Random Notes From a Saturday Night

Our House (2033 Brandywine St., Philadelphia)
Tasted Saturday, February 20, 2016 by jrobs7777 with 282 views

Introduction

This was a grab bag tasting. The Kracher was the standout for me but the Donnhoff and Greer were excellent as well. My first experience with a Tokaji.

Flight 1 (6 Notes)

  • 1998 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Spätlese

    Germany, Nahe

    Very interesting. The versatility here is impressive. While a Spatlese, these is not at all on the sweet side. Mildly sweet. Smoke, lime, citrus zest. Great persistent acidity. Light and delicate. Even 20+ years in, still nice sunny yellow color. While not "ageless" this should have no problem holding up for another 25 years. Again, the versatility is remarkable. Easily could be aperitif, but it will pair well with spicy food, cheese and simply by itself. Excellent effort from a lesser known Donnhoff vineyard.

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  • 2005 Schlossgut Diel Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Spätlese

    Germany, Nahe

    House style is sweeter and this definitely has Auslese profile in a Spatlese bottle. Darker golden color. Honeyed fruit. Apricot. Apple. Very nice but a fascinating comparison to the Donnhoff Spatlese we had side-by-side. They were basically completely different wines although both were Spatlese designated from the Nahe (albeit 7 years apart in vintage). This has its place. The acidity bolsters this beautifully and it is so easy to drink, but it lacks the versatility and subtlety that made the Donnhoff so impressive.

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  • 2012 Carlisle Zinfandel Papera Ranch

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    This bottle had been opened for a few days. Still, very juicy. Fruit holding up well. Nice and easy to drink. While it is unmistakably a Zin, the spice was not quite there.

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  • 2008 Greer Cabernet Sauvignon Greer Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    Simply outstanding tonight. The bottle had been in a decanter for nearly 10 hours when we first tried it. Terrific balance. Red raspberry, chocolate and red currant. Smooth and dense but nothing is out of place. Nose is dynamic with spice and darker cherry. One nit is that it a touch syrupy on initial attack, but that subsides. The wine is in a perfect drinking spot right now. There is no real need to hold this although with the fine tannins still present, it should hold here for a good 10 years.

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  • 2007 Alois Kracher Chardonnay TBA #8 Nouvelle Vague

    Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

    Just incredible. First of all, the finish. Its "never ending" basically. Such incredible balance for such a sweet wine. Tropical fruits abound, but there is a touch of floral to this. Unctuous, concentrated, dynamic. The acidity is so pervasive. It never lets the sweetness overtake any part of the wine. Drink it slowly and let the building finish just sit there. Fantastic.

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  • 1995 Oremus Tokaji Eszencia

    Hungary, Tokaji

    I have to be honest. This is my first experience with Tokaji so I did not know what to expect. A day later and I'm still not sure what I think of this. Dark dark color - almost maple syrup dark. Initially, this tasted like honeyed lemon tea concentrate. Like if Snapple sold a powder and you mixed the powder with 1/8 the amount of recommended water. The differentiating factor was that there is incredible acidity that balances the sweetness. After some time in the glass, this develops some more complexity, with orange peel and some spice. However, the overwhelming sweetness (even with the acidity) makes it hard to evaluate.

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