We tried last night (5/16/19) in A Celebration of Blair's Life:
1. Kientzheim-Kaysersberd Brut Blanc de Blancs AC: Cremant d'Alsace (Method Champenoise; MeBalP)
Cave Vinicole de Kientzheim-Kaysersberd 1981: Med.dark gold color w/ very slight fizz; rather nutty/
toasted hazelnuts some old Kabinett-level R quite complex nose w/ no overt oxidation; fairly tart/tangy
some nutty rather old R quite complex rather quiet flavor; very long slight nutty/toasted hazelnuts
slight cedary bit old R fiish; a rather quiet/restrained but very complex sparkler that's more akin to an
old R Kabinett w/ no signs of CO2; a relic from the past that is still quite lovely to taste.
_________________
2. Albert Mann Riesling Rosenberg/Pfleck AC: Vin d'Alsace (12.9%; MeBaD) Albert Mann/Wettolsheim 1993:
Med.dark gold color; beautiful old R/bit nutty slight Mosel valve oil/petrol slight herbal bit cedary very
complex terrific nose; slightly tart beautiful old R/petrol/Mosel valve oil slight nutty/herbal rather
quiet quite complex flavor; long beautiful old R/petrol/Mosel valve oil bit nutty quite complex finish that
finishes a bit abruptly; a rather quiet & fading old Alsatian R that's still in wonderful shape from a producer
who's not noted for particularly profound or ageable whites; quietly fading away into the sunset and whose
glories will quietly wink out in 10 yrs or so; a bit like sitting down in the nursing home & chatting w/
this frail little old lady and finding out she danced w/ the original Rockettes;
an amazingly glimpse of history.
_________________
3. Boheme Syrah QueSyrahVnyd/SonomaCoast (14.5%; 201 cs) KurtBeitlerWines/Rutherford 2004: Very dark color w/
scant bricking; strong cedary/pencilly very strong c-c/Syrah/black pepper very strong blackberry/Syrah/quite
spicy bit toasty/pencilly/Fr.oak/smokey slight Rhonish/espresso very complex beautiful nose; rather tart/tangy
slight alcoholic very strong c-c/black pepper rather Rhonish strong blackberry/spicy/Syrah some Fr.oak/toasty/
pencilly complex flavor w/ light gentle bit drying tannins; very long/lingering beautiful c-c/Syrah/black
pepper strong very spicy/blackberry/Syrah bit Rhonish/smokey/peppery some toasty/Fr.oak quite complex finish
w/ light bit drying tannins; a lovely example of a fully mature c-c Syrah; starting to dry out a bit on the
palate and probably should be drunk up.
_________________
4. Mayacamas CabSauv NapaMtn (13%) MayacamasVnyds/Napa 1971: Not opened/next time.
_________________
5. Ridge MonteBello Calif MonteBelloVnyd/SantaCruzMtns (75% CS/23% Merlot/2% CabFranc; 13.4%; 113 tons
from 108 acres; 43% Slctn; bttld May 2002; 90% in new/air-dried Am.oak + new Fr.oak; Drk: 3/02-3/08: PD)
Cupertino 2000: Not opened/next time.
_________________
6. Deinhard Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese (9%; EA; EB; QmP; A.P.Nr 2 576 466 006 77)
Hauth-Kerpen Erben/Wehlen 1976: Very dark/rather brown color; very intense botrytis/peachy/apricotty some
cedary/pencilly slight Mosel valve oil/petrol some complex old BA nose dominated by the botrytis; fairly sweet
fairly tart/tangy very strong botrytis/peachy/apricotty slight earthy beautiful complex flavor w/ no signs of
oxidation; very long/lingering fairly tart intense botrytis/peachy/apricotty rather sweet fairly complex old
botrytis white finish; in wonderful shape for a 43 yr old white; dominated by the intense botrytis and not
quite the complex aromatics you'd get in a 40+ yr old Auslese; no signs of starting to dry out and will probably
go another 15-20 yrs in this state of suspended animation; beautiful old BA.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. One of the long-time members of my wine group died back in January after a relatively short illness. Blair left
behind a very fine collection of wine that he had astutely accumulated over the yrs from when he was originally
inspired to wine after taking my wine appreciation class back in 1973. He approached wine much like he approached
his mathematics...with rigor/attention to detail/enthusiasm/passion/precision/thorough study. Blair was a charter
subscriber to Parker's Newsletter...back when it was sent out on cuneiform tablets, when he gave the first 100 pt
score to one of Pliny the Elder's Campania wines and single-handedly popularized Pliny's concept of "terroir",
now a fundamental mantra for all wine geeks.
These wines were selected from Blair's cellar to serve at dinner for the family at Pig+Fig restaurant last night.
___________________
2. Boheme: This was one of the early (don't think it was the first, though) Syrahs made by KurtBeitler from AlRago's
QueSyrah vnyd, one of the coldest Syrah vnyds in Calif, back when he was making his wines over at Caymus (Kurt's a
nephew of Chuck Wagner and developed their BelleGlos vnyd out on TaylorLane). The wine was a beautiful example
of a fully mature (if maybe a bit beyond) cold-climate Calif Syrah.
___________________
3. Deinhard BA: This was a simple negociant (Deinhard) BA from a great vintage. No idea what prompted Blair to buy
this wine. Because the Germans tend to use a fairly high SO2 level in their wines, it was much darker than I'd
have expected...more along the lines of an old Calif BA, which would have used less SO2. Nonetheless, it was in
wonderful condition and showing no signs of oxidation nor going round the bend.
Tom