Der Kuss Spatburgunder

[Innkeeper]

1999 Blankenhorn, Der Kuss, Spatburgunder, Baden ($15 Is-Wine). Spatburgunder, for those of you in Dade County, is German Pinot Noir (the third punch on the right when you hold it up to the light). This is a very light colored, but medium bodied (12% alcohol) wine from Baden just above the Swiss border. The flavors, though, are intense. It hits you with a flush of red cherries and strawberries in the nose and tongue tip. Then, with color hidden, a complex wine runs across your palate, and lingers, and lingers. We matched it with an Emmenthaler omelet for a light supper. The wine was almost, but not quite, too much for it. Try it.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 04-30-2002).]

[Thomas]

This is one of those finds at is-wine that got us NY Times attention. It is quite a wine.

[Scoop]

Howard Goldberg wrote the following in his "Wine Under $20" column in The New York Times (1/27/02):

"This Kiss Is Slightly Sweet

Willie Gluckstern, who imports offbeat German wines, calls his Weingut Blankenhorn Spaetburgunder (pinot noir) a curio. It's aptly named Der Kuss (The Kiss). Expect a souffle weight and a stream of delicious near-sweet cherry-like flavor. Grilled salmon is this delicious Baden red's ideal companion; ham and turkey come next. Is-Wine, 225 East Fifth Street (second Avenue), asks $15."

While the write-up brought Is-Wine some business, IK's description of the wine is much better than Goldberg's. With the light color and the up-front fruit, there is an initial impression of lightness, but I assure you, there is some tannin and body to this wine, as well as some complexity that IK noted -- it has some guts. It's a delicious example of a German red, something which for many -- but not me -- is an oxymoron.

Cheers,

Scoop

[Innkeeper]

Thought we were only going to have our one single daughter up here this weekend. Ended up with three kids, one son-in-law, and five grandkids. SO, on Friday, we smoked two chickens, baked biscuits, made salad, and corn on the cob. Popped two of these which Mother, son-in-law, and I consumed with it. Very, very, nice.