May 21, 2011 – Terry Theise Tasting, The Spirited Gourmet, Belmont, MA
I always try to get to local events where Terry is scheduled to come - beside the fact that his portfolio is one of the best out there, he is always very entertaining and highly knowledgeable. At this tasting, Terry poured several German and Austrian wines, with one Champagne thrown in. The wines are listed in the order they were tasted in - interestingly, he chose to pour the reds first.
2009 Meßmer Spätburgunder QbA Trocken Pfalz
From 1L Bottle. Light to medium-bodied, balanced, moderately acidic, and lightly tannic; shows red fruit, plum, and spice notes. Good; a solid QPR Pinot Noir for $16.
2008 Ecker Zweigelt Landwein Trocken Weinland
From 1L bottle. Light to medium-bodied, grapy, with dusty tannins; lightly spicy mixed berry notes. Decent, but not my favorite – I’ve preferred the Becker and Hofer Zweigelts as far as values go. $10.
2009 Ecker Grüner Veltliner Landwein Trocken Weinland
From 1L bottle. This, on the other hand, may be the best of the 1L Austrian offerings hat I have had from Terry’s portfolio. Medium-bodied, just off-dry, with really nice minerality, and earthy apple notes; shows surprising depth. Very good. A bargain for $11.
2008 H.u.M. Hofer Grüner Veltliner Freiberg
Full-bodied, well balanced, with good underlying acidity, and a cooling minerality; shows apple, citrus, ginger, and earth notes. Very good/excellent. A bargain for $16.
2008 Heidi Schröck Furmint Neusiedlersee-Hügelland
Medium-bodied, well balanced, bone dry; mineral, with herbal, floral, and apple notes. Very good. $19.
2009 Leitz Riesling QbA Trocken Rheingau “Eins Zwei Dry”
Although the name is kind of silly, this is a serious dry Riesling from the Geisenheimer Rothenberg that also happens to be a very good value at $14. Medium-bodied, bone dry, round, well balanced, with orange blossom, tangerine, tropical fruit, and mineral notes. Very good.
2009 Alzinger Loibenberg Riesling Smaragd
Full, dry, round, focused, with good cut and underlying acidity. Pleasantly mineral, with white peach, citrus zest, herbal, and saline notes. Excellent. $51.
NV Pierre Peters Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvée Réserve
Disgorged 03/10; 50% from the 2007 vintage. Medium-bodied, with good mousse/small bubbles; good balance, acidity, and finesse. Chalky, mineral, with citrus, apple, white bread, and spice notes. Excellent as usual. $46.
2008 Alfred Merkelbach Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett #8
Medium-bodied, well balanced, moderately sweet for the vintage, with layered apple, pears, and mineral notes. Very good. $14.
2009 Hexamer Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling QbA Quarzit
Probably Spätlese-level ripeness here. Full-bodied, round, very apply, with some minerals and earth. As good as I would expect here, and an improvement over the 2006, which is the only other vintage of this wine that I have had. $15.
2009 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese Anrecht
Interesting peppery nose. Ripe, sweet, yet well balanced, with good underlying acidity and finesse. Could easily pass for an Auslese, vintage and declassification notwithstanding, and I actually typed ‘Auslese’ in the title before correcting it. Full of bright tropical fruit, pear, apple, and peach flavors, with some background minerality. Excellent. $24.
) when I lived in America, it was a sad day when I didn't have a Liter of Grüner Veltliner in the 'fridge. I like Ecker and Hofer and Berger, but Setzer was my real-deal-Holyfield. Fried chicken never had it so good. Unfortunately, the only liter of GV to be found in Germany (north of Munich) is cheap supermarket crap.