Stephen Bitterolf, the Wine Director at Crush , conceived of this event with an eye towards the famous La Paulée Burgundy dinners where everyone competes to bring the finest bottles and people walk from table to table tasting each others' wines. 2002 Bründlmayer Riesling Zobinger Heiligenstein Alte Reben. don't think he stopped to eat.

It is a quaint vineyard and after a tour of the ferementation vessels we have our tasting in the cellar, surrounded by oak barrels. Federico speaks English well and conducts the tasting. Below are some notes from the tasting. named after a spaceship that sank in 2002 in Uruguay). "Welcome!" Alexander joins his.

a guest exclaims, entering the ground floor reception area of the famous Clos de Vougeot and seeing handsomely uniformed waiters pouring tastes of the region's finest red and white wines. The clever thing is that ALL the wines are tasted blind. "This is absolutely fantastic!"

It’s the time of year when distributors and/or importers have annual (or semi-annual) portfolio tastings. Yesterday was the Polaner Selections tasting and I dropped by for a while in the second half. The Crichet Paje on the table from 2002, a poor vintage but a great wine. Below are a few impressions and photos. Quite fun.

And they taste so very good. This wine is all Bouzy, a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, but it reminded me of a wine I tasted a few years ago by Moutard that is made with the obscure grapes of Champagne, things like Arbanne and Petit Meslier. cannot tell you how excited I am about this. This neighbor raises pigs.

Only one team guessed 2002, the correct answer, the group from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. But several of the teams had one or more members who had either worked in the wine trade or had some tasting experience. Most teams got this one right. Perhaps they don’t have game shows in France?) A: 1950).

The evening was filled with a presentation in the tasting room of the Gerard Bertrand winery, where energetic young winemaker Jean-Baptiste led a tutored tasting of the company’s many wines. With the purchase of a fourth estate, Château l’Hospitalet in 2002, the Company took on a new dimension. Voila!

As is the case with every single Champagne house visited, it’s now hard for me to understand how anyone can understand Champagne – or appreciate it – without having had such an incredible tour and tasting. Cristian Dennis, a very affable gentlemen who knows all the secrets (yes, and secret passageways as well!). Bollinger herself. dennis m.

Johann Krige and Abrie Beeslaar in the Tasting Room. was also very excited to see this winery because It was my first introduction to South African wine, due to the kindness of winemaker Abrie Beeslaar, a Stellenbosch BSc graduate in vini- and viticulture, who joined Kanonkop in 2002. for my application paper. News S.

And the berries looked delicious – I could not wait to see how they would taste! Gravity: The Taste Test. Christian Seely led a very interesting test, in which we tasted two groups of base wine: Group 1 was 2008 Merlot, and Group 2 was Cabernet Franc. One simply used personal taste as a guide. The Tasting.

And that’s what Dave Erickson, a site reader in North Carolina who blogs at the Wine Mule , has been doing and he sent in this question about them: We had a tasting of orange wines the other night , and the question came up: How do sommeliers deal with these wines, when they all seem to need anywhere from 4 to 24 hours to become presentable?

Some of the wines tasted: Chateau Clerc-Milon: 1994, 2004, 2005, 2006. Chateau Pontet-Canet: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006 and Les Hauts de Pontet 2005. The venue, a private room at Felidia in New York City, where outside the large window one could see trees swaying in the rain and wind. Chateau Mouton Rothschild: 1995 and Petit-Mouton 2005.

Today the Wine Media Guild had the rare and very special opportunity to taste test 'cork vs. screwcap' for the second time. Those of us lucky enough to be present in 2007 (myself included) tasted the 2002 vintage of various cru wines from Domaine LaRoche in both cork and screwcap. Michel Laroche of Domaine LaRoche. RED WINES.

Since Mike would probably never do a roundup of his own columns, and you probably don’t have anything better to do on this rainy, August afternoon, here are a select few nuggets from his run there, 2002 – 2011. three-part examination of the physiology of taste: “ Am I a Supertaster? See the complete list.

say carefully, because careless deep frying results in greasy food, over or undercooked food, or food that tastes more of the fryer than of itself. From what I've tasted, this one is the most special, from vines that are over 40 years old. But as with so very many other things, my friends, I was wrong. wines from Ambonnay.

Shirley and I have been heading to NYC every year since 2002, except for last year due to a slight medical problem. very smooth full body red wine was the best of the red wines tasted on this vacation. Just home from New York City and happy to be back on the PC to do my updating. still have problems with the lap top. near 2nd Ave.

Each house has its own signature style, and from the wines tasted today, one could indeed see a floral theme throughout. The tasting started with the Perrier-Jouet Blanc de Blanc 2000. The tasting was held at A Voce in NYC and included lunch. it is "non-vintage" which means that fans expect it to taste the same year after year.

tasted through their lineup at the recent tasting of their New York distributor, David Bowler. Unfortunately it as a mere tasting, not a drinking or a lingering. Unfortunately, I don’t have detailed tasting notes but they included jottings like mmm, truffly, nutty, amazingly fresh, long finish. Lopez de Heredia.

Owner/winemaker Nicolas Heeter-Tari first got the idea for Esquisse in the great vintage of 2002, when he saw the quality of the wine was so superior it would be a shame to negotiants as generic wine in bulk. Nicolas offered me a private tasting of the last several vintages of the great wine. Adele. Now let me set the seen.

At the dinner I tasted a red called J'en Veux for the first time. Considering the lineup of whites as a whole, I think that they might be as good as any lineup of white wines that I've tasted from the Jura. The sous-voile wines were excellent too, including a show-stopping 2002 Vin Jaune. And indeed it was.

This time of year there are a load of trade tastings, and even if like me, you only go to a few of them, you hear things. Vineyard work is thoughtful and very conscientious, and fully converted to biodynamic farming since 2002. I've only tasted it, but I liked it very much. Isabelle and Franck Pascal, and their name tags. cases.

It’s not every evening I get to taste ten white Burgundies with a decade or so of age. So I delighted to have the chance to taste through several bottles at a collector’s house recently to assess the risk and reward of white Burgundy. Ballot-Millot, Meursault Perrieres, 2002 : oxidized. For one, they’re often expensive.

The seminar and tasting for New York journalists was held March 8 and included a larger representation of cool climate VQA Chardonnays featuring 54 wines from 31 Canadian wineries located in British Columbia and Ontario. Tawse Winery Beamsville Bench Reserve 2002. Tawse Winery Beamsville Bench Reserve 2002. Exultet Estates 2009.

Matthieu, the jovial, thirty-something son of Bernard who has been with the domaine since 2000, led us in a tasting of the more-or-less current releases and a few back vintages as well. The 2002 Grezeaux still had plenty of freshness and a bit of that herbal–but good herbal–character of cab franc. I’d tend to agree.

All of the Salon wine from the 1999, 2002, and 2004 vintages - all that there is for the whole world, is in this cellar (that looked kind of like a garage). Then we went upstairs to the tasting room. All together we tasted five vintages of Salon, including the 1999 which will be released in May of 2011. Calm, cool, collected.

Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon pouring 2002 Cristal. 2002 and 2004 Cristal, and pretty tasty too. Every find yourself secretly thinking that some or other grower Champagne really doesn't taste so great, or secretly enjoying a glass of big house wine? Entry hall at Champagne Louis Roederer. Consider Louis Roederer, for example.

Then we tasted her vintage wines, beginning with the utterly delicious 2002 Brut Nature Grand Cru. do not remember the vintage that the rosé we tasted is based on, but it was aromatically alluring, spicy, well balanced, and so very drinkable. The walls are made of chalk, just like most of the houses in Ambonnay, she told us.

If you've never heard of these wines or never tasted one, you are most certainly not alone. Last summer I drank a bottle of 2002 Larmandier-Bernier Coteaux Champenois with a few friends and absolutely loved it. Tastes just like one too. I'd love to taste the '08 again in 5 or 10 years. My favorite wine of the tasting.

Tasting the Wines. We were able to taste six wines, beginning with the Ruca Malen Chardonnay 2009, very fresh tasting with good balance and tropical notes. The Tasting Menu. The winery offers a tasting menu only, with wines paired with every dish so that guests can experience all the different wines. The Six Wines.

Everyone loves the happy bright cheerful color of rose champagne, and also the taste that goes along with the extra addition from the Pinot Noir. 2002 Perrier-Jouët “Fleur de Champagne&# Brut Rosé (Pernod Ricard) $250 - $300. Thinking of rose champagne this holiday season? Delicate with a hint of framboise. NV G.H.

think about vintage now when I buy a special bottle of wine, but I think about them according to my own taste and experience. We also drank the 2002, although it was released as Limpido!, Everything, in fact, with the exception of 2002, is supposed to be very good. would drink the passable 2002 over the '97 every time.

Today Sylvain is giving me a tour of the property and a tasting. From 2002 the Domaine has practiced 100% organic and now biodynamic farming. In the cellar, Sylvain selects red wine from several barrels for a tasting of the 2010 and 2009 and 2008 vintage, including the 06 Foret St. George. Surprise in the Vineyard. The Cellar.

This is a dream for sweet wine lovers and wine students, since we are able to taste so many varietals and so many vintages at so many stages in their evolution. Vertical Tasting. 2000 (white peach) and 2002. Because of a threat of a strike, we took an earlier plane to Hungary to visit the Disznoko property in Tokaji. uneven.

The Tasting. We taste several vintages of Chateau Suduiraut, all different yet similar in that they have amazing freshness and acidity with good minerality on the finish. very much liked the 2002, and found a curious note of a caraway seed along with saffron and East Indian spices. VisitingChateau Suduiraut. pierre. dessert1.

When I saw him at a Wines of South Africa tasting in New York City on Wednesday, I asked him if Chenin blanc was a difficult grape. Same with Chenin: you put it in barrel and taste it and it doesn’t taste like much right away. tasted his 2000 Chenin Blanc, a $14 wine with ten years age on it. Prohibit corks.

And the berries looked delicious – I could not wait to see how they would taste! Gravity: The Taste Test. Christian Seely led a very interesting test, in which we tasted two groups of base wine: Group 1 was 2008 Merlot, and Group 2 was Cabernet Franc. One simply used personal taste as a guide. The Tasting.

This dinner was a great opportunity to taste new things by my favorite producers, and also to get acquainted with some of his producers who are new to me. The 2002 took a while to open up, very oxidative at first, but after about an hour it found a balanced and delicious place. Headrick's portfolio is small, but well selected.

few other journalists and I gathered together to taste her wines and hear her story at Dan Meyers new Maialino restaurant in Gramercy Park. The most interesting aspect of the tasting was experiencing the 2005 and 2009 Foja Tonda grape, an indigenous grape to Vallagarina in Italy’s Adige Valley. Incredible!

Fresh and bright with fruit, and it really showed what to my taste is typical of Meunier - a round and fleshy, very broad character with something sweet and nutty like marzipan or cashew under the fruit. 2002) Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vignes de Crama nt Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs , $70, Louis/Dressner Selections. loved this rosé.

Wine & Spirits magazine assembled a group of leading sommeliers, tasted the wines and Rod Smith wrote a story about it. couple of weeks ago, the magazine assembled another group with David Hirsch to taste some of his 2007s–as well as some of the same 1997s tasted a decade ago.

If this guy invited me to a three hour tasting of Boone's Farm wines, I would go. So my night began with a glass of Kirk's 2002 Nicolas Joly Savennières Clos de la Coulée de Serrant. enjoyed how the wine changed from front to back, how the initial taste was so honeyed and floral, and then the finish was more delicate and stony.

This is in the very top level of Fino that I've tasted, right there with La Bota #15. 2002 Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Cuvee Fiacre , $70, Terry Theise Selections/Michael Skurnik Imports. I try not to do laundry list posts that sound like "here's what I drank recently." So this will, in fact, be a laundry list post. Sigh of relief.

The 2002 was simply perfect. Whereas the 1997 , similar in substance and style to the 2002, was showing still more fruit and varietal notes, and considerable concentration without coming across as too much. prefered the 2002 overall, and would rather drink the 1997 now. The wines are, of course, first rate. 1982 Chateau St.

The 2002 Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume , price unknown, Imported by Wine Brokers Int'l and acquired from a private collection, was rather mute on the nose at dinner, but I loved the taste of the wine. Perhaps its simply a matter of taste. We had a bunch of people over for dinner this weekend for Chablis night.

But I kid you not, the calendar has been so reliable that I'm starting to plan dinners and tastings around it. But when was the last time you drank (not tasted) 7 bottles of wine in an evening and every one of them was showed beautifully? I'm starting to believe in the influence of lunar cycles on wine. And there have been exceptions.

and bought some things that I haven't tasted. That Meursault Henri Darnat Meursault 2002 par Francois Labet I was dragging my feet because I've been hating everything and was confused. had one terrific bottle of 3 Celliers Chateauneuf du Pape @ $44 but the second one stunk. The first one was exciting. Truly not bad. Am I saying that?

But for me to buy the Hofer Zweigelt, its excellence must derive from the smell and taste of the wine, and from its expression of place, not from the mere fact that it is palatable and costs $10. That great Beaujolais that sold for $12 in the 2002 vintage costs $17 now. I'm talking about wines that cost between $8 and $12 a bottle?

was happy to have the chance to check in with Syrah by organizing a small tasting at a private residence last week. The Carlei , Heathcote Shiraz, Green Vineyards 2003 from Victoria opened our tasting. It was an elegant treat to top off this fun tasting. alcohol. The $16 price tag helped too. Then we tried the J. Chave , St.

remember asking my friend Peter about this as we drove from one cellar tasting to another in Burgundy a little over a year ago. Try a bottle in the 12th year out from the vintage - drink a 2002 in 2014, for example. I've always been attracted to things that are defined by a concrete set of rules. Wine fits in here too. And that's fine.

On the palate, surprisingly light, with some fresh dark fruits left, and certainly quite pure in style, but not concentrated like the 1991 or 2002, and not esoteric like the 1996. Also tasted (blind): 2003 Ridge Vineyards California Mountain Merlot and 2005 Duckhorn Merlot Napa Valley Both very similar in style to the 2005 Monte Bello.

tasted through over a dozen of the top examples at a recent press event organized by David Schildknecht (pictured, right), critic and writer for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. The idea is to get better extraction without crushing the grape seeds, which can impart bitter-tasting compounds. euro) a bottle. Things have changed.

Further proof, if any was needed, that it is futile to try to really understand wine at a large industry tasting: Almost two years ago, I think it was, I tasted this wine alongside the 1990 vintage at one of Dressner's tastings. And first let me tell you that at the Dressner tasting this wine came off as a bretty mess.

I've still not had a bottle of 91 Rousseau Chambertin with dinner (or any vintage of any Chambertin with dinner, for that matter), I've never tasted DRC, I've never had anyone's Montrachet with dinner. 2002 Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Excelsior Clos des Noelles with fish soup. am not in the wine business. It was delicious.

Tasting Room ]. Driven by sales of red Bordeaux, which country saw a fifteen-fold increase in imports from France during 2002 – 2008? Tags: French wine New York City tasting sized pours SIPPED: upgrading label info? Discussion ensued over at wineberserkers whether there was a loophole in the statement.) SIPPED: solitude.

Fred Franzia : The California-based creator of Two Buck Chuck, which debuted in 2002, believes that no wine should sell for more than $10 a bottle. Eric LeVine : Formerly of Microsoft, LeVine opened CellarTracker.com to the public in April 2004; now, it is the dominant site for user-generated tasting notes with over one million wine reviews.

Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue Cheese, paired with 2002 Domaine du Closel Savennières Mo ëlleux Les Coteaux , $28, Louis/Dressner Selections. Not too salty, not too sweet, this cheese tastes of fresh butter, with herbs and roast nuts. We've been delving further into domestic cheeses lately with some very good results, mostly.

Jenny & François import these wines for the east coast, and they organized a tasting in a small and very comfortable setting that actually encouraged conversation, instead of merely offering a glass and a spit bucket. And converse we did - I spoke with Emmanuel for about an hour while tasting, and I learned a great deal about his wines.

Tasting through her recent vintages here- particularly in a vineyard such the premier cru of Clavoillon (which used to be a bid of an underperformer in the Leflaive stable)- it is pretty hard not to agree with her wholeheartedly in the greater signature of terroir in the Leflaive wines today. Natural wines are growing in popularity.

No, but that's because my tastes have changed, not because they are bad wines. Here is what I found, in the approximate order of my preference: 2002 Panther Creek Pinot Noir White Rose Vineyard , $35. 2002 St. We loved the 2002 and I brought a few of these home with me from Portland a year ago. This wine was just no good.

never tasted this wine young, and then decided that I would age it about 14 years before drinking the next bottle. In the first half of 2009, I drank a bunch of Muscadet and decided to age Marc Ollivier's 2007 Clos des Briords and Jo Landron's 2007 Fief du Breil , and the 2002 Luneau Papin Clos des Noelles Excelsior. Maybe not.

went to Alice Feiring's house the other night for her Champagne tasting, a semi-blind (we saw the list of wines, but drank them blind) look at a handful of wines with the idea of discussing whether or not they represent good value. I used to write about sparkling wine every Friday in a sets of posts that I called Friday Night Bubbles.

2002 López de Heredia Rioja Crianza Viña Cubillo , $25, Polaner Selections. BrooklynLady thought this was a Burgundy wine when she first smelled and tasted. The current vintage is the 2003, and I think that another year plus of bottle age has been great for the 2002. But try it I did about 6 months ago, and I feel like a dope.

didn't like the caramel flavor - it didn't taste like cheddar. My friend who tasted it was not impressed, and BrooklynLady tried it on another evening with no fanfare whatsoever, made a face and said "This doesn't taste like cheese." It tastes like caramel and weird bitter vegetables masquerading as cheese.

chose the 2002 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. But I read a few tasting notes that implied that the wine might be approachable now. The other night BrooklynLady went to her book club and my pal Adam came over for dinner, so I made a batch of Chinese-style braised oxtails. But in the end I decided on a bottle from Nuits St. Georges.

I'm discovering a taste for the Syrahs of the northern Rhône, but I haven't had a Châteauneuf du Pape that I really like, never mind a Gigondas, or Vacqueyras. could tell without even tasting that it was a Burgundy, a big and ripe example, with a heady fruity perfume. Tasting it made me reject 03 - too well balanced and controlled.

tried the 2002 Old Garden Mourvedre and it had gamey aromas characteristic of the grape, as well as dark fruits and smooth sweet tannins. I’ll have to stick it in a blind tasting of mourvedres if I do one of those again.). As you can see, the bush vines lie in unruly rows since they aren’t trellised.

The youngest Riesling I’ve tasted was a tank sample of the 2009 Jacob’s Creek Steingarten Riesling. The 2002 Peter Lehmann reserve Riesling Eden Valley had toasty, lightly honeyed nose with a strong attack, limey midpalate and expansive, rewarding, and lingering finish. The finish was spectacular and went on and on.

If I'm tasting blind, I can give you my thoughts and there's nothing tricky because I have no idea whether or not I'm supposed to like the wine. Overachievers: 1999 Domaine Leroy Meursault - Tough to get a handle on, but with time to re-taste and to think about the wine, it kind of blew me away. High expectations can color things.

Not that it matters in order to appreciate the wines - they taste and feel good, and they makes great company for fresh seafood, cheeses, and other foods. recently went to Vins du Jura , a tasting featuring 20 producers from the Jura region of France. In the hands of a good producer, sous-voile wines are completely delicious.

At least one was resolved peacefully last week in a historic vertical tasting of the wines of the two Pichons. The managing directors of both properties convened on New York for a tasting at the Wine Media Guild on April 27. First up was a walk around tasting of both the wines from 2000-2006. Sign up for one if you can.

2002 Domaine René Engel Vosne-Romanée , $28. 2002 is supposed to be such a great year, and this is a good producer (although that reputation grew under a different wine maker). Why is this 2005 Bourgogne lovely and the above two not as lovely, my personal taste aside? But that's because it's true. very lovely wine.

prefer this to any other Champagne of equal price that I've tasted, and it's better than many vintage wines that cost twice as much money. But as usual, only 25% of the current vintage's grapes are blended in Petraea, the balance being a blend of wines from 1997 through, in this case, 2002. Lamb , at a minimum.

Some said that biodynamic, organic, and otherwise natural growers would have a particularly tough time in 2007 because of their reluctance to treat their vines against rot, but this seems not to be true, from what I've tasted so far. In contrast to the 2005 or 2002, it is not an exuberant wine, even after 3 days open.

To the tape: Mr. Staples pointed to the example of Château-Lafite Rothschild, a first-growth Bordeaux, which soared from £675, or $955, for a 12-bottle case in the 2002 futures to £4,000 a case for 2005 — which he called “the best vintage I’ve ever tasted.” He estimated it cost the château €10, or $13, to make a bottle of the wine.

Now, they may be poised to fall back to 2002 prices, which is what British buyers told the Times they were willing to pay. But he admitted that they probably will after they hear nice things about their wines at the en primeurs tastings in early April. Tags: Bordeaux tasting sized pours wine collecting SPIT: Bordeaux futures.

He brought a few truly special bottles of wine from France for this dinner, one of which was the 2002 Benoît Lahaye Brut Champagne Millésime. I've never had a Paul Bara wine, and I haven't tasted the entire lineup of wines from Saves or Clouet, but I've drank some of their wines, and I think that Lahaye's NV Brut is just better.

have no photos to share, and I didn't make notes at the restaurant so my tasting notes will be of a general nature, but there is something worth sharing here. The 2002 vintage of this wine was featured just a few weeks ago in another Friday Night Bubbles post, by the way. more formidable animal. Quite the opposite, actually.

Winemaking and operations continue out of the Carneros plant, while the tasting room is located at 6795 Washington Street in Yountville. As previously reported, the 2002 Girard Caberent Franc Napa Valley displays bright and luscious strawberry notes on opening. History, like beauty, is in the mind of the beholder. Elegance.

This very healthy bitter green smells and tastes much better if you very quickly submerge it in a pot of boiling water before cooking it. used to use anchovy fillets and melt them slowly into the hot olive oil, but I couldn't ever get them to fully melt, and this tastes just as good. went with broccoli rabe as a side dish.

Ridge Vineyards' first Advanced Tasting Program release of 2009 , from 48 barrels of 100% zinfandel planted in 1923 on the Dusi Ranch one mile east of Highway 101 in Paso Robles, this big, mouth coating zinfandel is loaded with ripe red fruit. The wine is concentrated, ruby red, and has mild smoke and bacon notes underneath.

As I assume we are currently experiencing not just the end of the year but the end of the world, I expected to have to make do with the few 2002 on my shelves and close my eyes and pretend. But the other night, failed or not, I was a viniprincess and I still can remember the taste out of the glass slipper. 1954 Tondonia? Gerald!

We were happily enjoying the comforting 2002 Cubillo Rioja from Lopez de Heredia, when a well-fed writer I knew was leaving, having just dined with a Sonoma wine produce. Inside were three Pinot, ( not yet tasted) and one Chardonnay, from a vineyard Im somewhat familiar with, Heintz. Alice is a wine writer," our mutual friend said.

We were happily enjoying the (comforting as a cup of Lapsang, 2002 Cubillo Rioja from Lopez de Heredia) when a well-fed writer I knew was leaving the restaurant after supping with a 'producer.' Inside were three Pinot, ( not yet tasted) and one Chardonnay, from a vineyard I'm somewhat familiar with, Heintz. That's nice," I said.

numbered them and we did a blind tasting, pitting Girard's 2002 Cabernet Franc against a 2000 Ch. The backbone in Girard's 2002 Cabernet Franc had emerged finally and it showed complex notes of spice, fresh red bell pepper, celery and a strong coconut note on the finish. Charmail **, a 2005 Mondavi Napa Valley Merlot, 2000 Ch.

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.

thought it was sweeter than most Nero D’Avolas that I’ve tasted, but in a good way… reflecting the perfectly timed ripeness of the fruit. First vintage bottled in 2002, 150,000 bottles produced annually. Along with a delicious dinner, we had this wine as our second bottle at Il Poeta this weekend. No wine purchased ?No tons per acre.

always think that Larmandier's wines need a lot of post-disgorgement aging to show their best, and even tasting this one, 20 months after disgorgement, I felt that it could still use a little more time to put itself together. I have a special treat for us all to share this week. He makes it sound as though he has better things to do.

The word that comes to mind as you sip Antonin Guyon's 2002 Gevrey-Chambertin ** is searing. The 2002 Gevrey-Chambertin ** has evolved into a puckering villages level Burgundy, with piquant cherry notes and a texture like sharp stones. Tasted most recently in the early fall of 2007, this was not the same wine.

tasted the “novello&# 2008 oil from Tenuta di Caezzano in Tuscany, where 26,000 olive trees grow on 145 acres. At a tasting at the offices of the wine’s US importer, LVMH, I chatted with Beatrice Contini Bonacossi about their wine that particularly caught my fancy, the unctuous sweet 2002 vin santo ( find this wine ).

have tasted this twice before, and my thoughts on the wine have been consistent. Better than the 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2002, the 1995 may be the least accessible modern Monte Bello , and the longest lived At thirteen, the 1995 Monte Bello is still a child. keep waiting for this wine to fully reveal itself. It won't.

And because our wine tastes are quite diverse. 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. All the wine, all of the food, everything.

We like to end the class in style: a giant edition of show and tell and taste. Each participant brings in a wine to present to the class, which means we get to taste about 25 wines that evening. The most recent session of my six-week introductory wine class at NYU wrapped up last week. It is an assignment! Good times!

I've listed what we tasted, below, in no particular order. 2004 Cantina Zuccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva * (Previously reviewed) Nice bright fruit this tasting, with good acidity and a lightly silty texture. Chapoutier "Belleruche" Cotes-du-Rhone * Tasted last at the City Winery. drink beer.  Pirque, Chile. 2006 M.

After tasting the OLIVIER RIVERE Rioja barrel samples for two years in France I got to taste it in bottle right on Lafayette Street. Domaine de Belliviere Coteaux-du- Loire Le Rouge Gorge 2006 Im a long time devotee of Eric Nicolas wines but this Rouge Gorge seems to bring me back to the 2002 vintage where it was a coup de coeur.

This is the April, 2008 disgorgement and it is based mostly on 2004 grapes with 20% from 2002. I've always like this wine and this is the best version I've tasted. tasted the 2000 a few months ago and loved it, although I haven't yet seen it on shelves. The blend is 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 10% Meunier.

So after the hard and wonderful work of the Terry Theise Portfolio tasting, we rushed over to the east side for Louis/Dressner tasting. There was simply no way to taste everything, even if this were the only tasting of the day. The Italian wines - I didn't taste 'em. Wines of the Savoie - didn't taste 'em.

Tasted thrice and consistent notes. Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley "Trailside Vineyard" 2002 ** about as good as the Harlan, for 1/5 of the price. Almost tasted like American oak, although I know they use 85% French. This is thick and tastes like molten blackberries with big spicy and nutty notes throughout.

What's the right thing to do at an enormous industry wine tasting? Do you try to taste every wine being poured? Do you find some way of narrowing the field, and taste only a subset of the wines? used to try to taste everything but in the end I learned less that way, and did not really enjoy myself. What a thing of beauty!

Innocent "Temperance Hill Vineyard" Willamette Valley 2002 Deep garnet color. I'd also note that I've tasted the "Southing" and "Ten". I don't know what it is that makes October pinot noir season, but it's always around now that I start to break out the reds in earnest again and the pinot noir is always the first off the shelf.

My pal Adam and his wife brought a bottle of 2002 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Boudriotte to dinner at my place. And the wine tasted better too from this glass, which is no surprise because so much of flavor is tied to aroma. Once upon a time I owned six Riedel red Burgundy glasses, the Vinum series.