Sweet German rieslings

Tasting of sweet German Rieslings at Watson's Wine Cellar, hosted by Katharina Staab - the current German Wine Queen.

1992 Wegeler Oestricher Doosberg Riesling Auslese - grassy, sugar cane, ripe pineapple, and marzipan.  Lots of sweetness but also plenty of acidity on the palate.

1993 Diel Riesling Eiswein - very intense nose of pollen, plastic, honey, marmalade.  Viscous on the palate.

2012 Max Ferd. Richter Mülheimer Helenenkloster Riesling Eiswein - very elegant and floral, with white flowers, young dried tangerine peel, a little polyurethane, and still a little pungent on the nose.  Lots of sugar and more concentrated on the palate, with mandarin notes.

2011 Keller Cuvee Trockenbeerenauslese - polyurethane, marmalade, honey, dried apricot notes.  Sweet but has enough acidity here.

2008 Gunderloch Nackenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - intense nose of honey, honeydew melon, a little floral, with plastic glue notes.  Very thick and viscous on the palate, almost chewy.  Really sweet and totally up my alley.

2007 Max Ferd. Richter Graacher Dompropst Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - a little pungent plastic, a little more floral, with orange blossom.  Really ripe with lots of botrytis.

Burgundian night

Burgundian evening at Neighborhood.

2012 Patrick Javillier Corton-Charlemagne - nice and toasty.

2005 La Pousse d'Or Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret - more mineral, some toast, a little lean on the palate but also rounded on the finish.

1959 Joseph Pontinet Meursault Pinot Blanc - very toasty, huge nose, lots of coffee, toffee, really big nose of pain grillé. Absolutely beautiful.

2015 Bernard Van Berg En Busigny Blanc - very closed and muted at first. Lean on the palate. Nice, elegant, clean. But reality is that it shut down and was disappointing. Acidity still there, so the wine wasn't dead. 3 hours after opening, nose showed some Anjoy pear, iron, and minerals.

2016 Laurent Ponsot Corton-Charlemagne Cuvée du Kalimeris - flinty, tropical stone fruit, floral, pretty ripe and sweet. Beautiful.

2010 Arnaud Ente Meursault Clos des Ambres - toasty minerals on the nose, good acidity on the palate. Beautiful.

2002 Coche-Dury Meursault - nice and toasty, with some flint, but not as huge as expected. Good balance between acidity and ripeness on the palate.

2010 Confuron-Cotetidot Echezeaux - minty with sweet fruit.

1949 Moillard-Grivot Corton Bressandes - savory, lots of mushrooms, mature.

1995 Domaine Ponsot Griotte Chambertin - not bad at all. Eucalyptus and some ripe fruit.

2011 Dujac Echezeaux - for some reason this seemed very muted.

1979 Lupé-Cholet Echezeaux - very mature, with plenty of black olives, leather, and almost a little stewed fruit.

2004 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée - absolutely beautiful and exactly what I expected from this wine. Very floral, lots of leather, and toast. Soooo seductive still.

Full post on dinner is here.

Stephan Bassenon

Drinking at home.  Opened the bottle to toast Anthony Bourdain.

2007 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie Côteaux de Bassenon - popped and poured.  Very fragrant nose, with lots of animal, leather, grilled meats, smoke, forest, cedar, sweet fruit, and floral notes from the viognier.  Beautiful.

Curiously, the cork had 2008 stamped on it...

Full post on the tribute is here.

Waka and Suishin

Dinner at Kitchi.

Waka Botan Daiginjo (和香牡丹 大吟醸) - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 40%.  Good depth of flavors, sweet attack but dry in the middle and on the long finish. 

Suishin Junmaijozo (酔心 純米醸造) - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 65%.  Softer and milder.

Keller Limestone

Drinking at home.

2007 Keller Limestone Kabinett - sweeter on the attack than expected.  Riper and more mature.

Born, Cos, and Pichon Baron

Dinner at Nikushou.

Born Gokuhizo Daiginjo (梵 極秘造大吟醸), BY29 - fragrant nose with banana notes.  Lovely.

1986 Cos d'Estournel - served an hour after double-decanting.  Nose very muted, with a hint of grass, a little earthy, and minty.  Finally opened up a little 2 hours after first serving.

2000 Pichon Baron - served an hour after opening.  Smoky, ripe fruit, fragrant with cedar notes.  Tannins are still here and a little grippy on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Jonata El Desafio

Lunch at Yakiniku Jumbo Hong Kong.

2006 El Desafio de Jonata - pretty ripe and sweet on the palate.

Full post on lunch is here.

MNSC Dinner - Amuse Bouche

MNSC dinner at Amuse Bouche, hosted by The Ox.

2004 Paul Déthune, dégorgée en janvier 2012 - nice and lovely nose, with some caramelized sweetness and mineral notes.

1973 Leroy Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes - very sweet on the nose, plenty of vanilla and almost marzipan, also marmalade.  High acidity on the palate with oxidation.  Drinking beautifully.

First flight: popped and poured in decanter just before serving.

1964 Latour - very minty, savory, with a hint of black olives, plus sweet fruit on the nose.  Palate was dry.  Also some stewed fruits and smoke.  91 points.

1966 Latour - more minty than the '64, also more green and vegetal, grassy.  Nose was much cleaner, with lead pencil and graphite notes, and very big and smoky.  94 points.

Second flight: decanted for 3 hours prior to serving.

1982 Latour, ex-château - a beautiful wine.  Smoke, coffee, pencil lead, sweet fruit, fragrant, a hint of grass.  But also a little chalky and dirty.  A little leather but slightly stinky, with a hint of hospital disinfectant.  98 points.

1988 Latour - smoky, leaner than the '82, with more green pepper, and a bit cloudy.  93 points.

Third flight: decanted more than 4 hours before serving.

1990 Latour - older and more elegant, some leather, smoke, and fragrant nose.  A little riper and softer on the palate.  95 points.

1996 Latour - minty, leaner, a bit of smoke, but really dusty and chalky for some reason, even after changing glasses.  93 points.

Bonus: popped and poured.

1953 Latour - nutty, a little marzipan, pretty sweet, maybe a little tonka bean, minty, and smoky.  High acidity.

Full post on dinner is here.