WTNs: Pfalz Shiraz, Scheurebe

August Ziegler Shiraz QbA 2008 -Maikammer, Pfalz, Germany 14,0%

Paprika-spiced Hungarian Bacon, white pepper, roasted beef, black cherry. Medium bodied, not jammy, not floral, but not hot either with tangy acidity. A solid effort.

Müller-Catoir Haardt Scheurebe Kabinett Trocken 2009 Pfalz, Germany 12,0%

I have been enjoying this absurdly good value at a clip of about a bottle a week and each time it shows different moods of the same personality. Tonight almost strawberry fruited, sweetcorn, camomile, peach, and gooseberries. A crazy-potent perfume and sharply spiced.

If this wine were a song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DipbFd9s9yE

Cheers,
Bill

Shiraz (and 14%!) in Germany... truly a sign of global warming!

That Scheu sounds awesome, but Catoir Scheu usually does. I do not own enough Catoir Scheurebe.

To borrow a phrase from Brian Miller: "I didn't know they made Shiraz in Germany".

To borrow a phrase from Brian Miller: "I didn't know they made Shiraz in Germany".

LOL. 's truth. I did not.

Shiraz (and 14%!) in Germany... truly a sign of global warming!

That Scheu sounds awesome, but Catoir Scheu usually does. I do not own enough Catoir Scheurebe.

Hi Salil,

It certainly wouldn't have reached 14% this year! (and I'm not convinced that it wasn't mildly chaptalized, but it was decent enough even so.)

That Scheu is indeed awesome.

Bruce & Brian,

I hope that more Pfälzers put some Syrah in the ground as it is difficult to purchase GOOD French Syrah in German wine country and global warming ought to get it there in good sites in the Pfalz (in warmer years.) Knipser makes a couple of bottlings in Laumersheim that I haven't tried, but may have to spring for.

Cheers,
Bill

Hi Bill -

Thanks for the interesting notes. The 2009 Scheurebe sounds like another success for Muller-Catoir - no surprise there.

Interesting that Ziegler labeled this wine as Shiraz, rather than Syrah. I am not sure that I have ever seen the word 'Shiraz' on the label of any European Syrah - maybe a Vin de Pays d'Oc specifically made for the American or Australian markets, perhaps?

Anyway, Ziegler's website does show that they grow an interesting assortment of grapes, including Cab Franc and St. Laurent - neither of which I can recall seeing from any German producer before.

Hi Bill -

Thanks for the interesting notes. The 2009 Scheurebe sounds like another success for Muller-Catoir - no surprise there.

Interesting that Ziegler labeled this wine as Shiraz, rather than Syrah. I am not sure that I have ever seen the word 'Shiraz' on the label of any European Syrah - maybe a Vin de Pays d'Oc specifically made for the American or Australian markets, perhaps?

Anyway, Ziegler's website does show that they grow an interesting assortment of grapes, including Cab Franc and St. Laurent - neither of which I can recall seeing from any German producer before.

Hi Andrew,

As it turns out, Ziegler spent some time working in Australia, hence Shiraz instead of Syrah. There isn't a lot of Cabernet Franc in Germany that I'm aware of. With the growing popularity of planting Bordeaux varieties in the Pfalz, I would expect more to come. Right now though, Theo Minges makes a straight CF that sells for a little over 20€ (I'll see if I can procure a bottle!) As to Sankt Laurent, there is somewhere around 800 ha in Germany, half of it in the Pfalz -not surprising as the vine is originally from Alsace. The Weingut that I now work for has it planted, and we were just yesterday making a decision about the final blend for 2009 (using plusher estate fruit and that from another grower down in Schweigen which is incredibly spicy. I love the result!) The very first Sankt Laurent I had ever tasted was from Weingut Philipp Kuhn in the Pfalz back in 2005, so even though I have come to love Austrian SL, my reference point has always been German.

Cheers,
Bill

Bill - Thank you for the info on German Cab Franc and Sankt Laurent.