Betsy & I were privileged to join a nice table Friday night in the private room at 11 Madison Park. Part of a "Collectors Series" of dinners, this one was themed for Riesling. We had a fun table, and had a good assortment of wines as well as great food.
We started by comparing a couple of '03 Prums:
2003 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Goldkapsel Auslese
Some sulphur at first, petrol, quite a lot of citrus fruit, more honied than flightmate. Needs time. B+
2003 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese (Auction)
I'm not especially sulphur-sensitive, but this was too much for me at first. But it blew off and left a very nice wine, that might be even tighter than the Auslese. A tiny bit of spritz, green apple fruit with a little tropical edge. Good acidity for the vintage. B+
An amuse of tarte flambe/flammekueche (beautiful thin crust, with lardons, chevre, onion, and quail egg) was a nice start to the food.
First listed course was torchon of foie gras with pineapple, spiced bread crumble, & brioche. Two Auslesen to compare:
2001 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Auslese
Wow, this was singing (at first). Limesicle laced with ginger, sweet but with a nervy backbone of acids. I really loved this, but it seemed to shut down after a while. But when first opened, A-/A
1994 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Goldkapsel Auslese
Ripe tangerines, some honied/botrytisy notes, less petrolly than a recent bottle of the Spatlese from same vintage. B+
Next course was mussels with a curry sauce (w/lemongrass and coconut milk) & (great) frites. With a pair of Zilliken/Forstmeister Geltz Rieslings:
1994 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Kabinett
I'd had this before, but didn't remember as being so acidic. At first it was too sharp for me, and that's saying a lot. But with time and food it calmed down, and turned into a lovely bright Kab with green apple and orange peel. B+
1993 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Spatlese #8
Good acids, floral, apples and citrus. Quite good, but I think I eventually gave the edge in the flight to the Kabinett. B+/B
We next tried the 1995 Knoll Ried Schutt Auslese. Big and tropical, long, a bit of a shock after the Germans. Intense, big wine, very tasty. B+
Next course was boudin blanc accompanied with a puree of Savoy cabbage with potato and mustard seed, wine was the 1990 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Vendange Tardive. Driest wine of the night for our table by a long shot, there's just a hint of RS, but this is a dry wine. Citrus and apple fruit, very faint petrol, an almost Chenin like wooliness. Very long minerally finish. Holds up well, a revisit at end of bottle seems sweeter. Tied with the Donnhoff for my favorite of the night. A-/A
We were offered some tastes from other tables:
1993 Schloss Schonborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Spatlese
This was from a magnum (big Riesling bottles look so cool). The other table had enjoyed this, but I found a bit of an offputting rubbery note here. Maybe it just suffered from being served without food. C+
2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile "375 Anniversaire"
This was really lovely, big and open with ripe fruit hiding behind a wall of gorgeous rocky mineral notes. Needs time,but still tasty now. A-
2001 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune
This had been decanted a while earlier, and was quite warm when I tried. Shockingly soft acidity, but this was just the temperature I think. Rocks/flint/chalk, some plum and citrus. I don't enjoy as much as the CFEs, but guessing this was just too warm and too young.
The dessert eaters had rhubarb tart, while we had two half bottles of dessert wine:
2002 JJ Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Eiswein
Laserlike acidity, crisp citrus fruits with pineapple, focused, long, delicious. A-
1976 Zilliken Saarburger Bergschlossen Beerenauslese
Crumbly cork, dark color in decanter. I don't think you can totally kill these wines, but this had seen some air. Toffee and citrus, honied fruits, a bit of ripe plums, a bit low acid. B-
Nice night with nice group. Chef Humm and staff did an excellent job with food and service.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
