Wimps Vendredi Gras - Covington

• 2008 Taittinger Champagne Brut Millésimé

  France, Champagne

  (2/24/2023)

  Standard. This just continues to show well. Good acidity but some lovely body to back it up. Fitting start to proceedings.

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Worth the wait! Perfect foil for the wines, brought out more body in them.

Fascinating to taste three such different expressions of the Chardonnay grape - I think we were all surprised that the Antinori was the plushest of the lot. This was a really good flight.

• 2017 Domaine Bernard-Bonin Bourgogne Blanc Initiales B.B.

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

  (2/25/2023)

  Pale pale colour. On the nose, just a whiff of struck match, and a hint of incense, like walking past an old church porch in a spring morning. Lovely acidity, some lemon on the palate, very precise and also long. Some discussion with the somm who was excited to have tried it, this is evidently a cult wine now, and the generous fellow diner who brought it along forwent a 90% profit on this. Really good stuff - reminded me of PYCM with perhaps just a bit more lightness and struck match.

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• 2018 Castello della Sala (Antinori) Umbria Cervaro della Sala

  Italy, Umbria

  (2/25/2023)

  Pale yellow - slightly less pale than its two flightmates. Lovely nose, hint of cut grass. On the palate - definitely precise and with good acidity, but so much more generous - an oilier feel in the mouth. K would love this wine.

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• 2019 Hoddles Creek Chardonnay Syberia

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  (2/25/2023)

  *This* is the aussie chard? Pale colour, slight zing on the nose but not super expressive. On the palate, taut, linear, good acidity. There's perhaps just a hint of honeysuckle here? Some discussion about whether it is time to reevaluate Australian Chardonnay - based on this I'd say the answer is yes.

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I can taste these even now - perfect, and matched the wines excellently.

This was a really good flight - nicely put together.

• 2018 Taaibosch Crescendo

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (2/25/2023)

  Eager to taste this, as had gone long on a recent sale. The nose is lovely, like forest floor would smell in a Disney film. The palate is good - there's a richness there, balanced by fine tannin and vibrant fruit. Not painful to drink but this is young, so young. Give it another 5 or even 10. A treat to taste at this stage of development, though, and pleased to have this sensation filed away in the memory banks.

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• 2011 Domaine de Trévallon

  France, Provence, Alpilles

  (2/25/2023)

  This was great, reminded my why I used to love Trevallon (I didn't fall out of love with it, but the prices have crept up since i was buying it last...) - this feels like it's moving from the young Syrah dominant phase, to the mature Cab dominant one, but with just enough youthful Syrah kick to keep it interesting. Also learned a lovely heartwarming story about the labels. Really nice wine, and I think it will be even better in a decade or so.

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The food was excellent - the portions of dauphinois served between two were a lovely touch.

Fascinating flight of entirely different expressions of Syrah. The Cayuse in particular was a revelation - amazing stuff, and thoroughly enjoyed my continuing education in Australian wine.

• 2013 Cayuse Wallah Wallah Special #5

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (2/25/2023)

  A producer I know nothing about, and when my fellow diner kept on talking about this as their "entry level" I was evidently being, if not lied to, misled somewhat. Served from magnum - evidently it was not sold in any other format, this was just great. A hint of brett, just enough to bring some excitement, and a lovely savoury character, super acidity - it's not trying to be northern rhone but thrilling like good syrah can be. A real treat.

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• 2010 Castagna Syrah Genesis

  Australia, Victoria, North East, Beechworth

  (2/25/2023)

  Another Australian revelation. Tight, cleaner than the preceding bottle but an edge to it, good acidity and becoming somewhat savoury. We had drunk a bit by this point, and I am writing this from memory as I foolishly left my notes in the restaurant, but this was super and I'd love to taste again.

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• 2010 Delas Frères Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  (2/25/2023)

  Well well well - of the three Syrahs in our flight, based on both the nose and the taste, I would have marked this as the New World syrah. Clean, well put together - certainly a delicious and well made wine, and half a bottle of it over dinner would be a well-spent evening, but somehow lacking in thrills compared to its flightmates.

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sadly i had to leave before pud, but the wine was spot on :-)

• 1985 Château Rieussec

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  (2/25/2023)

  This was spot on. Dark colour gave me some apprehension but now - this was just light and long, as it should be. Nice stuff.

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Wonderful lunch with superb food and service from La T. The wines though - I have to admit, I had not been super excited about this line up on paper, but I was wrong. All three flights were both educational and thoroughly pleasurable, we didn't have a single weak wine and the food matched perfectly.

Brilliant job, huge thanks to Don for organising, I imagine that these free for all events are even more challenging than the regular ones.