Friday was my turn to host local (non-serious) wine group. I didn’t have much time to prep, but had out some antipasto, rillettes, hummus. Greeting wine was the Peter Lauer Reserve Saar Riesling Sekt 1996 (disgorged May 2018). We quickly got all the “Sekts” jokes out of the way. Amazing fresh and young, crisp, snappy, with rocky notes. Don’t think I would have gotten Riesling if blind. B+/A-
wines were blind but I asked everyone to let me know if red, dry white, or offdry white so we didn't bounce back and forth
Didn’t have any food from Baden, but first grilled course was local charcuterie shop’s
Joe Biden ( Dogfish IPA and Old Bay sausage). Also had out Cambazola, Petite Muenster, Ossau Iraty, and aged Gouda
Dry white
2016 Battenfeld-Spanier Frauenberg GG (Rheinhessen)
Grapefruit, mineral, full with good acidic tension. B+
As we moved to reds I grilled some Schwenkbraten (marinated pork chops), with blumenkohl (cauliflower) and German potato salad.
2016 Darting Durkheimer Feuerberg Pinot Meunier
Slightly kirschy, a little hot but light bodied, I knew wasn’t PN or Trollinger (2 varieties I’m most familiar with), but never knew Pinot Meunier grown in Germany. Others liked more than me. B-
When this was unveiled it turned out 2 others had brought it as well (at a German tasting 50% of people bring Pinot Meunier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) so we sent those bottles home with their owners
2013 Ziereisen “Rhini” Spatburgunder
Earthy, black cherry, good acids. B+
2014 Enderle & Moll “Liason” Pinot Noir (Baden).
Cranberry, raspberry, too acidic for some but I enjoyed, got very spicy with air. B++
Bratwurst
2015 . Valckenberg Gewürztraminer
Didn’t get the typical Gewurz lychee/tropical notes, subdued, rather round, guessed Muller-Thurgau. More typical notes on day 2. B-/C+
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2004 Donnhoff Estate Riesling QbA (Nahe)
I had pulled this from mixed case of ‘04s to have later when I thought I was getting a 2004 Donnhoff Spat for tasting, but when I went to open saw I had an Auslese. Thought the estate would be better for this crowd (anxious re sugar).; Mango and apple, good acids, quite alive if not super complex. B
1999 Roland Sander Dexheimer Doktor Beerenauslese (Rheinhessen) (375)
Never heard of producer or vineyard, this was a bonus in a mixed lot. Ripe peach, soft orange candy slices, moderate acids. People liked, but on scale of German dessert C+/B-
Saturday with grilled scallops, leftover potato salad, arugula the 2016 Fraga do Corvo Godello (Monterrei). Floral, fresh, full, fine, great bargain. B+
Had 2 couples for dinner Sunday, for starters rillettes and rosette de Lyon, cuke with hummus and olive, watermelon radish with radish leaf pesto and mozzarella
Then sat on patio for endive filled with chioggio beets and smoked bay scallops
NV Bremont “Cuvee Prestige” Champagne
Apples and warm biscuits, earth, lovely elegant. This probably has 6-8 years in cellar. B+/A-
(we also tried leftover Godello, Gewurz)
Then porterhouse, red kabocha squash, salad
1979 Ch. La Lagune
One person initially thought corked, it did have an odd funky note, but didn’t seem like TCA. There was some leathery brett (maybe even a little Bandaid) but not overwhelming, high acid, redder fruits, B
1998 Ch. de Fieuzal (Pessac-Leognon)
Black plum, coffee, nice showing, better than I remembered, B/B+
2011 Colombaio Brunello di Montalcino
Ripe, touch hot (shows 14.5), blackberry liqueur, others like more than I did B-/C+
Finished with cheeses, an apple pie, and the leftover Beerenauslese
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. 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.