DRC's (again)

Before the questions are asked - 1) yes, I feel very lucky to get to taste the wines that I get to taste; 2) no, I never get tired of tasting them... now on with the show!

The 1999 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon is a nice wine, if not a bit one-dimensional. It's good, certainly, just not great. The 1996 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron is nice as well. A bit of cocoa and toast still on this one... needs more time. Quite a bit softer and more opened than the 1995s of late. The 1997 Dominus continues to be one of the best of this over-hyped vintage. Like drinking pure gravel, this St.-Emilion clone is awesome with loads of cedary cigar box, tobacco leaves and black plums. Amazing wine. My list will have to be adjusted for this one... On to the Burgundy (I'll do them in the order I tasted them). The 1995 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg (last bottle) is still a baby. Tasted several times throughout the night, the first right after opening, then again an 1 1/2 hours later, then 2 hours after that, the wine was just opening at 1 1/2 hours and had blossomed at the 3 1/2 hour mark - but was by no means done. This needs at least another 10 years to fully open and be appreciated. The wine was so complex and powerful it blew me away. Better than any of the previous bottles of this that I've tasted that were impenetrably closed, this one had a stunning nose right from the outset. Awesome. The 1988 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux was a stunner as well... fully developed nose, with a palate that still needed a few year. If you're going to drink one, open it 1/2 hour ahead and then start to go to town over the next few hours. Black peppered earth with clovey-strawberries... Rustic in style (as GE is), with pure, silky smooth tannins. Like velvet. The 1988 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-St.-Vivant "Morey Monge" was very old-school DRC... Still has lots of tannin and lots of life. The nose was sweet candied cherries and strawberries with generous clove, tobacco-hay and sweet, silky smooth fruit on the palate... the difference in terroir was so clearly evident between these two bottles. One, sweet-fruit and earth, the other rustic power... I prefered the Grands Echezeaux last evening... the top 56 or whatever it is now will change...

And...

The 1996 Gosset Celebris (Champagne) was stunning... a beautiful example of the hidden power of this beautiful vintage. The acidity was so piercing, the fruit almost sweet, that this Champagne completely exceeded any expectations I had. This needs time to integrate all of the minerals and what appears to be a very high percentage of Chardonnay. The Krug Rose MV was a stunner... clearly a very old (5-7 years) bottle, the wine was weightless, yet so powerful and fruit-driven in the glass. The secondary aromas of toast and anise were really screaming, but the wine is a fruit-driven, pure clean wine. Awesome to taste both of these in the same night. The 1999 Dr. Burklin Wolf Forster Kirchenstuck Auslese Trocken en Magnum was a baby. Not really integrated at all, was a completely different animal to the much more evolved Magnum I had about 2 weeks ago (different einzellagen as well). All minerals and petrol with hints of peach, it was completely wound up and didn't unravel at all over the 4 hour period it was opened. The 2003 Harlan Estate was completely closed and didn't yield any of the beauty the last bottle I had did... Oh well. Even more dissapointing was the two bottles of 1995 Araujo Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon I poured down the drain... The 2002 Masseto en Magnum was good, not great. I still think they should not have made this wine in this weak, green, un-ripe vintage. The wine was all green pepper and herbs... that what happens when Merlot doesn't ripen!!! The 1995 Chateau Talbot had green note to it as well, but was a green tannin note rather than a green fruit or vegetal note. If I had a ton of 1995s in my cellar, I'd be very nervous right now... Some are beautiful, but others show absolutely no sign of opening any time soon (if at all). Give most of them at least another 5 - 10 years. The wine of the night, and one that is making me re-assess my ranking of it, was the 1990 Chateau d'Yquem. Powerful - almost lunging out of the glass - this wine is one of the most concentrated d'Yquem's I've had. Still a youthful, minerally baby, the wine screams botrytis. I still don't think it's the best d'Yquem out there, but it's very, very good.

The Top 10

Picking the Top 10 this year was easy... as was putting them in order, for the most part. As the year is not over yet, I reserve the right to change a few things around... but I doubt it. I went back and forth with #1 & #2, switching them a few times until I was completely comfortable with my final result (while as I'm typing this, I'm not 100% comfortable..) So, here we go.


10
2002 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

Despite being one of the most concentrated wines I've ever tasted, this wine is balanced in every way. While it doesn't have the purity of texture the 2001 Harlan Estate has, for a young wine, this is stellar stuff. This was top 3 last year, but only #10 this year...

9
1982 Chateau Latour, Premier Grand Cru, Pauillac, Bordeaux France

A monumental wine - simply perfect - yet, very young. If there was a bottle on this list to put away for another 100 years, this is the one. The bottles I had this year didn't have weightlessness of the bottles last year, so it's not as high up… another top 3 last year.

8
1994 Colgin Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

Until I tried this, I thought the 1994 Bryant Family was the best mature California Cab I've ever had. The Colgin was more youthful, layered and complex than any other older Cali Cab I'd ever had (notice the qualifiers… the 2001 Harlan still takes the cake). Silky texture, amazing length. Simply pure.

7
1990 Krug "Clos du Mesnil" Blanc de Blancs, Le Mesnil sur Oger, Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France

The second time I've had this - the last about a year and a half ago - the wine has become racy yet elegant with a pure Chardonnay nose - perfect Champagne. As a Champagne freak, this drove me crazy… tasted next to the 1979 Krug Collection en Magnum and there was no comparison, in my book. Had at Lunch in March.

6
1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux, Flagey-Echezeaux, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France

This is pure bottled earth. More mature than Romanee-Conti (as expected), this wine has layers and layers of ripe fruit with clove, black olive, cedar, tobacco leaves, violets, roses, hibiscus, etc. An almost perfect Burgundy.

5
1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti, Vosne-Romanee, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France

If this wine were mature, it could go higher… unreal nose… weightless, silky, perfect palate. I will always be able to taste this wine. Needs lots more time.

4
1955 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Premier Grand Cru, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

The single greatest example of Lafite I've ever had the joy of tasting. Tremendous fruit with all of those beautiful Lafite cedary/cigar box/dusty, dried tobacco leaf aromas. The finish went on forever….

3
2004 Sea Smoke "Southing" Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California

A California Pinot higher than 1990 Romanee-Conti??? You bet… I broke this out on my trip to California, where it was obviously the wine of the trip for me. The nose is something like a perfectly mature La Tache (silky-smooth ripe fruit) combined with the power of Richebourg. I can and always will be able to smell and taste this wine. It was simply perfect and the greatest Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy I've ever tasted. Came from my cellar.

2
1961 Chateau Latour, Premier Grand Cru, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

One of the great bottles of wine I've ever drunk in my life… Better than any other 1961 Latour I've ever had. I am simply without words describing this bottle. It took the other 1961's I've had to a completely other level. Drank at lunch in March.

1
1990 E. Guigal "La Turque" Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhone Valley, France

The wine of the March Lunch and one of the three best bottles I've ever drunk in my life… read my notes from March. 93% Syrah, 7% Viognier. Combines the best of Burgundy with Bordeaux and you end up with this monster.

This Week

Not a lot great this week... The 2005 Domaine de la Faugourde Coteaux du Layon (brought from France, not sure if this producer is imported or not) was beautiful. A lovely balance between the RS and acidity. Pure Chenin and very tasty. The 2002 Freiherr Langwerth von Simmon Hattenheimer Wisselbruher Riesling Spatlese en Magnum was tasty - not outstanding, but very drinkable and a nice treat! The 2004 Tsiakkas Cabernet Sauvignon, Pitsilia Mountains, Cyprus was very, very nice. I was quite suprised at the quality here. Somewhat fruit forward, the wine had a lovely finish and nice length... bravo! The Lanson NV Brut was tasty - lots of biscuit notes - very Chardonnay as it was a week or so ago. The 2005 Kistler Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was a fireball... very hot on the palate (the alcohol was not at all integrated and came off unbalanced), the fruit-forward and clove-spiced nose was beautiful, however. To me, for the next 5 years, I would just smell this wine - not drink it. After that... go to town. The 1990 Chateau Rieussec was stunning... The depth and youthful quality of this wine amazes me - even more so that when I tried it, it had been opened (unvacuumed) for more than 3 weeks (!!!!). Not as rich as the 1990 d'Yquem, it was clearly more mature and lacked a bit of umph that would have pushed it over the top. A fabulous wine!

11-25

Yup... 11-25.

25-1999 Chateau Tirecul "Cuvee Madame" Monbazilliac - I've had this before, but for some reason this wine completely bowled me over this year. The depth of botrytis and length on the finish, coupled with extreme power with grace is something I've only ever found in very old Chateau d'Yquem. Actively searching for this wine for my own cellar.
24-1989 Gaja Barbaresco - what can be said? So much Sotto Bosco - enjoyed at a tasting then again at lunch. Maybe not the 1990 or 1988, but Gaja's signature wine is always enjoyable. This was a treat.
23-1966 Leroy Meursault "Pezerolles" Premier Cru - In my mind, the greatest winery anywhere... The fact that they do a library release every now and then blows me away... much like this wine. Amazing Chardonnay from one of the supreme Burgundy vintages of the 20th Century... like liquid hazelnuts with plenty of life.
22-1975 Bertani Amarone - pure smokey leather. What a wine... almost my favorite Italian of the year.
21-1988 DRC Richebourg - it doesn't get much better than 19 year old Richebourg...
20-1989 DRC Grands Echezeaux - when GE is done correctly, it can be one of the most enticing wines made...
19-1994 Bryant Family - this wine was initially going to go into the top 10, but after tasting a few other 1994s, it got knocked down a notch.
18-2003 Penfold's Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon- Anyone like to drink liquid tar? This is it... one of the rarest wines in Australia and it surpassed all of the hype and gets my nod for Austalian Wine of the Year.
17-1985 Braida Bricco dell'Uccellone Barbera d'Asti- what a suprise this was... after drinking a 1994 Ca'del Bosco Cuvee Annamaria Clementi, the good Doctor produced this stunner. Soooo much earth, one of the great experiences of my trip this summer.
16-1986 Chateau Cheval-Blanc - this was one that I forgot (how, I don't know... sorry...) Pure Cheval, I've now had this 4 times in the last 2 years and it keeps getting better and better. Not as good as the 2000, 1998, 1990 or 1982 in my mind, but still great and one of the best Bordeaux produced in this vintage.
15-1996 Gaja Sperss - When I opened up the first bottle of this, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. This has everything great Barolo should have - Sotto Bosco, dried leaves, black fruit, red fruit, roses... The finish on this wine goes on forever... full of texture but almost weightless. Best Italian of the Year for me.
14-1998 Comte Georges de Vogue "Le Musigny" Vieilles Vignes - what can I say about my favorite Burgundy vineyard? If only this were another 5 - 10 years older. Like drinking pure silk.
13-2000 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune Riesling - if anyone should ever dispute the greatest dry white Riesling (and possibly the greatest white wine anywhere), one only need to try this and that will be the end of that.
12-1982 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac - At it's prime, this is a #1-#3 wine, but this bottle had faded just a touch and falls out of the top 10... but still an amazing bottle. Glad I had the opportunity to taste it several times.
11-1995 Domaine Leroy Richebourg - Not sure how this missed the top 10, but it does (when you see the top 10, you'll see why...) Maybe, again, another 5-10 years and this could be a favorite. Awesome Richebourg.

Let's see... that leaves 3 Bordeaux, 2 Burgundy, 1 Champagne, 3 California, and 1 Rhone as the makeup of the top 10... it's going to take a lot for the top 10 to change...

Changes

I told you it was going to happen.. here's the new new 25-40 and 40-56... There was one I forgot that needed to go pretty high up, plus the addition of the 1990 Lafite to 40-56 and the 1995 Haut-Brion in the #38 spot.

40-56 (in no particular order)2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex, Pouilly-Fume*1998 Penfold's Grange (I expect as this integrates and matures this will be one of the great wines in the Grange lineup, but it's still too tightly wound to merit a higher placement this year).*2005 Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet (see above... too young at the moment)1999 Cristal en Jerobaum (again, too young)1994 Ca'del Bosco Cuvee Annamaria Clementi Franciacorta - had over an amazing lunch.2004 Tignanello (again, too young... I need one of these)1979 Krug Collection en Magnum2003 Phelps Backus (again, too young)1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux (I struggled with this one and before I'm done this may break into the top 30)1989 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron1990 Penfold's Grange1970 Chateau Latour1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne (special note on this one... as great as it is, I had a tremendous number of wines this year that blew me away. I own a bottle of this) *1990 Dom Perignon Rose en Magnum (really great, but not this year)1999 Cristal Rose (again, really great... but not this year) 1990 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (I’ve had much better bottles of this… could be a top 25-wine)

26-40
26 - 1995 Pahlmeyer Red en Magnum - had in California. Beautiful and round... awesome stuff.
27 - 1999 Gaja Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino - one of the great Brunello's and the best I had in 2007.
28 - 1990 Chateau d'Yquem - such a monstrous baby. Tons of minerals and botrytis. Yes, the quality is there, but the excitement wasn't. It's easy to make d'Yquem one of the favorites. This position may change, though. Had at lunch in March.
29 - 2004 Gaja Barbaresco - The wine is far too young to merit anything higher, but it is a hell of a wine. Awesome power with elegance. Time will be kind to this one... Tasted at the winery. *30 - 2004 Sassicaia - again, far too young. The best Sassicaia I've had since the great 1990. Tasted at the winery.
31 - 2001 Gaja Sperss - See 28, but even more closed. Tasted at the winery.*
32 - 1996 Salon "Le Mesnil" Blanc de Blancs, Champagne - Getting the picture? This is where the great young wines go... simply stunning Champagne full of minerals. Just hints of brioche. Needs many, many years.
33 - 1998 Alvario Palacios L'Ermita Priorato - what a great wine - earth and power. Tasted several times over the year, with the best bottle being just a few months ago.
34 - 1994 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon - Tasted several times. Would have been higher if the last bottle or so hadn't been a slight disappointment.
35 - 1971 Weingut Norbert Eser Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Auslese, Rheingau, Germany - had in the car with a great friend only a few weeks ago (PS, I wasn't driving)
36 - 1900 Irmes & Borges Colheita Port - bottled in 1947. This wine morphed faster than any other wine I've ever tasted... It drink beautifully right out of the bottle, then dies, then comes back. It's like a caterpillar into butterfly.
37 - 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico, Ribera del Duero - The bottles have closed down slightly, so it's not drinking as well as it was last year. Try again in 5 years.
38 – 1995 Chateau Haut-Brion – really beautiful wine here… I’d love to try it again in another 10 years when it unleashes its “fury”.
39 - 1995 Poggio all'Oro Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - tasted at the winery during lunch. Wowzers. Full of Sotto Bosco and dried leaves... so good I had to get a bottle for myself.*
40 - 1998 Von Buhl Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - had this at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, it was our last bottle. What a stunner this one is... full of life, drink in 30 years.

This is why

I shouldn't do my list until the very end of the year... the night before last was a half bottle of 1990 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. While this wasn't the best bottle of this I've had, the nose was pure Lafite and could not ever be mistaken for another wine. It goes in the 38-54 category... Also the other night was the 2002 Dolce (Far Niente)... this wine has a beautiful nose, but the palate is unbalanced and flabby with no lasting finish. Very dissapointing. Last night was the 1995 Chateau Haut-Brion... now, this is still a baby, but wow. The nose is just starting to unwind and the finish is looooooong and powerful. Just starting to show the gravely-bacon fat that I associate with Haut Brion. Goes somewhere in the now top-39... The 2004 Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is beautiful Chilean Cab... green pepper, but so beautifully balanced and not overextracted or overdone in any way. Nice... a not-so pleasant suprise was the 1995 Chateau Cos d'Estournel... Tasted before the Haut Brion, this wine seemed lifeless and lacking fruit. It was rustic, sure, but where the Haut Brion was a ball of fury about the be unleashed, the Cos felt like it was fading rather than gaining...

And So It Begins...

First, the 2002 Rosemount Estate "Tradition" (Bordeaux-style blend) is quite nice... had a bit of age to it now, so it's really soft (but still ripe on the nose) with tons of minty eucalyptus.

So, tonight I'll begin the countdown... of course it first involves narrowing down my 116 (!) favorite wines to a more manageable 53 (!!... how that happened I have no idea... I'm now spending time culling it to the best 38 - why 38? Why not!). So, now it's 30 minutes later and I don't want to remove any of the wines... so... I'm going to do the top 53. I'll put 38-53 in a group in no particular order, but I will then begin listing the top 30 (well, actually that's not true either... I could only narrow it to 38). Today, we'll see 38-53 and 25-37. * means it was either from my cellar or I own some.

To me, these are the greatest wines I had the pleasure of tasting or drinking this year. It is not meant to be a representation of what's available, or what's new. It's simply me listing my favorite wines I've had in the last 12 months. A young wine may be spectacular and may be destined for greatness, but if it wasn't drinking that well when I tried it, that's all that matters... it's not about what the wines will be, rather what they are now. Enjoy.

38-53 (in no particular order)

2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex, Pouilly-Fume*
1998 Penfold's Grange (I expect as this integrates and matures this will be one of the great wines in the Grange lineup, but it's still too tightly wound to merit a higher placement this year).*
2005 Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet (see above... too young at the moment)
1999 Cristal en Jerobaum (again, too young)
1994 Ca'del Bosco Cuvee Annamaria Clementi Franciacorta - had over an amazing lunch.
2004 Tignanello (again, too young... I need one of these)
1979 Krug Collection en Magnum
2003 Phelps Backus (again, too young)
1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux (I struggled with this one and before I'm done this may break into the top 30)
1989 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron
1990 Penfold's Grange
1970 Chateau Latour
1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne (special note on this one... as great as it is, I had a tremendous number of wines this year that blew me away. I own a bottle of this) *
1990 Dom Perignon Rose en Magnum (really great, but not this year)
1999 Cristal Rose (again, really great... but not this year)

25-38

25 - 1995 Pahlmeyer Red en Magnum - had in California. Beautiful and round... awesome stuff.
26 - 1999 Gaja Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino - one of the great Brunello's and the best I had in 2007.
27 - 1990 Chateau d'Yquem - such a monstrous baby. Tons of minerals and botrytis. Yes, the quality is there, but the excitement wasn't. It's easy to make d'Yquem one of the favorites. This position may change, though. Had at lunch in March.
28 - 2004 Gaja Barbaresco - The wine is far too young to merit anything higher, but it is a hell of a wine. Awesome power with elegance. Time will be kind to this one... Tasted at the winery. *
29 - 2004 Sassicaia - again, far too young. The best Sassicaia I've had since the great 1990. Tasted at the winery.
30 - 2001 Gaja Sperss - See 28, but even more closed. Tasted at the winery.*
31 - 1996 Salon "Le Mesnil" Blanc de Blancs, Champagne - Getting the picture? This is where the great young wines go... simply stunning Champagne full of minerals. Just hints of brioche. Needs many, many years.
32 - 1998 Alvario Palacios L'Ermita Priorato - what a great wine - earth and power. Tasted several times over the year, with the best bottle being just a few months ago.
33 - 1994 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon - Tasted several times. Would have been higher if the last bottle or so hadn't been a slight disappointment.
34 - 1971 Weingut Norbert Eser Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Auslese, Rheingau, Germany - had in the car with a great friend only a few weeks ago (PS, I wasn't driving)
35 - 1900 Irmes & Borges Colheita Port - bottled in 1947. This wine morphed faster than any other wine I've ever tasted... It drink beautifully right out of the bottle, then dies, then comes back. It's like a caterpillar into butterfly.
36 - 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico, Ribera del Duero - The bottles have closed down slightly, so it's not drinking as well as it was last year. Try again in 5 years.
37 - 1995 Poggio all'Oro Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - tasted at the winery during lunch. Wowzers. Full of Sotto Bosco and dried leaves... so good I had to get a bottle for myself.*
38 - 1998 Von Buhl Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - had this at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, it was our last bottle. What a stunner this one is... full of life, drink in 30 years.

Just One

1993 Opus One was drinking suprisingly well... still full of live, but very cedary with tobacco and sweet black currant... very nice.

Oooooooooooooo

What a yummy night... Started off with an older bottle of Lanson Black Label Champagne, almost pure chardonnay with tons of yeasty, biscuit notes. Great stuff... had two bottles of Bollinger that were both oxidized, so we moved on to the 2005 Napa Wine Company Pinot Blanc, which I shall not mention again... too buttery and overdone for my tastes. So, we opened a 2001 Dr. Burklin Wolf "Kirchenstuck" Riesling Trocken which was extremely young... tons of minerals with a beautiful petrol note developing. This will be better in the years to come. Almost completely dry. A great wine. The 1999 Dr. Burkling Wolf Diedesheimer Lagenmorgan Riesling Trocken (not sure of the Pradikat, though it had to be Spatlese or Auslese), Court of Master Sommelier's Limited Edition, Magnum 123/200. The wine was massive... completely mind-blowing. Tons of petrol, but not over the top. In complete balance with loads of tropical, floral fruit. Hmmm. The 1996 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, South Australia, Magnum #60/180 was awesome... only 13% alcohol, this was pure mint and eucalyptus with dusty earthiness. Australian, definitely, but not the over-extracted, over-done stuff... true Coonawarra Cab... The 1978 Hospices de Beaune "Beaune", Magnum (tasted blind initially) was beautiful... almost orange on the rim with a pretty cherry red in the center. Dried leaves, compost, wild strawberries... shows what happens in a great vintage, even with village wine, in Burgundy. Really beautiful, and glad I saved some for the Epoisses. The 1982 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac, was simply stunning... one of the great '82s, this wine has reached maturity in 750ml bottle and will only decline from here. A great bottle (fill well into the neck), but I've had better bottles before. Anise, tons of cedar/cigar box, graphite, black cherry, and a long, long elegant finish. Blew me away last night. The 1995 Chateau d'Yquem was all botrytis and candied apricots. Went great with the Roaring 40's from Tasmania... A nice treat! We should all be drinking d'Yquem much more often than we get to... To close the evening, two amazing Sherry's, neither imported into the US (as far as we can tell as we've never seen either offered anywhere). both Emilio Lustau... the first was simply labeled as "East India Trading Company". Had a bit of sweetness but almost Amontillado in style... dark in color, really pretty "bag of walnuts". The last, the exceptionally rare and highly sought after Palo Cortado... mindblowing wine - makes me wonder why we don't embrace Sherry... I need some of these for my cellar.

A great night, a great party...

Ho Ho Ho...

Been a good, if not spectacular, week... but we have our annual get together this evening where some great wine should go down...

The 2004 Tignanello could very well be the finest version I've ever tasted... simply mind-blowing concentration for a mostly-Sangiovese wine. Loads of anise and black berries, with hints of red fruit and tons of classic Italian dusty earthiness... very Italian, very Tig, and this baby needs a while - like 5 - 10 years minimum. The 2003 Flor de Pingus, Ribera del Duero was all coffee beans and mocha tonight with hints of dark chocolate, and black berry fruit... not my style. I'm wondering what happened to this wine over the last few months. Less concentrated than the 04, still very nice... left me scratching my head. The 1995 Chateau Musar, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon (a few km outside of Beruit) is a fabulous wine. Sweet spicy cherries with a beautiful earth-funk of cedar, tobacco (wet and dried), dried straw and a long, long finish. Those of you not familiar with this wine should find a bottle... one of the longest lived dry red wines there is... The 2004 Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is a tightly wound ball of spice. I'm not sure what the exact blend is, but it's got to have tons of Grenache in it... the sweet wild strawberry and raspeberry fruit gives that away... tons of spice. Very, very tight. This needs at least another 5-10 years to evolve completely.

Unbroken Chain...

1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux is mind-blowing... without question the best GE I've ever had. The nose is clove, cinnamon, tobacco leaves, red earth and wild red fruit... amazing finish... I'm still stunned by this wine. One of the best wines of 2007 for me... The 1998 Leoville-Barton was light and uneventful. The 1997 Chateau d'Yquem is a baby... the 97 Suduiraut is drinking much better at present.

Nice Treats

Lovely wines last night... the 1999 Leroy Meursault "Les Charmes" has finally started to open just a bit. It's still showing more Puligny charachter than Meursault initially, but the back end of the palate is pure hazelnuts and honeysuckle with intense minerality. I'm going to bet this one will come around in another 5-10 years. The 2001 Stags Leap Wine Cellar Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon is beautiful... but drinking perfectly right now. Very Bordeaux-esque (as this wine always wants to be), showing a good bit of dusty cedar and tobacco with anise and black fruit. Nice, nice wine. The 1989 Remoissenet Gevry-Chambertin 1er Cru "Cazetieres" is really beautiful. Tasted right after opening, the wine needed a good 30-45 seconds of vigorous swirling to reveal itself. This bottle had lost a bit of fruit, but was still stunning with its tertiary aromas. Very, very long. Wouldn't hold this one all that much longer (maybe 5 years max), but a real joy to taste. The 1995 Chateau Angelus has never been my favorite. I still get tons of green olive and what appears to be some bitter wood tannins. Hopefully this will continue to integrate and the wine will blossom. Right now it's just too bitter and has too much anise. Maybe in another 5 years. The 2000 E.Guigal Cote-Rotie "La Landonne" was as closed and as tight as I've ever seen the La La's get... Smokey bacon fat and anise with loads of raw meat. I worked this one in my mouth for a good 30 seconds before it even started to give. I wouldn't touch it for another 5 years.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

I've been really busy lately and will be coming up again, so here we go...

1971 Weingut Norbert Eser Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Auslese, Rheingau, Germany was stunning... light gold in color with very high viscosity. Appearing almost completely dry on the palate, this wine has incredible length and purity. A very fat, rich wine that was drinking at its peak. Awesome stuff right here... just a hint of botrytis and honeysuckle-coated almonds. Really amazing... Also the 2002 Numanthia Termes, Taittinger Brut Rose, 2006 Dr. Thannisch Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett, and 2006 Rudi Pichler Gruner Veltliner Hochrain Federspiel. The Dr. Thannisch and Rudi Pichler were at opposite ends of the spectrum... Rudi- bone dry and incredible pepper... Dr. Thannisch - piercing acid and beautiful.