TN: 05 HdV Chard, 91 Mayacamas Cab with Loren Sonkin

WINE TALK
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Met up with board member Loren Sonkin last week in Napa for a nice dinner and a couple bottles of wine. It was great to meet Loren and pick his brain about Crushpad, the wine business, and Cleveland.

2005 Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay - Haven’t had this in a while, I kinda forgot how much I like it. Little oak on the nose with butter, nutiness, and lemons. Superb balance, just a well made Chard that has California fruit with a French build.

1991 Mayacamas - Bought off the wine list…and I’m glad I did! This bottle was just awesome. Tobacco, plums, dried currants on the nose. Still a deep color with slight tannin still to be resolved. Nice acid to keep it fresh. Started off a little tight, and after 30 minutes or so was just scary good. This bottle was in great condition and would have lasted another 10 years easy. Drinking oh so well, the oldest Mayacamas I have had and it was a treat!

Thanks again for joining our party for dinner Loren, hope to drink with you again soon.

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Curses [head-bang.gif]

My aunt snagged my last one a month ago when she went rifling through my cellar stock for some take-homes to London.

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Thanks for the post on the HdV, I think I have 1 bottle of the 07, I’ll be interested to break that open in a year or two maybe.

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Hi Mike, it was great seeing you and your friends. Thanks for letting me tag along.

I liked the HdV (and I don’t like a lot of Cal Chards). Just a whiff of oak, but within my limits. I liked that it was crisp.

The Mayacamas was very good. Still quite youthful. I certainly would have thought a decade younger. A good deal on the list as well. It was just starting to show some complexities.

If your ever in Cleveland, let me know.

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Yeah, you can wait on it. They are built very well, wouldn’t age them forever, bu t a few years should be perfect.

Also, I’m suprised the chard has gotten more chatter than the cab!