WTN: Cheap Aglianico, Pinot and Cava

• Cantina di Venosa Aglianico del Vulture Il Bali 2004 - Italy, Basilicata, Aglianico del Vulture (10/25/2008)
  9,95€; 13% abv; 6,1 g/l acidity; 12months in French oak and partly in Slavonian. This has a dusty nose with tart red berries (lingonberry/cranberry), not at all as much oak as I would have guessed from the technical sheet (I guess the oak is mostly used?). Robust, tarry, tannic palate, lovely refreshing acidity, no new oak that I can see, but rather it is very lively and refreshing and structured. Tangy aftertaste. Very good value at under 10€. Buy again? Certainly.
• Domaine Joseph Scharsch Pinot Noir 2007 - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC (10/25/2008)
  12,5% abv; 11,95€; plastic "cork". A very light red, perhaps more rosé. The scent is obviously Pinot with its vegetal and bright red aromas and slight earthiness. Elegant, red-berried fruit, good structure - a very enjoyable wine. Drink slightly cooled - I don't know if this is a light red wine or a deep rosé, but it is a beautiful wine, well balanced and very moreish. Very nice.
• Vilarnau Cava Brut N.V. - Spain, Catalunya, Cava (10/25/2008)
  8,22€; 11,5% abv; 8g/l sugar; 5,5g/l acidity; apparently produced by González Byass though I don't see mention of that on the bottle. This started out with strong, yeasty, autolytic aromas, but calmed to a very attractive scent of clover, citrus and even some minerality and almost Chardonnay-like appley fruit. Moderately elegant mousse. Perhaps a bit high in dosage but still crisp (so I won't complain about it in such a cheap wine), full flavoured and not as boring and neutral as cheap Cava often is. Long, mineral aftertaste. Hugely impressive for the price.
• Winzergenossenschaft Königschaffhausen Königschaffhauser Steingrüble Spätburgunder Trocken 2006 - Germany, Baden (10/24/2008)
  16,38€; 13% abv. Light red. A fruit forward nose with lots of sweet cherry/strawberry - it is a pure scent, but rather one-dimensional. Low acid, warm year character, abundant and buxom fruit. It again is true to the grape but one-dimensional. Due to the low acidity, the aftertaste is rather clipped. Decent, but unexciting.

Posted from CellarTracker

Vilarnau belongs to the far-reaching González Byass group since 1982.