A picture worth a thousand wine words

It's hard not to post when the wines are this good (and I needed an excuse to try my iPhone Blogger app), another outstanding flight supplied by the group for a night at La Colombe.

Standout of the night was Lloyd's 90 Sociando Mallet, a reminder why patience is a virtue when it comes to cellaring. My 89 Lopez de Heredia white Rioja was certainly the most intriguing and polarizing, with only a few of us appreciating its charms (note - do not serve this at 4 Celsius, it needs to be warmer, say 10-12C). So many other great wines...That Corton one of my all time faves, but needs some cellar time...Lloyd's Calera drinking beautifully and one of the most compelling wines of the night, disproving my views about the ageworthiness of California Pinot Noir...poor Chris brought a lovely Barbaresco that we opened after we were all ... lacking in palate? Peter's S. African Pinot Noir the first I've tasted from this country - very nice, but what is that gamey smell in virtually all SAfr reds? Not a bad smell, but very distinctive. Peter also supplied an 01 Ghiaie delle Furba, another fave you will find elsewhere on this site. Cam's Ribera del Duero a spectacular wine, and big enough for the heavy food on offer. Pramod's 01 Command unsurprisingly spectacular, and still has many good years ahead. Finally, my 06 Nicholas Catena Zapata silky, smooth, but perhaps a little too polished?