Not really TNs- a few impressions from a benefit

I needed to run a couple errands in the city tonight, plus drop off some wine to Oswaldo and pick up some wine from Chambers St. Since Chambers St and Louis Dressner were co-sponsoring a Haiti benefit tasting, I decided to add that in. A little slow when I first arrived, but it seemed to be picking up steam, and I imagine they raised quite a bit of money for the excellent Partners in Health. I've already gotten confirmation from PIH, so kudos to the staff at CSW and Joe Dressner for a job well done (my first time meeting the legendary/infamous Mr. Dressner).

A nice lineup of over a dozen wines. No real notes but a few impressions:

My favorites:
NV Casa Costepiane Prosecco (from magnum)
First wine I tried, and I quite liked, refreshing, fruity, lively. Would be fun to get a couple magnums for parties.
2008 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr "Rotlay" Spatlese
I really like these single plot 08 S-O
2007 Descombes Chiroubles VV
Pretty, fresh, great fruit
2007 Gonon St Joseph
Young, spicy, long.
2005 ESJ "Wylie Fenaughty" Syrah
A bit bigger, but similar spice

I liked
NV Gimonnet Champagne Culs Brut
Dry & minerally (but I preferred the prosecco)
2009 Pepiere Muscadet
Joe Dressner said this was an early bottling, and implied later bottlings might be better. But I liked this, maybe not as rich as some vintages, but light and tasty
2007 Heinrich Mayr Nusserhof Elda Schiava
No notes, just check plus
2008 Tajinaste Valle de la Orotava Listan Negro
Not sure what is what in that name, but I think Orotava is one of the Canary Islands if I heard correctly. A little animal, but good

I kinda liked
2005 Peillot Roussette du Bugey Montagnieu Altesse
Nice flavors, but a bit soft/round (which was not my expectation)
2007 Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienburg Falkenlay
A bit more austere than my preferences, maybe food would help
2007 Diochon Moulin-A-Vent (mag)
2008 Bermejo Lanzarote Listan Negro

I didn't like so much
2005 Gerard Schueller Gewurztraminer Bildstoeckle
Gewurz afficianados might like more, but for me the flavors were a bit over the top with a chemical edge
There was one other wine (something like Treinto im Malvasia) that I didn't care for.

I got my errands done, wine delivered, wine picked up, a couple other bottles bought (including a tasty Bart Marsannay white I'm sipping now), and sent a little money where it would do more good than yet more wine for me. Good job by Chambers St and Louis Dressner, as well as David Bowler, Kermit Lynch, Michael Skurnik, Douglas Polaner all of whom made contributions.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.  

2005 ESJ "Wylie Fenaughty" Syrah

So this didn't appear to be in a difficult phase? There have been some notes to that effect so I was afraid to open my bottles. But if they were pouring it at a large event with positive responses that seems to suggest it is drinking well.

2009 Pepiere Muscadet
Joe Dressner said this was an early bottling, and implied later bottlings might be better. But I liked this, maybe not as rich as some vintages, but light and tasty

Several bottlings of the basic Pepiere? Will the complexities of wine never cease!

I don't know about all the sub-regional nuances but the early word on 2009 was that it was pretty good (and ripe) for most parts of France?

Rahsaan; I opened one ('05 W-F) myself a week or so back, just to see where it was, and it was in a pretty good, albeit quite young, place. Smoky, meaty, good depth, lots of structure (both acid and tannin), juicy tannins. Big, but so is LeBron James, and he's as graceful as they come.

Rahsaan; I opened one ('05 W-F) myself a week or so back, just to see where it was, and it was in a pretty good, albeit quite young, place. Smoky, meaty, good depth, lots of structure (both acid and tannin), juicy tannins. Big, but so is LeBron James, and he's as graceful as they come.

Sounds good. Glad to hear. I'm sure there is plenty more ahead but nice to know that one doesn't have to fear it now.

By the time I got there the line was stretching to the door so I just couldn't stay, so thanks for the impressions, they satisfy some of my curiosity.

2005 ESJ "Wylie Fenaughty" Syrah

So this didn't appear to be in a difficult phase? There have been some notes to that effect so I was afraid to open my bottles. But if they were pouring it at a large event with positive responses that seems to suggest it is drinking well.

A bit like the Gonon, it seemed young but reasonably open. Of course, at this kind of tasting, one has no clue if wine was open a while or decanted or whatever. But I enjoyed.

Several bottlings of the basic Pepiere? Will the complexities of wine never cease!

I don't know about all the sub-regional nuances but the early word on 2009 was that it was pretty good (and ripe) for most parts of France?

If I understood correctly, Marc Olliver basically had to bottle some early for financial reasons, after loosing some of crop in 08 to frost. I personally liked this a lot, but my impressions of Pepiere should be taken with a grain of salt, as I tend to like year in/year out, while more discerning Loireheads have strong vintage preferences. For whatever reason Pepiere seems to be in my wheelhouse, whatever that strange expression that seems to be constantly used on wine boards means.

I know there is strong buzz re 09 Burgundy, and maybe Bdx too. Not heard a word re Loire (if SFjoe posts his annual notes on WT alert me, I enjoy even if I barely understand some tech stuff).

Oswaldo, sorry you missed tasting, but very glad crowd grew. I think most people were doing more than minimum, so should have been a good fundraiser.

Not heard a word re Loire (if SFjoe posts his annual notes on WT alert me, I enjoy even if I barely understand some tech stuff).

The big annual fair in Anjou is coming up in a couple of weeks so we should start to get more reports after that.