Tastings

End of July my friends Mrs and Mr J had invited for a nice summernight dinner - Burgers and California Cult Reds. Who can resist that? I couldn't.

Mr J had subdivided the evening into three flights:

1st Flight
- 1994 Peter Michael Winery "Les Pavots" Proprietary Red Wine
- 1994 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon

2nd Flight
- 2005 Kapcsándy Family Winery Estate Cuvee "State Lane Vineyard"
- 2005 Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon "Peterson Family Vineyard"

3rd Flight
- 2007 Clark-Claudon Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2007 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Wine

And as the title implies it was an evening with lots of points. And the first 100 points of this blog. Premiere!


Mrs J decided to pair these vinophile heavyweights with some small delicacies and burgers for the main course. Absolutely perfect! With this selection it was possible to detect the strengths and weaknesses - if any - of the wines in the best way.

1994 Peter Michael Winery "Les Pavots" Proprietary Red Wine (98/100)
Sonoma, North Coast, California
70 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 % Cabernet Franc, 14 % Merlot

Dark ruby red with nice, slowly enlightening rims. Very earthy, but still lot of fruits. Mainly plums. Also some cold tobacco and cardamom. On the palate subtle with an outstanding berry, tartish freshness. Extremely soft finish. Simply wonderful - and a high-end starter.

The Peter Michael Winery is one of the best addresses in California - no matter if you are looking for Chardonnays, Pinots or Bordeaux-style blends. Certainly this has something to do with the founders Sir Peter and Lady Michael - both esteemed personalities in the Napa wine society. But if you drink this wonderful Les Pavots it becomes obvious that this personality was passed on from the winery people to their wines. It was my first bottle of the Peter Michael Winery. And it will not be the last one. Drink this beauty now. Don't pair it with any food. Simply enjoy and forget the world around you.

1994 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon (96/100)
Napa Valley, North Coast, California

Extremely dark colour, nearly black. Never saw anything similar before. Lot of balmy notes. A crazy mix of very gentle black pepper and ripe raisins. On the palate incredibly powerful and concentrated. Just at the beginning at most. Terrific.

So far I only drunk a Togni Cabernet Sauvignon from the Tanbark Hill Vineyard. This was in 2011 and it was the 2008 vintage. It was a drastic experience. The wine was too young and nearly undrinkable. Nevertheless I bought another bottle after the tasting - and forgot it in my cellar. After the outstanding experience with the 94 Napa Cab I will open this bottle in the near future to see how it evolves. If you are looking for long-living California Cabs besides Dunn - here it is. Parker recommends to drink from 2005 to 2030. I disagree. Wait until 2020 before opening. And then? 2040+. And never ever eat anything different than burgers to this Cab monster.

2005 Kapcsándy Family Winery Estate Cuvee "State Lane Vineyard" (100/100)
Napa Valley, North Coast, California
56 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc

Deep cherry red. Wonderful ensemble of balmy notes. Tender blackberries, black pepper in the background and an incredibly gentle moist earthiness. Soft and in parallel very strong; it lies on the palate like a rug of roses and blackberries. Long; extremely long and far at the end again a little bit balmy. A masterpiece of an ensemble wine. Best of the best.

This was the second Kapcsándy wine I was allowed to taste. Same location, same wonderful people, same result - a wine not from this world. And the best: THX to Mr J I have a bottle of this icon in my cellar. And in addition the vintages 2006 and 2007, too. Life is good. Back to the facts. The wine is absolutely on the top and will remain on this quality minimum another eight years. Total lifetime? Difficult. Perhaps until 2035. But why waiting? Pair it with low-temperature cooked venison and chanterelles.

2005 Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon "Peterson Family Vineyard" (97/100)
Napa Valley, North Coast, California

Dark cherry red with some light rims. Aromas of ripe green peppers paired with truffles and a hint of dark chocolate demonstrate the youthfulness of this wine. With some air a strong cassis note takes the leadership. And a little bit later suddenly some vanilla notes arise. A real grab bag in a very positive sense. On the palate fruitiness pur. Also some licorice and mocha notes noticeable. Long, smooth and perfect.

The first Switchback Ridge of my life - and what a glorious experience. I have the 2003 vintage in my cellar. I am really looking forward to enjoy this bottle, too. The 2005 is just at the beginning. The peak will be reached in two or three years. After that it will remain on this level for another five years minimum. I would pair it with medallions of pork in black pepper sauce.

2007 Clark-Claudon Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (96/100)
Napa Valley, North Coast, California

Medium cherry red. Strong cherry aromas paired with rosemary and chocolate with chili scent. Extremely fruity on the palate. Viscid. After ten seconds very strong with a nice fresh acidity.

The 2007 Clark-Claudon Cab was the wine I contributed to this memorable tasting. And I am really happy that it didn't come off badly compared to the other iconic wines. This Cab is currently absolutely on the top and you should drink it over the next three years. The pairing with the burger is absolutely perfect.

2007 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Wine (94/100)
Napa Valley, North Coast, California
82 % Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec

Medium to deep cherry red. Strong berry aromas with a tendency to raspberries. In addition classical cassis and a coffee essence. On the palate fruitiness - and nothing else. Definitely the fruit bomb of the evening. Medium to long finish with a pleasant velvety.

For me a typical Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Wine. I drunk this wine from several vintages. The last one before this 2007 was the 1998. And definitely the same characteristic. Here you know exactly what you get when you buy a bottle. And the good thing is that even in a weaker year you will get a very good quality. My personal opinion is that this wine is sometimes a little bit too mainstream. But this is complaining on a high comfort level.

Summarization: A cult evening - not only because of the cult Reds.

On a very hot day in 2015 summertime I was invited by my friends Mr and Ms J for a nice balcony tasting. Ms J prepared a wonderful BBQ with some yummie side dishes, Mr J presented some treasuries from his wine cellar and I also contributed two bottles of wine to this remarkable evening.

We tasted only red ones which were all chilled after decanting, using ice water due to the extreme heat. Most people tell me all the time that summertime is no red wine time. This is definitely not true! In contradiction to cold white wine or rosé you can´t drink red wine too fast which leads to a more moderate consumption. The trick is a really very carefully chilling - and on this playground Mr J is a master.

The tasting was subdivided into three vintage parts of US wine: 1997, 1998 and 2006. The following wines were tasted:

- 1997 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder (92/100)
- 1997 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (91/100)
- 1998 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (93/100)
- 1998 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Gaudeamus Vineyard Upper Block (89/100)
- 2006 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard (94/100)
- 2006 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard (95/100)

The first five wines were from Napa Valley in California whereas the last (and best one) was from Columbia Valley (State Washington).

Let's start with the glorious '97 vintage.

1997 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder
This wine offers a light, shimmering ruby red with clear maturity notes. The aromas are subtle: Licorice, leaves of black tea and a lot of different spices. On the palate very charming with a smooth fluent (long) finish. Drink it now. And pair it with creamy blue cheese. Perfect due to the wonderful overall sweetness of this beauty.



1997 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Deeper red than the Robert Craig. The maturity not so clearly visible. Therefore the smell shows noticeable ripeness notes. Forest floor, acorns and ripe blueberries. More tart. After one hour in the glass very structured and balanced. Like for the Robert Craig you should not wait any longer. Food pairing? Lamb chops, lamb chops, lamb chops!



The next flight with some wines of the underestimated vintage 1998 started with another Pride wine.

1998 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep cherry red. Wonderful aromas of very dark fruits. Some chocolate notes. Partly roses in full blossom. On the palate the fruits are clearly dominating, filling the mouth well right from the start. Extremely fruity, outstanding.

The wine was a real surprise. We drunk the higher rated 1997 just before but this wine was much better. The wine is of course on the top, but will hold this quality another two years. Drink it to flambéed turkey with whisky sauce.



1998 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Gaudeamus Vineyard Upper Block
Young, fresh and deep cherry red. A little bit austere. Nutmeg, tar and dark chocolate. Nearly no fruity notes noticeable. Very tarry and earthy in taste with a clear orientation in direction of truffles. Challenging and demanding. The wine remains long with a certain bitter note to the end which is not disturbing.

In total I believe the wine is already over the hill. Bummer! So if you have more in your cellar drink it now or sell it via auctions. I am quite sure you will get for this rare wine a good price. If you want to drink it, indeed as part of a nice BBQ is the very best solution.



Now the BBQ was nearly finished and it became slowly dark on the balcony. And we changed to the 2006 vintage.

2006 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard
In contradiction to the Quilceda Creek there was still enough daylight to recognize the wine's color. Wonderful deep purple red with some light rims. Extremely fruity. Blackberries and blueberries paired with some smoke hints which leads in total to a great scent experience. Very charming. On the palate the fruits are clearly dominating. The tannins are still noticeable but soft and velvety. Very long finish.

No doubt. This wine is absolutely on the top - perfect selection Mr J! - and will hold this quality for another five years. After that it will still provide a lot of fun for another five to ten years. Pair it with short ribs braised in red wine.



2006 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard
Last but not least we changed to State Washington. As I mentioned before it was now too dark to recognize the color. But if a wine can smell "black" I would describe the Galitzine Vineyard Cab in this way. Wonderful blackberry aromas paired with animalistic earth and spice notes. In parallel young and vital. During the next hour the wine changed nearly every minute its taste. A real fruit bomb in a frozen moment, then dissolved to a tannin beast of a wine. Fascinating.

Fact. This wine is just at the beginning. Waiting another three to five years is not a mistake. But who cared at this very special hour on the balcony of Mr and Ms J? Definitely not me and also not the Js. It was definitely the wine exactly for this moment. Thanks Mr and Ms J!

After previous experiences with aged wines from my wine merchant located in Munich called "California Wines" - see entries "California Wines - A German Wine Merchant" and "California Wines - Incredible Bandwidth" - I asked the owner for a ripe Chardonnay and a ripe Pinot Noir from California. He recommended a 1998 Chardonnay and a 1996 Pinot Noir, both from Morgan. Last Sunday I decided to taste both. Due to the fact that I didn't plan to drink both bottles in total I used the Coravin.



1998 Morgan Winery Chardonnay Reserve (89/100)
Monterey County, California
14.2 % Alcohol

Clear and deep golden yellow. Aromas of acacia honey, some resin and a little bit of toffee which are all confirmed on the palate. Some sweetness at the beginning followed by typical wood notes in the surprisingly long finish. A wine for cold winter evenings in front of a chimney.

Of course the wine is already over the top but still in good condition. Indeed I would serve it a little bit colder as usual for Chardonnay.

In my opinion a wonderful partner for a nice pâté.

1996 Morgan Winery Pinot Noir Reserve Unfiltered (90/100)
Monterey County, California
13.2 % Alcohol

I took the wine directly from the storage - upright position - and poured two ounces. So a little bit cold at the beginning. Clear garnet red colour with some lighter rims. Still fruit aromas from strawberries present, but mainly a nice touch of red roses. Surprisingly fresh, no oxidized tones visible. In the mouth very fruity, gentle and round. Still fresh. Extremely balanced. Long finish with the typical light bitterness at the end. Great!

For me this Pinot is a wonderful partner for soft-ripened cheese. Perhaps a Mt. Townsend Creamery Trailhead?

It is difficult to say how long this wine will hold the tremendous quality it offers at the moment. 5 years, 10 years, more? If you can get a bottle simply buy and try it!

The nice thing using the Coravin is the fact that the food pairing ideas can be verified at a later time with the same quality of the wine. No sooner said than done: For the Chardonnay I bought two styles of fine liver pâté - one with cowberries, one with white mushrooms. As partner for the Pinot I selected - because of the lack of the availability of the recommendation (:-)) - a Delice d'Argental (double cream cheese from the Burgundy) and an aromatic Bavaria blu (German soft-ripened cheese with blue mold).

Especially the pairing pâté - Chardonnay was a fantastic experience. Together with the cowberry pâté the wine suddenly offered tones of tropical fruits, especially pineapple. Also with the mushroom pâté similar tones were present, but with a little spicy note. In both cases the wood notes were totally gone.

The Pinot did it differently with the two cheese varieties. The already tasted characteristics were nearly unchanged but the cheese aromatics were wonderfully enriched by the Pinot's fruit tones.

In total the recommendations made on the assumptions during the tasting were confirmed. Both wines are not "easy drinkers". So simply opening the bottles for a nice evening should be avoided. My recommendation is to serve these wonderful ripe wines to dedicated dishes in the context of a festive dinner. I am sure the participants will be surprised and excited.

On the 3rd of January this year, only two days of one of our most remarkable vacations in Northern California ever were left. We stayed for three weeks in the valleys over Christmas and New Year's Eve. All the time the sun was shining and it was too warm for the season. Some friends told us that 2013 was the driest year in Marin County for more than 100 years. Incredible.

However we used the strange weather situation and visited some nice places in the area, including - of course - a lot of wineries. On this day we decided to check out some wineries in Sonoma County for the last time during this trip. We selected the Benziger Family Winery as a starting point because we heard this should be a lovely place. From there we planned simply to follow the road and stop wherever we thought it could be worth to.



When we arrived at the winery we were totally impressed by the surroundings. Also it was very quiet this morning. Not usual for Benziger because the winery is quite rightly very popular for both target groups - tourists and wine lovers. We did the "Estate, Biodynamic & Single Vineyard Tasting Menu" and this was a good choice. Nearly all wines have a very good quality and it was difficult to decide which of these amazing bottles I should take with me home to Germany. At the end I bought a bottle of the 2010 Signaterra Sunny Slope Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and very pleased we left the winery to continue our trip.



Next stop was at Kenwood Vineyards. We were there only for a short visit. Not because of the people or the location, but we were hungry and so we wanted to have a small lunch break at Cafe Citti - one of our favorite places in this area. At Kenwood I hoped to taste one of the famous Cabs from the "Artist Series" - and I was not disappointed. Two of them could be tasted this day - unfortunately I forgot the vintages - and indeed these wines had a very good quality, but also elevated prices. So I didn't take a bottle with me.

After our lunch break at Cafe Citti we continued freshly prepared our trip and stopped next at the Deerfield Ranch Winery. I didn't know this winery so far and we planned only a short stop. We were totally wrong.



We stayed for more than two hours in the caves of the winery and tasted around ten different wines. All of them were at least good or even better. Some outstanding. Part of the DRW philosophy is the following: "The wines are clean, have very low histamine and sulfite levels so that they produce no headaches or allergic reactions." This is totally true and shows that also with this style very good, long-living wines can be produced. Perfect example: The 2002 DRX. Still young paired with wonderful ripe fruit aromas. By the way: The current release of the DRX is the 2005(!). However we took with us the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. Why? Please see below.

So with this tasting our wonderful trip to Sonoma County was finished and we drove back to Marin County. And more or less this was also the end of our vacation.

Exactly nine months later we decided to taste the two bottles from Benziger and Deerfield with some very good friends. We organised a Raclette event and my wife prepared for dessert a wonderful Panna Cotta with raspberry sauce and a purée of different fruits. We enriched the tasting by three other bottles from Benziger which we could get from a German trader and a bottle 1995 Kenwood Cab from the "Artist Series" I bought on an auction. These six wines were framed by a bottle Viognier from Cline Cellars as starter and a dessert wine from Ferrari-Carano for the Panna Cotta. So again "A Trip to Sonoma County". Even if we were all still in Germany.



2012 Cline Cellars Viognier North Coast (91/100)
Sonoma, California
14.0 % Alcohol

Light golden yellow, a little bit sparkling. Very fruity aromas of peaches and apricots. Incredibly young, but already telling you: "Drink me. I'm the best." I love this dunking into a basket of citrus fruits. Nearly no wine can provide this feeling like the young Viogniers of Cline. Absolutely stunning. On the palate extremely harmonic. The citrus fruit tones are still dominating but without any bitterness. Neverending finish. This Viognier is a masterpiece. Far, far away from the fat ones you very often get in California. Kudos to the team of Cline Cellars.

This outstanding Viognier is already perfect to drink. But I know the qualities of the Cline Viogniers: You can also drink this wine in five or six years. Then it will still be very good, but taste totally different. For the moment a fantastic partner for a vegetarian Asian dish.

2012 Benziger Family Winery Chardonnay Sonoma County (89/100)
Glen Ellen, California
14.0 % Alcohol

Golden yellow with some green reflexes. Aromas of pineapple, pineapple and pineapple. In this extreme form I never smelled this fruit in a Chardonnay. But to state clear: It is not intrusive, in contradiction very pleasant. On the palate other fruits suddenly come to your mind. Bananas, some apples and again - of course - pineapples. A little bit like walking through a fruit garden. Very long finish. An amazing quality for this bargain Chardonnay.

Still young. Will be on the peak in two years and will hold this quality for another two or three years. I ate once a nice dish called "Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry". You can find the recipe on Food Network. This Chardonnay would be a great partner.

2012 Benziger Family Winery Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast (90/100)
Glen Ellen, California
14.5 % Alcohol

Light and clear ruby red. Typical Pinot nose: Strawberry, raspberry and at the end a little bit crème de cassis. Very fruity paired with herbs. Medium bodied but extra-long finish. Far at the end velvety and spicy. Very, very good.

Already drinkable but you can wait one or two years more. Then the wine will keep the quality for another two years. The pairing? Peking Duck. Definitely!

1995 Kenwood Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County „Artist Series“ (89/100)
Kenwood, California
13.6 % Alcohol

Deep, dark cherry red. Aromas of ripe, dark berries and cowberries. A little bit wet leaves. On the palate smooth, but strong. Again a lot of ripe berries. Very pleasant and not astringent. Surprisingly fresh for the age of the wine. Another good example of the aging quality of the "Artist Series". Medium-long finish. This classical Cab was perfect for the Raclette. And indeed I would pair it with a nice selection of cheese. By the way: The artist for the´95 label was Karl Albert Kasten (March 5, 1916 – May 3, 2010); a painter-printmaker-educator in the San Francisco Bay Area.



2010 Benziger Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County (89+/100)
Glen Ellen, California
14.0 % Alcohol

Deep cherry red. Nice bouquet of cherries, blackberries and tobacco. Very fruity with a little bit alcohol in the background. Of course too young, but the potential is visible. Nice.

Wait another two years minimum. Starting from there the wine will hold its quality around five years longer. If you drink the wine now I could bet that a pairing with blue-cheese dishes would be spectacular. Later on grilled lamb chops.

2007 Deerfield Ranch Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County (94/100)
Kenwood, California
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
13.4 % Alcohol

Cherry red with some light rims. Intensive aromas of black fruit, licorice, tobacco and dark chocolate. Liquory. On the palate extremely fruity and creamy with a very long and pleasant finish. Terrific! This Cab made as a classical "Bordeaux-style" blend is a wonderful example of the California opportunities to prepare such wines without copying the "old world". Neither the "full-bodied" Ramey style on one side nor the existentialist Dunn one on the other. Somewhere in the middle. Please don't misunderstand me: I like them both pretty much, but this Deerfield Cab touched me. And it seems my friends, too. The bottle was emptied very, very quickly.

The wine is already on the top and it is difficult to say how long it will hold this quality. 2, 5 or 10 years? I really don't know. The DRX shows the aging quality of the Deerfield wines. But to be honest: At the moment this wine is absolutely outstanding. Why wait? Concerning food pairing you can combine this Cab with the typical dishes. But I would prefer to enjoy this one without anything else. Indeed we drunk most of it after finishing the Raclette.

2010 Signaterra Cabernet Sauvignon "Sunny Slope Vineyard" (92/100)
Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen, California
14.0 % Alcohol

Deep cherry red; nearly black. Aromas of tobacco and dark chocolate are paired with black cherries. A lot of tannins still present. Definitely too young for the moment. After four hours smoother, more elegant. Now the tannins are better integrated. Wait for another two years. Then the wine will be perfectly to drink and will hold this quality for another five years. Due to some sweetness the wine provides I would recommend to pair it with a nice venison dish prepared with a berry sauce.



2007 Ferrari-Carano "Eldorado Gold" (89/100)
Sonoma County, California
91 % Semillon, 9 % Sauvignon Blanc
13.8 % Alcohol

Very deep golden yellow. Typical aromas for a wine made from botrytis-affected grapes with high Semillon part: Honey, ripe apricots and peaches. In the mouth the sweetness is not excessive. Long finish.

The wine works absolutely fine with the Panna Cotta. My wife didn't prepare it too sweet (with some buttermilk) and so the cream and the wine started a nice dialogue together. A wonderful finish of this trip to Sonoma County - like the tasting tour for our vacation nine months ago.

Last week we had to go to England for a business trip. Luckywise the meetings were Thursday and Friday. So it was possible for my wife and me to stay over the weekend in London. And of course we planned to visit Hedonism - the amazing wine shop in Mayfair. I checked the website of the shop and detected that exactly this Friday Robert Parker would present his new lifestyle journal "100 Points by Robert Parker’" combined with a tasting of 100 PP wines. We bought two non-VIP tickets which means we could taste four of the wines when we would share the glass.

Before I start the event report a word about Hedonism and their team. The environment is outstanding, the team very friendly, courteous and absolutely competent. Indeed the best wine shop I visited so far.

We were welcomed with a glass 2004 Dom Pérignon (95 PP). Wonderful aromas of peaches, apricots and some indefinable nuts in the background. Fresh and elegant on the palate supported by the smooth and fine perlage. Life is good. To be honest I am not a Champagne expert. After that glass I plan to change this .

Next of course the autograph section. Robert Parker is a very friendly man. He took his time for any visitor, which drove the Hedonism team nearly into panic due to time constraints.





Directly besides the table for the autograph section the 2008 Grange by Penfolds was presented for tasting. So we decided to spend our first voucher. The wine was amazing. Very intensive and complex fruit aromas. Still very, very young, but already ready to drink. On the palate baskets of fruits and a lot of spices. Full bodied and perfect. Perfect? Yes, but... My wife and I had both the feeling that this wine was a little bit "too perfect". Sometimes even the most perfect wine needs some edges. The 2008 Grange offered none. No idea how to pair this wine with some food. Best to drink it without any food in a very peaceful moment of life.

However the presentation of the Grange was amazing. All necessary information were presented in a very charming way by a friendly man. He seemed to know everything about the wine. Not surprising: The presenter was Peter Gago - the winemaker of Grange.



After this very inspiring tasting we went to a table where two wines were presented together - the 2007 Vérité La Joie and the 2002 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder. We started with the La Joie. Tasting this wine was a must. Some years ago we visited Vérité for a tasting and were allowed to taste the 2007 Le Désir. A truly outstanding experience. The La Joie is more complex than the Le Désir. Besides the dark fruits some tobacco and impressions from a dark and wet forest. Here we could find the edges we missed when we drunk the Grange. But: Definitely too young. If you want to drink the wine now a decanting time of minimum three hours would be necessary. A wine for the festive dinner. Wonderful with venison.



Totally different the 2002 Lokoya Cab. Still very young, but it seems to be in a difficult phase. At this evening the wine was extremely closed; the fruit aromas were far away in the background and it felt a little bit hard. It would be interesting to see how it will evolve in the next two or three years. At the moment: Back in the cellar. Or decant it for four hours and pray. If it opens again then you should pair it with a Wagyu steak during your next first class dinner. Perhaps with a nice mushroom ragout?

Before I will come to my last wine I tasted during this unforgettable evening I want to list all 100 PP wines which could be tasted by the audience:

- 2010 Chapoutier Ermitage Cuvée de l'Orée
- 2010 Dominus
- 2004 Bodegas Fernando Remirez de Ganuza Gran Reserva
- 2010 Château Pontet Canet
- 2008 Penfolds Grange
- 2010 Peter Michael Winery Pinot Noir Ma Danseuse
- 2007 Vérité La Joie
- 2002 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder
- 2011 Alvear Pedro Ximenez de Anada



Also some more champagnes could be tasted besides the '04 Dom Pérignon: The 1990 Dom Pérignon and the 1998 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque!

But now let's come to the wine we spent our last voucher on - the 2010 Chapoutier Ermitage Cuvée de l'Orée. Yeah, I know. How can you drink the white wine after these outstanding reds, ... For me it was clear from the beginning that this would be the last wine I would taste this evening. I expected something spectacular - and this was the case. The 100 % Marsanne was presented from a magnum and offered an explosion of fruits like peaches, apricots and peruvian ground cherries. Full-bodied and with a never-ending finish. Even the next day I had the taste in my mind. The best white wine I drunk in my life (so far).



So my summary: An extrordinary event with friendly people and fantastic wines. I would do it definitely again. But you can also simply visit Hedonism even if no event takes place. The location and the team are amazing. My wife and I came back already the next day . We wanted to test the six Enomatic sampling machines which allow to taste nearly fifty different wines at any one time! We tasted nine...

1. 2006 Cuvée Paul François Cotat Sancerre Vigneron à Chavignol (88/100)
Surprisingly light golden yellow, totally clear. Honey melon and peruvian ground cherry. Creamy, a little bit like ripe banana. Very smooth with a long finish. Pairing: Pasta with seafood and creamy wine gravy.

2. 2011 Kistler Chardonnay McCrea Vineyard (89/100)
Wonderful strong golden yellow. Typical vanilla, banana and pineapple aromas. On the palate pure Chardonnay. Alcohol not too strong, some herbal notes at the end. Pairing: Asian food.

3. 2012 Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc Eisele Vineyard (90/100)
Light green yellow. Gooseberries, green kiwis, extremely intensive. On the palate surprisingly mild; perfectly integrated acidity. Sauvignon Blanc at its best. Due to its structure an alternative for non-red drinkers when you present venison. Otherwise: All variants of classical seafood.

4. 2010 Chave Hermitage Blanc (93/100)
Strong golden yellow. Butterscotch, toffee, bananas and ripe pineapple. Wonderful smoothness. Perfectly integrated alcohol. Nearly endless. Creamy, powerful, perfect. Pair it with lobster - pure decadence.

5. 2011 Carmel Yatir Viognier (Kosher) (90/100)
Golden yellow. Ripe fruits: Pineapple, banana; thick and fat. Long finish. Also a good partner for lobster.

6. 2008 Sine Qua Non Kolibri Proprietary White (92/100)
Nice golden yellow. Intensive aromas of pineapples and peaches. Creamy and full-bodied. A perfect partner for high-class seafood.

7. 2007 Schubert Syrah (90/100)
Ruby red with some light rims. Ripe forest fruits paired with black tea and tobacco. Also on the palate. A little bit too much alcohol. Nevertheless harmonic. Pair it with venison.

8. 2008 Sine Qua Non B 20 Syrah (92/100)
Dark cherry red. Wild mixture of dark fruits, herbs and dark chocolate. To be continued on the palate. Very velvety and still young. Long, long finish and extremely good. Again venison.

9. 1997 Henschke Hill of Grace (91/100)
Garnet red. Aromas of black tea, dried berries and earthy spices. On the palate again tea and ripe red fruits. Smooth tannins and well-integrated alcohol. Pair it with not too spicy lamb dish.

After that we stopped the tasting. If you get a chance to taste a Hill of Grace you should not continue . So I went to my favourite Hedonism team member Clayton and bought two bottles for the way back to Germany following his recommendations - a 2010 Aubert Chardonnay and a 2005 Two Hands Shiraz Ares. Clayton: Many thanks for an outstanding experience. By the way: If you need the perfect wine gift - you may order directly on the website. Shipping costs to Europe are reasonable. I will go back to Hedonism and I will report.