2012 FRED LOIMER LOIS ($20.25)
Grüner Veltliner is not the name of that steroid-crazed bobsledder who assaulted those poor farm animals but a grape variety, grown mostly in Austria.
The single example available at the NLC is the Fred Loimer 2012 “Lois,” pronounced, over in that deeply weird birthplace of Hitler, to rhyme with “choice,” which is how I am now to forever address any of the women I know with that name.
This is a dry white wine, with crab apple flavours and tartness, and even some grapefruit pith bitterness. There’s a funk here too, something vaguely shroomy and a chalky sort of mineral profile. That sounds better than it is.
Not sure what this wine would go with. I’m tempted to say “schnitzel” because it is terrific fun to do so. Like shouting “auf wiedersehen!” and “schnell!” The different parts of Lois don’t really come together. Mostly “meh.”
Affordable white is harder to find than red but there are better deals for the $20 or so you drop on this one. 34.2 out of possible 56.8 on an arbitrary scale I only now made up.
2011 XAVIER CÔTES DU RHÔNE ($20.25)
Côtes du Rhône means “slopes of the Rhône” and the vineyards and wine made in a vast stinking-hot part of the South of France.
On a bottle it gives no indication of what’s inside. It’s mostly red, mostly from grenache and syrah grapes but sometimes white and then mostly of a half dozen different grapes you’ve never heard of.
It ranges from the most god-awful “carafe” wine to stuff that is better than Chateauneuf-du-Pape made around the corner and selling for $60 a bottle.
The best red examples convey the heat of the sun under which the grapes ripened and the taste of rosemary, thyme and even lavender that grow over there.
The worst examples manage to be raisiny and somehow thin at the same time. You want a little intel before you buy, no wine better justifies this sort of column than Côtes du Rhône.
The 2011 Xavier Côtes du Rhône has some mourvedre grape in the mix and is purported to come from older vines which, like older lovers, better know what they are doing.
The Xavier is a good, not great, example. It’s got a cheery cherry thing going on but a little too much alcohol heat. Just worth the price, this sound cheapie would go with anything off the barbecue, from chops to eggplant and peppers, even a burger. It’s particularly garlic-friendly and can handle North African or Middle Eastern fare.
Hey,
Just had to make a quick comment about pairing food with gruner veltliner. Don’t be so quick to write it off! Gruner is the unsung hero of food pairings. It tackles all of the mean, harsh wine killers like asparagus and brussel sprouts. Literally, this wine is named “green veltliner.” This may refer to its starbright green tinge but also to its aroma. So we can assume it’s gorgeous with any and all things that are green. And it would be a rightful assumption. This wine sings with food. It’s trademark sharp acidity makes even sauvignon blanc seem soft and flabby. Gruner is not fussy on sugar and fruit, though, even though it has this characteristic ‘peach’ note. The white pepper note is predominant but for some reason not as pronounced in the 1 *one* gruner veltliner we have listed in the NLC. The grape has lots of diversity. They can be as steely and green as a French Loire Valley sauvignon blanc or they can be as lush and sweet as a German riesling. Recently they poked high-end gruner in a blind line-up with Burgundy’a best chardonnay and everyone though this Austrian oddball was the best of the lot, unaware that it was any different and a fraction of the price. I personally can’t wait to see more on the shelf. As for this one, save it for citrus heavy carpaccio and decorate the dish with anything green. Confetti it with herbs. Not an ideal summer sipper on its own unless you have a penchant for talking through a mouthful of saliva. The food tames it, though. Crazy old gruner veltliner. And I would definitely drink it with a schnitzel, too. Good call.
Scott Cowan
Certified Sommelier
Reluctant Chef Restaurant