We tried last night (4/18/18) Recent Aromatic White Arrivals:
1. Johann Donabaum Riesling Offenberg Smaragd (13.5%) 2015: Light gold color; very attractive floral/
R/mango slight mineral/chalky slight Mosel valve oil bit herbal/celery very perfumed/aromatic
lovely nose; fairly tart/tangy rather mango/R/floral/spicy/bit pineapple light mineral/perfumed
talc slight metallic fairly rich lovely flavor; very long/lingering beautiful R/floral/mango/
pineapple/spicy finish; a beautiful Wachau rich R at a very fair price. $43.50 (WM)
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2. PacherHof Riesling DOC: AltoAdige/Valle Isarco (13%) Novacella/Varna 2013: Light gold color;
somewhat cat pee/SauvBlanc/pungent bit earthy/gout de petrol slight funky/Moscato very little R
kinda strange nose; bit soft/rich/lush rather herbal/SB-like very light floral/R/angel food cake
rather interesting non-R flavor; very long rather herbal/SB-like bit soft/metallic some earthy finish;
very SB like and little R character but good AltoAdige character and rather interesting white.
$34.00 (EVN)
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3. Carlisle Compagni-Portis WW SonomaVlly/SonomaCnty (13.9%; Plntd: 1954; GWT/TrousseauGris/Riesling;
150 cs; Drk:now-2025) 2016: Light yellow color; rather low-key GWT/lychee/spicy bit floral/carnations
slight earthy somewhat quiet/elegant quite attractive nose; fairly tart rather rich light/low-key/GWT/
lychee some floral/carnations light earthy/stony flavor; very long low-key/GWT/lychee/floral slight
stony/earthy fairly rich finish; a bit like an Austrian GS; not the powerful aromatics I expected but
will put on weight and develop the aromatics; don't open for a year yet. $24.00
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4. Cantina Convento Muri-Gries DOC: Sudtirol Weiss/AltoAdige Bianco (13%; 70% PinotBianco/30% PinotGrigio)
Bolzano 2014: Med.light gold color; light toasty/oak fairly floral/spicy/apple blossom bit caramel
some earthy quite interesting nose; fairly tart/tangy/mineral some caramel/butterscotch/toasty/oak rather
floral/apple blossom some earthy rather rich/lush quite interesting flavor; very long tart/metallic some
caramel/toasty/oak floral/appley/apple blossom bit earthy finish; speaks strongly of AA and unusually
aromatic for PinotBlanc, though the oak a bt obvious; quite a lovely wine. $33.00 (EVN)
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5. Carlisle GrunerVeltliner SteinerVnyd/SonomaMtn/SonomaCnty (14.1%; 250 cs; Drk: now-2024) 2016: Light gold
color; very fragrant/perfumed strong white pepper/GV/floral/peach/appley slight stony/mineral rathe spicy
nose; fairly tart/tangy rather rich/lush quite spicy/white pepper/GV bit ripe peach/apple slight
stony/mineral spicy flavor; very long/lingering white pepper/GV/floral ripe peach bit stony/mineral finish;
loads of GV/white pepper character; seems a bit shut down and not as powerfully aromatic as expected;
needs a yr to put on weight and develop the aromatics; consistently the best GV made and in Calif and can
go mano a mano w/ most any smaragd from Austria; lovely GV at a great price. $24.00
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6. Ott GrunerVeltliner Fass 4 Niederosterreich (12.5%; www.Ott.At) BernardOtt/Feuersbrunn 2015: Med.light gold
color; bit pungent/reduced that clears to very strong white pepper/GV/spicy light stony/metallic lovely
perfumed nose; quite tart/tangy bit spritz/CO2 very strong white pepper/GV/very spicy quite rich/lush/
smaragd-level complex beautiful flavor; very long/lingering quite tart rich/lush very strong white pepper/GV/
spicy slight stony fairly complex finish; a beautiful rich very strong GV w/ lots of white pepper at a great
price. $25.00 (K&L)
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7. Der Ott GrunerVeltliner Wagram (13.0%; www.Ott.At) Bernard Ott/Feuersbrunn 2012: Light gold color; very
slight SO2 that clears; strong white pepper/GV/very spicy slight valve oil bit earthy fairly complex lovely
very perfumed nose; bit soft slight tangy/metallic very rich/lush very strong GV/spicy/bit white pepper slight
Mosel valve oil slight stony/earthy rather complex beautiful flavor; very long/lingering bit soft full/rich/
lush strong GV/floral/spicy/light white pepper light stony/earthy bit valve oil fairly complex finish; a
beautiful complex rich GV that shows some evolution & development; fairly priced at $40.00 (KK)
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8. Abbazia di Novacella GrunerVeltliner DOC: AltoAdige/Valle Isarco (13.5%) Varna 2016: Med.light gold color;
loads of spicy/GV fragrant/floral/apple blossom light white pepper some complex nose; rather tart/tangy
bit metallic/earthy slight smoked hot dog/weiner strong GV/floral/white pepper/spicy flavor; very long/
lingering GV/white pepper/smoked hot dog/floral slight earthy fairly tart finish; not quite the aromatics
of the Otts but in a more light-weight/lithe character; a lovely GV at a stupid/silly price. $18.00 (K&L)
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9. Rosi Schuster GrunerVeltliner Aus den Dorfen Qualitatswein (12.5%; 90% GV+ GemischterSatz of
2% Wleschriesling/2% MuscatOttonel/2% Weissburgunder/2% Neuberger/2% Furmint) RusterBerg/Burgenland
2015: Med.light gold color; bit SO2/reductive/pungent slight floral/GWT-like/lychee rather earthy/GV/slight
white pepper some complex interesting/atypical GV nose; somewhat tart rather earthy light/low-key GV/white
pepper slight tangy/metallic/earthy flavor; very long earthy some GV/white pepper rather rich/lush finish;
not the perfume of the other GV's but quite an interesting white in a quiet/low-key way. $20.00 (K&L)
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10. Johann Donabaum GrunerVeltliner Federspiel Point (12.5%) SpitzerGrabenVlly/Laaben/Wachau 2016: Med.gold color;
very strong white pepper/GV/very spicy quite flowery some complex beautiful perfumed nose; slight spritz/CO2
very strong white pepper/GV/very spicy slight stony/earthy fairly complex flavor; very long strong GV/white
pepper bit spritz finish shortened by the disolved CO2; a bit richer & more depth than #11. $25.15 (WM)
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11. Johann Donabaum GrunerVeltliner Federspiel (12.0%) 2015: Light gold color; lighter rather pretty GV/light
white pepper slight metallic/stony attractive nose; fairly tart bit lean light spritz/CO2 rather delicate GV/
slight white pepper/lightly floral pleasant flavor; very long light pretty GV/light white pepper/floral
slight stony/metallic bit spritz finish that's compromised by the added CO2; a rather pretty lightweight GV
at a very good price; similar to #10 but not quite the intensity & depth. $19.00 (WM)
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12. Johann Donabaum GrunerVeltliner Smaragd (14.0%) 2015: Med.gold color; some honeyed/honeycomb bit subtle GV/
white pepper rather elegant slight earthy fairly complex perfumed nose; fairly tart very rich/lush rather
honeyed/ripe elegant/subtle GV/white pepper quite perfumed light earthy flavor; very long/lingering honeyed/
honeycomb rather rich/lush subtle/delicate GV/white pepper light earthy tart finish; definitely a smaragd
intensity of flavor but more subtle/low-key not that intense GV character; probably will benefit from a few
yrs of age. $50.00 (WM)
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More twerksnottle from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Donabaum: A new wnry for me. Imported by Winemongers (winemonger.com/). Located in the Spitzer GrabenVlly
on the north end of the Wachau. I was fairly impressed with all four of them, especially the R. Of the GV's,
I particularly liked the Federspeil Point for its more intense GV/white pepper character.
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2. Carlisle: Both of these Carlisles seemed a bit tight and closed. I expect w/ a yr's age and more, they will
put on weight and develop some powerful aromatics.
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3. Ott: I tried over a month ago the basic Ott GV '16 and was rather underwhelmed by it. Jurgen admonished me
to try some of the other/higer level Otts. Fass 4 and DerOtt. He was, of course, quite right. Both of these
Otts were mightly impressive. And worth the respective prices.
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4. Many of these wines came from EmilySchindler's WineMonger Imports (winemonger.com/). She has one of the best
Austrian portfolios around. Best of all, she is one of the few importers that does DTC sales. Worth checking
out her portfilio.
Tom