Der grosse “Schocker” in dem am Dienstag erschienenen Gault-Millau Weinguide für Deutschland war sicherlich die Herabstufung des Weinguts Wagner-Stempel aus Siefersheim in Rheinhessen von 4 auf 3 GM-Trauben. Dies sorgte auch unter Bloggern  für viel Unmut (siehe Blogeintrag von Dirk Würtz). Und ebenso für mich ist diese Aktion völlig unverständlich. Im Juni noch war ich mit den Kollegen Martin und Arthurs Tochter im Weingut und die präsentierte 2010er Kollektion war alles andere als schlecht. Und selbst wenn Geschmäcker verschieden sind, sehe ich beim besten Willen keinen Grund für eine derartige “Klatsche”!

Um ein Zeichen zu setzen, quasi aus Protest, sah ich mich ich aus diesem Grund gestern Abend dazu verleitet eine Flasche Porphyr aufzureissen, Read the rest of this entry »

Christos Kokkalis doesn’t need to be introduced anymore. Well, at least not in Germany where the Greek once lived and worked as a pharmacist. When he started his ambitious wine venture in the Peloponese region of Greece. Germany  most naturally became his primary market for selling his wines. For those who do not live in Germany: Kokkalis started his winery in the 1990’s with the goal of creating a high-end Cabernet-Sauvignon from Greece that could rival the best French growths. His wine named Trilogia first came out in 1997 and soon earned lots of praise from the press and the wine-scene. His second wine Movia is a cuvée of Cabernet and Agiorgitiko, a Greek varietal. As a third wine, Kokkalis now produces a 100% Syrah. Read the rest of this entry »

Last thursday we were about 10 wine-buddies gathering at our generous host Nick‘s home for a blind-tasting of red Rhône wines. This time there were absolutely no limits as all reds from all-over the Rhône-region were permitted, drastically differentiating it from our last tasting at Nick’s when only Southern Rhône reds were allowed, as well as from the last blind tasting at my place where boundaries were set by the Syrah varietal, originally stemming from that area but now being planted all over Planet Wine.

This means that each of the 12 bottles we popped that night could be anything from Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage to Côtes du Ventoux and Châteauneuf-Du-Pape, hence also mixing single-varietal wines with those that represent cuvées. As you can see, with each blind-tasting we are slowly encircling what both Rhône and Syrah have to offer. Are we gonna grasp the essence of it tonight? Dream on, dreamer.. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve come across this wine a couple of times now. Posts about it have already been published here in May and July of 2008 and just recently I had it twice in a matter of only 3 months and now again I am popping a cork of this 2003 Alion from Ribera Del Duero. Of course it belongs to a category of wines that are a little controversial as it opposes aficionados of modern Spanish wines and those who prefer the more traditional ones. But somehow I believe Alion is right in between these two styles: a modern interpretation of traditional Spanish wines as to say, but not a super-extracted monster, although this verdict might also depend on drinking-circumstances. Read the rest of this entry »