Recent Wines

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More recent wines:

2001 Janasse Chateauneuf (regular, not VV or Chaupin): very forward, voluptuous and weighty with sweet fruit (figs, berries), yet depth and structure to last for a few years (lovely with grilled lamb chops and roasted peppers and root vegetables)

2000 FX Pichler Riesling Smaragd Durnsteiner: lush, complex, minerally nose with muted tropical fruit, way too young but still delicious with Sunday lunch (goat cheese and apple with salad greens)

1997 Tua Rita Redigaffi: shocking sweet, full of chocolate and blackberries, but seems "simple" compared to Masseto or Messorio, not to mention the left bank (with roast chicken)

1980 La Tache and Grands: opened, sadly, at a friend's wake, La Tache was stunning, pale in color but with tremendous depth of flavor and a haunting nose, Grands less impressive, still lovely but finishes a bit short, for those who have these wines, drink up

1999 Flint Gary's Pinot: kirsch, cola and somewhat overextracted fruit, nice initially but liked it less and less as it developed (with grilled flounder dusted with cumin and Indian spices)

1989 Gruaud Larose: surprisingly mature, lacks the typical Gruaud power, but lovely cedar and tobacco nose and excellent balance (with sauteed mushrooms and polenta)

1996 Dom Perignion: hmm, a wine that has engendered a lot of positive comments among friends, yeasty, toasty nose and good acidity, but I can think of many other sparklers I'd rather buy