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Franz Hirtzberger-Riesling-Smaragd-Singerriedel-2023

Let’s rave about Franz Hirtzberger’s great 2023 Riesling Ried Singerriedel

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Steep Delight

The 2023 Riesling Smaragd comes from a steep vineyard characterised by dry stone walls at the entrance to the town of Spitz in the Austrian Wachau region. There is a lot to rave about vintage 2023 Riesling Ried Singerriedel from Weingut Franz Hirtzberger.  Stuart Pigott, senior editor of James Suckling, gave it the perfect score. Let’s watch out for this steep delight.

Let’s rave about Franz Hirtzberger’s great 2023 Riesling Ried Singerriedel

Well, you see what happens when you put key players in the wine industry into one room to taste the best site-specific Austrian wines. As an attendee of the 2024 Single Vineyard Summit in Grafenegg, I had the opportunity to sample and evaluate Erste Lage (Premier Cru) wines from the Österreichische Traditionsweingüter (ÖTW). My last day of the summit, Friday the 13th of September was surprisingly far from unlucky. All right, you could ask. What is that all about? On Friday the 13th, we tasted wines from Vinea Wachau, the association of winemakers in the Wachau wine-growing area.

Wachau wine region

The Wachau wine region in Austria is renowned for producing high-quality white wines, particularly from the grapes Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. Situated along the Danube River, Wachau is a stunning scenic region that winds along the hillsides between Melk and Krems.

Let’s rave about Franz Hirtzberger’s great 2023 Riesling Ried Singerriedel

UNESCO World Heritage living cultural landscape

In 2000 Wachau was included to UNESCO World Heritage as a living cultural landscape due to its agricultural and forest habitats and the authenticity of its towns and monuments. But Wachau is also known for its long winemaking tradition on steep terraced vineyards with their unique microclimate and soil composition. The wines from the Wachau region are known for their unique characteristics that reflect their origin. The wines from this region often exhibit vibrant acidity, a stoney minerality and expressive fruit flavours, making them highly sought after by wine lovers worldwide.

Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus

Founded in 1983, Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus is the association of Wachau winegrowers. More than 200 producers committed to Vinea’s strict standards next to preserving the local distinctiveness by giving up the option to purchase grapes or wine from other areas and by refraining from cultivating vineyards in different regions. In Wachau they have a saying: “There is more to be gained by joining forces”.

Vinea-wachau-vineyards-along the-Donau-in-Wachau-Austria. Photo Weingut Franz Hirtzberger.

The name Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus dates back to Leuthold I von Kuenring (1243-1313). The core of his possessions consisted of what is now the wine-growing area of Wachau. In 2022, Vinea Wachau joined the Single Vineyard Summit. Their single-vineyard wines are frequently exceptional.

2024 ÖTW Single Vineyard Summit

When I walked into the Single Vineyard Summit tasting room in the original stables of Grafenegg I began to smile. There was an endless row of Wachau bottles staring me in the face. I could not resist. I had to taste these wines from vintage 2023 and some vintage 2022. The Single Vineyard Summit format is a so-called ‘silent tasting’. Quietly, I tiptoed from the endless row to a table, sat down, and filled out the form to order the selected wines. One of the Vinea Wachau members, yes you are served by the Wachau producers, returned with a bottle rack containing 5 bottles and a spittoon.

Let’s rave about Franz Hirtzberger’s great 2023 Riesling Ried Singerriedel

Wingut Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd 2023 Ried Singerriedel

Upon receiving the first wine in the glass, I knew I was in for a treat. I was greeted by the delightful aromas of a sun-drenched meadow brimming with flowers and herbs, ripe, juicy peaches, citrus, and yellow apples. The overall taste was savoury and mineral, yet restrained. Firm, tight-knit, elegant, layered on the palate with pear, stone fruit, delicate pineapple and mango, fine acidity, lingering finish and great ageing potential. A very convincing wine by a winemaker who knows his craft, I thought. I gave it 96-97 points.

A perfect score

This week I received an e-mail saying that James Suckling Senior Editor Stuart Pigott gave the Riesling Smaragd Ried Singerriedel 2023 by Franz Hirtzberger the perfect score: 100 points. Stuart wrote that “Franz Hirtzberger Jr. really nailed the winemaking with this great Wachau Riesling masterpiece”. And I could not agree more. Thanks to the God of Wine, Friday the 13th turned out an incredibly fortunate day!

Read more in the James Suckling Weekly Tasting Report: https://www.jamessuckling.com/…/the-wachau-sweet-spot…/

More about the enjoyable experiences and other wines at the Single Vineyard Summit in the future. Some wines will be included in upcoming tasting notes.

Weingut-Loimer-Gluegglich-Weiss-featured-winejus

Tasting the unique Loimer Gluegglich white NV driven by curiosity

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Tasting the unique Loimer Gluegglich white NV driven by curiosity

Tasting Note

Gluegglich  ‘Gemischter Satz’ white welcomes you into the enchanting world of the Austrian winery Loimer. Gemischter Satz is an old Austrian tradition in which different grape varieties are planted and (generally) fermented together. The blend of different grape varieties results in a layered aroma palette and pleasant tension in the wine. This biodynamic Gluegglich white is a wonderfully fresh orange-style wine, low in alcohol with subdued spiciness. When you taste Gluegglich it shows an invigorating, gracious congeniality.

After I visited Weingut Loimer in 2017 the estate always stayed on my radar. Why? Because Fred Loimer is an exceptionally talented winegrower. Loimer combines all his talents to create authentic wines, shaped by their place of origin. His passion for making remarkable wines quickly earned him the nickname perfectionist.

Loimer took over the family winery (making wine since the 17th century) from his parents in 1998. Fred’s mission is to produce wines that tell a story about their location and the power of nature via the respectful treatment of soil, plants, animals and people. Loimer’s production process can be described as a “closed operating organism”, or what Rudolf Steiner, the father of biodynamic agriculture, called the outcome of “farm individuality”. The result can sometimes be controversial but the wines are always authentic.

Loimer has plots of land in various areas, all of which have different soils and microclimates that are better for growing certain varieties. Of the 40 hectares of vineyards that Fred Loimer manages, the vineyards around Langelois (Kamptal) and Gumpoldskirchen (Thermenregion) allow him to produce Gluegglich, the expressive field blend of grapes that radiates both finesse, balance and complexity in the glass.

The aromas on the nose are fruit-driven and include scents of dried and fresh yellow apples, pink pears, apricots, roses and even orange blossoms. Completely dry with a strong citrus expression, such as bitter orange and pink grapefruit. The compact body shows a juicy texture with grip, dynamic tension and notes of salt-crusted orange slices. The lively acidity is laced in the finish with a mineral saltiness often called sapidity.

When you taste Gluegglich keep a quote from Salvador Dali in mind: “The connoisseur does not drink wine but tastes its secrets.’’ Gluegglich is a wine you should try if you are looking for a fresh, fruity wine with a unique twist, a wine often praised for its unique taste and aftertaste.

Wine Info

Style – Medium-bodied fresh, layered, not filtered wine

Grape varieties – 18% Grüner Veltliner, 21% Riesling, 6% Chardonnay, 16% Zierfandler, 3% Weißburgunder, 13% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Rotgipfler, 7% Traminer, 4% Weißburgunder, 1% Gemischterer Satz, 1% Muskateller

Vintage – Non-vintage blend, 2022 (45%), 2021 (35%) 2020 (9%), 2019 (4%), 2018 (7%) 

Country – Austria

Appellation – According to the Austrian wine law, a wine from different vintages can “only” be called ‘Landwein’.

Region – Thermenregion and Kamptal

Producent – Weingut Loimer 

Alcohol – 12%

Fermentation: spontaneous in oak casks partly with berries or mash.

Aging: 4 months on full lees, 2 months on fine lees, up to 3 years of the vintage reserves

Vineyards – Gumpoldskirchen and Langenlois

Ageing potential – till 2025

Serving temperature – 11º to 14º

Score – 90 points

Tasted – April 2024

Recommended food pairing: down-to-earth cooking, such as grilled vegetables or seafood

Bio reference: Kontrollstelle AT-BIO-402 | Österreichische Landwirtschaft

Remarks: The wine has 5 out of 5 glasses in the Austrian Wine Guide. 

Weingut Loimer Langenlois Austria
toso asune-asti-secco-docg-featured

Sarunè Asti Secco, an innovative dry sparkling Moscato Bianco

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Tasting Note

During a recent visit to Cantina Toso in Piemonte, I discovered a dry sparkling wine called Sarunè. It falls under the Asti Secco label, which was granted DOCG status in 2017. Sarunè is a pleasant surprise because the wine is dry, not off-dry or medium-sweet like most Asti sparkling wines. Additionally, the 13,200 bottles of Sarunè are the first Asti Secco DOCG wines without added sulphites, quite an accomplishment.

The territory of the Moscato Bianco grapes was delimited in 1932 and covers 52 municipalities in Alexandria, Asti, and Cuneo. What makes the areas of the Moscato Bianco so fascinating is their natural diversity. Moscato Bianco can be found on the steep hills of the Langhe and the rounder, smoother hills of Monferrato. The Consortium for the Protection of Asti wines or Tutela dell’Asti DOCG knows three pillars: wines of Asti Secco DOCG, Asti Dolce DOCG and Moscato d’Asti DOCG. 

Akin to the more well-known sweet Asti Dolce and Moscato d’Asti, Sarunè Asti Secco is made from Moscato Bianco grapes. Moscato Bianco grown in 52 municipalities in Alexandria, Asti, and Cuneo. To produce Sarunè Asti Secco 50.000 healthy bunches are needed, carefully selected and hand-picked from the vineyards of Marini and San Grato in Santo Stefano Belbo and Canelli. 

The ripe, intact, healthy bunches are vinified with a small addition of carbon dioxide. The carbonic snow cools the grape bunches and protects the grapes with a natural film that prevents oxygen from settling, thus avoiding oxidation. The wine is then stored under a nitrogen hood, without adding sulphites. This is an ancient and natural process that enables organic production.

The resulting dry sparkling wine is fresh, aromatic and fragrant. It has floral, acacia, elderberry, orange blossom aromas and fruity notes of citrus, pear, bergamot tea, and white peach. On the palate, Sarunè Asti Secco is dry, soft, and balanced, with good acidity and a long, savoury finish.

Wine Info

Style – Sparkling

Grape varieties – Moscato Bianco

Country – Italy

Appellation – Asti Secco DOCG

Region – Cuneo, Asti and Alessandria

Producent – Cantina Toso di Cossano Belbo

Detail – without added sulphites and preservatives

Alcohol – 11%

Vineyards – Marini and San Grato vineyards in Santo Stefano Belbo and Canelli

Ageing potential – Drink now

Serving temperature – 6º to 8º

Score – 86 points

Website – Cantine Toso

Cantine Toso
2016-Salmos-Priorat-Torres

In Priorat Torres pays homage to the pioneers of viticulture

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Tasting Note

Salmos 2016 Priorat is an intense and seductive wine, and even better on the day after opening. Dark, ruby red colour. On the nose a violet floral note, lots of spices, blackberry, red and black cherry aromas, oak and vanilla. Beautifully balanced, lively on the palate with a depth of flavours. Soft, velvety tannins. Black fruit, dried prunes, liquorice, mineral, stony influences too. Oak well integrated. Round, long finish.

The prestigious International Wine Challenge not only awarded the Torres Salmos 2016 with 95 points and a gold medal but this red blend from Cariñena, Garnacha and Syrah also gained the title best Priorat wine.

Priorat has been a source for wine for almost a millennium. Winemaking emerged around 1095 when Carthusian monks established a ‘Priorat’ (the Catalan word for priory) and started to plant vines. In 1835 the monastery was sacked, and the church lands later auctioned off. In the late 19th century Phylloxera further deteriorated winemaking in Priorat. Priorat is a very steep and rocky kind of area and an arduous place for viticulture. Costers are the ancient way of cultivating vines on the steep slopes. The densely planted vines move up the treacherous hillsides naturally shaping their contours. Most of the 20th century the steep slate hills southwest of Barcelona with their ancient costers produced only cheap, robust, tannic wine. 

Young French and Spanish winemakers propelled Priorat’s rediscovery in the 1980s and 1990s. They recognized the potential of the old garnacha and cariñena vines planted in what the Catalans call llicorella, the hard, stony soils of black and brown slate that occasionally sparkle due to quartz.

One of those wine making families was the family Torres, although Torres already in the early 1920s traded in regional Priorat wines. In 1996 the Torres Family planted their first vineyards on the llicorella slopes in the municipalities of Porrera and Lloar. The vineyards show extreme diurnal differences between day and night temperature and these natural fluctuations add to Salmos’ balance between on the one hand power and on the other elegance and finesse. In short, Salmos 2016 is a beautiful vinous homage to the monks of the courageous Carthusian order.

Wine Info

Style – full-bodied red

Grape varieties – Cariñena, Garnacha, Syrah

Vintage – 2016

Country – Spain

Appellation – Priorat DOCa

Region – Catalunya / Catalonia

Producent – Familia Torres

Winemaker – Jordi Foraster

Alcohol – 14,5%

Vineyards – Vineyards on the Priorat estates Porrera and El Lloar  

Ageing potential – 8 to 9 years

Serving temperature – 16º to 18º

Score – 92 points

Tip – The wine may be decanted ½ to 1 hour before serving

Salmos 2016 Familia Torres

Finca La Solteta El Lloar
featured-Agrapart-Champagne-Complantee

Champagne Pascal Agrapart Complantée. Can one deliver terroir in a bottle?

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Tasting note

Pascal Agrapart Complantée is an Extra Brut Champagne, a field blend of 6 varieties co-planted – or complantée in French – on a single parcel in the La Fosse vineyard in the village of Avize.

Agrapart is a ‘Récoltant–Manipulant’. This means they work with grapes from their own vineyards to make this fascinating and remarkable complex champagne. It also allows them to control the quality of the entire champagne making process from start to finish.

After the harvest all six grapes are fermented an aged together in oak barrels, without filtration. Because the grapes are harvested super-ripe, hardly any sugar is added after disgorgement. Its layered, toasty character comes from four years maturation on the yeasts.

Complantée is the result of Pascal Agrapart experiment with a blend of the ancient varieties Petit Arbane, Petit Meslier and Pinot Blanc, co-planted and vinified together with Chardonnay, P.Noir, and P.Meunier to test the strength of the Avize terroir. The older the vines, the stronger the influence of terroir, at least that’s the assumption. Not so strange, considering that Agrapart strives to express terroir in all its champagnes and works with a strong emphasis on natural viticulture.

Aromatic, with generous aromas of wildflowers and white fruits on the nose. On the palate Complantée’s is lively, fruity, mineral with a fine, creamy mouthfeel and a balanced acidity. It’s pure, refreshing, with an incredible density and depth, and long finish. La Revue du vin de France gave Agrapart a three-star rating, their highest possible rating, and one can taste why Pascal Agrapart is one of the stars of the Champagne region. Different and exciting!

Wine Info

Style – Extra Brut Champagne

Non Vintage Champagne, a blend of two vintages from the terroir of Avize

Grape varieties – A field blend of 6 varieties: Petit Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier

Country – France

Region – AOC Champagne, Avize

Producent – Pascal Agrapart (Pascal and Fabrice Agrapart)

Winemaker – Pascal Agrapart

Alcohol – 12%

Vineyards – La Fosse in Avize

Dosage – 5 grams/L

Disgorged – August 2019

Serving temperature – 10º to 12º

Score – 92 points

Champage wine area Avize
Freixenet-cava-garnatxa-subirat-parent-2015

Unusual assemblage of white Subirat Parent & Garnatxa in Freixenet Cuvée Prestige

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Tasting Note

Ten to one, when you associate a grape variety with cava -the sparkling Spanish wine made in the Traditional Method – you will not think of the grape Subirat Parent. This almost forgotten indigenous (white) grape with its intense orange-yellow thick-skin, has many aliases in Spain.

In Catalonia, it is called Subirat Parent, in Extremadura Alarije, in Rioja Malvasía de Rioja or Malvasía Riojana. Once you smell Subirat Parent, it is easy to distinguish the wine just by smelling it. Its quite intense, aromatic qualities make it an excellent blending grape for Dulce and Semi Dulce Cavas. Subirat Parent’s unique aromatic profile expresses predominately of flowers, ripe stone fruits and grapes. There is some orange blossom too and pineapple-like tropical fruit. 

After tasting lots of cavas for a food and wine online Christmas edition, I noticed in the Freixenet 2015 Cava Cuvée de Prestige the unusual assemblage of the white Subirat Parent varietal and the Red Grenache. The red grape variety Garnatxa, generally used in rosé cavas or in “blanc de noirs” cava, is rarely blended with the autochthonous white variety Subirat Parent.

Freixenet calls the blend a balancing act. It is a special “blanc de noirs” cuvée. The cava is relatively young, aged in the bottle for 9 months or more. Slightly pink in colour, it is still a white cava, but then with the aromas of red fruit coming from the around 50% Garnatxa. 

The Subirat Parent adds crisp freshness and aromatic richness to smooth out the potent influence of red Grenache, a tannic variety, with moderate acidity and high sugar content. Subirat Parent, on the other hand, shows aromatic intensity, ripe stone and tropical fruit, floral aromas of white flowers and rose, and herbal notes. All these nuances become more complex with ageing. The elegant, well-integrated fine bubbles are smooth and persistent. Freixenet produced 19.650 bottles of this Cava Garnatxa Subirat Parent 2015 Cuvées de Prestige.

Wine Info

Style – medium-bodied sparkling wine

Grape varieties – Garnacha Negra, Subirat Parent (also called Alarije)

Vintage – 2015

Country – Spain

Appellation – DO Cava

Region – Catalunya / Catalonia

Producent – Freixenet Cava

Winemaker – Josep Bujan

Production method – Traditional method with second fermentation in the bottle

Alcohol – 11,5%

Aged –  for 9 months or more

Serving temperature – 6º to 8º

Score – 86 points

Freixenet 2015 Brut Garnatxa Subirat Parent

Freixenet
Eva-Clüsserath-weingut-Ansgar-Clüsserath

Yearning for German Mosel’s Rieslings? Let Eva Clüsserath surprise you

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Tasting Note

Riesling needs more attention. Let’s wake up and start paying closer attention to the quiet charms of Weingut Ansgar Clüsserath’s Apotheke Trittenheim.

The Apotheke vineyards are part of the finest vineyard sites in Trittenheim, Germany. Located on the right bank of the Mosel, opposite the village of Trittenheim, the Apotheke soils of slate and rocks are perfect for Riesling. Add Riesling vines of at least 80 years old plus the expertise of winemaker Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann, and you’ll get the picture.

More than 20 years ago, Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann took up the reins of the estate that her ancestors had founded in 1670. Eva sees herself more as a “wine collaborator” than a winemaker. She works closely with nature in the vineyard and intervenes as little as possible in the cellar.

Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann’s wines are precise and lyrical. She orchestrates the top and mid-tones during the slow fermentation with the natural yeasts. The fine lees remain on the wine until summer, making them taste richer and gaining depth and structure.

The result is a wine with traceable minerals, lively freshness and layered fruitiness with stone fruits, apricot, apple and tropical mango. 

Eva Clüsserath is a veritable phenomenon. Her wines,  especially the wines from the Trittenheimer Apotheke vineyard, are among the best in Germany’s Mosel Valley.

Wine Info

Style – medium-bodied red

Grape varieties – Riesling

Vintage – 2018

Country – Germany

Appellation – Mosel

Region – Mittelmosel, Bernkastel-Wittrich

Producent – Weingut Ansgar Clüsserath

Winemaker – Eva Clüsserath

Alcohol – 8.5%

Vineyards – Trittenheimer Apotheke

Ageing potential – 10 years

Serving temperature – 10º to 12º

Score – 92 points

Website – Weingut Ansgar Clüsserath

Weingut Ansgar Clüsserath
featured-Yann-Chave--Crozes-Hermitage-Le-Rouvre-2014

Yann Chave expresses the Crozes-Hermitage well with Le Rouvre 2014

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Tasting Note

The Winemaker of Le Rouvre 2014 is Yann Chave, who is recognized as one of the best winemakers in the region. Yann Chave’s wines can be found on the wine lists of fine-dining restaurants and restaurants around the world, such as Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse, Pic, Maison Chabran, Troisgros, and others. I purchased this wine in Lyon after reading an article in a local newspaper about a chef’s competition where the winning dish was paired with Le Rouvre 2014.

Le Rouvre 2014 is an elegant wine with a beautiful complexity of aromas on the nose, such as meaty, ripe black cherries, blackcurrant, and freshly picked blackberries. There’s also a flinty note of wet stone after a summer rain. It’s full-bodied, rich, yet fresh, with good acidity, followed by the pure taste of dense black fruit, a note of roasted black coffee and liquorice, and some spicy grounded pepper. The wine has deep, though pleasant, velvety tannins and is very well balanced, with a remarkably long finish.

Le Rouvre 2014 is produced from Syrah vines that are over 50 years old and grown on the Chassis Terraces, the old clay-limestone Rhône riverbed with its rolled pebbles. Yann Chave selects his Syrah plots carefully and only uses native yeasts during fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The Crozes-Hermitage cuvée Le Rouvre ages in new and one-year-old demi-muids, where malolactic fermentation also happens. This wine exemplifies the purest possible expression of its terroir.

Yann Chave was founded in 1970 by Nicole and Bernard Chave after they bought their first 4 hectares of vineyards near the village of Mercurol, east of Tain. From the late ’90s, their son Yann Chave slowly expanded the vineyard area to around 20 ha with vineyards located in the villages of Mercurol, La Roche de Glun, and Pont de l’Isère, and another 1.2 ha on the renowned Hermitage Hill. Since 2007, Yann has been officially organic, and 50-70% of Yann Chave’s wines are exported. And no, Yann Chave is not related to JL Chave, in case you might wonder.

Le Rouvre 2014 pairs well with roasted lamb, roasted duck, a salad with garlic and anchovies, and creamy cheeses like Brie de Meaux or Chaource.

Wine Info

Style – Full bodied red

Grape varieties – Syrah

Vintage – 2014

Country – France

Appellation – Crozes-Hermitage

Region – Rhône

Producent – Yann Chave

Winemaker – Yann Chave

Alcohol – 13,5%

Vineyards – Chassis terraces

Ageing potential – 10 to 12 years

Serving temperature – 14º to 17º

Score – 93 points

Crozes Hermitage wine area
1982-Mouton-Rothschild-Pauillac-Bordeaux

1982 Mouton Rothschild reveals the DNA of a legendary 1st Growth. It needs to be tasted to be believed

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Tasting Note

The Château Mouton Rothschild 1982 is a stunning, gorgeous wine. It is elegant, refined and lively, even in this mature stage. When Bordeaux is on this level, there is hardly anything like it. Not surprising as the Bordeaux vintage of 1982 is one of the century’s best, together with the years 1900, 1928, 1945 and 1961.

Château Mouton Rothschild 1982 shows a deep dark tawny colour. Still youthful, complex nose opening up a box of spices, interweaving with aromas of truffle, the smell of Cuban cigars, cedar and a slight hint of vanilla. Elegant, delicious fruity aromas of cassis, mulberries and ripe blueberries.

On the palate, Château Mouton Rothschild 1982 is a liquid pleasure. More than 38 years old and very much alive! Opulent, rich and beautifully balanced. The full, round, rich texture of ripe blackberries and leather rests on a layer of roasted coffee beans and tobacco, accompanied by a top note of mintiness. Full of power and concentration on the midpalate, yet refined, ripe, silky tannins. The palate expands into a long, multi-layered, intense finish that seems to go on forever.

What a wonderful tasting experience. I loved the finesse, purity and depth in this classic Pauillac, Premier Cru Classé. A big thanks to Mr Buijs for sharing his bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild 1982 with us.

Wine Info

Style – full bodied red

Grape varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon 85%, Cabernet Franc 8%, Merlot 7%

Vintage – 1982

Country – France

Appellation – Pauillac

Bordeaux 1er Cru Classé

Region – Bordeaux

Producent – Château Mouton Rothschild

Alcohol – 12,5%

Vineyards – located west of Château Mouton Rothschild

Ageing potential – up to 2038

Serving temperature – 16º to 18º

Score – 98 points

Label Artist – John Huston

Website – Château Mouton Rothschild

Château Mouton Rothschild
2016-Brundlmayer-Pinot-Noir-Reserve-Niederosterreich-Austria

Pinot Noir 2016 Reserve makes for a surprising swirl at Weingut Brundlmayer in Austria

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Tasting Note

So here goes. Imagine yourself 70 km north-west of Vienna, in Langenlois in Austria, in the hilly, hot countryside where vines are grown, and at night the fresh, fragrant forest air drifts through the terraced vineyards. It is the terroir of Weingut Bründlmayer in the subregion of Kamptal.

We arrive during harvest, Riesling grapes in endless crates. After tasting several Grüner Veltliner and Rieslings, a decanted Pinot Noir 2016 Reserve reaches our glasses. One of the favourites of the winemaker, we are told. This Blauburgunder is made with the ripest Pinot Noir grapes, coming for the most part from the top vineyards Dechant and Käferberg. Due to the wide variety of soils, each vineyard has its own character. This diversity is further increased by various microclimates. By the way, the calcareous, clayey marine soils of the Käferberg vineyard are similar to those of Château Petrus in Pomerol. 

I swirl, smell and take an immediate liking to this elegant, pure and fresh Pinot Noir with persistent fruit of forest berries, cherries, and subtle notes of field flowers, wild herbs, vanilla and fine wood spice. On the palate fine tannins, good freshness. This wine is densely structured, well balanced and medium-bodied with a mineral, almost a salty touch, in the pleasant long finish. What a joy to drink this Pinot wine on a fresh summer night I thought at the time in Niederösterreich.

Opening a bottle Bründlmayer Pinot Noir 2016 Reserve a few days ago, I relive my initial tasting surprise. I just wish it would be summer sooner.

Wine Info

Style – medium-bodied red

Grape varieties – Pinot Noir

Vintage – 2016

Country – Austria

Appellation – Kamptal

Region – Niederösterreich 

Producent – Weingut Bründlmayer

Winemakers – Willi Bründlmayer, Thomas Klinger & Andreas Wickhoff

Alcohol – 13%

Vineyards – mostly on the Dechant and Käferberg

Ageing potential – 8 to 9 years

Serving temperature – 14º to 16º

Score – 92 points

Tip – The wine may be decanted ½ hour before serving

Website – Bruendlmayer.at

Weingut Bründlmayer

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