Good to know! It sounds like, as in most cases, variety is the spice of life.
1 Like
Mark, the 2011 Allemand SS is just entering its peak drinking window with beguiling and kaleidoscopic aromas of black pepper, olive tepanade, violets, smokey meat, and brambly black fruit. The extra depth of stunning aromatic complexity is the biggest difference I can recall over the regular Chaillot and Reynard bottlings I’ve had from the same vintage. On the palate it took about a half hour to flip from a bit brooding and closed nature to a more expressive and polished fruit expression.
The tannins started out a bit chunky but smoothed out over several hours but I believe if you held on to this bottle for a few more years the fruit and structure may become more harmonious, but perhaps at the cost of losing a bit of the floral high tone aromas. My gut is if you have a single bottle wait a year or two longer for the best experience possible but of course you will be #winning if you open your bottle anytime over the next decade.
2 Likes
Yesterday was an amazing day in all respects. It stayed cool all day and made for some great tasting visits. Kevin, @RobB and I started out our day at The Red Barn in the Dundee Hills tasting with @Jim_Maresh. Our collective minds were blown, Not only were all the wines we tasted exceptional and unique but Jim is kind warm hearted individual whom we immediately felt comfortable with and spent the next few hours going down a rabbit hole on wine. In summary, it was an amazing tasting and display of hospitality. We were all impressed by the excellence, diversity and uniqueness of the tan fruit lineup. I will try and write some notes on the wines later but this will have to suffice for now.
My discovery of the day was this cheese curler that makes these beautiful little flowers of cheese. I will be getting one once I get home…
5 Likes
Ah! Tête de moine! My wife’s absolute favorite apéritif cheese. Invest in a good “curler” and keep it sharp. Otherwise, you’ll get chunky curls and destroy that beautiful half cheese wheel!
3 Likes
We visited Seth Morgen Long next and Kevin has all the pics so I will post my thoughts and photos in another post.
Dinner Friday night was at the Joel Palmer House which is known for their extensive usage of mushrooms in their cuisine. @RobB, Kevin and I were joined by Rob’s friend @M_Royer of Royer vineyards. The menus was tasty and well presented and an epic cheese and dessert course along with some killer wines. I didn’t capture all the courses but captured most.
Escargot
Mushroom Trio
Elk Carpacio
Mussels
Cucumber Gaspacho
Duck
NY Strip and mushroom chimi sauce
Epic Cheese Course
Dessert
3 Likes
2 Likes
Behind on tasting notes and visits but will get caught up. Headed to the Post IPNC Throwdown this morning see you folks there. We had a great sesh last night Nathan and @Vincent_Fritzsche.
Rob and Kevin
Vincent
A few of the many bottles we opened last night
@ToddFrench was supposed to come over and hit the Dehlingers that I brought for him. But another time I guess…
Sean
1 Like
Sucks I missed out on those old Dehlingers!! Since Alaska Airlines basically paid for our whole trip out here, I was rather obligated to hang out - would much rather have hit you guys up, trust me
1 Like
This dinner looked fantastic. We went to Bistro Maison - they had incredible oysters Sat evening, and I’m a big fan of their mussels.
2 Likes
Sean, thanks for sharing. I need to attend IPNC next year. I’m looking forward to everyone’s impressions from today’s 2013 tasting…
Did Vincent get a haircut???
Nah, It was tuked up in a pony tail…
and we’ve got a case plus of leftovers including the dehlinger for pre-wines at the throwdown today
Sean
2 Likes
Saw Vincent, Sean, @Rick_Allen and @Adam_Lee there - nabbed an early flight home so I can have a short stint AT home before leaving tomorrow early am to help my daughter move in, or I’d have stuck around longer - awesome weather this year (but that’s compared to last year’s inferno)
1 Like
Great to see you Todd, and glad you got a chance to try our beer. I also saw @Eric_LeVine, @Adam_Noble, and @Andy_Steinman. I suspect there are others I forgot…
1 Like
@Rick_Allen great to meet you! And the same to @Adam_Lee.
I was down at IPNC for the first time with a contingent from Seattle and Minnesota. Only looking at this thread do I realize that there were a ton more Berserkers I know or SHOULD know who were there. C’est la vie!
It seems impossible to believe that I completely forgot to look for other WB attendees until the Salmon Bake. But I’m awfully glad I ran into you Rick, and I really enjoyed the Smoked Lager! Like Eric, this was my first IPNC and it was fantastic. I’m sorry I missed meeting more of y’all in person! Maybe next time?
1 Like
And Rick, please let us know when/where we can find your beers in the Seattle area. One of the few good things during the pandemic was being to find a few of your beers on Drizly with regularity… Looking at your website, I see The Masonry in Queen Anne which I live less than half a mile from and have never been to. Sort of embarrassed…
As your first IPNC, did you find it hard to meet people? Or did you come with a group already? IPNC looks interesting to me, but I’m afraid I’d just sit there twiddling my thumbs since I don’t really know anybody else who would be there.
1 Like
Bottleworks in Wallingford, Teku Tavern near Denny Triangle, Ridgewood Bottle & Tap on Phinney