A week of assorted wines, a few even enjoyed al fresco for the first time in 2011
2009 Peter Lauer "Barrel X" Riesling
I don't know what Barrel X means, but I really enjoyed this well priced ($16) Riesling. Crisp, minerally, just a hint of sugar. Really good to start with, then blossoms as evening progresses. Very floral, with lemon and green apple fruit, bright, nice length. Bought more. B+
2010 Chivite Gran Feudo rosado
Bright colored rosé, strawberry jam, flowers, not as bright as some previous vintages, quite acceptable but not searching for more. B-
2009 Hiedler "Maximum Reserve" Gruner Veltliner.
Boy, this wine was hard to get a grip on. Big wine, very ripe, though there is good acidity. I'd guess this isn't totally dry. Went very well with some "Latin American" spicy pork and barley, and I enjoyed. But sipping later in evening it seems heavy and plodding, and heading towards overripeness. Yet a bit of leftovers next time seemed quite attractive. I'm all over the place with this, I'll say a B with an even bigger margin of error than usual.
NV Philipponnat Royale Reserve Brut
OK as an apertif, better with scallops with spicy orange sauce. Yeasty, apple cider, I thought a touch clumsy though others seemed to like more. B-
2001 Ardanza Rioja Reserva
Fairly extracted, some oak, with dill and spice notes, plummy red fruit. Pretty decent acidity, medium finish. Goes well with with a main course of fennel rubbed steak and quinoa/green bean salad. B
2006 Lapostolle "Cuvee Alexandre" Merlot
Yikes. Black plums (and prunes), sweet, plenty of toasty oak. I've thought the Alexandre line was very modern before, but this seems totally over the top. C/C+
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
. Isn't this a place where Michel Rolland dabbles?