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.
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