Notes from the presentation of Brumms Quality Wines new German selections plus some bonus bottles from Planeta and the second wine of La Mission Haut Brion.
Rudolf Furst Centgrafenberg Silvaner 2006 - From Franken. Not sure if this is QmP or QbA but I didn't see any Pradikat on the label. Light and lemony. Very dry with high acidity. Needs food. OK but not a style I like.
Kunstler Estate Riesling Medium Dry 2006 - Light and slightly spicy. Slightly spritzy. Lemon rind finish. A pleasant drink.
Balbach Riverside Riesling 2007 - Quite sweet. Light and easy. Simple.
Schloss Lieser Riesling Kabinett Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2006 - This is more like it! Very sweet, ripe fruit balanced by a refreshing acidity. Lemon and apple. Long finish. Easy to drink. Very good.
Gunderloch Gewurztraminer 2006 - Typical Gewurz nose although not very pronounced. Very light. If you like the Alsatian style this will almost certainly disappoint. Weak finish.
Gunderloch Donrfelder 2004 - The only German red we tasted. Slightly spicy and smoky. A bit hollow with a weak finish. Decent wine but not interesting.
Done with the Germans, we moved on to the Italian and French. Unfortunately, at this time, the cigars came out so it was getting difficult to evaluate the wines through the tobacco haze.
Planeta La Segreta Rosso 2005 - Good ripe fruit on the nose. Very dry. Sour cherry and dried fruits. Minty. Acidic. Long, dry finish. This acidity of this wine requires food. Something tomatoey would be great. Without food, the acidity is just overwhelming.
Planeta Santa Cecilia 2004 - 100% Nero d'Avola. Rich roasted flavors mostly, but it still has a good acidity. Good fruit and a bit creamy. Very dry. While good, I suspect it will show much better with grilled steak.
La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion 2003 - Deep nose. Complex. Bitter cocoa. A bit pruney. Soft tannins make this wine quite forward. Good.