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Alexander Skoff, nephew of Richard Zahel came to say PROST! and Zum Wohl (Cheers! and Bottoms Up) at the Station Plaza Wine Bar. In a land where Gruner Veltliner and Riesling are the choice of the masses, Richard  Zahel was the pioneer marketing the Gemisschter Satz (White field blend). Today Zahel’s "Gemischter Satz" is offering some of the different wine produce around Vienna:

-Weingut Zahel Wiener Gemischter Satz Nussberg Grande Reserve 2007

-Weingut Zahel Wiener Gemischter Satz Scloss Schonbrunn 2008

-Weingut Christ Wiener Gemischter Satz 2008

-Weingut Zahel Wiener Komposition Red 2008

I can’t imagine any other place but Vienna where I would rather like to be a winemaker. It is very exciting to work with the different soils and climate conditions in the different wine growing areas in Vienna, and crate wines with character and personality. The character develops in the wineyard and I want to pass on the essence of the wine, just like a good mother who guides and supports her child."

Vienna is the only capital in the world that has vineyards within its frontiers. The traditional wine from Vienna is the "Wiener Gemischte Satz" a field blend of traditional Austrian Varieties. Longtime, this wine was only sold in the Viennese Wine Bistros (Heuriger). In 2003 Richard Zahel was the first to market the "Wiener Gemischter Satz" Today Zahel’s "Gemischter Satz" is offered in 4 different styles. The Premium Wine "Nussberg Grande Reserve" consists of 9 old Austrian Varieties like Grüner Veltliner, Rotgipfler, Zierfandler, Traminer and others.

The "Gemischter Satz Nussberg" consists of the Burgundy Varieties Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay The "Wiener Gemischter Satz" with the green Label is our fresh and fruity summer wine. It comes from a Vineyard in the South of Vienna where we planted Riesling, Grüner Veltliner and Chardonnay. In 2007, we were the first to produce Gemischter Satz Sekt. This is Champagne Style sparkling Wine produced à la Mèthode Traditionelle.

Zahel is the only Winery in Vienna which produces Wine in all Viennes Wine Areas. Therefore we are able to use the characteristics of the different soils. Not only in Gemischter Satz but also in Riesling, we produce wines from Crus like Nussberg in the North or Reisberg in the south of Vienna.

With 40% of our production, red wine is very important for us. Our flagship Antares was the first Viennese Red Wine to get more than 90 points in Falstaff, Austrian leading Wine Guide. Schloss Schönbrunn, in English Schönbrunn Castle is the former Residence of the Habsburgs, the Austrian Emperors In the old Monarchy.

We had the privilege to have Luca D'Attoma at the tasting bar of Station Plaza,Luca is a famous Italian enologist with 2 wines that score 100 Points (Perfect Wines). 

We tasted the latest Vintages from his own winery:

-Altrovino 2006.-A blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot 50/50, only produced 40 barrels an small production wine, very aromatic, rich and powerful with a great balance of tannins and fruit.

-Duemani 2005.-An straight Cabernet Franc with a powerful aromas of licorice, Vanilla and Coffee that makes you feel you are drinking Merlot, very complex and concentrate, just 26 barrels produced.

-Suisassi 2005.- 100% Syrah only 10 barrels produced (3,000 bottles) a tiny production. Full bodied and aromatic wine that really shows a wonderful wine making, you can enjoy it now or for the next 5 years.

Certified 100% Organic and Biodynamic from Demeter

Trailblazing oenologist Luca d’Attoma is probably most well-known to readers for the wines he made at Tua Rita and the wines he continues to make at Le Macchiole, two of Bolgheri’s leading estates. In 2001 D’Attoma and his partner Elena Celli purchased several hectares of land in Riparbella, located in the northern reaches of Maremma. The seven hectares of hillside vineyards, which lie adjacent to Castello del Terriccio on their eastern border, are densely planted and farmed biodynamically. I have been following Duemani for several vintages and these are the first wines where the age of the vines and the winemaking philosophy have begun to yield significant results.

Salute,

Miguel

Swim against the flow.

Lightning glimpsed through water;

Sustain the species!

WOW! An impressive selection of wines that shows dedication, passion and love for the wine making at a great prices. The Headwaters 2005 just tasted by R. Parker few months ago, got a 95 point rating, in a week ‘SOLD OUT’ in New York.

So don’t miss the chance to try one or two:

-Coho Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir 2007

Elegant, with aromas of violet and vanilla while in your mouth develops plum and black cherry. This is a wine that will grow in your glass 90 Pts. SP

-Coho Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2007

Only 357 cases were produced, this means it will sell out fast! 90 Pts SP

-Coho Summit Vine Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

A mouthful, medium-full dark and rich with well balanced fruit. 90 Pts. SP

-Coho Michael Black Vineyard Napa Valley Merlot 2005

This perhaps the best MERLOT ever, you will need another bottle around. 92 Pts SP

COHO Wines

Coho is the shared aspiration of Brooks Painter and Gary Lipp to produce flavorful, balanced wines. Grown in select cool-climate vineyards, Coho wines emphasize fruit purity and vitality. Our combined experience working for California wineries totals almost fifty years: both of us involved in all aspects of our craft, acquiring the skills to bottle our passion.

Our choice of Coho as the name of our brand might seem curious as it doesn't invoke images of vineyards or wine, but to us the salmon embodies an innate wisdom so essential to understanding ourselves and our environment. As stewards of the land winemakers must strive to sustain our habitat and the species that share it. And like the salmon we need the steadfast will to keep going no matter how difficult the journey.

First thing first: roses are not always sweet. Sweet rose wines are more the exception than the rule. White zinfandel is a pink wine, also called blushed wine, but not a rose. Roses can go from pale pink to light red in color and can have more or less fruit on the palate.

There are two main ways to make a rose:

Roses de saignee are obtained by "bleeding the vats". The winemaker decides to open the vats early in the maceration to let the first juice out. This decision is made to produce a more tannic red and/or a rose de saignee.

Roses made by skin contact. The juice is in contact with the skins for few hours only. The method known as "blending" (mix white wine with red wine) is discouraged and not very common (except in Champagne, but even there winemakers don't use this method very often).

Roses containing white grape varietals are very rare!  Roses are easy to pair with all kind of food, being even more versatile than white wine or red wine. Light food (salad, seafood, chicken, etc.) calls for a light and crisp rose (Cotes de Provence, Anjou, Tavel, Chinon, etc.), while heavier food (steak, cheese, etc.) would pair perfectly with a darker, "fruitier" rose ("Il Mimo" for one, Italian rose made from Nebbiolo grape). More generally, roses pair very well with good company, sun, swimming pool, barbecue, etc.   Have fun and drink chilled roses all summer long!

Kongsgaard Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007

A real Burgundy made in California with a deep nose lemon zest, bits of tropical citrus, mango and butter with a touch of oak. Full bodied with smooth and polished tones of green apple with some mineral, roasted nuts. Great balance and good medium acidity. 

Fifth-generation Napa natives John and Maggy Kongsgaard produce The Judge, Chardonnay, VioRous, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Shy-bearing vineyards and traditional low-intervention winemaking techniques produce powerful, graceful wines — high intensity expressions of vineyard and variety. The core of their endeavor is the ten-acre vineyard they planted in the late 1970s on a rocky hilltop in southern Napa Valley which has belonged to the Kongsgaard family since the 1920s. In addition to these family acres, they direct the farming under long-term contract on another seven acres in the Napa Carneros and three acres near St. Helena. The winery, on the eastern rim of Napa Valley, is a cave drilled into the volcanic rock. Production is limited to what they can make with their own hands.

Kongsgaard Chardonnay 2007 Napa Valley comes from two great Carneros vineyards – Hudson and Hyde. Like The Judge, it is fermented with its indigenous yeast and ages in French oak barrels for 22 months. When most Napa Chardonnays are bottled after 10 months of barrel age, ours is just finishing its fermentations and awakening from adolescence. In the second year of barrel aging, the wine’s more sophisticated qualities evolve. Parker described the 2007 as “beautiful,” displaying “liquid rocks, pineapples, honeysuckle, orange blossoms, and lemon oil.” Tanzer noted “the zesty finish featuring mineral and minty nuances and terrific energy.” $75/bottle, 1000 cases produced.

Wine Advocate

The full-bodied 2007 Chardonnay offers notes of liquid rocks, pineapples, honeysuckle, orange blossoms, and lemon oil. This beautiful effort should turn out as well as Kongsgaard’s superb 2005.

Score: 91-94. —Robert Parker, December 2008. 

 Christophe Sabon runs this estate along with his father, Aimé, and his sister Isabel. They produce three different Châteauneuf red cuvées, a regular Châteaune runs uf-du-Pape, the Chât eauneuf-du-Pape Chaupin and the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes. Although the two top cuvêes, Chaupin and the Vieilles Vignes, have both been rated highly in the past few vintages.
 

Young Christophe Sabon, with his sister by his side and his father in the background, is doing as great a job turning out terrific wines as any vigneron in the world. With nearly 200 acres of vineyards, 45 of them old vines situated in Chateauneuf du Pape, there is enormous potential, all of it being exploited. The 1998s, 1999s, 2000s, and 2001s were all fabulous at this estate, the 2003s were slightly irregular as well as tannic, the 2005s were great, the 2006s are fabulous, and the 2007s may be the sine qua non of all his vintages.

The white wines are not to be missed as they are some of the freshest, most perfumed, lively whites of Southern France. The value picks represent remarkable bargains. The bottled 2006 low end wines are all in the marketplace. While they are not quite at the level of the 2007s, there are some gorgeous choices for consumers. Janasse’s 2007 Chateauneuf du Papes are outrageous, all of which performed brilliantly despite  having just completed their malolactics after 11 months of fermentation. With all of the excitement over the 2007s, readers should not forget just how great Janasse’s  2006s have turned out. They are performing as well as they did last year, perhaps even better.

Domaine de la Janasse

This domaine was created in 1973 by Aime Sabon and is composed of 50 hectare throughout Chateauneuf, Cotes du Rhone, Cotes du Rhone villages and vin de pays. Christophe Sabon took over for Aime in 1991 after receiving a BTA in winemaking and oenology from Beaune and a BTS in marketing at Macon. Christophe was joined by his sister, Isabelle, also oenologist, in 2001. 
This estate employees partial destemming (50% to 80% inclusion depending on stem maturity), very long maceration (3 to 4 weeks) and even some micro-oxegenation on their vin de pay wines. The grenache sees primarily vat ageing where as the syrah and other varietals see small barrique, including new, for 12 to 14 months.
This winery produces a traditional cuvee, a Chaupin cuvee which is typically 100% grenache from a single, cool climate plot that sees 30% barrique, ¼ of which is new and a Vieilles Vignes blend which is a blend of the oldest vines that sees 40% in barrique with ¼ being new.