TN: Tempier, Alzinger

2013 Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Steinertal - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (8/9/2020)
Medium light hay in color, how to describe this: elegant, medium intensity, savory notes, slightly green herbal notes, hints of umami, strong but well integrated acidity, so complex, intricate, sophisticated. Simply gorgeous wine.

I remember being very impressed with this on release, when it was much tighter, more austere, but showed the underlying intensity and complexity that is coming to the fore now, in its early adolescence. There are more savory notes now, and a rounder, more full bodied feel, and I suspect it will continue to improve for years to come. But man, is it good now. (95 pts.)

2019 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé - France, Provence, Bandol (8/7/2020)
Beautiful light salmon color, this has that amazing, explosive nose that this wine can have in its best years (and before those aromatics dissipate with time in bottle), orange melon, florals, light spicy garrigue; the palate is lush, floral, perhaps more fruit and a little less spice than in some years, impossible not to guzzle, that Tempier spice comes out more on the finish. If you love this form of the wine, as I do, this is a worthy contender to the all time best 2007, and wonderful 2012. If you’re one who likes to sit on this and let it age, I urge you to try one now to see it’s fabulous fresh side.

Revisit next day: everything is still here, but, as I was starting to notice a little later as I sipped on this last night, there is a definite sweet character to this vintage, showing some more obvious ripeness. Drink a little more chilled than you might normally. And, in my opinion, this is a vintage to drink young, I don’t see it holding very well, even into next year. (91 pts.)

Nice! That’s a great pair of wines for a summer afternoon/evening.

Alzinger’s line up from 2013 is just dynamite.

Great notes.

That '13 Alzinger Steinertal GV is one of my favorite wines of the past few years, at any price point. It’s world class – everything I want in a wine. And considering the price, the value is obscene (exact same thing can be said about the Riesling). And as Marcus says, the rest of Alzinger’s '13s are also phenomenal. I wish I’d bought in case quantities.

That’s too bad. I always like rose with age on it.

I used to drink more German than Austrian wines. The '13 Steinertal GV Smaragd from Alzinger changed that. I drank it at a hotel in the Austrian Alps and it rocked my world back in 2017. It was my first, but definitely not last Alzinger. I wasn’t able to find any '13s to buy, just '15s which haven’t been at the same level. 2013 was fantastic in Austria among the few bottles of various producers I’ve had.

I’m much more a Riesling drinker than Gruner, and I have a bunch of 13 Rieslings, fortunately. After I wrote this in CellarTracker, I noticed it’s my 4th note on the wine. I might have another bottle, but apparently I’ve drunk most of them already Wish there were more out there.

I’ve bought the 2019 Tempier Rose, but haven’t tried it, yet. But, I did try a bottle of the 2019 Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose . It’s also up with the best years and currently showing the explosive higher tones that these typically show early in their evolution. It’s generally just a bit more muscular than the Tempier, although the 2019 is less muscular than the 2018.

-Al

We sampled the 2019 Tempier on Friday and loved it as a drink-now Tempier. Surprisingly, I still have some 2013 Alzinger that I’ve been trying to avoid drinking too young. I’m not terribly good at that.

Cheers,
fred

Just had the 19 Pibarnon next to the 19 Tempier. Pibarnon was perfect now, though I’m sure it will be fine next year as well. I’ll wait a year on the rest of my Tempier.

Opened my 1st '19 Tempier last night. Delicious as you say, but I didn’t get the drink soon rather than stash, aspect to it. Great now, and I imagine will be great in a few years.

Yeah, I hope you’re right. I’ve found that I prefer to age mine at least several years.

I’ll try another bottle soon, and see if it comes across the same. For me, this bottle showed a lot of sweetness, real solar character, on the palate. My own opinion is that doesn’t bode well for the vintage aging interestingly, though I have no doubt it will be just fine to drink for several years or more. But, as it loses the flamboyant floral/fruity aromatics, it will be much less interesting to me, as a riper version.

Thanks, Alan