With grilled beef franks Friday, the 2001 Dr. Loosen "Dr. L" (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer). What more could you ask for in a $9 Riesling - floral nose, clear Granny Smith apple and lime fruit, bright acidity. B+
Some friends came to help me with some minor carpentry Saturday, Betsy made coq au vin for lunch. We skipped wine (power tools and wine are bad mix), but the chicken was so good I had it again for dinner (I was alone). Opened the 1999 Michel Gros Bourgogne. Thick kirschlike fruit, the barest hint of earth. I kept trying to coax a little complexity out of the glass, but all I could get was the same red fruit. C+/B-
A group of friends came to dinner Sunday. Before they came, I brilliantly put a bottle on top of the fridge to get it out of the way- unfortunately I apparently put it partially on the freezer door. When Betsy opened we got the thrill of seeing a bottle of '97 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling crash to the floor. A lot of ZH-haters might say good riddance, but I'll say it leaves a nice aroma. But next time we want that, I'll just pour it on floor to save the hassle of picking up all that glass. When our friends arrived, we had apple with smoked trout, cukes with smoked salmon, and some salami for finger foods. With these we had:
2001 Ch. Graville-Lacoste (Graves) Light, floral, honeydew melon fruit with a little spice. OK acidity. B/B-
2001 Zind-Humbrecht "ZIND" I believe this is their former Pinot d'Alsace, that they had to declassify (because it has Chardonnay?). Aromatic, with herbs and flowers on the nose. Just a touch offdry. Peach and citrus fruit, good minerally finish. Pretty tasty. B/B+
2001 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) Big slatey Riesling. Sweetness of the fruit is balanced by bracing acidity. B+/A-
First sitdown course was an asparagus/edamame salad with a miso dressing. We had the 2001 Nigl Freiheit Grüner Veltliner (Kremstal). Lighter-style GV, with good acidity and clean flavors- green peas, white fruits, some minerals. B+
Then the main event. Betsy had made standing-rib roast, crisp garlicky roasted potatoes, and zucchini with pesto. Larry, a man with a better supply of both fine wines and generosity than myself, suprised me by bringing a mini-vertical of Cos. Both decanted for about 7 hours before dinner:
1986 Cos d'Estournel (St-Estèphe)-still a deep colored wine, the nose was a delicious mix of cedar/cigarbox, earth, smoked meat, and dark fruits. Very good red berry and plum fruit. Still somewhat tannic, but with a hunk of red meat all one could want in a Bordeaux. Fruit, acidity, and tannins made a nice package. Wow. A
2000 Cos d'Estournel (St-Estèphe) Nose of cassis and herbs, deep ripe red fruit. Still a little tannic despite the decanting, though showing as rounder and smoother than the 1986- riper and less acidic. Very nice. A-
Then two more Bordeaux:
1997 Pavie-Macquin (St. Émilion Grand Cru Classé) My last of these. I'm not always a fan of modern-styled Right Bankers, but still feel that as a group they did better in 1997 than most. This seems very ripe, with a nose of toasty oak and cherry jam. On the palate it leans more towards black fruit, especially blackberries. Some tobacco and spice notes. B+ (if it hadn't followed the Cos duo I probably would have scored higher).
1998 Ch. Brown (Pessac-Léognan) This seemed to be nicely structured, but it wasn't giving up much. Hints of new oak and blackcurrant fruit, but only hints. I'm guessing this is just closed at the moment (Andy brought it and it only had an hour of decanting, while the Pavie-Mac had two and the Cos pair seven). I'll give a B-, while acknowledging it probably is just asleep. With the cheese plate and then dessert
1999 Ch. Doisy-Vedrines (Sauternes)(375) OK orange and honeyed apricot fruit, balanced acidity. Not a lot of complexity or concentration here. It was pretty cheap, about $13, and a fair deal at that price. But not a Sauternes to store. B
thanks for reading, Dale (aka Wilfried Knapp's nightmare) Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre at best. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Dale
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