Doug had a few of us over for dinner last night - we did channa masala (with black channa) and roast veggies indoors and put a lot of jerk chicken in the smoker. And drank plenty of wine. Good times as always.
(There was also a '96 JL Colombo Cornas - can't remember which one - that I found pleasant if rather boring, and a '98 Elderton Command Shiraz that I didn't enjoy and found overly woody.)
2009 Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py
Starts out a little closed compared to the bottle I had on Sunday, but with some air it opens beautifully to show all sorts of fresh red fruits, earthy and floral elements in a very finessed, elegant package.
2009 Kruger-Rumpf Münsterer Dautenpflänzer Riesling Spätlese
Incredibly fresh citrus, pear and apple fruit over a bed of stones and mineral salts; powerful yet very light on its feet with fantastic acidity that keeps it razor-sharp and precise, finishing long with just a faint impression of sweetness. Stunning Riesling.
1995 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm
Initial impressions aren't bad; rich dark fruited flavours accented by eucalyptus and touches of coffee, but with time the oak/coffee element really dominates and overwhelms everything else in the wine. Not particularly pleasant after the first couple of sips, this doesn't seem to be aging too gracefully.
1991 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude
Beautiful mature Northern Rhone that starts out showing gentle, understated red fruits, earth and faintly leathery flavours and builds with air as smoky, gamey and forestal/herbal notes emerge aromatically and the palate gains weight and depth. Very polished, seamless and elegant, lovely stuff.
1989 Joel Champet Côte-Rôtie La Viaillere
Starts out feeling a little tired with tart red fruits and autumnal forestal notes. This bottle was probably a few years past its best, but with some air it really improved as the fruit freshened up and a nice older Syrah leatheriness emerged.
2003 McCrea Syrah Boushey Grande Côte Vineyard
Delicious stuff; full of rich blackberry and plummy fruit accented with peppery spice and faint meaty notes that emerge with air. It's very rich but impressively balanced, carrying its alcohol very well and conveying flavour with elegance and a sense of seamlessness.
2009 Meulenhof Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese
Knockout Auslese. This has everything I want in a Mosel Riesling, full of classic Mosel fruit ranging from citrus to riper apples and peaches, spring flowers, herbs and a vivid slatiness underneath. Even though it's quite ripe and sweet, there's a sense of incredible clarity and purity to the flavours with really good acidity keeping everything in perfect balance. Wonderful wine and I suspect I did not buy enough of this.
1997 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume
Very heavy and honeyed, a little too rich and flabby for my liking.
1995 Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon Cuvée Le Paon
Very primary right now, but really delicious with ripe yellow fruited flavours - quince, apricot and golden raisins - combining seamlessly with touches of honey and wool in a very polished, elegant package. There's still a lot of baby fat and sweetness here, and the balance and structure suggest this will be amazing over the long haul.
1991 Dönnhoff Grauburgunder Eiswein
Comes across like a big Alsace SGN; deep gold in colour and packed with ripe peaches and apricots drenched in honey, spices and creamy elements. It's intensely rich and sweet, but there's nice acidity keeping it quite refreshing and nicely balanced. Very enjoyable.
Really fun night (and I could have probably managed to go through today without eating, given how much jerk chicken I was piling in last night) - thanks again for hosting us Doug.