A couple good friends came over. We all brought a blind bottle+ - always a fun excercise.
Gaba do Xil Godello 2005 Valdeorras 13%
This was brilliant. It had very ripe fruit but wasn't over the top in any way, and had the loveliest minerality! The acidity was perhaps a bit on the low side, but it was fresh. With air it began to smell like a superb quality Cava. I like it quite a bit.
Vietti Barbera d'Asti La Crena 1998 14,5%
Very oaky and spoofy, but it does have Barbera's tanginess and savouriness to it also. The palate was very full bodied, very alcoholic, but acidic. If the modern style of Barbera is for you, this rocks.
I'll admit that Vietti's Barberas are a guilty pleasure of mine. I cannot understand why it is that I despise spoofy wines to the utmost, yet am tolerant of and even like Vietti's Barberas. Life is full of mysteries.
Biffar Wachenheimer Goldbächel Riesling Auslese 1989 AP 5 106 026 05 90 10,5%
Gold. The nose is full of crushed strawberries. There is a touch of minerals also, but the warm hearted fruitiness of a warm year is foremost on the nose. It also has a bit of that toothpaste like smell that I tend to find in warm vintage Rieslings. The palate is fruity, has a bit of RS, has adequate acidity for balance and freshness, but I would not call this and acidic wine. The aftertaste is very persistent despite the comparatively low acidity. I like it very much - it is mature. It isn't as complex as one could wish, but it is very much fun.
Vega Sicilia Valbueña No.5 1990 13%
The nose is very ripe, almost raisiny, but lifted and red toned - like some of the better 1990 Bordeaux (like Lagrange St-Julien). It has the tiniest hint of dung and earth. The palate is sweet and full bodied with lovely amounts of acidity. It is red toned and fresh and has a long aftertaste. Lovely. For a glass. The only problem I have is that it didn't change at all with time in the glass. The second glass became rather monotonous. To my tastes, this has just entered the beginning of its optimal drinking stage and has a long life ahead. I'm just not at all sure I will ever want more than a glass of this.
De Ranke XX Bitter 6%
Dude! This rocks! Immense hoppiness, immense freshness, immense complexity. I couldn't ask for anything more from a beer. I found this more interesting to sniff than the Valbueña.
-O-
I've been having a bit of trouble with my right ankle, so I would have been happy if I ran it under 2:15. Instead I did my best time ever at 1:55, improving my previous best time by two minutes. 