Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl

Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl

Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl was the wine chosen by Twitter poll last night over the Portuguese Dao (which I also opened but was far far less impressed with) for my Saturday night spent all by my lonesome with only the "blllurp" from the tweetdeck for company. *sob*

It was little wonder the Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl blew away the Portugese Dao as, at six times the price and from one of the most prominent producers in Alsace, had the little Dao come anywhere close I'd be jumping up and down and alerting you to a QPR doozy. Sadly not.

Today's blog entry is simply a sum up of the wines I haven't yet posted, a Super Sunday round up if you will. To stay in the Italian vein perhaps the best value of all was from Lagrein. Another dreaded Lagrein. Those familiar with this blog will know I am forever trying to find a place in my heart for Lagrein and end up panning it. Not this time, £10 from Virgin wines and Bobs your uncle. Not our Bob. Just the proverbial Bob.

However it was the Gewurztraminer that stole the show and is my wine of the week. This is a wine for a special occasion by one of the very best producers in Alsace, some might argue the best Gewurztraminer in the region too and would go great with a variety of styles of food. As Alsatian Gewurztraminer is high in acidity compared to other Gewurztraminers from other areas you would do well to pair this with moderately spicy Indian, Chinese or Thai food. Any of these will go much better than the sunflower seeds I nibbled on during my tasting.

Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl 2005 - BUY - €50

A dark golden yellow with green tinges. On the nose you could be tricked for thinking the wine was a young Sauternes. Aromatically intense with notes of lychee, apple, spices and cream. On the palate the wine is wonderfully smooth and elegant, concentrated and exciting. Great structure with a creamy sweetness. Thick and mouth coating, perfectly balanced, good acidity and a long finish. 94 Points

Quinta de Cabriz Dao 2005 - PASS - €8 (Portugal)

A dark deep ruby red to the rim, super nose of plums, dark fruit, coffee, raisins, blackcurrent and noted oak, spicy like a xmas pud. On the palate the wine is too acid, mid bodied and very extracted with the finish turning soft. Started well, faded too quickly. A real borderline BUY or PASS, get someone else to buy it for you. 84 Points

Castelfeder Lagrein 2006 - BUY - €12 (Italy)

Dark ruby red in the glass with a sweaty sock component on the nose, a beefy, savoury wine on the nose but turning to good fruit on the palate. Mid bodied, high acidity, high tannins but soft and rounded, plenty of dark fruits with a gorgeous dark chocolate note on the finish. Robust and varietally true, a good introduction to Lagrein. 87 Points

Domaine Potel Savigny les Beaune Vieilles Vignes 2004 - PASS - €25 (Burgundy)

Light garnet red. A giving nose of glazed cherries as well as a meaty, leathery note. On the palate light to mid bodied with high acidity and firm tannins with a floral flavour profile. Good length on the finish but for €25 I can't recommend this wine. A wine for food. 86 Points

Frogs Leap Zinfandel 2005 - BUY - €25

Deep ruby red and all Zinfandel to the finish. Aromatically up for it, this wine is oozing vanilla, blackberries with a few wet rocks wrapped in smokey bacon. Full bodied on the palate with a concentrated blackberry and ripe back fruit flavour. Excellent balance and not over the top like so many Zins out there. Bio-dynamic producer. 90 Points

Where can I find this Wine?

Americans - Hart Davis Hart - $100

Europeans - The Wine Society - €50

Brits - The Wine Society - £44

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Tried any of these wines? What was your wine of the week?

Chenin Blanc Tasting

Chenin Blanc Tasting

What's wine90 doing a Chenin Blanc tasting for? Well, multiple reasons. Firstly, to support the good old peeps at Red Nose Day, secondly because my exp of Chenin Blanc as an Italian wino leaves a lot to be desired and thirdly, it was a Thursday. And?

Here I am, being very supportive of the Red Nose White but unfortunately the wine really was a one dimensional glugger but for £5 and a S.A Chenin Blanc was I really expecting something better? I think the face says it all. This wine actually outperformed the Pecan Stream Chenin Blanc, which at twice the price, was abysmal and one of the worst wines I've had this year.

So, lets talk about Chenin Blanc then.

Finding its best expression in the Loire valley, Chenin Blanc is a grape capable of making a variety of wines in many styles. A grape of high acidity you can find Chenin sparklers, dessert wines and regular still wines. Chenin is a tricky little guy to cultivate and begs for low yields. This is what it gets in the Loire valley with crop yields governed by AOC regulations to be no higher than 45hl/ha even in standard Anjou bottlings. So, perhaps it wasn't really surprising then, that of the 5 Chenin Blancs that made their way to the tasting panel... that's me and the wine sleuth... the Loire Chenins made a clean sweep.

Sadly, all the wines brought to the table were dry and not a thing from Vouvray or Coteaux du Layon but we did get to taste a Samur which just edged out the Anjou "Chateau de la Guimoniere" to be my favourite Chenin of the night.

As you can see, there wasn't only Chenin on the table so after the formalities of the Chenin evening (which took a lot out of me I can tell you) we moved onto to happier places, a nice 2004 Savigny les Beaune and a zappy little Zin, the Frogs Leap 2005.

*takes deep breath*..... AND TASTING NOTES TIME.

La Grille Classic Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2007 - BUY - £8 - 3rd place

A pale straw yellow with obvious green glints. On the nose the wine has a nut, apricot and green apple profile but it's on the palate where this wine really satisfies with razor sharp acidity, great balance and a long clean finish. Notes of peach on the palate. 87 Points

Saam Mountain Red Nose White Chenin Blanc 2008 - BUY - £5 - 4th place

Pale straw yellow in the glass, a dull faded, "dole" tropical fruit nose with pineapple and mango showing, good weight to the wine, a mid bodied effort. Ok acidity and vegetal on the finish but really not a bad effort for the money. One dimensional, a bit like an alcoholic Lilt but drinkable. 82 Points

Chateau de la Guimonière Chenin Blanc 2005 - BUY - £9 - 2nd place

Dark straw yellow with vibrant fresh tropical fruits on the nose. A creamy mid bodied wine with some noticable nutty notes on the palate, good acidity and structure with a lingering powerful finish. Top Chenin, 89 Points

Pecan Strean Chenin Blanc 2006 - PASS - £10 - 5th place

Golden straw yellow, not particularly aromatic but when it finally comes regular tropical notes ensue. Really lacking in fruit, mid bodied, off point, and unpleasantly green throughout. 77 Points

Les Andides Samur 2007 - BUY - £6 - 1st place

A mid straw yellow, this wine is bursting with fresh tropical aromas on the nose, even with hints of kiwi. Super tight and crisp acidity with a citrus palate, coating mouthfeel with an aspagus note on the end. 89 Points

Where can I buy these wines?

All available at Waitrose exlucing the Chateau de la Guimonière which is available at Winerack.

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Favourite Chenin regions? Favourite Chenin wine? Suprised at these results?