WTN: 2005 Hans Lang Pinot Noir QbA Edition Maximilian

2005 Hans Lang Pinot Noir QbA Edition Maximilian - Germany, Rheingau (11/11/2006)
11.5% AP 6 906 060 010 06. I have to admit, I was really excited about the prospect of a Rheingau pinot noir from Weinhaus Hans Lang. I needn't have been. This slightly sweet, light ruby wine resembles nothing more than any anonymous German red sold by the carafe. Perhaps a hint of earth peeks through, but mainly it's candied and boring and improves not at all with air. For $6, it's not a bad value, and might be tastier to non-wine drinkers. Fair+.

Posted from CellarTracker

2005 Hans Lang Pinot Noir QbA Edition Maximilian - Germany, Rheingau (11/11/2006) 11.5% AP 6 906 060 010 06. I have to admit, I was really excited about the prospect of a Rheingau pinot noir from Weinhaus Hans Lang. I needn't have been. This slightly sweet, light ruby wine resembles nothing more than any anonymous German red sold by the carafe. Perhaps a hint of earth peeks through, but mainly it's candied and boring and improves not at all with air. For $6, it's not a bad value, and might be tastier to non-wine drinkers. Fair+.

With reviews like this, they will ban you from Trader Joe's. I picked up a bottle of this there myself today along with the identically priced Blason de Bourgogne which I have yet to open. Both these wines are imported by Plume Ridge Wine Negociants of Industry, CA, so I fear a similar debacle with the French one.

I cannot disagree with your assessment of the German Pinot Noir, but what did we expect? Both these bottles are clearly designed for export. And I always get a bit suspicious when the exporter tries to make it too easy on me!!

And, as you suggest, if we were to serve this stuff at a barbeque populated by the average consumer, I bet he or she would just suck it down.

If you want to try something "interesting," see if you can get yourself a Weißherbst from Baden. It's a also made from the Spätburgunder grape, a.k.a. Pinot Noir, but it is fermented as is a white wine without the skins. It might not blow your hair back, but it is probably a more intriguing use of this grape in Germany.

With reviews like this, they will ban you from Trader Joe's. I picked up a bottle of this there myself today along with the identically priced Blason de Bourgogne which I have yet to open. Both these wines are imported by Plume Ridge Wine Negociants of Industry, CA, so I fear a similar debacle with the French one.

I cannot disagree with your assessment of the German Pinot Noir, but what did we expect? Both these bottles are clearly designed for export. And I always get a bit suspicious when the exporter tries to make it too easy on me!!

And, as you suggest, if we were to serve this stuff at a barbeque populated by the average consumer, I bet he or she would just suck it down.

If you want to try something "interesting," see if you can get yourself a Weißherbst from Baden. It's a also made from the Spätburgunder grape, a.k.a. Pinot Noir, but it is fermented as is a white wine without the skins. It might not blow your hair back, but it is probably a more intriguing use of this grape in Germany.

Interesting, never heard of Weissherbst. I've really enjoyed some Spaetburgunderen, but with this wine, I had an extreme feeling of deja vu. I realized that I'd had it before, in Germany, except it was made from the Kerner grape and sold for EU4 for a third of a bottle in a restaurant. I love Germany and its wines, but the reds are so rarely worth drinking.

Hey, we picked up the Blason as well! I thought I had recorded my opinions in CellarTracker, but it appears not. Why not post a note when you try it, and we'll compare. My wife and I call that the "Burgundy Burgundy Burgundy" wine based on the number of repetitions of Burgundy or Bourgogne on the label:



I also picked up another Plume / TJ special, 2005 Ulrich Langguth Riesling QbA from Hessische Bergstraße. This is an appellation so obscure that the World Atlas of Wine doesn't even bother to map or describe it beyond the main Germany map. We'll see.

Walt

Interesting, never heard of Weissherbst. I've really enjoyed some Spaetburgunderen, but with this wine, I had an extreme feeling of deja vu. I realized that I'd had it before, in Germany, except it was made from the Kerner grape and sold for EU4 for a third of a bottle in a restaurant. I love Germany and its wines, but the reds are so rarely worth drinking.

Hey, we picked up the Blason as well! I thought I had recorded my opinions in CellarTracker, but it appears not. Why not post a note when you try it, and we'll compare. My wife and I call that the "Burgundy Burgundy Burgundy" wine based on the number of repetitions of Burgundy or Bourgogne on the label:



I also picked up another Plume / TJ special, 2005 Ulrich Langguth Riesling QbA from Hessische Bergstraße. This is an appellation so obscure that the World Atlas of Wine doesn't even bother to map or describe it beyond the main Germany map. We'll see.Walt

Grape minds think alike! I usually experiment with what pops up at TJ's, but methinks their buyer has suffered some kind of injury to the tongue or they have started marketing to the masses. I'm actually finding more interesting wines at Cost Plus World Imports. The store in Solano county has some interesting stuff, but I don't get out that way often (enough for my boss). There's one in Concord just off of I680, too, where I go on occasion.

As you probably have gathered from my earlier posts, I am somewhat of a Germanophile and lived in "Good Old Germany" for about 17 years. It's where I learned to drink wine, an oddity for an Italian-American. I guess it's like everywhere else. Even a blind chicken will find a kernel of corn in the barnyard and such is true for finding really good wines along the Hessische Bergstraße, but if you want to know more, go here: Hessische Bergstraße.

When I drink German reds, I usually stick to Trollinger and Lemberger from Baden and Württemberg or Portugieser from Rheinhessen or the Pfalz. These wines are seldom something to write home about, but there is also something "down-home-ish" and rustic about them which makes them go great with stinky cheeses. But just try to find them in the U.S.A!!

I'll let you know about the Blason, but it might take me a while to get there.

[David M. Bueker]

There are some great Spatburgunders available, but they cost an arm and a leg. Kesseler makes outstanding reds.

I've had the Baden Weissherbst while living in Germany (perhaps at the conclusion of a Volksmarch). They can be quite refreshing and enjoyable. One of my favorite Baden Eisweins was a combination of Scheurebe (which I tend to like anyway) and Rulander (Pinot Gris). (Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio on its own is not a varietal that excites me but the blend came out well and exhibited a pinkish color tone).

There are some great Spatburgunders available, but they cost an arm and a leg. Kesseler makes outstanding reds.

Yep, I've not had a bad pinot noir from Assmanshausen, those are essentially the only German reds that I've really enjoyed, even if they are expensive. Do you regularly buy any German reds not from the area?

Walt