Rote Kappelle

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  • 2022 Eva Fricke Riesling Rheingau

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    4/23/2024 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine: 92 Points

    After the bloodbath of the last Eva, I am delighted to report that this wine is free of funky dogs and nasty things. This is very good Riesling and very good value.

    Given the warm and very dry 2022 vintage, it is a surprise to find this wine shows more like a cooler but dry year. Apparently, the vines shut down for significant periods of the summer and harvest came in far later than expected, but in very good condition. Hence the apparent paradox of a warm dry year drinking like a cool one.

    The fruit gives lemon sorbet both in terms of flavour and mouth feel. This is a character I find that speaks of Germany. There are lemons and some lime. Tropical fruit is there but more restrained than in say 2016, 2019, 2020. There is real acid zing and this is perhaps not quite so different to Australian Riesling acid and it is the one point I am not so happy with. The best German Riesling years feature this wonderful 'soft', acid that delivers crisp fruit yet avoids sourness or that searing, gum savaging experience one gets in so many Oz Rieslings.

    The acid is a small matter in the end. Enjoy this because it is fun, it manages to also be serious and it is lovely, a thing of beauty.

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • 2016 Paradise IV Chardonnay Moorabool Estate

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    4/21/2024 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine: 93 Points

    I don't have anything to add to last year's note, other than to say the wine is travelling nicely, it has not really changed and I think it has years ahead of it, if you want (or need) to get through it slowly. I enjoyed it more this weekend than on my last encounter when my response was mixed. The things I like in this wine, I like a lot. The things I don't are still there in profusion. I did find that it was far and away better integrated on day 2.

    I also experimented with not breathing through my nose as I schlurped this, which seemed to emphasise the fruit and dial down the funkier aspects. I should, perhaps, have also tried drinking whilst in the downward facing dog or plow position, but being an uptight shit, I don't do yoga and even if I wanted to, I think yoga would not do me. Thus, the universe and I are one in our mutual hate.

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  • 2016 Paradise IV Chaumont Moorabool Estate

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    4/21/2024 - Rote Kappelle wrote: 92 Points

    This is a wine that is at the extreme edge of the cool climate style and how you feel about it will depend on how you feel about the oak treatment, the herbal/vegetal element and the fruit. I had moments where I really liked parts of it but I struggled to get into the wine as a whole. I wrote this note based on two day's observation of the wine, decanted. It is under screw cap and was a small production, so there should be a fair bit of consistency across bottles.

    The first thing I will observe about all the PIV wines I have tried is that they are at their best after at least half a day open and the reds often need at least a day.

    On first opening, the smoky, perfumed oak is nearly overwhelming. The other really strong character is green pea and wet lawn clippings. There is some subdued darker fruit, although it is a little murky and hard to define. Still this aspect is pleasing enough. Some people are going to love what the oak imparts and that is fine. Wine is a drink and if it has characters you like, I am not sure it matters how it gets there.

    After about 6 hours the fruit does come up to stand level with the earlier noted characters. I don't get a lot of integration at this time - each element stands fairly separate. This is not a criticism - to my mind this is about where the wine is at on its journey. It is probably about 5-8 years off achieving integration.

    There is plenty of intensity and length, good acid lift and sufficient tannin, although I think there are some distinctly green aspects to the tannin bitters.

    I don't look to drink Barossa Cabernet styles, but this is bordering on too much cool for me and the oak really tests my limits. As I see this wine is about a quite deliberate statement of style, I have to say it is very successful and vive la difference. I have scored it based on my assessment of what the maker has tried to achieve and not my subjective enjoyment.

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  • Bandreas says:

    4/21/2024 12:13:00 PM - Comrade Sinclair, I hope this finds you doing well. A pity we could not meet top while we were in OZ in December and January. we have now moved back to Europe, living part time in Zurich/Switzerland and part in Marbella/Spain. Should you ever set foot in one of these locations we'd love to meet up with you and do some sipping together As a comment on our "winey" experiences in OZ: Coonawarra Reds remain my favorites and we truly enjoyed many a great Riesling. We also much liked the Campbell and Chambers stickies. Hope you are enjoying what you are drinking these days! Stay well Cheers Bernd Andreas

  • Mark1npt says:

    4/15/2024 2:20:00 PM - Lol, Rote.....my only grandchild, 18 months old now. I was able to co-manage my bottle and getting him to sleep at the same time! Success, all around! Cheers!

  • chatters says:

    2/4/2024 10:48:00 PM - And so it comes to pass: In the interest of providing sufficient time for excuses I will be visiting Canberra with an overseas wine enthusiast (CT Vintomas) to have supper with another chum (CT CBRwineguy) at a TBD BYO european style dining establishment on Saturday 29th June 2024 and would like to extend the invitation to you as well. Of course, if you have any recommendations that would sit in that space then feel free to pass them on...currently I'm looking at Courgette (because they have a lamb main course and I have old left bank Bordeaux that loves to be paired with lamb)...anyhoo, if you want to take this more private you can email me at dwchatfield@gmail.com otherwise just reply to me via CT...cheers, chatters

  • Bearbus says:

    1/30/2024 2:53:00 AM - Hi Rote Kappelle, you may have missed my response to you on my message board. Please feel free to pass on details or contact me directly at bearbusmanifesto@gmail.com. Cheers

  • Bearbus says:

    1/20/2024 2:49:00 AM - Most entertaining and eloquent notes, Rote Kappelle. Are you on any other platforms that would permit a private message?

  • Big Juicy Red says:

    1/17/2024 8:28:00 AM - Thanks for your comments on German Riesling producers you like. Some of those names I know, others I'm not familiar with. I'll try to find some though.

  • DevenStephens says:

    1/16/2024 11:02:00 PM - Hello! I think it was your tasting note on the 2020 Vieux Telegraphe

  • guenter says:

    1/14/2024 7:15:00 AM - and on Rebholz: perfect quality, great people, with 1000% ownership and dedication. I bought Spätburgunder and Chardonnay, plus the specialty "Gewürztraminer" since many years, my oldest vintage is 2006 I guess. I prefer the black labeled wines, this is Pinot Noir "Im Sonnenschein" and "Chardonnay R" resp "pi-not R". The reds are nicely varying with the vintage, some more on the bold side, others very light and fine. All wines show quite a huge portion of new oak. The Gewürztraminer ("Auf der Latt") is a rarity, very special parcels, perfect with food. The (bone dry) white Riesling and Weissburgunder I was not appreciating in those days, I was more in Mosel fruity style, and if dry Riesling from Palatinate I needed plenty of time in the bottle. Now, over the years, also at Mosel I shifted more towards higher acidity levels (Saar, or Ludes from Thörnich) so I start to like also this Riesling and Weissburgunder style from Rebholz (that I didn't buy in the past).

  • guenter says:

    1/14/2024 7:03:00 AM - again on 2021 Prädikate Mosel Saar Ruwer: plenty of my peers are having the same view on the vintage - as long as the winemaker did his job in the vineyard this is a vintage with a superb acidity greatly balanced by the residual sugar in the off-dry and sweet Prädikate. I strongly prefer it against 22 and especially 20 and 18, the two latter ones with a reduced acidity (offering early drinking windows). and comparing to the other "cold" years with high level of acidity (19 an 17) the 21 has a much better finesse and playfulness. for me 21 is the vintage since 2017 where I took the highest amount of bottles in my cellar. but again, speaking only for off-dry and sweet wines, dry might be a different game.

  • Big Juicy Red says:

    1/11/2024 9:48:00 AM - Hi! I came across your note on a wine I was looking up last night (one of the Domaine Thalabert northern Rhone wines). I enjoyed your thorough, and almost poetic, take on it (and notes on the vintage as well), so I read through some of your other recent wine notes. You obviously have a broad knowledge base, and I enjoy your writing style. I have a few Rieslings, but my favorite German producers are Hofgut Falkenstein and Donnhoff. I also enjoy New World Pinot, Cru Beaujolais, and Italian Sangiovese in the forms of Brunello & Chianti. I'm trying to broaden my horizons, so adding some northern Rhone, California Chardonnay (cautiously), and Rioja. Plus other interesting wines as I come across them.

  • One more says:

    1/11/2024 5:31:00 AM - Thank you for your note earlier! I am a big fan of your tasting notes, you truly have a way with words

  • Bandreas says:

    1/3/2024 11:07:00 PM - Gospodin Sinclair; thanks for your messages! I hope you started the New Year well and it brings you most of the things you desire! We spend time in Tasmania; as it happened my daughter- who planned the whole trip - had other plans that conducting wine tastings (she chased us around Dove Lake at the foot of Cradle Mountain and around the beaches and cliffs of Bicheno ) but we still found time for some nice dinners, emptying a few bottles of wine. Of the the discoveries there was the Bream Creek Reserve Old Vine Riesling, vintage 2018 which we all liked quite a bit and which reminded me of a good Rheingau/ Alsatian Riesling: Completely dry, mineral, with good weight on the palate and a delicate, refined bouquet. In fact it was the best Australian Riesling that we tasted so far. Unfortunately the winery was closed when we drove by to visit Port Arthur... Cheers Bandreas

  • Bandreas says:

    12/25/2023 8:38:00 PM - Hello Gospodin, I saw your tasting notes on the 2010 Barolo and DRC Echezaux. It looks like the DRC had it that evening. Very interesting. Of course, PN and Nebbiolo are alike in the way that they are very finicky and can be wayward like a filly to be saddled the first time. Force them and you'll be frustrated forever, go along (to a certain extent) with their whimsies and you can be in for some very pleasant experiences. Looks like the makers of these wines knew exactly what to do with the grapes on hand.. I have one lonely bottle of 1988 DRC in my cellar, waiting for the right moment and /or the right drinking partner. The heck with it! Based on your description I will open it right away as I surface Up On Top again. Cheers! And Happy New Year to you. Bandreas

  • chatters says:

    12/19/2023 5:39:00 PM - Hullo there, I saw your very kind note on Bandreas message board and he passed on your warm wishes...I travel to Canberra 2-3 times a year (I always try and get to the Riesling challenge, like to visit Clonakilla, Eden Road etc and have a 'winey' friend who lives in Braddon) so perhaps, and if you'd like to, we could catch up next time I'm down? Cheers, chatters

  • Bandreas says:

    12/19/2023 4:17:00 PM - Thank you so much comrade! I forwarded the info to my daughter who is organizing the Tasmania trip in order to fit in if there is an opportunity... We will be tasting and drinking to your health over a glass or two of the wines you recommended! Cheers! Bandreas

  • Bandreas says:

    12/18/2023 10:00:00 PM - Wow Gospodin! What a combination/ contrast for Christmas! I'll be curious to hear from you how that turned out.... And thank you for your input on the whites. We'll be in Tasmania for a week after Christmas, so I'll be chasing Dr. Edge's wines down there. I'm off for dinner/wines with chatters in a few minutes; so all that remains is for me to wish you a wonderful Holiday Season and a safe passage into a hopefully healthy, happy and prosperous New Year. Best regards Bernd Andreas

  • Bandreas says:

    12/18/2023 2:25:00 AM - You are right Gospodin: none of the Rieslings consumed so far have produced the "Eureka" effect. I have not given up hope, though... Tonight I had a Semillon from Tyrell's for a change (2017 HVD vineyards) but that did not produce any raves either. In your opinion, what is the Australian non-sweet white that I should absolutely try? We'll see what we taste tomorrow with chatters; I will convey your regards. Cheers Bandreas

  • Bandreas says:

    12/17/2023 9:08:00 PM - Hello Gospodin, landed in Australia two weeks ago; missed the biblical floods of Queensland by about a week and am enjoying your country (again) a lot. Lots of things have happened in the last 50 years... Presently in Sydney, meeting chatters tomorrow; a pity we will not pass by Canberra. Drinking lots of Australian Rieslings which are mostly very young but good refreshment in this summer heat. Of the reds I have been consuming, two Coonawarra Cabs have impressed me most: The Menzies by Yalumba and the Lot 95 by Parker. Otherwise was very impressed by Yalumba's Galway Pipe 25 year old tawny and Penfold's Grandfather 20 year old tawny. For my taste they give the Portuguese tawnies of similar age a run for their money. Cheers! Bandreas

  • jonas.opedal says:

    11/27/2023 3:44:00 PM - Thank you! I was looking around for a bottle of Bordeaux to buy for my brother this christmas and stumbled over your entertaining review on the 2010 Château d'Issan. I haven't used the social aspect of this site much, so not sure what exactly being a fan entitles, but I sure am one after that review. Cheers!

  • Bandreas says:

    10/25/2023 5:23:00 AM - Thank you very much Gospodin! I will digest your information and take my picks once in the land of Oz. Take care; we'll be in touch!

  • Bandreas says:

    10/24/2023 9:23:00 AM - Thank you so much for your help and input Gospodin! I am much looking forward to my visit to Rutherglen in January 2024. My last visit there (to All Saints - where I bought two bottles of Aussie Vintage Port and a couple of bottles of liqueur Muscat - all of which out of this world!) was about 53 years ago. So it will be interesting to see whether reality still matches my - admittedly - nostalgic memories... I'll keep you posted.Last question/request: Do you have a recommendation for a good Coonawarra Shiraz producer? Thank you and: Cheers!

  • Bandreas says:

    10/8/2023 8:06:00 AM - Gospodin, thank you for your efforts on our behalf. I am sure that I will to need to invoke AfD... even though - you might not be aware of this - AfD and Die Linke - while coming from diametrically opposite positions - nowadays take similar stands on many issues... Reminds me of the Nazis and the Communists in the 20ies and 30ies of last century, successfully contriving to liquididate the Weimar Republic... One last question: Who do you think produces the best Coonawarra shiraz nowadays? to give you an idea of my stylistic preferences: When I lived in Australia, 50 years ago, I much liked the 66 and 67 wines of Wynn and the 69 wine of Owen Redman, the latter being truly outstanding. Cheers!

  • Bandreas says:

    10/7/2023 8:36:00 AM - Hello Rote Kapelle, our visit to Australia is getting nearer; unfortunately we will not be passing by Canberra and not be doing much in terms of visits to wine growing areas. But we will go to Rutherglen for 2 or 3 days, attempting to renew the romance with the sweet wines of that area. Do you have a recommendation on which two or three producers we should visit/ should we make tasting reservations? Thanks a lot ! Bandreas

  • Fractalage says:

    9/27/2023 8:46:00 PM - Actually, it was your Clape Cornas 2020 review, but most of all it was your attention to detail and length of reviews with mentions of history: Totally unique! Worthy of publishing in other venues, maybe a book of all your reviews with suggested title of "Wines In Retrospective of History: Incongruency of Joyous Imbibing". I thoroughly enjoyed what you bring to this rather dull world of wine reviews. Keep it up! Great to read of your bottle conquests!

  • Deyue says:

    8/23/2023 6:57:00 AM - (copy and paste from my message board just to make sure it gets seen by you) Hi Rote, many thanks for your greetings, and I have become your fan not just because you're a genuine wine enthusiast, but also because you truly enrich every bottle with your abundant knowledge and experience. Personally, I'm trying to knock on the door to wine world - following the WSET SAT to craft my personal notes when tasting is the only thing I can do. I do have paasion for Bordeaux, but I will maintain curiosity about all wines all around world before forming concrete preference individually. I surmise that a true integration of wine into one's life and thoughts is indeed the best way to sustain this passion, just as you've achieved. I appreciate your contributions to the community, and I expect many more of your followers expressing their experiences, including myself.

  • Tim Heaton says:

    8/12/2023 11:59:00 AM - "German Riesling is chamber music, Australian shiraz is heavy metal, Cabernet is jazz, Chablis is piano sonatas etc" Utterly brilliant. You're welcome in my home at any time. As for BOC, it was my very first live concert, way before the age of majority.

  • WineChief says:

    8/9/2023 8:30:00 AM - Hi Rote, Love your reviews and read them often. I see you're a cricket fanatic. Any thoughts on the recent Ashes? And if you match wine to music, any recommendations of matching wine to cricket/sport? Maybe a heavy metal Aussie shiraz to a Mark Wood thunderbolt or a thought provoking Bordeaux to an Uzzie ton? Not sure what would suit a lame batting collapse...

  • sirpat00 says:

    8/6/2023 7:03:00 AM - Answer to your question: Stumbled over your Rostaing La Landonne 2016 review, cracked me up. Checked out your profile and notes and found you drink reasonably decent and diverse juice. So here I am on the crazy train.

  • LindsayM says:

    5/31/2023 11:59:00 PM - Yes I never made the connection , I think the gatekeeper is Swiss , similar sense of humour , the Watervale Hotel has a decent supply as well , I went to a Wendouree Dinner there as part of the Clare Valley gourmet Week , only 13 including our host Nick Ryan and the best part 3 bottles each of the 7 wines vintages 2002 to 2015

  • LindsayM says:

    5/31/2023 11:13:00 PM - Hi Yes Lynches was there for many years, sold to Vintage Cellars just before Dan Murphys opened. It couldn't compete unfortunately but now have a new specialist Wine Shop Tendril run by Andrew Philpot who was a sommelier at The Press Club Melbourne and is doing well. I went to the launch dinner at the Victory Hotel Sellicks Beach SA for the Bekkers new Syrah from Clarendon Hills SA , nice wine but $300 ..... but the dinner was great in the Victory Hotel Cellar where all their Wendouree is kept behind the iron gate . Cheers Lindsay

  • Motz says:

    5/11/2023 1:42:00 AM - Agreed, indeed! Cheers, RK!

  • csimm says:

    5/1/2023 4:33:00 PM - Thank you sir for posting on my message board with the super helpful info on Clape. I used to be a Clape fan, especially with the 2009 and 2010 vintages, but it's been a few years since I've had one...so I'm considering newer vintages now as well. I used to be all old school Syrah, then new school (SQN, etc), and now I'm trying to balance it all out a bit more. Keep up with the good tasting notes! Thanks again!

  • Jimmy_D says:

    4/20/2023 10:01:00 PM - I'm on the same page as you. Appreciate your approach to entertaining and insightful notes - keep it coming. If I never see another technical wine note or WSET summary it won't be soon enough! Opted for something out of your neck of the woods last night actually. Pulled a Clonakilla pinot. And I do love PN out of Tassie too, so I'm in that ballpark. Will be sure to track down some of the Ossa. Cheers!

  • robw says:

    4/2/2023 11:26:00 PM - Thanks for your kind words... I enjoyed reading through your notes. Re Keller, his wine-making talent is extraordinary and obviously reflected in current prices. I hope to read more great stuff from you. Cheers, rob

  • RPHC says:

    1/4/2023 7:41:00 PM - Crazy train indeed! I love your meaningful reviews: full of actual substance and interesting commentary. In response to your question re: d'Yquem - sadly, I do not recall ever tasting an example to offer a comparison. Being that they are neighbors, I do wonder if the price differential is warranted though. In Dallas, the price of Sauternes has generally been in decline over the last 20 years... with the exception of d'Yquem, which has increased slightly. (Just an observation).

  • Mark1npt says:

    11/13/2022 3:49:00 AM - Lol, RK....sounds like we're near the same age with all those FL bands! Just changed my profile pic for the first time in forever as my first grandchild was born earlier in the day. Amazing how much older you feel when that happens! Regarding your wine and message board comment: we all know it's part art and part science....could be these folks just 'missed' with this one? A wrong decision here or there, and poof......it never gets where it needs to go. With our Cali reds we often see these black stages even when the winemakers do get it all right. Sometimes we see black tarry fruit and loads of chocolate when the wine first shuts down 3 years in, sometimes we get it later as it goes through a 'maturation' phase. Bdx fruit is of course, different. You are very correct, this one may never improve and it may be a greater risk in it actually getting worse with time, but I don't have a lot invested in it, and the scientist in me sometimes just likes to play these little experiments with certain bottles out of plain curiosity....we shall see! Thanks for your note......Mark

  • lightning says:

    10/14/2022 4:22:00 AM - Thank you for your message. I must admit that I don't have extensive Howard Park experience, however the bulk of the ones I have tasted are the Wade wines and they have been consistently excellent. These have been selected with the guidance of writers like Jeremy Oliver. The few bottles of post-Wade HP - some have been fine, and a few had fallen apart badly. I'm sure you have much more experience and insight than me on this!

  • Mikaelbe says:

    10/10/2022 1:44:00 AM - Contrasts are great, a pleasure reading your notes!

  • henrychinaski says:

    10/8/2022 3:06:00 PM - I absolutely love your tasting notes! The best wine writing I have ever read. Do you mind if I spread the word? Thank you for the great notes. More Riesling notes, please!

  • lukeintowine says:

    1/11/2022 1:09:00 AM - Thanks for your message. Hmm, I do not know if they are controversial. I only had a few wines from Clemens Busch which were all very good and also conventional (in a good way). If I think about controversial Mosel wines (and we have the same understanding) a producer like Jakob Tennstedt comes to mind. He produces wonderful wines in a modern 'natural' way. Either way, both wines/wineries are conversational. Cheers and stay safe.

  • Mhbeaune says:

    5/13/2021 7:09:00 AM - Love the personal descriptor of ‘wine dilettante ‘ ! Aren’t we all. Your variety is as wide as mine. You don’t have really ‘love’ a particular wine IMO to really appreciate it’s class if one has sufficient background information. The thing that still amazes me today is how certain wine really pair/improve with certain foods.

  • Mhbeaune says:

    3/28/2021 6:00:00 PM - Funnily enough Chateau d’Issan is not an often trade wine and has gone forward with leaps and bounds under Emmanuel Cruze. A bottle of the 1986 first passed my palette about 15 years ago at a restaurant overlooking a beautiful millpond near Limoges. Swiftly followed a few days later by a case purchase of the 1996. Over the following years i have invested in all the good vintages 2000, 05, 09, 15 & 19. I long ago finished the 1996 and few cases for earlier drinking of the 2004. Now a days, in the best vintages, they come into their own at about with about 15-20 years of age. That said i believe the 2012 is drinking wonderfully now but i have not tried it myself.

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