Schloss Saarstein: Three 2007 German Rieslings That Rock

Last week, I had an opportunity to do a live online tasting session with a group called Taste Live (www.tastelive.com). The concept is pretty cool -- about 8 wine bloggers get online at the same time, taste the same wines, and chat via Twitter with each other and with the wine producer. It was VERY valuable to be able to ask the producer questions about the wine and for folks that follow along, it's like having pros come to your house and point out cool things about the wine!

So, this particular tasting was on German Riesling -- a topic I think we should all learn more about because the wines are awesome but sadly overlooked by most of us. German labels are a little nutty, and people are sometimes put off by them, but you shouldn't be.

Here are the three things you really need to know when you look for a German wine:
1. Is it Riesling or something else?
If it's something else (Muller-Thurgau, Gewurztraminer, Silvaner), don't be afraid, but it won't be as fragrant or acidic, most likely.

2. Is it sweet or dry?
It will say "Trocken" if it's dry, "Halb-trocken" if it's off-dry (a little sweet), nothing if it's pretty sweet. If it says QbA, ask your wine store guy for help as to whether it's dry or sweet.

3. How ripe were the grapes that went into it? (That's how they rate wines in this cold part of the world where full ripeness is a coveted event!)
If it's really ripe, it will taste sweeter. The three most common levels in increasing order of ripeness that you'll see: Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese.

Ok, with that out of the way, this was a great opportunity to taste three different ripeness levels of the same vintage from the same producer, Schloss Saarstein. We discussed the wines with the smart and helpful, Christian Ebert, the winemaker who owns and manages the estate with his wife Andrea.

The grapes come from different parts of the same site on the Saar River, which is in the Mosel region of Germany -- home of the rad-est of all rad German Rieslings. All grapes are hand-picked. The vineyards are on blue slate, which you can actually taste in the wine -- to quote Christian: " blue slate brings lighter and more elegant mineral notes. Red slate is spicier." Pretty cool.

So without further ado -- my take on the three wines:

Wine #1: 2007 Saarstein Riesling (screw cap = awesome, it lasts for like 4 days in the fridge!)
Color: Very sparkly. Straw yellow with lots of CO2 -- they must have added spritz to keep it fresh.
Smell: This is just what I want a Riesling to smell like: peach, crushed up, mealy, golden apples, with wet river rock, mineral tones.
Taste: Just like it smells but with lemonade flavor added to the peachy-appley goodness. It's a tad sweet but not overwhelmingly so. The sugar fills out the flavor -- since it's low in alcohol it's important to have a component that gives the wine some weight: enter sugar. Very typical of Riesling from Germany, this wine has great slate flavors (think of licking a rock on your patio!) and is unbelievably acidic. The sugar cannot cover the fact that your mouth will be watering.
My take: Really a great wine. It's light and fruity, but still serious. I love acid, so that balances out the fact that I'm not crazy about sweet. A great wine for someone who likes sweet but is looking to develop a taste for more complex wines. This would be a great food wine -- with Asian or seafood with light sauces.


Wine #2: 2007 Schloss Saarstein Riesling Kabinett
Color: Also very sparkly and straw yellow with some CO2.
Smell: Picture this: you've got a bouquet of jasmine flowers in the front seat of your car and you pull up to the gas station with the windows rolled down. Smell that gas smell intermingled with the jasmine. That's it. Add to this lemon, granny smith apple, and unripe pear and we're moving on to taste.
Taste: What an amazing wine. The palate is better than the nose! Lemon, red delicious apples, bosc pears, apricot, peach, and even pineapple. The same slate/rock-lickin' quality as in the first wine offsets the sweetness. You can taste the gasoline, but it's not gross, it's different and great. Yes, this one is sweet too, but the chess game between the acid and the luscious sweetness keeps you interested in what your tasting. Your mouth will water for ages from acid.
My take: This is the best of the three for me. It just kept getting more and more interesting with each sip. New flavors kept emerging, but the minerals and the acid stay consistent Great for ADD wine drinkers -- this just keeps changing and moving. I think with or without food (salads, light fish, Asian if with) this is a winner.


Wine #3: 2007 Schloss Saarstein Riesling Spatlese
Color: Sparkly, darker straw color, a little spritz.
Smell: Really floral gardenia, jasmine, and orange scents. It was almost lavender-like and spicy. Here's a dork wine word for you: heady (i.e., it smells freaking ridiculous and makes you feel like you are lying down in a flower bed/fruit cart). I got that same gasoline/petrol smell and a ton of tangerine. What a basket of yum.
Taste: Have you ever had lemon curd? That's definitely the taste and texture of this wine. How about honeysuckle? My sister and I used to try to suck on those when we were young (yes, we were weird) and this is reminiscent. On a more normal note: tangerines, apricots, nectarines and oranges were all over this delicious, fat, sweety of a wine. There was a light spice to this one too, don't know what it is (maybe dried thyme?). Got less slate and minerals on this one, more tangerine. And the acidity...you get the picture from the others.
My take: Another great wine from this producer. Very well-balanced, great ripe fruit and great acidity to balance it. I think it would go well with creamy cheese.

My favorite was the Kabinett, but all were phenomenal. I was fortunate to taste these -- it reminded me that I've been neglecting the German section for a while too!


For the full discussion on these wines from the Taste Live event, go to: http://search.twitter.com/search?max_id=4503023966&page=9&q=winesofgermany. My Twitter Name is Vine 75. Readmore »»

A California Pinot That Gets It Right: Gary Farrell '06

I tend to drink and review relatively inexpensive wines, except for special occasions. Why? Because I think we can get pretty great deals on wines that cost $10 - $15 for our everyday drinking, and as normal people, that's what we want, no?

BUT...when I have an opportunity to taste something that is allegedly awesome, I gladly try it and I think you should too. Whether by-the-glass in a restaurant or in the bottle at home, very frequently, you'll find that going up a tier or two from your normal wine will give you a great experience. If you chose right, you'll get something that's delicious and different, and you won't be sorry for blowing the cash. That's the case with this wine, a California Pinot Noir that actually tastes like Pinot and shows great restraint by the winemaker, which is usually not the case on the left coast...more explanation below.

The Wine: Gary Farrell
The Grape: Pinot Noir (100%)
Vintage: 2006
Price: $34.99
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA

Normal Description: I'll admit that I've got a prejudice against California Pinot Noir and I'm very clear about why. First, Pinot Noir is mishandled in CA very frequently. The winemakers can't seem to restrain themselves. I mean, only in California would winemakers take a delicate, nuanced grape and let it get overripe and heavy, and then add ridiculous amounts of strong-flavored, vanilla tasting oak to hide its delicate character.

Second, In the US, label laws are pretty misleading. If the bottle says the name of the grape (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, etc.) the law only requires that the wine contains 75% of that grape juice. That effectively means that often we drink what most other countries would call a blend, labeled as a single variety. So when you drink a very soft Cabernet Sauvignon, most times it has various other things blended in -- most likely Merlot but maybe even some Syrah or Zin to give it a distinctive profile. Pinot Noir is VERY expensive in California, and wine is a business. Hence, when you taste a big jammy Pinot Noir from California, I'd put money on the fact that often it's only about 75% Pinot and 25% other stuff to make it big, jammy, and over the top. And sadly, this is not just the cheap stuff (I'm not lying here...I was in the biz in Cali, remember).

Not the case with this 100% Pinot Noir from Gary Farrell. Just from the color, which was an unpolished garnet hue with mauve/brown edges, you can tell that this was pure Pinot (which should be lighter in color than a Syrah or Cab). The wine was really bright and lovely on the nose. Ripe red cherries, pomegrante, and strawberry syrup (like what you get on a sundae) just flooded in on the first sniff. There was a farm-y, kicked-up-dust quality to it with a dried rosemary scent and a bunch of other savory spices mixed in. This is what I would expect from a Pinot -- something that smelled like red fruit and dusty earth. I was hopeful for a good showing and I got it!

Although the wine was ridiculously high in alcohol for a Pinot Noir (14.2%) and scorched my esophagus slightly, it didn't overpower the wine. Flavors of raspberry, cherry, and dried strawberry with that earthy, dried savory spice quality really shone through. There was a distinct anise flavor -- think ouzo, but good -- and there was some firm acid that helped balance the high alcohol and the big fruit of the wine. Yum.

Snap or crap?: Snap. This was a real winner for me. Elegant, balanced, and true to what I think Pinot Noir should be. I find it very difficult to get good Pinot Noir from anywhere but France. Oregon does a good job often, but to me, California does not. Although pricey, I'd buy this wine for a special occasion any day. If you want to taste what real California Pinot should taste like, next time you get some extra cash buy a bottle of this wine.

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Quickies: Two Great Wines From Our Anniversary...

If you follow me, you know that I try to do full reviews, but last night was my year wedding anniversary with M.C. Ice and we enjoyed two lovely bottles that I want to mention. I didn't pay close enough attention or take enough notes to give you all the deets but these are worth a mention...

Wine #1: Cantina di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
Grape: Sangiovese Grosso, a finer clone of the Sangiovese that you find in Chianti
Vintage: 2005

A few years ago when I worked for a very large winery, M.C. Ice and I had the fortune to go on a wine trip to Tuscany in Italy. Our favorite stop on the trip was in Montalcino, a little medieval town nestled in the country-side that is the home of one of the greatest wines in Italy -- Brunello di Montalcino.

The huge winery I worked for bottles and sells some Brunello under a commercial label, but we had the opportunity to buy the Italian versions straight from the winery, which were different and more refined. We picked up a few bottles of Brunello, but we also got this Rosso di Montalcino, which is really just a lighter, more easy-drinking version of the Brunello (and it's about $30 less too).

It was scrumptious and a beautiful match with our Italian food. A great nose of orange peel (typical, oddly enough), rich sour cherry, and mineral, wet-rock scents were all over the wine. It was rich, it was rustic yet elegant, and it was full-bodied. Simply delicious.

Although you can't get this brand in the US, I would really recommend that if you don't normally drink Rosso di Montalcino, that you give it a try-- especially the next time you have pizza or Italian. FAB!

Wine #2: Paul Goerg Extra Dry Champagne
Grapes: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir (it says it on the bottle, I didn't just taste that into existence!)

A few facts about Champagne that are awesome to know and will make you seem smart:

1. Champagne is a region and the sparkling wine from that region is called Champagne. Everything else is called something else (cava, sekt, prosecco, etc....if it ain't from Champagne, it's got another name).
2. Unless it's a vintage Champagne (expensive), the wine is actually a blend of vintages, vineyards, and grapes. Each "House" or producer has its own style and the winemakers work to get a consistent blend year after year.
3. If you think Champagne tastes like Chard, good job.Traditional Champagne is made from 3 grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (they press it and avoid skin contact so the juice is colorless), and a weird one called Pinot Meunier that is lesser in quality.
   
4. Champagne comes in different levels of sweetness because sugar is added during the second fermentation: Extra Brut/Brut Naturale has no sweetness, Brut is pretty dry and is the typical style, Extra Dry is lightly sweet, Sec is kind of medium-sweet, and Demi-Sec is sweet.

The wine we had was Extra Dry and went really well with the cake topper from our wedding (which held up -- pretty good, no?). Sweet with sweet -- easy to remember, delicious to eat/drink. Don't forget that when you go for the sweets at the end of the night, the bubbles are a great pairing if they have some sweetness, and the CO2 is a bit of a digestive aid, so it will actually make your tummy feel settled (at least that's what I tell myself...).

Great anniversary, great wines! Go out and get these for your next special occasion! Readmore »»

A Wine For Drinking: Delas Saint-Esprit Côtes-du-Rhône

It is a great thing when you can find a red wine that is good and is for straight-up for drinking, rather than for pondering or evaluating. For me, this is usually something not too complex that goes down the chute smoothly and enjoyably. It doesn't elicit the "OMG" or the "wow," and for that, I am generally thankful. Sometimes you just want a nice glass of wine that is sound, tasty, and has a little umph, but not too much. The Delas Saint-Esprit Côtes-du-Rhône defines this to me -- it's got enough to keep me interested, but not too much so I have to crack a book on it.


The Wine: Delas Saint-Esprit Côtes-du-Rhône
The Grapes: 75% Syrah, 25% Grenache (rare for a Cotes-du-Rhone!)
Vintage: 2007
Price: $11.99
Where It's From: Southern Rhone Valley of France


Normal Description: I love a good Côtes-du-Rhône . If you're not familiar with them, they range a ton in quality and you need to give a few a try (and probably ask your wine shop person for advice) before you settle on a reliable one. When you find a good one, it's well worth it -- I promise.


The Delas Saint-Esprit was a little more complex and interesting than the stuff I usually drink. And that's because it's made mostly with Syrah, rather than Grenache. That explains the dark ruby color -- Syrah is one dark-colored grape!

The nose was pretty terrific. It was plum with just a ton of baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and then there was great chocolate-mocha yumminess as a secondary hit. The thing was a cilia-singer -- alcohol was very apparent and kind of smacked me in the face. I got a bit of thyme and lavender as well, but these were less apparent so I may be making that up, although MC Ice gave me the "I see where you get that" and he's not afraid to tell me if I've gone off the deep end, so I think I may be ok.

As I've said before, I love when a wine delivers on the nose and this did. It was chocolate, caramel, plum goodness with prodigious alcohol and heat all over. Surprisingly, there was a bit of a green pepper/vegetable flavors to this wine. That is not typical of Syrah or Grenache, but I'm calling it as I tasted it. That said, it wasn't a deal breaker and the wine was awesome.

Snap or crap?: Snap. This wine is great. It's not too serious, and it won't blow your mind, but it's perfect for a weeknight and it's surely worth seeking out for the price. If you've never done a Côtes-du-Rhône, seek this out and give it a whirl. I think you'll be back to the French section to keep on exploring, if nothing else (which will do my Francophile heart good, at least!)

Addendum: We did try this with homemade pizza after I reviewed it on its own merits. Please don't do that. The acid in the tomatoes and the tannin in the wine clashed horribly and the wine tasted bitter as a result. Pairing can be so important because if I just had this wine with dinner and not before I would have mis-judged this lovely bottle.

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Fritz '05 Syrah: Saddle Up Your Horse For This Equine-Tasting Goodness

This wine is a sumptuous treat from the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma. Syrah is a great grape, one that I think is highly underrated and although there are lots of servicable Syrahs out there, a lot of times they just miss the mark. But Fritz did not disappoint -- as far as California-style Syrah goes this is a winner, for sure.

The Wine: Fritz Dry Creek Syrah
Vintage: 2005
Price: $28, spotty distribution but it's available online too
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, CA

Normal Description: Every now and then I pop open a bottle from my very small and modest wine collection. To be perfectly honest, regardless of the bottle I always think it's going to be lame. Why? Because when I first moved to California and started buying, I bought a lot of wine but my palate wasn't as developed and my education on regions not as good as it is today, so I worry that I blundered (ok, and I'll admit that I made a lot of drunken purchases -- you need full disclosure). It's not always the case but, thankfully with this one, I did ok.

Nestled in a subterranean cave near Cloverdale in Dry Creek, Sonoma Fritz is a property that McIce and I stumbled upon towards the end of the day while tasting a few years ago. If you're not familiar with Dry Creek, it's north of the Russian River Valley and north of the awesome, cute town of Healdsburg (home of the Healdsburg Hotel, which has the most amazing beds in the entire world, and the Flying Goat, which has the most delicious coffee in the entire world). Dry Creek is a small valley but gets lots of sun and water from Lake Sonoma, so it's prime for vineyards. It's known best for lights-out Zin, but some producers rock out the Cab, Cab Franc, and Syrah too. I'm not a big fan of the whites, but Sauv Blanc is grown prodigiously here (not austere enough for me, but if you like figgy, melon-y stuff, go for it!).

Getting back to the matter at hand, the Fritz '05 Syrah was a pretty great wine. It was opaque, and nearly black in color -- kinda like blackberry juice. Typical and a good sign of a big, rich Syrah. Yum.

The nose can only be described as equestrian -- this thing smelled like horseback riding all the way. Yes, there was a plum and blackberry core to it, and it singed my cilia with the hot alcohol smell, but all the other aromas (which were overpowering) said Mr. Ed. Saddle leather, horse sweat, even a little manure. I loved it! It was so complex and every sniff was something new and cool. The nose was a complete standout and reminded me more of a Northern Rhone wine than a Cali fruit bomb.

The palate was great, but it just didn't deliver on the nose for me as I would have liked. On the plus side, this wine represents a great example of a wine in balance -- it was very tannic and acidic, but still it was plump, velvety, and fruity. It was well made and was not overpowering or sharp, which can happen with a grape as tannic as Syrah. From a flavor perspective, certainly there was blackberry, leather, lavender, and tons of oak influence that showed in a really strong tobacco and caramel flavor, but it was much less complex than the nose. Since I loved the all the stuff going on with the nose, I felt a bit cheated. I would have liked a little more pony.

Snap or crap?: Snap. This is a wonderful wine. Interesting and delicious, Fritz '05 Syrah is great. Although I did feel that the palate fell short of the aroma, I still loved the wine and would purchase it again in a New York minute.

Note: I know there is still some 2005 available through the internet and in stores, but Fritz does not make Syrah as a core varietal so we may have to wait a few vintages before we can direct order this jewel again (I think they only make it every so often).

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