Saturday night at Raj's

The final (for me) night of a great weekend in Tucson. Wendy put together an awesome dinner and 10 of us sat around drinking wonderful wines and eating great food.

Some nice juice. I have to admit up front that my experience with great champagnes is rather limited so take my note on the Cuvee Louise for what it's worth. Also, while I enjoy the yeasty notes of the champagne to some degree, this was just a bit too much for my inexperienced palate.

• 2001 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese 92 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Nose of apricots, lemon rind, and slate. A really nice riesling. The acids have mellowed into a lovely, harmonious wine. Notes of lemon tart, a touch of sweet nuts, and a bit of slate minerality.

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• 1989 Pommery Champagne Cuvée Louise Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  From magnum. Nose of toasted brioche and hazelnuts (or is it filberts?). Very yeasty, with toasty bread and lively light acids. Still quite young. Very very nice. 93-94.

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• 2003 Masciarelli Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Marina Cvetić

  Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo

  Tasted after the bottle had been open 2 days, so take it for what it's worth. Nose of old pineapple (slightly maderized) and a bit of spearmint. A little flat on the palate, with minimal acids. Nice, slightly old fruit. Pineapple, apple, and a twist of lemon. NR due to how long this had been open.

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• 2002 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur 88 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  From magnum. An unoaked chard. Lovely, subtle, elegant, floral nose. Melons and pineapple on the palate, but notably lacking in acids. No oak at all. Could have used a little more something.

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• 2003 Alban Vineyards Viognier Alban Estate Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  Lovely floral/perfumy nose, with notes of dried apricots. On the palate a nutty, floral thing going on. Nice gentle acids, apricots, white peaches. Well integrated and drinking nicely.

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A nice lineup here. I'm probably the only one who liked the Rochioli better than the Evenstad, but I did. The most enjoyable to drink this evening were the Piedmonts, to my palate anyway. I do love mature (or not so mature) nebbiolo though!

The Terra Valentine was definitely a disappointment. The Flaccianello and the Don Melchor were both quite nice but the Don Melchor in particular was still very young and tight.

• 2002 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Nose of dusty black cherries with some cardamom and sage. Gentle, elegant strawberry fruit with some nice minerality and a bit of earth.

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• 2000 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Serious earth, sousbois, and barnyard on the nose. Smells wonderful to me. On the palate, great red fruit - nice acids, well balanced, really lovely. Gorgeous fruit - kind of like red maraschino cherries without the sweetness.

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• 1989 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Nose of licorice and allspice, with some earthiness as well. Elegant, lovely cherry, cedar and sandalwood. A bit of earth, but not a huge amount.

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• 1997 Marcarini Barolo La Serra 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Perfumy nose of roses, with a touch of earth. On the palate, a clean, tart cherry with limestone or white slate or some sort of white stony thing. Still acidic and very tannic, but really beginning to open up. 91 now, will clearly improve.

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• 2001 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT

  Nose of dark fruits, oak, clove, and black cherry. Wonderful sweet fruit with some tannins, some acids. Still round and approachable. A bit of chocolate. Probably has 3-10 years to run.

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• 1997 Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon Wurtele 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

  Nose of white pepper, dark red fruit, and a bit of sweetness. On the palate, this is soft and sweet, with some tannins. Dark red fruits. A little overly sweet.

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• 2001 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor 92 Points

  Chile, Maipo Valley, Puente Alto

  Awesome nose of chocolate and black fruits. On the palate, this is tight, with big tannins and a slight herbal note (in a good way). A lot of structure, a slightly iron finish. This will definitely improve with time. 92+

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What a way to end a fantastic weekend!