Six very fortunate people enjoyed a fine sunset dinner on the outside patio of the Belmond El Encanto restaurant with the following wines:
2002 A.R. LENOBLE CUVEE GENTILHOMME BdB- the last bottle I had of this bubbly was slightly oxidized and I was suspicious of this one when I first noticed the aromatics; fortunately that character blew off and what followed was charm and complete satisfaction; in a medium body with some tanginess, the fruit profile had some pear, mild peach and nectarine flavors; there was some decent acidity and along with the creamy mouthfeel and nice finish, it was a very good bottle.
2004 VINEYARD 29 ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC- one at our table stated this was one of the best Sauv Blancs in CA and I have to agree; this reminded more of Bordeaux than CA; with a green and gold color, it was rich and creamy with a medium to full body, gave up lots of slightly toasty honeysuckle, lemon and lime fruit and a touch of coconut which I presume comes from oak influence; this stellar wine is powered by fine acidity and has good balance now and I expect it to be quite viable for years to come; one stated this does not go through malolactic fermentation which I would have thought it would have been the case given the texture and richness; an excellent savory wine.
2011 AUBERT LAUREN VINEYARD SONOMA COUNTY CHARDONNAY- were on a roll as this fits right in with the beginning wines on the night; it is redolent with joyful spicy citrusy notes and fine minerality dancing along all the way to the back end in a medium body; its simply delicious and begs for more sip sized tastes; I obliged.
2009 AU BON CLIMAT ISABELLE PINOT NOIR- this youngster is showing so good out of the gate; already nicely balanced, it has the typical Isabelle Bien Nacido Vineyard donated spiciness that accompanies the wonderful strawberry and cherry flavors with some raspberry backup; soft and easy on the palate, it goes on and on and history if this wine from this producer tells me, this will be a star amongst stars in 10- 15 years and beyond.
1995 GRACE FAMILY VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON- I`ve often heard one of our table members state the term “righteous juice” and this definitely qualifies for such a label; it is in such a good place now and certainly has evolved into a total charmer with elegance and underlying power; I loved everything about this including the so pleasant black currant and black cherry notes that are backed up by some blueberry coming end at the end; it had a silky smooth mouthfeel, lots of depth and layered complexity and nice length; great Cabernet.
2010 RIEUSSEC SAUTERNES- no question, this is dessert in a glass and for all of us at the table, it served to do just that as no dessert courses were ordered nor necessary; even at this infant stage, it gives up so much including honeyed lemon, lime, grapefruit and pineapple; it`s thick and almost chewy and goes on forever; this is a winner now and shall be for decades.
This evening was about sharing great engaging conversations with great people while enjoying good food and a fantastic array of fine wines in an outstanding environment. Life is good.
Cheers,
Blake