While the wife's away, the boys will play. Nice wines at Keith's.

Keith's better half was away this week and he felt like cooking, so Izzy Noznik, Josh Leader and Leo and I joined him this past Wednesday for a culinary and vinous adventure. Keith did a wonderful job in the kitchen with a Spanish theme to start before settling into an all American steak and mushrooms with corn on the cob entree and who know that we'd have such a wealth of mostly interesting and older wines on a Wednesday night?

• 2009 Stein St. Aldegunder Palmberg-Terrassen Riesling Spätlese trocken

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Bright and lively on the nose with mineral and citrus aromas. Dry and steely with mineral, passion fruit and citrus flavors, but it suffers from the stripped mid-palate that I find in most trockens. The finish could also use some length. B.

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• 2009 Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Großes Gewächs

  Germany, Nahe

  As much as I like Dönnhoff, I'm just really not a fan of dry German Riesling. This is better than the Stein, but I still think a little bit of sugar would make the wine better balanced. The wine's dry and a bit big boned with elements seemingly at odds with itself. Despite the dryness, there's the appearance of ripe stone fruits that gets a bit over powered on the finish by a bitter citrus pith note. The requisite minerality is there, but the wine surprisingly lacks a little verve. Not bad, but not one I'd go out and buy. B+.

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• 1968 Bodegas Riojanas Rioja Viña Albina

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  A little bit of an enigma as there was no indication of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva on the front or back label. That being the case I'm going to guess Crianza as I have other bottles that say Reserva and Gran Reserva on them. In any case, classic old school Rioja. The nose is somewhat muted, but shows the usual aromatics of old cherry fruit, worn wood and old leather couch with a bit of orange peel. It's fully evolved and integrated on the palate with the acidity barely holding on for dear life. The mouthfeel has the softness of a comfy pillow. That said, the wine could use a little bit more life. Like flavors as aromas, though with air a strong mushroom note developed. Drink up. B+.

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• 1961 Antonio Vallana e Figlio Spanna Campi Raudii

  Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Colline Novaresi

  Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the night. This wine was rocking. From first pour the wine showed great vitality with its beautiful ruby color. An initial blast of volatile acidity covers up the dark red fruit and spice on the nose, but eventually the fruit starts to win out. On the palate the fruit is fresh and takes on more of a black profile. It's joined by licorice, tar, spice and earth flavors. Rustic and chunky in a most delightful way, though it did smooth out somewhat on the finish with air and the fruit even grew with time in the glass. Great length and the fruit carried over well on the finish. Just a vibrant and seemingly immortal wine. A/A-.

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• 1986 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  This bottle was actually in fine shape. While showing it's age, there's freshness here and no real oxidative flavors. It initially showed honeysuckle and orange creamsicle flavors, but took on a strong coconut profile with extended time in the glass and the fruit took on a tropical character. While layered and fairly complex, it's a bit lean and it's best days are certainly behind it. That said, the Chardonnay lovers in the group all enjoyed it more than I did. B+/B.

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• 1978 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

  Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

  Emidio Pepe's like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. These wines are maddeningly inconsistent. Too often you're greeted with dirty socks and runaway VA, but then there are the times, like this time, when you get a beautiful, fresh and delicious wine. It's shockingly fruit forward. In fact, most of us were calling it grapey. The acidity is integrated nicely and is keeping the fruit in check without throwing a temper tantrum. Nicely spicy with licorice notes and a black fruit profile. Just a surprisingly youthful and clean showing. I wish they showed like this more frequently. Solid A-.

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• 1985 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  A nice showing for this wine tonight. Like La Chapelle almost always does, it shows an enticing and elegant nose of sweet red fruits, spice with hints of bacon. Yet this time, the palate lives up to the promise on the nose. There's nice ripeness to the strawberry and cherry fruit, but it's not at all candied and the wine stays light on its feet thanks to the juicy acidity. Nice smokey bacon character with a touch of garrigue on the back end. The tannins have softened and the wine's seemingly on the last stages of peak, or perhaps a little past, so I'd drink sooner rather than later. A-/B+.

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• 1978 Domaine Louis Remy Latricières-Chambertin Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Corked.

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• 2004 Domaine Truchot-Martin Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbes Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru

  Not a lot of '04 green meanies here and that's a good thing. What can be found is upfront red fruit of the strawberry and cherry variety with a bit of earthiness. There are some green nettles at the back of the palate, but they stay tamed and just had some interesting character. Well structured with enough fruit to support it, which is a bit of a feat in '04. Quite nice. A-/B+.

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• 1991 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage Nacional

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Infanticide to be sure. At age twenty this is still rather unevolved and showing plenty of primary black fruit and sweet baker's spices. There's a strong, pleasing fig jam character to the wine with hints of cocoa. Sweet, but not as sweet as some other houses and it's nicely balanced with the alcohol nicely integrated. If anything it's maybe a bit light for a Nacional. Good stuff, but I'd hold for further development if I had any. Solid A-.

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• 1999 Jacques Puffeney Savagnin Arbois l'Oubliée

  France, Jura, Arbois

  After being told by the host that he couldn't bring a Cornelissen, much to my pleasure, Josh had to find something that would make me scream and this was it. Keep this wine away from me. Intensely acidic, dry and oxidative, searing and nutty. A DNPIM (Do Not Put in Mouth) wine.

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