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WWC - JD
FWC
Tasted January 5, 2022 by Gregmonroe with 145 views
Introduction
Menu:
First - Coriander Seared Salmon with apple arugula petit salad and mustard butter sauce.
Second - Garden Salad (cucumber, heirloom tomatoes, pine nuts, avocado dressing)
Third - Grilled Hanger Steak; mashed yukon potatoes; horseradish creamed spinache; red wine demi-glace
Fourth - Italian tiramisu; mascarpone cream; coffee soaked lady fingers
Flight 1 - Bubbles (1 note)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Robert Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Reserve Perpetuelle Blanc de Blancs Extra-Brut
Tasted blind - beautiful gold in the glass, lots of fine bubbles, all over the glass (flute). Green apple and a slight touch of brioche on the nose; beautiful apple and pear flavors on the palate. Very fresh, good acidity. Guessed a NV grower champagne.
Flight 2 - Whites (4 notes)
White
2007 Pegasus Bay Riesling
Tasted blind - light gold in the glass; the glass was poured before I sat down, and there were tiny bubbles in the glass. A little strange. Petrol on the nose, and slightly sweet on the palate, with flavors of pear and white stone fruit. Guessed a 10 year old German riesling.
White
2005 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Häuserer
Tasted blind - deep gold in the glass, it looked very old and very oxidized. Carmel on the nose, with slight petrol mixed in. But the typical Riesling stone fruit flavors were there, just with an oxidized component. It was crazy to compare this one with the 2005 Pegasus Bay (which was from a screwcap), and how different they looked and presented themselves. I guessed this was a 15-20 year old German Riesling.
White
2019 Cayuse Viognier Cailloux Vineyard
Tasted blind - light straw in the glass, with some apple on the nose. Could also smell some oak influence. A slight grassy note on the nose and palate. I guessed either a viognier based Rhone white, or a CA sauvignon blanc.
White
2017 Rotem & Mounir Saouma Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Magis
Tasted blind - light straw color in the glass; lots of oak influence on the nose (vanilla) and lemon cream. Good mineral elements on the palate. It reminded me of a Chardonnay, but not one from California, and seemed to be too much oak for White Burgundy. The oak led me to a viognier possibly, but I guessed an Australian chardonnay.
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Flight 3 - Reds (4 notes)
Red
1990 Château La Conseillante
Tasted blind - lots of bricking/brown in the glass, with a good bit of sediment. Not transparent, but not deep color either. Nose of old, worn leather, and not a lot of fruit. Any fruit was definitely stewed red fruit, plus earth. I guessed an Australian shiraz/cab blend, 20+ years old.
Red
1989 Château Léoville Las Cases
Tasted blind - some bricking in the glass; nose of leather and spice/clove, with stewed fruit. On the palate, more stewed red fruit, perfectly integrated tannins and acidity, tasted more fruit than leather, but certainly into tertiary characteristics and quite complex. Guessed an Australian shiraz/cab blend.
Red
1990 Château Montrose
Tasted blind - in a lineup of four 30+ year old bordeauxs, the nose on this one shined. Some bricking, but still generally bright and deep in color, with some sediment. Slight medicinal (cherry medicine) on the nose and palate, but generally beautiful red fruit flavors, with some leather and earth in the background. Perfectly integrated tannins and acidity. This wine was fantastic today. Guessed a 20+ year old bordeaux, cab based.
Red
1990 Château Latour Grand Vin
Tasted blind - Deep red in the glass, no bricking; muted nose (not sure how long it was decanted) but spice, leather, and stewed red fruit on the nose. Some sediment. Beautiful red fruit on the palate, and tasted fresher than it smelled. Fantastic wine and experience, and this one has a good bit of life ahead of it. Guessed a 20+ year old bordeaux.
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Flight 4 - Dessert (1 note)
White - Off-dry
1995 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Vendanges Tardives
Tasted blind - deep gold in the glass; no petrol on the nose, but lots of carmel elements, and what I think of with a sauternes. But on the palate, it was not as sweet as sauternes typically is. Sweet, but not overly so. I still guessed a sauternes - 25+ years old.
Closing
The champagne was great, and proved to be a good start to this lunch. The whites were quite interesting, and both rieslings tasted line German rieslings, from my limited experience. But the Montrose and Latour won the day. Those wines were excellent, and I was happy several people did not show up, so we could have their glasses.
Great lunch.