Some recent tastes:
2000 Saintpaulia Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, WashingtonThe local wine guys were clucking about this one yesterday--I just had to buy a bottle, they said, and taste it immediately because I was surely going to want a case and there were maybe five left. Tastes "very Italian", one said, "like a Super Tuscan, I bought a case for myself". Now I seriously doubted that any WA wine could taste like a Super Tuscan (even the ones that try fail), but for $10.99 I was willing to see what the fuss was about and as soon as we got home (it was dinner time), out came the cork. Oh dear. Now here's what's wrong with wine guys who judge a wine by one sip: what first caught their attention was American Oak. It's less usual so it stood out, and the dilly flavor reminded of pickles which is acidic and Italian wines are typically more acidic so that him think "Super Tuscan". Secondly, since it's eight years old the flavors are a bit more developed than the typical brash youngster they usually taste, and the tannins are completely resolved. Both add to its attractiveness, and I can see why under the circumstances under which they select wine this seemed like a "screamin' deal". And in fact it would be good for the price if the wine holds up. But it doesn't. The second glass showed soy sauce on the nose which quickly turned into mud--a black hole through which everything nice about the first glass would quickly follow. This wine is on its very last legs. We dumped the rest, and opened the following:
2005 Chateau de Sequin Cuvee Prestige
Purchased this Bordeaux Superior at Trader Joe's yesterday after reading comments from Doug Surplus (on Wine Focus during Value Bordeaux month). I was actually fairly impressed. The fruit is restrained but that's it's dry style not tightness: we found it quite open and giving with plummy fruit and a lot of old-timey savory Bordeaux flavors like cigarette tobacco and minerals. Unmistakably Bordeaux, and easily the best $10 Bordeaux I've had (or maybe, the only good $10 Bordeaux I've ever had). I would still prefer to spend $6 more for the 2003 Larose Trintaudon which is more stylish and more classic Medoc, but to get this much Bordeaux-ness for $10 is a feat. Otto would like this wine, so would Covert.
1981 Leoville Las Cases, St. Julien, Bordeaux
Took this to a restaurant to celebrate my husband's birthday with friends. Sadly, it was corked. But we could tell there was a lovely wine underneath that's showing well and probably near peak. Fortunately that wasn't the only bottle I brought:
1995 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington
Although we decanted it and it was very very good, this wine never seemed to completely open up and show the potential to be the kind of sublime wine the '92 I enjoyed with the Grand Crew was a few weeks before. I'd wait on any remaining bottles.
And here's one for my Life List:
1946 Ryst Dupeyron Armagnac "du Collectionneur", bottled in 2002
I don't know how to write about something like this. I don't usually care for brandies, I like the underlying flavors but find the alcohol harsh and overwelming. This bottle, which I purchased for my husband's birthday and took along to the above dinner, proved that the real problem is that I just drink them all about 50 years too young. This was absolutely ethereal. Smooth and lovely, with profound flavor that just kept repeating in our mouths. We drank this knowing that when we woke up in the morning the taste would still be on our tongues. Astounding.
