June 2007 lunch notes:
2004 Black Hills Alibi - I caught Semillon in the nose on this but was otherwise unable to peg it as a BC wine that I know fairly well. Steely with lots of acidity, it will work best with food.2004 Quinta das Bageiras Branco Garafeirra - a Portuguese white made from Maria Gomes and Bical grapes, this one had a lemon-lime nose, clean finish and better balance than the previous wine. Only the high price would stop this one being popular.
2000 Dugat-Py Bourgogne - corked - we were blighted with no less than 3 corked wines when we usually don't see that many in a year. Might as well list all of them now.1996 Isole e Olena Ceparello - corked
2000 Mastroberardino Taurasi I Radici - a 3 glasser down the drain - sad.On to better things!
1978 Guigal Hermitage - pale edges with an obvious mature Rhone nose was a give away, and we honed in on the year and the fact that it was Hermitage fairly quickly. Elegant, with more acid than tannin. Delightful.2000 Mt. Redon Chateauneuf du Pape - one of our members was hot and nailed the wine right down to vintage and house! Slight sweetness in the nose, with an undercurrent of leather and cherry, this wine is ready to go ad will not benefit from cellaring.
1981 Sassicaia - this slowed them down a bit as it didn't cry out any particular region, just cabernet a bit pruny in the nose, dark with browning edges, mellow wood and old fruit, this wine rides on acidity, not tannin. Interesting, the slightly astringent finish indicating it should be drunk up rather than held any longer.1997 Feyles Barbaresco Riserva - never heard of this producer before. Maturing colour, smoky nose with some alcohol, but not manifested as being hot at all. Amazed that this was so young -it seemed a decade older.
1997 Azelia Barolo (Luigi Scavino) - new style forward wine with medium colour and rather perfumed cedary nose with some tea. Elegant and supple with good fruit and length.2004 Alto Moncayo Veraton - this Garnacha was hot (16%), had huge sweet fruit in the nose, was similarly huge in the mouth and had good length. Still a bit tannic, it could use some time. Good for serving to friends that need the sort of whack upside the head that some Aussie wines give, when they want a change. Not a wine you can ignore! Nice with cheese.
2000 Conch y Toro Don Melchor - this premium cab blend was excellent with a warm mellow nose of earth and mint/eucalyptus, good weight, nice berry flavour and good length. Has lots of time to go.1989 Quady Starboard 'Franks Vineyard' - our resident Port purveyor decided to fool us and did a good job. This was a ringer for a vintage Port with a maturing lightening colour, warm but not hot nose, and smooth feel.
1988 Blackwood Canyon Penumbra - this dessert wine from a highly idiosyncratic producer (no longer with us) was actually quite good - brown with sweet Maderised nose (this description would also cover some of his old chards....) was akin to a decent Madeira.