[b]June 30, 2012 – Terry Theise Portfolio Tasting, Marty’s, Newton, MA[/b]
Thanks to both Terry Theise and the staff at Marty's for hosting this event. As always, Terry was a great host, extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. This was a great opportunity for me to try some wines that were new to me (Nigl Dornleiten, Glatzer Blaufränkisch, Billiot Rosé), as well as new vintages of old favorites. All in all, a highly fun tasting.
Note that I forgot to record disgorgement dates for either of the Champagnes that I tried. I'll try to take note of them next time that I am at Marty's (probably soon), and update my notes accordingly.
2011 Sattler Zweigelt Rosé Neusiedlersee-Hügelland
Medium-bodied, crisp, bright, well balanced, mineral, with strawberry, melon, and citrus notes. Very good.
2009 Walter Glatzer Blaufränkisch Carnuntum
Medium-bodied, softer, well balanced, with moderate acidity, and rather spicy tannins; shows notes of mixed berries, herbs, black pepper, and a bit of licorice. Very good.
2010 Johannes Hirsch Grüner Veltliner Heiligenstein
Moderately full-bodied, bone dry, powerful, well balanced, with moderate acidity; very mineral, citrus, spicy, and herbal, with a hint of dark berries. Very good+.
2010 Nigl Riesling Kremstal DAC Dornleiten
Medium-bodied, bone dry, smooth, elegant, well balanced, with deceptively light mineral notes, a hint of salinity, and aromas/flavors of white peaches and citrus fruits. Very good/excellent; still quite primary.
2010 Willi Bründlmayer Riesling Kamptaler Terrassen
Medium-bodied, bone dry, reasonably elegant, nicely balanced, with cool minerality; shows notes of green fruits, citrus fruits, and a hint of green peas. Very good.
NV L. Aubry Fils Brut 1er Cru
Disgorged June, 2011. Very pleasant herbal/wheat bread nose. Good mousse/small bubbles. Medium-bodied, bready, chalky, with notes of dark fruits, honey, spices, and licorice. Well balanced, with good underlying acidity. Excellent; a really nice showing here.
NV Henri Billiot Fils Brut Rosé Grand Cru
Also disgorged June, 2011. Medium-bodied, with good mousse, and small bubbles; very elegant and harmonious, with floral and red fruit aromas/flavors, and hints of spices, brioche, and minerals. Again, this is nicely balanced, with good underlying acidity. Excellent.
2011 Gysler Scheurebe QbA Halbtrocken Rheinhessen
From 1L bottle. The only other vintage of this that I have had is the 2008, and I remember not caring for it, thinking it unusually austere for Scheurebe. I admit that Gysler’s wines have never really impressed me in the past, but this one was surprisingly decent. Off-dry, medium-bodied, balanced, lightly grassy, with notes of golden plums, papayas, and oranges. Although it is unlikely to ever be confused for any of Müller-Catoir’s greatest Scheurebes, it is still a good wine in this particular vintage, and certainly up to the standard of most of Terry’s other liter bottlings.
2010 Reuscher-Haart Piesporter Riesling QbA
From 1L bottle. Light to medium-bodied, off-dry, balanced, with moderate acidity; shows citrus, apple, and melon notes. Good.
2010 J.u.H.A. Strub Riesling QbA Rheinhessen “Soil to Soul”
60% from Niersteiner Brückchen and 40% from Paterberg. Medium-bodied, off-dry, well balanced, somewhat roundish, with moderate acidity and lively fruit. Lightly mineral, vaguely herbal, with orange, lime, and tropical fruit notes. Very good.
2011 Leitz Rüdesheimer Klosterlay Riesling Kabinett
Medium-bodied, off dry, nicely balanced, with moderate acidity; Salty, spicy, and mineral, with citrus and pear notes. Not as much baby fat as the ’09 had at this stage, and therefore more approachable for me. Very good+; as usual, this is one of the great values in German Riesling.
2010 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese
Full-bodied, off-dry to lightly sweet, round, well balanced, with good underlying acidity. This has a lot going on, with vivid fruit, and orange, apricot, slate, floral, and spice notes. Excellent.
2010 Alfred Merkelbach (Geschwister Albertz-Erben) Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese
Full, round, moderately sweet, nicely balanced; more elegant than many Auslesen of recent vintages, and well within the Merkelbach style. Slaty, a bit floral, with notes of green fruits, apples, peaches, and pears. Excellent – one of the best that I’ve had from Merkelbach.