Arnt Egil Nordlien
Arnt Egil Nordlien
Notes for those who are interested.
Schloss Neuweierer traminer auslese natur 1964, August Rssler/Schloss Neuweier
From the forgotten producer that gave us mauerwein. Yellow colour. Lightly aromatic, smokey and spicey traminer. Complex and aged notes with a lot of minerality. Dark wet earth, almost a vulcanic feel. Fullbodied and somewhat sweet traminer in the mouth. Slightly fatness in the mouth. Smokey, mineral fruit. Some rosewater. Evolved and complex. The fruit is very fine and has aged gracefully. Medium to low acids. A lightly bitter mineral note on the finish. Good length. This was a great wine that drink beautifully now. On top now, but has the stuffing to last even longer.
SP68 2008, Arianna Occhipinti
I don't know the story behind this wine, but this seems to be what every great Cerasuolo di Vittoria should be like. Violet colour. Fresh and fruity nose. Pretty. Hints of red berries, lightly floral notes, some anise. Clean, acidic and fruity Sicilian in the mouth. This is built around a very clean fine young fruit. Strawberries and mostly hints of the Frappato. Flowers, candies. A little hint of darker berries. High and cleansing acids. Little tannins. How utterly tempting juice.
Etna rosso Guardiola 2005, Tenuta di Terre Nere
How utterly.....different. Dark red colour. Utterly modern made intense and fruity Etna on the nose. But, ok, it is pretty. Hints of dark berries, fine floral high-notes, some ash and apparent oak-notes. A bit sweetish. Powerful and concentrated wine in the mouth. There is lots of oak here, but also dark berries, anise and fine floral high-notes. This has some depth, but the oak is a little too much for me. It has integrated somewhat and this is better than a bottle a couple of years ago. Medium acids and a tannic finish that shows those hard woody notes.
Il Frappato 2005, Arianna Occhipinti
The Frappato from Occhipinti is always such a fascinating and great wine from the start. But I did lay a couple of bottles of the 2005 down to see what would happen. And what a success it was. Red colour. Great-great nose. This has gained in intensity. It has still the very fine florality and lightly hints of acidic candies. There is a touch of tobacco that was not there before. Light and elegant wine in the mouth. Floral fruit with a core of cherries and lemon. Again there is a touch of tobacco. Fine acidity. Refreshing. Light tannins and a touch of anise on the finish. Good length. Great-great wine that has developed better than I expected. I am tempted to forget the last bottle for more years. How utterly exciting juice.
Schodener Herrenberg riesling auslese No.7 1999, Weinhof Herrenberg
I liked this very much. A great effort from this vintage. Not as steely as one expects from Saar. Also quite round and kind Saar-wine and makes me think more of Mittel-Mosel. Yellow colour. Lightly greenish hues. Pretty nose. Complex and shows some development. Highly mineral. Hints of honey, petrol, with air some botrytis-notes showing. Fine botrytis for this year. Sweetish riesling auslese in the mouth. Light fat and some hints of botrytis. Still quite clear and fine fruit. Mineral style. Hints of honey, petrol. Light dry-extract on the finish. Starting to drink nicely now, but will last for many years.
Cote de Brouilly Cuvee Zaccharie Geoffray 2002, Chateau Thivin
Another great-great bottle. Red colour. Red fruits on the nose. Fine floral notes. Hints of stone and mienrality. Pure and clear gamay. Fullbodied and structured gamay in the mouth. Again the fruit is pure and focused. Dark notes for a gamay and with fine florality and hints of wet stone. Medium acidity and a tight finish still showin tannins. This seems to just have reached it's top and will probably still be there for another 5-10 years.
Umweger Stich den Buben riesling Selection trocken 2001, Gut Ngelsfrst
Sorry for those dirty words. The wine is less dirty than that. Tastes more like a simple riesling from a warmer part of Germany. Yellow colour. Pretty nose. Mineral, petrol. Ripe fruits. Apricot, some honey. Light and dry riesling in the mouth. Mature fruit. More honeyed and apricot-like notes here. Some minerality and petrol, but seems simpler than the nose. Medium to good acids. Lower than expected in a year like this. Medium length. Seems mature now. Good, but a little anonymous.
Neuweierer Mauerberg riesling trockenbeerenauslese RJS-privat 2001, Gut Ngelsfrst
Anything but anonymous. Brownish colour. Intense sweet nose. Botrytis and citrus being the first impressions. With swirling caramel, raisins, red berries - like blackcurrant. Powerful, sweet and fat wine in the mouth. Loads of botrytis here. This is a big TBA. Big-big really. Caramelly and citrusy fruit. Some red berries there. Still a very young wine and perhaps slightly on the rustic side. Great acidic structure. Long citrusy finish. Great sweet riesling. Will age forever.
Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese Bricco Mondalino 2008, Bricco Mondalino
Transparent red colour. Deep for a grignolino. Lightly aromatic and pretty nose of red berries, currant, anise and tar. Medium bodied and a quite powerful grignolino in the mouth. Clear grignolino-fruit. Lot of red berries, currant. Fine hints of tar and anise. Good depth and interesting wine. Fine acidity and the finish shows some tannins. Very good grignolino on the young side. It is drinkable now for enjoying the fresh, young fruit. I suggest giving it 3-4 more years.
l'Etoile cuvee des ceps d'Or 1997, Chateau l'Etoile
Yes, I love this wine. Lightly brownish colour with greenish hues. Slightly cloudy. Complex and fascinating nose with a voile-character. Hints of sotolon, voile, nuts, dried flowers, coffee. Quite slim and dry Jura-wine in the mouth. Concentrated. Evolved and complex fruit. Nutty, voile-character with lots of sotolon and hints of dried flowers. Great depth. Cleansing acids. Long citrusy finish. Great wine. Mature.
Condrieu 2007, Jean-Paul Brun
Tastes like someone tried to do nice things with viognier. That said it is still viognier. Straw colour. Lightly aromatic nose with typical hints of perfume and sweet flowers. Also anise and some minerality. In the mouth this is a clean and pure viognier with a fine concentration. Not too ripe fruits. Some perfume and flowers, yet balanced with some minerality and notes of anise. Decent acidity and a long perfumed finish. Very good Condrieu, but the price is a bit high for the quality.
Schloss Neuweierer traminer auslese natur 1964, August Rssler/Schloss Neuweier
From the forgotten producer that gave us mauerwein. Yellow colour. Lightly aromatic, smokey and spicey traminer. Complex and aged notes with a lot of minerality. Dark wet earth, almost a vulcanic feel. Fullbodied and somewhat sweet traminer in the mouth. Slightly fatness in the mouth. Smokey, mineral fruit. Some rosewater. Evolved and complex. The fruit is very fine and has aged gracefully. Medium to low acids. A lightly bitter mineral note on the finish. Good length. This was a great wine that drink beautifully now. On top now, but has the stuffing to last even longer.
SP68 2008, Arianna Occhipinti
I don't know the story behind this wine, but this seems to be what every great Cerasuolo di Vittoria should be like. Violet colour. Fresh and fruity nose. Pretty. Hints of red berries, lightly floral notes, some anise. Clean, acidic and fruity Sicilian in the mouth. This is built around a very clean fine young fruit. Strawberries and mostly hints of the Frappato. Flowers, candies. A little hint of darker berries. High and cleansing acids. Little tannins. How utterly tempting juice.
Etna rosso Guardiola 2005, Tenuta di Terre Nere
How utterly.....different. Dark red colour. Utterly modern made intense and fruity Etna on the nose. But, ok, it is pretty. Hints of dark berries, fine floral high-notes, some ash and apparent oak-notes. A bit sweetish. Powerful and concentrated wine in the mouth. There is lots of oak here, but also dark berries, anise and fine floral high-notes. This has some depth, but the oak is a little too much for me. It has integrated somewhat and this is better than a bottle a couple of years ago. Medium acids and a tannic finish that shows those hard woody notes.
Il Frappato 2005, Arianna Occhipinti
The Frappato from Occhipinti is always such a fascinating and great wine from the start. But I did lay a couple of bottles of the 2005 down to see what would happen. And what a success it was. Red colour. Great-great nose. This has gained in intensity. It has still the very fine florality and lightly hints of acidic candies. There is a touch of tobacco that was not there before. Light and elegant wine in the mouth. Floral fruit with a core of cherries and lemon. Again there is a touch of tobacco. Fine acidity. Refreshing. Light tannins and a touch of anise on the finish. Good length. Great-great wine that has developed better than I expected. I am tempted to forget the last bottle for more years. How utterly exciting juice.
Schodener Herrenberg riesling auslese No.7 1999, Weinhof Herrenberg
I liked this very much. A great effort from this vintage. Not as steely as one expects from Saar. Also quite round and kind Saar-wine and makes me think more of Mittel-Mosel. Yellow colour. Lightly greenish hues. Pretty nose. Complex and shows some development. Highly mineral. Hints of honey, petrol, with air some botrytis-notes showing. Fine botrytis for this year. Sweetish riesling auslese in the mouth. Light fat and some hints of botrytis. Still quite clear and fine fruit. Mineral style. Hints of honey, petrol. Light dry-extract on the finish. Starting to drink nicely now, but will last for many years.
Cote de Brouilly Cuvee Zaccharie Geoffray 2002, Chateau Thivin
Another great-great bottle. Red colour. Red fruits on the nose. Fine floral notes. Hints of stone and mienrality. Pure and clear gamay. Fullbodied and structured gamay in the mouth. Again the fruit is pure and focused. Dark notes for a gamay and with fine florality and hints of wet stone. Medium acidity and a tight finish still showin tannins. This seems to just have reached it's top and will probably still be there for another 5-10 years.
Umweger Stich den Buben riesling Selection trocken 2001, Gut Ngelsfrst
Sorry for those dirty words. The wine is less dirty than that. Tastes more like a simple riesling from a warmer part of Germany. Yellow colour. Pretty nose. Mineral, petrol. Ripe fruits. Apricot, some honey. Light and dry riesling in the mouth. Mature fruit. More honeyed and apricot-like notes here. Some minerality and petrol, but seems simpler than the nose. Medium to good acids. Lower than expected in a year like this. Medium length. Seems mature now. Good, but a little anonymous.
Neuweierer Mauerberg riesling trockenbeerenauslese RJS-privat 2001, Gut Ngelsfrst
Anything but anonymous. Brownish colour. Intense sweet nose. Botrytis and citrus being the first impressions. With swirling caramel, raisins, red berries - like blackcurrant. Powerful, sweet and fat wine in the mouth. Loads of botrytis here. This is a big TBA. Big-big really. Caramelly and citrusy fruit. Some red berries there. Still a very young wine and perhaps slightly on the rustic side. Great acidic structure. Long citrusy finish. Great sweet riesling. Will age forever.
Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese Bricco Mondalino 2008, Bricco Mondalino
Transparent red colour. Deep for a grignolino. Lightly aromatic and pretty nose of red berries, currant, anise and tar. Medium bodied and a quite powerful grignolino in the mouth. Clear grignolino-fruit. Lot of red berries, currant. Fine hints of tar and anise. Good depth and interesting wine. Fine acidity and the finish shows some tannins. Very good grignolino on the young side. It is drinkable now for enjoying the fresh, young fruit. I suggest giving it 3-4 more years.
l'Etoile cuvee des ceps d'Or 1997, Chateau l'Etoile
Yes, I love this wine. Lightly brownish colour with greenish hues. Slightly cloudy. Complex and fascinating nose with a voile-character. Hints of sotolon, voile, nuts, dried flowers, coffee. Quite slim and dry Jura-wine in the mouth. Concentrated. Evolved and complex fruit. Nutty, voile-character with lots of sotolon and hints of dried flowers. Great depth. Cleansing acids. Long citrusy finish. Great wine. Mature.
Condrieu 2007, Jean-Paul Brun
Tastes like someone tried to do nice things with viognier. That said it is still viognier. Straw colour. Lightly aromatic nose with typical hints of perfume and sweet flowers. Also anise and some minerality. In the mouth this is a clean and pure viognier with a fine concentration. Not too ripe fruits. Some perfume and flowers, yet balanced with some minerality and notes of anise. Decent acidity and a long perfumed finish. Very good Condrieu, but the price is a bit high for the quality.
