Wine Review: 2006 Valkenberg Zeller Schwarze Katz Riesling

Name: 2006 Valkenberg Zeller Schwarze Katz Riesling

Producer: P.J. Valkenberg

Region: Germany, Mosel, Zeller

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Riesling

Year/Vintage: 2006

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $10.99, PA Wine Store, October 2008

Date Logged: 10/28/2008

Pairing(s): Asian Beef Stir Fry

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

This wine is a version of the famous Zeller Schwarze Katz, or Zeller’s "Black Cat." The legend goes that a black cat once chose the best wine during a tasting event long, long ago, by jumping on the barrel and clawing anyone that would come near.

We paired this version of the "black cat" with a mildly spicy beef stir fry. The light, fruity and sweet wine matched the medium heat of the stir fry perfectly. The wine had a nice, strong apple aroma, and the palate offered lots of apple and peach flavors, with smoke and mineral notes. The fruity sweetness is well balanced by clean acidity and a barely dry finish.

This is a very easy-drinking wine, and would pair well with just about any light meat or seafood dish, and would also be great with mild cheese or sour apples. At $10.99, it’s a great value.

Wine Review: 1995 Chateau Simard Saint-Emilion

Name: 1995 Chateau Simard Saint-Emilion

Producer: Chateau Simard

Region: France, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: 70% Merlot/30% Cabernet Franc

Year/Vintage: 1995

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $27.99, PA Wine Store

Date Logged: 10/19/2008

Pairing(s): (1) Tomato pasta, (2) BBQ pork ribs

My Rating: 4 stars

This wine is one of the few affordable Saint-Emilion wines that the PA Wine Store routinely carries (if you can call $28 affordable). Neither of the pairings we drank this with were quite appropriate for this type of wine, but I have been wanting something old and complex lately, and this '95 sort of jumped out at me.

This is a nice wine. It is very complex, and has held up very well in the bottle. The tannins are strong but round, and the predominant flavor and aroma profiles are earthy and smoky, with a little bit of dirty laundry funkiness thrown in for good measure. The aroma reminds you of a forest floor and a campfire, and the taste brings to mind mushrooms and chocolate, with some spicy clove and black peppers in the finish. There's not a lot of fruit to speak of, although occasionally some black cherry would sneak in.

This is the kind of wine that definitely needs a steak or some kind of marinated grilled meat to be appreciated fully. The pork ribs worked better for us than the pasta, but in both cases I wasn't dissapointed in drinking such an interesting wine.