TN: 3 Rhones, 2 Alsace, 2 Loires, 1 Burg at PDH

WINE TALK
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John T was in town from Santa Barbara, and Brad recruited folks who attended CalCab dinner from John’s last visit and a couple of others for a free form offline at Peking Duck House. A couple of cancellations (illness and work), but a nice crew of 5 met at PDH Thursday night. We enjoyed a couple of ducks, some beef with bamboo shoots, beans, and Chinese broccoli.

2015 Vacheron Sancerre
Young, ripe, very fruity, don’t know Vacheron enough to know if that is style or it’s a vintage thing. B

1989 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Turckheim
Pit fruits, ginger, some stony soil notes. This is Olivier but still in Leonard style. Good showing. B+/A-

1997 Zind-Humbrecht Clos St. Urbain Rangen de Thann Riesling
Intensely rich, honied, a bit fat and oily, Riesling as Marsanne/Viognier. B/B-

1999 Jamet Cote-Rotie
I quite liked this. Dark berry, smoke, pepper, a little tarry almost Nebbiolo note. A-/B+

1999 Texier Cote-Rotie
A little volatile and a lot sour at first. Time did it some good, though fruit maintained a sour cherry note. B (Actually held up well overnight, if you can handle some VA )

2002 Roumier Chambolle-Musigny
Organizer had apparently said “wines Brad likes that go with duck”, I missed the first part. Red and black cherries, a little earth, a little sandalwood. This isn’t super complex and you won’t mistake for Amoureuses, but in a very nice place and what I look for in a mature village wine. B+/A- but an A for being what a village Chambolle can be. Will drink other soon. (Didn’t hold well overnight.)

2001 Pegau “Reserve” Chateauneuf-de-Pape.
If more CdP was like this, I’d drink more CdP. Just a bit of barnyard, red berry fruit, some leather. Not overripe, good finish. B+

2005 Pinon Cuvee Botrytis
I didn’t actually write anything down, but thought this was great and surprisingly ready. Honey, apricot, ripe peaches, good acidic spine, long finish. A-

Good night with good people.

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.

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Thanks for taking the notes, Dale.

I liked the Vacheron a little better than you did. A bit more lush with riper fruit than I’d expect, but it was a warm vintage and there was enough cut to keep things nice and crisp. A steely, grassy Sancerre it isn’t, though, but that’s fine.

I was more disappointed in the Jamet than you were, finding it fairly pedestrian and I seem to have liked the Roumier, Pegau and Pinon a little more than you. Yes, the Chambolle wasn’t super complex, but take that to read it didn’t have a ton of earthiness to it, but, rather, it actually showed fruit! Beautiful, pure cherry fruit and whenever a Burg actually shows that, I like it. [wink.gif]

I think your note is good on the Pegau, but I have it as an A-. I found the Pinon a lot more appley than stone fruity. When a Chenin starts taking on apricot notes, to me that’s more of a sign it’s starting to show more mature characteristics and I thought this was still youthful. I also liked it a little more than you did.

A fun evening and always great to see John Tomasso in town.