Happy New Year to everyone and all the best wishes for 09! I hope you had at least such a good time as I had during the holidays. A big highlight at this time of the year are always Christmas dinners with the family . Besides the joy of being united, they're of course the perfect occasion for experimenting with fine foods - Always an enterprise with uncertain outcome! Fortunately we can also rely on wines to save the dinner - here are some of my favorites.



German Riesling Sekt instead of Champagne is a damn good option. This 2000 dry Sekt from Siben Erben in the Pfalz was fresh, with Riesling fruit yet dry and complex.



The 2000 Chasse-Spleen is still a rough diamond overload with tannins. The nose though is already to die for with fruit, mint freshness and lead. Many many years to go still...



Perfect with Foie Gras, this 2006 Robert Weil Spätlese with luscious fruitiness and the typical minerality of the Gräfenberg...



Even more interesting with Foie Gras, this 2001 Chardonnay Beerenauslese from Knipser. 12,5% alcohol still for a BA is quite surprising. It has a strong but beautiful acidity which gives it potential for many decades.



2006 Ölberg GG by Kühling Gillot represents one of Rheinhessens new flagship wines. It is indeed impressive with loads of power and massive tart herbs notes accompanying yellow fruit. Definetely not feminine in style. Sometimes though, the alcohol seems a little bit too high or let's say not well integrated. Still, a GG no one should miss to try.



Knipser is very famous for its red wines in Germany. This 2005 Himmelsrech is one of his Riesling GG from one very ripe year in the Pfalz in particular. With 3 years of age it didn't seem as fresh as I thought it would still be. But in the end it was just a little tone, not a massive age note. Otherwise lots of fruit still. Somehow Mosel-like in the mid-palate, reminding their typical slate aromas, someone said this smoky bitterness might come from old vines. Got to find out about that.