Notes from dinner last night to wish bon voyage to Vince and Zelie who are going back to Canada. The dinner was at The Wine Museum where Ronnie Joseph ordered an excellent spread of callos, paella, gambas, cheese, etc etc.
Everyone brought a bottle and it was clear 2 groups were represented: Bordeaux and Spain, so we decided to do 2 flights, one for each region with voting for the top 3 of each.
We had a few whites before the reds.
Bodegas Hidalgo Oloroso Faraon - Everyone poured a bit of this but, aside from me and Johnny, no one liked it. One really needs to acquire a taste for sherry. I enjoyed it, though, so I got all the leftovers for myself. Rich, walnuts, very dry and appetizing. Great length. Very good and so inexpensive. Plus it lasts a long time without special storage.
Alma Rosa Santa Barbara Pinot Gris 2006 - Creamy nose. Grape skins. Johnny noted pineapple. Slightly lemony. Light and lean. Not bad but not too interesting for me.
Bordeaux Flight 3 wines:
Wine A - Dark purple. Beautiful nose. exotic potpourri. Menthol. Sweet fruit and leather. Rich, young and tannic. Not quite ready but very good. Clos du Marquis 2001. My #2, Group #3.
Wine B - Quite dark. Classic pencil shavings. Still young. Acid on the finish. A little woody/forest floor character. Good and very classic. Chateau Langoa Barton 1999. My #3, Group #2.
Wine C - Extremely young, tannic. Initially closed but opened up after about 30 minutes. Rich, mouthfilling. Soy sauce, roses. Big wine with great potential. Excellent. Chateau Clinet 2004. My #1, Group #1.
Spanish Flight 4 wines:
Wine A - Fragrant, lifted nose. Toasted bread. Plum jam. Sweet ripe fruit. Soft tannins. This wine exudes class. Johnny and I came to the same conclusion. This must be Murietta Castillo Ygay. Excellent. Many of the others said it smelled like sherry. I didn't get that at all, though. Rioja. Marques de Murietta Castillo Ygay 2000. My #1. Group #2.
Wine B - Young, purple, lots of sediment. Sweet nose. Very rich and sweet. A well-made modern, polished wine. Remarkable length. Probably my wine, a Priorat. Right again. Cims de Porrera Classic 1999. My #2. Group #4 (last).
Wine C - Spicy, medium weight. Good fruit. I found it somewhat lost in this group of wines. Nothing really stood out here. From Navarra. Chivite Coleccion 125 Reserva 2004. My #4 (last). Group #1.
Wine D - Very grapey and a bit sweet. Fresh and juicy. Sort of like a very heavy Beaujolais. Torres Celeste Ribera del Duero 2005. My #3. Group #3.
We ended with 3 desserts:
Julian Chivite Gran Feudo Blanco Dulce de Moscatel 2007 - Light and floral. Very easy to drink. Dryish finish. Very nice.
Mission Hill SLC Night Harvested Riesling Icewine 2004 - Light gold. Very sweet but with balancing acidity. Arnie and I thought it could use a bit more acidity, though. Sugary. Unpleasant, metallic finish.
Lustau San Emilio Pedro Ximenez - Pancake syrup. Raisins and molasses. Never-ending finish. Excellent although I would have loved some blue cheese or vanilla ice cream to go with this.