Opinionated About Dining

Six Months of Wine

                                                                       

                                                                                       

                                                                                                 

                  

I managed to drink a little bit of wine over the last six months. Don't ask to see my liver. I will say that it didn't feel like a lot, but it certainly looks like it. The following list includes wines that I drank domestically, as well as wines from my recent trip to Europe. Most of the wines were consumed at dinners. But the recent wines from the Northern Rhone were tasted at the Marche au Vin in Ampuis in January, and the later vintage Cotat's were tasted at the winery a few days before the Marche. I also attended a forty person BYO tasting in Westchester where I tasted a few dozen wines. All in all it was pretty good drinking. I hope you enjoy the notes.

                                                                                       

Loads of Wine Tasting Notes

         

                                                                               

                      

Please forgive me but I have been late in posting my wine tasting notes. Many of these notes date back to the springtime.  A number of them come from a trip to France and Spain back in April where, in spite of the bad exchange rate, I found great bargains on many of the wine lists of top restaurants. In particular, I had a good run of Clos St. Hunes, with examples from 1973, 1979, and 1982. I also had a spate of unbelievable Riojas at local tastings, including great bottles from the 1925, 1928, 1947, and 1949 vintages. Of course, let's not forget  a number of other stunning bottles from the various regions I enjoy drinking. And while I know reading about them is not the same as tasting the wines, I hope these notes convey the feeling of drinking them.

Chablis, Alsace and the Loire

Chablis

1989 Raveneau Chablis Clos - Fabulous wine. Thick and rich with amazing minerality. Will go for another decade. The stuff is radioactive. A

1992 Raveneau Chablis Clos - Not as unctuous as the 1989 Clos or even the '92 Valmur. Lovely fresh lemons on nose and the palate. A-

2001 Raveneau Chablis Montee de Tonerre - Good viscosity, balance, clarity, and the color shone like a jewel. Two bottles, both excellent. B+

2000 Raveneau Valmur - Leaner than usual. Not a classic vintage. But Raveneau freaks will still love it. B

2001 Raveneau Chablis Chappelots - Not a slouch, just not as good as the Tonerre. B-

2000 Raveneau Montee de Tonnerre - Very young. Classic Raveneau but not up to the 2001. B -

2000 Dauvissat Chablis La Forest - Unremarkable in every way. C+

1996 Raveneau Chablis Montee de Tonerre - Extremely closed. Surprising, based on how drinkable a Valmur from the same vintage was a year earlier. C+

1991 Raveneau Chablis Clos - Lousy wine for a Raveneau Clos. I didn't think Raveneau could make wine this bad. C

1995 Raveneau Chablis Valmur - Stinky nose. So bad we sent it back. F

Alsace

1983 Trimbach Riesling Clos St. Hune - Great bottle which has years left. Amazing structure and minerality. Buy more if you see it. A

1999 Dirler Riesling Grand Cru Kessler - Super wine and what Alsatian wines used to taste like before the wineries were shooting for high ratings. A-

1996 Trimbach Clos St. Hune - Two bottles and both fabulous. Unctuous for a St. Hune. Easy to drink. A-

1992 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Heimbourg - Beautifully fragrant. Ready to drink. Bring on the oysters. B+

1988 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Brand - Drink up. Two bottles, one perfect one fading. High minerality makes this delicious. B+

1983 Trimbach Riesling Clos St. Hune Vendage Tardive - Not sweet for a VT. Closed compared to other bottles. Needs time. B

1983 Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile - Some bottles are superb and some over the hill. When you get a good one, it offers a lot of pleasure. B+

2000 Ostertag Riesling Monchsberg - Two great bottles in the past, but this bottle was terribly closed. C+

2000 Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile (375) - Hard to gauge because it is so young and was served very cold. Viscous for a Cuvee Fred. C+

1998 Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederich Emile - Highly acidic. Needs loads of time. C

Loire

1964 Huet Vovuray Moulleaux - Beautiful golden color. Straw, hay, minerals, apricots, etc. Will easily last another 25 years. A-

1996 Pascal Cotat Sancerre Les Grand Damnes - Aging beautifully. Great structure and beautiful sweet fruit. B

1996 Pascal Cotat Chavignol Rose - Best rose I ever had. Amazing for a wine that is 9 years old. Sweet with beautiful balance. B

2003 Domaine de Pepiere Muscadet - The best $10 bottle of wine in the world. The wine begs for a platter of oysters. B-

2002 Domaine de Pepiere Muscadet - Same as above. B-

1999 Pascal Cotat La Grand Cote - Closed down. Not sure if it will be as good as the ethereal '96. C