It had been too long since Jeff and Dena Morris had been to NY and I decided it was time to lure them back with the promise of two evenings of fun and tasty wines. Evening one was to be another of our Loire Chenin and Riesling from Germany, Austria or Alsace themed dinners, with a few other things thrown in, held at a Chinese restaurant. The usual crew of Jeff Grossman, Don & Melissa Rice and Jay Miller & Arnold were there and Jayson Cohen and Salil Benegal also joined in the fun this time. Overall the wines showed extremely well and it was indeed an evening of great fun. We need to get Jeff and Dena back on a more regular basis!
1997 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Classic aromas of passion and orchard fruit, hints of red apple and a strong slate/mineral character that's just developing petrol notes. Lively and still fresh on the palate with passion fruit, citrus and peach flavors dominating. That said, the secondary development and mineral/petrol notes are right at the cusp of taking over the fruit, so if you prefer a fruit dominated wine, better to drink up sooner rather than later. Long, snappy finish. A great way to start off the evening. Solid A-.
1997 François Pinon Vouvray Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
A much better showing than a bottle I had last year. It's brighter in color and fresher on the palate than the Foreau that followed. It's not particularly effusive on the nose, but it's open and expansive in the mouth with classic quince, mineral and yellow citrus flavors. Plenty of dry extract and textually there's a lot going on. The wine is largely dry, but it's not too severe and there's a hit of ripe apricot and grapefruit pith on the finish. A-/B+.
1997 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Demi-Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
My last bottle and a disappointing showing. This bottle was even more advanced than one two years ago. Oxidized flavors dominate, though one can see that there's some apricot fruit trying to punch its way out, but it's losing the battle and there's no freshness whatsoever. Air didn't help it rally either, as it often does for the '95 and '96 Huet Sec and Demi-Sec when they start off a little oxy. Perfectly stored since release and bottles opened in the past have shown beautifully. When I visited Foreau in 2010, he blind tasted me on the '97 Moelleux Reserve as he was concerned it was advancing quickly. It was and now, it appears, so is the Demi-Sec. B/B-.
2007 Domaine Huet Vouvray Franc de Pied Demi-Sec Le Haut-Lieu - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Now this is more like it. It's full of vibrancy and life with an intense mineral character and quince and apple flavors and aromas. This wine always shows more phenolic character than other bottlings and that's no different tonight. Seems more classic demi-sec sweet, or sec tendre, compared to where the sugar levels for the demi-sec have tended to be say post 2002. Lip smackingly good stuff! Solid A-.
1990 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
I think Salil was a little more enamored to this one than I was, but I still greatly enjoyed it. Classic profile of a 25 year old Mosel Riesling with its aged stone fruit character and hints of apple providing framework for the smokey mineral component, which is dominating at this point. Still shows quite a bit of sweetness, though the sugar is more than amply buttressed by the acidity. Quite nice and while there's still freshness, it's definitely taken on that "old" Riesling feel. Low A-.
2001 Weingut Josef Jamek Riesling Smaragd Klaus - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
A powerful, muscular wine that shows a glycerol feel to it while being dry. There's a wonderful saline character that's woven into the layers of yellow and orchard fruit and stony profile. It shows great depth, is expansive across the palate and has a long dry finish that picks up some grapefruit notes. Clicking on all cylinders right now. Solid A-.
1994 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
Continuing the theme of muscular wines, this one takes first prize! Truly a monumental dry wine. It's large scaled with incredible depth and length. Ripe pineapple and stone fruits dominate the nose and palate with a strong earthy character and framed by a towering wall of structure. The flavors last and last and finish with a pleasantly bitter pith note. Tremendous showing and my non sweet WOTN. A.
1964 Faustino Rioja I Gran Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
My last bottle and while very good, it didn't quite show as well as previous bottles as it lacked the silky quality those bottles showed and this one showed a much stronger American oak/cocoa nut character. Still, there's a good core of cherry fruit along with the usual dustiness and leather and it has a freshness that belies its age. I just wish there was a little less cocoa nut showing. Solid B+.
1976 Catherine et Pierre Breton Chinon Beaumont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Such a pretty wine. Soft, elegant with aged cherry fruit, wonderful earthy notes and hints of tobacco and roses. It carries itself lightly, but has wonderful depth and persistence to it. Nicely acidic without being too juicy. Just lovely. A-.
1975 Balbach Niersteiner Bildstock Scheurebe Beerenauslese - Germany, Rheinhessen
Quite a fun wine, if not terribly complex. It lacks the grapefruit character I normally get from Scheurebe and instead shows an intensely honeyed and sweet profile with apricot and peach jam with just a bit of tropical fruit thrown in for good measure. There's not a lot of acidity here, indeed, the wine is a bit syrupy, but it's so good natured and lip smackingly good that one can overlook its faults a little bit. A-.
1989 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux Réserve - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
A bottle I opened within the past six months that came from the same lot as this one was off, so I held my breath when Jeff opened this, but my fears were allayed when it became quite clear that it was showing as it should. Just a monumental wine that gives Huet's '89 Cuvée Constance a run for the money. It's a reddish deep gold color and intensely sweet, but framed perfectly by vivacious acids. It's honeyed with intense apricot, orange marmalade and quince paste flavors and aromas and all that fruit can't mask its mineral character. Just incredible length and depth with a finish that goes on and on. As good as wine gets and my WOTN. Solid A+.
1990 François Pinon Vouvray Moelleux La Goutte d'Or - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
In contrast to the Foreau, this was a much more reticent wine. Indeed, it showed little aromatically and was wound up tight on the palate. Color wise, it's much lighter than the Foreau, coming in more of a light gold color and that also translated to the palate where it was much more yellow fruited, with a more quince and yellow plum and pineapple dominated persona with a bit of a botrytis note and a touch of ginger. Certainly less sweet than the Foreau and while it did not have the formidable acid spine of that wine, there's plenty of acidity here to keep things balanced perfectly. Probably best to let this slumber some more. A/A-.
2004 Albert Boxler Riesling Sommerberg Vendanges Tardives Cuvee Zacharie - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
This actually should've been brought out earlier as it was eclipsed in sweetness by all the other dessert wines. Indeed, it probably would've fit in well just after the Grunhauser Spatlese. It's delicate and refined with bright acids and shows a pleasant candied grapefruit peel and stone fruit character with a hint of spiciness. A very pretty wine, but one that would probably show better on its own as it's a little lost in the shuffle with all these wines with stronger personalities. A-.
1994 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal Sélection de Grains Nobles - France, Alsace
I was looking forward to checking in on this as it's been awhile since I last had the opportunity to taste it and while quite good, it was not up to its usual greatness. The ripe apricot, pineapple and botrytis character was there as was the intense sweetness and fine acids, but the unctuousness that I usually find wasn't quite right and it didn't quite have the same expansiveness and endless finish that it usually shows. Still, it was quite enjoyable. A-/A.
2001 Schoffit Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos St.-Théobald Sélection de Grains Nobles Larme de Lave - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
Quite a wine to end a fabulous evening. It's extremely aromatic with a rush of honey, ripe apricots, pineapple and mango on the nose. It's dense and quite sweet on the palate and may in fact be to over the top for some, but I find just enough acidity to keep the wine from being too cloying, though a little more wouldn't hurt. Unctuous and extremely honeyed with similar flavors as aromas with the addition of a botrytis note. Textually, it shows a little more like how I expected the ZH to show. Delicious! Low A+.
Some pictures from the evening.
The group.
The Loire wines.
The Riesling and others.
1997 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Classic aromas of passion and orchard fruit, hints of red apple and a strong slate/mineral character that's just developing petrol notes. Lively and still fresh on the palate with passion fruit, citrus and peach flavors dominating. That said, the secondary development and mineral/petrol notes are right at the cusp of taking over the fruit, so if you prefer a fruit dominated wine, better to drink up sooner rather than later. Long, snappy finish. A great way to start off the evening. Solid A-.
1997 François Pinon Vouvray Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
A much better showing than a bottle I had last year. It's brighter in color and fresher on the palate than the Foreau that followed. It's not particularly effusive on the nose, but it's open and expansive in the mouth with classic quince, mineral and yellow citrus flavors. Plenty of dry extract and textually there's a lot going on. The wine is largely dry, but it's not too severe and there's a hit of ripe apricot and grapefruit pith on the finish. A-/B+.
1997 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Demi-Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
My last bottle and a disappointing showing. This bottle was even more advanced than one two years ago. Oxidized flavors dominate, though one can see that there's some apricot fruit trying to punch its way out, but it's losing the battle and there's no freshness whatsoever. Air didn't help it rally either, as it often does for the '95 and '96 Huet Sec and Demi-Sec when they start off a little oxy. Perfectly stored since release and bottles opened in the past have shown beautifully. When I visited Foreau in 2010, he blind tasted me on the '97 Moelleux Reserve as he was concerned it was advancing quickly. It was and now, it appears, so is the Demi-Sec. B/B-.
2007 Domaine Huet Vouvray Franc de Pied Demi-Sec Le Haut-Lieu - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Now this is more like it. It's full of vibrancy and life with an intense mineral character and quince and apple flavors and aromas. This wine always shows more phenolic character than other bottlings and that's no different tonight. Seems more classic demi-sec sweet, or sec tendre, compared to where the sugar levels for the demi-sec have tended to be say post 2002. Lip smackingly good stuff! Solid A-.
1990 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
I think Salil was a little more enamored to this one than I was, but I still greatly enjoyed it. Classic profile of a 25 year old Mosel Riesling with its aged stone fruit character and hints of apple providing framework for the smokey mineral component, which is dominating at this point. Still shows quite a bit of sweetness, though the sugar is more than amply buttressed by the acidity. Quite nice and while there's still freshness, it's definitely taken on that "old" Riesling feel. Low A-.
2001 Weingut Josef Jamek Riesling Smaragd Klaus - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
A powerful, muscular wine that shows a glycerol feel to it while being dry. There's a wonderful saline character that's woven into the layers of yellow and orchard fruit and stony profile. It shows great depth, is expansive across the palate and has a long dry finish that picks up some grapefruit notes. Clicking on all cylinders right now. Solid A-.
1994 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
Continuing the theme of muscular wines, this one takes first prize! Truly a monumental dry wine. It's large scaled with incredible depth and length. Ripe pineapple and stone fruits dominate the nose and palate with a strong earthy character and framed by a towering wall of structure. The flavors last and last and finish with a pleasantly bitter pith note. Tremendous showing and my non sweet WOTN. A.
1964 Faustino Rioja I Gran Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
My last bottle and while very good, it didn't quite show as well as previous bottles as it lacked the silky quality those bottles showed and this one showed a much stronger American oak/cocoa nut character. Still, there's a good core of cherry fruit along with the usual dustiness and leather and it has a freshness that belies its age. I just wish there was a little less cocoa nut showing. Solid B+.
1976 Catherine et Pierre Breton Chinon Beaumont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Such a pretty wine. Soft, elegant with aged cherry fruit, wonderful earthy notes and hints of tobacco and roses. It carries itself lightly, but has wonderful depth and persistence to it. Nicely acidic without being too juicy. Just lovely. A-.
1975 Balbach Niersteiner Bildstock Scheurebe Beerenauslese - Germany, Rheinhessen
Quite a fun wine, if not terribly complex. It lacks the grapefruit character I normally get from Scheurebe and instead shows an intensely honeyed and sweet profile with apricot and peach jam with just a bit of tropical fruit thrown in for good measure. There's not a lot of acidity here, indeed, the wine is a bit syrupy, but it's so good natured and lip smackingly good that one can overlook its faults a little bit. A-.
1989 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux Réserve - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
A bottle I opened within the past six months that came from the same lot as this one was off, so I held my breath when Jeff opened this, but my fears were allayed when it became quite clear that it was showing as it should. Just a monumental wine that gives Huet's '89 Cuvée Constance a run for the money. It's a reddish deep gold color and intensely sweet, but framed perfectly by vivacious acids. It's honeyed with intense apricot, orange marmalade and quince paste flavors and aromas and all that fruit can't mask its mineral character. Just incredible length and depth with a finish that goes on and on. As good as wine gets and my WOTN. Solid A+.
1990 François Pinon Vouvray Moelleux La Goutte d'Or - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
In contrast to the Foreau, this was a much more reticent wine. Indeed, it showed little aromatically and was wound up tight on the palate. Color wise, it's much lighter than the Foreau, coming in more of a light gold color and that also translated to the palate where it was much more yellow fruited, with a more quince and yellow plum and pineapple dominated persona with a bit of a botrytis note and a touch of ginger. Certainly less sweet than the Foreau and while it did not have the formidable acid spine of that wine, there's plenty of acidity here to keep things balanced perfectly. Probably best to let this slumber some more. A/A-.
2004 Albert Boxler Riesling Sommerberg Vendanges Tardives Cuvee Zacharie - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
This actually should've been brought out earlier as it was eclipsed in sweetness by all the other dessert wines. Indeed, it probably would've fit in well just after the Grunhauser Spatlese. It's delicate and refined with bright acids and shows a pleasant candied grapefruit peel and stone fruit character with a hint of spiciness. A very pretty wine, but one that would probably show better on its own as it's a little lost in the shuffle with all these wines with stronger personalities. A-.
1994 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal Sélection de Grains Nobles - France, Alsace
I was looking forward to checking in on this as it's been awhile since I last had the opportunity to taste it and while quite good, it was not up to its usual greatness. The ripe apricot, pineapple and botrytis character was there as was the intense sweetness and fine acids, but the unctuousness that I usually find wasn't quite right and it didn't quite have the same expansiveness and endless finish that it usually shows. Still, it was quite enjoyable. A-/A.
2001 Schoffit Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos St.-Théobald Sélection de Grains Nobles Larme de Lave - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
Quite a wine to end a fabulous evening. It's extremely aromatic with a rush of honey, ripe apricots, pineapple and mango on the nose. It's dense and quite sweet on the palate and may in fact be to over the top for some, but I find just enough acidity to keep the wine from being too cloying, though a little more wouldn't hurt. Unctuous and extremely honeyed with similar flavors as aromas with the addition of a botrytis note. Textually, it shows a little more like how I expected the ZH to show. Delicious! Low A+.
Some pictures from the evening.
The group.
