Thursday was spicy Greek-accented turkey meatballs in a tomato sauce, and I opened the 2008 Nino Barraco Pignatello. Shows as 12.5% but comes across as bigger- dense purpley color, some tannin, black plums with a load of tobacco. . I just can’t get into this. Tasted on succeeding nights seems the tobacco went ashtray-ey. Not my cuppa. C+
Second wine was the 2013 Chidaine Touraine Rose. Light, fresh, vibrant acids, floral with strawberries, fresh and fun. B+/B
Friday Betsy made an old favorite, spaghetti with zucchini and mussels. She needed a cup of wine, and of course a bit to drink, and I wanted to try the 1997 Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo I’d got from a discount bin. Nutty, oily, with some oxidative notes that seem to go away. Very full-bodied, white pit fruits and almonds, earth. Seems fresher on day 2! A lower acid vintage of Valentini, mature but holding. B+
I went over to Roger’s house, where I opened a starter, the 1989 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Reserve. Clear Gewurz character, litchi and flowers, ripe fruit leads to debate re RS (I think very little). B+/B
I went back to Zachys and cleaned out the closeout bins of the Valentini and Trimbach.
On to the evening’s main event, Riesling. Wines were blind, but I had suggested people group by category (dry, offdry, sweet, dessert) so we could save our palates from wild sugar swings
Blind Riesling # 1- clean, just a hint of RS, apples anjd peach, a little citrus zest, guessed Alsace. 2009 Trapet Riesling (Riquewihr) B/B+
Blind Riesling # 2 -oops, guessed Alsace again. Apples, minerally, good. 2012 Dr. Frank Dry Riesling (Fingers Lake) B+
Blind Riesling # 3 - not blind to me.Big, mature, appleskin, lemon, sweet fruit, ready to go. 1998 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling B+
Blind Riesling # 4 - Full, zippy acids, dry, I’m guessing Grosses Gewachs from Pfalz or Nahe. My favorite of the night. 2010 Knebel von den Terrassen Riesling (Mosel) B+/A-
Blind Riesling # 5
Halbtrocken, soft acids, lighbodied,2007 Xavier Flouret "Kavalier" Riesling Kabinett Trocken (Mosel). B-
Blind Riesling # 6- offdry, canned peaches and a little lime, I guess West Coast US. 2012 Clean Slate Riesling (Mosel) C+
Blind Riesling # 7- offdry, light, petrol, lime and tropical fruits, good acids, long finish. 2008 JJ Prum Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett B+
1969 Heinrich Seip Niersteiner Spiegelberg Beerenauslese (Rheinhassen)
Not blind. Plenty of life here, but not much excitement. No signs of oxidation, some petrol, apricots and flowers, botrytis, a bit ponderous, not a lot of acid. I think blind I would have thought Sauternes (or maybe something like Loupiac or Cadillac) from a soft vintage. B-/C+
Saturday Betsy had a concert, I made myself some catfish, Asian slaw, and roasted root vegetables. I had one last wine to try from the discount bin, a 1998 Inama “Vigneto du Lot” Soave Classico Superiore OK, so there’s not really old/oxidized notes here. But what is here is quite….different. Brassy color, some sweetness (RS?), oak, pineapples and guava, a fat texture. Interesting, but not what I want. B-/C+
So with my fish I switched to 2011 Fosse-Seche “Arcane” Saumur. Pretty classic Chenin, full bodied, lemons, orange zest, wool, and ripe apple. Very nice wine, but just a tad soft in acids. B/B+
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.
