The invites reads -
Do NOT bring food - you'll understand the moment you enter
Do NOT bring Beaujolais Nouveau - individuals entering with same will
be forever banished
DO bring TWO (or three or four) bottles of wine - serious wine -
We drank a lot of wine - a lot of different wines -
Nobilo - Marlborough - Sauvignon Blanc - 2004 - a non twist off from NZ - 13% alc - nice - almost generic SB from NZ - via Acker Merrill - about $19 per bottle - good bang -
Marimar - Torres Estate - Don Miguel Vineyard - Pinot Noir - Russian River - 2001 - Unfiltered - 37.99 - still wonderful - I split a case of this with a friend - time to get more -
Berger Gruner Veltliner - 2005 - Austria - 1 ltr - 12.5% - a guest tasted this a few weeks ago - went gah gah - bought a case - approx $6 retail for 1 ltr - bang for the buck -
The Prisoner - 2004 - 15.2% - this is my favorite field blend - a few years ago it was a cult teaser on the Wades Wines website - which in itself was a cult wine store in Simi - then it appeared at Crossroads in NYC and Arlington in Poughkeepsie - finally showing up on the wine list at Telepan - i.e. - its not so "non available" culty any more - but its still wonderful - rich - full - layered - a treat - I also realized that I have quite a collection - drank it while I was cooking - drank it to begin one of my favorite evenings -
Shafer - Cabernet Sauvignon - Hillside Vineyard - 2002 - 14.8% - I could have left this on the shelf for a few more years - but it was amazingly good - even if I popped it a bit early - strong - mellow tannins - very mild cab nose - but a major move from the generics - renewed my interest in the label - which had suffered with a less than spectacular Red Shoulder Chardonnay - billed as "awesome" - when it reality it was a "blah" - (the Chard - not the Cab)
Chateau Meyney - St. Estephe - 2003 - a keeper - eathy - crisp - distinctive in a night of 1000 wines -
Coturri - Grenache - 2005 - held up well - consumed quickly - the crowd liked it
Chateau Potensac - Medoc - 2003 - 13.5% - no none saved me a galss - all I got was the label
Chateau Prieure Lichine - Margaux - 1975 - tough cork - came apart despite the best surgical efforts with the most modern tools - it had been sitting on my shelf for years - one of those - "what better time to open this bottle" - the wine was still good - not corked - but the fruit was gone - flat - no fun - major disappointed - decanted - counted to 100 - tried again - nothing - tossed it - perfect illustration of wines fragile nature -
Moulin a Vent - 2005 - 13.5% - the wine merchant who guided one of my guests in this selection - advised this would be a good starter - a light wine - it was light - it was nice - it was - Beaujolais !!!! -
Rosenblum - Sonoma Country - Syrah - 2004 - 15.2% - I know Rosenblum as in of the "r"s - Ridge - Ravenswood - Rosenblum - the kings of Zin - so this was a break - and - it was wonderful - big - full - distinctive - one of those we have to revisit on a singular basis -
Beringer - Howell Mountain - Bancroft Ranch - Merlot - 1992 - nature instinct to shy away from a Merlot in the latter part of the evening - looking for bigger - stronger - but this proved to be a mouthful - David said it would be big - and it was - right age - could have even been held longer - broad tastes - rich - nice edges - 94 in WS - Spectator Review: "a large-scaled, rich, ostentatiously-styled, chocolatey-flavored, full-bodied Merlot with deep color saturation, plenty of gutsy, chewy fruit, full body, and excellent purity and balance..."
St. Francis - Pagani Vineyard Reserve - Zinfandel - 2003 - one guest asked another guest what wine to bring - he picked this excellent zin - classic structure - you could tell it stepped above the crowd -
Brunell di Montalcino - 1999 - missed this one - consumed by my guests in a flash -
Brusco dei Barbi - Toscani - 2003 - missed this one too -
Chateau Chauvin - Grand Cru - Saint Emilion - 2003 - earthy - classically St. Emilion - my taste buds were starting to be overcome -
Kumeau River - Marlborough - Sauvignon Blanc - 2004 - another gift from down under - NZ is SB
Stryker - Estate Old Vine - Zinfandel - Alexander Valley - 2003 - Wow - this is the second time I've had the Estate Old Vine Zin - just gets better - alas - I only bought two bottles when I was in Sonoma last spring - so its either time to join the club - it will be my first - or hold off until a scheduled trip in May - can I wait that long - by the by - this was the only wine of the night that "someone else" sought out the bottle for - to take notes - to buy for their own - that's how good it is -
Original - Chenin Blanc - 2004 - Unwooded - Raats Family Wines - South Africa - i would have been OK if I had not seen it was from South Africa - have to get over the bias - they are making some great stuff -
Casa De Santar - Dao - 2001 - Estate Reserve - Portugal's wine is a favorite of one of our annual guests - decanting was suggested - the wine was a winner for the group - but a bit too "smooth" for my palate -
Topped the evening with a nip of Sazarac 18 - great perhaps the greatest Rye -
One of my favorite nights of the year -
To Rose - you made it -
To Michael - till we do it again -
To all who came - all who drank - all who ate -
Enjoy -
HBH
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