While in Chicago for a week, I was able to catch up with my old tasting group for a wine dinner at Caro Mio - a really nice Italian restaurant on the north side. The theme was to bring a newly obtained bottle we were keen on sharing/trying. Wines as usual were poured double blind - we went around the table going through bottles in brown bags one by one and taking guesses (and frequently getting them wrong!). Lots of fun as always, and really great to catch up with some old friends while in Chicago and share some great wines.
Starter whites
2005 Chaddsford Winery Chardonnay (Pennsylvania, USA)
Interesting nose with lots of earth and mineral notes, a little funk and white fruit flavours. Pear, mineral, grapefruit and some bitter citrus pith notes follow on the palate which is dry with lots of acidity and a faintly metallic note at the back end. Finishes clean and smooth. Very interesting and unusual - nobody at the table picked this as a New World Chardonnay let alone one from Pennsylvania, with guesses ranging from Burgundy to Italian Greco di Tufo.
2002 Van Volxem Wiltinger Kupp Riesling
Light golden-yellow colour. A little tightly wound on the nose at first, but this opens out with air to show honey, petrol, perfumed floral notes, pear, green apple and citrus. Rich and full on the palate with moderate acidity, flavours of honey, smoke and white fruits and a little glycerin sweetness. Long, smooth finish. This wasn't as good as a couple of other bottles I've had this year where the acidity was more prominent and the wine came across as better balanced.
Reds
1997 Delas Frères Côte-Rôtie La Landonne
Starts out very funky, then shows aromas of olives, earth and faintly floral notes that are spoiled by the presence of wet cardboard/TCA. A little thin on the palate with rustic dark fruit flavours, high acidity and more faint TCA in the back. Romantic closures - UGH. Hate them.
2000 Bodega Numanthia Termes Toro Numanthia
This has a great nose showing lots of blueberry, licorice, chocolate, cinnamon and red fruits. Lots more rich red and dark fruit flavours, chocolate and some earthy notes follow on the palate with firm tannins and good acidity adding structure. Long, rich finish - absolutely delicious.
1997 Renaissance Cabernet Sauvignon (Sierra Foothills, Cali)
Lovely nose showing leather, tar, dark fruits, pencil lead and spices. Medium bodied on the palate with flavours of cassis, plum and herbs over savoury earthy notes and lifting acidity. Finishes with medium length. (I'd guessed this to be a Nebbiolo of some sort, given the intense tarry/leathery character on the nose and the acidity - was quite surprised to see this unveiled as a 97 Cali Cab.)
2005 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs
What a shame - this was completely closed down. Not giving much aromatically with red fruits mingled with faint hints of spices, flowers and damp earth. Reticent as well on the palate showing similar flavours with high acidity and a silky, elegant texture. With the nature of the tasting, we weren't able to sit down with it and give this the time it needed - this came across as a very subtle and elegant wine that potentially had a lot to show but just needs a lot of time.
2005 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta
Complex and layered with plenty of dark fruits, spices, mint, toast, earth, green herbs and floral elements across the nose and palate. Very well balanced and elegant with good acidity, chewy tannins on the back end and a long smooth finish. Really enjoyable, and a wine I would have loved to explore further with time or several years from now. (Most at the table were quite split as to whether this was new or old world, but generally loved it.)
2005 Aubert Lucia Abreu Vineyard
Apparently a new Aubert wine made with only red Bdx grapes. Very dark colour, almost inky in appearance. Immense floral nose that shows lots of dark fruits, spices, violets and hints of caramel and soy. Full bodied on the palate with very pure, intense flavours of plums, black cherries and blueberries over chocolate, spices and savoury toasty notes. Despite its size this is very well balanced with firm tannins and a very long finish. Really delicious, both on its own and with food.
2004 Viñedos de Ithaca Priorat Odysseus
A huge, concentrated wine showing tons of black fruits, spices, vanilla, cedar and oak across the nose and palate. Dense and almost chewy in texture with firm tannins and moderate acidity. Almost a fruit bomb, but with enough structure to keep it in balance.
2004 Schild Estate Shiraz Barossa Valley
Huge nose of black fruits, tar, spices, vanilla and a little alcohol. Much more enjoyable and complex in the mouth though with flavours of blueberries and plums infused with smoke, tar, earth and faint meaty notes, a plush texture and chewy tannins at the back. Finishes long but with a little warmth.
2004 Celler Joan Simó Priorat Les Eres Vinyes Velles
Very enjoyable and complex with a great nose showing dark fruits, black cherries, tar, earth and graphite. Rich and full bodied on the palate with lots of earthy notes, spices and graphite adding to the generous fruit flavours and firm tannins at the back end. The finish is long and savoury with earth and tarry notes lingering on a while.
2006 Linne Calodo Cherry Red
This has wonderful aromatics with lots of cherries and raspberries drenched in pepper, Provencal herbs and baking spices. Not quite as complex on the palate where it comes across as slightly monolithic, showing very concentrated red fruited flavours and pepper with a slightly grapey sweetness and chewy tannins. Finishes long with a little warmth at the back. Others at the table enjoyed this more than I did - this was a real delight to smell with an aromatic profile very similar to a classic CdP, but I found the grapey sweetness, low acid and perceptible alcohol in the mouth offputting.
2004 Veraison Syrah Black Bart Stagecoach Vineyard
Huge nose with lots of plums, blueberries and black cherries mingled with chocolate, spices and floral elements. Rich and mouthcoating with very pure, sweet dark fruit flavours on the palate over toast and smoke and a creamy, plush texture. Low acidity and soft tannins with a very long finish. This is a big wine but very well balanced and quite delicious to drink right now - a real pleasure bomb.
2005 Alban Vineyards Mourvedre Forsythe
Dark purple in colour. This has a stunning, complex nose showing lots of blueberries, blackcurrants and red fruits mingled with tree bark, leather, earth, spices and floral elements. Immense and full bodied on the palate with concentrated, very pure red and dark fruit flavours and tree bark, earth, meat and leather underneath giving it a sauvage, rustic character. This has large, firm tannins on the back and an incredibly long finish. A superb wine, delicious with food and I'm sure this will only get better in the future - this has a ton of stuffing and structure and great balance. A real treat, and my wine of the night by far.
Dessert
2005 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel **
Pale yellow in colour and a mere 7.5% alcohol. A fantastic nose shows flowers, peach, tropical fruit, vanilla and slatey minerals. Intense and full bodied on the palate with very ripe peach, pineapple and melon flavours layered with crushed rocks, slate, spices and some honeyed notes. Despite the richness of the fruit flavours, there's plenty of acidity here that balances the sweetness and keeps this very light on its feet. Finishes long and clean. Very primary and enjoyable now, but this should be really stunning in several years.