Wines from Dennis' birthday dinner last night.
Glaetzer Godolphin Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2005 - I loved the 2004 of this and have a couple of these although I hadn't tried it till Dennis opened one last night. Inky dark. Just a hint of oak on the nose. Also spicy and slightly hot. Rich, very forward wine ready to drink right out of the bottle. All components in balance. Just the right amount of fruit ripeness so this avoids being a jammy, overripe fruit -bomb. Some plum with plenty of chocolate and coffee. Very long finish. A beautiful wine already drinking well now.
Au Bon Climat La Bauge Au-dessus Pinot Noir 2004 - Pale, slightly woody. Initially a little hot but the alcohol was tamed by some airing. Shy nose at first but about an hour's air coaxed some sweet smelling, almost overripe red fruit character, mostly strawberry, raspberry and cherry on the nose. These aromas were echoed on the palate which also featured red berries. The wine shows a softness on the palate although there is noticeable tannin in the finish. A good wine but I wished we had let it air longer.
We drank this wine in two different Ravenscroft glasses-one shaped like a Riedel Vinum Burgundy glass, the other shaped like the Riedel Sommelier Burgundy glass with the flared lip. The wine was noticeably more aromatic and sweeter from the Sommelier style glass. Hard to explain why this should be so and I hope we weren't trying to sub-consciously justify the expense of the larger glass, but that was the perception of the group.