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The day before the big Zind Humbrecht dinner
Raleigh, NC
Tasted May 13, 2005 by JeffGMorris with 853 views
Introduction
Several of the people coming to our big ZH dinner came in early to partake in some food and wine the night before. With the whites we had appetizers of assorted cheeses, olives, smoked salmon with goat cheese and more. For dinner with the reds we were treated to Barb's fabulous beef bourgigogne and celery root mashed potatos. Dessert wines were with the mango macadamia nut creation Barb arrived with. Yummy!
Flight 1 (6 notes)
White
2003 Gangloff/Alban Viognier Conversation
90 points
An interesting wine. Evidently, Yves Gangloff lost his Condrieu crop in '03. His friend John Alban offered to sell him some Viognier grapes that the 2 would vinify and bottle together. Light yellow in color, this was very viscous and aromatic. I liked this better than most Viogniers. 50+12+12+8+8 = 90
White
1997 Qupé Roussanne Alban Estate Vineyard
85 points
Dark yellow with a smoky nose and Rousanne typical aromas. Medium bodied and a medium length finish, this wine wasn't bad but didn't excite me. 50+11+10+7+7 = 85
White
2003 Isenhower Cellars Snapdragon Viognier/Roussanne
Light yellow with a bubblegum fruity nose. Unfortunately, quite warm when I got to it so tough to judge fairly.
White
1990 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc
88 points
A disappointment for me as I expected this to be really great. Steve said it opened up nicely after a few hours but I never had the chance to go back and re-taste it. Bright gold in color with lemons and good concentration, but very tight. 50+12+11+7.5+7.5 = 88
White
1988 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux
90 points
Light yellow, this wine drinks younger than it's 17 years would suggest. Stones, minerals, lemons and honey with a long finish. Very nice. 50+12+12+8+8 = 90
White - Off-dry
1976 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel
97 points
AP #14-77. Medium gold in color, this was an absolutely gorgeous wine in all ways. Spearmint, tea, honey, green apples, minerals and great acidity. A long honey filled finish. Lots of life left on this one. Stunning! 50+14+14+9.5+9.5 = 97
Flight 2 (6 notes)
Red
1986 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins
97 points
Bright ruby in color this was a wow wine and the red that everything was talking about all weekend. Perfectly ready right now, this was filled with cherry liqueur. Very glyceral and beautifully integrated, this was a real treat and a perfect match with the beef bourgigogne. Stunning! 50+14+14+9.5+9.5 = 97
Red
1992 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque
Crimson in color with cigar, beef and lots of funk/barnyard. Others liked it but it just was not a style I enjoy.
Red
1998 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard
90 points
Purple in color. Rich and concentrated with a little heat. Never would have guessed '98 on this very enjoyable wine. 50+12+12+8+8 = 90
Red
1997 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
89 points
Decanted about 2 hours and dark crimson in the glass, this was still very tight when I got to it, and nowhere near a bottle we had last New Year's Eve. Good depth and concentration was evident underneath but this seemed closed for business at the moment. 50+12+12+7.5+7.5 = 89
Red
1999 Greenock Creek Shiraz Creek Block
90 points
A last minute addition when Chris said he had never tried a Greenock Creek wine. Dark purple with explosive blackberry and blueberry aromas/flavors. Velvety textured, this wine was ultra full bodied. No visible signs of heavy oak. 50+12+12+8+8 = 90
Red
2002 Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Peterson Family Vineyard
85 points
Dark purple with chocolate, blackberries, some oak and gritty tannins. A little hot and in need of time. 50+11+10+7+7 = 85
Flight 3 (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
1991 Müller-Catoir Haardter Herzog Riesling Eiswein
93 points
AP #17-92. Much more expressive of a variety of aromas/flavors than a bottle about 6 weeks ago that was intense and delicious but all honey and lemons. Medium gold in the glass, this had beautiful Riesling fruit and a great streak of acidity. Very long on the finish. Nicely matched with the mango macadamia nut dessert. 50+13+13+8.5+8.5 = 93
Closing
Whether by part of my plan to make sure I didn't over do it Friday night, knowing what Saturday had in store for us, or if by accident, I missed several wines that were opened and I would have liked to try including a Pride Cab Franc, Chehalem Pinot Noir and Pax Syrah.