J.J. Leitz GmbH Zero Point Five Pinot Noir Alcohol Free

No Dry January, nor some sort of Damp January Drinking Scheme – whatever that might mean – can make me try wine... umm let's say a beverage like the following one. Only altruistic „venturism“ or just silly curiosity – sober curiosity in this case - has such a confusing impact on me! Throughout my dauntless “drinking career” I was brave enough to tried a very few alcohol free wines. All of them were disturbingly sweet, as flat as Salar de Uyuni and as intellectually challenging as the movie Frogs from 1972. Today's wine was produced by the highly solid Riesling producer J. J. Leitz from Rheingau region aaaand more importantly it is goinig to be my very first alcohol free Pinot Noir! Let's hope this is going to be a bit more entertaining ...

Grace Winery Kōshū Private Reserve 2014, Yamanashi

Kōshū! Finally! It took a couple of years to give this indigenous grape variety from Japan the space on this wine blog which it doubtlessly deserves. For all you guys who aren't aware of Koshu - here a super brief introduction at first: Kōshū is a white – well, actually on the surface rather light purpul'ish looking – vitis vinifera variety from Japan. It can be traced back all the way to the 9^th/10^th century. However, like so many other "things" in Japan its actual revival took place in the second half of the 19^th century when the first professional wineries were established in Yamanashi province. Today, most Kōshū grapes are cultivated on volcanic soils (many vineyards lie on the foothills of Mount Fuji) in this eastern Japanese province. The predominant training system for Kōshū is pergola.

Today's Private Reserve Kōshū 2014 from Grace Winery was produced of grapes which were cultivated in the cool and relatively dry Hishiyama area of Katsunuma in Yamanashi province. Fermentation and maturation for this selection wine took place in stainless tanks. Enough of boring blather, let's have some of it ...

Grandly Aged "Grand Growth" Rieslings (and Grosse Gewächse) from 2004 and 2005

As the frequent reader of my Blog you might have realized: I am not too much into dry Riesling – at least publicly, of course! I suppose there are plenty of writers with far more expertise and indeed better stomach lining. So there is no immanent need for my blather about Riesling. 

However, today I would like to make an exception. Last Friday evening I met up with four friends, most of them far more enthusiastic about this admittedly grand varietal, to drink some German and French dry "Grand Growth" Rieslings from the vintages 2004 and 2005. Names like Wittmann, Trimbach, Keller, Breuer, Zind-Humbrecht, Dönnhoff, Kühn and Emrich-Schönleber speak for themselves. I suggest, just have a look …

Happening Now Tasting 11: Weingut Künstler Spätburgunder 1999, Rheingau

In the newest “edition” of “Happening Now Tasting“ it is time for some little Red Hock. As you already might have realized – I am not the biggest fan of German Pinot Noir resp. Spätburgunder in general. These wines aren't well represented one my personal wine list. Not to speak of writing about them ... - Anyway! Today I'd like to make an exception and try my luck with a highly aged 1999 Spätburgunder from Rheingau Region. Let's check it out, this Künstler Pinot ...

C.C.P.R.

C. C. P. R. ? Keine Angst ich möchte heute keinen Bericht über die vortrefflichen Weine einer ehemaligen Sowjetrepublik der Menschheit näherbringen. Meiner naturgemäßen Schreibfaulheit und der wilden Zusammensetzung einer neulich stattfindenden Verkostung geschuldet, wollte ich mich heute im Urwald des Abbreviationismus verlaufen und mit der Verwendung der Anfangsbuchstaben der jeweilig getrunkenen Rebsorten einen nicht sehr kreativen und vollkommen unverständlichen Titel platzieren. So, das war doch mal wieder ein auf mehreren Ebenen wunderbar nachvollziehbarer Satz!?! Einfach weiter zum Wein. Der war nämlich nicht so kompliziert - naja teilweise vielleicht schon - und fehlerhaft. Dafür aber meistens sehr gut  ...

Weingut Balthasar Ress Erste Lagen Rieslinge 2011, Rheingau

Um die aufkommende 2001er Jahrgangs-Falance zu brechen habe ich mir gedacht – mal was jugendliches Neues zur Abwechslung! Daher sollten es diesmal ein paar Rieslinge aus dem vermutlichen Spitzenjahr 2011, man weiß ja nie wie man das in ein paar Jahren sieht, sein. Um genauer zu sein: vier Erste Lagen Gewächse aus dem Traditionshaus Balthasar Ress! Es präsentierten sich mir vier, oder besser gesagt drei – dazu später mehr - unterschiedliche, sehr eigenständige und teilweise auch etwas eigene Rieslinge. Nun aber genug der Vorrede. Hier meine kurzen Eindrücke zu den einzelnen Weinen:

A little beauty from Willamette: Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir 2004 + some visiting friends

Today I got a New (partly Old) World, Old World Pinot Mash Up for you guys. Enjoy it ;-)

Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir 2004, Willamette Valley

 
Well OK! I know this Pinot from Oregon isn’t all too extraordinary or somehow exotic. Anyway, I just wanna mention this one on my blog, because it was simple amazing. I had this one together with two other Pinots from Switzerland. Before I tried the reds I had two Rieslings and one Chardonnay in advance. At the end I’d like to mention the others as well. But for now back to Willamette Valley:

The colour of the Drouhin Pinot appeared to me as rather dark and a bit faint. The smell was simply fantastic. I got spring blossoms, some spice, maybe at first some pickled cucumber and a butt load of cherries and raspberries. A wonderfully elegant and muscular Pinot scent! It metaphorically jumped into my face and took a bite of my nose. Its taste was bewitching. I got lean, but forceful, flavours of raspberries, dark cherries, rose hip, mildly roasted almonds, a hint of cola, ethereal spice, some flowers and slight and gentle kisses of oak. It appeared to be a very gentle and sophisticated Pinot without a certain amount of strength and definitely not without pure elegance. Very well proportionated acid and mineral components weren’t missing either. Its fruitful sweetness had a precise and dry character. The higher alcohol (14%) did not make any trouble. The best of all: the length.  It went on for ages. Great experience! I guess now is a very good time for consumption.

Weingut Scadenagut Wegelin Malenser Pinot Noir 2007, Bündner Herrschaft

Rather faint colour. At first my nose got earthy and smoky scents. A bit like from strongly smoked ham. Later aromas of cherries took the lead. The taste was very much the same. After a while the Wegelin Pinot showed very nice cherries flavours combined with some hearty, maybe even spicey, herbal flavours. Nothing to complain about. The slightly extravagant fruit sweetness or the acid proportion were just fine, but not more. Not a great Pinot, but very contenting quality. Nice wine!

Weingut Davaz Pinot Noir Fläsch 2008, Bündner Herrschaft

Very clear and fresh ruby red colour. At first the nose seemed pretty smokey, a bit earthy and slightly harsh. After some hours an extraordinary nose and taste of lime and hints of lemon evolved. Very astounding for a Pinot Noir. I assume! Very good structure and fine acid proportion. Medium length. More a cold and fresh style Pinot Noir! I could imagine this as a very dangerous wine for a blind tasting with tinted glasses. Chardonnay? Pinot? Something else?

There was some white stuff up front:

Weingut Fendel Riesling vom Klosterlay Kabinett trocken 2009, Rheingau

 
A bit crude, a bit harsh and very racy Riesling. On the first day not very enjoyable! It had very strong and unbalanced flavours of fennel and anis. On the second day the fennel remained, but in a more civilized way. Some lemon flavours appeared as well. A probably decent, but rather simple Kabinett Riesling. Still too young. 

Ökonomierat Rebholz Riesling vom Rotliegenden Spätlese trocken 2005, Pfalz

Very watery and thin. Almost no nose. Taste was disapointing as well. Apparantly rather old. Although hard to believe! I guess something must have been wrong with the bottle. No obvious faults or flaws.

Domaine Lamy-Pillot Chassange-Montrachet Pot Bois 2005, Chassange-Montrachet

Very fine and sturdy nose. Multi-layered fragrances of vanilla and lemon. Some gentle herbs, too. Very much the same with my first impression of the taste. Very well integrated oak flavours, beautiful lemon and very nice acid. A lean, mineral and fresh character. Not all too fat. At its finish it got a bit hard and impetuous. Green and harsh earthy aromas took the lead. Rahter unusual. The only (but for me important) negativ impression I go from this Chardonnay.