5/12/2021 - TamasV wrote:

Good for an afternoon wine, but quite yeasty which I don't like so much.

6/30/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Quite good, and holds up well the next day. My guess is that this will keep getting better for a bit, as there's a sort of rockiness which keeps the finish from being 100% smooth. Not quite tannic, but textured in an interesting way.

6/30/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Note: the label shown here is for the M&M Blanc, which is Mauzac & Muscat d'Alexandre. The Rouge is purple and yellow, and it's Mourvedre and Muscat.

And daaaamn, is it good! It really has to be tasted to be believed. Basically just combines the best qualities of both grapes in a light-handed way, meaning bright acidity and aromatics rather than tannin and depth.

Obviously a sort of hipster wine, and so I've gone ahead and bought a second bottle to see what it would taste like with a couple more years to integrate.

6/16/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Amazing, or at least the best Chasselas I've had.

Floral and textured, with these baking spice aromas that are importantly not from wood, but from skin contact.

I've bought another bottle to hold, as well as a bottle of his Moitié Moitié from the same vintage, so count me a believer (that one has only half the grapes undergo skin contact, so should be fresher).

I expect great things!

6/17/2021 - TamasV wrote:

Typically Alsatian density with good brightness, but there was a soapy sort of note that I just couldn't get over. We used it to make a broth for mussels - maybe sacrilege, but I was glad to switch to the second bottle after a while.

6/16/2021 - TamasV wrote:

Extremely strange wine, unfiltered to the point of having giant clumps of stuff floating around. I don't think it's old enough to develop that much sediment, and I might have just gotten a flawed bottle. Unclear if it's over the hill or needs more time.

Retained nice rosy aromatics throughout, but kept getting more and more bretty as I let it breathe. Even ended up with this crazy histamine-like texture on the second day that was fully unpleasant.

So maybe drink it with friends and drink it fast, or forget about it for 5 years. Who knows!

6/26/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Absolutely beautiful for the first 20 minutes: tropical aromas, bright acid, fuzzy texture.

Unfortunately, it becomes a bit more muted, and the plushness fades to a simpler, more lemony sort of acidity. Still good, but not that first sip from that first glass.

It's funny because the wine doesn't fall apart, oxidize or get mousy, it just seems to lose a bit of vibrancy and richness. Maybe it's too early? I can see this integrating very well. In any case, I remain a big Pittnauer fan.

6/30/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

I think I had a completely unfounded idea of the Mosse wines in my head as all being serious oily Chenin or Cab Franc, and this totally disproved that. As others have noted, great summer chilled wine, but with just a little more complexity than one-dimensional glou-glou. Pineau d'Aunis and Cab Franc with a light maceration, what's not to love?

6/4/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Malvasia di Candia and Falanghina, not sure in what ratio. I would love to know since I was expecting a bit more aromatics from the former but it's actually somewhat of a restrained wine, more about elegance and mineral character.

For the price, I'd say it's worth trying this and the other wines from Gismondi to see what floats your boat.

As a completely unfair comparison, I would say I personally prefer the varietal with extended skin contact, specifically the 2017 Vej from Pradarolo, which is somewhat like Proust's Madeleine for me...

6/4/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Clear contender for the best Koppitsch wine: tart, aromatic, light, and consistent across vintages. Their higher-end bottlings might be more composed, but this one is somehow both beach lemonade for 14 euros a bottle, and a great food wine. Buy some now, I bet it's almost sold out! ;)

5/10/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Very pretty berry notes, but I have to say, this has a candied character that I don't remember tasting in Strohmeier rosés before. I think I'm comparing it to the TLZ Karmin, which is perhaps unfair, but I remember that having this incredibly precise VA that really elevated it. This one, while acidic, is a bit rounder and less exciting.

That said, it's also much less expensive. Maybe it's worth shelling out the money. But this is also very enjoyable wine.

5/10/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Good, vibrant, fresh wine with low alcohol and nice tang.

Scheurebe, Bacchus, Müller-Thurgau - lemon and grapefruit dominate, really nice aromatics. Has somewhat of a beeswax/plastic thing that I associate with these grapes, which I can only describe as the flavor of chewing on a pen cap (A cherished childhood memory!). All this to say that it has a particular mineral character which might be polarizing, but overall very typical of the new wave of German natural wine: light and easy but tropical too.

5/2/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

A liter bottle of mineral-driven white without the cost of foofoo riesling. What's not to love?

And all things considered, it's quite complex, meaning it's a cleaner version of the typical Rietsch schmutz: not much fruit besides a lean quince/Asian pear sort of note, but bright acidity coupled with a bit of texture and oiliness from the 10% Gewürtz make it stand it up to most lighter food.

4/15/2021 - TamasV wrote:

Kind of a bricklayer of a wine:

I was told it's made without temperature controls, and it turns to a dark orange after an hour of being opened. It never fell apart though! Tastes like rocks, in a good way. No rush to drink, I think the minerality will only develop.

3/18/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

My first E&M wine, and maybe a mistake to drink this basic 2019 before my Liaison 18s, but I think it was worth learning something. Really beautiful, pale brick color which obviously invites Burgundy comparisons. The slight BBQ note is also there, and more herbs come with longer air. Not ready yet, but already delicious.

3/15/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Good, and reminds me of American Pet Nats I've had. Maybe it's the dense yeastiness or a sense of candy to the fruit. Either way, not a bad thing, just pretty rich for the style.

3/21/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Like a young natural Cotes du Rhone, in terms of a lighter but still textured body, with slight greenness. I wanted a tiny bit of VA to set it off, but it's really a great job here for the price. It seems this is the heavier of the estate's wines, which is a good sign that they don't want to make the same old Hungarian wine. Makes me want to try the Kadarka, which is lighter.

3/22/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Happy to report that after last year's muted vintage, the 2019 weiss lives up (within reason) to the Marto hype... tropical, spicy, mineral. Quite good.

3/22/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Elegant, clean, and delicious. Nowhere near as reduced as the other pinot gris maceration we tried the same night from Frick.

3/22/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Fantastic after 6 or so hours but nowhere near ready. Strawberries, good black tea, herbs, so much going on here.

3/8/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Holy reduction!! Decant the night before, no joke.

The heaviest of Oriol's reds, meaning a textured rose for everyone else.

3/16/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Agree with previous note about the time it took for this to come around -- big life ahead of this!! Start checking in on this in 2023

3/14/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

The best Riffault I've ever had, for sure. Compared to the 09 Auksinis we tried a few weeks ago, it's brighter and more acidic, and even though it's not so green and cheesy, it's dense in another way, like white tea. Worth sipping for 6+ hours...

2/22/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Great wine, I agree that it has more classic acidity than perhaps other Ginglinger wines with more VA.

Tasted it when we opened it and yes, thinner in the sense of green olive-type minerality with spring flowers, but an hour and a half of air brought much more fruit. Tasted with 4 cheeses, which really set it off: honeydew, lush spring misty mornings, and so on.

Definitely could use 2-3 years to make it more rieslingy, but a wonderful bistro food wine as it is. It seems his wines go for crazy prices outside of Europe but I'm happy to say this was fantastic for the reasonable price I got it for.

2/18/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

I simultaneously realized once and for all that I'm not a huge fan of Lambrusco, and that this is the best example I've had of an inky sparkling, at least in a long time.

The reason is the acidity, which cuts through the Merlot-like richness and fruit. I know it's tempting to serve this ice cold, but that actually makes it just taste like Gerolsteiner or straight up carbonated tap water. Let it be just barely refreshingly cold.

I'll say it again, I love what JM Klein is doing.

2/15/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

So good!

Tart and refreshing, but complex if you want it to be. Aromatic without any sort of heaviness in the body. Perfect before-dinner cheese wine.

Will only get better for the next 5 years.

2/6/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Still a sense of white floral notes, but more stoney than anything else. Despite it being oxidized, salty, and somewhat intense, I wanted to have a nice crisp bitter green salad to go with it. Not easy per se, but really enjoyed it.

2/18/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

All kinds of stuff going on here. Opened it for a chicken paprikás, and it held up with the heat and melded nicely with the fruity/floral paprika. Dense. Cheesy and honeyed aromas, very heady.
The fruit is quite indescribable. Some notes thrown out were yellow/green plums, yellow tomatoes, nice ripe peppers, orchard fruit, etc. etc. Still quite acidic, but finally mixed into the tannic structure. Really has to be experienced.

2/18/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Got to enjoy over the course of a dinner this time.

Astounding mineral quality, and integrated acidity.

Take your time with it, but probably best to drink up soon.

2/15/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Gorgeous, rich, and otherworldly.

Don't know why people are looking for more density from this; what's remarkable here is the vermouth-like complexity and aroma while skipping the syrup.

This will be my go-to dessert wine from now on, and although the Fino was not such a game-changer (despite being a good aperitif) I'm gonna make an effort to try the whole Cesar Florido lineup.

1/24/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

I was skeptical because Stoeffler seems to produce lots of different cuvees. This is part of his no-SO2 line. In the end though, I have to say it's really good wine.

It's pretty serious, Alsatian asparagus and green bell pepper vibes. Took about an hour to open up, and stayed pretty constant through day 2. There is a lot of acid here, but it's integrated with a lot of salinity, so went great with the salad we had for dinner.

I would have liked a little volatility to set it off, as it felt just a little too formal. I suspect a lot of people would appreciate that though.

2/3/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Good, nothing stellar but worth the price.

More Alsatian vegetal vibes than crazy floral notes, etc. Nice and fresh.

7/22/2019 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Probably the wine I will search for and never find again. We served this in summer of 2019 so I put the Tasting Date back then, but I wonder how it's tasting now (Feb 2021). The more recent Rieslings from B&D Schmitt don't seem to have the same wild oxidation.

So, the tasting note: Oxidized Riesling ends up as high-acid miso salted caramel. Don't be afraid of brown wine!

1/24/2021 - TamasV wrote:

50/50 Pinot Noir/Zweigelt from Weninger:

I'm a little mad at myself because I've become skeptical of Weninger generally, but didn't notice the affiliation when I bought the bottle on a recommendation.

Lo and behold, it has all the hallmarks of a Weninger wine: one of three thousand cuvees, just a little oversulfured, technically correct and tasty enough, and a third more expensive than it should be.

Maybe I'm a hater. I think there's plenty of other wines in this style and price range that are far more fun and interesting to drink.

1/25/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Plush and tropical without a hint of alcohol given the 13%, and plenty of acid as another reviewer noted. I liked the high acidity myself.

It does have a bit of brett though; there was a hint of farmhouse ale on the front end. Probably best to give this a year to work out its kinks, because there's a lot of potential.

1/25/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Essentially the German natural wine world's version of a fun
Gamay, and super good value at that. It would even benefit from another year or two, as there's a bit of a mineral tightness still lurking in the foreground. Makes me curious about their higher end PN bottlings.

1/24/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Somehow simultaneously fresh tropical fruit punch on a summer day and mysterious textural flower concoction -- Beck's wines are made to last, evidently! I think it's drinking perfectly, but no rush for now. Stellar, a joy to drink.

1/19/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Dense, tight, and stony. Tasted pretty hot from the alcohol when I opened it. Decanted for 2.5 hours, and then drank over 3 -- only got better. Will probably be very pretty in 2 years!

1/18/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Note: I had the 17/18 vintage. I'm not sure what the nature of the blending is, I couldn't find too much info.

Buy on sight!

Has an asparagus sort of greenness that I love from Ginglinger. Hits all the notes: high-toned acidity, slightly oily, vegetal, refreshingly fruity... Really a stellar wine for a good price.

1/16/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Spicy but fresh. Complex if you pay attention but a joy if you don't. Very light tannins and great herbal aroma, crunchy fruit. Super good.

1/11/2021 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Shared with friends over Christmas oysters. I have to admit, I wish it had been a smaller group. But that's what the second bottle is for!

Acidity is gentle by now, but there's salt, sand, heat, and texture here. Just leave yourself time to enjoy it.

Will report back...

12/23/2020 - TamasV wrote:

I can't tell if this is over the hill or if it's in a downswing before it becomes some crazy riesling-like tertiary monster. The acidity is a bit muted, and it changes color quite severely to a dark orange. You get bruised orchard fruit and other oxidized nutty aromas. Not quite "salty" but salinity is there.

I don't regret buying it because Quantum's wines are always heady, but I have a feeling it's best to drink their lower ABV stuff about 2 years after they're released.

12/23/2020 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Very fresh considering the varietals that went in it: Grenache, Cabernet, and... Gamay(?!)

Wish we had some food with it, but no complaints here. I'd say it's time to drink these bad boys.

12/23/2020 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Lovely, vegetal, very much still alive.

Beet juice with just enough VA to keep it fresh, and chocolaty tannins for texture. Thoroughly enjoyed with pork arepas and friends.

12/1/2020 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Insane wine, not ready to be touched for 3-5 years.

Very ripe and honeyed at the beginning, becomes more acid balanced with air, huge salty finish.

98.3+(+)

12/5/2020 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Tasting great! Olive oil, bay leaf, chamomile, rocks, some pear ;)

Give it a lot of air. Still getting better, imo

11/26/2020 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Aromatic, refreshingly bitter, and textured. There's a watermelon agua fresca thing, but it gets darker as it breathes. Pretty serious rose, really.

11/26/2020 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Crystalline pleasure. Though I have to be honest, it felt a bit funny to drink this in November. Hold on until summer if you can -- but I think it should be drunk in the next year or so.

11/24/2020 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Strawberry-grapefruit juice. Stock up for summer!!

11/15/2020 - TamasV Likes this wine:

Good, but much better to stock a bottle or two and wait in my opinion. That signature Gindl bib lettuce & horseradish spice needs some time... Right now it's a little tight, needs a lot of air.