Barolo for lunch #94
A crispy Riesling to cool down
Hi friends! So, the stock market might be burning, but that doesn’t stop the weekend from coming. And just as usual, that means new temporary assortment releases - pretty nice ones too. My favorites, beside the two picks below, are G.D. Vajra Moscato d'Asti, Château Fuissé Saint-Véran and of course the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from Kutch. Cheers! 🍷
Wittmann Riesling Estate Trocken – #93698 – 194:-
This is just a perfect spring wine. It doesn’t try too hard, but delivers exactly what you need. Very crispy and refreshing with notes of green apples and pears, some melon and elderflowers. Drink it on a balcony, with a mountain of Manchego. 100% Riesling.
Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir – #90178 – 539:-
Central Otago Pinot is one of my guilty pleasures. I’d argue that this is quite different from the old world Pinots, but I kinda prefer this style – bold and powerful. A nose filled with raspberries and some oak, and it pair just beautifully with roast chicken. Expensive, yes, but also totally worth it. 100% Pinot Noir.
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Nerd zone: VDP
A pretty solid way of finding great German Riesling is looking for an eagle logo on the capsule that sits over the cork. This is the mark of VDP, or Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter, which is an association of some of Germany’s finest wine growers. Germany is generally quite confusing with all it’s long names and complex classification systems, so VDP has tried to simplify it by introducing a vineyard-focused approach similar to the one used in Burgundy. Only the top winemakers are invited to be part of the VDP, and they must stick to pretty strict rules about quality, sustainability, and traditional winemaking.
VDP classifies vineyards into four different tiers; GG (Grosses Gewächs), Erste Lage, Ortswein and Gutsein, where GG is the top tier ones. Good to know that GG wines are always dry. Although VDP is perhaps mostly recognised for Riesling, you will also find great Pinot Noir and Silvaner under the eagle banner. Great stuff all around.