Kalkbödele, Merdinger Bühl, Pinot Gris, 2008

Julian — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:30:34 +0000

Straw-coloured, with a nose of ripe pears, candied fruit and beeswax, this wine is dominated by the tension between the oak flavours on the one hand and the very robust acidity on the other.

The focus of the fruit seems to get lost a bit between the two, resulting in a somewhat muddied palate and a slightly awkward kind of complexity. Still, a very decent and somewhat original white.

Julian Sunday, 20/02/2011

Kalkbödele, Merdinger Bühl, Grauburgunder Kabinett trocken, 2008

Julian — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 20:26:02 +0000

Kalkbödele, Merdinger Bühl, Grauburgunder Kabinett trocken, 2008

A wine with prominent acidity that is worked straightforwardly into a light, simply, but well structured wine. Here, green apple and unripe melon rule the day, with clear, if not endlessly deep fruit on the palate. In its acidity-driven straightforwardness, this is reminiscent of a good Pfalz Riesling, without quite managing the minerality part. I prefer this latter version at this moment in time, because it seemed more refreshing and drinkable to me and for the completely subjective reason that it works wonderfully with a supermarket food favourite of mine, Flammkuchen.

Covered, with more background information, in our posting on Baden's Tuniberg and wider trends in german wine.

Julian Sunday, 20/02/2011