A Growing Boy's Wine Diary
A journey in wine appreciation
March 14, 2024
Rodez and Torbreck
Dinner at Mian.
Eric Rodez Rosé, dégorgée en Avril 2022 - flint, nice notes of red fruits, savory minerals, and a little caramelized sugar.
2007 Joh.Jos. Prüm Wehelener Sonnenuhr Kabinett - classic Mosel riesling, with lots of petrol and polyurethane. Not too sweet on the palate.
2001 Torbreck RunRig - drank 2 hours after double-decanting. While decanting the fruit was really sweet and explosive, but it had mellowed out when we started drinking. Much more elegant by then, but still lovely.
Full post on dinner is here.
March 9, 2024
1943 Yquem
Dinner at Sushi Momo in Taipei.
1943 Yquem, from Christie's Finest and Rarest Wines from the Cellar of Christen Sveass - level base neck. Opened around an hour before serving. The nose was really, really fragrant, and there was so much depth on the palate. Marmalade, honey, figs, saffron, honeydew melon, acetone. When it got a little too warm the wine became slightly bitter and astringent on the palate, but as after cooling in the ice bucket this changed. Yes, the wine is sweet and viscous, but that acidity remains after more than 80 years.
The cork looks pretty damn good after 80 years, I gotta say...
Full post on dinner is here.
March 5, 2024
40-year spread
Dinner at the Chairman.
2018 Vincent Dureuil-Janthial Rully Blanc - initially served a little too cold, but big toasty notes were already evident. Then the wine opened up really nicely, with more popcorn than buttery notes. Good acidity on the palate here, especially on the finish.
2010 Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Rousseau-Deslandes, mis en bouteille par Lucien Le Moine pour MNSC - still showing lots of toasty notes from the barrel, but they are more integrated now and more elegant. Smoother on the palate these days. That nose was really, really big... soooo fragrant and fruity, and of course really toasty!
1976 Sterling Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - drank after decanting for an hour. This was, unfortunately, lightly corked and showing obvious notes of wet cardboard and grassy notes. Later on the wine opened up and the nose became smoky and showed some graphite. The tannins are still here.
2016 Andremily Syrah No. 5 - this was decanted for maybe an hour, but of course the nose was really ripe and jammy, and also typically metallic. A very lovely wine, but pretty tannic, too.
Full post on dinner is here.
March 1, 2024
Champagne and Cali
Dinner at Neighborhood.
Eric Rodez Cuvée des Grands Vintages - very yeasty nose with a little brioche. Good acidity balance on the palate, but later on the acidity got more prominent.
Krug Grande Cuvée, (160ème Édition), ID 111005 - nice and caramelized nose by now, but still got the acidity on the palate. Drinking nicely.
2021 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard - drank about 45 minutes after opening. The nose was so buttery with lovely caramelization. A little flinty and metallic notes like pear, along with some vanilla oak. Still got a decent amount of acidity on the finish, though, as it's still young.
1996 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select - served about 2 hours after decanting. There was more green capsicum on the nose than I had expected, but otherwise the nose was very smoky. There was still some ripe fruit here but no longer front-and-center, while black peppercorns were now more obvious. The wine was showing pretty elegantly after about 2½ hours in the decanter, about the same time that my last bottle reached its peak.
Full post on dinner is here.
February 28, 2024
Dominique Laurent Corton
Dinner at home.
1995 Hospices de Beaune Corton Cuvée Charlotte Dumay, élevé par Dominique Laurent - drank 15 minutes after decanting. Definitely showing notes of leather, grilled meats, some woodsy notes. Acidity was a tiny bit higher. OK lah.
February 26, 2024
Champagne, Valentini, Grange
Dinner at Andō.
Krug Grande Cuvée, 171ème Édition, ID 322022 - very toasty nose, and also pretty yeasty.
2002 Bollinger Grande Année, dégorgée en mars 2011 - the nose was much bigger and much more open, pretty ripe now as the wine has aged nicely. Notes of Chinese licorice, caramelized sugar, and marmalade. Drinking well.
2017 Valentini Trebbiano d'Abruzzo - drank after decanting for more than 45 minutes. The nose was so nice and open, with big toasty notes, along with some flint. In fact, we all felt that the nose could have been mistaken for a Meursault from Coche-Dury.
1998 Grange des Pères Rouge - served about 1½ hours after opening. Very nice and elegant, with plenty of leather along with a little medicinal and savory minerals on the nose. Just so smooth and drinking beautifully.
Full post on dinner is here.
February 24, 2024
2007 Boekenhoutskloof Cab
Drinking at home.
2007 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek - drank 30 minutes after decanting. Smoky nose with lots of tobacco and cigar smoke. Very fragrant nose with lots of cedar. Just showing really well and drinking beautifully like a claret.
February 23, 2024
2001 Standish
Drinking at home.
2001 The Standish - drinking after 1 hour in the decanter. The nose was really sharp and alcoholic, and also really ripe with lots of stewed prunes. Maybe this was a tiny bit dusty and corked? Pretty exotic nose with woodsy notes, and there's some vanilla here, along with a tiny bit of leather.
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