WTN: Mixed bag/other recent wines

[Salil]

2004 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #9
Classical, elegant and light Spätlese here, rather than the 'baby Auslese' wines with Spätlese labels that keep being coming out these days. A core of fresh apple and lemon cream flavours tinged with slate and the start of maturing savouriness. This has a lightness and delicate touch that most modern Kabinett doesn't even show, bracing acidity that makes it taste just barely sweet, and remarkable persistence. Lovely wine.

1997 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs
Stunning Champagne. Waves of luscious ripe citrus and apple fruit, chalky minerality and fresh baked brioche and gingerbread notes, all conveyed with a sense of remarkable power and finesse. It's very youthful and primary now, giving the sense that there's a lot held in reserve but even then it's wonderful to drink now with tremendous freshness and energy to the flavours and remarkable length.

2000 Domaine Jasmin Côte-Rôtie
A lovely elegant, middleweight Côte-Rôtie that's equal parts pure red fruit and developed leathery, meaty and floral elements. This is drinking wonderfully right now with the fruit still fresh and the developed characteristics adding good complexity; there's a gentle, finessed palate presence with remarkably gentle tannins and bright acids keeping it fresh and very easy to drink.

2006 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds
Drinking beautifully right now; very fragrant and open with a seamless combination of fresh red fruits and smoky and floral accents over a stony mineral base. The tannin's incredibly fine grained here and there's bright acidity keeping it very fresh and lively; wonderfully pure and superb with duck.

2002 Noel Verset Cornas
Like my last bottle. It doesn't have the presence or depth I'd associate with other vintages of Verset, but it's still a very pleasant drink with leathery funk, savoury meaty and earthy notes and green herbal elements framing gentle red fruits and green olives. Rather light on its feet with gentle tannins, not profound but very pleasant to drink now.

2001 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese
After a couple of disappointing bottles recently, it's nice to have one that's showing all the complexity, freshness and vibrancy I'd expect from this. There's certainly some development here with the colour starting to deepen and the fruit framed by smoky and creamy accents, but it still feels very fresh and energetic with the polish and lightness I expect from Dönnhoff and wonderful balance.

2010 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett
Nothing new to add to my previous praise for this wine. The same cut, brightness, clarity and sheer refreshment as other bottles have shown, and it still amazes me how Egon Müller produced such a delicate, understated and elegant wine in a vintage that was all about density and intensity.

1998 Müller-Catoir Mußbacher Eselshaut Riesling Eiswein
A great fragrance right away combining ripe tropical fruits and honeyed flavours with high toned gingery and other spicy accents. The first few sips aren't particularly exciting, rather thick and sweet but with some air it really transforms, gaining intensity and focus with time in the glass. Delicious. (Note to David: 98 and Eiswein *and* not corked!!)

2010 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph
Phenomenally good, pure, classical Syrah. So fresh, layered, vibrant and downright thrilling. So glad I bought lots of this.

[David M. Bueker]

The first rule about corked 1998 eiswein, is "DON'T TALK ABOUT CORKED 1998 EISWEIN!"

And besides, I seem to recall another not corked bottle you had a while back...

[James Dietz]

Salil, I have enjoyed the '97 Salon multiple times, and I seem to be in the minority in thinking it marginally better than the '96, though that is perhaps splitting hairs. It is such a pure Champagne, I only wish it were a bit more affordable, as it is a real luxury to drink it.

Any thoughts on '96 v. '97 v. '99 (which, I think, at this moment in time, is a weaker wine)?

[Salil]

No thoughts, but I will be a willing test subject if anyone wants to share 96 or 99 Salon with me. I haven't tried the other two vintages, but the 97 was certainly excellent.
It's not a wine I'm willing to spend on - at this point my Champagne $ is going towards Chartogne-Taillet and Marie-Noelle Ledru, with the odd splurge towards Taittinger CDC.

[Andrew Bair]

Hi Salil -

Thank you the for very interesting notes. The 1998 Eiswein sounds great (sorry, David).