Saturday, September 10th, 2005

Ahhh... What a night. Just when all hell was about to break loose, I hear the great words... "Andrew, we need the best '61 Latour you can find." R was thrilled... I was overjoyed! Of all the great wines I've had, I'd never had the opportunity to try the great 1961 Chateau Latour. And I found one with a fill half-way up the neck, with a pristine label. The cork was loose and spinning a little bit as R opened it up (he sold it, he gets to open it). He poured a touch in a glass after he decanted it. A beautiful garnet red towards ruby red then just hints of orange and brown on the rim. Amazing concentration for a wine that's 44 years old! The nose was gorgeous, if not a bit closed. Lovely cedar and cigar box spices, with hints of black plum and black currant still abound in this wine. Classic pencil lead and a touch of warm black turned earth finished out the backside of the prodigious wine. And that was just on the nose! On the palate, sweet black fruits gave way to that dark earthiness, cedar,truffles and hints of mint. What struck R and I both about this wine was the incredible concentration and amazing amounts of tannin still left in it after all of these years! Has many, many years to go. This was R's 4th time tasting this perfect wine, and in his words "by far the best I've ever tasted." This one goes right into my Top-5 wines I've ever had.

After that, the 2001 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvingon was quite a disappointment. With it's deep purple color, sweet coconut and blackcurrant-filled nose, it is classic Silver Oak... But it's not 1961 Latour....

On the other hand, the 2001 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc was spectacular. A lovely stony-melon quality with layers of rich honey (almost Viognier-like - even though this wine contains no viognier!). Bourbelenc, Clairette, Grenache blanc, and Roussanne. This wine was wound so tight... Even after 3 hours it was still closed. I'd love to try it again in a few years.

After work, R & I split a bottle of NV Roederer Estate Rose... A nice bottle of wine. A touch sweet, but a nice wine. "It is NOT Brut."