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Last night at Indigo with Trouble Causing Forumites

winetarelliwinetarelliMember
Future Mrs. Whiner and I had a great time last night dining and drinking with the Trouble Causing Forumites... (I should specially thank the DRAB and Grape Ape families who have really made an effort to make L and I feel included).

In any event, I don't think I tasted all of the wines at the dinner, but here are very brief impressions on some of the wines...

2002 Staglin Chardonnay: Very good, apple-pear fruit with some vanillin and a long, buttery finish. Creamy in the mouth.

2002 Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay: Good, not too oaked at all, but a little brighter than I would like, ideally. Lots of fruit.

2002 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard: Yummy. Lots of complexity, lime on nose and palate. The most Burgundian of the three Chards and my favorite. Was even better 3 hours after being opened and at room temperature.

2000 Shafer Relentless: Very good but a bit young. Lots of dark fruits and brown spice.

1996 Lewelling Cab: No fruit.

2001 Lewelling Cab: Very good. Better in a few years. Typical good '01 Napa Cab.

1991 Dalla Valle: Very good. Very Bordeaux-like. Not getting any better, but also not really over the hill, IMO. My personal preference is for the style of the '99.

2001 Dunn Napa: Tight as a drum and/or slightly corked. Seems like there is stuff going on, but I couldn't tell what that was.

1994 St. Clement (something). Good.

2002 Rosenblum Monte Rosso Zin: I thought this was very very good, but I think I liked it more than most people. Over-the-top, rich, fruit-bomb. Low tannin, low acid.

<Insert Sauternes here> Very good. I think this needs lots of time.

I know it is wrong to chose a wine that you brought as your WOTN, but, for me, the Aubert was my favorite. It was a 92.5 wine 20 minutes after the cork was popped, but there was a little left in the bottle near the end of the meal and by that time it was a 94 point wine. This is one list I'm very happy I'm on.


Added:

I forgot about the '99 Guigal CdP and the Bonnacoursi Pinot.

The Guigal was a typical, earthy, CdP. Not bad, but, IMO, not WOTY material at all.

The Bonnacoursi was very nice. I think Grape Ape called the nose, "exploded firecracker" which wouldn't have thought of, but which I deffinitely smelled. A little more tar than a typical pinot. This might be better in a year but it is certainly nice now.

We had a great time!

a
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D drdarkrichandboldMember
Thanks for the notes Whiner!

We really enjoyed hanging out with you guys. It's been a hectic year with a lot going on, but my goal is to have you down to our place for dinner one of these nights. It's been fun hanging out with you at the last two events. We look forward to future ones....

My WOTN would also be the Aubert Richie. Completely seductive and elegant. VERY WELL made Chard. My second vote, out of pure hedonism, goes to the '01 Paloma Merlot. For some reason, it's forwardness and unctuosity was quite pleasurable last night.

Cheers,

-DRAB
winetarelliwinetarelliMember
quote:
my goal is to have you down to our place for dinner one of these nights. It's been fun hanging out with you at the last two events. We look forward to future ones....


I look forward to it. We've had fun, too.

Also, I completely forgot about the '01 Paloma. And I completely agree, it was my #2 WOTN as well. It isn't the most intellectual wine ever, but it certainly is "hedonistically appealing" as Parker would say.

a
S sociando-dehlingerMember
Thank you so much Orlando for the 01 Paloma- I still love the wine- it was throwing quite a bit of sediment , seemed lighter than I recalled, but I did find it complex(not just dark fruits but a mineral component) and lovely.

I preferred the Staglin 02 Chardonnay to the Aubert. This is probably the third off-line at which I've had an Aubert and I guess, for me, there is too much toast.

The Dalle Valle was thin, and I thought, beginning to oxidise. Contast it to the 92 which i had some time ago-which was blunt but fruity and fat. I've never thought of Bordeaux when thinking of this winery.

I did not think the Dunn 01 Napa corked, just very young.

The 94 St Clement Orropas was plummy, ripe, and I thought, showing well.

The 2000 Shafer Relentless was just too darned young for me to evaluate; it didn't change in the glass over time (but there might not have been enough of it)

I've had the 01 Lewelling previously and loved it, the 96, however did not age felicitously; something very wrong in this particular bottle.

The 2001 Doisy-Vedreines was everything you would expect from a 2001 Sauternes.

The Bonnacoursi Pinot had a very pretty nose, though it was rather dense on the palate.
Last edited by sociando-dehlinger
G grapeapeMember
quote:
Originally posted by dr.darkrichandbold:
Thanks for the notes Whiner!

We really enjoyed hanging out with you guys. It's been a hectic year with a lot going on, but my goal is to have you down to our place for dinner one of these nights. It's been fun hanging out with you at the last two events. We look forward to future ones....

My WOTN would also be the Aubert Richie. Completely seductive and elegant. VERY WELL made Chard. My second vote, out of pure hedonism, goes to the '01 Paloma Merlot. For some reason, it's forwardness and unctuosity was quite pleasurable last night.

Cheers,

-DRAB


I couldn't have said it any better myself, but I will try.

WOTN: Hands down, the '02 Aubert (Whiner does it again!) Two years ago you couldn't get me to look twice at a CA chardonnay (or any chard for that matter), and now I find myself completely bowled over by the likes of Peter M., Aubert, W. Hansel, Marcassin, Sine Qua Non, and the like. This last year has been a revelation.

Surprise Hit: '01 Lewelling Cab Sauv, which just struck me as a very well made CA Cab, and thoroughly enjoyable now.

Not so surpising Hit: '02 Rosenblum Monte Rosso Vnyd Zinfandel. . .just a great CA Zin no matter how you slice it, but watch out! It is one huge bruiser of a wine, and probably one of the best deals in CA wine to boot.

I'm up for the dinner with Whiner DRAB, so give me a call and we'll co-host. We'll show him how it's done Cool
O orlandoMember
Everyone forgot about the 01 Greenock Creek Alices syrah which was in the decanter and the 00 David Arthur Chardonnay Reserve. Will include them in my notes.
Pyang, thanks for organizing it. And for the money it was very good. I had the flatbread, steak, cream brule.
Nice meeting everyone. Talked a lot with Ron and Sheila Light.



2002 Staglin Chardonnay: Excellent, and the best chardonnay in the night

2002 Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay: Good, but somewhat light. Similar to the next wine

2002 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard: I think it was light and I had a better bottle in the Chapeau offline


2000 Shafer Relentless: Tight, CA style syrah. May need more years. Right now not very complex

1996 Lewelling Cab: Light

2001 Lewelling Cab: Full body, fruity.

1991 Dalla Valle: Very good. Old style Dalla Valle.

2001 Dunn Napa: Tight. Strong tannins. Fruit may be there but needs many years.

1994 St. Clement Oroppas. Good. Soft tannins, light-med body

2001 Doyse Vedrines: Very good. Sweet, medium body. We had the La Tour Blance the next day and it have a better mouthfull and is more complex.

1999 Guigal CdP: typical CdP, but not supposed to be a WS WOTY


2001 St. Clement Star Vineyard: Strong, full body but I picked a slight vegetable taste. Maybe too young?

2001 Greenock Creek Alices Syrah: Full body, lots of spices, some pepper.

2001 Paloma Merlot: Excellent CA merlot, ready to drink, will last many years. It does have some CS so it is more complex than most CA merlot.

2000 David Arthur Reserve Charnonnay. Good, rich. Went well with the flat bread.

Bonnacoursi Pinot. Never saw it.

2002 Rosenblum Monte Rosso Zin: not tasted. Was not opened in the appetizer room and never make to the end of the dinner table.

Orlando and Belinda

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