The food was Turkish, prepared by Sezai Zorlu, a Turkish chef who has cooked for the country’s presidents and prominent figures.
The wines were four premium red Bordeaux and two top German Rieslings, the youngest being 9 years old and the oldest 21 years old. The prima donna was the refined feminine elegance of the older Riesling.
The challenge lay in the first two reds, both of which were second labels, which were rather inaccessible. But the other two, both of which were classified growths, lived up to expectations.
The description sums up the latest dinner of the Indonesia Chapter of the International Wine and Food Society (IWFS), held at Turkish restaurant Turkuaz in South Jakarta.
The two Scharzhofberger Kabinett Riesling Egon Müller white wines, of 2002 and 1990 vintages, were like a lass and a lady.
The lightness, freshness, lively acidity, medium sweetness, minerality and fruitiness of the 2002 Riesling addressed very well the creaminess, richness and savoriness of the five appetizers, two of which (creamy chickpeas puree and baked spinach with white cheese in pastry) stood out for excellence in simplicity.
The 1990 Riesling, however, was an exquisite expression of oleander, peach, apple, vanilla — so delicate, clean, pure and elegant that I decided to stop eating for a while and sip the rest without food in order to fully appreciate its depths.
Attesting the greatness of the vintage and 21-year evolution of flavors in the bottle, this serious, crisp rhapsody in white is not just a thrill and a delight for the senses. It’s a wine that makes you stop and think. Its allure goes beyond the petroleum flavor commonly associated with aged Riesling which wasn’t there, and doesn’t have to be there either.
Both Rieslings hail from Scharzhofberg vineyard in Saar where owner Egon Müller’s most famous and expensive wines come from. The German word Kabinett indicates the wine is made from normally ripe grapes without chaptalization (the addition of sugar to the must to increase potential alcohol and thus, the body of the wine) and has the lowest must sugar content of quality wine with attributes designation, thus resulting in light wines, typically semi-sweet, with crisp acidity.
The two second labels – Reserve de la Comtesse 2000 and Alter Ego de Palmer 2001 – were tight, earthy, rather hefty and stringy on tannins but lean on fruitiness, giving the impression of heaviness.
The Comtesse, which is the second wine of Chateau Pichon Longeville Comtesse de Lalande of Pauillac, was weighty with its tannic backbone, densely packed, rather salty, tart and astringent.
IWFS member Andy Sardjito saw to it that the same wine from another bottle was poured. It was more accessible but dry tannins and spiciness were all it offered, even though its cassis aroma was appealing.
Former IWFS Indonesia chairperson William Wongso (left) poses with the association’s present chairperson Ronny Wongkar (second left) and Turkuaz’s proprietor at the wine dinner. JP/Arif Suryobuwono
Alter Ego de Palmer 2001 was, surprisingly, lacking nose, and a bit too heavy although 2001 was an excellent vintage and two thirds of it was Merlot.
Perhaps this was so because both the Comtesse and the Alter Ego were not decanted and not presented in the right Bordeaux glass. Although the glasses provided by the restaurant were hand-made Krosno crystal glasses from Poland, they were all the same and none were cut out for red Bordeaux.
Another reason probably has to do with the fact that Alter Ego is fermented at lower temperatures to preserve fruitiness. So, proper decanting is absolutely necessary in order to bring out such fruitiness in the glass but no decanter was available in the restaurant.
Though commonly referred to as Chateau Palmer’s second wine, the Alter Ego is perhaps somewhat beyond that. It’s not really a second wine made from barrels that fail to make the cut. Rather, in the vineyards they make a decision about which grapes are growing where and then use different techniques specifically for this wine. Moreover, in 2004 they managed to select special blocks for Alter Ego.
The third red, Chateau Balestard La Tonnelle 1990, impressed with its noticeably medium sweetness, restraint fruitiness, smooth, velvety tannins and subtle mineral expressiveness, which made it highly accessible.
“Many like it,” IWFS Indonesia chairperson Ronny Wongkar said.
IWFS member Kevin Monteiro agreed, saying the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru was the wine he liked most throughout the dinner. “[I like it] not because of its sweetness,” he said, “but its balance”.
Named after a clergyman, Canon Balestrad, and the Tonnelle (observation tower) that has been standing in the heart of the vineyard since the 15th century, the Merlot-based wine is rather unusual.
Sweetness in red Bordeaux is normally indicated, not expressly accentuated as in this wine. However, the fact that the 12-year-old wine was the second to run out after Egon Müller 1990 suggests most of the dinners liked it.
So, after two rather inaccessible second labels and one expressly sweet classified growth, the fourth claret, fourth classified growth Chateau Branaire Ducru 1996 of St. Julien, was the most delicious Bordeaux that evening, thanks to its fine sense of balance with fruitiness as its backbone, sweet ripe tannins, mineral undertones and vibrant acidity.
Former wine-maker director Philippe Dhalluin once said the1996 was a classic vintage for Branaire and one of the two top years two decades ago, the other being 1989.
It was great to have this wine complemented by Sezai’s sought-after signature dish, tender shank of lamb on char grilled aubergine puree with mozzarella cheese.
