2009 Van Volxem Scharzhofberger Riesling
A pleasant surprise to see how accessible this - I recollect the '08 Scharzhofberger soon after release was incredibly tight and ungiving, but this was lovely the second the cork was pulled, showing a spectrum of bright Riesling fruit ranging from green apples and limes to riper tropical flavours accented by slate and fresh minty herbal notes. There's plenty of baby fat and richness here, but also tremendous acidity, focus and a sense of freshness that keeps inviting another sip.
2009 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling
Really pretty aromatics; floral and perfumed scents over ripe peach, pineapple and apple fruit with a stony mineral base beneath. There's a touch of residual sweetness here, but there's also really bright acidity that keeps it very precise and focused and it finishes just barely off-dry.
2009 Stadlmann Rotgipfler Tagelsteiner
By the glass at Terroir, Austrian grape I've never heard of but was told bears a lot of resemblance to Zierfandler. This is fantastic - incredibly fresh citrus, pear and melony fruit over a bed of rocks and mineral salts. There's a sense of tremendous clarity and purity to the flavours, wonderful balance with bright acids and real refreshment value. Lovely.
N.V. Gutierrez Colosia Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino
By the glass at Terroir. Really nice with rich fruit, a gentle roasted nutty character underneath and savoury earthy and flor notes emerging with air. Very round, creamy and polished, light in the mouth and beautifully balanced, hiding its alcohol really well.
2001 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel
Off the list at a restaurant in NYC. Hard to put this one into words. Wild aromatics combining everything from exotic mandarin orange and musky floral notes to vividly stony and spicy elements, and faint developing smoky elements emerging with some air. It's still very young, taut and primary but the balance, purity and depth here are staggering and the acidity gives it a sense of tremendous vibrancy and energy. Spectacular.
2004 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse
Corked.
2005 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée
First impressions are only of fruit - deep complexioned, ripe berries and plums. This is a powerhouse of a Chinon with far more fruit, richness and tannic grip than I've encountered in anything else from Baudry. That said it's still beautifully balanced, and over a couple of hours the fruit takes a step back as fresh green herbal and forestal elements emerge beneath. Very enjoyable, though I'll try and keep my hands off my other bottles for some time.
2006 Bodegas Los Bermejos Lanzarote Tinto
Apparently from ungrafted vines on volcanic soil in the Canary Islands - Matteo from the Wine Bottega in Boston recommended this. It's really nice - starts out a little simple showing only bright red fruited flavours but with some air it really opens up, picking up savoury tobacco, smoky and earthy elements. There's that incredibly finessed, silken-textured mouthfeel I find in so many Franc de Pied wines, and it's a really lovely wine to drink with some grilled meat.
2001 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese
Outstanding Spätlese. Fresh apples, slate, herbs and lemon cream coming together seamlessly in an incredibly polished, precise package. Tremendous depth, balance and persistence with a sense of lightness I would only expect from a classic Mosel wine.