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Chateau Sociando-Mallet (Haut-Medoc) 1996

When last sampled in 11/2010 the 96 Sociando-Mallet was drinking well, but was at the very early part of its drinking window. Tonight's sample had evolved a bit more, although it's still a young wine despite being over age 15. There is still a firm structure of tannins and acids to support further aging.

The color is a very deep ruby, even though the wine had thrown enough sediment to require decanting. The bouquet is still quite fruity, suggesting black currants, black cherries, and plums, although there's also a whiff of leather and tobacco. The palate calls to mind cassis and kirsch, with earth, leather, and tobacco.

This wine compares favorably to a mature Pauillac from a good vintage. I can't believe I only paid $35 for it back when it was released.

Grade: A-/A

Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany) 2007

Bright ruby wine, which has thrown no significant sediment. A fruity and spicy bouquet, suggesting red berries and a touch of anise. Medium-bodied. Good berry fruit, but also a darker flavor association suggesting leather, earth, and smoke in fall woods. Versatile match for a wide range of food, it worked well with a baked wild mushroom tortellini casserole. Grade: A-

Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) 2001

Since last noted in 6/2010, this Spring Mountain-sourced Cabernet Sauvignon has continued to improve with additional age. Although it still has a lot of fruit (cassis and kirsch spring to mind as apt flavor associations, as does cola), it also exhibits a growing set of maturity markers such as cedar and tobacco. Excellent match for steak frites. I like it a lot.

Grade: A-/A

Iron Horse Unoaked Chardonnay (Russian River Valley) 2008

For dinner tonight I made prawns in a white wine and tomato broth (from a recent Wine Spectator recipe). The recipe called for an unoaked Chardonnay and suggested the same as a drinking match. I'm a fan of this style, having sampled a fair number in New Zealand some years ago. Unfortunately, it's not a style that's easy to find here in the USA. But the good folks at K&L Wines set me up with this Iron Horse.

It's a lovely wine that makes a nice change from the oaky style of Chardonnay. And a great choice for this recipe, which features the sort of light broth you have to mop up with pieces of french bread. Oak would have ruined the broth and conflicted with it on the palate.

Stone fruits (white peach?) and citrus (pineapple? Meyer lemon?) dominate both the bouquet and the palate, with a touch of pear and a dash of Chablis-like minerality. Crisp. Pretty long finish or an unoaked white.

Grade: B++

Jayson Red (Napa Valley) 2008

Pahlmeyer's second wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based (76%) blend of all 5 classic Bordeaux varietals, with substantial dollops of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and small aliquots of Petit Verdot and Malbec. Unlike a lot of second wines, which often tend to be weak sisters compared to their big brothers, this is a big, brawny, high alcohol (>15%) wine. (Think linebacker rather than wide receiver.) Deep purple. Strong legs. Not an especially intense bouquet. Instead, the palate's volume is cranked up to at least 11. Sweet blackberry and blueberry framed by savory espresso and black olive flavors. Prunes and anise, as well. It'll last a while (2020?), but it's really a wine to drink up between now and, say, 2018 while you wait for your Pahlmeyer Red 2008 to come around. Grade: A--

Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) 1999

Long-time readers know that I'm a big fan of Smith-Madrone. The 1999 Cabernet, however, is not going to go down as one of my favorites. It's very vegetal, with distinct green bell pepper flavors and aromas. Unfortunately, I hate green bell pepper. Fortunately, this vintage is an aberration, since I've never noticed this vegetal component in older or younger Smith-Madone wines.

Étude Merlot (Napa Valley) 2005

Sadly past it. Over the hill. Flat. Lifeless. Except for more than a whiff of VA.

Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) 1999

An interesting comparison to the 1999 Silver Oak we had the other day. Medium to deep ruby. Big nose. Dark fruits, leather, cedar. On the palate, much the same. Maybe could have used a touch more acidity to make it more food friendly, but basically an impressive effort that is aging well. Probably will last longer than the Silver Oak ... 2019? Grade: A-

Silver Oak (Alexander Valley) 1999

Medium deep ruby. Had thrown moderate sediment; enough to justify decanting. Black cherry, plums, cedar, leather, and dill. Grade: A-

Bedrock Syrah (Sonoma County) 2008

This may be the deepest, most purple-black wine I've ever drunk. It looked like black-blue ink and was about that dense. Impenetrable about sums it up.
Lovely berry fruit dominates both the nose and palate. Blackberry and blueberry, with a touch of something cooked (plums?).
Yummy. Grade: B++

Dow's 1991 Vintage Port

We finished our nieces' farewell dinner with a bottle of vintage port and a cheese course. I love port and blue cheese. The 1991 Dow is a good but not great vintage port. It had thrown a ton of dense sediment, but was still a pretty deep ruby in color. Hot nose suggests unresolved alcohol. Cherries, plums, spice, and raisins. Not too sweet. Grade: B/B+

Chateau Gruaud Larose (St. Julien) 1982

We've had our nieces here visiting this week. One of them was born in 1982, so for the farewell dinner I opened one of the last 1982 clarets left in my cellar. As regular readers know, of course, Gruaud Larose has long been one of my favorite wineries and the 1982 one of the greatest wines I've ever had.

This bottle performed even better than expected. Surprisingly little sediment. Double decanted about 40 minutes before serving. Medium depth ruby with a small band of brick at the rim.

Modest bouquet, although it opened up some as it continued to breathe. A short attack lead into a deliscious mid-palate. Cigars, cedar, leather, dried currants, prunes, and truffles. Long, lingering finish. Fully mature with well-resolved tannins, but a core of surprisingly youthful fruit. It could continue improving for another decade or longer. Lord only knows how special the occasion will have to be for me to open the last bottle left in my cellar ... but, then again, that's why we have wine auctions. A few more bottles might be exactly what I ought to spend some book royalties on.

Grade: A+

Pahlmeyer Red (Napa Valley) 1996

A proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Ruby with slight edge of brick at rim. Still pretty deep colors. Moderate sediment. Double decanted about 40 minutes before serving.

Good, clean bouquet of cassis, black cherry, leather, and cedar. Deep vein of dark fruit on the palate. Medium finish. Grade: A-

Antinori Tignanello (Tuscany) 1999

Excellent. Lots of fine sediment, so I double decanted about 35 minutes before serving it. Ruby with some very slight brick showing at the rim. Huge bouquet. Leather, truffles, fall leaves, cedar, cassis, dark berries. Super-long finish. All in all, a lovely wine that was a pleasure to drink.

Unlike the more tightly wound Solaia 1999 we also drank tonight, the Tignanello was fully mature and very generous at the moment. I'd estimate maybe another year or two of prime drinking time and then a slow decline. Grade: A-/A

Prior notes 2010 (B++) and 2004 (A-). Based on this bottle, I would revise the aging potential estimate I offered in 2010 to suggest near term drinking. I've got one bottle left and it'll get drunk by the end of 2013.

Joseph Phelps Syrah (Napa Valley) 2002

A pleasant wine but not a profound one. Basic blueberry and blackberry fruit with a dash of spice and pepper. Tannins have all smoothed away, leaving it easy to drink. It was too light bodied, however, to stand up to the Gaucho -style flank steak I served it with. It would have worked better with a mild pork dish or roast chicken. Grade: B-