Some New world Pinot/Chard and some Old World Pinot/Chard in San Diego

First off, great restaurant choice by Steve Williams. Service was spot on, the price was very reasonable ($60 all in 3 courses), and of course the food was great. We did 3 flights of 3 chardonnay, 4 west coast pinots, and 3 burgundy pinots. Originally 4/4 for the pinots.. but my Burg was corked also I unfortunately did not have a note on Paul Lin's wine so you see 3/3/3 here.

I'm glad we went with new world Pinot's first, the Burgundies went great with my Salmon =)

• 2005 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  (8/8/2009)

  Still very tight and unyielding, needed awhile to open up... but once it did you get a powerful palate of bright citrus fruit with an almost in your face zest of fresh squeezed lemon mixed in with dry straw with copious amount of acidity.

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• 2004 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  (8/8/2009)

  Big but not out of place, prominent oak on the palate with a complex mixture of fat tropical fruit with a long finish of some slate and the previously mentioned fruit with a hint of zest.

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• 2006 Williams Selyem Chardonnay Hawk Hill Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  (8/8/2009)

  A very powerful ripe fruit forward chardonnay made for those with a hearty constitution. Just loads and loads of goopy stone fruit and apple with a flabby palate that was a tad sweet on the finish. Definitely need to drink this with a nice chill on it or that sweetness becomes far too pronounced.

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• 2002 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  (8/8/2009)

  Damn this was tasty. A beautiful nose of soft dark fruit, pepper, mushroom, and fresh forest floor. A long lingering palate of beautiful red cherries and fresh earth with soft tannins on the back end. Everything was perfectly in balance and it just came together great.Can still go for a few years ez

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• 2002 Lorca Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  (8/8/2009)

  Not overly complex, but at $14 I can't complain. Stewed raspberries, cola, and bits of vanilla explode on the nose with a very ripe red fruit palate. Short on the finish with little acidity...

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• 2005 Kutch Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 87 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  (8/8/2009)

  I'm not sure what it is with me and Kutch RR pinots but I just get a lot of heat on the nose and alcohol on the otherwise quite lush palate. There is some cola on the palate with spice/dark ripe fruit but the alcohol kinda does me in.

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• 1996 P. Dubreuil-Fontaine Père & Fils Corton-Bressandes 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  (8/8/2009)

  Powerful nose of earth, violet, mushroom, and dark crushed black berries. A dense rich core of deep dark fruit that slowly opens up to dirt covered mushrooms and a dirty tannin finish that just layers that dirt and fruit over and over again as it dissipates from the palate. My WOTN.

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• 2004 Louis Latour Corton Domaine Latour 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  (8/7/2009)

  A light nose of fresh violet and berries. A lean palate with smooth prominent fruit with long almost zesty acidity. A finish of fresh earth and berries that lingered in with the acid, there was a hint of asparagus creeping up on the finish but it never became a prominent factor on the palate. Not overly complex but stayed strong through the night and went great with the salmon I had.

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• 2003 Gérard Seguin Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  (8/8/2009)

  A nice soft nose of berries, fresh bread, and scented earth. Very generous fruit on the palate that's a lil bit too ripe but get toned down a lil by the minerality and acidity that come at the end.

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