April Fools Dim Sum
Seattle, WA
Tasted Saturday, April 2, 2011 - Sunday, April 3, 2011 by Anthony Lombardi with 638 views
Introduction
Mssrs Saxon, LaBand, Walker, Zitarelli, Don and I met up for a Dim Sum lunch and some nice wines. These notes are mainly from memory, so bear with me.
1985 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
(4/2/2011)
Opened about two hours before serving. The top of the cork looked like it was sealed with black tar. The rest of the cork was saturated. Sniffed the bottle and found a musty aroma mixed with vegetal notes and pine needles. I decided to pour out a small glass and then put both the glass and bottle in the fridge to chill for a bit. Fortunately, this didn't cross over to the glass.
The wine was a yellow gold color. Aromatics of granny smith apples, a bit of petrol and some herbal notes. Absolutely perfect palate weight and in lovely balance showing off-dry characteristics with honeyed apples which transitioned to tart lime as it eased towards the long finish. High in acidity and refreshing. Superb mouthfeel wine. This has plenty of life still and these old Vouvrays continue to amaze me.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1989 Château Beychevelle
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
(4/3/2011)
Dark maroon. Excellent aromatics showing red and black fruit, leather and tobacco leaf. Once some air hit this wine, big expressive mid palate with black currant, a hint of plum and spicy tobacco. Full bodied. Plenty of acidity right now with good tannic structure. Everything in balance on this bottle. Great length.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1991 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
(4/2/2011)
Dark maroon. Great nosed emblematic of aged Cabernet. Dark red currant with some mint and pepper. Full bodied, showing complexity on the palate. More currant with hints of darker fruit. Medium acidity with herbal and mint flavors mixing with the fruit. Still showing tannic structure, but well integrated and softer with age. Good length. Another wine that would show even better by itself with dinner.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1995 Weingut Setzer Grüner Veltliner Die Lage
Austria, Niederösterreich, Weinviertel
(4/2/2011)
The second bottle of this tasted in the last month. Yellow gold. Petrol, white pepper, florals and citrus fruit on the nose. Complex aromatics. Medium bodied. Meyer lemon, sage and just a hint of melon on the palate. High acidity- refeshing mouthfeel. Long finish and a long future despite the age of the bottle.
Very consistent bottling of Gruner Vetliner.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2000 Château Meyney
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
(4/3/2011)
Opaque purple with a maroon rim. The nose is earthy and rustic withsome tobacco and
dark fruits. Full bodied Bordeaux with black, brooding fruit,
some green/ earthy notes and plenty of leather/tobacco notes. Good acidity and very tannic. A rustic version of Bordeaux and one that I believe will bloom on the second day of being open.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5°
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
(4/2/2011)
Decanted two hours. Dark garnet color. The nose is a blast of red fruit and vanilla (almost like Dr. Pepper) significantly influenced by the new American oak. At best distracting and at worst repulsive. One can determine their spot on the scale. A nice wine in the mouth for a brief moment as the medium body and high acidity offer promise, but the oaky flavors take over again on the finish. Maybe a longer decant or some bottle age will help this integrate, but I'm not buying any more to find out.
This wine really has an identity crisis. It has nice, structured old world sensibility, but the oak program drives it full speed into modernity. Once upon a time, I might have celebrated the richness, now I just see this as a very confusing bottle. Not enjoyable at all.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
(4/3/2011)
Yellow gold. Powerful and expressive nose showing honeyed citrus fruit and some green herbal notes. Medium to full bodied. Another wine showing perfect balance between fruit and acidity. Lemon and lime with a hint of honeyed sweetness. As this took on air, the palate weight increased where it ended up taking on a hint of creaminess. Let me stress- this took on hints of these qualities. Nothing extreme about this wine except the quality when you put all the pieces together and frame them with the refreshing acidity.
This is my first time to taste this and it is certainly the most enjoyable bottle of Chablis I've ever had. A singular, special wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2002 Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Santenots
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
(4/2/2011)
Pop and pour. Light ruby red. Good aromatics showing florals and red fruit. On the palate, good pure tart cranberry balanced with earthy tones. Medium bodied, tons of structure. High acidity makes for a good mouthfeel. Firm tannins and good length here. This has a long life ahead.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2003 Sylvie Esmonin (Michel et Fille) Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
(4/2/2011)
Dark ruby red. Reticent nose which showed dark red fruit and some damp earth. This wine is one I would describe as brooding more than pretty or elegant. The vintage is reflected here, it is dark fruited and full bodied, but thankfully not stewed or unpleasant. The structure is more tannic than acidic, but it is drinking reasonably well. This will show better on the table with a hearty dinner (rack of lamb, pork tenderloin) than it did at a big tasting among other, more elegant bottles of Burgundy. Medium length.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2003 Mas Doix Priorat Costers de Vinyes Velles
Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
(4/3/2011)
Dark, almost opaque purple with some ruby around the rim. Powerful nose showing dark fruit, green herbs and some tobacco. Tightly wound palate. Black, brooding fruit which is dominated a bit by the strucuture. Some spicy red fruit
peeks through with some air, but this one is playing it close to the vest right now. All components are present which show that this is a beautiful bottle of wine, just in need of a good decant, or a second day to bloom. One I plan to stock up on.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Nicolas Potel Echezeaux
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
(4/3/2011)
Bright ruby red. Gorgeous nose showing red fruit, clove and cinnamon. The palate just beams freshness. Perfectly balanced fruit and structure. Tart red fruit, but just a hint of dark bing cherry. High acidity brings you right back to the glass. Very difficult for me to sip this one slowly. Medium bodied, with present, but not intrusive tannins and serious, tape measure home
run length. Loved this wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Betz Family Bésoleil
USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
(4/3/2011)
Dark ruby red. Big, showy red fruited nose. One of those smell it across the room aromatic wines. The palate is red fruit bordering on sweetness, and regrettably not much more. Some spice lingers, but the wine is so dominated by fruit that any strucutre or complexity is obscured. If you like a heady Grenache and enjoy it as a drink to revel in pure fruit, this is a good example. Not one to ponder or consider.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2009 August West Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
(4/3/2011)
Pretty transparent ruby red. The nose is a mix of red fruit and orange peel with some spice that unfortunately manifests as orange childrens aspirin. A lot of aromatic elements coming together in a strange way. The orange/ spicy components dominate the mid palate as well. Medium bodied with high acidity. Very linear right now. The components aren't harmonious, but this is painfully young. I'd be interested in tasting this again after it has some time to integrate.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue