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Month: June 2025

Wine of the Week

Character from Castillon

Published 20. June 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This is a wine from the hills of Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. Château Joanin Bécot is led by Juliette Bécot, daughter of Gérard Bécot of Château Beau-Séjour Bécot in Saint-Émilion. In 2001 Juliette acquired this 14-hectare estate in Castillon. Her vision was clear: to produce wines that marry the elegance of Saint-Émilion with the unique attributes of Castillon’s terroir.

The vineyards, averaging 40 years in age, are planted predominantly with merlot, complemented by cabernet franc. The 2021 vintage, comprising 85% merlot and 15% cabernet franc, benefited from meticulous vineyard management and a commitment to sustainable practices. The wine underwent fermentation in temperature-controlled vats, followed by ageing in French oak barrels, balancing new and seasoned wood to enhance complexity without overshadowing the fruit. 

Château Joanin Bécot 2021 (Juliette Bécot)

Deep ruby hue. Expressive nose of ripe cherries, blackberries, and hints of tobacco. Medium-bodied with good fruit and acidity.  Flavours of plum, coffee, and light tobacco emerge, and fine, polished tannins that lead to a savoury finish. A lot of charm and character.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Im Pitterberg

Published 13. June 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This wine from the Nahe was a best buy in the tasting of riesling GG in my local wine club.

Weingut Kruger-Rumpf is a family estate that marries generations of tradition with a contemporary focus. Georg Rumpf, now at the helm, continues the family legacy with a deep respect for organic principles. The estate is particularly known for its holdings in some of the Nahe’s finest vineyards, including the revered Münsterer Im Pitterberg.

The Pitterberg vineyard is a steep, south-facing site composed of Devonian slate and thin topsoil. The vines, many of them 50–70 years old, are tightly planted and deeply rooted, producing low yields of concentrated fruit. Grapes for the Grosses Gewächs bottling are hand-harvested and vinified in large, neutral Stück (2,000-litre oak casks), where they undergo spontaneous fermentation and extended lees ageing. The result is a dry Riesling of structure, texture, and crystalline precision.

Im Pitterberg 2023 (Kruger-Rumpf)

Pale straw colour. Aromas of white peach, lemon zest and crushed stone. On the palate, it is taut and vibrant, driven by racy acidity and a strong mineral core. There is nothing showy, but a wine that reveals its depth with time in the glass. While already compelling, it has the structure and balance to evolve over the next decade or more.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

A GG for contemplation

Published 6. June 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

The Kirchspiel Grosses Gewächs 2012 from Wittmann was served in a bring-a-bottle edition of our wine club.

Weingut Wittmann, based in the village of Westhofen in southern Rheinhessen, has been in the same family since the 17th century. Since taking the reins in the early 1990s, Philipp Wittmann has steered the estate towards organic and later biodynamic viticulture, focusing on low yields, spontaneous fermentations, and wines that speak of their origin. Wittmann joined the VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) in 2004, and today the weingut is recognised as one of the leading estate in Germany.

Kirchspiel is one of Westhofen’s grand cru vineyards, and some say its most elegant. Facing southeast, it forms a natural amphitheatre that captures the morning sun while remaining exposed to the cooling influence of the Rhine Valley. The soils are rich in limestone with patches of clay, giving rise to wines of finesse, minerality, and finely etched acidity.

Where neighbouring Morstein tends to produce broader, more powerful wines, Kirchspiel is about focus, energy and detail – often the best balanced wine in warmer vintages.

Kirchspiel GG 2012 (Weing. Wittmann)

Still pale with a green-tinged hue. Subtle but layered on the nose: white flowers, lemon zest, yellow plum, beeswax and crushed stone. Taut and linear on the palate, with citrus, orchard fruit, wild herbs and minerals. Textured, chalky. The acidity is bright and persistent, giving the wine a long finish. Still remarkably youthful. Some wines invite celebration; this one invites contemplation.

Price: High

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