Dan Donahue put together a lovely evening at his home while I was in Rockford, Il on business. I didn't take formal notes, but the 4 wines we shared were all very distinctive, so they were memorable.
2008 Keller Kirchspiel Riesling Grosses Gewachs
I brought this, and when it was opened I was sure I was going to break my string of being underwhelmed by Keller. The aromatics were initially very distinctive, all red berry and flowers. Problem is, the wine fell a bit flat in the mouth. It was racy and minerally, but had very little flavor interest beyond that. It seemed like a completely different wine in the mouth versus smelling it.
2006 Donnhoff Hermannshohle Grosses Gewachs
A horse of a different color. It was less effusive on the nose, but had greater depth and complexity on the palate. A little warming brought out a walnut skin element on the nose, and the richness of hte palate just increased with every sip. I really liked the texture of this wine.
2000 Vincent Girardin Chambertin Clos de Beze
Yummy! The accessibility of the 2000 vintage showed in this wine, as it was drinking very well after a short decant. A little leathery over rich red fruit, and an earthy depth made this a great match with the roast chicken.
1999 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Served from magnum, this is developing in a very positive way. Good balance, fruit, a touch of spice and very good palate integration. It has plenty of stuffing and tannin to continue aging, but the window appears to be open. Regular bottles may be drinking really well now.
Again, thanks to Dan for stting this all up, and to his wife and everyone else for great food, great wine & a really fantastic Wednesday night!