Salil Benegal
Salil Benegal
Had wine geek friends visiting from out of town for a weekend of wine and food and general celebration. Braised a ragu and made fresh pasta, and then we drank a lot of things.
2019 Tyrrell's Hunter Valley Semillon
The base bottling, about $20 from a local retailer in Indy and a stupid good value. Not especially complex, perhaps it's a one-note wine with bright citrus fruit and a slight mineral edge beneath and not much else, but it's a very pretty note and I'm happy I have more.
2021 Eric Bordelet Sydre Argelette
One of the apple ciders from Robert Panzer's Bordelet offer some time back, some of these can be hit and miss for me but this was lovely. Drier than most Bordelet ciders I'm used to (a good thing here) with a particularly strong/tart apple skin note dominating. Drank a lot of this very easily.
2019 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese AP #10
Liked but didn't love this. The flavors are pretty, classic Mosel apple, peach, and citrus with a light mineral underpinning, but it's Schaefer and I kept expecting another gear of something - perhaps more depth, perhaps a bit more acidity, perhaps more to the aromatics. A nice bottle, but I was left wanting more.
1976 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese
Oh yes. Opened with some trepidation as the cork was terrible and I've had a lot of bad luck and TCA with older Prüm. Decanted in hopes the bottle funk might subside, and it did. And beneath is an incredible wine that's pretty much everything I could ask mature Riesling to be. Layers of fruit that are still fresh, a strong vanilla/floral scent, and a light but complex spiciness to the aromatics. It's not as honeyed or sweet as I'd expect given the vintage (I was wondering how much botrytis might dominate here) and actually less sweet than most Spatlese these days. But everything here is impeccable - the flavors combine into a seamless whole, the fruit actually gains in freshness and intensity with some air, and there's a spine of acidity that keeps it very lively throughout.
2000 Pira Barolo Marenca
Red fruit and tar, more red fruit and tar, some light florality and higher toned herbal notes that emerge with time in the decanter (though my goodness, it left a LOT of sediment behind). I love the sheer intensity and brightness to the flavors here, and it played perfectly with the food.
1989 Chateau Magdelaine
Shows far younger than I'd expect given the age/vintage, the red fruit's still remarkably youthful and intense and it feels fresher and more vibrant than bottles of '01 and '95 Magdelaine I had recently. There's enough of that older Bordeaux leathery/woodsy flavor to keep me very happy and I could drink a lot of this. (I did.)
2018 Quivet Beckstoffer Las Piedras Cab
Palates change for sure, I don't think this is not a style of wine I'd have enjoyed much several years ago but I find myself liking these more now, albeit still in small doses. At least tonight with the mood, the company, and everything else, this hit the spot. Lots of rich fruit with more low-toned earthy and tobacco notes adding depth, and the alcohol's high but in balance throughout. Decanting helps a lot - the oak's more apparent initially but plays a background role with air, and I find myself enjoying the second glass an hour later a lot more because of this.
1994 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain Sélection de Grains Nobles
This stole the show and was one of the most compelling and thrilling wines I've had in a few years. All the exotic and tropical fruit and florality I'd expect from Gewurz, rich honeyed and spicy botrytis notes, and that intensely smoky character I associate with Rangen wines that stands out even above the botrytis and immense fruit of this wine. Perfect way to end the night.
2019 Tyrrell's Hunter Valley Semillon
The base bottling, about $20 from a local retailer in Indy and a stupid good value. Not especially complex, perhaps it's a one-note wine with bright citrus fruit and a slight mineral edge beneath and not much else, but it's a very pretty note and I'm happy I have more.
2021 Eric Bordelet Sydre Argelette
One of the apple ciders from Robert Panzer's Bordelet offer some time back, some of these can be hit and miss for me but this was lovely. Drier than most Bordelet ciders I'm used to (a good thing here) with a particularly strong/tart apple skin note dominating. Drank a lot of this very easily.
2019 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese AP #10
Liked but didn't love this. The flavors are pretty, classic Mosel apple, peach, and citrus with a light mineral underpinning, but it's Schaefer and I kept expecting another gear of something - perhaps more depth, perhaps a bit more acidity, perhaps more to the aromatics. A nice bottle, but I was left wanting more.
1976 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese
Oh yes. Opened with some trepidation as the cork was terrible and I've had a lot of bad luck and TCA with older Prüm. Decanted in hopes the bottle funk might subside, and it did. And beneath is an incredible wine that's pretty much everything I could ask mature Riesling to be. Layers of fruit that are still fresh, a strong vanilla/floral scent, and a light but complex spiciness to the aromatics. It's not as honeyed or sweet as I'd expect given the vintage (I was wondering how much botrytis might dominate here) and actually less sweet than most Spatlese these days. But everything here is impeccable - the flavors combine into a seamless whole, the fruit actually gains in freshness and intensity with some air, and there's a spine of acidity that keeps it very lively throughout.
2000 Pira Barolo Marenca
Red fruit and tar, more red fruit and tar, some light florality and higher toned herbal notes that emerge with time in the decanter (though my goodness, it left a LOT of sediment behind). I love the sheer intensity and brightness to the flavors here, and it played perfectly with the food.
1989 Chateau Magdelaine
Shows far younger than I'd expect given the age/vintage, the red fruit's still remarkably youthful and intense and it feels fresher and more vibrant than bottles of '01 and '95 Magdelaine I had recently. There's enough of that older Bordeaux leathery/woodsy flavor to keep me very happy and I could drink a lot of this. (I did.)
2018 Quivet Beckstoffer Las Piedras Cab
Palates change for sure, I don't think this is not a style of wine I'd have enjoyed much several years ago but I find myself liking these more now, albeit still in small doses. At least tonight with the mood, the company, and everything else, this hit the spot. Lots of rich fruit with more low-toned earthy and tobacco notes adding depth, and the alcohol's high but in balance throughout. Decanting helps a lot - the oak's more apparent initially but plays a background role with air, and I find myself enjoying the second glass an hour later a lot more because of this.
1994 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain Sélection de Grains Nobles
This stole the show and was one of the most compelling and thrilling wines I've had in a few years. All the exotic and tropical fruit and florality I'd expect from Gewurz, rich honeyed and spicy botrytis notes, and that intensely smoky character I associate with Rangen wines that stands out even above the botrytis and immense fruit of this wine. Perfect way to end the night.
