Did a pleasant impromptu wine lunch last week – and then had to sit in
traffic for an hour to get a distance I usually travel in 10 minutes –
argh!

1996 Koenig Vineyard Chardonnay Bitner Vd. – a new winery for me and a
wine that seemed much younger, obviously a chard, with lemon and some
oak in the nose, tons of acidity and some nice development. The only
winery I knew of in Idaho was St. Chapelle. Who knew? Partly my
inattention, but also the fact that they have zero market presence
here. Wonder what else might be interesting from Idaho?

1982 Phelps Eisele Cabernet – I’ve had a lot of the single vineyard
Phelps cabs over the years, including this one, from a vineyard now
most associated with Araujo. Phelps last produced on in 1991. This
wine had medium colour, pale edges, a slightly funky nose, and was a
bit sharp on palate, lacking in fruit and still showing quite a bit of
tannin (a characteristic of this wine). With time in the glass it got
riper but also dried out. Too bad, it was once a very interesting
wine.

1993 La Mission Haut Brion – as this was Christmas and as several of
the attendees were Bordeaux fanatics, I figured I’d try and stump them
by bringing wine from a year they’d never guess. I succeeded! The
still dark wine showed a fabulous nose of leather, cedar, capsicum and
plum and still weighty tannins, but softening and the wine was
actually quite supple as it crossed the tongue, with good length. In
my estimation this wine is at peak, because the tannins are soft
enough and further aging may see it drop some fruit. Good showing.

1986 Kirwan – this Margaux is traditionally a decent but unassuming
wine and that pretty much held up here. Instantly identifiable as a
claret, it showed some ripeness and earth in the nose, not very tannic
(I opined before we knew the vintage that it could possibly be the
1986 another had guessed, but that it would be on of the ‘soft’ 86s
that were drinking well and even then it might be too soft for that).
Not very tannic at all, and a pleasant sweetish end. May be in
decline now.

1991 Mondavi Reserve Cabernet – dark, ripe, minty, and very, very
tasty. The wine had excellent length, and was smooth on palate, well
made and not overly tannic. Probably at peak now with some years to
coast yet.

2000 Zenato Amarone – I tend to cellar older style Amarones that last
for decades and so have little hands on experience with Zenato’s
wines, although the Ripasso is a very pleasant experience. This was
huge dark and had a ripe Port-like entry, extracted and sweet, but
lacking the raisined fruit of many Amarones and the slight terminal
bitterness which I find attractive. Nice wine though.

1994 Dow Port – the minute I tasted this wine I inwardly hoped,
fervently – that I had some in my cellar (I do – a sixpack!. Lovely
Port that I wouldn’t have approached for years but was glad someone
else had opened. Jammy chocolate nose sweet mellow entry, excellent
length – this wine is just starting to show it’s stuff and has yet to
develop the complexity that only comes with maturity, although there
was some indication of floral notes in the nose that presage nice
things happening. I shall hold mine for some years yet!

1985 Grahams Port – not instantly identifiable as it lacked as much
sweetness as typifies Grahams, but some excellent red berry fruit and
some date, good complexity on palate, not overly hot, and a nice
lengthy finish. I may have to start looking for my stash of this
soon!