Mosel Masterclass

I have to admit that the name of Weingut Staffelter Hof wasn’t one I was familiar with, until I was invited to a tasting of its wines at Hanging Ditch, that is. When I learned that it is one of the oldest vineyards in Germany, having celebrated its 1150^th birthday just over two weeks ago, my ignorance was all the more embarrassing. Winemaker and current scion of the family that has owned the property since 1805, Jan Matthias Klein, was in England for a few days visiting several independent wine shops to present a selection of his wines.

Jan was a very engaging and interesting chap as well as a very generous host, pouring nine of his wines instead of the advertised seven for a large and appreciative audience.

Staffelter Hof, Mosecco
Perlwein Trocken 2009

First from this most historic of estates was a pair of sparkling wines, beginning with a modern Mosel take on Italian Prosecco, the punningly titled Mosecco Perlwein Trocken 2011 (11% ABV, Riesling, Müller-Thurgau and Sauvignon Blanc, £12.50). Its grapey, grapefruit and white pepper nose led into a fresh, fruity but dry palate that had a touch of apple and a gentle spritz. Carbonated rather than traditional method, the bubbles did start to fade in the glass but this pleasant and uncomplicated wine is ideal for enjoying now, should our summer ever arrive.

Staffelter Hof,
Riesling Sekt Brut 2009

The 2009 Staffelter Hof Riesling Sekt Brut (12.5% ABV, £15.00) was a different kettle of fish altogether. Made with the traditional method, it spent 20 months on its lees and a 2004 Auslese was used as dosage, resulting in a residual sugar level of 10g/l. The medium sized, persistent bead made it tingle and dance on the tongue and autolysis had given a fresh mushroom and bready character to the nose. The palate was dry and elegant, streaked with minerally apple, lime and peach Riesling fruit fading into a long, rich, pithy and slightly savoury finish. Just 2000 bottles were made, drink yours now or at any time over the next 3-4 years.

Staffelter Hof, Wolf
Casanova Rosé 2011

Medium hued, violet-tinged pink and somewhat inexpressive on the nose, the 2011 Wolf Casanova Rosé (11.5% ABV, 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Regent, £12.50) had hints of candyfloss and gentle spice on its soft, dry and not aggressively acidic palate. More savoury than fruity, this was a very easy drink and was nothing like many of today’s overly sweet and alcoholic rosés. Drink now.

Staffelter Hof,
Wolf Magnus
Riesling Trocken 2011

The 2011 Wolf Magnus Riesling Trocken (12% ABV, £12.50) was partly matured in 1000 litre old oak barrels which gave a whisper of tannin to the wine, aiding its longevity. A spicy, green apple and slatey nose complemented the dryness of the fresh, firm, citrus fruited palate with a lick of honeyed white fruit to counter the austerity. Modern, dry and concentrated, this should be drunk over the next five years or so with a good fish pie.

Der Klitzekleine Ring,
Bergrettung Riesling
Trocken 2011

Number five was both an interesting concept and an interesting wine. Named for a pun on the German for alpine rescue, The Bergrettung Riesling Trocken 2011 (12% ABV, £17.50) is one of the wines produced by an admirable collaboration of dedicated Mosel winemakers. The Klitzekleine Ring is a community of eleven wineries in and around the town of Traben-Trarbach, brought together by a mutual love of winemaking tradition and a desire to protect their region’s culture. “Berg” means “Mountain”, in reference to the vertiginous character of Mosel’s finest vineyards, and “Rettung” is German for “Rescue”. Through the production of these wines, The Klitzekleine Ring is dedicated to the recovery, maintenance, and thus rescue, of some of the world’s steepest and most expressive vineyards which would otherwise be abandoned in favour of easier to cultivate land. Good, bad or indifferent, these are wines that deserve to be drunk.

The Klitzekleine Ring Members

This had a riper, more honeyed nose than the previous wine, more mango than peach in character with notes of quince and blossom over. Dry but with a fullness to its body, a firm, slatey acidity balanced the fruit on the palate. Touches of apricot, ginger and honeysuckle were reminiscent of a leaner, drier style of Viognier. Very good indeed and not just because of its provenance, although a year or two of bottle age wouldn’t go amiss.

Staffelter Hof,
Wolf Paradies
Riesling Feinherb 2011

The Wolf Paradies Feinherb 2011 (11% ABV, £12.50), grown on blue and grey slate soils, had an aromatic nose, redolent of apricot and lime. Just off dry and rather exotic on the palate – mango scented oolong tea, honeysuckle and sweet spices - balanced by slatey acidity and a refreshing minerality. Absolutely lovely and again definitely a food wine. It will probably keep for longer, but enjoy this in the prime of its life over the next couple of years.

Steffensberg is a west-facing vineyard situated on a bend in the river where it benefits from both direct and reflected sunlight as well as from beneficial humidity. The Heraldic Kröver Steffensberg Riesling Spätlese 2011 (9%, ABV, £15.00) had  a complex, honeyed ripe fruit and smokey/slatey nose. Peach and pineapple fruit, rich and medium sweet on the palate balanced by a firm, refreshing acidity and a mineral structure that was drying and almost tannic in its effect. An excellent wine, Jan declared that this will keep for twenty years or so, but it’s tough to resist enjoying it now.

The Kröver Steffensberg Vineyard

From the same vineyard, the Heraldic Kröver Steffensberg Riesling Auslese 2005 (9%, ABV, £22.50) showed both the extra degree of maturity and the extra richness that its vintage and its quality level would have you expect. A deeper yellow/green colour than the 2011 Spätlese, the nose was hugely aromatic, bursting with the kerosene and savoury toast aromas of a Riesling with a degree of bottle age plus quite a bit of botrytis character, too. The very complex palate was a fruit salad of fresh and dried yellow fruits with substantial acidity preventing the sweetness from becoming cloying. It was almost delicate despite its richness and viscosity. A beautiful wine that will keep some years yet, although I don’t know how much more it can improve.

Staffelter Hof, Kröver
Steffensberg Riesling
Trockenbeerenauslese 2006

The third wine from the Kröver Steffensberg vineyard, and the final wine of the evening, was the 2006 Trockenbeerenauslese (7.5% ABV, £95.00/37.5cl). The price reflects both the degree of patience and effort required to produce this style of wine and the scarcity of it. Even in the exemplary vintages when conditions permit the production of a Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), only 50 – 100 litres can be made. German TBAs are unlike any other wines, and this one was no exception: golden in colour, syrupy in texture and with huge quantities of botrytis, raisin/sultana fruit and a nostril-tingling volatility to the nose; the palate was creamy, rich and sweet with such a high level of acidity that the finish was mouthwateringly dry. Whilst this was an unexpected and most generous treat from Jan, I must confess that it was the only wine he served that disappointed me slightly. The sweetness and acidity were beautifully balanced, I just felt that a degree of complexity was missing from the mid palate. Maybe I was being hyper critical, but I don’t think that I was being unreasonable in my expectations of a wine of this calibre.

Although I might not be rushing out to buy the Trockenbeerenauslese, in many ways that can only be a good thing as it leaves me with far more money to spend on the Bergrettung, the Paradies Feinherb and the Kröver Steffensberg Spätlese and Auslese which were all truly lovely wines. If you haven’t yet had the chance to try the wines of Staffelter Hof, head down to Hanging Ditch and educate yourself.

What Matters

A recent weekend away was a rare chance to spend time with many of my closest friends, as well as an extended excuse for a few drinks. However, as lovely as it was, it wasn’t really the occasion for great wines. That being said, who can go a whole weekend with nothing decent to drink? Fortunately, I never leave home for any extended period of time without either a bottle or two of something particularly palatable stashed in my luggage or a well planned route to a noteworthy local vintner. With a boot full of goodies and, through a joyous twist of fate, with the rather wonderful Worth Brothers Wines at the bottom of the hill, I was all set to have a great time.

Our stay at Nether Burrows Farm was never going to be short of sustenance of any sort, but should three times the expected number of people have turned up we would still have had too much food and drink. Easy drinking was the order of the day(s) and I thought that half a case of Catena’s Alamos Malbec, along with a selection of Innis & Gunn’s cask matured beers, would to fit the bill admirably. Just for the hell of it, I also threw a bottle of Brennivín into the car for a little digestif action.

Brennivín

Now I’ve written before about the perils of returning to a former love, but this time I was going to try to rekindle a holiday romance. And everyone knows how that usually turns out. I fell for the distinctive charms of Brennivín during a couple of days in Reykjavik last December. It gets a lot of bad press considering how difficult it is to buy anywhere other than Iceland, although this might have more to do with it being the traditional accompaniment for Hákarl than to do with its actual taste. Speaking from experience, the flavours of Brennivín work very well with those of the shark, but I'll only be partaking of one of the two again. Brennivín (37.5% ABV) is a potato based schnapps, relatively softly textured, with a flavour of gripe water and a pleasant, not too overwhelming caraway spice. Serve it well chilled with smoked foods or just on its own after dinner. This was the first time I had tried it on home turf, but I'm thrilled to report that this was a holiday affair that survived the flight home.

On the Friday night we put a dent in the Malbec (and in the selection that everyone else brought), and so Saturday saw me taking a trip down the hill to Worth Brothers Wines for half an hour’s peaceful browsing. Sticking to my easy drinking, crowd pleasing brief, I decided against some interesting looking Austrian wines and instead plumped for a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz blend.

Greywacke,
Sauvignon Blanc
2011

Majella, The Musician
Cabernet Sauvignon
Shiraz 2009

Greywacke is the newish label from Kevin Judd, the winemaker who produced the first twenty five vintages of Cloudy Bay, a pedigree that had put his wines on my “Want To Try” list. His 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (13.5% ABV) was aromatic and finely balanced, its grapefruit pith and gentle tomato leaf nose made it more fruity than vegetal in style. Zesty and bright, white grapefruit and a squeeze of passion fruit gave the palate a restrained tropical note; ripe, concentrated and balanced by fresh acidity and a flinty minerality. I’m not a huge Sauvignon Blanc fan and I’m not really sure what one would drink this with, but it was a very good Marlborough example, not at all overblown, and I enjoyed it despite myself.

The red was Majella's 2009 The Musician Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz (14.5% ABV) from Coonawarra, although a single sniff was enough to make its origins pretty obvious. The pronounced minty/eucalyptus character to the blackcurrant and peppery, oak spice nose was something that would always makes me think Coonawarra, and these flavours carried through to the full, rich palate. Although not hugely complex, it was bolstered by a touch of mulberry fruit from the Shiraz, a nifty lick of oak, fine tannins and moderate acidity to round things off. The alcohol was not too intrusive, but there was a hint of bitterness to the finish. Drink this over the next couple of years. A big Aussie red such as this wouldn’t have been my usual choice, but it was enjoyed by all concerned and that’s what matters.

We all had a fabulous break; the company, the food, and the drink were delightfully easy and we are already planning our next trip away. What shall I take next time?

Ditching The Expense Of Bordeaux

Thanks to Ben and Mark at the award winning Hanging Ditch Wine Merchants for organising a very enjoyable and interesting Bordeaux tasting dinner earlier this month at the St. James’s Club. Given their ethos of quality being paramount I knew that the wines on offer would not disappoint, but the objective of keeping the wines affordable was going to be more of a challenge. As is true of many other great wine producing regions, it is not difficult to find superb bottles of Bordeaux if money is no object. Unlike many other regions, however, it can be tricky to find great bottles of Bordeaux that are within the reach of a mere mortal’s wallet.

The other issue that counts against Bordeaux’s popularity at most tastings is its affinity with food. It takes a little practice to appreciate the nuances of young Bordeaux tasted in isolation. When you taste it with a meal, however, it’s as if a lightbulb flashes on and suddenly everything becomes clear. That was the logic behind this tasting dinner, plus it was a great chance for Ben and Mark to show off their buying skills!

Champagne
Delamotte Brut NV

Accompanied by a plucky chanteuse and her really rather good renditions of French favourites from yesteryear, Ben and Mark kicked off proceedings in fine style. The first wine, Delamotte Brut (12% ABV) en magnum, was actually the one I most wanted to try and was, perversely, my wine of the evening. Trust me to fall for the supporting actress before the leading lady had even taken to the stage.

Delamotte is a name that will be unfamiliar to most, but, as you would expect from the sister wine of Salon, its quality is unquestionable. A long established label in its own right, Delamotte also uses fruit from Salon’s younger vines as well as wines that don’t quite reach the exacting standards of what is probably the finest of all Champagnes. Predominantly grand cru Chardonnay (50%), the balance being Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (30% and 20% respectively), this was bright, fresh and beautifully rounded, not at all aggressive. The rich flavours of white stone fruit and citrus, plus a gentle yeasty autolytic character, made it a beautiful apéritif. A very classy wine and a real bargain (£30/bottle, £60/magnum) when compared to a lot of the Grandes Marques’ non-vintage offerings.

Château Des Antonins
Blanc 2010

As sad as I was to finish my Champagne, when we were asked to take our seats we had both dinner and a varied selection of Bordeaux to look forward to. First up were two dry whites made in completely different styles. Château Des Antonins Blanc 2010 (12% ABV, 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon, £10) had an initial nose of candied citrus zest and typically vegetal Sauvignon Blanc aromas which faded into gently nutty Sémillon fruit. The palate had a Sauvignon Blanc edge as you’d expect from the blend which was rounded by the Sémillon. Light, fresh and a little frivolous, this was a great apéritif wine although it was rather overwhelmed by the powerful flavours of salmon goujons.

L’Esprit De Chevalier
Blanc 2008

The second white was an altogether different story. The second wine of esteemed Pessac-Léognan estate Domaine de Chevalier, L’Esprit De Chevalier Blanc 2008 (13% ABV, Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, £25) spent nine months in oak unlike the stainless steel matured Antonins above. Through no fault of the wine, I struggled to adequately describe the nose of this one, it reminded me of apple juice and had a slightly nutty quality. The palate showed lemony fruit, a nutty/oaky weightiness and just a hint of an oxidative character that called to mind a traditional style white Rioja. With two years of bottle age and a soujourn in oak  that the Antonins lacked, this was a more serious wine whose richness and complexity were a lovely paring with the breadcrumbed fish.

Château Roc De
Pellebouc

A trio of reds from a trio of vintages was poured alongside the main course of slow cooked rump of beef with root vegetables. From Baudouin Thienpont (brother of Jacques, owner of Le Pin) came the 2007 Château Roc De Pellebouc (12.5% ABV, 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, £12.50), a modern, lightly oaked style of Bordeaux from Entre-Deux-Mers, just across the Dordogne from Saint-Émilion. Ruby coloured and showing a degree of maturity, the Merlot was immediately apparent on the nose, although the Cabernet Sauvignon did seem to exert an undue influence considering the disproportionate amount in the blend. It added blackcurrant, pencil shavings and earthy aromas to the plumminess of the Merlot. The palate showed bright fruit tempered by pepper, spice and earth, all tempered by fresh acidity and moderate tannins. Elegant and, to me, a very traditional style of Bordeaux that was lovely when tried on its own but didn’t quite manage to stand up to the beef.

Château Bel-Air
Graves De Vayres
Fût De Chêne

Red wine number two was also from Entre-Deux-Mers, but from the tiny appellation of Graves De Vayres, so called because of the deep gravel parcels that distinguish it. Château Bel-Air Graves De Vayres 2006 Fût De Chêne (13% ABV, 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, £17.50) was produced by Philippe Serey-Eiffel, the great great grandson of the engineer behind the eponymous tower. This was a younger looking, deeper coloured, more purple wine than the Pellebouc, even though it was a year older. The nose had dark fruit, barnyardy, oaky/vanilla/coffee aromas and a greener edge to it than the previous wine, but the palate was softer, oakier and somehow less typical. To my palate it was a modern, international style of wine that worked very well with the main course, but somehow it just didn’t shout of its origins.

Château Barrail
Du Blanc 2008

The third red was Château Barrail Du Blanc 2008 (13.5% ABV, 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, £17.50), a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru exclusively distributed the Mouiex family that owns Châteaux Pétrus, La Fleur-Pétrus, Hosanna, Trotanoy, and Magdelaine to name just a few! Despite an annual production of only around 1,500 cases, there has been substantial recent investment in completely refurbishing the estate’s cellar enabling a traditional style winemaking to continue at the highest quality level. Sixty per cent of the wine is matured in oak, half of which is new, whilst the remainder goes into stainless steel.

It displayed soft red and black fruit with a dusting of pepper and capsicum spice from the Cabernet Franc. Less overtly fruity and oaky than the last wine, it had an astringent/medicinal touch to the finish that I really rather enjoyed. The most interesting of the three reds and my favourite, even though its lighter style couldn’t compete with the beef.

Château De Rayne
Vigneau 2003

Cheese was served instead of dessert, the Stilton being a better match for the Sauternes than the Mrs. Kirkham Lancashire. I was unsure about the choice of Château De Rayne Vigneau 2003 (13.5% ABV, 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, £25) due to the abnormal heat of the vintage. Was there going to be sufficient acidity? Had the heat hampered the growth of botrytis? The amber hue of the wine didn’t do much to allay my worries, but the nose was certainly promising with its rich aromas of barley sugar, dried apricot, marmalade and ripe mango. Similar flavours carried through to the palate, balanced by an unexpectedly taut acidity that kept it vital. It was definitely as good as it will get so plan to drink up any bottles you might have, but it was an exceedingly pleasant drink and a very agreeable surprise.

The only thing I felt that was missing was a Cabernet Sauvignon dominated, left bank style of Bordeaux which would have been an interesting contrast to the Merlot based blends shown as well as a great pairing with the beef. That being said, it's always an adventure to tread the path less travelled and I'm not sure I would have tried the selection above if left to my own devices. A big thank you once again to Ben and to Mark, our ever charming and informative host, for a very enjoyable evening.