My first dinner party for 8 in my condo.
With assorted cheeses
2007 Juslyn Sauvignon Blanc
One of my favourite U.S. producers for SB, Lightly tantalizing bouquet of white flowers, a teensy bit of marzipan and lemon-water. Le gout is very clean and still relatively crisp, maybe with a little wood showing through now, but certainly nothing bothersome. While it’s lost some vibrancy, it is an elegant expression of SB that I enjoyed on this night.
With Peach Amaretto soup
2003 Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay
This was a very curious animal. Started out fairly reticent to sniff, with just hints of wood, pear, apple and toast. In the mouth, it presented very clean lines, reminiscent of a Chablis, really. Ah…but (vastly surprisingly) with the pasta in cream arrabbiata tomato sauce, all of a sudden, the butterscotch and toffee side came blazing through. It was a wild transformation. Does this need more time? Probably not, but it will hold for some time to come.
With pasta shells in arrabbiata cream tomato sauce
2002 Hubert De Montille Volnay Les Brouillards
A really lovely set of aromatics, sweet raspberry, bits of cherry, lots of floral (lilac comes to mind in particular, but other stuff too), the bouquet just floats and dances on my nostrils. To taste, this is still pretty lean and acid-driven, but the fruit and underlying earthiness is there, and it begins to open up after some air time. Also surprisingly works with tiramisu and chocolate dessert. I am confident this has the stuff to be good wine, just needs another 5 years. I will keep my 2nd bottle for at least that long
With wild boar in ancho chili, coffee, maple syrup and lagavulin whisky marinade
2002 Mitolo G.A.M. Shiraz
Voluptuous smells of blackberry and blueberry jam with a touch of meats and cherries. This has a velveteen texture on the palate, but the problem now is that it’s not backed up by any real presence. It just is sort of one-dimensional and limpid with sweet fruit. To me, this is a lesson that, with the GAMs and other Mitolos, I’m going to like them best right at release when there are still some primary elements to balance out that texture—which I do like—and give the extra level of experience that I’m looking for. A 97 or so on release, it’s no more than an 88 tonight.
With tiramisu cake and Ghirardelli’s chocolate sauces (various)
2006 Yalumba Wrattonbully botrytis Viognier
I have loved this stuff because it’s such a fresh, light snack of a wine. And vibrant peach and melon scents are very present here, along with a swatch of orange. This does dance on the tongue, but it also has a bitter snap in the middle (which the 07s have too) that has not been there in times past. It’s distracting and something I definitely don’t like. Only fair wine because of that.
2000 Chateau Dereszla Tokaji Aszu 5 putts
Presents very typical to me with figs, a bit of raisin and some apricot. Has some thickness but by no means cloying, with that slightly marmalade accent that I like to have in Tokaji. This stuff is always better or more expressive after a few days. I will report back.