Recent food and wine

[Florida Jim]

With salad including manchego, fresh figs and walnuts:

2000 J.J. Christoffel, Erdener Treppchen, Riesling Spatlese:

slightly closed but very clean nose of sweet citrus, mineral, pear, floral scents and a little honeycomb/

light bodied, smoothly textured and youthful in the mouth, flavors echo the nose, well-integrated and balanced with good intensity/

long, clean finish.

Too young for any real complexity but, like so many of this producer’s wines, delicious nonetheless.

With roast pork with a veggie chili:

1994 Ridge, Pagani Ranch Zin.:

an element of smoky bacon leads to exotic poached fruit aromas/

medium body, very together with flavors that follow the nose, slightly drying, good concentration and balance/

medium length finish that is both slightly drying and repeats the smoky element.

What a pleasure it has been to follow this wine since release. With almost port-ish fruit in its youth to this extravagant if slightly tired final bottle; a pleasing wine all the way.

With pasta with salmon and artichoke hearts:

1998 Belle Pente, Murto Vnyd. Pinot Noir:

an expansive nose of black fruit, earth and tonic water/

medium body, round and pure fruit tones, a little mushroom and mineral all sewn together with grace and balance/

medium length, slightly cleansing finish.

The tonic water element lifts the nose and cleanses the finish but plays second fiddle to smooth but somewhat closed fruit. I think this needs a year or two to resolve.

With cheese and crackers:

1998 Paloma, Syrah:

some smoke and pepper introduces the ripe, black fruit and earth tones that suggest earlier vintages of this wine/

medium body, smooth and approachable fruit, some depth and good concentration, nicely balanced/

long, somewhat smoky finish.

I do believe that Paloma has established its own sense of place with its syrah which is clearly Californian in style but Old World in weight. No wood interferes with either. Recent tastings show lots of life left in this and all of the vintages of this wine.

Best, Jim