Keith's Birthday Dinner

A small group met at Lula Cafe to celebrate Keith's 30th birthday. The theme for the night was 1990 Bordeaux and everything showed amazingly well. Up to this point, this was the highest quality wine tasting I've attended - really spectacular!

Started the evening off with some bubbles and some white burg - great way to get the night going.

• 2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Domaine 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  Beautiful wine that had intense seashells and "tidal pool" aromas that were quite seductive. This was a mineral driven wine that was a touch hot for me...but that could be due to serving it at room temperature. It was also very rich with a smokiness that I found very attractive.

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• NV H. Billiot Fils Champagne Grand Cru Brut Réserve 97 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  The nose of this wine was astounding. Toasted oats, baked bread - resembled what a french bakery smells like. The wine was loaded with graham crackers, minerals, plump melon and honeysuckle. Spectacular.

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• NV Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Pierrières 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Lots of brioche, and minerals. Also had the aroma of wet metal and oats. Really nice bottle.

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• 1995 Pierre Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé 93 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

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Had quail for dinner. Really good! In addition to all the 1990 Bordeaux, a birth year burgundy was added in and despite fears that it might be dead surprised all of us and showed no immediate signs of being close to done.

• 1990 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Young wine that I thought would benefit from 10 more years of aging. That being said, it showed amazingly well. In my opinion, this was the most complex red Bordeaux of the night exhibiting dense red berry aromas with espresso, spice, and bacon fat components that kept evolving over the course of the night. Stunning.

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• 1980 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  The bottle was in really nice shape! The nose had a delicate cherry and plum components with a really attractive spiciness that Keith characterized as classic "vosne spice". In addition to the spice and delicate fruit, there was was a seductive wet leaf mixed with balsamic vinaigrette. Very nice!

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• 1990 Château Léoville Poyferré 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Gave the Pichon-Baron a run for WOTN for me. The wine still had really nice color...dark, dense, rich. Nose was filled with grilled meats, tilled earth, pipe tobacco, and wonderfully rich spices. A stunning wine, but painfully apparent that it will smooth out even more with another 5-10 years.

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• 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  My WOTN...and thus far my WOTY.
  
  Incredible nose that was filled with old world characteristics. Lots of cedar, sweet tobacco and roasted clove. The mouthfeel was out of this world; silky smooth with a pronounced density that was shocking.

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• 1990 Château Léoville Barton 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  A serious claret. Compared to the other wines of the night, this had a more distinct roasted mushroom component that I really enjoyed. In addition to the boomers, this had an attractive earthiness that I really enjoyed.

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• 1990 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  I loved this wine...and if not for the Leoville-Poyferre and Pichon-Baron this would be my WOTY so far. The nose on this wine was simply stunning - with heavy pipe tobacco, rich cherry, dark chocolate, and burnt earth. Loved it!

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• 1996 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Shane brought this as the double-blind, mystery wine of the night. At first, I called it an italian blend, but then shifted my opinion to an Oregon merlot. Compared to the other 1990 Bordeaux of the evening, this came across very rich, fruity, and big. Despite not exhibiting the class of the Bordeaux, this is a wonderful wine.

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• 1990 Château de Fargues 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Very dark color. Rich nose of honey, cream and smoke. By this point in the night my palate was pretty shot....but believe me, this was great!

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