Jen's Fund Raiser Dinner II

Starter's

• 2010 Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben-Thanisch) Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Pure and clean sweet lemon, peach fruit...tarted up nicely with some green apple skin..plenty of crushed flint...easy drinkin and tasty. (91 pts.)
• 2010 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Sweet apple, lemon...very nice florals, raw peanut...little edgy with crushed wet stones, slight petrol...but should do better in a few. (90 pts.)
• 2010 Sine Qua Non The Monkey - USA, California
  Rich and voluptuous with massive amounts of flavor....apricot, creamy pear, honeysuckle, hot buttered rum spice, match strike.....big, but well balanced and lifted with bright citrus acidity...little heat though on the finish. Might need a few years to calm down...but it's all in there! (94 pts.)

Chard Flight

• 2007 Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  While I usually like these after the 10 yr mark...this is probably the best young Marcassin I've had......wonderful balance with the creamy, smoky bright yellow fruits...toasted marshmallow, crushed flint, exotic honey spice....good dose of citrus acidity...all in super balance. Should be even better in 2017! (95 pts.)
• 2007 Aubert Chardonnay Reuling Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  This came across a little sweeter than the other two in the flight....creamy pear, apple, dried apricot....had a burnt spice to it, some heat, nice waxiness and florals....just a little out of whack and a tad too sweet for me. Not bad, just bested by the other two in the flight. (92 pts.)
• 2008 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  At first some weird reduction, but turned into a wonderful complexity! Rich and creamy citrus fruits, with tons of fresh sour skin acidity...worked really well with the vanilla, citrus oils, cold tea, crushed stones, and that now slight smoky reduction. Super wine! (96 pts.)

Pinot Flight

• 2004 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  Wow...not like the last time. This was port-like sweet, with raisened berry fruit, sandalwood spice, cola, little VA.....not as I remember. (88 pts.)
• 2002 Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  Fantastic! In great balance right now, still pretty youthful...ripe raspberry, black cherry fruit...shows deep dark earth spice, forest floor, smoked liqueured berry pie...and well lifted with sour skin acidity and crunchy minerals. Should gain even more. (95 pts.)
• 2003 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
  Creamy and candied raspberry, cherry, creme de cassis....smooth, yet loaded with fresh acidity....nice subtle smoked barrel, tea leaves, cedar spice, purple flowers....was surprised at how much acidity considering the vintage? Nice wine. (93 pts.)

Big hitter 2002 Cab Flight

• 2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington
  Always love this wine...still pretty tight with tannins, yet does give you plenty of dark liqueur berry fruit...to go with dusty graphite, exotic woods, spice, violets. What I really love is, that it's not too sweet...more to the graphite dry side, firm and dark. Drinks well now, but in no hurry. (95 pts.)
• 2002 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
  My first time with this one...very ripe and loaded with sweet fruit and flavors....berry liqueur, creme de cassis....dusty cedar spice, charcoal, pretty florals......but there was some vanilla coconut oak thing that just keep creeping in? Very big on the oak, and the sweetness in the fruit was just too much for me...especially when tasted next to the QC. Still, quite tasty with great feel...just had higher expectations. (93 pts.)
• 2002 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
  Second time in a few months with this wine...it is killer! Ripe port-like nose of wild berry fruit, creme de cassis, flowers galore, gooey chocolate brownies, dusty cedar/white pepper spice, licorice, plum liqueur. Rich and creamy in the mouth...amazing dark liqueur berry fruit...but with tons of structure(barrel spice tannins) in perfect balance...really giving it a nice plush feel! Killer florals and dusty graphite spice...leather, dried raspberries. Amazing stuff! (97 pts.)

Saxum Flight

• 2005 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  93% Syrah, 7% Grenache...Huge concentration, pure, kirsch liqueur, wild berry fruit...firm yet giving texture...exotic spice, smoke, white pepper, dark chocolate covered licorice....wonderful florals, plenty of dry spice and crushed rock to go with the huge fruit. Super! (96 pts.)
• 2005 Saxum 44 Month Barrel Age James Berry Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  81% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 9% Grenache....still big time tannins here....yet smooth and creamy with the huge glycerin dark berry fruit. Dusty white pepper, oak barrel spice, white flowers, smoked meat, blackberry sour cream pie....wonderful complexities with a silky full bodied feel from the 44mos barrel age. (95 pts.)
• 2005 Saxum Cuvée Rocket Block James Berry Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Willow Creek District
  93% Grenache, 7% Syrah....the grenache really shows here! Very high toned red berry fruit...a little too candied for me...yet with nice pretty florals and dried raspberry, smoke, and chocolate covered blueberries. Might have seemed sweeter to me tasted next to the 44mo and the BR. (91 pts.)

Other pops

• 1989 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
  Mmmm this was good! Very young and dark still...the perfect ripeness and aged fruit....youthful acidity, plum liqueur, leather, powdery graphite tannins still firm....wonderful complexities of camphor, mint, flowers...very seductive...a sit back wine. Would love some of this in the cellar! (96 pts.)
• 2002 Showket Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
  More of a ripe strawberry with currant for the fruit....nice earthy spice, mint...dusty dirt, some iron.....kind of out of place with the other heavy hitter '02's. (90 pts.)
• 2002 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Ahhh, always a fav of mine....good dryness and solid tannins still...raspberry, black cherry, currant fruit...plenty ripe, but not too sweet....dusty graphite tannin, some tart skin acidity, coffee field, mint. Nice firm feeling cab...tasty! (95 pts.)
• 2009 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
  The fruit is too candied for me....still quite tannic, with some nice dark chocolate, herbs, charcoal, dried cherry...but just think it's too sweet. (89 pts.)
• 1970 Château Mouton-Baronne-Philippe - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Held up quite well....fruit is a little fading, but still sweet...nice aged bord flavors of decaying leaves, walnut oil, cinnamon stick, leather....still alive cherry skin acidity, soft feel. (91 pts.)
• 1970 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Aged red berry fruit on the decline....nice dried leaves, mint, licorice, plum cherry, leather....silky soft feel...but didn't last too long in the glass. (89 pts.)