DC winos?

Thursday (tomorrow) is better for me but I'm guessing you have to work Friday and most people probably prefer Friday anyway.

Will see what the crowd says.
 
Friday may be a possibility - has to be done inside DC, not legal outside (plus I can't cross the Potomac Ocean).
 
No, there were lots of good wines, though due to the guest list and the combination of cosmic forces there was an unusual amount of taint/off bottles and slightly off food. 1997 Jaboulet Cornas and 1988 Montevertine were nice as was the 2005[?] Pfalz Riesling that Georg brought and the 2004 Tissot Traminer. My 97 Steiner Hund Spatlese got weird after a few hours (CWC import) and my 93 Chevillon Cailles which seemed great when it was opened turned out to be intensely corked. 1993 Jadot Chapelle Chambertin seemed a bit tight and unyielding and a Fevre Chablis was also corked. Georg's 2002 Schwartzburgunder (same Pfalz producer whose name I did not write down) was nothing to write home about. And there was a lovely 1993 Baudry. And a Michigan wine [Wycroft?](Bordeaux blend) that might have benefited from a more carefully thought out barrel program.

But surely someone else will have more interesting things to say.

Cole
 
I have my lone mag of '97 Steiner Hund teed up for tonight, but it didn't come in through CWC. Fingers crossed.
 
My first off-line with disorderlies. Thanks to Nathan for instigating, to Maureen and Cole for organizing, to them and Bob, Christi, Georg for good company and some memorable wines. I came late, took no notes and ate little, so this summary from memory is a rather crude sketch of the evenings libations I hope some of you will fill in the gaps in raise the standard of reporting!

Dry Pfalz Riesling (unknown): Served blind. From the aroma, guessed this was a Gewurz, then a Pinot Gris; told these were both wrong, on tasting, I guessed a dry Muscat. Very embarrassing. Spicy-floral aromas, gentle, under-stated flavors in the same vein. Touch of mineral backbone, but no sign of the acid spine I usually find in German Riesling-based wines. Would go well with goat cheese. I didnt get the producer, vintage or vineyard on this one.

2001 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett: A treat, still young, prominent acid sizzle underying characteristic Wehlener delicacy and transparency. Excellent aperitif, refreshing and enlivening. Would love to drink this again in two or three years.

2004 Tissot Arbois (vintage?): Pleasant, nuanced, gentle texture; good balance, bits of fruit and earth. A nice light- medium-bodied wine should be versatile with a range of light intro dishes.

1997 Nikolaihof Steiner Hund Spaetlese: Stern, dry, medium-bodied, balanced, excellent acidity. Needed real food to shine and I was just nibbling, so I feel missed its real value.

Fevre 2002 Blanchot: Corked!

1988 Montevetrine: (producer?) Aromas of cherry with a bit of spice box. Medium-bodied, rather gentle, some sour cherry and a kind of plumy, port-like flavor on the finish. Pleasant, a bit lighter than Id have expected.

1993 Baudry Chinon: a sinewy fellow in his prime, no sign of fatigue. Medium-bodied, good acidity, bit of bell-pepper together with meaty cab fruit and a touch of cedar.

2001 Wynncroft: Bordeaux blend from Michigan, medium- full-bodied, plumy nose, cedar, some richness combined with bitter cabernet sinisterness. Nathan and Cole both commented on the presence of wood. Nathan This doesnt suck!

1993 Chevillon Caille: Corked!

1993 Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin: Lovely large, round Pinot nose of flowers and cherries; would have been happy just smelling this over the course of the evening. Early on, tight and tannic, giving little, but over the course of the evening the tannins smoothed and the textures married with the aromas to make a memorable mouthful. My wotn.

1997 Jaboulet Cornas: My second Cornas ever and a bit of a weirdo for me, albeit in good way. To me it smelled strongly and exclusively of bread dough (and I bake a lot, so I know the odor), with my eyes closed Idve guessed it was champagne. Made for a chewy, texture-rich mouthful, satisfyingly meaty and substantial. The manager (owner?) of Lavendou pointed this wine out to me especially, telling me to make sure I got some before it was finished. My second runner-up wotn.

1988 (?) Marcel Deiss Schoenenburg SGN: bone-dry with a suggestion of complex, developed Riesling flavors, but so muted that we concluded it was about tired out. Perhaps it just needed more air time.

1988 Dal Forno Recioto: Lovely, seamless mlange of cherry, blueberry, a bit of bread pudding, and moderate sweetness. Whole and complete, excellent with a bite of cheese, had the wonderful understated integrating quality you occasionally find that has nothing to do with flavors and smells. My second wotn.
 
Whoops I forgot the Prum which was great.

And SFJ, the Steiner Hund was quite good for the first few hours, though Georg referred to it as a gas station early on. Mine had a "spatlese" sticker just above the label.
 
It was just 'Chinon.' Bob said, if I recall correctly, that this was the 'mid-level' bottling at that time, between the Granges and the Grezeaux.
 
Schwartzburgunder
Great, I'll have Mel Brooks in my head all day.

Thanks for the notes, Ian.

so muted that we concluded it was about tired out. Perhaps it just needed more air time.
Or perhaps the producer just sucks, and the evidence is finally mounting.

As for misidentifying the Pfalz riesling as something much different, Theresa's taken to guessing gewurztraminer or pinot gris almost every time I blind her on a non-dry riesling. It's interesting.
 
originally posted by Cole Kendall:

And SFJ, the Steiner Hund was quite good for the first few hours, though Georg referred to it as a gas station early on. Mine had a "spatlese" sticker just above the label.

I actually liked it quite a bit early on. In Germany "gas station" is a compliment for a mature Riesling.....
I liked that it was so dry, but after a while the harmony got lost and it just did not drink so well anymore.

Overall this was a fantastic experience, thank you all very much. Interesting wines (more about them later) and great company. First time I went to an offline with total strangers; now I hope there will be more.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
It was just 'Chinon.' Bob said, if I recall correctly, that this was the 'mid-level' bottling at that time, between the Granges and the Grezeaux.

Ok. I guess that is what is called the "Domaine" bottling now. Still sort of
'mid-level'. Interesting that it held up so well for so long.
 
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