A Czech wine outshines a Franken

2013 Porta Bohemica Müller-Thurgau - Czech Republic, Bohemia, Litoměřická (8/30/2019)
Purchased at a La cave des papilles, a natural wine store on the charming Rue Daguerre in the 14th. I'd never seen a Czech wine before and took a flier. Stand up in advance, quite a bit of sediment and needed a decant. Sort of a baby riesling, dry, decently floral, decently acidic. Harmonious, cheerful and sun-filled, dangerously easy to drink and outstanding with food. Who knew that fine wine could come from Bohemia? Very Good+.

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2016 Hans Wirsching Silvaner Dry - Germany, Franken (8/30/2019)
I found this quite neutral. Not enough acidity, not much aromatic interest, perfectly decent with food but not a wine I'd buy again. Almost certain this is not corked, it smells very clean. I felt the same way about a 2015 Iphöfer Kalb from the same producer, which has the distinction of being the only Silvaner and only non-dessert Franken on the French Laundry list (though in the context of the list it's a value). Fair+.

Posted from CellarTracker

Hi Walter

Good to read your positive review of the Muller-Thurgau. It's a variety that doesn't generally get good reports tho' I think in cool climates (such as England) it makes an enjoyable steely crisp white wine.

I was puzzled by the label picture as the contents are shown as .75 litre yet US requires content to be shown in millilitres, but from the 'Rue' name perhaps you didn't buy this in the USA.

However the label says 2014 vintage and your review is of the 2013

I spent quite some time working in the Czech Republic and had a bottle of local wine every night. I was impressed with their quality and relatively low alcohol. Those wines came from Moravia, yours from Bohemia along the Elbe on the border with Germany

Very interesting TNs. I have often wondered why wines from the Czech republic, and Slovakia too, are not better known. Most of the other successor states of the pre-1914 Hapsburg empire situated in temperate zones have solid wine reputations, rebuilt after the dead hand of communism, and Austria itself produces some of the world's finest. If the Elbe valley can sublimate Müller-Thurgau, it ought to be able to produce fine bottles from more noble varieties. Czech beer, of course, can be great and I recall a fine Slovakian Riesling produced by Egon Müller

It's certainly funny that I had to go to France to buy a bottle of Czech wine, in Paris. I had the rest of the bottle last night and it was even better, richer and longer. Very impressive, and a steal at about $15.

I would bet that, like Switzerland, they just don't make enough to export any significant portion. It's at the 50th latitude, so that explains the acidity and modest alcohol. I was surprised that they are apparently imported to the US:
http://www.jennyandfrancois.com/wines-2 ... -bohemica/
That page has better pictures of the labels and a list of their varietals: Pinot Gris, Charpin, Pinot Noir, Müvé, Tramin Orange, and St. Laurent. Quite an irony that a chemist became a natural wine maker.