Some of the wines tasted: Chateau Clerc-Milon: 1994, 2004, 2005, 2006. Chateau Lynch-Bages: 1996, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006 and Echo de Lynch-Bages 2008. Chateau Pontet-Canet: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006 and Les Hauts de Pontet 2005. Pauillac is a small region, only about 5,000 people, and had very humble beginnings.

With the oysters I drank a relatively unknown but incredibly delicious and interesting wine, the 2004 Michel Loriot Pinot Meunier Vieilles Vignes Brut , $75. The non-vintage Extra-Brut we drank was based on wines from 2007 and 2006, but because of the ripe richness of the wine, I guessed it was based on 2008. wines from Ambonnay.

Then we drank the 2008 Domaine Gauby Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Les Calcinaires , $27, imported by Weygandt Metzler. Then it was the 2002 Vodopivec Vitovska Venezia Giulia IGT , price unknown, imported by JK Imports. With skirt steak we drank the 2004 Els Jelipins Penedès , $72, Jenny & François Selections. Me neither.

Levi tested all of the wines before the dinner and at one point he said to me "The 2004 Les Chalasses.wow, it's drinking pretty well right now." Anyway, we drank Les Chalasses from 2004 and 2008, and I thought they were both excellent wines. The sous-voile wines were excellent too, including a show-stopping 2002 Vin Jaune.

Vineyard work is thoughtful and very conscientious, and fully converted to biodynamic farming since 2002. My favorite so far is the exquisite 2004 Quinte Essence Brut, made of 60% Pinot, 25% Meunier, and 15% Chardonnay from vineyards in Belval-sous-Châtillon (if I understood correctly). Isabelle and Franck Pascal, and their name tags.

Wines included: Angels Gate Winery Mountainview 2008. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2008. Cave Spring Cellars Blancs de Blancs Brut 2004. Closson Chase Vineyards Closson Chase Vineyard 2008. Colaneri Estate Winery ‘Paese’ 2008. Flatrock Cellars 2008. Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery 2008.

The tannins are fine; the wine in 2009 exhibits fine tannins while the 2008 could benefit from more bottle age (or a good decant). I’d also venture that this wine would last a couple of decades and would like to buy a few bottles to tuck away for my son born in 2008. How does cabernet franc age? I’d tend to agree.

Last summer I drank a bottle of 2002 Larmandier-Bernier Coteaux Champenois with a few friends and absolutely loved it. Here are the wines we drank in the order in which we drank them, along with a few notes: 2008 Roger Coulon Coteaux Champenois Blanc , $40-50, Rosenthal Wine Merchant. Not all Champagne is sparkling wine.

2008 Grosset Wines Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley. 2002 Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling, Eden Valley. 2004 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra. 2004 Mt Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz, Grampians. 2004 Penfolds RWT Shiraz, Barossa Valley. 2008 Angullong Sauvignon Blanc, Orange.

2002 Pierre Gimonnet Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Gastronomme , $40, Terry Theise Selections / Michael Skurnik Wines. The current release is the 2004 vintage, which I thought was quite nice at the Terry Theise tasting this past fall. There are also Special Club and "Vintage Collection" wines that tend to be old vines cuvées.

The bottle that Brooklynguy and I drank together this week was from 2004, disgorged in April of 2007, meaning that it spent about two years on the lees. Back in February of 2007, I wrote in my notebook that the 2004 "will vie with the 2002 as the greatest Terre de Vertus that Larmandier has made so far."

It's also an egalitarian system - the host who feels flush can select 2002 Vosne-Roman é e 1er Cru wines as the theme. The exceptions for me were the Pinon wines - the Brut was fine but the 2002 Vouvray Tradition was just no good. I'm in a really great wine group now, and great ones are hard to find, trust me. Beautiful stuff.

Another participant brought in a wine from Hungary, the Tibor Gál Egri Bikavér 2002 ( find this wine ), a traditional wine from Eger known as “Bull’s blood&# (mmm! Someone else brought in the Produttori di Barbaresco, Barbaresco 2004 ($30; find this wine ) after trying it at the wine shop Vino. It is an assignment!

2004 Mouton Cadet Bordeaux. 2004 Cantina Zuccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva * (Previously reviewed) Nice bright fruit this tasting, with good acidity and a lightly silty texture. 2002 Seavey Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ** A big Napa cabernet of dried cherries with smokey and chewey tannins. drink beer. 

This is the April, 2008 disgorgement and it is based mostly on 2004 grapes with 20% from 2002. NV Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte-Anne Brut , $36, Terry Theise Selections/Michael Skurnik Imports. First of all, the $36 price tag is today's price, this is what you'll see the wine selling for right now.

The 2004 Vieille Vignes de Cramant was focused and lovely with floral notes, although quite closed. think the 2007 Baudry Les Granges is the best Les Granges since 2004. The 2002 was a bit more awkward at this stage, but also shows elegance and balance to go along with the silky fruit. The Italian wines - I didn't taste 'em.

Audrey, reading Wine Spectator in Lake Tahoe, Spring 2008) So it was with glee and trepidation that I ordered one ticket for the California Wine Experience at the Marriot in NYC - but mostly glee. Bond "Pluribus" Napa Valley 2004 ** did not display the depth and concentration I hoped for from a 2004 Bond. love their events.

It's all 2004, although it's not a vintage wine. 2002 Henri Billiot Brut , $75. And I've seen it, the same disorgement as in the tasting, based on 2004, with the new label, for as little as $36. 2002 Chartogne Taillet Cuvee Fiacre Brut, $75. What's the right thing to do at an enormous industry wine tasting? Delicious.

Bryce Vineyard Willamette Valley 2004 * From a four acre vineyard (planted by hand, FYI) in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, which is tended by family, this pinot noir is young and vibrant without being fruity. Innocent "Temperance Hill Vineyard" Willamette Valley 2002 Deep garnet color. Sea Smoke "Botella" Santa Rita Hills 2004.

Coeur D' Alene Cellars founded in 2002 is located in Coeur D'Alene Idaho just east of the Northeastern border of Washington State. We have the 2004 Coeur d' Alene Washington syrah. Often wines forms The United States seem unapproachable in price. They look enticing and compel us to splurge. Idaho? Yes, Idaho. The Coeur d' Alene is $32.50

2004 Produttori del Barbaresco. 2002 Domaine du Closel Savenniè res Clos de Papillon. 2005 Puzelat Touraine La Tesni è re , a lovely smoky and funky white made of Menu Pineau, and the 2004 Puzelat Touraine La Tesni è re , a red made of Pineau D'Aunis. The more I learn about wine, the more I realize that I don't know.

Of distinction among the reds was the "Marques de Tosos Reserva 2004 (Cainena) made with 40% each grenache & tempranillo & 20% cabernet. The "Senorio del Aguila Reserva" 2002 (Carinena) was showing its age with its brick orange color. But I found out today. It is in Spain. great page about wines of Aragon can be found here.

Here are some notes on wines I've had over in the past month or so: 2004 Puzelat Tour aine Pineau D'Aunis La Tesni è res , $18. 2002 Puzelat Touraine Pinot Noir La Tesni è res $18 I stumbled on this bottle, the last in the store, at Astor the other day. The style may change depending on the year, but not the level of quality. Sushi!

His 2004 Neiman Cellars Napa Valley Red is a blend of 1/3 Cab Sauvignon, 1/3 Merlot, & 1/3 Cab Franc. Sadly Pam was not there, but her 2005 Cab Franc & 2004 Cab Sauv were. The 2004 C & S "Stone Place" Cabernet Sauvignon also had a very nice round & velvety mouth feel. don't know. great wine. Onto the reds.

Overall, I think that right now, at six years of age, the 2002 is in between its fruity, sweet beginnings and a sophisticated adolescene just around the corner. The 2002 was the sixth Monte Bello I tasted this year. 2004 **? 2002 ** or ? I'm not at all biased, yeah right.) will come back to this wine in 2012.

But they are different from the same wine in 2002, for example, in that they might mature more quickly. Just like in Burgundy - they say you should drink your 2001's and 2004's while waiting for your 2002s to mature. Here are a few recent experiences with mature wine: 2001 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Quarter Mile Lane Vineyard , $40.

Although there are problems with the wines in general (too sweet to my palate), on the whole I much prefer them to the 2004's we tasted during our recent Five Nights of Oregon Pinot festivities. 2002 Bethel Heights Flat Block Reserve , price unknown. And one of them was excellent by any standard. It's kind of a one-hit-wonder.

Remembering a 1996 Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon that I bought and saved until 2004 I knew this was a question I needed to address. great example of this last factor happened in Israel in 2002. I received a very good question from a reader yesterday. The question by Wayne W. What is your opinion? The kitchen is the WORST place. BAD RULE.

Rogov gives the 2004 the best score of the bunch, but any will do the trick at $14 or so. Definitely fruit forward, the PS/Zin can be found in the 2004 vintage and sells for between $16-$24 - yes, a wide range. It can be found for both the 2003 & 2004 vintages. The winery has since released the 2004 as well. category.

My past includes exactly one Jura red ( 2002 Pierre Overnoy Arbois Pupillin - my notes say that I didn't like it) and a couple of Crémants - love 'em. Alright, maybe the 2004 Puffeney Arbois Pinot Noir , $27, was okay, but I just don't see what all the fuss is about. 2004 Tissot Arbois Poulsard , $18. Not even a little bit.

The only other reds that I really liked at the whole tasting were the 2004 Poliziano Nobile de Montepulciano Asinone and the 2003 Terre degli Svevi Aglianico del Vulture Serpara. I wasn't going to write about this because I don't have much of anything nice to say. But I've been persuaded to just do it anyway, to tell you what I thought.

White 2004 Vergé Viré-Clessé Vieille Vignes - barnyard funk is overpowering on the nose. Red 2004 Peyra Côtes d'Auvergnes - somewhere between the south-eastern edge of the Loire and the north-western Rhône is Côtes d'Auvergnes. 2004 Derain Mercurey " la Plante Chassey" - smells like cured meat and sandalwood, kind of chalky too.

For an in-depth appraisal of Lafouge's many wines, check out Brooklynwineguy's blog at: Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog: 2004 Lafouge Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru Les Duresses.) 2005 Burgundy! Like most wine lovers I've been awaiting the arrival of the 2005 vintage of Burgundy with baited breath. To the prices? Will they drink on release? stars.

» The Book Kick-Off Season January 24, 2008 Forget the Super Bowl, book season was kicked off with a wine gathering at my house to intro the aforementioned mistake-riddled galley. 5- 2004 Olivier Cousin Pur Breton $15 Grapes: Cabernet Franc Anjou, Loire (one of the nights winners! What I was in charge of? Many thanks! hate this.

• Castel Sallegg 2004 Traminer Aromatico (Alto Adige-Traminer Aromatico) This is a Gewurztraminer, Alto Adige's signature grape, which Augosto says, may have originated that region. • La Castellada 2002 Sauvignon (Friuli-Sauvignon Blanc) To come. As a tasting room it really is a near perfect space, both functional and cozy.

guessed the 2002 Louis Boillot Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers. guessed the 2004 Louvetrie Muscadet Fief du Breil. went with the 2004 Mouton, after almost going with the 2002 Lafite. Some people can taste a wine blind, knowing nothing about it at all, and are able to identify it. Do these people train for this? was wrong.

Following is a list of Brooklynguy's splurge wines from the past two years or so, some in the cellar, some just a memory, in order of price: 2002 Dominique Gallois Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers , $50, 2 bottles. 2002 Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux , $51, 2 bottles. 2004 Roumier Chambolle-Musigny , $65.

Best after 2008. JS Score: 94, July, 2004 - Release Price: $52 Paitin Barbaresco Sorì Paitin Vecchie Vigne 2001 x 3 WS: Rich and decadent, with mushroom, berry and cherry aromas and flavors. Best after 2008. Best after 2008. JS , Score: 90, Nov 2002, Release Price: $52 Guido Porro Barolo Vigna S. Please help me.