New Year's Eve, San Diego
San Diego
Tasted December 31, 2014 by Javachip with 534 views
Introduction
Seven of us gathered at the lovely home of Mr. & Mrs. SD-Wineaux to enjoy wonderful company, food and wine. It was great to catch up with Gigond Ass and Spo, not seen much around here lately.
The food deserves special mention. First we clogged some arteries with Gigond Ass' triple cream cheese from Burgundy. Good thing alcohol dissolves fatty buildups. Mr. & Mrs. Whine-oh brought a trio of spreads (pate, butternut, and salmon) from Cucina Enoteca that has now propelled that restaurant to the top of my must-visit list. Then we adjourned to the dinner table for Mrs. SD-Wineaux's spectacular Beef Wellington. The pastry puff a flaky golden brown, the duxelles and pate divine, the beef tenderloin butterknife-tender. And the gravy! A red wine-beef stock reduction with shallots, thickened I assume with flour and butter. Maybe it was the high quality of the wine that knocked this gravy out of the park. In fact, when we tasted the cooking wine at the dinner table, one person ranked it among his top three wines of the night. Following the entree, my suspicion that I had died and gone to heaven was reinforced by the appearance of a creme brulee before me. I asked its creator Mrs. SD-Wineaux if I could try using the mini blowtorch, but she said not until I grow up some more.
On to the wines. I thought all the red wines were too young. Few high-end red wines made in this century, and none made in this decade, are in their prime drinking window yet. But all of these wines were showing well enough to be highly enjoyable and to bode well for the future. Notes and point scores are my own; rankings are by group vote.
Flight 1 (9 notes)
A pristine forest of Zalto and Riedel stems arranged in neat rows on SD-Wineaux's granite countertop told us that we would be well equipped for the night's festivities. Although I often prefer to taste fine champagne in a white wine glass rather than a flute, it's worth noting that the bubbles are not the same. Apparently flutes are laser-etched at the bottom to stimulate an appealing stream of tiny bubbles, whereas regular wine glasses do not have that feature and the bubbles tend to be fewer and larger.
White - Sparkling
1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque
France, Champagne
Clear light straw yellow with steady fine bead. Bread dough and matchstick on the nose at first, yielding to a nice bouquet of white grapefruit, lemon pith, mushroom, and almond biscuit. Very fine overall but disappointing for the price, and completely outclassed by the Salon that followed.
White - Sparkling
1990 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne
Clear light gold color with subdued effervescence. Gorgeous bouquet of crisp apple cider, ginger, lime, fine nutty sherry, hints of alfalfa and mulling spices. Not overtly mineral, but with beautiful acidity providing freshness and precision. I noted a similarly complex profile with 1985 Salon back in 2009 and wonder if this is a house style that emerges in maturity. A world-class champagne. My #1 and group's FIRST PLACE.
Red
2007 Sine Qua Non Syrah Labels
USA, California, Central Coast
Allowed to breathe in glass for 45 minutes and then followed over 3 hours. Clear inky purple-black. Bouquet of roasted jammy black fruit, creosote, scorched earth. Black licorice and mincemeat emerging an hour later as the wine opened and freshened. After three hours, hints of kalamata olive and roast beef. This wine seems like it needs another 5-10 years, but with the low apparent acidity, I can't predict how it will evolve. It is a massive, rich, dense, full-bodied wine but not at the expense of structure or balance. It needs at least an hour decant if opened now, but please wait.
Red
2008 Rippon Pinot Noir Mature Vine
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Lake Wanaka
Slightly hazy light-medium ruby color. Against the other huge wines tonight, this looks like a rose. Bouquet of bright fresh red raspberries, cherries, strawberries, sassafras, potpourri, gravel. Similar on the palate. Luscious fruit of the New World with acidity and minerality of the Old World. Delicious wine.
Red
2004 Achával-Ferrer Malbec Finca Altamira
Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, La Consulta
Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes, then tasted over an hour. Clear inky garnet-black. Bouquet of fresh blackberry liqueur, black cherries, currants, unsweetened chocolate, dark baking spices, forest floor. Similar on the palate, full body, excellent balance, with mouthwatering acidity. Needs a longer decant and also longer cellaring. Group's THIRD PLACE tonight.
Red
2002 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termanthia
Spain, Castilla y León, Toro
100% tinta de toro (tempranillo). Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes before tasting. Clear dark inky garnet-black. Bouquet of fresh blackberries, currants, cherries and their liqueurs, cocoa, leather, nutmeg, coffee, cedar. Similar on the palate, full body, balanced, long finish. Still young. My #2 and group's SECOND PLACE tonight.
Red
2009 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
USA, California, Napa Valley
Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes before tasting. It needs a longer decant and also needs at least another 5 years in the cellar. Clear dark inky garnet-black. Dark brooding fruit, ripe, with a roasted quality. Cocoa, nutmeg, vanilla and forest floor. Full body, rich, outstanding balance and structure. Everything is here for a great future. Thanks Spo!
White - Off-dry
1995 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
7.5% alcohol, most welcome after a night of big reds. Clear yellow color. Bouquet of pine resin, tangerine, white peach, slate, hints of chamomile and just a touch of petrol, not too much. Similar on the palate, mouthwatering acidity, just a delicious, refreshing wine, could drink it all day, all year. My #3 tonight.
Closing
Many thanks once again to Mr. & Mrs. SD-Wineaux for their kindness, warmth and hospitality, and to everyone for their friendship and generous gifts of food and wine. Cheers until next time!
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