An old school winegeek was celebrating a big birthday, so a group gathered at Noreetuh to toast him. I had a little transit difficulty, arrived at table at same time as fried chicken
2008 Philipponnat Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Not sure I’ve ever seen their BdB before. Slightly oxidative style, brioche and cidery apple, a little thin, some others liked more than I did. B/B-
2004 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
Quite reduced, an unusual leathery note, some think corked but I don’t get that. But very closed and not so fun. B- (I’ve liked a lot before)
2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
nice, slightly reduced and closed as well, but only slightly. You can sense the elegance of
Comtes, chalky with pear, citrus zest, and brioche. I liked more than most I think B+/A-
2007 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
Really drinking well, wide open with pear, chalky minerality, citrus. Elegant and long. Maybe not a long distance runner, but delicious now. A-
Musubi (corn, scallop, galbi, salmon), tuna belly, big eye tuna poke
2007 Prager Stockkultur Achleiten Gruner Veltliner
Very old vines. The warmth of vintage shows in the rich tropical (passionfruit, mango and pineapple) fruit, but some really electric acidity giving tons of structure. There’s a tiny bit of RS, but the acids keep the finish snappy. I loved, some others didn’t ,. A-
2019 Schloss Gobelsburg Ried Lamm Gruner Veltliner
Young and a bit tight. Ripe fruit, good acids, peppery spice. B+/B for now, potential.
2013 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett
Tight, but I like what’s underneath. Snappy acids, guava and green apple, tangy. B+
1983 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling
Apple and citrus, touch of petrol, saline mineral finish. Lots of life. Someone said not a perfect bottle but I thought in great shapel A-/B+
Grilled salmon, vegetable potstickers, Taiwan flat cabbage
2007 AJ Adam Hofberg Riesling Trocken
Powerful and a bit austere, biting, surprised by the acids in a 2007. Others liked more than I did. B/B-
2014 Chidaine Bournais Montlouis-sur-Loire
I liked this but wrote down nothing, and wines were flying by.
There was a blind wine that I liked and thought white Burgundy, young but with a little development. I guessed St Aubin or Chassagne (wrong). I was told it was a 2014 Puligny, but I think I never saw bottle/producer/vineyard! Oops!
Glazed tongue (served Peking duck style), crab fried rice
Blind Burg - Jay was apprehensive re storage, he picked up at an estate sale, but seemed fine. Lower acid, red fruits, spice, woodsmoke. Nice complexity. Someone got Vosne right away, and then Echezeaux but took a while to get vintage. Good $10 score Jay! 1991 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux VV B+
Blind Burg - A bit closed, but balanced and elegant. I was in Volnay. Red fruit, citrus zest, wonderful spiciness. 2008 Drouhin Amoureuses Chambolle-Musigny 1er. A-
Blind Burg Very ripe, slightly roasted edge, somewhat confectionery, not a fan. Something like Perrot-Minot or Geantet-Pansiot? Very surprised when revealed, I love Bize in general. 2005 Bize Latierices-Chambertin B-/C+
Blind Burg - wasn’t that blind, cover slipped off causing a spill and a brouhaha. Slightly lifted, tangy red fruits, earth and grilled meat. I enjoyed. 1988 Drouhin Clos des Chenes Volnay 1er B+
Blind Burg- good, mature, red fruits with truffles and earth. I like more than most. Hey, Gouges can mature! 1985 Gouges Clos des Porrets Nuits St George 1er B+/A-
Blind Burg - tight, structured, tons of potential, this is the one I think is a 2005. 1999 Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin. B/B+ with solid A potential
Calamansi duck with fried rice
20O9 Clusel-Roch Les Grandes Places Cote Rotie
Black fruit, black pepper, black olive. Interesting but a little oaky? B
1999 Clape Cornas
Brett was too much for some, but I found it integrated (and more leather and barnyard than nasty style brett). Snappy acids, sturdy tannins, this has a lot of structure but I enjoyed (more than most). B+
2012 Clusel-Roch Les Grandes Places Cote Rotie
Lighter than 2009, less oak notes, earth and olives. B/B+
1989 L’Evangile (mag)
Young, sturdy and a little feral, dark fruits and truffle. Really good, but seems more powerful than a lovely elegant 750 last year, A-/B+
1964 Calon Segur
My last 64 claret I think. Lovely and elegant, red berries, cigar ash, violets. Refined and filgreed, if this had been blind I would have guessed Margaux or Graves rather than St Estephe, but a lovely Graves! A-
Here my notes ended. There was a 1988 Huet Le Haut Lieu Vouvray Demi-Sec and a
1988 Pinon Vouvray Demi-Sec, but I took no notes. Also, there was a Ulysse Collin Maillons Champagne that was poured before I arrived, and a corked 1964 Rioja. I found the Collin late in evening, it was no longer cold, but still impressive. .
Fun way to celebrate a great guy.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.