23-Mar-2000
On a very harsh wintery night, six of us - Eli, David, Rony, Gilli, Dorit and myself - gathered at a superb new [for me!] restaurant in Herzliya some 10 miles north of Tel-Aviv. This time I was really a 'free flyer'. Not only that none of the wines were brought by me. But one of us [whose unlimited generosity I am becoming tired of mentioning] picked up the tab as well as provided the two star wines of the evening...
The chef of "The Eighth Rib" went out of his way to prepare an umpteen-course degustasion dinner especially for us. This feast consisted of endless array of dishes, that paraded to our table over more than three hours. Every available sea monster in every conceivable and inconceivable form and shape was presented. From succulent fresh mussels to delicious grilled jumbo shrimps. From crab meat 'falafels' to scallops. From red mullets to whatever it was that I forgot. When we started showing signs of of weakness, the chef warned us that there is plenty more to come! A wonderful beef carpaccio was followed by layers of grilled meats on a central skewer, only to be followed with hearty Charollais steaks. The cheese plate was followed by a dish of foie gras (for the Sauternes!). By the time the four different deserts arrived we were really half dead... Oh, but what a way to die!
Now for the wines. We started with a white Italian wine from Friuli-Venezia. This was followed by a succession of Bordeaux Classed Growth and their Spanish equivalent.
I am writing this a few days after the event. As there was too much food and too much wines, I'm afraid I won't be able to accurately describe every aspect of each wine in the normal 'rigid' format. So the purist will have to excuse my resorting to a more sketchy form of tasting notes. Hey, I am also entitled to enjoy the stuff every now and then without having to concentrate or take notes, right? I knew you would agree :))
All right, so here goes:
| Vintage Tunina |
1997 |
Jermann |
3/2000. Brought by Eli.
I almost never drink white Italian wines. The few I have tasted in the past have induced little curiosity to try more...
This Vintage Tunina comes from the Friuli-Venezia region. It had a stylish citric, white fruit and grassy nose that very much reminded me of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with a lot more body. I later found out it is made of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia & Ribolla. What a complex combination for a white wine!
Anyway, both the nose the taste and the body were very profound. By far the best Italian white I ever had.
MARK: 17/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.
| Chateau Gruaud Larose |
1990 |
St. Julien |
3/2000. Brought by David.
Impressive looking deep ruby. Concentrated nose of leather, black fruit and spices. Very rich and expressive on the palate. A bit rustic [in the best sense!] yet extremely well balanced. Plenty of winyness there and good enough backbone to last for years. A fine wine.
MARK: 17.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.
| Chateau Cos d'Estournel |
1990 |
St. Estephe |
3/2000. Brought by David.
Believe me I have nothing against Cos d'Estournel. So far I have only tasted the '82 and the '86. None came close to the hype surrounding this wine.
Lighter in color than the Gruaud Larose. A nose that hinted at complexity but did not reveal anything but mildly pleasant aromas. Somewhat tired and boring though not over aged or anything. Similarly, a pleasant enough wine to drink, but so are million of other wines in the world that are not considered half as hautely and do not fetch quarter of the price. Pleasant with no special distinction is the best I can say of the taste. Not particularly concentrated, or stylish, or expressive. Just a decent, weak-tannins wine. Good [because it wasn't bad...] but that's all.
MARK: 16/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.
| Chateau Latour |
1970 |
Pauillac |
3/2000. Brought by Eli.
Not much lighter than the Gruaud Larose [let alone the Cos d'Estournel].
Wonderful "to cry for" mellow and totally integrated nose. Extremely complex intertwined aromas where you can smell the scents of black fruit, chocolate, truffles and spices, yet you cannot tell them apart. Smooth and silky on the palate with expressive yet at-ease wholesomeness. Fantastic aftertaste that simply won't subside.
Unfortunately this bottle stood open for more than three hours, so it must have lost some of its initial punch and zest. Still, dream of a wine!
I don't know if I'll ever get to taste this wine again, but if I do I swear I won't let that idiotic 'breathing' stance rob me of what this gem has to offer.
MARK: 18.5-19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes (If I could afford it...).
| Vega Sicilia "Unico" |
1970 |
Vega Sicilia |
3/2000. Brought by Eli.
This is the second time I get to taste this truly unique wine. Everything about this 30 years old baby is simply unbelievable!
From the fresh looking bottle and color to the immense vigor of the nose and taste. Regal as the Ch. Latour has been, it sure looked feeble compared to this monster in velvet gloves. Well defined red fruit on the nose, with delicate woody earthy secondary aromas as back-drop. Deliciously focused on the palate with mature yet youthful winyness. Multi-layered finish that was almost as long as the Latour.
For me this is one of the finest wines on earth. Extraordinary!!
MARK: 19.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.
| Chateau Climens |
1988 |
Sauternes |
3/2000. Brought by David.
What can be more fitting than to follow the last two giants with a great Sauterne?
Deep yellow golden color. Honeyed, citric, profound nose. Extremely rich and sweet on the palate but with excellent grip due to the refreshing acidity. Wonderful aftertaste that did manage to penetrate my now-saturated taste buds. Outstanding nectar!
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.
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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.