What We Drank (July 20, 2010)

We only have three contirbutions this week, but -- as always -- some interesting libations have filled the glasses of the New York Cork Report editors and contributors.

Evan Dawson: Multi-year semi-dry riesling flight at Red Newt Bistro

Red Newt Bistro offers a nice range of wine flights, with three wines per flight and generous pours of each.

On a recent visit I chose a flight that included the Sheldrake Point 2006 Riesling, the Red Newt 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling, and the 2008 Red Newt Circle Riesling.

The Sheldrake was simply explosive. Rich, long, and hugely aromatic, my one concern was its relatively advanced aging for a wine this young. The petrol notes are showing up already, and perhaps our science editor can address whether this is expected or even a potential result of storage (which I doubt).

Either way, it's a big, luscious riesling.

Wine is all about context, and in this lineup, the Circle Riesling came off as snappy and austere. At 3.2 RS!

 

Dave and Deb Whiting give a lot of thought to constructing an all-local wine list, and it shows. I'm looking forward to a flight of 2004 dry riesling on the next visit.

Ralph DiGennaro: Barone Fini 2009 Pinot Grigio Alto Adige

This is a zesty, unusually concentrated pinot grigio from the much heralded high altitude
Trentinto Alto Adige region of northern Italy by Barone Fini, a relative newcomer among
Italian producers of this often maligned varietal.

Wild flowers, herbs and green apple aromas rise up from the glass, not unlike a fine Viognier.

On the palate are mineral and allspice notes with an undercurrent of raw cashews. Medium to full-bodied, it finishes long and satisfying, with hints of ripe pear and pronounced lemon curd flavors.

Simple yet delicious, the grapes are all handpicked, according to owner Giovanni Bonmartini-
Fini, whose major objective is to produce wines meant to be enjoyed with food.

I paired it with peppered sashimi tuna barely seared on the outside--the acidity of the wine was
a perfect counterpoint to the heat of the black pepper and saltiness of a soy ginger sauce
that I used as a dipping sauce.

Bonmartini-Fini’s wines (he also produces a Pinot Grigio Valdadige) have changed my attitude about pinot grigio. 6,000 cases made.

 Mumm Cordon Rouge 1966

Over the weekend our neighbors at the Seneca Lodge in Watkins Glenn brought out a few bottles of Mumm Cordon Rouge 1966 to celebrate a day of wine tasting.

Since I don¹t have much experience with aged champagnes I was more impressed with the year then the producer or rarity of these wines. As quickly as the excitement built up to taste them, it went away with a fizzle as the corks showed major signs of failure.

I was the first to try and was happy that there was still some bubbles but the wine had gone slightly sour and was generously oxidized. It was a big letdown for the owners but given the condition of the cork, I was impressed that it was still drinkable.

I think it could have passed a sour beer brewed with brett and if I paid for the wine myself I would have drank the whole bottle.

Comments

[Tom Mansell]

While you're more likely to see ATA in 2007 than 2006, I suppose you can't rule it out. It's perfectly possible that storage at high temperatures could accelerate the breakdown of carotenoids into TDN. However, it's not completely out of the question to have petrol showing up in a well-cellared 2006, especially if you're looking for it.