Lenz Moser Selection 2009

Lenz Moser Grüner Veltliner; came in box

VC got this as a gift for being the judge of an English speaking competition in St. Pölten in March.

The flavor is a bit sweeter than the average Veltliner, which  could be accounted for with the "Selection" label. The bouquet is fruity, lots of citrus (lemon, and maybe even grapefruit). The palate is very like a Riesling, and went well with my veggie stir fry.

The 2010  Grüner Veltliner just won the International Wine Challenge 2011. That should tell you something! Prices for this particular wine I cannot share, because it was a gift. But, according to the website, you can get the wine for €6.30 per bottle, with the opportunity to join the Lenz Moser club, and buy wine. They also have the possibility to ship their wares to you throughout the world! Snazzy.

Ouf alors! Matayac Cahors

This delicious wine was brought back from Paris in V.C.'s luggage. You can tell it's a good one because the bottle is sealed with wax...rather than aluminum foil or a screw top. Either that, or the vintner wants to give the illusion of something special.

In the case of the Matayac Cahors, the "something special" is not a veneer...

We saved this wine in our dorm room, expecting to drink it upon graduation...and then didn't. So I brought it home with me, waiting for a special occasion to drink it. We finally decided that, since I would be headed back to Europe on a Fulbright teaching assistantship, and C.B. made it down for a rare appearance in Green Bay, this was occasion enough...otherwise, when would we drink it? 

I certainly was not going to lug it back across the Atlantic...nor was I comfortable leaving it in my parents' house (Mom would probably put it in the refrigerator, drink it without me, or do something equally sacrilegious to red wine consumption...)

Thus, we popped off the wax, decanted, and enjoyed! According to CB, it was "good even before decanting." Other comments? "Wow!" Stats include:

Year: 2005

Appearance: deep red/purple

Cost: 10-15 € (can't remember exact price)

Taste: smoky, with notes of blackberry and hibiscus; 

                      aged in oak barrels, which accounts for the smokiness

Bought: in 2008 at Carrefour, Boulogne, Paris, France