Showing posts with label White Wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label White Wine. Show all posts
2010 Marramiero Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Anima (Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo)
2010 Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Réserve Spéciale (France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée)
2008 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard Home Block (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains)
2008 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard Bee Block (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains)
2007 Dönnhoff Tonschiefer Riesling trocken (Germany, Nahe)
2008 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard Amphitheater Block (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains)
2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre (France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru)
2007 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains)
2006 Dönnhoff Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling Spätlese (Germany, Nahe)
Wine #2 with sushi. After the zingy Champagne, this was a little bit of a let-down, but it did complement the more spicy dishes very well and properly chilled, it was a real quaffer to drink with the rolls and sashimi. White flowers, apple, pear, lychee. Tropical fruit. Should be held for a long time.
2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre (France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru)
Another winner in my book. Like its lesser (VV Sainte Claire) and leaner (Mont de Milieu) siblings, this wine is made from the same cloth. Stony minerality, an almost saline component, lemon/citrus and amazing freshness. Unlike the Sainte Claire and Mont de Milieu, the Montee de Tonnerre is a little richer and rounder and pairs better and more harmoniously with delicate fish (like fresh Cod). Fantastic structure, balance, and finesse. Lovely wine. Recommended.
2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu (France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru)
Year-End Wine Salon (December 2009)
Our last Wine Salon of 2009. The MO was to have each participant taste three flights of wines with 4 wines per flight together with 3 other tasters. Impressions were recorded on the fly and presentations given from each team on each flight. Food was outstanding, and so were the wines. Kudos and props to Michael Villim of Mirabelle and Brian Owens for organizing and picking the majority of the wines out of his cellar. On to the wines.
Flight #1: Cabernet Franc
- 1989 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Pretty nose, leafy, very tannic, sour cherry, tobacco, earth, floral, and rustic. This was a good bottle of a very good wine. My favorite wine of the flight, although it started out very rough and angry. With air, it mellowed and the fruit plushed up. - 1998 Le Petit Cheval - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Very oaky on the nose. Good blackberry fruit, cracked pepper, road tar, espresso bean, and floral. Was a decent drink with the food, but seemed a little odd when tasted on its own. Very technical wine. - 1992 La Jota Cabernet Franc - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Truly a wow kind of wine. Beautiful, soaring nose, tobacco leaf and black cherry. Shows more alcohol than the previous two wines, but that's to be expected. Spectacular wine and only a smidge behind the Raffault for me. - 2001 Le Macchiole Paleo Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Oak, turpentine, primary fruit, classic Italian wine funk, briary underbrush and rosemary stem. Violets, charred earth and oak. Certainly not terrible, but too oaky and cloying for me to find it exciting.
Flight #2: 2002 Mosel Riesling Spaetlese
- 2002 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Flower petals, honey, green apple and early ripeness peach. Still slightly spritzy, but flat out delicious. My kind of Spaetlese. - 2002 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
I immediately disliked this wine. Very flat, boring, cloying, one-dimensional, oddly off-putting nose. Lacks definition, and was marred by very sweet, muddled fruit. Like drinking a wine cooler. I wonder if something was wrong with this bottle. - 2002 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
A much better wine than the preceding Selbach-Oster. Had that youthful spritz, definition, focus, orchard fruit, and lively acidity that the preceding bottle so desperately lacked. Lovely wine. - 2002 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Orange zest, petrol, ripe app;e and cheese rind in a long-haul package that will reward ageing. My favorite and most complete wine of the flight.
Flight #3: Four vintages of Montelena Estate
- 1976 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
Velvety texture. Slightly raisiny flavors, low acid, leather, a tad vintage port-like. Still tannic. Smoke and meat juices, dark cherry, and a smidge of Brett. The wine was fun to drink, but it's definitely on the downslope. - 1992 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
Not very good. Spice, cherry, cedar, hollow on the mid-palate and an almost Gluehwein-like flavor on the palate. To me, this was not just unexciting, but disappointing. - 1996 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
Savory spice, cherry, blackberry, leather, tobacco and licorice. This wine had it going on and showed great balance. - 2001 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
My favorite of the Montelenas. Cherry and blackberry with licorice, and all that tobacco and leather goodness that I found in all the Montelenas in varying amounts. Lovely wine and there's no way that this could have possibly warranted 69 points from Wine Spectator, even if I did taste some Brett like I did in most of the prior vintages.
2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Domaine Sainte Claire Vieilles Vignes (France, Burgundy, Chablis)
Had this on Saturday night with Oysters and dungeness crab. At $22, this wine is a steal. It's pure, focused, zingy minerals and lemon apple flavors, and bone-dry. It tastes like Champagne without bubbles and far outperforms its $22 price tag. A wine that should be in Chablis lovers' cellar by the case lot. Although the premier and grand crus should thrill even more, this is the perfect everyday Chablis.
Thanksgiving Wines
We celebrated Thanksgiving with friends last night, and of course, we opened a little wine. It was a very eclectic lineup. but with the exception of one wine, we had some really nice wines and equally nice surprises. For those of you who are into cooking, let me say that this year was my second year tasting brined Turkey, and in my opinion, there's no better way to prepare Turkey. Simply delicious. On to the wines.
- 2007 La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Surprisingly good wine. Not as oaked as I would have thought it would be, and plenty of acidity. Fresh, vibrant fruit, but not terribly complex. A great wine to start off Thanksgiving when you have 20 people for dinner. - 1997 Regusci Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Estate Bottled Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
This wine was very good. It wasn't at all what I expected to taste. Still very tannic, structured, and dry. Restrained red and black fruit and nice leather and earth components. It had freshness and poise and a nice finish. Should hold for years in the cellar. - 2004 Sportoletti Rosso Villa Fidelia Umbria IGT - Italy, Umbria, Umbria IGT
Phenomenal wine. Stern structure, so decanting is advised. Brilliant cherry and plum fruit and nice earthiness, freshness, and focus. Lovely, velvety texture, and booming finish. Will last a long time, but it's drinking so deliciously right now. - 2001 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero AAlto - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
This wine must have some amazing bottle variation. I remember my last bottle to be very oaky and flabby, but this one was neither. Very solid wine right out of the gate that has some really nice complexity and shows a certain underbrush/treebark and spice characteristic that I really liked. Nice, vibrant black fruits and a very nice finish. - 2006 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir San Mateo County - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County
Unfortunately, this was another average bottle of this wine. I've had average and I've had very good. Disappointing showing. Flabby, sweet, simple, and forgettable. The only wine that did not get finished last night, and even the non-geeks in the crowd (which was practically everyone) didn't care too much for this. - 1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
From Magnum. This is still just a baby. Still has tremendous, focused cherry and blackberry fruit and shows great balance. I got a little leather and tobacco, but the fruit is still so big that it's difficult for me to see through the wall of fruit and detect the nuances beyond it. Needs more time. I actually liked the Regusci better last night.
Thanks to Mike and Tonja who invited us to their home and welcomed us among friends and family.
Lobster Fest Chez Pelz With a Quartet of Fine Wines
With Appetizers
- Sheep's Cheese Puffs (Thanks Shannon and Dave - delicious)
- Lobster Salad
- N.V. Jacques Selosse Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut - France, Champagne
Lovely Champagne. Started the evening with this gem. Elegant, finesse Champagne that shows a certain airy-ness. Super fine mousse, apple, blanched almonds, brioche, and raw dough. Only thing that detracts ever so slightly from its greatness is that is seems very sweet on the finish, so I wonder what the dosage levels of this wine are. But I am not complaining.
- N.V. Pierre Peters Champagne Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne
L012007. Best bottle yet. Diametrically opposed in style to the Selosse we enjoyed 30 minutes earlier. Seemingly big and brawny with lemon zest and massive minerality. Fresh and structured and with lots of bubbles. This particular bottle is showing the first signs of mellowing out though as the fruit is sweeter than I remember it, and the wine isn't as angry as it used to be. Quite good and in its price class, this has to be one of the leaders for folks like me who like their Champagne super-low dosage.
With Main Courses
- Lobster in the Rough
- Lobster Broiled
- 2004 Vincent Girardin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
As usual, this was very reliable. Fairly ripe, it shows apple, a touch of lemon rind, limestone rock, and some buttered popcorn. The oak stands out just a touch. I might be wrong, but this seems ready to drink and I'm not sure I'd want to hold these too long...I don't know if this has enough acidity to go the distance.
With Dessert
- Chocolate cream pie (Thanks Shannon and Dave)
- 2004 Eddie Feraud Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This wine continues to impress me. It's all about the wonderful Grenache fruit. In my opinion, this is a clean version (less bretty) of Pegau. Similarly traditional texture and fruit profile. Dark plum and blackberry fruit with some meat juice, provencal herbs, and licorice. Doesn't get much better than this for cuvee tradition in CdP.
Impressions from Saturday Night Wine Soiree
Token Whites
2000 Monbousquet Blanc
2006 Doennhoff Riesling Spaetlese "Oberhaeuser Bruecke"
2003 Saxon Brown Semillon Casa Santinamaria Vineyard
Reds
1979 Chateau Belair
1989 Olga Raffault Chinon "Les Picasses"
1990 Olga Raffault Chinon "Les Picasses"
1998 JL Chave St. Joseph
1998 E Guigal Cote Rotie "Brune et Blonde"
1999 E Guigal Cote Rotie "Brune et Blonde"
1996 Pesquera Crianza
2000 Vietti Barolo Ravera
2003 Janasse Chaupin CdP
2005 Clos des Papes CdP
2001 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova
2002 St. Innocent Pinot Noir "Shea Vineyard"
2003 Pavie Macquin
2000 Lopez Heredia Bosconia Reserva
2000 Numanthia Toro Termanthia
1999 Rafanelli Cabernet Terrace Select (did not taste)
2000 Clos du Marquis (in magnum)
2007 Vieux Donjon CdP (did not taste)
Wine of the night:
Hard to pick one wine from a lineup a good as this one, but I will go with the 2005 Clos des Papes. Textbook CdP that showed extremely well after being audouzed for about 7 hours. Soft yet structured, and with plenty of elegance and finesse. Just lovely. As good as the Clos des Paepes wa, the bottle of 2003 Janasse Chaupin was not far behind, and neither were the two bottles of Olga Raffault Chinon "Les Picasses", which showed beautifully. Amazingly, the 1990 showed much younger and greener than the 1989. Either way, these four wines were my favorites. I did not get to taste the 07 VD, but hope to rectify this situation very soon.
Dud of the night:
The 2001 Casanova di Neri is a good wine, but not nearly as good as has been maintained by the wine press. One thing in particular that bothers me about this wine is that as tasty a it is, it doesn't speak of its place. The fact that CDN is implicated in the Brunellopoli scandal is not surprising to me as this wine just doesn't seem like it could be pure Sangiovese...but what do I know. Either way, $200 for this wine is frankly insane, and if you can get some Guidalberto or Serre Nuove from a better vintage, you can have a nearly identical drinking experience for far less money. YMMV.
Surprise of the night:
In this category, I see a tie between the 1998 Chave St. Joseph and the 2003 Pavie Macquin. I thouht the Chave may show over the hill, but nothing could have been further from the truth. It drank at peak, and was a lovely mix of pepper, bacon fat, and earth. What a great wine for the money. The 2003 Pavie MAcuin, I expected to show overblown and roasted, and again, it wa a very nice, layered wine with plenty of fruit, but also some retraint. To me, this wine performed as well as any of the critics' reviews. Glad to have one more in my cellar.
QPR of the Night:
This award has to go to the 2000 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia that was purchased on wines.com in Austin by a friend for less than $9 per bottle. This wine is stupidly good to begin with, but at 75% off retail, this wine is just a laughable deal. Back up the truck.
Fake of the night?
I know many of you will think it's impossible, but I believe the bottle of 1998 Cote Rotie from Guigal was a fake. I looked at the label and cork, and found nothing suspicious, but this wine, which I have had on three occasions, and which has shown 100% consistent, tasted nothing like Cote Rotie. As a matter of fact, it tasted almost exactly like an inexpensive Southern Rhone from CdP, Gigondas, or Vacqueyras. No bacon fat, no pepper, far too much funk...the 1999 we drank side by side with this showed completely typical and only heightened my impression that the 98 wa a fake. I had purchased the lot on K&L a few years back, so it's hard to believe it would be a fake.
As is usual with these evenings, there was even more wine that I didn't taste and don't remember. Among them was a Le Cadeau Pnot from Oregon, a Vilmart Champagne in Magnum, an obscure, dry white Bordeaux in screwcap, and other gems I may have missed.
Thanks go all my friends who made this evening fun and brought all the delicious food.
One last word, and unfortunately a sad one...my father, Werner Pelz, passed away somewhat unexpectedly on Friday after a short bout with heart disease. The tasting and these notes are dedicated to his memory and his life. I will post my thoughts on his passing in a separate thread once I've had a chance to collect all my thoughts and turn them into a coherent hommage to the man that influenced my life so much.
The man, the myth, the legend. tasting with Helmut Doennhoff
When I scheduled a tasting at Doennhoff last week, I was giddy with anticipation. When I arrived at the facility, I was informed that the staff were bottling the remainder of the 2008 vintage. After a few minutes waiting, I was told that Helmut Doennhoff would taste through a few wines with me nevertheless.
When he entered the tasting room and shook my hand, it was one of those moments that will sear itself into my memory forever. We sat down and tasted wine after wine despite Helmut having to step out occasionally to supervise the bottling process. All told, I spent more than one hour and thirty minutes with Herrn Doennhoff, working through one of the longest pure tasting sessions I've ever had the pleasure to experience. Helmut Doennhoff, despite his soaring success is one of those rare people who has remained grounded, charming, and not at all self-absorbed. Turns out we know some of the same folks in Bad Kreuznach (whe he did his apprenticeship at the Weinbau Schule and where I have had close ties for 25 years). Tasting with him was an honor I won't soon forget.
Of course, I should mention that I probably asked a hundred questions, all of which Helmut not only answered, but he truly enlightened me to the fine points of vineyard location, wine making technique, Weingut history, etc. He's a living wine dictionary who seemed absolutely thrilled to have a young wine enthusiast in front of him with whom he could share his passion.
To top it all off, I found a huge picture on one of the tasting room tables of Helmut Doennhoff with none other than our very own Miran Kegl. Small world.
The trocken wines
- 2008 Dönnhoff Riesling trocken - Germany, Nahe
First wine tasted of the line-up. Sourced from Oberhaeuser Bruecke vineyard. Volcanic/porphyr soil. Highly mineral, citrus, a hint of peach. Laser focused and clean. Good. - 2008 Dönnhoff Weissburgunder trocken - Germany, Nahe
White flowers, creamy, green apple peel, cut grass. Touch higher alcohol than the Riesling trocken preceding it. - 2008 Dönnhoff Grauburgunder - Germany, Nahe
Even higher octane than the Weissburgunder. Thicker, softer, creamier, yet with good minerality and apple. - 2008 Dönnhoff Tonschiefer Riesling trocken - Germany, Nahe
The grapes for this wine are sourced from the Oberhaeuser Leistenberg vineyard. Extremely high minerality, light apple, pear, and unripe peach. Juicy, sappy, and some white grapefruit. Helmut Doennhoff said it has a tactile sensation of pure spring water. I agree with that description 100%. - 2008 Dönnhoff Kreuznacher Kahlenberg Riesling trocken - Germany, Nahe
Sourced from the relatively newly acquired, south-facing vineyards in North Eastern Bad Kreuznach (on the way out to Bretzenheim). Pure, nearly with imperceptible sweetness. Riper, rounder, and fuller style than the wine Helmut makes from the vineyards in Ober- and Niederhausen. To me, this is a drink now kind of wine. - 2008 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling trocken - Germany, Nahe
Yes. This was really nice. Very layered, citrus aroma and flavors, with amazing volume, minerality, acidity, and overall balance. A must-buy in my book. - 2008 Dönnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Großes Gewächs trocken - Germany, Nahe
I got lucky. Helmut Doennhoff pulled a bottle of this off the bottling line, and in typically modest fashion said that I should evaluate the wine with that in mind. No concern necessary. This showed brilliantly. Yet another step up from the preceding Felsenberg, and simply more of everything. The most obvious observation was that there was more fruit, better balance, and the texture was just a touch creamier and the acid less pronounced. I wrote down lemon curd, and I think that captures the flavor fairly well. - 2008 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Nahe
As good as the Dellchen was, the Hermannshoehle was even better. It added some spice/herbs to the flavor component along with some lychee and a touch of pineapple. At the same time, it kept its zingy character with lemon and liquid rock. To me, a profound wine.
The off-dry wines
- 2008 Dönnhoff Riesling - Germany, Nahe
To me, the most disappointing wine in the otherwise outstanding 2008 line-up. A simple, pleasant, round wine with surprisingly low acidity and wow factor. Drink now. - 2008 Dönnhoff Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Nahe
Good wine. Tropical fruit profile, and good acidity. Has less minerality than one may expect, but Helmut Doennhoff said right away that the Kreuznach sites tend to show fuller, riper, and more accessible than the other sites because they are planted on quarzit and gravel soils. - 2008 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Nahe
Perhaps the best wine in the entire tasting. Mindblowing, pure minerality, lychee, peach, mango, and other tropical fruit, all wrapped into an amazing acid structure that just makes you want to drink this sip after sip. Helmut Doennhoff said that the Oberhaeuser Leistenberg is often the vineyard that produces their best Kabinett. 2008 seems to be no different. Must-buy, world class, profound Kabinett. - 2008 Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
The first of the Spaetlesen. I liked this quite a bit. Pretty suave and soft again with good acidity. It stays beautifully light on its feet all the way across the palate and captures its heritage well. As good as it was, the other two Spaetlesen were several classes ahead of the Kirschheck. - 2008 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
A wine that made my heart beat faster. How it can get much better than this at the Spaetlese level is beyond me. Chiseled, focused, pure, and finessed. It's tropical and orchard fruit in perfect harmony. Add incredible supporting acidity and you have yourself a superstar wine in the making. Flat out incredible wine. - 2008 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
It should be the best Spaetlese Doennhoff produces because the vineyard is a Spaetlese and Auslese vineyard, but on this day, it didn't move me as much as the Kupfergrube did. It shows solid citrus, orchard peach, and slate tones, but it doesn't quite get me to whhere the Kupfergrube took me. Still an amazing wine, though. - 2008 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
Another winner. Ranks right alongside the Oberhaeuser Bruecke, but not quite at the same level as the Kupfergrube Spaetlese for me. It showed rounder and fruitier than the other two Spaetlesen, but showed its tropical fruit very well along with some honey and even doughy notes.
The dessert wine
- 2001 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Eiswein "Dezember" - Germany, Nahe
Despite my previously self-confessed ignorance for Eiswein, Helmut Doennhoff thought that tasting this could be educational for me. And of course, he was right. This Eiswein literally exploded on the plate with pure honey, mango and white flowers. Although as sweet as a Sauternes (with which I have far more experience), the Eiswein avoided the cloying character that can sometimes plague a Sauternes. It stayed light on its feet, yet firmly a dessert wine with loads of sweet fruit. Bravo.
Thanks to Helmut Doennhoff for taking the time to taste with me and I'm looking forward to enjoying his wines for decades to come.
Tasting at Emrich-Schönleber Today
Today was a warm, cloudy summer day in the Nahe region. I am in Germany to visit my ailing father, but I was able to squeeze in a quick tasting with Frank Schönleber of Emrich-Schönleber (left in picture above). He couldn`t have been nicer and more helpful, and it´s always fun to see an enthusiastic, dynamic winemaker of my own age excel and really succeed. All the wines I tasted were outrageously good, the prices were more than fair, and Frank was having fun showing me the fruits of his hard wine making labor. On to the wines:
Trocken Wines
The trocken wines were right down my alley. Lean, mean, and buit with sturdy acid structure, I enjoyed these wines immensely. When I asked Frank Schönleber what he thought of vintage differences between 2007 and 2008, he said that 2007 was a fatter and riper year while 2008 was leaner and more classic in a good sense.- 2008 Emrich-Schönleber Nahe Trocken - Germany, Nahe
A blend of Riesling, Kerner, and Bacchus. Light, grapefruit, lychee, cut grass. Good wine. Sold by the liter at €4.90. Great QPR. - 2008 Emrich-Schönleber Riesling trocken - Germany, Nahe
Apple, herbs, citrus, minerals, fresh, cut grass. More weight than the "Nahe Trocken". €6.90 ex-Weingut. Fantastic wine for the money. - 2008 Emrich-Schönleber Riesling "Lenz" - Germany, Nahe
My favorite of the less expensive line-up. Pronounced orchard peach, apple, ripe grapefruit, minerals, and with great zing, cut, freshness. Lovely wine and the best QPR in the entire line-up. - 2008 Emrich-Schönleber Riesling "Mineral" trocken - Germany, Nahe
Liquid minerals in a bottle. Grown on blue slate. Fruit backward with tons of lean granny smith apple. Extremely lean and stoney. Almost reminds me of a lean Muscadet from the Loire. Not my cup of tea. - 2008 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling trocken - Germany, Nahe
I really liked this. More of everything here. Fuller body, cut chives, peach, apple, and lemon curd. A winner all the way. - 2008 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling trocken - Germany, Nahe
The best of the dry Rieslings that are not Große Gewächse. Marvelous apricot, peach grapefruit, and little spice and herbal qualities. More fruit and ripeness than any of the prior wines. Just beautiful. - 2008 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Trocken Großes Gewächs - Germany, Nahe
Amazing stuff. Ripe grapefruit, peach, touch of mango. More power, more ripeness, yet a very fine wine with lots of finesse, definition, and minerality. Rounder than any of the other wines and even more balanced. My favorite of Frank Schönleber`s wines. At €29, it is reaching it`s upper price limit for my tastes, but it is truly great wine.
Off-Dry Wines
I only tried two off-dry wines, and I liked them both. Interestingly, while I preferred the Halenberg across the board on the dry wines, I preferred the less fruit forward Frühlingsplätzchen among the off-dry wines, as it showed less lush and more restrained.
- 2008 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
Pineapple and passionfruit. Tropical fruit profile, but it is balanced with incredible purity and acidity. Should be even better in 5+ years. - 2007 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
I didn`t like this as much as the Frühlingsplätzchen, but it was still very very nice. Again, Halenberg just gives more of everything, but with the off-dry wines, this one gave me more than I could handle. I would love to re-evaluate this wine in 5-10 years.
Thanks to Frank Schönleber who couldn`t have been nicer and more helpful, and now I am really looking forward to tasting with Dönnhoff on Tuesday.
White Burgundy Tasting - LeRoy, Ramonet, Bonneau du Matray and more
Our monthly wine salon organized by Austin collector Brian Owens was hosted at Austin's Aquarelle restaurant yesterday afternoon. We tasted through 23 wines in almost exactly 4 hours. Yesterday's theme was white burgundy, so we tasted through a good number of the important villages/communes to get a feel for each, as well as the styles within. Before I get to the notes I took, I will take a moment and say that the number of oxidized bottles was absolutely shocking...and that's after the host had already opened and tasted, and subsequently replaced damaged and oxidized bottres. After tasting through the wines yesterday, I am resolved to drink white burgundy in its youth. Going beyond 10 years seems to be a crapshoot. Alas, here are the notes.
Entry Level and Pouilly-Fuisse White Burgundy
- 2007 Cave de Lugny Mâcon-Lugny Les Charmes - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Lugny
First wine of the afternoon. Pale yellow to white color. Crushed rocks, zippy acidity, lemon juice, light custard, and white flowers. Very steely. At $10 per bottle, this is a nice wine for the price.
- 2007 Joseph Drouhin St. Véran - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, St. Véran
Pale color, crushed rock, seashells, softer than the Macon that preceded it. Lemon, stony, and egg white flavors. At $13 per bottle, this, too, is a good QPR. - 1994 J. A. Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé Tournant de Pouilly - Hors classe - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé
Oxidized. Gold color. Cider, caramel apple, butterscotch, popcorn, toasted nuts, honey. Good finish. Definitely past its prime.
- 1993 Domaine Valette Pouilly-Fuissé Clos Reyssié - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé
Slightly oxidated. Minerals, sherry notes, fresh, zingy with lemon and minimal oak.
Joseph Drouhin Clos des Mouches Blanc
- 1997 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Oxidized. Cider, apple, lemon zest, beeswax. Fresh and broad.
- 1999 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Sulfur smell. Reductive. Very fresh, seashells, curing smoke, some toasty oak. Only deduction was the high glycerin texture. Someone mentioned it had a significant saline note.
- 2002 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
By far my favorite in this flight. Bright, grassy, white flower blossoms, citrus, but also good roundness. This one had it all.
- 2000 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Bright color and palate. Honeywater, hey, straw and citrus. Somewhat non-descript character.
- 2001 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Slightly oxidized. Slight reduction, very sweet fruit, cut grass, fatter than the 2002. Good but in need of speedy consumption.
Chablis and Meursault
- 2007 Laurent Tribut Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
One of my favorite young wines at this tasting. Cut grass, lemon juice, high acidity, slightly salty note. A lean, mean, mineral rich wine that's bone dry and in need of a couple of years in the cellar to soften up.
- 2000 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Very good Chablis with some age on it. Still fresh, lively, vibrant wine that's all liquid stones, but also a deep wine with layers of fruit and a softness that the previous wine lacked due to its youth. A little short on the finish for me. Very good, but not great. I would vebture to guess that the laurent tribut will be better than this at the same age.
- 2003 Thierry et Pascale Matrot Meursault 1er Cru Charmes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Toasty oak, thin, watery, flat, flabby. Short finish and utterly forgettable.
Corton-Charlemagne
- 2001 Rapet Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
My WOTN. This brought it all together. Peach, pear, round flavors, lots of minerality, a touch of cold smoke, but still bright, and young and full of promise. Loved this one.
- 1997 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Oxidized. All butterscotch, round and soft texture, and high toast oak. Some said this is the house style, but something tells me that they don't intend to make their wine like this.
- 1998 Joseph Drouhin Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Beginning to oxidize. This one fit stylistically right in between the Rapet and Bonneau du Martray. It had great balance and was probably the best wine to drink now. Great food match to crab bisque. Needs to be consumed immediately though. This bottle was on the downslope.
Chassagne-Montrachet
- 1996 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Slightly oxidized. Extremely intense wine that has a wild and almost rustic palate of lemon zest, minerals, curing smoke and nuts. I liked this better than most, but again, this needs to be consumed asap.
- 1996 Blain-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Boudriotte - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
First bottle badly corked. Second bottle oxidized. Still drinkable but not very fun. Deep gold color and the smokey nutty, lemony flavors one would expect, plus, unfortunately some cider, caramel apple and butterscotch. I can see how this may have been really good at some point.
- 2005 Louis Jadot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Clos de la Chapelle Domaine du Duc de Magenta - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Jeckyll and Hyde wine. The nose smelled of plastic and rubber and nothing else, but the palate was really nice. tasty, fresh, zingy, and with good length and great purity. Bizarre showing.
Puligny-Montrachet
- 2003 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Hameau de Blagny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Creme brulee and egg yolk. Some smoke and oak and noticeable crushed limestone. A bit short for my preferences. A drink now wine, but it was not oxidized.
- 2001 Château Génot-Boulanger Puligny-Montrachet Nosroyes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
Excellent Puligny. Although a bit of oak on the entry, this actually shows lean with zingy lemon, smoke, and some custard. My favorite Puligny in the lineup.
- 1999 Maison Leroy Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
To me, this was the most controversial wine on the table. Everyone seemed to love it, but I didn't. The good news is that it was definitely not oxidized, and it looked like an amazingly fresh and young wine. Pale color in comparison to all the other serious wines, and it just seemed pleasant and flat to me. No excitement factor. I thought the Genot was significantly better. No flaws I could detect. - 2004 Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Youngest wine in the lineup. Showed well and is richer in style than all but the Sauzet Pulignys. Light gold color and more tropical fruit. Smoke and a touch of oak. After tasting some of the other wines, this probably didn't stand out for me, but it was drinking good.
And for those of you who know your music, here's a goodie:
Thanks to Brian for organizing and thanks to the owners of Aquarelle for allowing us to do this tasting on their premises on their day off. Special thanks to John GL for the stunning Crab bisque. Amazing course with the Corton Charlemagnes. A truly amazing treat.
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