1999 Hirtzberger, Riesling Singerriedel:
13.5% alcohol; white fruit and stone scents with hints of resin, ozone and spice; rich and full in the mouth but not cloying, intense and concentrated, dry, well-balanced; very long. A bottle, that I think, epitomizes Austrian riesling; true to its place and vintage, and clearly in the house style. With curried shrimp on rice with peas, fantastic.
1999 Thomas, Pinot Noir:
13% alcohol; sous bois in its full peacock’s tail of complexity but the fruit is starting to fade; a bottle that is on the decline but still close to its peak. I have drunk a case of this since release and it has never disappointed; from its youthful exuberance and intensity to this, its mellow, cerebral waning. Along side spinach salad with grilled chicken, almost poignant.
(Aside: Many years ago, I visited John Thomas and walked his vineyard with him. So each time I have a bottle of this, I think back to that land, that day and that man. To have been able to follow this wine for more than a decade is an unusual learning experience and I feel a special kinship for this bottle. Thank heavens for wine that lasts and develops, for a good cellar to put it in, and, for the opportunity to be part of it all.)
2000 Belle Pente, Pinot Noir Estate Reserve:
14.3% alcohol; completely closed. Re-corked and put in the fridge for another day.
2006 Overnoy/Houillon, Arbois Pupillin (rouge):
12.5% alcohol, all poulsard; I have tried this wine and written notes about it many times and it is just as wonderful, nuanced, complex, unique and delightful as ever. When I think about spending over $30 for a bottle, I get very picky. This wine exceeds all my criteria for that price point and beyond. Diane and I both treasure the dinners when this wine accompanies. With a Caesar salad and grilled chicken, divine.
2002 François Cazin, Cour-Cheverny Cuvée Renaissance:
12.5% alcohol; lemon, flowers, honey and stones on the nose; in the mouth this is vinous, with flavors that follow the nose, sec-tendre, bright and very clean; medium length and a relatively complex finish. It gets better as it opens and by the time the night is over, this wine is remarkable. One must approach it without preconceptions; expectations are the enemy (romorantin being a most unusual grape). But with curried vegetables, one of the best pairings I can imagine; truly sublime.
And at nine years of age, showing good development and no signs of age.
Best, Jim