Notes from dinner at Arnie's place featuring vertical of Penfolds Bin 389.
John Duval Wines Entity Shiraz 2004 - Sweet, very fruity. Chocolatey finish. Some cherry. Very smooth. No tannin. Good.
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 1996 - A legendary wine. Lovely nose. The Cabernet definitely dominates this sweetish wine. Dried red berries on the finish. Very smooth and ready to drink. Probably at peak now. Very good.
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 1998 - Plenty of ripe berries but this is no jammy fruit bomb. Dryish. I used to find chocolate in this wine but that seems to be quite subdued in this bottle. Well-balanced. Still tannic with plenty of life left in it. Finishes long with a kick of acidity making it food friendly. Of the 389s tried, this was showing the best despite a less than perfect cork. Excellent wine.
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2000 - Very dark, thick wine. Lots of cherry character. Cough syrup. Quite tannic. Chocolate. Close to full-throttle Barossa style. Very young. Needs plenty of time.
Vasse Felix Heytesbury 2002 - Tannic, bitter chocolate. Sour and cidic on the finish. Not showing well.
Mission Hills Vidal Icewine 2004 - Very thick, syrupy sweet. Apricot and peaches. Good but seems heavy-handed to me.
-9 degrees Ehrenfelser Icewine 2005 - Peach nose. Rich pineapple and burnt sugar. A good amount of acid to balance the swweetness. More finesse than the Mission Hills. Very good.
Notes from my Mom's birthday dinner at Restaurant 101.
Leon Beyer Comtes d'Eguisheim Pinot Gris 1997 - Looks like aged Sauternes. Sweet peaches initially on the palate giving way to some lychee as it turns dry. Very silky, soft. Delicious wine but fades quickly in the bottle. Excellent.
Donna Olga Brunello di Montalcino 1999 - Smells like Creme de Cassis. Dark, meaty and leathery. Dried herbs. Quite dry. Soft with a long finish. Seems disjointed and ordinary although showing better than a previous bottle. Could probably use a bit more bottle age.
Torbreck The Steading GSM 2002 - Sweet, stewed fruit. Medium bodied. Coffee. Well-balanced. Very long finish with prominent acidity. Soft and ready to drink now. Very good.