Terry Theise hosted a dinner at Seasonal pairing a six course menu with a lineup of Austrian wines and schnapps. A really fun start to the evening - food was a bit disappointing (had enjoyed it a lot more on my previous visit to Seasonal), but the wines and company were fantastic, and it was fantastic to be able to sit down with Terry to talk with him/pick his brains on various wine-related topics.
Following dinner, a bunch of us went to Oak & Steel nearby for some grower champagnes. And because that wasn't enough wine, a few that were still remaining (or standing, at least) headed down to Terroir where Johannes Leitz and Andreas Spreitzer were opening some large format Rieslings that Johannes Leitz had brought with him. Johannes Leitz is insane. And insanely generous. That's about all you can say when someone's bringing down several magnums of trockens, a 3L of spectacularly good Spätlese and another mag of Beerenauslese to round things off (and those were only from what I tasted - or remember drinking). So much for doing things in moderation. Lots of fun through the night, though climbing into bed well past 1 am with the taste of Schlossberg Beerenauslese still lingering may not have been the ideal way to prepare for a big trade tasting the following day.
The wines - part 1 (Seasonal)
N.V. Schloss Gobelsburg Sekt
Really nice; fresh white fruits, pear and touches of green bean accented by yeasty and biscuit notes. Very polished and streamlined in the mouth, elegant and long. Very Champagne-like with gentle Gruner accents, even though Terry says this is 70% Gruner (with the remainder Riesling and Pinot Noir).
2008 Nikolaihof Grüner Veltliner "Hefeabzug"
Shy and reticent aromatics that offer little at first, but open with air to show Muscadet-like citric and minerally scents. There's a leesy, cracker-like aspect on the palate amidst the bright Gruner fruit, plenty of acidity and a savoury finish.
2008 Schwarzböck Grüner Veltliner Kirchberg
Very tasty and fun, though not particularly complex with lots of fresh Gruner fruit and faint lentil/vegetal notes, getting more floral with air and quite refreshing with a nice spine of acid.
2003 Weingut Hirsch Riesling Gaisberg
Faintly reductive aromatics; a touch of rubber in between kerosene, smoke and intense stony scents. There's pale, fresh fruit on the palate over a bed of minerals, but this feels slightly awkward with the faint sweetness not entirely balanced and a touch of alcohol on the back end.
2008 Heidi Schröck Muscat
Lovely aromatics; very floral and spicy with fresh grape and mandarin orange fruit beneath, light and delicate in the mouth with nice acids making it feel very refreshing and all too easy to drink.
2008 Weingut Familie Prieler Blaufränkisch Johanneshöhe
This is the sort of red I need a lot more of in my cellar - gorgeous aromatics that start out with deep red and dark fruits and a vivid gravelly minerality, then develop with air taking on leathery and herbal scents. Very fresh, elegant and polished in the mouth, conveying flavour with a gentleness and finesse that makes me think of really good Burgundy or Chinon - fantastic wine.
2008 Sattler Zweigelt
Fresh, vivid cherry and raspberry fruit accented by herbal and faintly floral notes on a light, silken-textured frame that's very gentle and easy to drink. Really interesting to taste this alongside the Prieler Blaufrankisch; this seems almost Cru Beaujolais-like in its mouthfeel and the bright, exuberant fruit compared to the more Burgundian Blaufrankisch.
At the end of the meal we had a flight of schnapps from Hans Reisetbauer, who was also at the dinner and had provided mags of his Williams Pear and Apple Eau de Vie. Both were impressive and (for my uninformed/inexperienced palate in this area) really unique experiences.
Part 2 - grower champagnes
N.V. Pierre Gimonnet Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru
From magnum. Fresh green apples and citrus fruit beneath yeasty and biscuit elements, tasty though not particularly complex or interesting beyond the first couple of sips.
N.V. René Geoffroy Champagne Rosé de Saignée
This on the other hand is something I could have kept drinking through the night happily (if there wasn't Riesling ahead at Terroir)! Also from magnum; light salmon in colour, and really delicious stuff that starts out with a blast of fresh strawberry, pomegranate and cherry fruit flavours over savoury yeasty and doughy notes. With a little air this gets even better as the fruit gains in depth and power, and an intense chalky minerality emerges underneath. Great stuff.
Part 3 - German Riesling!
2009 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling trocken Alte Reben
From magnum. Stunning stuff that's dominated by an intense, expansive minerality - this smells as if it was cut straight from rock, but there's fantastic power and richness in the mouth with generous rich white fruits and herbal flavours beneath the minerality. Power with phenomenal balance and length.
2008 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling trocken
From magnum. As stony and minerally as the Rottland, though this doesn't show quite the same richness of fruit beneath or have the same depth of flavour. The minerality is even more vivid here though with a texture that feels almost crunchy and solid, like having shards of stone in your mouth
2009 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Spätlese
From 3L. Thrilling stuff full of ripe yellow plums, peaches and apples accented by slate, honey and faint vanilla notes that hint at a little botrytis. Quite sweet and intense, almost like an Auslese - but there's fantastic acidity here that keeps everything in perfect balance, and spectacular length.
2006 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling Beerenauslese
From magnum. Intensely sweet; ripe yellow plums, apricots and peaches drizzled with honey, cinnamon and other spices - but surprisingly the botrytis and sweetness here aren't overwhelming, with really nice acidity and a sense of balance and elegance that I don't often find in such ripe, sweet wines. Fantastic.