Friday, December 29, 2006

Seeger Blauer Spätburgunder 'R' Baden 2004

Seeger Blauer Spätburgunder 'R' 2004
Heidelberger Herrenberg
Baden, Germany




Good medium deep colour;
big meaty nose, reserved,
sweetness not yet developed;
full mouthfull, velvety, soft & juicy,
elegant style..needs a year or two..
flavour better than nose but it's all there
waiting...very good wine.
Points 17.5 (probably a point more in future)

Quinta De La Rosa Reserva 2004

Quinta De La Rosa Douro Tinto Reserva 2004
Grapes:Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional & Tinta Cao.


Deep colour; chocolate on the nose,
even porty;
spicy tannis, backward still,
slight bitterness of
youth spoiled it for me;
needs time and at the
moment not a
wine I would return to.

Points 15 (more later)














Saturday, December 02, 2006

White Grapes

Three Whites from the New World...all with the grape origens in France.
Tasted on different days.....

1. Fairview Viognier 2004
Paarl South Africa

Yellow gold colour; first sniff before my wife took a sip; quite good....half an hour later..gone.. just winey...very strange; decent enough fruit with dryness at the end.
Points 14.5
The grape at it's best is in France..in the Rhone..
called Condrieu...memories of a Hotel/Restaurant 'Beau Rivage'..on a hot summer evening with the Rhone river just 50 yards away..and a wine list of local Condrieu to choose from. Bliss!






2. Louisvale Chardonnay 2004
Stellenbosch South Africa

Rich golden colour; butterscotch nose at first, faded with airing, burnt aroma: medium weight, nice balance; as I went back to it..it bacame very one-dimensional.

Points 15.5

Chardonnay, of course, is best from Burgundy in France. Expensive, but the great wines Meursault,
Puligny Montrachet & Chassagne Montrachet..along with Chablis are at the top of the Chardonnay tree.





3. Gravitas Sauvignon Blanc 2004
Marlborough New Zealand

Nice reserved nose, some others from NZ have been to upfront with the gooseberry and Cat's Piss smell!(believe me..that is what they can smell like).
This is much better tho, melons and passionfruits..lovely juicy wine..herbs..
and a good balance and nice finish.
Points 17

Sauvignon Blanc best known in the Loire.. Sancerre..
but my favourite comes from Italy from
Vie di Romans..the Piere Sauvignon.

Menu For Four

No..this will not turn into a food blog & don't go thinking I eat like this every day!
I eat well because my wife is a great cook. The reason for the menu was a visit from my wife's oldest friend and her partner.

















Selbstgemachte Feigensauce
Gänsestopfleber Kalt
Gänsestopfleber Warm


Homemade Fig Sauce
Foie gras d'oie (Cold Goose Liver)
Foie gras d'oie (Warm Goose Liver)


































Shrimps und
Jakobsmuscheln mit
Cocos-Chili-Zitronengras-Ingwer Sauce
Grüner Spargel-Mango Salat

Shrimps and Coquille St. Jacques(Mussels)
in Coconut-Chili-Lemon Grass-Ginger Sauce
Green Asparagus-Mango Salad

















Frische Pasta mit brauner Butter und

frisch gehobelten weißen Trüffeln

Freshly Made Pasta with
Brown Butter and
Freshly Grated White Truffel
















Wachtelbrüstchen in Cognacsauce mit
Kräuterseitlingen und
Kartoffeln 'Dauphinoise'

Breast of Quail in Cognac Sauce
with 'Pleurotus eryngii' Mushrooms in Herbs
and Potato 'Dauphinoise'


















Schaumeier in Vanille-Creme mit

frischem Kirschenkompott

Oeuf a la Nage(classic dessert from France)
with Cherry compote

And the wines..well..as the gentleman visitor was a grower from the Pfalz..we drank
Knipser Steinbuckel
Riesling Spätlese
Trocken 2003


&

Knipser Cuvée X Trocken
Barriqueausbau 2003


Click on wine name to see previous posts for tasting notes