Bacchanal at St. Chauncy
Cambridge, MA
Tasted Sunday, January 15, 2012 - Monday, January 16, 2012 by bpj87 with 490 views
Introduction
This tasting event was unlike any other (except several prior events with larger numbers in attendance). The room was quite cold, so wines were at proper cellar temperature, the fridge adding a dose of chill to the whites while we explored, appreciated, then quaffed the reds. Then it was time to enjoy the whites. And enjoy we did. They were delicious. Scrumptious. Intoxicating. After that, it was an orgy of flavor, with the reds and the whites altogether. Needless to say, some mind-shattering improvisational jazz-rock jamming topped off an already terrific night. The wines, with all of their brilliance, rubbed off on the jams, which also shone like your finest bottle of wine.
Flight 1 - White Grapes (2 Notes)
Flight 2 - Gamay Soiree (2 Notes)
Flight 3 - Backup Bottles Aplenty (1 Note)
Unfortunately not Bonnes Mares.
Closing
There is an axiom that at wine tastings, there are either a legion of wines tasted but none drunk or a sea of wine drunk but none tasted. We strive to maximize both. Taste all the wines first, in small portions, so as not to dull your faculties. Drink--there are several nearly full bottles remaining--it would be a shame to let all that Steinertal go to waste. Finish--drink all of the wine down to the last drop (ideally, one would take a more measured approach and spare about 100mL of each bottle for assessment the next day).
2002 Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Brut 92 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant
(1/15/2012)
Nuts, almonds, rather expansive membranous viscosity, sliding with shear forces and locking on with magnets, breaking through with tantalizing acidity, this wine is imposing yet fresh and springy and shines silver and gold. One recalls a meadow in the summer. A vast spine supports this delightful not-quite champagne. 92+
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2009 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Steinertal 94 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
(1/15/2012)
The nose just exudes the manna of the universe; the terroir transmits infinity. Its substance attempts to eat away at your tongue while dancing in its sizable jagged shoes. An invigorating icy rush of mint, lime, bitter orange, ginger, rain, and some herbal hints on the nose. The palate possesses a nearly salt-free minerality, giving the wine its breadth. Seemless, it is weightless and cleansing. Rainforest greens and herbs on the V-shaped finish. This wine conjures up an image of a verdant waterfall in the semi-darkness of the forest. We drank this wine over two days, and on the second day it was a very different wine. While on the first night it impressed with its tight and slightly wound-up tension, on the second night it seemed somehow more mature and integrated, as the component lines blur into a unified whole far greater than its parts. It is firmly dry, quite acidic, and bursting with intense minerality. While this wine may not be for everybody, those who like this style of grand cru Austrian Riesling should find this an excellent experience.
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