Kurt Darting Dürkheimer Spielberg Scheurebe Spätlese 2010

My parents are amazing and I know that I am damn lucky to have them. My father is awesome, I got both my dry sense of humor and cynicism (though he’s not too thrilled about that) from him and I am beyond grateful for both those traits. My mother is the kindest, most wonderful woman, who always wants to see the best in everyone. They balance each other out so perfectly and also drive each other crazy at times. I have never doubted that they love each other and my sisters and I (and all the dogs I might have kinda guilted them into getting) very much. If it weren't for them I might have never discovered how utterly fascinating and beautiful wine is.

For my 21^st birthday they had gotten me a bottle of Now and Zen Wasabi White (mainly because my mother loved the label... another habit I picked up from her), but forgot to bring it with them when they drove up to Dallas to see me, so my mother insisted on visiting several different liquor/wine stores in an attempt to find another bottle of it. We didn't find it and I honestly couldn't tell you what they wound up getting me instead to make up for it, but I remember being really amazed by how much they knew about wine, since it was something they'd only started getting into after I left home. What really sealed the deal though was a weekend visit I made probably a few months after that. They’d recently gotten really into New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and one of the last nights I was there we thought it'd be fun to do a blind-tasting of sorts with three different bottles of that varietal. Basically we put all three in paper bags then tasted each one and scored them somehow (the details are a bit fuzzy), not perfect, but still a lot of fun. The wines were Kim Crawford, Drylands (which I'm pretty sure was the winner overall) and a third I can’t recall. The details aren't really all that important... the point is that after that weekend I started to fall madly in love with wine all thanks to my parents.

Since then I've become way more of a wine geek than either of them and I’m sure that my slightly ridiculous passion for wine perplexes them at times, but they have been nothing but supportive anyways. Of course it pays off for them as well since I've introduced them to some rather awesome wines. Of those one of their favorites so far was Kurt Darting Dürkheimer Spielberg Scheurebe Spätlese from Pfalz, Germany.

I have Kye (my friend and fellow wine buyer at Whole Foods), to thank for introducing me to this wine (and for the picture above) and he has Terry Theise to thank for introducing him to Scheurebe. I’m really glad that he stumbled upon this beautiful wine after reading Theise’s book “Reading Between the Vines” and I’m really lucky that he was awesome enough to share that experience with me. Just to give a brief background on this little known varietal: Scheurebe (or Sämling 88) is a crossing of Riesling and an unknown grape (originally thought to be Sylvaner, but DNA analysis ruled that out in the ‘90s). Primarily grown in Austria and Germany it is highly aromatic and, like Riesling, the wines made from it can range from very sweet to bone dry.

The Darting Scheurebe was beyond gorgeous, I still list in as one of the top ten white wines I've ever had. After that first bottle I kept gushing about it to my parents and wound up buying another bottle of it to drink with them so they could experience it as well ($19.99 at Twin Liquors, though I don't believe they carry it anymore). Normally I’d do my best to describe Scheurebe, and I could go into detail about the pink grapefruit, orange zest and honeysuckle flavors but I just feel like Terry Theise does such a better job of explaining this varietal than I could ever do, so I’ll just leave you with his words:

“I don’t drink Riesling all the time, though I’d hardly mind doing so. Still, there are occasions when something more pagan is called for, and that’s when I summon my guiltiest of wine pleasures: Scheurebe.

"Scheurebe (shoy-ray-beh), often shortened to ‘Scheu,’ is Riesling just after it read the Kama Sutra. Put another way, Scheu is what Riesling would be if Riesling were a transvestite. If Riesling expresses all that is Noble and Good, Scheu offers all that is Dirty and Fun. It is Riesling’s evil, horny twin.”

-Terry Theise, "Reading Between the Vines"

Menguante Garnacha Blanca 2009

I don’t have a whole ton of friends, but the ones I do have are as close (if not closer than) family to me. I have no problem with that, I prefer having few close friends, who I can count on no matter what, to having several fair-weather ones I can’t rely on. Of course most of these friends are spread out all over this state (and Louisiana) at the moment, not surprising considering how badly we all wanted out of this city after High School... I'm just the only one so far to return. That just means I appreciate the times they get suckered into coming back to SA all the more and the last time it happened I celebrated by picking up Menguante Garnacha Blanca 2009 from Specs (totally blanking on the price, but will fix that shortly).

I’m not really sure why Grenache Blanc intrigues me so much (in blends or as 100% varietals), but I’m not complaining, it usually works out well for me. So far Spain and South Africa have impressed me the most with their wines made with Grenache Blanc, but a lot of that is due to the fact that you don’t see this varietal so often elsewhere.

This one was ripe with flavors of baked pear, orange peel, dried apricot and lemon zest. There was a bit of oiliness that reminded of the one (and only) Condrieu I’ve ever had. This was balanced out with crisp acidity and bright floral notes that led to a creamy, honey-butterish finish. Really glad I took a chance with this wine and even happier that I got to share it with good people (especially since those seem hard to find these days).

Barranc dels Closos Blanc 2010

I hope most people have experienced the thrill of glancing at their phone and seeing a call/text from a certain person that just makes them grin like an idiot. It’s a nice feeling, one that makes you feel warm and fuzzy (and sometimes just a slight bit apprehensive since you’re not sure what it will bring), but no matter what, just seeing that call (or text) always makes you smile. That is the same feeling I get whenever I’m adventurous in my wine buying and it pays off. At least that is the best way to describe the feeling that envelopes me when I take that first sip and find utter beauty.

Of course that doesn't happen all the time, I have regretted taking on new wines before... which is probably why I cherish the ones that don’t let me down so very much. Tonight’s wine is one of them: Mas Igneus Barranc dels Closos Blanc 2010, a white wine from Priorat, Spain. (Found at Specs, but since they were discontinuing it and I bought the last couple bottles on the shelf, I honestly could not tell you where to find it anymore in SA… but if you do stumble upon it please let me know!)

The 2010 vintage is a blend of 50% Garnatxa Blanca, 30% Macabeu, 17% Pedro Ximenez and 3% Muscat. The muted intensity and dried fruit aromas masked a very complex and lovely palate. Lemon zest, orange peel, white peach and a hint of coconut were in the forefront, followed by notes of toasted almonds, beeswax, honey and wet limestone. It was reminiscent of sherry with the nutty, floral flavors but it didn’t have the same intensity. I loved it, thought it was super gorgeous. Definitely a wine I’d be happy to see on my call log anytime.

Dashe Les Enfants Terribles Zinfandel 2011, Heart Arrow Ranch

I hate reality TV, it is awful and I think that it’s a shining example of how awful this world can be. I actually avoid my parents' place on certain nights because I know I’ll be subjected to that sort of crap if I’m there. The times that I can’t avoid it though I bring wine and Dashe Les Enfants Terribles Zinfandel is what I had this past Monday when I knew the Bachelorette was unavoidable and it was perfect for the occasion. I hadn’t had a Zinfandel in quite some time and this one made me regret that. It also made me rethink my meh-ness towards wine from California.

From the back label:

“Our Les Enfants Terribles (“the Wild Children”) series of wines are made from vineyards that we feel can make distinctive, terrior-driven wines. Fermented on native yeasts, with minimal oak influence and low levels of sulfites, these wines show beautiful fruit undisturbed by unnecessary processing. The essence of the vineyard shines through the resulting wine. This rebel has a cause – we hope you’ll like it.”

It was a really subtle wine for its type, just 13.5% which is pretty restrained for a Californian Zinfandel. I haven’t had many old world Zins, but this wine reminded me more of the few that I’ve had than any of the Californian ones. I’m not trying to bash California here, I do enjoy many wines from there (and all over North America), I just don’t think that they exhibit the same balance and finesse that old world wines do (I could really go off on a tangent there, but I’m going to stop myself because that’s not what this post is about).  There was a distinct earthiness along with the wild strawberry, baked raspberry and dried lavender notes. A hint of spice and round tannins led to a long-ish finish, overall it was really gorgeous.

Frank Cornelissen Contadino 10

A year ago I really didn’t care for Italian wines... a year ago I was also a complete idiot. I’m still an idiot, but at least now I’m an idiot who’s learned to appreciate and (mostly) love the wines of Italy. That was mainly thanks to an amazing friend who made it next to impossible to drink with him without being able to appreciate Italy. Kye opened my eyes to a world of possibilities that I’d never considered and without him I would have never gotten to try some of the most unique wines I’ve ever had the good fortune to come across. Some of the best wines I had in the last year were with him and most of those were Italian, Sicilian more often than not. One Sicilian wine in particular I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to try was Frank Cornelissen’s Contadino 10, a bottle he picked up in Austin ($30) a while back.

The main reason I love Kye is he is one of the only people I’ve ever met who finds wine to be as cool as I do (“Did he say ‘Cool’?”... chances are only my dad will laugh at that reference). Wine is awesome, in so many ridiculous ways and cool really is the best way I can describe it sometimes, it’s got liquor and beer beat as far as I’m concerned. I’d just assumed I was a crazy person, ridiculously obsessed with wine in a way that no one else understood, but he made me realize that it wasn’t just me, there were others, just as utterly insane as I was.

Anyways! Frank Cornelissen’s wines go a long way in embodying that “coolness” that I love about wine. If I poured the Contadino 10 for my parents or friends they’d probably make polite noises and then find a reason to open something else and there is nothing wrong with that. His wines are not for everyone, they are for people who are looking to experience every dusty, dirty nook and cranny of winemaking.

 

From the website: “Our farming philosophy is based on our acceptance of the fact that man will never be able to understand nature's full complexity and interactions. We therefore choose to concentrate on observing and learning the movements of Mother Earth in her various energetic and cosmic passages and prefer to follow her indications as to what to do, instead of deciding ourselves. Consequently this has taken us to avoiding all possible interventions on the land we cultivate, including any treatments, whether chemical, organic, or biodynamic, as these are all a mere reflection of the inability of man to accept nature as she is and will be. “

The wine was cloudy to put it mildy, cloudier than anything else I’d ever had. It was beautiful though, tasted of red fruit, rocks and earth. Such earth! This is what I imagined the ancient Greeks drank, wines imbued with the very essence of the world they inhabited. This was a living wine, that is the BEST way I can describe it and I’m sorry I can do no better than that but that is what it was. I was blown away, it was in no way pretty, I would not suggest it for the faint of heart or amateur wine-lovers, it was made to be appreciated by those who really, truly love wine and I was beyond happy to get to try it. Truly wonderful.