With Richard just back from his European vacation, Jojo called for a lunch at Red to welcome him back. In addition to Greg and I, Lester Harvey, Manila's premiere NZ wine importer also joined us.
I showed up a bit late but the guys had already started with Lester's white.
Rustenberg Five Soldiers Chardonnay 2008 - Attractive emerald tinge. Rich mouthfeel with a mix of orchard fruit for flavor. There's a touch of smoky oak but it's tightly controlled. Well put together, this is a very good Chardonnay.
Jojo brought a Bruno Paillard Rose NV Champagne but the consensus was to go for my:
Champagne Gosset 1999 - Beautiful light gold color. A rather rich and heavy style. Already round and seamless but I sense this still has a bit more to give with short term aging. Notes of white pepper and white chocolate can be detected and gentle oxidative and yeasty notes contribute to the complexity. A lovely Champagne in the style I enjoy. I wish I had bought more.
Richard then challenged us with a mystery wine:
Murky, rusty, but rather deep color. Definitely dying but it does have a bit of fight left as the body of the wine was surprisingly full and the finish still long with a lingering sweetness. I guessed Rhone but it was a Burgundy, Volnay to be exact. The vintage was 1953 but aside from a coat of arms on the label there was no indication of the producer.
We moved on to Greg's wine:
Chateau d'Armailhac 2004 - Very soft and forward. Nothing profound but a good drink. This is not for keeping.
Lastly Jojo's wine:
Parusso Barolo Bussia 2001 - Very good nose but perhaps just a little hot. Good fruit. Tannins already soft. The wine's structure is provided by the prominent acidity on the finish. Good.
We ended with my dessert wine:
Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Beerenauslese 2006 - Deep gold. Very rich and viscous. Intensely sweet. Candied orange peel, marmalade, dried apricots, burnt sugar, honey and so much else besides all jammed into one sip. Tremendous length. By far the best bottle of this wine I've had. Excellent.
Lester had to leave at around 3 PM but the rest of us stayed another hour and polished off Jojo's Bruno Paillard Rose NV until we finally left at 4:15.