7/20/2012 - PopulusTremula wrote:

Bottle showed slight sign of seepage which was sticky to touch. Like the previous bottle, cork came out with almost worrying ease and was about 75% saturated. Rim is bricking and clear, colour is otherwise light ruby but with opaque core. Nose has lovely aroma of dried fruit and perhaps some caramel held together in a quite heady mix. Sweet on the palate with red berry fruit which is ever so slightly jammy. The wine could be just a tad fresher and does not deliver on the palate what the nose seems to promise. Again, alcohol stands out and makes it a tad hot. This is a good but not great bottle of port which delivers well for its price point but is just a little unmemorable.

6/6/2012 - PopulusTremula wrote:

Drank over four days. Plenty of bricking and core is transparent ruby. The wine is nice enough but a bit simple. Candy-like sweetness with alcohol and not much else going on in terms of aroma or nuances. Good overall balance though, no spikes in either direction. Perfectly enjoyable but not a "wow" experience. Don't think complexity will develop over time, but the wine will keep another five years easily and probably more.

5/5/2012 - PopulusTremula wrote:

Opened on Friday evening, cork came out almost a bit too easily and was saturated two thirds to the top. Colour: Dark core which fades into pale ruby towards the rim, with distinct bricking. Nose has dried raisins and prunes and palate has initial coating of said fruits but the lingering mouthfeel is not as silky and "thick" as one would want. Instead the wine comes across as just a little thin perhaps and with a slight "hot" end, which I actually don't mind but I can understand why this may be an issue to some. This wine gained considerably by being decanted for 3 - 4 hours. In all, this is a perfectly drinkable wine, which provided ample satisfaction but it is unlikely to ever be best in show.

3/22/2011 - PopulusTremula wrote:

This wine is drinking beautifully at the moment. Nose is full on Riesling with some petrol and a good dollop of citrus and tropical fruit. Palate is round and mouthfilling with a great minerally grip. In my view, there is still plenty of fruit so I don't think there is any real urgency to drink up. This wine really managed to grab and hold my attention. Too bad it was my last bottle.

3/4/2011 - PopulusTremula wrote:

Deep golden colour, rich nose of tropical fruits. Palate is rich with sweetness of pineapple and maybe some green apple, minerality and acidity which balance the wine. It is drinking beautifully at the moment and is most definitely mature but there is sufficient fruit/acid still to last a good few years. Should be great with food but also very enjoyable sipping wine and tremendous value.

2/7/2011 - PopulusTremula wrote:

Nose is rich and heady with sweet tropical fruit and flowers. Palate is minerally fresh and sweet but with ample acidity to keep it from ever becoming cloying. This wine really does manage to walk the tightrope w/o ever tipping over into either too acidic or sweet. It seems perfectly mature but should also be able to live for another 5 years w/o any problem.

8/27/2010 - PopulusTremula wrote:

Colour: Dark ruby, no signs of bricking yet. Nose is sweet with quite forward notes of blackcurrant but also some herbal notes perhaps and some lead pencil shavings. On the palate the black fruit continues to lead the way but this is combined with well integrated oak and tannins which keep the fruit in check. The finish is long and pleasant but with some tannin still present, which makes for a dry but not chewy end. I would imagine that the tannins will recede over time and there should be ample fruit for the long run as well. This wine is drinking beautifully at the moment, especially so if you prefer primary flavours but i look forward to see how this develops and will keep checking back, maybe in 2 years time. In light of its age and the full-bodied nature of this wine, it's drinking with remarkable ease, something which my co-drinkers also picked up on. A very well-made wine.

7/11/2010 - PopulusTremula wrote:

Colour is rich gold, almost amber. The wine is clearly not in its youth and exhibits a more mature nose with some petrol, ginger and sugary citrus. It's definitely off-dry (as expected from a classic Spätlese) with more sweet citrus and some tropical fruit flavours. It still retains a strong acidic backbone and the finish, whilst lingering and full, remains dry. A beautiful wine which is drinking fantastically right now. Served with Indian curry which to my mind was a great match for this wine. A serious bargain.

7/9/2010 - PopulusTremula wrote:

Pale gold colour. I can only concur with other tasters, the nose is floral, nicely rounded and full on Riesling. On the palate it's fresh with some citrus fruit initially then minerals and mouthwatering acid. For the occasion it was perfect. This producer is one I will look out for in the future, I only wish this wasn't my last bottle.

7/3/2010 - PopulusTremula wrote:

Colour is pale gold bordering on straw. On the nose, this wine exhibits a smell of pineapple, tropical fruit and floral notes. The wine is off-dry on the palate but finishes dry-ish and fresh with good amount of acid to keep the sweetness in check. It is full-bodied with a lingering finish with a taste that hints at tropical fruit as well as lemon and citrus. I really enjoyed this wine and drank it as aperitif without any food accompanying it. That said, i would not hesitate to serve this with Asian food or in season asparagus with hollandaise sauce for instance. Very enjoyable wine, especially for the price.

6/28/2010 - PopulusTremula wrote:

Colour is light gold. On the nose this wine is very full, round and enticing. Typical scent of Riesling; oily, slightly tropical, some apple and citrus. Palate has initial sweetness again with apple and citrus but finishes bone dry with a palate coating minerally/chalky feel, everything held in place by a tight acidic grip. All in all, a very balanced wine with no singular characteristic allowed to stand out at the cost of the others. On the first night I found this wine to be pretty ungiving and tight but on the second evening it seemed to have opened up and become somewhat rounder and inviting. My advice would be to decant for an hour and not to drink this wine too cold. A very pleasurable wine which would go well with food.