Surprising Wines
  • Wine
  • Wine Chat and Terms
  • Interviews
  • About

Paul Cluver's 2013 Gewurztraminer, A Nice Intro To The Grape From Alsace Via South Africa

4/27/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Patrick Ogle

Paul Cluver's 2013 gewurztraminer is a nice intro to the grape for around $15. I felt the need to wax eloquent about this wine before tasting it. If you can describe the smell of a wine as crisp, summery, alive and green. This is that wine. This is not green as in underripe grapes but green as in ALIVE. When you taste? You get all the same sensations but add in the taste of ripe pear, melon, lychee and strong floral notes. Often when I see more exotic fruits mentioned in a description I roll my eyes but in this case? Lychee is truly accurate.This wine finishes with what Id call a brambly acidity. This wine isn't super acidic but there is enough to give the wine backbone. Acidity peaks through (to me) on the finish. Often when I see more exotic fruits mentioned in a description I roll my eyes but in this case? Lychee is truly accurate.


This has a bit of sweetness to it but don't think REALLY sweet. Gewurztraminers are called aromatic for a reason--the nose, the smell, of this wine jumps out of the glass at you. The aroma is pronounced. This is a wine you could just pop open on any warm afternoon and knock back (keeping in mind this ISN'T a super light wine). If you are heading out for Indian food or, especially, Thai, this would be an excellent choice to complement your repast.

I’ve had people tell me they didn't like gewurztraminer but then, upon further discussion, found out they'd only had cheap, disgusting versions of the varietal (we shall leave those nameless here). If you get the right bottle gewurztraminer is a treat. Some of the less good versions of this wine have really low acidity and unbalanced sweetness; done wrong these can be overly sweet, flabby wines. So choose with care! Gewurztraminer grows best in cooler areas so think of that when making a purchase.

This isn't really all that "surprising" of a wine. Most people who know even a little about wine are familiar with the grape. But I found that many associate it too closely with riesling. It is it's own thing. Its home is Alsace in France but this one is from South Africa. You will also find it grown in the Pacific Northwest, Australia, New Zealand and I have heard tell of wines from Germany and Austria. I thought about getting into the grape's relations--the traminer family but that is a complicated story that is a bit beyond me. Consult wine historians!

0 Comments

Masseria Li Veli Verdeca (2013) A Big Bodied, Unique And Indigenous White From Southern Italy

4/20/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Patrick Ogle

Masseria Li Veli verdeca comes from Cellino San Marco in Southern Italy (the heel of the boot). I confess when I bought this bottle I had no idea where in Italy the wine was from but I did know some info on the varietal. I knew it was, at least in the past, used to make vermouth. I knew it was a wine with some body. But as usual, nothing matters until you taste.


This is an unusual big bodied white wine from Italy I thought half a dozen things after my first taste--it has a thickness like a riesling (but precious little else in common with that grape), it has floral notes that you might expect from a gewurztraminer or perhaps a viognier. Its fruit tastes reminds of melons or papaya with a little bit of nuttiness mixed in for measure. This is all balanced out with minerality and an acidity that, to me, peeked through in the finish.

This is a big, bold wine that Northern California chardonnay drinkers might find interesting (even though it really isn't that similar). Yet, if you like your white wines big with some fruit, you may be on board with this verdeca.

Masseria Li Veli has a project called ASKOS where they aim  to "rediscover" ancient varietals from Apulia. Many of these have almost disappeared. Wines that are part of the project are made exclusively with the indigenous grapes which are cultivated using traditional methods. Find out more HERE.


Picture
0 Comments

Weingut Knauss Trollinger (2014) , A Super Light Red Suitable For Summer Imbibing

4/15/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Patrick Ogle

Weingut Knauss trollinger (2014) is a super light red suitable for summertime imbibing. I've written about grignolino and at least thought about writing about schiava and here is a wine that is in that family (not genetically speaking). Trollinger, in fact, is called schiava grossa in Italy and is a clone, a sub variety, of schiava.



The wine is a light wine with the taste of cherries, strawberries or other light red fruits. There is some acidity but it is mild and no tannins to speak of. This is just a great, easy drinking wine that you should serve a bit cold. It is unlike Italian schiava in acidity. The Italian versions I’ve had showed more pronounced acidity although similar fruit flavors.

I opened a bottle of this particular wine thinking I'd have a glass. I drank the entire liter. It says the alcohol is between 11 and 14 percent; I would bet on the lower end of that range. This is a simple, easy drinking wine that isn't complex, isn't something you will sit and ponder as you quaff. That said, it isn't totally bubblegum either. It is a change and maybe something you bring for BYOB Indian or other spicy repast.

0 Comments

La Boutanche Rose 2015, From The Loire, Uses The Little Used And Oft Reviled Grape, Grolleau, To Good Effect

4/14/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Patrick Ogle

La Boutanche Rose 2015, made from the oft reviled grolleau grape, is tart, crisp and has what  seems  a hint of effervescence when you first open it; this vanishes quickly. The finish has subtle hints of tannin and a little bitterness. It is an rose with a little more to it than the ones you down with two fists in the summertime. Part of me couldn't help thinking of a non-bubbly lambrusco. There is something floral and the fruit is bright, tart and summery (watermelon? strawberry?). But do not mistake this rose for a Provencal rose; as noted it is tart, mildly tannic and has a hint of bitterness.


This is a grape that at least four well-known wine writers have said should be torn up and replaced with cab franc. There are some great cab francs in the Loire Valley; why suggest getting rid of a lesser known, lesser grown grape? The only reason I can think of is that some experts think there should only be a handful of grapes grown and that grapes/wines that do not fit into some quite specific taste parameters have no value.

I do not concur (despite not being a renowned expert).

Not everything outside of Napa Cabs, Bordeaux-style blends or other classic French styles has no value. In the hands of interesting winemakers (or in certain areas) discounted grapes can thrive. I do not know what a red made from grolleau would taste like and there may be some truly foul roses from the grape out there but this wine is not one of them. It is a wonderful light to medium bodied rose that will please lovers of the standard rose fare but offers a little something different to wine lovers looking for new horizons can also enjoy.

0 Comments

Valdiguie Used To Be Called Napa Gamay And This "Minor Grape" Does Share Characteristics With The Wines Of Beaujolais

4/11/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Patrick Ogle

A number of years back you may have seen a wine labeled as "Napa Gamay" and you may wondered why you no longer see it gracing the shelves of your local wine shop. The reason is that the grape wasn't actually gamay but a lesser-known grape, valdiguie.



This Broc Cellars 2014 valdiguie really does remind of gamay--Beaujolais like Morgon. It is fruity with some sneaky, below the radar, tannins below the surface. It is medium bodied with noticeable acidity. As I read up on this grape I saw, again and again, how it was "undistinguished" and now only a minor grape in parts of Southern France. Part of the problem with this grape (used as part of a blend in table wines) is that it is a high yielding grape. That sounds great and it is--if you are growing table grapes. When you are growing wine grapes lower yields are preferred. BUT a winemaker can MAKE a vine grow less grapes via pruning and old vines naturally produce fewer grapes.

Another way a winemaker can intervene is in HOW they make the wine. In this case (as has apparently historically been the case with valdiguie) the wine is made using a technique called carbonic maceration which is often used making the wines of Beaujolais. You can find out more about the process HERE but it generally creates a lighter, fruitier wine but this isn't an indication wines made using it lack character (or even some body). Don't mistake Beaujolais from Grand Cru areas with Beaujolais Noveau; these are quite different creatures.

This is a wine you can drink right away and is one that will please both casual wine drinkers and people who take every bottle seriously. It also comes at a price that is competitive with the prices of comparable bottles of actual gamay. One reason valdiguie was mistaken for gamay is that it shares some qualities with that grape.

0 Comments

Montalbera Grignolino d'Asti Grigne (2013), A Light, Refreshing Red From Northern Italy

4/9/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Patrick Ogle

Montalbera
Grignolino d'Asti Grigne 2013 is a northern Italian light red wine that still has a great deal "going on." There is fairly high acidity and tannins lurking under the surface in this light and fresh wine. You could even serve it cold. Fruit wise there is a hint of red cherry and maybe other red fruits like strawberry. My first thought was "candied cherry." This wasn't any indication of sweetness but rather an impression, a sense of color rather than what candied cherry would taste like.


This wine doesn't change rapidly with exposure to air and even over time it changes only slightly. There is complexity here, fruit, acidity and tannins. The tannins are there from the first taste to the finish but they are understated and sneaky in this wine. The acidity and red fruit make this a really refreshing experience.

The wine is 100 percent grignolino and reminds a little of another grape from northern Italy, schiava. Both are light bright wines but they also have more to them than you expect from a light red. This wine is something to drink on its own or with food. With food I might suggest lighter fare--pasta with red sauce or white pizza. I sometimes recommend it to people eating something you would normally serve with white wine.

Grignolino is from the Piedmont area in the north of Italy. Apparently the name is refers to the high number of seeds the grape has which often caused the light wine to be disproportionately tannic. This wine isn't like that (nor is a sparkler made by the same company). Winemakers take steps to avoid crushing the seeds which keeps strong tannins from the wine. Again, as often noted here, you will see the "cabs and Bordeaux wines should be the ONLY wines" type
disparaging a light, unusual wine like grignolino. Ignore them. This is a grape that IS what it is--a light wine. Not all wines need to be 16 percent alcohol and so nuclear fruit bombs.

0 Comments

Ettore Germano's Nascetta, A Complicated, Rewarding White From A Traditional Northern Italian Grape

4/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Patrick Ogle

Ettore Germano
produce a number of interesting wines in Langhe (Piedmont). This wine is made from the nascetta grape, an Italian white that apparently came close to being forgotten. It is a good thing
hasn’t.

Part of the point of this wine blog is to talk about wines like this and hopefully disparage the notion that everything has to be a cabernet sauvignon or a chardonnay or something with a familiar profile. There are many wines, made from many grapes, that deserve your attention. The grape is native to the Piedmont area (and some sources say it is the only white grape native to the area). It is quasi-aromatic and has some vegetal or floral elements.

It is hard for me to go into as much detail as I might with other wines. I have only ever tried this one version of nascetta! Check out this article for more information.

This wine has a sharp bitter finish. When I was trying to figure out what the initial flavors in this wine ,the finish punched me in the face. This is the impression right out of the bottle but with some air it changes a great deal. This nascetta might well be a wine you want to decant for 45 minutes or so. This isn’t shocking when you compare this wine with another Italian white wine we've tried--fiano (although this is much different). That wine required a solid 2 hours of air. This one might even need more air. I saved some for day two and it was really showing well. If you find a bottle? DECANT!

You get a mouth-drying sensation that you usually find with a red wine's tannins here right out of the bottle but the air brings out subtle flavors and creates more continuity. Also? What I refer to as "the finish"? Well maybe that isn't the finish.With some air the flavors of this wine linger on the palate. This is, above all, a great wine for food. It has firm acidity and would be at home with robust dishes featuring gorgonzola or other rich cheeses.

Take some time with this wine. It has definite floral and herbal qualities to go with that bitterness. Fruit isn't the most obvious sensation from this wine. The floral aspects call to mind honeysuckle (as always do not this mistake it for sweet). There is something akin to tropical fruit here but I cannot pinpoint one. There is citrus, perhaps something lemony in this wine. There is a firm acidity throughout here which gives the wine a solid backbone.

Hopefully we will all see more nascetta imported in coming years.

0 Comments

    WINE!

    There are thousands of wine grapes and many places that grow great wines. Why not find out about some surprising wines from surprising places?

    NOTE-Until recently I did not capitalize the names of varietal grapes (as a matter of style) but for a variety of reasons as of February, 2018 we will capitalize but I am not going back and altering the previous style!!!


    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    September 2021
    May 2021
    August 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    November 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All
    Albana
    Albanello
    Albarino
    Alicante Bouschet
    Aligote
    Arneis
    Auxerrois
    Baga
    Barbera
    Bekari
    Blaufrankisch
    Blend
    Brachetto
    Cabernet Franc
    Cabernet Sauvignon
    Caladoc
    Carignan
    Catawba
    Centesimino
    Chambourcin
    Chardonel
    Chardonnay
    Chasselas
    Chenin Blanc
    Chinuri
    Cinsault
    Clairette Blanche
    Counoise
    Debina
    Dolcetto
    Frappato
    Fruit Wine
    Furmint
    Gamay
    Gamay Teinturier
    Garrut
    Gewurztraminer
    Glera
    Godello
    Grechetto
    Grenache
    Grenache Blanc
    Grenache Gris
    Grignolino
    Grolleau
    Gros Manseng
    Gruner Veltliner
    Italy
    Jacquère
    Kerner
    Lambrusco
    Limniona
    Listan
    Malbec
    Malvasia
    Malvasia Bianca
    Malvasia De Sitges
    Marsanne
    Marsellan
    Mataossu
    Mavrud
    Melon De Bourgogne
    Mission Grape
    Mourvedre/Monastrell
    Müller-Thurgau
    Muscadelle
    Muscadine
    Muscat
    Muscat Of Alexandria
    Muscat Of Hamburg
    Nascetta
    Nerello Mascalese
    Orangetraube
    Orange Wine
    Pais
    Parellada
    Pedro Ximenez
    Petit Courbu
    Petit Manseng
    Pet Nat
    Pineau D' Aunis
    Pinot Blanc
    Pinot Grigio
    Pinot Gris
    Pinot Meunier
    Pinot Noir
    Plavak
    Prosecco
    Red
    Ribolla Gialla
    Riesling
    Robola
    Romorantin
    Rose
    Rosé
    Roussanne
    Savagnin
    Sciaccarellu
    Semillon
    Skin Contact
    Sparkling
    St. Laurent
    Sumoll
    Sylvaner
    Symphony
    Syrah
    T. Amarela
    Tannat
    Tricadeira Preta
    Trollinger
    Trousseau Gris
    Trousseau Noir
    Valdiguié
    Valdiguié
    Verdeca
    Verdejo
    Verdelho
    Video
    Viognier
    Viura/Macabeo
    Vlahiko
    White
    Xarel Lo
    Xarel-Lo
    Xarel-lo Vermell
    Xinomavro
    Xynisteri
    Zinfandel
    Zweigelt

    RSS Feed

      We'd love to hear from you...(probably)...

    Submit