Don and Tracy Nuzzo were in town and we had a small, casual get together last night to celebrate them finally leaving our house Charles Morgan was in attendance as well as a couple of other friends from London. Thankfully nothing was corked, and we had some awesome cheeses (Vacherin Mont d’Or and Livarot) courtesy of Charles and La Cave a Fromage. Food consisted of a three-cheese & fig tart as well as a beef tenderloin and Robuchon-style mashed potatoes (500 grams of butter with 2kg of potatoes).
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2005 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (3/21/2009)
Provided by Don Nuzzo. Both Don and Charles thought there was something wrong with this–it wasn’t corked, but it apparently showed less fruit and way more acid than other bottles. I actually found it to be quite drinkable, although it wasn’t my style as it was so high in acid. True to the grape, this showed cherry and hints of cola, along with some hard spice, but these flavors were overpowered by the tartness. Would love to taste a “correct” version of this wine. (85 pts.) -
2006 Sine Qua Non The Hoodoo Man - USA, California (3/21/2009)
This was the wine I was drinking while I was preparing dinner, so I didn’t get as much time or quantity as I would have liked. However, it is still one of the best whites I’ve ever had, and definitely showed as well as the last bottle. It will be interesting to see how this ages, and I’ll do my best to keep a bottle or two for the long haul, but it is so good now it’s hard to keep my hands off. (97 pts.) -
1999 Saint-Cosme CĂ´te-RĂ´tie - France, RhĂ´ne, Northern RhĂ´ne, CĂ´te-RĂ´tie (3/21/2009)
Provided by Charles Morgan, and tasted alongside a '99 Guigal Chateau d’Ampuis. This was showing better at this particular moment, but probably has a bit less age potential than the Guigal. This had well-rounded red fruits, with much more resolved tannins and a softer mouthfeel. It probably has several years at this level, and it would be interesting to revisit both of these wines in 5 years time. (93 pts.) -
1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d’Ampuis - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (3/21/2009)
This was an excellent wine, although consumed a bit early. Would be interesting to taste it in 5 years or so. Definitely had a bit more stuffing and age potential than the '99 St. Cosme we had alongside, but wasn’t showing the fruit as nicely and this still has some rough edges to work out. I may actually be acquiring a taste, finally, for Rhone wines (vs. Rhone-style wines from the US which I already love). (92 pts.) -
2001 Sine Qua Non Midnight Oil - USA, California, Central Coast (3/21/2009)
I’ve probably had this SQN Syrah more than any other, and I’ve always enjoyed it. Tonight’s bottle was arguably the best one I’ve had, lending some weight to whether or not these are age-worthy wines. I realize that at age 8 this isn’t exactly an ancient wine, but I think it will continue to improve. It has lost a bit of the exuberance, but the balance has improved, and this remains a wine that is incredibly elegant while still being “big”. Had alongside a couple of Cote Roties, and there is no comparison because these are so, so different. (96 pts.) -
2004 Maculan Torcolato - Italy, Veneto, Breganze (3/21/2009)
Provided by Matt Bird. Wow–what a great wine! Intense yellow color, with lots of passionfruit, hints of sweet grapefruit, maybe some mango or papaya. Great balance, with plenty of acidity, this was a revelation for me as far as Italian sweet wines go. Not sure what I’d compare it to, as it had more zesty citrus than a Sauternes, less sweetness and carmel than a Kracher or a California dessert wine, yet showed elements of both. Of course, I’ve never heard of the grapes that make the majority of this wine (Vespaiola, Garganega), so it’s not surprising that it’s hard to describe (94 pts.)