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Stamford Book Club - Inaugural Meeting
ABs House
Tasted March 27, 2012 - March 30, 2012 by gbm with 424 views
Introduction
First meeting of the Stamford Book Club. No real rhyme or reason to the order. Everyone was asked to bring a bottle.
Flight 1 (5 notes)
No rhyme or reason.
White
2008 Evening Land Vineyards Chardonnay Summum Seven Springs Vineyard
90 points
Popped and poured.
Color: Light yellow.
Nose: Lemon and some other citrus.
Taste: Citrus and apple. Oak is restrained. Mineral and sharp.
Overall: Nice chardonnay. (I like chards - like this one - where the fruit is not in your face and overly sweet.)
(4+12+17+7)
Color: Light yellow.
Nose: Lemon and some other citrus.
Taste: Citrus and apple. Oak is restrained. Mineral and sharp.
Overall: Nice chardonnay. (I like chards - like this one - where the fruit is not in your face and overly sweet.)
(4+12+17+7)
Red
1998 Torbreck The Steading
93 points
Popped and poured.
Color: Cloudy, reddish purple. Lots of very fine sediment in the wine.
Nose: Wow! Cherries. Fruit. Very strong. Some cigar or earth.
Taste: Wow again! Very little fruit. Lots of pepper and spice. Earth. Very smooth tannins and a decent bit of acid.
Overall: Really enjoyed this wine. Probably past its peak, so drink up. It would have been interesting to try in its younger days, but I really like it now.
(3+14+18+8)
Color: Cloudy, reddish purple. Lots of very fine sediment in the wine.
Nose: Wow! Cherries. Fruit. Very strong. Some cigar or earth.
Taste: Wow again! Very little fruit. Lots of pepper and spice. Earth. Very smooth tannins and a decent bit of acid.
Overall: Really enjoyed this wine. Probably past its peak, so drink up. It would have been interesting to try in its younger days, but I really like it now.
(3+14+18+8)
Red
2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
90 points
Popped and poured.
Color: Dark, brooding red.
Nose: Leather, blackberry, maybe a hint of cedar.
Taste: Tannins are very strong, but not enamel peeling. Still, you can get some currants and vanilla. Lots of leather.
Overall: Drinking nicely. Still seems young, though. Needs a decant or a couple of years.
(4+12+17+7)
EDIT: Just compared this to the note I posted on a previous bottle. For whatever it's worth, I think this wine suffered slightly today due to both the lack of a sufficient decant (point less on the nose) and the other wines in the line up (point off on the overall).
Color: Dark, brooding red.
Nose: Leather, blackberry, maybe a hint of cedar.
Taste: Tannins are very strong, but not enamel peeling. Still, you can get some currants and vanilla. Lots of leather.
Overall: Drinking nicely. Still seems young, though. Needs a decant or a couple of years.
(4+12+17+7)
EDIT: Just compared this to the note I posted on a previous bottle. For whatever it's worth, I think this wine suffered slightly today due to both the lack of a sufficient decant (point less on the nose) and the other wines in the line up (point off on the overall).
White - Sparkling
N.V. Moët & Chandon Champagne Nectar Imperial
89 points
Popped and poured...obviously.
Color: Pale straw.
Nose: Sharp. Mineral. Background of apricots and green apples.
Taste: Nice. Not too sweet. Some toast.
Overall: I suspect the low sugar and some of the pairings listed below account for the wild point swings. This was a very nice wine all by itself. It was essentially a palate cleanser between some heavier wines and it did a wonderful job.
(4+12+16+7)
Color: Pale straw.
Nose: Sharp. Mineral. Background of apricots and green apples.
Taste: Nice. Not too sweet. Some toast.
Overall: I suspect the low sugar and some of the pairings listed below account for the wild point swings. This was a very nice wine all by itself. It was essentially a palate cleanser between some heavier wines and it did a wonderful job.
(4+12+16+7)
White - Sweet/Dessert
1990 Château Suduiraut
96 points
Popped and poured from a 375. Cork broke.
Color: Golden honey. Beautiful.
Nose: Caramel, honey, apricots. Not super expressive.
Taste: Fantastic! Honey and caramel. Subtle, but rich fruits. Long, beautiful finish. Exactly what I want in a sticky wine.
Overall: General opinion was that this wine hasn't got much life left, but I think it may last a while longer. I could drink this wine all night.
(5+13+19+9)
Color: Golden honey. Beautiful.
Nose: Caramel, honey, apricots. Not super expressive.
Taste: Fantastic! Honey and caramel. Subtle, but rich fruits. Long, beautiful finish. Exactly what I want in a sticky wine.
Overall: General opinion was that this wine hasn't got much life left, but I think it may last a while longer. I could drink this wine all night.
(5+13+19+9)
Closing
WOTN - for me - was the Suduiraut. The Steading was a very close second despite the difference in points. Excellent night overall. Can't wait for the next one.