The Dominus 1996 or the Plumjack 2004?

I have two friends coming over for dinner, and I can't decide between opening the Dominus 1996 that I picked up at an auction last week, or a Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. Decisions, decisions....

Ste. Michelle Eroica Riesling 2006

Honeysickle and lemon on the nose, while mineral, crisp and acidic on the palate. Powerful, even after trying many wines last night. Wonderful. Three and a half out of five stars.

Ridge Three Valleys 2005

I'm not a fan of Zinfandel, so I can't pretend that I am. I usually find them too dominated by fruit and alcohol to be truly enjoyable. However. I liked the 2005 Three Valleys. The fruit was light, and the alcohol did not stand out. Quaffable. Three out of five stars.

Dow's Vintage Port 1994

From the famous 1994 vintage (a vintage that I do not have any bottles for), this wine had cherry, licorice and chocolate on the nose. It was rich, creamy and smooth on the palate and a nice, if short, aftertaste. Given that it was a 1994, I was surprised how good it was now. Delightful. Four out of five stars.

Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Wow! Smooth and delicious, in spite of its youth. I could have drunk a whole glass, if I didn't have more wines to taste. Balanced. My immediate comment was "If this is the Cabernet Sauvignon, I can't wait for the 2004 Insignia!" Four out of five stars.

Joseph Phelps Syrah 2001

I was not impressed by this wine -- but then, maybe 100% California Syrah isn't for me. I didn't even bother to write down the characteristics of the wine. Two and a half out of five stars.

Penfolds Grange 2001

Seductive and graceful. Dark purple color, with blueberry, raspberry and pepper on the nose. A bottle of this would be great to drink now -- I wonder what it would be like tomorrow. Four out of five stars (saying a lot, given the high price).

Dolce 2003

A Sauvignon blanc that was botrytized, my tasting notes describe it as "8 out of 10 on decadence scale." Honeysuckle, apricot and butterscotch. Absolutely delicious, and a dessert on its own. Buy it if you find it! Four and a half out of five stars.

Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

A pleasant surprise! After sampling many, many wines that night, the Cabernet still exhibited a strong cocoa flavor. As I put in my tasting notes, I would love to try it sober. Four out of five stars.

Maison Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuise 2005

Eh. A French Chardonnay, this did nothing for me. It had typical Chardonnay characteristics, though extra mineral texture. The acidity seemed light. Two out of five stars.

Jean Luc Colombo Les Ruchets Cornas 2001

A 100% Syrah wine, it had the characteristics of a great Rhone. Typical Syrah fruit flavors, though they did not dominate. It is great to drink now and is a perfect meal-wine. Three and a half out of five stars.

Heitz Bella Oaks Vineyard Cabernet 2001

This struck me as basic Cabernet, without any distinguishing features. Given the price of a bottle, this was incredibly disappointing. Two and a half out of five stars.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2003

Wow. The wine was incredibly closed, though it hinted of greatness. I picked up cherry and currant notes, though I thought I also detected olive. Firm tannins, and I would love to try this wine in ten years. I am not going to give a rating, as no one should be buying this wine to drink now.

Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Dulcet 2003

About two weeks ago, I enjoyed a delicious Shiraz Cabernet, so I was excited to find a Cabernet Syrah from Beaulieu Vineyard. At the Philly Wine Festival, the BV table was pouring the 2003 of this wine. Cabernet was clearly the dominant varietal, as the wine exhibited typical Cabernet fruit flavors (the hostess said that Cabernet was 75% of the wine). However, the palate contained the expected Syrah pepper. I would describe this wine as a drink-that-night wine, but also a great accompaniment to a hearty dinner. Three out of five stars.

Sixth Annual Philadelphia Wine Festival

Yesterday was the Sixth Annual Philadelphia Wine Festival -- an event made up of at least a hundred producers pouring multiples wines. In short, if someone was willing to pay the fee, they could try a lot of great wines, or just get really hammered. I tried to steer a course between the two options.

Some of the more interesting moments of the night? I ran into a co-worker and her husband, and spent the evening running into them again as we exchanged recommendations of producers to try. Also, after visiting the Silver Oak table, I saw three girls get generous pours only to discard them quickly (they didn't like the distinctive oak flavors). Oh, and I was able to try a Mouton-Rothschild and a Penfolds Grange (however, it was funny to watch other attendees pass the Mouton-Rothschild table for the Chaddsford table). So, no complaints.

My first wine auction.

Tonight, I attended my first wine auction. Actually, it was a huge wine-related event. Before the auction started, there were cooking demonstrations, delicious samples and local retailers pouring wine non-stop. There was also a silent auction (during which I happened to score a set of Ashton Churchills for a steal), and live music through out the night. But the big event was the main wine auction -- up for bid were such interesting items as a Chateau Petrus 1961 (it went for $7,000), a vertical of Penfolds Grange from 1997 to 2001 (that went for $1500 -- though I was tempted to top the last bid, I held back), a 1994 Dow Vintage Port and many, many other items.

I've never bid in a wine auction before, and I was surprised by how fast paced it was, leaving little time to think about what one should bid. But, I can say I came away happy. After the failure of the Penfolds Grange, I ended up winning the bid for a collection of 96 Dominus, Insignia and Shafer Hillside Select, and a bottle of Cheval-Blanc. I'm excited about opening all of these bottles, though the Cheval-Blanc is the most interesting. I feel a little old, holding a bottle from the year in which I graduated high school, but it will be worth it. And yes, I will avoid opening it while eating a burger and drinking from a Styrofoam cup.

Adelsheim Pinot gris Williamette Valley 2005

Apple and citrus on the nose, though too light on the palate. Enjoyable, but nothing truly distinguishing. Two out of five stars.

Basel Cellars "Claret" 2003

An enjoyable red with cherry and other dark fruits, with moderate tannins on the palate making the wine thoroughly enjoyable with a Roomano Gouda or other light meals. Moderate aftertaste. Three and a half out of five stars (with an extra half-star for value).

Wine-a-palooza

My next three weeks are going to be jam packed with all sorts of wine-related fun!

First, Monday night I am going to Tria, my favorite wine bar in Philadelphia, to meet a lovely young lady for a glass or two.

Second, on April 20 I am going to the Evening with the Masters Wine Auction. I hope to enter a report of the night's festivities (and maybe enter a futile bid or two).

Then, on April 27, I am going to Philadelphia Wine Festival -- another great chance to meet people who enjoy wine and work in the industry, plus to sample some producers I have not yet tried.

Finally, on May 5, I am going to my next Tria Fermentation School on Alsatian Wines.

So, I have an unsually busy three weeks ahead of me -- and, hopefully, with plenty of new information to post!

Vintage Port

James Suckling has posted a blog entry about vintage Port ($). Suckling is probably my favorite Wine Spectator editor (probably because he comes off as very down to Earth and unassuming), and he is an avowed Port connoisseur -- as this entry shows. His last line sums up the greatness of Port: "Vintage Port is a wonderful drink with wonderful traditions. . . ."

Not only is Vintage Port an amazing wine, but it has a rich history and culture. Among some families, there has been a custom of buying a case of vintage Port for a newborn child -- obviously, a great gift to give someone when they became an adult (a concept that I'm probably going to follow when/if I ever have any children, though I'll probably throw a First Growth Bordeaux and a d'Yquem in for good measure).

Another great Vintage Port tradition is how to pour the Port. When a group gathers to drink a fine Port, they sit around a table and pass the decanter from "port to port." Starting with the host, each person passes the decanter to the person on their left, who then pours into passer's glass. But, should someone not have the Port poured into their glass (or should their glass run low), the ask the person on the left if they "know the Bishop of Norwich." If no Port is poured and the response is a "no," the questioner says something like: "He's a great fellow, but he's mighty stingy with the Port!"

Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2003

Great translucent, straw color. Minimal acidity, with great focus of citrus, grass and something like a tangerine on the nose. Mildly crisp on the palate, though there is a decent aftertaste.

But even better, I had it with what I'm calling my lemon-lime chicken salad. Very easy to make: (1) one lemon-pepper chicken breast (cut into 1/2" pieces); (2) one red pepper half, cut into 1/4" pieces; (3) one eighth of a red onion, cut into small pieces; (4) hearts of romaine or buttery leaf lettuce; (5) any lime based dressing. A delicious meal, and it goes well with a light white wine!