Saina Nieminen
Saina Nieminen
Adam
A.J. Adam Hofberg Riesling Kabinett 2008
7,5% abv; 65 g/l RS; 9,8 g/l acidity. Light as water. Lovely, intense, pure scent. Crisp acidity, lovely raciness. It is steely and tastes off-dry despite the amount of sugar. In other words, it actually seems more like Mosel Kabinett (rather than Sptlese with Kabinett printed on the label) than any other recent Kab I have had. "F**k me this is awesome" is the best understatement I can come up with to describe my feelings on this wine. But maybe my enthusiasm is due only to Finland not having had any other non-trockener Germans available in years.
Eve
After a concert dedicated to music for Compline (John Sheppard's neglect is very sad when so many other "obscure" Renaissance composers have seen ... well ... a renaissance), we opened a couple cheap wines:
Sevilen Majestik Syrah-Kalecik Karası 2007 was preferable to the '06 which was more like Shiraz than Syrah. This '07 had lovely tart qualities in addition to Kalecik Karası's, red fruited Grenache-like, sunny warmth. Fun stuff for under 10. In comparison we had real Grenache (+ some white grapes IIRC) with Texier CdRhone 2007 which was lovely. Peppery and spicy and savoury despite Eric saying that '07 was a tricky year which easily led to too much ripeness. Well, I found the ripeness here perfectly fine - nothing over the top - and I found the structure fine, too - not deficient in tannins or acidity. Also much fun.
The horrible shite
Bodegas Tagonius Vinos de Madrid Crianza 2004
14,5% abv; 20,10; but conflicting info on the grapes (not that it matters in such a spoof-fest): 45% Syrah, 25% Cab Sauv, 20% Tempranillo, 10% Merlot or 45% Tempranillo, 40% Cab Sauv, 15% Syrah. There is conflicting info also on the oak: 9 months or 11-15 months in 30% new French and American oak. But enough of numbers (well, almost enough of numbers...), what was the wine like?
"91 Points Robert Parker Selection" it says proudly in a sticker under the label.
Opaque and purple. This superb effort (bravo!) shows an alluring perfume of inky pain grill, blueberry and black and red cherry, tart cherry, sweet cherry and cherry-cola all of which is covered in a sexy layer of chocolate and coconut. This leads to a full bodied, smooth textured, silkily tannic, elegant blob of a gob. It literally has gobs of flavour; it is so gobby that I'm gobsmacked! I thought only grapes grown in such a dry, harsh environment as the Gobi-desert would make wine so gobby! Built to last a hundred years with a structure smothered by a blanket of sweet fruit, expect this to unfurl over the next two years and drink well through 2110. This is so round that I won't give it a hundred points, I'll give it 360.
The good shite
Orval meets with my approval after all. The last time I mentioned it here, I mentioned that it had become sweet and too commercial. I still say it doesn't have anymore have the Cantillon-like dryness of decades past, but it is still the driest and least alcoholic of the Trappists. It is also marked by the good shite aroma of Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. Dry-hopped with East Kent Goldings, it has a lovely peppery aroma. It isn't cloying like most other Trappists (maybe Westmalle Tripel excepted - any others? or have they all gone the sickly sweet way?). Paradoxically both crisp and rich on the palate. So maybe this is a great beer still, though it isn't as great or uncompromising as it once was.
A.J. Adam Hofberg Riesling Kabinett 2008
7,5% abv; 65 g/l RS; 9,8 g/l acidity. Light as water. Lovely, intense, pure scent. Crisp acidity, lovely raciness. It is steely and tastes off-dry despite the amount of sugar. In other words, it actually seems more like Mosel Kabinett (rather than Sptlese with Kabinett printed on the label) than any other recent Kab I have had. "F**k me this is awesome" is the best understatement I can come up with to describe my feelings on this wine. But maybe my enthusiasm is due only to Finland not having had any other non-trockener Germans available in years.
Eve
After a concert dedicated to music for Compline (John Sheppard's neglect is very sad when so many other "obscure" Renaissance composers have seen ... well ... a renaissance), we opened a couple cheap wines:
Sevilen Majestik Syrah-Kalecik Karası 2007 was preferable to the '06 which was more like Shiraz than Syrah. This '07 had lovely tart qualities in addition to Kalecik Karası's, red fruited Grenache-like, sunny warmth. Fun stuff for under 10. In comparison we had real Grenache (+ some white grapes IIRC) with Texier CdRhone 2007 which was lovely. Peppery and spicy and savoury despite Eric saying that '07 was a tricky year which easily led to too much ripeness. Well, I found the ripeness here perfectly fine - nothing over the top - and I found the structure fine, too - not deficient in tannins or acidity. Also much fun.
The horrible shite
Bodegas Tagonius Vinos de Madrid Crianza 2004
14,5% abv; 20,10; but conflicting info on the grapes (not that it matters in such a spoof-fest): 45% Syrah, 25% Cab Sauv, 20% Tempranillo, 10% Merlot or 45% Tempranillo, 40% Cab Sauv, 15% Syrah. There is conflicting info also on the oak: 9 months or 11-15 months in 30% new French and American oak. But enough of numbers (well, almost enough of numbers...), what was the wine like?
"91 Points Robert Parker Selection" it says proudly in a sticker under the label.
Opaque and purple. This superb effort (bravo!) shows an alluring perfume of inky pain grill, blueberry and black and red cherry, tart cherry, sweet cherry and cherry-cola all of which is covered in a sexy layer of chocolate and coconut. This leads to a full bodied, smooth textured, silkily tannic, elegant blob of a gob. It literally has gobs of flavour; it is so gobby that I'm gobsmacked! I thought only grapes grown in such a dry, harsh environment as the Gobi-desert would make wine so gobby! Built to last a hundred years with a structure smothered by a blanket of sweet fruit, expect this to unfurl over the next two years and drink well through 2110. This is so round that I won't give it a hundred points, I'll give it 360.
The good shite
Orval meets with my approval after all. The last time I mentioned it here, I mentioned that it had become sweet and too commercial. I still say it doesn't have anymore have the Cantillon-like dryness of decades past, but it is still the driest and least alcoholic of the Trappists. It is also marked by the good shite aroma of Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. Dry-hopped with East Kent Goldings, it has a lovely peppery aroma. It isn't cloying like most other Trappists (maybe Westmalle Tripel excepted - any others? or have they all gone the sickly sweet way?). Paradoxically both crisp and rich on the palate. So maybe this is a great beer still, though it isn't as great or uncompromising as it once was.