St. Urbans-Hof Riesling Mosel Kabinett Ockfener Bockstein 2009

St. Urban-Hof Riesling Kabinett Ockfener Bockstein 2009 (WS 92 pts., $29.99, SKU 310524)

This was labeled as “Smart Buy” by Wine Spectator and was No. 57 of their Top 100 wines in 2010. I learned that there are different ways to make Riesling and Kabinett is one way. The wine had all kinds of fruits on the palate and the body was medium. It was a great opening wine and went well with some Chinese food.

If you don’t want to pay so much, the St. Urban-Hof Riesling Mosel would be a good second choice. I have not tasted that wine but it is not as sweet as the Kabinett. It is rated 90 points by WS and costs $19.99, SKU 597997.

Thelema Shiraz 2007

Thelema Shiraz 2007 (WS 92 pts., $26.99, SKU 607549)

This was a recent gift from a friend and I was told it was a good one. This was a South African Shiraz. South African wines are sometimes a bit old world and a bit new world. This one definitely was new world and tasted like the Australian Shiraz. Wine Spectator indicated this wine should be opened between 2012 to 2014.

When opened, the nose was strong and grabbed one’s attention right the way. The body was full with a spicy taste (just like a good Shiraz should) with lots of fruit. I don’t know how to described these different berries but there were definitely taste of various berries. The young people especially liked it. There was good potential to cellar it for a year or two and it may even taste better. There is lots of stock in the LDB.

Chateau Jean Foillard Morgon Cote du Py 2009

Chateau Jean Foillard Cote du Py 2009 ($39.95, SKU 161158; Magnum $84, SKU 161638)

This is a red Beaujolais that the wine consultant recommended. Beaujolais are usually very light wines made with Gamay Noir grapes from the Burgundy area that is released with a big fanfare. I never liked them since they are very light and are usually opened in the summer. However I was told this 2009 vintage is a completely different breed.

To begin with, it was very difficult to open the bottle. The top was sealed with a thick wax coating and it took my friend a good ten minutes to pry it open before the cork could be removed. But boy oh boy, this was a different Beaujolais. It had medium body and went well with some Chinese food. It reminded me of a good Rhone wine that also went well with Chinese food. LDB still has a few bottles of the Magnum (1.5 liters) and it is a great wine to serve at a big Christmas party.

Pichon Baron 2000

Pichon Baron 2000 (WS 93 pts., $150, SKU 730671)

This bottle was opened for curiosity’s sake. Don’t try looking for this SKU on the LDB website as it doesn’t exist anymore. This bottle was purchased on one cold  November 2003 night when my brother informed me that the second shipment of the Bordeaux 2000 arrived at the 39^th LDB store and there was no limit. It has been sitting in my cellar and I finally decided to open one bottle. I e-mailed the chateau to ask them if the wine was ready and how to serve it. I got a reply that the wine can be opened now (WS indicated it won’t be ready until after 2010) but if I can wait another ten years, it will become more elegant. They suggested that it should be decanted for an hour in a wide based decanter and served with some red meat.

When opened, the aroma was very pleasant and strong. The body was better than the same bottle that my friend opened two years ago but didn’t feel spectacular like a Second Growth Bordeaux should be. We waited around and the wine turned much more sophisticated with a medium to full body. The finish was not that long (the taste didn’t stay in the mouth for too long). However I left a glass of it in the bottle and drank it the next evening. It was definitely better after 24 hours in the bottle.

It will be very difficult to find a bottle of this wine since most wine lovers would hold on to whatever Bordeaux 2000 that they have and wait. It was such a good vintage that the top wines are not ready yet (at least another five to ten years). The second tier wines, like the 93 point Pichon Baron, may be opened but still good in the cellar for another ten years.