Our SOBER group convened at Mike’s, where he greeted us with dips, crudites, and black bean soft tacos. And bubbles:
NV Camille Saves Grand Cru Brut Champagne
(cellared for 5+ years)- fresh, nutty, bready with a fun cocoa note. White fruits, lemon, and almond. B+/A-
NV Godme Extra Brut Champagne
Full and rich with a smoky note, very good. B+
To table for the blind wines, first flight with carrot soup with ginger and orange.
#1- Dark colored, but reasonably lively. A little waxy/wooly, good acids, but this didn’t show as well as a bottle I had couple years ago, B- 1996 Mt. Eden Chardonnay
#2-Dark color, funky, weird bitter finish, some thought it was Vouvray- I disagreed, but didn’t think Chard. C+ 1996 ZD Chardonnay
#3 Apples and citrus zest, a minerally finish. We thought this was Chablis! B/B+
1996 Mondavi Reserve Chardonnay
Next up was an excellent lasagna (3 parts beef to 1 part Italian sausage). Dan said Italy, I said Tuscany, but we struggled with producers.
#4- midbodied, black cherry fruit, at end of its plateau. B 1997 Fattoria Viticcio Prunaio
#5- this was a stewy mess at first, cleaned up a bit, but still an oaky wine that didn’t appeal to me. C+/B- 1997 San Giusto A Rentennano Percarlo
#6- Funnily this was the one I thought to be all Sangiovese, turns out others are, this is half Sangiovese with rest Cabernet and Merlot. Brightest, pure red cherry, not as oaky. B+
1997 Cerviolo
Main was brisket, crisp potatoes, green beans. Someone got 90s CS, I got vintage
#7 - roasted plummy fruit but with a green streak, B-1997 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon
#8- this started off my least favorite of flight, but cleaned up and straightened out, cedar and vanilla over dark fruits. B+/B 1997 Mt. Eden Cabernet Sauvignon
#9- roasted, some VA, woody, cracking up left and right. C/C+ 1997 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon
A great cheese course (especially the Abbaye de Citeaux & Trappe Echourgnac ) with final course.
#10 - sweet, a little syrupy, but once we knew Amarone that made sense. Plums, figs, herby.
B/B+ 2004 Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
#11 - hot mess. C/C+
2001 Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore
#12 -wouldn’t have guessed same wine. Big but balanced, chocolate covered cherries with leather and herbs. B+/B 1999 Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore
To finish, a half of the 1989 Neckerauer Weisenheimer Halde Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese
Golden brown color, grapefruit with raisins and toffee, not super sweet for a TBA, this could use a bit more balancing acidity but still fun. B
Fun night
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. 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.