It's quite ambitious to even attempt writing up my notes, but I recently had the opportunity to attend a tasting featuring wines imported by Return to Terroir, Blue Danube and Vinos Unico. An event not-to-be-missed where I had a great deal of exposure to some very interesting wines. With this number of wines, it's more impressions based on what's legible among my scribblings. Wines are more or less in the order I tasted them.
Starting of in the Côte des Blancs for the lone champagne of the event, the NV André Robert Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru from Le Mesnil sur Oger was bright, yeasty, quite green and spicy. Very likeable champagne and very refreshing. The next three wines were (if memory serves) fresh from transport and I had quite some difficulty tasting the wines (each of the three includes 'holding back' and 'hard to read' among my notes). I have a feeling they opened up quite a bit over the course of the tasting as there was quite some buzz about them in the room. Alas, with this lineup, no chance for me to retaste. But I look forward to experiencing these wines again in the future. All from Kremstal in Austria. The 2010 Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Rostenstein was very green and salty and simple at the moment. Certainly holding back when I tasted it. The 2010 Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Hoher Rain had a more ethereal nose, rather lovely actually. More texture and brighter, probably showing the best of the three. The 2010 Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Gaisberg, which the proprietor considers their top vineyard had a stony nose and a very gripping finish, but was absolutely impossible for me to read. In comparison, the 2009 Geyerhof Riesling Karchensteig was absolutely singing. Dried honeycomb, tightly bound lime, lovely and swooning. Also easier to read was the 2009 Weinreider Grüner Veltliner from Weinviertel, lots of white pepper and something that reminded me of a lawnmower. Plush and delicious to drink right now. What a great grip on the finish of this wine.
I know I have lots more to learn about Austria, but the excitement of discovery was palpable as I moved onto the regions emerging from the dissolution of Yugoslavia. First from the Slavonia region in the continental (as opposed to coastal) half of Croatia (whose wines I am much less familiar with) came the 2009 Daruvar Graševina (aka Welschriesling) had a wonderful different savory nose and tasted savory, juicy, kind of like a spiced melon with a spicy dry basic finish. Very likeable and distinct. Moving to the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, the 2008 Bibich R5 Riserva (a blend of Debit, Pošip, Maraština, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay) was very tropical and very berry-oriented. Pleasant. Moving south along the coast to Dubrovnik, the 2008 Karaman Malvasia Dubrovnik was harder for me to read. Inward nose that reminded me a bit of reduction and tasting spicy and inward as well. Deserved a revisit it did not get. Moving way back north on the Croatian coast the 2009 Coronica Malvasia was very silent, both on the nose and on the tongue. A dry spicy grip, but not much else. Didn't feel much depth here. The 2008 Coronica Gran Malvasia had more butter on the nose, but the initial appeal of the very perfumey taste wears off quickly for me, just taste too much for my tender tastebuds.
Moving onto Hungary, (from Villány, more or less bordering the continental half of Croatia), the 2009 Atilla Gere Olasrizling (aka Welschriesling) was tangy fun, lots of tart green melon, basic but fun. Moving from the southwestern corner of Hungary to the northeastern border with Ukraine in Tokaj the 2008 Patricius Furmint had an outstanding complex nose and tasted textured, honeyed, and phenomenally complex. Stunning wine that I've found stunning every time I've had it. Also from Tokaj, the 2009 Bott Furmint Csontos was much more muted aromatically and was semi-dry and felt like the sugar might have been balanced with some more skin contact. In any case, it was spicy and interesting, but very very heavy to drink. The 2009 Bott Hárslevelü Határi was another winner for me. Floral violet nose, dry weight in the mouth, lovely airy perfumed finish. Lovely, lovely elegant wine with a whole lotta weight on it.
Next onto Štajerska (Lower Sytria) in northeastern Slovenia for the 2010 Črnko Jareninčan (a blend of riesling, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc). Delicious lime acid with good fruit. Wonderful and simple. Perfect wine for a liter bottling. From Podravje in Slovenia, the NV Kogl Penina Clasique was a classic method sparkler made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Juicy, berried, lots of taffy and suggestion of bubblegum. Hmmm. The 2010 Kogl Rosé of Pinot Noir had a slight fizz to it along with lots of cherried fruit and some residual sugar. Not feeling this. The 2010 Kogl Auxerrois had a tight structured nose that really stood out after the last two. Structured, but hard to evaluate. Worth revisiting. Similarly, the 2010 Kogl Ranina had bright acid, suggests of rhubarb (which I liked) and bubblegum (which I didn't). I wonder where those bubblegum aromas are coming from. A new producer to me, (which my friend and coworker correctly surmised I'd love) was from Vipava Valley in the southwest of Slovenia. The 2008 Batič Pinela reminded me a lot of lambic on the nose, and combined some good texture and tartness with some real funk. Interesting stuff, no doubt. The 2009 Batič Zaria (a blend of 55 percent Pinela, 20 percent Zelen, 10 percent Rebula, 8 percent Vitovska, 4 percent Klarnica) was more tannic, gripping, textured, and complex. Wow. Superb stuff that really makes a statement. Must revist.
And what an intro that was for the wines of Kabaj from Goriška Brda on the Slovenian side of the border with Italy. The 2008 Kabaj Ravan (Tokai Fruilano) expressive nose, but the flavors were very tightly bound, slightly aggressive at the moment. Clearly needs time in glass or bottle. Super interesting. The 2008 Kabaj Sivi Pinot (Pinot Grigio) had a savory liqueuresque nose (not sure what I mean there, as those would seem to contradict each other!), struck me as slight fake or confectionery in a very delicious way. Bright and very very playful. Not what I expect at all from Pinot Grigio. I've had it before and the 2008 Kabaj Rebula is as lovely as I recalled. Complex nose, superb grip (hello 30 days on the skins!), more concrete and salt than the fruit of the last two. Delicious. Then onto the amphora wines that are blends of Rebula, Malvasia, and Tokai Fruliano. The 2005 Kabaj Amfora had a bright sweet nose, challenging thickness in the mouth, savory deliciousness that is clearly there but clearly hidden. This one clearly needs time. The 2006 Kabaj Amfora, however, is ready. Dried tangerine expressive nose, explosive beautiful fruit and floral notes on the tongue. Awesome and amazing and drinking perfectly. The 2007 Kabaj Amfora is much more stinky, more sedate, spice market elements in there. A truly beautiful wine that has not yet blossomed. The comparison among those three wines was undoubtedly one of my favorite experiences of the tasting.
Whoooo-weeee. Onto the Jura for some 2009 Fréderic Lambert Poulsard. I loved it. My compatriot hated it. Imagine high-acid kool-aid left to ambient airborne yeasts and bottled early to avoid the taxman. Filthy and slurpable for me, not so much for him. The 2009 Fréderic Lambert Trousseau, on the other hand, I found legitimately interesting as I've had a troubled history with Trousseau (troubled in the sense that I find them difficult to find interesting, whereas Poulsard typically hits the pleasure centers in my brain with little effort). Bloody iron, slightly salty, looser saltwater and taffy in the mouth, beautiful finish. I found this very, very likable. Lovely. The 2009 Domaine de la Couperie Sauvignon Blanc, a VdP from the Loire, actually had good balance between fruit and tang, though the nose was so over-the-top in its greenness, I found it difficult to like. But its decentness shone through that SB nose (note I'm not the biggest SB fan). The 2008 Domain Roger & Christophe Moreux Sancerre had a much more structured and elegant nose, and though a bit simple in its plush tanginess, the chalk in the finish made for a nice wine.
Moving on to Chenin Blanc, the 2009 Domaine Sylvain Gaudron Vouvray Sec had a nothing nose for me and overall the wine just seemed to lack focus, which is very troubling for a sec. The 2008 Domaine Sylvain Gaudron Vouvray Demi-Sec was plush and juicy, but, it's the same story as before with more residual sugar. I guess I thirst for focus and precision when it comes to wines like this, as this was much more lackadaisical. The 2010 Bastide Saint Dominque Côtes du Rhône White (blend of mostly Viognier with Grenache and Clairette) felt anonymous. Decent fruit, good grip, bright. The 2010 Domaine Félines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet had a very perfumed nose, bright and cheerful, dry and pointed. Pleasant enough.
After a break with some fantastic food prepared by yet another compatriot at the tasting, I headed over to taste some Riojas, more for my own edufication than anything. I've had few experiences that make me feel like I "get" Rioja, so I love opportunities to taste up and down to get a better feel of how things work there. The 2008 Bodegas Riojanas Puerta Vieja Crianza struck me with notes of cherry-berry charcoal and on the thicker side. The 2004 Bodegas Riojanas Viña Albina Reserva had a more reserved nose, feel the oak peeking through, spicy, slightly hot. If anything, feels like it's in an awkward stage at the moment, as there's not much of a midpalate. The 2001 Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Gran Reserva had some nice development on the nose and things are starting to get more interesting. Just basic structure at the moment, but this one feels on the verge of developing more interesting characteristics. The 1998 Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Gran Reserva had a rather austere nose, but plush faded beautiful fruit. Not much of a finish, but this nonetheless was my favorite of the bunch. The 1998 Bodgeas Riojanas Viña Albina Gran Reserva didn't have much of a nose and just tasted generic to me (or fatigue was setting in, the charcoal notes do wear my palate down). Interesting quick trip through the years.
Back to Austria, specifically Burgenland for the 2009 J Heinrich Blaufränkisch, which was a delightful bright cherry cheerful excellence. Very enjoyable and very accessible. Lovely. The 2009 J Heinrich Blaufränkisch Goldberg had all that with additional depth and put the cherries inside an aging library. Great texture, really fantastic wine. The 2007 J Heinrich Terra O Cuvée (blend of Blaufränkisch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah) lacked focus in comparison. Meh. The 2008 Juris St. Laurent Selection had earthy cherry, which I liked, but seemed a bit hot, which I did not.
I found the 2008 Juris Pinot Noir Selection pretty impossible to read at all, no help there. The 2008 Juris Zweigelt Selection offered juicy, tangy fruit. Pleasant but didn't grab me. The 2006 Juris St. Laurent Reserve had a much more interesting nose (layered lifesavers) but the juicy berry seemed sugarfied. Kind of odd, actually. Perhaps in a weird place at the moment.
Back to (most likely) my first Slovenian cab franc, the 2008 Batič Cabernet Franc Reserva certainly didn't have a clean nose, but likable, and the taste of high tingly acid paired with earthy layereing and spiciness was deliciousness. Pure and simple. The 2008 Bibich R6 Riserva (a blend of Babich, Lasin, and Plavina) seemed like simple juicy berries. Pleasant.
After a break, back to the northern shores of Croatia and Istria for the 2009 Terzolo Teran (a subvariety related to Refosco). I found it bright, bold, cherried, slightly basic and a bit hot. The 2007 Coronica Gran Teran, also from Istria, screamed more of youthful vibrance (surprising to me as it was actually a tad older). Bright delightful cranberry. Rather enchanting. Then onto a whole delicious slew of Plavac Mali, a grape I've experienced comparatively (from Croatia) than some of these other rarieties. From the jutting peninsula on the Dalmatian coast, the 2009 Dingač Pelješac seemed to suggest both yeastiness and dark earthy berries. I liked the dark earthiness on the tongue a lot more than what I identified as yeast on the nose. The 2006 Dingač Dingač from the most well-known vineyard in the Pelješac peninsula was sedentary, dark, and brooding. Earthy darkness. Utterly and completely awesome. Go Plavac! The 2006 Svirče Plavac Ivan Dolac from the island of Hvar (where I spent a week or so back in the day) was more crystalline, more focused, very nice with really great presence on the finish. A rather stop-and-notice wine. Lovely. Moving onto a much smaller-scale and family-based producer from Pelješac, the 2006 Miloš Plavac was a heckuva lot more funky, even stinky, on the nose. Tasted juicy with a plushness matched by tannins, but some bubblegum. Hard wine to figure out, but stark difference from the past few. The 2005 Miloš Stagnum suggested raisins and cheese, which I would think I'd like, but I jsut found this one hard to drink. Difficult to navigate, somehow.
The 2009 Bura Galerija (blend of Plavac Mali, Marsellane, Cabernet Sauvignon) was tangy, tangy, tangy. The nose struck me as just a tad chemical, but likeable nonetheless. The 2006 Bura Dingač felt, if anything, a bit shutdown. Dry, dry, dry, and numbing no fruit, slight heat, feels like a weird place. Made a detour to visit some wines a compatriot had suggested. The 2010 Mas del Perie Cahors Rosé had bright berries, sweet cherries, but lacked focus for me. Meh. The 2009 Mas del Perie Cahors had good deep tarred cherry fruit, big tannins, a decent savory grip. I found it interesting. Back to the Slovenian-Italian border for the 2007 Kabaj Merlot which had a really tart nose (surprising for a Merlot of whatever providence), and tasted of dried cherries. Helluva food wine, very spiced and interesting in an accenting sort of way. The 2006 Kabaj Cuvee Morel was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot and, well, I found it pretty anonymous. Certainly didn't stand out with my now worn palate.
Palates being what they are, I decided to move toward my personal end with a tour of the sweeter side. From Burgenland in Austria, the 2006 Rosenhof Welschrielsing Beerenauslese was all juicy and honeyed, but simply tasted overripe, especially in the finish. The 2007 Rosenhof Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese was more pleasant, super superrich, very sweet, no backbone that I crave, but seemingly very well-executed nonetheless. The one I clearly had been waiting for, however, was the 2009 Rosenhof Grüner Veltliner Eiswein Orion. Oh. My. Goodness. Delectable and utterly focused. And the finish goes and goes and goes. God bless 'em. Onto Hungary and the 2004 Patricius Red Lion Tokaji Aszú 3 Puttonyos which is, frankly, just a beautiful wine. Well-balanced, plenty of honeyed notes with floral suggestions. Lovely. I found the 2000 Patricius Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos cleaner, more juicy, more succulent, but less interesting, at least at the moment. No edges to catch my fancy. Back for a favored stop back at the Jura for the 2007 Fréderic Lambert Savagnin which had a fantastic nose, salty with presence. The saltwater taffy in the mouth didn't have quite the definition that the nose did, but the lovely finish more than made up for it. The 2003 Fréderic Lambert Vin Jaune was, of course, nutty, light and delicate. Not hugely complex, but very pleasant. And the palate's done what it can do, so it's back across the Bay and back to work.
