WTNs: Finger Lakes Riesling, Two Weinerts, One Zuccardi

2006 Rivendell Winery Soho Cellars Johannisberg Riesling Finger Lakes 12.0%
Attractive aromas of peach and wet stone, reminiscent of Mosel. Juicy, sweet (like a spatlese) and slightly flabby (needs higher natural acidity). Nice if you cut it some slack.

2008 Weinert Montfleury Gran Rosé Mendoza 14.5%
A blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon and gamay. Strawberry, raspberry and yeast aromas. Some grip and character, but too candied for me. A disappointment.

2000 Cavas de Weinert Gran Vino Mendoza 14.0%
A classic Argentine blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, aged three years in French oak barrels. Wonderful nose of chocolate, leather and cherry. Light tannins, excellent balance between acidity and sweetness, alcohol fully integrated. Has reached peak drinking conditions, and should last several years more. Weinert has been producing this wine since 1977 and it is their flagship blend, exceeded in price only by the Estrella line of monovarietals. This is an excellent representative of the “old” style of making wine in Argentina, closer to traditional Bordeaux than to the international style that became dominant soon after this wine was made. Because that style is out of fashion, this wine costs $20 on wine-searcher, a mispricing bordering on the criminal. Lovely wine.

2006 Familia Zuccardi Malamado Viognier Late Harvest Mendoza 19.5%
Aged one year in French oak. Interesting aromas of apricot, honey, glue and lacquer. Good, dense mouth feel, like a white port. Though it says “late harvest,” this tastes more like a fortified wine. I enjoyed it more for the novelty than for the substance. There is also a red Malamado, made from malbec, that is even more port-like and available outside Argentina (got this at the duty free shop in Buenos Aires).

2000 Cavas de Weinert Gran Vino Mendoza 14.0%
This is an excellent representative of the “old” style of making wine in Argentina, closer to traditional Bordeaux than to the international style that became dominant soon after this wine was made. Because that style is out of fashion, this wine costs $20 on wine-searcher, a mispricing bordering on the criminal. Lovely wine.

This is really sad to read. Are Weinert still producing in this style, in spite of the commercial disincentive? I greatly enjoyed a sample from them which I bought several years ago and, of course, their Malbec 1977 was a truly memorable wine. Alas, the stockist here has moved over to a "modern" Argentinian producer.

Just a data point on the Finger Lakes wine: Rivendell is actually a winery in the Hudson River region of NY State. For that wine they buy in grapes from the FL, probably because the Hudson region is a bit marginal for vinifera. Odd that it should be lacking in acidity, as 2006 was a coolish year. Maybe it was de-acidified?

I'd love to try some of those traditionally styled Weinerts, but they always seemed rare in my market.

Are Weinert still producing in this style, in spite of the commercial disincentive? I greatly enjoyed a sample from them which I bought several years ago and, of course, their Malbec 1977 was a truly memorable wine. Alas, the stockist here has moved over to a "modern" Argentinian producer.

Because the Cavas de Weinert spends several years in barrels before release, the latest available outside Argentina seems to be the 2002, which I have yet to try, but still seems to be made in the old fashioned way, judging from some of the reviews I've seen.

The Malbec 1977 is still available on wine-searcher!

I've found the current release monovarietals (Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) to be half-hearted and not very successful attempts at playing the international game, but the lower level Carrascal is still made in the old style and is actually very nice and, to me, much better. Much like many regular malbecs are more to my taste than the corresponding reservas. I think that Weinert are now playing both fields, and that seems sensible as a survival strategy.

Odd that it should be lacking in acidity, as 2006 was a coolish year. Maybe it was de-acidified?

I'd love to try some of those traditionally styled Weinerts, but they always seemed rare in my market.

Is it possible to de-acidify? I thought one could acidulate either the must or the wine, but not the reverse, rather like one can't desalt a soup that has become too salty...

If you're not averse to mail order, the 2000 and 2002 Cavas de Weinert appear on wine-searcher at extremely reasonable prices, and the Carrascal costs next to nothing...

As (self-appointed) head Malbec Hound here, I am going to have to pick up a Weinert and see whats going on!!

Is it possible to de-acidify? I thought one could acidulate either the must or the wine, but not the reverse, rather like one can't desalt a soup that has become too salty...

Yes indeed! One can reduce the acidity in must or pressed juice by the addition of calcium carbonate (chalk). Acidity can also be reduced after fermentation by the addition of potassium bi-carbonate, cold stabilization (where the wines are chilled below 0 deg.C for a few weeks, thus precipitating out tartrates) and by encouraging malo-lactic fermentation (thus converting strong malic acid into weaker lactic acid - seldom done to Riesling). Grapes from the Northeastern US often are high in acid and require such adjustments.

Thanks, Howie! Any ideas on how I can desalt my soup?

[James Roscoe]

Thanks, Howie! Any ideas on how I can desalt my soup?

Take the salt shaker out of your hand?

I saw Zuccardi, and I thought an old "friend" had returned. Nice notes Oswaldo, as always.

I have just purchased the`02 Cavas de Weinert Gran Vino for Wine Focus. I am really looking forward to it this evening. $28 Cdn.