January 9, 2006 Attendees: Jim “Jewish Mother” McNair, Ross “Party looking for a place to happen” McNair, George “You Gonna Eat That?” Buechert, Rick “Chatty” Taube, Michael “Salt Lick” Schmidt, Bart “Wine Bully” Uze, Bill “Colonel” Sanders, Barry “Hiding Behind Bob” Glassman, Brett “Bone Breaker” Quigley, Mark “It’s Only Money” Betts, Michael “Check Please” Byer, Scott “Piñata” Greenberg Missing: Gene “Oh, My F’n Foot” Ford Line of the night: George Beuchert’s reply when Bill announces that he has brought additional white wine: “What wine is it before we turn it down?” 1976 Lanson Champagne (Ford), Riems, France. Still lots of lively bubbles (as evidenced by the indent in the plaster of the dining room ceiling). Beautiful flavors of tart green apples balanced with crisp acidity and a nutty/yeast clean finish. 1995 Huet Vouvray (Byer), Loire, France. Wow – great nose of apricot jam, honeyed orange rinds and floral scents. It had just the right amount of sweetness (like Michael) balanced with lovely fruit notes of peaches, nectarines and more apricots on the lush, unctuous finish. Lip smacking good and great with the foie gras terrine. 1982 Calon Segur (Bart), Bordeaux, France. Always one of my favorites and I truly believe that this wine is drinking at it’s absolute peak right now. Gorgeous classic nose offers up ripe black cherries, plums and earthy notes. Flavors of black fruit, olives and cedar seamlessly combine with the soft, smooth finish that lingered long enough to encourage another sip. Perfect. 1982 Leoville Las Cases (Mark), Bordeaux, France. Slightly more forward than the Calon, it seems that it is still on its way up in terms of maturity. Baked plums, cedar and lead-pencil (#2 Ticonderoga) dominates the nose while big, rich black fruits (black plums, blackberries and black cherries) are concentrated on the tongue. The super-long and lush finish incorporates a hint of roasted meat underneath all of the uber-fruits to bring it to a smooth conclusion, lasting 30+ seconds. 1981 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (3 liter bottle provided by the estimable Mr. Schmidt), Southern Rhone, France. Well, well, well. Call it good timing or call it good Karma. But just call me. Maybe it was because we were drinking it from a special 3-liter bottle, or maybe the wine was really that good, but this CDP was at the top of its game. And that’s what I got on the nose, along with scents of cedar, mushrooms and barnyard. The wine was even more generous in the mouth with beautifully integrated flavors of red currants, red cherries, truffles and cedar with whispers of saddle leather on the sweet/smooth finish. What a treat! 1990 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage la Chapelle Hermitage (Bill), Northern Rhone, Rhone, France. Fabulous and complex nose of bacon fat, smoke, cassis and mocha explodes out of the glass. There was so much going in the glass, it was almost mystical (it could also be the fact that I was getting pretty hammered at this point). My notes read, “Velvety flavors of blackberry, cassis, roasted coffee with hints of imported black pepper (probably from the western African shores).” Told you I was buzzed. But I do remember the finish lasting so long, it made the Las Cases seem shallow. A perfect ten in my book, just like Bill Sanders (hey – there is no depth to my pandering). 1999 Mount Mary Quintet (Scott), South Australia, Australia. WC Fields once proclaimed the sagely entertainment axiom to never follow kids or animal acts. Unfortunately, the Mount Mary did just that when it had the bad-luck-of-the-draw to follow the La Chapelle. While I thought the wine was sublime, with a Bordeaux-esque nose of cassis, tar and cedar, it’s elegance was simply overshadowed by the brut that preceded it. A silky smooth delivery of integrated flavors of cassis, black raspberries, and smokey cedar on the palate gave way to hints of tar and tobacco on the soft, medium finish. Overall, a lovely wine that probably would have faired better if paired earlier in the evening with the Bordeaux. 1995 Angelini Spuntali (Single Vineyard), Brunello (Brett), Tuscany, Italy. This 100% Sangiovese is thrilling. Lovely, soft, supple and sexy (like George after a spring shower gently coats his masculine, smooth body in a glistening sheen of… opps – wrong publication). Hints of cherry, tobacco, spice box and minerals play out beautifully over the entire palate, thanks to the remarkable balance. The finish was long and lithe. Again, another wine I wished we had put a little further ahead in the lineup to take advantage of its elegance. 1997 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon (Rick), Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, California. I am a fan of Philip Togni wines. More specifically, I am a fan of Lisa Togni, but that is a story for another day. A lovely nose of black plums, black olives and a hint of mint, this wine felt “chewy” in the mouth. Flavors of cassis and ripe blackberries carried the front of the palate while hints of licorice and eucalyptus snuck in on the back end of the creamy, well-balanced finish. 2001 Turley Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard (George), It’s late, I'm tired. I can’t feel my tongue and you put a Turley in front of me? Oh, cruel destiny. What be thy real name? Temptress? Barticess? Well, if I must, I must. Notes say, “Big ass bouquet of flowers (violets) and cherries. A big mouthfeel to end the evening on, with loads of raspberries, cherries and red plums. It goes on and on and on, like some of Byer’s stories. Great finish. And Lastly – the wine you’ve all been waiting for… 2002 Shirvington Shiraz (Barry), McLaren Vale, Australia. UNCLE! I… can’t…. feel…. my…. tongue. This wine is so massive, it needs to be drunk with a fork. The nose is a combination of port, licorice and the Starbucks on Falls Road. This is the single most intense Shiraz I have ever tried to drink. Massive amounts of ripe blackberry fruit and chocolate drip off of the tongue and slide back down the palate like a paving machine laying down fresh asphalt. The finish is so long, I was still scraping off my tongue this morning (a mere 5 hours later). If you’re going to finish big, this is the grand finale. It would have been cool to drink is next to the La Chapelle. Alas, my minisule allocation had long been consumed by the time I got around to get up the nerve to drink the Shirvington. Hope you all made it home safely. Thanks for allowing my wife the “super-size-me” pour of the Beaucastel. I am sure none of you will mind if she makes it up to me. |