New Year's Eve dinner
At home with Chas and Chris
Tasted December 31, 2008 by Wrighty with 521 views
Introduction
A last minute dinner and a raid of Chas's cellar for some wonderful wines.
Flight 1 - Served on its own (1 note)
Wow, shows what complexity comes with age and why it's worth sitting on some wines. This was possibly the most memorable wine of the evening and certainly a great start.
Flight 2 - Served with roast sirloin of Australian Wagyu beef and cheese (3 notes)
Wines went well with the food and also on their own, not so good with the cheese though. The Solaia was good but just a little to sterile, especially in light of the others, to impress. The Sassicaia was great and just starting to drink well but the Masseto beat all comers and was the WOTN for two of us.
Flight 3 - Served with chocolate pudding (2 notes)
These two wines were almost like chalk and cheese. The Rieussec all unctuous lushness, te Suduiraut more taut and reserved. Hope the Suduiraut fills our and the Rieussec doesn't go flabby but a good combination to end the dinner on.
Golden colour, alcohol nose; fumey. The alcohol was less noticeable in the Rheingau glass to start but the aroma improved in Sauternes glass and went a little flat in the Rheingau. Later some dried apricot, quite structured with some wood noticeable and the alcohol poking through. Acid also noticeable.
Would leave this to settle for a few years.
Finished the bottle on the 4th Jan. Had held up well under vacuum seal. Mango and honey; still very intense. Structure still comes through although not as harsh as I remembered from the 31st - which is good as it needed taming.
Closing
What a great end to the year. Some stunning wines, great beef and great company.