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WINE PRESS
ESSEX COUNTY WINE SOCIETY
October 14, 2004
Dear Friends and Fellow Wine Lovers:
Our first tasting of 2004,a Riesling tasting
led by Herb New was a success. We had an opportunity to compare Rieslings
from three distinct geographic areas, Germany, Alsace and Austria. The
intent was to allow the group to review the three different approaches and
walk away with their own conclusions as to the merits of each.
Our next tasting will be held on November 4,
and will be a return to Bordeaux for another tasting of the extraordinary
2000 vintage. As with our prior 2000 Bordeaux tasting we are fortunate to
have Gary Schwarz lead us. This time around it's the second labels of ten
of Bordeaux's most prestigious producers. Second labels offer us an
opportunity to taste wines with some of the characteristics of their first
labels at a fraction of the price.
Some of you may recall the excellent second
label tasting we had in March of 2002. In fact one of the favorites at that
tasting, the Alter Ego from Palmer is on our tasting list again. In 2002 we
tasted the 1996 through 1998 vintage of the second labels. The 2000 vintage
is being considered by many as one of the best vintages of at least the last
thirty years. This tasting should be special. I am certain that many of you
recall that Robert Parker went so far as to suggest that the 2000 vintage
was a phenomenal year that might turn out to be one of the greatest vintages
that Bordeaux has ever produced. (Wine Advocate, issue 139, February 2002).
I do not think that Parker rated any of the wines we will taste under 90.
Even Steve Tanzer has suggested that the vintage is the strongest since 1990
and the Wine Spectator in March of 2003 indicated the vintage is a once in a
lifetime vintage.
The lineup includes the second labels of the
following chateaux: Montrose, Gruaud Larose, Leoville Las Cases, Margaux,
Lynch Bages, Pichon Baron, Lafite Rothschild, Latour, and Cheval Blanc in
addition to the Palmer mentioned above. We tasted the first labels of three
of these wines in October 2003 (Montrose, Lynch Bages, and Cheval Blanc),of
which Cheval Blanc and Lynch Bages were two of the favorites of the evening.
For those of you with good palate memories this will be an opportunity to
contrast the first and second labels for these three wines.
Incidentally, the aperitif wine for the
evening will be the 2001 Smith Haut Lafitte blanc from Pessac-Leognan, a
superb example from a vintage in which white Bordeaux excelled.
We want to also remind any member who has
not sent in their dues for the current year to do so as soon as possible.
As a reminder all individuals on our waiting
list ARE invited to join us at our tastings with or without a member.
We have had to postpone the BYO dinner on
October 24. We hope to see all of you at our next tasting on November 4. The
cost of this tasting will be $49 for members and $56 for non-members.
The following tasting of the 2000 vintage
from the Piedmont will take place on December 2.
In vino veritas and a votre sante,
Bob and Howard
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