Weingut Okonomierat Rebholz

History of the Rebholz family dates back to the early 16^th century, but viticulture has been the focus only for the last three generations. Grandfather Eduard and father Hans Rebholz were pioneers of dry quality in the Sudliche Weinstrasse district, southern part of Pfalz.

Over 70 years now the family has created a typical wine style which is an uncompromising natural reflection of the vintage. The wines are neither chaptalized nor deacidified, so can have 11.8% ABV to 13.5% ABV from one vintage to the next. From the end of 1980s, Hansjorg Rebholz has taken over, continuing to perfect the sense of the place and vintage express itself.

For example, in 2010 unlike many others who chaptalized, deacidified or put wines through malolactic fermentation to soften the high acidity, Rebholz did nothing but pick late and highly selective, making bone-dry wines. The basis of quality is the soil, with complex types of loess, loam, clay, sandstone, limestone all existing.

The family has sought out the best locations for different varieties. Since 2005 the vineyards have been managed organically. The grapes are harvested selectively by hand in multiple passes, with the grand cru picked last to get fully ripe, intense and 100% healthy grapes.

These are destemmed and macerated for 24 hours, gently pressed, before the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks or barrels (for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay). Each batch is processed individually and stored in suitably sized tanks until final blending or bottling.

The family produces a mix of varieties, though internationally more renown for its Rieslings, it also has Gelber Muskatellers and Gewurztraminers. The wine style can be dry, late-harvest or noble sweet, with also a Sekt which is regarded as one of the best sparkling wines in Germany.

The Kastanienbusch Riesling GG is their signature wine, from a 3 hectare vineyard on a steep, south-facing slope, the highest grand cru in Pfalz. The vines average 20 years and grow in ferrous conglomerate soil.

I have recently tasted the 2009 vintage of the Kastanienbusch GG and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has light lemon color, with watery rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium intensity of citrus fruit such as lemon and grapefruit, floral notes of white acacia, mineral notes of stony and waxy, autolytic notes of lees, sweet spice of ginger, slight hints of maturity notes of honey. The wine is developing.  

Palate

Dry with medium (+) acidity, the wine has medium alcohol with a medium (-) body and medium (-) intensity flavors of citrus fruit like lemon and grapefruit, floral notes of acacia, mineral notes of stony. However, the wine has only a short finish. 

Conclusion

Good quality German Riesling with a nice nose showing good complexity and reasonable intensity, the palate however is less impressive, with simpler flavors but the most disappointing is the finish, which abruptly disappeared and did not provide any lingering. Ready to drink now, the wine can be further developed for another 3-5 years.

Chateau Lascombes

The origin of Chateau Lascombes started in the 17^th century, when it was owned by the Durfort de Duras family. During the mid-18^th century, the property was split, with one part forming the origin of Durfort-Vivens, the other becoming Lascombes. It was acquired by the Lascombes family, under Chevalier Antoine de Lascombes, remaining under his descendants for over a century.

Shortly after the Revolution the estate was passed to Nathaniel Johnston, the negociant firm established by Scottish-Irish immigrant William Johnson. The heirs subsequently sold the property to the Hue family, with fresh investment in the vineyard. Despite the reduction in size, the property still enjoyed a good reputation and was ranked a deuxieme cru in the 1855 classification.

When Hue’s son-in-law took over, he sold it to Gustave Chaix-d’Est-Ange, who bequeathed it to his children Jean-Jules Theophile and Jeanne-Marie. Jean-Jules was a famous lawyer who won the case against Egypt over the Suez Canal, but was an absentee landlord, with the estate managed by M. Valbord Hugen.

However, it was Jean-Jules who built the chateau still standing today, and also acquiring the neighboring Marquis d’Alesme-Becker, planning to merge the two vineyards. But he died in 1923 before this could be achieved, with his successor Comte Emmanuel du Bourg du Bazas selling Alesme-Becker to Chaplin & Co.

In 1926 the estate was formed into a company, with Ginestets coming on as a major shareholder. Alexis Lichine came to rescue the failing property in 1951, acquiring the estate one year after the purchase of Prieure-Lichine, revitalizing and investing to improve the quality. In 1971 Lichine’s backers were taken over by brewing giant Bass Charrington, enlarging the vineyard though many coming from distant plots with young vines, plus refurbishment in the cellars.

By 1985 Bass Charrington appointed Rene Vannetelle, adding a new chai and paying attention to the vines and selecting the best plots for the grand vin, rejecting the remaining, seeing the gradual improvement in quality. In 2001 a controlling stake was purchased by an American pension fund Capital Colony, appointing Alain Raynaud to manage the property and having Michel Rolland for oenologist.

Revitalisation continued and the vineyards were expanded and reorganized, with a four-level gravity-fed chai and new equipment. In 2010 it was purchased by MACSF, a pension fund group serving French professionals, but decided to keep the Capital Colony winemaking team. Currently the estate has 117 hectares of vines, but not every plot of good quality, with some even outside the Margaux appellation.

The vines are 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, averaging 35 years of age. The soils are a mixture of clay-limestone and gravel, planting at a density of 8000-10000 vines per hectare. Harvesting is done by hand, with the fruit sorted and destemmed, lightly pressed and macerated whilst cooled by dry ice if needed.

The must then goes through fermentation in the chai, in a mix of French oak and stainless steel tanks, having temperature control, with the wine resting on skins with daily tasting to determine when to run into barrels. The wine is gravity fed into French oak barrels which may be 100% new for the grand vin Chateau Lascombes, sometimes even for the second wine Chevalier des Lascombes in selected vintages. There are regular racking and fining with egg white before bottling.

I have recently tasted the 2004 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has deep ruby color, with narrow garnet rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (+) intensity of black fruit such as cassis, blackberry and dark plum, pungent spice of licorice, mineral notes of earth, maturity notes of savory, oak notes of cedar, kernel notes of coffee, floral notes of violet. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium (+) acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin of ripe and velvety texture. Medium in alcohol, it has medium (+) body and medium (+) intensity flavors of black fruit such as cassis, blackberry and dark plum, oak notes of cedar, pungent spice of licorice, maturity notes of sweet tobacco and savory. The wine has a medium (+) finish.  

Conclusion

Very good quality high-priced Bordeaux left bank showing the intensity and richness of a good Margaux, with the fruity nose giving a floral background and other characters, suggesting the communal style of a Margaux. The palate is well-structured, balanced with robust and harmonious flavors, good concentration and also a fairly long finish. Ready to drink now and probably at its peak, not for further development but can maintain for another 3-5 years.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 10. Lamb Cutlets with Spaghetti Milanese

Ingredients (for 4):

• Lamb cutlets - 1 lb 8 oz
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• White pepper powder - dashes
• Flour - 1.5 oz
• Egg - 1
• Bread crumbs - 2 oz
• Ham - 4 oz
• Mushroom - 2 oz
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• White pepper powder - dashes
• Tomato sauce - 1 lb
• Butter - 2 oz
• Spaghetti - 1 lb

Procedures:

1. Trim the lamb cutlets to remove the fat and tendon, marinate with salt and white pepper powder.

2. Coat with flour, then egg and bread crumbs.

3. Deep fry the lamb cutlets.

4. Boil a large pot of water and add some salt. Add the spaghetti and cook per the instruction on package.

5. Save some of the water to be added back to the spaghetti.

6. Use butter to cook the stir fry the spaghetti, adding the ham and mushroom.

7. Add the tomato sauce and season.

8. Serve with the spaghetti on the bottom, with the lamb cutlet on top.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 9. Tomato Sauce

Ingredients (for 10):

• Butter - 1 oz
• Onion shredded - 4 oz
• Carrot shredded - 4 oz
• Celery shredded - 2 oz
• Bay leaves - 2
• Thyme - 1 tsp
• Bacon - 1 oz
• Flour - 1 oz
• Tomato paste - 2 oz
• Stock - 1 lb 11 oz
• Garlic finely - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Procedures:

1. Cook the butter and then add the mixed vegetable.

2. Add bacon and continue to stir to turn light golden. Then add flour and tomato paste.

3. Add stock and garlic. Cook for about a hour.

4. Sieve and season.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 8. Spinach with Crab Meat Soup

Ingredients (for 4):

• Butter - 2 oz
• Flour - 2 oz
• White stock - 2 lb 8 oz
• Milk - 4 oz
• Avoset - 2 oz
• Salt - 1 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Spinach puree - 6 oz
• Crab meat - 1 oz
• Nutmeg grounded - 1/8 tsp

Procedures:

1. Clean the spinach and then blanch in boiling water, adding 1/4 tsp soda powder.

2. After blanching for 5 minutes, drain the water and put spinach in cold water.

3. Drain the water and then blend into puree.

4. Cook the butter in pot, then add flour to cook for 3-5 minutes under low heat.

5. Add stock gradually and whisk well, then cook for 20 minutes.

6. Add milk, avoset, seasonings.

7. Use sieve to filter the soup, then add the spinach puree and crab meat.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 7. Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients (for 4):

• Flour - 125 g
• Egg yolk - 1
• Butter - 65 g
• Salt - dashes
• Milk - 100 ml
• Cream - 100 ml
• Egg - 1
• Egg yolk - 1
• Nutmeg - dashes
• Bacon - 100 g
• Grated Gruyere cheese - 60 g
• Salt - dashes
• White pepper powder - dashes

Procedures:

1. Sift the flour and make a well in the centre. 

2. Incorporate the salt, cubed butter, egg yolk and about 25 ml water. Work rapidly to combine the ingredients so that the dough does not become elastic. Form it into a ball.

3. Chill for 30 minutes, covered in plastic wrap.

4. Roll out the dough thinly, then drape it over a rolling pin and transfer it to a tart dish. 

5. Combine the milk, cream, egg, egg yolk and nutmeg together well, but not making it foamy. Season with salt and white pepper powder. 

6. Remove the hard rind from the bacon and dice it into small pieces. Place the diced bacon bits in a pot with cold water and blanch them. 

7. Preheat the oven to 180 degree C. 

8. Arrange the bacon pieces on the tart base. 

9. Fill the base with the egg mixture and spread the grated Gruyere cheese over the mixture.

10, Bake immediately for 30-35 minutes until the top just starts to brown and the base is done.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 6. Filet of Sole Roulade Prawns

Ingredients (for 4):

• Filet of sole - 4 
• Prawns - 8
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• White pepper powder - dashes
• Dry white wine - 2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Sliced bacon - 8

Procedures:

1. Defrost the sole, wipe dry and cut into two halves.

2. Remove the shell from the prawns.

3. Marinate both the fish and prawns with salt, white wine and lemon juice.

4. Put the bacon on bottom, then add the fish filet and prawn. Wrap it tight and hold in position using toothpick.

5. Pan fry the roulade until brown, then put in oven for about 8 minutes, preheated at 240 degC.

6. Pour the white sauce topping when serve.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 5. Topping White Sauce

Ingredients (for 4):

• Melted butter - 2 tbsp
• Plain flour - 3 tbsp
• Dry mustard - 1 tsp
• Milk - 8 oz
• Cheddar cheese - 1/2 cup
• Beaten egg - 1

Procedures:

1. Put the butter in a sauce pan to melt, then add flour and cook under low heat for about one minute.

2. Add milk to thicken and then add the cheese.

3. Pour in the beaten egg and mix well.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 4. Smoked Chicken Apple Salad

Ingredients (for 4):

• Green apple - 2
• Celery - 6 oz
• Cucumber - 6 oz
• Red onion - 2 oz
• Smoked chicken - 8 oz
• Raisin - 2 tbsp
• Mint leaf - 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
• Plain yogurt - 1 cup
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Lettuce 

Procedures:

1. Peel the green apple, then cut into stripes.

2. Remove the hard fiber of the celery and cut into stripes. 

3. Peel the cucumber and remove the seeds. Cut into stripes.

4. Thinly slice the red onion and mint leaves.

5. Put the raisins into warm water to soak for about 10 minutes. Drip dry.

6. Remove the meat from the smoked chicken, also remove the skin.

7. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, then add the yogurt and lemon juice. Season with salt.

8. Put the lettuce on the serving bowl, then put the salad on top.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 3. Yoghurt Foam with Strawberries

Ingredients (for 4):

• Natural yoghurt - 375 g
• Whipping cream - 100 ml
• N2O cartridges for the siphon - 1
• Strawberries - 180-270 g

Procedures:

1. Pour the yoghurt and cream into a large bowl and mix well.

2. Sweeten with sugar if you like.

3. Pass the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve, into the siphon.

4. Charge the siphon with the cartridge. Leave to cool in the fridge.

5. Wash and hull the strawberries, then halve them.

6. Shake the siphon vigorously just before serving.

7. Dispense the foam into small bowls or glasses, then top with the strawberries.