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.
Llight golden color Youthful nose with a medium-pronounced intensity. Jammy and yet very fresh aroma of peach and apricot. Dry on the palate, medium acidity. Medium body with a medium intensity of mineral and peach flavors. Well balanced Riesling. Ready to drink but can age for 3-4 more years.
This biodynamic Riesling from New Zealand's Central Otago region is light and elegant. It has a pale lemon color and its aroma is piercingly refreshing, full of pear, citrus and minerality. The sweetness is very well balanced by high acidity. Mediium intensity of pear, blackberry and mineral flavors. Medium(+) length with a mineral finish.
A fine sweet Riesling with mouthwatering acidity. Recommended particularly to lovers of classic German Spätlese.
Pierre Frick's 2007 Riesling Vorbourg slapped me in the face - it is fiercely refreshing, which is not a common trait amongst Alsatian Rieslings these days. But 2007 is one of the finest vintages in Alsace in the last decade. The temperatures during the summer months were moderate and allowed for a long ripening period while the grapes managed to retain acidity. The Vorbourg vineyard near Rouffach has a south to south-east exposure and due to two prominent summits of the Vosges mountain range it is one of the driest spots in Alsace. The grapes ripen early and thus keep more of their acidity.
Medium straw color and - not surprisingly for a biodynamic wine - cloudy. Rather unusual nose for a Riesling. Very earthy, none of the brilliant fruit and pierce minerality. The Ammerschwihr Riesling from Binner has more of a moss-like aroma, wet and fresh, very interesting. It is completely dry on the palate and the acidity is so crisp that it tastes borderline sour. I mean this as a compliment.
Although the 2006 Riesling Herrenberg de Turkheim has a very jammy and spicy peach aromas it also pleases the nose with light floral notes and hints of smoke. It is dry on the palate and has a medium(+) level of acidity. Somber, ripe peach fruit on the palate, which is overall very spicy (bay leave), very similar to the aroma. Medium(+) length. An impressive full-bodied Riesling with subtleties.
The aroma of the 2002 Clos Rebberg Riesling "Aux Vignes" from Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss is quite developed. I can smell the age. And the minerals. The stones are broken. Honeyed fruit seeps out of the cracks. I enjoy the intense bouquet of dried fruit and the scent of sweet tarragon. But it is deceptive.
Poured in the glass the Andlau 2001 from Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss shows a beautiful golden color. A sign of its age. At eight years the Andlau is not a veteran, but it's not a Kastelberg, it's not a Grand Cru - nobody expects it to last for twenty or more years. Yet its brillance still holds a promise.
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