Saturday, February 5, 2011

2007 Bernard Van Berg "La Rose" (Rosé)

Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Production: Only ridiculous 200-250 bottles
Location: We are in Meursault
This is biodynamic wine
Bonus: Debut release of this wine was in 2006. It was initially not Bernard Van Berg’s intention to make a rosé, but it was the result of pure skin bleeding into the must, where he decided to leave the wine as it was.
Glass: Zalto Universal

Some of the most interesting wines are sometimes those, which is hard to categorize on a simple aroma wheel. Often it’s the result of a strong personality and wines, which has the ability to create their own dimension. This wine is such a wine.

Let’s taste it.

I have tasted it twice now. The first time I served it rather chilled – but I was to learn how the wine increased its complex layers and aromas with a higher temperature and overall becoming a far more interesting wine. When you served it chilled you can of course tell that you have a very intense wine in the glass. It displays notes of strawberry, apricot, orange blossom and roses. The oak plays the second violin and creates inner warmth both on nose and palate. When it’s chilled, I was actually a bit concerned as it’s has an almost iron like warmth on the finish. Not alcoholic as such, but we are dealing with a very intense wine, though it has a sleek mouth feel.

Now we raise it in temperature.

The good student knows – from my little glass introduction – how texture and temperature are linked together. Here you have the perfect example. The sleek and steely texture, becomes extremely gentle and to a degree of subtle sensual weightlessness. The oak becomes more expressive with sweet pastry notes – yet subdued with exceptional balance and seductive appeal. At this stage the drinking pleasure is unbelievable and both a real seductive “sniffer” wine, but also an extremely rewarding and emotional wine.

When it comes to rosé – and not Champagne – I consider myself a novice. But in this category, this is easily the best rosé I have ever tasted.

2 comments:

Voodoo Child said...

Any idea of the clone or clones?
Why did you chose that glass?

Thomas said...

Hi Ebbe,

Nope - sorry.

Yes why that glass?

It's obvious to use the Zalto Burgundy. I started with the Burgundy glass and shifted to the Universal, as I found it sort of more controlled in the universal glass. It had a better harmony in Universal and it's gentle texture flows better on the palate with Universal.

/Thomas
We are weird...a