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Flickinger dinner |  (193 page views) | | | - N.V. Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 170ème - France, Champagne
221031. One of the best editions in a while, I think this may well be the best edition since 162eme (once it has a few years under its belt). Surprisingly citric for a wine that is so pinot heavy, coupled with some white and yellow orchard fruits. Fantastic breadth and power on the palate, even if this is clearly very young right now and showing lots of baby fat. But I am certain that the baby fat will be shed and this will be an edition more in the vein of the older style. It's certainly not an acid monster. I'm a huge fan, and will definitely be buying a good amount. (93 pts.)
- N.V. Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 170ème - France, Champagne
221031. A second bottle, fully consistent with the first. (93 pts.)
- 2004 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
From magnum. It's definitely in tough company tonight, but this definitely showed quite well for a reasonably aged sangiovese. It doesn't have quite as much oak influence as some of the other Castello di Ama wines I've had, and it's definitely quite delightful with dried herbs and dried red fruits. If anything, I think this may well have been better a few years ago, when the fruit didn't feel as autumnal. (88 pts.)
- 2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Perfumed, light, and airy, with just a delicate hint of VA that wasn't too pronounced, followed by the expected pure red fruit. This bottle seemed to show a bit of maturity, and the palate had a slight brown tinge to it, though it wasn't too prominent. I do love the light, elegant texture on this wine, and I think it's still showing brilliantly, if not as good as a few years ago (likely more due to bottle variation than the wine aging poorly). It's classic Giacosa; were we ever going to object? (93 pts.)
- 1993 Jean Boillot & Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
This was a bit of a tough one; every time I went to it, I couldn't shake the slight nagging note of TCA on it, even though it didn't seem to have it all the time, and that I was one of two or three who noticed it at all. Certainly the nose is a little dirty, with some barnyard notes, even though the fruit is still bright and fresh. I quite liked the lift here, but the distracting dirty/TCA notes just got in the way too much for me.
- 2010 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Hands down one of the best bottles of Lafarge I've tasted. This isn't shut down at all -- in fact, it still feels primary, with lovely red berries and fruit dominating the nose and palate. With air, there's an intense strawberry perfume that emerges, and it's fraises des bois or gariguettes to be really specific. Silky texture with such incredible purity of fruit, this is one of those wines that reminds me why I bother with Burgundy. Maddeningly good, and certainly with plenty of aging potential, even if it is outrageously delicious now already. (98 pts.)
- 2003 Gaja Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
I liked but didn't love this. To my palate, this was a little heady and weighty for a nebbiolo, and the slightly roasted flavours alongside didn't do it any favours either. Fortunately, that's the only extent of the vintage here; the wine is otherwise quite classic and typical. The fruit is certainly ripe and showing what seems like early maturity, even if there's no rush to open bottles of this anytime soon. (90 pts.)
- 1975 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
The best bottle of this that I've had. The nose is archetypal, with lots of cedar and pencil shavings, but also a surprising amount of red and black (a mix in this case) fruit, especially next to the much more famous 1990. The palate is a little leaner than the plush 1990, but this drinks like what I would imagine a classic British claret ought to. Fully mature; this is one to drink up, at least for my palate. (95 pts.)
- 1990 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
A stupendous showing of this wine, though not at the level of another bottle that I experienced a few years ago. This one showed a little more maturity. The nose is stereotypically Bordeaux, with a hint of pyrazine but lots of ripe, plummy fruit, and a good amount of wood shavings too. On the palate, there's a bit of a coffee/chocolate thing going on, but also intense, concentrated fruit and heaps of complexity. Nowhere near mature, but a truly impressive wine nonetheless. (98 pts.)
- 1986 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Been a while since I opened a bottle of old Monte Bello. The nose was almost slightly Rioja-like (thanks, American oak!) but otherwise there were classic notes of pyrazine and black fruit here. The palate is concentrated, but light (in fact, the wine only has 11.8% abv). There's an elegance from the acidity that I think is absolutely fantastic, and with air, this grew to be a little more herbaceous. Cabernet from a time that no longer exists; this is almost an historical treasure at this point. (95 pts.)
- 1988 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow - USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
Classic old school Napa here. I didn't like this quite as much as the 1986 Monte Bello alongside, mostly because this felt a little more foursquare. Old cabernet notes for sure, with definitely an emphasis on minerality here. It's relatively light and high acid for a wine with so much fruit; velvety, resolved tannins as well. (93 pts.)
- 2015 Weingut Keller Hubacker Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Rheinhessen
#43-16, 13% abv. No denying that this is heady, ripe, and incredibly intense. There's so much extract here it's mindboggling. Clearly borne of a very ripe vintage, this has incredibly intense fruit in both length and breadth. Chewy minerality on the finish, this is a crazy, intense bottle of wine that reminds me a bit of how the Abtserde drank early on. Wish I had bought more of this, especially given how insanely well this is showing right now. (95 pts.)
- 2015 Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Man, I wish I didn't skimp on buying 2015 white Burgundy when it was originally offered. The wines are just so damn good, and this bottle is another in a long line of them. Sure, this is ripe, thicc, and oaky in the way Boillot is, but it holds all of that power so well. Almost drinks like a lesser grand cru, if I'm to be totally honest. Lots and lots of fruit here, but also intense mineral extract. A modest amount of the good kind of reduction. Delicious. (93 pts.)
- 2019 Guffens-Heynen Mâcon-Pierreclos Premier Jus de Chavigne - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Pierreclos
Served double blind. Initially a bit too cold, I was slightly uncertain as to whether or not this was chardonnay at all; warming it up made it crystal clear that it was. A modest amount of reduction on the nose, with a relatively mineral-driven, racy palate that had me think this could have been something like a Lamy en Remilly. The moment the hint was given to think outside the Cote d'Or, it was immediately obvious to me what this was. (93 pts.)
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