TN: Zind Humbrecht Brand Reisling

[dlc]

I was in an Alsace mood on Saturday and decided to have a Baeckeoffe for Sunday lunch. We drank a 1990 Brand vineyard reisling in magnum from Zind Humbrecht. The color had deepened to a wonderful golden hue and the nose was spectacular. There was loads of ripe reisling fruit with that honeyed undertone that makes you think that this wine will have a significant amount of residual sugar. Then you taste and discover the unctuous but bone-dry wine with a hearty backbone of acidity. The wine was a spectacular match to the Baeckhoeffe and another example of why you should age some of these great wines from Alsace. In rooting around I discovered some Clos Windsbuhl Pinot Blanc mags from the same vintage and can"t wait to try them.

[Beachfan]

Yummm!

[guajolote]

The Brand is one of my favorites. I've never had one that old, though. Do you have a recipe for your Baeckeoffe? I'm having no luck searching on the web.

[KatieLoeb]

dlc:

You are a lucky person indeed. Riesling that old, and particularly from a producer as fine as Zind Humbrecht, is always a treat. Did you find that it had developed that mineral and petrol-y "eau de Vaseline" secondary aromatic that often comes with Riesling of that age? It sounds spectacularly delicious.

The Zind Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Pinot Gris is on the list here at my restaurant, but alas, is the 1998 vintage, so it won't have arrived at the glorious state that your well kept bottles have. Do report back when you crack open the other mags!

[dlc]

guajolote

I use a large covered Le Creuset casserole but would love to have one of the hand-painted glazed ones from Alsace. Here is the recipe:

To serve 6 to 8

4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 pounds onions, thinly sliced

1 pound pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch cubes

1 pound beef chuck, cut into 3-inch cubes

1 pound lamb shoulder, cut into 3-inch cubes

1 pound carrots, thinly sliced

4 ham hocks

1 head garlic (about 20 cloves), peeled and thinly sliced

2 bottles Riesling, preferably Alsatian

Unsalted butter for the baking dish, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 pounds waxy-style potatoes, thinly sliced

3 leeks, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Small amount of bread dough (optional)

1 large egg, beaten (optional)

Equipment: Large, oval earthenware baking dish with lid or large casserole with lid

Using a piece of kitchen twine, tie together the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf into a bundle.

In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the onions, pork, beef, lamb, carrots, ham hocks, garlic, and herb bundle. Pour in the wine, stir to combine, and let marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter the inside of the baking dish. Strain then separate the meat and vegetables; reserve the wine.

In the baking dish, layer half of the vegetables, potatoes, leeks and all the meat, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper, to taste. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, potatoes, and leeks. Pour over the reserved wine from marinade. Dot the top with the 6 tablespoons of butter.

Cover the baking dish with the lid. Roll the bread dough, if using, into a rope the circumference of the baking dish. Press the dough rope around the edge of the lid, pressing it slightly to seal. Brush the bread with some of the beaten egg. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. I usually don't do this as I have to peek on occasion.

Remove the bread, uncover, and serve immediately.

KatieLoeb--

I did not notice the Vaseline but the mineral component was there. I may interest you to know that I followed this with a frisee, lardon salad and a Gouda style goat cheese souflee. With this we had a 1988 Dr. Thanish Bernkastler Dr. Auslese that did have the "eau de Vaseline" component. but the wonderful ripe reisling fruit and the residual sugar carried the salad & cheese wonderfully

[Steve Plotnicki]

Yes, yum is right. Both for the wine and the food.

[KatieLoeb]

KatieLoeb--

I did not notice the Vaseline but the mineral component was there.  I may interest you to know that I followed this with a frisee, lardon salad and a Gouda style goat cheese souflee.  With this we had a 1988 Dr. Thanish Bernkastler Dr. Auslese that did have the "eau de Vaseline" component.  but the wonderful ripe reisling fruit and the residual sugar carried the salad & cheese wonderfully

dlc:

Sounds truly amazing. Even though the "eau de Vaseline" sounds disgusting, it lends such a lovely complexity to the wine. I absolutely adore a good auslese or beerenauslese with cheese, or with a rich foie gras. MMmmmm...I am having a Pavlovian reaction just thinking about it .

The last time I had the pleasure of such a phenomenal pairing was at a dinner I attended in November 2002. For the first course we were served a Terrine of Foie Gras and Unagi served with Grapes pickled in Verjus and a Roasted Chanterelle and Eggplant Salad with Jurancon Sauce. The wine was a Poniatowski 1989 Vouvray "Vin de Tris". The "Vin de Tris" is the first picking of the 1989 vintage (supposedly one of the two best vintages in the last century for Loire Valley Chenin Blanc). The grapes had been affected by botrytis so it had both a glorious sweetness as well as a nice acidity behind it. The perfect wine to compliment the richness of this dish. If you can find a bottle of this wine near you I highly recommend it. Nectar of the gods...

[guajolote]

Thanks - Now I know what's for dinner on Sunday

[dlc]

KatieLoeb Posted on Feb 27 2003, 05:12 PM

I absolutely adore a good auslese or beerenauslese with cheese, or with a rich foie gras.

I also find them spectacular with roasted suckling pig.

[KatieLoeb]

KatieLoeb  Posted on Feb 27 2003, 05:12 PM

I absolutely adore a good auslese or beerenauslese with cheese, or with a rich foie gras.

I also find them spectacular with roasted suckling pig.

NOW you're killing me...

This isn't a pairing I would've thought of off the top of my head, but it follows logically that riesling would compliment roast suckling pig as it goes so well with other Alsatian or German pork based dishes. I guess I don't get to have roast suckling pig often enough Now I've got a jones that can't be helped. I must go find something remotely suckling pig-like on the way home now. Perhaps I'll stop at the local Cuban restaurant for some pernil. Not exactly the same thing, but sort of fulfilling the function of "food methadone" at the moment

[dlc]

KatieLoeb  Posted on Feb 27 2003, 07:35 PM

Not exactly the same thing, but sort of fulfilling the function of "food methadone" at the moment

Another choice would be a pan seared pork tenderloin, then roasted with apple juice, prunes, and dried apricots; then pureed, strained & used as sauce. Or marinated in honey, balsamic, olive oil, rosemary and sage then grilled.

[jackal10]

Alsace wines are very underated.

My favourites are from Rolly Gassman. Knocks Zind Humbrecht into a cocked hat.

His Pinot Gris are sensational.

Edited February 28, 2003 by jackal10 (log)

[dlc]

My favourites are from Rolly Gassman.

Could you please give me the name of the importer or where you get them (Rolly Gassman). I have had these in Europe but have not been able to find them in the US.

Thanks

[Ron Johnson]

Alsation Rieslings rule. I am a little more partial to Trimbach and Leon Beyer than Zind, but they are all very very good, especially the Brand. Hmmm, lime, stone, honey, acidity. Whats not to like?

[eat2much]

Zind also makes a fantastic tokay/pinot gris (Clos Wimdsbuhl) that is well worth trying to find. Another small producer who makes a wonderful riesling is Andre Ostertag.

[jackal10]

Can't help with who imports Rolly Gassman into the US.

I get mine from Cambridge Wine Merchants

If you email them (bct@cambridewine.com) Brent may be able to help

Edited March 1, 2003 by jackal10 (log)

[Wilfrid]

I've stumbled over 1990 Trimbach Gewurtztraminer, and this thread has stimulated by appetite for it. Am I right in thinking I may as well drink it now, or will it continue to age interestingly?

[Robin Meredith]

I would drink it up. I've still got some 1989 and 1990 Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile in the cellar, and the 1989 is already a bit past its prime (the 1990 was peaking the last time I tasted it). Given Gewurztraminer's relatively limited aging potential (at least compared to Riesling), there may not be much potential for further improvement.

[Wilfrid]

Thanks, that kind of advice is always welcome.

[KatieLoeb]

I've stumbled over 1990 Trimbach Gewurtztraminer, and this thread has stimulated by appetite for it.  Am I right in thinking I may as well drink it now, or will it continue to age interestingly?

Some Rieslings, Gewurztraminers and Vouvrays can age as long as red wines and still improve or not go "over the hill". Depends on the residual sugar content and as always, the providence of how it's being held. If you've had your wine in good cellar conditions (dark and cool with no extreme fluctuations in temperature or humidity) then you could probably hold it for a while longer. But if it were me, I'd drink it for sure!

I don't really have the storage to hold wines indefinitely - the only thing truly noteworthy in my collection right now is a bottle of 1997 Isole et Olena Cepparello. I'll be holding that for another few years, but I wish I had a few so I could taste it at various stages. Too bad it was so heavily allocated. It's always best to remember that 97% of the wine produced in the world is meant to be drunk within three years of it's release. The anxiety people experience over drinking wine at the exact right nanosecond on the space-time continuum is antithetical to the purpose the wine was intended for, IMHO.

[Steve Plotnicki]

As an aside to all of this, a great Alsatian wine that is around and which doesn't cost much money is the 2000 Domaine Ostertag Riesling Fronholtz. We had a bottle at Arpege in October at the recommendation of the sommelier, and then one of the people at that dinner went out and bought a case and we had a bottle at Union Pacific three weeks ago. Stunning stuff. Floral like a condrieu. One of the best Alsatian wines I have had in years that isn't by Trimbach or made before 1990.

[eat2much]

I just picked up a few bottles of Ostertag 1998 Gewurztraminer Fronholz selection de grains nobles which I've tucked away in the cellar for a special occasion but love his Rieslings, either the Muenchberg or the more affordable Heissenberg.