WTN: The Noland Brothers do riesling

3 very different wines done in different styles. Nice contrast. Tasted first without food. Then with food. Tasters: Tom, Bob, and James Noland. Notes are a compilation of everyone's impressions with a dissenting impression noted occasionally.

Wine #1. Pale yellow with green tinges. Nose of green apple, light apricot and a hint of gooseberry. Strong acidity on the palate with citrus, especially grapefruit, some lemon. Nice acidic finish. Great palate cleanser.

Wine #2. Medium straw color. Honeydew melons and minerals on the nose. Bob describes it as wet rocks and white peaches. White peaches and melon on the palate with long acidic finish mixed with fruit.

Wine #3. Medium golden honey color. A really complex nose of honey nectar (or honeysuckle as Bob describes it), damp earth (I get this at the end, others more up front), wet rocks, nectarine and minerals. Great mid-palate of nectarine and minerals with very long fruity acidic finish. Best finish of the 3 wines.

Reactions with food.

First with spicy hot honey glazed pecans.

1. Nice match that brings out the meatiness in the pecans, but not a lot happening.

2. Really nice match that brings out plush peppers and meatiness in the pecans.

3. Nice earthiness with enhanced finish of acidity and minerals but less fruit in a great long finish.

Second appetizer was canteloupe slices wrapped in thin sliced proscuitto.

1. Great fruit enhancer with saltiness of proscuitto calming down the somewhat over active acidity in this wine and made it seem more balanced.

2. Nice mid-palate enhancement with this wine as it gives the wine more weight.

3. Really nice mid-palate enhancement again with a fruit-enhanced finish that lingers on.

Third appetizer a rather unusual orange flavored foie gras.

1. Not a good match. Kills the acidity and shortens the finish. (James likes this appetizer with this wine much better than Bob or I)

2. Much, much nicer mid-palate with somewhat muted and shortened finish. Orange flavor lights up with this wine and brings out its citrus tastes.

3. Good up front reaction with foie gras but somewhat muted mid-palate. But finish is enhanced especially the orange spiciness of the finish.

Fourth appetizer: classic match of swiss cheese and riesling.

1. Enhanced fruit but really short finish.

2. Really nice enhanced melon taste on the mid-palate and effervescent enhancement of the finish.

3. Enhanced earthiness of wine, gorgeous fruit, mouth-watering good and enhanced finish. Great wine-food match, probably the best.

Fourth appetizer spicy grilled grouper with lime/garlic/cilantro marinade.

1. Nice match that enhances the mid-palate with more fruit.

2. Really nice match of luscious fruit on the mid-palate, like reaction with #1 but better.

3. Nice match with an enhanced finish, especially noticed the lime.

The wines unveiled:

#1. 2005 Australian Eden Valley Riesling

#2. 2003 Gunderloch 'Jean Baptiste' riesling kabinett (Rheinhessen Germany)

#3. 1998 Austrian riesling by Hirsch. Zobinger Gaisber Atte Reben Kamptal/Osterreich

Ratings: Best was #3 (best balance, nose and finish and best with food), close second #2 (best sipper and also great with food), and third was #1 (It was slightly out of balance, with a bit too much acidity).

Brilliant post Tom as I shiver with it minus 25 outside!! Guess you are golfing out east still, courses here under 3 ft of snow already.
Great notes however, #3 seems to fit in nicely eh. I am struggling here with the `98 Capel Vale Whispering Hills from Ozland.

Thanks Bob,

But it was not the best wine of the day. That came later. Our last wine was a 1995 Muga rioja reserva. Dynamite wine. Here is a tasting note on it (not mine, but I agree)

95 Points - Beautifully aromatic,with notes of cassis,lilacs,coffee and spices,this sinuous red is polished and elegant,yet dense with fruit,oak and earthy flavors that linger and expand on the long finish.An extraordinary mar-riage of typicity and sophistication. Entering its prime now, this generous red offers plum, tobacco, mineral and spicy flavors, with well-integrated tannins and a long, spicy finish. A well-made wine in the traditional style. Drink now through 2006.

Our weather is turning now. It was really warm +10 or so. Now it is cold rain soon to turn to snow. Its that time of year.

Nice Rioja notes!!

Weather update at 9am/Tues. Minus 40 expected with windchill but very little snowfall expected. Have moved all horses into the barns, chickens will take care of themselves!!!!!!!! The dogs not too keen to go outside.

...Minus 40 expected...

Is that deg F or deg C?
Actually -40 is the same on both scales.

Ah Ah, both......Frickin` Cold.

Ah Ah, both......Frickin` Cold.

That's true, -40 is the equivalency point for the two temperature scales. Light a nice fire in the fireplace and warm up the hearth. You are going to need some warmth every time you come inside.

Tom,
Nice post, glad you enjoyed the tasting I put on. Currently I am far away from the Rieslings of the world as I am in Genoa, Italy but I think I can make do here with some of the Italian wines... Besides that the weather is probably much better then yours.

[James Roscoe]

Tom,
Nice post, glad you enjoyed the tasting I put on. Currently I am far away from the Rieslings of the world as I am in Genoa, Italy but I think I can make do here with some of the Italian wines... Besides that the weather is probably much better then yours.

Way to rub our collective noses in it!

Trust me, the pain of work related travel by far makes up for the few moments of wine enjoyment, no rub intended. Well, maybe the weather part...

[James Roscoe]

Trust me, the pain of work related travel by far makes up for the few moments of wine enjoyment, no rub intended. Well, maybe the weather part...

Somehow I'm not feeling your pain. By the way officially welcome (or is it welcome back?) to the forum. We can never have enough Noland brothers. Now you can keep your brother Tom honest.

Glad to be back! However, keeping my brother Tom in line (at least in the wine world) is always a challange. Tom is one of those people that very seldom finds a wine he does not like. I guess it is a good thing to always find the positive aspects of a wine but sometimes he will say some very nice things on some very iffy wines. Of course I am probably to blame for his habit. He is getting better all the time, he justs needs to drink more wine (for the experience)! By the way, I am currently drinking a TERREDAVINO 2001 Barolo (it is almost 7:00 PM here) as an apéritif before dinner. I know, a little heavy before dinner but hard to resist...

Glad to be back! Tom is one of those people that very seldom finds a wine he does not like. I guess it is a good thing to always find the positive aspects of a wine but sometimes he will say some very nice things on some very iffy wines. Of course I am probably to blame for his habit. He is getting better all the time, he justs needs to drink more wine (for the experience)!

Brother Bob,

I agree that I do tend to post more on the wines that I like more than the ones I don't like. And, in my experience, you try hard to find something positive about almost all wines, although your reactive face tells the real story. But, I do note flaws in wines and I am starting to post on them. See my WTN on the Nero D'Avola. Bit rough for my tastes even though it made the WS top 100. And you have seen me pour a wine down the drain, remember that awful green vegetable tasting Jackson and Triggs merlot at my house? Not good. I agree that I need to taste more wines and refine and sharpen my palate as life is too short and there just too many wines to try!

By the way, we just got 6" of snow here. I am sure you are just suffering mightily in the awful weather in Genoa. Barolo heaven also. Tough life, I am sure.

Tom,
Yes I remember the merlot, it had no redeeming qualities. As for Italy, the lack of english TV has got me back on the board again. The weather here has not been perfect by any means. It is only getting to about 60 F and has been somewhat cloudy. However, I will take it over 6 inches of snow The driving and parking here is the real nightmare, always a challange.

I did see some other wines at the store here I would like to try. There was a 99 Banfi Summus and an 01 Banfi Brunello di Montalcino. I also saw a 99 Feudi dei San Gregorio Taurasi that I think would be interesting to try. The price difference between the states and here is somewhat interesting. Some wines are the same although most are about 10% - 40% lower cost here and others are 3 - 4 times the price. For example a Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio is less then 5 Euro's here. It is well over $20 back home