A Burgundy & a German Riesling.

[Rory]

Had these two over the last two nights, both with aoppropriate food, the Burgundy with confit of Duck and the iesling with blue swimmer crab and singapore noodles.

'99 Faiveley Nuit St George "Les Vignerondes".

Hmmm. In my still early days of a steep learning curve with Burgundy this presented a conundrum. Was it my lack of experience that underwhelmed me about this wine, or the wine? At the end of the day, it may just require a bit of time to really strut it's stuff. The Nose was not sappy or sweet in the way I have tried some Pinots that really make me sit up and take notice, but there was a savoury complexity there. More mushroom than forest floor as well.
The palate seemed to excude some semblance of good structure and no harsh or undesirable tannins that I have seen in some poorer years of Burgundy, but once again lacked that wow factor. The saovoury mushroom was there again with some richness of fruit that I couldn't put my finger on, yet the fruit weight was good, as was the length.
If this discription just seems a bit unfocused, that's how I felt about the wine. Any guidance on this wine would be appreciated from the more educated.


'01 J.L. Wolf Jesuitgarten Riesling.

A spatlese riesling made bone dry by the master Dr Loosen.
A very interesting wine as it clouds the area where Riesling stops and Gewurtz starts. In a blind taste I'm sure most would pick this as a Gewurtz from the nose. It doesn't so much have the overt lychee that gewurtz has, but comes from a stone fruit angle with some lychee.
The palate is indelibly stamped as riesling though with rich lime fruit flavours that have a wonderfull mouthfilling capability. It doesn't have the bracing acidity that good young Aussie riesling has, but has authority stamped all over it. Very, very nice wine, great length and persistancy. Loved it.


Rory

[Grant Dodd]

You're not alone Rory. About every second time I taste Burgundy I come away wondering if I've got no idea at all about wine. In addition to that I will say that the region makes my list for the very worst and greatest wines I've ever tasted. It s perplexing,I just wish I didn't have to try so many duds in order to find the great ones.

Cheers

[Rob]

thanks for the good note

[Matau]

Thanks for the notes Rory.

I had a bottle of the J.L. Wolf last week.....I loved it too....lot's of apricot characters for me, beautiful balance....I'm going to search out a few more bottles I think.

Cheers

Dave