A great wine day

Yesterday went to lunch with super-mega-star New York Times wine geek Michael Wheeler and the fabulous new member of the Polaner team, Phil Sareil. This was at the front room at the Modern in the fantastic Museum of Modern Art. As an aside those tarte pizza things are ridiculous and as profound a pizza I have ever had....with apologies to Patsy's, Lombardbi's, etc. Now I know you are dying to know what we washed down all this "modern" food with. Traditional wines all the way, yo!

Started off with the 1981 J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese and it was absolutely mindbogglingly good. Past it's full blown petrol phase and in its wispy hint of petrol phase this was just perfect. From a so-so vintage with high acid this just proves that old German wine from so-so vintages just gets better and better. This had aromas of petrol, lime, lemon, apple skins, pear flesh, some flowers and even an exotic hint of confectionary sugar after some decantation. The palate had wonderful acidity, fleshy fruit, a healthy dose of mineral and surprisingly great concentration. Long finish. Stellar wine from an off year. A great start to lunch.

Next up was the 2001 Jacky Truchot Charmes-Chambertin which was very very young but so so good. Nose of earth, damp berry fruit, high-toned minerality and dark flowers. Palate was all primary fruit but stuffed, almost 2002/1999 stuffed with astounding purity and ripeness. Long finish and everything in perfect proportion. Young but will be beauty in 20 years.

Then at dinner that night at Otto had the 1995 Radikon Merlot. Move over Masseto and Messorio this is the Petrus of Italy. Stony, minerally, plummy and tannic this wine has it all. Merlot character, incredible sense of place, brilliant acidity, sweet ripe tannnin and knockout finish. The wine is stuffed and is not overextracted (see Masseto, Messorio) and has just so much going on. Kept opening and getting more and more complex as time wore on. A steal at $100 on the wine list.