Leo's Blind Tasting Group - June '15 edition

Amali, NYC
Tasted Sunday, June 7, 2015 by salil with 565 views

Flight 1 - Starter/welcome wine (1 Note)

  • 2012 von Winning Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling 90 Points

    Germany, Pfalz

    I liked this more on release a couple of years ago, though it's still very good now. The mineral character that stood out so much on release isn't as expressive here - it's much more about its fruit, with lots of bright pear and grapefruit flavours lifted by bright acids and a touch of youthful CO2 spritz on the palate.

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Flight 2 - Chardonnays and a Grüner (3 Notes)

  • 2012 Felton Road Chardonnay Block 2 92 Points

    New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago

    Really impressive. Bright citrus fruits, stony notes, gentle florality, and a faint gunflint/smoky element all come together very seamlessly on a lightweight frame. There's bright acidity underneath and a sense of understatement to the flavours, and this is lovely to sit and follow with some air, showing more savoury and mineral dimensions when I revisited it after a couple of hours. I think just about everyone on the table was guessing this to be an old world wine.

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  • 2009 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 87 Points

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Doesn't live up to its label or price point at all. Bright citrus and pear fruit and some stony mineral notes beneath that emerge with more air, but not a lot in the way of depth or complexity. There's nice balance with decent if not especially vibrant acidity beneath, but this drinks like a fairly simple village wine. Very disappointing.

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  • 2005 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 'M' 92 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

    This has calmed down a little with age. Still a rather big wine with lots of ripe peach and citrus fruit, white pepper, smoke, and some of those greener Grüner flavour elements, but coming across very well balanced with bright acids and a sense of polish on the palate.

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Flight 3 - Older Spätlese and Kabinett (3 Notes)

  • 2002 Alfred Merkelbach Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    Another excellent showing. Delicate and understated, with bright citrus and red apple flavours tinged with mineral and floral notes, and faint hints of smoky development. Bright acids balance the moderate sweetness perfectly, and this is drinking very nicely now though with plenty of time ahead.

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  • 2001 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    This is just fantastic Riesling, so vibrant and complex with an array of ripe orchard fruits, smoke, lemon cream, slate, and flowers on the nose and palate, all conveyed with an exuberance and brightness that makes it very easy to drink, and that powerful '01 acidity beneath keeping it very light and precise.

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  • 1995 Weingut Robert Weil Riesling Kabinett 91 Points

    Germany, Rheingau

    Definitely the most polarizing wine of the flight. Very savoury, with burnished, honeyed and smoky elements dominating, and the citrus and pear fruit beneath coming across rather understated and quiet in contrast to the more mature, developed notes. Not for everyone, but I liked this a lot.

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Flight 4 - Bordeaux variety assortment (3 Notes)

  • 2006 Château de la Bonneliere Touraine Ante Phylloxera Clos de Maulevrier 92 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine

    Another great bottle of this. Great depth and complexity, with layers of red fruits, earth, and greener herbal and forestal notes all coming together seamlessly, conveyed with a wonderful silken texture on the palate. Intense but incredibly light on its feet, and very long.

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  • 2009 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cuvée Côt 91 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine

    Wasn't a huge fan of this when I first had it 5 years ago, but this has come together really nicely in bottle. Very graceful and polished, with exuberant violet and other floral and herbal notes framing a core of bright dark berried fruit, and more savoury leathery and earthy notes coming through on the finish. Very polished on the palate, with the tannin much more graceful than I remember release.

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  • 2001 Vieux Château Certan 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    A much better showing than my last bottle, though still not hitting the heights I'd expect from VCC. A core of very polished, sleek red and dark berried fruits accented with cedar, earth, and higher toned herbal notes, very graceful and polished on the palate though without the flamboyance I'd usually expect from a Pomerol.

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Flight 5 - Older Dönnhoff (3 Notes)

  • 1999 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese 86 Points

    Germany, Nahe

    Better than my last bottle, but still on the soft side for my taste. Ripe peaches and lemon cream on the palate, but comes across a bit too heavy without much acidity. Eh.

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  • 2003 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 94 Points

    Germany, Nahe

    Damn, this is incredible. An array of bright fruit ranging from more exotic mandarin orange and red fruited flavours to tarter lime and Meyer lemon notes, augmented by gentle honeyed, floral, and mineral notes. The palate comes across incredibly polished and glossy with a tinge of creaminess to the flavours, but there's remarkable acidity beneath that keeps it very bright and fresh throughout, with each sip inviting another. Stunning wine, though with ages to go. From 750 ml - though after this showing, I might reach for one of my half bottles soon...

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  • 2009 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

    Germany, Nahe

    Understated and quiet on the nose with suggestions of rainwater over stones, and gentle citrus fruit flavours - but the palate is another story entirely, with intense limes, red fruits, and peach flavours up front, turning more saline and mineral on the back end. There's tremendous acidity here that gives it great lift and finesse, and the overall balance is incredible. It gives the impression that it's holding a bit in reserve, but I get the impression this should be amazing with more time.

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Flight 6 - Mature Auslese (3 Notes)

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