Various red wines from Germany, California and Chile accompanied the main course.
The Roberto Henriquez 2019 Pais Santa Cruz de Coya from Chile is one of the rare wines which is still made from the Pais grape, also known as Criolla or Mission. It is an academically valuable wine but rather simple and not clean (a bit of vinegar), with raspberry and a lot of white pepper. 14.5/20 at best.
We were really amazed how good this wine was. It is from an age where red wines in Germany usually rmatured very fast. But the Adeneuer 2004 Walporzheimer Gärkammer has held up very well. With the typical aromas of a ripe Spätburgunder like Amarena, kirsch, sour cherry, bacon and a box of chocolates, it is medium-bodied, perfectly balanced and phenolic and has a good structure although it is complex and smooth. And it has a long finish. Phantastic! 19/20 points.
The Kistler 2014 Pinot Noir Cuvée Catherine is a typical Sonoma Pinot Noir with plenty of fruit, powdered sugar, velvet but also structured and complex. With cherries, sweet strawberries and a lot of raspberry, it cannot be mistaken for an European Pinot Noir. Full-bodied, very balanced and dense, it also has a long finish. 18.8/20 points.
If you would never expect a great Pinot Noir from the Nahe, then Diel 2010 Pinot Noir Cuvee Caroline is the perfect tasting. It smells unusual with white pepper, cinnamon and cherry, but is full-bodied, well structured, still with a lot of tannin, balanced and a long finish. 18/20 points.
One of the best German Pinot Noir is the Kesseler 2005 Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg Spätburgunder. It is full of cherries in a cool style, phenolic, full-bodied with a perfect structure, density and a perfect balance. It has a long finish and a Burgundy style. Although the tannin is perfect now, it should last for another decade. 19.3/20 points.
The Schnaitmann 2014 Fellbacher Lämmler Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs really needs time and so 2014 now starts to open up. It has kirsch, full-body, still a lot of tannin, structure, density, balance and has a long finish. Now it is a bit austere and will need time to the peak. It will last decades. 18.5/19 points.
Lemberger can ripe very well as the Schnaitmann 2011 Fellbacher Lämmler Lemberger Großes Gewächs shows. It has an opaque colour and an expressiv nose of cherry, plum and blackberry. It is full-bodied, a bit perfumed, dense, mineral with a long finish and a perfect smoothness. It is nearly on the peak but stay there for minimum 5 years. 19/20 points.
