DOMAINE WEINBACHย |ย Riesling โCuvรฉe Theoโ 2015
(Alsace, France) $39
The first thing to know about Alsace riesling is that itโs not German riesling. In fact, in some ways, itโs the polar oppositeโyang to Germanyโs yin. What I love about it is its sense ofย profundity. Alsace riesling has gravitas and no wine more so than Domaine Weinbachโs Cuvee Theo, a wine of astounding minerally precision and near atomic density of flavor. Itโs both gripping and a wine that holds you in its grip with its powerful beauty. Domaine Weinbach is owned by a mother-daughter team who for decades have made many of the best wines of Alsace. (13% abv)
94 points KM
Available at Vivino.com
The word sangiovese is thought to be derived from the Latin word sanguis Jovisโโthe blood of Jupiter.โย The name is said to have been given to the wine by monks residing near Monte Giove (Mount Jupiter), in Emilia-Romagna. Which of the following wine regions in Tuscany mandates the use of 100% sangiovese grapes?
A.ย ย Chianti Classico
B.ย Brunello di Montalcino
C.ย ย Carmignano
D.ย ย Vino Nobile de Montepulciano
โIt seems almost a moral obligation [in the Napa Valley] to make wines with a life, because you canโt do that everywhere. Itโs a gift.โ
โCathy Corison, Corison Winery, as quoted inย Wine Revolutionย by Jane Anson
Smaragd
This Austrian term is used only in the Wachau region of Lower Austria for the ripest grapes and, hence, for the fullest-bodied wines.ย Smaragdย (pronounced smar-AHGD) wines must have a minimum of 12.5 percent alcohol, but most have considerably more. The word smaragd is also the name of a bright green lizard that suns itself in the Wachau vineyards.
The oldest name for Zinfandel is crljenak kaลกtelanski.
Answer:ย False. Crljenak kaลกtelanski (SEARL-yan-ack cas-tel-LAN-ski) is the modern Croatian name for the Croatian grape zinfandel. During the Middle Ages and earlier, the grape was called tribidrag (TREE-be-drag) and it was grown all over the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. Although it is unclear how the name tribidrag became crljenak kaลกtelanski, the name of the grape variety actually comes in many forms todayโprimitivoย in Italy,ย zinfandelย in California, andย kratoลกijaย in Montenegro and Macedonia.
