The Wall Street Journal has a new blog for Wine... read on!

2007 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières, $150
From the greatest of all Puligny producers, the kind of wine that should be delivered by Grace Kelly. Very vibrant and intense, with a honeysuckle nose, a silky texture and a heart of stone.

2007 Carillon Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes, $119
A stunning wine, with piercing high notes that reminded me why Daniel Johnnes compares great Puligny to a violin concerto.

Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Clos des Mouchère, $100
From a privileged site in the premier-cru Perrières vineyard, this is a very rich, fleshy Puligny with a powerful underlying structure.

2007 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet, $45
A very well balanced, crisp, classic Puligny with a touch of green apple, citrus and stone.

2007 Ramonet Puligny-Montrachet Les Ensegnières, $42
A medium-bodied, complex Puligny from the great maker of Chassagne Montrachet, more elegant and mineral than his wines from the rival commune.

2008 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Puligny-Montrachet Le Trezin, $50
A really intense village wine from high up on the slope the hill where the soil is thin and the vines struggle. Really fine, vibrant






Ms. Kelly brought Montrachet and a meal from the '21' club to Jimmy Stewart in 'Rear Window.'


The first time I remember drinking white Burgundy was in 1985, shortly after I returned to Manhattan after a sojourn at graduate school. The bottle in question was a birthday present from my second wife, a 1982 Carillon Puligny-Montrachet. I'm not entirely sure whether it was a premier cru, from one of the vineyards on the middle slope of the gentle rising hillside adjacent to the famous grand-cru Montrachet vineyard, or a simple village wine from the lowland vineyards, but I was blown away when I tasted the wine and Puligny-Montrachet immediately became my favorite special-occasion white.

Over the years I've learned to love Meursault, Chassagne Montrachet and even select New World Chardonnays, but I've always maintained a soft spot for the wines of Puligny, a small village on the lower slope of the famous hillside known as the Côtes d'Or. Puligny-Montrachet is located in the southernmost part of the region, the Côtes de Beaune, home of the best white Burgundies, made exclusively from the Chardonnay grape. In 1879 the tiny village of Puligny, in an effort to boost its own profile and the price of its wine, attached its own name to that of its most famous vineyard. Le Montrachet had long been hailed as the world's greatest dry white wine; Claude Arnoux, writing in 1728 could find no words in either French or Latin to describe its splendors (an example that wine critics should sometimes ponder) and Thomas Jefferson was a big fan; after tasting the 1782 vintage he ordered an entire 130-gallon cask, according to John Hallman's "Thomas Jefferson on Wine." Must have been some party. More recently, Montrachet was the wine that Grace Kelly brought over to wheelchair-bound Jimmy Stewart's apartment in "Rear Window," along with a meal from the '21' club. I think I'd willingly break my own leg for that kind of delivery.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703632304575451421084033824.html?mod=djemonwine_t

Ten Worthwhile Wine Words

The following 10 words are simple, straightforward and readily understandable. Suggested wine(s) that you're likely to be offered by a sommelier or retailer if you use them to describe the wine. The list is on the link below.

Crisp—a fresh, bright generally young wine with perceptible acidity. Wines like Sauvignon Blanc (from all over the world) and Italian whites like Vermentino, Verdicchio and Arneis fall into this category, as well as Alabarinos from Spain and Chablis from France.

Fruity—a wine with a pronounced fruit flavors and aromas that may be completely dry or "off-dry" (which is to say "perceived as sweet.") Rieslings, Muscats and Gewurztraminers are among the fruitiest wines and Zinfandel and Gamay are among the fruitiest reds.

Grassy—a wine with an herbal character; a classic term to describe Sauvignon Blanc.

Hearty—this is a word used almost exclusively to describe red wines like Syrahs and Malbecs that are fairly substantial in terms of structure and tannins.

Oaky—this is pretty much as it sounds; an oaky wine has a pronounced oak character. It's most often used to describe Chardonnay and Cabernet, though it could describe any wine where the oak is the most dominant feature.

Rich—wines that are viscous, weighty and lush like Chardonnay and Viognier are generally referred to as "rich," as are reds with a lot of extract and flavor like Cabernet, Syrah and Merlot.

Soft—wines that are round and fairly fruity with low or well-integrated tannins and fairly low acidity. The word applies to certain whites, such as Semillon, and reds, such as Gamay and Grenache.

Spicy—this word is associated with the Syrah grape ("peppery" is another) that's grown in the Rhone Valley, Australia and various parts of the world including California and Washington.

Supple—this is usually what people mean when they say they like a "smooth" wine. It's applicable to wines with fairly soft tannins and texture such as a Pinot Noir.

Velvety—this word is all about texture. It generally characterizes a wine that is rich and supple as well. See suggestions above for "supple" and "rich."

You will find more words for wines here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704122904575314691288383002.html?mod=djemonwine_t

WSJ has started a NEW Wine Column Series... with Chianti.

Chianti: Telling the Good From the Bad On Wine by Lettie Teague - WSJ.com: "At a certain point in American history, people stopped saying hello and goodbye and began saying ciao. On the streets of Manhattan, Seattle and even Greenwich, Conn., I've overheard otherwise non-Italian speakers madly ciao-ing each another when they arrived or departed. The only other Italian word I've heard uttered as often may be Chianti. And like ciao, Chianti has more than one meaning: It can stand for a cheap, simple bottle or a wine made by a world-class producer. Anyone who isn't a student of Italian winemaking (or, for that matter, Italian history and politics) may have a hard time discerning the difference between the two.

For a long time, there was only one type of Chianti: a cheap straw-covered bottle called a fiasco—which doubled as a good description of the wine itself. A bottle of Chianti was better suited to candle-holding than collecting. The reasons were numerous but mostly had to do with mass production and poor-quality grapes. Sometimes Chianti could contain as much as 30% cheap white grapes like Trebbiano in the blend—never mind that the wine Chianti producers were making was a red.

But by the mid-1980s, things started to change. Prominent Chianti producers took a more worldly view; they reduced their yields, eliminated the cheap white grapes and began experimenting with nontraditional varietals like Cabernet and Merlot. Some producers even made all-Sangiovese wines, which, though Sangiovese is the main grape of Chianti, was considered heretical at the time."

This about sums it up:


That may be the most important fact to know about Chianti today: Despite sharing a single grape—Sangiovese—and a similar climate and growing conditions, Chiantis are some of the most diverse wines in the world. But there's really no easy way for anyone who's not a serious wine drinker to tell the good Chianti from bad, the quality-minded producers from the also-rans. (The Chianti Classico Consorzio's gallo nero (black rooster) neck label is a guarantee of origin and proof of more selective standards—though a barnyard fowl isn't exactly a grand cru designation.) The fact is, a good Chianti can be found only through investigation and study—the opposite of what most people expect when they're choosing Chianti. And so I decided to hold my own tasting to see what, exactly, a Chianti buyer might find.

I tasted this wine recently. It was not pleasant... but it brought me in touch with an interesting blogger for you with great reviews of wines ....

Notice that this wine does not have a vintage date: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varietal

Therefore, under California law, this "wine" can contain up to 30% of something else...

I was trying to express how this wine tasted, when I noticed that a fellow blogger, Brian on Wine, had a great review that sums it up quite well.

"Brian On Wine is my personal opinion on various wines. These wine reviews are solely my personal opinion. I have no formal training in wine tasting, and am not involved in the wine industry in any way. I am just a regular guy who appreciates a nice glass of wine now and then and I'd like to share my experiences with you. Hopefully I will turn you on to a nice wine at a nice price, or help you to avoid a less than perfect wine."

http://brianonwine.blogspot.com/2009/03/recession-review-fetzer-2007-pinot-noir.html

The Winery: Fetzer
The Wine: 2007 Pinot Noir
The Price: $6.98 at Safeway (marked down from $8.99)

I was shocked to find a Pinot Noir for less than $7. I don't see how they can produce a $7 Pinot Noir. Needless to say, I'm not expecting to find greatness here.

Fetzer is a California winery. They seem to focus on making mass-produced wines for the masses.

The bottle was stopped with a composite cork. The wine is a deep, dark red.

The wine has aromas of plum and berries, whith a fairly strong alcohol odor. It also has a bit of a plasticy aroma to it.

The wine is fairly harsh. It has flavors of berries and plum that are overwhelmed by the alcohol flavor. It is an eye-watering red wine. If you want to dip your toes into Pinot Noir for the first time, skip on this one. It is not a good representative of Pinot Noir.

That said, it is a servicable red wine for $7. This is, afterall, a recession review. This wine is the homely person on the bar stool at last call. It's not what you were hoping for when you walked it, but it'll get the job done.

The Importance of Shippers and Importers... like Frederick Wildman & Sons.

http://www.frederickwildman.com/wildmansite/wmphp/

A great importer or shipper of foreign wines. Lots from South America...
When looking for something new to try, consider the name of the shipper or importer.

Frederick Wildman & Sons offers reviews and Point Scores for their wines:
http://www.frederickwildman.com/wildmansite/wmphp/scores.php3


I was in a grocery store this weekend.
Sampled two nice red wines: Both from the same shipper - Frederick Wildman & Sons.

Trapiche - Broquel Malbec 2007


88 Points
Wine Spectator
publication date: Nov 15 2009

“Racy dark raspberry ganache and boysenberry notes are laced with fig cake and graphite. Toasty, but stays fresh. Very solid.”

Trapiche - Broquel - Cabernet Sauvignon - Argentina

Broquel Cabernet Sauvignon 2006


87 Points
Wine Spectator
publication date: Aug 31 2008

“Fresh, with good focus to the raspberry, licorice and graphite notes, followed by a toasty finish."

One of our candidates in Texas was pouring Santa Rita 120 Cab, and I found it very good with interesting favor... but then, I have a cold this week...

From Chile ...

Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Winemaker's comments :
Our ruby red 120 Cabernet Sauvignon is dominated by aromas of red and forest fruits, with additional notes of leather, cloves, and vanilla on the palate. This is a wine that develops on the palate, juicy, with soft, ripe tannins and a very elegant finish.


Winemaker : Carlos Gatica

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon


Region : Central Valley


Climate & Soil : The central zone climate is mainly Mediterranean with a broad thermal oscillation between day and night, an average humidity between 55% and 60% and maximum summer temperatures over 30°C. In the lands nestled alongside the Andes Mountains, night temperatures are usually low due to the cold winds blowing down from the mountains. Along the Coastal range, the thermal variation is lower due to the maritime influence. A selection of vineyards of loamy soils and excellent drainage, located in the foothills of the Andes, is carefully combined with vineyards of heavier textured, loamy clay soils spread out along the Coastal range.


Vinification : The grapes were hand picked in April, destemmed, and gently crushed. Fermentation took place at 24º to 28ºC (75º–82ºF), depending on the lot and zone. 10% oak was used during fermentation to improve color fixation and stability in the wines. Once alcoholic fermentation was completed, 20% of the wine was aged in French oak for 8 months for added sweetness and increase complexity.


Suggested Food : Ideal to combine with red meats, pork, spicy sauces and cheese soufflés.


Technical Details :
pH: 3.72
acidity: 3.19 g/l (exp. sulfuric acid)
alcohol: 13,9 % vol
residual sugar: 2.6 g/l

I present one of the mysteries of wine - location. I like German Riesling (which I have always called "Liebfraumilch") but not US Riesling. Try both

http://www.schmitt-soehne.com/mainframe.asp?lang=de&e1=617


Here you'll learn everything you ever wanted to know about great German Riesling wines! Browse by the subject that interests you - or read the whole thing, take the final exam and get your Certificate of Applied Rieslingology!

What is Riesling?
It's a grape - one of the world's noblest, yet accommodating of the "great" white varieties because of its wide range of tastes and incomparable food-friendliness.

Where does Riesling come from?
Riesling grapes were first cultivated in and around modern-day Germany, and experts agree that the world's best still come from there. Read More

What does Riesling taste like?
Some people think of Riesling as a sweet wine, but that would be like saying all chocolate is sweet, rather than coming in the variety of styles it actually does. Read More

What does Riesling go with?
In a word: Everything. Riesling's unique balance of fruit to acidity makes it the world's most deliciously versatile and food-friendly wine.

What's special about Schmitt Söhne Riesling?
Schmitt Sohne is the leading importer of German Rieslings. Read More

With a search of Liebfraumilch (Lovely Woman's Milk),

I came across another BLOG for you to explore: Anti-Wine Snob...

http://antiwinesnob.com/

Welcome to Anti Wine Snob™—an entire website devoted to exploring, learning, tasting and reading about bargain wine in a defiantly non-snobby way!

Why? Visit Anti Wine Snob’s “About” page for a full-on illumination. But the short answer is, to provide a humble, real website developed by real people who love wine but don’t like to blow loads of money on it. Or sound like pretentious blow-hards. Or anything else blow-related for that matter.

If you want to sip your Pinot Noir at a trendy café with people wearing stylishly black-on-black outfits using words that make them sound like they all grew up with butlers, go to the other wine sites. This one’s not for you.

If you’ve come here to find non-phony baloney discourse on wine related topics, then welcome to this site!

Fun facts? Got ‘em. They’re sprinkled in with the Reviews and Articles. We’ve also got a “Wine Words and Slurs” Wine Glossary above, as well as Wine Tips and Tricks.

Helpful articles? Check. Take a look at our Wine Articles tab above or peruse our itemized menu to the right.

Cool pictures of wine? I hope so. Anti Wine Snob has original photos of the reviewed wines. We’ve also got a whole section devoted to free wine-related pics! Just click on the Wine Pics tab above.

Down-to-earth descriptions of bargain wine? You’ve definitely come to the right place. You can look at Anti Wine Snob’s Wine Reviews tab above or check out our drop-down menu located on the top right hand side of this page. We’re updating these constantly so you can stay up-to-date with down-to-earth info.

Anti Wine Snob hopes to add more and more researched, original and helpful content as we grow, so bear with us as we get this site started.

Comments? Please do. Send them to jesse@antiwinesnob.com or, if you have a comment to make on any of the wines reviewed thus far, you can post your comments there.

Only nice people, please.

http://antiwinesnob.com/2008/02/20/white/jakob-demmer-liebfraumilch/


Jakob Demmer Liebfraumilch,

Qualitatswein, 2004, Germany $6.50 for 750 ml (White wine)

Another tasty treat from Germany. And like the Webber Piesporter, this wine doesn’t state a varietal on its label, so I have to assume that it’s a blend of two or more grape varieties.

Whether it’s a blend of Riesling, Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Gewuertztraminer, Scheurebe or other delicious white wines I’ve never heard of (and probably could never spell), all I care about is the fact that the Jakob Demmer Liebfraumilch is down right delicious. And in fact, it reminded me very much of the Webber Piesporter.

Crisp, slightly sweet, honey-ish and round flavored, this wine is very pleasing and fun to drink. It’s the kind of wine you would want around for pretty much any occasion. Plus, the name alone keeps things interesting. According to my Babel Fish translation, Liebfraumilch means “Love Woman’s Milk” or “Dear Woman’s Milk”….

Huh.

I don’t really get it, but if they’re going for the whole Nectar-of-Life theme, they just might be on to something….

Bottom line, this is a good white wine for parties, get togethers, book readings, cozy chats, etc. Although German wines labeled “Liebfraumilch” are apparently considered “cheap” by many and often sneered upon, I thought this stuff was quite good for a casual, fun drink. In fact, although it’s inevitable, I would nevertheless be surprised at a person who doesn’t like it. And awfully curious.

3 Responses to “Jakob Demmer Liebfraumilch”
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1 M. Brown
Jun 24th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Jesse,

My mother translates Liebfraumilch as “Sweet Mothers Milk”. I think that translates into what qualities are expected in a good wine!

Mike