July 12 wine dinner at King Fung Garden in Chinatown
Notes from Michael Malinoski are below. My impressions were similar -- good thing we were sitting next to each other (and Albert was on the other side... of the table). I liked the Qupe a little bit more, and I think the Bourgran was pretty precious. The Torbreck was good, but not particularly memorable. Big Aussie style.(Random thought related to the Bourgran) If anyone is interested, I saw some splits of '01 la tour blanche at a wine store on Beacon Street for a pretty good price ($35 @).
I enjoyed tasting the two Siduris side-by-side. They are aging relatively well. It also demonstrated that some of those Cali Pinots do adjust their style when it is appropriate... it is hard to have any vegetal notes in Pinot Noir that ripens so well.
That Beaucastel was interesting. It was an intense V8 juice at first, which I actually enjoyed. Then it degraded into kinda an acidic, rotten vegetable garden mess... finishing up kinda strangely. More experienced folks -- is this typical?
Michael's notes
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Opening whites and sparkler:
1989 Veuve Clicquot Brut Rose Champagne La Grande Dame - lovely orange color. It has some citrus-y orange notes along with dried flowers on the nose. The bubbles are fine. I bet this could age for a long time.
1998 Barmes Buecher Riesling Alsace Grand Cru Hengst. Dark golden colored. Opens with a nose of botrytis, cream, chalk and apricot. Pretty sweet on the medium-bodied palate, with strong apricot and peach pit flavors. The mouthfeel is oily and honeyed. The finish dissipates a bit too quickly, but a nice wine.
1998 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Hauserer. Deep golden color with a nice shiny brightness. There's honey, flowers, rosewater, smoke, lime rind and a hint of petrol on the nose. There is a whiff of botrytis, too, but considerably less than on the Barmes Buecher. Also in contrast, it is more or less dry on the palate. Quite mouthfilling, with apricot, lime, cream and honey flavors. Long, persistent finish. Very nice.
1997 Schloss Saarstein Riesling Spatlese Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Serriger Schloss Saarsteiner. Pale straw-colored. Nose of peaches, flowers and rosewater. Flavors of poached pears, ripe apples, and lemon/lime. It is elegant and lacy, with nice soft fruit. Finish is clean, with persistent peach flavors.
1995 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Vielles Vignes. It was really hard for me to tell if this wine is supposed to taste like this or if it was maybe flawed. I know these wines can go into a strange stage for a while, so maybe this is slumbering. Still, I just don't know. The nose displays notes of caramel and old grass clippings, but there is also something that seems like V8 tomato juice or a rotting vegetable garden. I stayed with this wine all evening, and it eventually lost some of the vegetable notes and evolved to include tangerine and grapefruit. The palate is equally unique, with some burnt sugar and citrus flavors and a rounded mouthfeel. However, it seems a bit flat and tinny. Still, the finish is clean and crisp. Like I said, I just don't know.
Pinot Noirs:
1985 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Bottled. Muddy brownish red color with some fading at the rim. Deep aromas of sweet earth, raspberry and tea, accented by peppermint notes. The flavor profile is similar, combining a nice aged rusticity on an elegant mid-weight frame. It dries out a bit on the finish, but otherwise a delightful 20 year old CA Pinot!
1996 Rochioli Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 3 Corner Vineyard. This was my Wine of the Night. Faded garnet color. A beautiful, complex nose of aged saddle leather, clean horse barn, cola, cinnamon, red and black berry fruits and sour cherries. Rich on the palate, with dark mocha, sour cherry and earthy flavors. The mouthfeel is nicely sappy, and it finishes elegantly with chalk and a complex spiciness. Drinking perfectly right now.
1995 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard. This is a dark, dense, almost purple color, with a lot of glycerin on display. It is very rich and deep on the nose, with dark chocolate and black pepper aromas. On the palate, it comes across as fresh and young with lots of black fruits and dark chocolate. It is still pretty tight, displaying a big chewy texture and plenty of body. To my taste, this was still a few years away from its peak drinking window.
1996 Kistler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast. Dark and densely colored, with aromas of blackberry, cola and earth. Rich and chocolaty on the palate, with ample body and fairly tannic dark fruits that coat the mouth. Like the Flowers, I thought this was very tight and needed more air or bottle age to show all its colors.
1998 Siduri Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Hirsch Vineyard. Slightly muddy appearance, but delightful aromatics of sour cherries, blueberries and sweet smoke and earth. Nice flavors of sour cherries, mocha, cola and spices on the entry. At times, the mid-palate seems a touch hollow, but it always comes back strong with a rich finish sporting some drying tannins.
1999 Siduri Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Christian David. I think it was Damon who said this wine is also largely from Hirsch fruit. As such, it makes for an interesting comparison to the wine above. This one is darker-colored. It is also more herbal on the nose, along with aromas of cola and autumn leaves. It seems more extracted, with dark caramel, black fruits, pepper and other spices on the palate. It has very good length and a juicy finish with some tannins still hanging on for good measure.
2004 David Bruce Pinot Noir Central Coast. I found this to be a bit medicinal on the nose, with hints of electrical tape and rubber. It is a bit rough-hewn on the palate, showing some sweet berry fruit, and on the whole seems a bit disjointed. Very drying on the somewhat rough finish. Maybe give it some bottle age and try again.
2004 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley. I've had the '04 Sonoma Coast within the past month, but this is my first taste of the '04 RRV. I prefer the SC at this point, but still very much enjoyed this wine. Pretty plum-colored, with a sweet soft nose of raspberry, cherry, peppermint and bubblegum. Some people were saying "popcorn" and I guess in some ways I can buy that. It is plush and velvety on the palate, with a liberal dose of spice, white pepper and very sweet cherry and red berry fruit--all on a sizeable frame. The fruit is warm and lush and leads to a spicy persistent finish with freshening acidity.
Syrahs:
1995 Qupe Syrah Santa Barbara County Bien Nacido Vineyard. Nice nose of leather, horse, and dark fruits. Solidly-structured and still showing some slight tannins, it is nonetheless a soft-edged wine in the mouth. Blackberries, dark cherry flavors lead to a full, round, clean finish. Drinking nicely.
2000 Jaffurs Syrah Santa Barbara County Thompson Vineyard. Very dark opaque color. Aromas of electrical tape, liquid minerals, earth, white pepper and some kind of medicinal note. Full-bodied, fairly seamlessly integrated with a plush texture, and exhibiting flavors of blackberry and Asian spices. Somewhat bitter and drying tannins on the finish. On day 2, the nose becomes much fruitier, with cassis, brambly fruits and more spice. Similar body and texture but considerably more alcoholic heat and still with the drying tannins.
1999 Shafer Relentless Napa Valley. 82% Syrah and 18% Petite Sirah. Dark plum color, with a beautiful sheen to it. A knock-out nose of kirsch, cherry syrup and a hint of smoky bacon fat. This wine coats the palate with cherry and raspberry paste. It is full-bodied, meaty and chewy, but the fruit comes across as high-toned and bright. Still very tannic. It needs more time, but also really tasty right now. Should continue to improve for years. On day 2, the nose veers more toward cr�me de cassis, white pepper and something like cookie dough and a much more herbal earthy element comes out. No real change in the mouth, though it is even more evident that this needs some time to soften.
1996 Preston Syrah Dry Creek Valley Vogensen Bench Reserve. Ultra-sweet nose of mixed berry jam and melted caramel. Forward, sweet and seamlessly textured in the mouth. Nice juicy acidity on the finish. A fun and pleasing style.
2002 Torbreck Woodcutter's Red Barossa Valley. Not tasted.
Closing whites/dessert wines
1995 Rene Mure Tokay Pinot Gris Alsace Clos St Landelin. Not tasted.
1995 Domaine de la Bongran (Jean Thevenet) Macon Clesse Quintaine Cuvee Botrytis du 14 Octobre. From Chardonnay grown in the Macon. Deep gold color. Gorgeous nose of candied apricot. The palate is rich and intense with dried apricot, quince paste, yellow apple and cream. Beautiful acid balance. Long finish.
1979 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon. I had just a brief taste of this while they were kicking me out of the restaurant. Dark honey and marzipan on the nose. The palate is moderately sweet, showing a hint of oxidized fruits, with accents of roasted nuts and dried flowers. I wish I had more time to taste and enjoy this.
posted by nomadfromcincy @ 12:27 PM
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