Introduction

Whites (initial tastings)

- 1980 Dom Perignon - An amusing openning. We all tasted, thought for a moment and poured the wine out simultaneously. The wine had gone bad (which happens to us all).

- 2002 Louis Jadot Mersault Charmes - a pleasant Mersault - thank-you Winderlust

- 2006 - Triple Overtime - Anderson Valley - not a traditional Napa Valley (floor) type Chardonnay. Nice. Thank-you the Web.

- 1993 Zilliken Spatlese (Forstaneister) - Reisling - a nice german spatlese with some age. Thank-you Pnobaw (sorry if I mispelled that: difficult reading everyone's writing)

- 2002 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rotherberg Reisling Auslese - Auslese is always a treat - a very nice wine - Thank-you

- 2004 Furstentum Gerwitzraminer Grand Cru - Vieux Vignes(Alsace) - Albert Mann - A good example of Gerwitz - and you either love Gerwitz or you don't. Thank-you.

- 2007 Ch de Beaucastel CNP - a good rousanne wine). This was my first tasting of a Beacastel white or of a rousanne. Thank-you Lorri.

Then a flight of California reds:

- 2004 Kapscandy - State Lane - Napa Valley - A lovely wine in my personal view. The best of the flight. Thank-you the Web. I will be searching to buy afew of this.

- 2006 Cakebread Cellars - Also a Napa Valley Cab. Cakebread has a fine California reputation. Thanks Rob.

- 2006 Shafer 1.5 - I've enjoyed this wine in the past. Great to drink it amongst friends. Thanks, AAV28.

My personal choice for the flight: the Kapscandy

and then a real treat:

- 1993 Caymus - in magnum - In my opinion: Wow. A fabulous wine. Thank-you AAV28 for your generousity in sharing this. Got to find this wine!!!

and

- 1991 Hillebrand - Trius 1991. Well, this trashed all my steretypes about early Niagara wines. Definitely a decent wine. Thank-you for bring this one, Pnobaw (sorry about that spelling again)

Then another Napa flight:

- 2005 Pahlmeyer - Napa - also a good California cab - Thanks, CSM

- 2007 Stephania Cab - Uvas Creek, Santa Clara Valley - medium body, but very fine. Very different from the Pahlmeyer. I personally thought that this was / is a lovely wine. Thanks for bringing this, CSM. I'm going to try to find one of these as well.

For me, the best here was the Stephania. But thats a matter of personal preferance.

Then a flight of Bordeau. And what a flight that was:

- 2001 Pavie - a very very nice St. Emilion. Thank-you to whomever brought it.

- 2001 Pichon Longville Comtesse du Lalande - a fanstastic Pauillac. I tasted a 2007 Pichon at the UGC tasting event and loved it. I have a 2005 in my cellar. Thank-you so much for sharing this, Duojet.

- 2001 Carrudes de Lafite - another great Pauillac. The second wine of Lafite - but first on my palette - a fantastic wine. Very generous of you to share this wine, Winderlust. And in magnum, so that there was enough for all. Wow, what a wine! Interesting; the Cellar Tracker community only rates this as an 88. Yet this is way better than that in my view. Winderlust, you know this is going to cause me a problem; now I can't wait to taste the 1st wine. OK, lets see: groceries for a month or Lafite ... hmmm.

Touch to choose between those two great Pauillac's.

Then a flight of Quintareli:

- which one to try 1st, What a problem!

- 1997 and 2001. Stewart brought one. I don't have a note on who brought the other. Thank-you both. Very nice wines.

Then a Borgono Barolo Reserva 1982. We all waited with patience to open this one. And .... the wine was gone. Well, you'll just have to go out and buy us another one. But thank-you for bring it.

Then another flight of Bordeaux:

- 1986 Pontet Canet - a Pauillac - contribute by jhcolman - bought from WineBid. Shipped to the US border (Lewiston, NY). Dutifully picked up my yours truly (part of a case) on Thursday, to bring for all of you to enjoy. And ... a disappointment. I drank a 2001 with Stuart at the French River; we both enjoyed it. 1986 was a good year. So I bid on it. Oh well. Next bottle.

- 2000 Ch. Gloria - A St.Julien - also contributed by jhcolman - this wine has a decent QPR - cost me $35 US at Winebid plus tax and shipping equals $55 or so. So, a decent wine for an affordable price. And 2000 is a good year. I rated it at 90 or 91. The Cellartracker community rates it at 89. But then I was quite enjoying the comraderie.

- 2000 Chateau Louviere - a Pessac-Léognan - Another great wine. I think Doktap contributed this? I very much enjoyed it. Thank-you.

I loved that Louviere, and will look for some.

- Then a Sicilian wine: 2004 Benati Serra Della Contessa (from the Mount Etna area). Very different. Always great to try new regions. Thank-you.

- Then the Alion 2001 - Bodegas Y Vinedos, Spain. I've had a 2004 before; good but did not like it as much as I liked thi 2001. Perhaps it was the 2001 year or the aging. Or the great company. Thank-you Duojet.

And finally, a couple of desert wines:

- the FAMOUS Ch. Filhot . For this group, pronounced "Phil Hot". For those of us who speak French, "filheau". But a fanstastic sauternes (if my memory serves me correctly). Just loved it.

- followed by a completely different wine, a Kracher Auslese from Austria (thank-you Rob). This was a much fuller bodied and direct wine.

I think we drank another unofficial bottle or 2 after that.

Flight 1 - Chardonnay Flight (1 note)

Flight 2 - German Wine Flight (3 notes)

Flight 3 - California Cab Flight (3 notes)

Flight 4 - Another California Flight (2 notes)

Flight 5 - A Bordeaux Flight (3 notes)

Flight 6 - A Quintarelli Flight (2 notes)

Flight 7 - Another Bordeaux Flight (3 notes)

Flight 8 - Desert Wine Flight (2 notes)

Closing

Best wines of the evening: For me: the Gunderloch Auslese, the Kapscandy, the Caymus, the Stefania, the Pichon Longville and Carrudes de Lafite, the La Louviere, the Alion and the Filhot. Best of the lot: the Caymus.

In short, a wonderful evening was had by all.