Heidi Schröck & Söhne winery tour

08 Wednesday Oct 2025

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Moxie and I rented a car to get out of Munich post-Oktoberfest so we could travel around Bavaria and Austria.  Some spare time in our schedule allowed me to send a quick request to visit a winery in Rust, on Lake Neusiedl which is south of Vienna.  I chose this winery based on reviews of their wines, particularly the specialty of the region- Ruster Ausbruch.

We were greeted by Johannes, one of the twins in charge of the winery.  He was most gracious and informative, explaining all the wines, followed by a tour of the cellars.  It was a truly fun experience and we left with some treasures to enjoy at home.

My favorite was the Furmint Auslese- golden colored, it had everything I wanted in a dessert wine.  Great acidity, honeyed apricot, sweet but not sickly.  Amazing stuff and well priced.  The reds were good, but I feel this region’s strength lies in the whites and their respective stickies.  The Weissburgunder was en pointe, only being bested by the Rocks & Acid.  The barrel tasting of the Muskateller was interesting, having been racked only once and still unfiltered.  The flavors shone through, a promising wine for sure.

Well worth a visit, it’s only an hour out of Vienna.  I would imagine the town of Rust is packed in the season, there’s even a marina on the lake and quite a few wineries and restaurants.

Salut….

Domaine du Grand Montmirail Vacqueyras Mas Carré 2022, Rhone Valley, France

29 Monday Sep 2025

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Medium ruby colored, with slight staining, and a medium (+) viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of smoke, bacon, black cherry, black raspberry, garigue, and wet stone.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a full body, and medium (+) tannins.  The flavors are more pronounced than the nose but the dark, brooding fruit is there as are the smoldering notes.  Licorice appears and there’s a slightly gamy profile thanks to the Syrah (45%) that is tempered by Grenache at 55%.  The finish is a bit astringent, which is actually enticing.  The length is medium (-).  It’s a fun, food centric wine that might be a touch ascerbic if drunk alone.  89 points from me, with a drink by window till 2030.  At $25, it gets 3 stars.  I am pairing it with roasted Shoulder Filet and Harissa potatoes.  Salut….

Domaine du Grand Montmirail Vacqueyras Mas Carré

Ravines Wine Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Finger Lakes, New York

25 Thursday Sep 2025

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Pale straw colored with lowish viscosity (12.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of cut grass, lemon/lime soda, passion fruit, papaya, and cut green herbs.  The palate is dry, with high acidity, and a medium (-) body.  The flavors are medium in intensity and mirror the nose ending with a medium length finish.  There’s nothing too exciting going on, it’s a subtle approach to Sauvignon Blanc.  I am pairing it with Lobster Scampi, I think the acidity will go nicely with the buttery garlic.  88 points from me for this $17 effort makes it a 3 star wine to enjoy in the short term.  Salut….

Ravines Wine Cellars Sauvignon Blanc

Paolo Scavino Sorriso Langhe Bianco 2023, Piedmont, Italy

23 Tuesday Sep 2025

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Medium lemon colored with gold accents, and a watery sheen (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lanolin, lemon pith, lime, tangerine, white grapefruit, peach, green herbs, and wet rock.  The palate is dry, with a medium (+) body and medium acidity.  The fullness of the wine detracts initially from the flavors- of which I get grapefruit, melon, peach, lemon zest, and bouquet garni.  The finish is medium (+) in length and the acidity starts to grip at that point, the fruit lingering ever so.  Delicious and pairing beautifully with roast Cod and Brussel Sprouts.  91 points for this $18 bottle makes it a 5 star effort.  A delicious un-oaked Chardonnay/SavBlanc/Viognier blend that has not gone through MLF.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Paolo Scavino Sorriso Langhe Bianco

ZD Wines Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Napa Valley, California

21 Sunday Sep 2025

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I’m a little concerned about this bottle, the cork is showing signs of seepage, but here goes.  Deep ruby colored, slight staining, and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of blackberry coulis, vanilla, baking spice, black plum reduction, a hint of eucalyptus, toasted oak, cedar lined cigar box, acai berry, a trace of toasted coconut, and a touch of cassis.  There’s obvious ripeness in this Napa Cabernet- the sun was definitely shining!  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and medium (+) tannins- but there’s also a definitive sourness to the wine.  Is it seepage from the cork?  The fruit is slightly muted, but still showing ripeness and structure.  The tannins smooth out nicely and the finish is long with dark fruit dominating, yet there’s something slightly out of balance.  For such a rich and ripe wine, the tartness is quite obvious.  I wonder if the bottle is flawed?  Tertiary development is forthcoming as the primary fruit is still the driving force, I would imagine a long lived wine if stored correctly and a cork that was intact.  I can only go 92 points on this award winning wine which runs $257 ex-chateau.  3 stars- pairing with grilled tri-tip.  Salut….

ZD Wines Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Massaya Classic – Le Colombier Rouge 2021, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

16 Tuesday Sep 2025

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Medium ruby colored, with slight staining and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black raspberry, cedar, blackberry coulis, menthol,  coffee bean, dark chocolate, wild herb, and ripe fig.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are pretty grippy.  The flavors hone in on black fruit with iodine, menthol and oaky wood notes.  It’s a young bottle, which is typical for Lebanese wines- they have great longevity.  The finish is pretty dry and tannin driven for the first part.  The fruit notes end medium in length, leaving me with a slightly bitter after taste.  It’s yummy, but young.  It’s a blend of 35% Grenache Noir, 35% Consult, and 30% Tempranillo.  I would give it a potential 90 points, it cost me $19 and gets 4 stars.  Drink till 2035.  Salut….

Massaya Le Colombier Rouge

Shumi Winery ‘Iberiuli’ Mukuzani 2022, Georgian Republic

15 Monday Sep 2025

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Deep ruby colored, with moderate staining, and medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red and black plum, vanilla bean, blackberry, acai berry, a medicinal note, and dried green herbs.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium body, and medium (+) tannins that are chalky.  The flavors are of medium intensity but get sidelined by the really seductive tannins.  Black fruit, oak influence by way of vanilla and a medicinal note, coupled with some dried herbs.  The finish is pretty decent in length and adds a bit of charred oak to the mix.  The Saperavi variety is one of two main teinturier grapes that are produced- the flesh is not clear, but pink colored which makes the wine very dark when fermented on the skins.  I paid $18 for this delicious wine that will be paired with Oxtail stew.  It gets 91 points from me and therefore- 5 stars!  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Shumi Winery 'Iberiuli' Mukuzani

Castello di Monsanto ‘Fabrizio Bianchi’ Chardonnay Toscana IGT 2022, Tuscany, Italy

30 Saturday Aug 2025

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Pale gold in color, with medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lanolin, lemon pith, pink grapefruit, a touch of vanilla, melon, and straw.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and a hint of phenolic bitterness.  The medium (+) intensity flavors mimic the nose with the exception of the melon and straw.  I like the acidity, it’s not cutting but it builds towards the back end and leaves the palate refreshed, the weight of the body initially dragging this wine down.  I don’t sense MLF, but there is a very deft hand at play in the oak department- it’s very nicely done and not overwhelming.  The finish is medium in length and moving more toward the tart side of things.  I like this wine.  It ran me $28 and gets 91 points.  I think it has decent cellaring capacity with a drink-by date of 2035.  Five stars from me!  Pairing it with Shrimp Scampi.  Salut….

Castello di Monsanto 'Fabrizio Bianchi' Chardonnay

Anselmo Mendes Contacto Alvarinho 2023, Vinho Verde, Portugal

25 Monday Aug 2025

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Pale gold with copper highlights, and a watery sheen (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of peach, orange blossom, Brazil nut skin, lanolin, sea spray, iodine, and white grapefruit pith.  The palate is dry, with high acidity, and a full body.  There’s a waxiness to the texture- it’s an interesting dichotomy of high acidity that normally pierces, against the full bodied, waxy mouth coating sensation I am getting.  It’s a touch bitter from the skin contact but I get the grapefruit pith and fruit, saline, peach, orange blossom, and a hint of nutty skin.  The finish is quite tart and refreshing, easing up on the heaviness I initially got.  It lasts a medium length.  Overall this is a delightful wine that I paid $23 for.  It gets 91 points and 5 stars.  We are baking Salmon with a lemon caper butter and rice to pair.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Anselmo Mendes Contacto Alvarinho

Bodegas Neo Punta Esencia 2004, Ribera del Duero, Spain

10 Sunday Aug 2025

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Deep garnet with slight copper edges, and a medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of baked cherry, fig, prune, dusty earth, vanilla, iodine, baked blueberry pie, leather, and dried herbs.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are still grippy but integrating nicely.  The flavors are very persistent and echo the nose.  This is a classic Tempranillo, aged in  French oak is my guess.  The finish is long and silky.  It’s still vibrant with years of cellaring capacity.  I opened it for my daughter’s 21st birth month and I’m glad I held on to it for so long.  It gets 94 points from me and can found online for about $130, making it a 5 star wine for a special occasion.  Salut….

Bodegas Neo Punta Esencia