Birthday Dinner

Marvin's
Tasted Sunday, January 25, 2009 by jjclips2 with 415 views

Introduction

Nothing special planned, but some very nice wines showed their faces this evening.

Flight 1 - Alsace (2 Notes)

1998 Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Gris Lerchenberg Les Alouettes 91 Points

France, Alsace

Quite a wine for me tonight. The first in the lineup. Still showing nice richness of stonefruit, peach, and minerals along with a nice burst of acidity. Not a fresh bottle, but not old by any means. Slight spice towards the finish. Very nice way to start off the night.

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2005 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot d'Alsace 90 Points

France, Alsace

This is the first of this particular bottling for me. Amazing precision and focus. The nose is soft, yet highlighted with a floral tone, minerals, and red apples. The palate veers more towards citrus, bright tropics, still minerally, and maintaining borderling piercing acidity throughout. Very fresh, very refined, and an ageworthy bottle. Well done.

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Flight 2 - Pinot Noir (4 Notes)

2005 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Bourgogne Emotion de Terroirs 86 Points

France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

Third or so time trying this wine within a year. Keeps on getting better with some time in bottle. The initial piercing, austere acidity has softened a bit with more red berry fruits, cherry still with cranberry and spice showing through. Light-medium bodied, I think this is a nice entry level red Burg. Still young though.

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2006 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 87 Points

USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

Very nice, yet very simple. Elegant with a purity of fruit. Ripe red berries, pomegrante, and just a hint more oak than necessary. Fresh acidity throughout. It's hard to admit that this is somewhat quaffable, but when the bottle disappears within minutes in a small group, come on?!?!

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2007 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Garnet 84 Points

USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

1st '07 from Carneros. It seems that the California PN's are pushing the envelope as to how extracted they can get as well as how much oak to throw on these wines. This is one example. Always a pleasure to look forward to this wine and usually consistent. This vint seems to be more of a smokey, meaty, toasty oak styled wine. Black cherry as apposed to red berries. Smoke instead of delicate spices. The acidity is only decent, when it used to be balanced perfectly. This would be a great wine if we were analyzing a Syrah, but this is PN. Tough call?

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2006 Palliser Estate Pinot Noir 90 Points

New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

Second time with this wine, and while better than initially tasted, still not the 94pts given by WA. Along with the '07 Saints. this showed more toasty oak and grilled bread than I wanted. The purity of fruit never shined and offered more muddled black cherry, inky textured, soft acidity fruits. I won't complain as to whether or not this tasted great, but more so as a Syrah. PN needs to shine as a varietally correct example of this beatiful grape.

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