Fruit flies

So, I open a bottle of Meyer-Näkel Pinot Noir, take a sniff and then... a fruit fly lands in the glass. Yes, it's that time of the year again. Fruit flies ruin the taste of wine, as explained here.

Ok, take two - this time with a piece of paper protecting the inside of the glass from the little buggers whenever I'm not sipping the wine...

Weingut Meyer-Näkel, Spätburgunder QbA trocken 2009, Ahr
My first ever wine from the Ahr, Germany's most northerly wine region and yet one of its best areas for growing Pinot Noir. This cost EUR 13.50 and is one of the Meyer-Näkel winery's more "basic" offerings. One of its premium wines, costing over 40 euro, won the Decanter International Trophy for Pinot Noir a couple of years ago. The first slightly surprising thing to note is the vintage. Quite early to be drinking a supposedly half-decent Spätburgunder from 2009, one would think. However, this was a new addition on the shelves of one of our local supermarkets and was too tempting an opportunity to pass up.

Cherry coloured with tell-tale violet around the rim betraying the wine's youthfulness. On the nose, hints of cherry, youthful freshness and some pleasant herbal notes. The palate is light and pure. Everything feels understated, even the 13.5% alcohol. This is a style of wine that focuses more on elegance than power or extract. Cherry fruit, dry as a pork scratching yet balanced. Good stuff.