WSET Diploma

2011 K Vintners Viognier

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon-green, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, mineral, floral, white flowers, lime, lemon, hint of stone fruit, lemon, pineapple, oak, nutmeg, sweet spice
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med+ acid, med alcohol, med+ intensity, med+ length, floral, citrus, spicy apple
All in all: Good quality: although personally appearing neutral in characteristics, a marked floral complexity follows a balanced finish and a concentrated palate. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.
Identity guess: Mid-priced (Trebbiano/Pinot Blanc/Viognier) from Italy; 2 years old.
Is really: TBA-priced Viognier from Washington; 2 years old.

2011 K Vintners Viognier

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 8]

Even after having had an identity guess for this wine, I still noted down a marked floral character from this.… read more

WSET Diploma

2011 Max Müller I Sommeracher Katzenkopf Weissburgunder Spätlese Trocken Franken

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, youthful, floral, citrus, mineral, apple pear, stone fruit, nectarine, custard, yoghurt, baking spice
Mouth: dry, med body, med acid, med alcohol, med+ flavour intensity, med+ length, creamy, floral, stone fruit, peach, ripe nectarine, baked toasty quality, green fruits, pear
All in all: Very good quality: complex and concentrated with a relatively long length. A great expression of the variety. Drink now, but has potential for short-term ageing.
Identity guess: High-priced (Trebbiano/Pinot Blanc/Viognier) from the Northern Rhône; 2 years old.
Is really: TBA-priced Pinot Blanc from Germany; 2 years old.

2011 Max Müller I Sommeracher Katzenkopf Weissburgunder Spätlese Trocken Franken

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 8]

A taste of this guy and I understood what Oz Clarke meant with his vivid description of Viognier:

“If you wanted serious, swooning wine, with texture as soft and thick as apricot juice, perfume as optimistic and uplifting as mayblossom, and a savoury sour creamy richness like a dollop of crème fraîche straight from the ladle of a smiling farmer’s wife – in other words, a wine which just oozed sex and sensuality – Condrieu, from the Viognier grape, was it.”

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WSET Diploma

2011 Citra Trebbiano d’Abruzzo

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon-green, legs
Nose: clean, med- intensity, youthful, citrus, mineral, lemon, earthy, vegetal
Mouth: dry, med- body, med+ acid, med- alcohol, med- length, med- flavour intensity, mineral, creamy texture, soft, citrus, pear
All in all: Acceptable quality: relatively inoffensive and refreshing, but there seems to be a lack in intensity, concentration, balance, and persistance. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.
Identity guess: Inexpensive (Trebbiano/Pinot Blanc/Viognier) from Alsace; 2 years old.
Is really: Inexpensive Trebbiano from Italy; 2 years old.

2011 Citra Trebbiano d'Abruzzo

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 8]

This was a real tossup between wines one and three in the lineup, because they both seemed rather neutral to me at first, but this wine was clearly of lesser quality.… read more