Moser 51,151 is an interesting bottle, not only because it is a lovely traditional method sparkling wine from Trentodoc, but because of the origin of the name.
51,151 is reflective of Francesco Moser's setting the Hour Record in cycling in 1984, the same year that the family winery started making traditional method sparkling wine from Chardonnay!
A wine with a history to match? We're in for this one.
As lovers of all things Syrah, we have to admit that our access to good bottles from Australia often feels limited. So when we had a chance to pick up a bottle of Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz, with grapes sourced from all over the country (with a Barossa Valley dominance), we had to give it a try.
A hot climate Shiraz with characteristic flavors of the region? We're in for that.
Savoie is not a wine region I have been able to study much of, but with its proximity next to the Alps and bordering with Switzerland, my expectation was for crisp, high-acid wines all the same.
Domaine Labbe's Vin de Savoie Abymes highlights the lesser grown Jacquere grape and hits exactly that in this high-acid but flavorful bottle!
Normally when we think of Rieslings from the Mosel, our first thoughts are of the low ABV, often semi-sweet wines that are, well, lovely.
But it is also not a safe assumption to think that all Mosel wines are sweet. Some, like Keonard Kreusch's Mosel Riesling, may be dry or, in this case, have just a little perceptible residual sugar to push it into the off-dry territory.
We can really get into a bottle like this one!
Dr. Burklin-Wolf is a premier wine producer in the Pfalz region with a stellar portfolio of wines with a strong lean to Riesling (naturally)!
Our exposure to wines from Pfalz has historically been limited, and we were excited to try a sample of the Riesling Trocken courtesy of Wines of Germany for review.
Although this one had a bit lighter flavor intensity on the palate, it hit all the right notes for a beautiful, dry Riesling from Germany!
We do not see wines from Switzerland available all too often, and for the varietal Chasselas, we were intruiged.
Would the cool climates of the region produce a high acid, simple wine? Is there a microclimate we do not know about that would cause the wine to ripen more than we expect? We had no clue, truly.
While this wine was admittedly somewhat straightforward, it had a nice minerality and phenolic texture that made this one an easy drinker all around.
We always love taking reader suggestions when it comes to delicious wine, and Champagne Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellar was one such bottle.
This beautiful Champagne was nicely balanced and had a decent hit of lees character while starting to show some tertiary development. Although the price for this one was a bit higher than what we'd prefer (particularly in the USA), it was a great one to try all the same.
In our never-ending quest to try new grape varietals, we come to Cederberg's Bukettraube from South Africa.
This white grape was created in Germany as a cross between Silvaner and Schiava and grew in popularity in select regions, including South Africa.
While this grape reminded us of an aromatic Muscat in many respects, the balance of acidity, sugar, and flavor kept us coming back.
Georgian wines are always interesting, especially when they're aged in traditional qvevri.
Vartsikhe Marani's Tsolikouri is one such wine made in an orange style with skin contact for several months. The result of this one is an intensely aromatic wine that showcases the best of the white grape with strong skin characteristics, too.
It is always interesting when trying a grape from Santorini, if only because the high winds and the volcanic soil of the island seems to do wonders in helping the wines retain higher acidity despite the hot climate.
Aidani is one white grape produced on the island that is somewhat hard to come by, and while Artemis Karamolegos' Aidani comes in at a sufficient price point that may give us a moment to pause for buying another bottle, it is an interesting one all the same.
