hotel is also in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Pictures: Porto

The Porto Food Tour

This 3 ½ hours tour through Porto with 6 stops was great fun. Guide André Apolinário was an engaging and knowledgeable ambassador for Porto. Each stop featured an interesting food experience - from pastries to sandwiches to coffee to wine. Mix in a little history, architecture and great views and photo opportunities and you have a tour that will remain a top highlight of your trip to Portugal.

Ryan Opaz: “Started by four friends united in their love of Porto they found a niche that wasn’t being filled: food. Porto has tours, tours of port wine lodges, old buildings and on big blue buses; but it was the food element that was missing. In fact, they dedicated so much time and energy into this project that Andre is in the process of leaving his civil engineering job so as to pursue this passion full time. I’m impressed by the effort they have put into planning and strategizing on how to build the best tours for people visiting Porto for the first time.”

6 Stops

Loja dos Pastéis de Chaves

The day begins near Bolhão market with the warm flaky pastry of Chaves, a small city in northern Portugal. A savory and sweet tasting that will provide you with the energy and curiosity to start your exploration of Porto.

Bolhão Wine House

Bolhão Market is a truly unique and magical place for tripeiros. Come and get to know why we got this nickname while enjoying a 'moscatel galego' along with some traditional sardines and a homemade pastry.

Café Christina

Since 1804 Café Christina has provided Porto with the caffeine needed to start its day. Enjoy the subtle hints of the in-house blend, find out the coffee order to place to make you sound like a local, and take a sneak peek behind the curtain.

Flor dos Congregados

Upon entering this third generation, family-run restaurant, the smells of a home-cooked meal fill the air. Enjoy this one-of-a-kind sandwich that brings together freshly baked bread, juicy pork loin roasted in spices, with the sweetness of cured ham.

Leitaria da Quinta do Paço

In life, as on the tour, we can't enjoy the savory without the sweet. And so Leitaria provides us with a sweet counter point on our tour through its famous eclairs. Enjoy the light, fluffiness of the cream and sweetness of the chocolate.

Taberna do Largo

Portugal has far more to offer than just Port wine which is why we end our tour with a final taste of the various wine regions of the country. Explore from north to south the little known beauty of Portuguese wines, cheese, sausages and 'petiscos' with products from small local producers.

Bye-bye

Picture: Porto Railway Station

schiller-wine: Related Posting

Meeting Up-and-coming Winemaker Rita Ferreira Marques from the Douro Area in Portugal at Screwtop Winebar in Clarendon, Virginia

Meeting Rupert Symington from the Symington Family - One of the Oldest Families of Port Producers

The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain

A Douro Valley Tour from Porto Upstream to the Upper Douro Region, Portugal

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Linden Vineyards Owner and Winemaker Jim Law

Note that there are also interesting wineries in Maryland, which the Washingtonian however did not consider. I have written about 3 of them here:

Touring Wine Country Maryland, USA
Maryland Crabs and Wine

Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Maryland - A Profile, USA
Boordy Vineyards in Maryland - A Profile, USA
Black Ankle Vineyards in Maryland - A Profile, USA

Wine Producer Virginia

Virginia is the 5th largest wine industry in the US, with nearly 200 wineries and 2,500 acres of vineyards.

In the original charter of the thirteen colonies was a royal commission to pursue three luxury items that England was unable to provide for itself: wine, silk, and olive oil. Every colony made attempts to satisfy the requirements of its charter. Despite many years of failure, the early Americans persisted in their efforts. A big step forward was made in 1740 when a natural cross pollination occurred between a native American grape and a European vitis vinifera. Other successful crossings followed.

In 1762, John Carter, who had 1,800 vines growing at Cleve Plantation, sent 12 bottles to the Royal Society of Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacture and Commerce in London for their evaluation. Minutes of their meeting on the 20th of October 1762 declared Carter’s wines to be “excellent” and a decision was taken to reward Carter’s efforts with a gold medal for his wines. These were the first internationally recognized fine wines produced in America.

Over the past 30 years or so, Virginia wines have experienced a tremendous development - to elegant and balanced, mostly European vinifera-based wines. Recently, Donald Trump as well as AOL founder Steve Case bought a Virginia winery.

Today, the vitis vinifera grapes Chardonnay and Viognier are the leading white varieties. Increasingly they are made without any or with neutral oak, to retain natural acidity and freshness. It appears Viognier is on its way to becoming Virginia’s official “signature grape”.

For French-American hybrid varieties, Seyval Blanc is still popular, but resembles now the fresh and crisp wines from France’s South West. Vidal has become the backbone of the artificially frozen (cryoextraction), ice wine which I am not a great fan of. Cryoextraction is an approach, developed by the French, which kind of simulates the frost in the vineyard in the wine cellar.

As far as red wines are concerned, there has been a shift from straight varietal wines to blends, with the blends now being dominated by Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Mirroring the Virginia white wines, there is an increasing focus on neutral oak and clean, vibrant fruit.

Tannat, Uruguay’ signature grape from the South West of France, is showing up in more Virginia wines, usually as a blend. The only red French American hybrid which has performed consistently well in Virginia is Chambourcin, which resembles the Gamay grape of Beaujolais.

Finally, Claude Thibault, a native from France, has taken Virginia sparkling wines to a new level. His NV Thibault-Janisson Brut, made from 100 percent Chardonnay, which President Obama offered his guests at his first state dinner, is as close as you can get to Champagne outside of France.

The Washingtonian List

Barboursville Vineyards, 17655 Winery Rd., Barboursville; 540-832-3824. Monday to Saturday 10 to 5, Sunday 11 to 5. Tasting: $5 for at least 16 wines.

Barrel Oak Winery, 3623 Grove La., Delaplane; 540-364-6402. Sunday to Thursday 11 to 6, Friday and Saturday 11 to 9. Tasting: $6 for six wines, $11 for 12.

Boxwood Winery, 2042 Burrland Rd., Middleburg; 540-687-8778. Friday to Sunday 11 to 6. Tasting: $10 for five wines.

See:
Boxwood Winery in Virginia: Lunch with Wine Makers Rachel Martin and Adam McTaggert in the Chai between the Tanks – TasteCamp 2012 East Kick-Off, USA
Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Tasting Through Recent Vintages at Boxwood Winery in Virginia: With Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville - Poyferre, Annette Schiller from Wine Tours by Ombiasy and Boxwood Winery General Manager Rachel Martin, USA

Pictures: Boxwood Winery VP Rachel Martin

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards La., Purcellville; 800-492-9961. Daily 11 to 6. Tasting: $10 for eight wines.

See:
Visiting Jennifer Breaux Blosser and Breaux Vineyards in Virginia, USA
Touring Virginia Wineries - Fabbioli Cellars, 8 Chains North and Breaux Vineyards - with Virginia Wine Expert Allan Liska

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Jennifer Breaux Blosser

Chrysalis Vineyards, 23876 Champe Ford Rd., Middleburg; 540-687-8222. Monday to Thursday 10 to 6, Friday to Sunday 10 to 7. Tasting: $10 for 12 wines.

See:
Norton and Other Wines of Chrysalis Vineyards in Viriginia

Delaplane Cellars, 2187 Winchester Rd., Delaplane; 540-592-7210. Sunday, Monday, and Thursday 11 to 5, Friday and Saturday 11 to 6. Tasting: $5 to $8 for four to six wines.

DelFosse Vineyards & Winery, 500 DelFosse Winery La., Faber; 434-263-6100. Wednesday to Sunday 11 to 5. Tasting: $10 for 12 wines.

Glen Manor Vineyards, 2244 Browntown Rd., Front Royal; 540-635-6324. Wednesday to Saturday 11 to 5, Sunday noon to 5. Tasting: Price and number of wines vary.

Horton Vineyards, 6399 Spotswood Trail, Gordonsville; 800-829-4633. Daily 10 to 5. Tasting: Free for ten wines.

Jefferson Vineyards, 1353 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy., Charlottesville; 434-977-3042. Daily 10 to 6. Tasting: $10 for 11 wines.

Keswick Vineyards, 1575 Keswick Winery Dr., Keswick; 434-244-3341. Daily 9 to 5. Tasting: $5 for eight wines.

King Family Vineyards, 6550 Roseland Farm, Crozet; 434-823-7800. Daily 10 to 5. Tasting: $7 for five wines.

Linden Vineyards, 3708 Harrels Corner, Linden; 540-364-1997. Wednesday to Sunday 11 to 5. Tasting: $5 for five wines.

See:
Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Visiting Jim Law and his Linden Vineyards with Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux, USA
Jim Law and Linden Vineyards in Virginia – A Profile, USA

Picture: Anne Cuvelier from the Cuvelier family that owns Chateau Leoville-Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux. Jim Law from Linden Vineyards and Christian G.E. Schiller

Naked Mountain Winery & Vineyards, 2747 Leeds Manor Rd., Markham; 540-364-1609. Monday to Thursday 11 to 5, Friday to Sunday 11 to 6. Tasting: $10 for eight wines.

Philip Carter, 4366 Stillhouse Rd., Hume; 540-364-1203. Sunday to Friday 11 to 6, Saturday 11 to 8. Tasting: $6 for eight wines.

Rappahannock Cellars, 14437 Hume Rd., Huntly; 540-635-9398. Sunday to Friday 11:30 to 5, Saturday 11:30 to 6. Tasting: $8 for eight wines.

RdV Vineyards, 2550 Dela-plane Grade Rd., Delaplane; 540-364-0221. Tuesday to Saturday by appointment. Tasting: $40 for grand tasting (four wines plus food).

See:
Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Visiting Rutger de Vink and his RdV Vineyards with Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller, Annette Schiller from ombiasy wine tours, Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville Poyferre in Bordeaux and Rutger de Vink from RdV

Trump Winery, 3550 Blenheim Rd., Charlottesville; 434-984-4855. Sunday to Friday 11 to 6, Saturday 11 to 7. Tasting: $8 for eight wines.

Veritas Vineyard & Winery, 145 Saddleback Farm, Afton; 540-456-8000. Monday to Friday 9:30 to 5:30, Saturday and Sunday 9:30 to 5. Tasting: $7 for eight wines.

Vintage Ridge Vineyard, 8517 Maidstone Rd., Delaplane; 540-364-3371. Friday to Sunday 11 to 5. Tasting: $7 for seven wines.

Here is the link to the article, which was published on October 11, 2013.
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/food-dining/20-winning-wineries/

schiller-wine: Related Posting

Northern Virginia Magazine October 2012: Wine Recs from Local Winos

Virginia Wines Shine in San Francisco - 2012 San Francisco International Wine Competition, USA

Judging Virginia Wines in Suffolk, Virginia - Virginia Wine Lover Magazine Wine Classic 2012

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Jim Law and Linden Vineyards in Virginia – A Profile, USA

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Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Visiting Rutger de Vink and his RdV Vineyards with Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux

Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Visiting Jim Law and his Linden Vineyards with Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux, USA

Picture: Christian Dautel and Christian Schiller at Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg

The annual German Red wine Competition, organized by the international wine magazine Vinum, exists since 1987. At that time, German red wine accounted for only about 15 percent of German wine output. Today, we are well over 35 percent. And not only the vineyard area planted with red grapes has expanded dramatically, but also the quality has improved considerably. Today, German red wine can compete with any red wine in the world, I believe. As a result, German red wines are increasingly appearing in the international wine market. Of course, given its location, they tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse.

See also:
German Red Wine Award 2010 - Deutscher Rotweinpreis 2010
The Tim Atkin Pinot Noir Taste-Off of October 2011: Germany Versus the Rest of the World - German Red Wines Show Strong Performance

The Winners

The about 1400 German red wines, which were submitted to the contest, were grouped into 8 different categories.

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

1. Platz: Weingut Herzog von Württemberg
1. Platz: Weingut Burggarten
3. Platz: Martin Wassmer – Pinot Noir “GC” Dottinger Castellberg 2010
3. Platz: Weingut Ewald Kopp – Spätburgunder “S” 2010
3. Platz: Jean Stodden – Recher Herrenberg GG 2011

Cuvées

1. Platz: Vinification Ludwigshöhe – Cuvée Ludwig 2005
2. Platz: Vinification Ludwigshöhe – Cuvée Ludwig 2009
3. Platz: Fritz Keller / Schwarzer Adler – Eichberg Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Lemberger

1. Platz: Karl Haidle – Stettener Mönchberg GG 2011
2. Platz: Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu – Signum 2011
3. Platz: Karl Haidle – Stettener Mönchberg GG 2010

Klassische Sorten (Classic Varieties)

1. Platz: Philipp Kuhn – Frühburgunder Réserve 2010
2. Platz: Valentin Ziegler Sohn – St. Laurent Weyherer Michelberg 2009
3. Platz: Weingut Bernhart – St. Laurent “S” 2011

Internationale Sorten (International Varieties)

1. Platz: Weingut Martin Wassmer – Syrah Dottinger Castellberg 2011
2. Platz: Staatsweingut Weinsberg – Syrah Hades 2011
3. Platz: Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu – Merlot Epos 2011

See:
Government Owned and Run Wineries in Germany - Staatsweingut Weinsberg in Wuerttemberg

Edelsüss (Noble sweet)

1. Platz: Weingut Doreas – Muskat-Trollinger Eiswein 2012
2. Platz: Weingärtner Cleebronn-Güglingen – Lemberger Eiswein Rosé Cleebronner Michaelsberg 2012

See:
Touring (and Visiting 4 Wineries in) the Württemberg Wine Region (Zabergäu), Germany

Unterschätzte Sorten (Underrated Varieties)

1. Platz: Weingut Seeger – Schwarzriesling “R” 2011
1. Platz: Weingut Peter Kriechel – Portugieser Walporzheimer Pfaffenberg Goldkapsel 2011
3. Platz: Collegium Wirtemberg – Trollinger Wilhelm 2011

Neuzüchtungen (New Varieties)

1. Platz: Weingut Ernst Dautel – Zweigelt “S” 2009
2. Platz: Weingut Karl Haidle – Zweigelt “Passion” 2010
2. Platz: Dorst & Consorten, Weingut Bietighöfer – Pinotage 2010

See:
Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg – A Profile, Germany

schiller-wine - Related Postings

Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg – A Profile, Germany

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Wine Maker Count of Bentzel-Sturmfeder in Frankfurt am Main Presenting his Wines from Wuerttemberg, Germany

A “Viertele” of Schillerwein at Weinhaus Stetter in Stuttgart, Wuerttemberg, Germany

Touring (and Visiting 4 Wineries in) the Württemberg Wine Region (Zabergäu), Germany

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Surprising the World with their Pinot Noir: Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen, Germany

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In the Glass: Pinot Noir from France, Germany and California

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Picture: Annette Schiller, Frédéric Vicaire and Christian G.E. Schiller

The tour and tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, was part of the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy, organized and led by Annette Schiller. Frédéric Vicaire, co-owner, showed us around and guided us through the tasting.

Château Coufran was the only Cru Bourgeois producer of the estates we saw and insofar provided a bit of a different perspective, although the perspective was not that different as Château Coufran is also a member of the UGCB, the elite association of Bordeaux wine producers. In addition to Château Coufran, we also tasted wines of Château Verdignan which is also co-owned by Frédéric Vicaire.

See also:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Pictures: Frédéric Vicaire Greeting the Group

Château Coufran and the Miaihle Family

Château Coufran was bought in 1924 by Louis Miaihle, the great grandfather of Frédéric Vicaire. Frédéric Vicaire is the son of Marie-Cécile Miailhe-Vicaire, who, with her brother Eric Miailhe, took over Château Coufran in the 1980s. Since 1793, the Miaihle family - one of Bordeaux’s best known wine dynasties - has been involved in wine, back then as well-known brokers and more recently as wine producers.

Pictures: Frédéric Vicaire Providing a First Introduction

In 1925, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was bought by Edouard Miailhe and Louis Miailhe. The daughter of Edouard Miailhe, May Eliane de Lencquesaing later became the owner and manager of the property. In 2006, May Eliane de Lencquesaing sold a majority interest in the Château to the Rouzaud family, which also owns the Champagne house Louis Roederer. Château Pichon Comtesse was once part of the larger Pichon estate, owned by Pierre de Rauzan, along with what today is Château Pichon Longueville Baron. In 1850, the estate was divided into the two current Pichon estates.

Pictures: With Frédéric Vicaire in the Vineyard

Since the sale of Pichon Comtesse by May Eliane de Lencquesaing (Edouard's daughter), the last grower in that family branch is her brother Alain’s son, Edouard Miailhe, at Château Siran.

As for the descendants of Louis, only his son, Jean, remained in wine-growing at Château Coufran and subsequently also at Château Verdignan. In the 1980s, his two children, Marie-Cécile Miailhe-Vicaire, the mother of our host Frédéric Vicaire, and Eric Miailhe, took up the reins.

Château Coufran

Château Coufran is the most northerly château in the Haut-Médoc. Its 76-hectare vineyard is located on an outcrop of gravel-rich soil close to the Gironde estuary. It has the highest proportion of Merlot (85%) to be found in any Médoc wine.

Pictures: With Frédéric Vicaire in the Vineyard

Frédéric Vicaire explained that grassing between the rows, leaf removal after flowering and crop thinning enable the grapes to ripen in the best possible conditions. Harvesting is performed "à la carte ", always starting with the Merlot grapes and then the later ripening Cabernets. Vinification follows the traditional Bordeaux method in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Work in the vat-room (pumping over, stirring, racking) and the length of maceration are determined according to the characteristics of each vintage and above all to the style of wine sought.

Pictures: With Frédéric Vicaire in the Tank Cellar

Frédéric Vicaire: “Upon completion of the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations, several tastings are held in December before the final assembly of the premium wine with our consultants, Jacques and Eric Boissenot. Only two thirds of the production will be kept for the premium wine so as to give the best possible expression to the unusual combination of grape varieties at Coufran and to produce a great wine which will be among the very best in our appellation.”

Pictures: With Frédéric Vicaire in the Tank Cellar

For the vinification of Chateau Coufran, the wine is fermented in temperature controlled, stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tank. The wine is aged in an average of 25% new, French oak barrels for about 12 months.

Pictures: With Frédéric Vicaire in the Barrel Cellar

On average the estate produces close to 35,000 cases of Château Coufran per vintage. There is a second wine, La Rose Marechale.

Pictures: With Frédéric Vicaire in the Bottle Storage Cellar

Château Verdignan

Château Verdignan is a large Cru Bourgeois property located just north of the village of St. Seurin-de-Cadourne in the Haut-Médoc. In 1972 Verdignan was acquired by Jean Miaihle and Jacques Merlaut, and 4 years later, Jacques sold his share to Jean Miailhe, who became the sole proprietor. It is now run by his two children, Marie-Cécile Miailhe-Vicaire and Eric Miailhe.

The vines of Château Verdignan are planted in 60 hectares of excellent gravely soil situated in Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, a town near Saint-Estèphe in the district of Pauillac, in the Haut Medoc appellation, with 65% of Cabernet Sauvignons, 5% of Cabernet Franc and 30% of Merlot grapes. On average, the vines are 30 years old.

The Wines we Tasted

Pictures: Tasting with Frédéric Vicaire

Château Coufran 2003

Fine Wine Sask: The 2003 vintage comes out of an incredibly hot growing season delivering huge ripeness. Amazing drinking from 2013 – 2018.

Wine-searcher average price in US$: 26

Château Verdignan 2003

Roger Voss: In the northern reaches of the Haut-Médoc, Verdignan’s place in the world is as classic middle-ranking Bordeaux, with good value. And this 2003 fits the bill very well: ripe, juicy fruit, acidity and freshness, a solid tannic structure, developing over four years.

Wine-searcher average price in US$: 20

Château Coufran 2010

This Merlot-dominated wine has always been popular because of its easy drinkability/ accessibility. The 2010, despite coming from a more structured and tannic year, is dark ruby, round and well-endowed with soft mocha and herb-tinged berry fruit. Drink it over the next 5-6 years. Wine Advocate.

Wine-searcher average price in US$: 23

Château Verdignan 2010

Roger Voss: A fully balanced wine, showing ripe black fruits over a strong sense of acidity, wood and juicy tannins. The wine has weight and richness while also keeping a firm, dry aging potential. (12/31/2010)

Wine-searcher average price in US$: 20

Bye-bye

Thanks Frédéric for a wonderful tour and tasting.

schiller-wine: Related Posting (Bourdeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours 2013)

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Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

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Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, France

Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

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Henri Lurton and his Chateau Brane Cantenac Wines

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Bodegas Bilbaínas in Haro Tasting with Head Winemaker Diego Pinilla Navarro

As part of the Sunday Wineries Tour of the 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference in Logroño, La Rioja, I visited Bodegas Bilbaínas in Haro. We were treated to a fun winery tour and a wonderful tasting by Head Winemaker Diego Pinilla Navarro and his Deputy.

See:
The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja

Bodegas Bilbaínas

Bodegas Bilbaínas is in the railway station quarter of Haro in the La Rioja region. It is one of the oldest wineries in Rioja.

Pictures: Bodegas Bilbaínas in Haro

In 1859, fleeing from the phylloxera plaguing French vineyards, the Savignon Frères et Cie company was set up in Haro to monitor the production process directly and to build a winery to make its wines, although these were destined for the French market. This was different from the other French companies that just established regular commerce of wines from Rioja to France, but not a winery.

After four decades from its creation and once philoxera had almost been eradicated from France, Savignon Frères decided to abandon the activity in Rioja and sell the facilities.

Pictures: Bodegas Bilbaínas Head Winemaker Diego Pinilla Navarro

A group of businessmen from Bilbao bought the winery and renamed it: Bodegas Bilbaínas was incorporated in 1901. The new owners were very successful. Soon, Bodegas Bilbaínas became a reference brand for Rioja, to the extent that the Criança Ederra was chosen for daily consumption at the palace of King Alfonso XIII; in 1925, Bodegas Bilbaínas was awarded the title of Supplier to the Royal Household.

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Christian G.E. Schiller at Bodegas Bilbaínas in Haro with Head Winemaker Diego Pinilla Navarro

Hundred years later, in 1997, Codorníu acquired Bodegas Bilbaínas. Major investments were undertaken. The façades of the century-old buildings were remodeled.

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Christian G.E. Schiller at Bodegas Bilbaínas in Haro

Today, the Bodegas Bilbaínas’ vineyards total 256 hectares, planted mainly with the standard varieties Rioja Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Graciano and Mazuelo. Of these, 120 hectares are around the winery. There are only 2 estate type wineries in Rioja - Bodegas Bilbaínas and Bodegas Murrietta Marques.

Pictures: Marisa D'Vari, Annette Schiller and Christian G.E. Schiller at Bodegas Bilbaínas in Haro

Bodegas Bilbaínas has the largest underground cellar in Rioja. But it is not used. For the aging of the wine, 19 000 oak barrels are available.

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Christian G.E. Schiller at Bodegas Bilbaínas in Haro

The portfolio includes the brands: La Vicalanda, Vendimia Especial, Viña Zaco and Viña Pomal. There is also a Cava (sparkling wine) called Royal Carlton.

Tasting Viña Pomal Wines

We ended the visit with a tasting of Viña Pomal wines, Bodegas Bilbainas’ signature wine. Viña Pomal stands out as one of Rioja’s oldest and most consistently high quality wines – a wine which has always remained true to the classic Rioja style. The grapes for Viña Pomal ‘s 100% Tempranillo wines come from its own vineyards which surround the winery. The origins of Viña Pomal date back to the launch of the Cepa Borgoña brand in 1904, although the first label to carry the Viña Pomal name was the 1908 vintage. Winston Churchill and Salvador Dali, among others, were fans of Viña Pomal.

Viña Pomal 2011 Crianza

Wine maker tasting notes: Deep Morello cherry red with violet hues. Black fruit, liquorice and subtle mineral notes. Cocoa and toasty notes from its aging in barrels. A supple, elegant, balanced and refreshing mouthfeel.

Pictures: Magnus Reuterdahl, Luiz Alberto, Doug Frost, Annette Schiller Tasting

Viña Pomal 2009 Reserva

Wine maker tasting notes: Colour: Brilliance and clarity. Ruby with slight russet hues from aging. Nose: Clean, intense aromas. Dominant notes of red fruit intermingled with notes from aging: tobacco, truffle and vanilla. Mouthfeel: Good concentration with a long finish. With body and good acidity, characteristic of the Tempranillos from the Rioja Alta region.

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Christian G.E. Schiller at Bodegas Bilbaínas in Haro with Head Winemaker Diego Pinilla Navarro

Viña Pomal 2004 Gran Reserva

Viña Pomal 2008 Alto de la Caseta

Decanter: Dense blackberry, chewy textured layers of chocolate, cherry, vanilla and baking spice. Excellent now, but if you can manage waiting, will only grow to be exquisite.

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The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja

Rioja, Portugal, Austria, Italy, Turkey …. Rioja – EWBC 2013 Back in Spain

Visiting a Stunning Winery: Bodegas Baigorri in Rioja, Spain

Bodegas Baigorri (Rioja, Spain) Wine Blog Posting Contest .... and the Winner is: Christian Schiller from schiller-wine

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Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta Winemaker Dinner at Taberna del Alabardero in Washington DC, USA/Spain

Alejandro Luna Beberide from Bodegas y Vinedos Luna Beberide in Spain at the Taberna del Alabardero in Washington DC

The Wines of Bodegas Epifanio Rivera in Spain

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Meeting Didier Soto and Tasting His Biodynamic Mas Estela Wines from Catalonia

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Meeting Winemaker Yolanda Viadero from Valduero Vineyards in Ribera del Duero and in Toro, Spain, and Tasting Her Excellent Wines

Dinner with Spanish Winemaker Antonio Jose Bleda Jimenez, Bodegas Bleda, at Taberna del Alabardero in Washington DC, USA

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Tony Smith at Quinta de Covela

The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, La Rioja, Spain, did not only take me to Spain, but also to Portugal. The conference included 3 pre-conference press trips, including one to the Douro Valley. The Douro Trip was my top choice and I was very happy when I heard that I had been selected. Off to the Douro Valley!

One of the highlights was our stay at Quinta de Covela in the Vinho Verde Region. We had a fabulous tasting in the wine cellar and a fun dinner with the co-owner Tony Smith, Winemaker Rui Cunha and Sales and Export Manager Vitor Mendes, who introduced us to the wines of the Vinho Verde region. Vinho Verde occupies a large zone of Northern Portugal, between Douro and the Atlantic coast.

See:
he 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain
A Douro Valley Tour from Porto Upstream to the Upper Douro Region, Portugal

Wine Producer Portugal

Portugal is a wine producer with a long history that is well known for its Port wines, but also for its non-fortified wines. With 250.000 hectares of vineyard area, it is the 7th largest wine producer in the world, compared with the US with 400.000 hectares and Germany with 100.000 hectares. Portugal possesses a large number of native varietals, many of them little known in the rest of the world.
Vinho Verde, in the northwestern corner of the country, where we spent one night at Quinta de Covela, is the only region of Portugal where white wine dominates. Douro is the region where port wine is produced, but increasingly also non-fortified wine. Continuing south of the Duoro into north-central Portugal is the Dao region, known for big, full-bodied reds.

Quinta de Covela

After a period of neglect, Quinta de Covela was purchased in 2011 and brought back to life by two impassioned wine lovers, one from Brazil and one from England. The latter, Tony Smith, orchestrated our visit.

Pictures: Reception with COVELA Edição Nacional 2012 – Avesso. Here is what Tim Lemke (who also was on the trip and who has written about the evening) had to say: "... A hail storm that year devastated much of their Chardonnay crop, a variety that they typically blend with Avesso for the vineyards signature white blend. The loss of so much Chardonnay left them with an abundance of Avesso, which transformed their plan to make an Avesso Vinho Verde as an experiment into their new “Plan A.” In other words, the Vinho Verde went to market and they were counting on the wines success. Fortunately for them, it was a smashing success. It was released under the name Covela Edição Nacional and the premier vintage (2012) sold out. Covela Edição Nacional vinho verde has a bright and floral nose with vibrant lemon aromatics. The palate is also amazing, with vivacious lemon, lime and peach flavors. It’s perfectly balanced and an amazing wine for food. Simply put, it’s amazing! But like I said, it has sold out. So it’s a great wine that you’re unlikely to have a chance to taste. However, we can all look forward to the next vintage."

Mindful of the prestige the Covela wines enjoyed for years among connoisseurs, the partners decided to rebuild the estate’s old team, starting with enologist Rui Cunha, who had been involved in the original Covela project since 1992 and was head winemaker from 1998 onward.

The wines are assemblages of Portuguese and international grape varieties, with local Avesso and Touriga Nacional continuing to be the cornerstones for Covela blends. Rui Cunha told us that grapes are hand-picked, by variety and by estate plot. Minute attention is paid to detail as the grapes are hand-sorted before fermenting in stainless steel, concrete or oak barrels. The cool, stone winery is an ideal location for aging wine. All bottling, labeling and storage are carried out on the estate.

The estate's location, on the right bank of the Douro; its topographical form - that of an amphitheatre facing south; its micro climate, almost mediterranean in its feel; its poor, granite soils that oblige the vine roots to burrow deep into the earth to find water and minerals; all these elements result in unique wines both in terms of their high quality and their distinctive style.

The Covela estate covers 49 hectares, of which 18 are planted.

History

Dating from the 1500s, the ruins of the old, stone Casa de Covela, today composed of the facade of the original Renaissance manor house and the more recent chapel of St. Quiteria, bear witness to the centuries-old agricultural and cultural importance of the estate.

Pictures: Co-owner Tony Smith, Winemaker Rui Cunha, Export Manager Vitor Mendes, Annette Schiller and Christian G.E. Schiller at Quinta de Covela

In more recent times, the Covela estate belonged to Manoel de Oliveira, one of the most important European film directors of the second half of the 20th Century. The director enlarged and transformed Covela, that originally came to him as his wife's dowry.

At the end of the 1980s Quinta de Covela was acquired by businessman Nuno Araújo who invested heavily in the estate's vines and wines, and created the brand Covela. Over the next years, the wines gained a reputation nationally and internationally with their modern labels and distinct blends. Nuno Araujo carved out a reputation for very singular (very good) blends made from Portuguese and French grapes (which explains why they were labeled Vinho Regional Minho, not DOC Vinho Verde). Finally, in 2007, with the classification as a biodynamic producer, Covela cemented its place among the vanguard of winemakers in Portugal up to the point where it became the first Portuguese wine estate to be accepted into the prestigious ‘Renaissance des Appellations’ group, run by biodynamic-guru Nicolas Joly.

This all changed during the recent financial crisis: Nuno Araújo: “Last year we were “caught” by a world-wide crisis (we could face it) and by a meanwhile nationalized bank (over 4,2 billion euros bail-out so far…), this one unwilling to backing us up (maybe there are more obscure reasons behind this attitude, and time will bring them to light), and resulting in a death sentence to the project. Unnecessary, unjustified and stupid decision, I think; but definite and real.” In 2008, Quinta de Covela fell into the hands of receivers.

Covela Reborn

In 2011, Quinta de Covela was brought back to life by its two new owners, a Brazilian and a Briton with backgrounds in areas as diverse as finance, agriculture and media. Mindful of the prestige and excellent reputation the Covela wines enjoyed for years among wine lovers, the new partners opted to rebuild the estate's old team, starting with enologist Rui Cunha, who had been involved in the original Covela project since 1992 and was head winemaker from 1998 onward.

Pictures: Dinner at Quinta de Covela

The wines will continue to be intriguing assemblages of Portuguese and international grape varieties, with local Avesso and Touriga Nacional continuing to be the cornerstones for Covela blends. Arinto, Chardonnay, Viognier and Gewürztraminer complement Avesso in the whites, while Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot Noir - the three main Bordeaux red grapes - blend with Touriga Nacional for reds of strong personality.

Rui Cunha explained that grapes are hand-picked, by variety and by estate plot. Minute attention is paid to detail as the grapes are hand-sorted before fermenting in stainless steel, concrete or oak barrels, depending on which wine is being produced: Covela Escolha reds and whites, and Covela Rose, are unoaked, while Covela Colheita Seleccionada and the rare Covela Fantastico editions, produced only in years of exceptionally good harvests, are aged in French, Austrian or Slavonian oak barrels stacked over 12 metres high above the cool, stone winery floor. All bottling, labelling and storage are carried out on the estate.

Since acquiring Covela in 2011, the ambitious duo have embarked on something of spending spree. While Covela will continue to focus primarily on white wines, their red capability has been very substantially enhanced following two Douro purchases: Quinta da Boavista from Sogrape (Offley) and the Quinta das Tecedeiras brand (with the right to produce wines from the estate) from Dão Sul.

The 4 Wines we Tasted

COVELA Colheita Selecionada Tinto 2004

Region: Entre Douro e Minho
Winemaking: Vineyard farmed organically. Long maceration at moderate temperatures. Fermented and aged in French oak (Allier and Vosges). No stabilization or filtration.
Grapes: Covela’s 2004 Colheita Selecionada Tinto, a blend of the Port wine mainstay Touriga Nacional with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which are grown on sun-baked terraces overlooking the Douro river.
Colour: Dark, intense ruby,
Nose: An expressive, complex nose with ripe red fruit, dried flowers, exotic spices and wellintegrated vanilla.
Palate: “Lots of pepper and spices, round texture, well balanced acidity, lots of freshness, excellent tannins. The finish is long, light and fresh.” Revista de Vinhos, leading Portuguese wine magazine.
3.500 bottles

COVELA Escolha Tinto 2005

Region: Entre Douro e Minho
Winemaking: No enzymes used. Spontaneous fermentation. Fining with Bentonite when necessary. Long maceration at moderate temperatures. Fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel vats. No stabilization or filtration.
Grapes: Covela’s unoaked Escolha Tinto, a blend of the Port wine mainstay Touriga Nacional and international grapes, has become somewhat of a cult wine in Europe. “Deep coloured, this unoaked red … is really fresh and vibrant, with a gravelly, earthy edge to the sweet, focused dark cherry and blackberry fruit. Savoury and food-friendly, with good acidity. Quite serious.” – Jamie Goode. “Just pulses with life and vivacity. Low yields on sand and granite give something seriously interesting but quite ready to drink.” – Jancis Robinson.
Colour: Intense ruby.
Nose: Complex with wild, black fruit, black cherries and a hint of menthol.
Palate: Dry and elegant. Nicely-balanced structure. Ripe black fruits, soft tannins and a long, elegant finish.
7.000 bottles

COVELA Edição Nacional 2012 – Avesso

Region: Vinhos Verdes, Entre Douro e Minho
Winemaking: No enzymes used. Spontaneous fermentation. Fining with Bentonite when necessary. Light filtration. Fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Aged sur lies until mid-January.
Grapes: Quinta de Covela’s first-ever Vinho Verde. Edição nacional, or National Edition, refers to the use of Avesso, 100% Portuguese and typical of Covela’s sub-region. A dynamic, yet elegant Verde positioned alongside the best Alvarinhos and Loureiros.
Colour: Bright, citrine.
Nose: Intensely fresh with subtle minerality. Notes of zesty, citric fruits and meadow flowers.
Palate: Dry and elegant. Nicely-balanced acidity and fruity minerality, yet with a strength typical of the sun-soaked “Douro Verde” region (the southernmost part of the Vinho Verde region where vineyards also profit from the hotter climate of the Douro river).
6.950 bottles

COVELA Escolha Branco 2012

Region: Entre Douro e Minho
Winemaking: No enzymes used. Spontaneous fermentation. Fining with Bentonite when necessary. Light filtration. Brief maceration of selected grapes. Fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats.
Grapes: A characterful assemblage led by the sub-region’s main grape Avesso, blended with Chardonnay and a couple of other “spices” added by winemaker Rui Cunha, who has been involved in the Covela project since 1992 and has headed winemaking since 1998.
Colour: Bright, straw.
Nose: Expressive. Floral with heady notes of tropical fruit and good intensity. Undertones of the region’s granitic minerality promise a complex wine.
Palate: Dry, with nicely-balanced acidity and minerality typical of the region. Despite being fresh and refreshing, this wine has notes of ripe stone fruits and displays a certain creaminess against the mineral backdrop. Long, elegant finish. A wine with abundant personality.
4.800 bottles

Dinner

We had a very nice dinner, with Tony Smith and Rui Cunha moving from table to table to give everybody a chance to talk to them.

Soup

Bacalhau (dried and salted cod)

Cheese and Pumkin Sauce

Night at Quinta de Covela

In addition to the estate's main house and winery, redesigned and extended by the director in the 1950s, Covela today also has three contemporary villas whose geometric lines are the work of José Paulo dos Santos, one of Portugal's most admired contemporary architects. With their stylish interiors, the villas offer sensational views over the vineyards and the Douro valley.

Pictures: Early in the Morning at Quinta de Covela Guest Houses

Quinta de Covela in the Morning

We walked down to the quinta and had another look before taking off.

Pictures: Quinta de Covela

Bye-bye

Thank you Tony, Rui, Vitor and your team.

schiller-wine: Related Posting

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Meeting Rupert Symington from the Symington Family - One of the Oldest Families of Port Producers

The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain

A Douro Valley Tour from Porto Upstream to the Upper Douro Region, Portugal

Food Tour of Porto with André Apolinário from Taste Porto Food Tours, Portugal

Picture: Tasting with Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Weingut Thoerle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen, Germany

For many years, Rheinhessen was a wine region that was not in the front row when it came to premium wines in Germany. And Germany was not in the front row when it came to red premium wines in the world. Both has changed dramatically in recent years.

As to Rheinhessen, the undisputed leaders of that development are Klaus Peter Keller and Philip Wittmann. Close behind the leading duo is a group of mostly young and ambitious winemakers who also produce outstanding wines. Two of them are the Thoerle brothers Johannes and Christoph at the family-owned Weingut Thoerle in the town of Saulheim, assisted by their parents Rudolf and Ute.

Picture: Weingut Thoerle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen, Germany

As to red wine, 30 years ago, German red wine accounted for only about 15 percent of German wine output. Today, we are well over 35 percent. And not only the vineyard area planted with red grapes has expanded dramatically, but also the quality has improved considerably. Today, German red wine can compete with any red wine in the world, I believe. As a result, German red wines are increasingly appearing in the international wine market. Of course, given its location, they tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse. One of the wineries that now produces award winning red wines in Germany is Weingut Thoerle.

See:
The Tim Atkin Pinot Noir Taste-Off of October 2011: Germany Versus the Rest of the World - German Red Wines Show Strong Performance
Surprising the World with their Pinot Noir: Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen, Germany

A tasting at Weingut Thoerle was one of the highlights of the 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours, organized and headed by Annette Schiller. The tasting was led by Christoph Thoerle. Johannes Thoerle joined us towards the end.

See:
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

See:
The Wines of Up and Coming Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen

Weingut Thoerle

Weingut Thoerle is a family owned and operated winery in Rheinhessen in the town of Saulheim, with Johannes Thoerle in the driver seat, when it comes to wine making, and brother Christoph leading on the marketing and sale side. Parents Rudolf and Ute continue to be involved, father Rudolph in the wine cellar and mother Ute in sales and marketing. The family owns 15 hectares in the Hoelle, Schlossberg and Probstey vineyards in the Saulheim wine region.

Pictures: Ute Thoerle, Annette Schiller, Christoph Thoerle and Christian G.E. Schiller

A few years ago I wrote a posting about Weingut Thoerle under the title: "The Wines of Up and Coming Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen." Indeed, Weingut Thoerle is a rapidly rising wine producer. Take, as an example, the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland, Germany’s leading wine guide. In the 2011 guide, they were awarded the third grape; in the year before, they had received the second grape. 4 years earlier they had not even been mentioned in the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland. In an extremely short period of time, Weingut Thoerle went from nowhere to 3 grapes.

Tim Atkin organized a Pinot Noir “Germany Versus Rest of World” Tasting in London in October 2011, at which the German wines performed extremely well: 7 of the top 13 wines of the 40 Pinot Noirs from around the world were German Spaetburgunder wines. This tasting has a good chance of becoming a miles post in the ongoing process of international recognition of Germany as a producer of premium red wines. The best ranked German Pinot Noir was the 2008 Weingut Thörle Spätburgunder Hölle; it was ranked #3 overall and #1 of the German Pinot Noirs.

Pictures: Johannes Thoerle, Christian G.E. Schiller, Christoph Thoerle and Annette Schiller

Tasting with Christoph

Weingut Thoerle has moved away from the traditional German wine classification and has adopted the VDP approach. Basically, all dry wines are labeled as QbA (Qualitaetswein besonderer Anbaugebiete) wines. The level of quality is then expressed by the terroir principle; the narrower the specification, the higher the quality of the wine is. There are 3 quality levels:

Pictures: Tasting with Christoph Thoerle

Lagenweine – the best wines from one of the three vineyards of Thoerle: Hoelle, Schlossberg and Probstley, with the winemaker, village, vineyard and grape variety indicated on the label.

Ortsweine - the quality level below Lagenwein, with the winemaker, village and the grape variety indicated on the label; there is no vineyard indicated.

Gutsweine – the quality level below Ortsweine, with only the winemaker and the grape variety indicated on the label; this would also include the so-called Literwein, the reasonably priced wine for daily consumption, the kind of house wine.

Because we were a bit late, we did not have the chance to visit the impressive wine cellar. “We have old “Stueckfaesser” and “Halbstueckfaesser” as well as 90 barrique barrels” said Christoph. Apart from the Gutsweine, all Weingut Thoerle wines are spontaneously fermented. Also, we did not have a chance to take a look at the vineyards. “Most people think that the vineyards of Saulheim are flat and dull. This is wrong. Between our vineyards there is a Hoehenunterschied of up to 100 meters and we also have different soil types” said Johannes, when he joined us at the tasting.

Pictures: In the Wine Cellar with Christoph and Father Rudolph Thoerle during a Previous Visit

What we Tasted

2012 Saulheim Riesling Kalkstein
2012 Saulheim Weissburgunder Muschelkalk
2012 Saulheim Chardonnay Muschelkalk

2011 Hoelle Riesling
2011 Probstey Pinot Noir
2011 Hoelle Pinot Noir
2008 Hoelle Pinot Noir
This is the wine that won at the Tim Atkins tasting: “I wanted to make a Pinot Noir that expresses the climating conditions of Germany – not a thick, juicy wine, but an elegant, Burgundian cool climate Pinot Noir” said Johannes. “The grapes come from the Hoelle vineyard parcel we bought a few years ago. The vineyard was planted 35 years ago. The grapes were harvested a sugar content of 95 to 98 Oechsle. We tried to let the grapes not become overly ripe.” Christoph added.

Weingut Thoerle Wines in the US

Thoerle wines are imported into the US by Ingenium Wines: “Ingenium Wines is a national importer based in Huntsville, AL. We focus on small production European wineries that overdeliver on value at very reasonable price points. Every wine in our portfolio is important to us and we take great pride in representing these wines.”

Here are the wines that are currently on offer in the US.

2011 Pinot Gris

Vinification: After very a very selective harvest the grapes were lightly squeezed and sat in the cellar for 20 hours in its juice. 92% were raised in stainless steel tanks and 8% in barrique. The juice fermented for 6 weeks with natural yeast. After 4 months of sur lies the wine was bottled.

Tasting notes: On the nose the wine reveals yellow and exotic fruits. The wine is creamy with fantastic minerality. It has a very long finish.

2011 Riesling

Vinification: After very a very selective harvest the grapes were lightly squeezed and sat in the cellar for 16 hours in its juice. The juice fermented for 6 weeks with natural yeast. After 4 months of sur lies the wine was bottled.

Tasting notes: Herbal on the nose with aromas of peach, apples and citrus. The wine has great almost salty minerality. A very serious, dry Riesling.

2011 Pinot Blanc

Vinfication: After very a very selective harvest the grapes were lightly squeezed and sat in the cellar for 18 hours in its juice. 94% were raised in stainless steel tanks and 6% in barrique. The juice fermented for 6 weeks with natural yeast. After 4 months of sur lies the wine was bottled.

Tasting notes: On the nose yellow fruits, citrus and apples. Great acidity with a creamy touch.

2011 Riesling Limestone

Vinification: After sorting the grapes several times the grapes were lightly squeezed and sat in the cellar for 24 hours in its juice. 75% were raised in stainless steel tanks and 25% in barrique. The juice fermented for 6 weeks with natural yeast. After 6 months of sur lies the wine was bottled.

Tasting note: On the nose the wine reveals ripe apricots and peaches. The wine is herby and creamy with beautiful minerality and a long finish.

Will Lyons, Wall Street Journal, included this wine in his recent selection of "three elegant wines" - "for everyday drinking": "When it's at its best, German Riesling can compete with any wine in the world. This is an exceptional example, with a floral-, perhaps apricot, flavoured nose. Sharp and dry, with a long, saline crispiness."

schiller-wine: Related Postings (German Wine and Culture Tour 2013 by ombiasy PR and WineTours):

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Weingut Pawis in the Saale Unstrut Region - A Profile, Germany

Impromptu Winetasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Erbach, Rheingau, Germany

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

The World Meets at Weingut Weegmueller, Pfalz, Germany

Tasting with Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Weingut Thoerle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen, Germany

Impressions from the Mainz Wine Market 2013, Germany

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The Tim Atkin Pinot Noir Taste-Off of October 2011: Germany Versus the Rest of the World - German Red Wines Show Strong Performance

Surprising the World with their Pinot Noir: Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen, Germany

The Wines of Up and Coming Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Johann Maximilian Lang at the Grand Wine Convention 2010. See: A Wine Feast in the Rheingau, Germany: The Grand Wine Convention 2010

The well-known Weingut Hans Lang in Hattenheim was sold recently. Eva Raps, the Managing Director of the VDP, the association of about 200 German elite winemakers, and her partner in life, Urban Kaufmann, a cheese expert from Switzerland, are the new owners. There will be a transition period of 3 years, where the former owner Hans Lang will remain involved in the wine production and actively coach and assist the new owners.

The reason why Hans Lang – now in his mid-60s - sold his winery is that he has no successor, with his daughter not showing any interest in wine making and pursuing a different career track.

Weingut Hans Lang in Germany

Weingut Hans Lang is in Hattenheim in the Rheingau in Germany, but also includes vineyards in Assmannshausen, the red wine village of the Rheingau.

Hattenheim is nestled between the rolling green Taunus hills and the Rhine River. The wide expanse of river at Hattenheim reflects the heat of the sun and moderates between night and daytime temperatures. Some of the finest examples of Rheingau wines are produced from grapes grown in the vineyards of Hattenheim. Hattenheim's ties to winemaking date as far back as Roman times. Most of today's vineyards were first mentioned in the Cistercian monastery, Kloster Eberbach's records, composed sometime before 1211.

Picture: Weingut Hans Lang in Hattenheim, Rheingau

Weingut Hans Lang is a new estate by German standards; it was founded by Johann Josef Lang in 1953, and was run by his son Johann Maximilian (Hans) Lang since 1972 until the sale last year. The vineyard area totals 18 hectares, including holdings in the Grand Cru classified Hassel and Wisselbrunnen (Hattenheim) sites.

As the Rheingau is most famous for its Riesling wines, Weingut Hans Lang follows the tradition and produces 75% Riesling. But Weingut Hans Lang also devotes a considerable amount of energy to producing Pinot Noir wines. This grape was imported to this region by monks from Burgundy in the 11th century. It accounts for 15% of the Weingut Hans Lang’s vineyard area. Indeed, Hans Lang is regarded as someone of a pioneer in this field; he was the first winemaker in the Rheingau to employ small French oak barriques for the aging of his red wines and has been a member of the Barrique Forum since 1995.

Weingut Hans Lang is a member of the VDP and will remain a member of the VDP, at least for the next 3 years. Usually, a winery’s VDP membership expires when it is sold. But Hans Lang continues to be responsible for the cellar for the next three years, at least. Therefore, Weingut Hans Lang will keep the VDP membership and will be examined according to VDP regulations, once Hans Lang has fully pulled out.

Winemaking Philosophy

When you talk to Hans Lang, he will tell you that integrated, sustainable vineyard practices are employed in the Lang vineyards; the grapes are always harvested by hand and undergo strict selection to ensure only the healthiest fruit is used for our wines; to promote ripeness, Hans Lang deliberately restrict yields.

Temperature-regulated stainless steel tanks are used in the winery and certain wines benefit from aging in either traditional German oak barrels or small French oak barriques. Approximately 90% of production focuses on dry wines. When vintage conditions permit, noble-sweet wines - Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese, as well as Eiswein - are produced. In addition, bottle-fermented sparkling wines are also produced.

Eva Raps and Urban Kaufmann

Eva Raps is now responsible for sales and administration in Weingut Hans Lang. She continues to work for the VDP, where she has been since 1997, but will withdraw and hand over to her successor, Hilke Nagel, who also was her predecessor as Managing Director at the VDP.

Picture: Cornelia Heymann-Loewenstein, Weingut Heymann-Loewenstein. Eva Raps, Reinhard Loewenstein and Christian G.E. Schiller at the 2013 Riesling Gala at Kloster Eberbach, Rheingau. See: Rheingau Riesling Gala 2013 at Kloster Eberbach, Germany

Urban Kaufmann is from from Andwil (in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland). In November 2013, Urban Kaufmann moved from Switzerland to Hattenheim to take over Weingut Hans Lang. Before moving to Hattenheim, Urban Kaufmann owned and managed a farm (cheese diary and pig breeding), which he sold.

Weingut Hans Lang Wines in the US

Weingut Hans Lang wines are readily available in the US, imported by Truly Fine Wine in California.

In addition, I bought Edition Maximilian wines - also produced by Weingut Hans Lang - at Trader Joe’s, an US discount store. Edition Maximilian wines come as a Riesling and a Spaetburgunder, which Hans calls – for marketing reasons - Pinot Noir. They are both in a very reasonable price category - around US$ 7 - and are both crafted for consumers who prefer a bit of sweetness in the wine.

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The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

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The Edition Maximilian Wines of Hans Lang in Hattenheim, Germany

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Château Lafon-Rochet with Owner Basile Tesseron and Winemaker Lucas Leclercq

The 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours included a tour of and tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet. The tour was conducted by winemaker Lucas Leclercq. For the tasting, we were joined by owner Basile Tesseron. Basile’s father, Michel Tesseron, who had been our guide during the 2012 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours was out of the country.

See:
An Afternoon with Owner Michel Tesseron at Château Lafon-Rochet, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux
Tasting the Wines of Chateau Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, with Owner Basile Tesseron at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA/Franc

Château Lafon-Rochet

Château Lafon-Rochet is a 4th Grand Cru en 1855 in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Medoc. It is one of the 5 classified properties in the appellation of Saint Estèphe. Its grounds are separated from those of Château Lafite to the north by the width of the road and from Cos d'Estournel by a dirt path.

Pictures: Château Lafon-Rochet

History

The history of Château Lafon-Rochet starts in the 16th century, when a portion known as Rochet (because of its rocky terrain) eventually passed by marriage to Etienne de Lafon, who established Lafon-Rochet. The estate then passed down through the Lafon generations for almost 300 years.

Pictures: Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet with Michel Tesseron in 2012

See:
Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France
An Afternoon with Owner Michel Tesseron at Château Lafon-Rochet, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux

When Guy Tesseron became the owner in 1959, it needed a serious restoration and Guy Tesseron did restore it to its former glory. Guy Tesseron was from a Chanterais family, specializing in the Cognac production.

Guy Tesseron first put the vineyards back in order. He then built new chai, and a new château, in the style of the 18th century. Also, some 25 hectares were added to the vineyard.

Pictures: Winemaker Lucas Leclercq Welcoming the Group

In 1975, Guy Tesseron also acquired 5th growth Chateau Pontet-Canet from the Cruse family. Both châteaux subsequently passed to the next generation with Lafon-Rochet coming to Michel Tesseron. Currently the property is in the good hands of Michel’s son, Basil Tesseron.

Michel and Basile Tesseron

Before joining the family business in 1987, Michel Tesseron worked in in Cognac, then in Bordeaux for Barton & Guestier, and for the négociants Chantecaille.

Pictures: With Winemaker Lucas Leclercq in the Wine Cellar

It was Michel Tesseron who oversaw the painting of the château yellow in 2000. At the same time, the bottles were redesigned and matching yellow labels and capsules are used now.

Basile Tesseron took over with the 2007 vintage and he now has full control.

Vineyards and Wine Making

Lafon-Rochet's vineyards covers 45 hectares and are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon 54%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Petit Verdot 2%.

Pictures: With Winemaker Lucas Leclercq in the Wine Cellar

To match the 40 different vineyard parcels, the estate has 40 stainless steel, temperature controlled vats. The wine is kept in new oak barrels for 9 months before it is moved to one year old barrels, where it remains for an additional 9 months. The final blending takes place 3 months before bottling.

The grand vin is Château Lafon-Rochet (11000 cases per annum), the second wine is Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet (also 11000 cases per annum and once known as Numéro 2 de Lafon-Rochet).

Today, Basile Tesseron is steering Lafon-Rochet towards biodynamic viticulture, following the example of his uncle at Pontet-Canet. But Lafon-Rochet has not yet been certified.

Pictures: With Winemaker Lucas Leclercq in the Wine Cellar

Tasting

We ended up with a tasting of 4 wines.

Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet 2009

“Stylish lilac, damson plum and cherry pit notes run through this medium-weight, forward-styled offering, with a chalk edge that keeps the wine grounded in the appellation.” Wine Spectator, US$28

Pictures: Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet with Owner Basile Tesseron and Winemaker Lucas Leclercq

Lafon-Rochet 2008

A strong effort for this vintage, the 2008 exhibits a dark plum/purple color, plenty of firm, rugged, austere tannins, copious red and black fruits, admirable flavor intensity and medium body. Cellar it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 15. Score: 88 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (194), May 2011, $44

Pictures: Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet with Owner Basile Tesseron and Winemaker Lucas Leclercq

Lafon-Rochet 2009

Juicy and very lively, with lots of briar, currant, cherry, toasty spice and anise notes all framed by bright floral and iron hints. The long finish has excellent cut and drive. Best from 2013 through 2021. (3/ 2012) 91 points Wine Spectator, $60

Pictures: Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet with Owner Basile Tesseron and Winemaker Lucas Leclercq

Lafon-Rochet 2010

I had some bottle variation with this blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The 2010 from Lafon Rochet seemed slightly restrained and closed down on the three occasions I tasted it in Bordeaux. Dense black/ruby, it displays sweet tannin, excellent purity, fresh fruit and a very primary, almost grapy style with lots of fruit, but at the same time, a somewhat monolithic character. It should turn out fine, but it certainly needs a good 7-8 years of cellaring and should drink well for up to two decades.The property is owned by the Tesseron family and run by the newest generation, son Basile, who is converting the estate to biodynamic farming a la his uncle, Alfred Tesseron at Pontet Canet. (2/ 2013) 90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, $58

Bye-bye

Thank you very much Basile Tesseron and Winemaker Lucas Leclercq for a great tour and tasting.

schiller-wine: Related Posting (Bourdeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours 2013)

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

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Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé, France

Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, France

Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

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An Afternoon with Owner Michel Tesseron at Château Lafon-Rochet, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux

Tasting the Wines of Chateau Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, with Owner Basil Tesseron at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA/France

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Henri Lurton and his Chateau Brane Cantenac Wines

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Picture: Brandenburger Tor in Berlin

Martin Zwick from Berlin is rapidly building up a reputation as being a mover and shaker in the German wine scene. This is due to the various Berlin Cups that he is organizing.

It all started with the BerlinRieslingCup a few years ago, a blind tasting and ranking in November of what Martin Zwick considered the leading Grosses Gewaechs wines - the ultra-premium dry wines of the VDP producers, Germany’s elite wine makers - that were released on September 1 of the same year. Initially, people did not pay much attention to the BerlinRieslingCup, but this has clearly changed over the years.

Picture: Martin Zwick, Christian G.E. Schiller and others at the 2013 VDP Pre-release tasting in Wiesbaden

In addition, the BerlinCup is no longer just about Grosses Gewaechs wines. Martin added a (1) BerlinGutsweinCup – ranking entry level wines, a (2) BerlinKabinettCup – ranking lightly sweet wines at the Kabinett level and recently for the first time a (3) BerlinSpaetburgunderCup – ranking German Pinot Noir wines.

BerlinRieslingCup

The Berlin RieslingCup is a very special annual ranking of German wines, at least for 2 reasons. First, it includes only dry ultra-premium Rieslings, mainly Grosses Gewaechs wines. So, (1) the whole segment of red wines (accounting for about 1/3 of German wine production) is excluded (2) as is the segment of fruity sweet and noble sweet Rieslings (which are so popular in the German export markets) and (3) as is the non-Riesling white wine segment, which is being pushed by many in the German wine industry. Second, and what makes this ranking so interesting, it is a very early ranking, basically the first one after the release of the wines in September.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Philipp Wittmann, Weingut Wittmann, and Tim Froehlich, Weingut Schaefer-Froehlich in Mainz and Wiesbaden

BerlinRieslingCup 2013

This year’s BerlinRieslingCup took place on November 3, 2013 und included 33 wines, down from 41 wines the year before. By definition, the 33 wines represented a subjective selection, but I think it probably included all ultra-premium Rieslings who could be the grand cru top wines of the 2013 vintage. 2 bottles came on the table. It is a blind tasting. The flights were selected by David Schildknecht.

Picture: Martin Zwick and Christian G.E. Schiller in Wiesbaden

Here are the results – the top 20 ultra-premium German Rieslings from the 2012 vintage:

1 Von Winning Kirchenstück GG 96
2 Emrich Schoenleber A. de. L. 96
3 Wittmann La Borne 95
4 Wittmann Brunnenhäuschen GG 94
5 Keller Morstein GG 94
6 Bürklin Wolf Kirchenstück GG 94
7 Sven Klundt Kastanienbusch 94
8 Wagner Stempel Höllberg GG 94
9 Battenfeld Spanier Frauenberg GG 94
10 Von Winning Ungeheuer GG 93
11 Bürklin Wolf Pechstein GG 93
12 Peter Lauer Schonfels GG 93
13 Keller Abtserde GG 93
14 Karl Loewen 1896 93
15 Kühling Gillot Rothenberg GG 93
16 Wechsler Kirchspiel 93
17 Wittmann Morstein GG 93
18 Emrich Schoenleber Halenberg GG 92
19 Van Volxem Pergentskopp GG 92
20 Schaefer Fröhlich Stromberg GG 92

Tasting Panel

The tasting panel changes every year. For this year’s tasting, it was composed of:

Wolf Albin (Riesling Lover, Berlin)
Matthias Dathan (Taster for Gault Millau , Berlin)
Christof Ellinghaus (Cordobar, Berlin)
Manfred Klimek (Captain Cork and Welt am Sonntag, Berlin)
Jürgen Klucken (Riesling Lover, Berlin)
Nikolai Laßmann (Riesling Lover, Berlin)
Michael Quentel (Taster for Weinwisser, Hamburg)
Gerhard Retter (Sommelier at and Owner of Fischerklause, Lütjensee)
Willi Schlögl (Sommelier Cordobar, Berlin)
Markus Vahlefeld (Medienproduzent, Köln)
Billy Wagner (Sommelier Rutz, Berlin)

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Berlin Cups)

Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2013, Germany
Germany’s Ultra Premium Dry Riesling Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2012
Germany’s Top Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2011 Ranking

BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2013– Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany
Berlin Gutsriesling Cup 2012, Germany

BerlinKabinettCup 2013 - Kabinett 2012, Germany

BerlinSpaetburgunderCup 2011/2013, Germany

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Angela and Peter Jakob Kühn at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn

I visited Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn as part of the German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours. For 9 days (from August 22 – August 30, 2013) we explored seven of the thirteen wine regions and several cultural highlights in Germany: the Saale-Unstrut wine region in the former GDR, Weimar, cradle of German intellectual thinking, the Wartburg where Martin Luther spent his years hiding from the Roman Catholic Church, the Rheingau with its pristine vineyards and quaint medieval villages, the romantic middle Rhine valley with its castle-ribboned banks, world-renowned wineries in the Mosel valley with its dizzying steep vineyards, the beautiful, peaceful Nahe valley, the biggest wine barrel in the world, the upcoming young ambitious winemakers in Rheinhessen and the one thousand year old cathedral of the city of Mainz, one of the nine wine capitals of the world.

We visited 16 wineries, tasted fabulous wines, shared wine pairing meals with the proprietors of top wine producing estates and had fantastic meals at great restaurants and historical places. One of them was Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn in the Rheingau. The tasting was led by Angela Kuehn; Peter Jakob Kühn also joined us for parts of the tasting.

See:
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Picture: Annette Schiller and Peter Jakob Kuehn, with Peter Bernhard Kuehn, at the 2013 Rheingau Open

See:
Impressions from the 2013 VDP Rheingau Open at Schloss Johannisberg, Germany - Schiller's Favorites

Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn

The Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn is in Oestrich in the Rheingau. Founded by Jacobus Kühn in 1786, the estate is run by Peter Jakob and Angela Kühn. They are the eleventh generation of winemakers in the Kühn family.

Pictures: Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn

The Kühns own 20 hectares of vineyard in the Doosberg and Lenchen (Oestrich), St. Nikolaus (Mittelheim), as well as in the Hendelberg and Jungfer (Hallgarten). The vineyards are planted on natural south-facing slopes along the Right Bank of the Rhein at an altitude of 70 meters, and are well protected against the cool borealis by the foothills of the Taunus Mountains. Riesling accounts for 90%, with the rest accounted for by Spaetburgunder.

Picture: Annette Schiller and Angela Kühn at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn

Angela Kühn: “Our wine estate was founded around the start of the 18th century and remains a family business to this day. Run in the 11th generation by us, Peter Jakob and Angela Kühn – our three children already work alongside us, continuing the family tradition. Only by maintaining our philosophy and through the knowledge that quality and sustainability are inseparable, has our winery survived through the centuries. On this basis we decided in 2004, to achieve a certification as ecological, biodynamic winery. The expectation we set in our own quality also manifests itself in our memberships in the VDP (Prädikat Wine Estates), Demeter, the association for organic agriculture based on anthroposophical principles, and the association of international biodynamical wineries : “La Renaissance des Appellations“.

Pictures: Tasting with Angela Kühn at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn

Nothing determines the future quality of the wine as thoroughly as the work processes that take place in the vineyards throughout the year. The most important task of these processes is, to strengthen the vines through our biodynamical work in such a way, so that they can grow healthily and stress-free. The basis for this is provided by eco-dynamic agriculture: plentiful varieties of cover crops create a healthy environment, organic compost enriches and structures the soil, and herbal extracts strengthen the vines. Additionally our workflow is organized according to natural biorhythms. That is as sound as a strong heartbeat and maintains the living balance of our vineyards. For lively wines can only emerge from vital vines – and that you can experience in the flavor.

On our estate we work wholeheartedly and hands-on, on the manufacture of natural, unpolluted wines of top quality. Ranging from the classical ripening process in the “Rheingauer Halbstück” (600 litre barrel) to wines that mature in amphoras – our range is wide.

Pictures: Peter Jakob Kühn Joining us

All our wines ferment spontaneously on their own yeast and are given plenty of time to unfold their natural character. The wide spread practice to speed up fermentation artificially, or to „correct“ wines through a variety of means, is inconceivable for us. We count on a selectively harvested, healthy grape base and total calm during the maturing process.”

Pictures: Tasting with Angela Kühn at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn

What Others say about Weingut Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn

Gault Millau 2013: “In its current 2013 edition, the wine guide Gault Millau awards us four out of five possible grapes. A wonderful confirmation of our continuous striving for top-quality: “from basic to ambrosial sweet … the Kühn family have served us with the most homogenous wine collection in the whole of the Rheingau.”

Eichelmann 2013 - Deutschlands Weine: In Gerhard Eichelmann`s wine guide we have for years been rated amongst the best winemakers in Germany with his top rating of 5 stars.

Picture: Annette and Christian G.E. Schiller with Angela and Peter Jakob Kühn at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn

Der Feinschmecker 2013: The prestigious Journal „Der Feinschmecker“ now awards us with 4 of 5 possible “Gourmet-Points”.

Wein-Plus.eu: In the online wine guide “Wein-Plus.eu” our vintage 2011 is nominated as the “Wein-Plus collection of the year”.”

Tasting Wines

We went through a series of wines. I would like to focus on the following three, which are available in the US through Moore Brothers.

2011 Peter Jakob Kuehn Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Kabinett

“The Rhine turns westward just past Mainz, flowing along a 30-kilometer crescent-shaped stretch of warm, southerly exposed vineyards that have been a center of German wine production since Roman times. It was in the Rheingau that Riesling's potential was first realized and developed. Peter and Angela Kühn, at their biodynamically farmed 15-hectare estate in Oestreich, honor this tradition with finely honed Riesling of the first order.

Lenchen is located a stone's throw from the fabled Schloss Vollrads, and benefits from similar exposure and soil (rich clay and gravelly loam). The finest parcels lie nearest to the Pfingstbach, a tiny creek running down the hill through a shallow hollow that provides just enough moisture to encourage healthy botrytis on the ripe clusters of Riesling grown there. Peter Kühn's lyrical expression of this vineyard conveys a sense of lush fruit and full-bodied depth woven together by Lenchen's naturally firm acidity. - Greg Moore, Moore Brothers Wine Company, October 9, 2012, $24

2006 Peter Jakob Kuhn Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Beerenauslese (half bottle)

Peter Kühn's monumental Beerenauslese is a spectacular miracle of nature, combining lush tropical fruit aromatics with the characteristic lime citrus of the best Oestricher wines. -- Greg Moore, Moore Brothers Wine Company, July 12, 2008, $135 half bottle

2012 Peter Jakob Kuhn Riesling Trocken Jacobus

From discrete parcels within the estate, the "little" Jacobus showcases the style of Peter and his wife, Angela; ripe, discreet fruit, subtle spice, vibrancy, and elegance. -- Greg Moore, Moore Brothers Wine Company, August 3, 2013, 22$

Moore Brothers, USA

“In 1996, Greg Moore, the Sommelier / General Manager of Le Bec-Fin, and his brother David, a wine retailer, opened Moore Brothers Wine Company, offering a collection of personally selected wine in a small store in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Now there are three stores, serving New Jersey, Delaware, and New York, presenting small-farm, naturally-produced, artisan wines primarily from the “Old World.” The wines are selected via a direct, personal relationship with many of the finest producers in their respective regions, shipped in temperature-controlled containers, and presented in a friendly, comfortable retail environment which serves over sixty-thousand enthusiastic customers.”

Bye-Bye

Thank you very much Angela and Peter Jakob Kühn for a wonderful tasting.

schiller-wine: Related Postings (German Wine and Culture Tour 2013 by ombiasy PR and WineTours):

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

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Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

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FairChoice Certified Wine in Germany: Weingut Joachim Flick in the Rheingau

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Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel, Wirsching – Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Dirk Wuertz Presented the 2012 Grosses Gewaechs Wines of Weingut Balthasar Ress, Germany

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Raphael Doerfler, Earl Ostrea Chanca, Cabane 22, 54 allee du Grand piquey, 33950 Lege Cap-Ferret

In my home country Germany, oysters are very high on the list of any food aficionado, but you do not see them often on menus in restaurants nor is there a significant number of oyster bars in Germany. By contrast, at both coasts of the US, oysters are part of daily life. In Washington DC, supermarkets tend to have a nice seafood selection, including oysters and there are many oyster bars and restaurants that serve oysters at their bar. Having worked at the IMF from 1983 to 2010, I got to know oysters at the US East Coast.

Pictures: Earl Ostrea Chanca, Cabane 22, 54 allee du Grand piquey, 33950 Lege Cap-Ferret

In France, oysters are also almost a daily staple, at least during the season. I spent 3 years in Paris for the IMF (2004 to 2006) and got to appreciate very much French oysters. During the 3 years in Paris I had bought oysters on the market and eaten them at home or had eaten them an one of the countless brasseries that serve oysters. But I had never visited an oyster farmer in France. Thus, I was very excited when I learnt that my wife Annette had included a visit of an oyster farmer in the schedule of the 2013 Bordeaux Wine Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours.

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

We visited Raphael Doerfler, Earl Ostrea Chanca, Cabane 22, 54 allee du Grand piquey, 33950 Lege Cap-Ferret ostreachanca@orange.fr

Oysters in the World

I distinguish 4 types of oysters.

The Pacific

Originally from Japan, the Pacific or Japanese oyster is the most widely cultured oyster in the world. It accounts for 75% of world production. In France, it has crowded out the Belon and now accounts for 99% of oyster production there. Gone are the days of the Belon in Paris. The Pacific oysters are marketed under a variety of names, often denoting their growing area. The Kumamoto is one of the most famous Pacific oysters. I tend to think of a Pacific oyster as a creamy oyster, with a mineral note.

Pictures: Tour with Raphael Doerfler, Earl Ostrea Chanca

The Olympia

The Olympia is a very small oyster seldom exceeding 2 inches. For comparison, in Massachusetts, oysters must be a minimum of 3 inches to be sold. Olympia is a native American oyster, which once flourished on the West Coast, before the Pacific took over. Olympias are hard to find today as they grow very slowly and are difficult to transport. They hold very little liquid and dry out quickly. The Olympia has a very full flavor with a distinct aftertaste.

The Atlantic

Another American native, there are many varieties of Atlantic oysters, such as the Malpeque from Prince Edward Island in Canada and the Blue Point from Long Island in New York State. Bluepoints were originally named for Blue Point, Long Island but now the term is generally applied to any Atlantic oyster two four inches long. These two are now the most common restaurant oysters in the US. Also called Eastern oyster, the Atlantic has a thick, elongated shell that ranges from 2 to 5 inches across. It's found along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico in the US.

Pictures: Tour with Raphael Doerfler, Earl Ostrea Chanca

The Belon

The Belon, or European Flat, is Europe’s native oyster. The Belons are round and shallow. That’s why they are called Flats. They are also not very liquid and dry out fast. They have a long history. They used to grow in Brittany, Normandy, England, Spain, Holland, Greece and the Black See. But a disease is wiping them out worldwide. The Flats from the Belon river in Brittany were at some point the connoisseur’s top choice and the name was soon adopted by all oyster growers, a bit like the Blue Points from Long Island. The Belon oyster grows in limited quantity in Maine on the rocks of the Damariscotta river bed.

See:
Schiller's World of Seafood
Oysters and Wine

An Oyster’s Life Story

Raphael Doerfler explained to us in detail how an oyster is produced. The World of Oysters Blog has a nice write-up of this subject (on November29, 2006), which I am copying.

“Hello, my name is Fine de Claire. I was born in the estuary of the Seudre on the Atlantic coast. I never knew my parents. My friends explained, that they don’t know their parents either. Now I know why: my mother ejected millions of eggs in the water, my father millions of sperms; one egg and one sperm found together and I’m the result of that meeting. I understand that my parents couldn’t manage raising so many children. After a few months my foster-father found me in the cold water and decided to pick me up.

Pictures: Oyster Tasting with Raphael Doerfler, Earl Ostrea Chanca

He put me in a net with others of my size and he laid us down on benches in the sea. Every time the tide was going out I was out of water during a few hours. Then the water came back and I filtered the fresh water in my gills so that I could catch plankton. In one hour I was able to filter up to 5 liters. At my first birthday I developed the ability to produce sperms on my own. In May, June, Jule and August, when the temperature of the water had risen I ejected my sperms in the hope they would conquer the eggs of the nice looking female next to me. In my second year on the bench I experienced a weird transformation. I became a female and my darling became a male. This change of sexes was possible because we are Hermaphrodites and we adept to the circumstances of our environment. That means, if we could capture sufficiently plankton so we have the energy to produce eggs we become women. Otherwise we are forced to be man. In my third year my foster-father came back to collect me and my friends. He said, that we had grown enough (8-14 cm long) and that we would receive a purification in another location. I asked myself why, because we felt very well in the brackish water and I still wanted to father many descendants with my partner(s) during the next 20 or 30 summers that we were still supposed to live. Against our will, we were placed into basins that had been dug out artificially and that were filled constantly with a mixture of sea and freshwater. There I became green because of a special alga that was in the water. After a few weeks we were taken out of the nets and put into different boxes according to our size. During the next days everything went very fast. We were washed and brushed, put into baskets, made a journey in a truck, and arrived at the market of La Rochelle. I became thirsty because I was out of water since 2 days. Finally 3 young boys came and chose me and 11 friends of mine.”

Oysters in France

99% of all oysters produced in France today are Pacific oysters, referred to in the French market as "Huître creuse" or simply as "Creuses". Another colloquial name for the Pacific oyster is "Japonaise". The Belon oyster, the classic oyster of France, which is hard to find, is called "Huître plate" or simply "Plate".

Pictures: Oysters

The French oyster business traditionally starts booming between Christmas and New Year's Day. About 50% of the annual oyster production is consumed during this time.

From North to South there are seven distinct growing regions in France: Normandy, North-Brittany, South-Brittany, West-Central, Marennes-Oléron, Arcachon, and the Mediterranean. Although some of these areas are far more famous than others, they all produce excellent oysters.

L'Affinage en Claires

The Bassin de Marennes-Oléron in the Poitou-Charentes region has been famed for its oyster production since Roman times, thanks in large part to the claire oysters, reared in the shallow claires (oyster beds) set in to the coastline, which allows a more rounded mineral flavor to develop.

More than 80% of all the "claire refined" oysters in France come from the Bassin de Marennes-Oléron. Oysters that have not spent any time in claires are called huîtres de parc (park oysters). They originate directly from the growing areas right by the ocean. These oysters have a typical ocean flavor, which many oyster lovers simply love.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Annette Schiller, with Raphael Doerfler, Earl Ostrea Chanca

The claire refined oysters have not only spent a varying amount of time in claires, but also in varying oyster population densities. The shallow brackish water in these claires is very rich in phytoplankton, microscopic algae, the favorite food of oysters. The shallow brackish water also changes the "oceany" taste of the typical park oysters over by the sea to a more sweetish, aromatic, and rich flavor.

Oysters that were cared for in claires have special names. There are four varieties: pousses en claire, which are grown entirely in the claires from naissins (new-borns), and - in descending price order - fines de claires vertes, spéciales de claires and fines de claires, which are all matured in the claires for varying times.

Fines de claires have been refined for about a month in claires; about 30 to 40 oysters will share a space of one square meter.

Spéciales de claires have spent about two to four months in claires; only about 5 to 10 oysters share an area of one square meter.

Fines de claires vertes come into contact with navicule bleue algae, which give the oyster’s yellow gills their distinctive green tint.

Arcachon

The Arcachon basin produced wild oysters in ancient times. Today it has become an important breeding center, supplying spats (oyster larvae) to most of France's oyster-farming basins. Thus, the oyster industry of Arcachon is two-fold: growing oysters for the market and growing seed oysters for oyster growers elsewhere. The Arcachon basin and Marennes-Oléron region are the only regions in France where oysters reproduce naturally – in all other areas, young oysters are brought in from these two regions.

The flavors of oysters found around Arcachon range from the aroma of fresh vegetables and citrus fruit of Cap-Ferret oysters, to the rather sweet milkiness of those from the Arguin sandbank, to the vegetal/mineral tang of those from the Ile aux Oiseaux.

Those from the Ile aux Oiseaux owe their reputation to the plankton they consume during their fattening phase and to their greenish color acquired in claires, as in Marennes-Oléron.

Generally, many growers of Arcachon improve their oysters in a form of claire, which serves to cleanse the oysters of any impurities and keep them fresh.

Pictures: At Restaurant Pinasse

Calibres

French weights and measures system for oysters. Pacific oysters and European oysters are rated differently:

Pacific oysters:

5 - "P": Petit (small)
4 and 3 - "M": Moyen (medium)
2 - "G": Grand (large)
1 and 0 - "TG": Très Grand (very large)

Pictures: Oyster Sizes

European oysters:

4 - "P": Petit (small)
3,2, and 1 - "M": Moyen (medium)
0 - "G": Grand (large)
00 - "TG": Très Grand (very large)

Restaurant Pinasse

Following the oyster tasting, we had lunch at Restaurant Pinasse. A "pinasse" describes a small sail boat design which served French oystermen for centuries as an important work boat. They were about 20 to 30 feet long, narrow, flat bottomed, with a round stern, usually equipped with one mast (occasionally also two), no jib, a center board at times and a rudder, with plenty carrying capacity for oysters. If the oystermen happened to get stuck in a prolonged wind lull, they could return to shore by paddle.

Pictures: Long Lunch at Restaurant Pinasse

Bye-bye Arcachon

Picture: Martina Weil, Annette Schiller, Wilhelm Weil and Christian G.E. Schiller

There are 4 Wine Guides in Germany: Gault Millau, Feinschmecker, Eichelmann and Falstaff. These are all annual guides, which are released around November/December. The Falstaff was released in 2013 for the first time.

Eichelmann WeinGuide: 5 out of 5 Stars

Twentysix producers received the maximum of 5 out of 5 stars in the Eichelmann WeinGuide Deutschland 2014. The number is down by 2 from last year, on account of 2 Mosel producers, who lost their fifth star: Weingut Rosch and Weingut Vollenweider. There were no other changes.

Interestingly, the list of winemakers from Baden is relatively long in the Eichelmann ranking and the list of winemakers from the Pfalz extremely short. The following wine regions do not appear in the list below, i.e. there is no winemaker with 5 stars: Mittelrhein, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Hessische Bergstrasse.

Ahr

Meyer-Näkel

Picture: Doerte Naekel and Christian G.E. Schiller

See:
Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel, Wirsching – Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Jean Stodden

Baden

Bercher

Dr. Heger

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Joachim and Silvia Heger, Weingut Dr. Heger

See:
Joachim Heger, Weingut Dr. Heger: Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013, Germany

Berhard Huber

See:
One of the Fathers of the German Red Wine Revolution: Weingut Huber in Baden

Franz Keller (Schwarzer Adler)

Michel

Seeger

Franken

Rudolf Fürst

Luckert – Zehnthof

Horst Sauer

Mosel

Clemens Busch

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Clemens Busch at Kloster Eberbach

See:
With Wine Maker Clemens Busch in Puenderich at his Winery in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Clüsserath-Weiler

Markus Molitor

Willi Schaefer

Nahe

Dönnhoff

Pictures: Tasting with Helmut Doennhoff

See:
An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Emrich-Schönleber

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Werner Schoenleber, Weingut Emrich-Schoenleber at the 2013 Riesling Gala at Kloster Eberbach, Germany

Schäfer-Fröhlich

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Tim Froehlich, Weingut Schaefer-Froehlich, in Wiesbaden

Pfalz

Knipser

Rheingau

Georg Breuer

Picture: Theresa Breuer and Christian G.E. Schiller in New York City

See:
Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA

Peter Jakob Kühn

Picture: Annette Schiller and Peter Jakob Kuehn, with Peter Bernhard Kuehn, at the 2013 Rheingau Open

Leitz

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Joseph Leitz in New York City

See:
Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

Robert Weil

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil, in Kiedrich

See also:

Weingut Robert Weil (VDP)
German Riesling and International Grape Varieties – Top Wine Makers Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Rheinhessen

Klaus Keller

Wittmann

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Philipp Wittmann in Mainz

Württemberg

Dautel

Pictures: Ernst Dautel, Christian Dautel and Christian Schiller at Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg

Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg– A Profile, Germany

schiller-wine - Related Postings

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German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine

Stepping up: From 3 … to 4 Quality Levels - The New Classification of the VDP, Germany

Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach

Joachim Heger, Weingut Dr. Heger: Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013, Germany

Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany

Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

With Wine Maker Clemens Busch in Puenderich at his Winery in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel, Wirsching – Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

One of the Fathers of the German Red Wine Revolution: Weingut Huber in Baden

With Wine Maker Clemens Busch in Puenderich at his Winery in the Mosel Valley, Germany

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg– A Profile, Germany

Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA

Pictures: Wining and Hiking - the Group at an Old Medival Castle and at Restaurant Château de la Tour in Cadillac

Ever heard of Château du Cros? Probably not. Château du Cros is not one of the 300 or so winemakers in Bordeaux that produce a premium Bordeaux which sells en primeur for 50 to 500 Euros per bottle. No, Château du Cros is one of the other 18.000 producers or so that are not in the limelight and that make so called petites Bordeaux wines. These producers have to struggle against the competition of wines from all over the world, including the New World. In my view, many of these petites Bordeaux producers offer very good value for the price.

During the 2013 Bordeux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours, we had a chance to get to know a bit better one of the petites Bordeaux producers. We had lunch with winemaker Julien Noel and owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer) - Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros, Château Courbon and Clos Bourbon. We also visited Château du Cros and went with Julien Noel on a hiking tour.

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

The Wines of Michel Boyer and Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer)

Following Michel Boyer's retirement, his daughter Catherine d'Halluin (nee Boyer) has now taken charge of winemaking at the family properties Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros and Château de Courbon along with her brother Henri and her husband Thibault d'Halluin. These properties are all south of the City of Bordeaux. In addition, Catherine Thibault d'Halluin owns and runs Clos Bourbon, with her husband her husband Thibault d'Halluin.

Pictures: Annette and Christian Schiller with Catherine d'Halluin (nee Boyer)

A range of different petites chateaux wines covering 6 appellations is produced. The wine is sold in France and exported. Exports account for 40% of total sales. The principal markets are the EU, USA, Switzerland and Japan. In the US, the wines are available through Calvert and Woodley.

See:
Tasting Château du Cros and other Petites Bordeaux Wines with Winemaker Julien Noel at Calvert and Woodley in Washington DC, USA

Château du Cros

Château du Cros is a 60-hectare property in the town of Loupiac. Château du Cros produces a noble sweet white wine under the Loupiac appellation as well as a red wine and a dry white wine under the Bordeaux appellation: 1300 hl AOC Loupiac, 500 hl AOC Bordeaux Blanc and 400 hl AOC Bordeaux Rouge.

Château Mayne du Cros

Under the Château Mayne du Cros label, the family produces a white and a red wine: 500 hl AOC Graves Blanc and 400 hl AOC Graves Rouge.

Château de Courbon

Under the Château Courbon label, the family produces a Graves AOC Rouge and a Graves AOC Blanc.

Clos Bourbon

The 18th century Clos Bourbon estate is located on the slopes over-looking the Garonne River, 30 km south of the City of Bordeaux. It totals 15 hectares in the Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux (ex 1ères Côtes de Bordeaux) AOC.

Since 2009, the Côtes de Bordeaux AOC is composed of 4 different regions: Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux (formerly 1ères Côtes de Blaye), Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux (formerly Côtes de Castillon), Francs Côtes de Bordeaux (ex Côtes de Francs), Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux (ex 1ères Côtes de Bordeaux).

Production: 450 hl AOC Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux Rouge and 300 hl AOC Bordeaux Rosé

Julien Noël

Julien graduated in winemaking/winegrowing from the School of “Château La tour Blanche” in Sauternes. He also has a Bachelor Degree in Wine Business and Marketing from the “Bordeaux International Wine Institut INSEEC” in Bordeaux. Before joining Château du Cros, he worked for 2 years as winemaker assistant in Bordeaux and 1 year as a wine retail store manager in New Zealand.

Picture: Julien Noël

Lunch with Wine Pairing at Restaurant Château de la Tour in Cadillac.

We started the afternoon with a 3 course lunch with wine pairing at Restaurant Château de la Tour in Cadillac. Julien Noel was our host. We were joined by Owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin for dessert.

Pictures: Lunch with Wine Pairing at Restaurant Château de la Tour, with Julien Noel and Catherine Thibault d'Halluin

Pictures: The Lunch

Winery Tour at Château Du Cros in Loupiac

After the luncheon, we took a short drive to Château Du Cros for a winery tour.

Pictures: Arriving at Château Du Cros

Pictures: Touring Château Du Cros

Hiking

After the winery tour we walked up to an old medieval castle on the hill from where we had a spectacular view overlooking the Garonne river, with Bordeaux City in the distance to the north and the Landes region to the south.

Pictures: Hiking

While walking to and from the castle, we had plenty of opportunities to check out the vineyards.

Pictures: In the Vineyards

Tasting

We finished the visit with another tasting in the winery’s tasting room.

Wine Portfolio

Here are the wines that are currently produced by the family.

Château du Cros Bordeaux AOC Blanc

Grapes: 90% Sauvignon, 10% Semillon
Soil: Clay and limestone
Chateau du Cros Sauvignon - well known in America and Belgium - is a very fruity wine with hints of lime. Bright and bold, it accompanies seafood and fish beautifully. In the 1970’s this was one of the first white Sauvignons to be aged using the now widely employed “on the lees” method.

Château du Cros Bordeaux AOC Rouge

Grapes: Merlot 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%
Soil: Clay and limestone
Aged in barrels for 12 months
Tasting notes: fruity, supple, round and fleshy, it offers a palette of red currant fruit, flavors of cherry, a rich and fleshy mouth and a vanilla and toasted finish that shows its "oak " breeding.

Château du Cros Loupiac AOC

Cépages: 90% Semillon, 5% Sauvignon, 5% Muscadelle.
Soil: Limestone subsoil, clay and limestone ridge
Harvest: Grapes are selected by hand, the pickers making two to four separate selections depending on the year.
Ageing: 12 months in oak barrels.
Tasting notes: Nose of lime, acacia, candied orange with, on the palate, a hint of plum. Young, this wine is fruity and dynamic, and as it gets older, it acquires elegance, body and hints of candied fruit.
Food and wine: Great as an apéritif, it traditionally goes with foie gras and blue cheeses. It is wonderful with apple rolls, peking duck, rice, monkfish on a bed of leeks, a carpaccio of scallops and all white meats such as a chicken roast, or a roasted pig with pineapple. A wine that invites you to be daring when matching it with food.

Château Mayne du Cros, Graves, Rouge

Grapes: 30% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot.
Soil: Large pebbles on the surface and subsurface of sandy limestone.
Tasting notes: Carefully selected grapes from the Céros & Toulenne vineyards, in the south of the Graves appellation. These are fine wines combining body with finesse. Distinguished by a remarkable freshness and offering a marvelous fruit bouquet with toasted notes derived from barrel ageing. A good minerality defines it as a true product of the Graves terroir.

Château Mayne du Cros, Blanc, Graves

Grapes: 60% Sauvignon, 40% Semillon
Soil: Large pebbles on the surface and subsurface sandy limestone.
Ageing: Wine aged in barrels until May / June and then aged an additional year in bottles.
Tasting Notes: Straw yellow color. On the nose citrus notes combined with white flowers and toasted bread. In the mouth large, powerful, and long. The ageing in barrels provides smooth grilled notes that allow the citrus flavors to show. A complex wine, balanced and fine.

Château Courbon Graves AOC Rouge

Grapes: 60% Merlot, 15% Cabernet sauvignon, 25% cabernet Franc
Soil: Gravelly sand
Harvesting and vinification: The grapes are harvested by machine, at peak ripeness. A pre-fermentation maceration allows the extraction of fruit.
Ageing: Mainly in tanks and barrels for 12 months.
Tasting notes: The color is grenadine with purple highlights. The nose is fresh, with dominant Cabernet and with notes of red fruits and spices. On the palate, the attack is supple and frank. The tannins are saturated and the palate generous, there are aromas of spice, toast and fruits.

Château Courbon White Graves AOC

Grapes: 30 % Sémillon, 70 % Sauvignon.
Soil: Pebbles on the surface, limestone sand beneath.
Ageing: Aged in barrels on the lees for 6 months.
Tasting notes: Yellow straw color. Nose of aniseed and fennel, with toasted notes. In the mouth this wine is supple, ample and of good length, with aromas of grapefruit and toast.

Château Clos Bourbon - Rosé de Bourbon, AOC Bordeaux

Made primarily from Cabernet Franc with a small amount of Merlot, this crisp, fruity rosé features bright flavors of cherry, berry, and melon, energized by mineral and cedar character from the Cabernet Franc. Medium-bodied and well-balanced, this finishes dry and fresh.

Château Clos Bourbon, Rouge, AOC Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux

80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon; aged in 25% new oak barrels.

Bye-bye

Thanks Julien and Cahterine for a wonderful visit.

schiller-wine: Related Posting (Bourdeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours 2013)

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

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Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé, France

Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

Lunch, Tour and Tasting with Owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer) and Winemaker Julien Noel - Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros, Château Courbon and Clos Bourbon, Bordeaux, France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, France

Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

schiller-wine: Related Posting

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller in front of the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin

Planet Wein and Schiller’s Top 3

Practically at the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin Mitte, in the Hilton Hotel building (on the side), there is a very good wine shop, Planet Wein, owned and run by Anja Schroeder and Matthias Martens. When I was in Berlin recently, Anja Schroeder confirmed what my impression were: There is a large number of wine bars in Berlin, but 3 of them - Rutz, Cordobar and Einstein – stand out.

Anja knows what she is talking about. Anja Schröder and her partner in live at the time Lars Rutz opened in 2000 Weinbar Rutz. Three years after the opening, Lars Rutz died of cancer. In 2005, Anja opened with her new partner in life Matthias Martens Planet Wein.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Anja Schröder at Planet Wein

Planet Wein is an excellent wine shop and also has some wine bar elements. There is space for 20 to 25 people, 4 to 5 wines are always open and you can order small bites. And you can order any bottle from the wine shop. Planet Wein closes at 8 pm. Thus, it is not a proper wine bar. Still, an excellent place for an aperitif before the Opera or to go into the internet with Planet Wein’s free WIFI during the day.

Schiller’s 3 Top Favorites

Rutz

Mitte
Chausseestraße 8 10115 Berlin

Whenever I am in Berlin, I try to stop at the Rutz Weinbar and enjoy their outstanding wines. Rutz Weinbar is not only a top wine bar—it is also a top restaurant and a top wine store, but I go there for the wine bar.

Rutz Weinbar has an extensive wine list, about 800 or so wines, largely from Germany and other European countries. About half of them are Riesling wines.

You can also eat at the bar from the exciting bar menu; I love the “Rinderroulade”—a German specialty. The kitchen and the main part of the restaurant, including an outside deck, are on the second floor. The restaurant is one of the best in Berlin.

One of the pillars of Weinbar Rutz, Sommelier Billy Wagner, has announced that he will leave Weinbar Rutz in early 2014 to open his own place in Berlin.

See:
Weinbar Rutz and Restaurant Hot Spot, both in Berlin, Germany, on the Newsweek List of 101 Best Places to Eat in the World, 2012
Billy Wagner Invited to the 10th Bottle Party at Wein Bar Rutz in Berlin

Pictures: Rutz Sommelier Billy Wagner Pouring

Cordobar

Mitte
Großen Hamburger Str. 32

Cordobar opened in September 2013. It serves excellent wines and is a good place for a light dinner. It is owned by four friends - two Austrians and two Germans. Two of them are well known Sommeliers. The restaurant takes its name from the legendary 1978 football game between West Germany and Austria, referred to as the Miracle of Cordoba; it was the first time in 47 years that Austria defeated Germany. Its excellent wine list contains only top German and Austrian wines from about 40 producers.

Picture: Cordobar

Weinstein

Prenzlauer Berg
Lychenerstr. 33

A well known wine institution in Berlin. Roy Metzdorf opened Weinstein - German for the harmless crystals of tartaric acid precipitated in some wine bottles - in 1993.

The only 2 German wine journalists, who have a weekly column (Stuart Pigott in the FAZ and Manfred Klimeck in the WELT), both like to go there. Nick Lander (Financial Times), the husband of Jancis Robinson, had a long column in the Financial Times about Weinstein

The wine list includes about 200 wines. Popular is also the "Prix Fixe Menü" for Euro 22, with 3 courses and 2 wines.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Manfred Klimeck at Weinstein, with Marc Metzdorf

Schiller’s Other Favorites

Mitte

Habel Weinkultur

Mitte
Luisenstrasse 17

Wine store (500 wines) and bistro located under the arches of an S-bahn station. The wine store below the restaurant was a concept that was begun by Johann Simon Habel, who created the first Habel Wine cellar in 1779 for Frederick the Great. Today, his descendants run the Habel Weinkultur. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, all of which comprise of local specialties. This is where you are sure to find some German politicians, artists and economists having discussions over a meal.

Les Climats

Mitte
Hannoversche Strasse 1

An unpretentious wine shop and bar focusing on wines from the Bourgogne. Owner Roland Kretschmer: “It is the ambition of Les Climats to represent a full range of Burgundy ́s diverse appellations, sourced from the growers through individual visits and imported directly from Burgundy to Berlin. This personal approach penetrates the professional philosophies of Burgundy ́s hundreds of family based wine growers and négociants, while at the same time offering the customer a very attractive pricing structure.” Les Climats serves several wines by the glass, small snacks and meals. A suitable accompaniment for your evening tipple is, for example, a plate of cheese (three to five raw-milk French cheeses) or charcuterie (cured ham from Morvan, rillettes, Rosette de Lyon, etc) arranged in various plates.

Rebkeller

Mitte
Zionskirchstr.16, Tram M1, 12 Zionskirchplatz

Cosy, small wine bar in the basement. Small menu for a light dinner. Sunday morning from 11:00 to 13:00 champagne breakfast.

Maxim Weinbar

Mitte
Gormannstrasse 25 10119 Berlin

Recommended by Paul Truszkowski – new place. New Winebar in town: Maxim - Vins Naturel & Charcuterie with a supreme #cheese selection #berlin #wine #winebar. Vins + Cochonneries.

Kreuzberg

Hammers

Kreuzberg
Körtestraße 20 10967 Berlin

Stuart Pigott: Before Hammers’ Weinkostbar opened in 2007 as a purveyor of wine and sundries, the location was a butcher shop. An 80 year-old “Fleischerei” sign still hangs above the door and, apart from adding a little of that Kreuzberg character to the place, it also seems to suggest that when you enter Hammer’s you are to treat it like a respectable neighborhood butchers. This may seem out of place for a wine-bar, but Hammers, like your local butcher, doesn’t want to be considered fancy. Instead, it would like local residents to view it as an easy place to drop in, have a chat, a glass of wine and a little snack. The Hammers motto is “Unkompliziert und Kompetent,” or, Uncomplicated and Competent.” And if they served beer, this model would be simple for Berliners to understand. The city is chock full of cozy little bars where you can stop in at the end of your work day, sidle up to your usual table, and leisurely enjoy a pint and the evening paper before heading home. But wine—no matter how easy it is to access, and no matter how cheap—still carries connotations of wealth and social snobbery.

Enter Jurgen Hammer in his Levis, work boots and zip-up sweater. He looks as far from snobby as one can get and that look, along with his very casual approach to customers, immediately puts people at ease. I entered the bar on a Monday at 6 p.m. and was greeted by Jurgen, his wife and business partner Manuela, and the gruff crooning of Johnny Cash. I felt immediately as if I’d found my bar.

One of the best things about Hammers is their selection of Spatburgunder, which translates directly to “Late Burgundy” but which is more famously referred to as Pinot Noir. The bar sells t-shirts emblazoned with the message, “es ist nie so früh für spätburgunder,” or “it is never to early for Late Burgundy,” and they even sell a house-blended Frühburgunder, a close cousin to Pinot Noir, which ripens earlier than the classic varietal. I drank a glass of the 2008 Hammer’s Frühburgunder Trocken Gutsabfullung, which was grown in the Nahe region and then blended by Jurgen Hammer himself. The result is just stupendous table wine, a term that I’m sure connotes lesser quality, but which I am using to denote a preferred daily wine. I drank a glass along with a little Wurststulle (a simple sausage sandwich on brown bread with lots of spicy mustard).

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Stuart Pigott in Washington DC

That a man like Jurgen Hammer—who sports a large tattoo with the words “Riesling Rules” on his right arm—should become a player in the German wine scene, is a testament to the wine revolution taking place in this country. This year, Jurgen will become the director of the Berlin branch of the German wine and Sommelier school (Hammer@weinschule-b.com) and I’m sure his approach, though no less knowledgeable, will differ greatly from his predecessors.

Noer Weinhandel und Bar

Kreuzberg
Falckensteinstrasse 10

Wine store and wine bar. 100 wines at favorable prices. A rather basic, fun place.

ottorink Weinbar

Kreuzberg
Dresdner Straße 124 10999 Berlin
U1, 8 Kottbusser Tor, Mo.-Sbd. 18-o.e

A relatively new wine bar, owned and run by winemaker and Chef Andreas Rink and named after his grandfather Otto Rink. 50 to 80 top (and changing) wines are written on a large blackboard, which can all be ordered by the glass. In addition, Andreas has another 100 bottles or so in the cellar. The red wine selection is dominated by France and Italy. The food menu includes a cheese plate, antipasti, etc. for a light dinner.

Die Legende von Paula und Ben

Kreuzberg
Gneisenaustrasse 58 10961 Berlin

In this great bar cocktails are made to traditional recipes using only the finest ingredients. Wine lovers will be impressed by their selection of red, white and sparkling wines available by the glass or the bottle. Paula and Ben allows smoking on the premises and has a pretty decent cigar list so if you are sensitive to smoke you should either go early or perhaps find another bar.

Comes highly recommended for wines by the German Wine Blogger Philipp Erik Breitenfeld (Direttore).

not only riesling

Kreuzberg
Schleiermacher Strasse 25 10961 Berlin

Wine store cum wine bar.

Neukoelln

Vin Aqua Vin

Neukoelln
Weserstr. 207, 12047 Berlin

Stuart Pigott: Jan Kreuzinger may only be 31, but he possesses just the right mix of arrogance and drinker’s belly to survive in the Berlin weinladen market. I stopped into his recently opened Neukölln shop, Vin Aqua Vin, on a warm Saturday this August, lured by the giant rough-hewn wood table that can be seen from the street, laden with wine and glasses, as if it were suggesting to potential customers the casual and rustic qualities of wine itself.

Kreuzinger truly believes that wine is no big deal and a very big deal at the same time. Born in Cologne and raised by a solidly middle-class family that encouraged their children to really enjoy food and wine, Jan moved to Berlin 7 years ago with stars in his eyes and very expensive knives in his knife-fold. He worked as a chef and consultant at Kirk Royal, taught cooking classes at Goldhagn and Sampson, and continues to organize small dinners at the Private Roof Club in Mitte. But, as many would-be Berlin chefs quickly come to realize, the potential for creating a culinary atmosphere that embodies the elegance of fine-dining with a price tag that suits most of Berlin’s residents, is actually really hard. Restaurants are usually owned by uptight assholes that want to preserve very old notions of class, and young chefs, like Kreuzinger, are constantly being told to adhere to the status quo.

So Kreuzinger changed tracks and began working full-time at die Weinerei, Berlin’s famous ‘honor-system’ wine-bar, where really good bottles are drunk thoughtlessly by Australian tourists itching to get as drunk as possible for as little as possible. It was there that Kreuzinger learned some very valuable lessons about wine and how to sell it to a younger demographic.

Prenzlauer Berg

Sorsi e Morsi

Prenzlauer Berg
Marienburger Str. 10

“Love this place... Great wines, cosy atmosphere and loads of wonderful people. And Johnny, the owner... just one of a kind.”

Tiergarten

Mesa im Grand Hyatt Berlin

Tiergarten
Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 2, S1, 2, 25, U2 Potsdamer Platz

Mesa is an official Riesling Lounge of the German Wine Institute. Very good selection of wines of German elite winemakers.

Schöneberg

WeinGut

Schöneberg
Vorbergstr. 10a, U7 Eisenacher Str.

Restaurant and Wine Bar. The Weinbar works closely with Weinhandlung Goltz23, which focuses on small producers. Many wines are from the Pfalz. The daily changing food menu focuses on seasonal and regional products.

Charlottenburg

Weinstube Garage

Charlottenburg
Damaschkestr. 8-10, Charlottenburg, U7 Adenauerplatz

Formerly a car repair shop, the Weinstube Garage offers 12 wines by the glass and a range of wines by the bottle at reasonable prices, ranging from Saale Unstrut Riesling to Malbec from Argentina. In addition, there is an open kitchen which offers dishes like “Rinderroulade mit Staudensellerie” (14,50 Euro) from a daily changing menu.

Wilmersdorf

Lage 93

Wilmersdorf
Lietzenburger Str. 93, U1 Uhlandstr., U7 Adenauerplatz

A modern-style wine bar cum bistro with a large wine list. Many of the wines, but not all, are sourced from the Moewenpick wine store next door. 30 wines are available by the glass.

Lage 93 calls itself Winebar and Restaurant. The food menu is limited but you can have a full (and very good) dinner there.

Kurpfalz Weinstuben

Wilmersdorf
Wilmersdorfer Str. 93

Stuart Pigott: Anyone of you who come to Berlin are strongly recommended to visit the Kurpfalz Weinstuben, not only because it has the best traditional German cooking in the city (be prepared for pork, although there are other things on the menu), but also because of the great selection of mature Rieslings on the list for friendly prices. For example, the now perfectly mature, super-elegant 2002 Berg Schlossberg Riesling from Georg Beeuer costs just under Euro 45 there! That’s also the result of a lifetime’s work dedicated to German Riesling, in this case by Rainer Schultz who’s been running the Kurpfalz Weinstuben since 1975. I don’t think he could live without running this wonderful place, but must be over 70 now, so you wonder how much longer he’s going to keep doing it. My advice is simple: HURRY TO BERLIN!

Stuart Pigott: The Kurpfalz Weinstuben is one of the world’s best wine restaurants and a very good reason to travel to Berlin (like I just did).

Nick Lander (Financial Times): Built in 1898, it is basically a series of dark, panelled intimate chambers - although there is an outdoor terrace in the warmer months - with simple wooden furniture, pegs for coats and historic memorabilia in every corner. It is the kind of setting that inspires comfort and good conversation. And that is even before the menu and two wine lists have arrived.

A Berliner described Schulz's food as 'the kind of food every German child grows up with, but it's rarely as well cooked as this'. As the menu hardly strays from this model, other than to incorporate Stilton cheese and port because of Schulz's former years working with a British club in Hamburg, it is a magnet for Germans, lured by the ham he imports from south Tyrol; venison brawn and sausage; and his excellent rendition of saumagen, ie pork mixed with herbs and wrapped in a sow's stomach lining (rather like haggis). The casing can easily be left but not the home-made sauerkraut.

The wine lists will attract any enthusiast. One simple card, about half a metre in length, lists the large range of wines by the glass, while the more formal wine list sets out the best from around the world and numerous, mature German wines from the most highly rated producers.”

Steglitz

Chateauneuf

Steglitz
Curtiusstrasse 12 12205 Berlin

Wine bar and wine store. Since 2009 meeting point for lovers of French wines. The wine list includes 40 or so wines, mainly from the Rhone area and the South of France. All wines by the glass and bottle. In addition, there is a small French food menu.

Wine Writer Ralf Kaiser … Berlin

Ralf Kaiser issued these comments on Foursquare recently:

Grill Royal: Steaks sehen und gesehen warden
First Floor: Sterne Kueche und Weinbegleitung von einem der besten Sommeliers Deutschlands
Weinstein: Reife Weine
Cordobar: Bestes Angebot an offenen Weinen
Rutz: Weinbar mit Sternerestaurant im 1. Stock
Hot Spot: Sensationelle Weinkarte

Wine Writer Manfred Klimeck … Berlin

Wine bar is of course a narrow concept and there are a number of good restaurants which shine in particular – or also – because of their wine list. Royal Grill and Pauly Saal are Manfred Klimeck’s favorite places.

Weinwelt .... Berlin

The latest issue of the German Wine Journal Weinwelt includes a list of Berlin Wine Bars: Rutz, Cordobar, Hanmers, ottorink, Lage 93, Vin Aqua Vin, Not Only Riesling.

Schiller’s Favorites

This posting is part of the Schiller’s favorites series.

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France

Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, UK

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary

Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria (2011)

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California

schiller-wine: Related Postings

18 US Distillers at Bar Convent Berlin 2013, Germany

Weinbar Rutz and Restaurant Hot Spot, both in Berlin, Germany, on the Newsweek List of 101 Best Places to Eat in the World, 2012

Billy Wagner Invited to the 10th Bottle Party at Wein Bar Rutz in Berlin

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Peter Moser in Frankfurt

The Falstaff RotweinGuide 2014, a wine guide for Austrian red wine, was released in December 2013 in Vienna, Austria. In the Falstaff RotweinGuide 2014, around 1500 wines of around 400 winemakers are described on 394 pages. This key reference for Austrian wine was released for the 17th time by Peter Moser.

The focus of the Falstaff RotweinGuide 2014 is on the 2011 vintage. The Falstaff RotweinGuide 2014 awarded prizes in 11 categories.

For previous years see:
Austria’s Best Red Wines - Falstaff RotweinGuide 2013
Austria’s Best Red Wines - Falstaff RotweinGuide 2010/2011
Wine ratings: Austria - Falstaff Top Red Wines 2009/2010

Austria’s Red Wine Boom

At first thought one might think of Austria’s climate as being quite cool for red wine. In the Alps and the western and northern reaches of the country this tends to be true. The eastern plains that border Hungary and Slovenia, however, are a different story. Yes, Austria has an international reputation for its white wines, but the reds have been improving. Like in Germany, in Austria there has been a revolution going on in terms of red wines in recent years. In both countries, red wine now accounts for about 1/3 of the wine production.

There are 3 key Austrian red grape varieties, although other varieties are also grown, including international grape varities. Zweigelt accounts for 9.0 % of Austria’s total production, Blaufraenkisch for 5.5 % and Blauer Portugieser 5.0 %. All other red grape varieties - including the international grapes Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah as well as St. Lauren - are below 2 percent each of Austria’s wine production.

Zwiegelt: The most abundant red grape; makes good wines ranging from simple cherry fruit reds to more substantial reds destined for aging.

Blaufränkisch: Common in Burgenland, this makes spicy, sturdy, berry fruited reds which can have some tannic structure. Probably Austria’s best red grape.

See:
Discover Blaufraenkisch! Top 100 Tasting in London, UK - Schiller's Favorites

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Austrian Wine Marketing Boss Willi Klinger in London, UK at the Blaufraenkisch Tasting

Blauer Portugieser: This red grape makes soft, approachable, juicy wines mainly for early consumption. The most widely planted red grape but not for top quality wines.

St. Laurent: Came from France in the mid-19th century, and seems to have substantial Pinot Noir parentage. It makes soft, slight herby, expressive reds; it’s a bit like Pinot Noir.

See more:
Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

Falstaff RotweinGuide 2014 Awards

Falstaff-Sieger

1. Platz – Weingut Gernot und Heike Heinrich – Blaufränkisch Alter Berg 2011
2. Platz – Weingut Werner Achs – XUR 2011
3. Platz – Weingut Thomas Kopfensteiner – Eisenberg DAC Reserve Hornig 2011

Criterion: Highest Falstaff points.

“The Blaufränkisch Alter Berg from a top vineyartd in Winden, Leithaberg, shows how dominating the Blaufränkisch has become in Austria; the Blaufränkisch wines have never before reached such a high level of quality. In the hands of such an expert as Gernot Heinrich, the Blaufränkisch grapes from 2011 were bound to produce a wine with the potential to develop into a wine legend," said Falstaff editor-in-chief Peter Moser about the winning wine.

“With this wonderfully balanced blend, Werner Achs, who also won the Zweigelt Grand Prix Award, showed what he is capable of doing” said Falstaff editor-in-chief Peter Moser.

The third place went to the winery Thomas Kopfensteiner from Deutsch Schützen with its Eisenberg DAC Reserve Hornig 2011. "A clear commitment to varietal character and terroir – you can smell and taste the Eisenberg in the glass”.

Falstaff Reserve Trophy

1. Platz – Weingut Kollwentz – Blaufränkisch Setz 2009
2. Platz – Weingut Birgit Braunstein – Blaufränkisch Thenau 2009
3. Platz – Weingut Toni Hartl – Blaufränkisch Eisner 2009

The first prize for mature wines in the Falstaff Reserve Trophy category went to Kollwentz aus Großhöflein with their Blaufränkisch Setz 2009, leaving high-class wines from about 100 competitors behind them.

Falstaff Blauer Zweigelt Grand Prix

1. Platz – WG Werner Achs – Zweigelt Goldberg 2012
2. Platz – Hans und Philipp Grassl – Zweigelt Rubin Carnuntum 2012
3. Platz – WG Paul Achs – Zweigelt Alte Reben 2012

Falstaff Blauer Zweigelt Grand Prix provided a first assessment of the 2012 vintage. About 170 wines were submitted and the first prize went to Weingut Werner Achs from Gols with their Zweigelt Goldberg 2012, closely followed by Weingut Hans und Philipp Grassl from Göttlesbrunn with their Zweigelt Rubin Carnuntum 2012. The third place went to Weingut Paul Achs, also from Gols, with their Zweigelt Alte Reben 2012.

The Sortensieger

Zweigelt

1. Platz – Weingut Johanneshof Reinisch – Zweigelt Frauenfeld 2011
2. Platz – Weingut Hans und Philipp Grassl – Zweigelt Schüttenberg 2011
3. Platz – Weingut Umathum – Zweigelt Ried Hallebühl 2011

Syrah

1. Platz – Weingut Franz und Christine Netzl – Syrah Schüttenberg 2011
2. Platz – Weingut Gesellmann – Syrah 2011
3. Platz – Weingut Trapl – Syrah Kirchberg 2011

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Christine and Franz Netzl in Göttlesbrunn in the Carnuntum

See:
Visiting Christine, Christina and Franz Netzl in their Weingut Netzl in Carnuntum, Austria
Welcome to America: Franz and Christine Netzl Estate, Carnuntum, Austria

Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Platz – Weingut Kollwentz – Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
2. Platz – Weingut Taferner – Cabernet Sauvignon Tribun 2011
3. Platz – Weingut Juris – Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2011

Merlot

1. Platz – Weingut Lukas Markowitsch – Merlot Schüttenberg 2011
2. Platz – Weingut Niki Windisch – Merlot Sandwühler 2011
3. Platz – Weingut Franz und Christine Netzl – Merlot Bärnreiser 2011

Pinot Noir

1. Platz – Weingut Gerhard Markowitsch – Pinot Noir Reserve 2011
2. Platz – Weingut Claus Preisinger – Pinot Noir 2011
3. Platz – Weingut Uwe Schiefer – Pinot Noir 2011

St. Laurent

1. Platz – Weingut Pittnauer – St. Laurent Rosenberg 2011
2. Platz – Weingut Hans und Philipp Grassl – St. Laurent Reserve 2011
3. Platz – Weingut Johanneshof Reinisch – St. Laurent Frauenfeld 2011

Blaufränkisch

1. Platz – Weingut Gernot und Heike Heinrich – Blaufränkisch Alter Berg 2011
2. Platz – Weingut Kopfensteiner – Eisenberg DAC Reserve Hornig 2011
3. Platz ex aequo – Weingut Paul Achs – Blaufränkisch Ungerberg 2011 und Weingut Paul Lehrner – Blaufränkisch Steineiche 2011

Cuvée

1. Platz – Weingut Werner Achs – XUR (BF/ZW/SL) 2011
2. Platz – Weingut Anita und Hans Nittnaus – Pannobile (ZW/BF) 2011
3. Platz – Weingut Robert Goldenits – Mephisto (SY/CS/ME) 2011

Picture: Hans (John) Nittnaus in Rust

See also:
Meeting “John” Nittnaus from Gols, Burgenland, Austria

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Visit: Gerhard Wohlmuth sen. and his Weingut Wohlmuth in Austria

Meeting Gerhard Wohlmuth jun. from Weingut Wohlmuth, Austria, and Tasting his Wines in Washington DC

Welcome to America: Franz and Christine Netzl Estate, Carnuntum, Austria

Producing Wines in Austria and Hungary - Franz and Franz Reinhard Weninger

With the WienWein Winemakers in Vienna in the Heurigen Drinking Gemischter Satz Wine

Tasting Leo Hillinger Red Wines with Leo Hillinger’s Assistant Winemaker Michael Hoeffken and US Importer Klaus Wittauer

Visiting Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois, Austria

Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

At the Forefront of Biodynamic Winemaking: Visiting Werner and Angela Michlits and their Weingut Meinklang in Austria

Visiting Christine, Christina and Franz Netzl in their Weingut Netzl in Carnuntum, Austria

Sauvignon Blanc in Austria– A Comparative Tasting with Falstaff's Peter Moser at Weinsinn in Frankfurt, Germany

Meeting “John” Nittnaus from Gols, Burgenland, Austria

Discover Blaufraenkisch! Top 100 Tasting in London, UK - Schiller's Favorites

Austria at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Bodegas Palacio with Winemaker Roberto Rodriguez.

As part of the Sunday Tour of the 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference in Logroño, La Rioja, I visited Bodegas Palacio. We were treated to a wonderful vertical Cosme Palacio Crianza tasting and a lunch with more wine tastings, led by Winemaker Roberto Rodriguez.

In fact, the tasting took place at Hotel Restaurante Cosme Palacio, which is located in what was for decades the winery. Built in the second half of the 19th century, the freestone and rubble masonry architecture is the typical Riojan style of the time. It was renovated in 1990 and converted into a restaurant and hotel.

See:
The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja

Bodegas Palacio

Bodegas Palacio was founded in 1894 by Don Cosme Palacio y Bermejillo, an entrepreneur from Bilbao, who went on to establish the legendary Vega Sicilia estate in Ribero del Duero. Today, Bodegas Palacio belongs to Hijos de Antonio Barceló, one of the largest Spanish largest winemaking conglomerates, itself part of the giant Acconia group.

After a period under French ownership in the 1980s, during which Bordeaux guru Michel Rolland consulted here, Bodeags Palacio was acquired in the 1970s by Seagram, followed by a Management Buy-out, when Seagram pulled out. The purchase in 1990 by Hijos de Antonio Barceló allowed for much needed investment in what is now one of the most modern wineries in the region.

Pictures: Annette and Christian G.E. Schiller at Bodegas Palacio with Winemaker Roberto Rodriguez

Bodegas Palacio buys in most of its fruit from a long-established network of contract growers, effectively controlling 255ha of vineyards, all in the Alavesa. It concentrates almost exclusively on Tempranillo and Viura. 3.5 million bottles are produced, a third of which are exported, the USA being the major customer. Bodegas Palacio houses one of the largest barrel cellars in La Rioja with more than 12,000 barrels, mostly made of French oak.

Bodegas Palacio produces a range of wines: Prestigious brand names such as Glorioso, a product line crafted using traditional methods dating back to 1928 (though its maturation – six months each in French and American oak – is hardly typical) and Cosme Palacio, relaunched in the 1980s by Michel Rolland and considered one of the first "Nuevos Riojas" signature wines as well as other wines such as Castillo Rioja, Pórtico and Milflores.

The head of winemaking, Roberto Rodriguez, has worked here since the age of 18. He has a deep understanding both of his craft and of the plots at the bodega’s disposal. “Our success is based on three key traits: a rigorous grape selection process, long and slow maturation, and the utilization of new barrels preferably of French oak.

At Bodegas Palacio, we combine traditional methods with the most advanced technologies in viticulture. Our modern installations allow us to completely control the production process (including pressure, temperature of fermentation using water sleeves, and day-to-day calibrations) which translates into getting the most from our grapes.

High quality fruit, slow and long maceration, and the use of new barrels (preferably of French oak) are the keys to the success of Bodegas Palacio.”

Tour

It was mid-day when we arrived at Bodegas Palacio. Our visit began with a brief tour of the historical cellar.

Pictures: Tour

Cosme Palacio Crianza Tasting

We then moved on for a Cosme Palacio Crianza vertical tasting.

Roberto Rodriguez: “Dating originally from 1897, Cosme Palacio was relaunched in 1989 with its 1986 Crianza as one of the first wines in Rioja to be produced in the new wave style. Cosme Palacio is characterized by a strict selection of the grapes, long macerations to extract all the color, structure and character of the fruit, combined with ageing in new French oak barrels.

2000

Good vintage, intense ruby red, forthcoming and pure with a good balance between ripe, dark berry fruits and well integrated oak and a hint of minerality, rich and enjoyable, with ripe fruits, delicate tannins and a long, lingering finish.

Pictures: Cosme Palacio Crianza Vertical Tasting

2005

Excellent vintage, intense ruby red, open and expressive with pure, ripe dark fruits and hints of tea leaves, aromatic herbs, and a mineral finish, full bodied with a complex, expressive and aromatic style, the finish is rich, multi-layered and long.

Pictures: Cosme Palacio Crianza Vertical Tasting

2010

Excellent vintage, deep ruby red, intense, ripe dark fruits with well integrated new oak adding hints of vanilla, chocolate and mint, full-bodied and well balanced with noticeable acidity that adds freshness, ripe, dark fruits – plums and cherries – balanced by well integrated new French oak tannins and a rich, complex finish.”

Lunch

We then moved to another room for a seated lunch.

Pictures: Lunch, with Annette Schiller and Luiz Alberto

Oak leaf lettuce salad with warm goat cheese and “arbequina” olive oil

Scrambled eggs with seasonal wild mushrooms

Steamed hake with squid and crispy shallots sauce (or Fillet steak with Cosme Palacio red wine sauce)

Chocolate soufflé

The Wines

Milflores Red 2012

A crianza in a fruity, fresh style.

Cosme Palacio 1894 White 2009

Palacio’s newest prestige project, named in honor of Palacio’s founder and year of establishment, and developed with input from consultant winemaker Sam Harrop MW. A remarkable Viura-based blend (90%), with a little Malvasia and Garnacha blanca, from very old, low-yielding vines grown at up to 800m. The Cosme Palacio 1894 red is 90% Tempranillo with 10% Graciano. The inaugural 2007 vintage was released in 2010.

Glorioso Reserva, Red 2008

Roberto Rodriguez: Temperature controlled (30ºC) fermentation on the skins of de-stemmed grapes. Long maceration between 25 and 30 days. Malolactic fermentation, clarification and fining. Aged in 225L Bordeaux type barrels of French oak for 18 months. Ageing in bottle: 18 months minimum.

Deep ruby red, ripe dark fruits balanced by well integrated oak and spice, rich, complex dark fruits with a long satisfying finish.

Glorioso Gran Reserva, Red 1978

Vinul Din Clui: An exquisitely aged wine, with terra cotta color, creamy consistency, lively acidity and surprisingly refreshing finish, was matched with a dark chocolate souffle and berries sauce.

schiller-wine: Related Posting (DWCC 2013)

The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja

Rioja, Portugal, Austria, Italy, Turkey …. Rioja – EWBC 2013 Back in Spain

#DWCC : Comunicatore Digitale della settimana – Wine Blogger of the Week: Christian Schiller

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Bodegas Baigorri (Rioja, Spain) Wine Blog Posting Contest .... and the Winner is: Christian Schiller from schiller-wine

A Winery, a Foundation and a Museum: Dinastía Vivanco– Tasting, Tapas and a Tour with Santiago and Rafael Vivanco, Rioja, Spain

A Visit and a Tasting at Bodegas Bilbaínas in Haro with Head Winemaker Diego Pinilla Navarro, Spain

Visiting, Tasting and Eating at Bodegas Palacio, with Winemaker Roberto Rodriguez, Rioja, Spain

schiller-wine: Related Posting (Spain)

Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta Winemaker Dinner at Taberna del Alabardero in Washington DC, USA/Spain

Alejandro Luna Beberide from Bodegas y Vinedos Luna Beberide in Spain at the Taberna del Alabardero in Washington DC

The Wines of Bodegas Epifanio Rivera in Spain

Welcoming Winemaker Ruben Saenz Lopez and his Bodegas San Prudencio Wines from Rioja in Spain to Washington DC

Meeting Didier Soto and Tasting His Biodynamic Mas Estela Wines from Catalonia

Meeting Up-and-coming Winemaker Rita Ferreira Marques from the Duoro Area in Portugal at Screwtop Winebar in Clarendon, Virginia

Meeting Winemaker Yolanda Viadero from Valduero Vineyards in Ribera del Duero and in Toro, Spain, and Tasting Her Excellent Wines

Dinner with Spanish Winemaker Antonio Jose Bleda Jimenez, Bodegas Bleda, at Taberna del Alabardero in Washington DC, USA

German (Rheingau) Riesling and American (Bourbon) Whiskey: Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris and Rheingau Riesling Winemaker Désirée Eser, Weingut August Eser, Rheingau, Germany

Best German Winemakers – Eichelmann Wine Guide Deutschland 2014 Awards, Germany

Tasting the Wines of Domaine Méo-Camuzet, Bourgogne, with Owner Jean-Nicolas Méo, France

Food Tour of Porto with André Apolinário from Taste Porto Food Tours, Portugal

20 Interesting Wineries Close to Washington DC (in Virginia), USA

The Best German Red Wines - Deutscher Rotweinpreis 2013 (German Red Wine Awards 2013)

A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, France

A Visit and a Tasting at Bodegas Bilbaínas in Haro with Head Winemaker Diego Pinilla Navarro, Rioja, Spain

Wining and Dining at the Reborn Quinta de Covela, Vinho Verde Region in the Douro Valley, with Owner Tony Smith and Winemaker Rui Cunha, Portugal

Tasting with Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Weingut Thoerle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen, Germany

VDP Weingut Hans Lang, Hattenheim in the Rheingau: Eva Raps, Managing Director of VDP, and Urban Kaufmann, Swiss Cheese Expert, Take Over, Germany

A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Owner Basile Tesseron and Winemaker Lucas Leclercq, France, 2013

Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2013, Germany

A Tasting at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn, Rheingau, with Angela and Peter Jakob Kühn, Germany

Visiting an Oyster Farm at Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux: Raphael Doerfler at Earl Ostrea Chanca, France

Germany’s 26 Top Winemakers - Eichelmann WeinGuide Deutschland 2014

Lunch, Tour and Tasting with Owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer) and Winemaker Julien Noel - Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros, Château Courbon and Clos Bourbon, Bordeaux, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany

Austria’s Best Red Wines - Falstaff RotweinGuide 2014

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Bodegas Palacio, with Winemaker Roberto Rodriguez, Rioja, Spain