1986 Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese

6/6/13- The brown bag wine sampled at the Thursday wine tasting at the Folsom Lakeforest wine store was an elegant German Riesling from the famous Doctor vineyard.  The Bernkasteler Doctor is only 8.1 acres in size but its place in the wine world is legendarily grand.  In the 13th century, the Archbishop of Trier was in this area of the Mosel Valley when he became deathly ill.  After countless cures didn’t work, he was poured Riesling from a humble flask from this vineyard and was cured.  From then on, it became known as “The Doctor”.  Today, it is the most expensive agricultural land in all of Germany.

1977 Mansion Cellars Cabernet-Bottled by Caymus

5/30/13-The brown bag wine sampled at the Thursday wine tasting at the Folsom Lakeforest wine store was a youthful cabernet bottled by Caymus for the Mansion Cellars, a wine store of years past in Davis, Ca.  This was the wine store where Marcus Graziano of Capital Cellars learned his trade.

1982 Lynch Bages

5/27/13-Tim and Jane Curtis provided a delicious dinner of smoked brisket that went well with the incredible 1982 Lynch Bages.  Robert Parkers review in 2009: “One of the most drinkable, complex, and tasty 1982s of the northern Medoc, this wine is beginning to reach its plateau of full maturity. Still a dense ruby/purple color with some lightening at the edge, it offers up classic aromas of cedar wood, fruitcake, tobacco leaf, and creme de cassis. This full-bodied, opulent, fleshy, sexy Pauillac can be drunk now with great pleasure and complexity, or cellared for another 10-15 years.”

1979 Lynch Bages

5/23/13-The brown bag wine sampled at the Thursday wine tasting at the Folsom Lakeforest wine store was an amazing older Lynch Bages Bordeaux wine.  The wine showed little browning and was guessed to be a much younger wine.  This was truly an enjoyable, elegant wine.  The wine had little sediment consistent with Robert Parkers comments:  “Made in a period when Lynch-Bages was flirting with a lighter, more precocious, supple style, this wine is attractive, but atypical for what fans of Lynch-Bages expect.”

100 Point Wine Tasting and Dinner

5/9/13-Keith and Helen hosted a 100 point wine tasting and dinner.  Helen concocted an absolutely delicious Caq a Vin chicken entre using a recipe from Julia Child.  The awesome dinner followed a tasting of a 1982 and 2009 Mouton Rothschild (100 and 99+ points respectively) and a 2007 Abreu Thorevilos cabernet(100 points).  The ratings from the group were unanimous in the above order.  Parker referred to the 1982 as one of the legends of Bordeaux and the 2009 vintage as the greatest vintage he has tasted since 1982.  The 1982 bordeaux nose and taste were truly awesome.  The 2009 and 2007 wines were incredible fruit bombs and most participants had difficulty giving them less than first place.

1979 Leoville Las Cases Bordeaux

5/8/13-The Knitters enjoyed an excellent Taco Bar at Tim and Jane Curtis’s home.  The brown bag wine for the evening was a well preserved 1979 Leoville Las Cases Bordeaux (I forgot to take a picture of the wine).  Tim Curtis nailed it this time, guessing it to be an early 1980 Bordeaux.  You are getting too good, Tim.  I’m going to have to resort to some trickery in the future.

Three Older Wines

3/28 to 5/2/ 2013-The brown bag wines sampled at the Thursday wine tastings at the Folsom Lakeforest wine store included a 82 Jekel Pinot Blanc, a well made/enjoyable 76 Robert Mondavi Reserve cabernet, and a fun 1983 Pat Paulsen Muscat Canelli (you older wine drinkers may recall Pat Paulsen running for President years ago).