First, from Friday... The 1995 Chateau Pape-Clement is just a classic earth-and-gravel Bordeaux from Pessac-Leognan. So rustic and pretty, this is still a baby. The 1996 Chateau Pichon-Lalande makes me wish I had one in my cellar... loads of mocha, coffee, tobacco, leather and black fruits. A long, elegant finish. The 1996 & 1997 Cain 5 tasted side by side... the 1996 is the superior wine. The 1997 has lost it's fruit and is all tannin... the 1996, while having hints of mint and a little green pepper, still has tons of fruit and is a wonderful wine...
Now, on to last night... started with the 2000 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune Riesling (from the Grand Cru Rosacker in Hunawihr, Alsace)... wow. A stunner. Simply unbelieveable. So much petrol, but amazing depth of flavors - rose petals, crushed stones, pears, apricots - layer upon layer... it is a very difficult wine to really understand and express, because the wine is so subtle. One of the greats... The 2002 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon continues to blow me away... nothing more needs to be said. The 1998 Penfold's Grange was showing a touch better last night than it did a week ago... this bottle was less developed and hadn't closed up yet. Raspberries!!! The 1900 Borges & Irmao Colheita Port (bottled 1947) was a mind-blowing experience. This wine went through so many phases in the 2 hours it was opened... The color was a very light brownish/ruby that was perfectly clear... the first taste was incredible - very powerful with caramel and citrus notes on a long, long finish of hazelnuts. As it opened up, the intense caramel flavors softened revealing an unappealing citrusy- overly acidic port... we had given up. After another hour, the wine had evolved... the citrus was there, but then the nutty finish came through offering balance to the acid... I love wine... Also had the 1998 Dom Perignon last night, which is nothing special.
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