June 2007 lunch notes:

2004 Black Hills Alibi - I caught Semillon in the nose on this but was
otherwise unable to peg it as a BC wine that I know fairly well.
Steely with lots of acidity, it will work best with food.

2004 Quinta das Bageiras Branco Garafeirra - a Portuguese white made
from Maria Gomes and Bical grapes, this one had a lemon-lime nose,
clean finish and better balance than the previous wine. Only the high
price would stop this one being popular.

2000 Dugat-Py Bourgogne - corked - we were blighted with no less than
3 corked wines when we usually don't see that many in a year. Might as
well list all of them now.

1996 Isole e Olena Ceparello - corked

2000 Mastroberardino Taurasi I Radici - a 3 glasser down the drain -
sad.

On to better things!

1978 Guigal Hermitage - pale edges with an obvious mature Rhone nose
was a give away, and we honed in on the year and the fact that it was
Hermitage fairly quickly. Elegant, with more acid than tannin.
Delightful.

2000 Mt. Redon Chateauneuf du Pape - one of our members was hot and
nailed the wine right down to vintage and house! Slight sweetness in
the nose, with an undercurrent of leather and cherry, this wine is
ready to go ad will not benefit from cellaring.

1981 Sassicaia - this slowed them down a bit as it didn't cry out any
particular region, just cabernet a bit pruny in the nose, dark with
browning edges, mellow wood and old fruit, this wine rides on acidity,
not tannin. Interesting, the slightly astringent finish indicating it
should be drunk up rather than held any longer.

1997 Feyles Barbaresco Riserva - never heard of this producer before.
Maturing colour, smoky nose with some alcohol, but not manifested as
being hot at all. Amazed that this was so young -it seemed a decade
older.

1997 Azelia Barolo (Luigi Scavino) - new style forward wine with
medium colour and rather perfumed cedary nose with some tea. Elegant
and supple with good fruit and length.

2004 Alto Moncayo Veraton - this Garnacha was hot (16%), had huge
sweet fruit in the nose, was similarly huge in the mouth and had good
length. Still a bit tannic, it could use some time. Good for serving
to friends that need the sort of whack upside the head that some
Aussie wines give, when they want a change. Not a wine you can
ignore! Nice with cheese.

2000 Conch y Toro Don Melchor - this premium cab blend was excellent
with a warm mellow nose of earth and mint/eucalyptus, good weight,
nice berry flavour and good length. Has lots of time to go.

1989 Quady Starboard 'Franks Vineyard' - our resident Port purveyor
decided to fool us and did a good job. This was a ringer for a vintage
Port with a maturing lightening colour, warm but not hot nose, and
smooth feel.

1988 Blackwood Canyon Penumbra - this dessert wine from a highly
idiosyncratic producer (no longer with us) was actually quite good -
brown with sweet Maderised nose (this description would also cover
some of his old chards....) was akin to a decent Madeira.