2nd Annual Best of Bordeaux vs Kings of Kalifornia

PRIMA, Walnut Creek
Tasted Thursday, September 30, 2010 by soyhead with 802 views

Introduction

After much palaver, 2nd annual Kings of Kalifornia vs Best of Bordeaux convened with a quorum of eight: Duane, Mario, Steve, Loretta, Kevin, Peggy, Jeff and Errol. There were some very noteable absences, but I can no longer remember whom.
To paraphrase Duane, for those of you could couldn’t make it we were happy to drink wine for you. Again California swept, and the crown passed from Mario to Duane, who did a minor victory lap in the restauarant when the wines were revealed, against the rules of better decorum, and gleefully exclaimed ‘So now will you guys leave me alone?’ Duane, sorry buddy, even a stopped clock tells the right time twice
a day.

Eight wines were served, blind – half California, half Bordeaux. All eight were decanted, and we each had eight glasses in front of us. Gwyn and Sid took care of all our vinous needs. It was yet another reminder of how PRIMA is a really classy place. A spit bucket went largely unused. Some of us hazarded a guess as to the geographic location of each wine, some us were so bold to actually predict an appelation, and some of us just kicked back and enjoyed the wines.

An interesting observation was that I was able guess 3 of the 4 Bordeauxs correctly based on the perceived aroma of celery. I pointed it out to the table, though I'm not sure anybody really agreed with me on that. As usual, all notes are my personal opinions, and scores are somewhat arbitary.

Flight 1 (1 Note)

  • 1995 Chateau St. Jean Merlot Reserve 89 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    nose - started off smelling like a dusty shoebox, but evolved amazingly fast to a nose of cranberry funk, vanilla, coconut, and spice.
    mouth - fruit punch, red cherry, sweet red fruit, and lots and lots of caramel. Per steve has 'unctuousness'. Initially I found it delicious, and as the night wore on i thought it to be candied.

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Flight 2 (1 Note)

  • 2000 Château Gruaud Larose 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    nose - initially this was the odd wine out - smelled much more deep and dark than all the others. With time, i sensed dark cherry, powerful oak, and celery. Per jeff, 'red raspberry, cardamom, espresso, crushed rose, wet stone, loamy chalk, clay'. Mouth - restrained but powerful simultaneously. Dark fruit, serious tannins, great acidity. A young wine, but delicious, with life ahead and big potential. My WOTN.

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Flight 3 (1 Note)

  • 1996 Pahlmeyer Merlot 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Nose - sweet cherry, orange peel, tea, perfumed. You could bottle this and sell it as a fragrance.
    Mouth - tutti frutti, red fruit, undeniably delicious, and probably in the prime of its drinking window. Extremely smooth with a great texture, rich midpalate, and long finish. As Duane put it 'this wine has something that none of the others got'. Group winner, and tied for my 2nd favorite of the night. This is the kind of wine that you want to serve when you are trying to show off. I incorrectly guessed Bordeaux.

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Flight 4 (1 Note)

  • 1989 Château Léoville Las Cases 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    nose - dirt, celery, lurking dark berry.
    mouth - somewhat closed though opened with time. dark fruit, Jeff found it 'plumy and pruney'. A big wine with solid tannins and potential, I guessed it to be young needing time, jeff guessed it be old. In retrospect i think we were both right.

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Flight 5 (1 Note)

  • 2002 Château Haut-Brion 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    nose - coffee, oak, rather closed
    mouth - 'not budging' per jeff. a young and tannic wine. I misjudged it to be Californian. Points largely on potential.

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Flight 6 (1 Note)

  • 2001 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose - caramel, cherry, oaky
    mouth - cherry syrup meets chocolate. Also young, very tannic. Yummy, but at this stage lacks finesse. Groups second place for WOTN.

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Flight 7 (1 Note)

  • 2000 Château Léoville Poyferré 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Nose - celery, coca, dirt
    mouth - my initial notes simply state 'drinking amazing'. very suave, velvety, dark cherry, cocoa, with good minerality. A big wine, though with a feminine twist, and much more approachable I think than the 2000 Gruaud Larose.

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Flight 8 (1 Note)

  • 2001 Opus One 89 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Nose -coconut, banana, caramel.
    mouth - sweet cocoa, caramel, chocolate, a desert in a glass, and all slightly overwhelming. Perhaps my palate was sacked by this point, but I had a hard time appreciating the fruit. Slightly bitter finish.

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Closing

Thanks to everyone for their generosity and a great evening.

For photos, check out:

http://picasaweb.google.com/errolcraig/KingsOfKaliforniaVBestOfBordeauxII?authkey=Gv1sRgCNjS58nxiuSCLQ#

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