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

[Andrew Zachary]

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
2010 Hermann Ludes Thörnicher Ritsch Auslese Alte Reben (screwcap)

Very vigorous primary Riesling. Very Saar, more forest and earth than fruit. High sugar and high acid aren’t quite sown together yet, but it’s undeniably delicious and gulpable. The match with my Dry-Fried chicken, adapted from Fuchsia Dunlop and sporting serious heat from a combo of a blend of Tribute and green Sichuan peppercorn, Xiao Mi La chilis, real Hong You Doubanjiang, and my homemade chili oil, was synergistically wonderful.

Mala Market has great spices; I am delighted to know that others have discovered them, too.

 

[Salil Benegal]

A couple of dry Rieslings in the last few nights. 2009 Alzinger Steinertal was good, if underwhelming. Well balanced with clean fruit but lacking the depth I've usually found in other vintages of this wine.

2018 Grosset Polish Hill was much better with remarkable brightness and energy and I'm glad I have a couple more of those.

 

[Rahsaan]

originally posted by Salil Benegal:
A couple of dry Rieslings in the last few nights. 2009 Alzinger Steinertal was good, if underwhelming. Well balanced with clean fruit but lacking the depth I've usually found in other vintages of this wine..

That would be a let down. I would certainly be expecting a lot from 09 Alzinger Steinertal.

Had a similar let down tonight with 2018 Vollenweider Schimbock, midpalate fruit was so dull. Not sure if it was aging curve or what, but happy to open 2018 Weiser-Künstler Wolfer Sonnenlay Spätlese instead, which was crispy juicy and perfectly-fresh match for grilled seabass, spargel and quinoa with spinach.

Speaking of riesling, last night's 2017 Lauer Feils was not too bad either. A true joy.

 

[Zachary Ross]

originally posted by Rahsaan:

originally posted by Salil Benegal:
A couple of dry Rieslings in the last few nights. 2009 Alzinger Steinertal was good, if underwhelming. Well balanced with clean fruit but lacking the depth I've usually found in other vintages of this wine..

That would be a let down. I would certainly be expecting a lot from 09 Alzinger Steinertal.

Had a similar let down tonight with 2018 Vollenweider Schimbock, midpalate fruit was so dull. Not sure if it was aging curve or what, but happy to open 2018 Weiser-Künstler Wolfer Sonnenlay Spätlese instead, which was crispy juicy and perfectly-fresh match for grilled seabass, spargel and quinoa with spinach.

Speaking of riesling, last night's 2017 Lauer Feils was not too bad either. A true joy.

Spargelzeit!

 

[Jim Hanlon]

2020 Tyler Santa Barbara County Chardonnay: I know that California Chardonnay is not exactly a core interest here, but I'd be surprised if many on the bored didn't like or at least appreciate this wine, especially at the price point ($25-30). Native yeast, just 10% new oak, no battonage, full malo. Alcohol under 13.5%. Pretty good natural acidity. Flavors more towards orchard than tropical. In fact, not tropical at all. Don't think it would fool experienced Burgundy drinkers, and it shouldn't. But it is a California Chardonnay made with Burgundian sensibilities at a reasonable price. And that's a good, and rare, thing. More generally, I've been very impressed with the Tyler wines -- this is typical of the house style. Some get spendy, but this wine is well priced and carefully made. There aren't too many Bourgogne Blancs I'd rather drink over this.

 

[Jay Miller]

A 2007 Prager Gruner Achleiten was not bad but unexpectedly dense and shut down even after a few hours of air

A 2001 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo was hauntingly beautiful

A 2002 Weegmuller Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Auslese was complex and luscious.

 

[Jayson Cohen]

2015 Kabis, single blind, in group rank order:

 

[John M]

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
2015 Kabis, single blind, in group rank order:

I am very jealous! I expect that I would have placed the Saar wines higher, and wish I had the chance to test that theory. That being said, coming in last in this group isn't a knock on any bottle.

 

[Jayson Cohen]

originally posted by John M:

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
2015 Kabis, single blind, in group rank order:

I am very jealous! I expect that I would have placed the Saar wines higher, and wish I had the chance to test that theory. That being said, coming in last in this group isn't a knock on any bottle.

You wouldn’t have IMO. The most phenolic and least fruity wines blind to me, if that’s how you might identify Saar-ness, were the Schaefer, Richter, and Muller. I had them 2-3-4 in my own ranking, but (also blind) thinking all three would ultimately surpass the Keller, which was just more open. All three of the former kept getting better and better, which makes sense since unfortunately this was a pop-and-pour single blind tasting.

Added: I do think the Schaefer and Muller would be the best wines if this were rerun 5 years on. I was back and forth blind on Keller and Schaefer in first spot (given I was forced to rank by our tasting format).

 

[Peter Creasey]

I pulled Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape '11 this evening to go with lamb patties, shiitake and white mushrooms, and potato gnocchi, then pecan pie cookies and strawberries.

I was in awe as to how well this bottle showed. Double decanted right
before serving. It was wonderful -- ample bouquet, nice roundness, no
edges, all the components in balance, impressive length. Really a surprising
delight. Bravo!

I couldn't resist relaying my exuberance about this wine to Marc Perrin.

. . . . . . Pete

 

[Jim Hanlon]

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:

originally posted by John M:

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
2015 Kabis, single blind, in group rank order:

I am very jealous! I expect that I would have placed the Saar wines higher, and wish I had the chance to test that theory. That being said, coming in last in this group isn't a knock on any bottle.

You wouldn’t have IMO. The most phenolic and least fruity wines blind to me, if that’s how you might identify Saar-ness, were the Schaefer, Richter, and Muller. I had them 2-3-4 in my own ranking, but (also blind) thinking all three would ultimately surpass the Keller, which was just more open. All three of the former kept getting better and better, which makes sense since unfortunately this was a pop-and-pour single blind tasting.

Added: I do think the Schaefer and Muller would be the best wines if this were rerun 5 years on. I was back and forth blind on Keller and Schaefer in first spot (given I was forced to rank by our tasting format).

What a fun tasting.

I realize that German wines have a very limited market, but it still surprises me (pleasantly) that Schaefer hasn't seen big price inflation, like Keller. Small domaine, distinctive and appealing house style. Very consistent quality. I'm not complaining, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
2015 Kabis, single blind, in group rank order:

Great lineup, Jayson. And I own three of those so the check-in is very useful!

 

[Jay Miller]

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
2015 Kabis, single blind, in group rank order:

How are they showing in general? Am I right to keep mine buried for quite a while yet?

 

[Jayson Cohen]

originally posted by Jay Miller:

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
2015 Kabis, single blind, in group rank order:

How are they showing in general? Am I right to keep mine buried for quite a while yet?

Generally, they showed well. Varying amounts of reduction. Some fairly open or opening, others a little more reduced. I was surprised how open Schaefer and Muller both were with some air. But no rush.

 

[Jayson Cohen]

Impromptu small gathering on UWS— Trimbach x 2, 1979 La Lagune, 1991 Bosconia GR. No duds.

 

[MarkS]

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
No duds.

No notes?

 

[robert ames]

how was the -17 trimbach v.v.? the 2015 v.v. is knocking on the door of cfe for half the price.

 

[Christian Miller (CMM)]

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
2020 Tyler Santa Barbara County Chardonnay: I know that California Chardonnay is not exactly a core interest here, but I'd be surprised if many on the bored didn't like or at least appreciate this wine, especially at the price point ($25-30)...But it is a California Chardonnay made with Burgundian sensibilities at a reasonable price...

In a similar vein, I recently had:
J Wilkes 2018 Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley - pale gold; mild pleasant aroma with fresh green Chard-apple fruit, touch of oak spice and pie crust; still fresh with slightly chivey lemony-pithy Chard fruit, touch of wood dryness, savory lemon curd med length finish with a hint of tarragon. Nearly bone-dry but not at all austere. S/S ferment, 100% malo, 25% in French oak, 13.5% ABV. Made by Wes Hagen, so the balance is no surprise. Fairly priced around $20, but in this case deeply discounted at Grocery Outlet because they redesigned the label for 2019.

And just for contrast:
Ponzi 2018 Chardonnay Willamette Valley Laurelwood Reserve - med white gold; mild nose with pear-apple fruit, mellow french oak, fresh baguette; soft, medium bodied, med acid, creamy texture with baked pear tart; med-long finish with a hint of baked oat crumble and wood, starting to dry out. Fine, but probably better a year or two ago. Not quite as vigorous and balanced as other vintages I have had of this wine, perhaps due to vintage conditions.

 

[MLipton]

Tonight, at dinner with a visiting speaker I opened two Syrahs: 2014 Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 30 tasted almost like a barrel sample: smooth tannins, fresh, primary. The fruit was recognizably Syrah (especially if you’ve had barrel samples) but it tasted oh so young. Whatever happened to the Cornas of my youth that would remove the enamel from your teeth at age 8?
2005 Edmunds St. John Parmalee-Hill was, in contrast, a great example of a mature Syrah. Smoky, with green olives and licorice, the tannins were soft but the svidity was vibrant. Medium-to-full bodied, it was a treat to drink.
Interestingly, our foursome of non-wine geeks were split on their favorite.

Mark Lipton

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by MLipton:
Tonight, at dinner with a visiting speaker I opened two Syrahs: 2014 Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 30 tasted almost like a barrel sample: smooth tannins, fresh, primary. The fruit was recognizably Syrah (especially if you’ve had barrel samples) but it tasted oh so young. Whatever happened to the Cornas of my youth that would remove the enamel from your teeth at age 8?

And I had the 2015 tonight! Definitely not a barrel sample, it was clean, very smooth, glyceral, slightly sweet, I used the word "opulent" to describe it.