Fired up the charcoal to grill some breads and burgers. Salil brought some dal, and of course we drank fairly well.
N.V. Peter Lauer Saar Riesling Sekt
Served blind I was completely off base with this. It was incredibly bubbly and yeasty, to the point of it being initially hard to taste, but time in glass brought out some nice fruit, that seemed rather red on the finish. I had no clue it was a Riesling. So far I like this wine more than anything else from Lauer.
1997 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese
Before Salil was born I received a letter in the mail. It came from the future, and it was Salil asking to try this wine from my cellar. Fast forward to yesterday, and the wine was finally opened. It's still young. Lots of stone fruit, some creamy elements, but also just a ton of extract and sweetness that still needs to calm down. It was hard to believe how youthful this wine was.
1997 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese
Salil brought this to accompany the Brucke. It was visibly more youthful, but on the palate it was more ready to drink. Leaner (in a good way) than the Brucke, showing some crisp peach fruit, but also notable, complex herbal tones and much more minerality. Finished quite dry. Delicious and ready to go unless you want full on aged Riesling character at the expense of fruit and balance.
2001 Château Pape Clément
Wood. Lots of wood. There's also some wood. Did I mention the oak? There's also a ton of very ripe fruit, so I suppose I can just lay down my remaining bottles for 15 more years and hope for the best.
The Hermannshohle for me was the class of the night though; loved the complexity, cut and the ethereal quality to the flavours. I'm amazed by how much more time that Brucke needs, from a vintage I thought produced some pretty accessible wines. 
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