I was at a conference this weekend, so of course that means more wine than usual!
Some of the more fun bottles were a delightful 2011 Hirsch Heiligenstein GV that was so crisp and elegant and a perfect way to mull over menus and get ourselves ready to eat. When we got down to the more carnal act of eating, a few bottles of 2011 Closel Savennières La Jalousie were more appropriate because the greater weight and thicker texture made good friends with the food. That said, this was not a bruiser, so maybe the 'lighter' 2011 wines will be a welcome interpretation of Savennières, given how things have been developing in recent years?
Another night, we started with 2012 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Kabinett and were immediately relaxed by the classy and friendly wine. But lest we get too relaxed, the 2012 Cornelissen Munjabel Rosso 9 stirred our spirits with its refined take on gritty tannic bite. And, although it was not the ideal time to drink it, a friend from the UK had never tasted an ESJ and 2005 ESJ Bassetti was staring at me on the list. It was not the most defined bottle of this that I have had, and you could see it was still evolving, but these comparisons were irrelevant to my friend who had never tasted the wine before. And he was convinced, so a new fan is born!