A range of white wines from 2001 - all from 'Old Europe' THE NOTES During one of his "case study" moments for the colleges of the diplomatic corps, Donald Rumsfeld described France and Germany as 'Old Europe". I've also included Austria in my look at 9 wines from 2001 : 2001 Weingut Robert Weil, Riesling Kabinett Trocken Very pale - almost no colour. The nose is quite floral with citrus notes. Good acidity with lingering flavours that make this a bit of a bargain for around €12. Very good and a lovely drink today. 2001 Weingut Robert Weil, Riesling Kabinett Spätlese Trocken Similar colour to the Kabinett. The nose is deeper and more malic. Just a little spritz on the palate and some harsh acidity too. The fruit is a little more concentrated and the finish is longer. This is a more ‘serious’ wine than the kabinett in that it needs time in the cellar. Probably worth the extra outlay at €18 2001 Weingut Robert Weil, Riesling Spätlese Süss Very pale colour. Appley, even steely nose. Sweet, but with good acidity. With an extra chill this would be the perfect accompaniment to a warm summer afternoon on the terrace. 2001 Nicolas Joly, Le Petit Clos Savennières AC Yellow colour. The nose is subdued, though characteristic Chenin Blanc mixed with a little mushroom. Smooth, quite concentrated and shows good acidity. Interesting, but I’m not sure about the value at €17 2001 Nicolas Joly, Clos de la Coulée de Serrant A shade deeper in colour that the Petit Clos. A similar subdued nose but without the mushrooms. In the mouth this is obviously more concentrated and fat with lots of things going on. Medium-plus length. Very interesting and individual. Still, it’s expensive at €48 though. 2001 Weingut Bründlemayer, Grüner Veltliner Berg Vogelsang Yellow colour. Sherberty nose. Lovely palate with crystal clear fruit. This is long too. Very good. A steel at €12. 2001 Weingut Bründlemayer, Grüner Veltliner Ried Lamm Yellow colour. A much deeper nose of honeysuckle and white flowers. Whilst the fruit doesn’t seem quite as incisive as the ‘Berg Vogelsang’ this is definitely much more concentrated. Probably a wine to lay down for a few years. Enjoyed – even at €26. 2001 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Riesling Gueberschwihr Yellow color. Quite a mineral nose with a faint undertow of apricot. This has lovely clean fruit and nice acidity. Enjoyable now, but worth saving. 2001 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Clos St. Urbain Pinot Gris (From half) Pale yellow. Faint apples and peach on the nose. Concentrated palate of young fruit with exceptional length – just keeps going on and on. If I have one criticism, I would have preferred a little more acidity as this wine only just avoids becoming ‘cloying’. With the correct food choice, this should be very special. © nanson.ch 2000-2003