Dinner at home with friends one night; drinks at Leo's; a grill and smoke-fest at Jay Hack's, and I can still feel the heat from the smoked jerk chicken.
2009 Stein St. Aldegunder Palmberg-Terrasen Riesling Spätlese trocken
Awesome. Fresh herbs and pale complexioned fruit over a skeleton of stone and steel. Incredibly fresh, precise and vibrant with fantastic acids, length and balance - great Riesling.
2009 Jacques Puffeney Pinot Noir Arbois
I've found a few other 09 Jura wines rather ripe, and this follows the pattern - ripe cherry fruit and savoury earth conveyed with a sense of plushness and surprising roundness in the mouth, though nicely balanced by gentle tannins and bright acids. It's medium bodied and closer to a ripe Burg than a Jura red in terms of flavours and texture, though I hope that character will come out with some cellar time.
2004 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
Very nice. Pale, fresh pear and citrus fruits tinged with herbal and chalky elements and some creamy nuances that emerge with more air. Very polished, light on its feet and nicely balanced with bright acids giving it a sense of real refreshment and precision.
2004 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Estournelles-St.-Jacques
Starts out a little green, showing a core of ripe cherries tinged with fresh herbs and a faint stalky vegetal aspect, but with more air the green elements fade while perfumed floral and savoury meaty nuances emerge. Very polished, light on its feet and drinking beautifully after about an hour of air - fantastic wine. (Why do I not buy more Jadot Estournelles?)
1996 Sine Qua Non Omadhaun & Poltroon
A combination of oxidative, butterscotch-y and honeyed flavour elements with heavy tropical fruits. There's barely any acidity here, a texture closer to syrup than wine and a painfully hot finish. I'm told that some time/air will help the wine come together, but it doesn't. Foul.
2009 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard
Full of bright, ripe white fruited flavours with butterscotch and creamy accents, but remarkably well balanced - though it's quite ripe, it doesn't have the heaviness and flabbiness I've found in a number of Cali Chards; instead there's a sense of restraint here and impressive acidity that keeps it precise, fresh and nicely balanced. Really enjoyed this.
2009 AJ Adam Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Kabinett
From magnum, though not as enjoyable as other bottles have been - this has the same bright apple fruit tinged with florality and stony accents, but comes across riper and softer than I remember with the sweetness of a big, ripe Spätlese, and not having the acidity to balance it. Still very enjoyable with smoked jerk chicken, though a bit below expectations.
2009 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé
From magnum (who knew you can get really good rosé in mags? Now if only Baudry Rosé came in large formats...) and incredibly refreshing, full of bright melon and red berried fruit flavours with earthy, herbal and saline nuances that develop with some air. Lovely.
2005 Hospices de Beaune Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières Cuvée Philippe le Bon Bouchard Père et Fils (Hospices Auction Group)
Starts out with bright melon and ripe citrus fruit flavours, but quickly turns bitter and woody. There's a lot of oak here, though plenty of fruit and structure as well and hopefully it'll absorb and integrate the oak before premox hits.
2009 Kruger-Rumpf Münsterer Pittersberg Riesling Auslese
I wish there were more producers making Auslese like this; fresh, pure, transparent and incredibly refreshing with a spectrum of bright Riesling fruit augmented by flowers and stones, moderate sweetness and really bright acids that keep it really vibrant and beautifully balanced.
2006 Cabot Vineyards Syrah Bacon Fat "One Barrel" Kimberly's
Smoky and meaty scents over a core of ripe red and dark fruits; fun to smell though the alcohol quickly makes itself felt after a few sips, and it feels a little heavy without the acidity and focus I'd like.
2006 Saxum James Berry Vineyard
Ewwww.
2006 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon
Hideous aromatics; this reeks of overripe, roasted dark fruits with a strange vinyl note, but doesn't taste anywhere near as offensive as it smells. It's surprisingly restrained in the mouth; medium bodied with more acidity than I expected and not particularly bad to drink - once you get past the aromatics.
1978 Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled Alexander Valley
On the downslope. Turning brown in colour and moving into generic old red wine territory with the fruit mostly faded.
2006 Kongsgaard Syrah Hudson Vineyard
Fantastic. Power matched with elegance and a sense of restraint, layering dark fruits, floral elements, earth and other savoury elements together in a seamless package. This is a big wine, but really well balanced with a sense of freshness to the fruit flavours, great balance and flavours that just persist and resonate long after each sip.
1966 Clos Fourtet
Still holding up nicely. There's a slightly dried, figgy quality to the fruit, but it's mostly in the background with developed earthy and tobacco flavours up front, tannins resolved and bright acids keeping it fairly lively and quite enjoyable.
2005 Scholium Project Babylon Tenbrink Vineyards
This is a powerhouse. Black, dense and concentrated, packed with dark fruited flavours and a wall of firm, abrasive tannins. Given the density of the tannin and the fact that it's mostly Petite Sirah, I have no clue if this will ever be 'ready to drink' and mature.
2009 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese
Doesn't show quite the same electricity and depth that the Domprobst (#10) had, but it's damn good all the same - fresh peaches, apples and limes framed by mineral and herbal notes; obviously very primary but light on its feet, beautifully balanced and incredibly refreshing to drink.
