Tag Archives: 2011

Wine of the Day: Produttori del Barbaresco Normale 2011 4-24-16

Produttori del Barbaresco Normale ‘Barbaresco DOCG’, Piedmont 2011 750ML ($37.95) Buy Now: $29 special

Produttori del Barbaresco Normale ‘Barbaresco DOCG’, Piedmont 2011 1.5L ($69.95) Buy Now: $59 special

Two of us from the shop opened this 2011 Barbaresco from Produttori del Barbaresco on Thanksgiving eve, pouring little tastes as we mapped out what would become a lovely dinner with all sorts of dishes, new friends, and a wide array of wines. This one was truly one of the standouts, so much so that we had to hide the bottle so as to not drink it all before the dinner even came to fruition.

As cooking began and thirsts resurfaced, this humble bottle from the legendary Produttori estate came back to reward our efforts. Overnight, the bright strawberry fruit held strong while secondary notes of cedar, blackberry, baking spice, and mocha emerged. The spice and earth, tannin and texture intermingled in a way that was so surprising and yet familiar; a reminder as to why we spent so many hours studying and seeking out wines to begin with. There are, occasionally, wines which take us back like that – hitting the ‘reset’ button, before you’d had anything that tasted quite similar. How rare and how lovely, the catharsis of wine… – Tyler

Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Eiswein 2011 – April 2016

Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Eiswein, Nahe, Germany 2011 375ML ($239.95) Buy Now: $139 special

Wine Advocate 92 points “Musk and leather; prickly radish and lemon rind; caramel apple and honey; passion fruit and mango inform an intense aromatic as well as ultra-concentrated palate performance. Unlike with so many other 2011s rendered from frozen grapes in early 2012, one can’t complain here about a lack of Eiswein-like acidity – but it takes-on a somewhat detached, slightly metallic and strident edge. Perhaps this extreme wine’s caramelized and animal aspects will reconcile themselves in time with its sharp citricity and radish-like sizzle, but the ways of Eiswein in the bottle are capricious.” WA

Wine of the Day: Nikolaihof Neuburger 4-1-16

Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Neuburger, Wachau, Austria 2011 750ML ($39.95) Buy Now: Was $33, Now $28

I’d been reading an interview with Nikolaus Saahs, known for making intensely beautiful Riesling and Gruner at the legendary Nikolaihof estate. Tucked between anecdotes about harvest and the minutiae of the winemaking life, Saahs conceded that his favorite varietal to drink was neither which made his family’s centuries-old estate famous. Instead, it was Neuberger.

…Neuberger?

Neuburger. Native to Austria, the grape is a cross between Roter Veltliner and Sylvaner. Aromatically, it conjures up thoughts of off-dry Riesling, perhaps a chilly bottle of Gruner smuggled into a park on the first warm day of the year. On the palate, however, comparison is put to rest. The 2011 Neuburger is fleshy and generous, with a hint of spice and lots of savory bookends. The finish is insistent, remaining on your taste buds as the next whiff of honey, melon, and fresh herbs comes to be.

You’d be wisest to decant and play around with the wine a little. It’s the sort of bottle which could patch together a lot of otherwise-disparate flavors well, like at a potluck dinner or with that stubborn family recipe which evades perfect pairings. With an open mind, this could truly delight. – Tyler

Wine of the Day: Antoine Arena Grotte di Sole 3-28-16

Domaine Antoine Arena Patrimonio Grotte di Sole Rouge, Corsica, France 2011 750ML ($49.95) Buy Now: $29 special

Antoine Arena manages such depth in his otherwise energetic, soulful wines. The 2011 Grotte di Sole is among the best possible examples, and we’re lucky to have it on offer. Sun-soaked fruit flirts with a leathery backdrop which never goes overboard; the gorgeous aromas of dark cherry and spice makes it very much a sip once, sniff twice sort of wine. This is an adventurous wine which will pleasantly surprise, though certainly fall within the register of anyone who loves the complexity of northern Rhone wines, the food-friendliness of Tuscan wines, and the persistence of Loire reds. I, for one, love it.

– Tyler