Remi Niero Estate
It is on terraced hillsides that the Domaine Niero harvests the best grapevines of Viognier and Syrah to offer unique vintages of Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie.
Culture ways:
Caring about environment, your wine grower has resorted to thoughtful working methods in the vineyard so as to develop a responsible wine growing . Moreover, aware of the need to adapt his culture policies, he has recently resorted to organic farming.
Date Founded: 1973
Now at the head of the vineyard , Rémi Niero has taken over from his father Robert, who, from Rémi’s early age, has passed on to him his whole know-how and passion for wine growing. The latter had taken over a small vineyard from his father-in-law Jean Pinchon in 1985, planting and working hard in those “chaillets” to make one of the most beautiful landscapes of our shared patrimony look more beautiful. Despite the requirement of this soil, his efforts have been rewarded by the authentic and natural balance of the wines.
To honor his masters Robert and Jean, Rémi offers his new vintage « Héritage» ,which is particularly faithful to the know-how and identity of the domain. Taken from the selection of the most beautiful casks of Condrieu, it will charm your taste buds and those of your guests.
Remi Niero Côte-Rôtie vineyard:
History:
It is one of the oldest vineyards in France. The Romans developed it and later, during the Middle-Age, a legend says that Lord Maugiron shared his good between his two daughters, one brown-haired and the other blond-haired,hence the names that the wines have kept , Côte Brune and Côte Blonde. Côte-Rôtie is the domain of the Syrah vine, which is broad and manly. A small place has been given to Viognier (20 % maximum allowed in the blend) which can bring a more feminine note.
Soils and climate:
The vine is harvested on grape-pickers’ backs on very steep granitic hillsides called “chaillets”, hold back by stone walls. The climate is the same than in the Condrieu vineyard. Rémi and Robert Niero’s Côte-Rôtie comes from two parcels over two hectares : La Viallière and Le Côteau de Bassenon (the southernmost parcel of the label).
Delicate and refined nose on white flesh fruits aromas followed by delicate flower notes. Very harmonious, fresh and pure on the palate. The intense and mineral touch on the finish is a genuine invitation to fondness.
Grapes come from decomposed granite soil on the slopes of the "Roncharde" , "Côte Chatillon", "La Caille", "Vergelas" and "Corbéry".
Vines are 20 years old on average.
Pneumatic pressing.
Alcoholic fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks.
40% of the wine is aged in French Oak barrels for 12 months and the other 60% is aged in stainless steel tanks.
Batonnage (stirring of the lees)
Malolactic fermentation
Asparugus with mousseline sauce, pike quenelles, pourlty, lobster en bellevue, scallops, praws with curry sauce, delicate asian dishes.
Weingut Prager Stockkultur Achleiten Gruner Veltliner Smaragd is made from 100 percent Gruner Veltliner.
Franz Prager, co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers.
Smaragd is a designation of ripeness for dry wines used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. The wines must have minimum alcohol of 12.5%. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October and November, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.
Stockkultur is a 0.3-hectare plot at the top of Achleiten and was purchased by Toni Bodenstein in 2005. The name refers to the old style of training each vine to a single stake; the traditional method of vine cultivation in the Wachau before the 1950s. The vines planted in 1938 are among the oldest in the Wachau.
Tasting Notes:
Prager’s stylistic signature is that of aromatic complexity coupled with power and tension. High-density planting and long hang times ensure ripe fruit flavors and concentration, yet allowing leaves to shade the fruit lend vibrant aromatics of grasses, herbs, and wildflowers. Minerality is a constant feature of any Prager wine.
Food Pairing:
With minimum alcohol of 12.5%, Grüner Veltliner Smaragd is a concentrated and full-bodied dry white wine. Its intensity of flavor and ripeness of fruit make it ideal with high-integrity ingredients such as seared white fish or sautéed spring vegetables. Grüner Veltliner is a classic accompaniment to Wiener Schnitzel.
Review:
From vines planted in 1937 and picked as the first of the Smaragd wines, the 2020 Ried Achleiten Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Stockkultur (planted with 15,000 vines per hectare) opens with a spectacular deep and complex but refined, fresh and flinty bouquet with intense, ripe pear and biscuit aromas. On the palate, this is a dense and lush yet pure, elegant and complex, wide and powerful but also mineral Achleiten with a long, finely tannic and still sweet finish (due to more than 30 grams per liter of dry extract). Tasted at the domaine in June 2021.
At Prager, I could not determine that 2020 would be inferior to the 2019 vintage; on the contrary, the 2020 Smaragd wines fascinated me enormously in their clear, cool, terroir-tinged way. A 38% loss had occurred mainly because of the hail on August 22, although predominantly in the Federspiel or Riesling vineyards. There was no damage in the top vineyards such as Ried Klaus, Achleiten or Zwerithaler. "Interestingly, the vines are in agony for about two weeks after the hail. There was no more growth, no development of ripeness and sugar," reports Toni Bondenstein. The Veltliner then recovered earlier, while even picking a Riesling Federspiel in October was still a struggle. "Why Riesling reacted more intensively to the hail, I don't know myself either," says Bodenstein. Whole clusters were pressed to preserve acidity and to compensate for the lower extract, and compared to 2019, the 2020s were left on their lees longer. In June, however, the 20s in particular showed outstanding early shape.
-Wine Advocate 96 Points
Belle Glos Eulenoch Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Ruby red with aromas of ripe cherry and juicy blackberry with hints of cocoa. Rich and opulent offering flavors of bakers chocolate, blackberry, and sweet pipe tobacco. Well rounded with supple, refined tannins and a mouthwatering, long finish.
Review:
Brimming with boysenberry, lavender, and black tea, this expressive, well-structured Pinot Noir made with freerun juice aged in (60% new French oak for nine months is equal parts juicy, dense, energetic, and glossy. Sweet tobacco, vanilla wafer, and pomegranate align with supple tannins. Delicious.
-Tasting Panel 96 Points