Karl Haidle and Toro Albalá

Drinks and dinner at Caprice Bar.

2020 Karl Haidle Stettener Pulvermächer Riesling Großes Gewächs - very flinty with lots of toast, fragrant and nice nose with fruity notes. A little grippy on the palate with good acidity.

1929 Toro Albalá Don PX Convento Selección, bottled November 2014 - lots of prunes, soooo lovely on the nose, a little woodsy and almost a little savory. Unfortunately the intensity on the nose wasn't quite there, as this bottle was almost done and had probably been opened for some time. Nevertheless this was still very, very, very rich on the palate. Soooo sweet, soooo viscous, with a long finish. Would have been better if this was served colder.

Full post on the dinner is here.

Toro Albala and more

Dinner at MONO.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 170ème Édition, ID 221032 - nice and toasty nose with nice acidity on the palate.

2020 Garzón Albariño Petit Clos Block 27 - not so aromatic, but not bad. A little ripe on the palate now.

2012 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion - initially very dusty and chalky, a little unpleasant. Smoky. Unfortunate.

1929 Toro Albalá Don PX Convento Selección, bottled November 2014 - a bit smoky, a little savory, with soy sauce. Sooooo rich, sooo thick and viscous and unctuous, almost like drinking honey. What a beautiful wine!

Full post on dinner is here.

1940 Canon and friends

Dinner at Caprice.

2016 Cos d'Estournel Blanc - nose of green apple and muscat grapes. Some ripeness on the palate as expected.

1940 Canon, ex-château 2021 - served undecanted. Very minty nose with lots of smoke, a little earthy. Lighter and thinner on the palate, especially compared to the 1940 Pichon Lalande from yesterday. A bit savory on the nose with more acidity on the palate. With the second pour 45 minutes later showed more tannins, with tons of sediment.

Bought from Sotheby's for GBP 1,288.

2002 Yquem, en imperial - very fragrant nose of citrus and mandarin, apricot, beeswax, acetone, and a little honeydew melon. Just beautiful.

1929 Toro Albalá Don PX Convento Selección, bottled November 2014, from double-magnum - nose of preserved prunes, exotic spices. Very rich and incredibly unctuous, really sweet and jammy on palate like syrup.

Full post on dinner is here.

Côte-Rôtie for game

Dinner at Caprice.

Juyondai Hizoushu (十四代 秘蔵酒), bottled July 2010 - this is a junmai daiginjo (純米大吟醸) koshu (古酒) with at least 3 years' aging, using Aiyama (愛山) rice milled down to a seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 40%.  I bought this bottle in 2010 and it's been aging in my cellar since then.  Nose was now much more intense, with sharper alcohol, much more fermented notes but somehow not fermented rice, with a lot less of the tropical peach I expected, but later on still some banana.

1999 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie - really nice and fragrant right off the bat, with sweet fruit, a little eucalyptus, leather, and bacon fat notes.  Nice and ripe but somehow also a little cool, more mineral.

1995 Guigal La Mouline - served 2 hours and 45 minutes after decanting.  Classic La Mouline, which meant it was much more floral than the Jamet.  Very opulent with violet notes, a little black pepper, a little monkfruit.  So, so beautiful after 3½ hours, with lots of potpourri notes and bacon fat.

1955 Toro Albalá Don PX Convento Selección, from imperial - really intense on the palate, sooo raisiny, lots of minty herbs.  Very sweet as expected, like syrup.

1929 Toro Albalá Don PX Convento Selección, from imperial - not as fresh and fruity like the 1955, perhaps because it was the last pour from the bottle.  More meaty notes, a lot more complex, almost a bit spicy and a hint of smoke.  Much more viscous in terms of texture.

Full post on dinner is here.

German riesling and Cali cabs

Dinner at Sheung Hing Chiu Chow Restaurant.

2000 von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese-trocken - nice acidity, with petrol and flint in the nose.

2011 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Kabinett - almost a little green apple.  A hint of fizziness, and slightly sweet on the palate.

2012 William Selyem Pinot Noir Coastlands Vineyard - lots of sweet strawberries in the nose.  Very ripe and lovely.

Drinks at a friend's house.

1997 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red - opened for more than an hour prior to drinking.  A hint of sweet grass, very minty, with cedar and some sweet fruit.  Sharp alcohol in the nose that finally dissipated after about 2 hours.  Smooth on the palate, but still very powerful and full-bodied.

Tesseron Lot 29 X.O Exception - floral, raisins, a little nutty.  Elegant but still powerful finish.

Remy Martin Louis XIII, believed to be from 1980s - very fragrant, floral, very sweet, very smooth on the palate with a slight kick on the finish.

Full post on dinner is here.

Cedric Bouchard Le Creux d'Enfer

Lunch at Robuchon au Dôme.

2006 Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne Le Creux d'Enfer, dégorgée a 12 avril 2010 - my favorite rosé Champagne.  Lots of fruit here, especially strawberries, and a little yeasty.  Loads of deep, rich flavors here.

Absolutely love that beautiful color from saignée.

1929 Pla del Fount Maury - like a Late Bottled Vintage Port because of the light tannins and body.  I guessed it was a Rivesaltes... which was close because they are both vin doux naturel from the south of France made with Grenache Blanc.

Full post on lunch is here.

MNSC Rhone Trip Day 4: 1929 La Chapelle and more

Dinner at Restaurant La Beaugravière in Mondragon.

1990 Clos des Papes – ripe, a little stewed, smoky, savory minerals, black olive, and a little dusty on the nose. 93 points.

1990 Guigal La Mouline – sweet nose with coconut butter, animal, bacon fat, a little mineral and savory, a little smoky with grilled meats. What a beautiful wine! 98 points.

1929 Jaboulet La Chapelle – Wow! What a treat and privilege to be able to drink this! Savory, mineral, dusty, chalky at first. Gradually opened up to reveal a beautiful sweet and fruity nose. Amazing!

Full post on dinner is here.