Saturday Lunch at Fernando's

Tasted Saturday, August 9, 2008 by dougsmith with 407 views

Introduction

We had the perfect weather for a cookout at Fernando's house in Queens. The grillmaster showed his stuff, and the lineup of wines had nary a clunker among them. As always, best was the company. Great to spend the afternoon also with Mikhail, Zacky, Sveta and their friends Yura and Masha. Elisa was away and so the mice played in the warm summer afternoon.

After the wines, we finished with one of Fernando's signature amazing Rums, this one a special cuvée from Venezuela.

Flight 1 (5 Notes)

  • 2005 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvée Ste. Catherine 90 Points

    France, Alsace

    Light lemon color. Fresh on the nose with subtle notes of heavy cream, pear and pine needles. Full bodied on the palate and dry with good acidity; a bit unfocused, though. May need more time to come together. This had been left open overnight to oxygenate.

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  • 1983 Schloss Schönborn Rüdesheimer Bischofsberg Riesling Spätlese 92 Points

    Germany, Rheingau

    Light to medium gold color. Powerful and surprising on the nose, complex smoky and spicy notes, real beef jerky aroma (!), with dry mango and creme brulée in the background. Medium to full bodied on the palate, off-dry with good acidity and flavors of dried white fruits. Slightly flat on the finish.

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  • 2005 Dain Wines Syrah Sojourn Las Madres Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

    Deep ruby color. Good, focused notes of pepper, raw meat and blackberries on the nose. Good presence and length on the palate. At this point, not overly complex but very satisfying California Syrah.

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  • 1998 Château Cabrières Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige Tête de Cru 92 Points

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

    Medium deep garnet color. Complex nose of pepper, dusty spice, tobacco and strawberries with some violet and caramel notes in the background. Good acidity on the palate, medium bodied with a long finish. Very pretty CdP.

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  • 2002 Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia 93 Points

    Spain, Castilla y León, Toro

    Deep ruby color. This is just singing right now. Expressive nose with lots of sweet spices, pencil lead and sandy notes; tobacco and licorice in the background. With a couple of hours of air it became much more focused on a precise black cherry note. Full bodied on the palate with a strong acid spine and smooth tannin, bright black cherry and cocoa. Delicious.

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Closing

Thanks again from both of us to Fernando for the wonderful hospitality.

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