WTN: Riesling and Cote Rotie at Annisa
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 4:10 pmWe had a spectacular dinner at my new favorite restaurant, Annisa, Wednesday night. We started with the Hirtzberger and it was perfect with the amuse of chicken liver mousse tart with black currants, chives, and mustard, and we continued with it with our appetizer of barbecued squid with Thai basil and peanuts. The wine was a terrific foil for the spices and bold flavors of the food.
The Rostaing paired perfectly with my delicious pork tenderloin with figs and yams, but my friends had the winning entree of grilled Wagyu with escargots.
2009 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (12/13/2012)
A breathtaking wine deserving your full attention. It is fresh and complex with a nose that pops with peach and citrus. Dry and pure with zesty lemon and lime in a restrained style. A beautiful and harmonious expression of Riesling showing precision and cut. The wine was excellent on its own, but even better with the food.
2005 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (12/13/2012)
The nose was beautiful, first with violets, and then some olive juice and bacon. The palate was tight and not as expressive but was generously textured with bacon and black olive tapenade and loads of tannin. Then, as if a switch was was hit, black cherries emerged both on the nose and palate, and the tannins relaxed. A fantastic wine in need of time or lots of air.
The Rostaing paired perfectly with my delicious pork tenderloin with figs and yams, but my friends had the winning entree of grilled Wagyu with escargots.
2009 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (12/13/2012)
A breathtaking wine deserving your full attention. It is fresh and complex with a nose that pops with peach and citrus. Dry and pure with zesty lemon and lime in a restrained style. A beautiful and harmonious expression of Riesling showing precision and cut. The wine was excellent on its own, but even better with the food.
2005 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (12/13/2012)
The nose was beautiful, first with violets, and then some olive juice and bacon. The palate was tight and not as expressive but was generously textured with bacon and black olive tapenade and loads of tannin. Then, as if a switch was was hit, black cherries emerged both on the nose and palate, and the tannins relaxed. A fantastic wine in need of time or lots of air.