Hospital Foundation Annual Charity Gala

Bellingham, WA
Tasted Saturday, June 7, 2014 by WST with 510 views

Introduction

I brought some wine to the annual charity event. I was sitting at a large table with 9 fun friends who like wine but don't collect/store/analyze/berserkerize wine. However, there were some wine enthusiasts and even fellow berserkers at the event, so I tried to choose crowd pleasers as well as wines of geek-interest. My notes may be terrible (there were no spit buckets, I took no notes, and wrote them using my muddled memory and defective palate later that night.

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

Flight 2 (7 Notes)

  • 1994 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    If rating the nose only, I'd label this an outstanding wine. Gorgeous tobacco and licorice waft from the glass. So how can the palate be so shrill? Followed over many hours. The nose stayed lovely, the palate austere to the point of tasting metallic. Food didn't help. Perhaps the palate will evolve, but I don't hold much hope for my remaining bottle.

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  • 2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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

    Very nice. Clean for a Beau. Well within it's drinking window. Surprisingly pleased the crowd and the geeks.

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  • 2005 Betz Family Syrah La Serenne

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    Young out of a magnum, a little northern rhone bacon fat and dark berries, but a bit of heat. Nice, not outstanding.

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  • 2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Wish I had bought more when I had the chance. Solid late middle-aged Cote-Rotie. Dark berries, notes of gamey iron/blood, iodine, olive. Moderate long finish, finely balanced.

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  • 1990 Château Sociando-Mallet

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

    Very fine. At or perhaps a little past it's apogee. Savory, slightly vegetal, mostly tertiary leather and earth, plus anise, cassis. Stayed aromatically attractive and interesting for many hours.

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  • 1998 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series

    USA, Washington

    Surprisingly primary, not at all showing it's age. No alcohol burn or overripe fruit or oak dominance, this was well done. Enjoyed by all.

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  • 2004 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills

    Maybe the biggest wine of the night. Extracted and oaked; cassis candy on vanilla toast (but not in as bad a way as it sounds). I think the crowd liked this as much as any other wine served; I didn't subject any of the europhiles to it. Very well made for its style, and not showing any signs of decline.

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Flight 3 (1 Note)

  • 1985 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

    An eternal wine, only showing its age with lanolin and wool. No oxidative notes. Citrus, almost demi-sec level of sweetness. Another enjoyed by both the crowd and the wine geeks, and greatly enjoyed by me.

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Closing

Good times, great friends, fine wines and a good cause.

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