Nice informal wine party at Wine Styles last night.
2006 Lucien Albrecht "Cuvee Romanus" Pinot Blanc. Silky, honeyed Alsatian Pinot Blanc. Kevin (the store manager) knows how to select the white wines!
2007 Lynmar Pinot Noir. Russian River Valley. Just a baby, but this wine is already amazingly silky, feminine, floral, and elegant. My WOTN. Thanks, Beau!
2003 Hewitt Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford). Somewhat of a disappointment to me, actually, given the pedigreed location and winemaker (Rinaldi). Certainly inky black in color in the decanter. Very earthy. The fruit is nice-towards the black fruit side of things, and the oak is not obtrusive, but it is hard for me to get past the alcohol (14.9% and tastes higher). The nose is a bit fumey. Not all that much complexity, either. Ultimately, it was just not that interesting I don't think the wine was shut down, per se, but maybe it would show better in five years? Or, maybe with three hours in the decanter? Maybe it just needed more of a chance? 86 points-docked a couple points due to QPR. Definitely preferred the Fleming cab from last night (and certainly the BV, too).
2002 Dehlinger Russian River Valley Syrah. Not sure I liked this one. It had a "tomato-ey" character to it that I've observed in a few Cali Syrahs, but it completely lacked the meat, bacon, pepper, savory leather notes I look for in Syrah. 83 points. Not bad, just lacking.