Thanisch, Produttori, RAEN, and ...Domain Serene?

WINE TALK
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My wife and I got together with friends on Saturday evening for peking duck, wine, and Longhorn football (Hook Em!). Friends brought an interesting set of wines, of which we opened a 2015 Domain Serene Evanstad Reserve and a Thanisch Bernkastler Doctor Kabinett. I opened a 2016 RAEN Royal St. Robert and a 2013 Produttori Rabaja Reserva.

2015 Domain Serene Evenstad Reserve – Chewy raspberry, cherry, and rhubarb on the palate. Some rose petal and oak spice on the nose. A bit chewy and not particularly well integrated. An oddly disjointed wine that did not offer significant pleasure. Maybe hold for five years and see if it comes together? 89-90

2016 RAEN Royal St. Robert – I really enjoy these RAEN wines. I think they’re just gorgeous light bodied and very aromatic wines that would be hard to call Sonoma Coast. Great earthy notes flow with the cherry and strawberry. Hints of meat and garrigue. So much going on and a delightful blend of fruit and savory notes. Good acid and minerality provide lift. Seamless. 93-94.

2017 Dr. Thanisch Erben Thanisch Berncasteler Doctor Kabinett – Big nose of flint/slate followed by jazz apple, lemon, and honeysuckle. Nice and crisp acidity cleans it up and keeps it lingering. Fun, delicious wine. 91

2013 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Rabaja – Wow. I’ve got a few of these and this is the first I’ve opened. Hold off. There is so much structure here that this can age gracefully for decades. That said, it is not closed. The aromatics on this are just huge. Bright cherry and blackberry just loaded with violet. Huge, expressive floral aromatics pour out of the glass, followed by this gorgeous minerality and hint of tar on the back. This is really sensational wine, and built to last. Exceptional. A show stopper of a wine for me. If, or rather when, this integrates all that structure into the wine, it will be something truly special. 95-96

Peking duck from Beijing Brothers in Coppell was pretty good. Bit thick on the dumpling dough, and the hand pulled noodles lacked flavor. That said, the peking duck was great, as were the steamed wontons with chili sauce. Duck with hoisin and fixings was excellent with the wines.

And the Longhorns whipped La Tech’s ass, so hooray.

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Thanks for the notes on the 2013 Rabaja. PdB riservas have such great QPR. I’ve luckily tried an older Rabaja (71’) in pristine condition, which was mind-blowing! I hope in my late retirement, the experience will be something similar…or even better [cheers.gif] #ageyourwines

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Surprised it’s so open and not shut down yet.

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sounds like a 13 to me. I haven’t really come across any that I would come close to feeling was shut down