Reserve Naturelle Chardonnay 2012

Light straw yellow, first nose has a touch like gooseberry then it follows fresh grass and a hint of lime. Quite fresh in the mouth and velvety feeling with a touch of butteriness. It offers an easy drinking and a surprisingly balanced character for its price/quality ratio. The fresh final is short-moderate but fun with a touch of minerality. It can be a friend for a lot of dishes like salads as a main dish or seafood plates. With this price/quality ratio, this wine could be your daily white. It is also an organic product. 10,47€/75cl/Janaury 2014

Petit Bourgeois Sauvignon 2011, France (Sav. Blanc 100%)

The color is light golden. First nose dominated by greengage and lemon. Second nose gives out mineral notes and green apple. In the mouth the acidity is very nice, the structure is rich, stone fruits like apricot and plums stand out. A very pleasant drinking. The final is long and delightful. Wet pebble stones, salidity... This wine has a nice minerality. It can handle creamy dishes, fatty fish, barbecue and stew chicken meals. It can handle a wide variety of cheese types too. It can even go with yoghurt based meze dishes and creamy vege-salads. A very food-friendly wine. 86/100 11,41€/75cl/April 2013

May your glass be filled with happiness.

Chapoutier Rasteau 2010, France ( Grenache 80%, Syrah 20%, Alch 14%)

Opaque,  purple rims and ruby red in the mid. FIrst nose has vanillin, coffee with milk, dried orange peels. The legs are moderate. The second nose has both fruity and rustic characteristics; watermelon, sour cherry, blackberry, redcurrant, black pepper, caramel, biscuit and leather. The nose is not extroverted but rich. Tannins are very strong at the attack phase but integrated.  Medium-bodied. The red forest berries continue in the mouth too. This Cotes Du Rhone  has a very fruity nose but the tannic structure in the mid-palate gives a feeling like a typical Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is not for everyone and has a moderate-long final. It is a table wine and can fit a wide variety of dishes; stews, barbecues, even it can handle some light cheese types. The price-quality ratio is fine, a good everyday´s table wine. 85/100 Price: 15,95€/75cl/April 2013

May your glass be filled with happiness.

Tasting Event: Domaine Fernand Engel of Alsace 27.03.13

Last Wednesday, in Helsinki, I have been in the tasting of Domaine Fernand Engel of Alsace. The tasting was in Winecellars in Kalevankatu organized by the importers, Red Bev Oy. The winery´s winemaker Xavier Baril was there to present the winery and their wines. The Red Bev Team, my dear friend Hadrien and his colleague Marina, were of course there ready to provide any help and info too.

The event has started about 6pm and took about 2 hours. During the event, 6 outstanding wines of that winery, which 2 in total were Grand Cru, were tasted. The wines were 2 Sparklings, 2 wines of the noble variety Riesling and 2 wines of other great varieties of Alsace Region. In the beginning, Mr. Baril, who is really a very kind and tender gentleman, presented the winery, winemaking process, methods and grapes. This presentation was quite interesting and a lot of interesting info were given about their methods and organic production. This producer is right now producing some organic wines and trying to convert all its production into organic. Soon they will have all their vineyards certificated as organic and they also practice the biodynamic methods.

We started with the sparklings, then the Rieslings took place and the last two wines followed. The sparklings gave an energetic start and Rieslings presented their different terroirs with a great feeling of minerality and acidity, then two different wines came which left a sweeter feeling and became the desserts of the night. The wines tasted during the event are:

1- Cremant d`Alsace Chardonnay 2010 : A very surprising Sparko which has the buttery characteristics and acidity together. This wine is available in Finland. A detailed tasting note is here.

2-  Cremant d`Alsace Trilogie 2007 : The name Trilogie comes from the triple fermentation of the wine, once in the tank and twice in the bottle. Hard to understand maybe but it is possible and has a very detailed process. The nose has honey, almond and a bit raisin with caramel notes. The mouth has a strong minerality and despite the nose, the mouth is not so sweet and the warm final is long.

3- Riesling Grand Cru Praelatenberg 2010 : The nose has citrus fruits and tropical notes like pineapple. The minerality is very satisfying and acidity is very high. Slightly felt cloves are followed by salinity. The final is moderate but very delightful. It also has a little bit of Botrytized grapes.

4- Riesling Cuvee St Michel Silberberg de Rorschwihr 2010 : The nose has nutty smells at first and then citrus fruits dominate. In the mouth complex, fruity but minerality is dominant, the acidity is very satisfying, the final is warm and long.

5- Pinot Gris Grand Cru Gloeckelberg 2010 : Nose has slightly fruity notes and honey. Quite sweet in the mouth. The final is moderate. Delicious and fun to drink.

6- Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim 2010 : This wine was my favorite during the tasting. The only thing I did not fall in love would be just that maybe it is a bit too sweet. Otherwise, it could be poetry. But still, this wine would be an addiction for me just as it is too if it was available in Finland, this wine is close to be more than wine to be an elixir for your soul. The dominant passion fruit aroma is followed by mulberry and mineral notes. The sweety hints continue in the mouth too. A very different Gewurz than its German fellows. The perfect final choice for that tasting.

Thanks The Red Bev Team and Mr Xavier Baril and also others who had part in the organization.

Engel Crémant d'Alsace Chardonnay Brut 2011, France (Alcl 12,5%) An Outstanding Sparkling

Before telling more, to say, an outstanding, surprising sparkling.

Light golden coloured, first nose has fresh cut grass and spring flowers, second nose gives out stone fruit notes like peach for example. Overall the nose is very rich of fruits, I had not so much time to think about the aromas one by one, but I can say, the nose is very complex. As it is a Cremant style of sparkling, it is very "big" in the mouth, filling, well structured and has it´s own character. As a sparkling, the acidity you look for is right there and satisfying but what surprised me about this wine is, even though it is a sparko, the buttery characteristics of Chardonnay is right there too. The buttery feeling and acidity together, both combining well and not disturbing, not shading each other. The final is long, warm and delightful with very soft notes of minerality giving itself like the wet pebble stones. This wine is also an Organic Product to keep an eye on.

Do not buy this wine for getting drunk with friends during a party, that means spoiling a bottle of good-quality. This is a serious wine which should be drunk at home or a nice picnic meeting of good friends or family. If you want to buy something precious for your friend´s birthday but do not have enough money for a well-known Champagne wine, do not go for cheap Champagnes and just grab this bottle of Cremant, especially if your friend has a knowledge of wine, this will be a surprising, nice gift. 92/100 Price: 16,99€/75cl/March 2013

PS: I will be writing on this blog about a tasting event of this producer organized by the importers, on the next days.

Château Sénilhac 2009, France (CaS 55%, Merlot 40%, CaF 5%, Alcl 14%)

Purple in the rims through ruby in the mid. Transparent. First nose vanillin, milk; the fruity structure is upfront, sour cherry and blackberry are dominants. Still sour cherry in the mouth, also blueberry. Tannins are very strong but they do not disturb so much, integrated. It is a bit felt as diluted but still good balance is found. This medium bodied claret has a warm moderate-long final with an alcohol feeling. Elegant, velvety drinking while it is possible to get dried orange peels in time with little bit tomato touches and almond. Acidity is satisfying. Relatively good balanced, matching with light dishes, even matching with fatty fish dishes cooked with cream if it is a bit cooled. With fatty cheeses it would be fine too but heavy meat stews can crash it down. Party-picnic bottle as long as nice to drink at home too. Not a deep wine, not a very serious wine but still it has a character. Unfortunately a bit diluted. 86/100 Price: 14,76€/75cl/March 2013

Guigal Cotes Du Rhone 2009, France (Syrah 45%, Grenache 52%, Mourvèdre 3% Alcl 14%)

Opaque, dark ruby red, the rims are purple. The nose is woody and of course possible to get red forest berries. But damson is there too. In the mouth, still damson is the dominant aroma, then plum and acidity is satisfying. Oaky notes like smoke comes out with swirling and some leather is possible to find. The spicy complex characteristics of Syrah and Grenache are definitely well performed in this bottle, with a high acidity. Fruit, acidity, oak, different aromas in a complex structure, everything is there for a good balance. This medium to full bodied lovely juice is not so special, not so close to perfection but definitely a great table wine with a warm moderate final by the alcohol. Anything you expect from a producer like Guigal, is in this bottle. I am not as professional as able to give drinking windows but I think this wine can wait  for some years without losing any strength, but not too long. For the next 5-6 years can be still very tasty, who knows maybe even better. The internet page of the producer says that it is possible to age 20 years. Interesting length for a table wine... Also the internet site has different grape percentages than given on ALKO´s internet site. With a great price-quality ratio, this wine is a great daily wine which can accompany to a big variety of relatively strong (not too strong!) dishes, mostly red meats, game and stews. If you think that French table wines are a bit overstated, this wine can change your mind. Enjoy it during a dinner with friends or family, as I did both, or even with some very light cheese, just enjoy the wine. Especially if you got lost in those hundreds of different bottles in the same price category in ALKO. Also I suggest you to learn about Guigal´s production methods and process. Interesting things wait you there.  92/100 Price: 12.98€/75cl/February 2013

May your glass be filled with happiness.

Le Moulin Teyroud Chateauneuf du Pape 2010 (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, 14%)

Possible to get some mint but overall, nose is poor. Medium bodied, feels a bit dilute in the mouth. Some fresh fruits like peach comes in the beginning but not that rich for aromas. It has a short-moderate finish with a touch of alcohol. If it was a bit cheaper, I would maybe buy and drink again but I think it is an overpriced wine in Finland right now for 25.40€/75cl. The fame of appellation area might make it desirable. It is not a bad wine, but it is a very normal wine and to be normal is obviously not that special. Recommended if you are looking for an everyday`s wine. 84/100 (Tasted in summer 2012)