Die Sehnsucht nach anspruchsvollen südfranzösischen Weinen ist bei mir eine Konstante. Zwar ist diese mal präsenter, mal weniger, aber mit 100 prozentiger Sicherheit kommt mindestens ein Mal im Jahr der Moment, an dem zugeschlagen wird. Zu Weihnachten war es dann wieder soweit – etwas tiefdunkles aus dem Süden musste her, auf jeden Fall was neues und um das Ganze noch abzurunden, unbedingt auch etwas gereiftes aus der Magnumflasche. Die Wahl fiel auf einen Mas Jullien 2005. Read the rest of this entry »
2005 Mas Jullien Magnum – erfüllte Sehnsucht
2000 Château Paloumey, Magnum – kleines Château, groß gereift
Zu Weihnachten darf es auch gerne mal etwas größeres sein. Warum? Zum einen, weil es einfach schade ist, wenn leckerer Wein nach einmal Ausschenken schon alle ist. Zum anderen, weil das größere Format durch eine langsamere Reifung auch eine gewisse Flexibilität in der Auswahl erlaubt. Als erstes unter den Korkenzieher gekommen ist eine Magnum 2000 Château Paloumey aus dem Haut-Médoc – ein Wein mit relativ hohem (ca 40%) Merlot-Anteil in der Cuvée, der mutmaßlich jeden Gaumen beglücken kann. Read the rest of this entry »
Neujahrsweine: Riesling in Grossen Flaschen
Am 1. Januar ist es bei uns mittlerweile schon fast Tradition einige grosse Flasche aufzumachen, um Familie und Feunde auf ein tolles neues Jahr einzustimmen. Neben einer Doppelmagnum und einer Magnum waren natürlich auch kleine Flaschen dabei, jedoch aber keine wirklich “kleinen” Weine. Hier das Résumé:
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Magnificent Magnums for New Year Part 4 – 2008 Steinreich Riesling, Weingut Clüsserath, Mosel
The fourth and last magnum of our New Year’s day gathering has a label that provokes clear expectations. A stone-wine, a mineral-loaded elixir is also what probably anyone who speaks German instantly thinks of when he sees that the wine is named “Steinreich“, which translates to “rich in stones” (“empire of stones” would be another possible translation). According to the Ansgar Clüsserath estate who made the wine, the name should recall the soil of the famous Trittenheimer Apotheke site where the vines stand on masses of blue slate and rocks. The winemaker in charge is Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann, the daughter of the estate, who interestingly is married to Rheinhessen-winemaker Philipp Wittmann. On that night, this dry Mosel-Wine had to compete directly with the Van Volxem Alte Reben, the Riesling from the nearby Saar river we popped open just before. Not easy. Read the rest of this entry »
Magnificent Magnums for New Year Part 2 – 2006 Weissburgunder ***, Holger Koch, Baden.
The second magnum we popped open on New Year’s Day was a bit of an unlucky pick, unable to impress next to the other bottles we drank that evening. But a few days later it showed a completely different character and proved to be an amazing wine.
But first things first. As the first magnum bottle, the Blauer Silvaner by Zehnthof Luckert, this one was on sale in an online wine shop, which made it particularly interesting. It is also my first encounter with the Holger Koch estate, a winery located on the outskirts of the Kaiserstuhl wine-growing-area in Baden. The estate is specialized in Burgundian varietals such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot blanc, the latter being called “Weissburgunder” in Germany. Read the rest of this entry »
Magnificent Magnums for New Year Part 1 – 2009 Blauer Silvaner, Zehnthof Luckert, Franken
Last year on the first of January, we opened a magnum bottle of Rheingau Riesling – it was a First Growth – and realized how beautiful those wines can age in such big containers. Plus, it’s quite a festive manner to drink and a good way to start the new year with a big bang.
So I decided to repeat the experience this year, and I think this ritual has good chances to become a tradition for the years to come. As many friends were expected for a late brunch with pizza, quiche and lentil soup, I opened 4 magnums of German white wine. Of course, to variate pleasures, I opted for 4 different styles and 3 different varietals.
We started with a magnum-bottle from Franconia, the German wine region probably most known for its Silvaner wines (although in quantity, Rheinhessen produces most of this varietal). Silvaner used to have a reputation for being a simple and overly fruity wine that pleased grandmothers and should be drunk fast, but there are now more and more specimen that could be qualified as premium dry white wine, with traits only such wines can have. Read the rest of this entry »