German Riesling and a Burgundy
A few bottles recently.
Domaine Mittnach-Klack Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg 2001 I realised I hadn’t had riesling for about 6 months and I thought this might be a good start. Sadly, no. A little too much sulfur dulled the nose at first. The palate was oily, the oxidative handling clear. There was good acid but just nothing going on. The pintarde (guinea fowl) I served it with deserved something much better.
Philippe Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru 2003 I was making Côte Boeuf so I needed a tannin monster to have with it. Leclerc is an eccentric from Gevrey. In a region of eccentrics, he’s pretty out there: he wears a pirate’s outfit, his labels have pictures of knights fighting each other in gigantic stallions, his wines are rarely approachable for their sheer tannic dryness. Parker loves his wines and just about everyone else hates them.
I’d been assured (by Leclerc) that if anyone made a drinkable 2003, he did. This opened with lots of oak, like a vieux cognac, a furniture store. Into the decanter for a few hours. When I looked at it again, it was still very oaky but the fruit was fresh, without the stewy/raisined character of many of the 2003s I’ve had before. The palate was very firm but what fruit was distinguishable was elegant and beautiful. A real paradox, why blast this beautiful fruit with oak?
I have one more bottle, a 99. These wines probably need…. 30 years to age and I doubt I’ll wait that long. Might be an interesting options wine.
Here’s a picture of part of the beef:
We have a very good patisserie nearby. They are quite adventurous where as most good patisseries are satisfied with doing the classics well. Here is a picture of a classic (tarte au citron) and something they’ve made up (figue tarte with preserved grapes and lavender sponge):
I’m genuinely thinking of approaching them and asking them to teach me how to cook that well.
