Tasty

A different sort of night last night... a private wine tasting. Staring at the crashing waves as pelicans fly by as if floating on air... been very windy (but cool) the last few days. First, the whites yesterday. 2002 Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve is classic - spicy with power. Apricots, pears, minerals, and green apples. Nice stuff. The 2003 Guigal Condrieu La Doriane is massive - for a Condrieu. This is classic viognier - with a creamy, leesy finish and tons of new oak. I think a little less oak and a touch less malo on this wine might have helped. Very ripe, stewed tropical fruits with loads of classic honeysuckle and caramel. The 2004 Rudi Pichler Smaragd Hochstein Gruner Veltliner, Wachau, Austria was textbook Gruner. I pray for this wine on my competition or Master exam. All white pepper, Bosc pears and green apples. A great dry Gruner. The 2005 Coldstream Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia was fantastic. Not quite as pungent and acidic as the New Zealand Sauvignons can sometimes be. A touch creamy, but with loads of lemongrass, gooseberry, and grapefruit. Wonderful and refreshing. On to the reds... The 2002 Penfold's RWT Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia is amazing wine. In 4 or 5 years this will be killer. Raspberry, black pepper, plums, and sweet cherries. This is massive without being overpowering. A very concentrated, but balanced Shiraz in the style I like. The 1999 Gaja Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino could be one of the best young Brunellos I've ever tasted. Classic dried cranberries, strawberries, rhubarb, and clove spice. More fruit-forward than most other Brunello. A long, long finish. A nice effort for Gaja. I had read a good bit about the 2002 Vale de Penas Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, but I was quite dissapointed. A beautiful nose with loads of violets, black plums, and jammy sweet fruit. So balanced and made me happy to taste it... only to find slightly green tannins and a slight off-balance of fruit and alcohol. Good, but not great. Maybe in time it will come around a little bit, but you can't get green tannins back... The 1999 Cims Priorato, Spain was a monster. I've tasted it before, but this wine has started to evolve. The fruit is all stewed (this wine is roughly 70% Carignan, 20% Grenache, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Syrah) and dirty - like a great Spanish wine should be. The tannins are incredible - ripe, but firm. The fruit is dark and powerful. A great effort... A nice evening of good wine.