Now that we're on the second day of VieVinum it's time to briefly reflect on the events so far. Yesterday was a very busy day - perhaps too busy. Huge numbers of people all crowded into the Hofburg resulted in a difficult tasting atmosphere. Also, for me, the wines were generally too cold - young wines (2009 mainly) served so cold the glasses frost are really difficult to taste. Having said that, there were some very good wines to taste.
About Me
- DermotMW
- Dublin, Ireland
- Hi, I'm Dermot Nolan, and I became a Master of Wine (MW) in 1997, and resigned from the Institute of Masters of Wine in 2023 after being an MW for exactly 26 years. I opened a wine shop in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, called The Wine Library, which closed in 2018, and this is my personal wine blog. I will do my utmost to be fair and responsible in my posts – please read my Who Pays article in re the ethics of wine trips and writing. I have worked in wine education, retail, and consultancy since 1990. I was a Director of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) from 2008 to 2014 and was also a member of the Events Committee, founder of the Trips Committee, and member of the Governance Committee. Having had problems with potentially libellous comments from unidentifiable posters, I now require that if you post a comment, you must identify yourself properly or it won't be published. Please note that I do not review products or services on request so kindly don't ask. I value my independence and I believe my readers (few that they may be) do so also.
Showing posts with label riesling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label riesling. Show all posts
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Back in Vienna
Well here I am in Vienna at VieVinum as a guest of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board and struggling to figure out how to get a comma on the german keyboard. Since I always instruct my students not to use commas perhaps I should try to practise what I preach! VieVinum is a big tasting of Austrian wines and it's an opportunity to get to know the country and its wines better.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Riesling rant
Last Friday, 19th June, the German Wine Institute held a tasting of riesling and other wines from Germany in the Westbury Hotel in Dublin. I only tasted a few wines as I was under time pressure, but I was impressed by those I tried. However, during some chat the topic of "I don't drink riesling - it's sweet!" came up and I thought it's about time for a rant.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Analysis in Vienna
Well, if you're going to do a spot of analysis you might as well go to Freud's home town :)
So, last Thursday the entire Council of IMW decamped to Vienna as very grateful guests of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. We were there to hold a Strategy Meeting and also to meet with some of our supporters and exchange views on what IMW is, where it should be going etc. Naturally, as this topic is not for public consumption I won't mention it, other than to say that we had a very good three days.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Dry white gems
Riesling, why wouldn't you? It's the finest white grape in the world and makes a fantastic range of wines in Germany, Austria, France and Australia. So, this morning with Jeff Grosset (sans hair!) guiding us we had an excellent dozen rieslings.
We started with Kilikanoon Mort's Reserve 2007 and Mt Horrocks Watervale 2005, both from Clare. These showed very well the classic Clare style with the Mt Horricks slightly broader in style than the Kilikanoon. Then two more mature wines, a Petaluma Hanlin Hill 1992 and a Grosset Polish Hill 1984. I loved the Petaluma but the tutors felt it was interesting, though not great. The Grosset was lovely and soft, well mature but very drinkable. Then, well a Leo Buring DWC15 Watervale 1973. DW = dry white, C = 1973 (for some reason, these Aussie chaps use letters for years even though the years have numbers - how odd!) and 15 = Clare. For me, a stunning wine with an incredible length and liveliness about it, even at 36 years of age. This was direct from John Vickery's personal cellar and is probably one of the last bottles of this wine. The generosity of our hosts (in the broad sense of the Australian industry) is quite astonishing.
We then switched to other regions, starting with a Peter Lehmann Reserve 2002 from Eden. More lemon and floral in style with a wonderful creamy texture. Then, a Pewsey Vale Contours 1999, to follow the 2002 from yesterday. Amazingly fresh in style (ah!, the joy of stelvin) and elegant, this is a fabulous wine. But, in case you thought PV had only the Contours, we had a 1980 (!!!!!) Rhine Riesling, also in (Yaaay!!) screwcap. Wow - the palate was fresh as a daisy with a real lemon curd and cream middle palate, and very long. Great stuff.
Then four wines from cool zones - two from Henty (Victoria) to start, then one from Frankland River (Western Australia) and one from Tasmania. The Seppelt Drumborg 2007 was a pale, crisp style, mineral and Alsace-like - a good wine but rather in the shadow of the previous two. The Crawford River 1996 was excellent, with a pineapple nose and long finish. I liked this though the tutors were not so sure. The Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge 2007 had a real granny smith apple style and the Craigow 2003 was almost like a trocken riesling from Piesport, with earthy, smokey notes, pineapple flavours and long finish.
Mmmmm - that's why we love riesling.It ages, it has great flavours, it varies from site to site but stays riesling, and delivers great wines. Australia has a lot to be proud of and riesling is one.
We started with Kilikanoon Mort's Reserve 2007 and Mt Horrocks Watervale 2005, both from Clare. These showed very well the classic Clare style with the Mt Horricks slightly broader in style than the Kilikanoon. Then two more mature wines, a Petaluma Hanlin Hill 1992 and a Grosset Polish Hill 1984. I loved the Petaluma but the tutors felt it was interesting, though not great. The Grosset was lovely and soft, well mature but very drinkable. Then, well a Leo Buring DWC15 Watervale 1973. DW = dry white, C = 1973 (for some reason, these Aussie chaps use letters for years even though the years have numbers - how odd!) and 15 = Clare. For me, a stunning wine with an incredible length and liveliness about it, even at 36 years of age. This was direct from John Vickery's personal cellar and is probably one of the last bottles of this wine. The generosity of our hosts (in the broad sense of the Australian industry) is quite astonishing.
We then switched to other regions, starting with a Peter Lehmann Reserve 2002 from Eden. More lemon and floral in style with a wonderful creamy texture. Then, a Pewsey Vale Contours 1999, to follow the 2002 from yesterday. Amazingly fresh in style (ah!, the joy of stelvin) and elegant, this is a fabulous wine. But, in case you thought PV had only the Contours, we had a 1980 (!!!!!) Rhine Riesling, also in (Yaaay!!) screwcap. Wow - the palate was fresh as a daisy with a real lemon curd and cream middle palate, and very long. Great stuff.
Then four wines from cool zones - two from Henty (Victoria) to start, then one from Frankland River (Western Australia) and one from Tasmania. The Seppelt Drumborg 2007 was a pale, crisp style, mineral and Alsace-like - a good wine but rather in the shadow of the previous two. The Crawford River 1996 was excellent, with a pineapple nose and long finish. I liked this though the tutors were not so sure. The Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge 2007 had a real granny smith apple style and the Craigow 2003 was almost like a trocken riesling from Piesport, with earthy, smokey notes, pineapple flavours and long finish.
Mmmmm - that's why we love riesling.It ages, it has great flavours, it varies from site to site but stays riesling, and delivers great wines. Australia has a lot to be proud of and riesling is one.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Tasting delights 1
It is currently misty in the Barossa - I can barely see 100 m even at 7:07 am! Yesterday we had a fabulous range of wines to taste - given that we can expect the range to be better today we're in for a treat.
Yesterday afternoon's session was a chance to taste some fairly classic wines from some fairly classic regions. First off were two rieslings - a Clare Valley wine: Grosset Polish Hills 2008, and an Eden Valley wine, Pewsey Vale "The Contours" 2002. Both were very good although in different styles, especially age. The Grosset was typical with lime and mineral notes while the Pewsey Vale was round and supple and as close to perfection as you're likely to taste.
Next up was a fairly mature Tyrell's Vat 1 Semillon from the Hunter. What was interesting here was how little aged character it showed, being still somewhat herbaceous although there were some toasty notes on the palate. It was a really good example of the style. Nest two chardonnays, a Leeuwin Estate Art Series 2005 from Margaret River and a Petaluma Piccadilly 2006 from Adelaide Hills. These were two quite contrasting wines. The first is an "old style" Aussie chardonnay, quite big and ripe yet still very fresh and showing no sign of the 100% new oak in which it was fermented and matured. Lovely stuff and why, oh why do people persist in drinking sauvignon blanc when there are wines like this around? The Petaluma was a more restrained style and absoluely gorgeous - more Burgundian perhaps but very savoury.
Next we had a pinot noir from Geelong, Gary Farr's By Farr Sangreal 2006. This had a lovely, elegant nose and fruity entry but, for me, was slightly tannic on the finish. I gather our pinot nour flight later this week will be blind so we have some arguments ahead, I reckon!
Then two cabernet based wines, Vanya Cullen's 2001 Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot from Margaret River and Wynn's John Riddoch Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. Both were very good wines, with the merlot component in the Cullen wine giving it a slightly rounder feel. The general response to a question as to te perceived supremacy between the regions was that Margaret River was excelling currently but that Coonawarra should be better.
Then a flight of four shiraz. First, a controversial Brokenwood Graveyard 1998 from the Hunter. I found this wine poor but there was a general response that this was Hunter style. However, at dinner we had a second bottle and, for me, it was better - it still had the sort of red fruit style that Hunter shiraz is known for but was also fresher and rounder. Then a Mt Langhi Ghiran Langhi 2004 from Grampians. I was saddened at dinner to learn from James Halliday that the guiding light of Mt Langhi Ghiran, Trevor Mast, has got Alzheimer's and that he is no longer involved at the winery. The wine was a classic Mt Langhi style with subtle pepper spice and a slightly firm palate.
Then Henschke's Mt Edelstone 2006 from Eden Valley - what a wine! Supple and subtle and about as perfect a shiraz as you could want. Stunningly drinkable right now yet with a great potential to age. Then Penfold's RWT 2004 from Barossa. Another elegant style with a bit more chocolate character than the Mt Edelstone yet also drinking well despite being a great wine for ageing. Finally, a Glaetzer Anaperenna Shiraz Cabernet 2006 from the Barossa. A much bigger style than the previous two - I think this is a Glaetzer style - but with great richness and balance. A modern take, perhaps, on the big Barossa style but I always find their wines to be very good.
The last wine of the afternoon was De Bortoli's Noble One Bortytis Semillon 2006 from Riverina. Gorgeously sweet yet with a clean acid structure it was yummy.
Yesterday afternoon's session was a chance to taste some fairly classic wines from some fairly classic regions. First off were two rieslings - a Clare Valley wine: Grosset Polish Hills 2008, and an Eden Valley wine, Pewsey Vale "The Contours" 2002. Both were very good although in different styles, especially age. The Grosset was typical with lime and mineral notes while the Pewsey Vale was round and supple and as close to perfection as you're likely to taste.
Next up was a fairly mature Tyrell's Vat 1 Semillon from the Hunter. What was interesting here was how little aged character it showed, being still somewhat herbaceous although there were some toasty notes on the palate. It was a really good example of the style. Nest two chardonnays, a Leeuwin Estate Art Series 2005 from Margaret River and a Petaluma Piccadilly 2006 from Adelaide Hills. These were two quite contrasting wines. The first is an "old style" Aussie chardonnay, quite big and ripe yet still very fresh and showing no sign of the 100% new oak in which it was fermented and matured. Lovely stuff and why, oh why do people persist in drinking sauvignon blanc when there are wines like this around? The Petaluma was a more restrained style and absoluely gorgeous - more Burgundian perhaps but very savoury.
Next we had a pinot noir from Geelong, Gary Farr's By Farr Sangreal 2006. This had a lovely, elegant nose and fruity entry but, for me, was slightly tannic on the finish. I gather our pinot nour flight later this week will be blind so we have some arguments ahead, I reckon!
Then two cabernet based wines, Vanya Cullen's 2001 Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot from Margaret River and Wynn's John Riddoch Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. Both were very good wines, with the merlot component in the Cullen wine giving it a slightly rounder feel. The general response to a question as to te perceived supremacy between the regions was that Margaret River was excelling currently but that Coonawarra should be better.
Then a flight of four shiraz. First, a controversial Brokenwood Graveyard 1998 from the Hunter. I found this wine poor but there was a general response that this was Hunter style. However, at dinner we had a second bottle and, for me, it was better - it still had the sort of red fruit style that Hunter shiraz is known for but was also fresher and rounder. Then a Mt Langhi Ghiran Langhi 2004 from Grampians. I was saddened at dinner to learn from James Halliday that the guiding light of Mt Langhi Ghiran, Trevor Mast, has got Alzheimer's and that he is no longer involved at the winery. The wine was a classic Mt Langhi style with subtle pepper spice and a slightly firm palate.
Then Henschke's Mt Edelstone 2006 from Eden Valley - what a wine! Supple and subtle and about as perfect a shiraz as you could want. Stunningly drinkable right now yet with a great potential to age. Then Penfold's RWT 2004 from Barossa. Another elegant style with a bit more chocolate character than the Mt Edelstone yet also drinking well despite being a great wine for ageing. Finally, a Glaetzer Anaperenna Shiraz Cabernet 2006 from the Barossa. A much bigger style than the previous two - I think this is a Glaetzer style - but with great richness and balance. A modern take, perhaps, on the big Barossa style but I always find their wines to be very good.
The last wine of the afternoon was De Bortoli's Noble One Bortytis Semillon 2006 from Riverina. Gorgeously sweet yet with a clean acid structure it was yummy.
We're off to see the wizards...
Those wonderful wizards of Oz - the only question, then, is who is the lion, the scarecrow, the tin man and who is Dorothy? Well, this morning saw us leaving out hotel bright and early for a quick visit to the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) where we did a mini-mini Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC). Normally, an AWAC is a four day tasting calibration session but we did just two short flights of riesling and then shiraz. I had done a one-day version of this earlier this year in Dublin.Today, my red scores were pretty good although the whites were a little variable. Oh well, early morning, perhaps?
Then on to the Barossa where we have been lodged in the sumptuous Louise - check out www.thelouise.com.au to see what sort of place we have been incarcerated in! Cruel and inhuman, I'm sure you'll agree LOL. Our afternoon session was a quick review of Australian regions with an excellent tasting to go with it - Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2008, Clare Valley; Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling 2002, Eden Valley; Tyrell's Vat 1 Semillon 1998, Hunter Valley; Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2005, Margaret River; Petaluma Piccadilly Chardonnay 2006, Adelaide Hills; By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir 2006, Geelong; Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot 2001, Margaret River; Wynn's John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Coonawarra; Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz 1998, Hunter Valley; Mt Langhi Ghiran Langhi 2004, Grampians; Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz 2006, Eden Valley; Penfold's RWT Shiraz 2004, Barossa; Glaetzer Anaperenna Shiraz Cabernet 2006, Barossa; and De Bortoli Noble one Botrytis Semillon 2006.
After such a line up what next? Well, shortly it's off to dinner to not only meet some of Australia's finest but also to taste some mini-verticals including Steingarten rieslings and even some pretty old wines - more on these tomorrow!
Then on to the Barossa where we have been lodged in the sumptuous Louise - check out www.thelouise.com.au to see what sort of place we have been incarcerated in! Cruel and inhuman, I'm sure you'll agree LOL. Our afternoon session was a quick review of Australian regions with an excellent tasting to go with it - Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2008, Clare Valley; Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling 2002, Eden Valley; Tyrell's Vat 1 Semillon 1998, Hunter Valley; Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2005, Margaret River; Petaluma Piccadilly Chardonnay 2006, Adelaide Hills; By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir 2006, Geelong; Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot 2001, Margaret River; Wynn's John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Coonawarra; Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz 1998, Hunter Valley; Mt Langhi Ghiran Langhi 2004, Grampians; Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz 2006, Eden Valley; Penfold's RWT Shiraz 2004, Barossa; Glaetzer Anaperenna Shiraz Cabernet 2006, Barossa; and De Bortoli Noble one Botrytis Semillon 2006.
After such a line up what next? Well, shortly it's off to dinner to not only meet some of Australia's finest but also to taste some mini-verticals including Steingarten rieslings and even some pretty old wines - more on these tomorrow!
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