Category Archives: Year

May 08 2013
12 Comments
2008, 2011, Germany, Greece, Italy, Marche, Mosel, Peleponnes, Piedmont, Sardinia

Tasting with Friends: Strange Fruit

Last Friday, we had the third of our group of friends’ wine tastings. The previous tastings were themed around old world and new world Malbecs and European reds (which we conducted blindly). Not only did this time’s hosts decide to cook us a spectacular meal, they also picked a really cool theme for the night: “Strange Fruit”. They had initially thought about restricting the allowed wines to unknown grape varieties or regions, but later settled for strange fruit, which proved to be an awesome theme.

My initial thoughts for what wines to bring were centered around grape varieties that were strange or not very common, but I then also thought about wines that tasted different than expected. I had a couple of ideas and we ended up bringing a bottle of German Riesling (what’s unexpected about this, you may ask, but bear with me!), a bottle of the Ruchè we had tried with Nina’s birthday burgers and a Cannonau di Sardegna, both Italian reds.

Meierer Logo

Meierer Logo

2011 Meierer Riesling WTF!?

2011 Meierer Riesling WTF!?

We started with the 2011 Meierer Riesling WTF!? (12% ABV, limited to 300 bottles made). When Nina and I first tried this wine at the winery in the summer of 2012, it was definitely one of the weirdest Rieslings we ever had, hence the name… Matthias, the winemaker, had decided to produce this wine in the way one would usually make a Pinot Noir: He let the must sit on the skins and stems for a couple of days. This really changed the nose and palate of this wine making it intense and I would never have guessed it was a Riesling if I had not known. I was eager to share this wine with the group, so we made it our apéritif. The wine showed itself in a slightly darker yellow, pretty much pee color. The nose showed acidity, some sour apple, I got hints of vanilla and coconut, but there seemed to be a decisive lack of fruit in the nose. The palate was herbal and what I would call branch-y, with healthy acidity and some apple aromas. Most in the group remarked on that it reminded them of a Chardonnay. The finish was long, with some bitterness. I like the experiment itself, I am not sure I would want to drink this wine all the time…but how could one, with only 300 bottles made? (I wrote in depth about the winery here). And it definitely fit the tasting’s motto.

2011 Agape

2011 Barafakas Winery Agape

The first course of the meal was an arugula salad with cranberries, walnuts and blue cheese. We paired it with a 2011 Barafakas Winery Agape, a Greek white wine blend from the Peloponnese peninsula. The wine is made with 50% Roditis grapes and 50% Savatiano grapes and had 12.5% ABV. The label promised strong acidity as well as citrus, banana and peach aromas. It poured in a light yellow color and had a very subdued nose. I really was not able to discern anything in the nose. The flavor profile on the palate showed a dry, slightly buttery wine with virtually no acidity or fruit aromas, some bitterness and a decent amount of heft to it. Nina said it seemed syrupy to her in texture (not sugar), I am not sure I got that. All in all, a bit boring. But then again, a lot of Southern European dry whites give me that impression. That said, it paired exceptionally well with the salad. The acidity in the dressing, the blue cheese and the nuttiness of the arugula made for good companions.

2010 Osél Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato

2010 Osél Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato

For the pasta course, a classical dish of orechiette pasta and tomato-based ragù sauce, we first opened the 2010 Osél Ruchè di Castagnole Monferato that we had brought. My notes resembled the notes I made when we initially tried it in March, which is why I just repost them here: “It poured in a lighter red with some hints of brick. The nose was floral and perfumy with cherry and jammy notes. Rather enticing. The flavor profile of this light to medium bodied wine was very intense, with again cherry and some earthy aromas. There was noticeable residual sugar, maybe a tad too sweet. It had a peppery and slightly bitter finish that was rather short.” All in all, it seemed fruitier this time around, which I did not mind at all. Still a solid wine.

NV Accattoli Lacrima di Morro d'Alba

NV Accattoli Lacrima di Morro d’Alba

We then opened a NV Accattoli Lacrima di Morro d’Alba DOC, an Italian red wine made from 100% Lacrima grapes, an ancient and rare grape variety. The wine had 12.5% ABV (notice a theme here?) and poured in a very dark ruby red. The nose was great, incredibly floral: violets and lavender and other floral aromas. It smelled a bit like an old grandma, but in a good way, if that makes any sense…On the palate, the wine was medium-bodied and soooo silky. That was the first thing I noticed: I really loved the texture of the wine. There was some cherry, and some smokiness to it, but the dominating factor was its black currant and blackberry aromas. Incredible. If you ever had black currant juice (I have, they sell it in Germany and it is AWESOME with sparkling water), you know what I am talking about. Just a wonderful currant, cassis bomb. There were hardly any tannins in this wine, and the finish was quite short. This was seriously yummy. And it paired well with the homemade dark chocolate ice cream. The fruitiness was great and the lack of tannins also helped when pairing it with the ice cream.

2008 Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna DOC

2008 Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna DOC

We then proceeded to open my back up bottle, the 2008 Sella & Mosca S.P.A. Cannonau di Sardegna  DOC Riserva. I had brought the wine in case we’d run short because given our hosts gracious and laborious meals, we guests were providing the wine, and two of our friends couldn’t make it, so we would potentially have been short of wine. I had initially bought this bottle because I liked the label and the word Cannonau…which I had hoped was another strange fruit, but it turns out that it is the Sardinian name for Mourvèdre. The wine poured in a brickish red. The nose showed wet tobacco, a serious level of ripeness and some age, sweet plums, and, honoring the tasting’s motto: horse sweat. Significant horse sweat. Well, that was weird. On the palate, it felt flat with serious acidity (others were less kind and said sour), had a short finish and was not very enjoyable. I guess the fruitiness of the Lacrima, the wine we had before, did not help this contender, but it still seemed like it had serious issues which was too bad…

Johnny Drum Bourbon

Johnny Drum Bourbon

We finished the night with a glass of small batch Bourbon that our host, a total Bourbon aficionado, pulled from the kitchen closet. It was delicious and a great finish for another awesome tasting night. We’ll try to work another one into the time before we head out for our big trip this year, and I already cannot wait.

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Apr 23 2013
11 Comments
2008, Apulia, Italy

2008 Feudi di San Marzano Primitivo di Manduria Sessantanni

2008 Feudi di San Marzano Sessantanni Primitivo di Manduria

2008 Feudi di San Marzano Sessantanni Primitivo di Manduria

It was time for a big red sometime two weeks ago. And the Sessantanni was what I had in mind. Let me give you a bit of background on how I found this particular wine. It was during the last weeks of my time in Germany in 2011. I tried to cram meeting friends and doing cool stuff into my limited time. One of the things I did was visit with one of my cousin’s and several friends in Wiesbaden, just across the river from Mainz. My cousin told me we had to go and visit the wine shop he goes to. And as you can imagine, I had no objections. So we went ahead and visited “Le Bonheur” on a Friday evening. Two of my good friends from Trier times tagged along. To shorten things, we had a blast. The owner, Andreas, is a fabulous guy, generous in offering us to try whatever we wanted, knowledgeable, friendly and chatty. The perfect wine shop owner. We tried, and talked and talked and talked. I remember my cousin had to pretty much pull me out of the store because we had a dinner reservation…Andreas’ wine store is sitting over a former champagne cellar, so he also showed us the downstairs where he is now producing his own champagne. It was epic there. If you ever get to Wiesbaden, and in fact a number of Americans do because there is a large military base and it is only 25 minutes from Frankfurt, it is well worth a visit. Andreas speaks great English, too. When we went back to the store last summer, Nina found the Italian Merlot we had during the last wine tasting I wrote about.

Our tasting at Le Bonheur...I wasn't joking about the generosity of its owner!

Our tasting at Le Bonheur…I wasn’t joking about the generosity of its owner!

But back to this wine. One of Andreas’ most endearing traits is that he never wants to let you go. So right before we were to leave his place, he said there was just one more wine to try: The Feudi di San Marzano Sessantanni, a primitivo. The label and bottle were gorgeous, and when I picked up the bottle, I could not believe how heavy it was. It is by far the heaviest single bottle I ever held. We tried this dark, brooding wine and I instantly fell in love. It was just right on a late November evening. Fabulous. So, I waxed on and on until my cousin decided to buy a bottle as a gift for Nina and me…and it actually made it across the pond. And then it was sitting in our wine rack, waiting to impress Nina.

Let me give you some more background on the wine: It is named “Sessantanni”, or 60 years, because the vines that the grapes were grown on are over 60 years old. The vines grow in Apulia, on the peninsula Salerno, in Southern Italy. The winery, Feudi di San Marzano (great website, well worth checking it out), is a new creation. It was established in 2003 by a cooperation of the Cooperative San Marzano and Farnese Vini from the Abruzzo region. Farnese is said to provide the know-how and the cooperative provides its vineyards. According to the German wine retailer Belvini, the winery has garnered a lot of attention and won numerous prizes. The Sessantanni is its flagship red.

The 2008 vintage has 14.5% ABV. Its denomination “Primitivo di Manduria”, which according to the wine label is a protected designation of origin (DOP), according to Wikipedia it is a denomination of controlled origin (DOC) – apparently a DOC or DOCG is also always a DOP – ensures that it is made with 100% Primitivo grapes. The vines are grown around San Marzano and Sava in red soil rich in iron oxide. Grapes are hand-harvested in September and the wine ages in American and French wood barrels.

This Primitivo di Manduria poured in the dark, brooding ruby red that I remembered. Its nose was full of sweet tobacco, candied cranberries, plum and Alpine flowers. Really pretty, really charming. On the palate, the wine felt medium- to full-bodied. The first things I wrote down were deep, full, rich, ripe. It had a refreshing, mouthwatering acidity to it that was not disturbing but rather welcome. When I dove deeper into figuring out what was going on, I got some vanilla, some almond bitter, cedar and spice box. The tannins were exceptionally well integrated. The wine showed some heat, but that was not surprising given the high alcohol level. There was also a jammy sweetness to the wine. Its long finish made me taste milk chocolate.

I loved this wine, just like I loved it when I first tried it. Nina, as I had hoped, was all over it, too. As the evening progressed, the wine became more and more a fruit bomb, which was a bit unexpected but nonetheless very enjoyable. The more I try Southern Italian wines, the more I enjoy them. I am for example very fond of Salice Salentino, which is also from Apulia. Their deep and brooding nature appeal to me.

If you get a chance, I highly recommend this wine. It retails for somewhere above 20 euros in Germany ($27), Wine Searcher lists an average price of $35 pre-tax and shipping in the US. Southern Italy is still very much unrecognized and underrepresented in our common wine conscience. It means we can get exceptional value for the price. While I recognize this wine is outside of my usual price line, I still believe it is a great bargain.

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Apr 09 2013
16 Comments
2011, California, USA

2011 Maxwell Creek Rosé Wine Napa Valley

2011 Maxwell Creek Rosé Wine Napa Valley

2011 Maxwell Creek Rosé Wine Napa Valley

I don’t know how things are going weather wise for you all, but Ann Arbor has finally had a few sunnier days and temperatures have begun to rise. All this lured me into craving a rosé (or blush) wine. I have a weak spot for Rosés. Always had. While growing up, one of my favorite wines was a Portugieser Weißherbst made by my winemaker friend Pitt Zimmermann in my hometown. Portugieser is the grape, and Weißherbst is a German denomination for a rosé wine that is made from just one grape variety and from one single vineyard. I loved that wine: It was always served very cold, was quite sweet and always hit you with strawberries all over the place.

Over the years, it has become a bit too sweet for my taste buds, but when home I still enjoy a glass or two of this wine. Let’s call it one of the gateway drugs…

For those not familiar with Rosé, it is a wine made from red grapes. Unlike red wine, the pressed must does not sit on the skins and stems for long (or at all). Since the color in red wine comes from the skin, and the juice is white just like in a white grape, this leads to just slight discoloration in the wine, hence the name rosé (or blush). Many regions produce these wines, and there are some general rules: Rosés from Southern France tend to be the most dry of all Rosés. Very dry are usually also the Spanish wines of that kind. American and German Rosés tend to be sweeter, with more residual sugar. To me, there is a place for both. While the Southern European versions are great food companions, I actually enjoy a bit of residual sugar in terrace or garden slurpers, when I have the wine on its own.

I bought four of these bottles of Maxwell Creek during a flash sale on Wines Till Soldout and this was the first of the four I opened. I paid $9 per bottle, I believe. “Maxwell Creek Cellars” is located in Rutherford, California. A bit of research showed that it is not a “proper” winery, but rather a filler of wines apparently serving as a second label to sell off overcapacity. The great news about that is that it is usually produce from good wineries just sold under a generic name which comes with a steep cut in price. I was unable to unearth much more about this wine or label, so if you know more please let me know in the comments section!

The wine had 13.7% ABV. Winehoarder declares that the grape varieties used in the wine are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot.

First off, I have to say I LOVED the color of the 2011 Maxwell Creek Rosé. It was a darker red that I associate with strawberries. I so love that color and prefer it over the more salmony or orange looking rosés. The nose was very fruity, just what I wanted and had hoped for: strawberries, gooseberry and peach, some water melon. Really draws you in if you like fruit-forward aromas. On the palate, the wine was quite light-bodied, with good acidity and some tannin giving it body. To me, peach and cream flavors dominated, later gooseberry coming in. It also reminded me of one of the ubiquitous blends in Germany of sparkling wine and vineyard peach liqueur (just without the bubbles). There was some slight bitterness in the finish, which I think might come from the pretty high alcohol level, which overall led to an unbalanced wine. Nina remarked that for her, the wine was too sweet in the middle section and then not good enough at the end. I thought that was a pretty good explanation of what is going on. There is definitely some sweetness to this wine which many will probably not appreciate. The finish overall is disappointing.

But what can I say? The wine was not impressive or anything special (except for the nose). However, I think this is another example of a wine I only want to drink on a summer afternoon, sitting in the sun. And then it will hit all the right notes and all the right points. It was definitely not the right day to open this bottle with the 45-50 F we are having right now. But I am happy that I have three more bottles to open this summer.

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