A Saturday of Wines

I spent a Saturday touring some wine shops in DC, sipping some, buying others. What a great way to spend a hot day.

Austrian Wines at Bell Wines

These wines were made by a religious order called the Society of St Leopold. Interesting wines. And one of the first times I've had a priest in full garb around while I'm sipping wine.

2009 Stift Klosterneuburg Wiener Nussberg Gemischter Satz - Austria, Wien
interesting white field blend. a bit light for my tastes, but some good zip to it. (80 pts.)

2008 Stift Klosterneuburg Riesling Franzhauser - Austria, Wien
a bit herbal on the nose. white peach kicks in on the palate. nice and zesty. (86 pts.)

2008 Stift Klosterneuburg Weissburgunder Jungherrn - Austria, Wien
i liked this pinot blanc the best of the bunch. fresh and floral on the nose. good, creamy body with golden apple. zesty as well. (87 pts.)

2006 Stift Klosterneuburg Escorial - Austria, Niederösterreich
st. laurent, some cab, and some other red varieties. the nose is lively and light with dherries, raspberries. the palate is fresh, tangy. good raspberry and rhubarb. (85 pts.)

2006 Stift Klosterneuburg Chorus - Austria, Niederösterreich
plush, showing more cab flavors and textures: currants, velvety tannins. this is like a california cabernet but with a bit more acid. (86 pts.)

2006 Stift Klosterneuburg St. Laurent Barrique - Austria, Niederösterreich
vibrant fruit, but for me the oak was a bit too much. (84 pts.)


MacArthur's

Nothing's better than good Chablis on a hot day.

2009 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Domaine Sainte Claire - France, Burgundy, Chablis
lovely, vibrant chablis with minerals and lemons on the nose. rich, golden fruit on the palate, but still great acid. i love the creamy fruit of the 09 vintage maybe more than others, and this is a great example of that at a great price of $20. (89 pts.)

2008 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Quintessence de la Rive Droit du Serein - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
this was a lot zestier, showing the lively acid and brightness of the 08 vintage. nose of flowers, limes and salt, almost like a fresh margarita. from the first sip to the finish, this wine has linear acid, a ton of minerals and bright citrus fruit. great finish. (90 pts.)

2008 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
what a spectacular young chablis. the nose is vibrant with flowers and lemons, creamy whipped butter, pears. the palate is intense. lots of powerful citrus, pears, nectarine, razor-like acid, just a bit of toast. gorgeous. (92 pts.)

2008 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
orange blossoms on the nose, lemons, hint of hazelnut. the nose on this is bigger and richer than the 08 les clos. creamy palate, intense richness, ripping acid. smoked nuts and minerals on the finish. a gorgeous wine that has years of complexity to gain. (93 pts.)


Weygandt Wines

Last stop on the trip was Weygandt Wines for some whites and roses.

2010 Domaine des Cassagnoles Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne - France, Southwest France, Gascony, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne
this is a wine to buy for summer by the case. lemon peel, saline on the nose, minerals as well. i got some nectarine fruit and peach pits, creamy fruit to stand up to the zesty acid and rush of minerals. what a great buy fo $9! (88 pts.)

2010 Domaine des Cassagnoles Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne - France, Southwest France, Gascony, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne
if i tasted this blind, i would have guessed this as a new zealand sauvignon blanc. grassy and grapefruity nose. creamy guava fruit on the palate with a streak of lively acid. not complex, but a great summer wine. (87 pts.)

2010 Domaine Duseigneur Lirac Rosé - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac
bright pink. tons of strawberries on the nose, strawberry shortcake. rich cherries on the palate, there's almost a bit of unerripe strawberry. a bit bitter on the midpalate and short on the finish but still interesting. (84 pts.)

2010 Château des Baumelles Bandol Rosé - France, Provence, Bandol
light pink color. the nose shows lighter fruit, limes and grapefruits. the palate is a lot richer, with juicy white cherries. i got a flaor of tangerine rind, some rhubarb. really interesting rose with some unique elements. (88 pts.)

2010 La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé - France, Provence, Bandol
i always love this bandol rose, and this year is no exception. the nose is really intense, showing vibrant strawberries, plump cherries. really clean fruit. some soft tannins, a bit of caramel as well. this is what i look for in a rose. (89 pts.)