Less acidic and more earthy than my previous bottle, this one still had plenty of fruit and enough acidity to pair well with pan-roasted halibut on braised lentils. Truth be told, though, the wine showed best with the spinach salad -- go figger!
1990 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape (11/23/2013)Classic S Rhone character: meaty black cherry fruit, fully resolved tannins, plenty of acidity and a silky mouthfeel. Just beautiful with grilled quail and wild boar sausage. My only quibble is that these wines soften with age, but don't take on any noticeable amount of complexity. Still, a tasty tipple for sure.
2010 Schloss Lieser Riesling Kabinett (11/19/2013)Zow! A zingy, racy, acidic Kabinett that is fairly bursting with flavor: a hint of petrol, lime, green apple and white peach. Off-dry with great balancing acidity, it is a pleasure to drink.
2000 Château Lusseau St. Émilion (11/18/2013)Initially, plummy fruit with a bit of VA in the nose. On the palate, a structured wine with a bit of fruit and plenty of savory notes. As it opened up, the VA disappeared and the palate softened to afford a plummy, earthy wine that was pretty foursquare right bank Bdx.
2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave St. Joseph (11/16/2013)Initially, a nose of pencil lead and juicy red berry fruit. With time, the wine grew meatier and took on spicy and licorice notes. A really terrific bottle of Syrah that went fabulously with pan-seared venison tenderloin.
2011 Yvon Métras Beaujolais (11/11/2013)CORKED!
2006 Domaine du Château de Chorey (Germain) Beaune 1er Cru Teurons (11/9/2013)Initially, a nose of tart raspberry and a racy, zippy mouthfeel with some backend tannins. As the evening wore on, the fruit profile darkened and the wine deepened. It also grew a bit softer on the palate. Very young, but still delicious.
Mark Lipton