Even on short notice, the guys in Portland pulled out all the stops. We had a great selection of wines that satiated my inner wine geek for at least a day or two. Thanks to Mark for organizing and to Paul, Pete, & Eric for coming out. I had a great time.
- NV Equipo Navazos Jerez-Xérès-Sherry I Think Manzanilla - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
Um, this is good. Great lemon character to the wine with the palate fresh and zippy. Could have drank a lot of this. (91 pts.) - 2009 Michel Gahier Chardonnay Arbois Les Follasses - France, Jura, Arbois
Great bottle. Fresh nose of lemon, almond skin, spice and some leafy notes. The palate was in a great shape with sizzling acidity, lush and vivid lemon and herb tones. (92 pts.) - 2008 Emmanuel Houillon (Maison Pierre Overnoy) Chardonnay Arbois Pupillin - France, Jura, Arbois Pupillin
Magnificently pure and clean chardonnay. Beautiful truffle, pear and minerals on the nose . Drank this alongside a 2009 Gahier Chardonnay and Peter remarked that this was like Chablis & Gahier was like chassagne montrachet. This had focus, tons of energy on the palate and incredible acidity. Great stuff. (93 pts.) - 2007 Weingut Meinhard Forstreiter Grüner Veltliner Tabor - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal
Another great showing. As is the case with many Austrian Gruner's this requires some air to open up and takes on beautiful aromas of white pepper, peach and pear. The palate is broad shouldered, no doubt, but has really nice acidity which frames the fruit. (90 pts.) - 1998 Domaine Truchot-Martin Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Killer bottle. Aromatics were explosive with red berries, wet earth and a musky earthiness. This is a wine you can be happy just smelling. Luckily, I took the plunge and tasted it. Full of meat and earth tones over a core of berries and floral notes. Weightless yet powerful, this is firing on all cylinders. (95 pts.) - 1998 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Great nose of wild berries, fresh flowers, spices and wet earth. Thought the palate was nicely composed with zippy and juicy red fruit, nice earthen tones and elegant floral notes. Very nice stuff. (92 pts.) - 1995 Huët Vouvray Sec Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
This was a bottle that was showing some really nice fruit and elegance with some faint cork taint in the background. The taint seemed to build with time. Shame as the wine seemed to have some really nice stuff going on. NR (flawed) - 2006 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Great aromatics of tobacco, spices, green pepper, red currants, and earth. Thought the palate was smooth with the tannins hardly noticeable. An elegant wine with good red fruit, tobacco, leafy notes and herbs. All-in-all a nice Rougeard. (91 pts.) - 2007 Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie La Chavaroche - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
This is some old school Cote-Rotie. Nose is pungent with cured meats, dark fruits, floral notes, pepper and wet earth. A Burgundy lovers Cote Rotie this is lithe on the palate with rustic notes of earth and game that fram the exotic fruit notes. A great wine. (94 pts.) - 1994 Louis Magnin Vin de Savoie Arbin - France, Savoie, Vin de Savoie Arbin
This was my first time drinking a Mondeuse with this much age on it and it was really exciting. Its aromatics were delicate and mostly floral, but there was some nice mushroom and autumnal notes to it too. The palate had elegant but had a nice backbone to it. Mostly dark fruits, there was also nice earthiness and meatiness to it. A real treat. (91 pts.) - 2004 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Romanée St. Vivant - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Great wine that had power and finesse. Nose was spicy, floral and layered with red fruits and earth. Palate was just beautiful. Great combination of underbrush, red fruits, sage and minerals on the palate. A knockout wine that had great density and purity of flavor, but was feathery and light. (94 pts.) - 1998 Nigl Riesling Privat - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal
Exotic nose of linen, petrichor, apricot, honeyed pears, and a whole bunch of tropical fruits. Definitely some botrytis influence here with a good deal of apricot and cream on the palate. (88 pts.)