Peter Czyryca
Peter Czyryca
Greet seeing everyone last night, quite delicious lineup. Thanks to all for being generous and bringing the following doozies:
NV Dhondt BdB
This bottle came off as a touch sweeter than prior bottles, but still a pleasure to drink. Really opened up with air, revealing gingersnaps, minerality and a subtle creaminess.
1981 LdH Tondonia GR (blanco)
85% Viura, 15% Malvasia. As Angelo noted, the color tricks you into thinking this will be a sweet, sticky-esque wine. Au contraire. This wine changed like a chameleon all night long. Began extremely pleasurable with slight petrol and sherry notes, some lemon peel, marshmallow and orange pledge scent. The wine was almost salty, coating your mouth in velvet before wrapping up with coconut notes on the finish. However, things took a sad turn for the worse much later in the night, when mustard seed completely dominated both the nose and palate. Chemical Ali would have loved this wine around 930pm last night. Prior to the mustard attack, one heck of a wine.
1961 Tondonia
Sourced by Ted from The Rare Wine Co, and very generous of him to have brought it. The label didn't reveal whether this was a Reserva or Gran Reserva - no matter. It was a treat, and tasted no more than 10-15 years old. Color was crazy dark for a 1961. Starts with sour/tart cranberry, like a cranberry spritzer would taste without the spritz. Beautiful leather note in the bouquet mixed with sous bois/autumn leaves. The fruit is so chewy and energetic, I just can't believe how young it is. Nice lift on the back end, with a hint of menthol. There is a God, and he likes Rioja.
1976 Tondonia GR
Very feminine, would have guessed a Bosconia. You get a noseful of shrooms and sous bois, alongside rose petals. Very pretty nose - theme continues on the palate, with perfect acidic balance, really amping up the red/black cherry fruit. Reminds me of the smell of the Boston Public Garden on a humid, summer day - of course, I'd be sneezing in that scenario b/c of allergies, but this wine takes me there sans sniffles.
1978 Bosconia GR
Another winner. Oddly darker in color than the 1987 Bosconia GR. There's some herbs and celery salt/seed that aren't offputting, think a 2004 burg that has ripe fruit, and the mirepoix just adds to the complexity. Black cherry and raspberry are crazily persistent, this is palate staining fruit. Some orange rind and candied cherry linger forever after you sip.
1987 Bosconia GR
This is burgundy, I swear it. Pure red fruits are layered and more intense than the aforementioned 1978 due to youth, I'd suspect. Color is lighter, which seems a bit odd, but whatever. Savory/terroir/mineral/long are underlined in my notes. I can't argue with any of those impressions the next day.
1999 Wittmann Westhofener Morstein Auslese
What a way to wind down an otherwordly set of wines. Impeccable balance throughout, featuring honey, slate, minerality and orchard fruit. Acidity keeps the sweetness in check - or is it the other way around. At any rate, a favorite of mine, must find some.
Bottom line, LdH is in my top 3 of favorite producers now - all reaffirmed by the lineup last night. The wines are loaded with material, aren't cliched and are beautiful works of art. You could spend a week analyzing each wine - but who has the patience for that when they taste so damn good.
The group rated them as follows, though all agreed that it was like arguing one supermodel prettier than the next.
First place votes:
2 -1978
2 -1987
1- 1961
Second place votes:
3-1976
1-1978
1-1987
NV Dhondt BdB
This bottle came off as a touch sweeter than prior bottles, but still a pleasure to drink. Really opened up with air, revealing gingersnaps, minerality and a subtle creaminess.
1981 LdH Tondonia GR (blanco)
85% Viura, 15% Malvasia. As Angelo noted, the color tricks you into thinking this will be a sweet, sticky-esque wine. Au contraire. This wine changed like a chameleon all night long. Began extremely pleasurable with slight petrol and sherry notes, some lemon peel, marshmallow and orange pledge scent. The wine was almost salty, coating your mouth in velvet before wrapping up with coconut notes on the finish. However, things took a sad turn for the worse much later in the night, when mustard seed completely dominated both the nose and palate. Chemical Ali would have loved this wine around 930pm last night. Prior to the mustard attack, one heck of a wine.
1961 Tondonia
Sourced by Ted from The Rare Wine Co, and very generous of him to have brought it. The label didn't reveal whether this was a Reserva or Gran Reserva - no matter. It was a treat, and tasted no more than 10-15 years old. Color was crazy dark for a 1961. Starts with sour/tart cranberry, like a cranberry spritzer would taste without the spritz. Beautiful leather note in the bouquet mixed with sous bois/autumn leaves. The fruit is so chewy and energetic, I just can't believe how young it is. Nice lift on the back end, with a hint of menthol. There is a God, and he likes Rioja.
1976 Tondonia GR
Very feminine, would have guessed a Bosconia. You get a noseful of shrooms and sous bois, alongside rose petals. Very pretty nose - theme continues on the palate, with perfect acidic balance, really amping up the red/black cherry fruit. Reminds me of the smell of the Boston Public Garden on a humid, summer day - of course, I'd be sneezing in that scenario b/c of allergies, but this wine takes me there sans sniffles.
1978 Bosconia GR
Another winner. Oddly darker in color than the 1987 Bosconia GR. There's some herbs and celery salt/seed that aren't offputting, think a 2004 burg that has ripe fruit, and the mirepoix just adds to the complexity. Black cherry and raspberry are crazily persistent, this is palate staining fruit. Some orange rind and candied cherry linger forever after you sip.
1987 Bosconia GR
This is burgundy, I swear it. Pure red fruits are layered and more intense than the aforementioned 1978 due to youth, I'd suspect. Color is lighter, which seems a bit odd, but whatever. Savory/terroir/mineral/long are underlined in my notes. I can't argue with any of those impressions the next day.
1999 Wittmann Westhofener Morstein Auslese
What a way to wind down an otherwordly set of wines. Impeccable balance throughout, featuring honey, slate, minerality and orchard fruit. Acidity keeps the sweetness in check - or is it the other way around. At any rate, a favorite of mine, must find some.
Bottom line, LdH is in my top 3 of favorite producers now - all reaffirmed by the lineup last night. The wines are loaded with material, aren't cliched and are beautiful works of art. You could spend a week analyzing each wine - but who has the patience for that when they taste so damn good.
The group rated them as follows, though all agreed that it was like arguing one supermodel prettier than the next.
First place votes:
2 -1978
2 -1987
1- 1961
Second place votes:
3-1976
1-1978
1-1987