San Francisco MONSTER Offline - 31 Notes, Pictures & Review of the Evening
Tasted Monday, May 15, 2006 by jamiekutch with 2,743 views
Introduction
San Francisco Welcomes Francois Audouze
Menu
First Course
Lobster consommé with lobster ravioli
Second Course
Smoked Quail Stuffed with Foie Gras and Roasted Pear and
Arugula Salad
or
Early Spring Salad with Shaved Asparagus, Jicama, Apples,
Mint, Blood Orange and a Yogurt-Tahini Dressing
Third Course
Maine Lobster Thermidor with Catalan Style Spinach and Lobster
Jus
or
Niman Ranch Shortrib Beef Wellington with Broccoli di Ciccio and
Roasted White Corn
or
Black Truffle Stuffed Chicken Breast with Macaroni and
Cheese and Collard Greens
Fourth Course
Baked Alaska with Chocolate Ice Cream and Fruit Compote
Last night we had had a wonderful evening with an amazing array of wines while welcoming our guest Francious Audouze to San Francisco. The theme was pre-1980 California base wines and board-members reached deep into their cellar to produce some real gems. Early in the night I couldn’t believe my eyes when some of the wines arrived. We were gifted with the legendary 1974 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, a bottle of 1973 Stags Leap Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet which was one of the wines entered into the Bordeaux Vs. California Cabernet in France back in 1976, a 1980 Swan Gamay, a 1953 d'Yquem, 1974 DRC Grands Echezeaux, 1954 Martin Ray Cabernet, 1979 Kistler Chardonnay Steve Kistler's first vintage, etc. With nearly 70 bottles, no-one went home thirsty. Each bottle was carefully opened and given slow oxygen.
The group of 30 us were joined by:
Bernard Portet (in the suite): grew up in Chateau Lafite where his father was the winemaker for nearly 30 years. He founded Clos Du Val in 1972 in Napa. Currently Bernard is the Vice chairman of Clos Du Val and continues to oversee the winemaking there.
Blake Gray: (in sports coat)- is a wine writer / editor at the San Francisco Chronicle. I had the pleasure of sitting next to him and enjoying his company for the evening. He is a passionate wine geek at heart and we shared many of the same ideals and love of wine.
Other individuals who attended included:
* Paul Homchick
* Jayaram Bhat
* Amnon Landan
* Ravi Mohan
* James Nurthen
* Jonathan Goldman
* David Freed
* Bernard Portet
* Christine Huang
* Douglas Amarelo
* Mark Sutherland
* Bill Wilka
* George Kautzman
* Paul Brancato
* Gene Keenan
* Richard Osborne
* Eric Lundblad
* Rich Gibbons
* Tom Lipkis
* Dee Hornichek
* Al Osterheld
* Ken Emery
* Leonard Maran
* Jack Everitt
* Jim Hanlon
* Peter Evans
(Forgive me if I left anyone out)
Flight 1 (29 Notes)
Closing
*1970 Ridge Cabernet - Not tasted
*1973 Simi Cabernet Alexander Valley Reserve - Not tasted
*1974 Sterling Cabernet Napa Reserve - Not tasted
*1976 Mayacamas Cabernet - Not tasted
*1977 Montelena Cabernet Napa - Not tasted
*1976 BV- Not tasted
*1978 BV - Not tasted
*1979 BV - Not tasted
*1978 Clos Du Val- Not tasted
*1974 Freemark Abbey Petite Syrah York Creek Vineyard - Not tasted
*1972 Freemark Abbey Petite Syrah Napa - Not tasted
*1975 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill - Not Tasted
*1973 Mount Veder Cabernet- Not tasted
*1979 Villa Mount Eden Cabernet Estate Napa - Not tasted
*1977 Stony Hill Pinot Chardonnay - Not tasted
Lots of good times and lots of good friends.
Extra 1
Extra 2
Extra 3
Extra 4
Thanks Christine Huang for all your hard work.
- Jamie
1968 Heitz Cellar Pinot Noir
USA, California, Napa Valley
Musky, Sweet dull fruit. Tired and DOA
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1985 Stony Hill Chardonnay
USA, California, Napa Valley
Very nice pale yellow. Sweet butter popcorn. Has a California Champagne similarity without bubbles.
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1975 Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
This said Reserve on the label and was from the cellar of the Estate. Awesome aged pinot style with dried berries, hints of cedar and a very pretty feminine approach. Good balance along with a harmonious finish.
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1971 Beaulieu Vineyard Pinot Noir Napa Valley
USA, California, Napa Valley
Big volatile acidity. Bite with sweet fruit.
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1969 Beaulieu Vineyard Pinot Noir Napa Valley
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tired, volatile acidity
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1979 Kistler Chardonnay Winery Lake Vineyard
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Dead yellow Butterscotch. Cloudy. Dull sour patch fruit.
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1979 La Crema Vinera Chardonnay Winery Lake Vineyard
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Still bearing the original $12.5 price tag on the bottle. Light living colored yellow. Absolutely incredible depth. Layers of fruit. Great soft, balanced feel in the mouth. Long lingered finish. Light pears and apples.
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1987 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Light water yellow. Extremely delicate. Slightly simple with light drying fruit.
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1970 Joseph Swan Vineyards "Gamay" Sonoma County
USA, California, Sonoma County
13.6 Alc. Mouth coating. Long lingered out finish. Sticks to your cheeks. Beef, black fruit. Amazing depth and dark fruit note. One of the Wines of the Evening! Several thought this was a petite syrah and definitly not a Gamay.
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1973 Joseph Swan Vineyards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
The label said table wine. Absolutly insanely good. So soft and pretty. Like a legal school girl. Light pastel red. Beat out the Santa Cruz to be the best PINOT OF THE NIGHT.
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1970 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
USA, California, Napa Valley
Sweet cherry, falling short with some raisoning and oxidizing. Wood patch and tobacco room.
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1963 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
Lighter on the palate with easy tannins. Simpler in style than the Casks.
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1965 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cask G-25
USA, California, Napa Valley
Powerful gripping. Mouth drying. Bigger in style than the regular 63 and 70 Inglenook estate. This cask was clean and healthy. Typical notes of aged Cali. Cab.
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1970 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
Much lighter on the palate. No where near the same style as the others. Almost as though there was a change undergone or a different winemaker at hand.
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1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V.
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
The wine that beat the French Bordeaux wines in 1976. Lead Pencil, bacon fat. Roasted beef. Still some grip to the mouth with still in the mouth with a great feel. Long deep finish. Just fantastic. MY WINE OF THE NIGHT!
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1974 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosché
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Wow, its Game On! Amazing fruit forward the bouquet jumps from the glass. The palate isn't for me up to the Stags leap but the nose is mesmerizing. The tannin is filled with tannins. This still has plenty of life ahead of it. One of the WINES OF THE NIGH
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1974 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
There's that minty nose I have read so many times about. Sorry to say the downward is just beginning. Palate is so full of flavors. Great mouth feel with a subtle finish that doesn't last quiet as long as I would have liked
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1953 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Estate California
USA, California
13% Alc. Very happily alive the nose has a sweet but tart note with a palate of bubble gum. Hanging on but only by a string.
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1974 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru
I have read about the 1974 La Tache and how individuals here have had great bottles including Plotnicky. I really looked forward to this. Alas, it was tired tonight... Very light see right through it. Nose is slightly reserved with notes of light sour cherry, cedar plank. It's seen better days.
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1974 Ridge Petite Sirah York Creek
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Dark black brooding. Thick on the nose and the palate. Mouth coating. Just a baby still.
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1978 William Hill Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
USA, California, Napa Valley
Sweet gum nose and palate. Non interesting.
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1968 Mirassou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California
12.0% Alc. - Look at that Alcohol level. So light in style. So different than the crowd of bigger siblings. Not much going though and this was clearly outshined unfortunately. Too late in the flight and suffering with no stuffing.
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1972 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Very very good. Great balance and finesse with hints of chocolate and dark fruit. After tasting two examples of Martha's tonight, I am a big fan of the vineyard in this era.
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1978 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Not in the same league as the 72. More linear.
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1976 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
Sweet fruit. Sorta plain Jane. At this point tasting several BV's I would never buy an old bottle on the open market.
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1972 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Very opaque red. Light sweet easy soft tannins, short finish. Almost delicate.
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1978 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon York Creek
USA, California, North Coast, Napa County
Hints of Brett Mouth Alive factor 5. Drying tannins, mouth drying.
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1953 Château d'Yquem
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Rather linear and simplistic. It didn't move me unfortunatley like I had hoped. Seemed like a quiet man in the corned with simple cloths and light nuanced fruit. The finish was lackluster.
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1978 Chateau St. Jean Johannisberg Riesling Individual Bunch Selected Late Harvest Belle Terre Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
Sweet hints of green grass and honeycomb. An amazing California dessert which unfortunately is declining. George who brought the bottle said it was awesome in its youth and I can still taste why. Too bad its best days are behind it.
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