Benedikt Baltes - Buntsandstein Portugieser 2016
We are drinking a Portugieser Buntsandstein made by Benedikt Baltes from 2016.
As a pure Portugieser you are going to have a hard time, when the last wine of this variety tasted on the blog was that of Andreas Durst. Nevertheless, we are having a Portugieser once more. This time made by Benedikt Baltes, who is actually known for his Pinot Noir from the Stadt Klingenberg winery and who has now moved from Churfranken to the Ahr. He sold his shares in the Stadt Klingenberg winery and will now concentrate on the family vineyard in Dernau. Today, however, we have wine from his former working place.
Cellar cold, directly after unscrewing, it is quite a stinker. Animal stable, almost like flint behind it, very intense but not unpleasant. With air it moves in the direction of red meat with red fruit. In the mouth the wine is very clear from the beginning, fresh, light cherries, rose hip tea.
With temperature the nose becomes smokier, some bacon, the animal stable almost disappears. What remains brings the necessary tension with the cool, slightly fruity mouthfeel. You have to slow down with this bottle if you want to try it more than one evening. I can also imagine the wine on the terrace in summer. Fresher than the one from Andreas Durst, certainly with less depth, another wine for other occasions. But it’s fun, so there’s no need for discussion. A lot of fun actually.
On the second day, the scent is dry spices, some wood, dark berries. The stable has disappeared. The cherry in the mouth becomes more intense, rosehip is still there. On the nose the wine is deep and full, yet so fresh and straight on the palate, so slender, so drinkable. And all of this without ever becoming trivial.