WTN -- 2002 Donnhoff; 1998 Gaja Barbaresco.
Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 3:25 pm
WTN: 2002 Hermann Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese Nahe Germany. $49.99, Wine Ventures, Tenafly. 8.5% alcohol. Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY, a Terry Thiese Selection. AP:77530101103.
Light gold color, clear hue, an essence of fruit aroma and taste, haunting somehow, but thrilling, complex medley of fruits, sweet herbs, nuts, spices, forest floor, mineral notes; medium mouth feel, long complex finish, with all of those notes and more in subtle and pure impressions. A lovely wine -- Spätlese is so much fun to taste at different ages -- we buy a case at a time with the idea of spending ten years or so finishing it off. 4*+.
Oh, about the Gaja. I had planned a fairly complicated Italian dish with chicken, fresh tomatoes, zucchini, more -- recipe to follow on another occasion. Last night, I did my prep, opened a 1998 Gaja Barbaresco, and smelled the most god awful cardboard aroma possible. Put my mind totally off of Italian food it did. :-(
So, I roasted my vegetables, setting the tomatoes aside for lunch today, grilled the chicken, made a simple salad -- and opened the ever reliable Dönnhoff -- we have never had a bottle of Dönnhoff that didn't please us in one way or another. Our dinner was close to perfection.
Regards, Bob
Light gold color, clear hue, an essence of fruit aroma and taste, haunting somehow, but thrilling, complex medley of fruits, sweet herbs, nuts, spices, forest floor, mineral notes; medium mouth feel, long complex finish, with all of those notes and more in subtle and pure impressions. A lovely wine -- Spätlese is so much fun to taste at different ages -- we buy a case at a time with the idea of spending ten years or so finishing it off. 4*+.
Oh, about the Gaja. I had planned a fairly complicated Italian dish with chicken, fresh tomatoes, zucchini, more -- recipe to follow on another occasion. Last night, I did my prep, opened a 1998 Gaja Barbaresco, and smelled the most god awful cardboard aroma possible. Put my mind totally off of Italian food it did. :-(
So, I roasted my vegetables, setting the tomatoes aside for lunch today, grilled the chicken, made a simple salad -- and opened the ever reliable Dönnhoff -- we have never had a bottle of Dönnhoff that didn't please us in one way or another. Our dinner was close to perfection.
Regards, Bob