The Ultimate White Tasting – Is it worth it to collect white wine?

"A bottle of white, a bottle of red,
Perhaps a bottle of rosé instead.
We'll get a table near the street
In our old familiar place"

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel

White wine does not seem to get the same attention from collectors as red. We are guilty of giving red more attention than white as well with three of our four rooms of display at the store filled with red wines and only 2/3 of the 4th room filled with whites.

Recognition of the problem is half of the battle and we will give the great whites of the world their due beginning tonight we will add this Ultimate White tasting to our annual line-up of wine tasting events.  This is all a part of the valuable scientific wine research that we are doing here at the Wine Watch.

Every wine on the table tonight will be 10+ years old and everything is white! Wine Watch Catering’s Toni Lampasone will be making a few tasty treats to accompany the tasting wines and the fee for this event is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

The Ultimate White Tasting – Is it worth it to collect white wine?
Friday, June 8, 2012
7:00 PM

Reception

2004 Chateau Musar Blanc Lebanon
Price: $41.50       Sale $36.52          Case $424

In 2004 winter was normal with snow until March; spring and summer were very mild. Fresh, cool air was present throughout the year and in this climate the grapes were slow to mature. Sugar and acidity levels were relatively low around harvest time then a sudden heat wave struck, lasting a week. “The 2004 Chateau Musar Red has all the musky, spicy, leathery depth this wine is famous for, but it also has a kind of airy lightness which makes it a beguiling drink.” - Simon Hoggart, ‘The Spectator’, March 2011.

Tasting Wines:

1997 Trimbach Riesling Clos St Hune
Price: $152.00

(91 points) The world-renowned Riesling Clos Ste. Hune is produced from 40 year old vines in a 1.38 hectare parcel (3.4 acres) located within the Rosacker grand cru. Some of the finest Rieslings I have ever tasted have hailed from this tiny plot. The 1997 Riesling Clos Ste. Hune (it should be released in 2002) displays strong floral aromas interlaced with ripe apricots. Reminiscent of a restrained Viognier, it reveals flavors of peaches, perfume, chalk, and honeysuckle blossoms in its opulently-textured personality. This medium-to-full-bodied, extraordinarily rich wine possesses a superbly focused, mineral-dominated finish. As it sorts itself out in Trimbach's cold cellars it should come together to become one of the finest Clos Ste. Hunes of the decade. Projected maturity: 2005-2012, Wine Advocate #123 Jun 1999

2001 Colin Deleger Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot
Price: $45.00       Sale $39.60          Case $459

(87 Points) Minerals and quartz can be discerned in the nose of the light to medium-bodied 2001 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot. This wine is a dichotomy. It presents a big, broad attack, which is a characteristic of ripeness, then reveals a zesty, tangy, core with high levels of acidity. Its focus, mineral flavors, and liveliness will appeal to many, but the Vergers, to my taste, beats it hands down. Drink this wine over the next 3-4 years.  Wine Advocate # 146 Apr 2003

2002 Domaine Francois Raveneau Chablis Blanchot
Price: $245.00                    Sale $215.60

(93-95 Points) Massive quantities of flowers are interspersed with red currants, earth, and apples in the nose of the superb 2002 Chablis Blanchots. Medium to full-boded, it coats the palate with oily waves of liquefied chalk, salt, minerals, and spice. This thick, immensely rich, satin-textured effort has massive depth, purity, and length. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018.

“2002 was the kind of vintage we’d love to see every year, it has excellent balance and loads of flesh,” said Bernard Raveneau. Harvest for the Raveneaus began the last week of September, and the grapes were “healthy, with between 4 and 4.5 grams of acidity (per liter), and ripe, there was no need to chaptalize.” The estate’s wines will be bottled in April and May, 2004.

I have never tasted a line-up of Chablis with the sensual textures and stunning terroir-driven flavor profiles exhibited by Domaine Raveneau’s 2002s. These are magnificent wines that I would do almost anything to own, age, and drink... Bravo! Wine Advocate # 151, Feb 2004

2002 Domaine Comtes Lafon Meursault Perrieres 1er Cru
Price: $350.00                    Sale $308

(93 Points) The nose here is elegance personified with honeysuckle, green apple and limestone aromas merging seamlessly into impressively precise, crisp and medium full flavors that pack absolutely superb mid-palate punch, the intensity of which continues into the extended palate staining finish. The flavors are quite powerful, firm and crystalline, underscored by pronounced and ripe acidity buffered by a lovely touch of sweet and sappy extract. Simply beautiful juice that arguably possesses the best balance of any wine here. Tasted: Jul 01, 2005 Drink: 2010+ - Comments: Outstanding Burghound Issue 19

1995 Chateau Laville Haut Brion Blanc Pessac Leognan
Price: $169.00                    Sale $148.72

(91 Points)  Solid Laville. Plenty of toasted oak and ripe fruit. Full-bodied and very rich, with apple, coconut and fresh fruit on the aftertaste. Surprisingly zingy, good acidity. Best from late this year. –JS  Wine Spectator Issue: Apr 30, 1998

1990 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc Pessac Leognan
Price: $450.00                    Sale $396

(90 Points) Intense, almost harsh with zingy flavors. Showing more wood than the 1989, and less elegance, but it's powerful and sharply focused.--Haut-Brion vertical. 800 cases made. –HS Wine Spectator Issue: Apr 30, 1997

1996 Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux 1er Cru
Price: $115.75                    Sale $101.86

(90 Points)  This very rich, luscious white is almost waxy in texture, with sweet honey, pineapple and dried apricot flavors. It maintains a lively underlying acidity and is balanced enough to match well with many foods. A strong, clean wine. Drink now through 2010. –TM  Wine Spectator Issue: Dec 31, 1998

2001 Robert Eymael Monchhof Erdener Pralat Riesling Auslese (375ml)
Price: $51.00                       Sale $44.88

(92 Points) Surprisingly, the nose of the 2001 Riesling Auslese Erdener Pralat had characteristics generally found in Sauvignon Blancs, namely freshly-mowed wet lawn and gooseberries. This expansive offering offers rich layers of satin-textured candied lemons, cotton candy, and honeyed minerals. It is deep, concentrated, and thick. Projected maturity: 2008-2018.  Wine Advocate # 144 Dec 2002

Menu

Selection of Cheese: Epoisses, Chevre and Brie

Steel Head trout with dill beurre blanc served on buttermilk chevre mashed potato

Procuito sage and Gouda Stuffed Chicken Roulade with herbed lemon vinaigrette served with grilled mushroom creamed spinach