Holiday

mmm great wines last night. Started with the Piper-Heidseick Brut, which is good, but unspectacular. The Pol Roger Brut NV rocks... though not the depth of the Sir Winnie, it's a great, classic champagne halfway between Louis Roederer Brut and Bollinger. Lovely... Then we opened up a bottle of 1981 Chateau St. Jean Johannisberg Riesling Belle Terre Vineyards... 11.9% ABV, 1.9% Residual Sugar harvested at 21.9 Brix... Amazing that this wine was still alive. lasted all of 10 minutes, then turned completely. Complete oil with hazelnuts and just a tiny bit of honey and apricots. A very educational wine and it just goes to show you the aging qualities of riesling... The 2005 Dr. Thannisch Bernkastler Doctor Riesling Spatlese rocks... no oil or petrol yet, just all slate and peaches, pears and apricots. Moved onto red... the 2003 Simonnet Febvre Irancy (an area just outside of Chablis in Burgundy... this is made from 100% Pinot Noir but can use Gamay and Cesar as well.) A beautiful rose-petal nose and cranberries and rhubarb... A very, very nice Pinot Noir that is not imported into the US... yet. Only in France and Canada... The 1993 Banfi Poggio all Oro Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, en Magnum - is in full maturity and is drinking so nicely. Lovely cedar and dried cherries, cranberries and plums with soft, round tannins. Shows what happens when really good Brunello is aged to maturity... The 1986 Chateau Lynch-Bages was a superstar... Though I find it really hard to get that excited about Bordeaux any more, this could be one of the best that I've had from 1986. Certainly the best 86 Lynch Bages I've had, this bottles was flawless and was stored very kindly for the last 20 years. Black plums, cedar, cassis and with still the classic Lynch-Bages power. A really amazing wine. For dessert, the 2002 Inniskillen Vidal Ice Wine is nectar... honey, apricots, pears and a pretty sweetness. Really nice dessert wine. Followed that up with some Sandeman's Amontillado Sherry which was fabulous. A lovely end to a great meal.