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Thanksgiving Wines
Tasted November 26, 2009 by steffenpelz with 527 views
Introduction
We celebrated Thanksgiving with friends last night, and of course, we opened a little wine. It was a very eclectic lineup. but with the exception of one wine, we had some really nice wines and equally nice surprises. For those of you who are into cooking, let me say that this year was my second year tasting brined Turkey, and in my opinion, there's no better way to prepare Turkey. Simply delicious. On to the wines.
Flight 1 (6 notes)
White
2007 La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Surprisingly good wine. Not as oaked as I would have thought it would be, and plenty of acidity. Fresh, vibrant fruit, but not terribly complex. A great wine to start off Thanksgiving when you have 20 people for dinner.
Red
1997 Regusci Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
This wine was very good. It wasn't at all what I expected to taste. Still very tannic, structured, and dry. Restrained red and black fruit and nice leather and earth components. It had freshness and poise and a nice finish. Should hold for years in the cellar.
Red
2004 Sportoletti Umbria Rosso Villa Fidelia
Phenomenal wine. Stern structure, so decanting is advised. Brilliant cherry and plum fruit and nice earthiness, freshness, and focus. Lovely, velvety texture, and booming finish. Will last a long time, but it's drinking so deliciously right now.
Red
2001 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero AAlto
This wine must have some amazing bottle variation. I remember my last bottle to be very oaky and flabby, but this one was neither. Very solid wine right out of the gate that has some really nice complexity and shows a certain underbrush/treebark and spice characteristic that I really liked. Nice, vibrant black fruits and a very nice finish.
Red
2006 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir San Mateo County
Unfortunately, this was another average bottle of this wine. I've had average and I've had very good. Disappointing showing. Flabby, sweet, simple, and forgettable. The only wine that did not get finished last night, and even the non-geeks in the crowd (which was practically everyone) didn't care too much for this.
Red
1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia
From Magnum. This is still just a baby. Still has tremendous, focused cherry and blackberry fruit and shows great balance. I got a little leather and tobacco, but the fruit is still so big that it's difficult for me to see through the wall of fruit and detect the nuances beyond it. Needs more time. I actually liked the Regusci better last night.
Closing
Thanks to Mike and Tonja who invited us to their home and welcomed us among friends and family.