Nice Week...

So, I finally get around to it...

The 1996 Salon "Le Mesnil" Blanc de Blancs is stunning - without question one of the great champagnes this house has ever produced (and that's saying a lot). Still so tightly wound, this baby is full of stony minerals, green apples, citrus rind and a long, long elegant, piercing finish. Bravo! The 1999 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs was good, nothing special - the nose a but richer showing some yeasty lees. The 1996 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs en Magnum was rich, toasty, and elegant... beautiful. The 1990 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs was very far advanced. Almost past it's peak (!?!?!?). An almost oxidized nose (consistant among 2 bottles) with bruised apples... By contrast, the 1985 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs was youthful and vibrant. Nutty with brioche and lemon rind... lots of life. The Delamotte Rose NV was beautiful. Strawberry, raspberry and rhubarb shows the Pinot Noir charachter... this wine needs time. The 2002 Domaine Faiveley Latricieres-Chambertin was mediocre... green stemmy tannins and tons of wood bogged this one down from the start. I didn't get a lot of fruit and think this one might not ever come around (or, I'd be suprised if the fruit was ever able to get out from under the wood and green). The 1993 Domaine Faiveley Latricieres-Chambertin was mature - barnyardy, earthy, wild strawberries... unfortunately, it wasn't overly exciting...

On Tuesday night I had dinner with Steve Smith MW, Managing Director of Craggy Range Winery from New Zealand (southern part of North Island). Craggy is one of the top producers in New Zealand, with some 30-odd single vineyard wines (most of which never make it to the US). I had not tasted his reds before, and I was blown away. But first, we started with some whites. The 2007 Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc, Te Muna Road Vineyard is classic - grapefruit, gooseberry, a bit of a green herbal quality.. lovely and refreshing (one of my favorites to drink at home, really). The 2006 Craggy Range Chardonnay was beautiful - all natural yeasts and barrel fermentation, this wine is stony and ripe, with elegance... awesome. The reds - 2004 Craggy Range "Le Sol" Syrah, Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand is otherworldy... quicky became one of my favorite New World Syrahs (outside of the big boys from Penfold's, Henshke, Mitolo, Clarendon Hills, Pax, Araujo). Smoked meat, bacon, black olive, black pepper, black cherries, blueberries, black raspberry - not over done. A bit dusty and earthy - the wine is powerful, but not in a negative way. Beautiful stuff right here... The 2004 Craggy Range "Sophia", Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand is their take on right-bank Bordeaux - 92% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc. The wine is cedary, with graphite, black earth, black berries, black cherries and a long, powerful finish. A baby... I loved these wines. Also at dinner - the 1997 Joly Clos de Coulee de Serrant, Savenierres was over the hill, yes he makes an oxidized style of wine, but this one was too far. Makes you question the winemaking... The 2001 Col d'Orcia "Nearco" Super-Tuscan, from the Pian di Vitino Vineyard near Montalcino was earthy, somewhat ripe, but clearly Italian. Pretty, but towards the end of the evening... The 2004 Hoopes Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville in Napa Valley was overdone... too ripe, too rich, too much alcohol. Really ripe, silky fruit...

Did have the 2004 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon the other night... this is not my favorite vintage of this wine at all...