Category Archives: 2009

Jan 11 2013
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2009, 2011, Germany, Mosel

2011 Dr. Hermann H Riesling and 2009 Dr. Hermann Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett

Dr. Hermann wines

Dr. Hermann wines

As I mentioned in my last post,  at Crush wine bistro in Anchorage we had the lucky chance to try two rieslings by one of my favorite wineries in the middle Mosel region: Dr. Hermann. I wrote about the winery extensively here, so please check that out if you are not familiar with them.

The 2011 Dr. Hermann H Riesling is their entry level riesling made with grapes from the region. I have been a huge fan of that entry level wine, I thought the 2010 was stellar. When we tried this vintage in June 2011, it was not as vibrant as the 2010 I remembered but still a good $7 bottle (at the winery). At Crush, the wine presented itself a bit more settled. The nose had floral notes and some aromas that I can only describe as doughy (as in cake batter); actually quite pleasant. On the palate, the light-bodied wine showed honey and candied apricots and some pear with a decent enough acidity. In the finish, I got almonds. I still thought the wine tasted a bit too sweet, but it was enjoyable. I miss the 2010, but I can live with this vintage, too.

Dr. Hermann H Riesling

The 2009 Dr. Hermann Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett presented itself as having aged quite nicely. In the past, Erdener Treppchen has been my preferred vineyard for this winery and this wine did not let me down (see a photo of the vineyard here). In the glass, we had a golden yellow, slightly amber wine. The nose showed some signs of that particular aroma that aged rieslings have (I don’t know how to describe it, a bit musty maybe), with detectable citrus aromas. On the palate, this lean wine had already contracted a bit and showed a beautifully round aroma of citrus, apricot and toffee with a medium finish that let on hints of vanilla. At first I was surprised by these signs of ageing because I had not expected them, but when I realized it was a kabinett and not a spätlese (as I had originally thought) I relaxed. A kabinett can show these signs after 3 years in the bottle. As it opened up further, it showed pineapple and red apples aromas, too. It really was quite beautiful and is right for drinking now.

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Dec 14 2012
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2009, Chile

2009 Veramonte Pinot Noir Reserva

2009 Veramonte Pinot Noir Reserva

2009 Veramonte Pinot Noir Reserva

I seem to have no luck with picking my reds these days…the 2009 Veramonte Pinot Noir Reserva was no exception.

We picked up this Chilean pinot noir a while ago at Costco. You know you lost track of your wine cellar when you come home and realize that you had already acquired that same wine at one of the previous trips. I guess I liked the label. Now, I also had been warned about this wine by our friends whom we tagged along with to Costco at the time. She told me that she had tried it and did not like it. Too unbalanced, I think is what she said…Still, I liked the logo so much. And I like pinot noir. So, the heck…I must have thought.

According to the winery’s website, they have been growing pinot noir since the 1990s and have recruited the California winemaker Paul Hobbs to help them figure out the grape. Apparently, all the winemakers involved either still live or have lived in California before. I guess I should have looked into that before…you find the technical information for the wine here (compare it with my notes, if you care…they are very different).

Well. So we opened the wine a couple of nights ago. It had a lighter red color. On the nose it was quite rustic, alcoholic. I detected some chocolate notes but they were dominated by a pungent earthy-bitter mix. The worst thing on the nose, though, and it took me a couple of minutes to wrap my head around that, was that it reeked of burnt rubber. Yes, burnt rubber. That is a smell that my brain immediately connects with everything that can go wrong with a pinotage, a wine I love when made well, but want to spit out when not.

On the palate, the Veramonte Pinot Noir tasted slightly smoky and a bit green, the rubber continued in the opening. The wine was best in its middle section: there were hints of raspberry and cherry, some nice acidity and it had a decent mouthfeel to it. The end however was slightly bitter and did not leave good feelings. Nina noted early on that the wine also showed significant amounts of sweetness in the middle section which I did not get initially but over time.

All in all a disappointing wine. I should have listened to my friend. To me, pinot noir is best when it is subtle and deep. This one was totally different: in your face, no balance whatsoever and therefore unfocused and unpleasing. It just left me befuddled and disappointed.

Now the only problem is what to do with the other bottle…Christmas gift, maybe? Anyone?

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Dec 10 2012
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2009, Spain

2009 Armantes Calatayud Old Vines Garnacha Tempranillo

2009 Armantes Old Vine Calatayud DO

2009 Armantes Old Vine Calatayud DO

Last Friday, it was almost weekend and I realized I didn’t have a single glass of wine all week. Frustrating. While a casserole was simmering in the oven I decided to open up this wine that we picked up at Plum Market a while back for $8 (marked down from $12).

The wine is produced by San Gregorio Sociedad Cooperativa Limitada, a cooperative in the Calatayud region of Spain. I had to check where that is because I am not very familiar with Spanish geography or wines. According to Wikipedia Calatayud is a city and and municipality located in the western part of the province Aragon, pretty much in the heart of the Iberian peninsula. Calatayud has its own denomination of origin (DO), see here. Unfortunately the website is only available in Spanish, and my Spanish is virtually non-existent. It seems like the area boasts 60 vintners and some cooperatives. In 2009, it produced 5.72 million bottles of wine and is supposed to be a “muy buena” year.

The winery’s website can be found here. The website states that DO Calatayud was established in 1989. The team at the winery is said to have an average age of 34 (exciting!) and is producing for the international market, whatever that means. It looks like this wine is their basic wine (it better be at that price), although they changed things up a bit from the website. This wine has, according to the bottle, 90% Garnacha and 10% Tempranillo and 14.5% ABV.

Armantes poured in a dark, ruby red. The nose is initially a bit sour and alcoholic. After 15 minutes in the glass that is reduced. Then it smells fresh, earthy, a bit of red fruit. On the palate it shows some smokiness, medium tannins and a nice touch of acidity. It’s light to medium bodied, feels silky at times and is actually enjoyable in the middle. The short finish, however, is rather harsh with bitter and unripe notes which are even too long for this short of a finish.

Not sure what to make of this. The finish definitely ruined the wine for me, although the initial stages of tasting were alright. Nothing special, definitely not fun. Not something I will likely pick up again.

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