2011 JJ Prüm Kabinett

Dinner at wd~50 in New York City.

2011 Joh. Jos Prüm Riesling Kabinett - very refreshing on a warm summer evening. Not too sweet, and showed the classic notes of flint, white flowers and a hint of petrol.

Full post on dinner is here.

Alinea wine pairing

Dinner at Alinea.

R.H. Coutier Brut - nice bubbles and mousse, very ripe, nice and full-bodied, woody and oaky.

2011 Georg Breuer Terra Montosa Riesling - very heavy petrol in the nose, smoky, white flowers, steely and flinty, with plasticky notes which were rounder and richer than most other German Rieslings.  This was actually slightly sweet and ripe on the palate, not bone dry as Andrew the sommelier described.

2010 Domaine de l'Octavin Pamina - this Chardonnay from Arbois matched the rice crispies really well, with its very heavy toasty corn nose that was raw, pungent, and just a little overpowering.  From the looks of it this was probably not filtered nor fined.

2011 Domaine du Viking Vouvray Tendre - aged in chestnut casks.  Definitely fragrant nose with an off-dry palate.

Sato no Homare Junmai Ginjoshu "Pride of the Village" (郷の誉 純米吟醸酒) - an unfiltered sake from one of my favorite breweries, with a seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 48%.  This was pretty sweet, rich in body, with fermented rice, pineapple and banana notes.

2013 A Tribute to Grace Rose of Grenache - My Beloved Cousin would call this lolly water, and I'd have to agree with her.  Besides the obvious sweetness, my first thought was "bubblegum"... and Mo' Unni also thought it was just so Bubblicious... Also a little banana, and slightly ripe on the palate.

2012 Jamsheed Beechworth Shiraz - I was eager to try out this wine, which Andrew the sommelier had described as an "Australian Syrah" instead of a Shiraz.  Well, he was right.  While it had plenty of ripeness, it was cool fruit instead of the usual fruit bomb, along with lots of potpourri, pine needles and mint.  We both agreed that it reminded us of a Northern Rhône like Saint-Joseph.  Delicious.

2009 Marion Valpolicella Superiore - forest and potpourri notes.

2013 Jorge Ordonez No. 2 Victoria - definitely a lot like Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, although the lychee was a little dialed down.  Sweetness was there, but slightly pungent with perhaps some sulfur.  Still young and raw.

2009 Maculan Torcolato - nutty with orange blossom, peach and blood orange notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

7 magnums

Dinner at Sup 1.

1997 Salon en magnum - nice and big nose of heavy toast, caramelized, ripe on the palate but acidic on the finish.

2000 Laville Haut-Brion en magnum - a little toasty, flinty, a little nutty with lemon citrus.

1993 Mouton-Rothschild en magnum - savory like soy sauce, smoky and cigar notes.  Classic Pauillac.

1993 Harlan Estate from magnum - smoky, mineral, ripe on the nose.  A little sweet on the palate.  Very nice.

2003 Mouton-Rothschild en magnum - a little blood, mineral, iron rust on the nose.  Sweet on the palate, still concentrated and tannic.

1990 Lafite-Rothschild en magnum - fragrant nose with minty, smoky and a little lead pencil notes.  Very classic and nice.

1982 Pichon-Lalande en magnum - smoky, green pepper and dried herb notes.  Drinking nicely.

Full post on dinner is here.

Burgs and friends

Dinner at Mandarin Grill + Bar.

1978 Louis Carillon Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes - beautiful amber color, definitely showing age, with toasty and bready, yeasty notes, nutty, coffee and a little sweet Chinese licorice (甘草).

1997 Sauzet Chevalier-Montrachet - sweeter, pretty ripe, still a little alcoholic.  More minerality here.

1999 Gantenbein Pinot Noir - kinda big, ripe, with a little leather.  Still young and relatively closed.

1993 Domaine Leroy Nuits-Saint-Georges - beautiful and floral, with leather, black cherries and passion fruit.

1985 Faiveley Chambertin Clos de Beze - beautiful, floral and fragrant.  A hint of savory notes with wonderfully sweet fruit.  Very clean, nice and ripe.  An elegant wine.

1990 Jaboulet La Chapelle - minty, ripe fruit and smoky notes.  Relatively closed.

2010 Kapcsándy Estate Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon - lots of coconut butter, minty, pine needle, ripe and sweet.

Full post on dinner is here.

2005 Petaluma Tiers and 1995 Caymus SS

Drinks at a friend's house.

2005 Petaluma Chardonnay Tiers Vineyard - a little toasty, yeasty, definitely buttery, with lemon citrus.  Pretty decent.

Dinner at Luk Yu.

1995 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection - sweet on the palate.  A little smoky, a bit alcoholic, and minty.

Full post on dinner is here.

2012 Schlumberger

Lunch at Upper Modern Bistro.

2012 Schlumberger Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbés - nice and fragrant, slightly ripe on the palate, very round body, with a hint of bitterness on the finish.  Very refreshing.

Full post on dinner is here.

French wines for roast piggy

Dinner at Kimberley Chinese Restaurant.

Delamotte Brut - toasty and oaky.  Very nice.

2004 La Lagune - shoe polish, smoky, minty, still pretty tannic with grippy finish.

2008 La Bourguette Cuvée Prestige - opened the day before, so there was plenty of aeration.  Fruity, sweet, ripe and stewed fruits and porty.  Nose was still fine but the palate was pretty bleh by now.

2007 Pascal Côtes du Rhône L'Oratoire de la Brune - the palate was a little bland, while the nose showed notes of tea and dried herbs.

2002 L'Evangile en magnum - fragrant notes of coffee, dried herbs and a little smoky.  Really enjoyed the nose... not bad at all.

Full post on dinner is here.

Wine by varietals, episode 2

Drinking in the office.

2007 Joh.Jos Prüm Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett - very classic, with petrol, flinty and mineral notes.

2006 Il Pino di Biserno - very fruity, sweet, ripe, forest, potpourri, smoky.  A little too bitter on the palate.  Not what I expected.

2007 Torbreck Roussanne Marsanne Viognier - really oaky, kinda ripe on the palate, round on the tongue, pretty toasty, a little buttery corn.

1997 Antinori Pian delle Vigne - disappointing.  A little like Bordeaux, with noticeable brett.  Later on became yucky on the palate.

2009 Doisy-Daëne Sec - green apple, muscat grapes, very oaky, a little pungent, mineral and flinty.  Love the purity of this wine.

2003 Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Première Trie Moelleux - plasticky, manuka honey, floral and marmalade.

2011 Quinta do Noval - this bottle has been open for 6 days, and I thought I'd use this opportunity to drink it up.  Still doing well, and packing plenty of fruit, and potpourri.

Full post on the evening is here.