Power Trip

Two great nights... very different, but both very good. Lots of powerful wines here...

Wednesday night saw the last of the 1997 Gaja Costa Russi go out, and boy was it beautiful. Simply stunning stuff with layers of earth, clove, rose petals, blackcurrants and cherries. Very powerful and needs some time. The 1997 Heitz Martha's Vineyard was the best 1997 Cali Cab I've had in a long time. Most are fading, but this one is built for the long haul. Still showing considerable fruit (one of the few that actually) to go along with those massive tannins. I still think the tannins will win out in the end (they almost always do), but this wine has at least another 10 years left in it for improvement. Classic mint and eucalyptus nose... The 1990 Chateau Certan de May, Pomerol rocks... a bucket of cedar chips and tobacco leaves, this is classic gravelly Pomerol. Full of life. The 1995 Chateau Beychevelle was a bit underwhelming. A little fat and ripe. Certainly silky and smooth, but where's the acid? I know I'm forgetting a lot... hopefully I'll remember.

Last night was fabulous... The 2000 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune Riesling is simply stunning. One of the great whites I've ever tried... as was a few weeks ago. The 2003 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon showed big tonight. The tannins are powerful, but the layers of ripe, layered fruit make the wine very well balanced. Not incredible, but very good. The 2002 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon was the weakest bottle of this I've had. Could be starting to shut. Lots of tannin, not a lot of the silky fruit that I'm used to with this wine. Could be the bottle, could be the wine. The ZD Abacus VII is a great wine. Tasted two separate bottles - both showing subtle dfferences. Bottle 1 was more cedary and evolved, bottle 2 was more fruit driven. Both are awesome. So powerful and beautiful. Tasted the ZD Abacus VIII the other day and while it was good, it's not great, and certainly not the VII. Had the 2001 Jarvis Cabernet Sauvignon, 1996 Jarvis Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2001 Jarvis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The 01's are stunning example... powerful with a long, tannic finish of black fruits. Great stuff - typical of the 2001 vintage. The 1996 showed green tannins and cedar and was not perfect. Very good - yes, but not stunning.

One of the great wine's I've ever tried, and certainly the best from this vineyard, the 1988 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg was simply without words. The nose was vibrant clove, truffles, black earth, cedar, sweet cherry, strawberry and rhubarb - a simply perfect Richebourg nose. At 19 years of age, this wine is till a youngster. On the palate, the flavors simply explode on the palate in a powerful wave. The clove and truffles come forward followed by cherries, rhubard and a hint more clove. A mind-blowing wine with amazing vibrancy and balance. Simply perfect in my mind.