Prowein, Day 3, Part 1

 On the final day, I am starting with some Grüner Veltliner from Austria. I compared the wines from Bründlmayer, Nigl, and Pichler Krutzler. The quality of these wines was very high. The wines impressed with their line down the palate, floral and apple flavours, spice, and salinity. The soil is mostly rock and slate. These wines were fresh, and in general, I would say, vastly underrated. I tasted the 2023 Loiserberg and Vogelsang Grüners from Bründlmayer, the 2023 Pellingen from Nigl, and the 2024 Ried Superin and Ried Kellerberg, as well as the 2023 Pfaffenberg from Pichler Krutzler. I found it difficult to pick a favourite. I liked them all.

Then I was off to the French pavilion. It was disappointing; no Bordeaux, no Burgundy to speak of. Is the effect of the arrogance still not biting, at least in Bordeaux? Larger tasting set-ups were all empty - depressing. I ended up with a couple of mixed Rhône tastings.

The first was a large tasting of wines by the Perrin family, best known for their Beaucastel wine. The two wines which stood out were the 2022 Famille Perrin Les Chapouins, a single vineyard Chateâuneuf, and the better known 2022 Château de Beaucastel. The former wine is a GSM blend of old vines, expressing power and intensity, held in by firm tannins. The latter is a blend of up to 30 varieties. The fruit is quite beautiful, and the wine a bit lighter on its feet, with a long finish. I concluded that the Northern Rhône wines from Crozes-Hermitage and St. Joseph were less successful. Quite a special wine was the 2022 Château de Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin. This is an expensive wine, with the Mourvedre grape dominant. It is dark fruited, round and balanced, not harsh as Mourvedre can be.

The second tasting was Jaboulet. I found the four wines I tasted disappointing. They were either quite light or a bit ‘dirty’ in the mouth. These wines were a 2022 Crozes-Hermitage, a 2021 Saint-Joseph,  a 2018 Talabert, and a 2018 Hermitage.

Phew! One afternoon to go.

Prowein, Day 2, Part 2

 The few other Italian wines I tasted could not match the Barolos from earlier on. The 2021 Cepparello by Isole e Olena had beautiful kirsch flavours and decent length on the palate, but was not outstanding. The 2019 Frescobali Castelgiocondo Brunello, from this acclaimed vintage, included nice mocca flavours and good intensity with firm dry tannins, but again, not outstanding. The 2020 Luce Brunello was lighter in the mouth, but quite tannic.

Of these other wines, I preferred the Fontodi wines. The 2021 Vigna del Sorbo was elegant, with good depth and some interesting herbal notes, while otherwise quite ripe. The 2021 Flaccianello delivered typical mocca flavours with good intensity and drive.

Then it was time to go to the Spanish pavilion. First stop was Capellanes from Ribera del Duero. The wines were a mixed experience. I found the 2021 Reserva oaky, a bit rough and alcoholic. My preference was for the 2021 Un Sueno, from vineyards at 1100m altitude. This Tempranillo was very dark, with great fruit purity and elegance. The 2020 Picon is a big wine, full-bodied and oaky.

The second winery from Ribera del Duero was Cepa 21. The 2022 Malabrigo, grown on rocky soil, was fresh and complex, with the finish a bit unbalanced. I also tasted the low yielding 2020 Hortago.

Unfortunately, I only managed to taste two wines from Muga, the Rioja superstar.. The 2016 Prado Enea Gran Reserva was dark, with a good fruit profile, and the noticeable oak well integrated. I preferred the 2021 Muga Torre. The wine comes from 40-90 year old vines. It is a concentrated Tempranillo, built out in French oak, with an elegant mouthfeel. It gives this deceiving lightness impression, which I feel only old vines can do - excellent.

I could not find the Louis Sebra wines when tasting wines from Portugal, but I found the wines this afternoon, tucked away behind others. Luis Sebra was there himself. These Douro wines are different from most, not coming out of a Port tradition. My word for the 2022 Albariño Granito Cru Vinho Verde; simply exuberant. The 2022 Xisto Cru Branco is a high altitude wine from schist and granite, with many varieties. This citrus flavoured wine is similar to the very good Niepoort whites. The first red was the 2022 Mono C Castelão. This is a very different wine from the full-bodied typical Douro red. This wine, from the Castelão variety, is very light on its feet, matured in concrete, quite easy drinking, a bit like an easy drinking Grenache. The 2022 Xisto Cru Red comes from high altitude vineyards. It delivers more traditional flavours, and is complex on the palate. The 2022 Mono A is a single varietal wine from Dão. It is floral and quite light. Overall, this was an interesting and different set of wines from one of Portugal’s most innovative winemakers.

What a day!