Enjoy schnitzel with a lovely Riesling Spatlese
Maybe you’ll be reading here on the cusp of or Valentine’s Day itself. Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite celebrations because it is also my lovely wife Barbara’s birthday, a great cause for celebration. It looks like all the children, their significant others and some of Barbara’s siblings will be in town for the festivities. If you’re missing your fatted calf stop on by for a veal cutlet, some wine and some chocolate. Happy Valentine’s Day to you all.
The only way to improve a Weiner or Holsteiner schnitzel is to serve a well-chosen Riesling Spatlese to go with it, especially if you are a traditionalist. Locate a 92-point Carl Graff Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese 2011, from middle Mosel. Shoppers will find some well under $20 or $194/case. Graff is the top producer in Graach. The 2011 Spatlesen are light straw-colored. They open to apple enhanced with a lovely lemon and mineral bouquet. Although it is smooth, the acidity is en point. The wine has a lovely, long finish to clean up the palate for any breaded, sauteed dish from fish to chicken to veal to the other white meat.
A cooking note! Please use clarified butter or rendered animal fat and as little as possible. The idea is to crust the schnitzel, not to boil it in butter. If you think yours are a bit greasy, a good remedy is: place on a paper towel-covered dish and let stand in the oven at 350 for a few minutes. Toss the schnitzel and eat the towel.
If you prefer to buy American, Charles Smith Riesling Kung Fu Girl Evergreen Vineyard 2013 from Washington is a great buy under $14. It was written as a good value wine in the WS that has the Penfold’s Grange on its cover. Sorry can’t remember which month.
I bought two bottles for $20 near Newark airport and was delighted with them. Pale lemon with a green tinge, the nose is lime crisp with green apple, a hint of pear and mineral. On the palate more lime and bright acidity. If you aren’t a fan of acid-bright wine don’t go here as an aperitif. KFG Riesling is a gourmet food wine, 91 McD points plus 2 if you buy some under $13/bottle.
Snooth produced a wonderful article titled The Art of Blind Tasting. Very informative! Go here: www.snooth.com/articles/blindtastingwine/?utm_campaign=13276&utm_medium=....
Trivento Amado Sur (Southern Love) Malbec asks won’t you be my valentine? You may remember the 2012 was favorably reviewed here a while back. I’m happy to write the 2013 hasn’t missed a beat. It received a couple of 90s plus a 91 from WS and is on the market under $15. A blend of 78 percent Malbec, 12 percent Bonarda (aka douce noir or charbono) and 10 percent Syrah, it has medium body, a deep garnet color and a mixed bouquet of cherry, strawberry, vanilla and pie spices.
On the palate, red fruit flavors ride a well-balanced acid, soft tannin frame, 91 points McD. I also recommend Trivento’s Golden Reserve Lujan de Cuyo 2010. It won a silver at IWC and scored 92 points from WE. The 2011 will be easier to locate at 91, and the 2012 was awarded 91 by WS, but I have not sampled any at this point.
Parker, Raynolds and Dunnock waxed eloquent over Perrin Chateau du Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape 2012 but it was a Tanzer 94 and a Robinson 18/20 that sold me. As expected, the price surged from $78 to $91. I did note a perfect storm for you, my friends. The half bottles are still a bargain -$45/bottle. And will be ready to drink by 2016, sooner than the 750 ml. Dark ruby, it opens to black and blue berries, licorice, garrigue and violets. On the palate, dark berries, cherry jam, olives and vanilla spice. Very long, ripe finish with more licorice and spicy tannins.
