Once again, winegeeks from across the Eastern US (and beyond) have
gathered in lovely Rossford, OH at the behest of Larry Meehan (of the
Gang of Pour)for the Midwest Wine and Food Symposium. When I arrived at
8 pm, events were already in full swing, with Larry, Geo and Kim from
Gang of Pour in attendance, along with Disorderists John Blackwood with
Trinka, Mark Criden, Dave Nelson, Bob Graeter, Mike Lawton and, arriving
after me, Steve Guattery and his wife Teri. On the sideboard awaiting
me were no less than 35 bottles of wine and dinner was in full swing.
What's a beleaguered winegeek to do? Drop my luggage under the nearest
table, grab a glass and get tasting, of course!

My night started with the 2002 Luneau-Papin L D'Or Muscadet SeM SL, an
old friend that was a tad too warm when I got to it. Still going
strong, though, with a nice minerally citrus tang, but seeming a bit
soft as warm as it was. Next to it was its sibling the '02 Luneau-Papin
"Semper Excelsior" Muscadet, at once richer and more precise than the L
D'Or with plenty of Muscadet character. Moving on to the wealth of
Rieslings on the sideboard, I began with the beguiling '99 Hirtzberger
Hochrain Riesling Smaragd, which hit me with a powerful petrolly nose,
which was replicated on the palate overlaying precise green apple fruit.
Next up was the 2001 JJ Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett (I think),
which presented itself with a nose of limes and flowers and just a hint
of petrol. Off-dry in character, with plenty of acidity, it tasted
young and vibrant. For a change of pace, I next tried the '75 Dr.
Loosen Erdener Prälat Spätlese, which looked golden yellow and smelled
distinctly of botrytis, all apricot and bergamot. Nicely acidic, it
still had plenty of peachy fruit alongside the obvious botrytis character.

From there, it was time to sample the plentiful array of hipster wines,
so on to the '97 i Clivi Galea Corno di Rosazzo Colli Orientali del
Friuli. Interesting nose of spices, consistent with the spicy flavors
that accompanied the petillance and off-dry feel to this wine. It had
that sense of viscosity that I often get with wines that see prolonged
skin contact. The next wine, though, went one step further in that
direction, having an orange color. This was the ballyhooed '05 Zidarich
Vitovska, with a wacky nose of herbs, bitter orange and rocks, and
fairly full in the mouth. I won't generalize, as this was my first
Vitovska, but it didn't really excite me. From orange to pink, I now
moved on to the Arbois. First up was the '03 Puffeney Arbois Vieilles
Vignes, which smelled slightly of Band-Aids atop floral strawberry, yet
tasted more of cherries with lovely acid balance. A brilliant effort
for an '03 red! Going back in time, I next tried the '00 Puffeney
Poulsard. An interesting nose hinting of caramel and
butterscotch-tinged strawberry fruit, it had a characteristic crispness
to its fruity flavors. Next to it was the '04 Puffeney Trousseau Les
Berangères, which had a very different nose of minerally cherries and
seemed almost like a lithe Grenache in flavor. Perhaps that's why Mike
Lawton proclaims his dislike for it. I, on the other hand, like it a
lot. My final stop in the Jura is the '07 Overnoy Pupillin, smelling of
strawberry jam and stones, with a rich, acidic fruity flavor profile.
Way too young, but appealing nonetheless.

At the urging of Geo, I now move into the reds with a magnum of '99
Charles Joguet Chinon 'La Dioterie', delightfully funky with mild leafy
character and rich, leathery fruit. This one's still got a long way to
go, but is pretty tasty right now. Then on to the '99 Gros Frere et
Soeur Vosne-Romanée, the token Burgundy of the night and another nod to
'99 for this year's event. Obviously Pinot in the nose, with that smoky
character to the red fruit, low-level Brett and a silky mouthfeel that
belies the deep sense of fruit on the palate. Still quite primary, this
wine still was immensely appealing but could be too Bretty for some.
I'd give it another 5 years before opening based on this tasting. From
there, it was time for the '94 La Rioja Alta 904, which smelled mostly
of pine needles and dill, overlaying a light, redfruity wine. Perhaps
it was the company it was in this night, but I couldn't really
appreciate this wine.

Looking wistfully at the empty bottle of '90 Giacomo Conterno Barolo, I
turned my attention to the array of Syrahs on display, just as with last
year's event. Mike Lawton proclaims the hipster status of two bottles
he brought, the '06 Gripa St. Joseph, which -- despite being painfully
young -- offered an appealing mix of pine resin and juicy berryish fruit
in the nose. On the palate, it was moderately acidic and slightly tarry
alongside the fresh, fruity flavors. Next to it, the '06 Otheguy St.
Joseph smelled of smoke and licorice and was appreciably more tannic
than the gripa, albeit fairly chalky tannins. Beneath the tannins lay a
wealth of acids and fruit, proclaiming a bright future ahead for this
wine. Alas, the '92 Chave Hermitage is gone, though the near-empty
bottle smells appealingly of funky, animale fruit, so I content myself
with the '04 Marc Sorrel Hermitage, which smells of pine needles and
berries, and comes across on the palate as tart and juicy, with some
meaty complexity. Onward in the Rhone, I next sampled the '89 Ch. des
Tours Vacqueyras, which had an appealing nose of meaty cherries (or is
that cherryish meat?), plenty of acidity and a lively core of fruit
still showing. I espy several CdPs, such as the '98 La Nerthe, but take
a detour through Italy instead as the hour is growing late.

First up is the '97 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Vigneto Brich Ronca, a tarry
beast of a wine with some Band-Aid present in the nose, but not enough
to be offputting. On the palate, it's got surprisingly good acidity for
its year, and is still fairly primary with plenty of fruit. There was
another '97 from Italy, a '97 S. Molettieri Taurasi Vigna Cinque Querce,
which alas proved to be corked. To console myself, I turn to yet
another hipster wine, '06 Herve Souhaut St. Joseph St. Epine, which
smells mostly of grapefruit, but tastes appealingly juicy with bright,
red fruit character. To wind things up, I turn to the rapidly
diasppearing bottle of '99 Ridge Geyserville, an old friend of a wine,
but damn this bottle is tasting good! Meaty, tarry, deeply redfruited,
with even a mineral streak running through it, it's good enough to make
me lament my too-early consumption of this wine. Whoda guessed that
amidst all the riches present tonight that a Geezer would vie for WOTN?
And what better way to finish off the night than with the '89 Huet
Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moëlleux? Waxy, bergamoty Chenin fruit, sweet
without coming close to cloying. At this point, I decide that it's best
to check into my room and so toddle off into wee hours of the morning
with a carton of Graeter's Black Raspberry Chip as my companion.

And, just to think, Saturday is the main event! I slipped into a
contented slumber with that comforting thought.

To be continued,
Mark Lipton
(your intrepid reporter)
--
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