Thursday was my turn to host SOBER. The holiday rush (both business and personal) conspired against my being prepared, and I didn’t have time to locate a few planned wines (I have 3 locations) and I was dangerously unprepared. Luckily, Betsy said she take over cooking. And then Wednesday night she started feeling blah, and was fully sick by midnight. Uh oh. But she had done a good bit of prep/cooking Wednesday night, and got out of sickbed to do some work on day of dinner.

I had a spread of cheese and meat out when guests started arriving. Calmed the hound with a 8” marrow bone, and calmed the guests with the 1998 Ruinart “Dom Ruinart” Blanc de Blancs. Crisp, orange and cream (creamsicle!), yeasty, good length. B+

On to table. First course was a Ming Tsai sweet potato soup with chipotle and bacon relish (a bit spicier than it seemed when cooking) that she had made night before. With some whites (all flights blind)

First white flight
1.Slightly oily, very lychee, spicy, Mark gets Gewurz immediately, John follows with ZH, but takes a few guesses to get vineyard. Mild sweetness, good acid for Gewurz, complex, this is an Olivier wine but drinks like a Leonard. 1989 Zind-Humbrecht “Herrenweg de Turckheim” Gewurztraminer. A-/B+

2.This was a bit outclassed (I had planned a Steiner Hund that I couldn’t locate). White peach fruit, a touch austere, shorter than flightmates. 1999 Prager Steinriegl Riesling. B-/B

3. This is pretty dry, but not bone. Takes group a while to get this. It’s an attractive drier Riesling, with petrol, rocks, apple fruit. It’s an argument that dry Germans can age at least a dozen years, but doesn’t seem like there is any reason to hold longer (yes, I know not classic terroir for dry, and a sample of one, but just thinking outloud). 2001 Donnhoff Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spatlese trocken B/B+

First red flight (someone goes New World early)
1. Mark called Australia quickly, but no one got producer (to be fair, no one knew producer even after revealing). Peppery, ripe but not overripe, dark fruits. 1995 Mount Langi Ghiran “Langhi” Shiraz. B
2. I think either Craig or Dan got ESJ with their first producer guess, and then John got Durrell immediately. I’m happy with showing. Still some tannin, plenty of acid, dark berry fruits, coffee, smoke. 1995 Edmunds St John “Durrell Vineyard” Syrah. A-

Second white flight (with tarragon and citrus lobster salad over frisee, a cold dish I could throw together quickly to replace a fried calamari dish- no way I was frying without Betsy in middle of a dinner)
1. Initial guesses of Burgundy, then once established as CA guesses were WAY younger. Took ages to get producer. Very youthful, pear fruit, a little spice, nice length. I was very happy with this showing, though I wouldn’t say this was most complex aged Chardonnay I’ve had. 1982 Mayacamas Chardonnay. B+

2. My favorite of flight, though more people seemed to prefer Mayacamas. White fruits, nuts, orange peel. Deep and long.1997 Littorai “Mays Canyon” Chardonnay B+/A-

3. Dan immediately guessed Puligny, when I said close Mark say Chassagne, but took a few guesses to get producer (then John got Vergers immediately). First off, I’m happy this isn’t premoxed (I’m 50% on this lot). Apple,. mushroom, earth, but not very long, and not showing a ton of complexity. Funny night with a Burgophilic crowd and the 1er places places after the 2 Calis! 1996 Niellon “Vergers” Chassagne-Montrachet 1er B/B+

Second red flight (I think most divisive flight other than Piedmonts- 25% preferred Jordan, 25% preferred Mondavi, 25% liked both, 25% like neither!)

1. Serious bell pepper, but interwoven with a lot of ripe red fruit, mulling spice, herbs. Good length, my preferred.1979 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon B+

2. Red fruits, acids, tarry (surprised no one guessed Piedmont), moderate length. 1980 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve B

Third red flight. With Judy Rodger’s recent death, Betsy wanted to do the Zuni Cafe
chicken with bread salad (she also said she was sick of braised beef or leg of lamb for this group). But she got sick. She did the prep and supervised the roasting, but I was one who made decision to hold bread in (recently) off oven. So what we ended up with was good chicken with huge hard croutons.. Oops.

1.This is what I want in elegant, classic, midbodied claret. Initial guesses were younger, once we got that Dan got St Julien and John Beychevelle. No extemporus notes, but I loved this, and I think everyone’s wine of the night. No canned asparagus. 1961 Beychevelle A-/A

2. Dan got Graves off bat, I think John LMHB. Cassis and mushrooms, a pleasant mature claret, no canned asparagus, 1970 La Mission Haut Brion B+/B

3. I probably should have just run to basement for a backup (various 60s/70s Beychevelle) but thought despite a super-sunken cork this had potential when opening, so left in covered small decanter. But too long in decanter (or just shot to begin with)- prune, leather, ashtray. Still, no canned asparagus- 1970 Beychevelle Not representative

Final red flight
1. This was pretty divisive, some thought it way too oaky, I thought oak intruded, but thought it identifiably Nebbiolo, with structure, needs time. 1989 Prunotto Montestefano Barbaresco. B

2. Roasted, oaky, short compared with the 89. 1990 Prunotto Montestefano Barbaresco B-/C+

Finish was a pear tarte, with the (non-blind) 1983 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile SGN. Only moderately sweet, good acids, light honied botrytis notes, but somehow a bit flat on palate. A disappointment, based on my high expectations. B

Fun night, and group was patient as I fumbled a bit in kitchen without Betsy.

Friday Dave came to dinner, and we opened stockings etc as we wouldn’t all be together again till we were in GA on Christmas. Dinner was leftovers from SOBER, along with a bottle from the backup flight (1988 Tuscans). The 1988 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva had some pretty classic Chianti flavors- black cherries, dried cherries, leather. Fully resolved tannins, but I was surprised how soft the acids were - I don’t think anyone would have gone quickly to Chianti if I had served this Thursday. A tasty wine, but no structure left for any further aging. B/B+
Went to the local farmers market today, winter has fewer vendors, but the fish guy from Montauk was there and I got some tilefish. Betsy roasted with potatoes and carrots, and I opened the 2005 Joly “ Clos de la Bergerie” Savennieres. Rather thick, some tropical fruit and canned peach aromas, some oxidative notes. I just didn’t really enjoy this. C+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

I should explain references in the Bordeaux portion. We were laughing re an article I had forwarded earlier about Rudy K's conviction:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/201...-for-fake-wine

See the UC Davis prof's declaration than any Bordeaux at least 2 decades old should smell of canned asparagus