Pasta with veggies and red sauce:
2005 Dom. Vissoux, Fleurie Poncie:
My favorite wine, at the moment and showing vibrant, lively, nuanced, fleshy and long. A superb wine with or without food. 12.5% alcohol, imported by Weygandt-Metzler and about $20; I bought more than my share.
Once again, remarkably good with red sauce with lots of cut and yet enough flesh to fill-in any blanks. A terrific pairing.
Guests for dinner:
Starters:
1998 Hirtzberger, Weifzburgunder Smaragd Steinporz:
Full and rich but not yet integrated; we are too early to this bottle but not so much so that the concentration and flavors are not in full voice. Excellent to peak the appetite and interest the intellect. 13.5% alcohol, imported by Vin Davino and price unknown.
Sweet potato soup:
2003 Dönnhoff, Riesling Spätlese, Schloβöckelheimer Kupfergrube:
Pretty tight but with clean aromatics and flavors, some RS and good acidity. Needs time to show more than just its hints. 9% alcohol, imported by Hart Distributing and price unknown.
Very good with the soup and not bad with the following course.
Panzanella salad, roasted fennel and green beans, and, slow roasted wild salmon:
2005 Laurent Tribut, Chablis Côte de Léchet:
Surprisingly open with lemon custard aromas; the same on the palate with good integration and balance and very nice length. Not at full song but much better than to be expected of a wine so young. 13% alcohol, imported by Vineyard Brands and about $26; I bought plenty.
Really good with the meal as the wine was focused enough to keep its identity but never dominated any of the flavors of the food. One to remember.
Banana, walnut upside-down cake:
1972 Bodegas Toro Albalá, PX Gran Reserva (375ml):
Motor oil viscosity and appearance; remarkable depth of flavors, almost no oxidation and incredible length. How one creates a more concentrated wine I would have no idea. 17% alcohol, imported by Classical Wines and about $20 on release; well worth the price.
Good but not great with the cake – had the cake been richer and more sugared I think the wine would have paired better. As it was, coffee was preferable but the wine was remarkable by itself.
Best, Jim