I don’t normally do weekday lunch tastings, but made an exception
1990 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile
Disintegrating cork, worrisome color, then nose isn’t bad but there’s oxidation and flatness on palate. Unrepresentative wine, too bad.
NV Gosset Grande Reserve Brut
Pear and fig, rye bread, good but could be more precise. B
1988 Pensees de Lafleur
Ripe black plum, pepper, smoke, quite refined with long finish. Drink this while you’re waiting for your Lafleur to come around (ha!). Extremely nice showing for a 2nd wine. A-/B+
SL’s first blind wine- I thought Bordeaux, but was thinking maybe ‘66 or 70. Fully mature, red fruit, cedar, just a little ashtray. But then I went to help with grilling and by time I had returned it had been unveiled. 1952 Duhart- Milon B/B-
SL’s Second Blind Wine - I actually totally missed the guessing on this one, it was unveiled by time I got back from grill. Red fruit, peppery, but with a soy sauce edge on finish that made me think not pristine. 1964 Canon. B
RC’s Blind Wine - I caught end of conversation, someone guessed Barolo and was told wrong continent. So I got Cali Cab, ended up guessing 1971. Red currant, tar, high acids (I can see where the Barolo guess came from), cigarbox. Quite mature but good. 1978 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon. B/B+
Mark’s Blind Wines (with tomahawk steaks, spinach, and potato gratin)
First 2 served together, clear 2 was older than 1, but Mark asked by how much. I think someone guessed 20 years, Mark said 72, so I pulled the rabbit out of the hat by guessing 2000 and 1928 (I’m better at math than tasting). But then guessed St Julien, we never got to Moulis
MG 1 - Young, some structure, darker fruits, tobacco. 2000 Ch.Poujeaux B/B+
MG 2 - Complex and long, red and black fruits, cigarbox, pencil lead, exotic. Would have not guessed almost 100 without the hint. 1928 Ch. Poujeaux A-
MG 3- plenty of tannin left here, I guessed 1986 or 1975. Cassis, black plum, walnuts , structured. Good wine. 1970 Ch. Latour A-/B+
Fun afternoon!
Chicken /mushroom stew
2002 Jadot Boucherottes Beaune 1er
Red cherry and plum, spicy, lemon zest, fruit forward and friendly. B+
Saturday lemon sole with a touch of soy, cauliflower, Momofuko noodles
2022 Clemens Busch Rothenpfad Grosses Gewachs
Mountain spring water! Not watery, but the freshness brought that to mind. Citrus, ginger, peach. This is supposed to be a really ripe year but this is minerally and precise. This wine is really really young, but I enjoyed it immensely A-
Sunday striped bass, couscous, kale, salad
2016 Heritiers du Comte Lafon Vire Clesse
Pear, lemon, hazelnut, bright acids, long finish. B++
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.