Vieux Donjon Vertical and a bunch of others

Last night a bunch of us gathered for a get together at the home of my friend, Mike P. The guys started with a vertical of Vieux Donjon while the women drank and chatted. When we were done, we joined them and opened some more bottles as well.

Mike started us off with this blast from the past. I had once brought Jim Lester over to Mike's and he had left this as a thank you. Mike cellared it and decided last night was as good a time as any.

• 2005 Wyncroft Chardonnay Avonlea Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, Michigan, Lake Michigan Shore

  Served blind, I was thinking a Rhone of some type. Deep golden in color (it lightened up with some air interestingly enough). Aromas of apple pie filling. Slight oakiness. Slight heat. Marzipan and baked apples especially on the finish. This is different but I liked it (probably more so than on release). Who knows where it goes from here.

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All wines were consumed blind over the course of about an hour. Then the remains were shared witht he group and consumed for the next few hours.

• 2001 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Earthy nose with some funk/barnyard. Also some cigar smoke. Nice texture. Tart acidity. Raspberries and cherries. I would have expected a bi more complexity from this but it is still outstanding. Improved all night.

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• 1999 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Really spectacular showing for this. It kept improving all night long. I thought this would have been the 01, but this out shone that. Ruby in color. Gorgeous nose (if you don't mind barnyard) of warm/earthy barnyard, and raspberries with a slight floral note. Fuller bodied than the others. Tannins. Cherries on the palate with some cough drop notes. Complex with long finish.

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• 1998 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 96 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  This was added at the last minute and colder then the rest so we knew it was the 98. Probably due to temps, the nose was muted until later in the evening. When it opened up, it had barnyard, cherries and cigar smoke. Great texture. This is still young but has a wonderful complexity. Balanced. Long finish. Juicy acidity keeps it lively. Great wine.

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• 2000 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Ruby in color. The nose is dusty with black cherries. The fruit is very ripe on this and very much in the forefront. I wondered if this could be the 03 due to the abundance of fruit. Raspberries and black cherries. Juicy but not as much acidity as other vintages. Delicious wine. Those who preferred more fruit forward wines seemed to like this best.

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• 2003 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Purple/ruby in color. The nose is earthy with black cherries. On the palate, there is a lot of ripe black cherries here. This was the only wine that showed some alcoholic heat (a sign of the vintage?) but there was also a fair amount of tart acidity to it. It improved the least over the night. Certainly an outstanding wine though that was consistent with the other wines in the flight.

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A general free for all. Non-blind. Just having fun.

• 2006 Saxum 32 Month Barrel Age James Berry Vineyard Flawed

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  TCA. Agghhhh. My second bottle of Saxum (an 03 Rocket Block that Justin kindly replaced) in a row that was corked. That sucks. Oh well, I have a couple more of these.

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• 2007 La Fenêtre Pinot Noir Le Bon Climat 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

  Very nice Pinot in a restrained style. I used to be on the list, but my wife does not drink Pinot, and it was hard to find a time to open it. This is similar in style IMO to Anthill or Kutch, so if you like that style, its worth checking out. The fruit is from Santa Barbara County IIRC, but it is different from most that I have tried from there. Feminine, light cherries, complex, earthy but clean. Nice wine that doesn't get much discussion.

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• 2009 Sineann Cross Check 90 Points

  USA, Oregon

  This is a specialty bottling made by my friend Peter Rosback. Not sure what it is, but I suspect a blend similar to the RTW or Abondante. I am guessing Zin, Cab and Pinot Noir. In any event, it has some complexity. Lots of red fruit. Open and ready to drink now. IIRC, under $20, this has a nice QPR. The label has a hockey theme hence the name. A crowd favorite.

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• 2009 Maysara Winery Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée 88 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville

  I am told this got a WS 94. I wouldn't go that high, but it is a nice, solid Pinot. Candied cherries on the nose. The medium bodied wine has cloves and cherries on the palate. Obviously young, it will be interesting to see where this goes. I would like to taste other vintages.

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• 2002 Dehlinger Syrah 86 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  I am usually a fan of this wine, especially with some age. I didn't like this as much and neither did anyone I talked to. It may have been an off bottle but there were no sign of any "fault" that caused this showing. Purple in color. The nose was pleasant with black raspberries, some earthiness, some grilled meats. The palate is hot and alcoholic. Tart acidity. Not much fruit. My wife said "harsh" and I agree. Not sure what happened here, but not a good showing.

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• 2009 Dehlinger Petite Sirah/Zinfandel Guadagni Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  This was a 60/40 blend and much better. The Zin tends to dominate right now as one might expect. Purple in color. The nose has berries, some bramble and some raspberries. Despite its youth there is some complexity. I think it needs time to develop and it will be interesting to watch this wine mature as the zin ages and the PS emerges. No idea on the pricing, but it was a nice wine.

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• 2003 Nickel & Nickel Syrah Dyer Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Nice showing for this wine. It has aged very well and is now complex. The nose has black raspberries, some oak, grilled meats, and black pepper. On the palate, nice texture. Ripe fruit. A bit lacking in acidity but within reason. Nice wine.

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• 2004 Ridge Lytton Springs 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Seemed to be one of the most popular wines. This is progressing nicely. I am always a fan of these wines and they age out so well. The nose has red and purple fruits. On the palate, this is developing layers while still holding on to lots of fruits; black and red raspberries. Juicy texture. Nice finish. Love these wines.

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• 2010 Tablas Creek Côtes de Tablas Blanc 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Delicious wine. Clean. Aromas of melon, wax and floral notes. On the palate, slightly oily texture. Melons and some citrus notes. Nice acidity but a full round presentation. This is very nice.

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• 2008 Domaine Guillemot-Michel Viré-Clessé Quintaine 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Viré-Clessé

  My palate was getting fatigued at this point and this did nothing to wake it up. After the Tablas Creek white, this seemed a bit pedestrian. Nothing wrong and varietally correct. It was sound, but not quite to the level of outstanding. Not sure of pricing, if reasonable, then perhaps there is some value here.

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• 1994 Madroña Zinfandel Reserve Late Harvest 88 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado

  This was fun. Not showing any age. Purple/red in color. The nose shows some alcohol, but comes across as port like with raisins and raspberry liqueur. Smooth enough to drink and while not very complex, it drinks like a ruby port. Fun wine.

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• 2005 P.J. Valckenberg Beerenauslese

  Germany, Rheinhessen

  This had been open and in the fridge for a few days so I wont score it. It is fine, but really lacks sweetness. Nice aromas of peaches. If I am scoring it was about an 86. I was told this cost under $20, and at that price, it is a fine end to a meal.

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Thanks Mike. Always fun to get together. Have a happy and healthy New Year!