We tried these wines at John’s ystrday (10/26/14):
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Dom.Sainte-Anne AC: CdR-Villages (MeBaD; 100% Viognier; 13%) SainteAnne “LesCellettes”
SaintGervais/Gard 1988: Med.gold color; some nutty/toasted hazelnuts bit smokey/honeyed slight pear/Viog
bit oxidative complex nose; slightly tart/tangy/metallic some nutty/toasted hazelnuts/oxidative/honeyed
very light pear/Viog bit smokey/earthy flavor; med.long bit oxidative strong nutty/toasted hazelnuts slight
earthy/honeyed/pear/Viog finish; fairly classic old Rhone white w/ some Viog fruit still peeking out. $6.95 (SWC)
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Hugel GWT AC: Alsace (VendangeTardive; Selectionne par JeanHugel; 12.5%) Riquewihr 1976: Deep golden/burnished
bronze color; beautiful spicy/nutmeg/old GWT honeyed/smokey cedary/pencilly some lychee/old GWT slight herbal/
rosemary very complex classic old GWT nose; soft/rich/lush strong nutmeg/cinammon/spicy very honeyed ripe/lychee/
GWT/perfumey slightly off-dry very complex flavor; very long/lingering off-dry (.5%?) very honeyed/spicy/nutmeg
some lychee/GWT/perfumed very complex finish that goes on & on; a spectacular example of an old Alsatian GWT.
$20.00/720 ml (A)
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J.J.Prum WehlenerSonnenuhr Auslese (Riesling; QmP; A.P.Nr. 2 576 511 8 89; 7.5%; EA) Wehlen 1988: Deep golden/
burnished bronze color; very Rheingau/buttery very Mosel valve oil/gout de petrol rather botrytis/apricotty
very complex old Mosel nose; bit tart very rich/lush/mouthfilling classic old Mosel/Mosel valve oil/petrol
very honeyed/botrytis/apricotty almost Rheingau/buttery very complex old Mosel flavor; very long/lingering
honeyed/apricotty/botrytis strong Mosel valve oil/aromatic/petrol somewhat sweet beautiful finish that keeps
on going; a beautiful/classic old Mosel Auslese that brings tears to my eyes. $16.70 (LM)
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Gaja DOCG: Barbaresco Sori SanLorenzo (13.5%; #4881 of 12,985; NielEmpson) 1982: Med.dark color w/ little bricking;
beautiful fragrant/perfumed floral/lilacs/violets/Nebb light road tar/pungent/smokey very complex classic old
Nebb nose; rather tart/lean bit astringent/bitey rather floral/lilacs/violets some road tar/licorice fairly
smooth/elegant flavor; very long quite floral/violets/Nebb slight tarry/pungent/licorice finish w/ light/
astringent/bit dried out tannins; a lovely old Barbaresco w/ classic old Nebb character but not mind-blowing.
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Malvira Renesium DOC: none (Vino Ottenuto da Uva Stramature; 90% Arneis/10% Muscat; www.Malvira.com; 12%;
TrinitaVnyd; botrytis grapes; frmtd in Fr.oak) Canale NV: Deep golden color; very strong/intense orangey/
grapey/very honeyed slight apricotty/botrytis bit complex beautiful nose; quite sweet bit soft very honeyed/
orangey/grapey slight botrytis/apricotty lovely rich/mouthfilling flavor; very long/lingering intense orangey/
honeyed/grapey light botrytis/peachy finish; very primary and more like a passito than a Sauternes but should
easily go out 20 yrs; silly price of $24.50 (SFW&S)
A wee BloodyPulpit:
- Every few months, a few of us get together at JohnBalagna’s to bring a tasting to him. John is one of
the pioneers of the modern NM wine industry. But, at 94 yrs of age, is not up to coming to my tastings anymore.
So some of us take a tasting to him periodically; taking wines out of our cellar to share. This was one such.
- Dom.SainteAnne: I have/had a bunch of these '88’s that we bought at SolanoWineCellars; back when BillEaston
owned it. They have all been quite good and have held up well. This version was rather better than the same
wine we had last week in my tasting.
- Hugel: This was one of two '76 GWT’s that Blair brought. Alas, the GustaveLorentz had 1/3’rd the btl ullaged
away and was pretty much shot, though gave some slight glimpses of its former glory. This VT was like they
used to make VendangeTardive in Alsace in the old days…dry, though rich/lush. In modern Alsace times,
almost all VT’s are slightly sweet to very sweet. This wine was also back in the days when all Alsatian wines
came in 72 cl btls. And American wines came in 4/5’ths quart btls. And the state of Alsatian wines was not
“dismal”. And all was right w/ the World.
Tom