Mein WM Finale 2014!

Heute gibt es bekanntlich wichtigeres als das Lesen meiner ständig zu langen Posts über Wein! Heute ist König Fußball angesagt. Zum Vorglühen, und natürlich auch begleiten, habe ich mir für das Finale heute Abend zwei Weine ausgesucht die unterschiedlicher kaum sein können. Der Grund für die Wahl ist rein persönlicher Natur. Meiner Meinung nach sind beide Weine würdige Vertreter für die Weinkultur ihrer jeweiligen Heimatländer. Was gibt es aus Deutschland schon besseres als restsüßen Mosel- oder Saarriesling, und was gibt es besseres aus Argentinien als Malbec?! Was meine Zunge betrifft – nichts! Des weiteren schätze ich viele Weine der jeweiligen Erzeuger. Herrn Christoffel's seine in der Breite etwas mehr. Bei Catena Zapata beschränke ich mich sehr gerne auf die Spitze. Ein weiterer nicht zu unterschätzender Grund für meine Wahl der beiden Weine mag auch die radikal unterschiedliche Spielweise der jeweiligen Fußballmannschaften bis zum heutigen Finale gewesen sein. Jetzt ist aber genug der unnötigen Rechtfertigerei! Ich will ja nicht schon wieder alles in die Länge ziehen …

Another French Connection: Bodegas Poesia Malbec Clos Des Andes 2001, Mendoza

Once again a French Connection Wine. I guess there are quite a few of these on my blog. This time, the first time, it is an Argentinean-Bordelaise-Connection with an aged Malbec from Mendoza. In the 1990s the Garcin family, known for wines like Clos L’Eglise from Pomerol or Chateau Haut-Bergey in Pessac-Leognan, established a boutique winery in Mendoza with the aim to produce wines which reflect the specific terroir of the mountainous, sometimes very gaunt'ish, and not so popular regions of Mendoza. My wine was the 100% Malbec (over 60 year old vines) named Clos des Andes from 2001 with just 12,5%. I guess something which isn’t that easy to find these days ;-)

Pinot Tango: Bodegas Salentein Pinot Noir Reserve 2009, Mendoza Valle de Uco

Rejoce, Rejoce! It is drinkable! And it tasted like Pinot! Don't get me wrong! It was more than just drinkable. It was pretty fine! Until today, I had plenty of problems with Argentinian Pinot. OK, I am not an expert in this particular field. Anyway! Until today, I never had an enjoyable Pinot form Argentina. This Pinot Reserve from Bodegas Salentein might be rather crude and maybe a bit too sweet (I guess due to the high alcohol 14,5%, not the residual sugar 2.4g/l). On the other hand it showed butch, earthy and´dark fruitful as well as enjoyable Pinot features. Well, in my opinion something you can expect from a large and highly established wine producer like Salentein!

The grapes for this Pinot were grown at Finca La Pampa at an altitude of 1300 m above sea level. According to the official technical sheet the soil appear to be rather poor and low in organic content. Probably due to the high altitude terrain in Mendoza. The slight carbonic semi-maceration took place from 3 to 5 days at 8-10ºC and aged for 10 to 12 months in used French oak. Apparently it wasn’t filtered nor treated with any fining agents. So much for the technical data…

The colour of this Pinot was dark red, with very clear and stinging reflexes. The nose had a lot of smoke, earth, dark cherries, boiled plums, hot raspberry ice-cream flavours and some roasted nuts. At first it gave me a rather clumsy impression. After a while the clumsiness wasn’t that obvious anymore (on the second day it vanished). Its taste, as I have already mentioned, was a bit too sweet (which levelled after some hours and substantially on the second day). Besides that I got flavours of smoke, plums, slightly boild berries, semi strong oak, ethereal aromas (alc?), a slight steel’y impression (which I cannot describe), some cherries and hints of fresh forest berries. The concentration was fine, the acid present but not very strong and the tannins were noticeable but not hard or violent (maybe still am bit too young). Unfortunately the alcohol was simply a bit too unnerving. 1% less alc. and this Pinot might have been a real pleasure. This way it was enjoyable, but nothing outstanding or remarkable!