PENTHOUSE TASTING - Millennium Hilton - New York, NY (2/17/2012)
I was upgraded to the Penthouse Governor’s Suite at the Millennium Hilton and invited some friends over to enjoy the views and open some wine. Fun night.
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NV Marie-Noelle Ledru Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Ambonnay, Champagne
This wasn’t a powerful Champagne - in the mold of, say, Krug - but much more feminine and exotic. Beautiful floral notes merged with sweet lemon and lime tones to create an elegant and racy champagne. (93 pts.) -
1995 Fiorano (Boncompagni Ludovisi) Malvasia di Candia Vino da Tavola Bianco Botte 32 - Italy, Latium, Vino da Tavola Bianco
I enjoyed this very much. Beautiful fresh herbal tones, white florals and subtle apple and pear tones composed this wine. It had nice energy and complexity on the palate. I’d definitely seek this out again. -
2001 Weingut Knoll Riesling Kabinett Ried Pfaffenberg Steiner - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Seemed a bit tired and lacked the expressiveness that I expected. It had lithe tones of peach and lemon with subtle floral notes. The palate was, well, unprecise I thought and its muddled flavors lacked precision and clarity. (84 pts.) -
2007 Melsheimer Reiler Mullay-Hofberg Riesling Spätlese “Schäf” - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Nice tropical fruit tones with lots of minerals. The palate was sappy and round with vivid tropical fruit tones. Thought the acidity cut the fruit quite nicely. (89 pts.) -
2009 Paolo Bea Bianco Santa Chiara Umbria IGT - Italy, Umbria, Umbria IGT
Fascinating wine. Subtle orange notes with white floral and mineral tones. The palate is silky, complex and layered. Seashell, lemon, fresh herbs, and very subtle honey. Loved this. (92 pts.) -
2010 Pheasant’s Tears Mtsvane - Georgia, Kakheti
This was very bizarre. Nose smelled like bandaids, white florals, seashells and anise. The palate was lush with peach, apple, pear with lots of funky notes. Seemed somewhat disjointed, but was really interesting to track over the course of the evening. -
2006 Michel Gahier Savagnin Arbois - France, Jura, Arbois
The nose didn’t scream Jura as I had expected, but was far more reserved and mysterious. It had beautiful lemon and mineral tones - almost Muscadet like - with a palate that was dense and flavorful. It had subtle honeysuckle, citrus, white linen and spice notes on the palate. Awesome stuff. (91 pts.) -
2009 Azienda Vitivincola Guttarolo Primitivo Gioia del Colle Anfora - Italy, Puglia, Gioia del Colle
One of the more exotic and punishing wines I’ve come across. It has aromas of radish, cranberry, soil, compost and wet leaves. I consider myself a wine nerd, but even this pushed my comfort threshold. It had a strong sewage tone to the palate that was hard to shake. I love trying bottles like this, but wouldn’t recommend them for the faint of heart. (82 pts.) -
2009 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Another great bottle of the precocious young syrah. Rich and textured black fruit, meat and spice on the palate with silky mouthfeel and great acidity. Great stuff. (91 pts.) -
2004 Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie La Chavaroche - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
For a young Northern Rhone syrah, this had incredible depth on the nose and palate. Very rustic aromas of olives, meat, dark fruit and earth on the nose seemed to subtly whisper “syrah” each time I put my nose in the glass. The palate was silky and fine with more meat, olive and fresh floral tones - just a textbook example of a young Northern Rhone syrah in my book. (94 pts.)
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