Neusiedlersee Zweigelt, Málaga Oloroso, Marlborough SB

Muenzenrieder Zweigelt Classic 2008 - Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee
9,95€; 13,5% abv; under screwcap. A rather nice little drop, sweeter and darker fruit than in the Bründlmayer Zweigelt that I am very fond of. Juicy and savoury fruit. More body, alcohol, tannin and sweeter fruit than in the Bründlmayer, but also less elegance and brightness and focus. Refreshingly tannic finish. I very much like it that we have two very affordable, very likeable Zweigelts available in such contrasting styles. I think I will usually buy the Bründlmayer for its red toned elegance, however.

N.V. Lopez Hermanos Málaga Trajinero Oloroso Seco - Spain, Andalucía, Málaga
100% Pedro Ximénez; 18% abv. Fermented dry, then some young PX is added to make an eventual RS of about 20 g/l. Orange/brown. It also smells of oranges. A little oxidative from the 3-5 years in American Oak casks. Soft for Oloroso, a little bit sweet. Gentle compared to Oloroso from Jerez. Long, spicy finish. A little too "easy" - not an exciting wine intellectually, but very drinkable.

Vicarage Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2008 - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
12,5% abv; 6,4 g/l acidity; 4,3 g/l RS; 10,98€. Very typical Marlborough aromas, pungent gooseberry mixed with tropical fruit aromas. A little richer palate than expected (maybe from the big of RS?) but balanced by clean acidity. Moderate length finish, but it was gentler than I expected from the acidity. If one likes SB, this is a good example of the Marlborough style for the price.

Schreckbichl Colterenzio Pinot Nero St. Daniel Riserva 2004

Schreckbichl Colterenzio Pinot Nero St. Daniel Riserva 2004 Alto Adige - Südtirol

22,20€; 13,5% abv. St. Daniel is an estate in a relatively cool area in the east side of the Adige Valley. This is aged a year in wood: ⅔ in big casks and ⅓ in Barrique. Light colour. Quite a nice aroma, pure Pinosity in a quite forward, sweetly fruity, red toned, sexy style. The oak is beginning to be integrated yet the odd sniff or two produces more oak aromas than I really care for (i.e. very few people will be bothered by the amount of oak showing). Sweetly fruity yet vibrantly structured, this is an easy wine to like even though it is far from profound. This is like a Puccini Opera (except happier): it wears its heart on its sleeve. Fun wine, but hardly good value at Finnish prices.

Brief remarks on the etymology of the word "wine"

I just realized that the etymology of our beloved beverage is quite a bit more complicated than I had originally thought. This might all be old news for you - apologies if it is. But while teaching myself Epigraphic Old South Arabic I came across a word in one inscription that made me think again and research the etymology a bit further.

The etymology that one reads in every dictionary (that bothers to include such information), is that it originates in a proto-Indo-European root (the reconstructions of this will of course vary because of the unsolved problem of laryngeals in pIE, but is often seen as *wóih₁nom) (the asterisk means a reconstructed form), which in turn gave rise to the variety we see in IE languages past and present: Greek (w)oin-, Latin vin-, Hittite wian-, Old English wīn, etc. almost ad. inf.

But what I had not seen mentioned before is that at least two other unrelated language groups have a root that can be traced back to a common ancestor root that has the same meaning (ie wine [ha ha]).

The South Caucasian or Kartvelian languages have a root, reconstructed as *ghwin-, that also means wine. That Georgian (ghvino), Mingrelian, Laz and Svan have a reconstructible root for the word wine, means that it is a natural word in the language group and not a loan word (at least not in the time that historical linguistics can reach back to). Two language groups having similar sounding words for similar meanings is not at all uncommon, so this could just be a coincidence.

Three could also be a coincidence; and Semitic languages also have a root with the same meaning and very similar sound. In Neo-Babylonian we have the word īn- (the semi-vowels "w" and "y" disappeared in later forms of Akkadian) which means "wine". In Arabic alongside the more common nabīdh and khumra we have wayn which means "wine". In Epigraphic Old South Arabic (Sabean dialect) we have the tri-consonantal root WYN which we can't vocalize with any certainty but which Joan C. Biella in her dictionary translates as "wine" (though was wine grown in the hills of what is now Yemen back then?). In Hebrew we have yayin, meaning "wine", which might not seem all that similar on first sight, but that is due to a peculiarity of Hebrew: words beginning with an etymological "w" for some reason came to start with the other semi-vowel "y" (except for the word "and" which is wa in all Semitic languages, including Hebrew).


Three language groups with similar sounding words for similar meaning words could simply be a coincidence. But there seem to be quite a few such words in the eastern Mediterranean area: the number "seven" is maybe the most famous one (shvid- in Georgian, sebet- in Akkadian, sept- in Latin). "Bull" is another with taur- both the Latin and Greek root, and in Arabic it is thawr-. With these and many more words, it seems that there might have been contact between these language groups before the time of the reconstructible proto-language. It's an exciting thought experiment but a completely unscientific one, and these pan-Mediterranenanisms might be explained by sheer coincidence too.

My first taste of Moschofilero

Olympus Hellas Moschofilero Haggipavlu 2008 - Greece, Peloponnisos, Mantinia
13,90€; 11,5% abv; 5,5 g/l acidity. This is the first Moschofilero I have tried, so I have no idea about typicity. But I liked this little wine. Very light colour. It smells of minerals, green apples and ripe citrus fruits. Maybe the closest I can compare it to is Muscadet with a tiny hint of Muscat-like aromas of flowers and grapes. Pleasantly light and crisp, much citrus, richer and fruitier on the finish. A fun little wine, but rather overpriced here for what it is.

A.J. Adam Dhron Hofberg Riesling Auslese 2008

After hearing less less than enthusiastic remarks on Adam's '08s from people, like Yixin and Oswaldo, whose tastes I usually agree with, I opened a half-bottle of the A.J. Adam Dhron Hofberg Riesling Auslese 2008 with a bit of trepidation, wondering if my enthusiasm had been caused by, say, me being not on form that day, or perhaps there having been far too few non-trockener Riesling here in recent years and a resulting over-enthusiasm for a style I happen to like very much. The former can now be (fairly safely) ruled out; but the second is still a possibility. But I loved the Auslese as well.

7,5% abv; 110 g/l RS; 8,1 g/l acidity. Light as water. Lovely passion-fruit aromas and crystalline purity and focus. Light, intense and refreshing. It is built like a ballerina: seemingly delicate and sweet yet with reserves of power and energy that one doesn't notice during the performance (until you realize toward the end that what looks so easy is actually grueling physical work). Awesome wine again, very primary, needs a decade or three (but it is rather fun, now, too). Sadly this was far too tasty so I have nothing left in the half-bottle to try tomorrow.

Domaine Faiveley Mercurey 2002

Domaine Faiveley Mercurey 2002

13% abv; 14,39€, discounted from 18€. We've had the '02 Croix Jacquelet available for long, but for some reason the newest batch lacked that name and had a new label (but I understand that the Croix Jacquelet was always Faiveley's basic Mercurey, so I assume these wines are the same?). A lovely scent, vegetal and full of bright red fruit. As seems typical for Faiveley this isn't a sexy and sweetly fruity style, but is rather a well structured and hard style of Pinosity - but Pinosity it does have in spades! Bright and pure and long. After being dormant for a while, there is some fruit starting to emerge, but for optimum enjoyment the tannins should still soften a bit. Try again in a year or two! Lovely little Burgundy!

CARM (Casa Agrícola Roboredo Madeira) Douro 2007 - Portugal, Douro
13,5% abv. A third each of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca & Touriga Nacional. Aged four months in oak of which 30% was new and a further 10 months in steel. Organic. The scent has dark, brambly fruit and a bit of meatiness. There is also a strange, but ultimately appealing once I adjusted my thinking, high toned note slightly reminiscent of mint or eucalyptus. Quite full bodied and full of sweet fruit, but I did find adequate structure: the acidity might not be very high but it does have a nice bit of tannic bite that counters the fruit making the finish refreshing rather than cloying. The oak is quite tame and enough in the background that I could enjoy the wine. An enjoyable, little wine, but a bit too polished and New World-like to be one I enjoy unreservedly.

Feudo di Santa Tresa Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG 2005 - Sicily; 13% abv; 13,05€
DOCG rules state the grapes must be 50-70% Nero d'Avola and 30-50% Frappato, but I don't know the figures for this wine. A rather lovely scent, though not the ethereal, crisp cherry brightness of the '04. This '05 is rather darker and sweeter in its berry-like aromatics. No new oak that I can sense. Nice balance on the palate: it does show the ripeness and resulting sweet, sunny fruit of a warm region, but it is propped up by crisp acidity (I remember reading [but where? my regular sources turned up nothing at all on this grape?] that Frappato retains relatively high levels of acidity for such a scorching area). The result is a fruit driven wine that I enjoy very much: medium rather than full bodied, moderate in alcohol, cheap and refreshing. Buy again? Oh yeah!

Karl Steininger Riesling 2008 Kamptal DAC, 12,5% abv.
10,25€ in Alko, which, after Norway's Vinmonopolet, probably is Europe's most expensive place to buy "value" wines (due to taxation and the monopolies' other quirks, buying "blue-chip" wines can be relatively cheap, but for everyday drinkers, these are the two most expensive places). This is a producer from whom I have tried only one wine before, the Gelber + Roter Muskateller 2008 which I liked very much. But despite having enjoyed other cheap Austrian wines in Alko's selection, I am always a bit wary when I see wines this cheap even from good producers, because our monopoly's margin is so incredibly huge that I can't help but feel that the bottle and the screwcap in this probably cost more than the wine inside.

Long introduction to say that I was very pleased with this wine. (I don't usually say positive things about Alko, but whoever there has been in charge of getting the 3-4 cheap Austrians in recent years has done a good job - IIRC I have praised every single one of them!) Lovely aroma of pure Riesling veering towards a slight, exotic peach kernel scent. Mineral, crisp, dry but friendly. Powerful finish. In other words, delicious for the price (in Finland) and certainly one to buy again.

14 x St. Laurent

It is almost a year since our previous Sankt Laurent tasting so it was high time to do it all over again, but with a few new names!

Umathum St. Laurent 2007 - Frauenkirchen, Neusiedlersee, label
This was one of my favourites last night, with its lovely, bright scent of red fruits. It is a bit Gamay like in the best sense of the term (think Foillard). Good body, crisp acidity, friendly and enormous fun.

Rosi Schuster Ried Zagersdorf St. Laurent 2007 - St. Margarethen, Neusiedlresee-Hügelland, label
Too much oak. I think it is 100% new barrique. Smells of char and sawdust. It does have good acidity and bright, crunchy fruit, but these nice traits are sadly marred by massive oaking.

Sonnenmulde St. Laurent 2007 - Gols, Neusiedlersee, label
A nice, lighter style, aromatically a bit like the Umathum basic one, but lacking its delineation on the palate. This is perhaps a bit soft structurally, but is still a nice, fun little wine.

Josef Pöckl St. Laurent Classique 2007 - Mönchhof, Neusiedlersee, label
Obfuscated by oak. Dark fruit and masculine in style. Some tannic bitterness, but with toffee on the finish. Badly oaked for my taste.

Feiler-Artinger Ried Gertberg Pinot Noir 2007 - Rust, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, label
This smells more of hot chocolate than wine. Lovely, lively acidity, but otherwise it was completely marred by oak.

Stelzer St. Laurent 2008 - Alzey-Heimersheim, Rheinhessen, Deutschland, label
The first German Sankt Laurent I have tried, though apparently it is fairly common. Very fruity and forward, lots of almost candied red fruits. Sweet on the palate (must be quite a bit of RS, though labeled Trocken), soft. Gluggable and very forgettable.

Weninger St. Laurent Reserve 2006 - Horitschon, Mittelburgenland, label
Opinion was divided as to whether this was corked. I thought it was, though not very badly.

Umathum Ried vom Stein St. Laurent 2006 - Frauenkirchen, Neusiedlersee, label
Darker and less vivid aromas than the basic St. Laurent. This is, sadly, also massively oaky. But it does have lovely structure, bright and refreshing fruit and some proper crunch. It is therefore all the more sad that such wonderful material was smothered in nasty oak aromas.

Heinrich St. Laurent 2006 - Gols, Neusiedlersee, label
No oak that I can sense, but it still has darker fruit aromas than most others here. The fruit is very concentrated and has an almost liquorous quality to it. It therefore comes as a surprise that the palate has no signs of over ripe fruit but is rather delightfully crunchily structured. Nice.

Stadlmann St. Laurent 2005 - Traiskirchen, Thermenregion, label
Like the Heinrich, this is a sweeter and darker style despite being unoaked. It has noticeable RS, but it is kept enough in check to be moreish and, I know from having opened several of these at home, very food friendly. But the RS does make it a bit soft when compared to the other unoaked ones. This is a nice, charming wine, but I do prefer my St. Laurent with more bite.

Ernst Triebaumer St. Laurent 2004 - Rust, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, label
This is seriously good stuff! Tight, grumpy and dark toned at the beginning of the tasting. When I poured myself seconds - it was that good - it had opened up beautifully, but it was the whole time properly structured, highly tannic, crunchy and acidic. Like with many of the wines with not much oak influence, this was full of Pinosity, but whereas the others were full of bright, sweet, sexy Pinosity, this Triebaumer was like Faiveley. And that is a style I also like very, very much.

Gerhard und Brigitte Pittnauer St. Laurent Alte Reben 2003 - Gols, Neusiedlersee, label
This managed to show off all attributes I really dislike in wine: massive oak and over-ripe, heat-ridden fruit. The acidity was strangely high and seemed quite out of place and made me wonder if it was clumsily added. Does Glaetzer grow St. Laurent in the Barossa?

Juris St. Laurent Reserve 2002 - Stiegelmar, Gols, Neusiedlersee, label
Spicy, oaky, sexy fruit; good acidity, bright yet sexy Pinosity, some aged, leafy and vegetal characteristics - it seemed like a modern styled Gevrey-Chambertin to me. The oak, though obvious and too much for me, was beginning to integrate. I think those who like Mortet would love this wine.

Rosi Schuster Ried Zagersdorf St. Laurent 2001 - St. Margarethen, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, label
Lots of oak, hasn't integrated at all IMO when compared to the 2007 earlier in this tasting. It has gained some vegetal aromas, but the sweet oak overpowers everything on the scent; the bitter oak overpowers everything on the palate. I didn't like it.


Finally as a blind wine at the end we had Umathum's Red Phases of the Moon 2005 - Frauenkirchen, Neusiedlersee, label
This would be called Amarone if it came from a certain elsewhere and has 5,5g/l RS, but it seems sweeter. Nice red fruit, lots of Pinosity, refreshing despite the dried fruit. Sweet, but well structured and very moreish despite its size and its illusion of sugar. Very nice.


Now with two quite big tastings of St. Laurent under my belt, I must admit that I do see an aromatic kinship with Pinot. And I also see too many producers using far more oak than necessary. But I really like the grape when unspoofulated.

Three Wines from Bellingham, South Africa

Tonight I had a drop of three wines from Bellingham, from South Africa. Last week having been tastings of fantastic wines, my luck of course had to run out now. Oh well, tomorrow is some Austrian reds that should correct the situation. I was a bit disappointed tonight:

We started with a recent arrival, the Bernard Series Whole Bunch Grenache Blanc with Viognier 2009 a 60/40 blend with lots of alcohol (14,5% abv) and a little bit of RS (7g/l). These are not grapes I associate with high acidity, but this does have quite a bit (8g/l)! When I see figures like this (and the note about some new oak) I of course feel a little faint and become frightened of spoofulation. Peachy aromas; crisp yet full bodied palate. The acidity doesn't seem at all out of place in this wine - but can these grapes really have such high acidity naturally? Or is it added? I should of course say that this is horrible, spoofy stuff, but I actually quite enjoyed it.

Sadly the other two, older wines that I think are sold out from Alko, were much more expensive than this little white and were also much less to my taste.

The Maverick Chenin Blanc 2006 was available here years ago. I hated it then, but remember that some at the tasting back in 2007 just thought it needed a few years to sort itself out and that the underlying wine was nice. Well, I still hate it: nothing but bitter oak aromas; slight RS I would imagine, too, but don't anymore have any technical information on this. Despite quite high acidity, this just tastes annoyingly bittersweet. If possible, worse than in the previous tasting almost three years ago.

The Maverick Syrah 2005 was certainly more interesting than the Chenin, but not one to my taste anyhow. Lots of dark, sweet fruit, mulberry and oak - a Barossa lookalike. Very full bodied, the high alcohol was well hidden, a fruit bomb style. Not really my stuff, but unlike with the disgusting Chenin (which for me was something to spit out immediately), this I can easily understand the appeal of. A well made wine in a style I just happen to not get excited by.

Pépière

The Loire situation if Finland has always been dismal. But finally we have an importer who might start to import some Marc Ollivier/Domaine de la Pépière.

We started with the Domaine de la Pépière Musacdet Severe-and-Mean Sur Lie 2009 the basic bottling if I understood correctly. I thought it was pretty awesome and quite what I hope to see in Muscadet (though, sadly, with so little having been available here, I don't know if my small sampling is representational, and hence I don't know if my idea of Muscadet typicality is true or not). But this had nice citrus and melon aromas; crisp, citric palate, but not in an unfriendly way - in fact it seemed to have a bit of richness to it. But despite the richness, it is focused, precise, electric and very moreish. Interminable finish of salt and citrus. Lovely.

The Domaine de la Pépière "Cuvée Eden" Vieilles Vignes Musacdet Severe-and-Mean Sur Lie 2006 was richer, but certainly not the strangely fruity, malformed blob that the other '06s available here have been. A little tight and wonderfully racy, but comparatively full bodied. Despite some leesy richness, this is tangy and zingy. IIRC, this is from Gneiss (or was it Schist? I must remember to take writing materials next time I go to a "formal" tasting) soils rather than Granite as are his other wines. How do these different soils manifest themselves in the glass? Lovely.

The last wine, the Domaine de la Pépière "Clos Cormerais" Vieilles Vignes Musacdet Severe-and-Mean Sur Lie 2005, however was not really to my taste. There was an unpleasant, bitter, woody and lightly vanilla-like aroma; there was also an unpleasant, slight vanilla taste. It might be crisp and citric like I want Muscadet to be, but even though the oak notes aren't overpowering, I still feel that even slight oak seems to overpower this grape. I did not like this wine.

Riberach

Last night I attended a dinner to taste some wines from Riberach (the name of both the town the producer) from VdPdCôtes Catalanes. The back label of one of the wines shows a map of where the town is situated. This is a new producer with the first vintage having been 2006. The owner is Moritz Herzog, an ex-sommelier from Austria, who developed a passion for Carignan and felt that this area is perfectly suited to make something special from this neglected and, in his words, misunderstood grape.


Herzog (l.) and the Finnish importer Jarno Malmberg (r.)


We are told that with low yields, old vines and large differences between day and night temperatures, this is an area that can make wines of finesse rather than jam. And to prove this, a rare, unfinished white is poured. Riberach Hypothèse Blanc 2008 (barrel sample) is from the Carignan Gris -grape. Only 17ha exist and Riberach has one of them. It is aged in a big wooden cask (since this is the first year it was made, the wood is all new). The scent is really quite lovely, a bit like white Musar or LdH in its initially rich, oily but oxidative aromas. But this develops more into a floral style with lots of refreshing aromas, a little like elderflower (gladly not too much!). It is not at all as rich as one might expect from Southern whites; instead it is delightfully refreshing and high in acid. Racy. Some (oddly enough, not me this time ) will no doubt complain about the tiny amount of oak showing, but it was so little that I had no problem enjoying this wine (but will wait to see if future years with used wood will be even more pure and electric). Lovely. Of Southern whites, the only other with such raciness that I have experienced is Texier's Bourboulenc.


A lovely dinner was provided by Restaurant Juuri (highly recommended if anyone ever comes to Helsinki) and with it we enjoyed the four reds.

Riberach Synthèse 2007 - label
The infamous wine - Garagiste in the US had apparently written hugely positive things about the 2006 and it turned out that everyone hated the wine so only negative comments are seen on the web. The 2007, however, I thought was awesome! About half Carignan, then quite a dollop of Syrah and about a tenth Grenache make up the blend this year - but the blend changes annually to suit the weather. In this hot year, more of the grapes that provide refreshing structure were used. With all the talk about 2007 having been far too hot to make refreshing wines, I was very happy that this was so beautifully balanced: dark fruit, sweet as expected from these grapes in the South, but nothing jammy or over-ripe. Crunchy, palate-cleansing, refreshing palate. I thought no one but Éric Texier actively strives towards such a style in the South, but apparently I was wrong.

Riberach Antithèse 2006
A 100% Syrah, very reductive, not even an infant, not even a foetus, but seems to be more in the pharyngula stage of development. However, it seems to be a pure expression of Syrah; gently peppery, lovely meaty fruit, aromatically very N. Rhône despite its Southern sweetness. And this strange combination of being both so North and South at the same time is perhaps why I enjoyed it the least in this tasting (and it being so primary and reductive). Clean, refreshing, crunchy, properly structured palate. I think I still like this, but I must try it again in the future.

Riberach Thèse 2006 - label
Mostly Grenache, but with 7,5% of both Syrah and Carignan. The other reds see little wood (mostly big casks and used wood) but this is completely in tank. It is also the most alcoholic of the wines at 14,5% abv. And it is mostly a grape I usually don't really care for. Yet the fruit never seems over-ripe despite the high alcohol - and, indeed, the alcohol doesn't come through -, and it is such a bright, pure, clean and refreshing example of the grape that I do like it. Lovely tannins. Having mostly seen soft, plump wines from the South I was amazed at the focus and precision of this wine.

Riberach Hypothèse 2006
100% Carignan from 101yo vines, 13,5% abv. If this is the quality Carignan can achieve, I fully understand why Mr. Herzog feels that this is a misunderstood grape! Bright aromas, lovely focus, a slight touch of funk - a bright red-fruited aroma, but it still reminded me a bit of Mourvèdre. I would love to say that this has wonderful purity but only having tasted one other varietal Carignan before I really have no idea if it is (maybe with his philosophy of organic, natural yeast, no new oak influence, etc. we can say it is?). But who cares if it is or is not, this smelled lovely! The palate was as expected from the previous wines: lovely structure with both crunchy, palate-cleansing tannins and high acidity for the South, ripe but refreshing fruit. Lovely.


I have only had one of these wines, the Thèse, before this dinner so it is too early to say for sure, but I think this is finally another producer apart from Texier who makes wines in the South that I love. I look forward to trying them again.

Te Mata Chardonnay & Texier Côtes-du-Rhône 2007

Weekend drinking was two cheapies: one fine in its style but not really to my taste; the other generally an area not to my taste but this producer always manages to be awesome:

Te Mata Estate Woodthorpe Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 - Hawkes Bay, New Zealand; 13,5% abv; c.14€

A pretty decent drop if one likes oaked Chardonnay. It starts out with a fair bit of toffee aromas but gladly the oak recedes very much to the background with air. After an hour open it becomes a bit Mâcon-like with nice greenish (not under-ripe by any means, though!) hints to the bright and crisp fruit. The palate, however, stays thick and more oak influenced throughout. It finishes a bit alcoholic, too. It is among the more interesting of the sub-20€ Chardonnays here, but not interesting enough that I'll be trying it again.

And of course we opened a Texier (I seem to be on a mission to empty the world of his wines! ) - a Côtes-du-Rhône 2007. Texier commented that the '07 (contrary to the hype) was a tricky vintage with too much ripeness and alcohol. This wine, however, was perfectly balanced. Only 13% abv, bright red fruit, not jammy, but ripe and spicy and peppery. As always with Texier, it has proper structure from both tannins and acidity. For a "basic" CdR this gives massive enjoyment.

Sevilen Majestik Syrah-Kalecik Karası 2007

So mainstream, it's hardly worth mentioning, but I got to try the new vintage of this Turkish wine. The '06 was pretty good for 9€ but a bit too much like Shiraz than Syrah for my taste.



But this Sevilen Majestik Syrah-Kalecik Karası 2007 from the İzmir and Denizli Provinces of Ege Bölgesi (Aegean Region) is really rather good! 9,39€; 13,5% abv; 65% Syrah, 35% Kalecik Karası. Under plastic "cork". Vivid aromas of red berries, not as much sweetness as I remember from the '06 but there certainly is no lack of ripeness. The almost Grenache-like aromas of the Kalecik Karası are also more evident than in the '06. Deliciously tart, red berry taste, yet with some richness to the fruit. Refreshing finish. Needs an hour or so to open up aromatically. A very enjoyable cheap drop for a weekday!

Éric Texier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2006

Éric Texier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2006 - 14% abv

Texier's visit to Finland this winter was one of the vinous highlights of the year. I only had the opportunity to try a tiny drop of this '06 when he was here so I welcomed the chance to share a whole bottle. As CdP goes, this is wonderfully elegant. It is a blend of only Grenache and Mourvèdre. The Grenache is from 70 yo vines from La Crau, a north-facing vineyard which makes a combination of good structure and moderate alcohol possible in this hot area (the '05 was only 13,5% abv). The Mourvèdre is from the Southern part of the appellation and was also from old vines but I can't remember any more how old.



But technical stuff aside, the wine is quite fantastic. It is a bright and pure style with red and crisp fruit, wonderfully refreshing palate despite its richness. I am far too often simply overwhelmed by fruit when I drink Grenache but this had proper tannins and wonderful acidity when compared to other CdPs. Quite wonderful. It almost has the purity of Pinot.

With all the hype over the '07s it was interesting to recall what Mr. Texier said about recent vintages. He felt the '07 was quite a tricky vintage with too much ripeness. The '09, however, he seemed to be hugely excited about - I wonder if that will then be the best vintage, ever, anywhere, again?