Chiroubles Cuvée de Chatenay Domaine Vavril 2022 DE
France - Domaine Vavril - Gamay
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Tasting Notes: When all is said and done, the aromatics of this lovely wine leave no doubt about its origins: the mountain of black Devon slate that the Romans named Bacchi Ara: the “Altar of Ba... cchus” (and the deepest, coldest cellar I know in Germany). At first, this super-saturated green-gold Riesling smells of salted apricots, ripe Braeburn apples, and toasted pumpkin seeds, with fleeting aromatic suggestions of lime blossoms, Spanish broom, black truffles, and dried chiodini. On the palate, On the palate, the wine is dry and creamy, mouthfilling, salty, and vibrant, with flavors of grilled peaches, lemon oil, pink grapefruit zest, and crystallized honey, all comingled with palpable wet Devon slate minerality, in easy harmonic tension with ripe, citric acidity. And the flaky sea-salt, orange pekoe, and mint-seasoned finish goes on forever. Drink now – 2040 and beyond. Read More
It was perfect timing that brought us to Weingut Ratzenberger on a rainy afternoon in July of 2000. Our old friend, Paolo De Marchi had recommended the wines, and the Ratzenbergers had just ended a testy relationship with their famous American importer. So we tasted the thrilling, mineral-infused Rieslings that Jochen poured knowing that they were actually available to buy. We believe that despite flying under the radar of “important” German wine pundits, the Ratzenbergers should be included among the very top producers of Riesling in the world.
Viticulture in Germany is mentioned by the Stoic philosopher Posidonius of Rhodes (135-51 BC), who wrote, "...the (Germans) drink a lot of undiluted wine..." It's known that the Romans first planted many of Germany's finest vineyard sites. With the rise of the early Christian church, the vine had been intimately intertwined with religious and secular history. By the late 18th century, it was the Church which was responsible for quality controls such as laws against the adulteration of wines, replacement of lesser-known varietals with the noble Riesling grape, and the custom of distinguishing certain vineyard sites as being superior. Bacharach was one of the most important markets in Germany as far back as the 15th century when Pope Pius II had giant casks of Bacharach wine sent to Rome each year. The oldest and most famous vineyards include the Posten (named for the watchtower that was part of the town wall), Wolfshöhle (the wolf's den), and the Kloster Furstental, named for the ancient cloister to which the vineyard originally belonged.
Riesling is a white grape that originated in the Rhine region of Germany. This vine is noted for the hardness of its wood, which makes it particularly cold resistant and well-suited to cool climate growing regions. Two notable attributes of the variety are its high level of acidity, and ability to reflect the soil of the vineyard, resulting in a mineral complexity. High quality Riesling wines can be produced in varying styles, ranging from dry (trocken), to half-dry (halbtrocken, or more recently, “feinherb”), as well as all levels of sweetness. Known for being very aromatic, Riesling wines can age well and their flavors will evolve overtime.
Fine, dry rieslings like this go well with sushi and sashimi, oysters, cured meats, and full-flavored but lighter Southeast Asian fare.
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