Sherry, Burgundy, Champagne and Zinfandel

[Jay Miller]

A small dinner (since almost everyone called in sick) to welcome Jesus Barquin to NYC. A true pleasure to meet him.

NV Billiot - aged about 1.5-2 years
limpid and lovely , soft flavors hinting of pit fruit, more brioche and advanced notes with air. B/B+

1998 Rousseau Ruchottes Chambertin
raised cork. uh oh. nice nose, sandalwood, slightly dilute cherry at firat. improves a lot with air developing greater complexity, finer detail and brighter fruit but never quite hits the highs that I expect from it. My final conclusion is slightly but noticeably heat damaged. I'll open my other one soon. B+

Equipo Navazos L Bota de Fino 15
pure uplifting rush of flavor, seawater and an intriguing nuttiness. sort of a platonic ideal of fino. creaminess with no hint of of bitterness. A-

Valdespino Coliseo Amontillado VORS
when first poured it's all about the finish which lasts for a full lotsofseconds. nonsweet burnt sugar flavors. impressive and fascinating at first, it improves further with air developing orange peel and almond notes. a wine that happens to you. A-

1995 Ridge Lytton Springs
good Ridge, hovers right at the top of my oak tolerance but it handles it well in a burly way. B

 

[Keith Levenberg]

Shame about the Rousseau, I had one of those a year or so ago and it was kick-ass though still very primary.

 

[Levi Dalton]

Valdespino is gooood.

Did you happen to catch the importer label on that Amontillado bottle?

 

[Olaf Rdiger]

I love Valdespino wines, la bota 15 is as you say an ideal fino. Coliseo is one of the best amontillados you can drink. Now I'm enjoying home Valdespino Palo Cortado Cardenal VORS, what a lovely stuff!

 

[Michel Abood]

Droooooooool... Rousseau... Sorry to hear about it, it should have been lovely. Then again, I really like 1998 in Burgundy.

 

[Jay Miller]

originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
Shame about the Rousseau, I had one of those a year or so ago and it was kick-ass though still very primary.

This was still very good (after an hour or so of air) but I definitely wouldn't describe it as primary.

 

[Jay Miller]

originally posted by Levi Dalton:
Valdespino is gooood.

Did you happen to catch the importer label on that Amontillado bottle?

Jesus brought it with him from Spain. I didn't ask if he labeled it :)

 

[Tom Blach]

The Coliseo was a constant companion until the bottle price went up from 20 to 200.

 

[Jay Miller]

originally posted by Tom Blach:
The Coliseo was a constant companion until the bottle price went up from 20 to 200.

Wow. When did that happen?

 

[Unknown]

I can still taste those Sherry from Monday. Mmmmmmmmm...

 

[Ignacio Villalgordo]

That Coliseo is for me one of the most amazing sherrys I have had the pleasure of tasting. Valdespino sure has some of the best wines in southern spain. Next time Jesus is around, please ensure he brings a bottle of Valdespino Toneles with him

 

[Unknown]

originally posted by Ignacio Villalgordo:
please ensure he brings a bottle of Valdespino Toneles with him

No need. He brought one the following Monday.

 

[Jess Barqun]

Jay, I must again thank you for your patience and your generosity. However, I would rate a bit higher than you the Billiot, which was a beautiful example of very well two years bottle-aged NV champagne. And, especially, the Rousseau. I guess that your high expectations based on previous experience with this wine made you somewhat underrate it.

A couple of hints:

- The importer in USA for Valdespino is Quality Wines of Spain (they have a web, same words as their name DOT com)

- The price of Coliseo started to suffer a notable increase when the new owners of the house decided in 2001 that it was absurd to release a wine which average age may well be 50-60 years at a retail price of around 20 EUR. Then, it started to increase around a 50%-100% every year until now, when the retail price in Europe is around 175 EUR for 75 cl, 88 EUR for halves. It is not surprising that the number of bottles sold has not increased recently, but I have been told that it has not decreased significantly either, as the market for these wines has never been really big.

- There are still extraordinary very old wines that are available at excellent price out there. Pedro Romero VORS, for instance, which I had the pleasure to share with Jay and Joe recently in NY, but also both VOS by Valdespino (Don Gonzalo Oloroso VOS and Solera 1842 Oloroso VOS): I saw them at PJ Wine last monday at 28 US dollars for a half, if I recall well. A real bargain for such tremendous olorosos. Now is the time to grab them, just in case the producer decide to ask for them in the future a price nearer to their actual cost of production and to their quality.

- Other remarkable bargains out there in the field of very old sherries that are suitable to disapear as such in the more or less next future, and that come spontaneously to my mind: Barbadillo Palo Cortado VORS, Venerable PX VORS, the whole range of Bodegas Tradicin...