A belated birthday dinner for Laura last night with special guests Salil & Thor. Salil and I prepared an Indian Biryani & Thor provided a spinach and bacon salad.
We also had a lot of wines.
1994 Zind-Humbrecht Muscat Goldert
Started out very austere, but broadened with just a little air. Resembled older Gewurztraminer more than Muscat to my taste, but good wine. Late in the evening it pretty much headed for the flavor grave - still bright, but green.
Billiot Champagne NV Cuvee Laetitia
Stunningly good Champagne with superb focus, and also depth of fruit. Disgorged in June of 2008, and likely capable of significant aging. Really hard to keep my hands off it right now though. Great to drink on its own, though the spice of the biryani did this no favors.
1997 Kalin Sauvignon Blanc
Take ripe Sauvignon & put it in an old German fuder for 10 years. This tasted not unlike some of these trendy late release Austrians with the influence of long cask aging, but while I found it quite drinkable I didn't see anything particularly compelling about it.
1983 Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus Riesling Auslese Herrenberg '125'
Initially rather reserved and dark. It seemed to have one foot in the grave. Every minute of air was to this wine's profit, as the pine needle, streamwater elements of older Grunhaus melded with some lingering poached pear and baked apple fruit to make a very appealing, if completely mature package. We were not all that enthralled with the wine on first opening, but by the end there was not quite enough to go around.
1997 Schoffit Gewurztraminer Harth
Very gewurz, but also rather thick. It was intended for the spinach & bacon salad (make that bacon and spinach salad), but I actually think the richness might have suited the spicy biryani quite well.
2008 A. J. Adam Dhron Hofberg Riesling Spatlese
Now that's one explosive spatlese. Tons of fruit, perhaps a bit more sweetness than I prefer (though time will cure that) and huge extract & depth. Very fine wine, but also very young. This was opened because I was getting desperate for a little fruit!
1996 Druet Bourgueil Les Cent Boisselees
Fruit? Who needs fruit? Lots of acidity, some green flavors, and perhaps a suggestion of red fruit over a firm minerality. I like this wine, but it's sure ont for everyone.
2005 Betz Bechtosheimer Homberg Spatburgunder Rose Eiswein
First sip: this is nice. Second sip: this is rich and maybe a bit heavy. Third sip: this is way too thick for its own good. I was completely stumped by this wine which Thor served blind, and honestly I think both Salil and Thor liked it even less than I did. But it's good to have contrast because the next wine was:
2000 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Eiswein
Producer, producer, producer. Where so many others failed in the rot plagued 2000 vintage, Donnhoff succeeded in a way that speaks of the vintage, but also speaks of the brilliance of the Brucke. Fruit, spice & stone blended with a mastery that affirms the wineemaker's skill and the greatness of the site.
1990 Dow Quinta do Bonfim Port
A touch spirity (no decanting), but lots of red fruit & spice with nutty tones coming in shortly thereafter. Quite delicious, though no match for what came immediately before. Very tasty with our chocolate dipped fruit.
