31 January 2010
Aromatic White Wines
As many of you know, this tasting group is the highlight of my tasting life. Good friends and fantastic wines – what could be better? This tasting was made even more special by the temporary return of Brendan Jansen from his Italian hideaway.
Having been set a theme of Aromatic White Wine by Brendan, I had to stop and think – what is an aromatic white? The consensus amongst the group was that everything other than chardonnay and semillon would be OK.
Having a tasting with mainly European wine proved a little challenging, as they have different characteristics and it takes a while for my palate to adjust. Interestingly, the wines were more fragile than I would have expected with most having fallen over by the next day. Perhaps this reflects the wine-making styles and is only a problem if you do not finish the bottle.
Tasted
Max Ferd. Richter – Riesling – Kabinett – Braunberger Juffer – 2000 (18.5). Starts dry and fresh, but has lovely oily fruit and developed characters. The palate has gorgeous Germanic riesling fruit that is super long and focused. The residual sugar is perfectly matched to the lovely acid. Great mouth feel. Reflects the cabinet style well.
Conrail – Riesling – 2009 (18). Very aromatic with lovely citrus overtones. Whilst still quite closed, there is a stunning floral attack on the palate with lemony acid on a long finish. Very morish.
Palacio De Fefinanes – Albarino De Fefinanes – 2007 (18). Almond, apricot, grapefruit and peaches too. The palate is oily and textured with lovely mouth feel. Silky and very long. A lovely wine and surprisingly delicate.
Felton Road – Riesling – 2006 (17.8). A touch more austere to start with compared to the Richter, but the palate is an explosion of ripe fruit with fresh and vibrant acid nicely balanced. Very long, fresh and delicious drinking. A late picked style.
Palacio De Fefinanes – Albarino De Fefinanes – 2008 (17.7). Lemon butter and rind. Long and textured with excellent mouth feel. really builds in the mouth. From Rias Baixas in Spain.
Paul Zinck – Gewertztraminer – Eichberg Grand Cru – 2006 (17.7). Musk and spice lead the attack on the nose. with lychees and almond meal. The palate is incredibly oily and viscous with apricot and lychees. The residual sugar is well balanced by fresh acidity.
Domane Wachau – Riesling – Federspiel – Bruck – 2001 (17.5). Better balance and structure than the 1999, and with less obvious botrytis. Some toast and oiliness on a developed nose. The palate is long, fine and oily, with a touch of spritz. A good drink.
Jean Lionnet – Cotes du Rhone Blanc – Saint Per ay – 2002 (17.5). Creamy and elegant with well judged lees and malo characters. The palate has lovely apricot fruit and the creamy oak is well integrated. Despite all this, the long palate is quite lean, yet spicy. An unusual wine, but great drinking.
De Bortoli – Viognier – 2006 (17). I was not aware that De Bortoli released a viognier. A good effort, with some varietal character.
Pieropan – Soave – 2008 (17). Soave is a blend of indigenous white grapes, and this showed well. Lifted ripe citrus nose, with some herbal characters. The palate has lemon sorbet and lychees. The finish is long, but angular and drying. A challenging wine that is worth trying.
Clonakilla – Riesling – 2007 (16.8). Starts off dry and austere, but has a touch of sherbet, spritz and spice on the palate. The austerity continues through to the end of the palate. Challenging style.
Dry River – Pinot Gris – 2008 (16.9). More pungent with passionfruit fruit. The palate has sweet fruit and a good dose of residual sugar. Long, spicy fragrant and textured. Good mouthfeel too. Quite fragile, so drink soon.
Domane Wachau – Riesling – Federspiel – Bruck – Viesslinger Ried – 1999 (16.5). Honey and orange peel to start from some botrytis influence. Very long with good acidity. This is viscous and oily. (Not the best bottle I have tried).