As has become our custom, my friend who now lives in Boston (the traitor is now a Patriots fan) but who was in my first grade class in 1957, came to New York and we had dinner together with his family and then went to the “A Very Jewish Christmas” comedy show at the Gotham Comedy Club. I brought the wines to “East of Eighth,” on 23rd street, which has a very eclectic menu (from matzoh ball soup to boneless pork chops) and only charges $15 corkage. I brought four bottles and should have brought more. The fourth wine, 2011 Ferret (Louis Jadot) Pouilly-Fuissé Les Perrières Tête de Cru, was good but I did not pay enough attention to it to justify a note.
In order of consumption (Public service announcement: do not drink Saxum with Riesling at the same time!)
[*]2009 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (12/24/2014)
Popped and poured. I have liked this wine before, but it did not rock my world this time. Solid but unspectacular trocken Riesling. The palate was classic fruity riesling with a bit of a floral component, but it had this annoying roughness on the back of the palate that detracted from the overall profile. It was the wine equivalent of sandpaper. Not literally, but figuratively. My friend insisted there was sugar in the wine, so the fruitiness of this dry Riesling was doing its job of tricking him into believing it was a traditional non-trocken Kabinett, and he liked it as did some others at the table. It’s not that I did not like it, but I was hoping for more. (88 pts.)
[*]2012 Seven of Hearts Pinot Noir Curmudgeon Cuvée Armstrong Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge (12/24/2014)
Popped and poured at East of Eighth with friends and family before the “Very Jewish Christmas” comedy show at the Gotham Comedy Club on Christmas Eve. This is getting better with just a bit of age, so no way to tell where it peaks. The mag I have will be astounding if I can keep my hands off it for long enough.
Very light in color. Aroma of red fruit. Palate is red fruit with some spice and a very smooth mouth feel that is well integrated and not disjointed at all. Only a very tiny bit of cola pinot funk, which is so light that it actually adds a positive to the overall flavor profile instead of the negative I often find when that flavor is too strong. A wonderful effort. I am not a fan of shitty Oregon pinot, and I do not drink a lot of it, so my opinion may not be worth very much, but this is far and away the best Oregon pinot I have ever had.[/list]
Posted from CellarTracker I would rate this 92 points but did not include the rating in CT to maintain the perfect score and really piss off the one guy who was looking to buy the highest rated wines on CT and got very angry at my original note and score. He complained to Eric who politely told the guy what was going on a when the guy persisted, not so politely told the guy where to go.
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2008 Saxum Heart Stone Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (12/24/2014)
Popped and poured at a restaurant. Not the greatest glasses in the world, should have decanted two hours in advance, talking with friends and family so did not pay as much attention to the wine as perhaps it deserved, blah blah blah . . . but it was OUTSTANDING. Red fruit melange with raspberries, cherries and plums. A bit of spice and a tiny touch of apparent sweetness because there is so much fruit. Well integrated whole. Could have polished off a bottle all by myself it was sooooooo good. Once again, I felt sorry for those who cannot appreciate this wine.
Drank with spiced rack of lamb. Excellent pairing. (95 pts.)