Tastings by Michael

September 27, 2023September 27, 2023

2012 Riesling von der Fels trocken

The 2012 Riesling von der Fels trocken is a dry Riesling from Rheinhessen. Klaus-Peter Keller is a famous winemaker of Riesling in Germany. His G Max is legendary, his GG’s are very hard to find. I was able to find his premium entry level wine “von der Fels”, and it was a bit of a sobering experience. A good Riesling, but I have had better ones at this level from other producers. The myth was demystified.

I tasted the 2012 Riesling von der Fels trocken, Keller, Rheinhessen, Germany. Clear appearance, with a golden straw color. In the nose, complex and full aromas typical for a mature Riesling – stone fruit like peach and apricot, citric notes, and a beautiful note of petrol. On the palate, the wine is almost dry, with a nice freshness and good body. Long and pleasant finish. TBM 89 points.

September 27, 2023

2013 Barbaresco Montestefano Riserva

The 2013 Barbaresco Montestefano Riserva is a lovely wine, produced by the Produttori del Barbaresco, the cooperative of smaller vintners in Barbaresco. A priest in Barbaresco founded the cooperative in 1958, recognising that the smaller producers only had a chance of surviving if they combined their forces, thus creating the critical mass to produce high quality Barbaresco. The Produttori del Barbaresco now joins some 51 vintners, altogether a total of more than 100 hectares. They produce around 500.000 bottles a year, 50% of which are basic Barbarescos, 20% Langhe Nebbiolo and 30% Barbaresco from the nine classical single-vineyard sites.

Terroir and Winemaking

Single-vineyard wines like this 2013 Barbaresco Montestefano Riserva are only produced in great vintages. The Montestefano vineyard has a total surface of 4.5 hectares, with south-south-east exposure. Its soil is calcareous limestone. 32 days of skin contact, fermentation at 30°C. Wines age for 36 months in oak barrels, followed by bottle aging of another 12 months. In other vintages, this may vary – the 2015 had only 9 months of bottle aging. The Produttori mark total number of bottles produced on the bottles (17.104 in this case, plus 1.448 Magnum bottles). Each bottle shows its individual number (this wine is 2.209). The Produttori del Barbaresco claim that the wine has a potential of 20 years, according to the data sheet.

Barbaresco vs Barolo

Like Barolo, Barbaresco is made 100% from the Nebbiolo grape. The Barbaresco region’s microclimate is a bit warmer than the Barolo region, consequently allowing the grapes to ripen a bit earlier. DOCG requirements for Barbaresco differ a bit from Barolo, taking into account that Barbaresco is ready for consumption earlier than a Barolo.

Description of the Wine

The 2013 Barbaresco Montestefano Riserva shows a ruby color of medium intensity, on the nose you discover complex aromas of black fruit, chocolate, leather and game. On the palate, the wine is dry, with medium acidity, good body, well integrated firm tannins. The finish is long and very pleasant. TBM 92 points. A lovely Barbaresco, certainly good to drink now but definitely with potential to develop further.

September 20, 2023September 27, 2023

2011 Enchanted Path Shiraz & Cabernet

2011 Enchanted Path Shiraz & Cabernet, from McLaren Vale, Australia. The winery is Mollydooker Wines. They make the wine with 71% Shiraz and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon. A powerful wine, quite nice. Intense ruby color. In the nose, complex and pleasant aromas of black fruit, dark cherry, dark (even dry) plum, notes of leather, cigar box, chocolate and liquorish. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium acidity, full bodied, with a slightly hot sensation due to its high alcohol level (15,5%), nice long finish. The alcohol is a bit dominant and leaves a slightly hot sensation. It needs to be enjoyed at the right temperature, between 16 and 18°C, otherwise, the alcohol may show a bit unpleasant. TBM 91 pontos.

July 22, 2023July 22, 2023

2016 Querciavalle Chianti Classico

The 2016 Querciavalle Chianti Classico is the “workhorse” of the Losi Family – their business card among the Chiantis. They produce several other wines, of course a Chianti Classico Riserva, and in really good vintages also a Gran Selezione (which is spectacular). At the entry level, there is a Querciavalle Vigna della Campana – a red wine on majority Sangiovese grapes, that passes through French oak to have it ready and drinkable more quickly (the year following the vintage). Chianti Classico and Riserva need to spend much more time maturing, which can drain the cash flow. Therefore, it is good to have a wine that can be sold the year following the harvest.

The Losi family has been in the wine business for more than five generations, and when you come to the village, there seems to be one of their cellars under virtually every house. No herbicides and no pesticides, they produce a wine that truly represents the terroir.

The 2016 Querciavalle Chianti Classico has a ruby color with grenade reflexes. The nose is intense and complex, with aromas of red fruit – cherry especially, some spices, as well as a few tertiary notes as leather, smoke and game. On the palate, the wine is dry, with tannins quite present, but well integrated and silky, medium + acidity, a great mouthfeel and a medium-long finish.

Overall, the 2016 Querciavalle Chianti Classico is a great example of a Chianti Classico. Strongly recommended. TBM 91 points.

March 30, 2023March 30, 2023

2002 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes

2002 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes is a mature, well-done red Burgundy wine made by Geantet-Pansiot. This domaine was originally created in 1954, after the marriage of Edmond Geantet and Bernadette Pansiot. They began with 7 ha of vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin, slowly expanding over the years. Their son Vincent Geantet has been in charge of the winemaking at this domaine since 1989. The 2002 vintage had been a warm, but very good vintage. The malolactic fermentation ended early, and the wine was bottled already in October of that year. When tasting in 2004, Stephen Tanzer criticised that the wine had too strong an oak element – something that we, tasting in 2023, did not find.

Ruby color with a slight grenade reflex, this wine showed beautiful cathedral windows in the glass. We enjoyed this wine in the Manhatta restaurant in New York. They serve the wine in Zalto glasses – very fine and thin, these glasses show the best of the wine. In the nose, there is red fruit, redcurrant, red cherry, some flowery notes. On the palate, the 2002 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes is dry, round, fruity, mineral with nicely integrated tannins. A very elegant wine that has obviously benefited greatly from maturing.

TBM 92 points.

2002 Chambolle Musigny Vieilles Vignes Geantet-Pansiot

March 30, 2023March 30, 2023

Philipponnat 1522 Grand Cru

Philipponnat 1522 Grand Cru is a Grand Cru Champagne of the 2014 vintage, made by Philipponnat. The name of Cuvée 1522 is a tribute to the year in which the Philipponnat family settled in the village of Ay. This is a village in the heart of the Champagne region. Apvril le Philipponnat owned vines at Le Léon, between Ay and Dizy in the Champagne region, from 1522.

Vintage 2014

According to the website – the word from the Cellar Master – the following describes the condition of the vintage. 2014, a year with chaotic weather and full of surprises. A mild and rainy autumn and winter were followed by a superb spring, warm, dry and sunny, leading to a very early bud break. Summer was particularly rainy and temperatures were autumnal by the end of August. Considering the rainy weather, grape soundness was satisfactory, notably with very low levels of grey rot, and no powdery or downy mildew on the clusters. The year was unusual in that sour rot and spotted wing drosophila appeared in certain sectors. Due to fast picking and strict sorting during the harvest, the quality of our intake was very sound with a fairly exceptional average weight of clusters. The harvest took place from 13 to 25 September 2014.

Making of the Philipponnat 1522 Grand Cru

This Philipponnat 1522 Grand Cru champagne is made with 81% Pinot Noir and 19% Chardonnay. The Pinot Noir grows in the Léon vineyard, thus, one of the most traditional properties. The Verzy vineyard is the source of the Chardonnay. The wine stays 08 years on the lees. The dosage is minimal, only 4,25 gr/l, therefore, this is an Extra Brut Champagne.

Analysis of the Champagne

In the glass, the Philipponnat 1522 Grand Cru Champagne presents itself in a golden straw color, brilliant, with very fine perlage. In the nose, it shows complex aromas of pear, almonds, spices and brioche, with slight peppery notes. On the palate, this Champagne is dry and fresh, with a wonderful perlage, underlining the aromas and ending in a long and pleasant finish.

We enjoyed this wine to begin celebrating my wife’s birthday. A truly marvellous champagne!

TBM 93 points.

March 23, 2023March 30, 2023

ProWein 2023

ProWein is undoubtedly the largest wine fair in the world. It gathers thousands of exhibitors, and tens of thousands visitors of the wine business. It is always overwhelming. Three days of intense visits, talks, tastings. I have attended ProWein regularly since 2014 until 2019, wanted to attend the fair in 2020 when the organisers decided to cancel it in the last minute, due to the overall lockdown caused by COVID19. There was no ProWein fair in 2021. In 2022, it resumed, but at a small scale; I decided not to attend. So this year, ProWein 2023 after three years of abstinence, I went there again, with high expectations.

Transport to ProWein 2023 – less Visitors

Not sure what to begin with: the first day, I took public transport (oh yes, energy and climate conscious), which took me three times what I would have needed going by car. But that’s the contribution to saving the climate. So on the first day, I did not notice that the parking spaces were half empty, that there was not the usual traffic jam to get your car parked, that you did not have to fight for your space on the shuttle bus… On the second and third day, I became victim of the strike – public transport did not function. Expecting chaos, I managed to get to ProWein 2023 in much less time than expected. Fewer visitors than in 2019 and before – whatever the reasons. The Ukraine crisis certainly contributes, but there must be other factors.

Exhibitors and Listings

The number of exhibitors was probably quite high – frankly, I haven’t checked the statistics. But this aspect was the usual one: there is more to see, to discover, than you can possibly manage in three days. Finding a particular winery can be a challenge, if you don’t know beforehand where their stand is. Searching the ProWein 2023 database does not always bring the appropriate result, at least not when using the app. So there is room to improve. Some countries or regions had helped with special listings or catalogues – Austria, for instance, occupying pavilion 5, had a printed catalogue handed out, with every expositor listed. The Loire region also had a list of the wineries present, and regions, even indicating whether the winery is organic, biodynamic or HVE3 certified.

German wines strongly represented

Germany dominated pavilion 1 and also a major part, if not all, of pavilion 4. The VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) had a strong presence at ProWein 2023. Around half of their members had their stands in the VDP area. I tasted may wines…mainly Riesling, from different producers. Truly excellent – my preferred white grape. Mosel / Saar /Ruwer stands out, I like the freshness and the typicality of these Rieslings. Rheingau is also great, and so is Palatinate…and Nahe, and Rheinhessen…

Wines without alcohol appear to be a real trend. There was a large area reserved for them. I tried a Riesling, but to be honest, this is not for me. In the nose, the liquid you have in your glass promises, has notes that are typical of Riesling. On the palate, the freshness is also there. But then – where is the body? There is a big hole where you would normally have the volume of aromas on the palate… it’s a bit like a squeezed lemon juice, without sugar. And without grace, in my opinion.

March 15, 2023

2006 Altenberg Alte Reben

2006 Altenberg Alte Reben is a Riesling from the Van Volxem winery in the Saar region. Saar is part of the Mosel appellation (formerly Mosel-Saar-Ruwer). The original Van Volxem winery in Wiltingen dates back to a Roman villa complex. Originally, the Romans planted the vineyards, back in the 3rd century. They are among the best slate sites of the Saar with the oldest steep slopes. Following a period when it was the winery of a monastery under the Jesuit order in the 17th century, Van Volxem, a Belgian brewer, took over the propoerty. In 2000, the current owner Roman Niewodniczanski purchased the winery, and greatly improved the quality.

What better wine to have on International Riesling Day than a great Riesling? Look at this color!! Amber, golden. In the nose, you are overwhelmed by gorgeous and complex aromas that are typical for an aged Riesling: peach, apricot, honey, caramel… and notes of safrinha. On the palate, the wine is off-dry, with medium plus acidity, very round mouthfeel, long finish… consequently, asking for the next sip of this outstanding Riesling!

For those who love really dry Rieslings, the 2006 Altenberg Alte Reben is perhaps not for you. In the early 2000’s, Van Volxem liked to make the wines with quite a bit of residual sugar. Roman Niewodniczanski changed this, and younger Rieslings from Van Volxem are even more spectacular.

TBM 94 points.

March 15, 2023

1995 Château Greysac

1995 Château Greysac is a Cru Bourgeois from the Medoc region, in Bordeaux, France. More details on this Château can be found here – it seems their own website is out of service. It is one of the more basic Bordeaux wines, so one should not expect miracles. Also, its price tag is modest. But I would not go as far as Robert Parker, who wrote – back in 1996, when the wine was obviously still extremely young – “Slightly riper and softer than the 1994, but also an ungenerous, light-bodied wine lacking fruit“. He then gave it a shocking 78-80 points 😜 – today, this would be a death sentence for any wine! In the mid-90s, Robert Parker himself was still quite direct and without any attempt to please – honesty prevailed. That had its advantages, really. Today, every wine seems to earn a high number of points. And this is often not justified.

The 1995 Château Greysac, however, with its 28 years of age, doesn’t seem old. It is quite alive, showing red fruit (redcurrant, cherry) with some spicy aromas in the nose (and not “lacking fruit”, as Robert Parker stated). The tannins are nicely integrated. It seems that it paid off that I have waited quite a long time to open this bottle, that had been forgotten in my cellar (I had purchased it en primeur in 1996). It harmonised very well with my Ossobuco and polenta that I made. TBM 85-86 points.

February 23, 2023

2017 Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”

2017 Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” is a classical wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, from one of the most iconic wineries. Deep rubi color, intense and complex nose, of dark red fruit, stew (or rather rum pot) of plum and dark cherry, cranberry, notes of dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine is powerful, dry, silky tannins.

This 2017 Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” is quite drinkable, even though it certainly has quite some aging potential.