Jack's Birthday Bash

Jack invited his regular tasting group to his home to enjoy an outstanding lineup of wines and an exquisite meal to celebrate his birthday as we dined poolside on a gorgeous night. The main entrees were gnocchi, duck, lamb, and spare rib that paired fabulously with the wines. Combined with the great company, it made for a memorable night. Happy Birthday Jack!!

• 1999 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses

  France, Champagne

  As I had to arrive late, I was only able to get a sip of this so no note or rating, but I found it excellent.

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• 1988 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 96 Points

  France, Champagne

  Lighter body and less creminess than the 90 and 95 I have had. Citrus tones with incredible depth and complexity that made for a tremendous Champagne. WOTN for most.

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• 2001 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc Le Méal 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Got a melange of fruit flavors including pear, apple, and starfruit. Significant minerality on the finish that also had a bit of honeysuckle. Medium to full body with medium to high acidity. The better Rhone whites are unique wines and that was certainly the case here.

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• 2006 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 89 Points

  Hungary, Tokaji

  This wine did not wow me as I felt it needed more sweetness to offset the high level of acidity, others liked it more than I. A fairly dark golden color for such a young wine (at least compared to Sauternes). I got mostly ripe apple flavors, but would have liked more sweetness as mentioned earlier.

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• 1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Currant and blackberry fruit with some bloody meat notes and a little earth and smoke on the finish. Medium body and acidity with phenominal balance and complexity. This wine was Red WOTN for most.

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• 1995 Penfolds Grange 92 Points

  Australia, South Australia

  Much richer and riper than the La Turque with relatively low acidity and full body. Currant, blackberry and blueberry fruit with still prominent oak and tannins that suggest this will improve with more time in the bottle. If drinking now, I would suggest at least 3 hours of decanting as this continued to improve and my last sips of a glass untouched for an hour was far better than the initial ones.

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• 1981 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 94 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Chaulky texture with prominent leather and earth and cherry fruit. No bricking to my eye with a dark color (even a little purple in there) that come across as much younger than it is. The tannins are still assertive and youthful though become more silky with lots of air. I would suggest at least 3.5 hours, even at this age. A remarkable wine.

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• 1999 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  This wine did not show well on this night. Came across as very young and New Worldish with flavors of cherry liquer and a mouthfeel of high density and alcohol. Full bodied with relatively low acidity. Perhaps it did not get enough air time, but I would still suggest holding this wine for at least 5 more years.

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• 1959 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  This bottle was maderized and tasted very portish. Disappointing.

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• 1978 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

  No bricking and surprisingly youthful both on the palate and to the eye. Dark cherry and currant fruit with medium body and acidity and good concentration that belies its 12.5% alcohol. Plenty of earth, with a little cedar and tobacco, and some herbal/menthol notes that hinted it was from CA rather than Bordeaux. Terrific wine.

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• 2009 Stefania Syrah Split Rail Santa Cruz Mountains

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  After drinking all the mature Old World wine, drinking this very young New World wine was a bit of a shock to the palate. This had also just arrived cross country so not fair to evaluate. I got a few bottles of this and am very glad I did as I expect this to be excellent in the coming years.

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• 2008 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Harvest Moon Santa Cruz Mountains

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Like the syrah, a bit unfair to evaluate given the company of wines and its extreme youth and recent cross country journey. It had the medium body and acidity I have come to expect from Stefania cabs.

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