2004 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre - I’ve always considered this one of the lighter renditions of this wine (and I haven’t been able to find any later vintages). I think it’s at its peak or in a gentle decline. Fairly muted nose, no screaming Gewurztraminer, but full in the mouth with nice balance. I have another couple of bottles and will drink in the next year or two. It went well with Indian food, but not as well as some Spatlesen brought by others.
From last night at dinner.
2013 Sojourn Reuling Pinot Noir
Right at peak drinking, IMHO. Fine bing cherry base with some pomegranate swirl and plenty of baking spice. Super-smooth to taste, really lovely feel with aromatic replays and a touch of plum jam in the middle. Great stuff right now.
2012 Jadot Chassagne Montrachet Duc de Magenta Clos de la Chappelle
Now THIS is why one drinks white wine. such delicate harmony both in the bouquet and on the palate. Demure yet insistent with very light pear and apple tastes around some flinty, this is so much more about the soft-yet-firm texture. Absolutely lovely wine.
2010 Rhys Family Farm Pinot Noir
Tim decanted this for about 1.5 hours and it probably needed more. Still fairly tightly wound in the glass with tinges of iron around dark strawberry and plum nuances. It does open up with time in the glass, showing very good structure and a coolness of red fruit. Three more years won’t hurt this a bit.
2009 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir
Also showing absolutely beautifully tonight. Yes, there’s an elevated high-toned quality about it, but now that quality has had time to settle into the velvety presentation of red and black plum and some sidebar cherry and strawberry. Will re-taste today, but “classic” expression of this wine. Bravo.
2005 Royal Tokaji 6 Putts
very citrusy scents, this surprised me with how sharply cut it was in the mouth, very insistent acidity to go with citrus replays and star fruit add. Good wine for those who like this style–and I do.
I was wondering if we were going to get a Prisoner tasting note. Brig, you’re halfway there.
A couple contributions from my weekend:
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2008 Passopisciaro Sicilia Passopisciaro - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (12/11/2017)
Pop-n-pour light ruby color with hints of garnet around the edges. Funky nose of cherries, roses, spearmint, and leather. The wine has some slight spritz, which I pull out using a Vacuvin. On the palate it’s light-bodied, with sour cherry and rhubarb notes, slight barnyard. Tannins are well resolved and the finish is all about mouth-watering acidity. Nice wine reaching maturity about now. -
2006 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Peterson Family Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (12/7/2017)
Corked NR (flawed)
Posted from CellarTracker
From last nights dinner with friends
Drappier Brut Nature SS NV: On the nose a brioche, pear and almonds flavor. 100% PN from Aube, shows the richness on the palate but lack of sugar, sulphur gives a mineral dimension. Complex wine that evolved and gained weight over the evening.
2001 La Poderina Brunello Poggio Banale: Dark color, looks belies its age. Ripe plums, dark berries, fig on the nose. Moderate acidity, good weight on the palate, good amount of oak. The tannins are still present. A modern style and extracted wine, I could have mistaken for a Cali cab. Good its own style, but didn’t speak like a Brunello to me.
I had a couple of wines that qualified last night:
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2014 Montes Purple Angel - Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley (12/11/2017)
Big and jammy, intense but simple like banging a bass drum without the other instruments, and with a somewhat off-putting bitterness on the finish, I was shocked to find out the price the next day. (87 pts.) -
2016 Spier Sauvignon Blanc - South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch (12/10/2017)
An adequate mass market Sauvignon Blanc, showing neither too much feline urine or grassiness nor too much of anything else. (81 pts.)
I’ll have photos for these later tonight or tomorrow.
2009 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino (white label)
Poured into decanter and sipped from decanter/glass over an hour. Tar, leather, tart cherries on the nose, brick red fading to orange at the rim. Full of tart cherries and orange on the palate. Well integrated oak and tannin in the background. Really enjoyed. Total Wine had 20% off all Old Worlds last weekend so I went back and bought a few more of these to hold onto a little longer.
2011 Tenuta Vitalonga Phiculle (“Phi”)
Mostly Cab Franc here with plenty of good CF character. Fairly dark wine with big tannins, bramble, dark fruit, and some green pepper being the carrying notes through the palate. I let this sit in the glass for about an hour before really getting into it but really I think it just needs a couple years to sort itself out. Better day 2. Good news: bought this for basically for the price and for the Phi symbol to drink with some old fraternity (Phi Gamma Delta) brothers, but it ended up having a pretty good QPR in my opinion.
2013 Carlisle Zinfandel Papera Ranch - I wouldn’t normally drink this wine so young, but It was the only Papera I could get to on short notice. Great nose, which exploded upon opening, and while at the beginning of its drinkability, it is very nice right now albeit a bit tight. While I will wait another year or two to open another bottle, it was well worth it to open it for this cause and to celebrate a miracle.
Well, we got a political miracle today and hence it’s gong to double my per bottle donation. Puerto Rico owes thanks to the people of Alabama, or at least to 51% of them. Glad to pay it!!!
yayy 
. From wines drank over the past week.
2015 Francois Pinon Vouvray Silex Noir.
Straw light golden color. Nose heady, floral/honey-like with some mulled mead/spices flavor. Palate initially strong “white grape juice” flavor (per J), as it warms from fridge temp it becomes much more complex and rounded, strong minerality, some phenolic bite, slightest off-dry sweetness. Overall very nice, goes well with a variety of food. 92 pts. Day 2: much more open and expressive, even at fridge temp. Flavors of golden peach, still great minerality, some waxy richness on the finish. Really balanced and good complexity, really nice. Would bump it up a point, especially for relative QPR
2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot
PnP. Purchased directly from winery within past couple of months, so perfect provenance and assumed good storage. Ample sediment, slight bricking. Nose initially slightest buttery note but this dissipates, dark fruited/grapey notes. Palate still surprisingly bright, black cherries, baking spice and prominent chocolate. Don’t think this is over the hill, still has some fruit and fleshy depth to it yet. Good with a rich meal. 92 pts
–purchased at the winery on a recent visit to Napa. Kudos to Jay our tour guide who gave a great tour, very informative with great humor and knowledge.
2015 Peter Lauer Ayler Kupp Kabinett Fass 8
Nose initially some petrol, then florals and honey. Palate piercing acidity, some lemon, slight sweetness, golden peach/stone fruits, nice minerality and finish with wax. Very nice and great QPR. 93 pts
–drank in Vegas at Momofuku. A great match with the pork bo ssam. Gracious service as well, we had told them it was a special occasion and they were very accommodating.
2008 Scarpa Barbaresco Tettineive
Nose of dusky red cherries, some marzipan. Palate initially somewhat reserved — decanted for an hour but continued to open up over the course of dinner. Flavors of tea, earth, some classic rose flavors, prominent red cherry notes. Strongly tannic finish. Still has a long life ahead of it, seems young. 91 pts
–purchased in the reserve room at Eataly in LA. never heard of this producer before, but then again my knowledge of Italian wine is very limited, as well. Was told that this was a very traditional producer, and CT notes as well as posts from searching this forum seemed to bear this out, and the wine itself was very structured, very “classic” in taste profile, not very velvety/open but seemed to reward decanting and – I think – further aging.
NV Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Triple Zero Rosé
Golden peach color. Nose waxy and stony. Palate dry, strong acidity, peach and melon flavors, very light bubbles that dissipate quickly, more of a still rosé. A good match for flavorful and spicy Asian fare but think it would be best with salty/savory charcuterie/cheese. Very enjoyable overall. 91 pts
2015 Azienda Agricola Cos Sicilia Nero di Lupo
Dark violet color. Nose grapey, iron-ey cherries. Palate light textured, bright cherries, finish with some light spritz initially. Overall a surprisingly light red, very good slightly chilled to accentuate the acidity, goes well with grilled bohemian steak and salad, would only wish for more complexity/depth. 90 pts
NV Kirkland Signature Porto 10 Years Old Tawny
Dark ruby color, significant legs in the glass. Nose nutty, light cinnamon and plums — dark stone fruits. Palate surprisingly complex, a kaleidoscope of fruits and light nutty flavors with some honey notes, very nice lightness to the textures with good acidity especially on the finish. Really enjoyable, outstanding QPR. 91 pts
wow R@y. I rate this wine lineup itself Staggering Plus. Thanks for the notes
Jay,
Have you done the math yet?
Not yet. I am still recovering from the political miracle last night that is going to cost me lots of extra dollars. I also have to decide what to do with those of you who have trouble with the difference between the words “and” and “or,” as in the phrase, “Wines with P and R in the name of the wine.” Then there are those who are really challenged and do not even know what the word “and” means, as used in the phrase, “photo showing you and the bottle with the name displayed.”
But I am in a good mood so I might give half credit to the intellectually challenged among you.
Not challenged - just wasn’t feasible for me to take a picture of myself with most of the bottles. Plus I didn’t want to post 20 pictures of myself.
Well, you saved us that torture do I suppose I should give you credit.
The Final Tally
I count 68 fully qualifying bottles: $340
Double the donation due to the Political Miracle on Tuesday: $340
12 proper photographs following directions, plus one extra for Ray who saved us the agony of having to look at his picture about 20 times: $65
Half credit for those notes and photos from Berserkers who do not understand the meaning of the word “and”: $32.50
For a total contribution to Puerto Rican hurricane and flood relief of $777.50. I will post a receipt for the donation shortly, hopefully tonight or tomorrow morning. I have elected not to penalize Ray $5 for not inviting me to his champagne extravaganza. However, Hammer gets ZERO credit for trying to sneak in wines from two weeks earlier.
The receipt for the payment:
Thanks Jay for your generosity