Dear Wine Friends,

it's summer time, we are relaxing with terrific wine events and enjoy our new arrivals!

What's new in July?

• Noble Wine and LUMAS Berlin
• Register now for the event on July 19th: Chardonnay at its Best!
• Finally arrived in Germany: The Rhys wines from California!
• New: The Cream of the Crop of Beaujolais Crus from Fleurie and Morgon
• Further arrivals from Germany: Schäfer-Fröhlich, Bickel-Stumpf, Enderle & Moll
• Restaurant tipps for Munich offering Noble Wine(s)!

Noble Wine and LUMAS in Berlin!

After the Kickoff event in Munich on May 24 LUMAS and Noble Wine invited Berlin's wine and art lovers to the vinophilic vernissage „Famous Wine Cellars“ featuring artist Rafael Neff. The event took place in the Gallery LUMAS that had just opened its doors in the basement floor of Galeries Lafayette. The interest in the wine tasting was enormous - the 400 guests besieged our producers from Immich-Batterieberg, Eymann, Bickel-Stumpf and Enderle & Moll.

For the next LUMAS events in autumn there's a change of date: The event in Hamburg takes place as planned on October 18 but the event in Düsseldorf changes to October 23 (from October 25 as announced earlier). All customers living in these cities will receive a private invitation a few weeks before the event. For others who are interested in participating in one of these events, please contact us under: info@noblewine.de

Lucky winners of the BERLIN event raffle are:

Noble Wine - Pack of Wine & Champagne with a value of 62,90€:

2x2 Tickets for WINEVIBES - the Wine Party Event No.1 in Germany - September 19 in Berlin:

Further information: www.winevibes.de

At the top of the newsletter you'll see the happy winner, Mr. Koch from Munich, receiving his prize drawn at the LUMAS Munich event, a Magum bottle of H. Billiot Champagne. Further impressions from the LUMAS event in Berlin: www.noblewine/LumasBerlin

Finally arrived in Germany: The Rhys wines 2008/2009 from California!

Exklusively available in continental Europe at Noble Wine!

"Terroir-driven wines par excellence." Allen Meadows - Burghound - "Rhys Chardonnays are life-changing." Jon Bonne, Wine Editor, SF Chronicle

The Pinot Noirs from Rhys Vineyards are among the very best examples of Pinot Noir that are beeing produced in the U.S. today. Not to forget their remarkable Chardonnays! Convinced about the unapologetic strive for quality, we decided some three years ago to include Rhys in the Noble Wine portfolio and even accepted the quite complicated export conditions. For the newest vintages 2008 and 2009, our Rhys fans had to be very patient, but now the wines have finally arrived! From the large number of different wines we want to pick out a couple and introduce them in more detail:

Rhys Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/June '11, Reviewer: J. Raynolds, Rating: 92
Vivid ruby.  Ripe red berries and cherry-vanilla on the nose, with complicating notes of dried rose, cola and Asian spices.  Fleshy and smooth in texture, offering sweet but lively red and dark berry flavors and hints of sassafras and candied rose.  Finishes on an expansive cherry note, with resonating spiciness and a sexy floral nuance.

Allen Meadows Burghound, Tasted: Oct 01, 2011, Comments: Outstanding, Rating: 93
Here the nose is similar to that of the Skyline but with more obvious spice notes that carry over to the exceptionally rich and large-scaled flavors that possess very firm and ripe tannins that coat the mouth yet are not aggressive or drying. This very serious effort is not as refined as the Skyline but it is just as complex and a lot more powerful.

eRobert Parker, Wine Advocate #196, Reviewer: A. Galloni, Rating: 95
The 2009 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard tends towards a dark red, almost black expression of wild cherries. It is an intensely coiled, powerful wine in need of a few years of cellaring. The mineral notes speak very clearly in this pointed, beautifully articulated Pinot. With time in the glass the wine’s inner perfume begins to emerge, but the best is years away. The chiseled, pure finish leaves a lasting impression. This is the most finely-knit, complete wine in the Rhys portfolio.

Rhys Family Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Reviewer: J. Raynolds, Rating: 93
Bright red.  Perfumed aromas of raspberry preserves, Asian spices and rose oil, along with a hint of mocha.  Sappy, penetrating and fresh, with juicy red berry and cherry flavors, silky texture and a late kick of spices.  Open-knit and very easy to drink, finishing with impressive clarity and lingering red fruit notes.

eRobert Parker, Wine Advocate #196, Reviewer: A. Galloni, Rating: 94
The 2009 Pinot Noir Family Farm is one of the more delicate, ethereal wines in the lineup. Fermentation with 100% whole clusters gives the Family Farm a distinctly floral bouquet and graceful fruit. It is an impeccably elegant wine from start to finish. 

Rhys Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay 2009

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/June '11: Rating: 91
Light yellow-gold.  Leesy, spice-accented aromas of orange, poached pear and iodine, with notes of chamomile and honeysuckle adding complexity.  Sappy, chewy orchard fruit and pineapple flavors are braced by tangy acidity, picking up a smoky quality with air.  Lush and creamy but also firm, with very good finishing cut and focus.  This wine's balance and energy are impressive.

Please Note: All Rhys Estate wines are available in limited quantities only and we reserve the right to sell these in combination with other wines (e.g. 1:1 with the excellent Rhys Alesia Sonoma Coast 2008).

The Cream of the Crop: Top Beaujolais Crus from Fleurie and Morgon

The wine region Beaujolais is experiencing a true renaissance these days. It's mainly because of the newly inflamed aspiration of the wine growers to tie in with earlier glorious times and to produce authentic and honest wines without using technical manipulations. More and more growers are fed up with annoyingly high yields and cultured yeasts and have started to produce high class, characterful wines from the Gamay grape that shine with expansive fruit and profound elegance. Another thing that changed: Beaujolais wines are now much more suitable for longer storage then 10 years ago.

Out of the top producers from the various Beaujolais Cru appelations, we selected two domaines with a great reputation yet with largely different styles. And all that for an amazing quality price ratio!

Have we made you curious? All new Beaujolais Cru wines will be rebated with 10% until July 20, 2012!

Domaine Marcel Lapierre - Morgon - After Marcel Lapierre's (probably the pioneer of natural viticulture in Beaujolais) untimely death in 2010, his son Mathieu continues the historic estate in his fathers spirit. The wines of Lapierre are extremely elegant and aromatic, especially for the Morgon appelation. Texturally they remind us of a fine Chambolle Musigny wine. The viticulture of Lapierre is known as being exemplary, without chemical herbicides, cultured yeasts or other chemical additions in the cellar. Only a bit of sulfur is being added before bottling, which usually takes place without fining or filtration. Besides the very aromatic Morgon from 2011 we are very happy to offer some bottles of the Top Cuvée MMXI! The Cuvée MMXI has now been renamed as Cuvée Marcel Lapierre in honor of the man who did so much for this domaine. As the vintage 2011 is considered as a great vintage in Beaujolais, all of the Lapierre wines can also be purchased in Magnums!

Direct access to the wines of M. Lapierre (Morgon)

Alain Coudert - Clos de la Roilette (Fleurie) - The single vineyard "Clos de la Roilette" is one of the best plots of Fleurie, or perhaps even in the entire Beaujolais region. The owner of the Domaine, Alain Coudert, is known as THE eminence for structured, spicy, and very long living, aromatic Fleuries which are the antithesis to the mass production Beaujolais Nouveau wines flooding the markets each November. We recently tasted a 1997 Cuvée Tardive that showed that Beaujolais Crus  wines with increasing maturity gain incredible complexity and remind the taster of good Burgundy wines. We can now offer the just bottled Fleurie and Fleurie Cuvée Tardive from the grand vintage 2011! In addition there is also the new top wine of Alain Coudert, called Griffe du Marquis 2010, a selection of the best grapes that are being raised for up to 12 months in (used) small burgundy barrels. Also available in Magnum!

Direct access to the wines of Clos de la Roilette

Weingut Bickel-Stumpf: First Domaine from Germanys Franconia Region at Noble Wine!

Pride Franconians dedicated to Wine

Their specialty is clearly the grape Silvaner. It's growing in the top vineyard "Kapellenberg" on Franconian shell-lime soil. Wine grower Reimund Stumpf is being supported by his son Sohn Matthias, who returned home in 2008 after his years of apprenticeship in New Zealand, South Africa, and Austria. Daughter Melanie, former press relations agent of the VDP (Association of German Quality and Prädikat Wine Estates), is responsible for marketing and sales and accompanies us at the LUMAS events. The terroir of the shell-lime soil in Frickenhausen was being forrmed 200 Mio. years ago. The river Main formed the vineyard Kapellenberg that is being cultivated with grapevines for more than 1100 years! No doubt that this is a prime location for exceptional wines. The wines from this vineyard are characterized by their distinctive minerality and specific complexity.

Available wines:

Matthias' debut: Kapellenberg Silvaner 2011 (VDP 1er Cru)
The Kappellenberg Silvaner stands for his capability to think out of the box.  The wine represents the successful link between the old and the new wine world. Since 2003 Matthias is looking into the grape Silvaner and experiments with fermentation in large wooden barrels, like the grandfathers of Bickel-Stumpf did. In 2006 the Kapellenberg was fermented spontaneous the first time. Today the Kapellenberg is a fascinating, characterful Silvaner from Franconian shell-lime soil. We think it's one of the most inspiring Silvaners out there today!

Silvaner Muschelkalk trocken 2011 
Great wine to start the discovery of Bickel-Stumpf wines. Fresh, intense, fruity and very harmonic - Awarded by German magazine CAPITAL (07/2012 - Best German White Wines from 2011)!

Fränkischer Gemischter Satz 1699 trocken 2011
For the "Gemischte Satz" grapes from different historic grape varieties were fermented and unified in a remarkable cuvee: Silvaner, Riesling, Yellow Muscat, White and Red Elbling, Gewürztraminer, Golden Muscat, White- and Red Gutedel. This is a fascinating, individual wine, a true gem for wine connoisseurs!

German Red Wine Freaks: Enderle & Moll

Manfred Klimek (Die Welt & CaptainCork) calls them "Most exciting Red Wine Project in Germany these days". The "project" was founded 2007 by Sven Enderle und Florian Moll. They got to know each other during their apprenticeships at the German Kaiserstuhl region. During that time, both got in touch with bio-dynamic viticulture, many of whose aspects they are now trying to use within their daily work in the vineyards. The wine enthusiasts own or control about 2 ha and cultivate mainly Pinot Noir, with some additional Grauburgunder and Müller Thurgau.

The wines fascinate due to their individual, Burgundy-oriented character - that's why they represent the perfect supplement to our Burgundy portfolio! Besides the amazing Pinot Noirs, we would like to recommend the exceptional Pinot Noir Rosé. Sourced from old vines with lowest yields of incredibly tiny berries, this conceentrated dark rosé contains everything that a Pinot Noit lover expects and searches for, except tannins!

Direct access to the new German Red Wine World!

The "magical" Vintage 2011 of Schäfer-Fröhlich!

John Gilman calls 2011 a magical vintage for Schäfer-Fröhlich. We tasted the wines at the "Mainzer Weinbörse" and at our latest Riesling Tasting and we must admit too, that this young talent again succeeded with a perfect selection of highly accomplished Rieslings at all levels.

We particularly liked the Riesling trocken vom Schiefergestein (formerly known as Bockenauer Riesling), a wonderful expressive, dry Riesling with haunting minerality and perfectly embedded acidity adding even more length and character. But also the off-dry wines such as the Spät- and Auslesen offer - as always - a 100% guarantee for perfect wine pleasure.

Riesling trocken vom Vulkangestein 2011
Bockenauer Riesling Kabinett (Schieferg.) 2011
Felseneck Riesling Spätlese 2011
Riesling trocken vom Schiefergestein 2011
Felseneck Riesling Spätlese GK 2011
Felseneck Riesling Auslese 2011 (0.375L)
Felseneck Riesling Beerenauslese 2011 (0.375L)
Felsenberg Riesling GG 2011 - ab Sep12
Kupfergrube Riesling GG 2011 - ab Sep12
Felseneck Riesling GG 2011 - ab Sep12 - JG:97+

Fed up with bad wines in the restaurant? Here are two top tips for Munich's wine and food lovers: Restaurants with great food and excellent wines from Noble Wine :)

Noble Wine GmbH * Landsberger Str. 183 (Eingang West | 1. UG) * 80687 München *
Tel.: +49.89.37957747 * FAX: +49.89.37957750 *  E-mail: info@noblewine.de  * www.noblewine.de
HRB 175177 (Amtsgericht München) / Geschäftsführer: Dr. Michael Eder / USt.-ID: DE261074975