Annual Holiday Dinner in Memphis… 12-2-05… First let me warn you that this is a long post… with Tasting Notes on all the wines … along with guest comments.
This is one of the finest wine dinners I have ever attended I must say. In attendance... latour67 & his wife, stemor & carol, shaferguy & his wife, maxy & his wife ... and me... winebee. We had also invited a few guests who were able to share in our holiday cheer making it a grand total of 15 attendees.
Loan Semillon 2002 - One of the best whites of the evening, this semillon was seamless. Bright fruit flavors of citrus and pear coupled by unbelieveable viscosity and balance. The majority agreed with Parker's 90 point score and was impressed by the ageability and untouched by the 14.2 alcohol. If you can find this and you love whites… buy it.
Domaine Des Baumard 2002 Savennieres - Nice, graceful and a very approachable Chenin Blanc. Mineral undertones, wet stones and chalk coupled by white flowers. Absolutely delicious. We actually should have poured this first but the we didn't know it was there until after the semillon had already been poured. It was still very enjoyable and should age gracefully.
Side by Side Chardonnay's courtesy of Shaferguy-
Peter Michael 2001 Belle Cote - Cloudy with peach aromas and a soft creamy mouthfeel. Medium to full bodied .. underlying minerality on the finish. One guest was quoted as saying "fantastic minerality & lemon peel".
Kongsgaard 2001 - Full bodied and bold... WOW ! This wine was balanced and terrific. Bright flavors of golden apple coupled by honeysuckle with an oily texture in the mid palate followed by fresh minerality on finish that lingers for sometime on the palate.
When asked which one he liked best... Latour67 is quoted as saying " Both excellent... I preferred the one in my hand at the time".
Next up.....
Pichot Vouvray Moelleux 1990 - this wine was succulent, beautiful and another hit of the night. Sweet but not too cloying with flavors of cream and honey along with a touch orange and almonds. YUM !! This was one of Stemor's contributions and it paired beautifully with his choice of Lobster and Kafir Lime Soup.
Pride 2003 Viognier - Spicy nose, aromatic but not over done..this wine was clean with crisp acidity and medium bodied on the palate. This should have been poured before the Vouvray for sure but it was still an interesting wine to taste.
Now for the Pinot’s….
1988 Philippe Leclerc Gevrey Chambertin les Cazetiers – There were different opinions regarding this wine… some thought it was mature with tastes of truffles and underlying earth while others felt the fruit had faded and a little past its prime. Interesting to try either way.
Cristom Williamette Valley Reserve 1999 Magum – Black cherry with hints of spice on the nose and in the mouth. Medium bodied with elegance and nice balance. Earthy undertones with a smooth finish…..this wine has a more time if cellared properly but definitely more burgundian in style so the fruit will even be less noticeable the longer it ages.
Beaux Freres 1999 “The Beaux Freres Vineyard” Willamette Valley Pinot Noir – Bright rich fruit, succulent and ripe. I was impressed and for about five of us it was one of the best wines of the night. Flavors of currant, black cherry and spice. A mouthful … delicious.
Sine Qua Non #6 2001 Pinot Noir – Beautiful absolutely seamless… Rich and balanced with underlying hints of spice, this wine almost didn’t taste like a pinot because of the fullness in the mouthfeel. This was also a favorite of the evening.
Twomey Merlot 2000 - ripe and lush .. this wine was rich with berry and plum fruits, a smooth and elegant finish with a hint of oak on the back of the palate. You could not tell that it was 14.9 alcohol.
Cinq Cepages 1997 – This wine was an interesting one as we had opposing sides. Some thought it was at its peak and some thought it was past it. One comment made was “It’s like falling off a cliff”. Mildly tannic with an overall earthy taste, it was more medium bodied in style and not boasting bright fruits. A matter of opinion I suppose, as this wine displayed more Bordeaux characteristics than California. Depending on how much you have (if any) I would definitely taste it to see where your personal preference lies.
Neal 2003 Cabernet – Not the order in which I would have chosen to pour this red, however, Latour67 insisted but was definitely surprised. Too young … this cab needs time. Tannic with black currant and oak on the palate. It will be interesting to try in the next 3-4 years.
Sebastiani Cherryblock Sonoma Valley Centinaio100th Anniversary 2001 – Still needs more time. Great potential and quite a surprise for many folks in our group. Structured and balanced with flavors of dark plum and oak with a long lingering finish.
Lewis 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon – I thought this wine was melodic. Creamy, ripe with great balance and structure, flavors of dark berry with hints of mocha and oak. It definitely still needs some time in the bottle but will be interesting to see when it peaks.
Glaymond Shiraz “The Distance” 2003 - A powerhouse of a wine … and although a misfit in this group for the most part… it was full bodied boasting flavors of crème de cassis and lush black fruits. High in alcohol… 15.9 but you couldn’t tell .. the finish lingered endlessly. You have to like a densely concentrated dry grown style Shiraz to be a fan … I am curious to see how it ages.
Ramey Diamond Mountain 2003 – “I never met a Ramey I didn’t like” latour67. While this wine still needs time, the flavors, the balance and the backbone of this wine was wonderful and although not as tannic as I would have expected ..a wine worthy of aging for many years.
Phelps Insignia 2002 – Layers upon layers, this wine is young and obviously needs more time in the bottle but it was a real treat to be able to try. Concentrated, dense with a luscious mouthfeel, again dark black fruits of currant, berry with underlying oak and tannins. I personally don’t have any of this wine … because we didn’t get much of it and I am jealous of those of you who do.
Gundlach Bundschu 1998 Sonoma County Rhinefarm Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – This was a surprise bottle brought by Latour67. I think everyone agreed that for a ’98 vintage, this cabernet was showing great. Dark plum, black currant and blackberries followed by a smooth somewhat mild finish. It was balanced with medium tannins not as earthy nor as tannic as previous vintages but for ’98 a good effort.
Yalumba Museum Release N.V. Muscat – Rich and sweet, this Australian dessert wine was delicious and a probably the value wine of the evening selling for about $17 a bottle. I didn’t write down all the descriptors of this wine … my notes were fading but I know it was a great choice for the versatility of the chosen desserts.
So many wines…. So little time……