Back to Aotearoa: Black Cottage Pinot Noir 2009, Central Otago

In the past months I repeatedly spotted a couple of interesting bottles with anthracite grey labels from “Little Down-Under”. They made me curious, because I’d never seen them before. I assume they just entered the European market and seemed to be pretty good money spinners. So, good enough to give it a try!

Teutonic Tinto Part 1: Weingut Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir 2010, Landwein Oberrhein (Baden)

Thanks to the Enlightenment by Google Analytics the viewing (and maybe even reading) figures from abroad are constantly increasing on my blog. However the domestic ones seem to stagnate a bit. As a result I came up with an idea! 

Ohh, before I forget! Thanks everybody for reading my blog! I know it can be pretty challenging to read these weird posts without any proper orthography, comprehensibility and definitely without a lot of useful input! Well, I guess you got accustomed to my deficient blather anyway! So thanks very much again!!!

So, where did I interrupt myself? Ahh, okay … That’s why I’ve decided to dare a little experiment, which might bore most of you guys in Germany. The experiment’s name is: Teutonic Tintos! In these reoccurring posts I’d like to introduce a couple of German Reds, mostly Pinot Noirs, to my international audience. That is probably the only categorization I am intending right now. I suppose you will find Pinots and a few others from entry-level to expensive high-end products, from well known big-shots to relatively unknown dark horses and so on! So let’s start this series with an entry level Pinot Noir from an “almost” not so well known producer. Well, okay even Janice Robinson got this winery on her radar. So, well … whatever, probably not that unknown ;-)

It is the Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir Basis 2010 from Baden!

Quick BBQ Interlude: VR Francisco B. Fino Montefino Reserva Tinto 2004, Alentejano and some Ale-Alejandro, Ale-Alejandros

Outside it was well beyond 35 C! So, a BBQ seemed to be the best pretence to get decently plastered. For such an occasion Tempranillo based wines seemed relatively adequate. At least for me. That is why it got to be one Portuguese from Alentejano and two well known evergreens from Ribera del Duero.

Weird-Wursty-Wine: Domain Canet-Valette Antonyme 2011, Saint-Chinian

Today’s wine is from a sort of almost living legend. At least one for Saint-Chinian wine, I guess. So it is nothing really astounding or even unknown. The reason for presenting this one is mostly inspired by the relatively extraordinary aromas which this wine radiated. Oh, I almost forgot to introduce the wine and winemaker. It is the entry level Antonyme 2011 from the Domaine Canet-Valette resp. Marc Valette. As far as I know it is a red blend made of 50% Cinsault and 50% Mourvèdre which was aged in stainless and not sulphurated. So, … :-) it might get interesting!!!

A Monday in the Hamptons with some Burgundy Superstars: Wölffer Estate Chardonnay Reserve 2004, Long Island

What a start into a new week!!! Chardonnay all over the place! This time I went back to Wölffer Estate on Long Island with some big shot names from Burgundy. On the one hand the highly profound and mineral Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 2004 from François Raveneau and on the other hand the more “surprising” Puligny-Montrachet 2005 from Louis Carillon.

Supermarket Sweep Part 3: Plantaze Vranac 2009, Basen Skadarskog jezera

Back to my little Russian supermarket round the corner! This time it was a real premiere for me. I never ever had wine from Montenegro. I can't really tell you why they had this Montenegrin wine in a Russian supermarket in Germany!?! Maybe a certain cyrillic connection?!?

Vranac or Vranec is an autochthons varietal of the central-southern Balkan (Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo) which produces wines with a firm tannic structure, plenty of potency and extreme lively acid. Apparently the actual name means something like “black stallion”. I hope it won’t be a very wild one!

Again, Again, ... : Coto de Gomariz Ribeiro Gomariz X 2009, Ribeiro

And again back to the North-West of Spain. I guess, my fascination with the whites from Galicia & Co. is getting a bit bugging! Well, whatever … as long as it is good wine ;-).

This time, for the first time on this Blog, it is Albariño Time. Probably the most impressive and prestigious white grape varietal of Iberia. This one was produced by Coto de Gomariz from the Ribeiro region. The “winemaker” Caco Careiro is one of the restorers or pioneers (depending on how one looks at the history of wine in Galicia) of Galician quality wine. What else to know? 100% Albariño – sloppy schist, granite and sand soils – influenced by not so rainy Atlantic climate – mostly bio-dynamic production.

Olympic Spirit: Gaia Estate Assyrtico Wild Ferment 2010, Santorini and some Chardonnay Medal Candidates

After a short “creative (or sluggishness)” break, I’ll try to convey some Olympic Spirit to you guys out there! In the limelight it got to be wine from Greece! What else?! It is the Gaia Estate Assyrtico Wild Ferment 2010 from Santorini and two late nominations from Burgundy and Pfalz.