Tastings by Michael

October 23, 2022October 26, 2022

2021 Brama blanc Clos Venturi

The 2021 Brama blanc Clos Venturi is a white wine from Corsica, made with biodynamic principles in the vineyards and the cellar. It is made with the Biancu Gentile grape, autochthonous of Corsica. The limestone soil gives the wine a nice freshness. The yield is only 30 hl per hectare. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete vats. Maturing 8 months on fine lees. No clarification, light filtration after natural cooling (cellar gets rather cold in the winter). Tasted at the Gerstl tasting on 23 October 2022.

Straw color. In the nose, yellow and citric fruit. On the palate, the wine is dry, with nice acidity, round and with good body and structure.

TBM 87 points.

October 23, 2022November 2, 2022

2021 Ostara Weingut Weedenborn

The 2021 Ostara Weingut Weedenborn is a white wine made from a blend of different grapes: 50% Pinot Blanc, 25% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Riesling. Enologist Gesine Roll created this fresh wine from terroirs of Rheinhessen. Strangely enough the wine cannot be found on their website. I tasted it at the Gerstl tasting in Sempach. Gerstl called it a top cuvée and “the white wine of the year 2022”!

Straw colour. In the nose, the typical Sauvignon Blanc aromas are dominant at first – Passion fruit, especially. Then, there is also yellow fruit (grapefruit, lemon) and flowery notes. On the palate, the wine is dry, slightly acidic with a reasonable finish. Not sure what made Gerstl consider this wine to be so extraordinary.

TBM 83 points.

October 23, 2022October 26, 2022

2021 Clos Venturi 1769 blanc

The 2021 Clos Venturi 1769 was my first wine from Corsica in the Grand Tasting of Gerstl on 23 October 2022. I was lucky to meet the producer of Clos Venturi, Eric Mialhe, at this event. Clos Venturi is a winery on the island of Corsica, in the Mediterranean. They apply biodynamic principles. which strengthens the vines so that in hot and dry summer as in 2022, the vines are not stressed too much.

The 2021 Clos Venturi 1769 blanc is made with the Vermentino grape, which makes a very aromatic wine. Straw colour with slight greenish reflexes. In the nose, complex aromas of yellow fruit, quite impressive – apple, pear and quince come to mind. On the palate, the wine is dry, with medium acidity, round and well balanced.

TBM 86 points.

October 23, 2022November 2, 2022

2021 Grüner Veltliner Terrassen Smaragd

2021 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Terrassen Rudi Pichler

The 2021 Grüner Veltliner Terrassen Smaragd from Rudi Pichler is a fresh Austrian white wine from the Wachau area. Rudi Pichler uses grapes from different terroirs to make this Grüner Veltliner, which according to his website is “combining minerality, subtle fruit aromas, tobacco-like spiciness and a peppery elegance”.

Straw colour, this wine shows aromas of yellow and citrus fruit in the nose. On the palate, the wine is rather dry, with a medium to medium high acidity, leaving a distinct freshness in the mouth, paired with a hint of bitterness. The finish is reasonable.

TBM 85 points.

October 23, 2022October 30, 2022

2020 Givry 1er Cru “Pied de Chaumes” Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume

After tasting this 2020 Givry 1er Cru Pied de Chaumes, made by Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume, I understand why King Henry IV chose the Givry 1er Cru as his favourite wine! Well, he didn’t exactly taste this wine….

Ruby colour with slight violet reflexes. In the nose, red dark fruit – blueberry, plum, dark cherry. A touch of vanilla. On the palate, the wine is dry, round, with medium-low acidity and velvety tannins that are nicely integrated. Long and pleasant finish. A great, elegant wine. Ready to enjoy now, but certainly will improve even more over the next 5 to 10 years. Available in Brazil at @vinhos.primeur of @elainelencastre!

TBM 92 points.

October 23, 2022November 9, 2022

2021 Langhe Nascetta

2021 Langhe Nascetta by Diego Conterno is a white wine from Piemonte, made using the autochthonous Nascetta grape. The vineyard has a westerly exposition, below the winery in Monforte d’Alba. Diego Conterno comes from a famous winemaker family. At some point, he had a joint venture with his cousins Claudio and Guido Fantino, but he discontinued the JV in 2000 and started his own winery. The winery is small, it has 7,5 hectares. Harvest is carried out manually. The grapes are then cooled with dry ice, and undergo a maceration for 24 to 36 hours. Thereafter, the must ferments in steel tanks. Limited production of 5.300 bottles. Good ageing potential. Tasted at the Gerstl tasting in Sempach.

The 2021 Langhe Nascetta presents itself in a straw colour, slightly golden. In the nose, tropical fruit dominates – pineapple comes out clearly. Citrus notes as well, grapefruit grind. Slight herbal or flowery notes and a touch of mint. On the palate, it is dry, fruity with a touch of minerals, slight salinity. Good mouthfeel.

TBM 85 points.

October 23, 2022November 9, 2022

2020 Escherndorfer Lump Scheurebe

2020 Escherndorfer Lump Scheurebe Spätlese is an off-dry/sweet white wine, made by Horst Sauer in Franconia, Germany. The Escherndorfer Lump is a vineyard with steep slopes, which have up to 75% inclination. It is classified as Erste Lage in the VDP classification. The soil consists of shell limestone, with Southern exposure. This terroir helps producing wines of intense fruit and good minerality. The wine has around 19,5 gr residual sugar, with 7,6 gr acidity. It comes in the Bocksbeutel bottle, which is typical for Franconia. Tasted at the Gerstl Tasting in Sempach.

The wine has a straw colour, with slight greenish reflexes. In the nose, aromas of yellow fruit and citrus prevail, combined with some light mineral notes. On the palate, the wine is slightly sweet / off dry, with medium acidity and a round mouthfeel. The finish is reasonably long. All in all, the 2020 Escherndorfer Lump Scheurebe Spätlese is a good wine.

TBM 85 points.

October 23, 2022November 9, 2022

2020 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Schloss Lieser

2020 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Schloss Lieser is a slightly sweet Riesling, from one of the most famous vineyards in the Mosel area: Wehlener Sonnenuhr. It was Jodocus Prüm who created the sun dial in 1842. The sundial gives its name to a magnificent, large vineyard. Different wineries own parcels of different sizes of this appellation. Schloss Lieser is the winery producing this wine, which is run by Thomas and Ute Haag. Thomas is the son of famous winemaker Fritz Haag. They introduced spontaneous fermentation for their wines long before this became fashionable. They do not use yeast made from cultures, a practice to give the wine certain aromas. Instead, they work with the natural yeast that can be found on the grapes and in the cellar. This makes the wines express the true character of the terroir. I tasted this wine at the Gerstl Tasting in Sempach.

This Riesling has straw colour. In the nose, the first impression is a pronounced petrol note, typical for Riesling. One perceives aromas of citric fruit and mirabelle, with a flowery note. On the palate, it is slightly sweet (a bit sweeter than off-dry), with a pleasant acidity. It has a round mouthfeel and a long finish. For my taste, the petrol notes were slightly dominant and not fully integrated. But overall, a beautiful wine.

TBM 86 points.

October 18, 2022November 27, 2023

Welcome to Tastings by Michael!

Welcome to Tastings by Michael! This is my project of creating a website that will publish my various tasting notes of wines. Wines from different countries that I have tasted over the years. Before the COVID pandemic, I have regularly attended the PROWEIN fare. There, thousands of wine producer present their wines from all over the world. This type of event is a great forum to create first contacts. I participated in tasting groups, for instance in the ABS-RJ, the Association of Brazilian Sommeliers in Rio de Janeiro. There, I have learned to systematically analyse and evaluate a wine. (Check here to see how I evaluate the wines!) I also regularly attend tasting events and I frequently visit wineries in different countries, which gives allows me to get to know the wines in the different regions better. There may also be other relevant matters that will hopefully be interesting for my readers.

Having visited hundreds of wineries and tasted thousands of wines, I felt the need to have all my experience gathered in one place. And in doing so, why not share this experience with wine lovers? Some of my notes have been published on my Instagram profile or on Tastingbook. Ideally, my readers will get an idea of what to expect from a given wine because I am describing the wine as such, but also background information. I will explain the philosophy of the winery – for instance, how they are working in the vineyards, whether they apply organic or biodynamic principles. Other information, for instance about the terroir, will also be provided. So enjoy, and Welcome to Tastings by Michael.

October 17, 2022October 26, 2022

2010 Château Montrose

The 2010 Château Montrose is one of my favorite Bordeaux wines. I have tasted many vintages of this wine. 1990 probably was the best, as far as I remember. This vintage comes close! In my opinion, it should be a 1er Cru, not 2nd. But the classification was made in 1855…

Good looking normal size bottle. Colour is ruby red. On the nose it is intense and complex. Aromas of dark red fruit, blackberry, cigar-box, vanilla, cassis, chocolate, dark cherry and blackcurrant. On the palate, it is voluptuous, round, and dry, with silky tannins, medium-low acidity, with a perfectly balanced, complex and well-structured structure. The finish is endless. This wine is masterpiece. This wine is ready to drink now, but will last well at least for another 25 years. Decanting of the 2010 Château Montrose is recommended, at least 45min-1hr before tasting.

TBM 98 points.

Ch Montrose