Stephen South paid a visit to my hometown last week, his second trip up here in the past six weeks. We couldn't connect in August, but with his waving a '90 Trimbach Frdric mile and '98 Jamet as bait, I was able to muster up Suzanne Camhi and Jay Miller with only a couple of days notice for a lovely Thursday night dinner at Il Corso which we quickly dubbed the crumbly cork jeebus due to four corks breaking apart while being opened. Great to finally meet Steve and many thanks for his giving us the excuse to open up some nice bottles with friends. In fact, we brought too much wine. We ended up not opening a '99 Mascarello- Barolo Monprivato, a '71 Baumard Quarts de Chaume or a Brachetto whose producer I'm forgetting at the moment.
Cheers.
2004 Meyer-Fonn- Riesling, Pfoeller
Aromatic with tropical and stone fruit, a touch of petrol and a little sulfur that blew off with air. Initially, while tasty, it didn't seem to have much personality. It was like an ice skater just quickly gliding across the palate. The wine did build with air, however. Mineral tones came up as did some structure. There's sweetness, but it's balanced. Like flavors as aromas. I'm digging this. Shows a certain touch of class. Low A-.
2000 Huet- Vouvray Sec, Clos Du Bourg (from 375 ml)
What a nose! Smells like a bear just ripped open a bee's nest with its paw as the smell is just intense honey and honeycomb. However, as much sweetness as there was on the nose, it being a sec, there was none to be found on the palate. Dry and a bit severe, it shows plenty of honeycomb/wax and mineral, but not much else. It appears that it's reached its grumpy stage. I'd hold off for awhile. B+/B.
1990 Trimbach- Riesling "Frdric mile"
Golden colored with mineral, lightly nutty and citrus aromas. Good length and weight, but it's really starting to show its age. It's softened and has taken on aged nutty flavors to go along with the usual citrus profile. Dry, but ripe finish. I'd start to drink up. Fill and capsule was perfect, btw. A-.
1970 Cune- Rioja Gran Riserva "Via Real" (from 375 ml)
I recently had a half bottle from the same lot as this one, but mine didn't show nearly as well as this did. This was simply off the charts good and a remarkable showing from a half bottle. I couldn't get my nose out of the glass. It was like sitting in an old, well worn leather chair with wooden arms polished over the years by wear, reading a leather-bound book with pressed flowers in it while munching on a bowl of red cherries. Just mesmerizing. On the palate I'm stunned by the vibrancy and sweetness of the cherry fruit. In almost every bottle of this wine, be it from a full or half bottle, the fruit is much more in the background while the leather and dusty earth notes are more prominent. It's just the opposite here. The fruit is just astounding. Wonderfully balanced and just really singing. Bravo! Solid A to A+/A.
1998 Jamet- Cte-Rtie
I mentioned in a recent note that while I've always liked this wine, it always left me wanting a little more. That perhaps it needed more character. This bottle gave me exactly what I was looking for. Easily the most integrated and effusive bottle of this wine I've had. Just a knock-out nose that shows everything there is to love about the Northern Rhone; violets, garrigue, black pepper, black fruit, bacon and black olives. It's integrated and singing on the palate. Loads of bacon fat and black pepper with plenty of black fruit to support it all. Major yums here. Low A.
1994 Soldera- Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
What is it with these corks? The last bottle I tried of this, the '91 two years ago, snapped a waiter's helper worm in the cork and then pulled out one of the tines from an ah so we then used to try and pull it out. This cork was a toughie before it broke in half. At least this wine was infinitely better than the '91. This is a pretty muscular beast of a wine yet somehow manages to show a certain elegance as well. The fruit is beautiful. Just pure crushed red cherries and raspberries with mushroom, tree bark and earthy notes to satisfy one's intellectual curiosity. Compact and tannic with a touch of austerity on the finish, it went well with the short rib braised in balsamic, though I wish they had lamb shanks that night as I think that would've been an even better match. A-.
1985 Huet- Vouvray Moelleux, Clos Du Bourg
Always a lovely bottle and textbook, funky older Vouvray. Lots of Lanolin to this wine along with quince, chalky mineral and cheese rind. It's never really a blockbuster, but proud and typical. Moderately sweet with the ever present acid backbone. Like flavors as aromas with a bitter almond note on the finish. A-.
Some pics from the evening:
Why it was dubbed the crumbly cork jeebus.
Two wild and crazy guys!
A threesome.
What did I say to make Jay laugh so hard?
Cheers.
2004 Meyer-Fonn- Riesling, Pfoeller
Aromatic with tropical and stone fruit, a touch of petrol and a little sulfur that blew off with air. Initially, while tasty, it didn't seem to have much personality. It was like an ice skater just quickly gliding across the palate. The wine did build with air, however. Mineral tones came up as did some structure. There's sweetness, but it's balanced. Like flavors as aromas. I'm digging this. Shows a certain touch of class. Low A-.
2000 Huet- Vouvray Sec, Clos Du Bourg (from 375 ml)
What a nose! Smells like a bear just ripped open a bee's nest with its paw as the smell is just intense honey and honeycomb. However, as much sweetness as there was on the nose, it being a sec, there was none to be found on the palate. Dry and a bit severe, it shows plenty of honeycomb/wax and mineral, but not much else. It appears that it's reached its grumpy stage. I'd hold off for awhile. B+/B.
1990 Trimbach- Riesling "Frdric mile"
Golden colored with mineral, lightly nutty and citrus aromas. Good length and weight, but it's really starting to show its age. It's softened and has taken on aged nutty flavors to go along with the usual citrus profile. Dry, but ripe finish. I'd start to drink up. Fill and capsule was perfect, btw. A-.
1970 Cune- Rioja Gran Riserva "Via Real" (from 375 ml)
I recently had a half bottle from the same lot as this one, but mine didn't show nearly as well as this did. This was simply off the charts good and a remarkable showing from a half bottle. I couldn't get my nose out of the glass. It was like sitting in an old, well worn leather chair with wooden arms polished over the years by wear, reading a leather-bound book with pressed flowers in it while munching on a bowl of red cherries. Just mesmerizing. On the palate I'm stunned by the vibrancy and sweetness of the cherry fruit. In almost every bottle of this wine, be it from a full or half bottle, the fruit is much more in the background while the leather and dusty earth notes are more prominent. It's just the opposite here. The fruit is just astounding. Wonderfully balanced and just really singing. Bravo! Solid A to A+/A.
1998 Jamet- Cte-Rtie
I mentioned in a recent note that while I've always liked this wine, it always left me wanting a little more. That perhaps it needed more character. This bottle gave me exactly what I was looking for. Easily the most integrated and effusive bottle of this wine I've had. Just a knock-out nose that shows everything there is to love about the Northern Rhone; violets, garrigue, black pepper, black fruit, bacon and black olives. It's integrated and singing on the palate. Loads of bacon fat and black pepper with plenty of black fruit to support it all. Major yums here. Low A.
1994 Soldera- Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
What is it with these corks? The last bottle I tried of this, the '91 two years ago, snapped a waiter's helper worm in the cork and then pulled out one of the tines from an ah so we then used to try and pull it out. This cork was a toughie before it broke in half. At least this wine was infinitely better than the '91. This is a pretty muscular beast of a wine yet somehow manages to show a certain elegance as well. The fruit is beautiful. Just pure crushed red cherries and raspberries with mushroom, tree bark and earthy notes to satisfy one's intellectual curiosity. Compact and tannic with a touch of austerity on the finish, it went well with the short rib braised in balsamic, though I wish they had lamb shanks that night as I think that would've been an even better match. A-.
1985 Huet- Vouvray Moelleux, Clos Du Bourg
Always a lovely bottle and textbook, funky older Vouvray. Lots of Lanolin to this wine along with quince, chalky mineral and cheese rind. It's never really a blockbuster, but proud and typical. Moderately sweet with the ever present acid backbone. Like flavors as aromas with a bitter almond note on the finish. A-.
Some pics from the evening:
Why it was dubbed the crumbly cork jeebus.
Two wild and crazy guys!
A threesome.
What did I say to make Jay laugh so hard?