I didn’t join Cellartracker until 2009 but it was big stuff.
2002 Pride Mountain Vineyards Petite Sirah- USA, California, Napa Valley (11/25/2009)
Monster fruit? The understatement of the year. This is so jammy and thick I think I could pour it on my pancakes. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Massively extracted, almost port-like texture on the palate with an instance of mouth puckering tannins and medium/long smooth finish. Sediment coated the glass. This is my first Pride Petite. Are they all like this? My wife is laughing at my purple teeth. Wow, what an experience. (94 pts.)
2006 Williams Selyem Zinfandel Forchini Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (11/21/2009)
Yummy Zin. Dark w/ a nose of black cherries and spice. Fruity on the palate with a nice long slightly spicy finish. Despite the high alc content there was little heat. Drank over 2 evenings and savored every drop. (90 pts.)
2005 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Peterson Family Vineyard- USA, California, Napa Valley (10/17/2009)
Still way too young. Tannins were overpowering and the flavor just didn’t come forward even after a 2 hour decant. Should have saved it for another time. The '05 Foley we drank along with it was much more enjoyable at his point in time.
2002 Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard- USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (8/10/2009)
Popped and poured, dark purple coated the glass in 1 swirl and stayed there, nose of leather and earth with fruit trying to push through but unsuccessfully. Decanted 1 hour and re-poured. Opened up nicely and the jammy fruit pushed forward. Very pleasing blackberry and cherry flavors with a bit of spice. Just a touch of heat on the backside and the finish was silky smooth but not long. Back in the bottle and into the fridge overnite. Day 2, it’s getting better. Poured into the decanter again and the aroma of red fruit filled the kitchen. Tannins more present today with a longer finish. Hope I can wait for tomorrow. This is an awesome Petite. I was worried about opening this when I read about old Rubys saddle and waited over a year but am quite pleased that I opened this wine when I did. Wish I had more. (94 pts.)
Looks like in December of 2008, I drank one bottle of old world and the rest all new world cab and a touch of pinot
2006 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon- USA, California, Napa Valley (12/26/2008)
a delicious bouquet of spice, ripe red berries and a sprinkling of brown sugar. a complex amount of currant, cedar, raspberry, peppered spice and rich fresh cocoa on the palate with a very nice long spiced strawberry finish. A light stream of vanilla runs through and mixes with the berry. The wine itself is medium bodied with a nice level of acidity and soft tannin, will be real good in the next year or two. Think of it as a little brother of Schrader. TRB you are king, easy drinking but wonderfully done wine @ the price point
(popped cork, no decant… 4 hours) (93 pts.)
2005 Quilceda Creek Red Wine Columbia Valley- USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (12/21/2008)
Pop and Pour.
Really light wine, has an elegance to it but it’s “lacking” a little something. Hints of Cocoa , sour cherries, and light raspberries on the mid palate with a really interesting lush forest berry nose that dissipates away to some wood and plum. It needs some time before it’ll really come on strong if it’s big brother is any indication. (91 pts.)
2005 Cameron Hughes Lot 29 Lake County- USA, California, North Coast, Lake County (12/21/2008)
Nose of ripe red berries with a bit of mocha, a little bit of alcohol. decent amount of medicinal cherry and blueberry on the palate with some tannins on the finish. Not a bad finish about 15 seconds just a LITTLE bit hot. Not too shabby for $10. I’ve enjoyed this and wish I had some more. (89 pts.)
2001 Viña Salceda Rioja Reserva- Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (12/21/2008)
Smooth wine, very new world in it’s nose and palate though. Chocolate and deep dark berries on the nose with a very very thin mid palate. Tried to give it air time, but no matter what hour I drank it at, it was really lacking that stuffing. Pretty disappointed, won’t buy again. (84 pts.)
2005 Lange Pinot Noir Dundee Hills- USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (12/3/2008)
Tastes like a big syrah like cali pinot. Really big bold fruit with tons of pepper sprinkled all over. Could have fooled me that it was from oregon! (90 pts.)
2001 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard- USA, California, Napa Valley (12/1/2008)
Hate to be a homer cause I brought this wine, but it’s so intoxicating. In the decanter for 3 hours, had it open at 80% full for another hour and a half. If you don’t give it alot of air , it really doesn’t show it’s stuff. Ridiculously deep and dark berries with spiced cocoa on the nose, you can’t stop smelling it cause the nose is so alive and vibrant. Really strong and rich ripe red berries mixed with a spice box, refreshing vanilla bean, and hints of coffee. Well built with a great acidity and soft tannins. This wine has not hit it’s peak, it will only get better in the coming years. My favorite 01 in California so far. (96 pts.)
2003 Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (12/1/2008)
Really pretty wine. Those nose had a soft aroma of strawberry,a sprinkle of pepper and rose… the nose rose up like a cloud . Just layers of red berries, floral notes, five spice, a bit of forest floor on the palate. Wonderful mouth feel on the wine, incredibly soft and just teases you with the delicate flavors… really well balanced, long acidity with fruit that goes for days. Just a perfectly well done pinot. This wine actually was kind of closed down in the beginning, but really hit it’s stride a hour or two into dinner and finished off with a bang. (95 pts.)
1999 Dalla Valle Maya- USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (12/1/2008)
Wow first tasting note. What a big and tannic wine, unbelievable how much longevity is left in this wine… . A nose of cocoa and dark berries. Cedar, dark brooding fruit , hints of earth and tobacco with a lush undertone of bright fruit and milk waiting to peak out. A really full bodied wine with well done structure. I wish I had the time to really spend on this wine, I think it can develop to something very good… but with limited air time it was still a bit restrained. (94 pts.)
2003 Harlan Estate- USA, California, Napa Valley (12/1/2008)
A REALLY weird nose on this wine, one of Siracha (Vietnamese hot sauce) and garlic with baked vanilla and dark berry. I couldn’t help myself and I kept sniffing the wine… it’s oddness is alluring. A mix of blackberries with strawberry and raspberry on the palate. Bits of spiciness with mocha. A very seamless wine where everything is perfectly balanced and shows nicely. Could benefit from significant time in the decanter. Still pretty huge with moderate tannins on the finish. (94 pts.)
1991 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select- USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District (12/1/2008)
A big old nose of deep musty rich floral bouqet with copious amounts of dark fruit, barnyard,leather and licorice. Really dark brooding fruit mixed with cedar, smoke,tobacco and pepper on the palate. Really soft but with a nice sturdy tannic backbone that makes me believe this wine still has some age on it. Really complex and complete wine, everything mixed well with each other and exposed itself at the opportune times to keep you coming back. (93 pts.)
1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia- USA, California, Napa Valley (12/1/2008)
Nice nose, dusty earth with rich cocoa and strawberry. Very lush fruit forward with fresh vanilla sticks, hints of mint with a really nice acidity balanced with nice gripping tannins. Still pretty young. As good as everyone says it is! (93 pts.)
2000 Sine Qua Non Sémillon Mr. K The Straw Man- USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley (12/1/2008)
Smooth nectar is probably the best phrase for this wine. Fresh (but not overwhelming amounts) of honey with fuji apple, really relaxing on the nose. Rich syrup but smooth like nectar, not like drinking glycerin with a nice balance of mild tropical fruits and sweet apples drizzled with honey, one question tho… what’s this oak doing in my dessert wine!. Shows it’s age, not as UP FRONT and in your face as other young dessert wines tend to be, which is a surprise cause I thought Manfred insists all SQN be up front and in your face =P. (93 pts.)
2003 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon- USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (12/1/2008)
The wine takes a bit of time to open up but when it does you get a really nice nose of light berries, clove, and (as Mark said) dry Ghirardelli chocolate. Really smooth and rounded but with a short finish. A bit green but has really soft silky fruit that lightly pets your tastebuds mixed in with some of that high grade chocolate. Does it need time? I have no idea. pretty good but it doesn’t have me SCREAMING (hehehe) (93 pts.)
2004 Sine Qua Non Pinot Noir Covert Fingers- USA, California (12/1/2008)
2nd time in the last month or two that i’ve had this. Pretty similar notes but it showed a lot better this time. It wasn’t as “thick” as last time, with a nice mellow fruit to it and a softness that I didn’t get last time. Otherwise notes match along with before, “A big ol nose with tons of cola, baked bread, strawberry jam, and a bit of alcohol. An absolute monster of a wine, almost syrah like with big dark luscious concentrated blackberry, blue berry, raspberry fruit and a good deal of pepper.” (93 pts.)
2005 Sine Qua Non Pinot Noir Over & Out- USA, California (12/1/2008)
This is the second time I’ve had the wine, and the second time I’ve been kinda underwhelmed by it. Really bright cherry and other red fruits on the nose with a bit of fresh baked bread. Really soft on the palate with a nice amount of strawberry and raspberry. The problem with the wine is the acid is out of balance… cringe worthy in the amount of acid, it’s a bit too hot as well on the finish. It does have an incredibly long finish of fresh berries. It feels kind of disjointed to me. (90 pts.)
2002 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten- USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills (12/1/2008)
A hot muted nose from the pop and pour but it started to open up with strawberry jam and sweet cookies, but still the nose was a bit weak. THe palate itself was diluted on the mid palate with not much going on and the finish was a light cherry mixed with black pepper. Still a very tannic wine, but it didn’t explode with fruit and wasn’t as big as the Sea Smoke in recent vintages (89 pts.)
Perhaps even more interesting than 10 years ago is how long I have been on CT. Since 2004. What scares me most is the total number of bottles consumed.
Anyway, on 12/31/08 it was:
2000 Contero Fantino Parussi
Krug Grand Cuvee
2006 Aubert Lauren
Not terribly suprising as my palate had not moved fully old world/traditional yet.
Ten years ago tonight - it appears I liked bdx! I think tonight is a taste of my future. Babysitting a toddler grandchild (well more like assisting my wife with babysitting), drinking a half bottle at home, and listening to jazz. Long live the music of Oscar Peterson.
1990 Château Lafite Rothschild- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Side by side of the 89 and 90 Lafite tonight, both out of magnum. The crowd was about 9 to 1 in preferring the 89. I thought the 89 was smoother, a bit more relaxed than the 90, and had a more approachable sweetness. The 90 is still a bit brooding, and while certainly in its drinking window, will benefit from further ageing.
1983 Château Mouton Rothschild- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
From magnum. Great performance. Not as bretty as it frequently is, and as a result more of a crowd pleaser. Side by side with the 83 Pichon Lalande, which I favored, but a number of folks liked the Mouton better. Always delivers a solid bdx experience, a reference level 83 claret.
1989 Château Lafite Rothschild- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Side by side of the 89 and 90 Lafite tonight, both out of magnum. The crowd was about 9 to 1 in preferring the 89. I thought the 89 was smoother, a bit more relaxed than the 90, and had a more approachable sweetness. The 90 is still a bit brooding, and while certainly in its drinking window, will benefit from further ageing.
1990 Château d’Yquem- France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Great wine, drinking perfectly, and will likely be ageless. Drink easily, or hold, good either way.
1975 Château La Conseillante- France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
From magnum. Great wine, soft, perfume, still holding on. Love this wine.
2001 E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto- France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
A very good showing. I had a bad bottle recently (see Jeff Nowak’s note), and prior to that had drunk this wine a couple of times a few years ago and loved it. This bottle was great, although somewhat subdued relative to the bottles a few years back. The fruit was great, everything was in balance, just not the fruit bomb I remembered (which is a good thing actually). Its now strutting its stuff in a more sophisticated way. A great QPR wine, that anyone should seek out. Buy this.
1990 Château d’Yquem- France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
2nd bottle tonight. Great wine, drinking perfectly, and will likely be ageless. Drink easily, or hold, good either way.
1970 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage- Portugal, Douro, Porto
An excellent bottle of port. Sweet but not overbearing, not ragged edges, simply wonderful port.
Fun thread. I went back looked over my notes. This happened on Dec 26th, 2008. we put together a dinner for a vineyard manager friend who was working at Ridge at the time. He’s on to other Napa venues these days. And the restaurant is long gone.
Wish I could have had another crack at the '78 Monte Bello for my 50th this year.
Andy Velebil set up a quick dinner for his friend Caleb who is in town for the weekend on a respite from working at Ridge, poor fella. They regaled us with stories of frolicking and playing through the vineyards of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Such innocence, such youth, such boyhood wonder.
We had no formal theme but somehow ended up with a terrific lineup of Cali Cabs across 30 years. We also got a variety of styles and levels of maturity even among the attendees. Most all of the wines performed pretty well minus one corked bottle. My WOTN would be the '99 Seavey which I enjoyed revisiting quite a bit. Other contenders would be the 78 Monte Bello, 96 Chimney Rock, the 99 Dimaond Creek and the 2001 Nalle Zin.
Seems as though the food performance was much more mixed than our last visit though the restaurant took very good care of us and gave us our own area where we could spread out. Thanks all for a terrific and fun evening as always.
2007 J. Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Citrus skin nose. Nicely balances its substantial palate weight. A nice sweet n sour character. Much better than I remembered their SB’s being. Closer to New Zealand than Sancerre but a nice drink.
2001 La Chablisienne Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles- France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Funky nose that seems to lessen with swirling revealing a nice mineral character. Palate brought a nice lean feel and was also better after swirling. The note of something that could have been premox seemed to stick around though not over powering. Seems to be similar to my last go around as well as others notes.
1978 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Very well aged Cab nose and one that by itself would make me think the wine was nearing its end. But the palate was beautiful and substantial yet. Nice evenness with balancing tannins. This was really a classic well aged Cab that is a lovely drink. A rare treat that didn’t last very long.
1984 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill- USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
Touch of heat on the nose with nice cedar and sweet cassis. Still a touch of sweetness on a very even feeling palate. Good grip though I found it faded some at the finish. Nice but didn’t open up the way I hoped it would.
1990 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon- USA, California, Napa Valley
Seemed to show more green notes that typically is found on a Forman. It seemed to mellow out over a couple hours with more cedar and tobacco coming out. Palate was fairly tart with a nice lean feel. Not one of the better showings for a Forman for me. Just OK.
1994 Justin Vineyards & Winery Isosceles- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Odd nose was hard to pin down but I did get some sweetness. This was on the tart side with a strong grip. Nicely flavored it overcomes a weak mid palate with a big finish. Seemed to pick up some weight over dinner. My 2nd go around with this year and I’ve liked it both times.
1996 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve- USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
Rich nose of dark cassis with notes of spicey pepper. Very nice palate feel for such a rich wine with late acting tannins. This would seem to have a long life ahead of it and has yet to see its best days. Very good.
1999 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow- USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
Nose of dusty soils. Tons of depth and richness. Tannins have a nice soft feel to them. This had a nice redwood quality and went well with the food. Seems to have plenty of time ahead of it yet.
1999 Seavey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon- USA, California, Napa Valley
Nose was initially tight giving up some chocolate and dusty rocks. Early on it was grippy with some green notes on the end. Later on the palate became explosive with very nice richness and a more traditionally expressive Cab flavors. Probably best with 5-10 more years but great now once it got some air. My WOTN.
2003 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard H&C- USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Heavy nose of oak and chocolate, bit disjointed. Long lengthy palate with lots of espresso and more chocolate. Tannins are a bit late, rough and green. I think it has potential but will benefit from some more rest.
2006 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon- USA, California, Napa Valley
Heavy nose with some heat. Seems a bit tight with a note of spice. Soft rich primary with lots of chocolate. Thick and tannic with some more heat. Did I mention the chocolate? Definitely a big fat oak driven style and a big contrast from the Pinots.
2001 Nalle Zinfandel- USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
Soft nose with nice subtle spice. Very pretty with subtly sweet zinberry across a well balanced palate. There was some Provencal type spices I find in Southern Rhones. A terrific Zin in a nearly forgotten style. Excellent dinner wine.
This was fun. I joined CT in 2004, but did not start actively using it until about 5 years ago. So I had to go digging into one of several Word files from that time with well over 1,000 TNs I still have not organized and put in my books or on CT. The end of 2008 was the very beginning of the biggest and wildest wine tasting streak of my life. I am not sure if will ever be repeated. In any event, while there were no 12-31-08 notes- here are the selections from 2 dinners and a lunch all right at the end of December 2008,
1988 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild
1992 Raveneau Chablis Montee de la Tonnerre
1996 Maison Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules
1989 Chateau Latour
1999 Egon-Müller Scharzhofberger Spatlese Auction
MV Krug Grand Cuvee- current release
1999 Dom Perignon
Krug Rose- 2005 release (shipped 2005)
1996 Jadot Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot Clos Chapelle
1996 J.M. Boillot Batard-Montrachet
1992 Roumier Musigny
1992 Comte de Vogue Musigny
2001 Lignier-Michelot Clos de la Roche
1996 Roumier Chambolle Musigny Les Amoureuses
1988 Drouhin Bonnes-Mares
1989 Domaine Roumier Bonnes-Mares
1995 Domaine Bertheau Bonnes-Mares
1996 Roumier Musigny
1997 Roumier Musigny
2004 Saxum Broken Stones- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (12/27/2008)
BYO at Roy’s Restaurant in Las Vegas. This is a truly outstanding wine that has lost a little bit of the explosive up front force of its youth and has thus revealed the complexities of its back bone. There is a melange of raspberry from the Grenache, silky smoothness of the Mourvedre and spice from the Syrah. I did not even notice the alcohol level, so it has smoothed out as well. But this is not a shy and retiring wine. There’s meatiness, a bit of smokiness, a long finish and a virtually opaque red-black color. (92 pts.)
2001 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red- USA, California, Napa Valley (12/27/2008)
At Roy’s Restaurant in Las Vegas. Decanted for only about 10 minutes. This is a great wine that has developed complexity over time. Red fruit, chocolate and roast meat predominate. A bit of coffee and a tiny bit of vanilla from the oak but you have to go looking for it. The wood doesn’t smack you in the face. Very dark. This was especially interesting because it was only 10 days after the Ghost Horse Challenge and points out that two relaxed larger pours allow you to appreciate a wine much more than 2 ounces you have to drink fast because there are 11 wines to try. I enjoyed this wine much more than any of the wines that night, although I know that if I drank this next to the 2002 SHSS (exactly what I did about 2 years ago), the SHSS is a bit better. Not to criticize the other format, which I enjoyed immensely, but there is a huge taste advantage to relaxed drinking of wine over 2 hours. (94 pts.)
2004 Schäfer-Fröhlich Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs- Germany, Nahe (12/27/2008)
Off the list at Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas. A great find at any restaurant; a stupendous find at a hole in the wall in a strip mall next door to a wig shop, and extraordinary at only $65. The wine has a pale golden color, a riesling soft nose of white fruit, and a palate of white fruit, minerals and fresh clean rocks. No sugar and technically pretty close to bone dry but it has the appearance of sweetness from the wonderful fruit. Drinks extremely well with the Thai food but would stand up exquisitely on its own. This lacks a bit of the complexity and strength of the Keller GGs I have had, but it is in the same ball park. (91 pts.)
2005 DuMOL Chardonnay Chloe- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/27/2008)
Off the list for $85 at Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas. I paid $60 plus shipping to buy the exact same wine from the winery. 'Nuf said about a great restaurant pricing policy. This is a sublimely delicious wine. There were four of us but I got just one glass because one of our guests was a chardonnay lover and devoured this wine. White fruit predominates with creamy soft vanilla, floral notes and some kumquat/mandarin orange citrus in the background. There’s pear and some white peach along with chardonnay grape flavor. Excellent balance and a long finish. Kerry Murphy told me a few years ago that he was aiming for a more Burgundian style of chardonnay than the more common CA style. I think it would be fair to say he straddles a middle ground. No wood chips and no sweet syrupy vanilla a la pop culture CA chardonnay. (93 pts.)
2005 Scholium Project Glos McDowell- USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford (12/27/2008)
Brought to Lotus of Siam at the recommendation of another BB member so we could give a glass of Scholium to Bang, but Bang was off for lunch so we left him a glass in the bottom of the bottle. This is an outstanding wine with a mix of tropical fruit and floral notes of a good sauvignon blanc with the minerality that Abe Schoener always seems to stuff into his wines. The Scholium wines always have some extra component that comes out of the grape that is often missed in other wines. Imagine what would happen if you took, let’s say, the light fruity flavor of a good New Zealand SB and added the minerality and acidity of a white Bordeaux. Abe gets both in the same glass. I have a few more of these and I look forward to having one without food (especially spicy food) because I think it will be even better on its own. (92 pts.)
2002 Bressler Cabernet Sauvignon- USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (12/31/2008)
Very nice CA Cab. Decanted for an hour then drunk over five hours. The nose develops over time along with the palate. It’s tight to start, but the nose gradually develops red fruit, eucalyptus, and a very light coffee and tobacco. The palate likewise builds up red fruit, meatiness, coffee, perhaps a tad chocolate. After four hours or so, there’s even a bit of Bordeaux saddle leatherin the background. Color is clean dark red wine color, almost opaque when the decanter is held close to the light. The finish is average, not particularly memorable. (91 pts.)
2004 Dain Wines Pinot Noir American Beauty Amber Ridge Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/31/2008)
Age has served this wine very well. The nose is now a strong tart cherry. The color is darker than I expected, clean red wine color and opaque unless you hold the decanter up to the light, but not quite as dark as the Bressler Cab we had after it. The palate is red fruit and what I have to call mature pinot funk because I don’t know what else to call it. When young I’m not a big fan, but when older, it’s a pleasant balance that adds complexity. None of those bad things that people complain about in CA pinot like cherry coke and “too sweet and syrupy.” Finish is average. (91 pts.)
2004 Pax Syrah Cuvée Christine- USA, California, Sonoma County (1/1/2009)
Brought to Boulud’s at the Wynn in Las Vegas. I threw the bottle into a bag on my way to the restaurant, figuring we would drink it afterwards in the casino because I thought DB did not allow BYO. It turned out that they did, with a $50 corkage, and I decided to pay the fee (more than average but it’s Vegas and the wine list prices were making me dizzy). This wine has really smoothed out over the past 2 years. Popped, decanted and poured. The nose was a little light but the palate was very strong. Roast meats, red fruit, spiciness but a very smooth mouth feel that has developed softness with a bit of age. Moderate finish. (92 pts.)
I will only admit that I brought a double maggie of Monbousquet (Moonbiscuit) to a NYE party. I had not tried it before, but certainly the critics liked the 2000 vintage. In a house party of high-end Cali wines, plus one Cheval Blanc, not many people touched the Moonbiscuit, and I was left with the 1998 Cheval almost to myself. It was a terrible evening.
Fun thread. No idea. But I looked on Wine Disorder to see if a record of NYE 2009 was preserved. Nope as far as I could tell. (The WD search feature is a challenge.)
Closest thing I could find were these two gems written up by and/or involving some internet wine legends some of you know/knew and love/loved or um embody.
Another data point: Jan 6, 2009. Great dinner at now-defunct Trestle on Tenth with Jim Grossberg (guest of honor), Sasha Katsman, Joe Dougherty, and Josh Raynolds. But can’t reconstruct what we drank. From email, probably CRB Sauvignon 2007, something older and good from Rougeard/Breton/Baudry/Raffault, a Dauvissat Clos, etc. A fine time was had by all, but Josh was stuck at Penn Station afterward for a couple hours hauling himself back to Long Island.
I was with my wife and two women friends of ours. I always pulled out an “American Beauty” in those situations. I wish someone else making good wine would pick up the name and start using it again because my Dain versions are all gone. Patricia Green Cellars?
Looking back, I think this was when my wine focus started to change…I start seeing more aged wines. This was the summer I discovered Musar. Stand-out wines in 2008 were:
1975 Château Margaux
1988 Stony Hill Riesling
1991 Stony Hill Chardonnay
1995 Chateau Musar
1999 Domaine Roulot Monthélie (This was only $35/bottle back then)
