Brisket, mashed potatoes, salad
2000 Fiefs de Lagrange
I am not usually a fan on seconds, but thought this was good on release. Didn’t actually intend to cellar this long, but this worked out well. Cassis, mocha, cigarbox, resolved tannins, plenty of oomph on the finish, quite the charmer for a $15 wine 25 years in the bottle! B+
Made my choucroute night before a tasting, cooking wine was the 2022 JJ Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Trocken. Cherry, pear, spices, a touch of sweetness, good acids. Not long or complex but tasty enough . B/B-
On a frigid day a good group of 10 gathered at my place for a 2 part tasting. I had pate de campagne, a duck liver mousse, an assortment of cheeses (Muenster, Sottocenere, Robiola, Brie), wild boar salami out, Craig brought duck rillettes, pimento cheese, and olives.
NV Godme Rose Champagne
Unsure of the age of this one (it was before Godme started listing dg), but think it was quite old and it showed. Soft peach and cherry, a bit clipped. B-/C+
NV Gallois Bouche Preface Champagne
50% perpetual reserve, 60/40 Chard/PN, 7.5 g/l, dg 6/2025 Winemaker works at Bollinger, this is from his own vines. Full and deep, bigger style, pear, almond, and chalk. B+
Then we did drier Riesling with the choucroute garni
2018 Keller Von der Fels Riesling
Young and delicious, peach and blood orange, bone dry, wet rocks meets chalk finish. B+ with potential
2010 Keller Von der Fels Riesling
Ready, apple overlain with a lot of petrol. Good length, but I wouldn’t hold. B
2009 Keller Von der Fels Riesling
Zippy with bright acids, dry nectarine and grapefruit, herbs, flinty mineral finish, long. No hurry. A-
2008 Keller Von der Fels Riesling
Good acids, quite herby, young and long. A-/B+
(John noted the 2010 had a natural cork, the 08 and 09 had agglomerated)
2007 Keller Abts erde Grosses Gewachs Riesling
Grapefruit and exotic tropical fruits, hazelnut, touch of petrol, sprightly but with power, young. A-/A
Blind Riesling - I was in kitchen and missed most of guessing but I thought this was a larger framed German GG. Ruby grapefruit, peach, mint. Big but balanced. Nope, it’s Wachau. 2017 F. X. Pichler Riesling Wachau Ried Kellerberg Smaragd B+
2007 Prager Klaus Riesling Smaragd
Big, 13.5 but tastes a bit hot, but I thought a nice flavor profile of peach and mango with smoke. Some people hated. B
2020 Nervi-Conterno Gattinara (mag opened previous day)
Red fruit and gingerbread, good acids, fine tannin, an overlay of oak distracts a bit but I enjoy the wine overall. B/B+
All of the Langhe wines save the 1978 (which ended up being corked) was double decanted (well, 1947 was single decanted)
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2004 Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Vigna Cappella di Santo Stefano
Sour cherry, licorice, vanilla,tannic this is a pretty oaky Barolo, not my thing B-
2001 Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Riserva Vigna d'la Roul
If previous wasn’t my thing, this REALLY wasn’t. Folks laughed when they saw me taste.Pucker time! The oak tannins are battling the grape tannins, and winning! Took me about 2 glasses of water to get the astringency to subside in my mouth. C-
1982 Marcarini Brunate Barolo
This had been standing for weeks, but still a bit muddied with fine sediment, which adds a touch of bitterness. Black cherry, tar, dried roses, this is a B+/B but I think a properly handled bottle would be in A territory
1982 F Rinaldi Cannubio e Brunate Barolo
Red and black cherry, mocha, tobacco. Fine and refined. B+/A-
1978 Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna Lazzarito
I think a good wine underneath, but corked.
About here I served manza al Barolo (braised beef), with fresh mafalde with a porcini sauce and sauteed spinach, plus some truffle meatballs Ashley and Mike brought.
1970 Pira y Figli Barolo
Lighter framed but lovely., gains weight with air, red cherry, orange zest, and dried flower. B+
1970 Filipo Sobrero y Figli Barolo
Black cherry, saddle leather, tar and a slight touch of barnyard.Good length, very solid.B+
1967 Filipo Sobrero y Figli Barolo
Red and black cherry, violets, gamebird. Long and seamless. A-
1967 Burlotto Barolo
A pointe, cherries with cocoa and anise, truffly mushrooms, long elegant finish. A-
(this was stored at my office, so had taken Durand, carafe, and cradle and decanted there early afternoon)
1964 Minuto Barbaresco Riserva Speciale
There’s some red fruit and coffee, but this is quite tired and getting an ashtray edge. C+/B-
1947 Giuseppe Contratto Canelli Barolo
Not a producer I know, this was in a mixed auction lot. When we started on the Nebbiolo, I carefully decanted (thank god for cradles) thinking that if fragile we’d serve right away. Seemed in a good place, saved for last. And it got to a better place! Red cherries, orange zest, porcini, and damp earth. Complex and long, everyone loved. A-
1983 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Goldkapsel Auslese #14v
This was alive and pleasant, but lacked the vibrancy that should have been there. Sourced on secondary market, likely seen some warmth. But still a B
2000 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Vendagne Tardive
Peach, apricot, honey, off dry, soft with a caramel edge. I won’t call this premoxed, as it’s 25 years old, but old school CFE VT would last longer. B-
2013 Glavier “Emotion” Cramant Champagne Blanc de Blancs
I really enjoyed the 2012 of this, but this is not as crisp or refreshing. It was blind, group was surprised it was BdB. Yellow fruits, some chalk, not as long. B
Fun night with mostly excellent wines. A little intimidating cooking for this crowd- one person (an MS) moved recently from the Ledbury to the Modern, and it turns out the one person I didn’t know in advance is a chef who has been in Michelin kitchens. But the great wines overshadowed any culinary weaknesses.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was the only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.