The wines started to appear in decanters, all blind further adding to the mystery. After the unveiling of the first one a 1953 Langwerth Simmern Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) I knew we would be in for a very good afternoon. 1953 in the Rheinghau was a renowned vintage. This was a special wine to the host so although normally you’d have it at the end of the meal he wanted us to share it while our palates were still fresh and it would enable us to sit with it over the course of the afternoon. So a big Thank You Shannon for your generosity over the afternoon; for the anecdotes and history of each of the wines; and your almost evangelistic passion and drive in showing how very special these wines are (old German Rieslings et al) to the masses and giving them their deserved ‘day in the sun’. I for one will be forever grateful to the opportunity and exposure I’ve had over the past 5-6 years to these wines.
The final line-up of the wines were as follows…
1992 Langwerth Von Simmern Hattenheimer Schloss Vaux
1977 Weingut Shales Florsheim-Dalsheim Dalsheimer Burg Rodenstein Bacchusrebe
1953 Langwerth Von Simmern Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Trockenbeerenauslese
1976 Domain Thevenin Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres
1978 Delagrange-Bachelet Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
1976 Schloss Schönborn Hattenheimer Nußbrunnen Riesling Auslese
1953 Baron von Brentano Winkeler Hasensprung Riesling feine Auslese Goethewein
1923 Chambertin
1900-1930 Mystery Bottle
1979 Bouchot-Ludot Santenay Beauregard 1er
1978 Torres Gran Coronas "Black Label" Reserva Penedes
1964 La Rioja Alta "904" Reserva Rioja
1949 Château la Carte St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe
1996 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Shiraz
1973 Karl Schaefer Bad Dürkheimer, Dürkheim Schenkenböhl Beerenauslese
I missed tasting the Schloss Vaux
1977 Weingut Shales Florsheim-Dalsheim Dalsheimer Burg Rodenstein Bacchusrebe – arriving late this was thrust under my nose and had warmed up quite a bit. Quite sweet with a bit of residual sugar. Lots of lemon and citrus and brioche, was lacking any acid although that could have been due to its temperature and no bead (is there supposed to be any bead? Or is it a still wine?) lovely drop to start off proceedings.
1953 Langwerth Simmern Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Trockenbeerenauslese – A lovely burnished bronze, with aromas of brown sugar, marmalade, burnt caramel, toffee and honey. In the mouth it is like silk, so soft and ethereal. Its flavours last for ages, yet still after 60+ years it has an acid backbone carrying it along. Mind boggling stuff. I sat on this the whole afternoon and it didn’t fall apart or anything. A privilege to drink.
1976 Domain Thevenin Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres – This had a bit of taint initially, with oyster shell, iodine quite prominent, there was some nice acid, although overall it seemed somewhat stripped, lacking any fruit.
1978 Delagrange-Bachelet Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru – This was an interesting wine. In my never ending quest of embarrassing myself in front of everyone while trying to pinpoint a particular smell that was lurking in the depths of my limbic system of childhood memories…stay with me on this one… remember when you went to the butchers when you were a kid for mum, you’d buy a kilo of sausages, and he’d wrap them up in a freezer bag and butcher paper and you’d jump on your bike and ride home, and that pleasant smell when you unwrapped them, the sausages, sawdust, the paper, that fresh meaty smell, that’s what it smelt like, bizarre but true. It also had lemons and grapefruit and some spices mixed in. Really nice acid structure, one you’d describe as bright and lively, the oak was fully integrated with a slight cashew nuttiness all that remained. Really enjoyed this.
1976 Schloss Schönborn Hattenheimer Nußbrunnen Riesling Auslese – Pineapple, lime marmalade, light florals, and some tropical fruit. Nearly 40 years old and as fresh as a daisy, such is the longevity of the Rheingau in good vintages. Quite viscous and with a seemingly high sugar content with a almost candied lemon feel about it. Wonderfully balanced.
1953 Baron von Brentano Winkeler Hasensprung Riesling feine Auslese Goethe Wein – This was more muted and slightly oxidative on the nose with a hint of mustiness. Nice honey and real richness on the palate with the acid fading, yet it was never cloying and had a really nice length. After a while the mustiness receded and I was able to enjoy it more. Interesting story behind this Johan Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) one of Germany’s best poets/playwrights/novelist was a big fan of the Rheinghau Rieslings and he would stay at the winery in question, getting the same room each year. The Weingut fell into disrepair in the 70’s and was eventually bought by a Historical Trust group who are bringing it back to its former glory, the room Goethe used to stay has remain untouched since his visits. One of his quotes showed he had a good insight into wine, “The quality of a wine depends upon the vineyard site, but also on a late harvest. The poor and the rich are constantly at odds. The former focus on quantity; the latter on quality.â€ÂAutumn Days in the Rheingau.
The next two bottles were literally mystery bottles. Neither had labels, with one having a cork that read “1923 Chambertinâ€Â, the other with a rotated blown in mold style bottle shape suggested it was around the 1900-1930’s. (only guessing) although it was a shoddy job in any case, maybe a Friday bottle
1923 Chambertin – Varnish, furniture polish, vestiges of plums and dark fruits with sappy/sour notes, rhubarb and a whiff of violets, fully integrated as you’d expect and a wine I describe as a lovely old girl just hanging on to give us a glimpse of her former glory.
1900-1930 Mystery Bottle – Cola, with some portiness and VA, as it opened up there were strawberries and rose notes appearing. I couldn’t help wondering if it had been slightly fortified as it had a real brandied element to it. All things considered it was drinking really well and I enjoyed the experience of it.
1979 Bouchot-Ludot Santenay Beauregard 1er – After the previous two bottles this was like smelling a 5 year old Burg. Red Cordial, strawberries with sweet Turkish delight and rose water notes. Great structure on such an old wine at Premier Cru level. It always amazes me how well the old school wines age, and how it must have been damn hard work to drink them when young.
1978 Torres Gran Coronas "Black Label" Reserva Penedes – Blackberry, tomato leaf, sour-sweet, medium bodied profile had me thinking straight away it’s either Spanish or Italian. It had a nice linear progression on the palate with the acid cutting swathe through my mouth. A real lip smacking after taste it had all the hallmarks of great long lasting Spanish wine, which is undoubtedly why I called it Italian before the unveiling.
1964 La Rioja Alta "904" Reserva Rioja – Coffee bean, tomato leaf, with dusty red fruits (akin to crushing an autumn leaf in your hand), light on the palate yet full of flavour that I can never fathom how they achieve, bundled up with a refreshing tartness that belies its age. The longevity on these wines rivals the best of the Bordelais.
1949 Château la Carte St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe – Had I not seen the job that he had getting the cork out on this even with a Durand and lots of swearing, while still masked I would have never believed I was drinking a 1949 Bordeaux. Sure it was old, but I had it pegged as a mid 80’s vintage. Blueberry, plums, white pepper with a brambly note. There was the classic graphite characteristic which I usually associate more with left bank wines so am not 100% sure what the make-up of this wine would have been. The colour was amazing as you can see from the photo as was the structure with good tannins still being present. Stunningly good wine for its age.
1996 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Shiraz – Blackberry, white pepper, with a vintage port like nose, although ‘only‘ 15.2% although with the allowances I’d say it would be a lot closer to 16%. Very rich, with silky tannins which had a great persistence. Impeccable balance kept it all in check, it never fell victim to its own power. Sometimes the big Greenock Creek (the region) wines can be a chore to drink after the first glass, this however I found had me coming back for more even after 12 wines previously. A gentle giant.
1973 Karl Schaefer Bad Dürkheimer, Dürkheim Schenkenböhl Beerenauslese – A fitting way to finish the afternoon with a birth year wine of the host. Orange, burnt toffee, marmalade, it didn’t get to the same heights as the TBA in terms of complexity and power, although when comparing we are essentially splitting hairs such is the in-isolation greatness of both of these wines. It finished with a lovely length which carried us into the frigid cold outside.
Food
The menu was as follows, and as per normal I forgot to get pics of the later dishes as I was too busy talking, tasting and writing. The food was good and really well matched/very reasonably priced and there was a lot of it!! I was really struggling by the end of it. Wait staff were unobtrusive and made sure the plates were out of our way in a timely fashion so we could concentrate on the wines.
Canapes: Crostini, Duck Liver Pate, Pear Puff Pastry Cups, Mushroom Duxelles, Cheese Straws
Risotto of Saffron, Scallops and King Prawn
Tagine of Dried Figs, Spiced Quail. Lemon Oil & Basil Leaf
Duck Fat Roast Kipfler, Cavalo Nero and Eschalot with Cauliflower and Celeriac Puree
Braised Spatchcock with Leek and Butternut
Daube of Beef Cheek with Paris Mash
Poached Pear, Passionfruit and White Chocolate Ganach, Shortbread Crumb & Pistachio
. Great complexity too, and I had to pinch myself that I was drinking a 1923 Chambertin, even if the producer was unknown, it was a real treat. The other true mystery bottle was a bit tired in comparison for me but such fun nonetheless.