Bunch of TNs 88 and 89 Montelena, 05 Reva, 08 Donnhoff and some others

WINE TALK
1

So I drank a lot this weekend… [berserker.gif]
First my Copain revisit:
2007 Thompson: Dark color, dark nose and lots of dark fruits. Tight, powerful and intense. The stems are obvious. This will be the best Thompson yet to my palate when it relaxes a bit. Drank it in one sitting, so no day two.

2007 Switchback Ridge Cabernet
At first, I thought I knew why Bob gave it a 92 (the new 80) It was fruity and sweet, no tannins, no structure, just sweet and pleasant. Like a 20 dollar cab (Educated Guess came to mind) Day two came along and it grew some in the glass. More intense red fruits, some smoke and more acid. Day three threw some beef at me. Then I really started liking it but the fruit mellowed a bit too much. In short, none of the three days was it great but if some of the components balance with one another, it could be. Despite that Ill be drinking these in the next few years.

2008 Donnhoff Norheimer Kirscheck Spatlese
Picked a 4 pack up in WC for 26 bucks a pop.
Sweet nose of citrus and peaches. Loaded with stone fruits. Later rainier cherries. A big wash of cleansing acid follows. This might be young, but its delicious.

1988 Chateau Montelena Cabernet
Muted nose with a little earth. The palate has lots of soy and tart dark fruits flavors. May have been a bit corked as some wisps of cardboard came in later on. Nonetheless seemed tired.

1989 Chateau Montelena
Slightly bretty nose with some bitter chocolate and dark fruits. Immediately apparent that it is better than the 88 next to it. The palate also showed some soy, bitter chocolate, dark walnuts (we happened to have some of these on hand and it was uncanny.) Some dark cherries and smoke later on. Still lots of tannins that will outlive the fruit. Pretty good.

2006 The Sisters
Sweet purple flowers, clove and cinnamon on the nose. The palate is loaded with purple fruits, some oak and dark chocolate. Raspberries on the back end. Solid tannins that are not intrussive. Still yummy wine.

2005 Alban Reva
Darkness in a glass. At first, the nose was reminiscent of a field dressed deer. If you’ve ever hunted, you know the smell. Then it turns to sweet grilled notes. This wine is not for the faint of heart. The palate shows big, ripe dark fruits, juicy grilled meats, some truffle and earth. Some oak definitely there. This is a meal in a bottle, my kind of meal. Finish goes on forever.

2006 Vinum Cabernet Reserve
I dont know what the hell this is. Never had it or heard about it. Perfumed nose with flowers and a little beef. The palate is medium bodied with chocolate and sweetened cranberries. A little heat. Chewy tannins but a bit clipped. Pretty good wine.

2007 Vineyard 29 Sauvignon Blanc
Id had the 06 twice. This is one monster of a SB. Slight oil fumes dissipate to reveal roasted pineapple and sea salt. Some oak up front with a little green apple and tart pineapple. Creamy texture but great acid. A little heat on the back end. Awesome though. Not for $125.

2007 Domaine de la Jannasse Chaupin
Why not.
Big beefy nose with grilled steak, baking spices and rhubarb. Creamy and spicy palate with dark berries, black pepper and a little cinnamon. Long finish at first but then shuts down hard. This was a mush lusher wine last time I had it. Maybe they are shutting down a bit?

2

Great to hear about the Copain. We’ll draw you to the dark side yet [basic-smile.gif]

3

Jury is still out :slight_smile:

4

I had a very similiar experience with the 88 Monty.

5

“2008 Donnhoff Norheimer Kirscheck Spatlese
Picked a 4 pack up in WC for 26 bucks a pop.”

What/where is WC?

6

Winecommune.com no affiliation. I find it easier to deal with than winebid though there are some horror stories out there. I only buy from sellers I know. On Sundays JJ Buckley (A retailer who runs WC) puts up a bunch of stragglers for auction and that where I pick up bargains. That same Sunday I picked up an 03 Astralis for $150 and 07 Tablas Creek can be had for relatively cheap. You HAVE to read the lot descriptions for JJBuckley though. Sometimes they sell bottles that appear to be damaged but they are upfront in the description.

7

Merci.

8

Sorry just checked it was $27 for the Donnhoffs, that same Sunday I paid $25 each for a 3 pack of JJ Prum 03 Sonnenhur, hence I got confused.
With some patience you can really pick up cheap riesling from them.

9

Humberto, thanks for the great notes.

Thanks for weighing in on 89 Montelena–that (along with 1993 and 2004) is one vintage I’ve not had a chance to try beginning with the 1986 vintage. Your note suggests it is good but not great, but I’m still leaning toward picking some up just to try. Too bad about the corked 1988–I had a fantastic bottle about 2 months back that was ridiculously good and in no way tired. Indeed, I would argue that it could go for years more. I hope you get another chance to try that one!

-Michael

10

Yeah good not great. I have a vert going up to 2001 and we are going to work our way through them so stay tuned :slight_smile: