Biodynamic

Nathalie & Christian Chaussard 2008 Patapon

Nathalie & Christian Chaussard 2008 Patapon
Region: 
Loire
Country: 
France
Vintage: 
2008
Alcohol: 
12.5 %
Size: 
750 ml
Price: 
$25
Tasted: 
27 January 2012

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.

In short: 
Very good

Marc Kreydenweiss 2002 Riesling Andlau

Producer: 
Marc Kreydenweiss
Region: 
Alsace
Country: 
France
Vintage: 
2002
Cultivation: 
Biodynamic
Alcohol: 
12.0 %
Closure: 
Cork
Size: 
750 ml
Price: 
10 Euro
Production: 
700 cases
Tasted: 
04 August 2005

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.

In short: 
Very good

Clemens Busch 2008 Marienburg Fahrlay Riesling

Clemens Busch 2008 Marienburg Fahrlay Riesling
Producer: 
Clemens Busch
Region: 
Mosel
Country: 
Germany
Vintage: 
2008
Cultivation: 
Biodynamic
Alcohol: 
12.5 %
Closure: 
Cork
Size: 
750 ml
Tasted: 
31 August 2011

Brilliant golden color. Beautifully mineral nose, concentrated and dense with a deep aroma of peach, hay and wet leaves.
Dry on the palate. Medium alcohol and body. High acidity. The Fahrlay tastes fiercely mineral yet at the same time feels soft and round in the mouth. Intense grapefruit flavor, then turns mineral again throughout a long length.

The 2008 Fahrlay is an intense Riesling experience with potential to age for the next 15-20 years. A gentle Riesling giant.

In short: 
Excellent

Felton Road 2009 Riesling

Felton Road 2009 Riesling
Producer: 
Felton Road
Region: 
Central Otago
Country: 
New Zealand
Vintage: 
2009
Cultivation: 
Biodynamic
Alcohol: 
10.0 %
Size: 
750 ml
Price: 
$32
Tasted: 
27 August 2011

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.

In short: 
Very good

Pierre Frick 2007 Riesling Vorbourg Grand Cru

Pierre Frick 2007 Riesling Vorbourg Grand Cru
Region: 
Alsace
Country: 
France
Cultivation: 
Biodynamic
Alcohol: 
13.5 %
Closure: 
Crown cap
Size: 
750 ml
Price: 
$25
Tasted: 
21 August 2011

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.

In short: 
Very good

Binner 2007 Riesling Ammerschwihr

Binner 2007 Riesling Ammerschwihr
Producer: 
Audrey et Christian Binner
Region: 
Alsace
Country: 
France
Cultivation: 
Biodynamic
Alcohol: 
14.0 %
Closure: 
Cork
Size: 
750 ml
Price: 
$15
Tasted: 
14 January 2011

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.

In short: 
Good - Very good

Zind-Humbrecht 2006 Riesling Herrenberg de Turckheim

Producer: 
Zind-Humbrecht
Region: 
Alsace
Country: 
France
Tasted: 
14 February 2009

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.

Marc Kreydenweiss 2002 Clos Rebberg Riesling "Aux Vignes"

Kreydenweiss 2002 Clos Rebberg Riesling "Aux Vignes"
Producer: 
Marc Kreydenweiss
Region: 
Alsace
Country: 
France
Vintage: 
2002
Cultivation: 
Biodynamic
Alcohol: 
12.0 %
Closure: 
Cork
Size: 
750 ml
Production: 
220 cases
Tasted: 
27 April 2010

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.

In short: 
Good - Very good

Marc Kreydenweiss 2001 Andlau Riesling

Kreydenweiss 2001 Andlau Riesling
Producer: 
Marc Kreydenweiss
Region: 
Alsace
Country: 
France
Vintage: 
2001
Cultivation: 
Biodynamic
Alcohol: 
12.0 %
Closure: 
Cork
Size: 
750 ml
Tasted: 
28 October 2009

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.

In short: 
Very good

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