).
For starters we had *Loimer Riesling 2006 (12,5%) from Kamptal, Austria. It had a very expressive nose, with warm year character, yet not over-ripe or too tropical; rather there are lovely mineral water scents and citrus. It is very ripe and fruity, but - again - not over-ripe, with decent but not high acidity. Long aftertaste. A very charming wine and very moreish.
The I opened up a bottle of *Éric Téxier Brézème Côtes-du-Rhône 2004 100% Syrah; 12,5% abv. It has been about half a year since my previous bottle. This has gone from good to better! The nose is varietally correct, and is starting to show some bacon/animal character alongside the ripe fruit and minerality. It seems more fruit forward than the last bottle, but is still savoury and has healthy acidity and approachable tannins. Long, savoury, mineral aftertaste. Excellent value at c.10€ that I paid for it. A pity it has a plastic cork as I think it could develop a little bit still.
But the dish surely needs a Burgundy, so I opened up Faiveley Mercurey Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet 2002 (12,5%). Light colour. The nose is very, very pure: bright red fruit/cherry, slightly vegetal - more elegant than I remember this wine to be (c. ½ a year since my last taste) and less typical for Mercurey also IMO since it isn't so strongly vegetal (if blind, I think I would have gone to Volnay). Red toned palate, but rather tannic and austere - but also very refreshing. I can see that this might not appeal to many, but I love this type of Burgundy. And for 16€ this has to be one of the greatest bargains available to me.
For such a long braised dish, a less tannic wine would have been best, but I love aromatics of Burgundy with such a dish. A different producer would have been heaven; this was good.
-Otto