Weingut Dolde, Silvaner Alte Reben, 2010

I just bought a bottle of 2011 Linsenhöfer Silvaner Vulkan (technically a Spätlese) today in a local small wineshop; have unscrewed it and just - while typing this and unwinding from pre-Christmas stress through some allegedly-out-of-my-character kitsch music (Enya !!) - am tasting it.

A very pleasant surprise of remarkable quality, given the legendarily BAD reputation that Neuffener "Täleswein" has always had - and still has - among Swabians (only wine from Reutlingen is badmouthed worse).

Non-autochthonous drinkers should be aware that the region is very near to a an endemic seat of Deepest Pietism, namely to the hamlet of Hülben with a local reputation [*] of slooooooooowwwnessssss, and its legendary or notorious "Hülbener Stund" (a weekly bible lecture and prayer fellowship, maintained and upheld since over 200 years by a single schoolmaster family, the Kullen dynasty), a religious persuasion thus that makes any US Southern Baptist appear liberal and nigh free-masonic... So much for my own pretence of knowledge of local feuds and slurs (ask me about the Swabian meaning of "Hüle" and its symbolic employ [**] at some later time).

Back to the wine. In any blind tasting, not at few tasters would identify this as a slightly acidic overly German style Pinot Gris, with a mere 12,5 % alcohol; however, the as of now yet undeveloped finish and his boyish, very slim hips clarify that the wine can hardly be a pinot family member. While already nicely drinkable, this Vulkan can and will posssibly find a bit more equilibrium (I mean it as I write it: equilibrium; for harmonic is already is) - and may develop what its very pleasing nose already announces. A more detailed evaluation, appreciation or hatchet job may follow later, I have only had the first sips.

(*) The extremely detailed polyhistoric 19th century Oberamtsbeschreibungen (shire descriptions) - all of them now easily internationally available on the 'Net - are your friends.
(**) Between a bog and a small stale pond, more on the bog side. Or, as proverbial Swabian [im]propriety of yesteryear had put it: "them beasts ain't drinkin' it anymore, but for them there folks, it's still good enough!"

See what you have done!

You have made me taste two more alcoholic beverages from Dolde. One was a 2010 Pinot noir Barrique, one was a 2011 Sparkling of "Black" Pear (very old local trees of an allegedly rare cider variant). Both were bought at the same wineshop.

- The red wine was very dark and presumbably unfiltrated, in taste okay and decent (nothing great though, but fair and honest, and worth at least half of its price of 12 or 14 €). This was not a question of decanting and aeration, the wine had had its fours hours in the decanter and was retasted the next day with the same result. A 2009 Hochburger from the Badenian Breisgau region pleased us - including two US tasters who are true sniffing hounds for German pinot - a lot more.

- The sparkling of pear (méthode Champénoise) was very original and remarkable, an excellent apéritif with low alcohol (8,5 %), and better than many German sparklings from grapes. Plus it was affordable with 9 €. Its tannic propensities are remarkable (typical for such cider pears meant for Swabian Biramoscht), but the sparkling has a beautiful nose, indeed her bouquet was more attractive and seductive than a much more voluptuous William Christ spirit of pear. Her ending however is bit short-tailed, and inasmuch as an apéritif corresponded to Oscar Wilde's famous definition of a perfect pleasure ("A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?").