Was in New York for two days to drop off my daughter for summer camp, and was fortunate enough to catch two tastings at Chambers Street Wines, my favorite store. I didn't write anything down during the first one and have a bad memory. I took some notes during the second, but find these serial and foodless occasions less than ideal for any kind of serious evaluation.
Last Friday evening:
2007 Ott Gruner Veltliner Am Berg $15.99
Bright and flowery, pleasant and lightweight.
2005 Roally Viré-Clessé $27.99
Excellent, full bodied, whiff of botrytis. Should age well, but already delicious. Bought some of this.
1988 Morot Beaune 1er cru Toussaints $64.99
This had been open less than an hour. Tasted old, with much more acid than fruit. Disappointing. A non-wine geek acquaintance who tasted this an hour later told me it was delicious, so maybe it evolved.
1993 Morot Beaune 1er cru Grèves $59.99
Not old, but already mature; maybe also needed opening up, but at least gave some pleasure.
Since when does a store make available old burgundies like this for a tasting? Really great that they did it, and I felt ever so ungrateful for not loving them...
Saturday evening, before heading to the airport:
2007 Keller Rheinhessen Grauburgunder Trocken 12.5% $19.99
Aroma of Redoxon*, very floral, bracing acidity, good fruit/acid balance, weak mid-palate, too much alcohol.
2007 Emrich-Schonleber Nahe Riesling Mineral Trocken 12.5% $28.99
Even more aroma of Redoxon, floral, melon, good fruit/acid balance, quite good.
2007 Emrich-Schonleber Nahe Riseling Lenz 11.5% $21.99
Less Redoxon this time, floral, peach, good fruit/acid balance.
2007 Emrich-Schonleber Nahe Bacchus Kabinett 10% $16.49
Quite different from the preceding, green apple and citric nose, good body, very nice.
2007 Geil Rheinhessen Heiligkreuz Scheurebe Kabinett 10% $13.99
Gorgeous nose of lavender and peach primed me for a delicious wine but, alas, it was way too sweet, or didn’t have enough acid to balance the sweetness; after the nose, I felt like a victim of bait & switch.
2007 Keller Rheinhessen Riesling Kabinett 9.5% $19.99
Subdued nose, chalk, mineral, showing more acid than fruit, slightly tart finish, no cigar.
2007 A.J. Adam Mosel-Saar-Ruewr Riesling Dhron Kabinett 8% $24.99
Spectacular floral nose, reminiscent of dried lilac sachets and dried apricots. Slightly medicinal in the mouth, again with a bit of a tart finish, not living up to the aroma.
* Redoxon was the first widely available effervescent Vitamin C supplement, but is uncommon in the US.
Though I didn't like any enough to buy, this was a very interesting line-up, in order of descending alcohol (not sure if this was deliberate; the very competent person serving them seemed unaware). In particular, I found it curious that the Keller Pinot gris was 12.5% while the Keller Riesling was 9.5%. Wonder why...
rather obvious. While I perceived varying sweetness, I did not perceive gradually increasing sweetness in the line-up. Since this was billed as an all-dry tasting (or so I interpreted), I thought my varying perceptions of sweetness were due more to the different levels of fruit/acid balance than to the amount of RS. Perhaps the lesson for me here is to pay more attention to distinguishing between sweetness and the impression of sweetness.