After a day of activities that included jaunts to Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, the Toledo Art Museum, Toledo's Anderson's Wine and Lumber Emporium and the Libby's Glass Outlet, the gang straggled back to nap, swim and play euchre and cribbage before wading into some serious carnage once again. It was Meehan's night to cook, and the pan roasted pork tenderloins and sausages and supporting dishes were well received. And, after drinking some great wines the night previous, we actually jacked things up a notch or two, starting, of course, with the white stuff.

1990 Nikolaihof Riesling Wachau Vinothek,
12.5%: Nikolaihof sounds more like a producer of vodka that Trinka Dykes (right, with martini in hand) might choose to include in her martini travel kit, but such is not the case.  Pale to medium straw, with mineral, rainwater and a hint of anise on the nose; gains some green apple on the palate, with brisk acids and a long, mineral finish. All this needs is a little grilled trout!

1999 Nigl Sauvignon Blanc Ernte, 12.5% alc.: Pale straw, with slightly piney green apple and grapefruit flavors and aromas; brisk acidity, good concentration and a nice finish. Interesting and tasty.

2000 Pascal Cotat Sancerre Les Monts Damnes, 12.5% alc.: Pale straw, with slightly perfumed green apple, grapefruit and rainwater flaves and whiffs; good with Dirty Potato Chips ®, and Pam Gillikin agreed with me on that point.

1990 J.J. Prum Mosel Riesling Spatlese Wehlener Sonnenuhr, 8% alc.: Pale gold, with a petrol, pine and honey personality; good acids, medium sweet and a long finish.  We really need to drink more good Riesling at our house.

1991 N. Joly Clos de la Coulee de Serrant, 13% alc.: This medium straw was one of my favorite wines of the weekend, perhaps in the top three. It shows plenty of dusty limestone and quince, being very dry and earthy. In fact, it almost tasted dirty, but nevertheless, I loved it. I could have lingered long over this one, but one must be polite at affairs like these, so I made do with my short pour and moved on the next selection.

1985 Foreau Vouvray Demi-sec, 12.6% alc.: Medium straw, with wet stone, limestone, green apple and pear on the nose and in the mouth; lots of life here, wow! A vital, dry 20 year old Chenin Blanc.

At that point, it was time to move on to the reds, especially with the trio that Mark Horvatich had lined up in the middle of the room.

1985 Chateau Cos d'Estournel Saint - Estephe, 12.5% alc.: Slightly rusty dark garnet, with tobacco and just a hint of the barnyard over cassis and black currant flavors and aromas; a little musty on the nose, but in a good way. Medium full bodied, with what Mark described as some "pretty aggressive tannins" still around.

1985 Chateau Ducru - Beaucaillou Saint - Julien, 12.5% alc.: According to Mark, beginning with this vintage, they began spraying the winery with an insulation material that imparted a TCA - like character to the wine, and it's especially apparent on the nose of this rusty dark garnet, with a corked - wet cardboard aroma that does seem to blow off some with air. On the palate, there's a boatload of fruit and secondary nuances, including sweet cedar, cassis and black currant, with only a hint of the taint, so it's actually good to drink, if you keep your nose out of the glass. Regarding this producer, Mark advises not to buy anything from them produced between '85 and '90, no matter how good the price, because you'll end up with something like this, not corked, but contaminated.

1985 Chateau Leoville Barton Saint - Julien, 12% alc.: "Of these three, this is why I buy Bordeaux," Mark remarked. (Mark remarked? Hmm...) It's a slightly rusty dark garnet, with a lovely bouquet of tobacco, cassis, black currant and black berry; earthy flavors echo and expand on a medium full bodied frame with tannins to burn. Fine ass Saint - Julien!

1990 Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie, 12.5% alc.: Slightly rusty ruby garnet, with herbal, blackberry, plum and black cherry character; ultra - smooth on the palate, and just a lovely wine that these poor notes don't do justice. Many thanks to Mark Criden, who brought this and a second bottle, which he turned over to this taster for safe keeping; it won't last the year, Mark!

1993 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon Horseshoe/Young Foster, 12.4% alc.: Sourced from two of Monte Bello Vineyard's smallest blocks, this dark garnet beauty exudes deep, rich black currant, cassis and blackberry aromatics graced with the epitome of "Draper perfume; these follow through on the palate with even darker character, plenty of earth and some tannins still to lose. Lovely Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains claret.

1993 Ridge York Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.4% alc.: Deep, dark garnet, a little tight on the nose and a bit vegetal on the palate, but shows solid black currant and cassis Cabernet character prettied up with the signature Draper perfume. The huge structure needs a minimum of five years but the wait will be rewarding.

1990 Jasmin Côte Rôtie, 12.5% alc.: Rusty ruby garnet, with a red licorice nose and smoky pruney plum on the palate with a hint of rotting vegetables. Mature, lovely and silky smooth, but perhaps overpowered a bit by the bigger wines before and after.

1974 Clos du Val Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.8% alc.: Rusty dark garnet, and drinking like fine old claret, with cedar, black currant, cassis and just a hint of herb, Alpert. Most harmonious, rich and delicious, in a very nice place and not at all over the hill.

2000 Chateau Pavie Saint - Emilion, 13.5% alc.: This inky garnet caused perhaps the biggest stir of the weekend, both on the night it was tasted and over the next few weeks on a few Internet wine forums, and not because it was well received. One taster exclaimed, "The biggest lie on the label is the alcohol level!"

1990 Coste - Caumartin Pommard, 13% alc.: When I last tasted this deep, dark garnet about four years ago, it was still monolithic and giving very little. Since then, it's come around a bit, with very earthy, smoky black cherry and plum character on a full bodied frame, but it can still use years in the bottle. I have one left, and it might stay left for another five to ten years.

1990 Parusso Barolo Bussia, 14% alc.: Rusty dark garnet, with dried cherry, leather and sea air on the nose, losing the briny breeze in the mouth; mature and ready, but not as good as I was hoping it would be. Trinka commented on its "raisiny depth," and Blackie opined that it needs another 10 years.

At that point, I'd had enough and headed for the Graeters cooler. Bottles were still being opened when I slunk off to dreamland. 

I should add that there were several bottles opened on both evenings that I never got to; some, I never even saw!  Fortunately, Larry Meehan was  most diligent in covering not only at least some of what I missed, but also providing his opinions on some that I tasted.