Lake Wobegon @ Table 6

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Houndsong
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Lake Wobegon @ Table 6

Post by Houndsong »

Just to say thanks to Patrick for getting this thing together last night, that it was a pleasure to meet Tom, and thank you to Anson and Rob for their contributions and company last night in Denver, where all the men were good looking and all the wines above average - well above in most cases. It was a great night, it even rained and the Colorado double rainbow appeared on cue as we sat down to dinner. There may even be upside to this spitting thing for despite getting about 4 hours of sleep I've got all my faculties this morning. Here's my 2 cents on the wines in order of service.

Forgot the appellation/vineyard but started with a 01 Spatlese from JJ Cristoffel. An excellent starter and I'm pretty sure my first 01 from Germany and I can understand why Patrick is big on these because this did have mouthwatering acidity. Some green apples at first and then I forgot what I said at the time, caramel pineapple or maybe the pineapple was injected into my consciousness later in the evening.

89 Palmer. For me the most interesting and complex wine out of the group. Also the freshest. This was paired with an 86 La Lagune. I thought the latter was excellent though not what I expected as it was toward the leathery side of the spectrum and the bouquet was a bit tawny maybe. The texture was glove soft and I thought there was plenty of power and that it gained with air. Pretty dry. The Palmer seemed a bit sweeter with more prominent tannin while having a very silky texture. Some cigar tobacco in with the fruit. I got Ivory soap in the bouquet (call it violets if you prefer) and with fresher acidity too but all very balanced. Had these with an assortment of appetizers including tater tots, chicken liver pate, some falafel lamb bacon thingy and a stinky cheese plate.

With the mains came an 83 Pichon Lalande, an 86 Gruaud Larose and an 86 Poujeaux. The PL was just behind the Palmer in the "enophilic interest" dept. It was somehow ethereal/gossamer through the middle yet quite powerful in the back end. The GL I found to be delicious and slighly richer, if not quite as beguiling, and the first wiff was a repeat of the stinky cheese. The Poujeaux acquitted itself well, having good substance and being softer than six years ago but still seeming somewhat harder, for lack of a better term, than the other wines.

With dessert came a 59 Solaria Jonica which paired great with the chocolate and raspberry beignets, and was equal parts figs and raspberries, tasting very vibrant but without any sharp edges.

Great company.
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Blanquito
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Re: Lake Wobegon @ Table 6

Post by Blanquito »

Thanks for the notes, Art. And thanks for making the trek up to Denver. Great to see you and Tom, and fun to bring BWE into the northern Colorado wine-tasting subculture. Great times and great wines.

2001 Christoffel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese
This was delicious and a classic 2001 German, with huge puckering acidity and insane length. It's a bigger than old-school Spatlese with waves of green apple and tropical fruits (pineapple?). Still young, it will undoubtedly improve for years to come. A-

Palmer 1989
This was glorious. To me, it is an epitome of those rare wines that balance in that tenuous place in between delicacy and power, between elegance and hedonism. Not surprisingly, the Palmer had the best bouquet of the night, lovely-yet-restrained sweetness to go along with layer and layers of subtle flavors, and a silky suave texture. A classic claret profile of cigarbox, dried currants, and earthy scents. Entering its mature phase, I would expect this to develop more complexity down the line. My WOTN A

La Lagune 1986
I'm with Art on this one- leathery. This suffered next to the Palmer, and came across as a little lean-austere-dry in the mid-palate with telltale firm, iron-esque 1986 tannins. Still, it had nice complexity, resolved texture and excellent length. I tried another pour later in the evening, and it seems to have come to life, and showed more richness. This one would be better followed by itself over an evening. B+/A-

Pichon Lalande 1983
My second time with this wine, and I love it. Someone found (and always finds) it too green, but I think those are just classic leafy Bordeaux traits, not under ripeness. This gave the Palmer a run for its money, and which wine one prefers is probably about style rather than quality per se. Table talk noted that this '83 managed to be both big and yet delicate, but not so effortlessly as the Palmer. Still, I love it. Drinking great, but plenty of time left. A

Poujeaux 1986
Nice showing for this estate. Somewhat overshadowed by the other wines, I thought it had lots of life still and highly enjoyable fruit and texture. B+/A-

Gruaud Larose 1986
I was less impressed with this St. Julien than usual, but I took home a 4 ounce pour, and it was much better without distractions and food. At home, it was rich and full with terrific intensity of cinnamon and black tea. A-
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Houndsong
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Re: Lake Wobegon @ Table 6

Post by Houndsong »

I think you're too hard on the La Lagune. It was more advanced and had fewer tricks than the Palmer but was very enjoyable. And I remember now about the Cristoffel, it was Bananas Foster. The pineapple was another matter.
Last edited by Houndsong on Sun Jun 13, 2010 1:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ramon_NYC
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Re: Lake Wobegon @ Table 6

Post by Ramon_NYC »

Thanks for the notes guys. Those are some very good wines in the lineup.

I love both the 83 PLL and the 89 Palmer. I'm one of the few that gives the slight edge to the 83 PLL, touch of green notwithstanding.
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Tom In DC
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Re: Lake Wobegon @ Table 6

Post by Tom In DC »

Thanks for arranging this gathering, Patrick. I know how difficult it is to arrange BYO dinners in Colorado and to end up in such a fine venue -- the food was excellent for the price! -- was a real treat. And it was an honor to finally meet the Hound, the (po-)wit laureate of BWE.

I can't add much to the wine notes above, but let me reiterate that all of the wines showed very well on this night in the low-pressure, high altitude air. The Riesling was very lively and tasted like the producer must have bottled a lot of Auslese juice under the Spatlese label in the 2001 vintage. The La Lagune seemed really hollow at first -- no mid-palate whatsoever -- but it just needed some air to open into a nice "elder statesman". I always enjoy the green streak in Pichon-Lalande, so maybe I'm prejudiced, but this was a fine bottle with years to go. (Rumors of the early demise of 83's seem to be at least slightly exaggerated.) And the Poujeaux, from their glory days of the 80's, was a stellar performer given the release price (I'd have to dumpster dive my records, but I think I bought a case for $90 or so way back when.)

Another great BWE night with some BWE-stalwart wines, fine food, and great friends, old and new.

A presto,
Tom
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stefan
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Re: Lake Wobegon @ Table 6

Post by stefan »

Nice wines you had; some of my favorites, too. The '83 Comtesse still has good years ahead, IMO.
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