Last night was the anniversary celebration for Several Oenophiles Being Extremely Rambunctious (SOBER), we met at Equus at the Castle in Tarrytown for a dinner. Illness and business kept some away, but several of us were able to bring spouses to bring the group to 10. Nice location with spectacular view, pretty room, good if slightly uneven food, service was attentive (if not especially used to wine geeks). A grand time was had by all (well, at least by Betsy and I, can't speak for others)
I had a tuna tartare amuse, "lobster-truffle branade" with shrimp, celeriac salad, lamb, and cheeses (Ossau Iraty, Vacherin, and Bayley Hazen Blue). I really liked the lamb, was a tad less excited by the branade, and was really bored by a taste of Betsy's Berkshire pork. Overall food quality was good.
1993?? Lopez y Heredia "Gravonia" Rioja Blanco There was a mark on bottle and we couldn't be sure if this was the '93 or '95. If the latter, I liked this bottle a bit better than one last month. Floral, round, orange peel and pear, a little vanilla bean. B/B +1990 Nikolaihof Riesling Vinothek (Wachau) My contribution, but not really what I expected. Broader and rounder than most top Austrian Rieslings I've had. A bit of petrol and shale on the nose, the palate more about yellow plums and apples. Less minerally, less acid-driven than I expected. I was a tad confounded at first but really came to like it as it opened in glass. B+
Next up were 2 Pichon Lalandes. I was discussing the similarities when someone at other end of table mentioned the differences. We were both right. :)
1979 Pichon Lalande (Pauillac) Nose of herbs and a hint of pine oil, very mature fruit, midweight with resolved tannins. Balanced acidity, nice finish, elegant, drink up. B+/A-1983 Pichon Lalande (Pauillac) Wow, much brawnier. A lovely lovely claret, and my tie for WOTN. Darker fruit, leather and cedar, great length. That same green herb and pineneedle (a pleasant greenness, someone called it green olive) aroma overlying the rich fruit. Lots of life left. A
Mark says he thinks the '79 would have shown better if not side by side with the '83; I agreed, thinking the '79 would have been prime with a nice roast chicken.
1970 Domaine de Chevalier (Graves) Lovely showing. Red fruit stands out in contrast to the blacker fruit of the P-Ls. Nose of earth, saddle leather, and forest floor. Classic Graves, very appealing. A1981 Ausone (St. Emilion) Nose is a tad funky at first, but settles into a nice melange of herb tea, cigarbox, and cherries. I find the palate a bit thin and the finish a touch attenuated; maybe suffered in comparison to its flightmates. Others liked more than I did, but I found it a pleasant mature Bordeaux. B
1984 Cakebread Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon(Napa) I found this a very pleasant surprise, a nice mix of black cherries, damp earth, and a hint of menthol. Good acidity compared to most current CalCabs, really nice wine. B+1995 Ciacci Brunello di Montalcino Ripe black cherry fruit, leather and tobacco, good lenght, fine acidity. B+
1997 Thunder Mountain Bates Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Santa Cruz) Mark and I had a disagreement over Thunder Mtn earlier in evening (he hates the wines, I've had some good ones). This bottle wasn't best argument for my side, big sweet and woody. B-1997 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) Another CalCab that is a bit too ripe and sweet for me. Not very long. B-
2003 Brick House "Les Dijonnais" Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley) I liked the basic PN flavor profile of this, but found it just a tad too: a tad too hot, a tad too tannic, a tad too ripe. Very similar to how I found the '03 St Inn. 7 Springs last week, someone opined then that 2003 in Oregon had some similarities to 2003 in most of Europe. Still, the cherry and raspberry fruit, touch of oak, and spicy note were appealing. B+/B1944 Delaforce Colheita Port I quite enjoyed this, raisins, caramel, and spice cookies in a pleasant midweight package. My colheita/tawny experience is not extensive, so more expert tasters might differ. B+
Very nice night, nice to share my winegroup with my wife! Thanks to Mark Golodetz for arranging!
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency