Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
We've just finished the CdB tasting so, while we're here, we may as well visit the shop across the street. It's a hole in the wall upstairs and a warren of cellars downstairs. As we are geeks and have no boundaries whatsoever, we proceed to taste some Croation wines left over from an event two days ago:
Stampar 2021 Pusipel Classic - 12%, a furmint by any other name would smell as lime-leafy, zippy, salty, this is a great seafood wine at a reasonable price
Kabola Secco 2020 Muskat Momjanski - 12.5%, Len said this had screeching acidity yesterday but it is closer to being in balance now, rather floral-fruity, OK but my friend likes it more than I do
Dubrovacki Podrumi 2019 Malvasija Dubrovacka - alas, when not made into madeira this is a boring grape
Ritosa 2017 Teran - meh
Bibic Sangreal 2015 Merlot - there's a bit of familiar claret-ish character in the bouquet but not enough to redeem it
Komarna 7 2016 Plavac Mali - the famous cepage (relative of zinfandel), not so blackberry/juicy as zin with less zip and more redfruit but I'd accept this as a BTG pour
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While waiting for a table (it's Friday at 7p) we grab a drink at Dear Annie, a pescetarian restaurant with a natural-ish list...
Torno(?) Rose Cider - from Switzerland, made from a local rare apple (Rue?), good fizz, pale orange-pink color, fermenty and a bit natty but not too bad, pretty dry, good apple flavor reminds of something medium-crisp but I suppose this is a red-flesh species ((sorry I didn't get better info but it was crowded and dark in there))
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Dinner sitting at the bar in Moeca, a terrific fish restaurant...
Nothing on the list grabs me and it's not like I'm all that thirsty anymore so I get a random BTG assyrtiko - it is kinda narrow on the palate but saline and refreshing and it's going to be useful with the rich dishes we ordered: roasted octopus on green vichysoisse, billbi with saffron, uni bagna cauda (with fried onion rings to dip), scallops in vin jaune sauce and truffles, lobstered-up spaghetti with roe and shiso, and "Sardinian Ravioli" filled with smoked fish and dressed with kaluga caviar.
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Afterwards, we bring the wines for tomorrow's big event over to Tse Wei and Diana, who pull a cork for us...
Fritz Haag 2012 Brauneberger Sonnenuhr Juffer Riesling Spatlese - this is quite pleasant, perhaps a little more viscous than it should be (maybe because it's a little sweeter than it should be!), Tse Wei wants the acids to poke through a little more and give definition to the flavors, a nice sipping wine anyway
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Saturday morning, I assist my host in determining whether he should keep a case of wine...
Benoit Cantin 2017 Irancy - my friend ordered the 2019 so should he return this one? I'll leave the monetary and interpersonal issues to him but I can offer my alleles: tastes like a good Bourgogne, light body, fragrant, noticeable but mild-mannered tannins, if you just want simple drinking stuff then no need to send it back
ETA: Having just pulled the cork on a bottle of the '19, it is a bit bigger and more substantial, the warmer vintage and the rusticity work together, I prefer it to the '17 but that doesn't make the '17 unworthy to be drunk!
Stampar 2021 Pusipel Classic - 12%, a furmint by any other name would smell as lime-leafy, zippy, salty, this is a great seafood wine at a reasonable price
Kabola Secco 2020 Muskat Momjanski - 12.5%, Len said this had screeching acidity yesterday but it is closer to being in balance now, rather floral-fruity, OK but my friend likes it more than I do
Dubrovacki Podrumi 2019 Malvasija Dubrovacka - alas, when not made into madeira this is a boring grape
Ritosa 2017 Teran - meh
Bibic Sangreal 2015 Merlot - there's a bit of familiar claret-ish character in the bouquet but not enough to redeem it
Komarna 7 2016 Plavac Mali - the famous cepage (relative of zinfandel), not so blackberry/juicy as zin with less zip and more redfruit but I'd accept this as a BTG pour
---
While waiting for a table (it's Friday at 7p) we grab a drink at Dear Annie, a pescetarian restaurant with a natural-ish list...
Torno(?) Rose Cider - from Switzerland, made from a local rare apple (Rue?), good fizz, pale orange-pink color, fermenty and a bit natty but not too bad, pretty dry, good apple flavor reminds of something medium-crisp but I suppose this is a red-flesh species ((sorry I didn't get better info but it was crowded and dark in there))
---
Dinner sitting at the bar in Moeca, a terrific fish restaurant...
Nothing on the list grabs me and it's not like I'm all that thirsty anymore so I get a random BTG assyrtiko - it is kinda narrow on the palate but saline and refreshing and it's going to be useful with the rich dishes we ordered: roasted octopus on green vichysoisse, billbi with saffron, uni bagna cauda (with fried onion rings to dip), scallops in vin jaune sauce and truffles, lobstered-up spaghetti with roe and shiso, and "Sardinian Ravioli" filled with smoked fish and dressed with kaluga caviar.
---
Afterwards, we bring the wines for tomorrow's big event over to Tse Wei and Diana, who pull a cork for us...
Fritz Haag 2012 Brauneberger Sonnenuhr Juffer Riesling Spatlese - this is quite pleasant, perhaps a little more viscous than it should be (maybe because it's a little sweeter than it should be!), Tse Wei wants the acids to poke through a little more and give definition to the flavors, a nice sipping wine anyway
---
Saturday morning, I assist my host in determining whether he should keep a case of wine...
Benoit Cantin 2017 Irancy - my friend ordered the 2019 so should he return this one? I'll leave the monetary and interpersonal issues to him but I can offer my alleles: tastes like a good Bourgogne, light body, fragrant, noticeable but mild-mannered tannins, if you just want simple drinking stuff then no need to send it back
ETA: Having just pulled the cork on a bottle of the '19, it is a bit bigger and more substantial, the warmer vintage and the rusticity work together, I prefer it to the '17 but that doesn't make the '17 unworthy to be drunk!