Devín

Slovakia (NB: not Slovenia – that is further down south) is not particularly well-known as a wine country. Or, to put it more accurately; Slovakia is definitely one of the least known wine countries in Europe, mainly its wines known only in the neighboring countries. But unlike in the other unknown European wine countries, winemaking in Slovakia is not a recent trend: grapes have been grown in Slovakia for centuries, if not millennia, and – believe it or not – the historical wine region of Tokaj is partly located in Slovakia!

Historically the Slovak wine has been made from varieties that are also cultivated in the neighboring countries; the most widely grown variety is Grüner Veltliner of Austrian fame (known locally as Veltlínské Zelené), while some other popular varieties are Welschriesling (Rizling Vlašský), Blaufränkisch (Frankovka Modrá), Müller-Thurgau, St. Laurent (Svätovavrinecké), Pinot Blanc (Rulandské Biele and Riesling (Rizling Rýnsky). Also Cabernet Sauvignon has been gaining fame, but as Slovakia is a rather northerly country (latitudes comparable to Alsace, Baden or Wien), the variety often fails to ripen fully – rather than attempting to make thin and unimpressive red wine, the variety is usually vinified here into a dry or off-dry rosé wine that is light, refreshing and often exhibiting those vegetal bell pepper note of pyrazines found in Cabernet Sauvignon wines that have been picked very (or even too) early.

One thing that is a more recent trend in Slovakia is the emergence of grape crossings. And not just any crossings, but instead new ones that have been crossed in viticultural research centers in Slovakia during the past 50 or so years (although there are also a handful of crossings from other Eastern European countries in cultivation). In Slovakia, one can come across such varieties as Alibernet (a crossing of Alicante Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon), Neronet ((St. Laurent x Portugieser) x Alibernet)and Rimava (Abouriou x Castets). Some of the most popular Slovak crossings are red Dunaj ((Muscat Bouschet x Blaufränkisch) x St. Laurent) and white Devín (Gewürztraminer x Roter Veltliner), the latter of which we will look more into detail in this post.

Although the Slovak crossings currently contribute to only some 3% of the cultivated vine area in Slovakia, they are steadily becoming more popular. This is mainly because they have been specifically crossed from varieties that have been cultivated in Slovakia for long and thus are known to be well-suited for the local climate. However, their recent upsurge has most likely stemmed for the recent wine trend of interest in lesser-known varieties; people around the world don't want another Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay anymore, but instead something with a local flair – a trend many Slovak wine growers are now trying to capitalize on. One should also remember that unlike those German crossings that are falling out of favor (like Dornfelder or Müller-Thurgau), these Slovak varieties have not been crossed to make incredibly high yields of uninteresting plonk, but instead wines of high quality and unique character.

The aforementioned Devín is currently the most popular white variety among these new Slovak crossings. This variety was crossed in 1958 in Modra, Slovakia, but cultivated on the Czech side of Czechoslovakia under the name Ryvola. Later on, the variety was renamed Devín, after the Devín castle, which is one of the oldest castles in Slovakia, located in Bratislava, close to the Austrian border. The variety became officially authorized in Slovakia in 1997 and in Czech Republic in 1998. As a cross of Gewürztraminer and Roter Veltliner, this variety normally reveals many characteristics of its parentage; the wines often sport those floral terpene notes from which Gewürztraminer is so well-known of, and it can get as weighty and bold as Roter Veltliners. Normally the wines show moderate to relatively high acidity, although they are prone to producing flabby, low-acid wines if harvested overripe. Currently there approximately 150 ha (375 acres) of Devín grown in Slovakia (less than 1% of the 19,600 ha (49,000 acres) of the total vineyard area) and only 20 ha (50 acres) in Czech Republic, but these number are predicted to grow in the future.

This spring I was invited to the Slovakian embassy in Helsinki to taste a selection of Slovak wines – truly a chance one wouldn't want to miss! Here is a selection of Devín wines I tasted there:

Topoľčianky Château Noir Devín 2016

• Château Topoľčianky
• Country: Slovakia
• Region: Južnoslovenská
• Grape(s): Devín (100%)
• Tasted on: 30th of March, 2017

source: topol'cianky

With its 420 ha (1,050 acres) of vineyards and annual production of over 5,000,000 bottles, Château Topoľčianky is the biggest producer in Slovakia. The winery was founded in 1933 in the village of Topoľčianky, which is situated in the Nitra region, located in the central parts of the southwestern Slovakia. The winery naturally has vineyards in the Nitra region, but also in the wine region of "Southern Slovakia" (Južnoslovenská), south from Nitra. This 100% Devín wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel.

Pale green color. The nose betrays is parentage with very Gewürztraminer-like aromas of rosewater and succulent, ripe pear with some sweet underlying hints of apricot candies. On the palate the wine feels quite full-bodied and slightly oily with moderately high acidity. There are flavors of somewhat Gewürztraminer-like floral complexity, juicy pear, some stony minerality and a curious hint of salty licorice. The wine finishes on a bright and refreshing note of acid-driven citrus fruits, stony minerality, sweet peach, some salty licorice and a hint of balancing bitterness.

Here we have a balanced and well-made Devín that shows the typical richness and floral qualities of the variety without coming across heavy, flabby or too low in acidity. On the contrary, the wine feels relatively high in acidity, especially towards the end of the aftertaste, balancing out the full body very nicely.

86/100

Summary: Overall this is a nice, easy-drinking everyday white from the weightier end. Not really the most complex effort, nor one that one should cellar for a long time, but one that can be easily paired with a great variety of different dishes, ranging from entrées to lighter main courses. A reliable entry-level Devín.

***

Karpatská Perla Varieto Devín 2015

• Karpatská Perla
• Country: Slovakia
• Region: Malokarpatská
• Grape(s): Devín (100%)
• Tasted on: 30th of March, 2017

source: karpatska perla

Karpatská Perla, founded in 1991, is a rather small winery cultivating their 50 ha of vineyards in the Malokarpatská ("Lesser Carpathian") wine region, located at the westernmost extreme of Slovakian border. On 2011, after 20 years of work, the winery won the Slovak Winery of the Year award, awarded by the association of Slovak wineries and winemakers. This single-vineyard Devín from their Varieto range is a wine made to show the typical characteristics of the variety, fermented and aged in stainless steel. 8,5 g/l of residual sugar and 7 g/l of acidity.

Pale yellow-green color. Youthful, fragrant and a bit restrained nose with delicate perfumed rose aromas and nuances of ripe apple. The wine feels ripe and moderately full-bodied on the palate with somewhat rich yet still rather delicate and nuanced flavors of sweet red apples, white flowers, some rosewater and a hint of apple peel bitterness. The acidity feels quite high, offsetting the residual sugar sweetness effortlessly. The refreshing finish is quite long and lively with flavors drier than on the midpalate; green apples, some apple peel bitterness and a hint of rosewater.

At close to 10 g/l of sugar I expected this wine to be something of a simple crowdpleaser, but it turned out to be a surprisingly balanced and nuanced effort. It isn't a fruit-forward entry-level wine, but instead a surprisingly sophisticated and elegant one.

90/100

Summary: Overall this wine reminds me of a well-made dry Muscat or Gewürztraminer, but with less exuberant floral character. Instead of making the wine feel simple and dull, the residual sugar here simply boosts the fruit and accentuates the richness, never really making the wine feel particularly sweet, not even off-dry. Very nice, recommended.

***

Nichta Devín 2015

• Vino Nichta
• Country: Slovakia
• Region: Nitrianska
• Grape(s): Devín (100%)
• Tasted on: 30th of March, 2017

source: nichta

Vino Nichta, founded in 1997, is a family winery located in the Nitra wine region, situated in the southwest part of Slovakia. They cultivate a wide selection of different grape varieties over their 30 ha of vineyards, but Blaufränkisch, Devín, Gewürztraminer and Welschriesling cover a noticeable portion of their holdings. The Devín in their "Nichta" range is medium-sweet – a style that supposedly suits well this variety capable of accumulating high sugar levels – having 32 g/l of residual sugar, 6,6 g/l of acidity and 12% of alcohol.

Instead of the normal pale green Devín color, this wine is more deeper yellow with a pale golden hue. Unsurprisingly, the nose is quite sweet, but also rather restrained with delicate floral aromas, some ripe pear, hints of apple jam and a whiff of perfumed rosewater. On the palate the wine feels rich and half-sweet, yet surprisingly fresh and balanced. There are flavors of apple jam, exotic flowers, some steely minerality and a hint of cantaloupe. The residual sugar pushes the acidity down a little bit, making the wine come across medium in acidity with somewhat oily mouthfeel. The finish is pretty sweet, but also surprisingly long and refreshing with perfumed flavors of flowers, very ripe citrus fruits – even lemon marmalade, some cantaloupe and hints of rosewater.

Just like one of its parents, Gewürztraminer, Devín seems to carry even relatively high levels of residual sugar pretty well. The floral notes suit the sweetness pretty well and the acidity keeps the wine from coming across too sweet or flabby.

88/100

Summary: For a medium-sweet white wine (a style not really my cup of tea, unless it's a Mosel Riesling) this Devín felt like a very balanced and enjoyable effort, reminding me quite a lot of sweeter Alsatian Gewürztraminers. I can imagine a wine like this would suit a variety of hot Asian dishes prepared with chilies particularly well.

***

Editio Vinifera Cuvée Devín 2015

• Vinalma with Karpatská Perla and Pavelka
• Country: Slovakia
• Region: Malokarpatská
• Grape(s): Devín (80%), Gewürztraminer + Pálava (20%)
• Tasted on: 30th of March, 2017

source: vinalma

Vinalma is a Slovakian wine merchant specializing on Slovak and Spanish fine wines and Editio Vinifera is their own special line of fine wines that are made by Vinalma's oenologist Edita Ďurčová in collaboration with a ahndful high-quality Slovak wine producers. The Editio Vinifera wines aim to highlight the typical characteristics of the best Slovak wines through the use of the high-quality fruit, harvested in the regions these varieties perform the best, and sensible, pretty hands-off winemaking. I had a chance to discuss with mrs. Ďurčová on these wines and she explained to me among other things that the Devín grapes in this wine were sourced from Karpatská Perla, whereas the Gewürztraminer and Pálava grapes are sourced from the Pavelka & son winery. As the Slovakian Devín wines tend to be made in off-dry rather than bone-dry style, this wine has 9 g/l of residual sugar. Acidity is 7 g/l and alcohol 12,7%. To keep the floral characteristics of Devín on the fore, the wine sees no oak nor aging on the lees. The wine is bottled with minimal sulfite addition of 30 mg/l. Total production of this wine is only 1,000 bottles and 2% of the proceedings from Editio Vinifera sales go to support creative activities of mentally challenged people.

Pale lemon color. The sophisticated, fragrant nose shows perfumed meadow flower aromas, some ripe apple, a little bit of exotic spice and hints of honeydew melon. On the palate the wine feels full-bodied and rather ripe, borderline off-dry, with very Gewürztraminer-esque flavors of roses, meadow flowers and ripe apple, along with a nice streak of steely minerality and a hint of mirabelle plums. The acidity lingers in the background, giving the wine good structure and freshness and offsetting the sweetness from the residual sugar. The lively aftertaste follows the midpalate quite verbatim with fresh flavors of green apples, yellow plums, some meadow flowers and a hint of steely minerality.

Overall this is a lovely, balanced white wine that seems to capture the essence of Slovak Devín wines: sophisticated and balanced floral character; fruity flavors that are not quite bone-dry yet not off-dry either; round, moderately full body with balanced acidity; good richness with some weight but without any plump character or sense of heaviness.

91/100

Summary: Although not a 100% varietal Devín, this wine is a terrific example of the style that this variety is normally made in. It feels very versatile, so there's no need to overthink what to pair it with. However, I'd recommend to drink the wine within a few years, as it really doesn't feel particularly cellarworthy.

***

Overall it was both very fun and enlightening to taste through the different styles of Slovakian wines and out of the different local crossings I tasted, Devín definitely seemed one of the most promising! Stylistically it feels surprisingly versatile, making lovely, floral dry wines, yet carrying even relatively high levels of residual sugar with ease. Apparently the variety is also very popular with sweet dessert wines, but I've yet to taste any.

Although I tasted some pretty impressive Rizling Rýnsky (Riesling), Veltlínské Zelené (Grüner Veltliner) and Frankovka Modrá (Blaufränkisch) wines there as well, I really think that the future of Slovak wine might actually be in these Slovakian crossings. In my view, the wines made from these aforementioned "well-known" varieties face some serious challenges, the most notable being the Slovakian names for these varieties – which are both alien and quite difficult to pronounce for foreign consumers – and the competition with the neighboring countries. After all, is an average consumer more likely to pick up a Slovakian Rizling Rýnsky over a German Riesling? Or a Slovakian Veltlínské Zelené over an Austrian Grüner Veltliner? My guess is that 9 out of 10 wouldn't.

However, these new Slovak crossings are named quite smartly with short, marketable names that are easy to remember for even a foreign consumer, yet the names are also very Slovakian, so that the vine growers can easily relate to them. As this tasting showed me these crossings can produce wines of unique, but obviously high-quality character, they are a great choice for making wines that are both interesting to a consumer looking for wines that show local color, yet have no problems fitting the fine wine niche – at least after the Slovakian wine market evolves. The biggest challenge obviously is to communicate and create awareness of these wines in the global market, which isn't going to be an easy task – but I am certain that it will still be much easier than to compete with Rizling Rýnsky against German Riesling.

Morenillo

One of the most intriguing discoveries I've done during the past few years is Morenillo, which I was introduced to during a trip to the wine region of Terra Alta, Catalonia. This is a variety so unheard of that even the most recent version of Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson et al. doesn't include it! However, I don't blame them, because currently the variety is on the brink of extinction with only some 15 ha (37 acres) in cultivation. Please note that despite the similarity in the name, Morenillo is not the same thing as Morellino, which is a synonym for Sangiovese in DOC Morellino di Scansano, Tuscany.

Morenillo is most likely a native variety from Terra Alta, where it has been cultivated for centuries. However, it fell out of favor during the 20th century, because the variety is relatively difficult to cultivate compared to the local favorites Garnatxa Negra (aka. Grenache) and Garnatxa Blanca (aka. Grenache Blanc) and normally it produces thin wines of pale color compared in comparison to the wines produced from other local red varieties. You have to remember, of course, that this was during the time when the determining quality factors of red wine were its color and concentration.

Juanjo Galcera Piñol of Celler Piñol, from the small village of Batea, Terra Alta, introduced us to this unknown variety during our visit to the winery in 2014. Historically the variety was widely cultivated, but now it is cultivated only by a handful of winegrowers – their number somewhere between 10 and 20 – and there is an even small number producers actually making Morenillo wines. Some of them use Morenillo in wine blends, whereas others make varietal wines. The reason behind the diminishing number of Morenillo producers is the local Consejo Regulador of DO Terra Alta, having decreed that Morenillo isn't only a non-recommended grape variety in the wine appellation of Terra Alta, but also an unauthorized variety as well. This means that there can't be no new plantings of Morenillo anywhere, nor has there been any for the past decades. All this is because the appellation consortium regards Morenillo an inferior variety and they try their best to keep the quality of the wine region up, emphasizing especially the high-quality white variety of the region Garnatxa Blanca.

Based on the Morenillo wines I've tasted I've realized how wrong the consortium is.

When Juanjo introduced us to Morenillo, he likened it to Pinot Noir. This is because both of these varieties have thin skins, resulting in wines with relatively pale, translucent color, and high acidity is typical for both of the varieties – only that Morenillo has adapted to survive in the warmer climate of Terra Alta* and thus is capable of retaining high acidity even in quite hot weather. The Morenillo plant itself is often pretty big: the trunks grow large, the trunks are long, the leaves are big and the grapes are often big with pretty small skin:juice ratio.

*Even though Terra Alta is bordering the hot wine region of Priorat, notable for its massive and concentrated red wines, it is not as hot a place as you might imagine. The wines of Terra Alta are often lighter and more delicate due to the high altitude of the region – after all, the name means "high land" – of 400 meters above sea level on average, keeping the climate relatively mild (and this is why Terra Alta's bright, sophisticated, crystalline and often remarkably high-acid Garnatxa Blancas are held in such high esteem!)

From what I have gathered based on my experiences, there are two main styles of Morenillo wines:

• The lighter ones are made with fruit sourced from younger vineyards. These are often very Burgundian or even (Cru) Beaujolais in character, with pale color, high acidity and lovely freshness.
• The more concentrated ones are made with fruit sourced very old, even vineyards. As new Morenillo plantings are scarce, most of the Morenillo vineyards are very old. However, it takes decades, even close to 100 years before the vines begin to bear fruit that is so small and concentrated that the resulting wines are very deep and feel a lot weightier than their lightier counterparts.

Now here are all the Morenillo wines I've had to this date:

Celler Piñol Finca Morenillo 2011

DO Terra Alta

• Celler Piñol
• Country: Spain
• Region: Catalonia, Terra Alta
• Grape(s): Morenillo (100%)
• Price: 29,00€ / 0,75
• Tasted on: September 25th, 2014

source: celler piñol

Celler Piñol is a family winery that has been operating in the village of Batea, Terra Alta, since 1945 and is also the winery where we working for some time during the harvest 2014. As Celler Piñol is probably the biggest winery producing Morenillo wines, Finca Morenillo is most likely the wine the people (who have heard of Morenillo) know. The wine is made with grapes from organically cultivated 75 yo vines and aged for 15 months in 500 liter French oak casks. Annual production is about 3,000 bottles.

Dark, almost completely opaque garnet color shows much more concentration than what is typical for the variety.

The wine has very open and aromatic nose with fragrant floral nuances veering towards violets and rich blackberry-driven fruit aromas, with elegant hints of fresh dark fruits and a touch of wild strawberry in the background.

On the palate the wine is medium-to-moderately full-bodied with lively acidity and lovely brightness. The wine feels moderately concentrated – probably due to the intense fruit produced by the old vines – but still very balanced and far from being heavy or ponderous. There are juicy, vibrant flavors of rich dark berries, some plummy fruit, a little tart cranberry character and a hint of leather. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth due to the rather modest, ripe and pretty mellow tannins.

The finish is long, nuanced and delicate with layered aromas of ripe blackberries, sour plums, some violet floral hints, a touch of vanilla and a light volatile lift towards the end. The alcohol lends a little warmth towards the finish.

This wine is really lovely stuff – it is by far the most elegant and delicate expression of Terra Alta in Celler Piñol's premium range. For a Morenillo, however, this Finca Morenillo is very dark-toned, concentrated and robust an example; normally Morenillo wines show much less concentration and extraction, are paler in color and higher in acidity.

91/100

Summary: Although not my favorite Morenillo, with its bit too ripe fruit flavors and somewhat too obvious oak character, Finca Morenillo is still one of the best examples of Terra Alta winemaking and definitely one of the best wines in Celler Piñol range, if not the best. At 29€ the wine is priced according to its quality, making it somewhat of a "cult wine" of Terra Alta. I can imagine the wine will age nicely in the cellar, especially if it loses some of its baby fat with the years.

***

Lafou El Sender 2012

DO Terra Alta

• Lafou Celler
• Country: Spain
• Region: Catalonia, Terra Alta
• Grape(s): Grenache (60%), Syrah (20-25%), Morenillo (15-20%)
• Price: 8,90€ / 0,75
• Tasted on: September 28th, 2014

source: lafou celler

Lafou Celler is from Batea, Terra Alta, just like Celler Piñol, and also one of the very few producers making a varietal Morenillo. I haven't had the Morenillo wine from this relatively new winery (founded in 2007), so here's a tasting note on a wine with a small portion of Morenillo instead.

Dark, slightly translucent cherry color.

Juicy, succulent nose full of fruit-forward aromas of ripe strawberries, dark cherries, cherry marmalade and some brambly raspberry.

The wine is juicy, fruit-forward and medium-bodied on the palate with succulent and spicy but somewhat one-dimensional flavors of ripe strawberry, some sweet oak spice and a hint of plummy dark fruit. The wine is rather low in acidity, but has moderately firm, ripe tannins.

The finish is juicy and quite long with nuanced flavors of cherry, roasted spice, some coffee notes, a little bitterness and a touch of sweet raspberry juice.

87/100

Summary: El Sender is a fruity, enjoyable and quite balanced blended wine typical of the region, where the small addition of Morenillo adds nice brightness and a little sense of crunchy red fruit. The wine is, however, a bit simple, easy and pretty straightforward and lacking a little in the structure department. With higher acidity and grippier tannins the wine might come across more serious and intense. Might hold on for some years in the cellar, but is not in need of further cellaring. OK QPR at 8,90€.

***

Vins del Tros Morenillo Àmfora 2013

DO Terra Alta

• Vins del Tros
• Country: Spain
• Region: Catalonia, Terra Alta
• Grape(s): Morenillo (100%)
• Price: 12,20€ / 0,75
• Tasted on: September 27th, 2014

source: vins del tros

Vins del Tros is a winery founded in 2009 with an aim to produce terroir-driven wines that are very typical for the Terra Alta region. Their winemaking philosophy is pretty much based on minimal intervention. This is a 100% Morenillo fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks and aged for 5 months in 450 liter terracotta amphorae. Total production 3,102 bottles.

The wine has translucent dark cherry color with a hint of youthful purple to it.

Youthful, pure and aromatic nose full of crunchy red berries like wild strawberries, ripe raspberries, tart cranberries and sweet redcurrants with a light, herbal undertone of blackcurrant.

The wine is youthful, refreshing and medium-bodied on the palate with velvety texture, bright acidity and modest, fine-grained tannins. There are pure and fresh flavors of wild strawberry, cherry, crunchy red fruits like raspberries and redcurrants with some earthy spice, a hint of bitterness and a touch of slatey minerality. Wonderful focus and balanced structure.

Long, fresh and clean finish with flavors of cranberries, bilberries, stony minerality, some wild strawberries and a hint of herbal bitterness.

Overall we have here a wonderful, pure, bright and easy-drinking example of Morenillo. Truly a lovely and attractive little wine that drinks wonderfully on its own, but shows great potential as a versatile food wine.

92/100

Summary: Stylistically this is very close to a well-made Pinot Noir or Cru Beaujolais. Incredibly moreish stuff with tremendous drinkability. Most likely this is best enjoyed young, when the wine is full of youthful vigor. Simply exceptional value at 12,20€.

***

Vins del Tros Morenillo Lo Morenillo 2011

DO Terra Alta

• Vins del Tros
• Country: Spain
• Region: Catalonia, Terra Alta
• Grape(s): Morenillo (100%)
• Price: 23,45€ / 0,75
• Tasted on: October 25th, 2015

source: vins del tros

This is a wine made from the grapes of century-old Morenillo vines, the oldest vines owned by Vins del Tros. The wine is fermented and aged partly in old barrels, partly in amphorae and bottled unfiltered and unfined. Annual production of 1,140 bottles.

In the glass the wine has dense, opaque and concentrated blackcurrant color with a hint of haziness from the sediment.

It has incredibly rich, charming and expressive nose that is just deliciously juicy and clean; there are aromas of pure, juicy red grapes, prunes and fresh blackcurrants with nuances of balsamico volatility and animality in the background.

In the mouth the wine follows the aromas of the nose with its intense, pure and super-juicy flavors of ripe dark fruits, plum juice, bitter spiciness, some wild florals and a hint of honey. It has dry, concentrated and savory overall appearance with high-ish acidity and moderate tannins.

Ripe and pure finish with flavors of bitter spice, plum juice, florality and hints of volatile rusticity – and a slightest hint of alcohol heat (14,5%). Very long, pure, honest and complex aftertaste.

Boy oh boy this was good! More than good! Just incredibly pure, charming and juicy stuff – it is so much like its younger sibling, Àmfora Morenillo, but with a lot more oomph and concentration!

94/100

Summary: Not only is this perhaps the greatest Morenillo I've had, this is also one of the greatest modern Spanish red I've ever drunk. I'd love to see how this stuff ages, but it's very hard to cellar a wine like this, because this is so incredibly delicious and thus has incredibly high evaporation rate – my glass just emptied itself in mere seconds after it was filled, every time! An excellent buy at 23,45€.

***

Bàrbara Forés El Templari 2012

DO Terra Alta

• Celler Bàrbara Forés
• Country: Spain
• Region: Catalonia, Terra Alta
• Grape(s): Morenillo (70%), Grenache (30%)
• Tasted on: October 25th, 2014

source: novicellar

Celler Bàrbara Forés is a winery that has produced wine since the late 19th century in Gandesa, Terra Alta, and is currently spearheaded by Carme Ferrer and her husband Manuel Sanmartín. They cultivate 22 ha of vineyards organically and they are one of the wineries trying their best to revive larger interest in Morenillo. However, curiously, their Morenillo wine, El Templari, isn't a 100% varietal Morenillo, but instead a Morenillo-dominant blended wine with some Garnatxa Negra (aka Grenache) in the mix.

Morenillo is fermented and macerated for 35 days in stainless steel whereas Grenache is fermented and macerated for 28 days in stainless steel. After the fermentation is complete, the wines are transferred to French Allier oak barriques, where they remain for 13–14 months before blending and bottling.

Dark, translucent color.

The wine exhibits a bit reticent nose dominated by sweet strawberry notes of Grenache with some alcohol and hints of oak spice.

It is quite full-bodied and sweet on the palate with relatively low acidity, resulting in a slightly flat and flabby mouthfeel. There are really ripe and rich flavors of strawberry, bitter spices, some fresh red berries and a hint of chocolate oak spice. The fine tannins are rather mellow and gentle and alcohol shows a little.

The finish is rich, juicy and a bit warm with flavors of strawberry, some oak spice and a hint of plums.

I was really curious to check out this new, Morenillo-dominant wine, but in this case the moderately small proportion of Garnacha seemed to dominate the blend with the oak influence overwhelming the rest of the Morenillo character. Normally Morenillos that I have tasted have been quite light, delicate and bright, but this was more about richness and sweet, ripe fruit – the wine actually tasted like a normal, average Grenache wine, with very little unique character.

85/100

I was a bit disappointed with El Templari. Probably the wine suffered from being served a bit above the optimum drinking temperature, making the acidity appear lower, fruit sweeter and alcohol more prominent, but it really felt that even in optimum drinking conditions it would have been an underachiever for a Morenillo wine. I guess I should return to this, but serve it cooler. This time the wine just didn't manage to impress.

***

Bàrbara Forés El Templari 2014

DO Terra Alta

• Celler Bàrbara Forés
• Country: Spain
• Region: Catalonia, Terra Alta
• Grape(s): Morenillo (70%), Grenache (30%)
• Price: 13,00€ / 0,75
• Tasted on: July 16th, 2016

source: novicellar

Well, as the vintage 2012 of El Templari felt such an underachiever, I decided to give it another go. A few years later I returned to the vintage 2014, which should be similar in style – a Morenillo-dominant blended wine.

The wine's appearance is a bit lighter than that of 2012's, with translucent and rather pale cranberry red color, turning almost clear towards the rim.

The nose is pretty nuanced and bright, but also rather reticent and restrained, even. However, the nose exhibits more savory than sweet red tones with aromas of cranberries, some crowberries, faint wild notes and faint nuances of sweeter, ripe raspberry. The alcohol (13,5%) and the oak character seem to be well integrated.

On the palate the wine feels pretty full-bodied and moderate at most in the acid department, although showing a bit more freshness and brightness than the 2012 vintage. There are ripe but attractive and lively flavors of sweet dark berries, red cherries, some wild strawberries, a little dark-toned oak spice and a hint of rough, stony minerality. The tannins are still pretty mellow and keep out of the way unless you go looking for a fight.

The wine finishes with a medium-long, dark-toned and pretty pure aftertaste that is mostly about ripe fruit, not oak character. There are juicy and lively flavors of sweet red berries, some dark forest fruits and a little bitter spiciness with a hint of aromatic oak spiciness towards the end of the aftertaste.

Well, after the rather nondescript vintage 2012, it really did good to return to this wine again with another vintage! The 2014 vintage of El Templari felt brighter and more pure with more emphasis on the fruit than on the oak department. Still, I wouldn't say El Templari shows much competition against the best Morenillo wines on the market – this wine is a simple, unpretentious, easy-drinking red with very little to set it apart from a multitude of other Catalan reds.

88/100

Summary: Apparently Morenillo is so delicate it gets pretty easily overwhelmed under more powerful varieties. Both times I've tasted El Templari it felt I was drinking a Garnacha wine – even though Garnacha was only a minor component there composing only approximately 30% of the blend. I guess if you want to make a good Morenillo, you should treat it as the delicate variety it is, not something that needs "bigger" varieties to bolster up its "weaknesses".

***

Bodega Marañones Darío 2015

DO Madrid

• Bodega Marañones
• Country: Spain
• Region: Madrid
• Grape(s): Morenillo (100%)
• Price: 15,40€ / 0,75
• Tasted: February 17th, 2017

source: decántalo

Before I heard about Bodega Marañones' Darío I thought Morenillo was a variety found exclusively in Terra Alta, but lo and behold, somehow they've got some Morenillo in Madrid as well! I have no idea how and why Morenillo ended up in Madrid, or whether this Morenillo is even the same variety than the one in Terra Alta. But take note that this isn't just a recent thing – this Darío is made with grapes sourced from a vineyard 60 years old! Anyhow, this is definitely the only Morenillo wine I've seen coming from outside Terra Alta – at least for now.

The bottle itself doesn't declare it is made from Morenillo, only variedades locales; furthermore, the home pages of Bodega Marañones don't even recognize Darío's existence! It's all the other sources that claim this is a Morenillo, and I guess I just have to take their word for it. The vineyard in question is situated on granite soil and the resulting wine is aged for 9-10 months in very old (more than 10 years of age) oak barrels of 500-700 liters. The total production is 2,500 bottles.

The wine is dark cherry-colored and quite translucent.

The fragrant nose is utterly beautiful and attractive with pronounced aromas of crushed lingonberries, supported by more delicate notes of cranberries, raspberries, some dusty earth and a hint of animal. The nose actually has a strong sense of Pinosity, really, with a slightly wild undercurrent.

True to the nose, the wine is very light-bodied, fresh and super-crunchy on the palate with bright, lively flavors of raspberries, cranberries, redcurrants, some sour cherry and a hint of sour plums. Some lighter nuances of earthy spices and something wild linger in the background. Overall the wine shows remarkable focus and purity of flavor; if this was served to me blind, I'd go automatically for a Loire or Jura Pinot Noir, nothing Spanish! There isn't much in the way of tannins, yet the wine shows nice little grip and even a slight sense of astringency, just to emphasize the tart and savory red fruit flavors.

The finish is somewhat more bitter than the midpalate with quite pronounced sour cherry character, complemented by savory nuances of ripe dark-skinned berries, some slightly leafy green notes, a little plummy fruit and hints of animal and leather. The aftertaste that remains on the tongue is really long with pronounced lingonberry tartness and slightly grippy tannins.

As a whole, this is an immensely attractive, tasty and delicate red wine that is nothing what you would expect from a wine coming from Madrid! As a huge fan of well-made Pinot Noir and other red wines showing same kind of poise and verve, this wine shows huge appeal to me. Along with Lo Morenillo by Vins del Tros, this is definitely the best Morenillo on the market currently.

94/100

Summary: Whereas Lo Morenillo shows a lot more concentrated and brooding character with tremendous focus and balance, this wine is only about elegance and sophistication. Definitely one of the most Burgundian red wines I've had from Spain. Although drinking really wonderfully now, I wouldn't be surprised if this wine would age as gracefully as the best Pinot Noirs from Burgundy. Simply astounding value at 15,40€.

***

To me, Morenillo is an undiscovered treasure of Spanish wine, capable of producing tremendously attractive wines of some real character and wonderful drinkability. The thing of utmost importance is that the Consejo Regulador of DO Terra Alta would start promoting the variety, instead of talking the growers out of cultivating it! Of course I understand they want to promote their Garnatxa Blanca, which is definitely their trump card and a variety cultivated there for ages, but if they also have this red variety of remarkable character that no other region else has (well, apart from Madrid, it seems), I can't understand for the life of me why they wouldn't want to take advantage of it!

Lucky for us, there are still some producers who are intent on making wines of real local color out of Morenillo and I really do hope that they will keep on doing them in the future. With this blog post I hope to raise some awareness of this virtually unknown and almost extinct variety; this way we can signal the producers that there is demand for this unique variety and that they are doing the right thing.

Fortunately, as both light and delicate wines and wines made out of unheard-of indigenous varieties are currently popular, the wine trends seem to be on Morenillo's side for once. Let's hope it stays that way.

Moravia Agria

One of the most welcome trends in the world of wine has been the sudden interest on local, indigenous varieties throughout the wine-producing world. Only in these first decade and a half of this millennia the market has been flooded with interesting varietal wines giving an abundance of alternatives to the Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays, Merlots and Sauvignon Blancs produced throughout the world.

Countries like Croatia, Georgia, Greece and Turkey are full of varieties practically no-one has ever heard of, which is why I am not surprised whenever I come across a new varietal wine from these countries. However, whenever you think you're familiar with practically all of the commercial wine grape varieties from France or Italy or Spain, somewhere appears a varietal wine made from a variety I've never heard before! These three most important wine-producing countries in the world seem to be endless cornucopias of different varieties where producers can make varietal wines from old, obscure and forgotten grape varieties whenever markets demand a new one. Every now and then you can see how these varieties were forgotten for a perfectly good reason – they can't produce wine of any interesting varietal character – but more often than not, these varieties have been just "poorly understood". This means that in the past, when people didn't know how to cultivate grapevines that they could produce fruit of high quality, these varieties were deemed lower-class ones, capable of producing only fruit for blending purposes. Now, with modern cultivation techniques and better understanding of these plants, producers can actually produce wines of immense character out of these varieties overlooked for centuries.

Moravia Agria, a Spanish variety from Castilla-La Mancha is a perfect example of a case in point. This is a variety that never produces high sugar levels, even in the high temperatures of Castilla-La Mancha, the hot central region of Spain. Instead, this variety tends to retain rather high acidity, even when very ripe – hence the name Moravia Agria, "sour Moravia", to differentiate the variety from Moravia Dulce, "sweet Moravia", which is the local synonym for Marufo (also known as Mourisco Tinto). As the local wine style has been always a heft wine with lots of body, high alcohol and modest acidity, a variety capable of making thin, tannic, low-alcohol red wines with high acidity has never been a popular choice amongst the growers. However, this variety was kept alive because it could moderate the alcohol levels and bring some sense of freshness and structure to the wines when blended with the local favorite, Garnacha.

Moravia Agria is a variety very rarely seen these days; it is cultivated here and there, but often it just gets lost in the wine blends. However, young Juan Antonio Ponce has been the biggest proponent of this forgotten variety – among some other local varieties as well – with his family winery located in Manchuela, "the smaller Mancha", the region located next to Valencia in the eastern extreme of Castilla-La Mancha. Ponce started his wine career at the famous Rioja winery Remelluri, tasked with winemaking and vineyard management. After five years at Remelluri he set up Bodegas y Vinedos Ponce with his father, aiming to highlight local, forgotten or overlooked grape varieties, like Albillo, Bobal and Moravia Agria, with very terroir-driven approach. The vineyards, that have been in their family for generations, are farmed biodynamically and the winemaking follows hands-off-approach with very minimum interventions.

Ponce Buena Pinta 2015

DO Manchuela

• Bodegas y Vinedos Ponce
• Country: Spain
• Region: Castilla-La Mancha, Manchuela
• Grape(s): Moravia Agria (85–90%), Garnacha (15–10%)
• Price: 12,60€ / 0,75
• Tasted on: September 10th, 2016

source: decantalo

Buena Pinta originally started out as a Moravia Agria-Garnacha blend, with almost equal proportions (60/40), but if I have understood correctly, the 2015 vintage is very Moravia Agria-dominant, having only a 10% addition of Garnacha to give some fruit and body to the wine. The grapes are biodynamically farmed and the grapes undergo a partial carbonic maceration and fermentation with natural yeasts as whole bunches (with stems and all that jazz), after which the wine is left to age in old, neutral French oak barrels of 600 liters. After 7 months of aging the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered and released shortly thereafter. The annual production is some 7,000 bottles.

The wine's color is quite dark but thoroughly translucent ruby red with youthful highlights of pale purple.

Upon opening the wine exhibits a lovely, bright and pure berry-driven nose with almost exuberant, juicy aromas of cherry, strawberry, some ripe damson, a little lingonberry tartness, floral hints of rose nuances and a touch of very Rhône-like garrigue nuances of thyme and rosemary. After letting the wine breathe for an hour or two, the nose has gained a lot of weight and gravitas in more rustic tones of saddle leather, dirty stable floor and even faint hints of manure – but only in the most lovely sense. It doesn't take me long to draw some kind of parallels between this wine and the most attractive natural Cru Beaujolais wines.

In the mouth the wine is remarkably light, fresh and vibrant for a Castile-La Mancha red with real crunchy, red fruit-driven flavors of ripe raspberry, strawberry, very pronounced stony minerality and even chalky earthiness, with nuances of some red cherry, smoke and hints of peppery spice lingering underneath. Upon opening there was the slightest sense of carbonic prickle on the tongue, but that blew off almost intantly. With some time, those rustic animal, leather and manure characteristics that were introduced in the nose also join the lineup, only giving the wine even more depth and complexity. The acidity is high, and whereas the tannins have some good, grippy texture to them, they are rather modest and easy on the palate, becoming more pronounced only after several glasses.

The finish is really lively and crunchy with lovely precision and true sense of freshness – even with those lingering leather and stable nuances. Flavors of fresh raspberry, wild strawberry, somewhat tart cranberry, peppery spice and stony minerality linger on for a long time in the aftertaste.

This little Spanish red from an obscure, almost-forgotten variety really took my by a surprise; I had no big expectations of it, but it turned out to be really lovely and interesting an example how these overlooked varieties can sometimes produce really marvelous stuff in the right hands. Not only was this a positive surprise, but also one of the greatest red wines I have had in a while. Enormously attractive an effort!

94/100

Summary: Though often considered as an inferior variety with its low sugar levels, high acidity and pale color, Moravia Agria can also produce really stunning wines exactly because of these qualities. Bodegas Ponce's Buena Pinta is an excellent example how a "poor" grape variety can turn out to be a spectacular one once you start focusing on quality and yield reduction instead of quantity. I truly hope that this wine marks a turning point for this unknown variety.

And if you are interested, I sourced this wine from Decantalo, my favorite online shop for Spanish wines. I recommend you to take a peek.

Trollinger

Trollinger is hands down the most ubiquitous speciality of Germany's southern region of Württemberg. This usually large-berried, thin-skinned variety is used to make vast amounts of simple, easy-drinking red that is extremely popular within the region, but rather rarely seen outside it.

This variety is better known as Schiava outside Germany – mainly in northern Italy, which is both the variety's home region and a place where it is most often encountered. There are, however, at least four different and genetically distinct Schiava varieties: Schiava Gentile, Schiava Grigio, Schiava Grosso and Schiava Lombarda. Out of these four varieties, the smaller-berried Schiava Gentile is considered to be of the highest quality, producing wines of more depth, concentration and structure. The larger-berried Schiava Grossa is, instead, the variety that is most widely planted, thanks to its vigor, high yields and ease of cultivation. This is also the variety that has made its way to Germany, where it is known as Trollinger – most likely a corruption of the word Tyrolinger, referring to Tyrol, the home of the variety.

The more up north you are in Germany, the more you are in the beer drinking part of the country; conversely, the closer you are to the south border, the higher the wine consumption goes, at the expense of beer. Württemberg is – along with Baden – the most southernmost wine region of Germany, and also the region where most wine is consumed per capita. Whereas most other German wine regions have made name with their wines throughout the world, Württemberg has preferred to drink up its own wines. Traditionally the local wines were cheap and of no real character, made exclusively for local consumption, not export; one of the most popular wine styles was Trollinger mit Lemberger a simple, semi-sweet red wine made mostly from simple Trollinger with some Lemberger (aka. Blaufränkisch) blended in to bring the wine some notion of structure. Only recently have local producers started to make attempts at making more serious, dry varietal wines out of Trollinger, but there is still a lot of work to be done: partly because people still associate Württemberg with cheap, uninteresting, low-quality wines; partly because it is nigh impossible to make anything of real interest of this variety.

Last May I had the privilege to visit many different wine producers in Württemberg, and what I learned was that Trollinger is not a variety made to shine bright: the large size of the berries results in high juice-to-skin ratio, and with its thin skins low in coloring polyphenols and tannins, the wines usually have a rather soft structure. The resulting wines are usually easy-drinking, fruity, medium-acid red wines that occasionally look more deep rosés than actual reds, with soft, easy tannins and both aromas and flavors of sweet red berries. The wines are normally fermented and aged both in stainless steel tanks and in oak casks, but usually older, bigger stück barrels are used because the variety does not go well with oak aromatics. Usually Trollinger's skins can be macerated quite extensively with the wine with no noticeable increase in color, tannins or extraction, which is why usually the skin maceration times are quite low.

Here is a selection of different Trollingers we tried during our trip:

Staatsweingut Weinsberg Trollinger Trocken 2014

• Staatsweingut Weinsberg
• Country: Germany
• Region: Württemberg
• Grape(s): Trollinger (100%)
• Price: 5,90€ / 0,75 l
• Tasted on: May 19th, 2016

source: staatsweingut weinsberg

The wine is made by Staatsweingut Weinsberg, the state-controlled winery and school for wine makers. This institute not only makes wines from its own vineyards and tutors future winemakers, but also makes groundbreaking work as experimenting with different varieties, creating new crossings. I have no details on the vinification of this wine, but it has 3 g/l of residual sugar and 4,9 g/l of acidity.

The translucent, pale raspberry color of the wine with its almost completely clear rims seems almost closer to a rather deep rosé wine than an actual red wine, typical of the variety.

The nose is fruity with aromas of raspberry marmalade, wine gum candies and some cherry jam.

In the mouth the wine has a light body with flavors of ripe red berries like raspberries, wild strawberries and some cherries with a hint of sour cherries. Smooth, medium-intense acidity with soft and easy mouthfeel.

The midpalate transitions into the fresh and somewhat lengthy finish with flavors of red berries, some sour cherries and a hint of tart lingonberries.

All in all, this is an easy-drinking, basic-level everyday red and nothing more. Light, soft, smooth and easily approachable – like practically every single Trollinger in the world.

78/100

Summary: Nothing of real interest, but priced accordingly. A textbook example of Württemberg Trollinger that is churned in ridiculous amounts every year in the region.

***

Weingut Singer Trollinger Steinreinacher Hörnle 2014

• Weingut Singer
• Country: Germany
• Region: Württemberg
• Grape(s): Trollinger (100%)
• Price: 6,80€ / 0,75 l
• Tasted on: May 20th, 2016

source: singer

A bit atypical Württemberg Trollinger in the sense that this is a single vineyard Trollinger aged in old barrels. It is made by a small family winery located in the village of Korb; they cultivate 15 ha of vineyards and their annual production is in the range of only 50,000 bottles. The Singers have a Weinkorb ("wine basket"), a combined winery and local centre of wine culture, in Korb, that is worth seeking out if you happen to be in the vicinity. 4,7 g/l of acidity and 13% of alcohol.

Clear and translucent dark cherry color.

The nose is quite reductive with smoky aromas of ripe dark cherry, gunpowder, flint and pepper. Nothing that moderate aeration or more bottle age couldn't fix.

In the mouth the wine is light-to-mid-bodied with moderate acidity and soft mouthfeel. Flavors of smoke, pepper, flint and some cranberry-lingonberry giving the wine almost Pinot Noir-like feel. Underneath, a light undercurrent cocoa oak aromatics and a touch of floral nuances. The wine shows a nice combination of intensity and Trollinger's gentle approachability.

The finish is quite long and lively with flavors of wild strawberry, bitter spice, peppercorns, some smoke and a hint of dried wood.

This wine is a bit oakier than the Trollingers of the region generally are, but still very modest with its oak aromatics. In a nutshell this is a balanced effort and definitely one of the better Trollingers I've had – it is actually surprisingly serious an effort for the variety. I am positively surprised by its intensity, and additionally the wine is very modestly priced at 6,90€.

86/100

Summary: A bit more serious Trollinger sourced from a single vineyard, offering good intensity and faint old oak aromatics.

***

Weingut Heid Trollinger PUR Trocken 2015

• Weingut Markus Heid
• Country: Germany
• Region: Württemberg
• Grape(s): Trollinger (100%)
• Price: 6,00€ / 0,75 l
• Tasted on: May 20th, 2016

A wine produced by a small producer that has converted their production to organics. In pursuit of quality and recognition, the yields are kept in check, the wines are fermented with their own natural yeasts and old oak is preferred over new whenever oak is used. The producer is also recognized by the high quality of their sparkling Winzersekt wines and they are a member of VDP, the German quality wine association. The Heids have a wonderful winery / tasting room / wine shop right in the middle of the city of Fellbach; it is worth seeking out just because of the quality of the wines Markus Heid produces. PUR is Heid's simple, straightforward example of Trollinger, made to be drunk within a year or two; stylistically somewhere between a rosé and a red wine. Residual sugar 4 g/l, acidity 5 g/l, alcohol 11,9%.

Bottled in a clear bottle just to show the variety's typical, clear, luminous raspberry color.

The wine has a spicy nose with aromas of tart red berries, like cranberries and raspberries, supported by notes of red cherries and a touch of positive, herbal greenness.

In the mouth the wine is light, pure, lively and refreshing with lovely, bright acidity. Vibrant flavors of raspberry, wild strawberry, some gravelly minerality and a touch of sour cherry.

The finish is long and clean finish flavors of sour cherry, raspberry and tart red berries.

PUR is a really lovely, clean, refreshing and even surprisingly structured Trollinger – it lacks the soft and gentle characteristics of a traditional Württemberg Trollinger and has replaced them with nice crispness and intensity. On the surface the wine drinks like a care-free summer wine, but in reality it is a lot more serious and impressive effort than what other producers usually make out of Trollinger. Very lovely both on its own and with food. At 6€ this is a real find.

88/100

Summary: Exceedingly tasty and balanced Trollinger that lacks the variety's typical softness. Vibrant and refreshing wine that drinks like a simple table wine, but with impressive intensity and seriousness. Thoroughly recommended.

***

Weingut Heid Trollinger Erste Lage Fellbach Lämmler 2014

• Weingut Markus Heid
• Country: Germany
• Region: Württemberg
• Grape(s): Trollinger (100%)
• Price: 9,50€ / 0,75 l
• Tasted on: May 20th, 2016

source: heid

A wine produced by the same producer as Trollinger PUR, Markus Heid. An attempt to make something more serious of Trollinger: an Erste Lage (equal to Premier Cru) -level single vineyard Trollinger that is fermented on its own natural yeasts and aged for 6–8 months in 600 liter oak casks. Residual sugar 1g/l, acidity 5,1 g/l, alcohol 12,6%.

Clear, dark cherry color that is something not unlike a Burgundy Pinot Noir – a bit darker what you'd normally expect from a Trollinger.

A little restrained, yet charming nose of raspberry, dark cherry, wild strawberry, some kirsch and a touch of blueberry.

Light, lively and acid-driven in the mouth with such intensity and body I've yet to taste in any other Trollinger; there's even some sense of concentration here. Juicy palate with vibrant flavors of dark berries, strawberry, raspberry, some sour cherry, a little dark cherry and a touch of tart cranberry. The structure is held together not only by the lively acidity, but with a light touch of tannins as well.

Dry, long, acid-driven and slightly tannic finish with focused flavors of ripe, raspberry-driven red berries and dark forest fruits.

Wow! This is really impressive and classy an effort for a Trollinger and definitely the best I've had from this usually rather bland variety. Stylistically not so far from a lighter Cru Beaujolais with similar mouthfeel, vibrancy and balance. Very serious, tasty and moreish; lovely on its own, easy to pair with a wide variety of foods. The wine has simply an incredible QPR at 9,50€.

90/100

Summary: Most likely one of the best Trollingers there is, if not the best. Remarkable intensity, purity and structure for a Trollinger with even some welcome sense of concentration. Very recommended for the fans of Gamay, Poulsard and the likes.

***

Weinmanufaktur Untertürkheim Trollinger Trocken *** 2013

• Weinmanufaktur Untertürkheim
• Country: Germany
• Region: Württemberg
• Grape(s): Trollinger (100%)
• Price: 14,00€ / 0,75 l
• Tasted on: May 20th, 2016

source: weinmanufaktur untertürkheim

A wine made by the small, quality-oriented co-operative in the village of Untertürkheim, a hamlet of Stuttgart. This is their attempt at making something more serious out of Trollinger, designated by the stars in the label (* and ** stand for simple, basic-level wines). This is made from the grapes of approximately 25 years old vines. Extended maceration of 3 weeks with the skins, after which the wine is aged for 12 months in big, old oak casks. Residual sugar 2 g/l, acidity 4,6 g/l, alcohol 13,5%.

Clear, dark raspberry red color.

Dry, pretty aromatic, savory and slightly meaty nose with aromas of ripe red berries, sour cherries and some darker berries – definitely something more interesting than your average Trollinger with just sweet red berry aromas.

In the mouth the wine is medium-bodied and rather soft, but it has also some nice roughness due to somewhat pronounced spiciness and slight bitterness. Flavors of sour cherry, cranberry and hints of ripe strawberries. Low on tannins.

The palate segues into the spicy, medium length finish with flavors of dark forest fruits, allspice and some sour cherry.

This is a well-made, high-quality Trollinger that seems to be above the average Trollinger quality and a testament to the quality of the Untertürkheim co-op. However, this wine does not give challenge to those wonderful Trollingers made by Weingut Heid. Otherwise it is a surprisingly lovely, balanced and enjoyable effort showing that it is possible to make serious red wines out of this often overlooked variety. If you are iffy about the quality of South German Trollingers, this is definitely a wine that is worth a shot. Priced accordingly at 14€.

87/100

Summary: A serious and balanced Trollinger that manages to go beyond the regular Trollinger scope of soft, round mouthfeel and simple flavors of ripe red berries.