From a dinner at Il Corso with Jonathan Loesberg in town. Crazy eclectic lineup with some Jura, German Riesling, a whole lot of Rhone reds plus some interlopers from Australia and Burgundy. That said, the real highlights were some of the older white wines with SFJoe bringing an old FX Pichler, and (unsurprisingly for the group) two ''old'' (in vintage/age only) Huets that were just mindblowing - particularly as I'd never had a Huet Vouvray before, and this was an incredible way to get introduced to those wines.
1991 FX Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd
Seriously insane nose - so much going on here that it's impossible to describe with all sorts of metallic and rocky mineral flavours mingled with smoke, herbs and gentler melon and white fruited notes emerging with more air. Equally amazing in the mouth; intensely minerally up front with rocks, herbs and metal shavings over lime and melon flavours but turns softer and almost pillowy in the back of the mouth, finishing long with some creaminess. Wild. Some of these old Austrian wines are just really crazy!
1957 Huët Vouvray Demi-Sec Clos du Bourg
Light gold in colour showing no sign of its 52 years of age. Amazingly complex with flavours of honey, wool, youthful quince and melon fruit, herbal elements and softer savoury mushroom-like notes, but what's really amazing is how everything here seamlessly merges into a polished, glossy whole that almost seems to float in the mouth with an elegance and gentleness that's hard to describe. Incredible wine.
1964 Huët Vouvray Moelleux Le Mont
Bright gold colour - deeper than the 57 - with a slight old-wool mustiness on the nose amidst aromas of honey, apricot, baked apple and some spice. Rich, intense and still very youthful in the mouth (not showing any of the mustiness apparent on the nose) with bright pear, apple and apricot fruit flavours mingled with honey, herbs and a slight waxiness to both the flavours and texture. Finishes very long.
Although not every wine in the night was delicious, ethereal and layered with beautiful fruit and minerals...
2007 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Late Harvest
Zinfandel at 40º brix - oh dear god. The smell is hard to get past; essence of raisins and prunes with some nail polish and alcohol vapours. Doesn't taste any better, syrupy sweet and horribly raisiny with a finish that had me reaching for the nearest glass of anything else. Blech!
