This week’s Tiny Bottle Tuesday comes from a familiar group, Master the World™. As I have mentioned before, the concept is really brilliant, in my opinion, as the fine folks at Master the World™ take wines from around the world and, after verifying that the wines are not flawed in any way, transfer the wines into smaller, 187ml bottles which they then group six bottles together under a common theme. It might be a region, a variety, a producer, you name it, Evan Goldstein (Master Sommelier) and Limeng Stroh (Co-founder and CEO) have found myriad ways to link wines to make very compelling tasting kits.

Master the World™ also produces and makes available both a video where industry leaders, including several Master Sommeliers, discuss the wines and an online evaluation tool that walks you through the entire process.

This week, I cracked open Kit 239C, “Clink Different.” Clink Different is a rather odd partnership between the Vins de Bordeaux and the Wines of Germany. I say odd, since, well, it does not make sense to me, but then again, they did not give me a call before they joined forces, asking for my opinion. Regardless, the result (at least in the current context) is another fascinating tasting experience from Master the World™ with three wines from both Bordeaux and Germany, their identities concealed, eager for you to pop them open and give them a swirl.

As I have also mentioned previously in this space, if you are still wondering what to get that aspiring oenophile this year, look no further. It really is rather remarkable, incredibly educational, and a ton of fun (as long as you don’t mind being humbled). Individual kits cost $90 and include shipping, and the cost goes down if you agree to buy multiple kits.

The Master the World™ wines arrive snugly tucked into their own little cardboard bed.

2020 Weingut Jürgen Leiner Riesling Trocken, Pfalz, Germany: Retail $19 (1 liter). Master the World tasting Kit 239C. There is a ton of citrus emitting from this brilliant straw wine with green highlights, mostly tangerine and lemon but also toss in some white peach and dried apricots. Add floral (honeysuckle) and herbal (bay leaf) aspects and you have a rather compelling aroma profile. The palate is steely and racy, with plenty of tartness as one would expect from a dry German Riesling. Very Good. 89 Points.

2020 Domaine de Chevalier Bordeaux Rosé, France: Retail $20. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. Master the World tasting Kit 239C. Oodles of red berry fruit in this quite light salmon hued rosé, mostly consisting of wild strawberry and bright cherry. Freshly cut rose as well as a decided mineral aspect also present themselves in the glass, and the palate, which is completely dry, is more round and full than lean and tart. Quite a delightful quaff from Bordeaux which seems to be finally delving more heavily into rosé. Excellent. 91 Points.

Another upside? The bottles chill down quickly and don’t take up that much room in the fridge.

2017 Weingut Dautel Weissburgunder Trocken, Germany: Retail $21. 100% Pinot Blanc. Master the World tasting Kit 239C. A rather large smattering of fruit from this brilliant light straw (with some distinct green highlights) Pinot Blanc, mostly lemon, tangerine, apricot, and peach. The palate is quite lean and tart, with plenty of fruit and a zingy acidity. Once again, another gem selected by the fine folks at Master the World. Excellent. 90 Points.

2019 Château Haut-Rian Blanc, Bordeaux, France: Retail $14. 60% Sémillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc. Master the World tasting Kit 239C. For a wine well under twenty bucks, there is a lot going on here: citrus (grapefruit, lemon), tree fruit (pear, peach), floral (honeysuckle), as well as vegetal (green olive, salad greens). The palate is round and smooth despite its relatively high acidity before a lengthy finish.
Very Good. 89 Points.

The tasting process online is quite informative.

2015 Friedrich Becker Becker Family Pinot Noir, Pfalz, Germany : Retail $24. 100% Pinot Noir. Master the World tasting Kit 239C. When I poured this into my glass, I was not thinking Pinot Noir at all, in fact, I was convinced it was Zweigelt. Oh well. Still, quite expressive in the glass with tons of red and black fruit (cherry, raspberry, plum), rose petal and jasmine, a hint of anise, and plenty of forrest floor. The palate is fruity, but in a reserved, Old World way with plenty of acidity, and a surprisingly lengthy finish. Excellent. 92 Points.

2016 Château Coutet, St. Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France: Retail $37. 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec. Master the World tasting Kit 239C. A day bright ruby in the glass with red and black currant, plum, and even some tomato on the nose, this classic Saint Émilion screams Merlot, but also has a healthy dose of Cab Franc, which I love. Fruity, expressive, but also earthy and contemplative, this is the type of Bordeaux that I find compelling. Excellent. 91 Points.