John comes to town!

Many thanks to Dom for letting us all know that John would be in town and organizing. We had a good turnout (11 folks and 14 wines). Great to see the NY crew and also meet some new people. We had a nice mix between bubbles, white, new world, old world, and some excellent stickies to finish up the dinner. Good experience to test my theory that perhaps I'm starting to develop a taste for bordeaux.

• 1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires

  France, Champagne

  I was pretty surprised at how much I really liked this champagne. Usually I find bubbles a bit tough to differentiate across, but this was very nice. Crisp, green apple, very light on its feet. I enjoyed this. Nice start to a meal.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Sine Qua Non Body & Soul

  USA, California

  As with everything else Manfred does, his whites seem to be a bit polarizing. We brought this to a large offline gathering and one of the folks at the table was quick to note it was not his cup of tea (although declined to part with the remainder in his glass). For me, it was lovely. Playful wine, very interesting, constantly changing and evolving. A bit better when it was closer to room temp (we had it stored @ 58 degrees so not served the traditional white cold). Hard to capture all of the flavors but creamy and floral and slightly acidic and hints of lime and honey. Just beautiful. I say the 1992 Montelena and the 2003 Joseph Phelps were my WOTN since I skew red, but this could compete with them.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1995 Alvaro Palacios Priorat L'Ermita

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  I really enjoyed this. The first red of the evening and the only Spanish wine. It was blackberry and brambles and a bit young and a touch of acidity so it didn't come across as overly full bodied. Went well with some of the tapas (chicken liver pate and ham) but also drank well on its own.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1995 Château La Mission Haut-Brion

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  The beginning of our Bordeaux line-up coming off of the lone Spanish wine. I have been wondering lately if I'm getting a bit of a taste for Bordeaux but I think not quite yet. This was a fine wine, but there was nothing very exciting about it. It served as a good pairing to food. I think a well done wine in that style, but maybe not my style.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1983 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Drank this double-blind. This was in the Bordeaux point in the line-up and to my palette very clearly old world and very similar to the other wines we were drinking at the same time. Had that edamame flavor that seems to come with age. And some bell pepper.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1989 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru)

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  More glycerin flavor than some of the other bordeaux we're drinking. It's interesting - with the line-up we have (quite a few of the older ones) I find it's tough to differentiate very much. This was very similar to the Pichon and Clos d'Estournel and Mission Haut Brion. Perhaps because I'm less sophisticated in my Bordeaux drinking. Fine wine, but not quite my style. Enjoyed the new world ones we had at the end a bit more.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1986 Château Cos d'Estournel

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  I was pretty excited to try this one - we had a Cos d'Estournel a few months ago that was really lovely. This one was not quite what I remembered. Much more pure earth flavor. A bit less nuance to it. A good food wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1992 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This was possibly my WOTN. Certainly up there with the 2003 Insignia. The extra years might just have given this the edge though. Very refined flavors. Some earthiness but also some fruit which was perhaps even more prevalent since this came directly after the line-up of Bordeaux.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga

  Nowhere near as put together as it's older brother the 1992. This was a bit more heavy and almost a touch syrupy. I hope it's just a differential of years and not a change in the winemaking style. Still a nice wine though.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  For me up there with the 1992 Montelena Estate for the WOTN and I think if this had a few more years it would have taken it. Seemed pretty young to me still. Very soft, good fruit, I'm looking forward to drinking ours (but thinking we may want to wait a few years). I suspect also the drinking window only going till 2019 is incorrect - this prob had another 10 years at least in it.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 CT Barrel Project Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mtn/Coombsville Blend

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  I remember hearing that the blend was the clear winner from the wines this year. To me, it was a bit overshadowed by the other wines we had at the table. Much younger (and I tend to prefer my wines with a bit more age) and also just a bit less connected. Had a slightly offputting aftertaste. A bit unfair though as it was next to a 1992 Chateau Montelena Estate and a 2003 Joseph Phelps.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1990 Château Rieussec

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Great wine. Held it's own with the 2000 D'Yquem which is really saying something. There was just a touch of this so we were sharing a few glasses across multiple people and it was the end of the night so my notes are somewhat less detailed. Remember a nice orange blossom to it. Honey and certainly a bit of the heavier taste you get with age, but acid still there to prop it up. Very nice.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château d'Yquem

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  How can one not love D'Yquem? And yet I'd say this wasn't exactly showing as well as some others that we've had. It's definitely good - loads of different flavors and paired very well with a citrus cheesecake the restaurant had on the menu, but with D'Yquem my expectations are to be blown away and this didn't quite do that.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Amali was wonderful as always and company was great.

There was also a 1973 Port, but I'm afraid I didn't catch the maker of it (the label had perhaps seen better days) so no note on that and a NZ Chardonnay (I'm afraid I fall into that ABC - Anything But Chardonnay - category). I think I captured most of the rest though.

I had a few favorites in the line-up - the champagne surprised me with how much more I appreciated it than I expected. And the SQN Body & Soul shows that our experience a few weeks ago with the 2005 was not an aberration. Manfred can make some great whites (we hear also great Roses - it was even alleged his Rose could be better than his reds!). The 1992 Chateau Montelena Estate and the 2003 Joseph Phelps were my favorites. I guess I'm still pretty firmly new world focused. Looking forward to the next one.