Ramps and Riesling Fest

I had a great time hosting old friends at my place. Riesling (with some Gruners thrown in) was the theme, paired with several dishes I cooked up with some foraged ramps. The wines and food were great; the memories and company were greater.

• 2016 Domaine Belluard Mont Blanc Brut Zéro 94 Points

  France, Savoie, Vin de Savoie Ayse

  So racy and taut. The tension on this wine is like a balancing act of tricky footwork on a blank slab. There’s so much stony, mineral, salty verve in here. Crunchy and bracing but the depth and balance to pull it all off. Love this wine and enjoying them is a bit bittersweet.

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• NV Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  These bubbles are always welcome on my table, and no matter the party they always tend to disappear rather quickly. Classic yellow apples and bready tones, ginger snaps and lemon curd, but that tangy acidity and focus, too.

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• 2016 Christian Madl Welschriesling Von den Weissen 91 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Weinviertel

  No formal notes but this was crackin’ good! So taut and energetic.

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• 2020 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett feinherb "Herbert" #15 89 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Sweet and plush with classic white peach flavors and honey, juicy, honeyed texture. Apple cider vibes but for adults, with classic mineral undertones that keep it fun.

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• 2008 Egon Müller Riesling QbA Scharzhof 91 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  The nose has a tangy, stony appeal to accent the deeper, sugar cane-encrusted tones. Fun and plush on the palate, with balanced sugar and acidity, and it goes down so easily.

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• 1999 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett 91 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Nose of glazed peaches, honey. Lovely acidity, nice balance with the sugar. Smooth, rich but sports a lot mineral depth, white tea and flinty, stony vibes. Still so fresh and spritely.

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• 2012 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Sweet and peachy nose, drizzled in lime and honey. The palate is ripe and fun with moderate acidity and plush bruised pear and white peach fruit. Apple cider, honey, and clove tones add complexity. Straightforward but well made and a lot of fun.

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• 2011 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Ried Steinertal 92 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  The nose as an insane level of depth, this limoncello and honey glazed ham with chalk and candle wax. The palate is so dense! Delicious and just enough acidity to keep it going, but this is so rich. Pineapple and glazed peach and tons of flowers. Fun to taste in a crowd, but not one to have more of a half glass of at a time. But I still love it.

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• 2015 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Hochrain 94 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  Amazing aromatic depth, with lime, quince, almond skin, honey, chalk dust, minerals. The palate shows such creamy depth but the acidity is so clear and lip-smacking. Flavors of orange marmalade, papaya, laced with flinty minerals, slate, chalk dust, crushed shells. Beautiful and expressive, but has a long life ahead of it.

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• 2018 Powell & Son Riesling Eden Valley 93 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  A burst of peaches and sea salt on the nose, with hay, clover, orange rind, pleasant new can of tennis balls. The pate is super racy, dry, and tart, and I love it. The fruit (orange, pear, white peach) has enough concentration to balance that taut frame, and it works out really well. Flinty, minty, stony, crushed shells and sweet tart vibes on the finish. Really good, and I’d love to see it in five or six years.

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• 2010 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Riesling von blauem Schiefer Reserve 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Gorgeous depth of apricot and glazed peaches, quince, with rushing minerals. Taut on the palate with a dense texture, and flavors of orange marmalade, lemon peel, such crisp acidity and minerals throughout. Precise, complex, this was gorgeous young and has integrated so well over the years.

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• 2016 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner 94 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  Ripe nose of pineapple and papaya, tossed with hefty doses of white pepper, celery seed, mint. The palate is chunky but vibrant and crystal clear, with a crushing mineral presence. Tart green apples, lemons, juicy pineapple, and the complexity and depth of the rocky, mineral flavors is astounding. The spicy, herbal tones are nuanced and add just the right amount of kick. This is aging gracefully and I wish I had more, as I wasn’t expecting this would show so darn well.

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• 2020 Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Steinertal 93 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  So floral, deep, tropical, spicy, perfumed, with celery seed and chalk dust. Rich texture, waxy feel but lively acidity. Solid concentration, pineapple and papaya, with plenty of saline, chalk, celery seed, spring meadow. Nice to taste this so young, as it’ll age for a long time.

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