Monday no wine with feta creamed corn topped with shrimp, tomatoes, & pobla nos.
On a hot Tuesday a good group met at Wu’s Wonton King on the edge o f Chinatown. We had preordered a whole suckling pig (back skin cut off and served like Peking duck, then rest chopped up); we also had snow pea shoots , salted duck, clams in black bean sauce, green beans with pork, beef with bamboo shoots, squid and white anchovy, and probably more dishes I forgot. Really good value restaurant- we tipped 46% and total was $50 pp. Wine the me was Riesling and Rhone.
2015 Stein St. Aldegunder Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Trocken Lipsmacking crisp, ginger notes, fun. B/B+
2005 Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese A really excellent wine in that rich ‘05 style, but definitely hold ing a lot in reserve, mostly just get sweet rich fruit right now. A bit red uced at first. A B for this night, but lots of future, and I wish I owned t his.
2001 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese What I love about ‘01- rich yet crisp, really in a good place, oran ge zest and apple with flint and chalk on finish, just a little incipient p etrol.A-/B+
1989 Kramp “Ayler Kupp” Riesling Spatlese Richer and more complex than a Kab from same producer/vintage a couple year s ago. Perfectly mature, that Saar daintiness but no lack of power, apple and tropical fruit with flower notes and petrol. B+/A-
1988 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Goldkapsel (auction bottling) I liked this, but maybe less than I would have expected. Softer acids, ripe r fruit, very tasty but not the superstar I thought from label. But didn? ??t seem damaged. B+/B
To the Southern Rhones
1989 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Red fruits, herby, not actually much brett in this bottle, good. Bill comme nted on how much fine sediment there was when he decanted. B+/B
1990 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape More animal, richer fruit, quite long. A-
1998 Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Perfumed, red cherries, some smoke and meat. This was not decanted and ther e was some fine sediment. B+
Northern Rhones
1978 Paul Jaboulet Aine “Thalabert” Crozes-Hermitage Double-decanted at 3 PM (tons of fine silty sediment, glad I had stood up f or a week or so). Bacon and berries, some light barnyard, good acidic backbone. Gets peppery/ spicy with some time in glass. A-
1989 Paul Jaboulet Aine “La Chapelle” Hermitage Differing opinions on this one, but I thought a pretty strong showing. Ripe with just a hint of a roasted character, but not enough to detract. Black fruits, meat, nice balance- good acids, some rather supple tannins remainin g. Others didn’t like as much. A-
1998 Paul Jaboulet Aine “La Chapelle” Hermitage A little raspy, cocoa and dark fruits, good but could use some time. B+
1986 Guigal “La Landonne” Cote-Rotie Fruit hanging on, sharp acids, a piney note over the red fruit. A little ti red but still offering some pleasure. B/B-
1998 Jamet Cote Rotie Fine showing (last 2 times I’d tried this were TCA infected bottle s). Dark berries, flowers, grilled meats and a peppery/olive finish. Excell ent length. A-
2001 Guigal Ex-Voto Hermitage Oak is still there, but integrating. Powerful ripe fruit, olives, earth. Co uld use some time. B+
Fine night with fine people. No wine I wouldn’t be happy to drink
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 p arty where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivi ty, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.