April 2014
NYC Wine Tasting Group
2006 Haut-Bergey Blanc (Bordeaux) $34
They don't make a lot of white wine in Bordeaux, but that makes it that much more special... This one has a 91 point Wine Spectator rating and has, "Wonderful aromas of lemon and pineapple, with hints of vanilla cream. Full-bodied, with lots of fruit and bright acidity. Long and flavorful. Turns to green apple and mango."
2011 Auteur Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard (Carneros) $42
94 points from Robert Parker (in a tough year) this wine's, "stony flint notes polarize the pure fresh fruit with a crisp saline mineral vein running through the essence of asian pear, lemon peel, slate, blanched almond, and mellow apricot exemplify Hyde's maritime climate and coastal proximity. Tight grain, lightly toasted French oak frames the elegance of green apple with notes of spice, tropical lychee, lime and honeysuckle."
2005 Josef Schmid Riesling Priorissa Sunogeln (Austria) $30
This Riesling has a 93-point WS rating, which called it,"Powerful, rich and bursting with a luscious mix of dried fig, glazed peach, ripe citrus and dried basil. Intensely creamy midpalate, this features plenty of ginger notes, finishing ripe and plush, with concentrated accents of spice and mineral. Drink now through 2024. 112 cases imported."
2008 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir (Oregon) $39
Always a top Oregon wine, the '08 got a 93 point WS rating which called it, "Sleek and tangy, tightly focusing its cherry, raspberry and mineral flavors on a taut frame. Finishes with intensity and a hint of black olive. Drink now through 2018. 8,000 cases made."
2004 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva (Spain) $27
A great wine at a great price. This beauty was number 22 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 with a "Highly Recommended" designation and a 94 point rating. "Cedar, tobacco and spice hints frame dried cherry, berry and vanilla notes in this silky red. The flavors mingle nicely, framed by juicy acidity and light but firm tannins. The wine has a lovely, weightless intensity. A fine example of the traditional style. Drink now through 2020. 50,000 cases made."
2011 Kuleto Estate Syrah (Napa) $30
Always one of my favorites, Kuleto wines are grown on a mountain estate east of the Napa valley. According to the winery, "What’s different about this beauty is that it contains a bit of an experimental lot where we co-fermented destemmed Syrah with whole cluster Muscat. In the Northern Rhone, the white grape Viognier is often added to Syrah as fruit, pressed out skins, or finished wine to bring extra aromatics and, oddly enough, darker color to the finished reds (the extra tannin from the white wine “fixes” the color of the Syrah to make it more stable). Muscat, like Viognier, has very tannic skins and is highly aromatic... Aromas of smoked meat, fat dripping onto hot coals, blackberry syrup, and, as a result of the co-fermented Muscat, ripe apricots emerge on the nose! Flavors of berry liqueur, smoky sweet oak, toasted walnuts, and grenadine linger on the palate crafting quite an expressive wine."