Gracefully Aging Gruner: 2006 Hopler

I only recently (past 3 years) set aside a few whites for aging, so these are just starting to come out of my cellar. Some Chablis, white Rioja, German Rieslings, and tonight's Grüner Veltliner - no rhyme or reason, just wherever my (infinite) curiousity took me.

So, does aging improve your Gruner? Too early to tell - the 2006 Höpler Grüner Veltliner welcomed with a nose of freshly cut apples, a hint of white flowers, some minerality and creamy custard later but pretty simple overall. An initial impression of softness on the palate is misleading, hiding its firm acidic structure and mouthfull of juicy apples - ripe and crisp, with a notable minerality. That acid and minerality points to continued improvements with cellar time, but it is too early to see this improvement.
plastic cork. 11.5% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$22 (Opimian)

A World of Great Whites

For my tasting group this was our first evening dedicated to white wines. With such limited experience at the higher end of the white wine market, we decided to taste a variety of whites from around the world in a more casual, unblinded format, so our tasters put away their score sheets and simply enjoyed. (Except for me)

Waiting for the guests to arrive, we sipped on a bottle of 2004 Chateau des Fesles Chenin Sec "La Chapelle" (tasted here previously), the designated "warm-up" wine. Nice for a start, but not up to the main event!

We tasted the following six wines in flights of two, in the order below:

2002 Caves Duplessis "Montee de Tonnerre" (Chablis 1er Cru)
2005 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay (Napa)

2002 Catena Alta Chardonnay (Mendoza)
2004 Tardieu Laurent White (Hermitage)

2005 Schloss Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner "Grub" (Austria)
2004 Domaine Weinbach Cuvee Ste Catherine Clos des Capucins (Alsace)

Pramod's Caves Duplessis Chablis was very subtle - you had to work hard to find the aromas in this wine. First described by the group as "stinky sock, but in a good way", it later (much later) revealed some subtle floral, apple, grapefruit, mushroom, cheese and lemon brioche. Very light bodied, and I would say thin and dilute, this was elegant, but the opposite of what I look for in a Chablis - no crisp acidity, no chalky minerals - the crowd response ranged from "ho-hum" to "yech". 12.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$40ish

My 2005 Montelena (not the 2004 reviewed recently) was less controversial. Fresh cut grass, honeysuckle, quince, grapefruit, undergrowth, and earthy on the nose, it smelled "green" and "young". Very well balanced and drier, crisper, and richer than the Chablis, with a nice (but not overpowering) dose of lemon and butter. A beautiful wine, but needs to rest a few years. 13.9% alcohol
Score: 18/20
Price: C$45 (SAQ)

Cam's Catena Alta had a most unusual nose, variously described as "fishy" or "it smells like the wharf". I noted fish, lemon, banana and olives - a very different nose from the other two chardonnays. Despite this freaky nose, it was one of the crowd favourites. I liked the juicy, crisp, buttery and balanced palate, but I did not think it was up to the other two chards. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$47.50 (SAQ)

The Tardieu Laurent Hermitage had the most interesting nose. Very floral, white flowers, almost perfumey, but with a nice woodsy/earthiness. Velvety, extremely well balanced and very elegant on the palate, with a nice taste of peach and almonds. Another terrific wine, but the group was less enthusiastic. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 18/20
Price: C$67 (SAQ)

Ash's Schloss Gobelsburg smelled of buttery toast, pine, yeasty. Slightly effervescent and slightly less dry than the chardonnays above, I found it the most powerful and interesting, but a bit off balance. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$36 (SAQ)

Chris' Weinbach Riesling was probably the star of this flight. White flowers, apricot, peach, hazelnuts and petrol/rubber, this was a very nice Alsatian Riesling nose. Beautifully balanced, harmonious, an absolute pleasure to drink. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 18/20
Price: C$47.75 (SAQ)

Overall, I think the Alsace Riesling was the star of the dry wines, while the Chablis was the least preferred, but I think every taster had a different favourite. Personally, I may buy a bottle of the Montelena to stash away in the cellar, and a bottle of the Alsace because I love them so. The Tardieu Laurent is tempting, but pricey. These wines paired to varying degrees with a selection of sashimi, cheeses and a baguette.

It was Chris' birthday, so for dessert we opened a 2002 Donnafugata "Ben Rye" (Passito di Pantelleria). This was the REAL star of the evening. Deep amber in colour, the nose revealed a stunning bouquet of canned peaches, apricots, caramel, hazelnuts and almonds. Luscious and very well balanced, this was a beautiful dessert wine - one of the best I have ever tasted. I have never seen a bottle of dessert wine disappear so quickly! I just bought four more half bottles. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 18.5/20
Price: C$70 (SAQ)

After all that, the stragglers finished a 2005 Selbach-Oster Riesling Kabinett, a wine recommended by my friend Bill Z. We were in no position to score or rank that wine, but I can safely say it disappeared rather quickly and I have fond memories of it.

Bin 36 - Wine in the Windy City

I haven't been to the Windy City in years, so I was determined to duck into a local wine shop (or two...). A special thanks to Dr. Vino, whose Chicago wine shops page allowed me to quickly locate those shops nearest to my hotel, including Bin 36 and Binny's (a future post).


Bin 36, located right next door to Chicago's "House of Blues", was a rather modest wine shop, with a short (but carefully selected) list of unusual (i.e. no big names or standard Wine Spectator fare) items, but it was also a wine bar. Alone for the evening and in need of dinner, I figured I could grab a seat at the bar, have some dinner and try some unusual wines - now that's a Friday night!

While this sounds like place you would need wild horses to drag me out of, I was hesitant at first, as the "too-hip" atmosphere combined and no-name wine list was surely a recipe for disaster? Wrong.

My appetizer was an asparagus salad with honey goat cheese and a pink grapefruit dressing. Jimmy, the head of the wine bar, was an excellent host, and encouraged me to pair this with a gruner vetliner. The 2005 Laurenz V. "Sophie" Gruner Veltliner was an excellent choice for this dish - on the nose were toasty scents of apricot, banana and pineapple, followed by some white flowers. Almost white burgundy in style, with a crisp, minerally structure, this was a more full-bodied gruner vs. all my previous experiences with the grape. Nicely done at this price - great value!
Score: 16.5/20
Price: US$15 (Bin 36)

The main course was arctic char, and once again it was Jimmy to the rescue. In this case he even allowed me to sample a few of his wares before making my final selection. Now that's service! We decided on California for some new world chardonnay. The 2005 Foxglove Chardonnay was a rather simple affair, with classic buttered toast aromas but not much else going on. Rather one-dimensional, but very well balanced and a nice pairing for the meal.
Score: 15.5/20
Price: US$16 (Bin 36)

Other wines sampled this evening included an Austrian red, the 2004 Zantho Zweigelt, a modern styled red with aromas of fresh crushed blueberries. Rather uncomplex, but a very nice quaffer and cheap ($10.95). The 2005 Earth, Zin and Fire "Front Row Zin" was a terrific take on this grape. Pink cava, South African chard, and a strong finish with the 2005 Kracher Beerenauslese.

If you are ever in Chicago, stop by Bin 36 and tell Jimmy I sent you.

Cheers!

2005 Hopler Gruner Veltliner

While Austrian Grüner Veltliner is not exactly a curiousity, I still find it is rather uncommon in North America despite the positive media coverage. The local liquor monopoly usually has some selections, but I bought the Hopler through the Opimian Society (a wine buying club) a few years ago and it has now become a "staple" in my cellar.

The 2005 Höpler Grüner Veltliner is a fine example of this grape. A lovely, fresh nose with floral and green apple scents, some banana. On the palate it was light and dry, with fresh citrus flavours. Very well balanced, this wine is a perfect aperitif or a great match for shellfish. Highly recommended.
Score 16.5/20
Price C$21 (Opimian)