Birthday Wines Roundup - Cornas wins and an amazing cake to top it off

Even if I was unable to successfully find a wine from 1980, I was able to open a few good bottles.  I bought these bottles from a couple of different sources, including some at auction, which is always a risky proposition.  In fact, the 1989 Cornas, which I bought at auction was arguably the best of the evening.

1989 Jean Lionnet Cornas Cuveé Rochpertuis 12.5% ABV - As I had purchased this at auction a few years ago with little expectation, this was by far the best surprise.  Cornas, an appellation of 100% Syrah in the Northern Rhone makes some of the worlds best Syrah for my palate.  They have distinctive green olive and blood component that I absolutely adore.  It has been described as rustic at times due to it's fierce tannins in the early days of the wines evolution.  It traditionally was a long aging wine, often needing 15 or more years to achieve drinkable status.  I visited this Domaine in the little town of Cornas, in the Ardèche Département of Southern France in 2005.   

We drank along with Mr. Lionnet while he was taking a break from bottling the last year of his career, the 2005's, as he was retiring.  He went down to the cellar and pulled out his favorite, a 1985 from a 375.  What an amazing wine, still so bright and bloody, but with that smoothness and depth that only comes from a well aged cuveé.  I bought a case of the 2004 that was in bottle and I still haven't figued out how to get it from France! 

This 1989 aged very well.  Apparently this was not the strongest of vintages in the Northern Rhone but this wine had a great combination of dark fruit, secondary flavors of leather, forest floor, and tobacco.  It would have gone great with a dry aged steak or even some cheese.  People that do not normally like aged wines really liked this wine, kind of a surprise for me.

1997 Geantet-Pansiot Gevrey-Chambertin Vielle Vignes 13% ABV - This wine was purchased from Premier Cru in Emeryville on a close out at $30.00 a few years ago.  A great burgundy for the price.  It is always a gamble to buy Burgundy from an unknown producer in a middling year, but it can also bring great pleasant surprises, as was found here.  This had great fruit still present, with a darker fruit presense in the forefront.  It had some nice secondary flavors as well, with some sous-bois and forest fog thrown in.  It had that characteristic nature of good burg of the light entry and heavy finish, with a long finish.  Nice wine.

1990 Schloss Schönborn Hattenheimer Pfaffenburg Rhiengau Riesling Spätlese 8.0% ABV - I think you might have to drink a bit before you even attempt to say this wine's name!  However, it is a great example of how good a well aged riesling can be.  This was purchased from Garagiste direct from the producer, who had aged this in his cellar until 2007, so it had perfect provenance.  This wine has such a absolutely beautiful nose that it almost makes you want to just sit and sniff it all night.  It has that particular aged riesling character of "petrol" or for me, kerosene smell....in a good way!  There is also a really nice ripe peach, grapefruit peel, and mandarin orange smell.  The taste is balanced, clean and flavorful, it tastes like it smells, ripe and just really good.

2004 François Villard Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes "L'Appel des Sereines" 12.5% ABV- One of my favorite new finds in Syrah, this VdP is from an area just outside of Côte Rotie that was once a part of that appelation.  The wines that are made there often also contain portions of declassified Côte Rotie grapes, but usually, rather than being aged in new oak barrels, these are often raised in stainless steel or old oak foudres.  This wine is the essence of pure Northern Rhone Syrah : black pepper, dark blackberries, higher acidity.  It's a great wine for all types of meals, from fish to beef to cheese, or in my case  for drinking on it's own.

2005  Weingut Johannishof Rüdeshimer Berg Rottland Rheingau Riesling Spätlese 8.0% ABV - Another Rhiengau riesling, another impossible name.  However this wine is not in the same class as the first one. This had a nice nose of citrus and minerals, but it was unbalanced in the mouth, with the sugars overpowering the acidity.  People that say they do not like riesling often say this is because they are sweet.  The perception of sweetness is often due to the lack of good amounts of acid, as with this example.  Rheingau are often not the delicate, light wines of the Mosel.  They are often heavy and rich, such as this wine.  I think that this required at least 5 more years before drinking, however I am not sure it has the acid to support the it.  Certainly not a bad wine, but my least favorite of the evening.

In keeping with the wine scene, a friend made an amazing cake.  She has a business and Facebook site, please visit them at What the Cake? This picture does not really do it justice, and it was amazing to eat as well!