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It took two years to find all the candidates we wanted for this comparative tasting of legendary Syrah from the old and new worlds. In the end, there were even more than we reasonably wanted to taste, so that not all the big names got a chance. The aim of this tasting was by no means to determine the best of all Syrah, let alone to answer the question of which continent the finest wines of this noble variety come from. Both would have been nonsense. We were well aware that we were comparing apples and oranges. Rather, it was about comparing the most diverse styles at the very highest level.

We were invited by a wine collector from Erlangen, in whose garden the Swiss and local full-blooded hedonists had already arrived in the afternoon. What is the intelligent way to start such a tasting on a very sunny Saturday afternoon in June? That's right. A port wine riddle.

Surprisingly, the 97 Quinta do Noval was even guessed by one of the participants: Distinctly dense, glossy purple. Smoky-spicy scent of black cherries, as well as preserved red and black berries, some oak with dark roasted aroma, clove, after some time also plums and floral notes, minerality hidden in the background. Exceptionally lively, fresh, juicy fruit, wonderful sweetness, aromas of cocktail cherries, red berries, plums and mint, crisp and very racy, smoky aromatics on the palate, present, very fine tannin, great power and depth, ethereal notes in the beguiling finish. Until 2035. 95 points.

The refreshment that followed came in the form of an 82 Krug Vintage and a nice portion of caviar Beluga Imperial, for which even my foot-sick grandmother would have made a blissful pilgrimage to the Crimea without hesitation. The jug, on the other hand, did not seem to be in the best of shape and would hardly have made the lady get up from the couch, especially if she had had to take her eyes off the Musikantenstadl for a few seconds.

Well, he wasn't that bad, though. The details: Light gold with the finest perlage. Woody and still slightly yeasty aroma of mealy apples, some lemon, oyster shells and herbs, intense and ripe with vegetal and mineral nuances. In the mouth clear, tart fruit, fine-juicy, relatively restrained acidity, again herbal and citrusy, mineral, almost smoky aromas in the background, very dry, detached style, persistent on the palate, but without the usual race, firmness and tension, nevertheless harmonious and very long. Until 2005. 88 points.

The refusal of the brilliant afternoon sun to set gave the host an opportunity to ride his hobbyhorse a little: the great white wines of Alsace.

Although served undercover, the '89 Gewürztraminer Clos Windsbuhl by Zind-Humbrecht had no chance to hide its identity: light gold with green reflections. Creamy, intense and beguiling bouquet: preserved peaches, mango, some green fruit, plus finest herbs and dried rose petals, mineral spiciness in the background. Full-bodied and juicy, creamy texture, wonderful, elegant acidity, mineral backbone, almost smoky on the palate, dense and profound, great power, tremendously persistent, absolutely harmonious, enormous length. Really great and the ideal companion to a pearl hungalantine with marinated peppers, courgettes, mushrooms and chanterelles. Until 2010. 96 points.

Two more classics followed the press head. First, the 89 Cuvée Frederic Èmile Vendanges Tardives from Trimbach: Shiny yellow-green. Restrained, "airy", distinctly mineral scent of herbs, lemon and some white peach with a hint of green asparagus. Very juicy and rich in the mouth, full-bodied, fine creamy fruit, delicate sweetness, mineral spiciness, lively, thanks to perfectly integrated acidity, fine mineral also on the palate, very persistent, great balance, very fine finish. Until 2015. 93 points.

Its big brother, the 89 Clos Ste. Hune Vendanges Tardives, went one better, as expected: creamy bouquet of peaches and ripe citrus fruits with delicate herbal aromas, supported by intense mineral spiciness. Firm, juicy fruit, intensely mineral, a hint of herbs, restrained, delicately honeyed sweetness, finest acidity, deep and persistent on the palate, very firm structure, it seems as if some of the most beautiful aromas are still locked in the core, like sailors in a wrecked submarine, great presence and race, amazingly fresh fruitiness, perfectly balanced, eternally long. A justifiably legendary Riesling, still far from its peak. 2005-2030. 95+ points.

It was time, for the main course as well as for the first Syrah of the evening. The grill man solemnly declared both lamb and saddle of venison deceased, so they could be carved and served without resistance, for which the fig salad, which had already begun to bore, was also grateful. This was accompanied by a 98 Cote Rotie Cote Blonde from René Rostaign, served blind, which no one took the precaution of guessing: purple with minimal lightening. Youthful, tannic, decidedly red berry nose that became more beguiling with time; increasingly aromas of cocktail cherries, dried flowers, minerals and some toasted oak. In the mouth, focuses much more on elegance than on power: fine and straightforward, very clear fruit, cool style, finest, present tannin, taut structure, seems considerably leaner than it is, delicate smoky note on the palate, very persistent, fruity and cool wood-spicy finish. Needs time. 2005-2015. 91 points.

In the break that now followed, Abendrot found an opportunity for a special presentation before things got really serious. The 18 wines in the official tasting were arranged into flights of two. These were given names that had undoubtedly occurred to the host late at night after drinking a not inconsiderable number of generously sized glasses of port (and were therefore in his native tongue). The flights were served blind and revealed immediately after the tasting, which was no problem as none of the tasters knew about all of the wines on offer and most of them about none at all. To avoid any major confusion, we were also told the flight names only after they had been revealed. So let me now raise the curtain.

Act 1: Underratet Authentics
1.) A clever participant tipped on the '83 Hermitage by Jean-Louis Chave, giving the Swiss team a 0:2 lead (one point each for vintage and wine). The English referee smiled, which caused a heated discussion right at the beginning regarding his impartiality among the German players. The truth was - as always - in the wine: Intense, deep bouquet: smoky oak, red berries, minerals and spices; very complex. Juicy, racy and again smoky in the mouth, multi-layered fruit, tightly woven and profound, highly refined, ripe tannin, lively acidity, great persistence, complex finish. A classic in its prime. 94 points.

2.) A Penfolds Grange, there was no doubt possible, only the vintage could not be clearly determined. It was also an 83 (1:2): Deep, overwhelming aroma of plums, cherries, dry flowers, some smoke, wood and liquorice with wonderful spicy aromas. Very deep, dense, concentrated fruit, juicy, with very present, tart tannin, some liquorice and Swiss herbal sugar on the palate (a complaint against the Swiss team to the doping commission is pending), great power and complexity, yet full of fruit, very present and incredibly long. A still youthful masterpiece. 97 points.

Act 2: New World Dinosaurs
1.) Not for nothing does Eric S. have the reputation of a safe bank in the German team. The Californian Orion Old Vines Rossi Vineyardby Sean Thackery was - although without vintage - mercilessly unmasked. It was the 94 (2:2): Extremely perfumed scent of cloves, Irish moss, herbs, red berries, wood, eucalyptus and laurel. Juicy-sweet, full-bodied fruit, perfumed again, although far less exotic than on the nose, fine, ripe, very present tannin, lining the mouth, enormous power on the palate, a goods train runs over you at car speed and far and wide there were no barriers to be seen, very juicy, medium-long finish. 90 points.

2.) The 94 Hill of Grace from Prue and Steven Henschke completed the course completely unrecognised, but hardly less admired for that: Enormously concentrated, sweetly wood-spicy nose of red berries, but also dark fruit, some rum pot, complex, beguiling spice with floral aromas in the background. Also in the mouth of great concentration and density, taut, juicy fruit, distinctly pure style, highly fine, present tannin, taut, with beautiful acidity, tremendously powerful on the palate, great presence and length. 96+ points.

Act 3: New Age Designer Wines
1.) The '99 Muntada from Domaine Gauby was unfortunately marred by a slight hump. Nevertheless, it already showed its extraordinary concentration in the nose: black and red berries, fine, smoky wood, with time also burnt rubber. Very concentrated and juicy in the mouth, too, with a relatively cool character, very fine tannin, grippy structure, lots of power and fat, very persistent, best balance, great length. Difficult to judge, although the bruise dissipates with air. (93-95 points).

2.) A solo effort by the author now helped the German team to 3:2. The Fox Creek Reserve was hard to mistake, only the vintage (the 98) could not be determined with certainty for me once again: Immensely dense, fleshy aroma of thickened, fully ripe plums, red and black berries, fine wood, as well as traces of iodine and liquorice. Highly concentrated and juicy, deep, full-bodied, dark fruit, rich, finest tannin, very nice acidity, some wood in the background, best balance, very long. 95 points.

Act 4: The Intellectuals
1.) Immediately, we add more! No doubt, this was the 89 Hermitage La Chapelle by Paul Jaboulet: At first a clear cellar gout, which soon fades away, then red berries and dried tomatoes, oak, slightly oxidative, but very dense and intense. Juicy, dense and spicy in the mouth, fine, ripe, quite soft tannin, delicately smoky in the background, mineral note, very nice fruit, also some tomato again, grippy and very persistent on the palate, slightly oxidative touch, great length. 93 points. 5:2!

2.) The Swiss scored the next goal: 5:3 thanks to a perfectly identified 89 Cote Rotie La Landonne from the house of Etienne Guigal, albeit without a vintage: juicy, spicy nose of red berries, smoky oak and tar with animal and very slightly lactic notes and dark roasted aromas. Juicy fruit with very present, fine, still somewhat drying tannin, behind it very nice fruit, good acidity, light herbal spice in the background, distinctly persistent, good but not great length. 94 points. According to the scorer, a bottle tasted earlier was in even more impressive condition.

Act 5: Indestructible Classics
1st) "Jaaaaa, a Grange!" the cry echoes through the sold-out Bubenreuth stadium. At the same time, the wine is recognised by both parties, even though they cannot agree on a vintage. This 90 makes it impressively clear to us why the name Penfolds Grange BIN 95 stands for one of the very great wines of this world (6:4): tremendously fine, indeed subtle and yet fascinatingly profound nose: red and black berries, cherries, delicately smoky oak, eucalyptus, dried fruits and complex spice aromas with delicate oxidative notes. Impressive, juicy, yet cool and subtly spicy fruit, enormous depth and presence, terrific tannin (is there steely silk?), gorgeous, berry fruitiness on the palate, has race and style, perfectly built, great length. 97+ points.

2.) A classic followed, which gave the German team 2 points virtually out of the sleeve (8:4). 1990 Hermitage La Chapelle, Paul Jaboulet: Canned tomatoes! No great La Chapelle can do without them. Plus cold smoke, soup vegetables, meat broth, dark wood, red berries, plums, herbs and fresh tobacco. Very firm and very dense, juicy fruit, very fine, present tannin, seems closed like Fort Knox on a Tuesday in August, fine tart tobacco note on the palate, very slightly oxidative, profound, a lot of pressure on the palate that indicates enormous concentration, mineral in the background, great length. Still needs an eternity. 93 points as the first bid, the award will probably be made at a much higher level.

Act 6: Les Mono-Cépagistes
1.) You only have to taste it once to always recognise it, the Duck Muck from Wild Duck Creek in Heathcote, Australia. Unfortunately, none of the participants knew it before this tasting: Already in the fragrance of blasphemous sweetness, exuberant, red and black fruits, herbs, alcohol and a botanical garden of aromas that would deprive any believer per respective god. Very juicy, very full-bodied and very, very, very (another one? Absolutely:), very sweet, decidedly fine, ripe tannin, delicate smoky oak note in the background, fresh acidity, surprisingly taut on the palate, great power, strong alcohol, perfect wine design, just lacks a bit of character for me, long. 93 points.

2.) Another distinctive wine is the 95 Ermitage Le Pavillon from Chaputier (10:4): at first distinctly sweet red berries on the nose, then increasingly tending towards wild berries, notes of pepper, juniper and Provence spices, great breed. Juicy, distinctly pure fruit, very firmly structured, cool style, straightforward, tightly woven and very racy, first-class, highly refined tannin, juniper notes on the palate, persistent, perfect balance, very long, juicy finish. 95+ points.

Act 7: The Spice Girls
1.) Helen Turley's 96 Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard more or less acted as a pirate, which consequently was not recognised by anyone: Completely closed nose: grass and herbs, behind it preserved black and red fruits, with dark smoky wood aroma. Ultra-concentrated and extremely dense in the mouth, very firm, racy tannin, lots of power and noticeable alcohol, spicy oak aroma on the palate, absolutely unapproachable at the moment, long, spicy finish. King Kong with depression. 94-97 points.

2.) Surely this couldn't be another Chaputier? Yes, it could. It was the 96 Ermitage L'Ermite, the new top cuvée of the house: tremendously impressive aroma: sweet wood, juicy red and some black berries, minerals and sweet smoke. Wonderfully racy fruit, full of juice and power, lively acidity and taut tannin, smoky note, mineral, very present on the palate, gripping, of vibrating structure, very, very long. Great! 96+ points.

Act 8: The Big Hitters
1.) One point for Switzerland. The 95 Greenock Creek Barossa Shiraz Roennefeldt Road impressively proved why so much fuss is made about this site: Beguiling, very penetrating scent of varnish, red and black berries, oak and some alcohol. Enormous concentration in the mouth, racy, black berry fruit, lively acidity, taut tannin, does not seem clumsy or broad at all despite the enormous power, greatest persistence on the palate, gripping, almost compelling presence, smoky wood in the background, greatest length. The dream of every anaesthetist. 97 points.

2.) And one for the German team. The 96 The Malcolm Barossa Shiraz by Magpie presented itself as expected: Penetrating aroma: vanilla and dark toasted notes, bread crust, crude oil, liquorice, oak, sultanas, herbs, chocolate and plenty of alcohol. Juicy, full and very sweet in the mouth, lots of wood, enormous power, fat and alcoholic, the tannins still behave a bit like the drunken participants of a carnival session, very spicy, great persistence on the palate, lots of sweet fruit in the long finish. One inevitably has the feeling of snacking on something forbidden. 94 points.

Act 9: Drinkable Perfume
1.) A big score of 10:7 for the Swiss. Once tasted, the 95 Hermitage Cuvée Cathelin from J.L. Chave is also recognisable among thousands of wines: Subtle, beguiling dream nose: plums and red berries, pepper, smoky oak and minerals, very fine and very racy. Clear as a bell, racy, Burgundian fruit, enormous depth and race, lively acidity, tightly woven and tightly laced by the very finest tannin, delicately astringent, still seems very closed, smoky and mineral on the palate, behind it again purest fruit, great presence, eternally long, smoky-mineral and tightly fruity finish. 98 points.

2.) The last Syrah of the evening came again from the Australian Barossa Valley. It was the 95 three rivers from Chris Ringland, released in a ridiculous quantity of 780 bottles. The bottle was captured by Vietnamese coke pirates at the risk of their lives and smuggled through the darkest channels to Erlangen: Extremely deep, sweet and concentrated nose: dried fruits, rum pot, cherries, plums and red berries, noble wood with a fine toasted note, Swiss herbal sugar (Aha! So it is!) and some alcohol. Very firm, full-bodied fruit, juicy and "sweet", lively acidity, delicately smoky, finest, present tannin, profound and immensely persistent on the palate, gripping, finest spice in the background, complex, best balance, stunning length. 98 points.

The Swiss team, which is under the strongest suspicion of doping, did not manage to steal the victory from us, despite a rapid race to catch up. This satisfaction was mild, which is why we graciously let the guests share in our victory celebration.

Sweet moments require sweet wines and the following were served in order:

1990 Quarts de Chaume, Domaine des Baumard.
Sweet, juicy and very smoky scent of oak, bananas, minerals, asparagus and some sweat. Creamy, distinctly juicy fruit, caramel aroma, nice acidity and fine wood spice, creamy and spicy taste on the palate, very persistent, still seems young, great length. 94 points.

1995 Ruster Ausbruch Essence, Feiler-Artinger
Fabulously deep bouquet of wax, honey, apricots and peaches with intense minerality. Creamy taste, extremely concentrated fruit with enormous, very fine sweetness, complex and profound on the palate, again a trace of wax, best balance, very long. 96 points.

1993 Tokaji Aszuessencia, Uri Borok
Wonderful aroma of grilled apricot, caramel, and traces of coffee and wax. Soft, spicy fruit, juicy, notes of bread crust and malt, pretty acidity, smoky on the palate, seems a little uninvolved all in all, one feels like an uninvited visitor in the studio of an artist who is as ingenious as he is misanthropic, who acknowledges all questions asked of him with a disinterested look in some other direction, only in the endless finish does the true greatness show itself. Needs time. 97 points.

1996 Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Robert Weil
This aroma shakes you to the core: creamy scent of caramel, dried apricots, roasted yellow fruits, wax and minerals in a hypnotising intensity and delicacy. Again very creamy in the mouth, at the same time brilliantly fruity, extraordinarily present and charged with tension, sparkling acidity, greatest conceivable race on the palate, dense and profound, completely captivates you, caramel and a little toast in the everlasting finish. 99+ points.

1994 Weißer Burgunder Trockenbeerenauslese, Zehnthof / Theo Luckert.
Sweet, creamy spicy aroma of preserved apricots, some smoke and honey. Fat and creamy in the mouth, juicy fruit with nice sweetness, very good acidity, strong body with mineral structure, firmly wrought and persistent on the palate, notes of caramel, some oak and plums, best balance, great length. 93 points.

To end the night, there were the usual fraternisation scenes and the anticipation of seeing each other again soon in Switzerland.

There we will win by at least 5 points.

For sure.

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