just like the other one... another great night last night... The 1994 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (two bottles) was nice... a bit herbaceous, which suprised me from this vintage. Still some lovely black fruit, black plum, eucalyptus and dusty earth. Nice, but if you have some - drink up. The 2006 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio (for those that think I don't ever taste Pinot Grigio...) is fruity, balanced, and a nice sip. The 2006 J Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley is fat, ripe, and round with lovely tropical fruit. Nice finish on this one too. The 2002 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Vieilles Vignes is at the extreme end of Pinot Gris... super fat, off-dry - almost sweet baked apple pie, apricots, Asian spices and a long, powerful finish. Some like Olivier Humbrecht's approach to the classical Alsacian varietals, others say he is crazy... He is the Dagueneau and Raveneau of Alsace - makes terroir-driven, expressive, extracted, long-aging wines. I like them, even if he does not make "typical" wine. There - three Pinot Grigio/Gris!
On to the meat... unfortunately, had a terribly corked bottle of 1979 Chateau Cheval-Blanc... no fun on this one... tried it a few hours later to see if the TCA had blown off - nope, only worse... oh well. The 1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel was all that it should be from this ripe, new-world styled vintage. Lots of toasty oak still prevalent on this bottle, but lovely black plums and black currant, dark chocolate, and a classic Cos d'Estournel herbaceousness on the finish. Very long wine as well... nice stuff. Tasted next to it was the 1996 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. This is still a baby, but is open and enjoyable right out of the bottle.... its sibling, the 1995, is still very tight and closed. Which will be the better wine? Who knows, but I still think the 1995 will be a longer lived wine. Tons of graphite, cassis, leather, toasty oak, black currants and a long, long cedary-spice box finish. Nice. The 1993 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg has a beautiful nose!!! What elegance, power and depth right in the glass... red cherries, beetroot, cranberry and exotic spice box... this is definitely a food wine however, as the high acid needs food to bring balance back to the wine. Good? Yes. A great Richebourg? No. With food? Potentially... For me, the wine of the night was the 1990 Krug. Sugar and spice and all things nice on this one... lovely baking spices, autalysis, ripe golden apples... this has become tight and closed as it begins to enter a level of maturity. The bubbles are starting to shy away on this one, bringing so much to the surface. I think this is the better wine of the 90/96, with both still needing a long, long time to come out... amazing amount on minerality on this wine. Love the slightly oxidized note on vintage Krug. Certainly a benchmark wine and one of the great Champagnes ever produced.
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