Impressions from a wine dinner at Alto

Hosted a wine dinner at Alto that went very well. The food, service and wines were all sensational. Had never been there before and was thoroughly impressed, especially with the crisp and efficient service. We were in a private room and there was alot going on and they managed to get all the wines (11 of them in flights of three) in everyone's glass with perfect timing and everyone's food came out perfectly with just the right gaps in between courses. I was not taking notes so here are some brief impressions of the wines.

The NV Guy Larmandier Vertus showed tremendously with a crisp, salty flavor and waves of lovely red and stone fruits. Finishes distinctly saline with nice biscuity aromas. Very clean wine and very versatile with food. Love these wines especially the Cramant cuvee. Next up was a small flight that started with the 2005 Pascal Cotat Sancerre "Les Monts Damnes" showed gloriously. The nose was potent with cinnamon, grapefruit, grassiness and a stony minerality. The palate was concentrated with high-pitched grapefruit, melon and spice woven in. All on a firm backbone of minerality and acid. There was great elegance and a lovely weightlessness to this wine. Lovely stuff but surely will improve for ten years. The next wine in the flight was the 2005 Francois Chidaine Vouvray "Clos Baudoin" Sec which showed pretty closed. There was some notes of honey, mineral and apple on the nose but the palate showed folded in on itself. Never really improved throughout dinner. Maybe Chidaine '05's closing down? The final wine of the first flight was the 2004 Dr. F. Weins Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese which was screaming on this particular night. Too bad Manfred Prum makes such great stuff from Wehlener Sonnenuhr or else Bert Selbach would get more press. This had a lovely nose of mineral, apple, kiwi and some pear. Lovely acidity and an elegant filigreed palate with great concentration. Long soaking finish. This was the highest quality wine in the flight.

The next flight started off with a wide open bottle of the 2004 Produttori de Barbaresco with its potent but slightly unfocused nose of tar, leather, cherries and earth. The palate was so forward for such a young Barbaresco from this estate. Still there was nice acid a great clarity to the wine. Powerful and concentrated but in a very accessible way. The sommelier mentioned to me he was thinking of pouring this by the glass. It was that forward. Next up was the dissapointement of the night. The 2004 San Giusto a Rentennano La Ricolma which is their pure Merlot. One of the few Super Tuscans I used to enjoy as the new oak was always toned down. Guess there was a change in style as all that great pure Merlot fruit is drowned out by excessive new French Oak. Too bad. The 1999 and 2001 were great. The final wine in the flight stole the show. It was the old reliable 1990 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses. Is there a better deal in fine aged red wine from France on the market right now? This showed better than I remember. Last time I had this was in April and I do not remember it being this good. Profoundly funky noseof herbs, VA, nuts, red fruits and wet earth. Oh yeah this was the Raffault barnyard in full effect. The palate was wonderfully cocnentrated and almost decadent in a Chinon-herbal-slightly unripe-fecal-only in the Loire Valley kind of way. Really unique palate with layers of fruit/earth/herbs/mineral assaulting your palate like a good layer cake at your Great Aunt's shiva. Great wine as it got the metaphors going big time.

The final flight started off with the 2005 Coudert "Clos de la Roilette" Fleurie "Cuvee Tardive". This was the most open I can remember this wine being since it has landed. Soaring nose that just screamed Gamay. Red fruits galore with that cranberry-like Gamay character in full force. Also some nice holiday spice in there. Palate was very concentrated and just dripping with spice, fruit and gamay-concentrate. Wonderful acidity keeps this all so fresh and lip-smacking while the ripe tannins coat your mouth and remind you this wine has a ways to go. Up next was the 1999 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru "Les Fremiets" which was tight but soon opened up after a healthy breathing session . Very wet earth on the nose with cran/strawberry/cherry fruit. Almost of a confit quality mixed with tea leaf and tree bark. The palate was rich and ripe with loads of juicy cracklin '99 fruit and ripe tannins to go with it. Still had a long time to go but with a proper decant this can be drunk today. The next wine was the 1978 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot which was at full maturity. This had a heck of a nose with a cacophany of spice, earth, mineral, compote-like fruit, charcoal and violets. The palate had lovely concentration and purity with an earthy, brambly vibe to it along with bright acidity. Very high toned palate that suggested further development. A great wine and one of my best Jadot experiences to date. The final wine with cheese was the 1998 La Mission Haut Brion and this also was suprisingly forward. Classic Gravesian nose of tar, weedy tobacco, tweed jacket, red currants, cassis, and wet earth, Palate was very concentrated with a firm minerally backbone and loads of tobacco and earth nuances. The tannins had an almost grainy-like aspect to them. A chewy wine. Great stuff and very open. Still needs to develop secondary aromas but definetly on the way.

All in all a great night at Alto and I hope to go back soon.