These “little bottles” were consumed on Thursday and Sunday nights (the Fonseca on both nights!). Micheal Bowden was present for all three so maybe he can chime in with comments. There needs to be more little bottle love on this BB!
Ch. Margaux 1986 (375 ML):
Less muscular and unforgiving than in its standard format, but hey that’s half (get it?) the fun, right? Black currants, smoke and sap waft off the nose and dance on the palate. Smoke and violets play in the background along with tiny hints of red berries and small zaps of acid. This is such a fresh and vibrant wine in this format- so much less reluctant to show off early and play late. I still haven’t had a 750 that has really given up the goods but this one, this little baby, was a real treat. 95 points
Willi Schaefer Riesling Beerenauslese Graacher Domprobst 2005 (375 ML):
Like a laser beam- Dirty said . . . and it was. What a combination of finesse and richness! While there is an abundance of fruit (some stone fruits, some green apples), there also seems to be some toasty/nutty characteristics hanging around. Sprinkled on my taste buds were dashes of lemon zest, sea salt, pineapple quince and apricot pits. What a marvelous wine. Sometimes I think these wines are better young . . . but then it is usually because I drink them all and I am simply trying to justify that to myself! 96 points
Fonseca Vintage Port 2000 (375 ML):
First tasted on Thursday night after Bowden decanted it and placed it back in the bottle. Tasted again on Sunday night after dinner with Rowdy, Dirty and Bowden. Deep purple, almost black in color, with excellent purity and content. Dense and rich, textured and perfumed. Smells of wild flowers, exotic berries and cassis. Elegant and smooth on the palate, with flavors that linger. On Sunday the fruit seemed more like “crushed” berries and there appeared to be more minerals and sweetness FWIW. Overall this was an excellent showing. 94+ points
For the 1986 Margaux - This might have been my first experience with this wine, but I was surprised that this wine was so giving knowing what I know about the 1986 Vintage in Bordeaux. This wine specifically had a nice old world Bordeaux nose with hints of tobacco and a silkiness on the pallet. Don’t get me wrong, some nice red fruit/berry notes were lingering around also. This wine showed really well out of the format, the perfect way to end the night. Thanks John.
2000 Fonseca - Opened at 330, placed into a decanter (normal size) and then back into bottle at 530. Bottle was “reopened” at around 930. Ripe and red on the nose, extremely dark in color. Very concentrated and complex. I dont drink that much young vintage port, but this was a good experience and would encourage me to open up other “younger” VP bottlings.