Producer: Wegeler

Grapes: 100% Riesling

Appellation: Rheingau (Germany)

Vineyards: Loess/loam and clay soils

Vintage: 2006, so it’s got a bit of bottle age on it.

Winemaking: no info

Alcohol: 11.0%

Price: I paid $11.99 via Garagiste, but this normally retails for around $20.

Tasting notes: Pale, brassy color. Pretty citrus and stone fruit aromas lead the way, accented with talc and gravel notes. There’s a little pineapple juice, too, and I keep thinking it’s reminding me of Juicy Fruit gum. Round fruit flavors with a touch of sweetness (medium-dry) on the palate, but with bright acidity that makes this very fresh, and dare I say, PURE. A little crushed rock shows as well for added interest. This wine was drinking well for several days after opening.

Overall impression: This is the Germans doing what they do. And I appreciate it. I bet you would to. B

Free association:

More info:

Imported by Rudi Wiest Selections.

10,000 cases produced.

Here’s another Slovenian wine for the Oddball series. This one blends Welshriesling with Sauvignon Blanc. Welshriesling is not Rielsing with a funny accent. It’s an unrelated (and inferior) grape grown in places like Austria, northern Italy, and a bunch of old Iron Curtain countries: Hungary, Bulgaria, Albania and Czech Republic. According to Oz Clarke’s Grapes and Wines, it produces round, low-acid wine. Let’s see how this one comes together with Sauvignon Blanc.

Marof Beli Križ 2007

Producer: Marof

Grapes: 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Welshriesling

Appellation: Prekmurje (Slovenia)

Vineyards: The name Beli Križ means white cross, which refers to an actual white cross that stands at the point where the three estate vineyards that produce the grapes for this wine come together. The vineyards are: Bodonci, Grad and Mačkovci. Soils, depending on the vineyard, are volcanic or sandy loam.

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: Stainless steel fermentation. No oak aging.

Alcohol: 12.5%

Price: $11.83 via Garagiste

My tasting notes: The wine is very pale in color. The nose is all stone & stone fruit aromas, with a light lemony perfume. There is also a slight nuttiness. More stone and stone fruit on the palate with a lemon-lime background note and the vaguest whiff of fresh green beans. It finishes very dry with decent length. Despite the lemony citrus notes, the flavors are soft, not aggressive. To my palate on this evening, it is a bit too soft – I could use a little more brightness and acid.

Overall impression: A very drinkable and pleasant wine. Based on the blend, and what I’ve read of Welshriesling, I can’t help but think that I would enjoy the wine more with a higher percentage of Sauvignon Blanc. But it would be interesting to share with someone who finds most Sauvignon Blanc too aggressive and see what they think. Bonus points for getting to use a new diacritical mark on the blog. B-

Free association: Slovenia is in the same group as the USA in the 2010 World Cup. Their match is tomorrow. Let’s hope their defense is as soft as this wine.

More info:

Other reviews at: CellarTracker (mean: 87.7), Cork’d and The Ancient Geek.

Producer: Chasing Venus, from Crew Wine Company

Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Appellation: Marlborough, New Zealand

Vineyards: I like it when producers name the specific vineyards and explain what characteristics in the wine come each. So I’ll reproduce their blurb in full:

Chasing Venus wines are produced from grapes grown on small family farms in the acclaimed Marlborough appellation. Griggs Vineyard is situated in an old riverbed against the eastern hills of the appellation. The gravelly, well-drained soils promote pronounced grapefruit flavors. The Race Track vineyard is, not surprisingly, next to a racetrack west of the town of Blenheim. The heavy clay soils contribute to the herbal aromas found in Chasing Venus. Comely Bank is just south of Blenheim in the alluvial soils of the valley. These grapes produce the layers of kiwi, lime and mineral notes.

Vintage: 2008

Winemaking: 100% stainless steel fermentation

Alcohol: 13%

Price: About $15

My tasting notes: The color is a bit yellower than many Sauvignon Blancs. On the nose, there’s…DAMN!…green peas! I hate peas. Little balls of pure evil, I say. A bit of citrus and some sort of metallic aroma. But my mind is locked on the goddamn peas. I collect myself and take a taste and I get plump orange fruit, grass and…SHIT!…more peas! A bit of soft spice and a lemon pith note. But again, all I can think of are the peas.

Overall impression: I actually think I might like this alright if it weren’t for the godforsaken peas. I think it’s pretty well made and when I could ignore the peas momentarily, some of the other flavors were kinda nice. I’d probably call it a solid B-. If you don’t think peas are the devil’s work, you might like this bottle. But I know for my palate, I would never buy it again, so I’m calling it a C-.

Free association:

More info:

6100 cases produced.

A few reviews at Grape Stories/CellarTracker (avg: 85) and one review at Cork’d (89).

This is the tenth installment of Mourvèdre Monday. Click here for the other posts in the series.

We return to Spain for this week’s Mourvèdre Monday post. And not only back to Spain, but back to the producer of Week 1’s wine: the Barahonda 06 Monastrell. This is another wine in their lineup – this one blended with Syrah.

Producer: Señorio de Barahonda

Grapes: 50% Monastrell (Mourvèdre), 50% Syrah

Appellation: Yecla (DO, Spain)

Vineyards: High-altitude (2339 feet)

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: A brief stint (3 months) in French oak

Alcohol: 14%

Price: $15

My tasting notes: On the nose, I get smoky wild berry fruit with aromatic herbs. A bit of cranberry juice cocktail and earthy minerality. It feels alive in the mouth with a prickly acidity, almost like your mouth feels after eating Pop Rocks. It dances across the tongue rather than coating it. The flavors are a bit richer and darker than that would suggest: plummy and chocolatey – almost like a chocolate soda. The green/herbal note from the nose sticks around here as well. On day 2, it’s drinking very nicely. That initial prickly-ness is gone and the wine has smoothed out and feels more “complete”.

Overall impression: Another enjoyable Monastrell – this one a bit more interesting and nuanced than some of the others. Not sure it’s a “No Brainer” like the label says (that’s what the NB stands for in the picture below), but worth checking out. B

Free association:

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fragmented/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

More info:

90 points from Parker: “The 2007 Nabuko is a blend of 50% Monastell and 50% Syrah aged for three months in French oak. Purple-colored, the aromatics feature fragrant blueberries and blackberry. This is followed by a chewy, layered wine with spicy blue and black fruits and mineral notes making an appearance. Long and rich, this tasty, balanced effort can be enjoyed over the next 4-5 years.”

More reviews at Johnston Spissinger Wine Blog, Honolulu Wine Scene and CellarTracker.

But there’s usually a reason a wine style becomes popular: it tastes good. And that’s what we have here, folks. A Shiraz that tastes good. If you like wine that tastes good, give it a try.

Producer: Penfold’s, the Thomas Hyland series

Grapes: Shiraz (presumably 100%, though Penfold’s website doesn’t have current tech sheet)

Appellation: Adelaide (Australia)

Vineyards: It appears to be a blend from across the region, though no detail is provided on the bottle or website.

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: They state on the website that there is some new oak used for this wine, but the latest tech sheet they provide is for the 2003 vintage, which states used French and American barrels were used. So who knows.

Alcohol: I failed to note it before recycling the bottle. And, again, the website let me down.

Price: About $12

My tasting notes: Nice, intense nose full of dark berry juice, white pepper and other spices, along with some stemmy/dusty notes. On the palate, the wine delivers dense dark fruit (spiced plum comes to mind) and soft, polished tannins. It may be a bit jammy, but there is some snap to it. It has decent length with an almost cinnamon gum finish.

Overall impression: I would happily drink this again. It may not be a cerebral wine, but it’s very tasty and a nice example of its type, in my opinion. B

Free association: You know what else just tastes good? Hot dogs.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebusybrain/ / CC BY 2.0

More info:

If you like 90-point validation, this wine got a 91 point review from The Wine News.

Other reviews at CellarTracker (avg: 88)

Producer

Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Appellation: Russian River Valley (AVA, California)

Vineyards: From estate vineyards across RRV: Slusser 53%, Ricioli 11%, Brooks 11%, Gann Family 9%, Chalk Ridge 8%, Jensen Lane 3%, Crinella 2%, Mirabelle 1% and Gianquinto 1%. (I know all that vineyard detail doesn’t tell you much about the wine, but I can’t resist including it when the winery provides it on the website.)

Vintage: 2008

Winemaking: Stainless steel fermentation. 25% Malolactic fermentation. No oak — aged in stainless steel on the lees.

Alcohol: 13.8%

Price: $15

My tasting notes: Grass, melon and a very nice ripe pineapple note on the nose. It is quite tropical on the palate, with a good lemon-lime zippiness. Despite the crisp acidity it manages to feel slightly plush in the mouth and has good length.

Overall impression: A fruit-forward Sauvignon Blanc in the New Zealand mold. One of the better Cali SBs I’ve tried it a while. B

Free association: Pineapple and grass…

More info:

90 points from Wine & Spirits.

Other reviews at Wine Witch and Cellar Tracker (avg. 86.8).

Côté Est 2007 Catalan

Producer: Maison Lafage

Grapes: 50% Grenache Blanc and Gris, 30% Chardonnay, 20% Marsanne

Appellation: Côtes Catalanes (Vin de Pays, France). This appellation is a region within Roussillon that sits on the other side of the Pyrenees from Catalonia, Spain. It’s a maritime terroir

Vineyards: The Grenache comes from 80-year old vines, the Chardonnay from 20 year old vines and the Marsanne from young vines. The name Côté Est refers to the fact that the vines are planted east-west, which they say keeps the grapes cooler, preserving the acidity and fruit.

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: Stainless steel aging.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: I paid $10.88 at Whole Foods in Austin

My tasting notes: Really lovely nose on this wine, like a blend of pear and peach, highlighted by zesty orange and lime and floral notes. And the palate doesn’t disappoint either. More pear/peach and lime with a mineral streak. Really nice texture, too. Almost plush, though the fruit stays bright. Finishes clean and long.

Overall impression: I’m very glad I took a chance on this wine I knew absolutely nothing about. It’s a very enjoyable little bottle, and I’d definitely recommend you pick up if you see it. B+

Free association:

I can’t find the original source of this image. It’s all over the internet, but it’s not mine.

More info:

Imported by Eric Solomon.

Parker scored this 90 points.

Some reviews on CellarTracker and Corkd.

Producer: Artezin Wines

Grapes: 91% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah

Appellation: Mendocino County (AVA, California)

Vineyards: “from the ridgelines and benchlands of the Ukiah Valley”

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: Aged in 2nd and 3rd year French oak barrels.

Alcohol: 14.8%

Price: $11.99 at Costco in Austin

My tasting notes: For me this is has classic Zinfandel character in a more restrained style than many these days. Mixed berry fruit aromas with a caramel note from the oak treatment. More brambly berry flavors, with some spice and pepper. Smooth-texured. I was surprised when I looked checked and saw that this was 14.8% alcohol – it hides it well.

Overall impression: Zinny Zin, indeed. As long as you’re not expecting a “rip your face off” kind of Zin, I doubt you’d be disappointed with this everyday bottle. B

Free association: “Textbook” Zin… (lazy, I know)

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/underneath/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

More info:

There is a link to a podcast/video of the winemaker discussing this wine on the artezin website here.

90 points from Wine Enthusiast (this vintage and the 2006).

A few other takes on this wine at CellarTracker.

After I announced that 2010 would be The Year of Mourvedre here at VINEgeek Enterprises, I got lots of great recommendations from my fellow winos. This bottle was suggested by @Sonadora of Wannabe Wino blog.

Producer: Juan Gil

Grapes: 100% Monastrell (the Spanish name for Mourvèdre)

Appellation: Jumilla (say who-ME-ya)

Vintage: 2007

Vineyards: From estate vineyards of 40+ years of age. Soil: “shallow, chalky soils on a bed of limestone and rock”

Winemaking: 12 months in French oak barrels (not sure what % new)

Alcohol: 15%

Price: I paid $12 at Spec’s in Austin.

My tasting notes: Very deep color. On the nose I get dusty red and black fruit accented by a rich, chocolate/mocha note, mint and a spicebox character. There’s also a touch of greenness, as if you could smell the grape stems. In the mouth, it delivers ripe plummy/blackberry fruit, a brighter blueberry note and a touch of earth with chewy, grippy tannins in a full-bodied package. Enough acid on the finish and good, spicy length, though the alcohol can be felt in a sort of cool-mint kind of way. It really opens up with time in the glass and on the second day.

Overall impression: A rich, heady mouthful of flavor that avoids crossing the line into fruit bomb territory, yet delivers “oomph” for a reasonable price. B/B+

Free association: Something about this wine makes me think of Mr. T as B. A. Baracus. According to Wikipedia, in Spain he was known as Mario Baracus. Awesome.

"I pity the fool that don't appreciate Monastrell."

More info:

This wine was scored 90 points by Josh Raynolds, for Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar.

Check out the chalky soil and gnarly vines (note: I don’t know for sure if this photo is of the vineyards used for this bottling or other Juan Gil bottles):

Producer

Grapes: Malbec (can’t confirm it’s 100%)

Appellation: Mendoza (Argentina)

Vineyards: no info

Winemaking: The wine spent 14 months in a mix new French oak, 2nd year French oak and stainless steel (1/3 each).

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $14.99 at Costco in Austin. Originally a $29 bottle.

My tasting notes: Deep, sexy purple color. Big, fumey nose of blueberry pie-filling, cola-like spice notes, chocolate and a touch of violets. Very dense, extracted black and blue fruit flavors with some smoke, spice and creamy vanilla. While it’s full-bodied and mouth-filling, it seems to go a bit hollow near the end.

Overall impression: When you’re in the mood for a mouthful of fruit, this fits the bill. Let it breathe a while for best results. B/B-

Free association: Something about the label of this bottle makes me think of propaganda posters and/or currency.

More info:

CellarTracker notes (avg. 88.5)

92 point from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

Apparently this is a kosher wine. Good tasting notes over at kosherwinemusings.com.