A particularly interesting and varied group of wines at my monthly lunch this time.
2007 Dom. de Reiully Reuilly – not often a ‘new’ (to me) AOC pops up, and even then this small Loire area is known for sauvignon blanc, not what this wine is made from – Pinot Gris! A pale peach colour with virtually no fruit in the nose but soft fruit in the mouth and decent acidity. One member correctly identified it as a pinot gris, which I though was a great call, but we floundered about wondering where it could have come from. Always nice to learn something.
1990 Ch. de Baun Chateau Blanc – another really unusual wine! Made by a small winery near Santa Rosa (Jess Jackson bought it in the mid 90s), this wine is a bend of chardonnay and Symphony. You are to be forgiven for perhaps not knowing Symphony right off – a cross between Grenache Gris and Muscat Alexandria (?!) I found that Ironstone and Sebastiani have also played with it a bit, but have never tasted either. Sweeter slightly herbal nose (others may not be as generous in their description), but great flavour and concentration and finishes much dryer than you’d expect. Interesting wine.
2007 Dom. de la Mordoree Tavel Rose – very nice Tavel – probably my favourite – too bad it is so pricy. Nice pink colour, grapy nose, balanced and clean, there was nothing to criticize on this wine.
2005 Passopisciaro – yes, yet another oddball! The label simply showed the vintage in large print and you had to get out the magnifying glass to see who had made it. This is a Sicilian wine made from Nerello Mascalese (come on, I was giving the guys that didn’t know Symphony a second chance here…I suppose you are going to say you’ve never hung out on Mt. Etna?). Sweet spicy nose, medium colour, and sweet entry with good levels of fruit that became more cherry-like with time in the glass. Good length, good wine.
2005 Dunham Cellars Syrah Artists Label Frenchtown Vd. – a Walla Walla syrah that fit in with the previous wine – dark, with sweet spicy nose, quite a bit of concentration in the mouth, but neither hot nor heavy, and a definite hit of orange that arrived in the nose only after some airing.
1985 Buena Vista Private Reserve Cabernet – I came across this in the cellar while searching for something else and figured it should get popped (I had a back-up). I couldn’t believe that it was my wine when it was poured as it seemed so much darker than I’d expected (but then I had a previous bottle probably 15 years ago). Dark with leather and plums in the nose, and a slight hint of VA, sweet entry but flagging fruit levels (to be expected, I think) smooth and medium long with elevated terminal acidity. The crew got California and one bright boy (Coop) nailed it when I offered the hint that it was the oldest operating California winery.
1989 Ch. Montrose – yum! Dark funky wine with a nose like bretty sausage, good fruit, smooth and supple on palate. this will never be an elegant wine (sort of goes with the territory in St. Estephe) but it s a delicious wine with lots of character. Very good length and lingering finish. I could drink this all day long!
2001 Ferngrove The Sterlings (Frankland River) – this cabernet merlot malbec wine let’s you know your are probably down under, but the Western Australia region produces for me some of the very best wines, which means those that exhibit the least of the characteristics that many North American consumers have been brought up on – not too hot, sweet, or simple. Only slightly sweet nose, without undue heat, followed by a big youthful juicy tannic wine that needs time, and finishes with high enough acidity to make you doubt your initial identification as Australian when tasting blind.
2004 La Spinetta Ca del Pian Barbera D’Asti – not one of the long aging Barberas that ride along on lean acidity! This dark wine had a warmish nose of plums and herbs and good balance. ready now but no rush.
1996 Leasingham Classic Clare Shiraz – I could just start copying ‘dark sweet nose’ from note to note. Slightly spirity, full flavoured with a nice mouth feel, this drinks well now. Time to find my half case (and also the 95 and 96 and maybe do a vertical!)
Meyer Family Port – another new one on me! Germanic lion emblem on a Mendocino winery label in odd squat bottles. Brown colour, with fairly hot, ripe nose, very sweet going in, lemony, and then dryer at the end. Not bad. This one was about 20 years old, although it is a non vintage wine.