winegeist

A bottle and a note.

While I will get back to my flash sale wine site reviews sooner than later, I have a pile of tasting notes that I’ve been sorely neglecting, and opening and noting random old bottles is one of my very favorite activities. Toward the end of a recent meal, my cousin, Jon, offered up a 375ml bottle: Weingut Johannishof Johannisberg Riesling Beerenauslese 1976. While it came with the caveats and disclaimers that often surround the opening of a bottle of such age (and questionable provenance), with enough sugar and decent acidity, a decently stored wine like this can survive a long time. At 36 years after harvest, this particular split bottle ended up worth its weight.

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I’m listening (and have been for some time) to Aaron Freeman’s new album, Marvelous Clouds. While said artist, formerly known as Gene Ween, made some curiously shiny production choices, and there is definitely some filler here, there is also some signature Gener… er… Aaron Freeman songwriting. All other things being equal, if there is a future, Aaron Freeman- including all aliases past and future, will be recorded as one of the finest American songwriters of our time. It really is a shame that so many of his hardcore fans are drunken jackasses, making it impossible for Freeman to make any serious headway as a solo artist as Gener.

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Gener with Ween at Terminal 5.

At an acoustic Gene Ween set at a pre-op Joe’s Pub, I joined the applause as two hammered Ween fans we escorted out of the venue, from two of the farthest seats from the front door. It wasn’t their random outbursts, audible throughout the room, that got them expelled back to New Jersey, it was the projectile vomiting over their table, and onto the floor that led management to throw the red card.

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In case you live under a rock, or don’t care, Aaron Freeman recently disbanded Ween, effective immediately, in a public announcement. His Weenmates, including Mickey Melchiondo (aka Dean Ween), found out when everyone else did. In further unfolding developments, Freeman was forced to cancel solo tour dates due to poor ticket sales and made a public overture to his friends from Ween to help him out, for the fans. For my money, as long as they don’t play that miserable Terminal 5 again, I’d prefer to have Ween in the world than to not. There must be Ween.

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Dean Ween having a moment at Terminal 5.

But anyway, Aaron’s new record is unquestionably worth a listen, and Mickey will be more than happy to take you fishing. No kidding. I’m seriously, you guys.

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Oh right, I just tasted some old rare Riesling, and made some notes. Johannishof Johannisberg Riesling Beerenauslese 1976 is a deep, golden ruby hued, caramel color and it wears the weight of a 5 puttonyos tokaji. Caramel apple gives way to subtle but deep red berry and floral notes, and finishes with a light dusting of baking spices. This wine is definitely holding on, at this point in its life, rather than evolving, but it is still quite enjoyable.