Nice Stony Hill, Rioja and Catalan wines; I blew it with the Fourchaume Chablis

1991 Stony Hill Chardonnay - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/30/2015)
Fred thought it was over the hill. Andy, Glenn and I liked it. It seems to be in decline, though. It is turning amber but it’s not deeply colored yet. It has a nutty nose and a little bit of oxidation. On the palate I got some citrus and a little bit of butterscotch but none of the oxidation that showed on the nose. It has a smooth, elegant finish. Still good, but drink up.

1996 Bodegas Las Orcas Rioja Solar de Randez Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (7/30/2015)
This is still holding up well. It tastes similar to my last note. It’s light and showing lots of depth and elegance. One change is that I got dill this time I didn’t get last time. Is that American oak? If so, you’d think it would be resolved by now. Red fruit on the nose and palate and a nice earthiness too.

2008 Domaine des Malandes Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (7/30/2015)
This showed good but not great. That was likley my fault as I took it straight from the wine storage locker to the dinner with no chance to air. It probably needed to be decanted.
I got green apple and flowers on the nose. That was quite pleasant. The palate was a little bit nutty and maybe had a little bit more apple. It didn’t show that zingy acidity and verve that I like in Chablis, especially from Fourchaume.
It also seemed riper than the typical Chablis. It still had a great midpalate and finish, but the flavors were a little bigger than normal.

2013 Ferré i Catasús Penedès Mas Suau - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (7/30/2015)
This is a tasty white and almost perfect for a summer sipper at 11.5 percent alcohol. It is 40 percent xarel·lo, one of the grapes commonly used in cava, and 30 percent each of viura and muscat. The nose is white flowers and some fruit, although not quite the fruit cocktail associated with muscat. On the palate there is some stone fruit and nice acidity. There’s a little bit of depth. I like the texture. It shows it has seen neutral oak. I detected no oak. I think the texture will make it a better match for a wider variety of food. The finish is short, but it still punches above its weight for the $11 retail price. There’s a few bubbles but nothing like Tkakoli. Imported by Sierra Nevada Imports.

I like Stony Hill Chardonnay. But, a couple of years ago I had the opportunity to buy a few bottles of older wines and did not like them nearly as much. I know that some people like these wines with this much age, but for me, I prefer them at sort of middle age. Thanks for the notes.

Opened a 2005 and an '06 (SHV) over the weekend and thought they were drinking well, Howard.

I think it would have been significantly better three years ago, but it is still showing well. I’ve only tasted them really old or brand new and I like them both ways.

I found the Stony Hill to be enjoyable but not thrilling. I am grateful for the opportunity to try such an elder and the Chablis.

The 2012 Michel Schumberger Pinot Blanc was pretty tasty. Did you try the South African Rose Steve? I did not but it is available for $4 at Grocery Outlet on Kietzke.

No. While we made a point of sending our wines down to the other end of the table, there was no reciprocity.

I had the 1989, 1991 and 1993. All had been recently purchased from Chambers Street. I have no idea how they had been stored prior to my getting them. The 1991 was by far the best of the three. I did not at all think that the wines were over the hill, just that the type of flavors the wines had developed with age were not flavors I like as much as the flavors of these wines at a younger age. The flavors were not at all the flavors of aged Burgundy, or even that of other older California Chardonnays I have had like Kalin. They seemed sort of unique. It was not that they were bad flavors, just that they were flavors I would have preferred balanced with more fruit.