B-day Bash - Carlisle, BDX, Nemo and more
Danny Brown - Queens
Tasted July 30, 2014 by Mlermontov with 549 views
Introduction
Thank you to all for making this a very special 35th b-day. And a huge thanks to my wife for forcing me to have a party and organizing the thing.
The company was amazing and the wines didnt let us down either. A note on the food - Danny Brown in queens (http://www.dannybrownwbk.com/) did an amazing job at accommodating us. Not only was the food great and the corkage worked into the price (they set up a 3 course menu (with multiple choices) for us) - but the staff was amazingly attentive without ever disturbing the conversation. The chef stopped by after dinner and was glad to hear we enjoyed the meal. The gnocchi were just perfect - pillows of delight. My steak was cooked exactly how i asked (which is honestly beyond rare - especially when seated with a large grp) Thanks to the team at Danny Brown for their efforts.
Special thanks to Fernando, Bob, Eric, Ivan and Ronnie for joining Svetlana and me and making it a perfect night.
Flight 1 (1 note)
White - Off-dry
2001 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
petrol at the start but it blew off with time. Initially more apricot and peach but with air apples (yellow and red) came in. good sweet fruit in the middle, bright acidity. the finish was a bit short - even with time though it got better. this is a wine i acquired recently and it tasted a bit more aged than the ones i bought on release and have cellared. Others were noticing a bit of a old book note on the nose but i didnt see it.
Flight 2 (6 notes)
Red
2006 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
needed time and food. still rather young. earthy cherry and forest on the nose. sour cherry is the dominant fruit in the mouth. With time this became more elegant and smooth. still with some grip. Perhaps more time will make this into a more elegant wine, though it was very enjoyable now too.
Red
2005 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Brilliant. I insisted we try this before the cabs. Some thought i was nuts :) but - this wine is elegant and light. Zinberry notes - similar to that acidic red fruit prickle many italian wines exhibit on the nose. floral, lilacs, some soy with time. red cherry and plums in the middle, very refreshing. 15.5 alc? absolutely balanced wine. a pleasure to drink - thanks Mike O.!
Red
2001 Bodegas Valsacro Rioja Dioro
Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
vanilla, lots of oak at the start (this is a baby). plums and dark fruit dominate. minerality is well present in the mid. good finish. modern powerful wine - even with 2 hours in the glass it didnt move much. hard to judge it fully now - but the structure is there and so is the acidity and the fruit. With time this may develop into a beauty.
Red
2005 Château la Bienfaisance
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Plums, fresh berries, rich sweet nose. this is quite young. Herbs and dark fruit on the palate. Plums and touch of spice. long finish with excellent structure - both acidity to keep it fresh and tannic grip. I loved this - an excellent BDX.
Red
1999 Castello di Monsanto Nemo Vigneto Il Mulino Toscana IGT
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
this was the WOTN for many. for me it was 3rd but mainly due to my personal preference. True cab nose - pencil/graphite, black fruit. rich mid with tobacco dominating (this wine is like smoking a cigar). Great acidity keeping this fresh and making you want to drink more. Lots of strength on the finish. excellent.
Red
2009 Dutch Henry Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve Chafen Family Vineyards
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
big boy here. Ripe, cotton candy wine, sweet ripe fruit on the nose. On the palate - this is like drinking a milk-shake, coffee and toffee notes - i didnt believe when i read these descriptions of cabs from others but here it is! tannic finish gives this aging potential. Not my personal style but i can see how this type of wine gets people going. Goes well with a well crusted spicy slab of steak.
Flight 3 (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
1971 Bodegas Toro Albala Montilla-Moriles Don PX Gran Reserva
Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles
Ridiculous stuff. BTW better now than it was on release (it was a bit hot 8 years ago looking at my notes). Still looks and feels like motor oil :) Orange marmalade, figs toffee...great acidity keeping this "fresh" - as fresh as PX gets that is. (though i find Albala PX to be generally less "sticky" than many others. this isn't from Jerez - its Montilla) Look - if you can get your hands on this - do it :)
Closing
Thanks again guys - and i hope to see you all soon!
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