The Wine Spectator Magazine publishes an annual list of their "Top 100" wines, based on quality, price, availability, total case production (usually the more the merrier), etc.  When the list emerges it is often a happy time for the hard core wine lover, as it provides all sorts of avenues in which they might release some of their vinous energies...

• thrill of the chase ("I just grabbed 6 bottles of Rieussec from a guy who had no clue its a #1")
• a target of derision ("lists like these are moronic")
• angst ("now all my favorites will cost more")
• aloofness ("What list? Not that I'd care, but...")
• clairvoyance ("Look what's in my cellar...I am a prophet")

...still, many people look forward to tasting the wines, if nothing else, to glimpse at what a group of experts somehow deem "best".

Bob Eppich, Roland Riesen, and Larry Meehan

"Colonial" Bob Eppich and I have hosted WS "Top 10" Tastings in the past -- always filled to capacity, and most always well received. After taking a year off, we were back at it -- combining wines from the 2003 and (the most recently released) 2004 lists. Curious and enthusiastic tasters from greater Cleveland gathered at JB Milano Restaurant to sample the wines, along with a multi-course meal.

First Course
Cold Smoked Norwegian Salmon with Lobster and Crab Salad

2001 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese Riesling -- plenty of sulphur/diesel on the nose at the outset, but this moves aside to reveal nice lychee and peach fragrances, along with wet slate. Tart apples and ripe peach dominate the flavors, backed by good doses of stone and spice. The acids are ample and the wine shows excellent balance...very nice, albeit still developing. This is a delicious wine and well worth its initial $20-25 price tag.

 

Second Course
Duck and Sausage Cassoulet

2001 Chateau Beaurenard Chateauneuf Du Pape -- As I decanted this wine, the scent of black olives was very apparent, but by the time the wine was poured, it was all but gone. The bouquet was largely built around ripe red raspberries, and sun baked earth. It showed more of the same red raspberries on the attack, seeming smooth and rich through the center of the wine. The finish is marked by plenty of spice and a cherry cough syrup note. There were no problems with alcoholic heat, or extreme ripeness.

The wine worked very well with the cassoulet, but on its own, it was (as I over heard) --"good" and "pleasant" ...perhaps "disappointing". I thought it was a good wine, but nothing special. It was priced around $25-30.

Third Course
Roast Tenderloin and Mushroom Wine Sauce

2001 Sette Ponti "Oreno"-- plenty of oaky scents on the nose, but that classy/expensive sort of oak...cherries, chocolate, fresh roasted coffee, mocha, and floral tones all well delineated. It is slick and smooth in the mouth, featuring dark cherries and plums...more coffee and chocolate, along with ample snappy spice. It has an air of elegance, and international charm, stumbling slightly with a "raw wood" element at the close. This Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot has pleasant acidity and well polished tannins. Self acknowledged Cal Cab lovers, as well as a few less pigeonholed really enjoyed the wine...it is good to have choices.

2001 Fontodi Flaccianello -- deep, dark and purple in color. There are scents of crushed dark cherry, fresh turned earth, plenty of spice and anise. The wine is pleasantly dense in the mouth, offering a smooth, velvet-like texture...further accentuated with a bite of the meat. It is a big mouth full of dark fruits, accented by more of the aforementioned "classy oak" -- rich coffee and dark chocolate are neatly packaged. Chewy tannins couple with good acids to forge a promising core of structure in this young Super Tuscan. My neighbor Bob Nolan called it "phenomenal", and I too enjoyed the wine. This 100% Sangiovese wine is priced at over $100 in Ohio.

Tasting with Cheeses

2000 Chateau Cos D'Estournel -- it is a deeply colored wine, with plenty of cedar, graphite and spicy scents...a fairly classic Bordeaux nose. It shows nice dark fruit in the mouth, backed by more cedar, fine earth, and a sense of "slowly disintegrating old barrels." The wine is tightly woven...reigning in the large scale fruit with its structure, but well proportioned. The tannins possess a sense of roundness and polish. This is an impressive, but very young wine, but one I'd have confidence in cellaring for a decade or more.

2000 Scavino Bric del Fiasc Barolo -- it has a thick effusive bouquet of sweet cherries, wild flowers and baby powder. It is smooth, rich, and full bodied as it slides about the mouth, showcasing ripe red cherries and dark plums. There are accents of orange peel, iron, and some earth at the center, but far more prominent are chocolate and espresso. Fruit is plentiful, but I am amazed at its forward, nearly overripe nature. Tannins do not seem to exerting much more than cursory influence, and the acids are hardly apparent. The finish swells with more fruit and spice, but also some alcohol. All this said, many people marveled at its accessibility, and tasty sense of "now." Veteran oenophile, Larry Milder told me "it hardly seems like any Barolo I know." I tasted from another bottle, and my impressions remained the same -- "drink sooner rather than later," though the years will tell.

2000 Casa Lapastolle Clos Apalta -- this Chilean blend (42% Carmenere, 41% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon) has a deep, dark purple to black color. Some high pitched vanilla scents, give way to black fruits, dark chocolate, and a small bunch of herbs. The palate is marked by rich black fruits -- sweet, but seeming balanced enough with the smooth tannins. There is more dark chocolate and herb in the finish -- seeming at first bitter, then spiking with a little sweetness. This is as "International" a wine as you will ever see, but as Jeff King points out "I've tried so many Chilean wines that disappointed me, I have no problem with this being built in an International style." Where a few more years in the cellar should not hurt, I think this is "ready to impress" right now.

2001 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta -- tasted side by side with the 2000, this blend leaned more heavily on Merlot (80%, the balance in Carmenere, and a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon). It was more austere and reserved from the outset -- Roland Riesen calling it "deeply structured". Its shy demeanor did not trouble me, as I found the wine's overall balance to be a bit better than in the 2000, though they are certainly cut from the same cloth -- dark fruits, dark chocolate, and a light undercurrent of dried herbs. A nibble of age Gouda softened the tannins and brought more sweetness to the fore.

 

2001 Paloma Merlot (WS #1 – 2003) -- The bouquet is built on melting chocolate, ripe dark plums and strong coffee. Most of the elements found in the nose also appear in the mouth, where they are presented in a soft, rich, velvety smooth manner. There is an overripe/raisined quality in finish, that when combined with a light vanilla streak and a bit of heat, puts me in mind of a top Amarone. This wine is not nearly as tannic as in previous vintages, and I wonder how long it will hold together. That said, it is the essence of soft, sultry textures and deep, dark flavors. I'd say drink sooner, rather than later.

I have been lucky enough to break bread with Paloma owners Barbara and Jim Richards on more than one occasion, and the experience has made me a fan of the people, more than even their wines. I could not have been more pleased that in the first vintage that Jim took the reigns from Bob Foley, the wine received such notoriety and glowing accolades.

Fourth Course
Orange Cointreau Mousse

2001 Chateau Rieussec Sauternes (WS #1 – 2004) -- what a gorgeous nose --- especially if you like oranges. Candied orange, orange marmalade, orange peel, and orange blossom special were all comments overheard in describing the bouquet. To those, I'd add wild flowers, peach perfume, and dripping honeycomb from my own notes...all elements seeming potent yet delicate all at once. In the mouth it is quite sweet, again featuring orange flavors and zest, but also a long lingering bit of apricot, honey, and clover. It is thick and dense, but in no way clumsy. Those who like some acidic bite to combat the sweetness might be a little disappointed, and I'm not sure if it has the grip to last for decades, but it will certainly be worth your time to stop and sniff the Sauternes.

The event took place February 20, 2005. All the wines (with the exception of the Rieussec) were double decanted 2-3 hours previous to tasting.