This was a nice tasting. Regal put on a good show, and unlike other unnamed companies, used nice glasses. Bravo. I hate to be such a complainer (Well hate IS a strong word) but c'mon, we're supposed to all be professionals here, right? Let's get some decent stemware. So Regal did just that, and Kudos to these guys. Anyhow, this first photo is August Kessler, producer of...
THE KESSLER LINE UP. Some amazing Rieslings and Pinot Noir (or as we say in Germany, Spatburgunder) I have not yet aquired a taste for spatburgunder, perhaps because I've never had a properly aged one. To me, they lack the flavors, grace, and aromas of a Burgundy or even Cali Pinot. It really has to be noted though, that this was only my third or forth intro to a true Spatburgunder, and one of the more important lessons I've learned (or am trying to learn, I should say) is that one shouldn't mistake the limitations of one's own understanding for a limitation of the wine. Simply put, just cause I don't get it, that don't necessarily mean there's somethin' wrong with the juice. Onto the beauty though, Kessler's Rieslings are amongst some of the most reasonably priced for the quality, on up to some of the most sublime (way out of my price league) rieslings I've ever had. A real treat if you should ever get the chance.
Down here we've got the foray into Vincent Girardin. Girardin, or Vinny G, as we used to call him back in NY, is one of my go to Burgs. I shouldn't reveal too much before we actually get this guy on the wine list, cause I want him as my secret weapon, but we will definitely have this guy in the line up, previous tasting notes here. Also got a chance to try his '05 Clos de Vougeot, which while definitely lovely, didn't blow me away as much as I'd expected. A Grand Cru, in 05, from my man Vinny G? Although, these 05 Burg Rouges are beginning to shut down for the big sleep, only to reemerge somewhere around 2015 I'd suppose. It'd be fun to have a chance to revisit then. Let's all hope and pray we're still around.
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And then, there was Chateauneuf du Pape. Not only did we get to try the 05 and 06 Beaucastel CDP, but there was a special seminar where we got to try the 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, and 2000. While none of these were Dead on Arrival, the 94 will probably not show much more life, if it had much to start with. It was the thinnest of the bunch, although even so, was interesting, and had something to show, still alive at 15 years old. The 95 was a marked improvement, much fuller with some complexity, spice and dark fruit. The 97, while younger, didn't have the balance of the 95. The 98 was my winner, the liveliest of the bunch, good balance of dark fruit and structure, lovely spice notes, plush mid-palate. 99 and 00, both did well, but I seemed to notice prematuring age on all of these. I had a 96 and 2000 Pegau CDP with my buddy Jeff, sometime back that showed much more complexity and response to time in the bottle than these, without losing structure or fruit. Makes me wonder about the aging potential of these, but then I think back to the 98, which puled it off with grace. Just like conventional wisdom says:
"There are no great wines, only great bottles."
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