I’m infatuated with Rolly Gassmann. The Auxerrois from Moenchreben de Rorschwihr is my favorite wine.
The Gassmann family has been making wine in Rorschwihr since 1676. The Rolly Gassmann estate has only existed since 1967, when Marie-Therese Rolly married Louis Gassmann. The estate, which began its conversion to bio-dynamics in 1997, stores an astonishing 800,000 bottles. Production is 200,000 bottles per annum of which ninety-percent is white. Wines are only released when the winery feels they have aged appropriately, sometimes as many as 20 years after bottling.
“Auxerrois is both the name used for the black-berried Malbec in Cahors, where it is the dominant vine variety, and the name of a relatively important white-berried variety in Alsace. And as if that were not confusing enough, Auxerrois Gris is a synonym for Pinot Gris in Alsace, while Chardonnay, before it became so famous, was once known as Auxerrois Blanc in the Moselle – as distinct from Auxerrois Blanc de Laquenexy, which is the variety today called Auxerrois in north east France (including Alsace) and Luxemborg. In 1999, DNA profiling at Davis showed that this Auxerrois is a progeny of Pinot and Gouais Blanc.” Oxford Companion to Wine, 55.
Alsace is the driest region in France with more sun than the national average. The wine produced here is primarily white. The main grapes are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Auxerrois, Sylvaner, and Muscat. There is no official labeling to distinguish dry from off-dry wines and this has and will continue to cause confusion with consumers. Alsace is the only AOC region in France where Riesling is grown.
Rolly Gassmann ‘Auxerrois’, Moenchreben de Rorschwihr, Alsace, France 2005
Nose: Match-head, tropical fruits dripping sap from their stems, flowers, meadows, Spring, bees-wax, oranges flowering, bees spraying, soy, sweet brimstone, honey, surf, sea shells, ripening white peaches, white pepper, cucumber, chile peppers, skillet, this wine has its own compass, sulfur and earth, coastal New England, wet rock, raking leaves, turf, pine, maple, lemon, lime, talc.
Palate: A steely frame, lime, papaya, a frame like two saws, gras (fat), pine-needle, winter, vegetable char, coal, embers, camp-fire, primitivity, qualities of both Riesling and Gewurztraminer, bees-wax, blood-orange, pepper-mint, cut grass, peel, blade wheel splits the mango, brass, rainy day, wet rock, rind, tremendous definition, veins in stone.
How do you find a bottle? This may take some effort. How committed are you? Alsatian wine as a whole has more in common with German wine than with French wine. The best wines are typically off-dry. Off-dry wines fell out of popularity with the last generation. Thankfully the Riesling Renaissance prophesizes a new generation of wine drinker, a more educated and conscious consumer, one who is no longer led by its baby taste. Know this, thou ardent defender of “dry”, your Malbec is “sweeter” than my Auxerrois.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
2002 Nicolas Joly “Les Clos Sacres”, Savennieres, France
I had the good fortune last month of visiting with my parents for a week in Florida. We had wine with two meals.
2002 Nicolas Joly “Les Clos Sacres”, Savennieres, France. The Joly family has a monopoly on one of the worlds greatest white wine vineyards ‘Clos de la Coulee de Serrant’. Planted in 1130 by Cistercian monks the seven hectare (hectare: 2.471 acres) vineyard has been producing wine for almost nine hundred years. Joly began the properties conversion to bio-dynamics in 1980. Bio-dynamics is a radical form of farming made famous by the Austrian Philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Steiner believed the worlds spiritual crisis was due to a lack of nutrition. When asked how humanity could deepen its esoteric life he responded, “Nutrition as it is today does not supply the strength necessary for manifesting the spirit in physical life. A bridge can no longer be built from thinking to will and action. Food plants no longer contain the forces people need for this,” (Agriculture Course, 7). Bio-dynamic practices include the addition of fermented herbal and mineral preparations to homeopathic composts and the use of an astrological sowing and planting calendar. The idea is to re-invigorate the cosmic forces latent in the vegetable kingdom by balancing the farms internal and external processes.
The appellation is Savennieres in France's western Loire valley. Savennieres was granted AC (Appellation Controllee) status in 1952. Savennieres is planted exclusively to the native Chenin Blanc. Chenin which is called Pineau de la Loire locally may be the parent of Sauvignon Blanc. On his web-site, Joly states that the amber color of his wines is due to the inclusion of grapes infected by noble rot and should not be confused with oxidation. The wines undergo partial malolactic fermentation and are racked frequently to encourage contact with oxygen. Before bottling there is no fining or cold stabilization. The cellar and vineyard practices are strictly bio-dynamic. “Les Clos Sacres” is one of three wines made by the estate. It is the only wine bottled which is not designated ‘Grand Cru’.
What to expect: dried orange peel, cheese-rind, apricots, smoke, burning leaves, pine-needles, decomposing Autumn, honey, a pin in an orange.
2003 Chateau Pradeaux, Bandol, France. Bandol is among the elite of French AC’s for red wine production and is one of eight wine zones inside Provence. The grape is Mourvedre, an international variety most likely Spanish in origin, arriving in France after the 16th C. Bandol is Mourvedre’s power-base and it is the only French wine appellation dominated by this grape. The tannic and rustic Mourvedre has an affinity for Grenache and is often blended with Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. It is one of the thirteen permitted varieties in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
In 1752 Jean Marie Etienne Portalis inherited Chateau Pradeaux from his grandmother. In 1789 the domain was ravaged by the French Revolution and in the late 19th C phylloxera struck the French vineyards. It wasn’t until the second world war that the Chateau was restored. On his web-site Neal Rosenthal, Pradeaux’s U.S. importer has this to say, “The vineyards are cultivated in as natural a manner as possible with reliance on organic methods. In fact, during the spring months sheep are permitted to graze in the vineyards thereby eliminating any need to use herbicides and at the same time providing a natural compost…The wines of Pradeaux are brooding and difficult. Produced on the back of the noble Mourvedre, Pradeaux in its youthful stages is tannic, backward, and sometimes ornery. The wines are not destemmed; ‘elevage’ in large oak foudres can last as long as four years; the essential blend is at least 95% Mourvedre.” The average age of the vines is 35 years. There is no new oak used.
Definitely slow to start, great life ahead of it(?), a bit one-note,the nose was best, field of flowers, degenerative, farm-yard.
P. Lancelot Royer, “Cuvee des Chevaliers”, Blanc de Blancs, Cramant Grand Cru, NV Brut. The Domaine of Lacelot-Royer is located in the village of Cramant; one of Champagne’s seventeen Grand Cru’s. It is a sub-region of the larger Cote de Blancs, one of five districts in Champagne and the most important for Chardonnay. The five hectare Domaine was created in 1960. It’s average annual production is thirty-seven hundred cases. “Cuvee de Chevaliers” is one hundred percent Chardonnay.
Flamboyantly kirsch, with chocolate, lime, chalk, and salt in the corners. A firm golden color, nose like an orchard, cherries and oranges.
2002 Nicolas Joly “Les Clos Sacres”, Savennieres, France. The Joly family has a monopoly on one of the worlds greatest white wine vineyards ‘Clos de la Coulee de Serrant’. Planted in 1130 by Cistercian monks the seven hectare (hectare: 2.471 acres) vineyard has been producing wine for almost nine hundred years. Joly began the properties conversion to bio-dynamics in 1980. Bio-dynamics is a radical form of farming made famous by the Austrian Philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Steiner believed the worlds spiritual crisis was due to a lack of nutrition. When asked how humanity could deepen its esoteric life he responded, “Nutrition as it is today does not supply the strength necessary for manifesting the spirit in physical life. A bridge can no longer be built from thinking to will and action. Food plants no longer contain the forces people need for this,” (Agriculture Course, 7). Bio-dynamic practices include the addition of fermented herbal and mineral preparations to homeopathic composts and the use of an astrological sowing and planting calendar. The idea is to re-invigorate the cosmic forces latent in the vegetable kingdom by balancing the farms internal and external processes.
The appellation is Savennieres in France's western Loire valley. Savennieres was granted AC (Appellation Controllee) status in 1952. Savennieres is planted exclusively to the native Chenin Blanc. Chenin which is called Pineau de la Loire locally may be the parent of Sauvignon Blanc. On his web-site, Joly states that the amber color of his wines is due to the inclusion of grapes infected by noble rot and should not be confused with oxidation. The wines undergo partial malolactic fermentation and are racked frequently to encourage contact with oxygen. Before bottling there is no fining or cold stabilization. The cellar and vineyard practices are strictly bio-dynamic. “Les Clos Sacres” is one of three wines made by the estate. It is the only wine bottled which is not designated ‘Grand Cru’.
What to expect: dried orange peel, cheese-rind, apricots, smoke, burning leaves, pine-needles, decomposing Autumn, honey, a pin in an orange.
2003 Chateau Pradeaux, Bandol, France. Bandol is among the elite of French AC’s for red wine production and is one of eight wine zones inside Provence. The grape is Mourvedre, an international variety most likely Spanish in origin, arriving in France after the 16th C. Bandol is Mourvedre’s power-base and it is the only French wine appellation dominated by this grape. The tannic and rustic Mourvedre has an affinity for Grenache and is often blended with Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. It is one of the thirteen permitted varieties in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
In 1752 Jean Marie Etienne Portalis inherited Chateau Pradeaux from his grandmother. In 1789 the domain was ravaged by the French Revolution and in the late 19th C phylloxera struck the French vineyards. It wasn’t until the second world war that the Chateau was restored. On his web-site Neal Rosenthal, Pradeaux’s U.S. importer has this to say, “The vineyards are cultivated in as natural a manner as possible with reliance on organic methods. In fact, during the spring months sheep are permitted to graze in the vineyards thereby eliminating any need to use herbicides and at the same time providing a natural compost…The wines of Pradeaux are brooding and difficult. Produced on the back of the noble Mourvedre, Pradeaux in its youthful stages is tannic, backward, and sometimes ornery. The wines are not destemmed; ‘elevage’ in large oak foudres can last as long as four years; the essential blend is at least 95% Mourvedre.” The average age of the vines is 35 years. There is no new oak used.
Definitely slow to start, great life ahead of it(?), a bit one-note,the nose was best, field of flowers, degenerative, farm-yard.
P. Lancelot Royer, “Cuvee des Chevaliers”, Blanc de Blancs, Cramant Grand Cru, NV Brut. The Domaine of Lacelot-Royer is located in the village of Cramant; one of Champagne’s seventeen Grand Cru’s. It is a sub-region of the larger Cote de Blancs, one of five districts in Champagne and the most important for Chardonnay. The five hectare Domaine was created in 1960. It’s average annual production is thirty-seven hundred cases. “Cuvee de Chevaliers” is one hundred percent Chardonnay.
Flamboyantly kirsch, with chocolate, lime, chalk, and salt in the corners. A firm golden color, nose like an orchard, cherries and oranges.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Gaston Chiquet, “Special Club”, Brut, 2000
Gaston Chiquet, “Special Club”, Brut, 2000
The Special Club or Club Tresors de Champagne (Treasures of Champagne) was founded in 1971. All members are registered Recoltant-Manipulant (RM). Currently there are twenty-six members.
This is our second look at a vintage two-thousand from Chiquet. At seventy percent, Chardonnay will be the focus. The source of the Chardonnay is the Grand Cru ‘Ay’. Ay is one of Champagne’s seventeen villages rated Grand Cru; it is a stronghold for Pinot Noir. Chiquet makes a ‘blanc de blancs’ from Ay, one of only two. The vines were planted in 1935.
Composition: 70% Chardonnay (Ay) 30% Pinot Noir (Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay).
Disgorged: 11/12/08
Dosage: 8 gl
Note: I will be drinking the wine over three days. The Metrokane “Velvet Champagne and Wine Sealer” is my closure.
Nose: Malt, Chardonnay notes with Pinot Noir density, chocolate briefly, chalk, sugared match-heads, bread-toast, ginger-bread, Pinot rising, flowers, soy, curds in gold, pulverized white rocks, pumpkin pie, pastry-dough, finished pastries, orange zest, chive, gristle, grease, skillet, green-chile skins.
Palate: Apple, green acid - red fruit, blood-orange emerging, heavy soil/stone presence, ultra-clear, lemon, pith, golden raspberries, sweet Pinot, intensely soil/ site specific, one panel is chiseled, etched, the other malty and rich.
Second day: The nose is Pinot with a thread of grass or celery. More brine than yesterday. A light oaken color, very pretty in the light. Spring like and floral, white crystals on a tomato crown. There is mandarin peel and carob. A piercing Chardonnay green, “…its golden green eyes flashes meaningfully.” The palate is still very focused revealing more salt; spruce briefly. My notes expire with: grass and mineral, sweet saline, green apple skin.
3rd Day. Nose: Lemon, oyster shells, pine-needles, orange liquor.
Palate: Rosemary, pine, lime, pomegranate. The wine is more unified today, there are no seams. Chablis with more weight.
The Special Club or Club Tresors de Champagne (Treasures of Champagne) was founded in 1971. All members are registered Recoltant-Manipulant (RM). Currently there are twenty-six members.
This is our second look at a vintage two-thousand from Chiquet. At seventy percent, Chardonnay will be the focus. The source of the Chardonnay is the Grand Cru ‘Ay’. Ay is one of Champagne’s seventeen villages rated Grand Cru; it is a stronghold for Pinot Noir. Chiquet makes a ‘blanc de blancs’ from Ay, one of only two. The vines were planted in 1935.
Composition: 70% Chardonnay (Ay) 30% Pinot Noir (Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay).
Disgorged: 11/12/08
Dosage: 8 gl
Note: I will be drinking the wine over three days. The Metrokane “Velvet Champagne and Wine Sealer” is my closure.
Nose: Malt, Chardonnay notes with Pinot Noir density, chocolate briefly, chalk, sugared match-heads, bread-toast, ginger-bread, Pinot rising, flowers, soy, curds in gold, pulverized white rocks, pumpkin pie, pastry-dough, finished pastries, orange zest, chive, gristle, grease, skillet, green-chile skins.
Palate: Apple, green acid - red fruit, blood-orange emerging, heavy soil/stone presence, ultra-clear, lemon, pith, golden raspberries, sweet Pinot, intensely soil/ site specific, one panel is chiseled, etched, the other malty and rich.
Second day: The nose is Pinot with a thread of grass or celery. More brine than yesterday. A light oaken color, very pretty in the light. Spring like and floral, white crystals on a tomato crown. There is mandarin peel and carob. A piercing Chardonnay green, “…its golden green eyes flashes meaningfully.” The palate is still very focused revealing more salt; spruce briefly. My notes expire with: grass and mineral, sweet saline, green apple skin.
3rd Day. Nose: Lemon, oyster shells, pine-needles, orange liquor.
Palate: Rosemary, pine, lime, pomegranate. The wine is more unified today, there are no seams. Chablis with more weight.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Gaston Chiquet Vintage Brut, 2000
Gaston Chiquet Vintage Brut, 2000
Recently I addressed a wine from Jacques Lassaigne. Lassaigne hails from Montgueux in the Aube (Cote des Bar), the least well known of Champagne’s four main districts. Today we shall address one of the grower producers that I recommended in the course of that article, Gaston Chiquet. Our passport is the 2000 Vintage Brut. This is a Premier Cru wine, 1er Cru. A percentage of the Pinot Noir is Grand Cru (Ay). Chiquet comes to us by way of the Marne Valley (Vallee de la Marne) one of Champagne’s more famous sub-districts. I encountered the bottle recently, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to acquire it. I paid 53.99.
You’re correct in thinking that I can not afford this bottle and others like it and that there is indeed something wrong with me. Seriously what about my IRA, my savings, my checking? This is a difficult economic moment and yes I have been struggling; money is not as fluid as it once was. What on earth am I doing?
I’ve felt for some time that a great wine has the potential to transport. Whether it be a four dollar bottle of California “Chablis” or a vintage Bordeaux. The goal of my drinking is to remember not to forget and tonight we remember what a great opportunity we have to study and consume grower producer Champagne’s at fair prices before the rest of the world catches on.
Facts: Registered RM (Recoltant Manipulant). 22 hectares planted to 40% Chardonnay, 40% Meunier, and 20% Pinot Noir. Yes to ml. Winemaking tradition in the family dates back to 1746. Gaston Chiquet became a brand in 1935. Roughly 17,000 cases per annum. (Veuve Clicquot produces 1.4 million cases of their ‘yellow label’ per annum.) Chiquet is a Special Club member.
Disgorged: 10/21/08
Composition: 60% Pinot Noir (Mareuil-sur Ay and Ay) 40% Chardonnay (Dizy)
Dosage: 6 gl
Note: I’m going to drink the bottle over two days. The closure that I’m using is the Metrokane “Velvet Champagne and Wine Sealer”.
Nose: toffee, caramel, sandal-wood, bees-wax, mushroom, little burnt, the charred surface of a lemon, citrus roasting over an open fire, marshmallow, celery, the ocean, grass, sweet tea, pig fat, menthol, forest-floor.
Palate: blood orange and salt water taffy, beginning to feel like an older wine but still youthful, a great deal of room for development, very soft, luxurious, gentle, composed, red apple skin, deep ocean, hazelnuts, soy.
This is a wine for Romantics. Fearlessly beautiful. Articulate and noble.
Second day: Color of gold raisins. Malt, yeast, and bread in the mouth. Chile pepper on the nose, mint and spruce. Guessing this would be great with a glazed ham. A great wine for Christmas Day! Give a bottle to yourself for Christmas. Send me one as well. The coffers are getting empty. Did I mention that I like Riesling?
If you can’t find this “Gold Label” Vintage 2000, the NV Brut “Tradition” should be readily available. When I visit my parents I try to get to Julio’s Liquors in Westboro at least four times and I know they’re carrying wines from this importer and others like it. If you can’t find this label specifically but would be interested in others in the same category go to a wine shop and engage the staff or wine buyer. Most people who work in the wine business taste a lot of wine, are knowledgeable, and want to help you. There are at least three retailers carrying Chiquet in Santa Fe but only one carrying the “Gold Label” Vintage Brut, 2000.
Recently I addressed a wine from Jacques Lassaigne. Lassaigne hails from Montgueux in the Aube (Cote des Bar), the least well known of Champagne’s four main districts. Today we shall address one of the grower producers that I recommended in the course of that article, Gaston Chiquet. Our passport is the 2000 Vintage Brut. This is a Premier Cru wine, 1er Cru. A percentage of the Pinot Noir is Grand Cru (Ay). Chiquet comes to us by way of the Marne Valley (Vallee de la Marne) one of Champagne’s more famous sub-districts. I encountered the bottle recently, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to acquire it. I paid 53.99.
You’re correct in thinking that I can not afford this bottle and others like it and that there is indeed something wrong with me. Seriously what about my IRA, my savings, my checking? This is a difficult economic moment and yes I have been struggling; money is not as fluid as it once was. What on earth am I doing?
I’ve felt for some time that a great wine has the potential to transport. Whether it be a four dollar bottle of California “Chablis” or a vintage Bordeaux. The goal of my drinking is to remember not to forget and tonight we remember what a great opportunity we have to study and consume grower producer Champagne’s at fair prices before the rest of the world catches on.
Facts: Registered RM (Recoltant Manipulant). 22 hectares planted to 40% Chardonnay, 40% Meunier, and 20% Pinot Noir. Yes to ml. Winemaking tradition in the family dates back to 1746. Gaston Chiquet became a brand in 1935. Roughly 17,000 cases per annum. (Veuve Clicquot produces 1.4 million cases of their ‘yellow label’ per annum.) Chiquet is a Special Club member.
Disgorged: 10/21/08
Composition: 60% Pinot Noir (Mareuil-sur Ay and Ay) 40% Chardonnay (Dizy)
Dosage: 6 gl
Note: I’m going to drink the bottle over two days. The closure that I’m using is the Metrokane “Velvet Champagne and Wine Sealer”.
Nose: toffee, caramel, sandal-wood, bees-wax, mushroom, little burnt, the charred surface of a lemon, citrus roasting over an open fire, marshmallow, celery, the ocean, grass, sweet tea, pig fat, menthol, forest-floor.
Palate: blood orange and salt water taffy, beginning to feel like an older wine but still youthful, a great deal of room for development, very soft, luxurious, gentle, composed, red apple skin, deep ocean, hazelnuts, soy.
This is a wine for Romantics. Fearlessly beautiful. Articulate and noble.
Second day: Color of gold raisins. Malt, yeast, and bread in the mouth. Chile pepper on the nose, mint and spruce. Guessing this would be great with a glazed ham. A great wine for Christmas Day! Give a bottle to yourself for Christmas. Send me one as well. The coffers are getting empty. Did I mention that I like Riesling?
If you can’t find this “Gold Label” Vintage 2000, the NV Brut “Tradition” should be readily available. When I visit my parents I try to get to Julio’s Liquors in Westboro at least four times and I know they’re carrying wines from this importer and others like it. If you can’t find this label specifically but would be interested in others in the same category go to a wine shop and engage the staff or wine buyer. Most people who work in the wine business taste a lot of wine, are knowledgeable, and want to help you. There are at least three retailers carrying Chiquet in Santa Fe but only one carrying the “Gold Label” Vintage Brut, 2000.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Carmenere
Although not recognized as a noble grape, Carmenere is an interesting variety with an even more interesting history. It’s home is Bordeaux but this is not its power base; in Chile Carmenere has discovered new life. Once thought to be extinct and now rarely found in France, Carmenere is thriving in Chile’s warmer climate and longer growing season. Carmenere is Chile’s grape. At least this is how it was sold to us September in Chicago when Don, Ryan, and I visited Terra Andina’s new chief wine-marker Oscar Salas who was hosting a seminar and tasting for Terra Andina’s United States distributors. Carmenere can make a substantial red wine; I knew this before we left for Chicago. What I didn’t know was how polished these reds could be. Leaning towards an international style all of Oscar’s wines were clean, articulate, and thoughtful. I was shocked at how ripe the reds were. As if the green/iron thumbprint had been shined away and in its place there was a unity of fruit and perhaps a growing clarity of terroir.
Perhaps I’m getting carried away. It’s hard to separate the good times I had with Don and Ryan on that trip and the bottle of A. Margaine ‘demi-sec’ we drank after dinner that night from the feelings that were sweeping over me as we had just entered into our current situation. I was happy to be in Chicago and was excited about the reds that I had tasted that afternoon. I knew these were wines that I could sell with confidence and that Terra Andina was going to continue to make good decisions.
Terra Andina’s “varietal” level Carmenere can retail for as low as 7.99 and the “reserve” 12.99. There is incredible impact here for the dollar. Chilean reds traditionally run green. That’s a stigma they’ll continue to face. Yet these wines provide excellent value under ten dollars and stellar value both under and above fifteen. Carmenere may never enjoy the hysterics that Malbec has inspired but that does not exclude it from the tribe of traditional varieties that have found new life in the new world. With the soft dollar Europe remains an overstretched dime. Chilean wines are the opposite. These wines are over-performing as they clamor for recognition and their place on the world stage.
Perhaps I’m getting carried away. It’s hard to separate the good times I had with Don and Ryan on that trip and the bottle of A. Margaine ‘demi-sec’ we drank after dinner that night from the feelings that were sweeping over me as we had just entered into our current situation. I was happy to be in Chicago and was excited about the reds that I had tasted that afternoon. I knew these were wines that I could sell with confidence and that Terra Andina was going to continue to make good decisions.
Terra Andina’s “varietal” level Carmenere can retail for as low as 7.99 and the “reserve” 12.99. There is incredible impact here for the dollar. Chilean reds traditionally run green. That’s a stigma they’ll continue to face. Yet these wines provide excellent value under ten dollars and stellar value both under and above fifteen. Carmenere may never enjoy the hysterics that Malbec has inspired but that does not exclude it from the tribe of traditional varieties that have found new life in the new world. With the soft dollar Europe remains an overstretched dime. Chilean wines are the opposite. These wines are over-performing as they clamor for recognition and their place on the world stage.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Is it Leitz Out for Dr. Loosen
Is it Leitz Out for Dr. Loosen?
As much as I love Champagne I may love Riesling even more; maybe. Since I started this project two weeks ago, I’ve wanted to write a column comparing and contrasting the two Riesling’s that dominate the value Riesling category in my wine universe: Johannes Leitz’s, Leitz “OUT” and the Loosen Brothers, “Dr. L.”. Dr. L is a label that people know and recognize but is the Leitz a better wine and ultimately a better value? Let us look into this.
2007 Josef Leitz, Leitz “OUT” Riesling, Rheingau, Germany
Alcohol: 9.5%
Closure: Stelvin (screw-cap)
Price: 12.99
Facts: 100% Rudesheimer Magdalenekreux Kabinett
Accolades: 89+ Wine Library
Johannes Leitz is the leader of this Rheingau estate. A rising star on the German wine scene the “OUT” blew me away.
Flowers but nervous, drier than I expected at least upon opening, lemon peel, lime, rocks, good persistence, lots of flavor, a crisp and focused style, excellent food wine, a drier white with flavor, I wouldn’t call this ‘sweet’, a shade tropical.
From what I’ve read, Leitz bottles off the gross lees. Is this where the body is coming from? The size, the depth? What a value. What a wine.
2008 Loosen Brothers “Dr. L” Riesling, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Alcohol: 8.5%
Closure: Stelvin
Price: 11.99
Accolades: #62 on the Wine Spectator’s 2009 Top 100 list of “The Years Most Exciting Wines”, 90 points “Best Value”.
Facts: Dr. Loosen is one of the great estates of the Mosel. “L” is a non-estate wine.
Nose: Pine needle, evergreen, flowers, powder, art clay, river stones, lilac, citrus zest, lemon-grass, tin.
Palate: Faint tropics, lots of lemon, slate, good acidity and focus but lacks drive and depth, second glass is better than the first, the depth and drive are developing, cantaloupe, cantaloupe rind, refreshing, pretty.
The Verdict: At 11.99 the “L” is a great value but I love the “OUT”. The “L” is definitely a step behind in overall depth and complexity, intrigue and form. I understand the production on these wines is different with the “L” dwarfing the “OUT” but we’re talking bottle to bottle.
Although a bottle of the Josef Leitz, Leitz “OUT” may be more difficult to locate it’s worth seeking. If you see it by the glass in a restaurant order it, if you see it on a wine list take it for the first course. Great with salads, sea foods, lighter dishes, sushi, chocolate…
*
Last week I had a tasting out a Kokoman. Phil, a chemist who took early retirement from Los Alamos National Labs, referred me to a bottle of 2003 S.A. Prum “Graacher Himmelreich” Spatlese. Two-thousand and three is a controversial year and the wine is six years past vintage. I paid 22.99. This is a class growth bottle from a famous producer and I spent just over twenty bucks. German Riesling Kabinett’s and Spatlese are the best wines under thirty dollars on any shelf. Seek them out.
Warning: This wine smells like butter and freshly baked bread, it is wildly complex and beautiful. If you like your wines otherwise you may want to avoid this producer and others like him.
As much as I love Champagne I may love Riesling even more; maybe. Since I started this project two weeks ago, I’ve wanted to write a column comparing and contrasting the two Riesling’s that dominate the value Riesling category in my wine universe: Johannes Leitz’s, Leitz “OUT” and the Loosen Brothers, “Dr. L.”. Dr. L is a label that people know and recognize but is the Leitz a better wine and ultimately a better value? Let us look into this.
2007 Josef Leitz, Leitz “OUT” Riesling, Rheingau, Germany
Alcohol: 9.5%
Closure: Stelvin (screw-cap)
Price: 12.99
Facts: 100% Rudesheimer Magdalenekreux Kabinett
Accolades: 89+ Wine Library
Johannes Leitz is the leader of this Rheingau estate. A rising star on the German wine scene the “OUT” blew me away.
Flowers but nervous, drier than I expected at least upon opening, lemon peel, lime, rocks, good persistence, lots of flavor, a crisp and focused style, excellent food wine, a drier white with flavor, I wouldn’t call this ‘sweet’, a shade tropical.
From what I’ve read, Leitz bottles off the gross lees. Is this where the body is coming from? The size, the depth? What a value. What a wine.
2008 Loosen Brothers “Dr. L” Riesling, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Alcohol: 8.5%
Closure: Stelvin
Price: 11.99
Accolades: #62 on the Wine Spectator’s 2009 Top 100 list of “The Years Most Exciting Wines”, 90 points “Best Value”.
Facts: Dr. Loosen is one of the great estates of the Mosel. “L” is a non-estate wine.
Nose: Pine needle, evergreen, flowers, powder, art clay, river stones, lilac, citrus zest, lemon-grass, tin.
Palate: Faint tropics, lots of lemon, slate, good acidity and focus but lacks drive and depth, second glass is better than the first, the depth and drive are developing, cantaloupe, cantaloupe rind, refreshing, pretty.
The Verdict: At 11.99 the “L” is a great value but I love the “OUT”. The “L” is definitely a step behind in overall depth and complexity, intrigue and form. I understand the production on these wines is different with the “L” dwarfing the “OUT” but we’re talking bottle to bottle.
Although a bottle of the Josef Leitz, Leitz “OUT” may be more difficult to locate it’s worth seeking. If you see it by the glass in a restaurant order it, if you see it on a wine list take it for the first course. Great with salads, sea foods, lighter dishes, sushi, chocolate…
*
Last week I had a tasting out a Kokoman. Phil, a chemist who took early retirement from Los Alamos National Labs, referred me to a bottle of 2003 S.A. Prum “Graacher Himmelreich” Spatlese. Two-thousand and three is a controversial year and the wine is six years past vintage. I paid 22.99. This is a class growth bottle from a famous producer and I spent just over twenty bucks. German Riesling Kabinett’s and Spatlese are the best wines under thirty dollars on any shelf. Seek them out.
Warning: This wine smells like butter and freshly baked bread, it is wildly complex and beautiful. If you like your wines otherwise you may want to avoid this producer and others like him.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Jacques Lassaigne "les Vignes de Montgueux" Champagne blanc de blancs Brut NV
Jacques Lassaigne “les Vignes de Montgueux” Champagne blanc de blancs Brut NV
The wines of Jacques Lassaigne come from the lesser known Aube department (Cote des Bar) Champagne’s southern most outpost just north of Chablis. The Aube’s vineyards are closer to Chablis than any of the main Champagne districts and they lie on a similar soil. The ‘cru’ is Montgueux, a tiny hill of pure chalk often referred to as the Montrachet of Champagne. Montgueux is a special site for Chardonnay and this ‘cru’ has more in common with the great growths of the Cote des Blancs than the Pinot Noir by which it is surrounded.
My notes: Lemon in cursive. Golden Champagne. Unmistakably Chardonnay. Tempted to say Chablis with bubbles, tempted to say Burgundy with dosage. Dense and ripe, very impressive. Dusty minerals, powdery chalk, pulverized rock, ripe, ripe fruit, mineral in bass, lime and boulders.
I have a passion for small production, artisan Champagne. It was the base wine that took hold of me; the material beneath the bubbles. If you are serious about wine, decant. Then pour it in a Burgundy glass. What is happening at the level of the wine? This is after all a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir isn’t it?
Producers to seek out: Larmandier Bernier, Tarlant, Pierre Peters, Pierre Gimonnet, Egly Ouriet, A. Margaine, Jean Vesselle, Gaston Chiquet.
If you are going to buy Champagne and drink Champagne you should try small production or artisan Champagne.* This is a growing category in fine wine and one in which the dollar to quality ratio favors the consumer considerably.
*Not all grower producers are registered RM (Recoltant Manipulant) some like Lassaigne are registered NM (Negociant Manipulant) as they purchase a certain amount of their fruit. I don’t pay much attention to this as the wine tells a more complete story and you’ll know a “growers” when you encounter one.
The wines of Jacques Lassaigne come from the lesser known Aube department (Cote des Bar) Champagne’s southern most outpost just north of Chablis. The Aube’s vineyards are closer to Chablis than any of the main Champagne districts and they lie on a similar soil. The ‘cru’ is Montgueux, a tiny hill of pure chalk often referred to as the Montrachet of Champagne. Montgueux is a special site for Chardonnay and this ‘cru’ has more in common with the great growths of the Cote des Blancs than the Pinot Noir by which it is surrounded.
My notes: Lemon in cursive. Golden Champagne. Unmistakably Chardonnay. Tempted to say Chablis with bubbles, tempted to say Burgundy with dosage. Dense and ripe, very impressive. Dusty minerals, powdery chalk, pulverized rock, ripe, ripe fruit, mineral in bass, lime and boulders.
I have a passion for small production, artisan Champagne. It was the base wine that took hold of me; the material beneath the bubbles. If you are serious about wine, decant. Then pour it in a Burgundy glass. What is happening at the level of the wine? This is after all a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir isn’t it?
Producers to seek out: Larmandier Bernier, Tarlant, Pierre Peters, Pierre Gimonnet, Egly Ouriet, A. Margaine, Jean Vesselle, Gaston Chiquet.
If you are going to buy Champagne and drink Champagne you should try small production or artisan Champagne.* This is a growing category in fine wine and one in which the dollar to quality ratio favors the consumer considerably.
*Not all grower producers are registered RM (Recoltant Manipulant) some like Lassaigne are registered NM (Negociant Manipulant) as they purchase a certain amount of their fruit. I don’t pay much attention to this as the wine tells a more complete story and you’ll know a “growers” when you encounter one.
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