Had a group from one of the other boards get together for another fun night at PDH. Good to see DoubleD and the TBird’s again, and to meet GMan and Noiregonian! Pics on my Facebook already, or at http://picasaweb.google.com/markjahnke/PekingDuckhouseOffline02#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Here’s the lineup as I remember it(I didn’t write them all down in order), as well as my notes:
Beer: Estrella something or other: Damn tasty, and I would love to drink this again.
Sparkler: 2004 Bruno Giacosa: didn’t write down much on this other than the fact that it was a bit nutty. Go figure.
Whites:
'05 Peay Roussanne/Marsanne (Sonoma Coast) - some honey and oak on the nose, with some tart green apple on the palate.
'06 Peay Roussanne/Marsanne (Sonoma Coast) - more brown sugar and honey on the nose, with some apple and pear on the palate. Nice back bone, and some oak on the finish.
'07 Peay Roussanne/Marsanne (Sonoma Coast) - Very floral nose, with some citrus on the nose. Very nice, young, slightly acidic onthe palate, with some pear and hints o apple on the palate. A hint of peanut butter on the finish. Weird!
I rated the '06 the highest, followed by the '07, and then the '05.
Reds:
'96 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Vignes Rondes - lots of tar and rubber on the nose when this was first opened, with hints of must, and a ton of ketchup. Ketchup? WTF? A bit of strawberry on the palate, but not showing a ton. Regardless, this opened up nicely later in the night.
'01 Ken Wright Freedom Hill - gorgeous dark color in the glass! Dark red fruits on the nose, with hints of a berry tart on the palate. Nice and earthy, and it opened up nicely. Pretty tight at first.
'00 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve - surprisingly, not a lot of WOW factor to this wine. Tons of maple syrup on the nose when this was first opened. Definitely needed time to open up. Some spice on the nose, with hints of plum, strawberry, and earth. On the palate, othing really stood out, just your typical dark fruits. Not much on the finish, and kind of boring. Bummer I held onto it for all these years. Was drinking much better 2-3 years ago.
'04 Thomas - Dundee Hills - very subdued wine, with a bit of red fruit on the nose. Maybe some cherry and strawberry. On the palate, not a ton really, but more bright red, very subdued fruits. Someone said this wine was cooked, but I disagree 100%. I don’t think I got to revisit this after it had opened up, but I have never been disappointed with Thomas.
'05 Anthill Farms - nice wine with some seriously insane grapefruit on the nose. On the palate, some nice bright red ruits. Pleasant finish made for a very nice wine, which also opened up nice!
'06 Porter Creek RRV Fiona Hill Vineyard - this was by far my least favorite wine of the night. A bit of bright cherry on the nse, but that was about it. Some sweet fruit in the mouth with some serious heat and tannin. Tannic finish…this wine was definitely missing something for me…
'02 Williams Selyem Ferrington Vineyard - this almost reminded me of a late harvest pinot or something, and was nothing at all like previous bottles we had in the cellar. Some dark plum and prune on the nose. Nothing but dark verripe fruit on the palate, and very thick, with a hint of sweetness. Total opposite from the last bottle we had that was almost sour. Weird!
White for fun:
'08 Kung Fu Girl Riesling - Washington State - At this point, my palate was fried, and I didn’t take any formal notes. I remember some citrus and apple, and a nice crisp acidity, along with a mellow sweetness. Not bad for the price, and would be a nice summer sipper. Fun wine for the money!
Anyway, my notes are kind of lame, but I was too caught up in the night. Regardless, there were no standout wines, but it was a fun night, and I look forward to the next! Let’s do it! -mJ