TN: Quick Dinner Out

[jrufusj]

TN: SCHLOSSBERG AND FIXIN - Restaurant dinner with Cathryn and father-in-law (6/16/2005)

Quick dinner out. Wines with crab cake, roasted beet and chevre salad, and simple grilled duck breast.

• 2002 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg - France, Alsace, Kientzheim, Alsace Grand Cru AOC
  Light gold, with an appealing hint of green. Bright apple and apricot fruit vies with mild petrol in a pleasingly piercing nose, almost racy. There’s also a hint of orange blossom honey, but somehow it also seems a little closed, as if there is much more to come. On the palate, it is rich, but absolutely dry and buoyed by a nice spine of acid. Apples, peaches, mineral and a little smoke on the finish make this a pleasure that will only get better. However, there’s something a little leesy on the finish that I can’t figure out. Is this a fault or something that will get more interesting with time? I don’t mind it. Only criticism would be that, while there is a reasonably varied nose and palate, there is little change in the palate over the hour this is open. But, then again, it’s also very, very young.
  
• 2000 Mongeard-Mugneret Fixin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Fixin
  Slightly “rough” burgundy color, starting to show some evolution. Nose of pure pinot – cherry and beetroot – with some anise undertones and a little decaying leaf/mushroom. Palate was a little dilute and showed odd hints of green or stemminess, but had otherwise easy tannins safely smoothed by wild berry and cherry fruit. Just enough acid to perk it up and keep me from caring too much about a little dilution or greenness. From basic Fixin, I expect a rough edge, a little leaf/mushroom, nice slightly wild pinot fruit, and good value. This delivers and that’s all I asked for. Not great, but a very useful restaurant wine.
  

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