Since Matt has left us for fairer climes (namely the rolling black hills of Rapid City, SD), I have been officially pressed into service as quasi-official taker of tasting notes for the District of Columbia disorderly crew.
However, since I was informed of this task near the end of the evening, I neglected to take down meticulous notes (or any notes for that matter) and forgot the vintages and names of several bottles, so I am hoping others with better memories (and higher tolerances) chime in and fill in the many blanks in this haphazard recollection of yesterday evening.
We started off the evening with a 1989 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune Vendanges Tardive. Since this is my first Clos Ste. Hune, I have no idea whether this was typical. There was petrol and honeyed fruit on the palate, but what surpised me was its richness...I am assuming this was because it was a late harvest wine. It wasn't cloying, but I could feel the residual sugar somehow. Nevertheless, it was tasty, and seemed to gain focus as the evening progressed.
We then opened up a 2005 Benanti Pietramarina, an Etna white made out of old vines Carricante. It started off a little tight, but the underlying coil of intense, nervous minerality was apparent. It was powerful, yet quite fine at the same time...a nice contrast to the Clos Ste. Hune. Thank you Levi for the recommendation.
Cole opened up a 2006 Bea San Valentino, and what we got was a kaleidiscope of beautiful dark fruit, horseshit, moldy cardboard, and band aids. People at the table were debating whether this was reduction or brett, but Gail chimed in with TCA and, after some time for the cork taint to bloom in the glass, that was the consensus. It was too bad too, because you could smell that the underlying wine would have been lovely.
Cristi brought a 1974 Produttori di Carema (thanks Bob for the info, Cristi for the bottle) and it was lovely. An ethereal wine quietly echoing fading fruit through a a conduit of tingling acidity. It was very unlike the Barolos and Barbarescos I have had, and since I am unexperienced with young Carema, I don't know if they typically have the tannins that the Big B appelations have, but whatever tannins this Carema may have had at one time have long since resolved.
We then began our vertical of Chateau Montus, vintages 1990, 1995, and 1996. I was expecting these wines to be extremely tannic and burly, but I instead found these wines to be incredibly light on their feet and elegant, held together with a spine of acidity rather than a wall of tannins. Upon opening, I found the 1990 to be the most approachable (unsurprisingly), but by the end of the night, the 1995 seemed to wake up, with its fruit coming into focus. The 1996 was a little closed in comparison, but still enjoyable. Jonathan noted that the wines all seemed very similar and that the differences in the glass were probably solely attributable to time in the cellar.
Finally, we closed with a 1998 Schmitt-Kinder's Randsacker Sonnenstuhl Silvaner Eiswein in bocksbotel (thanks Bob). I only had a sip, but it was rich, sweet, yet graceful. It reminds me why I should stock more dessert wine and Franken silvaner in my cellar.
All in all, all the wines showed well (with the exception of the corked Bea). A wonderful evening with great company.
Next Up: Bandol-Fest. Jonathan is hankering for some Mediterranean Mourvedre. Maybe we can even throw in some Palette as well. And, of course, riesling.
However, since I was informed of this task near the end of the evening, I neglected to take down meticulous notes (or any notes for that matter) and forgot the vintages and names of several bottles, so I am hoping others with better memories (and higher tolerances) chime in and fill in the many blanks in this haphazard recollection of yesterday evening.
We started off the evening with a 1989 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune Vendanges Tardive. Since this is my first Clos Ste. Hune, I have no idea whether this was typical. There was petrol and honeyed fruit on the palate, but what surpised me was its richness...I am assuming this was because it was a late harvest wine. It wasn't cloying, but I could feel the residual sugar somehow. Nevertheless, it was tasty, and seemed to gain focus as the evening progressed.
We then opened up a 2005 Benanti Pietramarina, an Etna white made out of old vines Carricante. It started off a little tight, but the underlying coil of intense, nervous minerality was apparent. It was powerful, yet quite fine at the same time...a nice contrast to the Clos Ste. Hune. Thank you Levi for the recommendation.
Cole opened up a 2006 Bea San Valentino, and what we got was a kaleidiscope of beautiful dark fruit, horseshit, moldy cardboard, and band aids. People at the table were debating whether this was reduction or brett, but Gail chimed in with TCA and, after some time for the cork taint to bloom in the glass, that was the consensus. It was too bad too, because you could smell that the underlying wine would have been lovely.
Cristi brought a 1974 Produttori di Carema (thanks Bob for the info, Cristi for the bottle) and it was lovely. An ethereal wine quietly echoing fading fruit through a a conduit of tingling acidity. It was very unlike the Barolos and Barbarescos I have had, and since I am unexperienced with young Carema, I don't know if they typically have the tannins that the Big B appelations have, but whatever tannins this Carema may have had at one time have long since resolved.
We then began our vertical of Chateau Montus, vintages 1990, 1995, and 1996. I was expecting these wines to be extremely tannic and burly, but I instead found these wines to be incredibly light on their feet and elegant, held together with a spine of acidity rather than a wall of tannins. Upon opening, I found the 1990 to be the most approachable (unsurprisingly), but by the end of the night, the 1995 seemed to wake up, with its fruit coming into focus. The 1996 was a little closed in comparison, but still enjoyable. Jonathan noted that the wines all seemed very similar and that the differences in the glass were probably solely attributable to time in the cellar.
Finally, we closed with a 1998 Schmitt-Kinder's Randsacker Sonnenstuhl Silvaner Eiswein in bocksbotel (thanks Bob). I only had a sip, but it was rich, sweet, yet graceful. It reminds me why I should stock more dessert wine and Franken silvaner in my cellar.
All in all, all the wines showed well (with the exception of the corked Bea). A wonderful evening with great company.
Next Up: Bandol-Fest. Jonathan is hankering for some Mediterranean Mourvedre. Maybe we can even throw in some Palette as well. And, of course, riesling.