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Deevine Holiday
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December 10, 2005
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« Reheat, Reuse, Recycle | Main | First Recorded Dinner Party of 2006 »
'Tis the season for holiday debauchery. Between the two of us, we have at least four bacchanals we've pledged to attend. The first of the season was a very pleasant event at Dee Vine Wines on Pier 19. I've talked up Dee Vine before, most recently in a tale which described my conversion to sometime white wine drinker. Dee Vine's tastings are fantastic, and if you live in San Francisco or are BART or train commutable to it, you should definitely get on the mailing list so you can find out when they hold them.
This time around, besides the usual mind-boggling array of German whites, we were greeted with several select reds, a giant bottle of Champagne, two huge wheels of cheese (a Humboldt Fog and a blue of some sort), dried fruits, oysters, small sadwiches, and six or seven different kinds of desserts. On top of that, there were caterers wandering around with finger foods to sample.
Some notes on the ratings: my rating scale makes no pretense at being scientific. Here's how I think of them -- at least at this moment:
- One Star: Two Buck Chuck.
- Two Stars: I would deeply regret it if I bought this wine. I might not finish it.
- Three Stars: I'd be ambivalent if I bought this wine, though I'd probably finish it.
- Three and a half stars: I'd be happy with my purchase.
- Four stars: I'd seek this wine out for repeated purchases. If inexpensive, I might buy in bulk.
- Four and a half stars: This wine puts me in a special place.
- Five stars: I'll remember tasting this wine for a long time.
So don't take them too seriously. Mostly they are present to guide future purchases. If a wine rates below 3 stars I don't usually record anything except that fact; hence the dominance of 3-4.5 star ratings on this list.
HIGHLIGHTS:
NV Cancave Grand Cru (Jeroboam) -- $125
This wine has started to shed its attractive but ultimately shallow youthful characteristics to reveal some of its deeper, more evolved nature. With women, this happens around age 30, but wine often matures faster. (This non-vintage release is composed of 1990, 1991, and 1992 vintage wines, for instance.) You can never be sure what you're going to find when the true self begins to out. Though appealing in youth, they may become banal, harsh, bitter, or lackluster with age. And the same is true for wine! (Okay, I'll stop that.)
This Champagne is like having your high school girlfriend grow up to be a fascinating, quick-witted, measured, mature adult...who's still got great boobs. The Cancave hints at the coming deep and nutty flavors of early middle age, but remains sharp and crisp and lively. This is the kind of wine that makes one feel glad to be alive. Here's to your best girl. Rating: **** 1/2
2001 Kuhn Rotwein Spatburgunder Barrique QbA trocken -- $32
Okay, okay! I take back everything I ever said about German reds. I especially apologize for coining the term "Spitburgunder". This wine has a gorgeous nose, but the palate is where the real action is: chewy, fruity goodness featuring tangy dried cherries and a touch of cocoa. Fine tannins and tart acids fill out the middle. At the end is a rich and slightly bitter finish, not unlike a fine chocolate. An excellent offering. Rating: **** 1/2
2003 Stefan Gerhard Hatenheimer Hassel Spatlese -- $14
Huge, huge, tropical, honeyed elixir. Definitely more pleasurable than being bludgeoned with a caramel-coated pineapple, but not unsimilar. Actually, at this price, you can't afford to miss the bludgeoning. Seriously. Rating: ****
1999 Joseph Rosch Trittenheimer Apotheke Auslese -- 500 mL -- $23
Lots of petrol. ("Smells a bit like the La Brea tar pits", Rebecca said.) Very sweet. Great acids, though. This is a vibrant Auslese. A fantastic balance between acid, sugar, and petrol -- the holy trinity of Reisling. Rating: **** 1/2
2003 Geheimrat J. Wegeler Erben Bernkasteler Doctor Spatlese -- $37
Incredible. This is for all of those people who think that bigger wines are necessarily better. This Spatlese couldn't be described as anything more than medium-bodied, but it's truly magical. This wine is the picture of elegance. The tinkle of effervesence...the balance...tasty fruit flavor...my words won't do justice. Try it your own damn self. Rating: **** 1/2
2001 Domaine Hughes et Yves de Suremain, Mercurey "Les Crets" -- $15
The nose is unmistakably Burgundian. The palate has tomato skin, bitter olive, and other dark, earthy, salty flavors. There's not a lot of fruit, but what would you expect from a $15 Burgundy? I've often said (and I'll say it again) that the reason that you buy a Burgundy in this price range is strictly to reminisce about the great Burgundy experiences you've had in your life. For that, this wine will serve. Rating: ***
OTHER WINES
2000 Domaine Mittnacht-Klack "Schoenenbourg" Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru, $24 -- Rich burst of melon, lychee, papaya. Love the style. Performs on a par with price. ****
2003 August Kessler Estate Riesling QbA, $13 -- Green apple skin, nice up-front acid. Fullness and finish are moderate, but for the price this is a good value.****
2003 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr #9 Auslese Goldkapsel 375 mL, $29 -- Very professional Auslese. Well balanced and more harmonious than the Rosch, but not as gorgeous somehow. ****
2004 Schloss Schonborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Kabinett, $24 -- This is good. Rebecca is particularly a fan of this one. Tangerine peel, apple, moderate acid, good fruit.****
2003 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Kabinett halbtrocken, $22 -- Honeysuckle nose; light-bodied; soft, feminine palate -- this is a wine for people who, in this day and age, still blush. Pleasant, certainly, but I can't escape the feeling while drinking it that my time could be better spent.*** 1/2
2004 Weingut von Hovel Scharzhofberger Kabinett, $15 -- Sweet and sour, like those sour candy strips that make your mouth pucker because they're coated in some kind of white crystals made of God knows what. Not very deep, but fun -- if you're the sort of masochist that likes sour candy. I am. Serve cold.*** 1/2
2003 Knebel Winninger Bruckstuck QbA halbtrocken, $15 -- Rich burst of fruit, off-dry, light on acid, fullness from sugar. ***
2003 Keller Riesling QbA "von der Fels", $22 -- Good, delicate flavors. Not enough oomph for the $$.***
2002 Schloss Vollrads Spatlese, $23 -- Nice little kick from effervesence, but otherwise less structure than it needs, especially given the cost.***
2003 Weingut Toni Jost Bacharacher Hahn Kabinett feinherb, $15 -- Pineapples grown hydroponically in chlorinated water. **
December 10, 2005 in wine | Permalink
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