Tag Archives: Europe

April 7, 2013 · 10:30 pm

Franz Hirtzberger – 13/03/2012

Rotes Tor Federspiel Gruner Veltliner 2011
A deep berried spice nose, very subtle but with bright flinty minerality.

Rotes Tor Smaragd Gruner Veltliner 2011
Much more texture and volume, and was rich in a stone fruit earthy style.

Axpoint 2011
Significantly more closed than the others, and showed more pear fruit and opulence, and more integrated alcohol than the Rotes Tor.

Steinterrassen Federspiel Riesling 2011
Suffering from bottle shock having only been bottled a few weeks before, and so was a little closed and reductive on the nose. There were some nice floral citrus notes, and was very tight and fresh on the palate.

Hochrain Smaragd Riesling 2011
Lovely cherry blossom sherbet concentration on the nose, and on the palate had good weight and balance with a stone fruit delicacy.

Above some of he Franz Hirtzberger vineyards

Above some of he Franz Hirtzberger vineyards

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April 7, 2013 · 10:16 pm

Tiefenbrunner – 19/03/2012

Pinot Bianco 2011
Actually had complexity and character in comparison to their equivalents north of the Alps.

Pinot Grigio 2011
Somewhere between the more familiar Italian style of crispness and freshness, and the rich slightly sweet alcoholic pinot gris style of Alsace. Texture and complexity, but dry and far from cloying. The higher up in quality with these varieties, the denser and more complex they become and the higher the potential for ageing.

Kirchleiten Sauvignon 2010 and 2011
Both on the sweaty and reductive side, with some complexity but lacking finesse and restraint.

Feldmarschall Muller Thurgau 2010, 2008 and 2007
Showed the potential for ageing, but also the need to have a cool and long vintage, as the 2007 was slightly too warm and the wine was falling away.

Pinot Nero Riserva 2009
Quite a robust caramel and coconut nose, showing a little too much oak and a tad heavy-handed on the tannins.

Lagrein Riserva 2009
By comparison is very full and complex, with soft tannins and great acids but a tad closed and youthful. It is a wine to be drunk now and cellared for later.

Linticlarus Cuvee 2009
A blend of Bordeaux varieties, had a slight menthol black olive nose and quite intense tannin and acidity, which has a lot to do with it being cabernet franc led.

Riserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Wonderful dark earthy nose with serious depth and complexity a soft tannins.

Some ines destined for Australia

Some ines destined for Australia

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April 7, 2013 · 10:09 pm

Hofstatter – 20/03/2012

Kolbenhoff Gewurztraminer 2010
A nice subtle and earthy density, quite bold and textural without sweetness or overt viscosity.

Barthenau Vigna Ste. Michelle Pinot Bianco 2009
Showed very clean pure and fresh citrus notes on the nose, but with very intense crunchy acids and concentration of fruit and texture on the palate.

Kolbenhofer Vernatsch/Schiava 2010
Very light closed nose, soft light tannins and fruit, and is a wine that would go great with tomato based dishes.

Barthenau Pinot Nero 2007
Reductive red cherry tightness on the nose, depth and solid fruit, but at the moment the alcohol and oak are a little strong.

Steinraffler Lagrein 2008
Soft and mellow, with powerful yet supple tannins, but was a little simple and lacked depth and personality.

Hofstatter wine bar

Hofstatter wine bar

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April 7, 2013 · 4:33 pm

Alois Lageder – 20/03/2012

Gaun Chardonnay 2011
Very flinty and fresh, with exceptional balance on the palate, you wouldn’t know that it had 100% malolactic fermentation.

Porer Pinot Grigio 2011
Earthy and red berry concentration, and was softer and deeper than its equivalent in the Alois Lageder range.

Krafuss Pinot Noir 2008
Very elegant and light, with fantastic structure and personality

Lindenberg Lagrein 2008
Structure elegance and supple tannins.

The historic castle with the Dolomites behind

The historic castle with the Dolomites behind

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April 7, 2013 · 3:59 pm

Elena Walch – 20/03/2012

Castel Ringberg Pinot Grigio 2010
A slightly creamy orchard fruit richness on the nose, with finesse and a hint of sweet spice on the palate.

Selezione Gewürztraminer 2011
A talcy classic gwt nose with some rose petal and turkish delight, and had great balance between opulence and freshness on the palate.

Selezione Lagrein 2010
Juicy and intense black fruit and spice notes, had very bold tannins on the front palate but clean and fresh on the back.

Kermesse 2007
A blend of 20% of each of syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and lagrein, is robust in oak character but it is much better integrated with the fuller fruit and tannin elements.

The Elena Walch

The Elena Walch

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April 7, 2013 · 3:43 pm

Manincor – 21/03/2012

Eichhorn Pinot Bianco 2010
Deep but delicately youthful and closed, with balanced texture and concentrated harmony.

Sophie Chardonnay 2010
Very contained leesy citrus nose, showing lemon curd and peach skin characters, retaining some crispness with the oak and lees texture influence.

Di Lieben Eich Sauvignon 2010
Bright mineral notes reminiscent of chablis, purity and elegance with texture and restraint to boot.

Mason Pinot Nero 2009
Very delicate, almost too quiet on the nose, with fresh acids and light tannins and fruit.

Mason di Mason Pinot Nero 2009
By comparison had a much stalkier and earthier concentration on the nose, showing at the same time ruby-red cherry and mineral notes, with more ageing potential.

Cassiano 2009
Equal blend of syrah, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and tempranillo. Full yet bright, soft and mellow yet tannic and warm, dense but not heavy or alcoholic, it had great focus and complexity and will age wonderfully.

Bio-dynamic lawn mowers

Bio-dynamic lawn mowers

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April 7, 2013 · 3:32 pm

Cantina Terlano – 21/03/2012

Terlaner 2011 DOCG
A blend of pinot bianco (60%), chardonnay (30%) and sauvignon blanc (10%). Bright juicy yellow apple nose, light yet rich and textural on the palate with some nice warmth and ripeness.

Vorberg Pinot Bianco Riserva 2009
Very closed subtle nose, but on the palate had great focus, purity and restraint, with a lightly creamy lees derived texture.

Vorberg Pinot Bianco Riserva 2004
A lot bolder with stone fruit and more prominent oak, and looked a little clunky.

Chardonnay 1999
Sat on lees for ten years in tank, extremely subtle and hauntingly familiar with soft and gentle acids but plenty of life left in it.

Lagrein Rose 2011
Lovely and fresh, great fruit characters and a savoury edge, a bit dark and stormy too.

Gries Lagrein Riserva 2009
Lovely and soft on the palate, great intensity and spice, full in fruit without being too heavy.

Porphyr Lagrein Riserva 2009
A deeper chocolate spice element, fuller and more intense on the palate, showing more oak as well.

The Cantina Terlano range

The Cantina Terlano range

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April 7, 2013 · 3:18 pm

Zenato – 23/03/2012

Lugana 2008
100% trebbiano, which had a very ripe honeyed lemon barley nose, robust rich weight and texture partly from oak, and seemed somewhat aggressive and too heavily worked.

Valpolicella Superiore 2009
A very full dark plum and currant nose, brightness and intensity at the same time, with good firm but soft tannins.

Ripassa Superiore 2009
The same intensity but a more earthy character, with some dark floral notes and a little warmth that will settle down given time.

Cresasso 2005
100% corvina, bold and tannic, oak and alcohol very well-integrated but looking a little too macerated and not enough fruit.

Amarone Classico 2007
Dense spicy jammy nose, very big and powerful on the front but a little disjointed and fruit sweet on the back. It is difficult to see the balance of acidity and fruit in this wine.

I love this kind of tasting, unique to Italy

I love this kind of tasting, unique to Italy

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April 7, 2013 · 3:10 pm

Speri – 23/03/2012

Valpolicella Classico 2011
A lovely bright light ruby colour, has a fresh spicy red cherry nose, and is very clean and palatable to match with simple local food or on its own.

La Roverina Valpolicella Classico 2010
Technically of Superiore quality but not classified as it is sealed with a screw-cap. Softer yet fuller, quite juicy and plump with great balance and flavour.

Ripasso 2009
Valpolicella Superiore that has had additional maceration on Amarone skins, has a deeper dark cherry cassis nose, much more velvety and slightly toasty characters, but with good balance of acidity that would push it through at least five years.

Amarone della Valpolicella 2007
Has had at least three years of cask age and another year of bottle age. Lovely chocolate and hazelnut aromas greet you, with dark plum and cassis fruit plumpness on the palate, but it is so gloriously well-integrated that you don’t notice the alcohol or the residual sugar sweetness.

Amarone della Valpolicella 1983
Still showing very young, but as the tannins alcohol and oak had subsided the fruit sweetness was coming through a lot more, supported with nutty toasty caramel and cocoa notes.

Recioto La Roggia 2008
Showing gentle raisined chocolate notes, with some complex oxidative characters and intense tannin sweetness to boot.

The amazing 1983 vintage I tasted with Luca Speri

The amazing 1983 vintage I tasted with Luca Speri

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April 7, 2013 · 2:54 pm

Allegrini – 28/03/2012

Soave 2011
Very crisp and fresh, with some nice depth and texture, something I like to see in the style.

Valpolicella Classico 2011
Bright floral juicy nose, and was pleasant and spicy on the palate.

La Grola 2009
Much darker and tighter, slightly fuller and darker as well – a good wine but hardly unique.

Amarone Classico 2008
Very fresh and had lovely fruit sweetness, supple yet firm tannins and great balance.

La Roya Amarone 2007
A significant step up; very deep and intense (possibly due to the warmer vintage), very prominent on oak at the moment, showing some great signs of complexity but requiring a bit of cellaring to open up some more.

A gorgeous view over Valpolicella

A gorgeous view over Valpolicella

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