Dinner with some old and new friends last night. We had a number of tasty wines (Tercero Outlier Gewurz, a Champagne that Laura voted for with her glass), but two really stood out for me.
2001 Reuscher-Haart Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett
From a cellar somewhat less glacial than mine this is really singing right now. Apricots, peaches and honey are held aloft by a saline mineral base, with a bit of that aged Riesling smokey/petrol element for added complexity. The wine is now just off dry, and makes a great food partner with aromatic Indian fare (crispy spinach with caramelized onions was a particularly good match, as was my squash soup with cumin).
2005 Allemand Cornas Chaillot
Will this wine be completely different in 10 or 12 more years? Yes, but it was still a monster last night, showing an intense floral element on the nose to go with blood red meat, leather and a back end bacon fat element that kept growing over time. The balance is impeccable, and the finish sustains like Jeff Beck. This was truly stunning wine.
Oh yeah, the 2008 Schafer-Frohlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Auslese does not suck either!