WTN: Dageneau, Donnhoff & Drouhin & Delivery to Dale

[David M. Bueker]

I did not realize until now that today's lunch was rather alliterative.

Laura and I pass near Dale Williams' home when we're driving back from visiting family, so when Dale purchased some wine from a store in my area I volunteered to deliver it. At 12:30 today we finally made the connection, as Laura and I met Dale, his lovely wife Betsy, and their happy, exuberant & friendly dog Lucy. We once again confirmed the unarguable fact that the best thing about this hobby is the wonderful people you meet along the way.

Betsy created a fantastic lunch of Roman Egg Drop Soup (think egg drop with some Romano cheese and spinach added in) and a chicken salad. Along with some good bread it made for a great alternative to stopping at a roadside fast food joint (understatement of the year...).

Dale had us pick from some very enticing offerings (too bad I had to spit quite a bit...), and we chose the following:

2001 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly Fume 'Pur Sang'
Less pungent than many Sauvignons, this was much more to my liking, with grapefruit, herb and lemon peel backed up by solid minerality. It got a bit more grassy/herbal as it warmed, but stayed away from getting catty. It was a fantastic match with the chicken salad, as it went very well with the tarragon sprikled on top. (87 pts.)

2002 Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese
Just starting to come into its own, with still vibrant cherry aromas, but also emerging smokiness and warm stone. Not too sweet for savory food, and very long on the finish. Still needs another year or so to really shine, but picking up steam now. Not so much a food match, but did not detract in any way, and it was fun to drink on its own. (88 pts. with room to move up)

And a red that has recently been discussed:

2001 Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny
Early maturity days for this. Not a ton of secondary character, but the aromatics are starting to blossom into a perfume instead of just a blast of fruit. Some earth along with a toasted raspberry (think raspberry tart) element on the nose, as well as some emerging leather with air. Still has quite a dose of tannins on the palate, but there's plenty of fruit to carry them. Give this 5 more years to really shine. (88 pts. with room to move up)

Thanks so much to Dale and Betsy (and Lucy!) for their hospitality. The food was great & the company fantastic. It was a shame we could not spend more time, but another 110 miles of highway called.

Until next time!!!

Wow, I'm ALWAYS first to post. I waited to retaste a couple with dinner, and David scooped me. Damn! Very nice to meet David and Laura, and Lucy misses them (she got a marrow bone to keep her occupied, very exciting). Our opinions are generally in line, though of course some variance. What I wrote:


Even though I had never met David Bueker before, he kindly offered to pick up some wine I wanted from a retailer he frequents. Then he offered to deliver both that wine and a few other bottles the wine underground had for me (thanks Bill B and Joe P!). What a guy! David and Laura stopped by today, and we finally got a chance to meet. Betsy prepared a Roman egg drop soup, and a tarragon chicken salad (Danny Kaye via Jacques Pepin). The wines:

2002 Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese
I'm a big Donnhoff fan, and rather a 2002 fan, but I felt this was a little disappointing. Medium sweetness, round, peach and cherry fruit with a little slate. Certainly nothing wrong here, but not my usual "Donnhoff is German for GOOD!" experience. B

2001 Didier Dagueneau "Pur Sang" Pouilly-Fume
Tropical and citrus fruit, oak is mostly integrated, leaving a sweet edge but no overt woodiness. A bit subdued, but a good match, it opens a bit tonight when served with a shrimp/octupus orzo dish (takeout after a speech). Much more overtly grapefruity tonight. Good wine, though I don't find good value. B+/B

2001 Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny.
A bit primary, red cherry and raspberry fruit, a little floral topnote. Not a delicate Chambolle, but a young middleweight. Tonight with takeout souvlaki it's quite a bit more expressive, damp soil and some spice. Still developing, this is good now and should get better. A-/B+

Really nice to meet David and Laura, and to get another reminder what fun it is to actually meet wine folks one has had electronic dialogues with.


Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency

[David M. Bueker]

Not surprising that we vary on the Donnhoff given my fanatacism for it, and on the Sauvignon since I'm never much of a fan of the variety (though I do like Dageuneau's stuff).

We miss Lucy too!

And it's only 1 hr 50 mins from your house to ours. That's practically across the street!