Riesling and Burgundy dinner

[MaxH]

A group that meets regularly for tastings (mixed trade and enthusiasts) got together and pooled some favorite wines, 17 of them. A capable restaurant chef (himself also a wine geek) was approached to choose courses to go with our wines, just as I've listed them below (to which I later added the notes on the courses, and some brief impressions of the wines.) These wines were bought, by and large, when new on the market and held since then by the people who provided them for this dinner.

Reception

2001 Schloss Schonborn Pinot Noir Brut Sekt bA, Rheingau

-- Gougeres served during reception.

Amuses with two Champagnes

NV Egly-Ouriet Brut

1996 Chartogne-Taillet “Fiacre”

-- Beef and oyster tartare; savory Egg appetizer.

-- Egly-Ouriet was gloriously mushroomy and yeasty. The 96 Fiacre, something of an underground hit in the last year or so among various US people I've talked to, this time seemed different and more restrained, less long and complex, than several of us had experienced, including two wine merchants who had sold it. Perhaps different lot, disgorgement, or handling.

Course with Rieslings

1998 Hirsch Zöbinger Gaisberg Riesling (Austria)

1997 Franz Karl Schmitt Niersteiner Pettenthall Auslese (Rheinhessen)

1979 Friedrich Baumann Oppenheimer Sacktrager Riesling Auslese (Rheinhessen)

-- Nantucket bay scallops marinated with fresh pressed new olive oil, perfumed with fresh yuzu and shiso bud. (Not your cylindrical scallops, but a wafer-thin sashimi preparation with the dressings.) Extremely subtle flavors and exquisite with the wine course of Rieslings, a deeply satisfying and classy flavor combination. The Austrian had petrolatum smells and subtlety. The 97 Schmitt had a reduced-sulfur nose and bleached white color, the 79 Baumann was rich, caramelly.

Course with old Rheingau Rieslings

1983 Langwerth von Simmern Erbacher Marcobrun (Rheingau)

1976 J. B. Becker Wallufer Waltenberg (Rheingau)

-- Smoked salmon gently warmed in butter, with green lentils. Horseradish, cabbage, apple garnish. This was a heartier course and played well off the older Rieslings. The 83 von Simmern had subtly spicy smoky botrytis. 76 Becker had sharp petrolatum and hint of sulfur. Intense.

Course with Meursaults

1996 Lafon Clos de la Barre

1997 Lafon Désirée

1998 Lafon Clos de la Barre

-- Wild striped bass (roasted on the bone with thyme and bay while wrapped in caul) served over “assorted mushrooms.” Another substantial course and blew everybody away. The shrooms included truffle pieces; a chanterelle puree decorated the fish. Of the Meursaults I found the 96 fairly young and unintegrated, the 97 generous and poised, with new oak; the 98 tropical, smelling of coconut and botrytis and VA.

Course with Red Burgundies

1993 Denis Mortet “Beaux Brunes”

1993 Dujac Echezeaux

-- Roast squab “salmis style” with black truffles, winter vegetable hash with roasted pear. (I asked and the salmis sauce was made from squab liver, duck FG, black trufs.) The presentation had the truffles on top, shredded in fine shoestrings; the breast meat fileted, and the roasted joints. One diner ended up with a sparkling plate with a few squeaky-clean bones on it such as you get from a “bug room” in zoology departments (I won’t elaborate on that). Both of the 93 Burgundies were a little young still, the Mortet was heavy with reduced sulfur, smoky, rich pit fruits; the Dujac had the signature anise-sassafras-orangepeel nose but a bit hard and closed on the palate, still both enjoyable especially with such a dark and gamy meat course.

Course with old Red Burgundies

1971 Domaine Marion Chambertin Clos de Bèze in magnum

1978 Remoissenet P&F Beaune-Grèves

-- Cheese platters. The 71 Marion had a waxy, parrafin smell with hints of cinnamon, almost Mexican chocolate (chocolate, cinnamon, almonds). Taste very well preserved (cool cellar), dark mineraled spiced cherry. (No notes on the 78, I enjoyed it though.)

Before sweets

1989 Dr. Fischer Ockfener Bockstein Eiswein (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) 2x375ml

-- Waxy botrytis smells. Taste was spicy, warmly lemonade sweetness with a strong backbone of minerals.

Pear sorbet with huckleberries.

Pineapple quince soufflé. (“No, not pineapple and quince, but pineapple quince. It’s the most common quince in general, around here.” Chef brought in a few of them to show us.)

After sweets

2001 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Vin de Paille 375ml

-- Remarkable unusual sweet white Hermitage, available only at winery. Whiskey-wood smell -- Calvados some said. Extremely sweet yet nonviscous, intense, spicy. (15% alc. by label.)