Sigrun Noble – noble rot from Marlborough

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The fact that first-class dry Sauvignon Blanc is produced at Marlborough on New Zealand’s South Island only became known at the end of the 1980s, when Cloudy Bay‘s Sauvignon Blanc became a cult wine. Sensitivity to botrytis makes this grape variety a suitable candidate for sweet wine, as does the Riesling. If the microclimate is right, there is a body of water like river or lake nearby, so wet fog can develop with its humidity, but quickly dry off from the grapes by wind and sun, these are usually the ideal conditions to harvest Botrytis infested grapes , In Waihopotou Valley in Marlborough in the Southern Valleys region, such … Read more ...

Apulian surprise – Moscato di Trani

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Puglia, which competes against Sicily for the second largest wine-producing region in Italy, is known for its high yields in viticulture, even in DOC areas. There are nearly a dozen sweet types of wine in Puglia, including the sweet specimen of the otherwise dry Apulian Primitivo di Manduria and, almost inevitably in Italy, a sweet Moscato.

The tasted wine, the Moscato di Trani DOC Piani di Tufara 2015 from the winery Rivera is made from Moscato Reale, as Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) is called in Apulia. The grapes grow on tufa soils in the Murgia near Castel Monte, a castle of the Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II, not … Read more ...

Elegant Vin Doux Naturel – Muscat de St.-Jean de Minervois

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If you now and then like to drink a glass of fruity sweet wine, but the wine does not last long even in the fridge, you should try a Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) of Muscat grapes, which lasts much longer than most other sweet wines because of the way how it is produced.

The Muscat Vin Doux Natural, produced in different appellations, are almost all made from the grape Muscat Blanc de Petits Grains, as well as all all VDN originating from the Languedoc. The Muscat de St-Jean-de-Minervois, which we have tasted, originates from about 300 m high vineyards in the northeast of the Minervois. In these locations, … Read more ...

Sweet Viognier from down under

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There are more than 60 wine growing regions in Australia, I suppose in this country only few fans of Australian wines know more than a handful of these regions: for example Shiraz from McLaren Vale or Barossa Valley or Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra.

In addition to the well-known sweet, alcohol-fortified Rutherglen wines, there are also wines, whose grapes are harvested with Botrytis. We have a sweet Viognier wine from South Australia, whose name FSW8B Botrytis Viognier 2015 already reveals the noble rot.
Founded in 1849, Yalumba is Australia’s oldest family owned wine company and is one of those Australian producers that not only produce Viognier as a varietal … Read more ...

Muffato della Sala – Italian Sauternes?

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At our Italian evening Hans and I agreed in the judgment of the Muffato della Sala 2011 by Castello della Sala: In the nose like Sauternes, on the palate somehow stronger, the sweetness a bit too noticeable, there are some similarities with Passito, nevertheless no Passito – in short one very good, original Italian sweet wine.

The Castello della Sala, a winery owned by the Antinori family, is located near Orvieto. There, on soils infused with fossils, loamy, from sedimentary and volcanic origin, the vines for the muffato flourish. The Muffato is made from 60% Sauvignon Blanc, the remaining 40% comes from Grechetto, Semillon, Traminer and Riesling. Classified … Read more ...

Sauvignon Blanc „Sweetheart“ – everybody’s darling!

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Sauvignon blanc is not necessarily everyone’s favorite, at least for the dry wines. Some people because of its aromas can not drink enough of it , others refrain entirely from it because of the aromas. The flavors can vary greatly depending on the harvest time. With increasing maturity, the spectrum of aromas of grass, herbs, green fruits, boxwood, gooseberries, elderberries and yellow fruits often shifts, especially with ripened specimens supplemented with vegetables, asparagus and cabbage.

Among the best known dry Sauvignon Blanc are Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and those from New Zealand. Although Sauvignon Blanc is very prone to noble rot, it plays only a minor role in the well-known sweet wine … Read more ...

Pineau de Charentes – Vin de liqueur with Cognac

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The Pineau de Charentes, a liqueur wine, is produced in the Cognac region, more specifically from the departments of Charente, Charente-Maritim and Deux-Sèvres. To produce a Pineau brandy from the AC Cognac is added to the fresh must of grapes, only a few hours after they have been harvested. The must may have started the fermentation and must have in any case more than 170 grams of sugar per liter. The cognac must have an alcohol content of at least 60%, be at least one year old and aged in wooden barrels – even a longer maturation is possible.

The Pineau de Charentes, which exists in white, … Read more ...

Floc – Vin de liqueur of the Gascony

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The list of French Vin de Liqueur is long. The Floc de Gascogne liqueur wine is not only drunk as an aperitif or as a dessert wine but also enjoyed with other dishes – an impression promoted on the website of Floc de Gascogne. The Floc de Gascogne, coming from the Gascony, located in south-western France, is composed of grape juice and Armagnac. There are both red (rosé or rouge) and white Flocs (blanc), each corresponding to the color of the grape juice. Armagnac and grape juice must come from the same farm, according to the appellation rules, and the producers are therefore located … Read more ...

Expressive Málaga PX Añejo

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A round trip in Andalusia was on the program of our friends and neighbors, including some days were planned in Málaga. So I asked Heinz and Mausi to bring me a sweet Málaga wine, emphasizing that type, age, sweetness and style are not important at all, just the first sweet Málaga wine they see.

For sweet Málaga wines it is not easy to reconcile the manifold nomenclatures. There is Vino de licor, Vino de uvas sobremaduradas and Vino de uvas pasificadas, the still well-comprehensible classification according to the duration ripening Noble (2-3 years), Añejo (3-5 years) and Transañejo (over 5 years), but beyond there are many others … Read more ...

Top-Auslesen from the Mosel

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After a walk in the warm spring sun and a subsequent coffee with cake, Hans not only served some dry, but also three sweet Riesling readings from the Mosel – all three from well-known, good producers.

Maximin Grünhaus Abtsberg 2010 Riesling Auslese No. 24
Expressive nose with herbaceous, delicately spicy and fruity aromas of citrus and peach. Harmonious on the palate, but thrilling, fine juicy fruit with pleasantly subtle sweetness and racy acidity, spicy herbs, beautiful mineral notes, long very good finish, complex, excellent wine with potential.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr 1994 Riesling Auslese ***, Jos. Christoffel jr.
Golden yellow with orange reflections. In the nose restrained, smoky, spicy, some tobacco, slightly … Read more ...

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