Notes from lunch at Je Suis Gourmand with Jojo, Lester, Bill and Arnie to taste Lester's samples and some of Jojo's wines as well.
Waihopai River Vineyards The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2008 - Sweet, pungent, ripe passionfruit. A little spicy in the finish. A very good NZ SB.
Te Mata Woodthorpe Chardonnay 2007 - Lots of wood and a bit of orange. Way too much oak for my tastes. Difficult to find any more character underneath the wood. Not my style.
The next 3 wines are from Western Australia.
West Cape Howe Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2007 - Juicy, obvious oak and a surprisingly tannic structure. Straightforward and easy. Nice for the price at just over $ 10.00.
West Cape Howe Book Ends Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - Deep flavor. Sweet, ripe fruit. Spicy and plummy. Full-bodied, bitter chocolate. Fairly complex. Very good.
West Cape Howe Two Stage Shiraz/Viognier 2004 - Quite sweet but has a bit of acid which gives the wine some lightness. Slightly flabby on the finish. Perhaps just past peak drinking. Still, very good but I prefer the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ramey Syrah Rodgers Creek Vineyard 2006 - From Sonoma. Dark. Scent of cherries. Rich and full-bodied. A bit syrupy. Plum and fig. Dryish finish. Already soft and ready to drink. Very good but I suspect not an ager as it doesn't have a lot of acid or tannin.
Domaine de la Charbonniere Vieilles Vignes Chateauneuf du Pape 1995 - Raspberry and strawberry on the nose. Surprisingly tannic which seems to cover up the fruit on the palate. Dried herbs. Probably at peak now although Jojo thinks it is was better about 5 years ago. Excellent.