Quick WTNs: Luxembourg, Switzerland, Czech Republic

Luxembourg

2010 Chateau de Schengen `Domaine Thill‘ Riesling AOC Moselle Luxemborgeosie 12,5% alc.

Pear and apple fruit, lightly floral. Good balance with sugar and acidity (both about 8 g/l)

2010 Domaine Clos Rochers Ahn Palmberg Riesling AOC Moselle Luxemborgeosie 12,5% alc.

More verve and lenght. Great minerality if a little less fruit than the last. Interesting as the specs are almost identical. Very good.

2010 Domaine Viticole Schumacher-Kneppen Wintrange Felsberg Fût 24 Riesling Grand Premier Cru 12,5% alc.

Ripe, dense apple and peach fruit, steely mineral (if not quite Saar-like). A very gentil Riesling.

2009 Domaine Clos des Rochers Riesling Vin de Glace AOC Moselle Luxemborgeosie 9% alc, 269 g/l rz, 11 g/l ta

Peach and nectarine fruit, heady floral aromas of apple blossoms, savory and spicey. A nice Eiswein.

Switzerland

2010 Robert Gilliard Fendant les Murettes AOC Valais

I’ve been a big fan of this wine for years. It really takes Chasselas/Fendant/Gutedel to the next level. Clean, fresh and a little creamy. Very Grapy, with beautiful aromas of grass and straw and delicate mineral. Nice acidity.

2010 Johanniterkeller Lac de Bienne Sauvignon Blanc AOC Bern

A little reductive –grass, lemon zest, grapefruit. Simple

2010 Le Cave de Geneve SA ‘Le Sarant’ Sauvignon Gris AOC Geneve

Amazingly light for 14% alc. Very pretty lily aromas, pear and pineapple fruit with decent acidity. Delicious.

2010 Obrist SA ‘La Tour Blanche’ Chardonnay/Pinot Gris/ Pinot Noir AOC Vaud

Rich ripe fruit that is dominated by oak. A little characterless.

Czech Republic

2010 Reisten Sro Parlov Maidenburg Sauvignon Blanc Morava

Slightly oxidized. Grass, wheat, lemon and orange citrus fruit. Simple.

2009 Vinohrad Premium Palava Chardonnay Pozdny Sber Chardonnay

This is Spätlese ripeness (no idea about what the parameters or scale that is used in CZ). Apples and pear fruit. Buttery, creamy, a little hot. Lactic, but curiously unoaked.

2009 Vinseleckt Michlovsky AS Ryzlink Vlassky Morava

This would be Riesling -Apricot, peach, flowers, and a little earthiness. Sweeter style (37 g/l). Pretty good –like a simpler Rheinhessen Riesling with less acidity.

2010 Habanske Veltinske Zelene Pozdni Sber 12,0% alc.

This is Grüner Veltliner –Characteristic lentil and white pepper. The fruit is lime, pear, there is an herbal tea element –very green flavors. Good.

Cheers,
Bill

Thanks for those notes, Bill.

I always buy some Luxembourg wines when I pass through there. Their quality is underrated, as I think you show, and their prices mostly very reasonable - <€10. (NWR thought - if, God forbid, the Euro zone were to break up, would the Luxembourg franc revalue alongside the DM or devalue with the Belgian franc?)

Did you get to try my favourite Swiss wines from the indigenous varieties Petite Arvine (W) and Cornalin (R), which IMO can produce top class wine, as well as Amigne (W) and Humagne (R) at a slightly lower level? I would like to know what you think. Semi-indigenous Païen/Heida (AKK Savagnin or Traminer) also produces attractive results quite different from Savagnin in the Jura.

I must have tasted Czech wines on my visits there (last time 1992) but I have no memory of them. The beer is another thing..... Egon Müller gets interesting results in neighbouring Slovakia.

East European names of the vine varieties sound sometimes strange or at least they are difficult to identify, so a short side note:

2009, Vinselekt Michlovský a.s., Ryzlink Vlašský, Morava - this is the "another" Riesling, known in Austria as Welschriesling, in Italy as Riesling Italico, in Hungary as Olaszrizlling or in Croatia as Graševina. Usually much more simplier and less longliving than "normal" Riesling, but especially in Austria, some good examples of Welschriesling can be found quite often.

Did you get to try my favourite Swiss wines from the indigenous varieties Petite Arvine (W) and Cornalin (R), which IMO can produce top class wine, as well as Amigne (W) and Humagne (R) at a slightly lower level? I would like to know what you think. Semi-indigenous Païen/Heida (AKK Savagnin or Traminer) also produces attractive results quite different from Savagnin in the Jura.

Hi Tim,

I have tried Petite Arvine, Cornalin, and Humagne in the past. I'm a proponent of Mountain wines both red and white for the excellent pairings that they give to the hearty meat and cheese dishes served at the higher altitudes (the high acid and straightforward fruit normally matches well to a lot of dishes in fact.) Not only Switzerland, but Northern Italy, France, Austria, Liechtenstein too. Some people might describe the wines (and food) as rustic, but I can think of few more satisfying.

Cheers,
Bill

East European names of the vine varieties sound sometimes strange or at least they are difficult to identify, so a short side note:

2009, Vinselekt Michlovský a.s., Ryzlink Vlašský, Morava - this is the "another" Riesling, known in Austria as Welschriesling, in Italy as Riesling Italico, in Hungary as Olaszrizlling or in Croatia as Graševina. Usually much more simplier and less longliving than "normal" Riesling, but especially in Austria, some good examples of Welschriesling can be found quite often.

Thank You, Rudy.

I even have a book or two on Czech wines, but neglected to double check that as it was identified as simply Riesling in German. It is a good thing to know, as I would've been even more impressed with it had I known that it was welschriesling -that seems to be in line with my notes (I was wondering where the acidity went!)

Cheers,
Bill

Hi Bill,

No problem with the two Rieslings... Here in Slovakia the "Rizling Vlašský" is very popular, but the people often do not recognize that these are two different varieties.
I prefere the austrian WR, last weekend I could already taste the 2011 from K+K Kirnbauer Winery in Mittelburgenland, although that is mostly the red wine producer and region as well. The wine was fresh, fruity, even with some acidity, but very simple without the complexity of "Rhein" Riesling... Otherwise WR is widely used for the production of austrian sparklings, when still wine, then the best producers could be found in the Steiermark.

By the way, where are you in Pfalz? This Thursday or Friday I will be in Forst at Georg Mosbacher Winery. Maybe glas of Riesling somewhere...?

Stanislav

Hi Bill,

No problem with the two Rieslings... Here in Slovakia the "Rizling Vlašský" is very popular, but the people often do not recognize that these are two different varieties.
I prefere the austrian WR, last weekend I could already taste the 2011 from K+K Kirnbauer Winery in Mittelburgenland, although that is mostly the red wine producer and region as well. The wine was fresh, fruity, even with some acidity, but very simple without the complexity of "Rhein" Riesling... Otherwise WR is widely used for the production of austrian sparklings, when still wine, then the best producers could be found in the Steiermark.

By the way, where are you in Pfalz? This Thursday or Friday I will be in Forst at Georg Mosbacher Winery. Maybe glas of Riesling somewhere...?

Stanislav

Thanks Again for the info Stanislav,

See PM

Hi Bill -

A belated thank you for the very interesting group of notes. Never had a Czech wine before.