Dinner at David and Laura's home last night, with an incredible feast thanks to David firing up his charcoal grill to try out a recipe for naan, along with chicken, paneer tikka and masoor dal (a stew with spiced baby lentils, onions and carrots). We ate very, very well and the wines were also outstanding.
2008 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Großes Gewächs
2008 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Großes Gewächs
Both of these were opened and served together and we followed them over a few hours. Both are brilliant expressions of Riesling from two great winemakers and sites, showing fantastic depth, a sense of real purity and clarity to the fruit, and incredibly vivid, pervasive minerality in each wine. The GGs kept evolving and opening up through the evening, with air the Schäfer-Fröhlich came across as more exotic, pungent and floral with greater intensity; the Dönnhoff calmer and more understated with riper, almost tropical flavours. Two truly outstanding wines and a pleasure to be able to enjoy them like this.
2001 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese
Fantastic. The fruit's still incredibly bright, youthful and vibrant, all Würzgarten strawberries and limes with a gentle spicy seasoning, though it's starting to show some developing creaminess and smokiness now. The sweetness and acidity are perfectly balanced, and there's a sense of refreshment and sheer drinkability here that led to this being emptied very, very quickly.
A very fun evening, thanks again!