File under "Romance of the Cork". A Gran Fassian 2003 Spatlese, most foully cork tainted. Who cares where it came from. All that beauty, all that work, all that dedication, all that passion, all that artisinal effort, all that matriculation through the three-tier system to get the wine from German vineyards to my dinner table...all most despicably ruined and hopes dashed because of a small piece of tree bark.
Eroica Columbia Valley Riesling 2003. Kept this little hummer around for a reason. Wanted to see how the early vintages of Eroica fared, after all the hoopla and to-do had died down, and the wine had a chance to settle in.
Answer: not particularly well.
Oh, it's not outright bad; it's just not at all compelling, or focused, or interesting. Has all the savoir faire---maybe I should say gemutlichkeit?, although that's not quite the same---of a heavy handed jug wine. Has that resolute solidity and inexpressiveness, that particular stubborn obtuseness, that make it a significant underachiever. Which Riesling should never be. Hope you've quaffed all yours by now. There's nothing here worth waiting for.