Top Cellar offered another free tasting at their Amigo delicatessen and shop shared with Bento & Berries in the Kerry Centre. The wines were from various producers and were intended to be European Classics. All were imported by Top Cellar directly.
Sébastien Lézier of Winpact gave a short introduction to the wine accessories his company has put together for Top Cellar: two types of corkscrew (both ‘waiter’s friend’ design), two wine-pourers, Champagne stopper and the usual coolers and freezer cooler packs.
Wines tasted:
2004 Schloss Gobelsburg Riesling Urgestein, Kamptal, Austria
Appearance: medium gold yellow.
Nose: intense lime fruit, some minerality, hints of kerosene.
Palate: generous lime, pleasant acidity and good length.
Conclusion: we haven’t drunk much Austrian Riesling – Grüner Veltliner seems to have stolen some of the limelight internationally – but this has always been a very important and noble Austrian grape. This seemed to be a good expression, at least of Riesling.
Rating: 17/20
2004 Schloss Gobelsburg Zweigelt, Kamptal, Austria
Appearance: light to medium red-purple.
Nose: mostly red cherry fruit, possibly raspberry too.
Palate: light red cherry fruit, very low tannin, pleasant medium acidity, shortish length.
Conclusion: Zweigelt was created in the 1920s by Fritz Zweigelt, a hybrid of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent. It ripens early and can withstand winter frost, so it’s easy to see why it might be popular with winemakers in Canada as well as Austria. Generally speaking, Zweigelt (Austria’s most planted red grape) is going to make light reds for quaffing. This was that, although no doubt someone is making more serious Zweigelt somewhere.
Rating: 15/20
1999 Vina Amezola Rioja Reserva
Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim.
Nose: classic American oak nose but in an obviously aged and mellowed state with raspberry, strawberry and red cherry fruits.
Palate: pleasant fruit, decent oak, tannins slightly coarse, pretty good length.
Conclusion: certainly characteristic Rioja, but a bit disappointing at Reserva level.
Rating: 16/20
2003 Château Ducluzeau, Listrac
What used to be a called a ‘Cru Bourgeois’, this property is owned by the Borie family.
Appearance: medium purplre-red colour, clear rim.
Nose: warm red and black fruits from the 2003 heat, French oak.
Palate: mixture of red and black fruits, slightly coarse tannins, medium acidity, okay length.
Conclusion: not bad Claret if red Bordeaux at this level is your cup of tea. Not exciting.
Rating: 16/20
2003 Il Volano, Toscana IGT (Il Molino di Grace)
Appearance: medium purple-red, clear rim.
Nose: appealing tart red cherry fruit with touch of spice.
Palate: nice plucky Sangiovese tannins, the acidity you’d also expect, cherry fruit.
Conclusion: we couldn’t actually find this wine on the Il Molino di Grace website, but apparently it is 65% Sangiovese with the remainder a range of other grape varieties. Pleasant, easy-drinking Tuscan IGT.
Rating: 16.5/20
2003 Chianti Classico, Il Molino di Grace
Appearance: deep purple, clear rim.
Nose: ripe black cherry fruit, discernible but integrated oak, some clove and cinnamon spice.
Palate: lovely chewy not too astringent tannins, pretty good acidity for the difficult 2003 vintage in which the sheer warmth made attaining decent acidity a problem, lovely fruit and good length.
Conclusion: impressive Chianti Classico. Very drinkable. Approachable now, but will age.
Rating: 17.5/20
Sébastien Lézier of Winpact gave a short introduction to the wine accessories his company has put together for Top Cellar: two types of corkscrew (both ‘waiter’s friend’ design), two wine-pourers, Champagne stopper and the usual coolers and freezer cooler packs.
Wines tasted:
2004 Schloss Gobelsburg Riesling Urgestein, Kamptal, Austria
Appearance: medium gold yellow.
Nose: intense lime fruit, some minerality, hints of kerosene.
Palate: generous lime, pleasant acidity and good length.
Conclusion: we haven’t drunk much Austrian Riesling – Grüner Veltliner seems to have stolen some of the limelight internationally – but this has always been a very important and noble Austrian grape. This seemed to be a good expression, at least of Riesling.
Rating: 17/20
2004 Schloss Gobelsburg Zweigelt, Kamptal, Austria
Appearance: light to medium red-purple.
Nose: mostly red cherry fruit, possibly raspberry too.
Palate: light red cherry fruit, very low tannin, pleasant medium acidity, shortish length.
Conclusion: Zweigelt was created in the 1920s by Fritz Zweigelt, a hybrid of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent. It ripens early and can withstand winter frost, so it’s easy to see why it might be popular with winemakers in Canada as well as Austria. Generally speaking, Zweigelt (Austria’s most planted red grape) is going to make light reds for quaffing. This was that, although no doubt someone is making more serious Zweigelt somewhere.
Rating: 15/20
1999 Vina Amezola Rioja Reserva
Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim.
Nose: classic American oak nose but in an obviously aged and mellowed state with raspberry, strawberry and red cherry fruits.
Palate: pleasant fruit, decent oak, tannins slightly coarse, pretty good length.
Conclusion: certainly characteristic Rioja, but a bit disappointing at Reserva level.
Rating: 16/20
2003 Château Ducluzeau, Listrac
What used to be a called a ‘Cru Bourgeois’, this property is owned by the Borie family.
Appearance: medium purplre-red colour, clear rim.
Nose: warm red and black fruits from the 2003 heat, French oak.
Palate: mixture of red and black fruits, slightly coarse tannins, medium acidity, okay length.
Conclusion: not bad Claret if red Bordeaux at this level is your cup of tea. Not exciting.
Rating: 16/20
2003 Il Volano, Toscana IGT (Il Molino di Grace)
Appearance: medium purple-red, clear rim.
Nose: appealing tart red cherry fruit with touch of spice.
Palate: nice plucky Sangiovese tannins, the acidity you’d also expect, cherry fruit.
Conclusion: we couldn’t actually find this wine on the Il Molino di Grace website, but apparently it is 65% Sangiovese with the remainder a range of other grape varieties. Pleasant, easy-drinking Tuscan IGT.
Rating: 16.5/20
2003 Chianti Classico, Il Molino di Grace
Appearance: deep purple, clear rim.
Nose: ripe black cherry fruit, discernible but integrated oak, some clove and cinnamon spice.
Palate: lovely chewy not too astringent tannins, pretty good acidity for the difficult 2003 vintage in which the sheer warmth made attaining decent acidity a problem, lovely fruit and good length.
Conclusion: impressive Chianti Classico. Very drinkable. Approachable now, but will age.
Rating: 17.5/20
Labels: 1999, 2003, 2004, Austria, Bordeaux, Chianti, Featured Tastings, Italy, Kamptal, red, Riesling, Rioja, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Top Cellar, Tuscany, white, Zweigelt
posted by Wine Dragon
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08:52
