Real winenerd wines

I love my German rieslings and spätburgunders, have 6 vintages of BAMA, absolutely adore sherry and my cellar has quite a few quirky Italians (Granato from Foradori!). So I think I do pretty well on the wine nerd-o-meter and can at times struggle finding anything more “moderate” when entertaining less nerdy folks. Still, I feel there must be more quirky stuff out there…
Do you guys have any suggestions a proper winenerd should definitely try?

Roll Tide!

Had to google that one :upside_down_face: Am afraid I meant the Margaux worked by an elderly gentleman for 50+ vintages

I know, but it’s Saturday, so I could not resist.

Anyway, I guess I have to ask why the search for quirky?

You could try wines from the Jura. They are definitely quirky, and not for everyone, but certainly “nerdy.”

Ever dabbled in Scheurebe?

How about trying some Austrian Grüner Veltliner? It’s not as obscure as some other things, but every wine geek should know it. If you want to get quirky in Austria there’s Neuberger and Furmint.

Well, my first thought was those vin doux naturel wines from France that noone seems to drink anymore, like Rivesaltes and Maury, and in the Spanisg non-fortified version, Fondillon.

In general, if you don’t know it, you might enjoy Jason Wilson’s book “Godforsaken Grapes.” There are some chapters on pretty mainstream varieties (like grüner veltliner and even riesling), but also sections on wines from gringet, petit rouge, etc.

Maybe I live inside a bubble but I don’t consider any of the things you mention all that nerdy really. Almost everything Otto F has ever blinded me with has been way more nerdy. Moravia Agria from Spain? Skin contact field blend of Timorasso, Verdea, Bosco, Riesling and Chasselas from Piemonte? 40yo Cabernet d’Anjou?

Pais from S. America.

Skin contact Cortese from California

Do you mean you want to explore more obscure or less-known grapes and regions?

Or do you want wines that are really odd in the glass, like skin contact whites or Scholium Project?

The latter I guess. If obscure grape X taste just like Chardonnay from burgundy, I’d just stick with the original. I guess I like taste profiles that are just slightly different. Had a Georgian skin contact white in a Georgian restaurant the other day and that was very enjoyable. Paired perfectly with the food and tickled some different taste buds.

[worship.gif] [worship.gif] [worship.gif]

Had a look in my cellar to see if I could find anything even close and can only come up with Arinto dos Acores

Dry Grand Cru Banyuls Ancestral for aperitif or dessert? Try Viviane Le Roy if a little sweeter is OK.

Ok so perhaps not totally nerdy, but definitely stuff some nerdy folks like, include:

Marc Plouzeau Chinon Franc de Pied
Chateau Musar
Levet Cote Rotie
Souhaut gamay (from Northern Rhône)
Metras Beaujolais l’Ultime
Marcel Juge Cornas

And since you like BAMA - the drink not the college football (I love them both) - try:

Domaine du Jaugaret - St Julien
Clos du Jaugueyron - Margaux
Chateau le Puy - St Emilion

Also, just do a search for Otto’s threads. He’s the ultimate (cool) geek.

champagne.gif Lol [wink.gif]

And you’ve merely seen what’s just underneath the surface, since you normally don’t come to my tastings where I pour blind wines. [wink.gif]

Although I must say that many of the wines listed in the thread are quite geeky. German Rieslings and Spätburgunders definitely are not, unless one’s drinking habits consist mainly of Napa Cabs, but I’d argue that BAMA is from the geekier end of Bordeaux and Foradori is to many classicists a geeky producer. However, while somewhat geeky, both the wines are pretty mainstream as well.

Most skin-contact whites and Jura wines definitely tickle my geeky side. Arinto dos Acores as well, since so very little of it is produced.

Although I love wines of Rivesaltes and Maury, I wouldn’t call them particularly geeky. However, a Dry Banyuls has its geek factor kicked up a notch or two, definitely.

[rofl.gif] Flattered!

Nevertheless, a list of great wines. Not from the nerdiest end, but from the solid, classicist end of the geek spectrum. Haven’t had any Jaugueyron yet, but have a few bottles coming up my way!

Oh my, not sure how I forgot about this:

Colares

Here is a note from a 1969.

Some more iconoclastic than classic, and most definitely not archetypes for their respective regions or appellations, but all have a distinction that makes them rather unique.

I find it interesting when a well known winemaker/producer puts out a wine that is a bit out of conventional expectations of what that winemaker/producer is known for. Not a new trend or current “in” thing, just quirky. It’s like a successful artist trying something new. Of course, my quirky may be someone else’s yawn. I couple of wines that I had this year that fit in with my idea of quirky: Domaine de la Pepiere Cot and Patricia Green Dry Muscat Ottonel. Both delicious by the way. Cheers.

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Two related Turkish grapes, Kalecik Karasi (red) and Narince (white), should pin your nerd-o-meter.

Kalecik Karasi is grown most commonly around Ankara, a very hot climate in the summer, but it is light in color and can have Pinot Noir-like scents. The better bottlings from the large wineries Vinkara and Kavaklidere can be quite good.

Narince is a cross between Kalecik Karasi and another indigenous grape. When well made, it produces a full-bodied, flavorful white that retains good acid. It’s grown on the Aegean coast and on the Aegean islands. I prefer Vinkara’s unoaked version to the fatter, more expensive one that sees new oak. Corvus makes an even better Narince. The grape is also used in some of Kavaklidere’s cheaper white blends, which are great values.

I’ve been exploring Cesanese di Piglio, young and old. Cesanese is grown in only a few towns in the hills southeast of Rome. The profile isn’t radically different from other grapes (Monepulciano might be the closest I can think of), but there’s a distinct earthiness (think baked clay) that I really like. They seem more readily available in Europe, judging by Wine Searcher.

+1

There were a couple made by Louis-Antoine Luyt in Chile from 200-300-year-old vines that were poured at LDM/Louis Dresser tasting a few years back. Fascinating, really fine wines. Can’t believe I never bought any!

Arjan - These would score extra nerd bonus points in Europe!