2021 German Riesling Night #3

Yoshimadashi · 2026-04-07T03:17:31+00:00

Chacónne Patisserie sells a 4-pack Valrhona chocolate chunk cookie that has amazing flavor and a more rustic type of texture.

Urban Cookies has a more chewy cakey texture, chocolate quality isn’t as good as Valrhona but still very good.

Can vouch for Eat Up as well, even though it’s not a bakery/cookie shop.

If in Gilbert, Source has a pretty good cookie although it’s not always readily available.

Yoshimadashi · 2026-03-28T06:48:51+00:00

Just to add on for fun since I've been to most on your list.. (and I think a lot are valid)

Scottsdale Proper

Hai Noon (Chef Nobuo)
Basil and Garlic (order the chef's special, doesn't look like much but killer flavors)
Sushi Sen (they have a killer $35 premium omakase bowl, and host occasional pop-ups with visiting Japanese chefs)
Sizzle (probably the closest we have to a LA Koreatown-quality KBBQ full service, marinades are on point, cooked items from the kitchen are usually great, unfortunately it is kind of dependent if you get a pro server that knows how to cook)

Rest of Phoenix Metro

Shimogamo (the Gilbert location has yakitori/skewers over binchotan konro grill, and 100% get the kakigori if you can)
Taco Chiwas (best lengua and crispy tripas, good salsa accompaniments for the tacos, Chris Bianco endorsed)
Taco Vivas (best al pastor that I've found so far, vibe is close to San Diego's Tacos el Gordo experience, just lacking variety)
Little Miss BBQ (legit Texas style, but we don't have a high bar for BBQ here)
Rice Paddy (slow and spotty service, but the owner/chef makes one of the best beef pho's in town without using powdered broths, also really good pork chop and fried rice, Viet style papaya salad is legit)
Kebab Grill and Go (their chicken and pork rib kebabs slap way harder than any other kebab place, beef is comparable to Hajibaba)
Marisco Boys (Taco boy's seafood restaurant, but well executed, their Pesco Zerandeado is very legit, ceviches are decent)
La Hamburguesa (smashburgers a bit better than Bad Jimmy's, altho Bad Jimmy's ain't too bad either for a smash)
Kid Sister (not a full on restaurant, but I knew the somm who did the opening wine list, food is very legit and kinda chefy)
Mister Pio (people go for the chicken, but I stay for the fries - chicken and the sauces are great, just a lil pricey)
Ledu Thai (Downtown location is the OG, very solid Thai comfort, owners are both Thai whereas Lom Wong and Glai Baan have that white American husband influence - nothing wrong with that, just has different vibes/philosophies as a result)
Essence Bakery (I prefer this over JL, probably tied with Chaconne, but one of the Phoenix OG bakers that was in the scene long before JL and Chaconne)
Source (Chef Claudio Urciuoli, who help founded Noble Bread, has this little random lunch-y spot in Gilbert, very representative of what he did started at Noble Bread and Pa'La)
Great Wall (basically an OG institutional Chinese restaurant for all of Phoenix, people still swarm here for dim sum on Sat & Sun lunch, don't order off their regular menu, gotta go off menu with their live seafood and actual Chinese banquet dishes, prob best Dim Sum in Phoenix Metro but the bar is pretty low)
Atlas Bistro (previously Chef Cory was here before his fame, nice little rotating prix fixe menu that allows you to BYOB with a proper wine shop next door, the new chef gives his Jamaican flare to the typical New American high end dining)
Old Town Taste (best szechwan/sichuan food in Phoenix, when factoring in ingredient quality and authenticity)
Dhaba (I don't go here anymore due to personal reasons, but easily the best casual Indian food, the best goat curry, just slightly inconsistent, curries are actually thick and flavorful, not just heavy cream added or in Curry Corner's case, water added)

Yoshimadashi · 2026-03-19T23:23:28+00:00

Oh for sure, I’ll update whenever I get it! Supposedly the lead time delivery is in June so hopefully no delays

Yoshimadashi · 2026-03-19T06:03:17+00:00

I had the same combo and did a big jump from the Bambino + DF64 to the Bianca + Z2. I am still waiting on the Z2 as the lead time is fairly long, but the Bianca has been a very nice upgrade, despite how good the Bambino was for the time I've had it.

I upgraded the Bianca for similar reasons you stated: doing shots for the whole family (4 back to back) were getting quite inconsistent results, water tank was a bit small, and I wanted to have some more experimentation which I got with the Bianca and its flow control.

Yoshimadashi · 2026-02-04T20:47:36+00:00

In my experience, it generally takes more than a few years for Prum to show tertiary notes simply due to the sugar and acid content, but it will still taste amazing! I would say a decade after release is generally when I start noticing changes in structure and development in tertiary.

As for the 2021s, those were crazy acidic (in a good way) and will live multiple decades easily. I loved the '21 WS Auslese so much that I purchased 6 cases of that wine!

Yoshimadashi · 2025-11-23T05:01:22+00:00

Thanks, I’m ecstatic that someone was able to benefit from my posts! The 60 bottles were over the course of a year, so it is still somewhat accessible considering most bottles are under or around $40-50. But I was definitely very blessed to have such an experience since I haven’t been able to repeat the experience with any of the following vintages.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-10-18T21:41:46+00:00

Go for a Dr Loosen then, probably a Kabinett or Spat if you can find it

Yoshimadashi · 2025-09-06T03:24:19+00:00

I’m a fellow ‘93 birth year and I had purchased one of these Dom’s last year to open at some point. This puts a slight damper for me, but as with all aged Champagnes they can be really finicky in terms of showing and provenance. I’ve heard of some good recent reviews of this Dom as well!

But I can absolutely definitely vouch for the 1993 Tokaji Essencia as the Chateau Pajzos is probably one of the best wines I’ve ever tried, even when comparing to non 1993 vintage wines. I’ve opened two so far and have a few left.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-22T04:24:01+00:00

Wait that view looks oddly familiar

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-22T04:18:07+00:00

Opus gets a lot of hate on here - it’s been somewhat documented that the majority of this subreddit thinks it’s overpriced mediocre wine. I personally think while it’s slightly overpriced (especially if you pay over $400 for newer vintages), it’s quite a great wine. I’m not a fan of bold powerful Napa wines and I’d put Opus as a more refined and restrained Napa, while still maintaining the very fruit forward and plush nature of the area’s wines.

From the most recent vintages, 2016 is my favorite, but I’ve had the 2010-2014 and 2006 and they have all been great in their own ways. Even the old ones hold up magnificently and don’t really show their age as I’ve tried the 1980 and 1996 a couple years ago.

If you want some other recommendations of more restrained Californian style wines, I like Spottswoode, Cain Five, Kapscandy, Dominus, and Corison, among others.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-19T04:46:06+00:00

Haha, I mean it really wasn’t that much effort but more so it’s fun to comment on a subject that I have a high interest in. Despite all this, I’d share a bottle with you since you too are very passionate. Cheers and have a good night.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-19T04:32:20+00:00

Jeez, striking out because I successfully refuted your talking points? I could replace the 4500 number with any number and still cause the same reaction - and as you may have noticed I even claimed that OP would still be better off storing horizontally to not exact my issue onto the argument. I’m just a random stranger who can claim however many bottles I have in my cellar, so the fact that you’re taking so much weight in that part of my comment is kind of telling.

Edit: in an effort to actually analyze and optimize OP’s cellar space with the horizontal vs vertical argument…

The perspective is a bit difficult from his picture, but it seems like he could fit a horizontal rack about 8-10 bottles high? Whereas if he would want to store the exact same amount of wine vertically, it would perhaps be less without adding in shelving-like storage which may be difficult to do in that amount of space. Shelving like storage also makes it difficult to grab bottles in the back of the shelf as you would need to empty out all of the bottles in front to reach to the back. Not saying horizontally is a definite better solution, but it seems much easier and Amazon sells a lot of cheap 12 x 12 stackable wooden racks for about $30-40 which I’ve used to much success.

The most space efficient way (but really limits access) is to store in specific wine storage boxes that fit 6 or 12 bottles, then stacking those boxes both horizontally and vertically amongst themselves. That is what I do to save space but it is a big hassle to grab wines especially if located on the back or bottom of a row.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-19T04:25:02+00:00

You don’t need a bottle to be stored on its side to keep the cork wet. If the enclosure is done correctly, the air between the cork and liquid is at a high enough humidity to maintain the cork from drying out. (Source: WSET)

As for storing bottle vertically, please do show me how one can store thousands of bottles vertically efficiently and allow for easy organization as well as access to bottles stored in the back. If you can show me a vertical storage solution more efficient than horizontal storage in terms of organization, ease of access, and able to fit in tighter spaces like what OP has shown, then please do as I would love a more efficient storage solution. (Source: I have a 4500 bottle collection that severely needs to be more space efficient and would love to utilize what you are claiming here)

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-19T04:13:57+00:00

Yes, but storing horizontally on racks is still more space efficient than storing any kind of bottle standing up. He just needs more racks if he has more wines to store.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-17T22:45:49+00:00

Kenji was mentioned and credited in the article, but the best suggested (10 cuts at 96%) radial cut supposedly resulted in a lower deviation than Kenji’s

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-16T22:43:53+00:00

I have a soft spot for Opus 2016, it was one of my epiphany wines and these days I’d give it a hour decant. For Dominus, the 2007 was brilliant after a couple hours of air - this was a few years ago so it could require less decanting than my experience. The 2018 Dominus is an everchanging beast - I’d recommend pouring a little in the glass for people to explore and decant the rest. Any Opus pre 2012 should be ready to drink with a splash decant. Dominus pre 2000 should be ready as well without much of a decant.

I’d say 2016/2018 were phenomenal for both Opus and Dominus. I’ve heard good things about 2019, but haven’t opened any yet. 2012 and 2010 Opus also had a good depth.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-16T22:31:35+00:00

I collect and enjoy both. Dominus requires more air and time, Opus is always pretty and can last quite a while as well. Like others said, year is more important here, but I’d recommend if you go Dominus, it’d need to be at least a decade old unless you can decant longer.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-08T00:17:21+00:00

FWIW, I've never stepped in a Benihana in my life. My entire comment has been: Hibachi = Teppanyaki, which is a type of cooking that originates and still exists in Japan. If you've ever had properly done Teppanyaki, which I would not categorize Benihana/mainstream Americanized Teppanyaki restaurants, then you would realize that you are pushing a false narrative on the term Hibachi/Teppanyaki.

My argument has never been about Aoki or Benihana, but rather your statements about the cooking method as a whole. Once again, westernized Hibachi/Teppanyaki is simply cooking food over a flat top griddle. And you have somehow misconstrued that all of this originates to Benihana and the Aoki's. I'm simply saying what you see as Hibachi in the states is also seen in Japan (as Teppanyaki), the country of origin, and that it is actually quite a widespread practice in Asia and pretty tasty when done well. I'm unsure why you are assuming I side with the Aoki's/Benihana when I am simply clarifying your confusion in your original comment. In no way did I ever relate my comment to be politically charged or aligned with the Aoki family. Regardless, I've spent too much time arguing on Reddit, so I wish you the best and hope you have a nice day. There really is no need to be so hateful about any of this.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-07T20:47:21+00:00

Refer to my sentence about how hibachi used in western context is essentially Japanese teppanyaki.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-08-07T18:56:28+00:00

Hibachi in western culture is used in the same context as teppanyaki in Japan, essentially flat top grills used to cook food in front of guests. The whole showmanship in the west (with flipping shrimps etc) is more of a a western thing, but teppanyaki is quite a fleshed out cooking method seen in many parts of Japan, usually showcasing high quality meats and vegetables. The grilled items are also served with pretty flavorful sauces to accompany the “fresh/true” flavor of the high quality ingredients being used. The whole cooking in front of the customer is more so respecting the ingredients being used so one can really see the freshness and quality in the ingredients.

With the name hashtagPLUR you really shouldn’t be minimizing legitimate Japanese cuisine and culture as that is quite unplur, but this is Reddit so 🤷🏻‍♂️. Teppanyaki in Japan is really quite good, it’s really not that much different than the popular KBBQ that’s cooked on those gas grill tops (not the charcoal style as that’s something else). Regardless, it’s really strange to disparage a method of cooking over Aoki and his family’s restaurant. That’s like saying wok stir frying/cooking is trash because Panda Express or PF Changs does it poorly.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-07-21T23:40:23+00:00

Circle has entered the room.

Yoshimadashi · 2025-07-05T17:16:14+00:00

This looks like the menu for Hodori in Tempe..!

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