I was in the minority on some of these - others thought more of the sauvingon blanc and were not so giddy about the riesling as I--shocking, I tell you, shocking . . .
2004 Schoffit Alsace Riesling Harth Cuvée Tradition (Lieu-Dit Harth, Alsace AOC, France) 13.5% – on day one this was pretty muted stuff, so after half a glass that paired well enough with pesto-roasted chicken, we set aside the rest for day two, and wow: appears great golden color, smell something edging between petrol and apple, great deep mineral on nose along with pools or puddles of water, inviting and addictive nose, I loved it, taste full flavor, pears, stones, blueberry, luscious mouthfeel, well developed apple spice effect on finish, superb finish that lasts significant amount of time, soft, rounded, full flavor, this is mighty tasty wine for 9 euros, I wouldn’t hesitate getting more at that price
2006 Ansitz Waldgries Südtiroler Sauvignon Blanc (Alto Adige/Südtirol DOC, Trentino-Alto Adige, northeastern Italy) 13.5% – appears pale greenish gold, super reflective, some particles embedded in wine, smell citrus, maybe touch of banana, light grapefruit, heavy on nose, quite perfumed, mouthfeel thick and a bit too viscous for me, watery and salty mid-palate, taste grapefruit, harsh rind finish, hint of alcohol, disjointed and just too much on finish, paired with an endive and pear salad with walnuts, however, it did really well, others preferred it more than me (the viscosity and finish simply were not my thing), but at 9 euro I certainly found redeemable qualities in it, especially its pairing dexterity
2004 Ansitz Waldgries Südtirol/Alto Adige Lagrein Mirell (Alto Adige/Südtirol DOC, Trentino-Alto Adige, northeastern Italy) 14% – appears intense purple, quite dark, smell burlap and slight leather, quite dark brooding fruit, inviting, taste intense concentration of cool fruit, gritty at times, dirty almost like earth—but more in intensity than in any sort of mushroom-type association, refreshing and not overpowering at all with food (both a chicken parmesan pasta and leftover pork roast), it has a picante spice element on the tongue which is long lasting and, at times, reminiscent of prunes and raisins, pretty much in same condition in day two as it was on day one, this is a very well-crafted wine that I really enjoyed, but at 25 euro, a bit outside my comfort zone—good stuff but not worth the splurge for me, at least at this point