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Kuehn Riesling 2008 Grand Cru Kaefferkopf
The latest addition to the Gran Cru spots of Alsace, Kaefferkopf of which Kuehn is one of the best examples around in my modest opinion.
This does not pass visually unnoticed with its seriously intense and shining gold. Plenty of aromatic weight and ripeness offering. Green apple, candied citrus and a touch of tropical are encased into sappy and spice-laden honey
scents. There’s serious loads of fine spices here and the nose comes out as viscous. Serious depth here. The palate retains fleshy texture and ripe fruit kept in tight tension by a terrific acidic structure. Strikingly long finish on a bed of captivating spices. I am again impressed by the way this achieves this weight, structure and presence with such agility with a very reasonable alcohol level (12%) while managing at the same time to come across bone dry. Rebuy: yes
Paired with…
Tagliolini al tonno
I could not hide my overexcitment in attending the long awaited German wine degustation today at Boucherville, Switzerland’s biggest German wine distributor / retailer. Obviously Riesling was the focus, and producers from the Mosel, Saar, Ruwer as well as the Nahe, Pflalz and Rheinhessen regions were there to present their just bottled wines. The purpose of the degustation is to personally introduce the public to the latest vintage wines in their very early stage of youthfullness. This could be quite a challenge considering the peculiarity of the latest vintage. Year 2010 saw a variety of weather conditions resulting in a significant decrease in yields and tremendous levels (quantitatively and qualitatively) of acidity, compensated by higher fruit concentration. Read here for very interesting notes of the 2010 vintage by Ernst Loosen of Dr. Loosen. The setting is also quite remarkable as the event is held in Boucherville’s 100 year old vaulted cellars within a rather large industrial-looking goods warehouse in the center of Zürich. Among the producers were some of the most renowned such as Karthauserhof, Müller-Catoir (only two wines), Pfeffingen, Theo-Minges, Bassermann-Jordan.
An extra factor of attraction for the public (excluding myslelf being unaware of the celebrity in question) was the presence of Günther Jauch, the TV presentator of the German version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. The celebrity was there as the 7th generation owner of the newly acquired cultural-heritage wine estate Von Othegraven together with wife and wine director Andreas Barth, successfully in charge for the past 5 years. The estate, founded in 1805, is located on the lower bank of the Saar river opposite the village of Kanzem in an idyllic setting with 100% Riesling cultivated vineyard holdings. These include Kanzem Altenberg, Wiltingen Kupp, Ockfen Bockstein with some reaching inclinations of over 65 degrees. Every single wine I tasted did impress me in a way, particularly striking was their superb texture and mouthfeel. These were all 2009 bottlings as with the exception of the Kabinett Bockstein the 2010 are yet to be bottled.
The basic 2009 Max Riesling trocken showed plenty of character with lots of fresh peach and a slight tropical accent, offering great mouthfeel, density and purity of flavour.
The Riesling Kupp trocken Erste Lage 2009 from the Ayler Kupp vineyard (above) was on similar lines but with even more weight and depth and a an extra-dimension on the palate.
The Riesling Bockstein Grosses Gewächs trocken 2009 is from grey slate south / south-east facing slopes offered great finesse and typical fruit flavour.
The Altemberg Grosses Gewächs trocken 2009 comes from south / south-west steep iron-rich red slate vineyards. This displayed terrific depth, fullness and a serioulsy long long finish.
The 2009 Riesling Kabinett Bockstein Erste Lage 2009 (RS 40gr , A 8gr) came across delicate, round and mouthwatering. Super. Similar story for the Spätlese Bockstein Erste Lage (RS 80gr) which offered luscious silky texture, delicate and generous on the palate, light, intense and loaded with spicy flavour and shiningly elegant acidity. Finally, the Auslese Bockstein Erste Lage (from 20% Botrytised grapes), offered super concentration yet never a hint of heaviness, rather very elegant, agile and playful with a superb acidic structure and captivating spiciness.
Looking forward to enjoy the bottles I ordered!
Louis Jadot 2006 Givry
Givry is a village in the Cote Chalonnaise lying halfway between Montagny and Mercurey. Wines from these area can provide a good alternative to the lesser Cote D’Or villages. This one from Louis Jadot is a fine example.
Day1: Brilliant crimson, beautiful in the glass. Etereous, gentle bouquet in which the purity of the fruit mingles harmoniusly with the sweet spice character. Almost undetectable touches of smoke and leather add a dark element that enhances the raspberry and sour cherry perfumes. This is quite stylish.
Day2: The overall impression is still in line with that of the previous day. It actually kept very well. The red fruit aromas are still intact. Maybe a little bit darker in character, still clean on the nose and fresh and polished on the palate. Considering the price, definitely a rebuy.
Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune du Château 1er Cru
Ruby red of medium intensity. The nose is understated at first and seems dominated by a strong toast, oak accent. This gives the wine more of a dark tone rather than the typical unpleasent vanilla nuances. The oak presence becomes less noticebale as the wine stays uncorked in the bottle. The fruit is somewhat hid away but its presence is still well detectable. Undertones of brandy-soaked cherries lie underneath a current of intensely piquant and sweet spices that provides tension and depth. Some violet is there as well. In the palate, the remarkable strenght and depth of its spiciness functions as supporting nerve and bring into balance the obvious toast accents. The grip of the tannins grab the flavour and leads it to a very long finish. Requires good oak tolerance. Rebuy: yes
Bouchard Père et Fils 2005 Mercurey
Another fine wine from the Cote Chalonnaise.
Ruby red of medium intensity. Typically Bourgogne in character displaying good depth and an elegant balance between oak and fruit. The initial masculinity from the animal, roasting elements channels the nose into a refined spcied fruit and floral dimension with reminiscences of pan d’epices and violet. The attack is fresh, the spice and fruit (sour cherry) elements are fully reproposed on the mid-palate. Tannins are grainy and wll integrated. The finish reveals a balanced extraction. Rebuy: yes
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