2004 Movia Pinot Gris, Slovenia
Captivating acacia flower nose with lime and casaba melon, but little shows on the palate until the next day. Put these back to bed for awhile.
1999 Swan Mourvedre, Sonoma
This seductive wine was one of my wines of the year last year, but it has shut down again. And hard. Left open on the counter, it took four days for it to come back around.
1994 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon
Tired. Yawn.
1984 Buena Vista Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5L, Sonoma or Carneros, can't remember which
A bit tart the first day, and therefore presumed OTH. But actually quite nice on the second day though clearly long past peak. So we combined it with a fairly simple young cab we had in the cellar to create a pleasantly middle-aged tasting barbecue wine.
2005 Houghton Verdelho/Chardonnay, Australia
Fresh and lovely, and refreshingly different. Very feminine with white flowers, green apple and lemon fruit. Feels light but has some body. Nicely balanced. No sign of wood.
1981 Cristal
So friends invite us over for lunch to taste an $11 chardonnay they just bought six cases of, and they serve this for an aperitif.
I guess that it's older than '90 and ask if it's an 82, more because my host is the kind of guy who buys the more talked about vintages than because I am experienced with early 80's champagnes, which I certainly and most regrettably am not. Lovely wine, firmer than the average old Cristal and either the 90 or 95 I've had in recent years, has years of life left.
2005 Wente Riva Ranch Arroyo Seco Chardonnay, California
This is the $11 chardonnay. That's a special local price, I think it's a little more elsewhere. Now you have to understand that Hal and Linda like plush wines, and they can afford whatever they want. They collect Cal Cabs, Quintarelli amarones and first-class French champagne. So they like big and expansive chardonnays, the kind I fell in love with when I first fell in love with chardonnay (and can still be seduced by). Served with a charcuterie buffet of cured meats, smoked fish and cheeses, this chard was up to the task. Deep golden straw color with subtly rich stewed pineapple flavors (more subtle, less acid), applesauce, dried apricot and dry grass. Way outperforms it's price category for style and elegance, and without any of the usual overripe, low-cleavage warm climate chardonnay problems like bananas and cheese.
1996 Rosemount Balmoral
It was getting late and none of the wines we'd had hit quite the right note, so I went into the cellar to yank something that would satisfy everyone. This was an excellent choice. Drinks well now, rusty red and blue fruit, a little leather. Lots of quality, easy to appreciate.
