2007 Dönnhoff Felsentürmchen Riesling Spätlese (Nahe, Germany)
Um... wow. Such vivid, intense minerality surrounded by layers of melon, pears and tarter citrus fruits. Really layered and complex with bright acids keeping it incredibly lively and fresh, just keeps developing and expanding with time with a sense of energy and focus I didn't find in most of the other '07 Dönnhoff Spätlesen. Phenomenal.
2001 Domaine Joseph Roty Marsannay Les Ouzeloy (Burgundy)
Wow, this is tight! Inscrutable at first, showing a fierce backbone of tannic structure and bright acidity - but with time this opens up to show some lovely aromatics and flavours of red fruits, black cherries, herbal elements and savoury earthy notes. That said, I'll try to hold off opening my next one for a while longer.
2006 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard (Oregon)
Really lovely, sappy red and dark fruits accented by floral notes and spicy clove/cardamom elements. Very ripe with a silky smooth texture without ever feeling concentrated/candied and finishing long.
2003 La Pousse d'Or Corton-Bressandes (Burgundy)
Strange stuff with aromatics that show a really roasted flavour profile: dark fruits and earth with very ripe floral elements and slightly stewed/roasted flavours that make me think more of an '03 Chateauneuf - but the palate is much more elegant and balanced with bright acids and grainy tannins, yet showing many of the same stewed fruit/roasted flavours that seem to suggest overripeness. Not particularly enjoyable.
2004 Boudreaux Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Washington)
I had really liked the regular bottling some time ago and thought it to be a superb Cabernet - this on the other hand seems incredibly unbalanced; the aromatics have plenty of bright cassis and herbal flavours tinged with cedar and dark chocolate, but there's also a strong volatile acidity element and on the palate it's quite unpleasant with the VA dominating and an incredibly ripe, slightly candied edge to the fruit. Bleh.
2001 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
After the last two bottles, this is a breath of fresh air. Fantastic wine. Layers of plums, cassis, cedar, graphite, tobacco and cedary elements with the oak quite subtle and woven into the background, plenty of structure with fairly firm tannins and bright acidity underneath all the fruit and other flavours, power and density with a sense of balance and elegance.