Sorry...

I've been so busy, with not a ton of great wine in the last few weeks... Did have the following - 2002 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru, which was drinking very well. Such pretty spice that could only be a DRC. Still somewhat tight, but the texture is like no other... The 2004 Craggy Range "Le Sol" Syrah was so spicy and peppery... I loved it! Really needs some time though... This week, I had the 2002 Vincent Girardin Meursault 1er Cru "Les Charmes"... shared it with some good friends. The wine was outstanding... stony, steely, nutty - vibrant fruit. Showed great depth and length - all that I had hoped. The 2006 Amisfield Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand was beautiful... showed nice berry fruit, with almost no classic herbacious notes. Pretty, bright - lovely black earth. Nice wine. The 2004 Robert Mondavi Reserve Chardonnay was rich, buttery, full and oaky. My glass of Quinta do Noval 10yr Tawny was a nice nightcap. Always a fan of Noval... The 2006 Sea Smoke "Southing" was amazing... one of the great Pinots I've had this year. I brought it to share, and I'm glad I did. It's one of those great bottles that makes you smile... The 2004 Pike's Shiraz, Clare Valley was beautiful and peppery. Not overly jammy & alcoholic, but ripe and powerful with layers of spice. Old-school Shiraz, the way I like it. Evolved slowly over 5 hours. The 2006 Jolivet Sancerre was good... classic. The 2006 Michelle Redde Sancerre was ok, not as good as the Jolivet. The 1990 Chateau Lynch- Bages was drinking well, but only held up for a few hours. Nice and cedary with a bit of tobacco and dried leaves, but slowly faded away to nothing... The 2005 Jadot Pommard was good, not great... expected more, actually. Aside from the wine on my little trip, the Margarita's were killer... some of the best I've ever had....

Just One...

1985 Chateau Trotanoy... mediocre at best... really lacking a mid-palate... the nose was pure Asian Spice, with cedar and clove, bell pepper and nutmeg. The palate was like drinking soy sauce - without the salt.

Not a lot...

lately... The 2003 Domaine Berthau Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru was good, a bit ripe and hot, but still pretty and showing some clove-y earth and delicacy... The 2005 Domaine Jean Grivot Nuits-St.-Georges "Les Charmois" 1er Cru was tremendous... decanted for 45 minutes, this shows truffled earth, black raspberry, smoke, coffee, mocha, cocoa bean, strawberry... and a need for a lot more time in the bottle. Wow...

Variety...

Lots of things... 1988 Chateau Calon-Segur was fabulous... one of the best 88's I've ever had. Sweet cherry and blackberry fruit with lovely cedar... very elegant. The 2006 Penner-Ashe Roséo was good, but perhaps a bit too heavy on the alcohol. Lots of bright, spicy Pinot fruit. The 1998 Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Fleur de Champagne was beautiful... showing a slight autalysis note with some bright, sweet fruit - a very, very nice Champagne. The Pol Roger NV was good as always... The 2005 Lewis Cellars Cab and 2004 Lewis Cellars Reserve Cab (tasting side by side) revealed a lot... the Lewis Cab is a fruit bomb, with anise, cocoa and black plums. The Reserve tasted like alcohol... too hot and powerful in comparison. The 2005 Jean Grivot Nuits-St.-Georges 1er Cru "Les Charmois" was stunning... lots of oak, but didn't overpower the wine. Just beautiful earth, clove, beet root, red cherry and a wonderful asian spice note to the wine. A great wine. The 1994 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon was good, but nothing special. The 1999 Gaja Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino is a great bottle of wine... dusty earth, twigs, saddle leather, and sweet cherries. A long, long, long finish. I could smell the glass forever ala Lafite...

Beer... Tusker Lager from Kenya is a pretty lager... a light-gold color with a lovely soapy head, smooth caramel and citrus notes. Nice! The Aventinus Doppelback/Weizenbock was mind-blowing and other-worldly (not really, it's from Germany). Simply the best beer I've ever tasted... In case you haven't noticed, I found a great beer store that stocks amazing Belgian, German, Polish, Czech, etc. beer. Simply stunning... Anise, cherries, spice box, christmas spice, caramel apple... an amazing nose. So big and powerful, two a few sips to tone my tastebuds down.... I would drink this again, but I'd have a "starter beer" before hand... perhaps an Anchor Steam...

beer...

Tried a beautiful beer the other night... Traquair House Ale... a Scottish Spiced Ale... really amazing nose. Deep and full of fruit, baking spice, asian spice and flowers. Medium-bodied and powerful finish.

Older California Pinots...

Had lunch with one of the owners of Littorai on Tuesday and tasted some delicious older Pinots and Chardonnay... The 2000 Charles Heintz Chardonnay was beautiful... stony, steely, a bit of baked apples, fat and rich - in short, it still needed time. The 2001 Thieriot Vineyard Chardonnay fat, overripe fruit, with buttered popcorn, honey, cantelope and pineapple. Nice and long, but I prefered the previous Chard... On to the Pinots! The 2001 Hirsch was mushroomy with barnyard, turned wet earth, ripe black and red fruits (wild raspberry, ripe candied cherries) - this was young and powerful. The 1999 Hirsch was baked cranberry, bramble, black cherry, raspberry, allspice, thyme and smoke. This was a beauty... still very Russian River Valley. The 2001 One Acre from Mendocino was a completely different animal... ripe, powerful black fruits with exotic spices, red charries... "Stunning" was one word I used... the 1999 One Acre was all earth spice, black turned earth, dusty mushrooms, broken twigs with a bit of alcohol evident on the nose. My favorite was the 01 One Acre... the 2006 "The Gift" is a botrytis-infected chardonnay with over 200g/l rs(!)... from the Mays Canyon and Thieriot vineyards. Nice, not cloying, but beautiful. Very high acid on this as well... needs time.

Last night I also tried the 2005 Kistler Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir - very, very pretty - actually my favorite bottle of this I've had from this vintage. It's starting to come together... the 2003 Berthaud Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru was hot, over-ripe and didn't appear to have anything to do with Chambolle-Musigny... tasted more like Chateauneuf-du-Pape! The 1998 Chateau Batailley is as it has been, but two good bottles have me feeling good about this one. The 1998 Chateau Lynch-Bages was soft, ready to drink and pretty. Not a great wine, but not bad to drink either! The Henriot Brut Rosé is amazing Rose... so yeasty, nutty and toasty with just hints of berry fruit on the nose... intoxicating nose...

Yummy...

The 2000 Domaine de la Romaneé-Conti La Tache is beautiful... not overly powerful, but elegant and refined. A beautiful lady... The 2004 Justin Isoceles is a fruit bomb, but nicely balanced. The 2003 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages is nice - subdued, not an in-your-face style, but a more refined, overall pleasing wine. Had a few library releases from Littorai as well... I'll write about them tomorrow.

Another one...

Could have stuck around for the '03 Phelps Backus, but chose to come home instead... did have the 1999 Chateau Latour, however. What a beautiful wine!!! I'd forgotten how good this wine is... of course, I should note that Latour is certainly one of my favorite Chateau in the world... lots of black currant, game, leather, tobacco, cigar box, dusty dried leaves, black plum, cocoa and a long, long, long finish. A great 1999 and accessible at this time.

California Dreaming...

Some nice California wines the last few days... 2001 Harlan Maiden is youthful - baked anise, black plum and dare I say it??? Somewhat of a finesse wine(!)- clearly a Harlan Estate wine and a different breed than the 2003 Bond Melbury, which is black fruit, but less refined, more fruit-driven and intense. Bold flavors here. The 2003 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon is the same as it has been, though the deep, dark dusty plum notes are most welcome. Nice, nice, nice.

A completely different wine and style... the 2001 Domaine de la Romaneé-Conti Romaneé St.-Vivant Morey Monge was one of my favorite RSV's I've ever tried... lovely, earth and bright red fruit spiced nose, with wonderful length and class on the palate. Truly a great wine and is drinking well now... I've said it many, may times now... the 2001s are great, terroir-driven bottles of wine. They do not have the structure to age effortlessly like the 2005s, 1999s, and 1990s. An awesome, awesome bottle...

Best of the Year (so far...)

So, it's time to recap my favorite wines I've tasted/drank this year so far...

Bordeaux - 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1955 Chateau Haut-Brion, 1990 Chateau Latour, 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1988 Chateau Le Pin, 1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, 1996 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

Burgundy (red & white)- 1989 Remoissenent Gevery-Chambertin "Cazetieres" Premier Cru, 1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne, 2002 Bonneau de Martray Corton-Charlemagne, 2006 Louis Latour Batard-Montrachet, 1983 Faiveley "Clos des Myglands" Mercury

Rhone - 2000 Guigal Cote-Rotie La Mouline, 2001 Chapoutier Les Granits St. Joseph Rouge, 1999 Delas La Landonne Cote-Rotie, 1999 Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis Cote-Rotie, 1998 Chapoutier Hermitage "Le Meal" Blanc

Other White - 1976 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Auslese, 1983 Bischofliches Konvikt Piesporter Goldtropchen Riesling Spatlese, 2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederick Emile Riesling, 2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex Blanc Fume de Pouilly

Champagne - 1992 Krug Clos du Mesnil, 1990 Krug, Krug Rose MV

Spain/Italy - 2004 Tignanello, 1995 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo, 1998 Alvaio Palacios L'Ermita Priorato, 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico, 2001 Gaja Sperss

California/ Australia/ Chile/ NZ- 1999 Clos Apalta, 2004 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 2004 Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah, 2005 Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah, 2005 DuMol Gary's Vineyard Pinot Noir (RRV), 2000 Penfold's Grange, 2005 Blackbird Merlot, 2003 Harlan Estate, 2004 Penfold's Kalimna Block 42 Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Sweet/ Port - 1975 Chateau Suduiraut, 1999 Tirecul Cuvee Madame Monbazillac, 1937 Quinta da Noval Colheita (2000)

Here comes another one...

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.

A Classic Pair...

Not food and wine, but wine and wine... Two of the great bottles of my life came yesterday... Both of which I have tasted before, but neither had ever been like this... The 1982 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, tasted half a dozen times before, was at its most aromatic opulence... dusty, cedary, cigar box, spice box, leather, dried leaves, mushroom - all on the nose. The palate was a fruit wonderland, balancing out the tremendous earth that can only be Lafite. Latour is power... Mouton is graphite and black plums... Lafite is the lady... she is pure elegance. The 70+ second finish on this still evolving wine is stunning... I tasted this several times over the course of 3 hours and the wine continued to improve each time. First, it was earth. Then it was fruit and tannin... finally... it was a glorious combination. Stunning bottle, really... more aromatic and complete than the others I've tried. I didn't want to taste anything else after this, but then... an amazing bottle of 1955 Chateau Haut-Brion appeared. I opened - cork in one piece, completely soaked through, somewhat soft, but still firm. Stamped correctly, etc. I poured it into a glass... orange/brown rim going towards a ruby red center... beautiful. The wine is still youthful. The nose on this was a bit muted compared to the other bottles of this I've had, but the palate was special. Cassis with the wonderful bacon-fat, stony/rocky minerals that I expect from this wine. A long, long, long finish... the wine is still young! The best 55 HB? Doubtful, but certainly #2...

Celebration!!!

Lots to be thankful for in the last little white (sorry about not writing... had more important things to attend to...) Had some great wines in the last little bit though with all the celebrating going on... First, Perrier Jouet NV Brut... clean, crisp, slightly toasty - everything you could want in a NV Brut... but my favorite (other than Krug...) is Bollinger NV which was rich, full and clean. Not as evolved as some bottles I've had of this, but very lovely with anise, orange blossom and baked apples. Nice stuff... the 2005 Alex Gambal Bourgogne Blanc continues to impress... see earlier notes. The 2005 Emeritus Pinot Noir is again, to me, the best value Pinot Noir in the US. Done. The 1989 Chateau Talbot was a beauty!!! Lots of cedary game, leather, bright red cherry, a hint of mint... nice, nice stuff here. The 2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling is amazing... so lemony - this is still so tightly wound, it will take a decade to come out. It was still openening 2 days later!!! Lemon minerals. The 2001 Livernano is a great bottle - full of black currants, dusty black truffle, mushrooms, stewed cranberries and cocoa beans. Long, long finish. Did not care for the 1999 Remoissenet Clos Vougeot... now, I'll admit that I've never been the biggest Clos Vougeot fan - I just don't get the elegance out of the vineyard that I feel I should with Pinot Noir... every so often I'm blown away by one, but mostly not so much...

Tried two great California Cabs next to each other last night... first was the 2003 Shafer Hillside Select. I've had this quite a few times now and the wine is shutting down slightly... notes of black currant, licorice, dusty earth, black plum and full of power. A beauty... not as appealing as the youthful and bright 2005 Scarecrow, however. This wine was a baked blackberry pie with black raspberries, cinnamon, black currant, bright black cherry and nutmeg. Massive tannins, but ripe and full. A bit hot, though this should meld in time. Don't drink for another year.

Plethora...

not a lack of things I tasted this week...

2004 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon is spicy as always... nice wine, not great though... the 2003 Stags Leap Wine Cellars "Fay" Cabernet Sauvignon has the most inviting nose... beautiful black currant with hints of cedary dust. Nice stuff. The 2004 Tignanello continues to blow me away... I have tasted every vintage made of this wine and I think this is the best one to date. The 2004 Flor de Pingus is coffee, mocha and a whole lot of goodness... awesome stuff, and to imagine Pingus is even better... The 2005 Pahlmeyer (I think it was 05...) Pinot Noir is big, powerful, and a bit overdone on the alcohol. Good wine, but not tremendous. Our last bottle.

Dessert for dinner...

Had some awesome sweet wines yesterday... the 1977 Barros Colheita Port was good, but not mind-blowing, like the 1937 Quinta da Noval Colheita - which is one of the great ports I've ever tasted in my life (and I try it about once a week, I just rarely write about it...) so long... Also tried the 1920 Favilia Viera Malvasia Madeira, which is awesome, but see earlier tasting notes. The 2005 Royal Tokaji Wine Company 5 Puttonyas Tokaji is nice - oxidized and sweet caramel cherries. The two star sweet wines were the 1998 Domaine Bott-Geyl Grand Cru Sonnenglanz Gewurztraminer Vendage Tardive was awesome... sweet lychee, spice box, citrus rind, orange blossom, honeycomb, and ginger. Long, long, long finish. But, not as great as the 1999 Tirecul Cuvee Madame Monbazillac which I have written about many times before and continue to laud as one of the great sweet wines in the world... see previous tasting notes as this is still the best.

Two dry wines last night as well... the 2002 Araujo "Eisele Vineyard" Sauvignon Blanc was a point... So beautiful, spicy, creamy and citrusy with sharp acid. Nicely balanced... reminds me of the great Caymus Sauvignon Blancs of the 90's... The 2004 Domaine de la Janesse Vieilles Vignes Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a big, sweet, ripe wine. Awesome... starting to open up a bit and revealing more oak and earth notes, balanced by hot, sweet bing cherry and broken dried twigs.

Long week...

2003 Pahlmeyer Red Blend was good - huge bottle of wine - massive tannins, loads of graphite, black currant, broken pencil, and a nice dustiness. Not my style... The 2006 Ken Wright Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir rocks... a wonderful strawberry "prickle" on the palate, beautiful, sweet fruit nose. Awesome stuff... 2004 Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot is tight, closed and full of cocoa spice... 2004 Duckhorn Estate Merlot is downright awesome. Silky smooth texture, loads of cocoa bean, lush ripe black cherry, red currant - great wine!

It's Alive!!!

Two great wines last night... first was the 1983 Faiveley "Clos des Myglands" Mercury... this wine should have been dead long ago, but it was beautiful! A wonderful underbrush and funk. Awesome stuff, with a bit of cherry fruit still left. Still stunned it was this good... but, as good as it was, it wasn't even close to the 2001 Gaja Sperss... one of my all-time favorite Gaja's (and it's not even begun to age yet!), this "Barolo" from Serralunga d'Alba is powerful, hedonistic Barolo... Dried saddle leather, bright sweet cranberries, violets, underbrush, dried plums... a stunning example of this wine... the texture is what gets me though. Like a great Musigny... the silky smooth texture just coats your palate... amazing, amazing wine.

Last week was the 2005 Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon - which, as usual, was really good - but not as good as the 2003 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon which just overpowered it (!!!)... See several previous tasting notes on the 03 Hillside. The 2002 Bonneau de Martray Corton-Charlemagne was fabulous... honeysuckle, hazelnuts, and liquid Granny Smith apples... still a baby with tons of minerals... needs to come together a bit more, but the wine rocks.

Also tried the 1999 Chateau Pontet-Canet and was happier with this bottle than the last one. Good, but not great. The 1995 Domaine Louis Latour Corton-Grancy rocks... a bit tighter and more tannic than the 1996, this shows beautiful underbrush, bright ripe cherry, strawberry and raspberry. Still a while to go on this one. Great texture...

Muller...

Egon Muller... and his 2002 Scharzhofberger Kabinett... stunning stuff. Egon is the stuff of legend and even at the "basic" kabinett, the wine is rich, oily, and full on length with amazing balance... killer wine.

The Name is Bond...

Two bottles of the 2003 Bond Vecina tasted the same... loads of anise, black plum, black currant and a nice dustiness. This wine has finally blossomed...

V

Mouton's seem to be falling out of the sky lately... the 1988 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was faily light, but still the classis graphite & cocoa bean nose. Not very intense, certainly more to the elegant side. A bit tannic? While it had the typical Mouton notes, the power was not there - but clearly from the 1988 vintage. The 1999 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Beze had finally opened and was an incredible wine... lovely clove and earth with exotic spices - lovely cherry and wild strawberry fruit as well.

Stellar Lineup...

A nice lineup last night... the Krug Rose MV (more recent bottling) is so beautiful... strawberry, toasted brioche, anise and hay on a long, clean, crisp finish. I do think that the Rose is the least appealing of Krug Champagnes, if only because their other wines set the bar so high, and whereas I have a hard time finding a better Champagne than their Vintage, Multi-Vintage and single-vineyard offerings, I can name a few other Roses that I think are better than this... The color is lighter than most Roses (which has been my experience with this wine over time). Still, an awesome bottle. For me, the wine of the night was the 2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex Blanc Fume de Pouilly (that's fancy for Pouilly-Fume). Along with Haut-Brion Blanc, this is the purest expression of Sauvignon on the planet... amazing concentrated nose of bell pepper, grapefruit, gooseberry, wet polished rock, and tart green apple. The wine is stunning... the finish so clean and pure - like a razor blade. Absolutely mind-boggling... The 2004 Drouhin Clos des Mouches Blanc is still a baby and mostly primary at this point. Lots of toasty new oak with a crisp mineral backbone. Hazelnuts, almonds and tart Granny Smith Apple dominate this one with a sharp lemon-curd finish. Give it time, give it time... The 1989 (?) Charmes-Chambertin was old, tired and after holding in the glass for 10 minutes, finally died... nothing noteworthy here. The 1989 Olivier Leflaive Pommard Epenots 1er Cru was still holding on - barely. Lots of toast, coffee, and dried, dusty leaves. As I described it at the table - it was "really cool" as the wine still had outstanding structure, but didn't appear as if it would open. It did open, barely, then slowly faded over the next two hours. The 1989 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild took a long, long time to open up. The 89s are tough... some are great, some are faded. I first thought this was not going anywhere, but opened after 1 hour and was still getting better when I last tasted it 4 hours later. Cocoa, graphite, anise and leather (my Mouton signatures) with a powerful finish. This one kept adding length and mid-palate depth as the night went on. Still very dark, could go for a few more years ;-)... the 1983 Chateau Margaux had a touch of TCA on it (I've now had 2 corked bottles of this legend) and was not as good as the last bottle I'd had of this. Cedary black violet and a long, silky finish. Nice wine, but there are better bottles of this around. The 2006 Inniskillin Riesling Icewine is good, a bit cloying, but still beautiful. Tons of orange blossom, apricots, honeysuckle, (did I say orange blossom?), petrol and minerals. Nice, but not great. Also had a 1971 Pedro-Ximinez (PX) Sherry (I'll have to get the producer... I actually have a bottle of this in my cellar)... amazing, amazing wine. Black earth, toasted prunes, roasted walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. What length... almost syrup in its texture. The 2005 Faust was good, not great. A bit too much anise for me on this one, but lots of dusty earth as well. Too concentrated.

Different Styles...

Three great red wines - three completely different styles. The first - the 1986 Vieux Chateau Certan was cedary with tons of fruit... I almost can't believe this is 22 years old. An amazing wine, still dark ruby red with hints of purple. Long, long, enticing, elegant finish. Great wine. The 2004 Antinori Tignanello (my last bottle!) is a blockbuster. To me, the best Tig since 1997 or even 1990. Full of black, dusty earthiness with lots of black cherry, red berries and anise. A beautiful wine. The 2005 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon is still so concentrated but is such a joy to drink now. Powerful stuff - mint, black plum, and black currant. Nice.

Had lunch with a fellow MS the other day... tasted through Betts & Scholl (produce wine on 3 continents)... The 2007 Eden Valley Riesling is so dry, clean and crisp... a great glass. The 2004 Hermitage Blanc is fabulous. Loads of honeysuckle, burnt caramel, orange blossom, acacia and nectarines. Long, rich finish. The 2001 Hermitage Rouge was showing so well... Black Olive Tapenade on lardon being cooked on a rock... so beautiful. Continued to open over the course of 1 1/2 hours. The 2005 Barossa Valley Grenache gives credence to this as an up-and-coming varietal outside of the Southern Rhone. Sweet cherry, black spice and bramble. The 2005 Chronique Grenache was even more powerful, stunning wine. One of the best new world Grenache's I've had. The 2005 Cali Syrah was good, classic California Syrah. The 2005 Black Betty Shiraz from Australia was all brown sugar and molasses with minty-eucalyptus and black plum. Intense wine, but not overdone. Bravo!

Been a while since...

I've tasted the 1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild and wow has it changed... I think it's been at least a year and a half. The last time I had this wine it was impenetrable for hours, only to slowly open. This bottle showed what a bit of time has really done... Pure pencil lead on the nose immediately after opening - slowly revealed the beauty that can only be Mouton. The wine is at once elegant and powerful - full of grace and finesse and still able to pack a punch. Notes of cassis, pencil shavings, graphite, leather and cedar were perfectly in sync. The tannins, though present, are well integrated. This wine is still a baby at 26 years of age. Certainly the greatest Mouton I've ever had (though anyone who wants to donate a '66, '45, or '47, I'd gladly cook you a steak or lamb chops...) Incredible length that goes on forever. The scary thing is I think this wine is only getting better - will not reach maturity for another 15-20 years and will age for a century easily. The 1994 (producer not noted, but I will find out this week) Niersteiner Spiegelberg Grauburgunder Beerenauslese was very cool... (Grauburgunder = Pinot Gris). So youthful and showing so much RS, the pinkish-sweet wine was incredibly viscous (as one would expect with a BA). Honeyed caramel, baked apricots, ginger and Asian spices... nice stuff, especially for a Grosslagen wine.

Had a drink with a few friends at a newer restaurant after work last night... Forte di Asprinio. Very cool atmosphere - almost art-deco, but not. Perfect for Clematis Street. Great wine list (some really rare gems here... DRCs, 34 Lafite, etc), nice drinks (ok, anyone who has Anchor Steam is good in my book...), great food (had a few bites of this and that). Started with a glass (or two) of Duval-Leroy Brut Rose... pretty stuff. Bit of raspberry, strawberry and brioche. To stick with the "Leroy" theme... had a bottle of 1999 Leroy Bourgogne (rouge). Pretty, pretty stuff. Amazing how structured this 9 year old "basic" Bourgogne was. Not powerful, needs food, but a great, great bottle. Took 45 minutes to open up. The mid-palate was enrapturing though... I wish more producers could make Grand Cru Burgundy as well as Lalou Bize-Leroy makes her Bourgogne. A steal... Of course finished with an Anchor Steam. I'll definitely be going back time and time again... if you're in the area, check it out. I'm having lunch there on Wednesday and needless to say, I'm excited.

Ja! Ja! Ja!

Riesling!!! After a long period of relatively non-overly-exciting wines, a glass of 1976 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Auslese was handed to me... my guess (I tasted it vintage blind - I knew the producer, just not the vintage) was 1983 (!). The wine was so fresh I could not believe my eyes when I looked at the label and saw 1976... The wine is still so young, so fresh with vibrant petrol, orange blossom, honeysuckle, stony-slate, mouth-coating minerality. Amazing, amazing wine. One of the great Rieslings I've ever tasted, and better than the 1964 Beerenauslese I had from this winery a year and 1/2 ago. I can not believe it... tasting almost bone dry, the wine didn't appear to have darkened at all in color yet (!!!!!). This is why Riesling is the greatest white grape varietal on the planet. The 2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia Magnum was beautiful as well... lots of dusty cocoa, black plum... very Phelps. Better than the pre-release of the 2005 a few weeks ago. The 1996 Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace was Pauillac - California style. Tons of cedar, cassis, black cherry and dusty earth. Almost Lafite-like in its elegance.

Go Cats!!!!

So much fun to watch your alma mater go this far... go Wildcats!!!

Too Much...

Had a great meal the other night at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach's new "Bistro". Awesome food, great service. Very clean, fresh, simple ingredients that came together so perfectly. Had a glass of Perrier-Jouet Blason Rose Brut Champagne... nice and bone dry with strawberries and rhubarb. Nice. The 2005 S.A. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese was rich, oily, and immensely thirst-quenching. The 2004 Alex Gambal Chambolle-Musigny is drinking so well right now. Perfectly silky with soft turned earth, rhubarb and beet root. For drinking in the next few years, but a good wine.

This Week...

Been another one of those crazy busy weeks and it's not going to get any better... I'll go in order... the 2005 Poet's Leap Riesling from Washington was nice, clean and crisp - slightly off-dry, just a hint of residual sugar, but classic petrol and white flowers here. Nice. The 2001 Potel Chambertin Grand Cru was a rockstar...I love the way the 2001s are drinking right now. They are so terroir specific with plenty of weight. They might not be the long-lived monsters that 1999 or 2005 will be, but really nice wine. Classic Chambertin power with truffled earth, sweet rhubarb and cranberry. Awesome, long, long finish. The Jamesons I had after dinner was a nice salute to St. Patrick's Day... The 2006 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre was good, but does not seem as minerally-intense as in past vintages. A slightly fatter style perhaps? The 2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederick Emile Riesling was intense petrol, minerals, peaches and orange blossom. Really nice wine here... completely bone dry. The 2005 Russian Hill Tara Vineyard Pinot Noir is nicely balanced, spicy and clean. Nice wine. The 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico has turned so mushroomy and sweet with dark black plum I didn't recognize it. An amazing bottle, this wine is just beginning its maturation. A long, long lingering powerful finish. The 2001 Jarvis Finch Hollow Reserve Chardonnay is a blender full of honeysuckle, buttered popcorn, and lemon rind. Really long, caramel finish. Nice (see, some California Chardonnay's DO age). The 1985 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion was delicious... dried underbrush, tons of rocky/stony minerals, and leathery charachter. Lacking a bit of fruit, but a decent wine. The 1999 Tirecul La Gravieres "Cuvee Madame" Monbazilliac is simply amazing... one of the great sweet wines on the planet. A slightly oxidized style, putting the tons of botrytis in line with the rich sweetness and baked, dried apricots. Awesome, amazing finish. The 2004 Penfold's Kalimna Block 42 Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is mindblowing... without question the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon I've ever tasted from Australia. Black pepper, white pepper, over-ripe black plums, graphite, pencil shavings, black currant, and a thick-oily texture that literally coated the glass. There is so much sediment in this wine it must be decanted. The tannins are so sweet and well-integrated, as is the monstrous alcohol, that this could easily go a few decades. After 4 hours in a magnum decanted, the pepper-quality lessened and the wine really blossomed. Awesome.

Rhone Tasting

Every so often, a group of us get together and do a tasting of a particular region, vintage, etc. Last night was Wines of the Rhone Valley.... and what a tasting it was. We started out with aperitifs of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (no, not Rhone... and there were quite a few that were not Rhone at the end) which was good, if not overly exciting. The 1983 Bischofliches Konvikt Piesporter Goldtropchen Riesling Spatlese was pretty... certainly towards the end of its life, the wine was pure petrol and dried apricots. The wine has a long, slately oil finish. Nice... The 1998 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Le Meal Blanc was the first of the Rhone wines and wow... what a monster. Honeysuckle, Acacia Blossom, apricots, lime peel, crushed stone, and what a long, powerful finish. The wine is still a baby but is already one of the great White Wines and was my wine of the night. The 2005 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc was stony, still ripe and rich and round. Honeysuckle, orange blossom, tangerine rind, really nice stuff. Tons of minerals. Needs time. The 2005 Chateau d'Acqueria Tavel was a nice transition sitting by the pool... spicy with lovely "grenache" hallmarks of ripe raspeberry and meatiness. Nice. The 2003 Guigal Gigondas was powerful, again, tons of Grenache leaving it earthy and spicy, but ripe and rich. My 1990 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge was completely (and very nastily) corked. Oh well. The 2003 Chateau La Nerthe "Cuvees des Cadets" Chateauneuf-du-Pape was a monster... has to be 16% abv, but didn't show it... bright, ripe Grenache - a powerhouse. Doesn't need too much time as it was beautiful right now. I would imagine it would go on for a quite a while though. On to the north! The 2001 Guigal Cote-Rotie "Brune et Blonde" was nice - meaty, olivey, smokey and lots of ripe black plum. Long, powerful finish. The 1999 Guigal Cote-Rotie "Chateau d'Ampuis" is a monstrous bottle of wine that, even decanted for 4 hours, was still a baby. Absolutely mind-blowing power with intense, clean black fruits, black pepper and loads of black olive. This is what Syrah is all about. An awesome bottle that I'd love to try again in 10 years. The 1999 Delas Cote-Rotie "La Landonne" was beautiful - just a bit more austere and less put together than the Chateau d'Ampuis - but, I think in time, the better bottle of wine. The layers went on and on forever. A lot more stony minerality to this wine than in the Ampuis, and it created a more rustic, classic Cote-Rotie type nose. Well, that was it for the Rhones... so we went on to the 1997 Michel Chiarello Barolo "Cannubi" which was tannic, powerful, and floral rose petals galore... very nice wine. The 2003 Almaviva shocked us back to the new world with its eucalyptus and deep black plum fruit. Powerful, a baby... a great wine and a great night of wine.

Interesting...

The 2001 Opus One in half-bottle was green, full of anise and black currant, and generally completely unappealing. The 2004 Craggy Range "Le Sol" Syrah continues to rock... awesome stuff. I just put a few bottles away for a nap... The 2004 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru "les Suchots" is beautiful, but young... still grippy oak tannin and power (though starting to fade a bit, which is a good thing) though the elegance of this vineyard comes through on the long, long finish...

ummmmmm Krug...

Two different bottles of the 1992 Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs... wow... amazing wine. Tart lemon curd on buttered brioche... hazelnut, crisp granny smith apples, hints of iodine, minerals, how beautiful. Better than the 1990? I think so...

Clean and crisp...

I love the 2006 Schloss Vollrads Riesling Spatlese... it's clean, crisp, off-dry, and packed full of flavor... thirst quenching? The 2005 Alex Gambal Bourgogne Blanc is minerals, minerals, minerals, with a bit of lemon rind... for the money, simply awesome stuff.

Tons...

Lots this week... The 2002 Francois Villard "DePoncins" Condrieu is awesome... totally honeysuckle and tangerine rind. The 1999 Jaboulet Hermitage "Sterimberg" Blanc was a touch oxidized, but still had a ton of minerals. Very lean and unwieldy... perhaps a different bottle would be better? The 1996 Chateau Lagrange is outstanding... too bad it was the last bottle... classic St. Julien, and I don't see how the bottle could improve as it was near perfect for the Chateau. The 1983 Chateau Leoville Las-Cases Jerobaum (that's 5 liters in Bordeaux, folks), that I have been dying to try for several weeks, was (loud gasp here) corked... who likes screwcaps now? The 2003 Harlan Estate is big, brash and bold, but starting to soften some. It's still not the 01 or the 02. The 1996 Beringer Estate "Third Century" Cabernet Franc was mature, soft and very peppercorn and cassis oriented. Nice wine. The 2005 Dutton-Goldfield Freestone Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir is delicate and elegant. A beautiful bottle of wine. The 2005 Blackbird Vineyards Merlot is stunning... like drinking pure silk... move over Pride, Paloma, Duckhorn and Switchback... I think this is the best merlot in California right now. Next came an opportunity to taste 4 different Bond bottlings side by side. First, the 2003 Bond Vecina showed more weight than it had previously. Lots of anise and graphite wrapped in a cassis and black plum blanket. The 2003 Bond Melbury showed softer this evening... not quite the power that I have experienced with this bottling. Very nice though. The 2003 Bond Pluribus was spectacular - very jammy and ripe, with a bit more earth than the other 3. The 2003 Bond St. Eden was the star of the show for me. Ripe, concentrated, powerful, but completely balanced. I think this was the wine of the night for me. The 2002 Bond "The Matriarch" was beautiful and classic in the 2002 power-packed style. Nice. The 1996 Penfold's Grange was almost salty... lots of ripe raspberry and black plums with loads of black pepper and earth. The 1997 Penfold's Grange was light and uninspiring. It was almost like it was weak and had VA at the same time... not my favorite. The 2000 Penfold's Grange on the other hand was stunning. Powerful, yet balanced and a bit of elegance on the long, long finish. Went on for minutes with earth and raspberry. The 1993 Stags Leap Winery Petite Syrah was cedary and lighter, but still PS. The 2001 Hartford Court Highwire Zinfandel was hot, ripe, but beautiful balanced and a wonderful wine to drink...

Ummmm Beer...

The five true Trappist ales are Orval, Chimay, Westmalle, Rochefort, and Westvleteren... After today, I only need to try one more... I found a bottle of Rochefort "8" (9.2%, 11.2oz) today and had to buy it... wow!!! What flavor! A heady nose of alcohol was quickly followed by chocolate, leather, raspberry spice and earth... a long, chocolately, mocha/ toasted almond finish went on forever... now I just have the mythical Westvleteren 12 to try...

Hmmm

The 1998 Chateau Batailley is bretty, earthy and wonderful... really nice, drinkable Bordeaux here. Some mocha and cedar on the finish of the 5th Growth... The 2001 Chapoutier St. Joseph "Les Granits" is the finest example of this appellation I have ever encountered. Incredible structure, beautiful balance, fabulous hanging meat and black olive nose....

Big Names

But not big quality... The 1983 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands-Echezeaux seems to have finally met its end. I've tasted this on several occasions and this one was it... lots of brown, maderized fruit. Toast. Kaput. The 1993 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache was not much better... I see lots of high scores on this wine, but all it is giving right now (and I doubt that it will change) is high acid with very tart, sour fruit and no midpalate, and even worse, no weight at all (and I don't mean this in a good way). The finish just drops off a cliff... The 1994 is better! The 2006 Penner-Ash Dussin Vineyard Pinot Noir is hot, ripe and poweful. This needs a good year or two to really come down.

This week I tasted through the 2006 Louis Latour White Burgundies (18 of them!)... the highlites were Puligny-Montrachet across the board (the Folatieres was stellar, but even the village was great), the Corton-Charlemagne (which will put on more weight and the overt alcohol should become better integrated once it's bottled - oh yeah, this was a barrell sample), and without question the Batard-Montrachet, which is a perfect, textbook example of this meaty, fat, round, rich and stony Grand Cru. Needs time, but is drinkable now (again, barrell sample). For the Chablis, I thought the Clos was not as rich as I usually find it - a bit more spread out rather than focused, but the Preuses was awesome...

Sad, Busy Week.... lots of news and wine...

I'll always admire your courage, your will, your fight. You're amazing and I'm better for having known you. I'll always remember the bottles we shared, my first day, the beach, the fun. Thank you...

So, there were 9 new Master Sommeliers!!! Congratulations to all!!! Enjoy...

This week was busy.... the busiest of the year... I'll do them somewhat in order. The 1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne was an unbelievable bottle. Certainly the best I've had since the first one several years ago. Pure honeysuckle, caramel, wet stones... an amazing and powerful wine with an exceptionally long finish. The 1989 Remoissenet Gevry-Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Cazetiers" is still one of my absolute favorite wines to drink right now. It's full of earth, nicely mature (but not overly mature). Still needs 1/2 hour to open up and show its beautiful underbrush, dried wild strawberries, black plum and spice box. Very long... The 2000 Guigal Cote-Rotie "La Mouline" is as it was a few weeks ago, but maybe this bottle was a bit more open? Lovely black olive, cold meat (had a steak last night that was the exact note in this wine), black pepper, cilantro (?!) and lots of black cherry, black plum, raspberry... like eating smoked rocks... Awesome finish. Needs time, though. The 1937 Quinta do Noval Colheita continues to be one of the great ports I've ever tried... I try this all the time and often overlook it... but it's incredible!!!! The caramel popcorn, butterscotch finish starts out nicely, with the alcohol taking over to start, then fades, then POW! all of the flavor comes back in wave after wave to an incredible finish. The 1995 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo (Barbaresco) was fabulous... so much tannin, though... lots of sotto bosco, black cherries, etc, but I wonder if it will be overwhelmed by the tannin in the years to come. The Krug Grand Cuvee is, well, Krug. Better than the Piper Heidsieck Cuvee Rare, though completely different animals... as we say, the Krug is great and the the Rare, well, it doesn't suck. Two bottles of 1988 Chateau Haut Brion were completely different. One, a bit tired, the other just coming into adulthood. The tired one was smokey earth with cedar and tobacco leaves... little fruit. The other was packed with black plums and exotic spices and full of the beautiful smokey-bacon fat covered gravel that is without question Haut Brion. The 1990 Chateau Prieure-Lichine (one corked, the other in good condition) is really beautiful and shows just how underrated this 4th Growth Margaux can be... Wonderful violet and silky plum nose with lots of cedar and cigar box. Mature, but will hold on for a long time. The 1990 Chateau Pavie-Decesse, a wine I've always been completely underwhelmed by, was a bit better than the other bottles I've had. Very stony and spicy with some black fruit and cedar notes. Ok... Next were two bottles of the ultimate garagiste wine, and a wine I've never been impressed with, the 1988 Chateau Le Pin. These two bottles were much better than I'd had before (and both showing nearly identical), but still underwhelming. Yes, the vintage was light, but these wine still showed beautiful typicity. Some anise gave way to a very exotic smoke on the palate and nose after about 30 minutes. The wine tried to mount an attack on the palate, but started dying off before it could gain any momentum... A long, silky finish though to a very rustic wine. The 2005 DuMOL Gary's Pinot Noir, Green Valley, RRV was awesome... made in a Kosta-Browne style, but not to that extreme, the wine is perfectly balanced with wild strawberry, ripe cherry and raspberry. Some Jolly-Rancher type fruit in here as well making it easy to drink now, but with sufficient acidity to lay down for a few years and develop some more nuances. The 2004 Vieux Telegraphe "La Crau" Chateauneuf-du-Pape rocks... spicy, raw, angular and powerful, this wine will (eventually) settle down... watch out! The 1982 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva was all underbrush, balsam wood, dried cherry and dried leaves. A nice, medium-length finish from the awesome vintage and one of the longest lived Chiantis around... The wine of the week though, and the best bottle of this I've ever had, was the 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Lafite, but maybe not as much as Haut Brion or Latour. Except in this case. Rivaling the Chateau Margaux as the best 1990 on the block, this wine was pure Lafite - tons of cedary dried tobacco leaves in a Cigar Box... Chinese spices out the wazoo... a finish that goes on forever (I could literally still taste the cedar and tobacco 30 minutes after I tasted the wine). So elegant - all that is Lafite.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

4 new Master Sommeliers yesterday!!!! Awesome job!!! They just had tasting to finish... we'll see how many by the end of the week!!!

The Best

Ok, so I haven't done this in a while and I know I'm going to miss a few here and there, but I felt it was time to recap my favorite wines I've ever tasted... There's only a handful that could even make the top... This differs from my annual lists in that this takes into account potential...

1961 Chateau Latour, 1982 Chateau Latour, 1990 J.F. Mugnier Musigny Vieilles Vignes, 1999 DRC Montrachet, 1955 Chateau Haut Brion, 1990 Guigal Cote-Rotie "La Turque", 2001 Harlan Estate, 1982 Chateau Cheval-Blanc, 1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, 1982 Chateau Lafite- Rothschild, 1955 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, 1990 DRC Romanee-Conti, 1990 DRC Echezeaux, 1995 Leroy Richebourg, 2003 Domaine de la Mordoree "La Plume de Pientre" Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 1990 Krug en Magnum, 1990 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune Riesling, 1964 Eitelsbach Karthauserhofberg Riesling feinste Auslese, 1953 Chateau d'Yquem, 1982 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 1990 Chateau Margaux, 1988 DRC Richebourg, 1989 Chateau Haut-Brion, 1989 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, 1995 Kistler Cuvee Katherine Pinot Noir, 1985 DRC Echezeaux, 1975 Petrus, 1998 Penfold's Grange, 1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne, 1990 Krug "Clos du Mesnil", 2004 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir.

There you are... the order??? Well, know that the 1990 Guigal La Turque, 1961 Latour, 1982 Latour, 1990 JF Mugnier Musigny, and 2001 Harlan Estate make up the top 5 (though not in that order...)

Good Luck!

The Master Sommelier exam started today... good luck to everyone!!! Hopefully we'll see a few new Masters...

Can't Win for Trying...

Rough night last night... only bottle I tried that I loved was the 2004 Craggy Range "Le Sol" Syrah... and I've already written about that many times.

Goin Back to Cali...

Two beautiful, but extremely different young California Cabs last night, plus a few older bottles, a not-so-great bottle of Hermitage. First, the 2005 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (not sure if I wrote about the other bottle of this I tried a few weeks ago)... anyway, I love Lewis wines... and this thing is a monster. Certainly the most powerful regular bottling of Lewis I've ever had... Tons of mocha, dusty earthiness, black jammy fruit. Needs a year or so... The 2002 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon is quite different. While still very concentrated, the wine is elegance to a "t" in modern-styled California wines. Lots of dust, with round, soft tannins, and tons of anise and black currant. The 1995 BV Georges de Latour was rustic, though it still had some good fruit to it, was not as refined as the 1994 BV Georges de Latour - though the 94 was a bit more elegant, it didn't show as well from 2 different bottles last night. Nod to the 95... The 1999 Jean Luc Columbo Le Rouets Hermitage Rouge was very closed, but appeared to want to open up... not sure if it ever was going to.... and ultimately determined to be raisiny... a dissapointment to be sure.

Now that's better...

One of my all-time favorite bottles tonight... but first, one that certainly didn't make the list... the 2004 Pavillion Blanc du Chateau Margaux was (hopefully, at best) closed... at worst... not a very good Pavillion Blanc. Some light grapefruit notes, but really a hint of cheese (which could be expected, instead of the full-blown fromage one gets as these wines age), with some clove, lime zest, lemon rind and white flowers. There was just no depth to the nose or the palate... The 1999 Opus One was tired... all tannin, little fruit. Granted the bottle had been open 2 hours when I tried it... but still... this is Opus??? It's NOT cheap... The wine of the night and currently in a race for best wine of the year so far was the 1955 Chateau Haut-Brion. Tried many times (I'll have to get an exact count, but at least 6 or so) in the last few years, this wine was simply stunning. Like the others, pure bacon-fat, gravel-fed smoke. The palate is intense, yet elegant... this wine could be nothing other than Haut-Brion... and a great one at that.

Ok, I Promise

To write more... this is really getting out of hand now. Tonight saw two great bottles... the first, the 1937 Quinta do (I always forget if it's da or do) Noval Colheita... always mindblowing, I seem to take this one for granted as I try it so frequently (at least once a week, in general). Such an utterly mindblowing wine on the palate. It's expensive, sure. But it's completely worth it (and I don't even like port that much!!!). The other great wine tonight, and the wine of the year so far, is the 1990 Chateau Latour. The wine has evolved and opened over the last few years. Not the best bottle I've ever had of this vintage, but it was the most open. Showing tons of power with loads of cedary-cigar box quality (actually one of the most aromatic Latours I've ever had). The finish was pure power.... awesome, awesome stuff.

Been a while...

I'm sorry for not writing more often... it's been a very, very busy time... Last night was the 1997 Bollinger Grand Annee - a textbook example of the 1997 vintage (as seen through the eyes of Bollinger). Very steely, knife-like acidity. This wine needs a lot of time to unwind and show its full richness. Great stuff. The 1985 Chateau Latour was beautiful. Classic Latour with a wonderful cedary, pencil lead and black currant nose. Nicely dusty, but not overly so. The 1998 Chateau Pichon Lalande was still tight. Lots and lots of mocha and anise. Very good for the vintage on the left bank. The 2005 Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel was amazing. One of the great zins I've had in a long time. Nothing more than an appellation bottling, the wine had tremendous depth, classic bramble and red berry fruits, with notes one can only describe as the "Ridge Nose". Wow...

Been a long time...

and it's going to be even longer...

2005 Chapoutier La Bernadine Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 1975 Suduiraut, 1957 Pichon Baron, 1988/1989/2001 Pichon Baron, 2006 Rose des Tourelles, 2005 S de Suduiraut, 1995 Calon-Segur, 1985 La Mission Haut Brion, 2005 Robert Weil Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken, 2004 Kosta Brown Sonoma Coast, 2002 St. Innocent Shea Vyd Pinot Noir.... All will be coming shortly

Will they ever come around???

Some nice wines last night... The 1999 Chateau Pontet Canet was nice, but certainly ready to drink. Lots of coffee and mocha with cedary black cherries. The 2004 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon was powerful, a bit unbalanced though with excess extraction and alcohol... The 1999 Jean Luc Columbo Hermitage "Les Rouets" was earthy, meaty, and spicy... The 2001 M. Chapoutier St. Joseph "Les Granits" could be the best example of the appellation produced today. Lots of black olives and peppery black raspberries. Very meaty and earthy... could easily be mistaken for a decent bottle of Hermitage. The 2001 Sterling Diamond Mountain Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is beautiful(!!!!)... the nose was very seductive with silky black currants, dusty earth and chocolate boisenberry liqueor with loads of cassis. Sterling gets a bad rap sometimes, but they are still making traditionally styled Napa Cabs built to age a long time. The 1975 Chateau Suduiraut (same bottle from a few weeks ago) is just beginning to open up!!! Can anyone say honeyed apricots??? On to a fairly controversial vintage (at least for now)... the 1995 Chateau Haut-Brion was closed. And closed it stayed. Except for perhaps an ounce left in a glass for several hours - and it was beautiful - loads of gravely bacon-fat and cedar. Can anyone say "long-lived vintage"???? Most of the 1995s I've had are still closed and not giving much at all - BUT - and this is a big BUT - they are in such balance that when they do open (and I now believe most will come around), they will be one of the great vintages of the last 30 years (up there with 82 and 90)...

Oh no!

The last bottle of 1997 Dominus we had was completely corked... nasty stuff really. Such a shame. Gave me an opportunity to try the 2004 Plumpjack Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - what a powerhouse! The nose was a bit closed, and so was the palate at first, then WHAM! All at once... this needs time. BTW, this was in screwcap! The 1985 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion was beautiful bacony-pulverized gravel and leather. Not the most powerful, but a beauty.

It's coming...

Just when I thought I might be able to take a breather... nope!!! Two great bottles... 1998 Alvario Palacios L'Ermita Priorat and the 2000 Guigal La Mouline Cote Rotie... both beautiful. Straw and black earth for the Priorat (incredible finish... big tannins), and amazing meat and beautiful dark chocolate, black olive and smoky grilled bacon... awesome stuff. The 2005 Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most powerful Lewis has ever produced (and that's saying something)... though, it is nicely balanced. The 2003 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Clavillion was a bit warm and the alcohol a bit overpowering to get a good read on this one.

"6 is the new 8"

Back from an amazing week in Chile. I'll write about it in the coming days (hopefully not too many days!)... just recovering for now.

End and Beginning

So, the end of a year and the start of a new one. They both were quite the same... lots of DRC on both accounts. So, the start of the year was two bottles of the 1988 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux... the first bottle was superior to the others I tried but not by much. It was perhaps a touch younger... earthy, spicy, peppery - a completely awesome bottle of wine. The 1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux was a great contrast. Still extremely youthful and powerful, this wine took a good hour to open and was even better by hour 3. Lots of wild berry fruit with clove and a bit of woodiness in the tannins. Exceptionally long finish... this is why I love wine!!!!!!

DRC's (again)

Before the questions are asked - 1) yes, I feel very lucky to get to taste the wines that I get to taste; 2) no, I never get tired of tasting them... now on with the show!

The 1999 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon is a nice wine, if not a bit one-dimensional. It's good, certainly, just not great. The 1996 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron is nice as well. A bit of cocoa and toast still on this one... needs more time. Quite a bit softer and more opened than the 1995s of late. The 1997 Dominus continues to be one of the best of this over-hyped vintage. Like drinking pure gravel, this St.-Emilion clone is awesome with loads of cedary cigar box, tobacco leaves and black plums. Amazing wine. My list will have to be adjusted for this one... On to the Burgundy (I'll do them in the order I tasted them). The 1995 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg (last bottle) is still a baby. Tasted several times throughout the night, the first right after opening, then again an 1 1/2 hours later, then 2 hours after that, the wine was just opening at 1 1/2 hours and had blossomed at the 3 1/2 hour mark - but was by no means done. This needs at least another 10 years to fully open and be appreciated. The wine was so complex and powerful it blew me away. Better than any of the previous bottles of this that I've tasted that were impenetrably closed, this one had a stunning nose right from the outset. Awesome. The 1988 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux was a stunner as well... fully developed nose, with a palate that still needed a few year. If you're going to drink one, open it 1/2 hour ahead and then start to go to town over the next few hours. Black peppered earth with clovey-strawberries... Rustic in style (as GE is), with pure, silky smooth tannins. Like velvet. The 1988 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-St.-Vivant "Morey Monge" was very old-school DRC... Still has lots of tannin and lots of life. The nose was sweet candied cherries and strawberries with generous clove, tobacco-hay and sweet, silky smooth fruit on the palate... the difference in terroir was so clearly evident between these two bottles. One, sweet-fruit and earth, the other rustic power... I prefered the Grands Echezeaux last evening... the top 56 or whatever it is now will change...

And...

The 1996 Gosset Celebris (Champagne) was stunning... a beautiful example of the hidden power of this beautiful vintage. The acidity was so piercing, the fruit almost sweet, that this Champagne completely exceeded any expectations I had. This needs time to integrate all of the minerals and what appears to be a very high percentage of Chardonnay. The Krug Rose MV was a stunner... clearly a very old (5-7 years) bottle, the wine was weightless, yet so powerful and fruit-driven in the glass. The secondary aromas of toast and anise were really screaming, but the wine is a fruit-driven, pure clean wine. Awesome to taste both of these in the same night. The 1999 Dr. Burklin Wolf Forster Kirchenstuck Auslese Trocken en Magnum was a baby. Not really integrated at all, was a completely different animal to the much more evolved Magnum I had about 2 weeks ago (different einzellagen as well). All minerals and petrol with hints of peach, it was completely wound up and didn't unravel at all over the 4 hour period it was opened. The 2003 Harlan Estate was completely closed and didn't yield any of the beauty the last bottle I had did... Oh well. Even more dissapointing was the two bottles of 1995 Araujo Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon I poured down the drain... The 2002 Masseto en Magnum was good, not great. I still think they should not have made this wine in this weak, green, un-ripe vintage. The wine was all green pepper and herbs... that what happens when Merlot doesn't ripen!!! The 1995 Chateau Talbot had green note to it as well, but was a green tannin note rather than a green fruit or vegetal note. If I had a ton of 1995s in my cellar, I'd be very nervous right now... Some are beautiful, but others show absolutely no sign of opening any time soon (if at all). Give most of them at least another 5 - 10 years. The wine of the night, and one that is making me re-assess my ranking of it, was the 1990 Chateau d'Yquem. Powerful - almost lunging out of the glass - this wine is one of the most concentrated d'Yquem's I've had. Still a youthful, minerally baby, the wine screams botrytis. I still don't think it's the best d'Yquem out there, but it's very, very good.

The Top 10

Picking the Top 10 this year was easy... as was putting them in order, for the most part. As the year is not over yet, I reserve the right to change a few things around... but I doubt it. I went back and forth with #1 & #2, switching them a few times until I was completely comfortable with my final result (while as I'm typing this, I'm not 100% comfortable..) So, here we go.


10
2002 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

Despite being one of the most concentrated wines I've ever tasted, this wine is balanced in every way. While it doesn't have the purity of texture the 2001 Harlan Estate has, for a young wine, this is stellar stuff. This was top 3 last year, but only #10 this year...

9
1982 Chateau Latour, Premier Grand Cru, Pauillac, Bordeaux France

A monumental wine - simply perfect - yet, very young. If there was a bottle on this list to put away for another 100 years, this is the one. The bottles I had this year didn't have weightlessness of the bottles last year, so it's not as high up… another top 3 last year.

8
1994 Colgin Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

Until I tried this, I thought the 1994 Bryant Family was the best mature California Cab I've ever had. The Colgin was more youthful, layered and complex than any other older Cali Cab I'd ever had (notice the qualifiers… the 2001 Harlan still takes the cake). Silky texture, amazing length. Simply pure.

7
1990 Krug "Clos du Mesnil" Blanc de Blancs, Le Mesnil sur Oger, Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France

The second time I've had this - the last about a year and a half ago - the wine has become racy yet elegant with a pure Chardonnay nose - perfect Champagne. As a Champagne freak, this drove me crazy… tasted next to the 1979 Krug Collection en Magnum and there was no comparison, in my book. Had at Lunch in March.

6
1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux, Flagey-Echezeaux, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France

This is pure bottled earth. More mature than Romanee-Conti (as expected), this wine has layers and layers of ripe fruit with clove, black olive, cedar, tobacco leaves, violets, roses, hibiscus, etc. An almost perfect Burgundy.

5
1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti, Vosne-Romanee, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France

If this wine were mature, it could go higher… unreal nose… weightless, silky, perfect palate. I will always be able to taste this wine. Needs lots more time.

4
1955 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Premier Grand Cru, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

The single greatest example of Lafite I've ever had the joy of tasting. Tremendous fruit with all of those beautiful Lafite cedary/cigar box/dusty, dried tobacco leaf aromas. The finish went on forever….

3
2004 Sea Smoke "Southing" Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California

A California Pinot higher than 1990 Romanee-Conti??? You bet… I broke this out on my trip to California, where it was obviously the wine of the trip for me. The nose is something like a perfectly mature La Tache (silky-smooth ripe fruit) combined with the power of Richebourg. I can and always will be able to smell and taste this wine. It was simply perfect and the greatest Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy I've ever tasted. Came from my cellar.

2
1961 Chateau Latour, Premier Grand Cru, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

One of the great bottles of wine I've ever drunk in my life… Better than any other 1961 Latour I've ever had. I am simply without words describing this bottle. It took the other 1961's I've had to a completely other level. Drank at lunch in March.

1
1990 E. Guigal "La Turque" Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhone Valley, France

The wine of the March Lunch and one of the three best bottles I've ever drunk in my life… read my notes from March. 93% Syrah, 7% Viognier. Combines the best of Burgundy with Bordeaux and you end up with this monster.

This Week

Not a lot great this week... The 2005 Domaine de la Faugourde Coteaux du Layon (brought from France, not sure if this producer is imported or not) was beautiful. A lovely balance between the RS and acidity. Pure Chenin and very tasty. The 2002 Freiherr Langwerth von Simmon Hattenheimer Wisselbruher Riesling Spatlese en Magnum was tasty - not outstanding, but very drinkable and a nice treat! The 2004 Tsiakkas Cabernet Sauvignon, Pitsilia Mountains, Cyprus was very, very nice. I was quite suprised at the quality here. Somewhat fruit forward, the wine had a lovely finish and nice length... bravo! The Lanson NV Brut was tasty - lots of biscuit notes - very Chardonnay as it was a week or so ago. The 2005 Kistler Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was a fireball... very hot on the palate (the alcohol was not at all integrated and came off unbalanced), the fruit-forward and clove-spiced nose was beautiful, however. To me, for the next 5 years, I would just smell this wine - not drink it. After that... go to town. The 1990 Chateau Rieussec was stunning... The depth and youthful quality of this wine amazes me - even more so that when I tried it, it had been opened (unvacuumed) for more than 3 weeks (!!!!). Not as rich as the 1990 d'Yquem, it was clearly more mature and lacked a bit of umph that would have pushed it over the top. A fabulous wine!

11-25

Yup... 11-25.

25-1999 Chateau Tirecul "Cuvee Madame" Monbazilliac - I've had this before, but for some reason this wine completely bowled me over this year. The depth of botrytis and length on the finish, coupled with extreme power with grace is something I've only ever found in very old Chateau d'Yquem. Actively searching for this wine for my own cellar.
24-1989 Gaja Barbaresco - what can be said? So much Sotto Bosco - enjoyed at a tasting then again at lunch. Maybe not the 1990 or 1988, but Gaja's signature wine is always enjoyable. This was a treat.
23-1966 Leroy Meursault "Pezerolles" Premier Cru - In my mind, the greatest winery anywhere... The fact that they do a library release every now and then blows me away... much like this wine. Amazing Chardonnay from one of the supreme Burgundy vintages of the 20th Century... like liquid hazelnuts with plenty of life.
22-1975 Bertani Amarone - pure smokey leather. What a wine... almost my favorite Italian of the year.
21-1988 DRC Richebourg - it doesn't get much better than 19 year old Richebourg...
20-1989 DRC Grands Echezeaux - when GE is done correctly, it can be one of the most enticing wines made...
19-1994 Bryant Family - this wine was initially going to go into the top 10, but after tasting a few other 1994s, it got knocked down a notch.
18-2003 Penfold's Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon- Anyone like to drink liquid tar? This is it... one of the rarest wines in Australia and it surpassed all of the hype and gets my nod for Austalian Wine of the Year.
17-1985 Braida Bricco dell'Uccellone Barbera d'Asti- what a suprise this was... after drinking a 1994 Ca'del Bosco Cuvee Annamaria Clementi, the good Doctor produced this stunner. Soooo much earth, one of the great experiences of my trip this summer.
16-1986 Chateau Cheval-Blanc - this was one that I forgot (how, I don't know... sorry...) Pure Cheval, I've now had this 4 times in the last 2 years and it keeps getting better and better. Not as good as the 2000, 1998, 1990 or 1982 in my mind, but still great and one of the best Bordeaux produced in this vintage.
15-1996 Gaja Sperss - When I opened up the first bottle of this, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. This has everything great Barolo should have - Sotto Bosco, dried leaves, black fruit, red fruit, roses... The finish on this wine goes on forever... full of texture but almost weightless. Best Italian of the Year for me.
14-1998 Comte Georges de Vogue "Le Musigny" Vieilles Vignes - what can I say about my favorite Burgundy vineyard? If only this were another 5 - 10 years older. Like drinking pure silk.
13-2000 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune Riesling - if anyone should ever dispute the greatest dry white Riesling (and possibly the greatest white wine anywhere), one only need to try this and that will be the end of that.
12-1982 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac - At it's prime, this is a #1-#3 wine, but this bottle had faded just a touch and falls out of the top 10... but still an amazing bottle. Glad I had the opportunity to taste it several times.
11-1995 Domaine Leroy Richebourg - Not sure how this missed the top 10, but it does (when you see the top 10, you'll see why...) Maybe, again, another 5-10 years and this could be a favorite. Awesome Richebourg.

Let's see... that leaves 3 Bordeaux, 2 Burgundy, 1 Champagne, 3 California, and 1 Rhone as the makeup of the top 10... it's going to take a lot for the top 10 to change...

Changes

I told you it was going to happen.. here's the new new 25-40 and 40-56... There was one I forgot that needed to go pretty high up, plus the addition of the 1990 Lafite to 40-56 and the 1995 Haut-Brion in the #38 spot.

40-56 (in no particular order)2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex, Pouilly-Fume*1998 Penfold's Grange (I expect as this integrates and matures this will be one of the great wines in the Grange lineup, but it's still too tightly wound to merit a higher placement this year).*2005 Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet (see above... too young at the moment)1999 Cristal en Jerobaum (again, too young)1994 Ca'del Bosco Cuvee Annamaria Clementi Franciacorta - had over an amazing lunch.2004 Tignanello (again, too young... I need one of these)1979 Krug Collection en Magnum2003 Phelps Backus (again, too young)1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux (I struggled with this one and before I'm done this may break into the top 30)1989 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron1990 Penfold's Grange1970 Chateau Latour1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne (special note on this one... as great as it is, I had a tremendous number of wines this year that blew me away. I own a bottle of this) *1990 Dom Perignon Rose en Magnum (really great, but not this year)1999 Cristal Rose (again, really great... but not this year) 1990 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (I’ve had much better bottles of this… could be a top 25-wine)

26-40
26 - 1995 Pahlmeyer Red en Magnum - had in California. Beautiful and round... awesome stuff.
27 - 1999 Gaja Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino - one of the great Brunello's and the best I had in 2007.
28 - 1990 Chateau d'Yquem - such a monstrous baby. Tons of minerals and botrytis. Yes, the quality is there, but the excitement wasn't. It's easy to make d'Yquem one of the favorites. This position may change, though. Had at lunch in March.
29 - 2004 Gaja Barbaresco - The wine is far too young to merit anything higher, but it is a hell of a wine. Awesome power with elegance. Time will be kind to this one... Tasted at the winery. *30 - 2004 Sassicaia - again, far too young. The best Sassicaia I've had since the great 1990. Tasted at the winery.
31 - 2001 Gaja Sperss - See 28, but even more closed. Tasted at the winery.*
32 - 1996 Salon "Le Mesnil" Blanc de Blancs, Champagne - Getting the picture? This is where the great young wines go... simply stunning Champagne full of minerals. Just hints of brioche. Needs many, many years.
33 - 1998 Alvario Palacios L'Ermita Priorato - what a great wine - earth and power. Tasted several times over the year, with the best bottle being just a few months ago.
34 - 1994 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon - Tasted several times. Would have been higher if the last bottle or so hadn't been a slight disappointment.
35 - 1971 Weingut Norbert Eser Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Auslese, Rheingau, Germany - had in the car with a great friend only a few weeks ago (PS, I wasn't driving)
36 - 1900 Irmes & Borges Colheita Port - bottled in 1947. This wine morphed faster than any other wine I've ever tasted... It drink beautifully right out of the bottle, then dies, then comes back. It's like a caterpillar into butterfly.
37 - 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico, Ribera del Duero - The bottles have closed down slightly, so it's not drinking as well as it was last year. Try again in 5 years.
38 – 1995 Chateau Haut-Brion – really beautiful wine here… I’d love to try it again in another 10 years when it unleashes its “fury”.
39 - 1995 Poggio all'Oro Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - tasted at the winery during lunch. Wowzers. Full of Sotto Bosco and dried leaves... so good I had to get a bottle for myself.*
40 - 1998 Von Buhl Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - had this at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, it was our last bottle. What a stunner this one is... full of life, drink in 30 years.

This is why

I shouldn't do my list until the very end of the year... the night before last was a half bottle of 1990 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. While this wasn't the best bottle of this I've had, the nose was pure Lafite and could not ever be mistaken for another wine. It goes in the 38-54 category... Also the other night was the 2002 Dolce (Far Niente)... this wine has a beautiful nose, but the palate is unbalanced and flabby with no lasting finish. Very dissapointing. Last night was the 1995 Chateau Haut-Brion... now, this is still a baby, but wow. The nose is just starting to unwind and the finish is looooooong and powerful. Just starting to show the gravely-bacon fat that I associate with Haut Brion. Goes somewhere in the now top-39... The 2004 Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is beautiful Chilean Cab... green pepper, but so beautifully balanced and not overextracted or overdone in any way. Nice... a not-so pleasant suprise was the 1995 Chateau Cos d'Estournel... Tasted before the Haut Brion, this wine seemed lifeless and lacking fruit. It was rustic, sure, but where the Haut Brion was a ball of fury about the be unleashed, the Cos felt like it was fading rather than gaining...

And So It Begins...

First, the 2002 Rosemount Estate "Tradition" (Bordeaux-style blend) is quite nice... had a bit of age to it now, so it's really soft (but still ripe on the nose) with tons of minty eucalyptus.

So, tonight I'll begin the countdown... of course it first involves narrowing down my 116 (!) favorite wines to a more manageable 53 (!!... how that happened I have no idea... I'm now spending time culling it to the best 38 - why 38? Why not!). So, now it's 30 minutes later and I don't want to remove any of the wines... so... I'm going to do the top 53. I'll put 38-53 in a group in no particular order, but I will then begin listing the top 30 (well, actually that's not true either... I could only narrow it to 38). Today, we'll see 38-53 and 25-37. * means it was either from my cellar or I own some.

To me, these are the greatest wines I had the pleasure of tasting or drinking this year. It is not meant to be a representation of what's available, or what's new. It's simply me listing my favorite wines I've had in the last 12 months. A young wine may be spectacular and may be destined for greatness, but if it wasn't drinking that well when I tried it, that's all that matters... it's not about what the wines will be, rather what they are now. Enjoy.

38-53 (in no particular order)

2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex, Pouilly-Fume*
1998 Penfold's Grange (I expect as this integrates and matures this will be one of the great wines in the Grange lineup, but it's still too tightly wound to merit a higher placement this year).*
2005 Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet (see above... too young at the moment)
1999 Cristal en Jerobaum (again, too young)
1994 Ca'del Bosco Cuvee Annamaria Clementi Franciacorta - had over an amazing lunch.
2004 Tignanello (again, too young... I need one of these)
1979 Krug Collection en Magnum
2003 Phelps Backus (again, too young)
1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux (I struggled with this one and before I'm done this may break into the top 30)
1989 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron
1990 Penfold's Grange
1970 Chateau Latour
1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne (special note on this one... as great as it is, I had a tremendous number of wines this year that blew me away. I own a bottle of this) *
1990 Dom Perignon Rose en Magnum (really great, but not this year)
1999 Cristal Rose (again, really great... but not this year)

25-38

25 - 1995 Pahlmeyer Red en Magnum - had in California. Beautiful and round... awesome stuff.
26 - 1999 Gaja Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino - one of the great Brunello's and the best I had in 2007.
27 - 1990 Chateau d'Yquem - such a monstrous baby. Tons of minerals and botrytis. Yes, the quality is there, but the excitement wasn't. It's easy to make d'Yquem one of the favorites. This position may change, though. Had at lunch in March.
28 - 2004 Gaja Barbaresco - The wine is far too young to merit anything higher, but it is a hell of a wine. Awesome power with elegance. Time will be kind to this one... Tasted at the winery. *
29 - 2004 Sassicaia - again, far too young. The best Sassicaia I've had since the great 1990. Tasted at the winery.
30 - 2001 Gaja Sperss - See 28, but even more closed. Tasted at the winery.*
31 - 1996 Salon "Le Mesnil" Blanc de Blancs, Champagne - Getting the picture? This is where the great young wines go... simply stunning Champagne full of minerals. Just hints of brioche. Needs many, many years.
32 - 1998 Alvario Palacios L'Ermita Priorato - what a great wine - earth and power. Tasted several times over the year, with the best bottle being just a few months ago.
33 - 1994 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon - Tasted several times. Would have been higher if the last bottle or so hadn't been a slight disappointment.
34 - 1971 Weingut Norbert Eser Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Auslese, Rheingau, Germany - had in the car with a great friend only a few weeks ago (PS, I wasn't driving)
35 - 1900 Irmes & Borges Colheita Port - bottled in 1947. This wine morphed faster than any other wine I've ever tasted... It drink beautifully right out of the bottle, then dies, then comes back. It's like a caterpillar into butterfly.
36 - 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico, Ribera del Duero - The bottles have closed down slightly, so it's not drinking as well as it was last year. Try again in 5 years.
37 - 1995 Poggio all'Oro Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - tasted at the winery during lunch. Wowzers. Full of Sotto Bosco and dried leaves... so good I had to get a bottle for myself.*
38 - 1998 Von Buhl Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - had this at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, it was our last bottle. What a stunner this one is... full of life, drink in 30 years.

Just One

1993 Opus One was drinking suprisingly well... still full of live, but very cedary with tobacco and sweet black currant... very nice.

Oooooooooooooo

What a yummy night... Started off with an older bottle of Lanson Black Label Champagne, almost pure chardonnay with tons of yeasty, biscuit notes. Great stuff... had two bottles of Bollinger that were both oxidized, so we moved on to the 2005 Napa Wine Company Pinot Blanc, which I shall not mention again... too buttery and overdone for my tastes. So, we opened a 2001 Dr. Burklin Wolf "Kirchenstuck" Riesling Trocken which was extremely young... tons of minerals with a beautiful petrol note developing. This will be better in the years to come. Almost completely dry. A great wine. The 1999 Dr. Burkling Wolf Diedesheimer Lagenmorgan Riesling Trocken (not sure of the Pradikat, though it had to be Spatlese or Auslese), Court of Master Sommelier's Limited Edition, Magnum 123/200. The wine was massive... completely mind-blowing. Tons of petrol, but not over the top. In complete balance with loads of tropical, floral fruit. Hmmm. The 1996 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, South Australia, Magnum #60/180 was awesome... only 13% alcohol, this was pure mint and eucalyptus with dusty earthiness. Australian, definitely, but not the over-extracted, over-done stuff... true Coonawarra Cab... The 1978 Hospices de Beaune "Beaune", Magnum (tasted blind initially) was beautiful... almost orange on the rim with a pretty cherry red in the center. Dried leaves, compost, wild strawberries... shows what happens in a great vintage, even with village wine, in Burgundy. Really beautiful, and glad I saved some for the Epoisses. The 1982 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac, was simply stunning... one of the great '82s, this wine has reached maturity in 750ml bottle and will only decline from here. A great bottle (fill well into the neck), but I've had better bottles before. Anise, tons of cedar/cigar box, graphite, black cherry, and a long, long elegant finish. Blew me away last night. The 1995 Chateau d'Yquem was all botrytis and candied apricots. Went great with the Roaring 40's from Tasmania... A nice treat! We should all be drinking d'Yquem much more often than we get to... To close the evening, two amazing Sherry's, neither imported into the US (as far as we can tell as we've never seen either offered anywhere). both Emilio Lustau... the first was simply labeled as "East India Trading Company". Had a bit of sweetness but almost Amontillado in style... dark in color, really pretty "bag of walnuts". The last, the exceptionally rare and highly sought after Palo Cortado... mindblowing wine - makes me wonder why we don't embrace Sherry... I need some of these for my cellar.

A great night, a great party...

Ho Ho Ho...

Been a good, if not spectacular, week... but we have our annual get together this evening where some great wine should go down...

The 2004 Tignanello could very well be the finest version I've ever tasted... simply mind-blowing concentration for a mostly-Sangiovese wine. Loads of anise and black berries, with hints of red fruit and tons of classic Italian dusty earthiness... very Italian, very Tig, and this baby needs a while - like 5 - 10 years minimum. The 2003 Flor de Pingus, Ribera del Duero was all coffee beans and mocha tonight with hints of dark chocolate, and black berry fruit... not my style. I'm wondering what happened to this wine over the last few months. Less concentrated than the 04, still very nice... left me scratching my head. The 1995 Chateau Musar, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon (a few km outside of Beruit) is a fabulous wine. Sweet spicy cherries with a beautiful earth-funk of cedar, tobacco (wet and dried), dried straw and a long, long finish. Those of you not familiar with this wine should find a bottle... one of the longest lived dry red wines there is... The 2004 Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is a tightly wound ball of spice. I'm not sure what the exact blend is, but it's got to have tons of Grenache in it... the sweet wild strawberry and raspeberry fruit gives that away... tons of spice. Very, very tight. This needs at least another 5-10 years to evolve completely.

Unbroken Chain...

1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux is mind-blowing... without question the best GE I've ever had. The nose is clove, cinnamon, tobacco leaves, red earth and wild red fruit... amazing finish... I'm still stunned by this wine. One of the best wines of 2007 for me... The 1998 Leoville-Barton was light and uneventful. The 1997 Chateau d'Yquem is a baby... the 97 Suduiraut is drinking much better at present.

Nice Treats

Lovely wines last night... the 1999 Leroy Meursault "Les Charmes" has finally started to open just a bit. It's still showing more Puligny charachter than Meursault initially, but the back end of the palate is pure hazelnuts and honeysuckle with intense minerality. I'm going to bet this one will come around in another 5-10 years. The 2001 Stags Leap Wine Cellar Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon is beautiful... but drinking perfectly right now. Very Bordeaux-esque (as this wine always wants to be), showing a good bit of dusty cedar and tobacco with anise and black fruit. Nice, nice wine. The 1989 Remoissenet Gevry-Chambertin 1er Cru "Cazetieres" is really beautiful. Tasted right after opening, the wine needed a good 30-45 seconds of vigorous swirling to reveal itself. This bottle had lost a bit of fruit, but was still stunning with its tertiary aromas. Very, very long. Wouldn't hold this one all that much longer (maybe 5 years max), but a real joy to taste. The 1995 Chateau Angelus has never been my favorite. I still get tons of green olive and what appears to be some bitter wood tannins. Hopefully this will continue to integrate and the wine will blossom. Right now it's just too bitter and has too much anise. Maybe in another 5 years. The 2000 E.Guigal Cote-Rotie "La Landonne" was as closed and as tight as I've ever seen the La La's get... Smokey bacon fat and anise with loads of raw meat. I worked this one in my mouth for a good 30 seconds before it even started to give. I wouldn't touch it for another 5 years.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

I've been really busy lately and will be coming up again, so here we go...

1971 Weingut Norbert Eser Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Auslese, Rheingau, Germany was stunning... light gold in color with very high viscosity. Appearing almost completely dry on the palate, this wine has incredible length and purity. A very fat, rich wine that was drinking at its peak. Awesome stuff right here... just a hint of botrytis and honeysuckle-coated almonds. Really amazing... Also the 2002 Numanthia Termes, Taittinger Brut Rose, 2006 Dr. Thannisch Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett, and 2006 Rudi Pichler Gruner Veltliner Hochrain Federspiel. The Dr. Thannisch and Rudi Pichler were at opposite ends of the spectrum... Rudi- bone dry and incredible pepper... Dr. Thannisch - piercing acid and beautiful.