3 Fonteinen Druiven Geuze Malvasia Rosso

Formerly brewed at 3 Fonteinen
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Beersel, Belgium

Bottle, Belgium, May 2005. Head is initially average sized, fizzy, white, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy light amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (toasted grain), moderately yeasty (barnyard, horseblanket), with notes of peach, pineapple, honey, cask wood, apple skin, minerals, gooseberry, etc. Flavor is moderately sweet, heavily acidic. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic. Medium body, watery texture, fizzy/lively carbonation, lightly astringent. No, I’m not going to say where I found this, so don’t ask. I only had the one, no more stashed away for trade. That said, this was truly astounding to me and I’m kinda surprised this isn’t closer to the Top 50. The aroma is just incredible with enticing notes and complexity beyond my senses. I could stand just a touch more sourness in the mouth, but man oh man this is one of the best fruit lambics I’ve had (and ever will have, I’m certain). Armand does it again.

At Akkurat, Stockholm, bottled 2000-10-18 (1 year old Lambic with Italian Malvasia grapes)
Hazy golden color; big fluffy head. As usual from Drie Fonteinen it has an impressive aroma: barnyard, cobwebs, citrus fruits, sweat; grapefruit and very light grapes; very light vanilla too, or cookies; pungent, persistent. The mouthfeel is sharply acidic, with strong grapefruit flavor; the body is quite strong in the beginning, surely more dry and aggressive at the end. The final, if possible, has a subdued residual sweetness; and of course a strong lemony character; pleasant astringency too at the very end. You can drink without stopping.

Bottled: Orange coloured. Unclear. White nice head. Earth, tart, nice sourness, light fruit and grape in the aroma. Very very good. Flavour is imensely sour, but is balanced by a subtle fruitsweetness. Is acidic and citrusy. This is the shit. I could drink this forever. Ends in a fruity sourness, that cleanses the palate for new adventures.

Actually, this grapebeer has been brewed on special commission for a Californian vintner. He also indicated the grapes, Malvasia Red, a rare original Italian kind, put on 100% Drie Fonteinen-made lambic. Thanks to special contacts at the brewery, I managed this sneak-preview. Colour is pinkish, like water with some dissolved blood, flunky, rather thick white-pink head, fast disappearing. Nose of “horseblanket”, fruity, sulphur, green apples, redcurrant. Taste has a sharp start, some fruit sweetness (bound to disappear with maturing) and a lot of acidity. In the taste, the fruit is either grape – or gooseberry. Very delicate ! Mouthfeel is very refreshing, with a beautiful subdued fruit taste lasting. Bl***y marvellous. And it all goes to California!!

Akkurat, vintage 2000. Classiest old bottle (said that a few times recently). The drink is opaque, pale golden with an initially large, uniform white head that diminishes to a firm cover. The most appealing nose takes some time getting used to. The Malvasia grape varietal, which I’m not very familiar with having never had any wine made from it, comes out rather funky, almost mineral with peppery Alsace-like overtones and exotic tropical fruits, pineapple being upfront. Boastful tart intricacies in the shapes of a fruit basket basically. Besides, the usual drie fonteinen glorious citrus extraction is part of the meetup where fine, clean white grapefruit and lemon notes mingle along the wheat to ensure perfect drinkability. Perfect classic Drie Fonteinen mouthfeel comprising the most refined texture and fitting, still active carbonation. Underated if anything, this is a masterpiece of restricted, integrated, beautiful flavors, almost subtle for a lambic. Never agressive, sure of itself, quite dry, quite tart yet certainly never overly so an remaining quite accessible for outsiders I would assume. Classy diplomacy and age resistance all the way.

Wonderful spicy lactic nose, rose, light malt. Golden amber hazy with light head. Medium body with medium smooth carbonation. Starts acidic, electrical ozone, crisp. Finish is same. After is lactic, hoppy, crisp. Just a little chalky. Nice lambic.

Bottle 2000, shared with Andreasen11 and plovmand at Akkurat. It pours perfectly, an hazy orange colour with a huge beautiful champagne like white head. The aroma is great and of course very dry, with weak notes of ripe grape, wood, dust and grapes. The flavour is a little acrid at first, then followed by dry ripe grape, and grapes/smooth red wine with a touch of humid cellar and dust. Lovely!

Bottle at Akkurat. Golden liquid with a white, quickly vanishing head. Rich, musty smell with some fruityness and acidity. Taste is at first sour and brewery typical with a tiny note of burnt rubber and a lot of mustyness. It then developes into a very fruity taste with a lot of character from the grapes. In the aftertaste some small hint of rancid butter appears, but this is still a really good, complex and rich beer.