Saturday, August 19, 2017

Joh. Jos. PRÜM (Mosel) 2015 Part II -- Noble Sweet Wines and a 2005 Trockenbeerenauslese


As you can see below, typical of the vintage, the noble sweet wines are outstanding, but not extraordinary for Prüm the way that the Kabinett and Spätlese wines are, in part because Prüm has had so many years of noble sweet wines at this level. The wines do very well show the character of the vintage with its lightness and clear yellow fruits. (Continue reading here.)

Friday, August 18, 2017

Joh. Jos. PRÜM (Mosel) Part I -- 2015 Kabinett and Spätlese



In news, the estate has acquired the house and vineyards from its neighbor and cousin, Bert Selbach of Dr. F. Weins-Prüm, as Selbach and his sister had no successors to continue that outstanding estate’s operations.

Congratulations, also, to Dr. Katharina Prüm, who since my previous visit married Wilhelm Steifensand of Weingut Liebfrauenstift in the Rheinhessen.

The wines at Prüm are always topflight, but even for Prüm, this is a very great collection of Kabinett and Spätlese wines. Characteristic of the vintage, there’s plenty of yellow fruit expression here, and also wonderful weightlessness to many of the wines. (Continue reading here.)

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Egon MÜLLER (Mosel) -- 2015 Vintage



Egon Müller said that he began the 2015 harvest on 4 October and finished around 27-28 October. Normally, the wines are not yet bottled when I visit at the end of August the year following the harvest, but on this visit the wines were already in bottle for several months.

If you want to see the greatness of the 2015, you can’t do better than here. It’s sometimes said that in the greatest vintages, the greatest wines are from the Saar, and as for the greatest Saar estate . . . .  (Continue reading here.)

Corsican Wines Recently Tried: Jean-Baptiste Arena, Clos Canarelli, Fiumicicoli/Andreani, Giacometti, YL/Leccia, Lucciardi, Marquiliani/Amalric, Saint-Armettu/Seroin, Santa Giuletta



Coriscan wines are fascinating because they are so original. Not all are of top quality, but when they are, the provide excellent quality, often at attractive prices. (Continue reading here.)

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Schloss SAARSTEIN (Mosel) -- 2015 Wines



This Saar estate is a little under the radar, but for decades consistently has produced wines of quality. (Continue reading here.)

Villa WOLF (Pflaz) -- 2015 and a 2014 Pinot Noir



This is Ernie Loosen’s Pfalz négociant operation, a consistent source of very good value. All of these wines are from the Pfalz. Someone is doing an outstanding job here — some of these wines represent some of the better values you can find in today’s wine market. (Continue reading here.)

Reichsgraf von KESSELSTATT (Mosel) -- 2015 Wines



In early October 2016, Annegret Reh-Gartner, who had long done such an outstanding job of reviving this estate died tragically of cancer. She was but 61.

I can’t add much to what others have written in praise of her (see, for example, Jancis Robinson here: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/and-now-farewell-annegret-rehgartner) but to that in my encounters with her, she was always most kind and generous, and endlessly enthusiastic about her wines, as she had every right to be. Please note especially at the end of the link above the moving and beautiful letter that Annegret left to those of us still here.

These wines stand as a memorial, the last vintage that Annegret saw through bottling.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Dr. LOOSEN (Mosel) -- 2015 Wines



Although many Mid-Mosel producers have only recently begun to produce dry wines of quality, Loosen has been doing so for some time. 

What is interesting in this vintage is the consistency in quality across the board, from both the generics to the GG’s, each with its on qualities. (Continue reading here.)

Monday, August 14, 2017

MAXIMIN GRÜNHAUS/von Schubert (Mosel) 2015 Part II: Fruity-Style Wines



The dry and off-dry wines that I just reviewed from this iconic estate are outstanding, but they take a back seat to the even greater collection of fruity-style wines. (Continue reading here.)

Sunday, August 13, 2017

MAXIMIN GRÜNHAUS/von SCHUBERT (Mosel) 2015 Part I: Dry and Off-Dry Wines, and 2014 Spätburgunder

Dr. Carl von Schubert said that at the beginning of October, he found the acidity still too high, so had to wait a week to begin harvesting. Overall yields for the estate were 45 hl/ha. 

Although in dry vintages, Herrenberg can actually be better in Abtsberg, in this vintage, for me, it is Abtsberg that has the slight advantage, although the Herrenbergs are outstanding in their own right.

Simply beautiful wines here. Note especially the first two GG wines that the estate, newly returned to the VDP, has produced. (Continue reading here.)

Friday, August 11, 2017

Fritz HAAG (Mosel) -- 2015


Wilhelm Haag, father of Olivier, compared the vintage with 1975, a great vintage for those who do not remember. There was rain in mid-September and then an Indian summer that permitted repeated trips in the vineyards. The grapes at harvest were very healthy, with botrytis where it was desired. Overall, the harvest here lasted 3-1/2 to 4 weeks.

There was no chaptalization and there were still two Trockenbeerenauslesen in the barrel when I visited that I could not taste.

In news of the estate, it bought what Wilhelm has called the best vineyard in Mühlheim (opposite the river from Lieser), and the grapes are already included in the 2015 estate Riesling. Wilhelm said that the vineyard is very steep.

Without a doubt, Olivier has hit a home run with this vintage. (Continue reading here.)

Thursday, August 10, 2017

WITTMANN (Rheinhessen) 2015 Vintage

This estate, the source of some of Germany’s very great wines, has long been certified organic and biodynamic. (Continue reading here.)

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Robert WEIL (Rheingau) -- 2015 Rieslings and a 2014 Riesling Sekt

Quite possibly the top Rheingau estate for now and the past quarter century, Weil has a very good selection here. (Continue reading here.)

Red Jura Wines Recently Tasted: Champ Divin/Closset, Dorbon, Pélican/d'Angerville, Ronces/Mazier, Tournelle/Clairet


Even less well-known than the whites from the region, the reds nevertheless can prove equally rewarding. (Continue reading here.)

Monday, August 7, 2017



Jura White Wines Recently Sampled: Champ Divin/Closset, Ganevat, Marnes Blanches/Fromont, Pélican/d'Angerville

Although one might have to hunt to find the wines, and there is some disparity in quality, at their best, Jura whites are some of the most interesting wines, across a variety of styles, available in the market today. (Continue reading here.)

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Languedoc Wines Recently Tasted: Domaine d'Aupilhac/Sylvain Fadat, Mas Champart/Isabelle et Matthieu Champart, Mas de Chimeres/Guilem Dardé, Domaine de Fontsainte/G. et B. Laboucarié, Mas Foulaquier/Blandine et Pierre Jéquier, Clos du Gravillas/Nicole et John Bojankowski, Château du Grand Caumont, Château de Lascaux/J.B. Cavalier, Château La Roque/Sylviane et Bernard Barascud, Les Vignes Oubliées/Jean-Baptiste Granier



You have to do some selecting, but if you do, there's still plenty of with of excellent quality and value from this region in France's Midi. One hint: I avoid the luxury cuvées, as they tend to have a lot of new oak and extraction, which do not work well with the types of grapes grown here.

All wines below are red except as otherwise noted. 

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Recently Sampled Northern Rhônes Part XI: Faury, Gallety, Jamet, Jasmin, Paris, Perret, Robin


All wines are red except as otherwise indicated.

Earlier reviews of Northern Rhônes are here, herehere, here, hereherehereherehere, here, and here.

Friday, August 4, 2017

Northern Rhônes Recently Tasted: Part X -- Combier, Curtat, Dard & Ribo, Darnaud, Faurie


As I stated in the previous post, there are some marvelous wines in 2015 in the Northern Rhône, but also some disappointments. Don't buy blindly and across the board.

All wines below are red unless otherwise specified.

Earlier reviews of Northern Rhônes are here, herehere, here, hereherehereherehere, and here.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Northern Rhône Wines Recently Tasted Part IX: Balthazar, Barge, Billon, Bonnefond, and Clape


As pointed out in my prior review, 2014 is a vintage that posed some problems, but good producers generally were able to handle them. 2015 has received great acclaim. It is a vintage of ripe, rich wines, sometimes a bit low in acidity. So far, I've found the whites more consistent than the reds, although there are some spectacular reds.

Earlier reviews of Northern Rhônes are here, here here,  here herehereherehere, and here 

All wines below are red, except as specifically noted otherwise. (Continue reading here.)