Notes from Arnie's 50th birthday party at Cafe Ysabel. There was lots of wine, mostly served from magnums, but I only took notes of these more interesting examples:
Stanley Leasingham Hutt Creek Shiraz Cabernet Malbec 1984 - Hollowing out a bit but still quite good. Actually, much better than I expected. Very soft tannins but there is still a pronounced acidity which gives the wine structure. Stewed fruit, leather and wood. Just got pruney after more than 30 minutes in the glass. The sweetness from the fruit is still in evidence. A second bottle was even better than the first, with the fruit still quite vibrant. Very good.
Chateau Montelena Estate 1986 - Slight barnyard on the nose. This could be mistaken for a Bordeaux from a really ripe year. Quite dry. A multi-layered wine of great finesse and complexity. Smooth and round with impeccable balance. Still lively with a bit of tannin on the finish indicating this will have no trouble going for a couple of more years. Outstanding and a real pleasure to drink.
Ferreira Vintage Port 1987 - A lightish and rather dry example of vintage port. Not bad but not too interesting and much too light and dry for the somewhat overly-sweet chocolate dessert.