eBay

Müller-Catoir, Haardter Herrenletten, Spätburgunder Weißherbst Auslese, 1994

Julian — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:07:29 +0000

Müller-Catoir, Haardter Herrenletten, Spätburgunder Weißherbst Auslese, 1994

If you want to test the German wine savvy of your knowledgeable friends, here's a little experiment you can conduct in the safety of your own living room. Tell them you want them to taste a German rosé, and inform them that it will be off-dry, well over ten years old, and come with a label sporting a coat of arms and cryptic Germanic font. Mention in passing that this bottle will come from the Müller-Catoir winery. 95 per cent of all wine drinkers will at this point have run away screaming, the living daylights scared out of them.

The remaining 5 % will ask for a screwpull without further ado. From then on, listen to those people.

Julian Sunday, 04/03/2012

Chateau Malescasse, Haut-Médoc, 1990

Julian — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:43:55 +0000

Chateau Malescasse, Haut-Médoc, 1990

It's all rather melancholy. It's raining outside, autumn is coming on, and there's only one antidote against heaviness of heart that never fails: 1990 Bordeaux. Chateau Malescasse is said to be one of the very dependable producers of the Haut-Médoc, and in a more lucid moment, I secured this bottle on eBay. And when I woke up this morning with the rain lashing against the windows, I knew it : Tonight is its night.

Julian Friday, 07/10/2011

Reinhold Haart, Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, Riesling Auslese 1999

torsten — Sat, 28 May 2011 07:21:19 +0000

Reinhold Haart, Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, Riesling Auslese 1999

Even Wine Ramblers do have a birthday. Just recently, it was the birthday of THE Wine Rambler and also of my co-Rambler Julian. My birthday is already a few months past, but there is still something to report on: When I met our Munich branch as part of my birthday celebrations, I found myself presented with a special gift.

Co-Rambler Julian likes to hunt for aged wines on eBay (great if you are in Germany, imppossile in the UK because of legal restrictions), and for my birthday he managed to find a bottle of a suitably aged Riesling from a Mosel winery that has my personal seal of approval.

torsten Saturday, 28/05/2011

Jos. Christoffel Jr., Ürziger Würzgarten, Riesling Spätlese, 1993

Julian — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:53:49 +0000

Jos. Christoffel Jr., Ürziger Würzgarten, Riesling Spätlese, 1993

The Mosel, Germany's best known wine region, hosts many styles of Riesling winemaking: There are the modernists, there are the traditionalists, there are the ultra-traditionalist. And then, there is Jos. Christoffel Jun. The winery's website nicely underscores their brand of conservatism, in that there isn't one. If you want to get your hands on any of the older vintages (back into the 80s, rumour has it) they still have on offer, get your ass down to the Mosel. Or else get lucky on eBay, like your undeservedly fortunate correspondent. For about 12 €, shipment included, I got this Spätlese from the year Frank Zappa died.

Julian Friday, 25/03/2011

Chateau Poujeaux, Moulis-en-Médoc, 1994

Julian — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 21:00:07 +0000

Find the full and unabridged story of this wine, two Wine Ramblers, some chestnuts and a piece of venison in a blind tasting at a Wine Rambler full committee meeting.

Outtakes and B-Sides: A roundup of 2010 wines

Julian — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 01:01:13 +0000

Outtakes and B-Sides: A roundup of 2010 wines

My co-rambler Torsten is an emperor of efficiency, which is also the reason why the credit for the German engineering of the Wine Rambler's digital wheels and cogs, as well as its clean and orderly counter tops, belongs exclusively to him. I, in contrast, have been known to be derelict in my duties, and a number of wines that were tasted on my kitchen table during the past year never made it to the blog, mostly because I had neglected to take meaningful notes. This posting is their second chance, so it is emphatically not a collection of second-class wines, but a motley crew of high and lowly, united by one rambler's lack of organisational skill. It goes without saying that these short notes that I later worked out from memory should be taken with several grains of salt, rather than the one grain we require with our regular reviews. You'll also notice that the photography belongs to a simpler time.

I tried to group the wines into sections to provide some kind of thematic thread, and there'll be a little musical break halfway through in order not to make it too dreary a read. Here we go.

Julian Monday, 10/01/2011

Marquis d'Angerville, Volnay Premier Cru Taillepieds, 2001

Julian — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 20:19:15 +0000

Marquis d'Angerville, Volnay Premier Cru Taillepieds, 2001

At the beginning of this new year, we resolved that we would try, seriously try, to understand Burgundy. We've just about let you down so far, so let's get into it without any further ado: Let's get into this bottle of Marquis d'Angerville, to be precise. One of the great names of burgundy, a second-rank vineyard (first rank would be "Grand Cru"), a vintage that should now have reached good drinking age. Should be a safe bet.

Julian Sunday, 24/10/2010

J. M. Alquier, Réserve "La Maison Jaune", Faugeres, 1998

Julian — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:11:02 +0000

J. M. Alquier, Réserve "La Maison Jaune", Faugeres, 1998

When it comes to french reds - and as I've said before, you can't be a real wine snob unless you can take a sip and say "ahh, zees, my friends, is terroir..." - I've had the distinct feeling for some time now that France is being rolled up for me from south to north. First to go was the southern Rhone. Done. I can't stand this tepid heaviness any more. Then, the more generic Languedoc blends followed suit. Bo-ring. With a lukewarm Gauby experience recently, I've even become doubtful about the Roussillon. So what about Faugères, one of the more characterful Languedoc appellations? Won't say "last try" yet, but let's just say there's some pressure on Alquier, by common agreement one of the very best names in all of southern France.

Julian Thursday, 19/08/2010

Karthäuserhof, Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg, Riesling Auslese Nr. 33, 2002

Julian — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 10:38:47 +0000

Karthäuserhof, Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg, Riesling Auslese Nr. 33, 2002

Karthäuserhofberg. Nothing demonstrates the place vineyards occupy in german wine culture like wineries that are synonymous with the vineyards that surround them. This must put some pressure on the staff, must it not? If you work at a place called Karthäuserhof and produce wine from a site that has been called Karthäuserhofberg from time out of mind, you better not screw it up. Not to worry. They never do.

Julian Sunday, 06/06/2010

Chateau d'Aydie, Madiran, 1995

Julian — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:36:35 +0000

Chateau d'Aydie, Madiran, 1995

Ink-coloured, almost black, smelling of plum jam, eucalyptus and donkey stable and puckering your mouth all over with overwhelmingly rough tannins, here we have a text book Tannat (note the linguistic closeness to "tannin" as well as to "tanning").

Julian Sunday, 21/03/2010