CWD: What did you drink last night (or whenever)?

[Jeff Grossman]

M-E Z C gets good writeups.

 

[Jim Hanlon]

2017 Peter Lauer Neuenberg Fass 17: This wine is either dry or nearly so, which generally isn't the Riesling that fits best with my palate. But I quite liked this bottle. Straddled the line between too much acid and too much weight. Makes me rethink my trocken prejudice, at least with respect to some producers.

2012 Goyo Garcia Viadero Ribera del Duero El Peruco: The only Ribera del Duero wines I buy are from Goyo, so I'm hardly an expert, but I know enough to know that he's an extreme outlier. A guy in Spain who admits to trying to make wine like Overnoy. This was a damn successful effort. Beautiful darker fruit, with a weightless quality that's hard to achieve for that flavor profile. Pretty integrated and a joy to drink, but can age further, perhaps much further. If these wines were from somewhere more trendy, they'd be all over Instagram and impossible to get for less than $500. I'm glad they're not. Worth trying, for sure, if you get an opportunity. Especially a bottle with some age. But these are low sulphur, so provenance is critical.

1978 Haut Bailly: I left my Durand at someone's house and forgot I hadn't gotten it back, so I really had to torture this poor wine to get the bottle open. Ended up pushing part of the cork into the bottle, straining, and then pouring back into a different bottle before dinner. I was worried the wine would be too fragile for all that. But, it held up well. Perhaps better a few years ago, but still plenty of fruit and personality. A very nice old claret. I don't think many wine folks today drink wines like this, which is too bad. Old Bordeaux at auction is actually becoming interesting. Maybe that's just because I'm getting close to 50.

2001 Sociando Mallet: In the prime of its life. Tremendous fruit presence and personality. I was so thrilled by the wine that I said it was a crowd pleaser, but then my companions reminded me of the pyrazines. Okay, a crowd pleaser for the enlightened.

 

[Jayson Cohen]

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
2017 Peter Lauer Neuenberg Fass 17: This wine is either dry or nearly so, which generally isn't the Riesling that fits best with my palate. But I quite liked this bottle. Straddled the line between too much acid and too much weight. Makes me rethink my trocken prejudice, at least with respect to some producers.

2012 Goyo Garcia Viadero Ribera del Duero El Peruco: The only Ribera del Duero wines I buy are from Goyo, so I'm hardly an expert, but I know enough to know that he's an extreme outlier. A guy in Spain who admits to trying to make wine like Overnoy. This was a damn successful effort. Beautiful darker fruit, with a weightless quality that's hard to achieve for that flavor profile. Pretty integrated and a joy to drink, but can age further, perhaps much further. If these wines were from somewhere more trendy, they'd be all over Instagram and impossible to get for less than $500. I'm glad they're not. Worth trying, for sure, if you get an opportunity. Especially a bottle with some age. But these are low sulphur, so provenance is critical.

1978 Haut Bailly: I left my Durand at someone's house and forgot I hadn't gotten it back, so I really had to torture this poor wine to get the bottle open. Ended up pushing part of the cork into the bottle, straining, and then pouring back into a different bottle before dinner. I was worried the wine would be too fragile for all that. But, it held up well. Perhaps better a few years ago, but still plenty of fruit and personality. A very nice old claret. I don't think many wine folks today drink wines like this, which is too bad. Old Bordeaux at auction is actually becoming interesting. Maybe that's just because I'm getting close to 50.

2001 Sociando Mallet: In the prime of its life. Tremendous fruit presence and personality. I was so thrilled by the wine that I said it was a crowd pleaser, but then my companions reminded me of the pyrazines. Okay, a crowd pleaser for the enlightened.

Love 1978 Haut Bailly. In a good place from 3 experiences the last 4-5 years.

 

[Jayson Cohen]

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
2017 Peter Lauer Neuenberg Fass 17: This wine is either dry or nearly so, which generally isn't the Riesling that fits best with my palate. But I quite liked this bottle. Straddled the line between too much acid and too much weight. Makes me rethink my trocken prejudice, at least with respect to some producers.

2012 Goyo Garcia Viadero Ribera del Duero El Peruco: The only Ribera del Duero wines I buy are from Goyo, so I'm hardly an expert, but I know enough to know that he's an extreme outlier. A guy in Spain who admits to trying to make wine like Overnoy. This was a damn successful effort. Beautiful darker fruit, with a weightless quality that's hard to achieve for that flavor profile. Pretty integrated and a joy to drink, but can age further, perhaps much further. If these wines were from somewhere more trendy, they'd be all over Instagram and impossible to get for less than $500. I'm glad they're not. Worth trying, for sure, if you get an opportunity. Especially a bottle with some age. But these are low sulphur, so provenance is critical.

1978 Haut Bailly: I left my Durand at someone's house and forgot I hadn't gotten it back, so I really had to torture this poor wine to get the bottle open. Ended up pushing part of the cork into the bottle, straining, and then pouring back into a different bottle before dinner. I was worried the wine would be too fragile for all that. But, it held up well. Perhaps better a few years ago, but still plenty of fruit and personality. A very nice old claret. I don't think many wine folks today drink wines like this, which is too bad. Old Bordeaux at auction is actually becoming interesting. Maybe that's just because I'm getting close to 50.

2001 Sociando Mallet: In the prime of its life. Tremendous fruit presence and personality. I was so thrilled by the wine that I said it was a crowd pleaser, but then my companions reminded me of the pyrazines. Okay, a crowd pleaser for the enlightened.

Love 1978 Haut Bailly. In a good place from 3 experiences the last 4-5 years.

 

[Pavel Tchichikov]

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
1978 Haut Bailly: I left my Durand at someone's house and forgot I hadn't gotten it back, so I really had to torture this poor wine to get the bottle open. Ended up pushing part of the cork into the bottle, straining, and then pouring back into a different bottle before dinner. I was worried the wine would be too fragile for all that. But, it held up well. Perhaps better a few years ago, but still plenty of fruit and personality. A very nice old claret. I don't think many wine folks today drink wines like this, which is too bad. Old Bordeaux at auction is actually becoming interesting. Maybe that's just because I'm getting close to 50.

I am with young Jayson. This has been cruising for 25+ years, fluctuating mainly due to bottle condition, to the best of my ability to associate cause and effect. At its worst, it's never been less than much fun. At its best, profoundly confusing as in why would Hardy relabel a Pomerol as Pessac?

As to your point about not many wine folks drinking wines like this, let us be grateful for a change.

2001 Sociando Mallet: In the prime of its life. Tremendous fruit presence and personality. I was so thrilled by the wine that I said it was a crowd pleaser, but then my companions reminded me of the pyrazines. Okay, a crowd pleaser for the enlightened.

Opened one recently because several 01s had caught my attention as being lighter in the best sense (unexpectedly transparent and balanced), with even some of the spoof-prone producing something drinkable. All assumptions out the window. It was brutally young, but thoroughly impressive in both raw material and balance. It will be some time before the next bottle is considered.

 

[Yule Kim]

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
2017 Peter Lauer Neuenberg Fass 17: This wine is either dry or nearly so, which generally isn't the Riesling that fits best with my palate. But I quite liked this bottle. Straddled the line between too much acid and too much weight. Makes me rethink my trocken prejudice, at least with respect to some producers.

Is this your general experience with Neuenberg? I bought some '21s as a flyer, but I'm not too sure what to expect -- I was assuming it was going to be more feinherb-like with some exotic fruit element and a rounder texture than say Kern or Stirn (basing this solely on the VomBoden description of the wine).

 

[Jim Hanlon]

originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:

2001 Sociando Mallet: In the prime of its life. Tremendous fruit presence and personality. I was so thrilled by the wine that I said it was a crowd pleaser, but then my companions reminded me of the pyrazines. Okay, a crowd pleaser for the enlightened.

Opened one recently because several 01s had caught my attention as being lighter in the best sense (unexpectedly transparent and balanced), with even some of the spoof-prone producing something drinkable. All assumptions out the window. It was brutally young, but thoroughly impressive in both raw material and balance. It will be some time before the next bottle is considered.

My 2001 was a recent-ish purchase, so may not have had a perfect life. It definitely wasn't brutally young. But storage can radically affect aging. (Duh.). Anyway, I hope your remaining bottles drink as well as this one did!

 

[Jim Hanlon]

originally posted by Yule Kim:

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
2017 Peter Lauer Neuenberg Fass 17: This wine is either dry or nearly so, which generally isn't the Riesling that fits best with my palate. But I quite liked this bottle. Straddled the line between too much acid and too much weight. Makes me rethink my trocken prejudice, at least with respect to some producers.

Is this your general experience with Neuenberg? I bought some '21s as a flyer, but I'm not too sure what to expect -- I was assuming it was going to be more feinherb-like with some exotic fruit element and a rounder texture than say Kern or Stirn (basing this solely on the VomBoden description of the wine).

I don't have enough Lauer experience to have a well informed opinion. I share your expectations, but often Kern or Stirn has enough residual sugar to be a feinherb. That's usually my lower level for Riesling. If you want to get some folks together to drink a few vintages of Lauer, we could do some research.

 

[MLipton]

2014 Edmunds St John Rocks and Gravel was positively singing tonight. Had it been placed in a lineup of Côtes du Rhônes, people would have been scrambling to get the producer’s name. Meaty, dark cherry fruit, perfectly balanced with fresh acidity and a lightness on the palate that was the only indication that it didn’t come from the S Rhone. Bravo, Steve! I’m glad I have more in the cellar.

Mark Lipton

 

[Yule Kim]

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:

originally posted by Yule Kim:

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
2017 Peter Lauer Neuenberg Fass 17: This wine is either dry or nearly so, which generally isn't the Riesling that fits best with my palate. But I quite liked this bottle. Straddled the line between too much acid and too much weight. Makes me rethink my trocken prejudice, at least with respect to some producers.

Is this your general experience with Neuenberg? I bought some '21s as a flyer, but I'm not too sure what to expect -- I was assuming it was going to be more feinherb-like with some exotic fruit element and a rounder texture than say Kern or Stirn (basing this solely on the VomBoden description of the wine).

I don't have enough Lauer experience to have a well informed opinion. I share your expectations, but often Kern or Stirn has enough residual sugar to be a feinherb. That's usually my lower level for Riesling. If you want to get some folks together to drink a few vintages of Lauer, we could do some research.

I would be very interested in that Jim. It would be fun to do a deep dive into Lauer: #lauerstudy

 

[Steve Edmunds]

originally posted by MLipton:
2014 Edmunds St John Rocks and Gravel was positively singing tonight. Had it been placed in a lineup of Côtes du Rhônes, people would have been scrambling to get the producer’s name. Meaty, dark cherry fruit, perfectly balanced with fresh acidity and a lightness on the palate that was the only indication that it didn’t come from the S Rhone. Bravo, Steve! I’m glad I have more in the cellar.

Mark Lipton

Thanks, Mark! After practicing for 27 and 28 years, i think the Rocks and Gravel wines from '13 and '14 finally gave me a sense that I had started to learn something about what it was I was trying to accomplish. After wandering through the wilderness, the ground, at last, began to make a bit of sense. After that, everything after began to feel like gravy!

 

[Jayson Cohen]

originally posted by Yule Kim:

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:

originally posted by Yule Kim:

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
2017 Peter Lauer Neuenberg Fass 17: This wine is either dry or nearly so, which generally isn't the Riesling that fits best with my palate. But I quite liked this bottle. Straddled the line between too much acid and too much weight. Makes me rethink my trocken prejudice, at least with respect to some producers.

Is this your general experience with Neuenberg? I bought some '21s as a flyer, but I'm not too sure what to expect -- I was assuming it was going to be more feinherb-like with some exotic fruit element and a rounder texture than say Kern or Stirn (basing this solely on the VomBoden description of the wine).

I don't have enough Lauer experience to have a well informed opinion. I share your expectations, but often Kern or Stirn has enough residual sugar to be a feinherb. That's usually my lower level for Riesling. If you want to get some folks together to drink a few vintages of Lauer, we could do some research.

I would be very interested in that Jim. It would be fun to do a deep dive into Lauer: #lauerstudy

This of course should be in NY. :)

As a data point on Lauer, 2021 Stirn and Kern are great. Stirn, the latest of a long line of what has become my favorite Lauer. But Kern better than previous versions, perhaps the compactness of 2021 perfect for Kern’s relatively softer typical profile compared to Stirn.

 

[Larry Stein]

Last Saturday At Mijoté in SF:

Emmanuel Brochet "Le Mont Benoit" Extra Brut (20% 2011, 80% 2012. 40% each Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir): From my friend's cellar. This was as vinous a Champagne as I've had in quite some time. Although labeled Extra Brut, it wasn't shrill and acidic. Some time in the cellar has rounded off the sharp edges. Really, really good. My friend thought it would now cost around $80-100 for the current release. He keeps pretty good track of the market. Sadly, he was wrong on this one. We both looked on Winesearcher the next day. It's now $250.

Le Coste Paino (100% Procanico, orange wine) Ordered off the wine list. I didn't note the vintage and can't see it on the photo I took. Would be either 2015 or 2016. Yet another Italian variety I've never heard of. Most orange wine does little or nothing for me. Can't tell what the variety(ies) are and they're generally too tannic for their own good. Always glad to find the exception which this wine was. Fruit/acid/structure were in harmony.

2010 Vin de Pays de Franche-Comté rouge, Domaine des Cavarodes. From my cellar. According to Wink Lorch, this is typically 1/3 Trousseau, 1/3 Pinot Noir, and 10 obscure Jurassic varieties. Listed at 11.5% alc. This was excellent. Very aromatic, excellent balance and length. It had sufficient structure so there might still be an upside. I have one bottle left. I purchased this from the initial Selection Massale offer. Jim Hanlon told me to buy as much Cavarodes as I could afford. I wish I had bought more! Older vintages are pretty much unobtainable. Even if it was around, it would probably now be out of my price range.

 

[Yule Kim]

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:

originally posted by Yule Kim:

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:

originally posted by Yule Kim:

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
2017 Peter Lauer Neuenberg Fass 17: This wine is either dry or nearly so, which generally isn't the Riesling that fits best with my palate. But I quite liked this bottle. Straddled the line between too much acid and too much weight. Makes me rethink my trocken prejudice, at least with respect to some producers.

Is this your general experience with Neuenberg? I bought some '21s as a flyer, but I'm not too sure what to expect -- I was assuming it was going to be more feinherb-like with some exotic fruit element and a rounder texture than say Kern or Stirn (basing this solely on the VomBoden description of the wine).

I don't have enough Lauer experience to have a well informed opinion. I share your expectations, but often Kern or Stirn has enough residual sugar to be a feinherb. That's usually my lower level for Riesling. If you want to get some folks together to drink a few vintages of Lauer, we could do some research.

I would be very interested in that Jim. It would be fun to do a deep dive into Lauer: #lauerstudy

This of course should be in NY. :)

As a data point on Lauer, 2021 Stirn and Kern are great. Stirn, the latest of a long line of what has become my favorite Lauer. But Kern better than previous versions, perhaps the compactness of 2021 perfect for Kern’s relatively softer typical profile compared to Stirn.

Thanks Jayson, that is good to know about Kern. I will be on the lookout and see if I can pick some up.

I luckily managed to get '21 Stirn after missing out on the initial offer I received. Thankfully, Lauer is not Falkenstein yet (knock on wood).

Jim, maybe doing a side-by-side of the four Ayler Kupp feinherbs (Stirn, Kern, Unterstenburg, Neuenberg) could be interesting.

 

[Pavel Tchichikov]

originally posted by Yule Kim:
I would be very interested in that Jim. It would be fun to do a deep dive into Lauer: #lauerstudy

Study and drive are two things I don't do while drinking.

 

[BJ]

originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

originally posted by MLipton:
Anyone know the origin story of Duke Ellington's East St Louis Toodle oo?

You mean, like this?
gotta scroll down a bit to get to the good parts

I thought they were all good parts! Rabbit holes are put there for a reason. Which is how Steely Dan's nearly note-perfect version of Ellington's East St Louis Toodle-oo sent me searching for the original, lo these many years ago, resulting in a period of Ellintonomania wherein I wound up with a couple of boxed sets of almost everything he'd ever recorded, including things he probably didn't remember he'd recorded. So likely I'm NOT the woman that Marsalis referred to "who was able to see the relationships between vastly different ideas that no one else could" because then I'd have known that Duke used that title to pique the interest of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen and they'd record the song that would then lead me to buy a whole mess of Duke Ellington albums I listen to maybe once a decade (if that). I guess I did my part to keep his heirs and record companies (RCA and Sony mainly) in cigarettes and fast cars.

But not to promulgate thread drift in a thread titled "What did you drink last night (or whenever)?" I'd like to remark on a wine I opened last night and have continued with tonight. It's the 2013 Marie-Elodie Zighera Confuron Fleurie Clos de Mez La Dot. (the "La Dot" always reminds me of my years in Southern California where you'd see "La Dot" when they were digging streets up because it was the friendly name of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation). Delightful wine the first night, aromatically pushing up cherries as one would expect from Fleurie, but with a little earthiness beneath the cherries and acidity poking through a little. But tonight that's all come into alignment- the wine has picked up a little weight and the depth of flavor has gotten depthier and grown more interesting. The finish feels short on first sip but seems to grow longer if you think about it analytically. But this isn't the sort of wine you want to analyze. There's just enough VA to make it interesting, and most importantly, it went well with last night's pizza (Calabrian sausage/'shrooms) and with tonight's tacos crammed with grilled pork chops left over from a couple of nights ago. Nice wine now a decade from harvest, and worthy of the cellar space it's taken up. I bought a bunch of similar wines from Fass Selections wines back then and they've all turned out to live up to his hype. He's like Rimmerman at Garagiste: lots of enthusiasm and based on the price points of the wines I buy from both importers, they're good values, taste like where they came from, and (almost) always improve with time in the cellar.

-Eden (I may be cheap, but I drink pretty good)

I'm sorry, I read this closely and the abbreviation VA sent me screaming, please nonono no more young fresh lady and gent winemakers who think this is good...please stop. Just stop. It's not.

 

[BJ]

De-lish!!!

Gone!!!

 

[Jeff Grossman]

I like Filiatreau. Just picked up one bottle of their 2001 VV.

 

[Jim Hanlon]

2014 Casa Aurora Bierzo Vendanona: A field blend from 100+ year old vines that's mostly Mencia, with some Grenache and whites as well. I came to these wines through Chambers Street, and really enjoy them. A little worried that it seems nothing has been imported since the 2018 vintage. They are elegant and soulful. I've not been to this part of Spain, but drinking the wine makes me feel I have. The story is romantic, the winemaker decided to vinify from his grandmother's old plot (this wine) and then took on some other plots in her village that were abandoned or could not longer be farmed by their elderly owners. Anything from Casa Aurora is worth trying. As I've said of other wines, a few ill-placed Instagram posts is all that separates these from the unicorns. This wine is ready to be drunk up.

2018 l'Anglore Terre d'Ombre: l'Anglore is always a pleasure, although I don't think this wine has benefitted from a few years of cellaring. Has lost a little youthful lift, and there's not added complexity. Still a very nice bottle. Drink up. (I am, however, a believer in cellaring the Tavel a bit.)

2020 Gonon Chasselas: These are the famous Trollat vines. As you'd expect from the Gonon brothers, a very pleasurable bottle. Perhaps a little closed-ish. I think these wines probably drink best 5-10 years out from vintage.

2010 Domaine de Beudon Fendant: Also Chasselas, from the Valais in Switzerland. Inspired to open after the Gonon. This was memorable. Wonderful minerality. Great vigor and energy. These wines from before Jacky Granges's passing are really exceptional. I hope his family is able to continue at this level. Another domain that I'm glad I can still buy.

 

[Salil Benegal]

2019 Matthiasson Cabernet Sauvignon Phoenix Vineyard was excellent. Light and restrained (only 13% alcohol), still very much Californian in its exuberance and brightness of fruit. Delicious wine.

1979 Chateau Leoville Las Cases was absolutely gorgeous the same night. Absolutely stunning and pretty much at peak with tannin resolved, plenty of acidity providing lift and freshness, and wonderful clarity to the dark fruit and various mature flavours.

2010 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Hochrain was also terrific, on a beautiful smoky and burnished plateau where the fruit's still also quite vibrant and fresh, and I am glad I bought a few of these some years back when Zak Ross alerted me to a great deal.