We decided to go back and forth with the Gauby & Peay for the forks up portion of the evening.
2005 Domaine Gauby Cotes du Roussillon Villages Vianes Rouge ($45.00)
Bold but smooth. I was expecting a rustic ride down rock strewn hills. I got a nice buggy journey through the country side. Pleasant dark fruit and maybe a hint of mineral. Over the course of the night this really developed some subplots what with the twists and turns on our rural ramble. Went down a treat with the lamb. All of the elements worked a very nice harmony vocal part. I think the label and appellation fooled me into thinking this wouldn't be as refined as it was. Like one of the art house pictures with a lady in evening wear standing in the middle of a field. Maybe I should get back to everyone on the proper image. Great wine.
2008 Peay Vineyards Pomarium Pinot Noir ($52.00 + Shipping)
Very nice in that fruit forward kind of way. Having sampled some Premier Cru Bourgogne early in the day (at a free tasting, the only way I'm able to get near such stuff) made the New Worldness of this stand out all the more. Like the preceding developed more plot lines over the evening. Should have decanted this one too I'd hazard. Much pinosity with lush cherry and some woody elements. Not as tanic as I might have guessed. I'm going to guess that this will settle in nicely a few years down the line. I base this on months of experience.
A friend joined us late so we finished off a bottle I'd opened the evening previous.
2008 Argyle Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($20.00)
Very polite wine. Recognizable as the grape variety (see I read the hated wine words post!) in question. A friend raved about the Argyle Nuthouse but I wimped out and bought the base level wine. Some cherry, I think there was structure, maybe more lean to than castle. Erm...yeah. At a double sawbuck I just don't know.
The pal brought along:
Year(?) Cuvee (??) Price Unknown
I forget which iteration this was, but it's a mix of Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Who knows the bones of Kurt Waldheim might have been in there too. Tasted like it. An absolute disaster of a beverage. I like many of the Anton Bauer offerings, his Grunners in particular. I like funky, funky, funkified wines (please see my entries on the Bourguiel's from outer space). But this was funky like old socks. I will say we all kept taking hits on it but it was more like rubbernecking at a car wreck than any sort of thing that could pass for enjoyment. I can't even think of any element that got near the usual (or unusual) canon of wine flavors. Touch not but with a 10' barge poll.