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An Evening of Alchemy
Alchemy Restaurant, San Diego
Tasted April 23, 2011 by Javachip with 546 views
Introduction
My first visit to this restaurant. The menu was diverse, and the dishes I sampled were well-executed. Not everyone at the table was wowed by the food, but we all agreed the service was attentive and friendly. After dinner, everyone voted for their three favorite wines. This resulted in a four-way tie, necessitating a run-off election. My point scores are my own ratings and do not necessarily correlate with group rankings.
Flight 1 (10 notes)
White - Sparkling
1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires
93 points
Clear medium straw yellow hue. Delicate, ultra-fine mousse. Notes of yeast, shiitake, apples, pears, and grapefruit, with interesting personality and complexity of age.
White - Off-dry
2003 Weingut Keller Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling Spätlese
92 points
Typical outstanding riesling, with notes of slate, white peach, and jasmine. Crisp, clean, refreshingly sweet, not overly so.
White
2005 Didier Dagueneau Pur Sang
91 points
Clear pale light straw hue. Mineral and herbal notes of river stones, thyme, quinine, with white grapefruit in the background. Crisp, pure, precise. More austere than a 2007 Silex tasted recently.
Red
2004 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Nuits St. Georges Vieilles Vignes
91 points
Decanted. Very young, closed, primary. Smoky berries, wood, earth, touch of spice. Good upside potential.
Red
2007 Sine Qua Non Syrah Labels
93 points
First place out of ten wines tasted tonight. The other tasters would undoubtedly score it higher than I did. Decanted. Inky garnet-black with purple-fuchsia rim. I found this to be surprisingly backward tonight, showing charcoal and campfire, smoked bacon fat, with spicy tart blackberries hiding in the background. Try again in a few years.
Red
2004 San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere
91 points
Popped and poured. Clear medium garnet-ruby. Notes of leather, cherries, cedar. Bit of a stewed quality. Very enjoyable, typical Brunello. Perhaps better with a decant, or wait a few more years?
Red
1997 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Domaine Louis Jadot
94 points
Third place out of ten wines. Popped and poured. Clear dark garnet-blood-ruby. Lovely bouquet of cherries, berries, river stones, iron filings (not rust) and spicy wood. Outstanding structure and balance, and would be even better with a proper decant.
Red
1990 Château Cos d'Estournel
93 points
Tied for second place, out of ten wines. Decanted. Clear dark garnet-ruby hue. Outstanding bouquet of red berries and leather. Mature, full-bodied, fresh and pure, with outstanding balance and structure.
Red
1988 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
92 points
Opened at 4 PM, allowed to breathe in bottle, then decanted at 5:30 PM, then re-bottled at 6:30 PM and served at 9 PM. Clear dark garnet-blood-ruby hue, lightening at the rim. Rich bouquet of cherry pie, leather, cedar, cardamom. Like a very good Brunello. Upon opening, this wine was overly tart and dry, but improved steadily with air.
Red - Fortified
1963 Warre Porto Vintage
92 points
Tied for second place out of ten wines. Decanted. Clear ruby-brick with reflections of amber. Bouquet: notes of tequila, framboise, fig paste, strawberry preserve, milk chocolate. Palate: hot, youthful. We debated whether further aging would tame this beast. I said maybe, others said no.