Szepsy Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2008
My first Aszú, and what better way to taste it than in the Tokaj with István Szepsy Sr., a 17th generation winemaker. It’s amber colored and viscous with magnetic aromas of marmalade and dried apricot, fleshy quince, burnt caramel, nutmeg and dust. On the the palate, this wine’s considerable gravity, a honeyed elixir with an […]
Emmanuel Darnaud Mise en Bouche Crozes-Hermitage 2013
Classic Crozes-Hermitage, the 2013 Emmanuel Darnaud Mise en Bouche is composed of 100% Syrah grown in gallet-studded Glacial alluvia. Brooding and baritone, the nose is laden in black fruit. Gamier notes and black olives evolve into blackberries steeped in fresh thyme, violets, and anise pastille. The attack is all black fruit, couched in firm, grippy […]
Szent Tamás Tokaji 86 470 Palack Furmint 2012
Tasted while visiting the producer, the Szent Tamás Tokaji 86 470 Palack Furmint 2012 is as with all wines from this region are mineral-driven and nuanced The ’86’ is a reference to the parcel the Furmint grapes were harvest from, 2286. Truly, the Crus of this region are as complex as one might find in […]
MÁD Tokaj Kesoi Late Harvest 2013
I had the good fortune to have spent time with István Szepsy Jr. while in Tokaji’s Mád village, from which this wine takes its name. This is a late harvest Furmint-Hárslevelű endowed with pungent botrytisized aromas of dried mango, yellow peach, apricot, orange blossom and nougatine, it’s profile on the nose mirrors that of that […]
Aphros Super-Reserva Bruto Vinhão NV
A garnet-hued, frothy vixen of a wine, the Aphros Sparkling Vinhão Super-Reserva delights with ultra-earthy, pungent funk, and juicy black plum notes forming a concise bridge between nose and palate. Bright acidity cuts through layers of pruney deliciousness, the finish is brisk and short very much about black tea tannin and dried herbs. At 12.0% […]
Hugel Riesling Alsace 2013
Hugel is always solid, and reasonably priced. It was my pleasure to taste this gem at a Wines of Alsace dinner in Portland. White flowers, white peaches and a quaint dab of kerosene, this is classic Alsatian Riesling. It boasts a “straight backbone”, as our dinner host Thierry Fritsch described it, inlaid with stone fruit, […]
Domaine Weinbach Gewürztraminer Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg Vendanges Tardives 2013
A stunner of a Vendanges Tardives, certainly not as unctuous as a Sauternes, the Weinbach Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg offers that rare combination of power and delicacy, tenderness and concentration. On the nose, apricot and white peach notes are cradled in orange blossom, granulated honey and spice. On the palate, supple creaminess, and lots of […]
Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Alsace Grand Cru Saering 2011
A delicious Grand Cru Alsatian Riesling from Schlumberger. The Saering 2011 is fine-tuned and surprisingly powerful. Grown in marl-limestone-sandstone soils, where vine roots burrow deep, the countenance of this wine one of white peaches and lemon curd, complicated by a pretty, herbaceous veneer. On the palate, it’s lush and creamy, with decadent layers of orchard […]
Domaine Ostertag Vin D’Alsace Fronholz Pinot Gris 2013
Wine of the night, tasted at a recent Wines of Alsace media dinner. If ever there was an example of a pitch-perfect Pinot Gris, surely it is this, the 2013 Ostertag Vin D’Alsace Fronholz, a lively dance of lanolin, honey, quince, dewy pear, fruit and stony minerality. In the mouth, it’s fresh with a kind […]
Anselmo Mendes Curtimenta Alvarinho 2013
From Anselmo Mendes, the 2013 Curtimenta Alvarinho is a lesson in the aging potential of Vinho Verde whites. Fermentation starts on the skins, the grapes are then pressed into large format barrels to age for 9 months. Post bottling, Curtimenta is further aged in bottle for one year, all of which translates in the body […]