Part 1 consists of my attempt, the following morning, to write tasting notes on the multitude of wines that were tossed around on Saturday, at Joe Perry's wedding. Part 2 (which will be posted seperately in the near future) is an account of Sunday's Foie Gras Death Match 2007, a hedonistic event involving 8 of Portland, Maine's finest culinary show-offs, 8 courses utilizing Foie Gras, and a stellar lineup of wine. First, I want to thank the winos at table 4 for being as welcoming as they were. It was a pleasure to celebrate the marriage of Amy and Joe with such characters.
Disclaimer: Having recently begun taking notes on wine, as well as only beginning to cultivate an appreciation for wine within the last year, my palate and ability to describe what I'm tasting is still quite novice. That said, here goes nothing...
2005 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese (Magnum) - Tropical fruit with underlying mineral flavors, still young, but clean, rich, and sweeter than I expected of a Spatlese.
Krug Grande Cuvee NV (Magnum) - My first Krug, out of a plastic Champagne flute. Layers of toast, baked pear, candied citrus, and bread dough. Lively effervescence with great length and power on the finish. Not bad at all!
Bossard-Thuaud Sparkling Muscadet NV - Though an interesting comparison, having tasted them back to back, Krug is a tough act to follow. The Muscadet, my first sparkling of the kind, showed a bit more funk, with emphasis on yeast and bread dough notes. It was still nice and I imagine that without the daunting presence of Krug, it would have been better appreciated.
1998 Jean Grivot Echezeaux Grand Cru - Earth, baking spices, and some Burgundian funk mixed into the stewed red berries. Silky on the palate, with mature fruit flavors and an elegant finish. I tasted this almost immediately after the bottle was opened, giving it very little time to open. It seemed a bit reserved initially and had I not had the following wines tugging at my sleeve to be tasted, I would have gladly spent more time with this one.
1985 Charles Heidsieck Cuvee Charlie - At this point, the pace at which bottles were passed around the table far exceeded this newbie's capacity to keep up. I don't remember details beyond thinking that this was a beautiful Champagne.
1994 Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel - In a blind tasting, I would have thought Old World, and definitely not Zinfandel. It showed masculine leather aromas mixed with mature red fruit. Refined and drinking very well.
2002 Stanislao Radikon Oslavje - This won the award for most unique wine of the night in my opinion, so much so that I think it's beyond my ability to properly describe. It was rich, complex, and I liked it.
1997 Vatan Sancerre - I was told that this was a "homemade" wine in the sense that it is a very small production and can only be obtained by visiting Vatan in the Loire. All I could hear was David, on my right, raving about its caramel aromas. Not what I would expect out of Sancerre, but intriguing nonetheless.
2004 Jacky Truchot Morey-St.-Denis 1er Cru "Les Blamchards" - Less dense than the Echezeaux, with more primal, earthy notes dominating.
2005 Francois Chidaine "Clos Habert" Montlouis sur Loire - A light yet complex Chenin with citrus, minerals, and slightly sweet on the palate.
1990 Jos Jos Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese (Magnum) - Despite the headache that I have while writing these notes the following morning, I'm still salivating over the memory of this wine. It showed the classic notes I look for in aged Riesling. Petrol and apple dominated the nose and palate, while the texture was rich and viscous.
1997 Vietti Barolo riserva "Villero" - Powerful tar, truffle, and floral aromas gave way to a medium-bodied, slightly feminine palate. Among my top 5 of the night.
1996 Berres Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese - Very clean with strong honey and apple notes. Good texture on the palate, retaining a decent amount of acid, which made it seem very refreshing at this point in the haphazard lineup.
1998 Michel Ogier "La Rosine" Syrah - An odd jump from Riesling, but great typicity and flavor. Straightforward, but enjoyable.
1995 Leroy Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru - Joe was kind enough to offer me the last wee pour of his second prized wine of the night (the first being the Bollinger VV that I sadly missed). I’m not going to attempt to describe the wine since I don’t think I’m yet capable of doing it justice. I am pretty sure that my left leg was twitching when I took that tiny sip, though.
1995 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - My palate was still screaming for more Vougeot. I, unfortunately, don't remember this wine.
1998 Gaec Vernay Cote-Rotie - Mmmm...bacon fat
1995 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage "La Chapelle" - When I was driving home to Maine at the end of the night, I got a mild whiff of a nearby farm and thought to myself, "Does the fact that this vividly reminds me of the Hermitage I had tonight, and that I enjoy when faint barnyard smells conjure surreal memories of Northern Rhone wines, mean that there is no turning back from this inevitable path towards complete and utter wine geekery?" That aside, this Hermitage showed lots of meaty, smoky, peppery elements that kept the barnyard aromas in moderation. Very manly.
1990 Chateau d'Yquem – This was comparable to a blind date that you’ve anticipated all week, hearing from your friends that he or she is absolutely gorgeous and wonderful, and that you’ll be utterly swept off your feet, to actually get to the date and find that despite the fact that, yes, they are rather attractive, they simply don’t do it for you. You then wonder if there’s something you’re missing, begin questioning your taste, contemplating your sexuality, etc.
2003 Moelleaux Foreau Vouvray - Stellar nose of complex, almost creamy fruit. Thick, oily palate. Quite the expression of Chenin. This is a blind date I wouldn’t be disappointed with one bit!
1997 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese - This wine was a close tie with the 90 Jos Jos Prum and I think my notes would be nearly identical.
Billecort-Salmon Brut Reserva NV - A strange way to end a strange lineup. This bottle was left neglected in the ice bucket until someone decided to pop the cork at the end of the night. It may be the fact that this followed several stickies, but it smelled somewhat briny, reminding my partner of the salty, ocean air we wake up to every morning in Portland. Regardless, it was a crisp, refreshing finish to an extravagant night.
