Fourth of July at Wes & Cassandra's

Ravenna
Tasted Sunday, July 5, 2015 by Loren Sonkin with 388 views

Introduction

My wife and I were invited to an annual Garden Party at the home of Wes & Cassandra. I knew Wes as he works in a local wine store but had never met his girlfriend. This was an all day party and we were not able to get there until about 8:30 at night. Needless to say, a lot of wine seemed to be drunk before we got there. Nevertheless, we were able to enjoy some great food and a whole bunch of wines.

The wines were consumed casually under the grape pergola with conversation and food.

Flight 1 (10 Notes)

2010 Paumanok Semi-Dry Riesling 90 Points

USA, New York, Long Island, North Fork

At five years from vintage, this is drinking very well. I would not call it semi-dry though. It is quite sweet. Golden in color. The nose is nice with slight petrol notes. Also some sea air and a bit of minerality. Viscous texture. Nice though. The palate is sweet but not quite to cloying. There is plenty of complexity here. Very interesting wine. Nice peach/citrus component. Decent acidity. If you packaged this in a 375 and called it a dessert wine, it would certainly pass. It seemed very popular with some of the younger women in the room as well. For $20 on release (750ml), this is a nice value. USA, USA...

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2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 92 Points

Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

I really liked this wine. It seems to be ageing pretty quickly for a Prum which is not a bad thing to wait on other vintages. No spritz on the palate although the bottle had been open for a bit when I got there. Light gold in color. Wet rocks and green apples on the nose. The palate is more about green apple juice with minerality. Decent acidity. There is depth here.

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2011 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Josephshöfer Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

My first time trying this producer IIRC. Very nice as well. The nose has apples, honey and a pine note that is interesting. On the palate, this is slightly sweet but less so than so many of todays Spatlese's. Quite interesting. The palate is minerals with a bit of saltiness to it. Very refreshing. I would prefer more depth/complexity but perhaps it gets there, this still tastes young, or maybe another vintage.

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2010 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 95 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

This had been opened for a bit when I got there. Obviously young and there is a lot of room for improvement. Cassis, some leather, blueberries, spice and fresh cut lumber on the nose. Very pretty and young. Lovely, lush texture. The palate is very tight but is delicious right now. Cassis and spice mixed with slight oak in the glass. Deep and bottomless. Lovely balance. Long finish. In twenty years, this may merit a close to perfect score. Wonderful today though with some air.

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2010 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 98 Points

France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

Its hard to score this one as it is so tight and dense. I got the last pour from the bottle (actually from the person who took the last pour's glass (thanks Chris)), so it saw a lot of air. Purple in color. The nose has dark cherries, cassis, gravel, and vanilla. Very pretty. On the palate, this is so dense and tight but with such a lovely texture. A wall of fruit and oak right now but there appears to be so much going on underneath. I would think 20 years for this to hit maturity but it will be well worth the wait.

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2005 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 95 Points

France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

I was surprised that this was showing this well as many 05's are still so tight. Perhaps the Merlot makes it more accessible. The nose has cassis, cherries, spice and plums. On the palate, this is lush with good acidity. Lots of dark cherry fruit. Tight complexity but swirling in the glass brought this around. Lovely texture and balance. Obviously this will continue to evolve but very delicious today.

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2011 Valdicava Rosso di Montalcino 88 Points

Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino

I was told there was not BdM made in 11 here. While I know distributors say this makes for a better Rosso, my experience has taught me that is not the case and this was not the exception. Its a very good wine, but not as good as most vintages of the Rosso, IMO. It drinks like a forward, easy drinking RdM. Open and ready to go. The nose has cherries and tea leaves. The palate has cherries and dried cherries with a slight forest floor quality. Nice acidity. A nice easy drinking wine that I would drink sooner than later.

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2007 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard 93 Points

USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

My second time drinking a bottle of this in the last two weeks. The first was on its own, but this time in a large setting. Don't know if this is a better bottle or it just stood out for its readiness and elegance compared to a lot of young Bordeaux, but I liked it better this time. The nose has cherries and earthiness. On the palate, this has a nice complexity. It seems soft. Plenty of cherry fruit still though. Nice balance. Nice finish. Usually wines with this profile get crushed at tastings, but this held its own.

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2011 Dow Porto Vintage 94 Points

Portugal, Douro, Porto

Obviously young with twenty years to get to maturity and 40 years of life left IMO. Still, it is delicious today. I poured a glass and let it sit for 30 minutes to breathe. The nose has chocolate covered raisins with a blast of raspberry jam. Big, juicy, lush texture. Some alcohol on the nose and palate, but not as much as I might have thought. Delicious chocolate covered raisins with dark cherries and raspberries on the palate. Loved the wine though at the end of the day, I don't think it is that much better than the better ruby ports. It deserved cellaring by someone young enough to appreciate it down the road.

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2014 Château Pégau Pink Pégau 84 Points

France, Vin de France

As I was getting up to leave, I saw this on the table. Never had it, so I poured a taste. Pink in color. The nose is nice enough with strawberries and rhubarb. On the palate, this starts with an initial hint of sweetness before turning mouth puckering tart. It smoothes a bit on the finish. To be fair, it might have showed better earlier in the night before the heavy reds. Certainly drinkable and a bit refreshing. A different time a, a different place, perhaps....

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