Welcome Home Dinner

How nice it is to have good friends. E and I had only been gone for three weeks to the US, but they happily threw a small dinner at our usual haunt to welcome us back. Mostly whites, with some interesting Rieslings, but a cute little Morgon was a nice addition too.

• NV Pol Roger Champagne Brut Réserve 89 Points

  France, Champagne

  Decent without being great - this bottle was rather less exciting than the one we had a few years back, which seemed to be rather more developed. The nose was a bit reticent on first pour, showing some funky earth notes and bits of flinty mineral and subtle white fruited shades, only slowly growing into sweeter lemon and baked bread aromas with time. The palate had a very minerally, flinty attack, which I liked, followed by a rather simple expression limes and lemons and some white fruit on the midpalate. There was a nice amount of weight, a nice fine bead, and pretty good definition and balance. However, it was also rather one-dimensional and not all that exciting. Finish had decent, rather than good length as well. All in all, very decent - a great pairing with Geoduck sashimi too - but not fantastic.

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• 2005 Domaine Szeremley Badacsonyi Rizling 88 Points

  Hungary, Balaton, Badacsonyi

  Interesting stuff, a Hungarian Riesling, not half-bad either. The nose was somewhat like an Austrian Riesling actually, with a bit of petrol shading rich, stone-fruited notes of peach and nectarines, a bit of honey and beeswax and a flinty, stoney nuance. It should have been attractive, but somehow smelt just a bit tired. The palate had also shades of Austrian Riesling in it. Rich and weighty, there was a touch of sweetness to its honeyed tones, with peaches, nectarines and flowers at the forefront. It finished quite long, with spice and mineral notes lingering in the mouth. Not bad, but not exactly good either. While there was some mouthwatering acidity on attack, it lacked some cut and precision overall. Interesting though.

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• 2006 Dönnhoff Riesling 89 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  This was a neat little wine - good value for its price. Amongst the three Rieslings that we had, there was no doubting that this was German. It had a nice little nose, where nice slate, citrus lime lime and lemon zest notes were kissed by drops of petrol and some sweeter white fruit scents. The palate had a nice mouthwatering freshness to it, with simple but yummy flavours of sweet lemons and apples mingled with a bit of flint. There was a little bit of sugar in here, feinherb-like sweetness I thought, but the balance was excellent. This is everything you could ask for in an entry-level Riesling. Nice.

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• 2006 Long Shadows Wineries Riesling Poet's Leap 88 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  Very serviceable Riesling, no great shakes, but a decent summer drink at its price. I must say that the entry level Donnhoff that we had alongside probably offered better quality at the same price though! Nevertheless, this was a decent wine in its own right. The bouquet reminded me a bit of something you would get from an Aussie Clare Valley Riesling of the same age, with a little bit of petrol drizzled over expressive aromas of lemons and mineral. The palate was rich and fleshy on the attack, with sweet lemons and white fruit with a touch of spice and mineral on the midpalate. I thought it needed a bit more acidity though, because the short, rather simple finish seemed to lack energy and conviction, fizzling out in a disappointly flat, watery tail. Okay, but not all that great. Probably time to start drinking up too.

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• 2009 Bernard Van Berg En Busigny Blanc 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Grand-Ordinaire

  This was a really solid Bourgogne-Grand-Ordinaire. However, at its ridiculous price of almost USD200, it better well be. It had a very rich nose, with reams of butter and cream and ripe apple flesh on a background of ripe white fruit and more minerally aromas. With a bit of time, a sweeter touch of nutta de coco and melons started emerging. The palate was very bit as rich and fleshy as the nose made out, with more creamy notes and sweet appley fruit, and more melon on the midpalate. These fruitier notes were undedrscored by a good sense of minerality and a nice savoury meatiness. A bit in-your-face with its uber-expressive, almost new world style, but actually very nice. It had very good extract and solid depth for a Bourgogne as well. It finished with a nice show of length, with a lick of salty, seashelly minerality that rounded the wine off nicely. No way I am going to pay the crazy sticker price on these wines, but this was pretty good.

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• 2009 Guy Breton Morgon Vieilles Vignes 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon

  I thought this was pretty good. It had a really expressive nose, with roses galore, some violets at the sides, wafting aromas of cherries and strawberries, and typical Bojo twists of herb and briar. Really nice. The palate was surprisingly elegant for a Morgon with its fine silky tannins, but there was a quietly muscular grip behind its sweet flavours of cherries and strawberries layered against a more savoury, almost salty background with a touch of sour plums and a nice line of minerality. Good depth and balance all round. The finish was just slightly bittersweet, with more earthy, herby, briary notes. Nothing too jarring though. All in all, a nice wine. It would probably be much better in a couple of years time, but no harm drinking them now with a bit of air.

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