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Rahsaan

Rahsaan
Tough start to the night:

2004 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Steinertal
Corked

2004 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Loibenberg
Corked

At this point dinner was ready and I had to quickly dash downstairs to shove something in the freezer. But, luckily the 2006 Knoll Grner Veltliner Smaragd Loibenberg got cool enough to drink with the second half of the meal and even more importantly it wasnt corked! It was also good fun with rich ripe round fruit and the fun citrus oil flavors that make it so easy to keep drinking and pouring and drinking and pouring It may tilt goofy and loose but thankfully it picks up a bit of detail and precision and slightly-tannic grip as it airs. No one will accuse it of being profound but I had no problem finishing the bottle.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
2006 Knoll Grner Veltliner Smaragd Loibenberg ... No one will accuse it of being profound but I had no problem finishing the bottle.
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Hmmm, haven't had that particular vintage in recent memory, but I often accus this bottling of being profound. In fact, when I pots my list, the 1997 was my white wine of the year.
 
originally posted by VLM: Hmmm, haven't had that particular vintage in recent memory, but I often accus this bottling of being profound. In fact, when I pots my list, the 1997 was my white wine of the year.
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That's good to hear. I have another bottle and was considering drinking it sooner rather than later but maybe I'll hold off for a bit to see what develops.

That said, 2006 was so high octane that some people are afraid to let the wines ago 10+ years. Not you?
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
1 for 3Tough start to the night:

2004 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Steinertal
Corked

2004 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Loibenberg
Corked
Click to expand...

Are they from the same batch you brought to dinner when we watched the basketball playoffs? I seem to recall that one not showing too well either. Do you think it is a coincidence?
 
I've made a habit of opening the wines earlier in the day designated for drinking on any evening when a group of people will gather in my home. I will check them for tca or pre mox & put the corks back in if they are sound. Last minute surprises such as yours is a grand pain in the ass. Unfortunately between tca & pre mox it's become more common.
 
originally posted by Cristian Dezso: Are they from the same batch you brought to dinner when we watched the basketball playoffs? I seem to recall that one not showing too well either. Do you think it is a coincidence?
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Yes. I bought about 8 bottles of assorted 2002 and 2004 Alzingers last spring and I have now opened all of them. Two showed signs of potential heat damage (including the one at your house), two were absolutely gorgeous, two were too young and only showed a bit after lots of air, and two were corked.

Not a great run percentage-wise for me but I don't think the TCA is correlated with anything besides the inevitable bad luck of this hobby.
 
originally posted by Lou Kessler: Last minute surprises such as yours is a grand pain in the ass.
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Yes. I also usually open the bottles well before dinner to check and make sure but for various reasons I was running late yesterday afternoon/evening and didn't even put the Alzingers in the refrigerator until I started to cook dinner. Luckily it was only me and my wife.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Rahsaan:
2006 Knoll Grner Veltliner Smaragd Loibenberg ... No one will accuse it of being profound but I had no problem finishing the bottle.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, haven't had that particular vintage in recent memory, but I often accus this bottling of being profound. In fact, when I pots my list, the 1997 was my white wine of the year.
Click to expand...

Are you fond of '06 Gruners in general? I remember being turned off early on by the tropical fruit notes some were displaying and as a result haven't tasted on since release.

But of course my gruner intake and experience is a fraction of yours a several other people on this board.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Lou Kessler: Last minute surprises such as yours is a grand pain in the ass.
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Yes. I also usually open the bottles well before dinner to check and make sure but for various reasons I was running late yesterday afternoon/evening and didn't even put the Alzingers in the refrigerator until I started to cook dinner. Luckily it was only me and my wife.
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Yea, much easier to tolerate when other people are not involved.
We are having another round of cassoulet tonight and I just opened eleven bottles seven white, four red and for two weeks in a row they were all sound. I think that's the first time in many years that I've opened almost thirty bottles in a row withut a failure. Yeah!!!!! It's a New Year.
 
I've had one TCA-affected wine out of the last 100+, stretching back to Christmas. Several oxidised bottles, couple of fakes (can't be sure but did not taste remotely similar to other bottles), but that's it. Waiting for the inevitable bad run.
 
originally posted by Yixin:
I've had one TCA-affected wine out of the last 100+, stretching back to Christmas. Waiting for the inevitable bad run.
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Christmas was barely four weeks ago. I see you aren't slow about opening bottles!

I also had a pretty good run before this. Which was only two bottles afterall. But for the past few months most of my corked bottles have been in restaurants or someone else's house where it was easier to get replacements.
 
Well, Christmas eve included. That week saw about 65 bottles. Couple of normal tastings on weekends bumps it up. Maybe corks are improving...
 
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