Saturday Betsy made veal chops with sage from Marcella Hazan, along with
Marcella's asparagus/proscuitto bundles,and fettucine with a cream/parmesan
sauce. Actually any of the three would have been a nice main course. In honor
of the Italian orientation of the meal, I brought up an Arneis, which was
corked. %$*(A%**(%

Next try, the 2002 Bründlmayer Langenloiser Grüner Veltliner (Kamptaler
Terrassen). Very flowery nose. Moderately acidic, peach fruit with a hint of
granny smith apple. There's just a hint of GV white pepper on the finish. Nice
wine, just not up to the GV standards of the Nigl Privat. B+

Sunday was Mother's Day, and David and I made Betsy's breakfast,. I offered to
cook dinner, too, but she demurred- cooking is something she finds joyful. Our
Basset hound had given Betsy a D'Artagnan cookbook for Mother's Day, she
(Betsy, not Lucy the hound)decided to make a duck dish from there. The breast
is seared then poached. Served over asparagus and lettuce, with a sauce of
asparagus, green peppercorns, tarragon, walnut oil, and raspberry vinegar. Then
topped with blackberries. How's THAT for non-wine friendly? As this was
basically a "drink water then have wine" dish, I didn't worry too much re a
match. Just opened a wine I felt like opening, the 1996 La Louvière
(Pessac-Léognan). While Betsy was cooking, we sipped a glass of the
Bründlamyer, its floral characteristics even more pronounced now. I
periodically checked on the Pessac rouge, it started a little tight but was
quickly giving its all. Nose of earth and crushed blackberries (or am I
smelling the ones on my plate?); palate of blackcurrant fruit. Some tobacco and
mineral/gravel emerge with time. Nice, surprisingly mature. I don't really have
a clear view of '96 in Graves, they don't seem as hard as the Right Bankers or
as supple as the Médocs. I don't think this is going to improve much, B+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a
good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where
it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy,
and certainly not of consistency.
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

amnspam (Dale Williams) wrote:

> Next try, the 2002 Bründlmayer Langenloiser Grüner Veltliner
> (Kamptaler Terrassen). Very flowery nose. Moderately acidic,
> peach fruit with a hint of granny smith apple. There's just a
> hint of GV white pepper on the finish. Nice wine, just not up to
> the GV standards of the Nigl Privat.

That's a little unfair, to compare Willi Bründlmayer's basic
offering (retailing around 7 Euros here) with Martin Nigl's top
notch Grüner (which is more like 15 to 17 Euros).

M.

>
>That's a little unfair, to compare Willi Bründlmayer's basic
>offering (retailing around 7 Euros here) with Martin Nigl's top
>notch Grüner (which is more like 15 to 17 Euros).

Sorry Michael, you're right- it's just that I had just posted a note on the
Nigl (I seldom have Austrian wines 2 nights apart!).

I actually own more Brundlmayers and Knolls now than I do Nigls. But that might
change -I thought the Privat might be the best GV I've ever had- the minerality
and definition were astounding, even drinking "too young."

A toast to you, the primary influence in getting me to drink more Austrian
wine!
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

Dale Williams wrote:
>>That's a little unfair, to compare Willi Bründlmayer's basic
>>offering (retailing around 7 Euros here) with Martin Nigl's top
>>notch Grüner (which is more like 15 to 17 Euros).
>
>
> Sorry Michael, you're right- it's just that I had just posted a note on the
> Nigl (I seldom have Austrian wines 2 nights apart!).
>
> I actually own more Brundlmayers and Knolls now than I do Nigls. But that might
> change -I thought the Privat might be the best GV I've ever had- the minerality
> and definition were astounding, even drinking "too young."

But what about Pichler (FX of course)? Surely you won't deprive
yourself of his wonderful wines, Dale?

>
> A toast to you, the primary influence in getting me to drink more Austrian
> wine!

Hear, hear! A cheer for GruVe Michael!

Mark Lipton

>But what about Pichler (FX of course)? Surely you won't deprive
>yourself of his wonderful wines,

I think my wallet deprives me of his wines- I can find Nigl's Privat (Riesling
or GV) for $30 or less, don't remember seeing any wine from FX Pichler for less
than $45. While I'll occasionally will spend $50 or even $100 on a red I like,
for some reason $35-40 seems to be my ceiling for dry whites (a couple of
Niellon 1ers is one of the few exceptions I can think of). So like Clos St.
Hune or Beaucastel Rousanne VV, FX Pichler wines I mostly taste by hanging
around those who do collect them (in a somewhat leechlike manner).
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

Mark Lipton > wrote:

>> A toast to you, the primary influence in getting me to drink
>> more Austrian wine!

> Hear, hear! A cheer for GruVe Michael!

Thank you, you're most welcome, of course.

Wednesday & Thursday will see me in heavy tasting labour, working
ourselves through 434 GVs and Rieslings 2003 with an upper alcohol
limit of 12.5%. (We will do those above 12.5% in autumn.)

I can just repeat my invitation: If any regular from this group
passes Vienna, I'll be glad to formally share a glass or two.
(Informally that would mean a bottle ot two or three.)

M.

(winemonger) wrote:

> Perhaps M. Pronay would add his two cents about their [Lagler &
> Högl] quality?

Both very good producers to look for, although Högl is getting
slightly pricey these days.

M.

Michael Pronay > wrote in message news:
> > Perhaps M. Pronay would add his two cents about their [Lagler &
> > Högl] quality?
>
> Both very good producers to look for, although Högl is getting
> slightly pricey these days.
>
I know what you mean, but we plan to offer his Steinfeder and
Federspiel G.V.'s for around $10.00 here in the States, which seems a
reasonable way for folks to give it a go.
E.

(winemonger) wrote:

[Lagler & Högl]

>> Both very good producers to look for, although Högl is getting
>> slightly pricey these days.

> I know what you mean, but we plan to offer his Steinfeder and
> Federspiel G.V.'s for around $10.00 here in the States, which
> seems a reasonable way for folks to give it a go.

That seems to be *very* reasonable!

M.