nanson.ch white wines

White Wine Tasting Notes August 2003

2001 Mount Horrocks, Cordon Cut Riesling - Clare Valley August 2003
Quite a nice gold colour. The nose starts with obvious riesling and mineral tones. The palate is (unsurprisingly) sweet with a very raisin style of fruit, there's even grapefuit in there. The acidity is just about perfect with a finish like a blood orange. This is certainly the most intruiging wine of the whole line-up in the multitude of recognisable fruits you can identify. I don't know if it will get better, but as my supply of Chateau St.Jean is almost exhausted I aim to find out! Really super.
1998 Kracher, Muskat Ottonel TBA Number 5 August 2003
Fabulous colour, like iced tea, but more orange. The nose is sweet with honeysuckle and a deeper candied fruit note and for my taste, fortunately none of the smokyness of the previous wine. Thick, very sweet but not a bit cloying. The length is very good, but this is a very young and primary wine. Potenially better even than the Chateau St.Jean wines - I wish I'd bought a case of this stuff!
2000 Kracher, Scheurebe TBA Number 5 August 2003
Medium gold colour. Nose is very smokey with bacon fat - it's quite hard to get at the high toned fruit, but it's reminiscent off lychee. The palate is very thick and sweet in a marmalade way, just a little more acidity would have been better (for my taste), though it doesn't quite show the harsh edge of the Vin de Constance, but overall is slightly less involving. I'm not sorry to have another in the cellar though!
1998 Klein Constantia, Vin de Constance August 2003
Deep gold. Nose is sweet, a touch of lanolin with lots of floral notes. In the mouth it's very thick with intense fruit that just shows a harsh edge - but only in the way the thick curd does in a Seville Marmalade. Actually the harshness is associated with the acidity much like the harsh acidity you can get in young, high class, riesling. This wine is super and very, very young.
1991 Château St.Jean, Alexander Valley Johanisburg Riesling - Belle Terre Vineyard August 2003
It's hard to know what to say about this wine after the last two. Not quite as dark coloured as the 1990, similarly the acidity is somewhere between 1990 & 1989. The palate shows caramelised apple and pear - perhaps tart tartin. Remarkable consistency over three vintages. Another fine effort.
1990 Château St.Jean, Alexander Valley Johanisburg Riesling - Belle Terre Vineyard August 2003
A deeper browner amber colour. Deep caramel notes, a little green tea and herb, even acrylic paint notes! Fat, sweet palate but really good acidity. There's plenty going on in here, but it's terribly hard to put your finger on it - certainly concentrated cararmelised apple. Anyway the finish is much longer than the 1989. Perhaps even better than the 1989.
1989 Château St.Jean, Alexander Valley Johanisburg Riesling - Hoot Owl Vineyard August 2003
A medium amber colour. This was my note from 12 months ago "Nose is sweet with dried fruits; raisins, sultanas, perhaps even dried cranberries. Palate is thick and very sweet & fruity with a burnt sugar aftertaste like from well cooked jam tarts. It's thick in the mouth, but with just enough acidity to avoid it becoming cloying." The finish is not so long as some of the wines here, but it's certainly the most decadent." Nothing to add or take away, wonderfull wine.
Rustenberg, Brampton Qf2 August 2003
Couldn't find a vintage on the bottle. First bottle opened following holidays in South Africa last November. Deep gold. The nose is quite deep and sweet, almost in a Christmas pudding fashion, almost a little lanolin too. Fat, unctuous palate with lovely acidity - I wasn't sure about the acidity when first tast in SA, but this is no problem. The finish keeps going in a slightly caramel fashion - very, very enjoyable - fortunately there's another 5 bottles left !
1996 Marcel Deiss, Riesling St Hippolyte April 2003
A medium gold. The nose is mineral with a trace of citrus. A dry palate which also comes across as mineral with perfect acidity and excellent length. Not the concentration of the 1997, but a nicewine all the same.
1999 Jeune, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Grand Tinel April 2003
Golden colour. The nose jumps from the glass with pine/resin notes, sweet and estery - pear drops. The palate shows good density and acidity. Excellent length too. Very good if you like the style - not sure that I do !
1997 Marcel Deiss, Gewurztraminer Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Cru SGN April 2003
Nice gold colour. Sweet and pronounced gewurz. nose. The palate is thick and concentrated. Good controlling acidity. Excellent but needs food.
1996 Antonin Guyon, Corton-Charlemagne December 2002
Golden colour. Instantly different nose to the Fromm - more exotic and heavy scented with pineaple notes. Thick palate with good acidity. Buttery, but not overdone. Very long with a nutty taste. Fine.
1999 Charles Baur, Riesling Cuvée Charles September 2002
This wine is similarly very pale yellow. Nose has citrus notes and a little apple too. Good acidity on the palate which is not as fat as the pinot blanc, but is mineral with more concentrated fruit. A good, pure wine, but needs another 1-2 years to gain interest.
1999 Charles Baur, Pinot Blanc September 2002
Very pale yellow. Nose is lightly perfumed, light melon with citrus notes. Palate is surprisingly thick with just adequate acidity to keep balance. A lovely aperitif wine.
1997 Dr Loosen, Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese September 2002
Golden colour. Nose has mild kerosene, light citrus touches and some sweetness. Palate is reasonably sweet (8.0% alc.) with excellent acidity. A great match with Thai green curry, a pure and long tangerine finish. A very nice wine.
1999 Nussbaumer, Kluser Gewürztraminer September 2002
This wine is made in Aesch, around 10Km from my house. Straw-yellow in colour. The nose is typically gewürztraminer: quite sweet, with wild tropical fruits. The palate is also sweet with quite good acidity, good enough at least for the wine not to become cloying. There is reasonable fruit concentration and a medium length finish. Was sweet enough to withstand the challenge of 'tarte aux citron'. Actually quite good.
1999 Josmeyer, Riesling Grand Cru Hengst September 2002
Pale yellow. The nose is reticent but gives away some appley notes. A bone dry wine, the palate is like many young riesling, good acidity, super length but the concentration of fruit seems lacking. I'm confident this will 'right' itself in 2 years. A fine wine I think.
1995 Josmeyer, Tokay Pinot Gris l'Exception August 2002
Lovely gold colour. Nose is quite subdued but there are melon notes, and something almost like acrylic emulsion paint - better than it sounds! The palate is thick and sweet, and unlike many concentrated TPG's, to my palate, has plenty enough acidity to avoid becoming cloying. This acidity is excellent, pushing the tastes into a long finish. This cuvée spends 8 months in oak, but it's not apparent. Fine, and even more so for being on sale at €12.5 for 50cl.
1989 Château St.Jean, Alexander Valley Johanisburg Riesling August 2002
Striking amber colour. Nose is sweet with dried fruits; raisins, sultanas, perhaps even dried cranberries. Palate is thick and very sweet & fruity with a burnt sugar aftertaste like from well cooked jam tarts. It's thick in the mouth, but with just enough acidity to avoid it becoming cloying. The finish is not so long as some of the wines here, but it's certainly the most decadent. My choice for top wine.
1995 Trimbach, Riesling Clos Saint Hune August 2002
Medium yellow. Nose is concentratedwith lemony notes and the barest hint of grapefruit - something a little deeper, possibly oak influence, but no kerosene. The dry palate has good intense fruit and excellent acidity, what sets it apart from the stylisticly similar Deiss, Saint Hippolyte, is a strong mineral streak. This is the certainly the best 'dry' style tasted, is it worth 4x the cost of Deiss' Hippolyte? - Probably not, but I don't think I'll ever turn it down !
1998 August Kesseler, Rheingau Riesling Kabinett August 2002
Yellow. Nose has a little background lemon and boiled sweets, and more up-front peachy notes. Palate is verysweet but with refreshing acidity and dense fruit(alc.8.5%). A good finish too - very enjoyable
1997 Dopf Au Moulin, Riesling Grang Cru Schoenenburg de Riquewihr August 2002
Yellow colour. Nose is lemon and pears. Although looks viscous, doesn’t seem quite so in the mouth. Lovely pure citrus flavours with very good acidity. Slightly off-dry style with a little oak still evident. Better with food, but food not so obviously necessary as with the Leeuwin.
1997 Marcel Deiss, VT Riesling Burg August 2002
Golden colour. Nose has very faint kerosene and equally faint botrytis with a lemony lift. Palate is very thick with some sweetness. There is a prickly sensation on the end of the tongue (CO2), even 2 hours after opening, though gone after 4 hours. Very good acidity, but the finish was only on the long side of medium. Still some evidence of oak on the palate, but not enough for this to be a ‘food only’ wine. Without the prickles, very fine, with the prickles, only very good.
2000 Leeuwin, Art Series Riesling August 2002
Pale yellow. Nose is a little earthy with faint cooking apples, with a little swirling some grapefruit develops. Palate is oaky but the fruit just about wins the battle with the wood. Acidity is good, pushing the finish reasonably long, though the oak is there on the finish too. Good, perhaps very good when the oak softens.
2000 Fromm, La Strada Riesling Auslese (NZ) August 2002
Very pale yellow. Nose is sweet with granny smith apples and faint grapefruit. Palate is very sweet and reminiscent of a part fermented wine – actually only 7.5% alcohol. At this age the wine is still relatively simple, with apples and pears on the palate and very good acidity. When it’s 27°C outside, this is incredibly more-ish. I liked this a lot.
1995 Peter Lehmann, Barossa Reserve Riesling August 2002
Deep gold colour to the rim. Understated nose with sweet botrytis, Granny Smith apple and lime. After a while develops a ‘burnt plastic’ note. Thick in the mouth, but despite reasonable acidity comes across as ‘claggy’. Although we have the volume there is something missing in the middle – fruit! Length is not bad though. After a couple of hours from nowhere we have some citrussy fruit. So with some patience the rating improves from ‘okay’ to ‘good’. Still a disappointment after the superb 1994.
1995 Josmeyer, Riesling L’Exception August 2002
Deep gold colour. Nose has only a suggestion of kerosene together with medium botrytis and apple. Rich and thick in the mouth, some sweetness with good acidity and nice length. This wine whilst still very, very good, doesn’t shine quite like it did a year ago.
2000 Grosset, Watervale Riesling August 2002
Pale gold still with hints of green. The nose is lovely - a sweet apple crumble affair. The palate has nice acidity, though to me, despite the good volume of fruit, it seems a little ‘mushy’ and indistinct in the mid palate. Nice follow through to a good finish. Ignoring the different ages of the wines, I find this much more interesting than the Nepenthe, but still prefer the (cheaper) Marcel Deiss from 1997.
1999 Nepenthe, Lenswood Riesling August 2002
Pale gold colour. Nose has some citrus notes, very faint kerosene and some lower notes – probably from oak. This is bone dry with ‘not bad’ acidity, but I would have preferred more. The kerosene doesn’t come through on the palate, but (to me) there is an aggressive oaky element that means this needs food. Good balance with food, but not a wine for sipping alfresco, or as an aperitif – which is exactly how I prefer my Riesling. Good but not my style.
1997 Marcel Deiss, Riesling St Hippolyte August 2002
The light yellow/green colour of a year ago is now a stronger gold. The nose is muted, with some limey notes, but no kerosene. The bone dry palate is another matter with a definite kerosene tinge. Much fatter than a year ago, when the acidity seemed to boss the show, now beautifully balanced. A super wine, and at under £7 from the domain, puts many Aussies in the shade for value – I suppose they have to come further though (!)
1996 Gaja, Alteni di Brassica May 2002
(From a half) Pale gold colour. Nose is a ‘bubble-gum’ affair with some higher grapefruit tones. Concentrated palate which has melon, good acidity and a very long, hot, and slightly oaky finish. Yes there’s good concentration, but this is not a refreshing wine. I’d prefer 2-3 bottles of the Deiss Riesling for the same price as this half.
NV Heidsieck & Co Monopole, Diamant Blanc October 2001
I remember the same ribbed bottle with blue writing on gold (this has red) was £40 a time at Oddbins in the run-up to the Millennium, this was £14 in the French supermarket. Although the name might imply a blanc de blanc, the back label says Pnowah too, also (according to neck label) a cuvee for the millennium – so a bit of bottle age then ! Big bubbled mouse, but fine bubbles on standing, medium colour for champers. Nose was really quite sweet, perhaps like marmalade with a pleasant yeasty bread background. Speaking as a non champagne aficionado, this is my type of champagne! Relatively sweet, good acidity and fab with a creamy salmon starter !
1997 Domaine Weinbach, Tokay Pinot Gris Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence March 2001
Thick, medium gold colour in the glass. A little closed, but beautiful nose of honeysuckle and apricots with just a hint of dried fruits. In the mouth full bodied, thick, off-dry and for me, slightly cloying. There was reasonable acidity, but I didn’t find balance. This is a very rich wine, and is of course a quite young, but currently I would suggest better with food.
1990 Les Viticulteurs Reunis Sigolsheim, VT Riesling November 2000
From half bottle. A pale lemon colour, the nose having hints of botrytis & lemony-lime. Plenty of mouthwatering acidity with lime coming through. The mid-palate was a little ‘musty’ and hollow, again only the merest hint of botrytis. Slightly sweet finish - more of a demi-sec. I liked the start and finish, but not the middle.
1995 Les Viticulteurs Reunis Sigolsheim, Riesling Grand Cru Mambourg November 2000
Pale straw colour, viscous, almost oily to pour. Very clean appley nose not distinguished by much else. The palate is mouthwateringly fresh with an almost lanolin, semillion type finish. Nice but not that special.
1996 Les Viticulteurs Reunis Sigolsheim, Gewürztraminer Grand Cru Mambourg November 2000
Darker straw colour. Nose was of characteristicly exotic fruits. In the mouth a bit of a surprise, very sweet - like a VT, certainly much sweeter than the 1990 Riesling VT. Lacking in the acidity department, but cruised through a Mexican type meal without problem. I would have guessed that this was a slightly past it’s best mid ‘80’s VT !
1997 Les Viticulteurs Reunis Sigolsheim, Tokay pinot Gris Grand Cru Mambourg November 2000
Deep golden colour - darkest of all these wines even though the youngest. Nose is clean but closed. Looks quite thick in the glass and this follows through on the palate. Definitely not as sweet as the gewürz, and again something not quite right on the palate. Very short with just a hint of bitterness.