Dinner with friends

My house
Tasted Tuesday, August 1, 2006 by psmith with 741 views

Introduction

We had a few friends over on Tuesday for wines and steak frites. I can't say the meal was a success on all levels, but the wines were quite enjoyable and the resulting late night made for a rather rough Wednesday.

Flight 1 (12 Notes)

  • 1986 Nikolaihof Riesling Spätlese trocken Weingebirge 91 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

    Pure, petrol fumes and natural aromas of fresh cut grass, honeyed peach and apricot, and white flowers. Mature, weighty palate well supported by a vibrant acidity and minerality. No signs of decline. Beautiful wine, and very Nikolaihof in style.

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  • 2000 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Hochrain 90 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

    Lemon zest and white flower with hauntingly pure petrol notes. More subtle flavors and somewhat hollow in the middle, but a powerful mineral core and tangy acidity on the finish begs age. Delicious young wine.

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  • 2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Melon, pear, orange oil, and exotic tropical fruit with floral notes. Lushly textured, flashy, and oily on the palate. Deliciously forward but traces of alcohol detract from the finish as the glass warms up. As intensely flavored as any Chave Blanc as I've ever had, but never heavy or tiring.

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  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Rosé 89 Points

    France, Champagne

    Old label bottle, probably 7-8 years since release. Cherry and red berries on the nose. A well integrated and reserved mousse comes across as a more aggressive frizzante than fully sparkling. A bit caramelized and overly oxidative on the finish detract from the vibrancy this wine usually displays. A bit out of balance, probably should have been consumed a few years ago. Very disappointing relative to a bottle from the same batch enjoyed a few months back, but not bad on an absolute level.

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  • 1994 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Gueberschwihr Flawed

    France, Alsace

    Over the hill resin and pine-sol notes. Not drinkable IMO.

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  • NV Schloss Gobelsburg Brut Réserve 86 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

    A bold wine, not particularly complex, but some leesy notes. Rather winey. Nice finishing acidity and good balance overall. Very nice.

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  • 1988 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Goldert 89 Points

    France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

    Some pine-sol, honey, and butterscotch on the nose - comes across as too old to me. Actually a very nice palate. Mature with a full, oily, thick texture. Tropical fruits and some Gewürztraminer character remain. Finishes nicely with a good balanced acidity. Attractive old wine, expressive and interesting.

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  • 1998 Turley Petite Syrah Rattlesnake Acres 87 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Dark black fruits, violet, and spicy flavors. Concentrated though quite balanced with bold, medium-grain tannins. Enjoyable wine.

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  • 2004 Didier Dagueneau Pur Sang 88 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé

    Austere grapefruit, citrus, and mineral notes backed up by a dominant tangy acidity. Rather steely and cold at this point - less expressive fruit than a bottle from a few months ago. More textured on day two, though a lot of tension and restraint to the flavors. Deserves a few years in bottle.

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  • 1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin 96 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Funky Mourvedre nose - lots of animale notes and earth driven flavors but with mineral, lead pencil, and blackberry fruit. Full-bodied but never overbearing. Intense with a creamy, weighty fruit profile and ample firm tannin. Just an amazing young Beaucastel, though really showing a lot now. A truly wonderful wine.

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  • 2001 Sine Qua Non Midnight Oil 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast

    Dark, thick, and slightly sweet blackberry liqueur, violets, and meaty flavors. Dense and full on the palate with loads of extract and a fine tannic finish. A large-scaled, flashy, in-your-face wine. Sexy and smooth as silk. Not something I'd want every day, but really delicious in small doses.

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  • 1976 Monimpex Tokaji Aszú Essencia

    Hungary, Tokaji

    Old, concentrated Madeira color. Not dead by any means, but definitely old bones. Wonderfully complex nose of orange marmalade, candied tropical fruits, caramelized sugar, prune, and raisin. Malt and chocolate on the palate with persistent, bright, and intense flavors well supported by firm acidity. Something very unclean about the finish that makes drinking this a rather unappealing idea. Unchanged on day two. Hard to attach a meaningful number to, but an enjoyable experience overall.

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