Aug 8, 2012

Kendermanns Grauburgunder Trocken 2011 (Pfalz, Germany) - pretty value for small money


During my trip to Berlin this July I tasted a local wine worth a note when thinking of a reasonable everyday wine with multiple food pairing options.

Kendermanns Grauburgunder Trocken 2011, 12.5% abv, 7.9 g/l residual sugar.

The wine is from the Pfalz region in Germany which is the second largest wine producing area in Germany after Rheinhessen, predominantly a white wine area.

Winemaker Philip Maurer made this grauburgunder (i.e Pinot Gris) a good value wine which in particular could be combined with plenty of dishes. There are cinnamon and apple notes on the nose, mixed with earthy / dusty cellar like notes which however do not disturb at all.

Just enough residual sugar to give a round mouth feel, however balanced by enough acidity for the palate not to feel sweet. Medium bodied. Almost oily composure and nicely balanced albeit feeling of a higher than usual alcohol content. Apple, pear and white pepper on the palate.

Noticeable alcohol gives structure to the wine and is typical of pinot gris / grauburgunder grape which usually ripens fast, leading to higher sugar content and therefore higher potential alcohol content. However here the winemaker has left some residual sugar in the wine and limited alcohol content to increase only to 12.5%. Alcohol is still slightly overpowering when the wine warms up, so drink yours well chilled.

The wine can be used with multiple dishes due to the round feeling, and goes especially well with spicy dishes. Try it with thai food or similar dishes. A nice wine for the price (the bottle cost only some 5-6 euro in Berlin).

P.S.... The finish is, though, quite short initially and slightly flirting with bitterness with only short glass time. However it evolved into a more round wine with more glass time. Some citrus Hubba Bubba (chewing gum) notes emerging after the bottle had been opened for 2 hours.