great, classic riesling and another night at sagami
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Not to “rub it in,” but New York has nothing on our two, South Jersey sushi “stars,” Fuji and Sagami. If the fish were any fresher, we’d be swimming with ‘em.
It’s been a busy week, so Susan and I headed to Sagami with a bottle of 2001 Kanzemer Altenberg Spätlese from our friend Johann Peter Reinert. This is a recent arrival, different from the last shipment that sold out in about an hour, this is the “lot 1802,” a particular grouping of vines on the steep, Altenberg.
For those of you who don’t know, the Altenberg is recognized as one of the outstanding sources for great wine in the world – akin to Combette in Puligny-Montrachet – a Premier Cru (at least) in quality, and “Peter’s” farming does it justice
So the Sushi’s always good at Sagami – ’nuff said – but this wine…hoo-boy!
2001, Greg once remarked, may be the last “classic, great vintage” we’ll ever see in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer; it’s heatin’ up (all over the world), and this perfect match of temperature and sunlight has become rare.
The wine is a classic “fructig” wine – there’s a touch of sweetness – but godferdammer, the wine is achingly balanced and delicious with raw fish. The wine’s also low in alcohol (8%), so you don’t feel like a bus hit you should…well, you know…you finish the bottle, which we did last night.
Delicious! And if you were to look for wine of comparable quality (independent of personal “preference”) in Burgundy, you’d pay a whole lot more…and it wouldn’t be as good with the sushi.