2002 AJ Adam Dhroner Riesling (MSR)
When riesling is multi-faceted and throws colorful flavors around my mouth like a disco ball, I love it. When it's not that way, though, it's just wine. This one was just wine. Selected to serve with a homemade Asian meal of starter course fried shrimp with vietnamese sauce followed by cashew chicken, it showed just grapefruit peel and coconut. And light acidity kept those flavors in the bottom of the glass. Would have been fine with Thai food, but with Chinese it was on the wrong plane. It did seem, however, show some lift toward the end of the last glass, as if we'd simply been drinking it in a closed state and were packing up to go home just before the fireworks started. But it was too late to be sure. David?
1999 Cantemerle
Discussing the unsatisfactory 2003 made me need to retaste the 99 just to make sure I hadn't missed something, so I pulled one last night to go with broiled lamb chops and curry-mushroom dirty rice. I hadn't missed anything at all, this is a fine little Bordeaux and the best showing of the 99 yet. Unlike previous bottles, this one was quite bretty. But that blew off after 30 minutes and in its place blossomed that distinctive, must-have thing that hypnotizes me about Bordeaux, with deep black cherry fruit with blackberry, violet and a modest dose of herbs and the kind of earth and leather that lets you know this isn't a new wine (Bob guessed mid-90's). It opened up nicely over the two hours we drank it, unlike the last bottle a year ago where I left the bottle for better drinking the next day. Very good, an unpretentious Bordeaux experience at an unpretentious price ($19).