TNs: Mongeard-Mugneret, Pisoni and Hobbs Pinots, KJ cab, Austrain Pinot, Kracher

A last minute impromptu dinner was put together and 5 of us enjoyed some fellowship and good wines at a new local Greek restaurant:

NV PHILIPPE PRIE BRUT TRADITION- consistently refreshing and delightful, this nicely acidic bubbly has lots of citrus notes accentuated by lemon-lime and grapefruit notes along creamy mousse; made of 80% Pinot, 20% Chardonnay.

2009 LADVENTURE ROSE ESTATE – I found this to be very interesting with its flavor profile and then when seeing what it is comprised of, it became even more intriguing; made of 38% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache and 17% Cabernet at 14.8% alc; theres some likeable cinnamon, spice, wild ripe red fruitiness; fun.

1998 MONGEARD-MUGNERET ECHEZEAUX- the nose welcomed with significant strawberry spice which moved on into more raspberry and red cherry in a medium body; not real complex or serious, but certainly pleasant; I`m wondering if this was better at some point or just in a little down side and not at its best now although decent now.

2003 PISONI PISONI VINEYARD PINOT NOIR- Ive had a few bottles of this wine and each time I get it is still in a youthful state with a lot of time to go before full maturity; this is a huge extracted Pinot, serious, intense and complex with gobs of black spicy fruit lightly sprinkled with a touch of white pepper; needs time to integrate and evolve; Im betting this is a solid winner in 8-10 years and perhaps beyond.

2003 PAUL HOBBS RRV PINOT NOIR- ready and willing now, it showed beautifully; there`s some not too sweet good ripe red and black fruit topped off with a hint of cinnamon spice enhanced by its soft and silky texture; loved it!

2003 WHITCRAFT MELVILLE PINOT NOIR- Im suspecting this was a batch bottle variation from other positive experiences Ive had with this wine, it had VA at its boldest expression on top of some fruit which reminded me of jujubes which was a positive in this case; I`ll revisit another bottle to determine what is what; it was decanted for a few hours.

2000 KENDALL JACKSON ESTATE CABERNET- a first exposure for me, I found this to be very enjoyable; nice minty black currant and blackberry with a touch of talc; it`s smooth, balanced and has good length.

2004 SCHWAZ W PINOT NOIR- [Austrian] talking about first exposures, heres another; I have no idea how this was made and why it gave what it did as it was atypical for all Pinots Ive ever tasted over many years; this certainly had a different profile as it was loaded with coffee, chocolate, mocha, smoke black pepper and an assortment of black and blue fruit notes all delivered in multiple layers; it was big and robust and yet it had some finesse that was surprisingly unexpected; extremely interesting wine to say the least.

1999 KRACHER #5 ZDS SCHEUREBE TBA- 750 ml; maximum botrytis; dark copper colored, thick oily creamy substance transporting delightful minty, Eucalyptus, caramel, butterscotch, candied apples, apricots and peaches; magnificent.

Cheers