Berserkerfest NYC, The Main Event (Saturday)

WINE TALK
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I’ll post some notes on the wines in a coupla hours when I wake up for real, but while I’m up getting some water, I just gotta say:

You people are insane. Especially Table 1. Seriously, what is wrong with you guys? [berserker.gif]

It was really great to meet you all. That was WAY too much fun.

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Dude you’re about to get some

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It was supposed to be a compliment. [truce.gif]

To prove my sincerity, here’s a peace offering!

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As for my notes on the wines… I started out the night with the best intentions to take notes on my iPhone… as the night wore on and the wines piled up faster than I could taste them well… it was time to mix, mingle and enjoy rather than concentrate. But for what it’s worth, this is what I could manage:

77 eisele - amazing nose of red unmistakably California cab fruit and mossy earth. Sweet fruit on palate- still so tannic for a wine this age! Hint of soy sauce too, and not from the food nearby :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: 93

77 Jordan lots of crushed rock on nose, slate on palate. A Bit green with a tart finish. With air, the crushed rock on the nose starts to modulate towards smoke/incense.

Stags Leap SLV rock and graphite on nose. (No note kept on palate but a lot of people commented on liking this over the course of the night)

01 Pontet Canet pretty purple fruits on nose, unmistakably Pauillac. Don’t recall much about the palate, except that this was still too young to drink.

00 Pontet Canet - nose quite similar to the 01 but a bit more muted, though you get the sense that the fruit is deeper here. I had hope that this would be approachable because I had a bottle 1.5 years ago that was giving. Unfortunately, all I got tonight was this was way to early to drink.

96 pavie mac red fruits and rock with a slight porty note, bit of funk and smoke on the nose. On the palate, pretty red merlot fruit very evident. This is in a very good place right now, 92

78 burgess very bdx nose but ca on the palate

79 Palmer exotic Asian spice on nose, hint of band aid too. Palate was nice and full, still feeling young, with fruit and crushed rock flavors in balance. 91-92

06 volnay d’angerville champans - [drat, I forgot to take a note.]

90 asili [drat, I forgot to take a note.]

96 beringer priv reserve balanced nose with a bit of floral, menthol. Nice sweet fruit very smooth. In a great place, a contender for my WOTN.

Keller GG - lovely petrol on the nose. Layered palate, very nice.

81 lanson champagne - quite dry but tasty

04 Henri boillot Batard-Montrachet - buttery vanilla nose. Pretty on the palate, sweet fruit, no signs of premox to me. A contender for my WOTN.

Livingston Moffet - very pauillac - slight green pepper edge, which I like.

00 Vougeraie Clos du Roi - pretty red fruit bit of earth

99 Hitching Post Highliner - super fruity berry fruit, some dark notes on the finish. Beautiful and drinking well now. One of my favorites years ago, this reminds me I need to get back to buying this. Thanks to Mark Jahnke for tracking me down to give me a taste of this!

2000 lanessan lots of olive on the nose. Very nice round palate.

89 Beaucastel - sadly, corked. The palate gave muted flavors, but was drinkable to me anyway.

85 Ampeau Puligny Combettes - showing oxidation, butterscotch flavors. Enjoyed it.

05 tribut 1er Chablis lechet- nice balanced, clean. Like this a lot…

83 calera reed - a bit past it’s prime, oxidized nose

96 fisher lamb Round fruit on the nose- palate was very good and balanced. Another contender for WOTN.

Dom. de Chezeaux Chambolle (didn’t get the vintage and other info) - my palate must’ve been shot by this point, don’t remember.

Donnhoff auslese? - thanks Craig for making sure I tasted this (and of course, to whoever brought it). Lovely. I might’ve preferred this to the Keller slightly, but only because I tend toward spatleses and ausleses over dryer rieslings.

I may remember others that I tasted as people mention them, but that’s what I’ve got, so far…

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Was there any thought that Table 1 wasn’t going to be the most rowdy? [drinkers.gif]

Some unbelievable wines (the 1995 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill and the 1978 Maderia were a head above everything else I drank) - and a LOT of great wines. Let’s do it again!

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no later days cali cabs? syrah? pinot? boo!
Im just pissed I wasnt there [basic-smile.gif]

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How could I forget, Diane and Nancy’s '66 Warre port was utterly delicious. WOTN candidate.

I had a taste of a 1990 champagne, but forgot what it was. The Taittinger Comtes rose was also very nice, thanks Leo!

The Trimbach Cuvee Emile was a stunner too. All of the rieslings were serious contenders.

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This is very easy to explain. [wink.gif]

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Sorry? blush [cry.gif]

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I did not take notes, but here are some miscellaneous impressions:

The Keller GG proves what some have been arguing for a while - that Keller may be the best winemaker in Germany right now.

The Donhoff proves what others have been arguing - that Donhoff and Keller can duke it out for the title.

The Trimbach Freddy Emile - I was underwhelmed by a lot on this one. I have had a bunch of these before, icnluding a few from my own cellar, and I found this bottle to have off-putting bitterness in it. My wife also found it underwhelming. I thin it was an off bottle.

The 1966 Warre was a huge surprise. Still had some of its baby fat. I would have guessed this to be a 1985 or perhaps a 1991, but not a 1966.

1966 Clos Fourtet - my wife was right again. She suggested a decant, but I was afraid if I decanted it, it would oxidize too fast. WRONG. It had a slightly odd musty nose after first opening, but that blew off fast. I did not have a decanter, so I poured most of the bottle into a large Spiegelau and it got better and better as the night wore on. I gave the last bit to Jay MIller because I knew it was right down his alley, and he liked it. Nice red fruit, no where near dead, some smooth saddle letter and forrest mushroom. The cork broke into 3 pieces as I removed it but the bottom piece was solid and made a good enough seal, although the ullage was not the best. The color of this wine was perfect. There was not the faintest tint of orange or bricking.

1989 Clos Baudin Vouvray - This has gotten better and better with wonderful nuttiness added to the white fruit, tropical fruit and light sweetness. This is not cloying and very pleasant as a starter. The color was very light, and the wine was in excellent shape, event though the cork was a disaster and sunk into the bottle, I ultimate got it out by jamming a chopstick against the cork and used it like a shim to tighten the seal. I bought this two years ago at Victor’s suggestion and my only regret is that there ain’t no more where that came from.

The Madeira - Not good, but then again I compare it to the 1922 D’Oliveiras Boal. The flavor was missing the complexity that you get from a good Madeira and the acid was out of balance - it was way too high for the fruit. I seem to recall that this was a 1978 or so. Put it away for another 10 years or buy an older one.

2003 Coutet: See note here - http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/showthread.php?t=213253 [stirthepothal.gif]

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Thanks for the notes Alan and it was great meeting you. BTW, the I brought the 96 Fischer to Leo’s the night before, I’m somewhat surprised to see it hold up so well.

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Guilty as charged. [diablo.gif]

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I was overserved last night. Please let me know to whom I can register my complaint. pileon

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mark@marksquires.com

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Who?

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He’s Rick Smith, beeeetch.

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It was a pleasure and a privilege to meet you, Father Saxon. Glad you made the trip out to our neck of the woods! [berserker.gif]

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I bought tons of it, for under $20/bottle. [wink.gif]

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When the food literally started flying, I thought I was back in the cafeteria in 5th grade - waiting for a teacher to break it up.

Alas, I was surrounded by 45 adults, slinging shrimp, corks, pieces of duck and carcass - life is good.

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I’ve had trouble linking photo albums in the past from FB, but here’s what they claim is the public link. Let me know if this works for you:
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