the new what did u drink tonite thread

originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
...i lost and/or forgot about the existence of 2016 Riesling, Albert Seltz ...
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Never heard of the producer, but sounds good.

So many names!

My own weekend exploration was with 2023 Steinmetz Wintricher Ohligsberg Riesling Rondel. My first Steinmetz and it fully delivered on expectations. Good ripe firm layered fruit (for the Mosel), but also great cut, mineral floral delicacy, and a screaming value at $29.
 
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
2016 Riesling, Albert Seltz in infrequently accessed corners of the cellar
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it's a stupid thought in so many ways: first, the wretched difference in teh numbers of former versus current vaterlandzhooch rieslings i have stored and drunk, and second, the difference in teh effort i have put into their selection.

that said, and notwithstanding all my equivocational blather, teh riesling from teh alsace may still have returned a bigger iro in terms of expectation than any other kind of teh hooch i have ever ever cellared.

fuck knows why i never buy it.

fb.
 
A pair of fourteens from the southern reaches of Frogistan, caught at a comely stage in the arcs of their covenants*.

2014 Chateau Simone Palette Blanc 13.5%
No Provençal provincial, this, but a regal wine, queen of the hillock in its postage stamp appellation. Regaling the palate with a palette of stately Palette flavors and sensations, it broadcasts that there's much to unpack here, but noblesse oblige prevents anything as mundane as deconstruction of its phenolic taxonomy.

2014 Johann Michel Cornas 13.5%
The first of a pair, opened two years ago, had too much of the Gallic version of Draperfume, but the offending notes in this one were hovering close to disappearance, like a wayward drone flying into an Arizona sunset. The aroma combo was rich and expressive without being sycophantic, the oak having migrated into a not entirely unpleasing shade of sandalwood. Structure and balance were Goldilocks. So, while there is something modernistic at play here, it was not egregious enough to rain on our paradiddle. Particularly given that we were at somebody else's, with no other bottle to open.

* dough in exchange for doughpamine
 
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
having succeeded years ago in redrawing the maps to ensure new york state borders western swabia, i am taking the next - perhaps more challenging- steps in appropriating cultural traits, in this case implementing fatcave inventory methodology
glad to report hard work has been paying off, as i lost and/or forgot about the existence of 2016 Riesling, Albert Seltz in infrequently accessed corners of the cellar
this is delightful; light but impressing with all sorts of balance and subtle complexity.
at 12% this has notable r.s. with a balancing acidity that results in bittersweet quince flavours i'd normally (never mind that, *exclusively*) associate with the cousins from mosel/ruwer clocking in at 7.5-8.0%.
gotta do some digging, if lucky enough i may have lost some of his sylvaner
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That's a name from my past! I used to love the Sylvaners they sold at the erstwhile Waterloo Wine Company in London, eccentric but wonderfully shapely. Also their incredibly well-priced eaux-de-vie, though I've never quite been able to shake the suspicion that grower eau-de-vie in Alsace is centrally made, like Marc de Champagne.
 
originally posted by fatboy:
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
2016 Riesling, Albert Seltz in infrequently accessed corners of the cellar
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it's a stupid thought in so many ways: first, the wretched difference in teh numbers of former versus current vaterlandzhooch rieslings i have stored and drunk, and second, the difference in teh effort i have put into their selection.

that said, and notwithstanding all my equivocational blather, teh riesling from teh alsace may still have returned a bigger iro in terms of expectation than any other kind of teh hooch i have ever ever cellared.

fuck knows why i never buy it.

fb.
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because (and i assumed you knew) my brief intrusion into thread carried purely theoretical value, meaning that i am happy to co-author a paper on the subject (can you imagine a politburo-approved peer review process these days?) but wouldn't suggest you actually buy the hooch.

far from anything being wrong with it as my note suggests, but i am not sure what you'd do with it given that it's 2025 and the dry vaterland equivalent you have access to has caught up in its suitability for any charcuterie i know for a fact your local dealers have on offer

[ remind me to DM you if I can get my hands on your agent's business card to inquire what's usually on your table when you excavate one of of those picturesque Prädikat 70s/80s labels from the fatcave ]
 
Anyone else enjoying Gerard Tremblay these days? Wonderful '22 Montmain with mint, quince, no hint of oak, hung meat, chicken stock...
 
2016 Adrien Berlioz Roussette de Savoie Zulime 13.0%
Altesse. Extravagantly, just exuberantly floral. Thoughts drift to letting a thousand flowers bloom, then Mao, Prague Spring, and Arab Spring. Or were they Arab Springs, since they happened in several Arab countries? Though Arab Springs sound like the coils inside Saudi mattresses. But I digress. The texture was a bit unctuous, as in oily. Not at all unpleasantly so, though I had been led by my conditioning to expect a much fresher, livelier body. Not particularly acidic, though still balanced enough. The nose-to-mouth contrast, however, left me slightly jarred by the bait & switch.

2020 Adrien Berlioz Vin de Savoie Cuvée Rosa 10.5%
Chignin Mondeuse (or Mondeuse Noir). Another example of attractive aromatic bombast, except fruity rather than flowery. This Berlioz really knows how to put out the stunners. The good news is it's 10.5%. The bad is that it shows. Thin, acidic and mildly bitter, desperately needing food to play against. Was terrific as recently as two years ago, so this is all about the primary fruit, a Savoyard nouveau, or a Zeniatta Mondeuse.
 
O, thanks for the report. I have always heard good things about Berlioz wines (and there are two households, right?).

I'd venture to guess that you caught the Cuvee Rosa at a bad moment; notes on the intertubez suggest drinking this right away or after 10 years but not between.

Maybe we can have an AI write a pop tune for us: drink like the Monkey or drink like Lenin?

(referring to an old name for Jay)
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
O, thanks for the report. I have always heard good things about Berlioz wines (and there are two households, right?).

I'd venture to guess that you caught the Cuvee Rosa at a bad moment; notes on the intertubez suggest drinking this right away or after 10 years but not between.

Maybe we can have an AI write a pop tune for us: drink like the Monkey or drink like Lenin?

(referring to an old name for Jay)
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Yes, there's Adrien and then there's Gilles. Hard to imagine the Rosa coming out a keeper on the other side of a decade, but we all know how crystal ball-resistant any wine can be. Jay's nickname was Lenin because of Jay Leno? Or was he a Politburo apparatchik in the early days?
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
He had a cute little beard.
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He was asked to shave it (as well as modify other features like dress code bearing resemblance to the great leader's) in order to minimize unrest in increasingly left-leaning greater Williamsburg hipster wine bar association, to which he replied "but what do I do about my palate?"

[sorry, that's an inside reference to SFJoe's favorite soviet joke of all time, happy to explain in person tonight Jeff]
 
2022 Florent Garaudet Monthelie 13.0%
Curious about this producer, I saw a few bottles on the cheap at an auction and sprung. Mediocre and undistinguished, somewhat uncharacteristic, but potable.

2015 Claire Naudin Ladoix 1er Cru La Corvée 13.0%
Whole cluster, fermented with indigenous yeasts and no sulfur; no fining or filtration. Spent 18 months in barrels (almost half new, afaik). The first of six opened in 2019 was too oaky, so I forgot about the rest for a while. The second was substantially less oaky, though any is still a bit much for me. Clearly made from fine material, it was unyielding on the first night, signaling that this tough-as-nails vintage remains a Hold. We revisited on the third night, and it had blossomed into something classy, deep, and sensually satisfying (despite the smidgen of oak). In short, doing that little somersault in the brain that says this is more than the sigma of the parts.
 
On XMas eve I decided to splurge at dinner with the in-laws, since no geeks or disorderlies have come calling and in the meantime nobody's gettin' any yanga.

2010 Pattes-Loup (Thomas Pico) Chablis 1er Cru Vent d'Ange 12.5%
A lovely bottle, a bit vanilly on the aromas, but vibrant, classy and balanced. The strong citric acidity found a good foil with some triple fat cheese. Vanished in a flash.

2006 Chateau Rayas CdP 14.0%
My sole Rayas, lovingly stored for almost a decade, didn't let us down. It was recently stated here that there was a dip after 2004, but it canna have been much, judging by this bottle. The multilayered aroma was absolutely stunning, generating the inevitable hyperbole (bewitching, mystifying, etc.). Everything came together seamlessly in the fabulous, completely harmonious palate, with no sign of fourteen percentitis. I couldn't bring myself to pay what this commands today, but the record amount (for me) paid in 2018 after drinking an amazing bottle of the 2000 at a restaurant in Stockholm felt like throwing a bowling ball into an uncertain future. Relief that it had slowly rolled into a glorious strike was part of the elation.
 
Christmas wines, we hosted family:

05 Vieux Donjon mag Fun wine, I always prefer more the straight Grenache VV type CNPs but this was tasty. Not quite at the level I hoped for, and I thought would be less developed since in mag - I wouldn't wait any more on these ---

16 Chapoutier les Granits StJ blanc Nearing the end of a parcel of these and 14s...so good. This one was quite reduced so I decanted, which unfortunately also accelerated its development - it did lose a touch of complexity. But o so regal and wonderful. The JLL note couldn't be more accurate so I refer you to that. I note JLL's note re the 18 Hermitage blanc which he describes as a "Rolls Royce" of wine...apt. Elevating.

20 Olga Raffault Picasses All the usual...very open and not at all heavy, lovely stuff. So interesting how distinct their house style is.

25 Division Nouveau Nouveau Delicious wine as always and ironically the favorite of several in midst of all else. Says something eh?

83 Guiraud Old Sauternes, pleasing, balanced, not special in particular. From half.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
On XMas eve I decided to splurge at dinner with the in-laws, since no geeks or disorderlies have come calling and in the meantime nobody's gettin' any yanga.

2010 Pattes-Loup (Thomas Pico) Chablis 1er Cru Vent d'Ange 12.5%
A lovely bottle, a bit vanilly on the aromas, but vibrant, classy and balanced. The strong citric acidity found a good foil with some triple fat cheese. Vanished in a flash.

2006 Chateau Rayas CdP 14.0%
My sole Rayas, lovingly stored for almost a decade, didn't let us down. It was recently stated here that there was a dip after 2004, but it canna have been much, judging by this bottle. The multilayered aroma was absolutely stunning, generating the inevitable hyperbole (bewitching, mystifying, etc.). Everything came together seamlessly in the fabulous, completely harmonious palate, with no sign of fourteen percentitis. I couldn't bring myself to pay what this commands today, but the record amount (for me) paid in 2018 after drinking an amazing bottle of the 2000 at a restaurant in Stockholm felt like throwing a bowling ball into an uncertain future. Relief that it had slowly rolled into a glorious strike was part of the elation.
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There was general talk in the late 90s, after Emmanuel had taken over from Jacques, that there was a diminishment in quality. It turns out that Emmanuel felt he needed to do some replanting and it took until the early 2000s to bring Rayas back to what it was. I have only heard high praise since. I have never had a Rayas made by Emmanuel--the latest I ever had was the 1990--though, so I cannot speak from experience. Now, alas, that Emmanuel has died, we will see if there is talk of diminishment under his two sons, though it will take awhile to know since Rayas doesn't release its wines until like 10 years after vintage.
 
Couldn't let XMas throw shade on New Year's, so splurged with another pair of crown jewels for dinner with the lucky in-laws.

NV Selosse GC Brut Rosé 12.5% deg Nov 17 2017
It paid off to let this fizz out in the bottle for an hour beforehand so the base wine could shine through more clearly. Trifecta of oxidativeness, almonds and bread dough brought joy in excelsis to the receptors. Could spend all night sniffing this. Everything came together seamlessly in the palate, where you can just feel the liquid dance. Alas, my last, for the drawdown here has become prohibitive.

2004 Chave Hermitage 14.0%
Aroma is complex, sophisticated, even sumptuous, with some exotic spiciness. A pinch of burnt rubber towards the end of the evening. Gorgeous fruit, in perfect balance, highly satisfying. No sense of oak or excess alcohol (the latter only later by way of premature sleepiness). Glorious wine, no doubt, but with memory of the 2006 Rayas still fresh, I would have to side with the latter in this battle of titans. There was/is something ineffable about Rayas that, for me, gives it an almost mystical edge, even though I usually prefer north to south.
 
'15 Chai Duchet Vire-Clesse Clos du Virolis Lovely stuff, 70 year old vines, honey brass foundation with brassy top notes, such a pleasure to drink on a Tuesday night. Fully non-spoofed straight ahead Wine Traditions importation.

 
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