Lunch notes:
Very pleasant small group lunch with some excellent wines.
1999 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl – a slight waxiness in the nose added some interest and this medium coloured wine developed a nose of marmalade and apricot. It was quite full in the mouth and finished smoothly and with good length, fairly dry. Needs drinking but still good.
1976 Lopez Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva – a puzzling wine. It had no American oak showing in the nose, and it was the pale colour of a very mature Burgundy with a bit of browning at the edges. My first guess was, in fact, Burg, and I then went to Italy before trying Spain. Very nice mature nose with leather and red fruit, and lots of secondary things happening. In the mouth, it was sweet and clean and it finished well with good length. Nice surprise.
1994 Ch. La Mission Haut Brion – although many people tend to ignore this vintage, there are some jewels to be found, and this is one of them. Good colour, with only slight lightening at the edges, a rich currant and cedar nose and some tobacco and spice notes developing with time in the glass. Great up front fruit and a long smooth finish. This just kept getting better and better in the glass over an hour or more.
2003 Black Hills Nota Bene – this BC wine was served up with cheese. It is blended from 46% cab, 34% merlot and 20% cab franc, but the nose was all about CF with green notes and some dark cherry and cocoa. Very decent showing, now fully mature.