Dave B Visits Albany @ Salil's, 1/27/2024

Dave B Visits Albany
@ Salil's home, Albany, NY, 1/27/2024

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Dave B came to visit Salil for the weekend, so Salil planned two dinners. This was the second one. Notes and pix from the first evening can be found here.

Dinner
The enthusiastic chef Salil:

Salil made Lamb Biryani and black lentils:

He also made plain rice and raita for those who can't tolerate much spice (i.e. me):

Amy made mixed veggies:

Whites

2009 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
[Pop and pour.] Light yellow color. Nose of peaches and petrol. Juicy peaches in the mouth. Still young. Great depth and length. Needs years to fully show all it has. 95-??
Two hours later: Stunning nose of peaches, minerals, and citrus. Gorgeous in the mouth. Really opening up. Expansive, complex, and very long. (96 points)

2009 Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Honivogl - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Opened around 1pm. Tasted around 7:30pm.] Heavenly nose of apples and apricots. Gorgeous in the mouth. Expansive and complex. I could drink this all night. Really goes well with the biryani. (95 points)

Reds

1967 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
[Double-decanted for a half hour around 6pm. Cork saturated. Some schmutz under the capsule.] Nose of mint and cherries. Fully mature, but still long and complex. Lovely stuff. A wine of meditation. (94 points)

1998 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707 - Australia, South Australia
[Pop and pour.] Big, smokey, black fruit nose. Rich, complex, and long. Smooth and delicious. Should drink well for another decade. (95 points)

2014 Marcel Juge Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
[Pop and pour.] Spicy red fruit nose. Quite mature. Mulch, spice, olives. Not that appealing to me. Maybe it was just that I should have had this before the Penfolds 707.

Dessert
Salil's heavenly Canelés de Bordeaux:

1998 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel Auction - Germany, Nahe
[375ml. AP#21-99. Leftover from previous evening. No discernible change!] Stunningly complex nose of botrytis, honey, and apricots. Hugely extracted, but incredible balance and harmony. Super long. I was sure this was a TBA. Incredible. Even better tonight with Salil's heavenly Canelés de Bordeaux. A perfect pairing! (100 points)

Conclusion

This was another gloriously diverse set of wines and another wonderful evening.

My tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.