Dinner at Lemuria, one of Manila's newest wine savvy restaurants was an occassion to try some recent acquisitions with friends.
Chateau Lynch Moussas Pauillac 1995 - Good claret color although there was some orange showing. A light, easy drinking wine. Quite vibrant and refreshing. A good deal of acid is present and still has a bit of tannin in the finish although it seems to be at its peak now and no more improvement is to be expected.
Chateau Siran Margaux 2000 - Much darker than the Lynch Moussas. Very deep, complex nose with some slight charred wood character. The smoke and ash character carries over into the palate. The fruit has just a slight hint of overripeness. Soft on the mid-palate and medium bodied. Very drinkable now but some hardness on the finish suggests further improvement is likely. Dry, medium-bodied, many-layered wine. Multi-faceted but needs a bit more polishing to be well rounded and integrated-something a bit more time can undoubtedly provide. Very good for me.
Hetszolo Tokaji 6 Puttonyos 1995 - Remarkably fresh tasting with the sweetness nicely balanced by acidity. Honeyed, very easy to drink. No hint of oxidation at all. Very clean wine. Has a lightness not quite consistent with its 6 Puttonyos. Excellent for me.
Fritz Allendorf Riesling Eiswein 1996 - I failed to take note of of the Vineyard and village specifics, unfortunately. This was compliments of the restaurant owners who are good friends. I was rather skeptical when this was poured as it had an old, almost tawny port, kind of color. A taste dispelled any doubts. Exceedingly sweet and thick with a razor-sharp streak of acidity going right through it. Intense, grapey, concentrated. More like a theoretical mix of TBA and Eiswein. Unbelievable stuff and to think that Allendorf isn't even in the top ranks of German producers.