Somm Grapes

28/11/2024

Stefanie & Fabian Lassak founded a small winery in Hessigheim am Neckar in 2016. The heart of their work are terraced vineyards with exciting limestone soils. Here they only produce Pinot Noir, Lemberger and Riesling, the typical regional grape varieties of Württemberg. The wines from the two bring a breath of fresh air to this region, which is otherwise characterized by cooperatives. A best selection Massale très fin from Nuits Saint Georges and Vosne Romanée with 10,000 vines per hectare was planted. Riesling and Lemberger are already old vineyards between 30 and 55 years old. Some of them have been re-grafted from old plants with Trollinger and other grape varieties, e.g. B. with Blaufränkisch vines from the top terroir Lutzmannsburg. Both have sufficient know-how; they have worked at numerous companies in Burgundy, New Zealand, Austria and Germany. Their Lemberger style is more based on top Blaufränkisch from Burgenland.
The excellent shell limestone soils characterize the pair's wines just as much as their delicate, gentle signature.
As in all steep slopes and terraced vineyards, almost everything on the 2.4 hectares is handcrafted, currently being converted to organic cultivation. The excellent shell limestone soils characterize their wines just as strongly as their delicate, gentle style with very careful use of wood and extraction. The Pinot Noir is a wonder of finesse and so juicy and dancing that you can easily drink a bottle on its own. The Lemberger is of the same ilk, with a spicy filigree style reminiscent of Cabernet Franc from the Loire. The Rieslings are straight, mineral and easy to drink with a very independent signature that is certainly unique in Württemberg. In general, despite its short history, the Lassak winery stands for its very own, delicate, fine style, which is much closer to Preisinger, Moric, Weninger and Co than to their Württemberg colleagues. Nevertheless, the wines are also typical of their region, as the wines reflect the limestone-rich terraced vineyards of this small village on the Neckar in an unadulterated way through exclusive spontaneous fermentation and minimally invasive ageing. A real Gem

27/11/2024

***Domaine de la Rochette***

Located between the Alps and the Jura Mountains, Neuchâtel is underpinned by the same band of Jurassic limestone present in Burgundy and the Jura. Neuchâtel lacks the dramatic vistas of the Valais or the grandeur of Lavaux. The drama of Neuchâtel is subterranean. The region’s vineyards are located on the southeastern-facing slopes above the three lakes, where the topsoils are thin and the limestone is closer to the surface. These are the precise ingredients for making incredibly detailed, precise, and age-worthy Pinot Noir.
Few are aware of this hidden terroir outside of Switzerland, and if Jacques Tatasciore has his way, this will remain so. Jacques settled in Cressier and assembled a selection of top sites in Neuchâtel. There is no tasting room, no sign, and visitors are discouraged. Jacques is frequently awarded top honors in Switzerland for his wines, but he usually doesn’t attend the ceremonies – all his energy goes into his wines. Production is tiny, selection is painfully strict, allocations are jealously guarded, and details are scarce, but the wines speak for themselves.
All of his vineyards are a massale selection of Pinot Noir.
The ancestors of these vines have been grown in the region for centuries. They are a rare look back into time before Burgundian and Swiss clones replaced much of the less productive and unpredictable ancestral diversity of Swiss Pinot Noir.
Jacques vines are, on average, 50 years old, and when a vine needs to be replaced, they make a massive selection from the same parcel. Having started with just two hectares in 1999, he’s slowly expanded his property to six hectares. Being an iconoclast in many ways, he has farmed organically and biodynamically since the beginning but eschews certification because he feels no need to prove himself or talk about what is simply the most logical and proper way to farm.
His winemaking as traditional, a loaded word with a nebulous meaning. Seeing the company he keeps and how his wines express themselves, one can deduce that his are whole-cluster and indigenous fermentations.
The wines are aged in French oak barrels but never taste oaky or reductive.

24/11/2024

Domaine Lamy-Caillat is the secret garden of two passionate and talented bourguignons: Sébastien Caillat and Florence Lamy.
This tiny estate of Lamy-Caillat and 1.2 hectares was founded in 2011.
Florence Lamy, daughter of René Lamy, and Sébastien Caillat also manage Florence’s family domaine: Domaine René Lamy-Pillot. While the Lamy-Pillot wines are crafted in an accessible style, the couple wanted to attempt something more artisanal and minimally processed with their micro-domaine.
The meticulous Sébastien Caillat devotes immense attention to every detail; from vineyard to bottling nothing is left to chance.
Since the domaine’s LAMY-CAILLAT first vintage, improvements have been constant and each vintage has been better than the last! The vintage 2013 in particular marks a turning point at this relatively new, yet already inescapable, Chassagne-Montrachet address.
In the Vineyard
Deeply rooted in Chassagne-Montrachet, Domaine Lamy-Caillat only produces white wines.
“Small plots, Great care” is the motto here.
To produce great wines, Sébastien and Florence Caillat work very closely with nature. Throughout the seasons they pay close and constant attention to their plots. This meticulous care helps their vines to produce their very best.
In the Cellar
The desire of Sébastien and Florence to get back to basics influences their vinification methods, which are both natural and traditional.
Artisanal winemaking and, above all, long élevage is what defines this domaine, with the wines spending two winters on the lees before bottling by hand after natural clarification.
After pressing in an old mechanical press (Vaslin Press), the juice is transferred to barrel for fermentation after a brief settling. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations proceed slowly in the domaine’s cold cellars. Since the 2013 vintage, the wines go through an extended period of maturation, spending as long as 28 months on their lees. After barrel-aging, all wines are transferred to stainless still vats for six months.
The wines are sometimes fined but never filtered, and bottling takes place directly from the barrel.

04/11/2024

Somm Grapes filmed the wine trip of WIFI Tirol: Sommelier Österreich.

The demands of wine lovers are becoming ever greater. This means that well-trained sommeliers are needed who can provide advice and impart their knowledge. At WIFI you can become an Austrian sommelier - and pursue a career in a top sector of the catering industry.

You have the chance to meet Austrians Top winemakers such as: Domäne Wachau, Birgit Braunstein, Kurt Feiler, Weingut Scheiblhofer, Christoph Salzl, Michael Allacher, and so much more......
Thx to:
TSOV - Tiroler Sommelierverein
Sommelier Union Austria

WIFI Tirol: Sommelier Österreich WeinreiseMore info about this education: https://www.tirol.wifi.at/kurs/85652x-sommelier-oesterreichSOMMGRAPES - Passion for...

01/11/2024

In 1957, Jean-Marie Roumier took over the Winery. Christophe Roumier has been working in his family's domain since 1982, and in 1992 the winery passed completely into his hands. Due to the complicated French inheritance law, not all wines can be marketed under the name Domaine Georges Roumier. The individual vineyards belong to different family members and at the Grand Cru Ruchottes-Chambertin, Christophe Roumier shares the plot with an external owner, so that the wine is marketed under the Christophe Roumier label instead of under Domaine Georges Roumier.
The Domaine Georges Roumier is only just under 11.5 hectares in size.
Apart from 0.2 hectares in the white GC location Corton-Charlemagne, the portfolio only contains Pinot Noir wines, including the highly sought-after rarity of the Grand Cru Musigny. Roumier has a 0.1 hectare plot here, so there is only a maximum of one barrel per vintage.
The best Premier Cru site in Chambolle-Musigny, Les Amoureuses, is also sought after. With only 0.4 hectares owned, this wine is also hard to come by.
In addition to the top sites mentioned, Roumier also produces Grand Cru wines in the Bonnes Mares, Charmes-Chambertin and Ruchottes-Chambertin sites, as well as some Premier Crus such as the Morey St. Denis Clos de la Bussière, 2.59 hectares of which are owned exclusively by the domaine, a so-called monopoly site.

The Style is on the sturdy side for Chambolle Musigny, and the wines usually require some time to open up

As always, the wine is vinified using the classic method in an open vat with a floating cap of pomace and daily pressing of the juice. A short cold fermentation is followed by a fermentation at controlled temperatures and lasts up to 24 days. The wine is then placed in barriques for around 20 months and is then bottled unfiltered.
New wood: 15 – 25% for Village, 25 to 40% for Premier Cru and no more then 50% for Bonnes Mares

31/10/2024

What are you drinking for Halloween?

In Austria you could say that the Phantom Cuvée off Kirnbauer is the Perfect Choice!

It is the Blaufränkisch-dominated "flagship wine" blended with Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah.

The 2022 Vintage has an interesting nose of dark wild berry, black olive, spice of rosemary and cool mint as well as a subtle cedar wood undertone.
Fine roasted aromas from the barrique storage are reminiscent of Virginia to***co leaves and fine leather as well as ink lead.
Dark, juicy wild berries can be found on the palate, which are enveloped in a unique Pannonian spice. Despite dark aromas on the nose and a hint of cappuccino on the palate, the wine is very finesse, juicy and fresh with a spicy mint finish on the finish.
The youthfully elegant tannins paired with the animating acidity create a wonderful balance and promise pure drinking pleasure.

Happy Halloween Markus Kirnbauer

30/10/2024

Somm Grapes ist dabei! Ihr auch?

WEST WINE STORY, der Wein - Branchentreff in Westösterreich

„Der Heimmarkt ist der mit Abstand wichtigste Markt für den Österreichischen Wein. Eine besondere Bedeutung kommt dabei dem Westen Österreichs als die stärkste Tourismus Region des Landes zu. Von der Sterne- und Hauben- Gastronomie über die Hotellerie bis zur Skihütte, vom Lebensmittel Einzelhandel über den Großhandel bis zum Fachhandel – Wein aus Österreich ist in aller Munde.

In der Ausbildung sorgen die WIFIs, die Tourismus Schulen und die Sommelier Vereine für den Nachwuchs in der Sommelerie, die Tourismuswirtschaft, die Gastronomie und der Handel profitieren von der guten Ausbildung des Fachpersonals. Die ÖWM pflegt zahlreiche Partnerschaften mit wichtigen Playern der Wirtschaft und der Ausbildung, es ist uns ein Anliegen beim ÖWM Branchentreff im Westen Danke für die hervorragende Zusammenarbeit zu sagen.“

Chris Yorke, ÖWM

Mittwoch, 20. November 2024
16:00 Uhr – 21:00 Uhr
Congress Innsbruck, In der „Orangerie“, Rennweg 3, 6020 Innsbruck
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Weinpräsentation mit 70 Winzer*innen aus ganz Österreich:
* eine Liste der teilnehmenden Winzer pro Gebiet findest du ganz unten in diesem E-Mai
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Sonderpräsentation der Gebiete Niederösterreich, Rosalia, Wien
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Sekt Austria Pyramide in der Verkostung
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270 Weine und Sekt Austria werden für Dich präsentiert

28/10/2024

So, what´s coming ???

First of all, I’m going back in the books after a 5-year break! Over the next 2 Years I want to finish my Weinakademiker Diploma & Advanced Master Sommelier. But the Coolest thing is I going to take you with me on the Journey. Every week new Videos & Reels with Study Methods, Tastings, Wine Regions, Viticulture, Vinification & so much more….

2nd, we are finally finishing our website that will come online at the end of this Year. Cool merchandise is also in the design for Summer 2025 😉

3rd, we already have some nice Video Projects coming up with winemakers from Austria & Switzerland. So stay tuned at our YouTube Channel.

Let´s see where the journey goes together

20/10/2024

Tommorow we start our 2nd Film Tour with .tirol for the Sommelier Austria Education. We will cover a lot of Wineries in Wachau, Kamptal, Burgenland & Carnuntum!

See You There

Want to see our first movie from the Summer WIFI Trip? Check the Link in Our BIO!

18/10/2024

Donabaum is a well-known name in the town of Spitz in the Wachau. Weingut Christoph Donabaum is certainly one of the young winemakers with mega potential. In 2020 he took over the winery from his parents and continues to run it under his name. He now cultivates around 5 hectares with well-known vineyards such as: Offenberg, 1000-Eimerberg & Zornberg. Last year I first tasted his wines and let me tell you I was impressed, not only by his quality but value for money is amazing in an always increasing pricing off the Wachau Valley wines. My favorite was the Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Alte Kultur! Grapes from the vineyard Zornberg off 50+ year old vines. It has a concentrated nose of nice Pome fruit, Quince, Manderin with a touch of Beeswax. The minerality in this wine & touch of fresh acidity promise a longevity.

16/10/2024

For Bodega Rioja we made a Video of their annual Legendary Spain Tasting in L**h

Enjoy it and see you next Year 🍷🍷🍷🍷

27/08/2024

2 years ago i visited Dom Pérignon
But how is Dom Pérignon made?
In general, a Dom Pérignon is always a cuvée of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The proportion of Chardonnay is usually a little higher, but this can vary from year to year. The grapes come from their own vineyards, but also from purchases. Either way, the grapes always come from the same plots, which extend over nine municipalities. For Chardonnay, these are Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs. The Pinot Noir, however, comes from Aÿ, Bouzy, Mailly-Champagne, Verzenay and Hautvillers in the Marne Valley.

During vinification, the chef de cave, takes great care to ensure that the must and wine come into contact with oxygen as little as possible in order to guarantee a reductive style for which Dom Pérignon is so famous. This allows the champagne to mature for a particularly long time. What is special is the long yeast storage after the second fermentation. A Dom Pérignon matures for at least seven years "sur latte". However, this minimum time is usually exceeded by many, many months. Nine or ten years is certainly not uncommon!

More on their Champagnes & Vintages soon on Somm Grapes

26/08/2024

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Wines that are diverse in their geographic representation and 'Grand Cru' in quality, all under the umbrella of one philosophy, one team, one mark.

Sourced from select hillside estates, the Cabernet Sauvignon wines of BOND vividly demonstrate the range of Napa Valley's finest terroirs. From the more than eighty vineyards we have worked with over the past quarter century, we have slowly and vigilantly selected five sites. BOND became our covenant and shared commitment to produce only the best expression of the land.

QUELLA is the name for the wine from a 3,5 hectare site located in the eastern hills overlooking the heart of the Napa Valley.

Making its debut with the 2006 vintage, the name is derived from the German word for a pristine source or an artesian aquifer. This property is steeply sloped facing southwest. The site is an ancient riverbed composed of cobble and rocks interwoven with pockets of tufa (volcanic ash) that were uplifted during the last volcanic activity in the area. Quella displays an almost ethereal quality of blue fruits, graphite, and a vibrant, subtle finish.
Ancient uplifted riverbed covered with Tufa (volcanic ash). Southwest Exposure.
130 – 180metre High

The challenges of the 2017 vintage presented new learnings for this site of ancient river cobble and volcanic ash. Although Quella is known for its delicacy and precision, the vines retain a tremendous strength that has allowed them to thrive in a thoroughly Spartan environment. With the help of spring rains before budbreak the season culminated with an early harvest on September 5th and concluded two weeks later.
The nose is classic Quella: fresh blue fruit and a nod towards minerality. This Quella demonstrates a zest for life that never shouts, but stands in perfect posture with a natural, beaming smile. The texture of the wine is effortless—light on its feet, yet simultaneously deep. The tannins follow an almost choreographed line on the palate. As the finish lingers, it feels remarkably comfortable in its skin for this early stage of its life.

07/08/2024

Yesterday I realized that I really must drink more Barolo! Always a region I study but drink to less of!
As a big Burgundy Fan, I Enjoyed the Cannubi 2017 the most. A fine elegant Barolo with that Feminine touch! Brilliant, shiny ruby red. On the nose, it has its first ripe notes but still a lot of almost fresh fruits like raspberries, wild strawberries, accompanied by a delicate scent of Herbs and eucalyptus. On the palate, it is extremely polished and elegant, with almost creamy tannins, balanced and clear, juicy in the aftertaste and very long.

The relatively young winery from Montforte d'Alba impressed me quite a lot Yesterday. On Paper they have a classic approach to making Barolo, but personally I would almost say it’s a Classic Winery with a modern Touch, what is a good thing these days in winemaking, I think!
The Réva winery is located in the middle of Piedmont, within the municipality of La Morra, and covers around 13 hectares.
The single vineyards we tried yesterday:

Ravera: Clay and calcareous soils, a robust but elegant structure. The cool winds blowing from the nearby Alps allow the grapes to ripen slowly. 24 months in large wood

Cannubi: Almost half a hectare of Nebbiolo here. Harmonious wines characterized by elegant tannins. Here we find more sand and marl in the soil. 24 months in large wood (My personal Favorite)

Lazaritto: exceptional quality, wow what an Amazing wine,the soil, characterized by Sandstone (Helvetion), is light, almost white, consists mainly of marl and sand with a high lime content, and has a slightly looser structure than the surrounding soil. It gives the Barolo a deep color and an incredibly strong structure. The strictly selected grapes are vinified into Barolo Riserva only in the best years, which is released on the market after 5 years. 26 months in wood and longer contact with the skins (almost 40 days)

Many thanks to Trinkreif and Reva Winery for this cool Tasting and nice BBQ in L**h

21/07/2024

Save the best for Last!
My Favorite Champagne from !

L’Apôtre Blanc de Blancs

100% Chardonnay from 60+ years old single-vineyard of La Pierre St-Martin. Fully vinified in old Domaine Leflaive barrels. Zero dosage.
Opulence and grandeur meet exotic fruits, almond and hyacinth in its multidimensional and arresting aromatics. Like a Grand Cru white Burgundy, L’Apôtre asserts itself with expansive power and palate-massaging pressure in the mouth which leads to a reverberating high-pitched rumble of a race car in its explosive umami-laden finish.

20/07/2024

L'Aphrodisiaque by

80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir
Dosage: 0g/l
Vinified in oak
Mineral, spicy, full bodied, full of ripe fruit but still elegant.
Very special, complex and very rare!
This extremely rare cuvée comes from a single parcel and was vinified entirely in barrique. Elegant, mineral, spicy and juicy. Ripe citrus and orange peel, overlaid with fine biscuity notes, finesse and complex, very fine bubbles. A purist exceptional champagne that makes a lot of pressure, but above all shows great elegance and a very long mineral finish.

Every new release from the otherworldly Champagne David Léclapart is a cause for celebration.
Every one of these champagnes is singular and inimitable: bone dry but ripe, saturated in minerals but fragrant, saline yet succulent, and constantly accelerating.
When tasting these ethereal champagnes, Léclapart’s ethos, which appears on his back labels — Purity, Energy, Pleasure, Ecology — becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

19/07/2024

David Léclapart owns just three hectares of vineyards and his champagnes - always from a single vintage and zero dosage - have cult status.

Although the Léclapart family has been producing champagne for four generations, it was unclear for a long time whether David Léclapart would follow the same career. He attended agricultural school in Beaujeu, worked at Léclerc-Briant in Épernay and finally took over the family winery after his father's death and founded his small domaine in 1998. David immediately switched to biodynamic farming methods. In 1999, the first three cuvées were released in small quantities, which immediately attracted the attention of champagne connoisseurs all over the world. Since the 2000 vintage, the winery run by David and his wife Carole has been certified for biodynamic farming by Demeter and Ecocert.

Léclapart's three hectares of vines are located in Trépail, spread over 22 plots. Although Trépail is part of the Pinot-heavy Montagne de Reims, Chardonnay dominates here at 90 percent. The Léclaparts also have very little Pinot Noir, so their champagnes are almost exclusively Blanc des Blancs.

Trépail is a very cool and damp terroir. David Léclapart confirms that organic viticulture in Champagne is complicated: "The weather is difficult, especially in terms of mildew. There is a constant risk of losing the grapes." However, he is convinced that the quality achieved in the vineyards in this way has an extreme effect on the quality in the bottle. In the cellar, too, he works largely without additives in the spirit of natural wine.

Léclapart does not use reserve wines; his wines all come from a specific vintage, which is mentioned on the label. The first fermentation takes place only with natural yeasts. L'Amateur and half of L'Artiste are aged in enamelled steel tanks, the remaining wines in oak barrels. To stabilise the wines and avoid the use of sulphur, all of them undergo malolactic fermentation. The wines remain on the lees until shortly before the harvest of the next vintage and are bottled without fining, filtration or cold stabilisation. All champagnes are zero dosage.

Léclapart's wines are of extremely high quality, but also uncompromisingly individual. They are strikingly puristic and full of finesse and express the character of Trépail. The wines are sold relatively young, as the Léclaparts lack storage space. Ideally, the champagnes mature for a few years in the cellar before being enjoyed. If opened young, it is advisable to decant the champagnes, as they can be a little inaccessible in their youth.

Facts: R.M., Trépail, Montagne de Reims, 3 ha., 10,000 bottles/year

Organic certification: David Leclapart - FR-BIO-01

18/07/2024

Today´s WINE ABC is about Histamine!

Food and drinks that is made are a result of fermentation will naturally contain histamine. Wine is made by fermenting grapes and the bacteria used to kickstart this process are responsible for producing histamine.
When histamine is released, it binds to one of four histamine receptors. It causes smooth muscle contraction, dilation of blood vessels, mucous secretion in your stomach lining, and a drop in blood pressure to mention a few. A research group in Australia looked at 100 different types of red wine to test the varying amounts of histamine and find out which drink had the most.
Interestingly, they found that histamine concentrations varied significantly between each wine type. However, they showed that there was no consistent way of showing a particular type had more histamine than another. For example, one bottle of shiraz red wine may have wildly different levels of histamine compared to another shiraz type.
You may have come across wine filters that are said to remove impurities from wine. These include sulfites and other larger sediments that can be filtered easily.
Histamine, on the other hand, is much smaller and wine filters are not able to remove it.
There are also products that use finer filters that claim to remove histamine. However, there are no published research studies that show if any of these actually work.