Dinner at Don and Melissa's

Okay, I was the one who was not taking notes. Unrestrained by facts, I offer these fleeting reflections to prod those who wrote theirs down at the time. Many, many thanks to Don and Melissa for putting together a lovely spread. It was great to meet Melissa and Bob, and to see Brad and Jay.

• 1995 Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Brut

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant

  This wine is drinking beautifully. It's open and aromatic, with yellow fruits and hints of apple with chalky undertones. It has picked up some honeyed richness from bottle age and showed much better than the Champagne.

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• 1996 Gaston Chiquet Champagne Special Club Brut

  France, Champagne

  At a bit of an awkward stage now. Medium gold, showing some development with apples, spice, and earthy undertones. It picked up considerable depth with air. Hold.

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• 2001 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre

  France, Alsace

  Classic rose-petal and lychee, dense and deep with lovely minerality. Very intense, with just a hint of RS, enough to ward off austerity but certainly not enough for Brad.

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• 1993 Joël Taluau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

  Stunning aromatics of forest floor, cigar box, smoke, and mixed red and black fruits come in layer after layer. This is a wine for the noses out there. Not that the palate was unpleasant, but it didn't begin to compare. This one's on the downslope, but very, very enjoyable.

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• 1995 Joël Taluau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

  Showed much younger than the 1993, tasted side by side. This had more violet and more flesh but wasn't nearly as complex in terms of aromatics. It did develop a bell pepper note with some air. I don't know if it passed as I moved on to other things. I think it was in a bit of a funky stage; seems to have plenty of stuffing left.

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• 1991 Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  This bottle had the most bullet-proof cork I've ever seen. It snapped a corkscrew, in the middle of the worm; nearly defeated an ah-so; and took a hinge of a double-hinge model before sacrificing its contents. Said contents were equally impenetrable. Faint hints of leather, some VA, a touch of brett.

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• 1995 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Clos du Bourg

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Was it young? Absolutely. Without any old vintages to distract us, this showed very well. It probably has more time left than I do ..., but this was really lovely, bright, pure, essence of Vouvray. Medium gold, bright acidity, nothing out of place; really special stuff.

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I know I'm missing the Languedoc, which showed very well. What was that?