2005 Filliatreau “La Grande Vignolle” Saumur-Champigny
Thought I’d drink all of these, found one more. Plenty of life left, juicy dark fruits with mushrooms and forest floor. Not super complex but lively. B/B+
2023 La Bastide Blanche Bandol rose, with Teriyaki salmon, rice with furikake, green bean gomae, and spinach. Herbs, red fruits, tangy citrus zest notes. B++
Friday we had pork chops with cumin, gemelli with artichokes, and salad, I skipped wine as I was going over to Roger’s for local group tasting session. Nice night on his patio with sausages and cheeses, a bonus was surprise presence of a former member who moved to Miami. Theme was White Wines from Places Where they speak or spoke German.
Wines were blind but I asked folks to try to do drier first.
Blind wine #1 - Lovely and complex, dry, petrol and peaches, orange zest, tangy acids. I got Alsace but thought maybe Boxler, turns out a CFE I’ve never tried before. WOTN.
1992 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling A-
Blind wine #2- mine, so no guesses, took group awhile to get to Austria. Dry but honied, apricot and apple, tasty but shorter than I would have hoped.
2011 Knoll Pfaffenberg Steiner Riesling B/B+
Blind wine #3- just a hint of sweetness, big pout (peaches) and tropical (mango) fruit , with a light grassy note. I flailed, guessing Rheingau or maybe Pfalz GG.
2020 Zind-Humbrecht Sommerberg Riesling B
Blind wine #4 - soft, easy, we got not Riesling right away, I got PB but only because of conversation earlier. 2022 Christophe Mittnacht Terres d’Etoile Pinot Blanc B-
Blind wine #5 - floral and musky, softer acids, not enough lycee to be Alsatian Gewurztraminer but I thought maybe Tyrol Traminer. Nope. 2020 Knoll Loibner Gelber Muskateller B-
Blind wine #6 - a little sweetness, nectarine and apple, spicy edge, I guessed Mosel halbtrocken.
2022 Richter Mulheimer Sonnenlay Kabinett Feinherb. B++
Blind wine #7 mine, no guesses. Auslese sweetness, but tangy acids. Clean, apple and plum, peach pit, honeysuckle. 2004 Kesseler Bischofsberg Riesling Spatlese GK (AP12) B+
Blind wine #8 - the big blue mag is impressive, wine less so. Simple apple juice sweetness, clipped.
2005 Johann Falkenberg Riesling QbA (mag) C+
Blind wine #9 - also mine. Exotic fruit combo- pineapple, apricot, mango with honey and slightly musky floral notes. Sweet but with good acids. 2005 Muller Catoir Haardter Herzog Rieslaner (375) B+
Blind wine #10 guys wanted more dry wine, so I opened a backup. No one got grape or region.
Sharp acids, lemon and quince, a waxy note. 2018 Leipold Silvaner Gassberg Trocken B+
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Fun night!
Saturday was oysters, grey sole, gemelli with artichokes, salad
2012 Piuze Blanchot Chablis GC
I had a backup, because Piuze is not immune to the pox, but not needed. Rich pear and orange fruit, candlewax, flint. With air a little almondy note but no oxidation. Long and likeable. B+/A-
Yellowfin with rosemary, potatoes with radish leaf pesto, broccoli with olives and fried shallots
2009 Terres Dorees (JP Brun) Cote de Brouilly
Drinking well, lovely texture, rich black cherry fruit accented by coffee and smoke and balanced by lively acids. Powerful but retaining Beaujolais freshness. B+/A-
edited for typo (thanks Mark)
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.