Berserker Mike M. rolled up on Saturday night, bearing two .750s of Breukelen gin (from Brooklyn), a bunch of airplane-sized bottles of flavored bitters, and bread to pair with some quality cheeses. He also brought a 2003 Spinetta Vursu Barolo. The back-story on the gin is that I offered to swap a svd Rhys for the Breukelen, since it is an artisanal gin that is only available in a few places in New York and elsewhere but no place in Maryland. He went to Astor to acquire the gin, brought it all the way down to Howard County, Maryland, and walked away with a 2008 Swan Terrace as a very deserved reward. On to the wine (with respect to which there was no note-taking, since we were too busy being amused by the feckless, No. 3 Duke Blue-Devils being undressed at home by the far-more-talented Tar Heels team):
2007 Angerer Riesling Ametzberg: There have been many threads recently touting the glory of Austrian Riesling. I consider myself a Riesling lover, but I have barely dipped my toe into the world of Austrian Riesling. I asked a trusted LWM what a good starter would be if our plan later would be to open a Trimbach CFE 375th Ann., and he sent me home with this bottle. I was impressed. The wine was approachable out of the gate, with a fruit-driven personality. After some time, it showed some minerality and complexity that left me feeling like it punched well above its weight class (I think it was a $28 bottle).
2001 Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile 375th Ann.: I have to say, the anticipation of drinking this bottle probably made it difficult for me to be objective. I have read many notes (from trusted Riesling sources such as David Bueker) that have contributed to my level of expectation for this wine. I opened the first of my five of these last night, about two hours before serving it at about 55 degrees. I have to say that I was disappointed for the first hour in what the wine showed. It was round, opulent, and seemingly sweet (although I am pretty sure the wine is supposed to be basically bone-dry). We concentrated on the Angerer for a while to see if the Trimbach would come around, and it eventually revealed its charms. Tropical fruit, some limestone, and a long finish. I could not help but think that, at this stage at least, the regular 2001 CFE bottling is more in my stylistic wheelhouse because of its steely, petrol character. But the more I thought about it, the more I became convinced that the 375th will eclipse the regular CFE over the long haul. It will be at least five years before I consider opening another one.
2003 Spinetta Vursa: Generously provided by Mike M., this wine was aromatic out of the gate but reluctant on the palate for an hour or so after opening. When it began to show, however, it was a delight. There was a good dose of saddle leather and a feint touch of hoarse to accompany some beautiful blueberry and red fruit. This wine will be better with some age, but with a little coaxing (and some killer cheese) it was great fun last night.
2001 Ch. Cos d’Estournel: This was opened late, when it became apparent that UNC had to continue pounding on Duke at Cameron Indoor Arena for at least a half-hour after the Spinetta was about to be drained. I have had the 2001 Cos a few times before, and it has always impressed. Last night was no different. It is an elegant example of Cos that speaks well of 2001 as an under-appreciated vintage in Bordeaux. I am sorry that my tasting note on this is not more detailed, but suffice it to say that this wine has the Cos “signature” but is in no way over the top as some have reported about some of the more recent vintages of Cos. I loved it.
All in all, it was a good night in which all of the wines performed well. Not surprisingly, they all paired exceptionally well with UNC’s demolition of the Dookies.