Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Don+Melissa, Jay, Jayson, Jeff, Lisa, Seth, Victor
Jayson and Seth pour. Jayson double-decanted the first three wines last night. Seth poured in the morning so no decanter time.
As always, we pour blind and then guess. Sometimes, the palate works wonders. Other times, I wonder what my palate is doing, out there, all alone, all by itself.
JC 1: Gunther Steinmetz 2016 Piesporter Treppchen Riesling "von de Terrassen" (AP 16) - 11.5% alc, 20 g/l rs
First comment is from Victor: "Juicy!"
It's a little stinky, too. (Sponti.)
Nose and palate are quite distinct. The nose is full of "grapefruit and passionfruit" -Don but the palate is just "big and rich" -Jeff.
With a little air, it becomes "really expressive now" -Jay
But the pourer says: "The magic happens on Day 2"
Day 2: "I poured it into a sensory glass and it is amazing on both the nose and palate" -Seth
Day 5: nose is a little limited but the palate is fine, lime and chalk (or slate?), long finish arises from an otherwise average midpalate presence
JC 2: Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg 2021 Riesling Spätlese feinherb "Meyer Nepal" (AP 11) - 8.5% alc, 26 g/l rs
looks watery, also a lot of sponti in the nose, strongly lemon-acid
Victor rightly notes that the alc is less than the first wine
there follow more remarks on its tartness, "lemon bar" -Melissa
Day 5: that is still unsweetened lemonade, effective at the table but a little one-dimensinoal on its own
JC 3: Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg 2021 Riesling Kabinett Alte Reben "Gisela" (AP 8) - 8.5% alc, 40 g/l rs (approx.)
First comment is from Victor: "This is sweeter wine."
Lemony flavor but "much better balance than #2" -Jay
"Tangy and mouth-watering" -Jayson
We guess kab and '21 and even MSR
Sitting with it a while, there is an extra roundness here - from the sugar - and the flavor is really more clementine and cream
Day 5: about the same (sugar is a preservative, you know)
SR 1: Bernard Baudry 2008 Chinon "La Croix Boissee"
SR 2: Bernard Baudry 2009 Chinon "La Croix Boissee"
SR 3: Bernard Baudry 2010 Chinon "La Croix Boissee"
First comment is from Melissa: "Thin mints!"
It doesn't take us long at all to name the trio as the same wine from Chinon in three different vintages.
Ah, but who is the maker and which three vintages? First guess is Joguet (no), second guess is Baudry (yes).
For Baudry, we need to also guess which vineyard... and we guess them all, strangely leaving Croix Boisee for the fourth try. Not too sure why, maybe these don't taste like we remember. Anyway, Croix Boisee they are.
Consecutive vintages? Yes. So now we need to taste and think:
- All the wines are kinda closed when poured but open up after a few minutes.
- SR1 is a textbook Chinon: some earth, a hint of tobacco, some very strict black cherry flavors, just a touch of pyrazines
- SR2 is a sweeter wine, a more complex wine (or at least, a more forward wine) and shows a greater variety of fruit flavors with cherry and orange leading, very likable
- SR3 is the serious one: barely giving any fruit but throwing off scents of chalk, chalk, and more chalk; clearly a lot of wine coiled up and not too terribly interested in coming out to play
Jay puts the pieces together: 2008-2009-2010.
Day 2: "The 2010 baudry was the best of the trio tonight" -Jay
SR1 is still classic, has relaxed quite a bit, shows a little orange peel mixed with a bloody-darkredfruit kind of thing, medium body, having it with plain old carbs is good
SR2 is similar but the extra sugar gives it a little more flavor impact, a little more body and roundness, happy to drink either one but this is a little preferable for the extra wa
SR3 is still fresh and packs a punch, noticeable grip, some drying tannins, a bit linear, a good wine to impress other wine geeks with
JC 4: Weingut Aloys Friederich 1975 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese (AP 4)
Golden elixir, but throwing off scents of ammonia and oxidation when opened, makes me think it must be chenin (no)
With a little air, this becomes obviously sound, quite sweet, and clearly quite old.
First comment: "Tastes like a lollipop" -Melissa
We guess auslese for the pradikat (really, an easy guess because what else would survive this long?) ...yes
I plunk for 1976... but everyone waves me off as that is a year heavy in botrytis and this wine is not.
Jay suggests 1975... yes.
As is typical for old rieslings, we get a variety of fragrance and odors; Jayson gets a strong whiff of caraway
The wine is harmonious and continue to improve
Day 2: acidity is still good enough to hold it together, the flavor is overripe pit-fruit (of varying kinds) and maybe a little faraway Juicy-Fruit gum, remarkably floral and that may even be a better way to characterize the gestalt of it... heavy freesia, and delicate notes of lily and gardenia and violets
SR 4: Foreau (Domaine du Clos Naudin) 1989 Vouvray Moelleux Reserve
SR 5: Foreau (Domaine du Clos Naudin) 1990 Vouvray Demi-Sec
Alas, SR5 is very corked.
Continue with SR4.
This is clearly chenin, old and sweet.
Don immediately guesses Foreau '90... he's so good at this.
It doesn't take us long to back up the guess by a year.
Amazingly forthright orange-apricot, very full and plush.
Interestingly, Jay and Victor both prefer the old riesling to the old chenin. Perhaps it is a bit more vinous and less obviously your... just desserts.
Jayson's wines:
The group good:
The group corked:
Jayson and Seth pour. Jayson double-decanted the first three wines last night. Seth poured in the morning so no decanter time.
As always, we pour blind and then guess. Sometimes, the palate works wonders. Other times, I wonder what my palate is doing, out there, all alone, all by itself.
JC 1: Gunther Steinmetz 2016 Piesporter Treppchen Riesling "von de Terrassen" (AP 16) - 11.5% alc, 20 g/l rs
First comment is from Victor: "Juicy!"
It's a little stinky, too. (Sponti.)
Nose and palate are quite distinct. The nose is full of "grapefruit and passionfruit" -Don but the palate is just "big and rich" -Jeff.
With a little air, it becomes "really expressive now" -Jay
But the pourer says: "The magic happens on Day 2"
Day 2: "I poured it into a sensory glass and it is amazing on both the nose and palate" -Seth
Day 5: nose is a little limited but the palate is fine, lime and chalk (or slate?), long finish arises from an otherwise average midpalate presence
JC 2: Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg 2021 Riesling Spätlese feinherb "Meyer Nepal" (AP 11) - 8.5% alc, 26 g/l rs
looks watery, also a lot of sponti in the nose, strongly lemon-acid
Victor rightly notes that the alc is less than the first wine
there follow more remarks on its tartness, "lemon bar" -Melissa
Day 5: that is still unsweetened lemonade, effective at the table but a little one-dimensinoal on its own
JC 3: Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg 2021 Riesling Kabinett Alte Reben "Gisela" (AP 8) - 8.5% alc, 40 g/l rs (approx.)
First comment is from Victor: "This is sweeter wine."
Lemony flavor but "much better balance than #2" -Jay
"Tangy and mouth-watering" -Jayson
We guess kab and '21 and even MSR
Sitting with it a while, there is an extra roundness here - from the sugar - and the flavor is really more clementine and cream
Day 5: about the same (sugar is a preservative, you know)
SR 1: Bernard Baudry 2008 Chinon "La Croix Boissee"
SR 2: Bernard Baudry 2009 Chinon "La Croix Boissee"
SR 3: Bernard Baudry 2010 Chinon "La Croix Boissee"
First comment is from Melissa: "Thin mints!"
It doesn't take us long at all to name the trio as the same wine from Chinon in three different vintages.
Ah, but who is the maker and which three vintages? First guess is Joguet (no), second guess is Baudry (yes).
For Baudry, we need to also guess which vineyard... and we guess them all, strangely leaving Croix Boisee for the fourth try. Not too sure why, maybe these don't taste like we remember. Anyway, Croix Boisee they are.
Consecutive vintages? Yes. So now we need to taste and think:
- All the wines are kinda closed when poured but open up after a few minutes.
- SR1 is a textbook Chinon: some earth, a hint of tobacco, some very strict black cherry flavors, just a touch of pyrazines
- SR2 is a sweeter wine, a more complex wine (or at least, a more forward wine) and shows a greater variety of fruit flavors with cherry and orange leading, very likable
- SR3 is the serious one: barely giving any fruit but throwing off scents of chalk, chalk, and more chalk; clearly a lot of wine coiled up and not too terribly interested in coming out to play
Jay puts the pieces together: 2008-2009-2010.
Day 2: "The 2010 baudry was the best of the trio tonight" -Jay
SR1 is still classic, has relaxed quite a bit, shows a little orange peel mixed with a bloody-darkredfruit kind of thing, medium body, having it with plain old carbs is good
SR2 is similar but the extra sugar gives it a little more flavor impact, a little more body and roundness, happy to drink either one but this is a little preferable for the extra wa
SR3 is still fresh and packs a punch, noticeable grip, some drying tannins, a bit linear, a good wine to impress other wine geeks with
JC 4: Weingut Aloys Friederich 1975 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese (AP 4)
Golden elixir, but throwing off scents of ammonia and oxidation when opened, makes me think it must be chenin (no)
With a little air, this becomes obviously sound, quite sweet, and clearly quite old.
First comment: "Tastes like a lollipop" -Melissa
We guess auslese for the pradikat (really, an easy guess because what else would survive this long?) ...yes
I plunk for 1976... but everyone waves me off as that is a year heavy in botrytis and this wine is not.
Jay suggests 1975... yes.
As is typical for old rieslings, we get a variety of fragrance and odors; Jayson gets a strong whiff of caraway
The wine is harmonious and continue to improve
Day 2: acidity is still good enough to hold it together, the flavor is overripe pit-fruit (of varying kinds) and maybe a little faraway Juicy-Fruit gum, remarkably floral and that may even be a better way to characterize the gestalt of it... heavy freesia, and delicate notes of lily and gardenia and violets
SR 4: Foreau (Domaine du Clos Naudin) 1989 Vouvray Moelleux Reserve
SR 5: Foreau (Domaine du Clos Naudin) 1990 Vouvray Demi-Sec
Alas, SR5 is very corked.
Continue with SR4.
This is clearly chenin, old and sweet.
Don immediately guesses Foreau '90... he's so good at this.
It doesn't take us long to back up the guess by a year.
Amazingly forthright orange-apricot, very full and plush.
Interestingly, Jay and Victor both prefer the old riesling to the old chenin. Perhaps it is a bit more vinous and less obviously your... just desserts.
Jayson's wines:
The group good:
The group corked: