Tonight was my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Besides the champagne, we brought out a few nice bottles: 1998 La Conseillante (right bank Bordeaux - Pomerol) 2000 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro (Chianti Classico) 2001 Caymus SS (Napa Cab) 2004 JJ Prüm Wehlenher Sonnenuhr Spatlese (Riesling) 2006 Silver Oak (Alexander Valley Cab) 2008 Huet Le Haut Lieu (moelleux Vouvray) 2012 Hill Family Estate Atlas Peak (Napa Cab) 2012 Mark Ryan Dead Horse (Washington State Cab blend) Despite being a Graham's Vintage Port and 10 year Tawny Port fan, I don't dig their LBV Port quite as much as some other brands. Just like you said, it won't go to waste...... but all things being equal I'd rather have a bottle of 2007 Taylor Fladgate LBV Port instead.
Part of a little trip away we had this past weekend took us to the Niagara region in Ontario, so wine country. Stayed in a small place near Jordan, ON, then the following day we hit Niagara-on-the-Lake before driving into Toronto. It was time to stock up on a few things, so we came back with a few bottles: From Jordan we tried a few wines at Cave Springs - the first time I had their wines was actually when we went to a watch collector GTG in this same location a number of years ago. This winery is known for it's Rieslings, and also wines grown in soil with heavy limestone concentrations, which can impart a rather unique flavor - not something I really enjoy personally... So we bought all whites here, 4 bottles of their Riesling ice wine, and a couple bottles of Sauvingon Blanc: In Niagara On The Lake we hit a store that had some Wayne Gretzky wines, along with some other brands. My first time trying number 99's wines, and honestly they were surprisingly good... On the left one of his Vidal ice wines, then a Baco Noir (for my buddy Roger!), a Trius Pino Grigio (my wife liked this one), and then some 30 Bench Riesling and their blended red (Cab Sav, Cab Frank, and Merlot). And our last stop was Hillebrand, where we bought more ice wine - Vidal in the clear bottles is barrel fermented, then aged in American and French oak. The Vidal in the dark bottles does not have the same ageing process...both of these should age well I think. Also signed up for regular deliveries from this winery, so once a month we will get a couple of bottles sent to us. So not drinking any of these right now, but some we will consume soon, and some many years from now... Cheers, Al
Currently open in the fridge: 2012 Hill Family Estate Atlas Peak Cab - leftover from my parents' 50th anniversary party. Mountain fruit is too strong for many, especially in a young bottle. Had a glass with cabot and onion fig jam when I got home. 1983 Graham's Vintage Port - been open for about a week and finally settling down. The berry flavor is weaker than normal, and it has a lighter body making the alcohol burn more prominent than the average 30+ year old vintage port. Having a glass as I type this with dark chocolate covered mixed berry drops. I used to think Graham's from 1977 was the bomb but I was mistaken. '83 might be the worst year of the 80's and I'd still take it over a '77 any day. In the end, the best is still 1985 - and if you add price into the equation it's a no-brainer. There's a 2013 Riesling from the Graacher Himmelreich vineyard too, but I don't feel like going downstairs to look at the producer. We bought it because of the vineyard, thinking it has to be good. We were mistaken. We'll stick with JJ Prüm instead of trying to save $5 a bottle. There's still a couple glasses left in a magnum of 1994 Arrowood Reserve Speciale Merlot. Fab-fecking-tastic! This is the closest thing to right bank Bordeaux I've ever tasted from an American red. We took it to our wine club dinner last Monday and there were some raised eyebrows. Not about it being Arrowood - the entire club knows I rack aged Arrowood by the case - but that it was a merlot. A 40 second explanation about most right bank Bordeaux being merlot-based, as in areas like St. Emilion and Pomerol, and the old school Bordeaux drinkers poured a glass. One of our group swore that if he were tasting it blind he'd think it was a Pomerol. That led to them recommending it to some others. If it weren't for a super-crazy line-up that night featuring All Star bottles like 2005 Harlan Estate, 1994 Dominus, and 2011 Outpost True Vineyard, the bottle would have been sucked dry. Glad some was left for me! I plan on finishing it with tomorrow's dinner. Last, but not least, is a 2008 Huet Le Haut Lieu moelleux Vouvray. Quite a nice bottle if you like off-dry whites. The 2009 is even better. Great with many cheeses, can be drank by itself, and nicely accompanies seafood. That particular vineyard always makes a good Goldilocks wine - not too dry, not too sweet, not too fruity, and not too much wood or too many secondary tones..... just right! At about $40 a bottle, it might be one of the best bargains in high end French whites. Stay tuned for the next round of bottles, which probably include a killer aged Burgundy, a classic Port, and a perfectly aged Cab.
Almost forgot about this one, perfect time to break its seal, MaCallan Sienna..lighter in color as compared to its 18 y/o cousin, about half the price but similar pleasant notes
......aaaaaand it wasn't just one killer Burgundy opened - it's two: 1995 Ponsot Chapelle Chambertin & 1993 Henri Gouges Nuits St. George. The NSG is always dependable even in lesser vintages, and '93 was a good one so this didn't disappoint. The 1995 CC though..... . I think I could live out my days happily if the only Burgundy I drank was from Ponsot. We had the Ponsot with another couple and it was a BIG hit. Glad I have a few more bottles! The NSG, however, was all mine. Still have a glass of the '83 Graham's to finish, but in the queue is a 1970 Graham's. I'll update the handful of port drinkers on that next week. Also in line is a 2001 Arrowood Monte Rosso. It's been months since my last bottle. Gotta see if it's still as good as I remember. When I last had it, it was the best Cab I had tasted regardless of price. I think the '95 Arrowood Reserve Speciale has nudged it from the top spot but there's only one way to be sure. Since I won another case of it (the '01 MR) at auction, there's no worries about only having a half of a case left. Some Cabs don't bother me if they get down to only 2 or 3 bottles. Others won't be replaced at all. A few get stocked at a level of 4 to 8 bottles. Arrowood though....... that's another story. One day in the future there will be no '95, '01, or '03 left - and I'll be a sad, sad man. Of course, with 10 bottles of '95 RS (two are magnums), 18 bottles of '01 MR (with 'dibs' on the last 6 at the winery through my connection), and 23 bottles of '01 RS, I think I'm in good shape. On an even better note, Windy doesn't bother to ask about wine purchases anymore. In fact, she's even encouraged a few. It just means she can buy purses with total autonomy.
One of my favorite readily available, affordable, grocery store, Cab finds. I've also had the 2010 and it was equally as enjoyable.
And in the mornings I've been enjoying a Bolivian coffee from Populace Roasters in Michigan as espresso and a macchiato.
I am on holiday in Hungary. My wife and I have been to the happy women's valley to try the locally produced wine and now I am enjoying a beer and Anna is having a cider.