NobleRottersSydney - German night

Well, mostly German night. For its April dinner theme the First Monday club chose the theme of ‘German Wines’, an area most of us approached with some trepidation. Not one of the 8 of us had anything appropriate in our cellars, and the quest for a suitable wine had us scouring Sydney’s better wine retailers. Several diners ended up buying the only German wine in the shop - I had a choice of about 8 different wines at Ultimo Wine Centre - presumably they were in between shipments, as I’ve seen serried rows of rieslings there in the past. Overall, though, the choice of wines was frighteningly small - alarming to think it’s probably easier to buy McLaren Vale shiraz in Mainz than Rhine Riesling in Sydney. Feeling ourselves quite incapable of establishing a tasting sequence based on wine quality, we went with the safe young-to-old route - easy as there were no BA’s or TBA’s to deal with.

There was also a 1981 Scheurebe Spätlese from Durkheim whose full details I failed to record, but which was night on undrinkable anyway.

• 1999 Egon Müller Riesling QbA Scharzhof

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (AP 1-00) Very pale straw, with a sulphury, matchstick, smoky oyster nose. Underlying aromas were lemon, slate/minerals and green apple. Expecting a bone-dry wine, I was surprised to find a sweet-apple palate which was not unpleasant, carried as it was by moderate acidity. Probably drunk way too soon, in any case.

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• 1997 Wolfberger Riesling Eichberg

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Mid straw, with a rather closed nose of lime and grapefruit. Bone dry on the palate, despite an oily mouthfeel. Delicous, but the structure dominates rather than fruit. Again, I think more time is required.

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• 1996 J. L. Wolf Deidesheimer Herrgottsacker Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Pfalz

  (AP 07 97) Pale straw. Very closed nose with a wisp of tropical fruit salad. Prickly acidity, almost to the point of spritz. Lovely rich full palate. Attractive wine.

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• 1996 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (AP 2 97) Herbaceous, spice-garden nose. Some greenish aromas belie a somehow smokey palate displaying a curious mix of sweet and sour characters. Richly acidic (if that’s possible) but not overly so. A mouth-watering wine of great intensity and length.

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• 1990 Dr. Fischer Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (AP 18 91) Mid yellow verging on pale gold. Dirty straw aromas was my best description of the nose, otherwise it seemed quite closed. A slightly honeyed palate preceded a dry finish. I do recall a twinge of disappointment with this wine - I was expecting more somehow. What exactly is the perfect age to drink a German riesling?

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• 1998 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Brolio

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Pale purple red. Strong, young nose of plums. Seemed very new-worldish to me - fruit very much in evidence, acid not too prominent and with tannins quite soft and gentle. Pleasant enough I suppose, but not so exciting.

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• 1975 Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Engelmannsberg Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel

  Germany, Rheingau

  (AP 27 76) Deep golden colour, even a hint of dreaded brown. Aromas of creme brulee & caramel. Even the acid has faded away quite substantially. The burnt caramel flavours do grow on the palate, and although I would say this wine too is past its peak it’s still quite drinkable, unlike the Durtheimer. The extra degree of sweetness gives it a gently decayed quality, a kind of mellowness which co-incides nicely with a cheese plate!

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• 1996 Château Filhot

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Pale straw. Nose of rosewater & gentle pot-pourri. On the palate, an additional appley herbaceous quality is evident. Only moderate sweetness, and although it certainly gets the saliva flowing, it seems to me more suited to a role as a light appetiser than a true dessert wine. In any case, I think another 5 years would do it a power of good.

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Looking back at the evening’s wines, I can’t help feeling we drank the best wines too young, and the older wines past their peak. Clearly this reflects our lack of experience with these wines. It’s a pity it requires such an effort to extend practical tasting experience in this part of the world.