Last night SOBER met in midtown, in Craig's apartment. Typical NYC apartment, so he had to be inventive with seating, but a pleasant and informative evening.
All wines were blind, even the greeting wine. A lighter framed bubbly, just a hint of sugar, fairly low acid, bubbles dissipate fairly fast. Dan and Cathleen quickly pegged it as not Champagne. Some suggestion of Loire, but didn't seem Chenin-ish to me. I wondered if it could be Italian, not Franciacortia but something like the Giacosa spumante. Nope, it's French. It turns out to be a Cremant de Bourgogne, the Scores Blanc de Blancs. Yes, the now defunct strip club's house bubbly. Once $250 in the club, I think Craig said he got for under $10. B-/C+
First flight was whites. These suffered a bit from being in kitchen while oven was on, they all seemed rather low acid to me, but think that was mostly temp.
#1 This was a bit unexpressive at first, but gradually unwound. White pit fruit, some mineral, light oak notes. Fairly advanced, I'd drink these soon. 1999 R & V Dauvissat "Les Clos" Chablis Grand Cru B/B+
#2 Most aromatic nose at first, flowers, melons, and a note someone calls vinyl. On the ripe/tropical end, but nice. 2001 Raveneau "Butteaux" Chablis 1er. B
#3 Smokey nose (someone calls ashtray, but not dirty to me), some woody notes, ripe white fruit. 2001 R & V Dauvissat " La Forest" Chablis 1er. B
I think group liked a bit more than I did, maybe more experienced at tasting a bit warmer. Certainly I blew the oak call on the Forest.
First Red Flight (I think everyone got to Burgundy quickly)
#1 Red fruit, minty, herby. Seems to put on a little weight in glass. 1988 Drouhin Charmes-Chambertin. B+
#2 This is pretty tight and ungiving at first. As it opens, earth and darker fruit than its flightmates. 1988 Drouhin Latricieres-Chambertin B+/A-
#3 Rather exotic nose- sandalwood, spice, slightly lifted. Dan made a guess of Dujac, which I thought was on target aroma-wise. Nice on the palate, but this started to fade while the other two were picking up steam. 1988 Bouree Charmes-Chambertin A- at first, though it faded.
None of these seemed particularly tannic to me, I think all but the biggest '88s are in a nice place now
Second Red Flight
#1 Red and black fruit, some tobacco and earth, someone guesses Graves, which seems reasonable to me. No, the 1978 Burgess Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. B+/A-
#2 A little tight, ripe cassis fruit and some lead pencil. Some light herbal notes. 1983 Lafite Rothschild B+
Third Red Flight
#1 Light color, red fruits, a little hint of VA, some tarry/earthy notes. I guessed older Barolo, but Craig says it's French. Some spice, balsamic vinegar, good length. 1969 Maison Leroy Echezeaux B+
#2 Ripe cherries, earth and mushrooms, a little soy note. Quite tasty, if a tad short on finish. 1977 Joseph Swan Sonoma Pinot Noir B+
Not blind:
1997 Fonseca Vintage Port
Raisins, caramel, kirsch, cassis, vanilla. I'm no good at making any judgements re young Ports, I like this but have no real clue how it stacks up against others.
1995 Kracher Grande Cuvée Trockenbeerenauslese #12
I have some friends who love Kracher, I see the quality but the style doesn't usually mesh well with my palate, I find them a bit heavy/cloying. But this is a bit of a revelation, with a solid core of acidity giving it real backbone. Candied apples and apricot, honey, molasses, but with a citric brightness. I wish I could have stayed for a second taste of this, but the train called. A-
Very interesting lineup, fun evening, Craig did an admirable job in a comparatively small space.
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.