Clear appearance in the glass with fine bubbles. The colour is a mix of gold and salmon pink, rather attractive. The bouquet is of medium to slightly restrained intensity. The fruit is dry and sparse, with some pear, grapefruit and orange peel. There is also a hint of strawberry, but subtle. The aroma of toast and nuts, on the other hand, is prominent. I find this elegant, so let’s get to the flavour. A fresh attack on the palate. The perlage is fine, the fresh acidity is medium. Quite dry. The fruit is again subtle with a hint of wild strawberries and cherries. The finish is of medium length. This vintage sparkling wine is not highly complex, but it offers connoisseurs of dry wines sufficient flavours at a very reasonable price! Successful, I think. DM89.

The post 2016 Weingut Frank Brohl Spätburgunder Sekt Blanc de Noir Brut appeared first on Dominik Mueller.

The post 2018 Domaine Gassier Nostre Païs appeared first on Dominik Mueller.

NV Henri Giraud Esprit Nature

Deep lemon yellow colour, fine bubbles. The bouquet is inviting with fresh apples, lemon and well-balanced notes of bread and yeast. In the mouth, the mousse is elegant and the overall mouthfeel is fresh. Slight creaminess. Very good aperitif style champagne. DM90.

2019 Mark Haisma Chassagne-Montrachet

Pale lemon yellow. Open, medium-intensity bouquet of ripe yellow fruit: Lemon and apricot, with a herbal touch. There are also notes of butter and nuts. Finally, there’s a slight hint of smoke, but it’s very elegant. The taste and finish are of medium intensity, as well. Acidity is medium to high, very fresh and a good fit with the warmer fruit notes of the vintage. Still a very good village wine with structure and cellaring potential for some more years. DM91.

2013 Château Citran

From a perfect bottle with good, clean cork. Medium ruby red with no apparent age notes whatsoever. On the nose, plenty of primary aromas of dark and red berries, blackcurrant, black cherry, red plum. There are also aromas of vanilla and cedarwood. Leather, too, hinting at the time spent in bottle and giving the wine some complexity. In the mouth, alcohol is medium, as are the tannins at this point. Acidity is still high, however, which should provide enough structure for more development in future. The finish is dry and medium in length. Really good Bordeaux red wine with a rather balanced mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which is a little more pronounced in this vintage. Still younger than expected, this Citran should easily keep for another five to ten years, depending on cellar conditions. DM92.

2021 Felix Weber Wiltinger Braunfels Volz Senior Kabinett lieblich

Pale lemon yellow. Clean bouquet, medium intensity. Mandarins, lemon, peach, green apples, sweet grapes. Very fruity and open in style. On the palate, acidity is high to keep the sweetness in balance. Lean body on low alcohol. Long finish with lasting yellow fruits. Animating and savoury, this classic Riesling style is good both as aperitif and as digestif. DM90.

The post Christmas Dinner 2023 appeared first on Dominik Mueller.

The post 2021 Felix Weber Wiltinger Braunfels Volz Junior Spätlese appeared first on Dominik Mueller.

Tasting note

Clear appearance. Pale golden yellow to salmon pink in colour. The nose is clean and of medium intensity. It is easy to distinguish the primary fruit aromas: Cantaloupe melon, peach, apple, pear and grapefruit. On the palate, the pinot gris is dry. Typical of the varietal, acidity is on the lower side. I get apple and citrus fruit. It’s pretty primary. Alcohol is medium at 13%. The body and flavour intensity are both medium, as is the finish, which is carried by notes of grapefruit. The Grauer Burgunder *** SL is a good wine for lovers of pinot gris — not high in acidity but fresh and fruity. Cellaring potential is limited, I’d drink it through 2025. DM87.

The post 2022 Alexander Laible Grauer Burgunder *** SL appeared first on Dominik Mueller.

The post 2019 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet appeared first on Dominik Mueller.

Tasting note

The 2019 Résonance Pinot Noir carries the name of the vineyard. It has a clear appearance, typical Pinot transparency, and a pale ruby colour. On the nose, it is clean and of medium intensity. The bouquet is rather charming, however, with cool notes that make this Oregon pinot special. A mix of red and dark cherries, cranberry, and smoky notes as well as refreshing hints of mint. The elegance says Burgundy but the cool smoke and menthol freshness give it a modern twist. On to the taste: Dry, medium acidity and tannins, the alcohol is well-balanced. This has a relatively full body, now more pronounced primary fruit notes, but the wine keeps its elegance and freshness. Red cherries, strawberries and cranberries. The finish is medium, carried by red berries. I liked this Oregon Pinot expression quite a lot. Perfect to enjoy now, with potential for more cellaring. Drink from now through 2029. DM92.

The post 2019 Résonance Pinot Noir appeared first on Dominik Mueller.

The post 2022 Markgräflich Badisches Weinhaus Weißburgunder Bodensee “Edition Schloss Salem” appeared first on Dominik Mueller.

The post 2020 False Bay Pinotage “Bush Vine” appeared first on Dominik Mueller.

2021 Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Kabinett
Well-balanced off-dry Saar Riesling. Starts out with fresh white fruit (green apples) and tangerines. Underlying these primary characteristics, you find subtle floral notes and first hints of more herbaceous elements, although these will probably show better in the future. Try again from 2026. DM89 at present with potential for more.

The post 2021 Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett appeared first on Dominik Mueller.