Swiss on a roll?

A picture from last Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifier in Basel between Switzerland and Wales. In the end, a fairly straightforward if slightly flattering 4-1 win for the hosts. We were in exactly the same seats as we were for the England match, only this time the fencing behind the goal was gone!

Autumnal

There's currently more than an autumnal nip in the air here in Basel; it's getting quite cool and the thermometer is set to drop to single figures (in celsius) during the day this weekend. We were in shorts last Saturday.

Time then for a pinot noir to warm the proverbial cockles.

Weingut Leiner, Spätburgunder trocken -reserve- 2006, Pfalz
Attractive ruby red with a watery, slightly brick-red hue around the rim. Mushroomy, savoury "forest floor" on the nose (imagine hunting for truffles). On the palate, spice, chocolate, cooked raspberry/blackberry and marzipan. In terms of structure, subtle, finely woven tannins combine with refreshing acidity to show smoothness, balance and texture. Complex spices reverberate in the finish. Quite a lateral instead of a linear taste. By that, I mean the tautness that keeps everything together initially yet gradually broadens, becomes more generous but maybe no more complex with more air and warmth. Less a cerebral sort of wine and more the kindly, weathered, saddle-worn country yokel, if you get my gist. But no less fascinating for it.

There were "issues" with the 2006 harvest throughout large swathes of the Pfalz, but I have few with this wine.

The problem with Grosses Gewächs

David Schildknecht - Robert Parker's eyes and ears in Germany - recently wrote a thought-provoking piece about the Grosses Gewächs (grand cru) classification in Germany. It was originally posted on the members-only Mark Squires' Wine Bulletin Board but has since been integrated into free-access content. Admittedly, it's quite lengthy, but worth a read by anyone with an interest in German wine; click here.

I'll nail my colours firmly to the mast now and say that I am in firm agreement with virtually all of Mr Schildknecht's critique. I hope it's taken on board in the constructive manner it deserves. Sometimes, people on the "outside" are what are needed to point out the blindingly obvious to those on the "inside" who are oblivious. This is a case in point, I feel. Although Schildknecht would seem to have such a deep knowledge of German wine that it almost seems dismissive to call him an "outsider".

Von der Fels 2009

Just a very brief summary* today of one of Keller's most popular wines of recent years:

Weingut Keller, Riesling "von der Fels" 2009, Rheinhessen
My notes on this are scarce and based purely on memory, because frankly, it was so enjoyable we quaffed it down of an evening while watching some especially mind-numbing Saturday night television. I tried last year's vintage, which was very good, yet 2009 is maybe even better.

Complex fruit aromas, of which mandarin stands out the most. Overlaid with peaches and minerals on a juicy, elegant palate. Light-footed yet oozing gravitas. Ripe, juicy, mouthwatering acidity. Pinpoint precision in a lingering finish.

* If you're looking for an altogether more detailed and thoughtful look at "vdF", try this for starters (it's in German though).

Pfeffingen Scheurebe

Although drunk in small doses over a four-day period, the following wine grabbed my attention from the off. Weingut Pfeffingen in the Pfalz should need no introduction to Scheurebe lovers. The 2009 vintage marked the maiden bottling of a new wine from the Fuhrmann-Eymael family: Scheurebe SP (the "SP" stands for "Selektion Pfeffingen") - a dry Scheurebe inspired, according to the winery, by the best white wines of the Loire and Bordeaux. One-third of the juice was fermented in new American oak barrels, the rest in stainless steel vats.

You know, I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the dry Scheurebes that "work" are the ones where the levels of residual sweetness are pushed to the permissible legal boundaries.* This is "exhibit A", so to speak:

Weingut Pfeffingen, Scheurebe SP Spätlese trocken 2009, Pfalz
A crazy nose of lime, blackcurrant and passion fruit. The fusion of aromas almost knocked me back. There is also a slightly vegetative note, but a far cry from the weedy aromatics of certain other trockens. Elegance and poise dominate a palate of zingy lime sherbet and pinpoint-precision lemon sorbet. Barely a suggestion of wood, but enough to lend character and body. Cool, exotic, smooth and chalky, culminating in a complex, long finish. Outstanding grand cru quality for a very un-grand cru price.

This wine has a screw-top enclosure and is certainly fine for drinking now. It is still has a lot of potential though.

*On later referring to the technical sheet that was enclosed with the delivery, I saw that the amount of residual sweetness was over 7 g/l. The statutory ceiling for trockens is 9 g/l. Normally, I wouldn't quote such piffle, but I think it's of relevance here.

Indian summer on the Rhine

Acoustic session

Acústic Celler is a project based in the DO Montsant appellation in Catalonia. I'd tried their red earlier this year at a wine tasting in Basel and was suitably impressed. Their white is just as compelling. As the name implies, the wine-growing philosophy is akin to the "unplugged" concept seen from Tesch: use of traditional wine-growing methods and tools, and avoidance of modern technology to make wines that are as natural a reflection of their origins as possible... [it says here]. Admittedly, I am aware that worthy phrases such as "actionism in the vineyard, minimalism in the cellar" (see Werner Elflein's German-language blog) sometimes appear to be no more than a marketing gimmick if not backed up in practice. But no chance of that with the following wine, I think.

Acústic Celler, Acustic Blanc 2009, DO Montsant
Straw yellow with greenish hints. Made from the Macabeu (Castillian: Macabeo) and Garnatxa (Garnacha) Blanca grapes, this hits you with a burst of finest red rust and a squeeze of lime. For me, the effect is strangely reminiscent of fish. Quite pungent. There is a certain wildness amid the fresh and bright aromatics that otherwise abound. An ever-so-subtle creaminess then emerges. On the palate, the riff of noble (bicycle?) rust continues relentlessly. Another twist of lime rushes around the mouth. Only then do I get some tell-tale hints of vanilla - but we're talking top-draw Notarianni. Normally, I'm not a big fan of vanilla in white wine, but this works because it's just irresistible. Lots of extract swishes around, lending the wine complexity and depth and accompanying what is a long, satisfying finish. Brilliant.

Price: a little over 11 euros or CHF 22.50; although I bought it for CHF 17.10 thanks to a double-whammy special offer + wine-tasting-related discount.