A lovely birthday lunch with Vouvray, Bordeaux and a Riesling.

David Goldfarb hosted another wonderful leisurely Monday lunch a few weeks ago and as it so happened, it fell on my birthday. In addition to his fine selections that are typically Vouvray focused, in honor of my birthday he opened up an extremely rare bottle of Vouvray that, sadly, was corked, but the generosity and thought behind it was and is greatly appreciated. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

• 1989 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux Réserve 4eme Trie Flawed

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Only 400 bottles of this wine were produced and they were not made commercially available, so this this was a generous and rare birthday treat by our host. Unfortunately, much to our chagrin, the wine was corked. However, one was able to discern ripe apple and pear compote flavors with a bit of apricot and an exotic Indian spice character. One can tell there is a tremendous wine here and it seems, strangely enough, lighter than I recall the Moelleux Réserve and the 1ère Trie being, but it's tough to take full stock of the wine with the tca present. Some days you just hate corks.

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• 2005 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Sec

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Showing a markedly different profile than it did on release, where it was a generous and rich sec. Now it's showing pretty tight fisted with white flowers, bitter almond, yellow fruits and plenty of waxiness. It no longer shows the richness it once, but while the leanness and light bitterness isn't unpleasant, there's a distracting alcohol note on the finish. Hopefully it's just in a cranky phase right now and that it'll right itself with time. Low B+.

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• 2005 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Showing more open and generous than the Foreau, it's beautifully perfumed with ripe quince, citrus, stone fruits, almonds, acacia and mineral aromas. Ripe and large-scaled for a sec with more residual sugar than the Foreau, though like that one, there is some alcohol apparent on the finish, though with more fruit and sugar here, it's more hidden. Similar flavors as aromas with the addition of a pleasant almond note. Both wines clearly show the vintage's heat. A-/B+.

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• 1983 Château Léoville Las Cases

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  The nose is everything that one loves about Bordeaux. It's inviting, comforting and just a touch rustic with its cherry, earth, cigar box and herb aromas. Alas, the palate is not as enthralling as the nose is. Mature if not just a bit past peak. The fruit has receded a bit and the tertiary elements have just started to take a lead role. Pleasant smokey elements with earth, leather, cedar and herb. A bit drying on the finish. I'd start to drink these up sooner rather than later. B+.

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• 2003 Bert Simon Serriger Herrenberg Riesling Beerenauslese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Extremely ripe and viscous and bursting with ripe mango, pineapple, orange citrus and apricot flavors and aromas. Plenty sweet, but a little unfocused and it could use more acidic lift as it comes off as a bit ponderous. A-/B+.

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Some pictures from the lunch.

The group.


1989 Foreau- Vouvray Moelleux Moelleux Réserve 4eme Trie.


The lineup minus the Riesling.