Away for a few days...

Had a great two days away... too bad it wasn't longer! Anyway, I came home to 1982 Monsanto "Il Poggio" Chianti Classico Riserva... spectacular. That classic dried-cranberry, tannin mass of a Chianti. This is fabulous! But, nowhere close to the next one... the 1990 E. Guigal Cote-Rotie "La Mouline" was incredible... if you don't believe in terroir... drink the 3 amazing Guigal La-La's - La Turque, La Landonne, and La Mouline. La Landonne is usually always 100% Syrah. La Turque generally Syrah with 5-7% Viognier added, and La Mouline has roughly 12% Viognier in the mix... The wine was incredible... all game, bacon fat, turned earth, black truffles, sweet plums, black pepper. Intense nose, but weightless on the palate. The wine was amazing. Simply amazing.

Hey

A few things to write about when I get a little time...

2002 DRC Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru (magnum) X2
1997 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
1999 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir
1999 Jacques Prieur Volnay-Santenots 1er Cru
1988 Trapet Latricieres-Chambertin
1981 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
1976 Leroy Pommard-Arvelets
2003 Peter Michael Les Cairrieres Chardonnay
1995 Araujo Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon

Plus a few more things.

A Long Week

Not much to chat about on here this week, plus I've been extremely busy. Yesterday was the first great wine of the week... the 1975 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Pauillac was beautiful and soft - very "Lafite". "It's like taking a bite out of a horse - gamey, tobacco, leather, cedar - it's fabulous!" - and V almost spit out his wine... "Just when I think the wine guys can't think of anything new to describe wine, Andrew blows me away" - classic, very classic. Since I haven't been writing much this week... let's talk about wine descriptors. I had a very, very good tasting on Wednesday morning (perhaps the best tasting I've ever done), and I also had a poor tasting. But what was consistant? Accurate descriptors. When tasting wine, it's all about what you enjoy. If you don't care about the unique and different smells, great. Wine is meant to be enjoyed the way YOU like it best. I love tasting wine and talking about it... I love the different smells, tastes - the fruits, spices, minerals, etc. It's an amazing substance.

Another Saturday Night...

started out SLOW... but finished up strong. The 1994 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon (two bottles) ranged from earthy and sweet to not as earthy and not as sweet. The wine is ok... very black fruits upfront then very, very sweet cherry/strawberry on the back end. Not my favorite wine. Both bottles were from the same wooden case, both stored exactly the same since they were purchased years ago, but yet they taste different. Isn't wine great! The 2001 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon is no longer open, vibrant, and explosive. While still outstanding, this wine has started to shut down and I will no longer be recommending it to guests until it comes around. Having tasted both this and the Harlan, and remembering the best bottle of this that I've had, the Harlan is a clear favorite. The Harlan, by the way, is one of the 5 best wines I've ever had. The 1994 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-St.-Vivant Morey-Monge was the perfect food wine. Full of acid, this off-vintage wine was outstanding. Very earthy, sweet, classic DRC. This bottle proves that even in off-vintages, the best producers still get the best fruit and still make the best wines. These are the vintages that tell me who the greats are...

Well... it had to end sometime

But did it really end? Last night, in any other week, was a pretty darn interesting night. Just after 3 of the last 4 nights, it wasn't spectacular (except in the bar...). The 1998 Pahlmeyer Red was a touch green, a touch corked, and like the rest of the night, wasn't all that spectacular. The 1995 Chateau Clerc-Milon, Pauillac, was slightly thin, but was a very nice Bordeaux. The 2002 Lamblin Chablis Premier Cru "Fourchaumes" was wonderful... classic steely-chalky limestone with beautiful fruits. Wonderful Chablis. The 2001 Chateau Fuisse Pouilly-Fuisse was amazing wine. Lots of new oak, lots of tropical fruits - so fat and lush. Glad we're pouring it by the glass... In all of the excitement of two nights ago, there was another bottle of 1952 Margaux that went out, with similar tasting notes. 6 bottles left...

The Ultimate Cult Wines - Opposite Ends

Ahhh... it continues... Last night was quite unreal. After Wednesday I expected a letdown, and it may come tonight, but it wasn't last night. First, the 1997 Communali Brunello di Montalcino was outstanding. Dried and ripe cranberries with wonderful smoke and spice. This wine is on fire right now. Great stuff. And after that, well... The 1995 La Mission Haut Brion was fantastic. Still very, very young, and an excellent wine in it's own right, it's just not mindblowing. Soft, silky, leather, tobacco, starting to reveal hints of sweet cherry. A good wine, just not a great one. Enough of that... The ultiamte California Cult Wine (yup, I've always like it better than Screaming Eagle) 2001 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine, Napa Valley is sick. Completely massive but without any substantial, overbearing palate weight. It comes roaring at you, but then is just so soft and sexy. This is what wine is supposed to be about. It is without question a "perfect" wine and is immediately in the 5 best wines I've ever had. Sweet black currant, ripe cherries, tobacco, graphite... it just goes on and on. The finish was well over a minute, perhaps stretching 90 seconds. Simply an incredible experience. What was NOT an incredible experience and perhaps one of the greatest dissapointments I've ever had was the 1988 Le Pin, Pomerol (2 bottles). This ultimate-cult wine, the single-most sought after garagiste wine was a wimp. Now, I will say that this was not the ultimate vintage of Le Pin either. But still, for all of the hype this wine was flat. Very light on the palate, both bottles tasted very similar, with bottle #2 perhaps being a touch better. Chocolate, deep berry fruit, cedar and black turned earth. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but with WS and RP scoring this wine 95 and 92 respectively, I wouldn't put these bottles any higher than the mid-80's. I've had much better $20 bottles of Cali Cab. With all of that being said, Le Pin was an experience, and I would welcome the opportunity to try one of the "great" vintages of this wine. We'll see.

Wow... Could be my greatest day for wine ever...

Oh boy oh boy... I don't know that I should get paid for "working" last night. While there were some difficult moments, it was also one of the most palate-enriching experiences of my life. Now, I'm the one that's supposed to provide incredible experiences for others, but last night I had an exceptional experience...For starters, we tasted 1961 Chateau Latour, 1970 Chateau Latour, 1982 Chateau Latour, and 1996 La Forts de Latour (2nd wine for Latour). The 1961 was unfortunately maderized... and was poured down the drain (for the most part). The 1970 was exceptional, if not a touch light. Beautiful cedar, black plums, a touch of anise... outstanding, but fell apart rather quickly. The 1982 was incredible. While not the greatest 1982 Latour I've ever had, it was certainly a perfect wine. Rich, dark, sweet and full of life, the 1982 was still on fire 6 hours later. It competley blew the 70 and 61 out of the water in terms of power, intensity, and complete mind-blowing complexity. The 1996 La Forts de Latour was black, full of anise, black plums, a hint of tobacco and cedar. A great wine certainly, but it didn't stand up to the Grand Vin.

After all of that, I really didn't feel like staying at work... But I'm glad I did, because, believe it or not, it only kept getting better from there. The young 1998 Domaine Lefaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Pucelles" was mineraly, rich, and outstanding, rock-star chardonnay. The 1952 Chateau Margaux was the 2nd finest Margaux I've ever tasted (behind the 1990). It was a youthful mass of dried leaves, black earth, cedar, tobacco, violets, and wild strawberry. So velvety, soft, and refined. The wine is incredible. The 2003 Peter Michael "Les Cairiannes" Chardonnay was rich, mineraly, buttery, oaky, but not over-the-top. Very balanced, excellent California Chardonnay. The 2001 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay 2001 was the complete opposite. While it was an outstanding wine, I couldn't drink it. It was too oaky, too buttery, too rich. I prefer the Peter Michael far and away when tasted side by side. But, the guest liked the Pahlmeyer better, which is all that matters in the end. The 2001 Peter Michael "Les Pavots" Meritage, California's highest scoring wine from WS in 2001, was massive. Ironically, R tasted it and said he likes the Pahlmeyer Red better than the Peter Michael, and I would agree. This wine was over-the-top in every category. Jammy black berries, graphite, and chocolate with immense body and excellent balance, but this was a little too much for me. It was nice to taste, I wouldn't want to drink it.

After all of that great wine, how can one wine top them all? The 1953 Chateau d'Yquem could. WS pans it. RP didn't review it. I don't know where WS got their bottle from, but this wine was liquid gold. Classic d'Yquem cabbage, botrytis, tropical fruits, peaches, candied apricots, just amazing... this wine was SO YOUNG!!! It was vibrant, dark gold in color, not yet showing hints of orange or browing whatsoever. The wine developed for an hour and 1/2 after opening indicating this wine still has a long, long life ahead of it. Perfectly balanced. Without question the greatest d'Yquem I've ever tasted (blows away the 1990)... nice.

WWO (White Wine Only)

If you don't like white wine, don't bother reading any more... 3 outstanding white wines tonight... first the 1999 Franz Hertzberger Gruner Veltliner Rotes-Tor Smaragd, Wachau, Austria was stunning... This is full-throttle, full-bodied Gruner. Any more umph and I would have thought it a Zind-Humbrecht Grand Cru Pinot Gris... Peaches, pears, white pepper (classic Gruner) with just the slightest bit of weight indicating a hint of sweetness. Then it fell away for a split second, then it comes roaring back with a full-on finish. Awesome stuff. To compete was the 2002 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Clavillons" - wow. What power, elegance, grace, and... well, just wow! Minerals, hazelnuts, wet stones, tropical fruits - all so tightly wound and jammed into this fabulous bottle... would love to try it again in 7 years. Domaine Leflaive makes killer White Burgundy. Period. The last wine? Krug MV... this wine really is starting to develop a gorgeous yeasty note... it's beautiful! If I could taste white wines like these every night... nah...

Louis, Louis...

Where ya gonna go? To go and try some Louis XIII Cognac... Forgot to write about this one yesterday. Louis XIII has an aura, a mystique about it. It's expensive, hard to find, and shows up on MTV a lot (better not to ask)... So what's it like? It's awesome... flowers, fruit, elegance with a hint of burn. Very, very nice 100% Grand Champagne - beyond XO...

The Contest Is Over...

6 Glasses of Krug MV... $300; La Tache... $700-2500; Winning the Mai Tai Contest... Priceless (plus $1 and a Top Shelf Mai Tai). Next up... Blue Lagoons. Last night rocked. Truly awesome wines. One table took all of my recommendations and pretty much had my dream wine night. But first... since when has Joseph Drouhin started making California wine? Isn't the core of Le Montrachet's most famous producer the classic, haunting minerals with incredible balance and forever-and-a-day finish? The 1998 J. Drouhin Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet tasted like it came right out of the Russian River Valley... now, I like RRV Chardonnays that have nice minerality to it. But when the "greatest" white wine vineyard in the world, halfway across the world, produces a wine that is an oak-bomb, I have to scratch my head and ask "What's the point". I defer judgement, as every other bottle of MDL Montrachet that I've had has been spectacular. Just not this one. The 1999 Ornellaia is a substantial, somewhat jammy - somewhat earthy balanced wine. Very nice length and just starting to show some age defining characteristics. Would have been a star of just about any other night. Give it time. The tannins need to settle a little bit, but it is beautiful now. The following is just about what I would drink if I could... The 1990 Krug Champagne is the finest Champagne I've tasted. Period. It is nectar, pure and simple. If I were teaching a winemaking course on Sparkling wine. I would have everyone taste this wine and say "Here is your benchmark of what this region should taste like". After that, the 2002 David Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay, Napa Valley - Carneros, was a suprise hit of the night. Everyone at the table fell in love with this wine. I recommended this wine because it is classic California, but it is so far removed from other California Chardonnay. I wish the Montrachet tasted this good... minerals, rich oak, butter (not too much), pears, baked apples. Gorgeous. But next to the 1998 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache... well, I'll just leave it at that. I've only ever been fortunate to have La Tache one other time... and the words are the same. It is what it should be. It is powerful, elegant, sensuous - silk in a glass. While still terribly young, the decanted version what should be the benchmark for Pinot Noir was stunning. Wonderful long finish of earth, tannin, spice, and classic wild strawberry and cherry. Awesome. And again, it should be the wine of the night, but it's not. It was the 1998 von Buhl Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Deidesheim, Pfalz. How do you follow up Krug, Ramey, and La Tache? D'Yquem? I thought about recommending it... but them R came out with this... and it was perfection. Liquid gold. 25 cases MADE (not imported. Made.) The rich honeyed botrytis and baked pears, apples... everything. One of the finest sweet wines I've ever tasted. Simply stunning... pehaps a 3 minute finish? Amazing wine night...

Mai Tai!

"Do you know what's really good with dessert? Our bartender's Mai Tais!"... but seriously, some very nice wines last night. The 1994 Chalk Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was showing a little bit of a green-olive note, but had jammy black fruits in the background and just a hint of tobacco. A very nice wine that is past its peak. The 2003 Chapoutier Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc was beautiful after about an hour or two... gorgeous flowers. On to the very interesting wines of the night... first, use all means necessary to acquire any of the 2004 Patz & Hall Pinot Noirs. Last night we had the 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (their "lowest-end" bottling) and it was a monster... unreal, dark, completely California Pinot Noir. I can only imagine what the single-vineyard wines are like... The 1991 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, our last bottle, was fading by the time I got to try it. While still full of plummy cedar and tobacco, this elegant wine had fallen apart in 3 hours, but it smelled glorious when I decanted it. The 1988 Chateau Haut-Brion was stunning... it smelled like Haut-Brion and mostly tasted like other Haut-Brions I've had, but this was something that the others aren't - elegance in a bottle. I always think of Haut-Brion as muscular with an underlying layer of finesse. This wine was all finesse... and what a wine it was! While WS and RP have this wine at different ends in the 90-100 point category, I would certainly put this example in the upper levels. Cedary, but with tobacco, pencil lead, plums, and anise. Again, extremely elegant on the long, long, long finish. If you have a few, open one up.

Some fun wines...

Tonight seemed to be about interesting, fun wines. First, the 2003 Zind-Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Pinot Gris, Alsace was a massive, dry Pinot Gris with incredible weight and immense, but balanced (amazing), alcohol - quite an achievement considering the alcohol was listed at 16%(!). That's 2003 for you... The 2001 and 1996 Silver Oak Alexander Valley was a contrast... The young, jammy 2001 was classic young Silver Oak - anise, black fruit, with that same hint of red fruits I got the other night when I tasted it. The 1996 was cedary, with tobacco, and still the red fruits, but not the concentration. This wine is at its peak. Also tasted today were the 2001 Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape. A lighter in style Chateauneuf-du-Pape, this was still very classic for the region. Very earthy, but very approachable and delightful! Very good, would give it 5 more years of life. The 1997 Chateau Desmirail was a bowl of violets... not outstanding, the wine is classic Margaux nonetheless. Also, haven't tasted it in a while... but wow, it's gotten really, really good... was the MV Krug... left open for a day or two, the nose changed to rich yeast... amazing stuff.

Tasting Time...

6 Wines... 33 Steps per wine... 25 Minutes... Time to get into "shape"... my palate into shape that is. I have a competition in March that I need to get ready for, so I'll be putting quite a few tasting notes up here, not necessarily on great wines that I've gotten to try, but about how my tastings are going. I'll still write about those wines, but you'll see a great deal about sights, smells, and tastes. Last night R gave me 6 wines and 5 minutes to just play a little sommelier game. I did ok... nailed 4 of the 6 wines, but I feel I would have gotten 1 more if the light had been better (it was dark, and I needed the visual clue). So, all in all, I'm pretty happy for a first effort since August.

Tasted the 2001 August Briggs Dijon Clones Pinot Noir, Napa Valley. A very, very, very hot wine (hot refers to the alcohol content, or percieved alcohol content) - 14.5% which came off as unbalanced. Also tasted a 1986 Carpineto Vin Santo, Tuscany, Italy - a repasso wine - that was gorgeous with honeyed almonds, tropical fruits, and amazing aromatics. Fabulous length on this wine. Great stuff.

Starts off Just Like It Ended...

This year it's a game of "Who can beat #1"... Last night the 2001 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon was showing brilliant. Decanted a full 4 hours, this wine is immense. Will something beat it this year? We'll have to see... and have a lot of fun trying! The 2001 Silver Oak Alexander Valley wasn't even close. While I'm not a big fan of this wine, I will say it's starting to show a little bit better. It lost some of it's anise and has developed a nice cherry finish. I don't think this wine is going to age very long, though. So drink up! The 1975 Chateau Pichon-Longueville-Baron, 2nd Growth, Pauillac had a glimmer of hope right out of the gate... then faded as just as quickly. All spice, not fruit... the wine is dead. RIP. The 1995 Chateau Pichon-Longueville-Baron, 2nd Growth, Pauillac was excellent, however. Classic Pauillac, with tremendous power and tannin. At 10 years old, this wine is still such a baby. Just starting to show tobacco, cedar, and leather - this is a fruit driven wine right now. It put a fight up to the Shafer, but didn't carry the power to the finish long enough. Last, the 1995 Chateau Clerc-Milon, 5th Growth, Pauillac was a wonderful wine. Showing more intensity than I expected, this could be the best Clerc-Milon I've ever had. Black fruit still shines through, and the color was still quite dark, with just hints of ruby red showing on the rim. A very, very nice wine.... not too bad a night!

Well... a slow week...

Friday night... 2000 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages - Now I like lettuce. A lot. But I don't like cabbage in my wine! While there was a long finish, it is nothing like the 1999, 2001, 1997, 1996, etc. Very green, stemmy, and full of anise. On the other hand, the 1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux was out of this world... still tight and closed, this wine took a full 3 hours to even start showing it's stuff. Sweet strawberries, red plums, and currants, along with meat, pepper, and turned earth. A long... long... long finish for this wine. Keep it for another 5 years and open it then...

Best Wines of 2005

Ok... so here are my favorite wines of 2005... In no particualar order, then the top 3... 2001 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon; 1961 Chateau Latour; 1947 Chateau Caillou; 1985 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux; 2002 Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvingon; 2002 Domaine Michelot Meursault "Perriers"; 1964 Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Kronenberg feinste Riesling Auslese; 2000 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Hors Choix Selection Grains Nobles; 1993 Royal Tokaji Wine Company Escenzia; 1990 Krug; 1997 Gaja Costa Russi; 1990 Chateau Margaux;
1995 Kistler Cuvee Katherine Pinot Noir; 1987 Dominus (Magnum); 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia; 1976 Trimbach Gewurztraminer "Cuvee des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre" 350th Anniversary bottling; 1963 Fonseca Vintage Port; 2001 Zind-Humbrecht Clos St. Urbain Rangen Grand Cru Tokay Pinot Gris; 1989 Chateau Lynch-Bages; 2004 Pride MME-B Merlot (Barrel). That does it... read some of the reviews in earlier posts... Now for the top 5... #5 2004 Pride MME-B Merlot (Barrel Sample)... wow. I don't think Merlot gets any better from California. #4 1990 Chateau Margaux... easily the best Margaux I've ever had (better than the 78 by miles). #3 1990 Krug Champagne... amazing Champagne... still searching for a bottle for myself. #2 1961 Chateau Latour... everything I could have ever expected. Could be the greatest wine I've ever had, but it wasn't the most suprising. For me, the #1 wine of 2005 was the 2001 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the stuff... possibly the greatest young California Cabernet Sauvignon I've ever tasted. This thing is completely enthralling. Everything I'm thinking about when I taste this wine gets obliterated... It's a monster... reminds me of young Latour. Great stuff. Cheers!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year to everyone! May the New Year bring you good friends, good food, and good wine. As for me... mine brought me two of the three (an overcooked cheeseburger for dinner doesn't classify as "good food".) For the wine, it was spectacular. The 1978 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild was a nice bottle, but was not properly stored it seemed. It had a very low fill, the cork was slightly protruding, and it had a slight burnt-rubber aftertaste, though it was filled with that classic Lafite cedar closet smell. The 2001 Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet was outstanding, though it did seem to have a touch of cork on it... a very slight touch. The wine was so tight and mineraly with raw power... I would give it another 10 years before I'd even touch it, and that is from a mildly off-year. On to the real goodies... the 1985 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux was unlike any I'd ever had (Echezeaux, that is). So undeniably Mdme. Bize-Leroy with unreal structure and power, but at the same time, classic rustic earth-driven Echezeaux. Without question, this is the pinnacle for this Grand Cru... and it's still very young! Last but certainly not least, my favorite California wine I had in 2005, and moving steadily up my "best ever" list is the 2001 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. Sorry Wine Spectator, this is my "Wine of the Year". Unbelievably rich without being even the slightest bit cloying with overextraction, this is what Stags Leap Cabs should taste like. I reviewed this wine a few months ago, and if anything, it's adding dimensions. A great, classic Hillside Select.