| | The Seattle Wine Group met again in the Amaroso room. Theme - Riesling.
After gathering, we sat down with 8 bottles of dry or off-dry Riesling wines (Spatlese or drier for German wines.) We then sat down to a feast of good food. We then poured 4 splits of dessert style Riesling wines (Auslese or sweeter for German, VT or sweeter for Alace, Late Harvest or sweeter for new world.)
We had some pre-funk bubbles; a Cava and a Prosecco, but I didn't take any notes.
Food was fantastic! Here is the line-up:
Roger - Shitake Peanut noodles
Scott - Spicy chicken noodle salad
Carl - German sausages baked with bacon and apple infused sauerkraut
Mike - Cheese/crackers/bread
Freelon - Pulled Pork and Rolls
Ed - Sweet dessert
Ron & Jen - Apple & Fennel Salad
Henry - Olive Oil Cake The Gathering We also had some pre-funk bubbles; a Cava and a Prosecco, but I didn't take any notes. - 2006 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Nose was rich and sweet-seeming with some minerality and lime zest. Palate had crisp green apples and a very complimentary hint of citrus. Ripe and rounded attack, sweet, slightly honeyed. Lovely balance, very long and fine with good acidity to discreetly balance the almost lip-smacking sweetness. (93 pts.)
Dry/Off-Dry Rieslings Overall, a bit disappointing. Oddly, my favorite Riesling of the night was not in the line-up. Ed brought an extra Riesling, a 2006 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese, so we opened at the gathering. - 2009 Domaine Ostertag Riesling Heissenberg - France, Alsace
Wine A
Nose of crispy apple, petrol/kerosene, and spice. Palate had honeysuckle, ginger, and green apples. Very dry. Long, medium complex finish.
My rank: 3rd out 8
Group rank: 2nd out of 8 (89 pts.)
- 2002 Kahurangi Riesling Nelson - New Zealand, South Island, Nelson
Wine B
Subdued nose of orange and wood varnish. Palate had muted green apples and green grapes (off bottle?). Tasted like a barrel sample. Off-dry. Finish was very short, simple, almost non-existent.
My rank: 5th out of 8
Group rank: 7th out of 8 (87 pts.)
- 2002 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Wine C
Nose of petrol and lemon curd. Palate starts sweet like pineapple juice, then gets drier. Very simple palate. Finish was short and not memorable. Of all the entries, this one I had the least notes. Nothing really much to say about it.
My rank: 6th out of 8
Group rank: 6th out of 8 (87 pts.)
- 2013 Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Riesling Eroica - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Wine D
Nose of white apricot, petrol, and stone. Palate had more of the same. Very dry and slate-driven. Mouthfeel was like a chablis, different flavor profile though. Simple, medium finish. Decent wine. Oddly enough, this felt more european than many of the other entries.
My rank: 4th out of 8
Group rank: 4th out of 8 (88 pts.)
- 2008 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Josephshöfer Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Wine E
Faint nose of pear and melon; some barnyard/wooly notes. Palate has restrained, pure flavors show white fruits and lemon. Hints of slate and minerals in the mildly sweet finish. Mouthfeel is velvety and smooth, but not great lift or tension. Nice wine.
My rank: 2nd out of 8
Group rank: 3rd out of 8 (89 pts.)
- 2013 Long Shadows Wineries Riesling Poet's Leap - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Wine F
Nose is yeasty with some pear, honeysuckle and apple cider. Palate is more like green apple cider than a wine. Clean finish where some tangerine and orange peel flavors appear on the short finish.
My rank: 7th out of 8
Group rank: 8th out of 8 (86 pts.)
- 2008 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Wine G
Nose has petrol with a dirty minerality character. Palate had grapefruit and sweet peach on the palate - guessing quite a bit of RS as it also had a green apple jolly rancher quality. It has a cheap taste that I can't really describe. Did not like this wine.
This wine was very polarizing to the team - all votes on the high or low end.
My rank: 8th out of 8
Group rank: 5th out of 8 (85 pts.)
- 2002 C. H. Berres Wehlener Klosterberg Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Wine H
Bright nose of honeycomb, parafin, diesel, and white apricot. Palate followed the same. Nice lift and tension, good mouthfeel. This wine has great balance. Finish is complex, but a bit short.
Universal group favorite of the line-up.
My rank: 1st out of 8
Group rank: 1st out of 8 (90 pts.)
Reds with Dinner There was also a Vacqueryas and a Rioja, but I didn't take notes. - 2012 Julien Sunier Fleurie - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie
Nose of strawberry-watermelon candy; not sweet though. Palate is very light, insipid, watery. fruit like a ubiquitous white zinfandel of the 80s; again, not sweet. This is summer picnic wine. (86 pts.)
- 2006 Force Majeure Collaboration Series Ptera Ciel du Cheval Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Nose of blackberry and white pepper. Palate has dark, savory blue and black fruit, touches of black pepper, mocha, and slight bell pepper notes. Mouthfeel is smooth, not overdone. Good ,tight acidity. Medium, slightly complex finish. (92 pts.)
Dessert Wines To me, much better line up than the drier ones. Here the WA wines were just outclassed in the overall points category, but there was still a lot of polarization on individual tasting. - 2009 Long Shadows Wineries Riesling Poet's Leap Ice Wine - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Nose of Apricot and orange, but not botrytis-like. Palate had the same. Wine has some depth, but pretty one dimensional. Acid was low, sugar high. Barely enough acid to keep it from being syrupy. Nice wine, but felt like it should have cross more elegant, lighter on its feet. (90 pts.)
- 2009 Côte Bonneville Late Harvest Riesling - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Plastic-like nose with a hint of charred pineapple and petrol. Palate has a bit of spice, lychee, and a finish of pineapple without the intense sweetness. Wine is nicely balanced, not too sweet. Seriously WAY overpriced though.
Less than $20 for a split - Sure, why not
More than $20 for a split - Probably not
Winery list price of $105 for a split? - Audacity that borders on insulting.
This is my last Cote Bonneville purchase. I will not use my $ to feed this level of arrogance. (90 pts.)
- 1999 Müller-Catoir Haardter Bürgergarten Riesling Beerenauslese - Germany, Pfalz
Nose of peach, apricots as well as slate and, oddly, a hint of pickles. Palate had more white peach/apricots at the start, but finished on a citrus note; mainly pineapple and a hint of orange marmalade. Nice viscosity, but still very refreshing and vibrant. Long, but not overly complex finish. Nice wine. (93 pts.)
- 2004 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Ron's wine
Nose of lemon and fig, with some petrol overtones. Palate has pineapple and honeysuckle. Suprisingly light mouthfeel. Acid was just a tad low for me. Still, a nice wine. (91 pts.)
All in all, a bit disappointing. Not sure if it was the selection, the environment, or the food, but few of us were willing to rank more than a few of these wines 90 or higher.
Still, a wonderful event due to the great company, conversation, and fabulous feast. |
