2008 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Drachenstein Riesling Dragonstone (Rheingau)
Solid as ever, this never disappoints.
2008 Fritz Haag Riesling (Mosel)
Drier than I expected, tastes like a halbtrocken (11% alcohol) with mildly sweet grapefruit, pear and apple over a bed of stone and slate, finishing almost dry with saline and minerally flavours lingering on. Really nice, good value and I like the screwcap as well!
2004 Château Chasse-Spleen (Haut-Medoc)
Cassis, graphite and dusty earthy notes on a sleek, medium weight frame with nice acids and fine grained tannins on the back end. Boring, though perfectly serviceable with grilled lamb (but nothing to hold my attention).
2007 Jemrose Syrah Cardiac Hill (Bennett Valley, CA)
Flat out awesome Syrah. Still very young, with some tannic rough edges that I expect will smooth out with time, but there's a gorgeous core of deep black fruit and plummy flavours seasoned with wild spicy, peppery and meaty notes and fantastic balance and length. Superb!
2008 AJ Adam Dhroner Hofberger Riesling Spätlese (Mosel)
Awesome as usual. Explosive with exotic florality, minerality, bright fruit and fantastic acids keeping it really precise and balanced.
2006 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Spätlese (Nahe)
A core of citrus fruits, peach and stone with accents of petrol, smoke and gentle honeyed notes, plenty of Auslese-like sweetness and extract here but matched by fantastic acidity. There's serious power and length here with fantastic balance; I need to get more of this as I'm drinking through my stash much too quickly. Lovely wine (as always)
2002 Lail Vineyards J. Daniel Cuvée (Napa Valley, CA)
A lot of oak trees were sacrificed for this wine. There's not much perceptible here beyond the wood and tannins, and very little to enjoy. Yuck.
1997 Long Meadow Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, CA)
A touch of vinyl on the nose initially, but that blows off with a little air to reveal pure dark fruited flavours, touches of herbs and cedar with the start of developing earthy and leathery notes. Very polished and nicely balanced with a gentleness and lightness of touch I rarely find in Californian wines (only 13.2% alc, and it doesn't feel any heavier!), nice acids and grainy tannins beneath, lovely.
2004 Weingut Josef Leitz Rudesheimer Kirchenpfad Riesling Auslese (Rheingau)
A more old-school, classical Auslese here with fresh yellow plum and lemon candy flavours accented by floral notes, touches of honey and the start of developing petrol elements. Medium weight with a gentle, glossy mouthfeel, moderate sweetness and serious length. Great stuff.