Toledo - Day 2

originally posted by Chris Coad:
Yep, it was oxidized -- but I've yet to have a '97 Chenin that hasn't been.

???

EVERY chenin blanc from 1997 you've tasted has been oxidized?

This is peculiar.

Well, that's not entirely true: I had the regular-issue Baumard Savennires back in '01-'02 and it was fresh and showing no oxidation. Having returned to the vintage in the past year, I haven't been nearly so successful. The two Clos des Perrieres that I've opened so far have both been oxidized, though not to the extent of that Baumard in Toledo.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
But we bring scotch.

There were at least two nice single malts there - 1991 Longrow Bourbon Barrel (i.e. no sherry to step all over the briney, peaty goodness), and some 12 y.o. Highland Park (not the most esoteric of choices, but I do love it).

A gentleman doesn't let a lady go thirsty, and Ms. Trinka does need something to drink after dinner.

Cheers,

Dave
 
originally posted by Joe_Perry:
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by MLipton:
And at last, a non-empty bottle of '85 Chave Hermitage on diplay. And well worth the wait it is, hitting me with a nose of minerals, gamey meat and red fruit, reprised on the palate with fine acidity and fully resolved tannins. Amid all these lovely Syrahs, this wine still stands out for its classic beauty and vitality.

Hmmm, I've never been very impressed with the 1985. I've found it a bit glommy and diffuse. Interesting.

There were sixteen different cuvee of 1985 Chave made; be more specific.

I found the cuve for the Vermont market to be more glommy than the cuve for the Baltimore/DC market.
 
originally posted by mlawton:

The Baumard was the "Paon", but I didn't smell asparagus [...]

I thought asparagus in Baumard was a Thor specialty. Do others also find it? Damn you prasinophobics and chlorophobics!
 
Did your oncologist authorize you all to taste so many wines.

My oncologist is totally against doing so.

I'm glad you all enjoyed yourselves, but its exhausting too read. Two or three or four nice bottles with a meal goes beyond my oncology restrictions, but would be enough for me.
 
Shit. I agree with the monkey on both Chaves and both Allemands.

Btw, I'm not loving how the '96 Baumard Clos Papillon is evolving. Last couple of bottles have shown oxidation, like the last few mid '90's Trimbach FE's I've had.
 
originally posted by Dave Nelson:
originally posted by drssouth:

Has she abandoned the traveling Martini kit???

Nope. Martini before dinner, wine with dinner, single malt after. It's all very civilized.

Cheers,

Dave

Yep. She's the sister I never had.
 
Mark - thanks for the report and documenting so many of the wines from both nights. I'd bet there were at least another ten each night you didn't get to. I sampled only about half of what you reported. It was an overwhelming display that I find palate fatiguing after a short while.

The '88 Chave was sublime and the WOTN for me. Great balance with all of the classic complex, balanced, meaty, red fruit flavor as only Chave can give. The '85 was good, but paled next to the '88 as it seemed to be getting a bit over the hill - a bit glommy and difuse are good descriptions as someone mentioned earlier. My thanks to Mark C. for bringing them. The Allemands were very nice, always a tad rustic but balanced and unique. I could drink them anytime, but own none since I'm not buying $80+ bottles of syrah these days and access is a problem.

It doesn't look like you got to the Bouchard Inflorescense NV Champagne. I was interested in your thoughts about it as it is available locally through Vintner Select.
 
The Travelling Martini Kit does, indeed, still exist.

I'm going to try to avoid mulling over any similarities between vlm and Trinka. Bad mental image. But I have to admit I am coming around to the martini-wine-scotch regimen, even if I skip the martini.

The single-malts were delicious and appreciated.

The northern Rhone wines opened this night were exceptionally good. Maybe one or two bottles were not quite ready for drinking, with the Texier among those that didn't show much, as it still seemed very young.

The '95 Otin Fiorin from Cappelano was exceptionally good, good enough to be worthy of drinking with dinner with another 275 wines opened up to choose from -- one of the best Cappelano wines I've had. Both Allemands were exceptionally good, even if I tasted only the dregs of the '99.

David Schwimmer and Jennifer Anistion were not at the dinner, but two people claiming to be Mr. Dressner's oncologist were there.

There was a long discussion of what "$9, delivered" really means and the beauty of the comma in that phrase.

I like the offhand comments at these things. Most of which were not, fortunately, off the record. As most people were relishing some well-regarded Champagnes, David Nelson was drinking one and remarking that he just didn't like the overriding yeast flavors in most of the ones opened. I had to admit I agreed. I began thinking, well, quite a few of these sparkling wines are valued for their neutrality with food, not for their character. Hell, they are the pinot grigios of France at 5x the price.

"I hate it when Coad is right about something,' that's what i was thinking.
 
BTW, this:

"I tend to find the Reynards deeper and more mineral and the Chaillots spicier, as you note. Funny thing is that the fruit sources are over-lapping."

Is not correct. It may appear so on a map, but there is a prominent ridge and a ravine that divide between them and it took a 15 minute car ride with Msr. Allemand to get from one to the other.

The soil and exposure are also different, Chaillots is more to the east side of SE and Reynards is more to the South side. Chaillots is more clay, Reynards more limestone. Thus, the mineral comment is correct.
 
I don't know anyone more sensitive to TCA taint than Kim, and she didn't think that ESJ was corked either, but WTF. Something WAS wrong with it...

Mark, your notes have been incorporated in a broader team report at Gang of Pour, but we didn't get one good picture of you and couldn't even find one to lift from your Facebook page. If you have one, pass it along. Or don't!


Ciao, baby!
 
originally posted by geo t.:
I don't know anyone more sensitive to TCA taint than Kim, and she didn't think that ESJ was corked either, but WTF. Something WAS wrong with it...

Mark, your notes have been incorporated in a broader team report at Gang of Pour, but we didn't get one good picture of you and couldn't even find one to lift from your Facebook page. If you have one, pass it along. Or don't!


Ciao, baby!

I'll try to dig up a reasonably current photo of myself to pass on to you, or maybe have Andrew snap one of me tonight. Nice writeup, Bastardo (and kudos to Cousin Larry, too), but one small correction: the ESJ Wylie-Fenaughty was the '01 (I know -- I brought it) not the '99.

Mark Lipton
 
Back
Top