| | Main Event: Blind Tasting $100-$250 1- Le Moine
2- '89 Pichon Lalande
3- '03 Cos
Feel like I gave a lot of 93 scores, but we had some tremendous wines but didn't think they were deserving of higher scores. - 2003 Château Cos d'Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Dark maroon core with garnet rim; cocoa, black currant, cherries, tobacco, dusty, younger, bitter chocolate, oak; similar notes on the palate, bitter chocolate, black olive, currants, cherry, earth, structured, oak, good fat, fairly primary, earth, fleshy yet structured; young and tasty, kept getting better with air, give more time, 93+; called '05 Pontet Canet. (93 pts.)
- 1995 Conterno Fantino Barolo Sorì Ginestra - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Semi-translucent crimson, pale rose rim; fennel and soy, roses, pretty nose, potpourri, fat on the palate, licorice, medicinal, sandalwood, anise, candy cane, full yet relenting, meaty, some herbs; ready to go; called '05 Giacosa Asili; pristine bottle brought back from Italy. (92 pts.)
- 1998 Château Figeac - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Dark maroon core with pale crimson with orange in rim; exotic nose, mushroom, earth, incense, perfumed; soft on entry then tannin firms up on the back, Margaux aromatics, sweet leather, tapenade, smoky, mineral reminiscent of gravel, still lots of fruit and floral notes; a roller coaster ride of guesses here, Margaux to where I ended up in '95 Jaboulet Hermitage, oops; tasty but lacking some typicity. (93 pts.)
- 2014 Lucien Le Moine Corton Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
My wine; slight golden color; butterscotch, smoky, stones, big and highly aromatic, hints at herbs, intense, lemon, grilled lemon, lemon curd, pie crust, weight, oily; great weight and richness on the palate, sweet savory and herbal, lemon curd, fat yet taut, expansive and mouth coating, very Grand Cru; gave this a few hours or air in decanter; young but quite good now; people gave me a hard time for bringing white but this was WOTN. (96 pts.)
- 2007 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Dark core, looks like there's some age, orange crimson rim; fennel, brown sugar, sandalwood, plum, powerful, dusty, firm tannin with some oak tannin, darker fruit, almost black olive, ripe; felt like this needed more time; fooled most as Nebbiolo- I called '07 Sandrone Cannubi. (93 pts.)
- 2001 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Dull dark crimson with orange brick rim; fennel, sandalwood, darker fruit, perfumed, caraway, plum, dried roses and violets; high toned palate, plum, cloves, acid, alcohol, some tannin, sour fruit, rich and plush, brown sugar, hints of raisin; sweet tasty and ready; called '97 E Pira Cannubi. (93 pts.)
- 1999 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Semi-translucent dark crimson core with lighter crimson rim; almond, fig paste, sweet fruit, young, blueberry, lower acid, some bitter on finish but strong sweetness, plush, hint of green, soft tannins and still a bit singular; Beaucastel? (93 pts.)
- 1989 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Resolving core of garnet with brick rim; balanced and intoxicating nose, mushroom, tobacco, smoke, chocolate; silken tannin, balanced, classic, not super long but delicious, great drinkability; called '90 Pichon Lalande. (95 pts.)
- 1995 Château Cos d'Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Darker maroon core with pale maroon rim; mushroom, incense, black currant, tobacco, bitter chocolate, raisin, dusty, cedar; sharper tannin, acid, sweet green pepper, spicy, youthful; called '03 Rauzan Segla. (92 pts.)
- 1991 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Cerequio - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Pale color, old, dull maroon core with orange red rim; fennel, caraway, celery seed, cedar, brown sugar, a bit tired and lost aromatic intensity; sharper tannin towards the end, thinner more resolved palate, still some sweet fruit and redeeming qualities; called '82 Moccagatta. (89 pts.)
Extras and Cellar Raid Bottles - 2009 Domaine Francois Lamarche Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
Dark ruby, see through; mushroom, intense nose, plum; seemed to be going into dumb phase.
- 2010 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Light ruby; elegant, high toned, strawberry fruit, sexy.
- 2011 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Served blind; pinkish rim, crimson core; fresh red cherry, soft and round, soft tannins, luxurious yet not oaky, lovely spice, Burgundian, lower acid; delicious but has plenty of development ahead of it. (94 pts.)
- 2004 Podere Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Vigna d'la Roul - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Lots of oak spice, roses, cherry, and tannic structure.
- 2011 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Served blind; see through crimson maroon; roses, cedar, sandalwood, sexy nose, cinnamon, young and tannic, needs some time for oak to resolve but like potential.
- 2006 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Peach preserves, vanilla cream, sticky with strong acid.
- 2010 Domaine Amiot Guy et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie Rouge - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Richer fruit than expected for Chassagne rouge, juicier more youthful acid than most from tonight which took a minute to adjust to, overall an overperformer and consistently delicious.
Another great New Years Day tasting. Great food, wine (mine won), Alabama and UGA won so many happy campers tonight. |
