Wine and food

[Florida Jim]

With crackers and cheese and sliced, mild cappa cola:

2000 Nikolaihof, Riesling Steiner Hund:

The nose is all about wet stones, the kind where rushing stream water hits them and then evaporates quickly as the rocks are warmed by the sun, add a couple pinches of white pepper; the palate has bright, clean white fruit, mineral and pepper elements and a very light sweetness (as in fruit sweetness), the mouthfeel is light and lacy but still intense and nicely balanced; long, mineral driven finish.

Not on par with the ’99 but a delightful wine that shows well now and could be drunk sans food. Imported by M. Skurnik Wines.

With grilled chicken with fresh porcini, fresh baby artichoke hearts and broccoli rabe, and a side of Cajun risotto:

2001 Bruno Giacosa, Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore:

The nose was nebbiolo all the way but the palate was so (fruit) sweet and balanced, a really delicious example of the grape produced without wood or winemaker machinations, very few young nebbiolo deliver this kind of pleasure and ripe flavor without the burden of excess tannin or some form of intervention. Killer with the dish. Imported by Winebow.

With Keene’s Yard Cheddar, four year old Gouda and pickled baby peaches in truffle oil:

1990, Chateau Rochebelle, St. Emilion:

No note, just impressions; picked up the truffle flavors, delivered ripe and completely resolved merlot flavors with hints of earth and spice; was so good with the food that it is hard to imagine any other wine competing. A fabulous finish to a fabulous meal. Thanks Mark.

For those of you familiar with this wine, its best showing ever.

Imported by me.

(Worth noting is the fact that the cheeses were unpasteurized as were olives we munched on throughout the meal – a rare treat.)

Best, Jim