Hot Set

Scarlet>Fire, Uncle John's Band>China Doll>Friend of the Devil>Playin In The Band>Uncle John's Band... really smoking Scarlet>Fire (35 minutes!), but the China Doll was spine-tingling. Great stuff... love the Anchor Steam! Tried a 1974 BV Georges de Latour last night... over the hill... completely.

On Monday, went to a tasting with some great wines... the 2004 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was the best of any of the 2004's I've tried. Another Baron property, the 2004 Chateau Clerc Milon was green and grassy... not good. A very uneven vintage (tried most of the classified growths a few months ago), but Mouton had the stuff (mocha, charred earth, graphite, cassis... really good). The 2004 Aile d'Argent (Mouton's white wine) was interesting, no where near a Haut-Brion Blanc, but on par with Lynch-Bages Blanc. Toasty cheese with grapefruit, tangerine and cinnamon. The 2004 Gaja Ca'Marcanda Magari rocks... from Gaja's Tuscan property, this wine is mind-blowing. The 4th vintage for this wine, and really the best yet. The 2003 Vineyard 29 was very good as well (see previous notes). The 2004 Aid