Friday I told Betsy that we should eat dinner early, my Dobbs tasting group was meeting for an Alsace/German night at 8. After she had done dinner prep I remembered that this time Fred was making choucroute. OK, I'm a big boy, I can eat twice.
She made baked halibut in a mushroom/tomato sauce, with fennel and bacon gratin and brown rice. I opened a gift bottle that had been sitting around, the 2003 McWilliam's Hanwood Estate Chardonnay (South Eastern Australia). Pear and sweet peach fruit, a lot of oak vanilla, rather typical low-end Chardonnay, but I have to say it's well done if not my favorite style. B-
So a nice crew showed up for the choucroutefest, our usual circle plus 2 new additions. I had brought my wine blind, but as Fred was worried re matching if folks brought off-dry or sweet wines, we decided to do unblind.
We started off with:
2002 Ginglinger Riesling (Alsace) (I believe first name was Pierre Marie, but can't really read my scribble)
Nice surprise from a producer I had never heard of, floral and herby notes backing solid white peach fruit, quite a nice Riesling. B+
2005 Willm Riesling (Alsace)
Others liked this more than I, I found it soft and empty. Inoffensive was best I could come up with. C+/B-
We went to table, with an excellent choucroute we had:
1990 Trimbach “Cuvee Frederic Emile” Riesling (Alsace)
Big fruit, almost opulent for a Trimbach. Mango and peach, lots of weight on the palate. Great length. Wonderful wine, with time ahead. A-
1997 Trimbach “Cuvee Frederic Emile” Riesling (Alsace)
My offering. A bit overshadowed by the 1990, but quite nice in its own right. Apple and peach fruit, a bit smoky, good finish. Maybe not as vervy as in less hot vintages, but waaaaay far from flabby. Really nice. A-/B+
I concentrated on the CFEs and another taste of the Ginglinger with the food, afterwards tried:
2001 Trimbach Gewurztraminer (Alsace)
Lychees and flowers, good acidity for Gewurz, nice value and a very good wine. B/B+
2005 Way Kuhl Dry Riesling
Funny name for a rather simple QbA, not really dry, white stone fruit and ok mineral finish. Light-bodied, probably fine for a summer picnic. Enjoyable if not complex. B
2004 Kunstler Pinot Noir (Rheingau)
I've never been a fan of Alsace PN, I think Rheingau PN is in same category for me. Others liked, I found sharp and thin, with some light yet hard tannins. Light raspberry fruit with some spice. C+
With some cheese:
2003 Lamartine Cahors (Cuvee something, sorry)
Tannic and a bit oaky, fleshy fruit on a rather low acid body. This could use some time for the tannins and the oak to integrate, but I find it too soft on the acidic front and would prefer to use the cellar space for something else. B-
1993 Ch. Grangey (St Emilion)Rather a pleasant surprise, I had low expectations for a '93 St Emilion from an unknown producer. Mature but not old, integrated cedar and leather aromas over mild red fruit. Not a blockbuster, but a decent aged claret. B
Fun night, good guys, nice walk home in the snow
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.