2006 Ex Libris Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley)
13.5% alcohol, served blind by a friend. A little heavy at first with dense red and dark fruited flavours and a touch of alcohol, but it settles down with some air and turns into a very pleasant Cabernet with a nice combination of deep complexioned fruit, herbal notes and nicely integrated wood with gentle tannin/acid structure in the background.
2007 Huët Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec (Vouvray)
Flat out wow. Just an amazing, seamless combination of citrus and yellow fruited flavours, touches of honey, flowers, wax and wool with a gorgeous polished texture and fantastic structure and balance. One of those wines that I wish I had bought a lot more of to drink now and to hold for the future, as the balance and structure here suggest this will age effortlessly and it's already offering so much now.
2009 Benovia Pinot Noir Rosé (RRV)
My parents and I bought a few of this at Benovia Winery when we tasted there a few weeks back - I mentioned when we opened this bottle that we didn't buy enough, and that I don't think I've had a better rosé. Really refreshing with watermelon and red berried fruit over a frame of bright acidity, lovely depth and balance here and dammit - is this really the last bottle?
2007 Benovia Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard (Anderson Valley)
Not the sort of Pinot I'd drink often, but for a change it's lovely. Full of plush, silky-textured black cherry fruit seasoned with touches of cardamom and clove spice; there's a fair bit of extract and new oak here, but all the components are in balance and the oak's nicely woven into the background. It's still very primary but already drinking beautifully with a lovely polished, glossy mouthfeel, nice acids and serious length.
18 Year Old Laphroaig Single Islay Malt
While I'm not a huge Scotch drinker, I love Laphroaig and the smoky, peaty aromatic profiles usually blow me away every time. This is no different, a knockout from the scent alone that's reminiscent of a campfire in a glass.