A freakish character looks at me from the wine label. The face is smiling, but the smile is somewhat diabolical, almost fiendish. Certainly this man must be a whimsical fellow I think to myself. I better be cautious.
And indeed, never, never have I had a wine that tasted exactly like the label suggested it may taste like.
The Patapon is a Vin de Table, a blend of several different plots, but it is authentic, it is biodynamic, it is 100% Pineau d'Aunis, a grape variety that is very much at home in Touraine and which the people there sometimes call Chenin Noir.
If you have a garden you may know that feeling of uneasiness increasing each day during a vacation. How will the radishes do in the hot weather? And how will the coneflowers cope without your daily care? And then, back home, after two weeks of worrying, you realize that the plants never looked better after having been left on their own for a while. Similarly, you don't have to worry about Alberto Tedeschi's wines either. They can easily deal with exposure to air once the bottle has been opened.
Coenobium Rusticum is a white wine made from a blend of organically grown Trebbiano, Malvasia and Verdicchio grapes, which have been fermented on their skins for 15 days. This extended skin contact is rather unusual for a white wine. Skin contact extracts more color and flavor compounds and results in wines with a fuller body but lesser focus on fruit. The Coenobium Rusticum 2008 with its deep copper color thus has a delightfully earthy character (or rustic, as the wine's name suggests).
The 2008 Coenobium has enough substance to be enjoyed by itself, but it also perfect with a pork roast or a variety of cheeses.
Facing Bourgueil in the north, Chinon is an important red wine appellation for Cabernet Franc in the Touraine region on the south bank of the Loire river. Chinon reds are usually leaner, with a more pronounced bell pepper aroma.
Bourgueil, part of the larger district of Touraine, is a red wine appellation on the north bank of the Loire river that also produces a little bit of rosé wines, but no white wines. Bourgueil wines are primarily made from Cabernet Franc, but since the 2000 vintage up to 25% of a blended wine can be Cabernet Sauvignon.
Domaine de Chevalerie looks back on a tradition of winemaking of 400 years. The 39 hectares of vineyards are run by Pierre Caslot and his family.
A well-aged wine that elegantly shows Cabernet Franc's earthy characteristics without leaning too much to the bell pepper spectrum. For $18 this is quite a good deal of a nicely aged Cabernet Franc.
Gewurztraminer is one of the four "noble grape varieties" along with Riesling, Muscat and Pinot Gris permitted in Alsace Grand Crus. Its wines are usually higher in alcohol than Riesling and when made from botrytized grapes can easily exceed the 16% alcohol mark. Sometimes I find Gewurztraminer heavy and at worst, when the acidity levels in the grapes were low, unappetizingly flabby. But luckily, Laurent Barth's 2008 Gewurztraminer from the Grand Cru site of Marckrain, which consists of marl and limestone, combines all of the good aspects of this grape variety.
Golden, cloudy, orange and bubbly. This is what Alberto Tedeschi's Pignoletto sur-lie looks like in the glass. The nose is a peculiar mix of fresh and vibrant orange peel, oxidised apple, yeast and smoke.
Pignoletto is a native Italian grape variety grown predominantly in the region around Bologna. Tedeschi's Pignoletto is dry on the palate and refreshingly vibrant with its crisp acidity. The alcohol level of 13.5% is barely noticeable, perhaps also because there is so much else going on in this wine. It is very yeasty, there is apple, lots of spices and herbs - and wet stones.
Zweigelt is the most widely grown red grape variety in Austria. It was developed in the 1920s as a crossing of the more interesting varieties Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent.
Medium ruby color. Medium intensity of a dirty fruit aroma and I mean this as a compliment. This Cabernet Franc has a very youthful cherry note, but it also smells of wet leaves and mushrooms. But it's also dangerous. The alcohol level of 13.7% is very well integrated. I did not notice when I tasted the wine at first, but felt it ten minutes later. The acidity is medium(-) and a medium intensity of ripe tannins, perfect for drinking this wine now, but it also means that it should probably be consumed within the next 3-4 years.
Cascina Gilli's Barbera d'Asti no doubt is an extremely attractive wine with its ruby color and youthful, vibrant and delicately spiced smell of blackberry and black cherry. The wine is dry on the palate and has a medium amount of very ripe tannins. The alcohol is well integrated and the Barbera overall has a medium body. Medium(+) intensity of blackberry and cherry flavors, with a hint of sweet spices. Very smooth, flowery and alluringly elegant. Medium(+) length. Drink now through 2016.
