WINE DISORDER OL - Slaton's place, San Francisco, California (4/25/2009)
Slaton is a terrific host, amazingly calm creator of all kinds of good foodstuffs (chorizo maramalade on goat cheese, assorted pizzas with freshly made crusts), and the great group of wine geeks who gathered at his place Saturday afternoon also brought tasty edibles (juicy Peking duck, Utah artisanal cheese that tastes like coffee, baked fennel) and wines that contributed to a delightful afternoon and evening. The standout wine for me was the 2000 San Leonardo, but there were lots of really wonderful bottles, including the '05 Roche aux Moines Savennieres, '05 Clos des Briords Muscadet, '02 Eyrie Reserve Pinot, and assorted older sweet wines. It was great to meet Nathan, Scott, Cory, Emily and J.C., and Slaton's wine-geek phobic roommate. I missed a couple of the bottles that were taken later to Terroir, but recorded most of what was opened as follows:
Whites
2005 Domaine de la Ppire (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Svre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Svre-et-Maine
Light butter yellow color; nice lime, tart green melon and mineral nose; tart, minerally, green fruit, tart melon palate, complex, but light and poised; medium finish 92+ pts.
(92 pts.)
2005 Roche aux Moines Savennires Roche aux Moines - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennires Roche aux Moines
Light butter yellow color; white flower and fresh lime nose; tasty, spicy, tart melon, lime, mineral, stony palate with bracing acidity; medium-plus finish
(93 pts.)
2005 Brgerspital zum hl. Geist Wrzburger Stein Riesling Kabinett trocken - Germany, Franken
Light yellow color; wintergreen, herbal and lime cream nose; solid, tart lime, wintergreen, herbal, tart orange and mineral palate; medium-plus finish
(92 pts.)
2002 Hut Vouvray Ptillant Brut - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Light medium golden yellow color; apple, herbal, green fruit nose; tart green fruit, herbal palate with medium acidity; medium finish
(91 pts.)
1983 Rene Schmidt Gewurztraminer Selection Particulire - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC
Dark golden yellow color; earthy, a little oxidized, gardenia nose; nutty, creamy, spicy, lychee palate; medium finish
(92 pts.)
2006 Avanguardia Rkatsiteli Cristallo - USA, California, Sierra Foothills
Very pale yellow color; pungent, herbal, green almond and lime cream nose; tart, pointed, green fruit and green almond palate, with surprising complexity; short-medium finish
(89 pts.)
N.V. Catherine et Pierre Breton Vouvray La Dilettante - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Light butter yellow color; tart green apple and lime nose; tart, spicy green fruit, green apple, lime palate; short finish
(85 pts.)
2006 Alice et Olivier De Moor Chablis Rosette - France, Burgundy, Chablis
Tart green fruit nose; oxidized, tart lemon palate, disjointed; short-medium finish
(78 pts.)
Light Reds (and Yellow Wine)
2002 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Light medium orange red color with garnet lights; evocative tart strawberry and orange spice nose; tasty, tart, smoky, orange and tart red fruit palate with minerals and lime acidity; medium-plus finish
(93 pts.)
2000 Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough
Medium red color with pale meniscus; dried plum, graphite, VA and prune cake nose; tart, over-the-hill, pruney, plum palate; short-medium finish
(79 pts.)
2005 Domaine Comte Peraldi Ajaccio Comte De Poix - France, Corsica, Ajaccio
Light medium strawberry red color with pale meniscus; tart red fruit, red grapefruit, smoke and dried orange nose; elegant tart red fruit, roses, mineral and tart orange palate with good balance; medium-plus finish 93+ pts.
(93 pts.)
1977 Lytton Springs Winery Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
Cloudy dark raspberry red color; nice mature spicy plum, wood ear mushroom and berry nose; tart berry, mature tart plum and orange spice palate; medium-plus finish
(92 pts.)
2004 La Stoppa Ageno Emilia IGT - Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Emilia IGT
Bright medium orange color with yellow lights; big tart kumquat, quince, dried apricot and sulfur nose; tart, rancio, dried apricot, kumquat, lime and mineral palate, with tart tannins; medium-plus finish 91+ pts.
(91 pts.)
2006 C de Noci Vino di Tavola Notte di Luna - Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Vino di Tavola
Medium orange color with yellow lights; preserved orange, pistachio and smoky green nose; tart, pinched but complex, tangy, lightly oily, tart citrus, tart green fruit and mineral palate; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (could age interestingly)
(92 pts.)
2006 Domaine Poupat Coteaux du Giennois "Trocadero" - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Coteaux du Giennois
Medium dark red violet color; minerally, dried cherry, dried red fruit and dried apricot nose; tasty, tart, tangy dried red fruit, mineral and rosehips palate; medium-plus finish
(91 pts.)
2001 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Light medium red color with clear meniscus; earthy, dried mushroom and mineral nose; good tart mature red fruit, mushroom and truffle palate; medium finish 92+ pts.
(92 pts.)
1990 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Orange red color with pale meniscus; brett and TCA nose; tart raspberry, red fruit palate with TCA
NR (flawed)
Heavier Reds
2000 Tenuta San Leonardo Merlot Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT
Slightly cloudy and opaque medium dark red violet color with pale meniscus; nice maturing tobacco, herbaceous, olive nose; tart black fruit, mineral, tar, graphite, tart plum palate with depth; medium-plus finish 94+ pts.
(94 pts.)
2007 La Clarine Farms Mourvedre Cedarville Vineyard - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado
Medium red violet color with pale meniscus; tart black fruit, mineral and graphite nose; tart, tangy, plum, boysenberry and charcoal palate; short-medium finish
(87 pts.)
2001 Schwarz Zweigelt 'W' Red Table Wine - Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee
Medium dark cherry color with clear meniscus; bacon, roasted fruit and smoky nose; tart berry, black fruit, tar, spicy and nervy, with depth; medium-plus finish 92+ pts.
(92 pts.)
N.V. Avanguardia Amatore - USA, California, Sierra Foothills
Light medium cherry red color with clear meniscus; graphite, sweet spicy plum nose; narrow, tart spicy plum palate; short-medium finish
(81 pts.)
2005 Union des Vignerons Saint Pourain VDQS Domaine de la Croix d'Or - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Saint Pourain VDQS
Light minerally tart red fruit nose; tart, minerally, cherry and red fruit palate with orange acidity; medium finish 91+ pts.
(91 pts.)
2007 Domaine de la Tournelle Arbois L'uva Arbosiana - France, Jura, Arbois
Very light red color with clear meniscus; tart, very herbal, oregano and bay laurel nose; light bodied, tart herbal, oregano, bay laurel and tart red fruit palate; medium finish
(88 pts.)
Sweet Wines
1992 Zind-Humbrecht Tokay Pinot Gris Rotenberg Vendange Tardive - France, Alsace, Wintzenheim, Alsace AOC
Medium apricot color; smoky, baked apple, mulled pear nose; tart mulled pear, apricot, mineral and acid palate; medium-plus finish
(91 pts.)
2005 Domaine Ostertag Muscat Fronholz Vin d'Alsace - France, Alsace, Haut-Rhin, Alsace AOC
Lovely honeyed, orange blossom nose; fairly dry, solid, Muscat, orange blossom and orange honey palate; medium finish 90+ pts.
(90 pts.)
1988 Goldene Rebe Bereich Mittelhaardt Riesling - Germany, Pfalz
From 375 ml - medium dark orange color with red lights and pale yellow meniscus; baked apple, figgy pudding and prune nose with a touch of petrol; nice, mature, tart plum, prune, baked cherry and tart apricot palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ pts.
(92 pts.)
1989 Dr. Brklin-Wolf Wachenheimer Knigswingert Gewrztraminer Auslese - Germany, Pfalz
From 375 ml - medium golden yellow color; spicy Gewurtz, old roses nose; tasty, poised, juicy pear, ripe green fruit, peach palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish
(92 pts.)
