Grape Wall of China

A China Wine Blog: The Scene in the World’s Largest Market

Lebe das gute Leben: German Merlot!

Posted on | February 18, 2008 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

It isn’t everyday one gets to taste a German Merlot in Beijing. Luckily, I write away at wine and thus end up hanging out with trade people, including Stefan Fleischer, who works at Palette and whose family makes wine in Germany.

At a recent dinner at Café Europa, he brought a bottle of the family wine – 2003 Weingut der Stadt Mainz Merlot Barrel No. 2.

This fruit-driven wine has black plum and some chocolate, and, as another imbiber at our table noted, cola on the nose. It really opens up after 30 minutes and offers lots of fruit, a light to medium body, and a decent finish.

Good times!

Though it isn’t available in Beijing, I mention it because hanging around the wine scene means getting to try a great many wines, whether they be Slovenian wine, a range of Chinese wines, 100 different 2004 Bordeaux Grand Cru, a portfolio of 100 wines, or, the occasional German Merlot.

As Campbell Thompson wrote in an earlier post, this is a taster’s paradise.

german-merlot.jpg
Grape Wall’s Yvonne Chiong with The Fleischer (Photo: SF)

Category: Jim Boyce

Comments

Leave a Reply





  • About Grape Wall of China


    beijing-boyce-grape-wall-of-china-logo

    A nonprofit blog by wine professionals and consumers.


    Follow: On Twitter and Facebook.
    Email: beijingboyce at yahoo.com

  • Grape Wall Contributors


    In alphabetical order (see full list)


    Nicolas Carre
    Sommelier


    Chantal Chi
    Writer


    Yvonne Chiong
    Sommelier, consultant


    Judy Leissner
    Grace Vineyard CEO


    Alain Leroux
    Wine maker, consultant


    Li Demei
    Wine maker


    Huiqin Ma
    Professor


    Campbell Thompson
    The Wine Republic co-owner


    Brian Yao
    Consumer


    Frankie Zhao
    Pro-Wine Training & Consultancy owner


    Jim Boyce
    Consumer, blog administrator