Champagne vs. Sercial Solera vs. Riesling Auslese***

[Peter Reutter]

Champagne Pommery Cuvee de Louise 1998 vs. Henriques & Henriques Sercial Solera 1878 vs. Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese*** 2006


What a christmas dinner! Actually the meeting of these three wines happened by accident, as I offered the Madeira for desert and two friends brought the champagne and the Riesling. Since the champagne went first, it was amazing how some of the champagne`s aromas were also detectable in the Madeira, like a certain yeastiness (I hope this is the right word). The Riesling Auslese*** was opened to go with the main course and the Madeira went with a lemon mousse.

1998
Pommery Champagne
Cuvee de Louise
Bottle:
Heavy typical champagne bottle with small label.
Color:
Bright golden color with a greenish rim.
Nose:
Flowers like viola and lily of the valley, then apple and lemon together with a yeasty aroma that reminded me of very fresh bread. Mouthwatering!
Palate:
Lean and elegant, starting with fruity aromas like apple and lemon, also a flowery note there then more yeast leading to a finish of medium length with an emphasis on apple.
Footnote:
Tasted 12/2007. My first prestige cuvee, since I usually only drink the "normal" stuff, like Pommery's Brut Royal or R de Ruinart. I was surprised of the very big plus in complexity and depth.


1878
Henriques & Henriques Sercial Solera
Bottle:
Bottle of industrial make, just a short stopper-cork, only little crusting.
Color:
Bright mahogany with orange rim.
Nose:
Wonderful and very harmonious bouquet of burnt aromas with a sharp and very defined lemon overtone.
Palate:
Powerful acidity comes first, then lemon and after that a rounded richness. The acidity is mouthwatering, balanced by the richness that almost gives the impression of sweetness, but the wine is definitely dry. Long finish with bitter lemon and persisting acidity and then at the very end something that I did not get the first time when I had this wine in 2006, but with the champagne before, I now also noted bread and yeast. A wonderful wine with cleansing acidity.
Footnote:
Tasted 12/2006 from a leaking bottle and then 12/2007. What a wonderful wine and another very good solera!

2006
Joh. Jos. Cristoffel Erben
Riesling Auslese ***
Bottle:
Long green Mosel wine bottle.
Color:
Straw-like yellow with a greenish rim.
Nose:
Honey, apple and lemon, then also apricot and pear. Very powerful and pleasant.
Palate:
Honey sweetness with apple and lemon dominating, but then also pear and a little apricot again. The enormous amount of sweetness and fruit did not have enough acidity to counteract, so the wine was a little cloying, but still very pleasant to drink with only 8,5 % alcohol.
Footnote:
Tasted 12/2007. I have had this wine from a number of years and I must admit that ever since the Eymael estate took over Joh. Jos. Christoffel the wines have become less complex and allways seem to lack a little acidity. I was fortunate to have two examples of this partcular wine dating from the 1970ies in 1/2007 (Thanks Richard Beeken) and compared to these beauties, this 2006 is no match.

I find it remarkable like these three different wines worked together on christmas eve. Conclusion for me: to try an old *acidic* Madeira versus (or better: together with) a good champagne or a good Riesling is a very interesting match-up.

And a merry christmas to all of you!

Peter

[Roy Hersh]

So you had a White Christmas afterall, eh Peter?

Nice notes and although I can't remember ever getting a yeasty note from a Madeira, the power of suggestion is strong. I can understand these all working well together as the other two youngsters showed their powerful acidity as well and therefore could stand up to the Madeira. Nice pairings too!

Still hoping we get to drink together in 2008! It is great to have you here and hopefully some of your minions from the Madeira Wine Guide!

Regards to your family and also to your brother Hans.


Roy

[Ray Barnes]

Since I am new to this forum I just came across this post today. This must have been a heavenly meal..and having an Auslese with vintage madeira in the same meal is something I dream of doing - inspired combination.

Thanks for sharing with us here. :)

Ray

[Peter Reutter]

Ever since this combination of an acidic Riesling with an acidic Madeira, I have tried this on several occasions and it allways worked out very well, especially dry Rieslings with Sercial. To my knowledge the Riesling grape has no connection to the Sercial grape (even though some old books on Madeira say so, but most serious experts on Madeira say this is wrong). Still its amazing how well these two wines go together. And the sweeter Madeiras make a perfect combination with Auslese, Trockenbeerenauslese or Eiswein Rieslings. I am looking forward to christmas dinner 2008...

Peter

[Roy Hersh]

And I am looking forward to drinking with you again in 2009! I will reply to your email my friend, I am just considering a few options for us.

Peter, I hope you are enjoying your job and that life is treating you well, with less hours and pressures nowadays.

Come back more often as we are starting to see greater volume of posts that would be great to have you and Reidar add your wisdom more often.

[Peter Reutter]

Thanks Roy,
life seems pretty good to me right now with the new job, and if it doesn't, a little Madeira sure helps from time to time.
I too am really looking forward to next summer...
In 1988 I toured the U.S. together with my brother Hans and a friend, driving a grand circle across the U.S. of some twenty-thousand miles, from Arcadia NP to Grand Canyon NP, from Graceland to Yellowstone NP. Next summer I will be able to share a little of that experience with my two oldest sons. I can't wait to see their faces when they stand at the south rim of Grand Canyon...
And of course I can't wait to see my face when tasting a couple of old Madeiras
Peter