Saina Nieminen
Saina Nieminen
From the Finnish importer, Funky Wine Imports' tasting:
Miscellaneous whites:
Verus Vineyard ipon (aka Furmint) 2009 from Ormo, Slovenia, was a lovely drop. Citric, mineral and very spicy - partly from the oak, I guess, since it sees four months on lees in new oak (me? praising a wine that sees new oak? with my reputation?), but the oak is by no means dominant and the fruit smells much like the unwooded Furmints I have had from Hungary (and the one other dry ipon that I've had from Slovenia). Crisp, wonderfully acidic and dry, citric - yet it does have some richness to it. Interesting and nice.
Lammershoek LAM 2010 was a barrel sample from Paardeberg, South Africa, and is a rather strange blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier. My preconception was that such a blend could not possibly work. Yet it did. No oak aromatics that I coud see; instead minerals, appley fruit, some floral fireworks; rich but with good acidity and raciness. A very substantial wine, so I was surprised that it only has 12,5% abv. I also thought that Lammershoek was in one of the warmer areas of SA, so I was surprised that they could make a rich, but so wonderfully acidic wine with low alcohol and no signs that it would be lacking in ripeness. Nice. I very much want to try the finished product.
Domaine Giachino Primitivo 2009 is from the Savoie and is made from the Jacqure-grape. Unchaptalized and only 9,2% abv, but fully dry. Smells a bit like Sauvignon Blanc, citric and slightly green, very mineral; delightfully light yet supremely intense in its citric flavours. A little bit an extreme wine, but enchanting in its harsh purity.
Čotar Malvazia 2003 from Kras, Slovenia. I've written about this wine so many times, I shouldn't bother with one more note. But it is lovely, shows no signs of the heatwave, is moreish, well structured (with tannins, too - it is "orange" wine). It is earthy and smells of orange; it is an easy version of the Muster Erde; a gateway drug to more funky orange wines.
Dettori Bianco 2006 is a Vermentino di Sardegna, a lovely orange wine, also earthy and very appley, it reminded me a bit of that really funky Spanich Basque Cider I once tried. Tannic, delightfully grippy, layered and extremely moreish. It never ceases to amaze me how these oxidative "orange" wines are so refreshing and moreish - I wish my descriptions would reflect that more, since they mostly read like they are hard to drink!
Miscellaneous Reds:
Clos du Tue Boeuf (Thierry & Jean-Marie Puzelat) Rouillon 2009 is a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir. Lovely sexy fruit as expected from these grapes, savoury but ripe; good tannins, very lively, enormous fun. Pure. Awesome.
Clos Ouvert Huasa 2008 is from Maule in Chile and is made from the Pas-grape, supposedly a very average grape at best. But I guess even the less than stellar grapes must make the occasional Sirius or Canopus. Like the best natural wines, this has much fruity sweetness to it, but it never seems heavy. Instead, it is wonderfully refreshing and moreish despite all the sweet, silky red fruit. Great stuff.
Domaine de Chteau Gaillard Saumur Rouge 2007 is a very intense, tobacco-scented, but ripe and rich, still sweet and primary Cab Franc. I enjoyed it very much in this tasting situation. But I did wonder about the level of sweetness in this wine - will I find it moreish if I open it with dinner? I must try to find a bottle to find out. Scientific experiments, I foretell, will rarely be so much fun.
Ch. Vieux Pourret 2005 is from St.-Emilion, Bordeaux. And it smells lovely: earthy, savoury, refreshing, slightly greenish (or herbaceous or whatever the current favoured euphemism is for what some like to call under-ripeness and what some of us adore); tannic, but ripe; savoury and moreish. Notice something? I write about a young Bordeaux and make no mention of oak! More like this, please! Lovely!
Caparsa Doccio a Matteo Chianti Classico Riserva 1999 was tight and very young, but had the loveliest aromas of tart cherry and damp earth. Crisp and savoury and delightfully tart. Old school Chianti that needs age. Lovely, but (some would say, painfully) young.
Louis Chenu & Filles Savigny-ls-Beaune 1r Cru "Les Talmettes" 2007 is a producer I hadn't heard of before. But if this wine is indicative of their overall standards, I must remedy the situation very soon. Very light colour. Outstandingly pure Pinosity, both sexy and savoury; light but intense, layer upon layer of elegance. Outstanding.
Miscellaneous whites:
Verus Vineyard ipon (aka Furmint) 2009 from Ormo, Slovenia, was a lovely drop. Citric, mineral and very spicy - partly from the oak, I guess, since it sees four months on lees in new oak (me? praising a wine that sees new oak? with my reputation?), but the oak is by no means dominant and the fruit smells much like the unwooded Furmints I have had from Hungary (and the one other dry ipon that I've had from Slovenia). Crisp, wonderfully acidic and dry, citric - yet it does have some richness to it. Interesting and nice.
Lammershoek LAM 2010 was a barrel sample from Paardeberg, South Africa, and is a rather strange blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier. My preconception was that such a blend could not possibly work. Yet it did. No oak aromatics that I coud see; instead minerals, appley fruit, some floral fireworks; rich but with good acidity and raciness. A very substantial wine, so I was surprised that it only has 12,5% abv. I also thought that Lammershoek was in one of the warmer areas of SA, so I was surprised that they could make a rich, but so wonderfully acidic wine with low alcohol and no signs that it would be lacking in ripeness. Nice. I very much want to try the finished product.
Domaine Giachino Primitivo 2009 is from the Savoie and is made from the Jacqure-grape. Unchaptalized and only 9,2% abv, but fully dry. Smells a bit like Sauvignon Blanc, citric and slightly green, very mineral; delightfully light yet supremely intense in its citric flavours. A little bit an extreme wine, but enchanting in its harsh purity.
Čotar Malvazia 2003 from Kras, Slovenia. I've written about this wine so many times, I shouldn't bother with one more note. But it is lovely, shows no signs of the heatwave, is moreish, well structured (with tannins, too - it is "orange" wine). It is earthy and smells of orange; it is an easy version of the Muster Erde; a gateway drug to more funky orange wines.
Dettori Bianco 2006 is a Vermentino di Sardegna, a lovely orange wine, also earthy and very appley, it reminded me a bit of that really funky Spanich Basque Cider I once tried. Tannic, delightfully grippy, layered and extremely moreish. It never ceases to amaze me how these oxidative "orange" wines are so refreshing and moreish - I wish my descriptions would reflect that more, since they mostly read like they are hard to drink!
Miscellaneous Reds:
Clos du Tue Boeuf (Thierry & Jean-Marie Puzelat) Rouillon 2009 is a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir. Lovely sexy fruit as expected from these grapes, savoury but ripe; good tannins, very lively, enormous fun. Pure. Awesome.
Clos Ouvert Huasa 2008 is from Maule in Chile and is made from the Pas-grape, supposedly a very average grape at best. But I guess even the less than stellar grapes must make the occasional Sirius or Canopus. Like the best natural wines, this has much fruity sweetness to it, but it never seems heavy. Instead, it is wonderfully refreshing and moreish despite all the sweet, silky red fruit. Great stuff.
Domaine de Chteau Gaillard Saumur Rouge 2007 is a very intense, tobacco-scented, but ripe and rich, still sweet and primary Cab Franc. I enjoyed it very much in this tasting situation. But I did wonder about the level of sweetness in this wine - will I find it moreish if I open it with dinner? I must try to find a bottle to find out. Scientific experiments, I foretell, will rarely be so much fun.
Ch. Vieux Pourret 2005 is from St.-Emilion, Bordeaux. And it smells lovely: earthy, savoury, refreshing, slightly greenish (or herbaceous or whatever the current favoured euphemism is for what some like to call under-ripeness and what some of us adore); tannic, but ripe; savoury and moreish. Notice something? I write about a young Bordeaux and make no mention of oak! More like this, please! Lovely!
Caparsa Doccio a Matteo Chianti Classico Riserva 1999 was tight and very young, but had the loveliest aromas of tart cherry and damp earth. Crisp and savoury and delightfully tart. Old school Chianti that needs age. Lovely, but (some would say, painfully) young.
Louis Chenu & Filles Savigny-ls-Beaune 1r Cru "Les Talmettes" 2007 is a producer I hadn't heard of before. But if this wine is indicative of their overall standards, I must remedy the situation very soon. Very light colour. Outstandingly pure Pinosity, both sexy and savoury; light but intense, layer upon layer of elegance. Outstanding.