WTN: Lagrein, Grüner Veltliner, Grenache

I spent a quick weekend visiting my mother and digging out some of the wines I had left in her basement over the years. One of those wines was the 2001 Mayr-Nusser Südtiroler Lagrein Riserva which we opened with dinner. It was nothing too complex but perfectly resolved mid-weight supple wine with brambly berry flavors and a lovely porky Northern Rhone srah-esque aromatic edge. Easy to drink and very very comforting for me. Nothing mind-bending but there was something about this wine on release that tapped into my sensual comfort zone and it does the same now.

The next day we had a small party with some of my mother’s friends and I was charged with finding some wines for outdoors with the grill. I started with a liter of 2008 Schwarzböck Grüner Veltliner which was a delightfully refreshing stream of green minerally firm juciness. This was $13.50 and not the cheapest of the Big Liter Buys (or am I on old prices) but the staff claimed it was better in 2008 than the Hofer they usually stock, and I would definitely purchase again for parties.

I was told by the same retail staff that the 2008 Höpler Grüner Veltliner would be a slight step up from the Schwarzböck but I didn’t think so. It tended towards neutral and acceptable but that was about it. (And it was screwcapped so definitely not corked!)

For red wine, I figured I could satisfy the fruit lovers with 2007 Cuvée Sélectionée par Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône and I suppose I did, but I didn’t really satisfy myself! I’m not the hugest grenache fan but I can appreciate many Southern Rhône wines. However, this just seemed too jammy and knotted and blocky and not at all harmonious. Didn’t really smooth out on the second day either. I’m not sure even hardcore Côtes du Rhône fans would like it and there are probably a lot of other better examples for $14. But I could be wrong.

For red wine, I figured I could satisfy the fruit lovers with 2007 Cuvée Sélectionée par Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône and I suppose I did, but I didn’t really satisfy myself! I’m not the hugest grenache fan but I can appreciate many Southern Rhône wines. However, this just seemed too jammy and knotted and blocky and not at all harmonious. Didn’t really smooth out on the second day either. I’m not sure even hardcore Côtes du Rhône fans would like it and there are probably a lot of other better examples for $14. But I could be wrong.

Wow, had no idea such a thing existed! There's no vigneron named on the bottle? Or vignerons? This reminds me of a polemic in art, in which artists complain that curators are becoming ever more powerful, sometimes trying to make art themselves when curating exhibitions. Here is the concept of the importer as curator/vigneron...

[David M. Bueker]

I have never had a Höpler wine that I thought was worth its price tag.

Wow, had no idea such a thing existed! There's no vigneron named on the bottle? Or vignerons?..Here is the concept of the importer as curator/vigneron...

Indeed. The sources can change from year to year. You can read more about it on Kermit's blog (although not actually written by Kermit himself if I understand correctly). If you scroll down they have their own note on the 2007 CdR which is similar to mine although they (perhaps predictably) have a different spin on it. Different strokes for different folks.

http://blog.kermitlynch.com/2009/07/10/ ... mit-lynch/

I have never had a Höpler wine that I thought was worth its price tag.

Good to know!

Lagrein = sensual comfort zone

Yup, know what you mean, Rahsaan. A blend I had recently (from Oregon!) was 37% Lagrein (with 50% Syrah, 13% Sangiovese), and the Lagrein put it into that sensual comfort zone: old shoe, well-worn chair that knows the lumps of your body, viscerally satisfying kind of comfort zone that triggers an automatic response.

Indeed. The sources can change from year to year....

Not your 2007, but I just opened a bottle of the '06 last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Spicy dark berries, round but delineated. A bit "jammy," perhaps, but I would never call it "knotted" or "blocky." You and I have different palates, no doubt, but I've come to trust and appreciate yours over years of posts. It doesn't surprise me that there could be vintage variation, of course, but I'd think a large part of the point to having one's own cuvee produced and imported would be consistency in character. Seems odd, but I've had little experience with KL cuvees.

Yup, know what you mean, Rahsaan. A blend I had recently (from Oregon!) was 37% Lagrein (with 50% Syrah, 13% Sangiovese), and the Lagrein put it into that sensual comfort zone: old shoe, well-worn chair that knows the lumps of your body, viscerally satisfying kind of comfort zone that triggers an automatic response.

Good description of lagrein's joy. I can see how it would do interesting things with syrah although am not sure about sangiovese. I guess it adds a different kind of structure and high note.

Not your 2007, but I just opened a bottle of the '06 last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Spicy dark berries, round but delineated. A bit "jammy," perhaps, but I would never call it "knotted" or "blocky." You and I have different palates, no doubt, but I've come to trust and appreciate yours over years of posts. It doesn't surprise me that there could be vintage variation, of course, but I'd think a large part of the point to having one's own cuvee produced and imported would be consistency in character..

I certainly wouldn't say that my take was the definitive word, but it may indeed be a little bit of palate difference as well as vintage variation.

Yup, know what you mean, Rahsaan. A blend I had recently (from Oregon!) was 37% Lagrein (with 50% Syrah, 13% Sangiovese), and the Lagrein put it into that sensual comfort zone: old shoe, well-worn chair that knows the lumps of your body, viscerally satisfying kind of comfort zone that triggers an automatic response.

Good description of lagrein's joy. I can see how it would do interesting things with syrah although am not sure about sangiovese. I guess it adds a different kind of structure and high note.

The syrah was there basically as a foundation, I think, Rahsaan, with lots of soft blueberry. The Sangiovese gave a tart-cherry component, and added some lean acidity structure. All in all, it was a pretty decent blend---but the Lagrein definitely dominated. Sort of like Petite Sirah does, if that makes sense. The herbal/brambly/meaty/peppery component of the Lagrein is pervasive.

Add to that we were drinking it with some tapas that showed a really wide diversity of spices and flavors, and it handled everything with ease.