Flock Tasting - Delicious Wines

The Wine Flock gathered for an informal tasting with a simple theme of "wines that you expect to taste great". 12 wines varying in age from 1987 to 2004 hit the mark.

All wines (save the Seavey) were tasted blind in a single flight.

• 2003 Seavey Vineyard Chardonnay 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A rich pear-driven chardonnay with great purity and focus. Judicious use of oak adds toasty interest. A great under-the-radar Cali Chard made with no malo fermentation and only 25% new french oak. Delicious at a fraction of the cost of top names.

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The group's WOTN was the 03 Pride Mountain Top Select Merlot followed by the 94 Pahlmeyer Merlot and one of the 98 Pavie Decesse.

My WOTN was the 02 Integrity --- one of the best wines I've had this year; followed by the 04 Saxum Broken Stones and 03 Pride MTS Merlot. Also outstanding were the Quilceda Creek, Beringer PR, Pahlmeyer and Corte Riva.

• 1990 Harrison Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Ruby red and brown at the rim. Aromatically complex with dark currant fruit, earthy notes and pencil lead. Medium bodied with black fruit taking a back seat to secondary characteristics of cedar and earth. I'm not familiar with this producer, but liked what this 15+ year old had to offer. Though I would drink up as the fruit appears to be fading with tannin and acidic structure are still present.

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• 2004 Saxum Broken Stones 95 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Deep, bright and youthful purple appearance with a loaded nose of toast, smoke and black fruits. The palate was delicious and rockin' with a creamy, smooth, velvet-like mouthfeel. Concentrated black fruits carry across the midpalate and into a long finish. Still delicious and not faded at all on day #2. My second time with this bottle in the last month and the intense fruit core is consistently great --- I'm excited to see what kind of complexity it develops with time.

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• 1995 Mas Martinet Priorat Clos Martinet 87 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Ruby with browning at the edge. An interesting nose of dark fruits, cedar, earth and violets. Light bodied with earthy fruits, bright acid and soft tannin. Bordeaux-like. Vergy good but lacking the depth to make this outstanding.

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• 1998 Château Pavie Decesse 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Dark ruby and black at the core. A decidedly new world nose of ample red currant fruit, nuts, vanilla and brown sugar. Medium body and thin --- the palate is very tightly wound and only flashing some red fruit and earth. The components all there but hiding. While the nose was open this appears shut down. Lots of potential here but not yielding much today.

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• 1987 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

  USA, Washington

  Mature ruby appearance with a lovely and elegant nose of earth, cedar, green peper, violets and pencil lead. The palate has dark cedary fruits, soy and green herbs. Long finish. Maturity is showcased by fruit that is intermingled with secondary earthy notes and melted tannins. Outstanding, mature wine ... I was guessing early 90s bordeaux.

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• 1994 Pahlmeyer Merlot 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Ruby red with some lightening of color at the rim. Nose is soft and smooth featuring blueberries, toast and smoke. Cocentrated fruits provide a velvety and smooth texture. Balanced and seamless with a long finish.

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• 2002 Marquis Philips Shiraz Integrity 98 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  Deep purple to black in color. A huge nose of dark fruits, spice, meat, smoke and toast. The palate, "must be tasted to be believed"... big bodied with a creamy and concentrated mouthfeel. An array of flavors with non-stop black fruit, caramel, vanilla cream, spice and bittersweet chocolate. Intense, seamless into a long, long finish. For all the massive sweet fruit, this is well balanced and somehow restrained. Incredible!

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• 1987 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Ruby red with an explosive nose red and black fruit, cedar and some floral notes. The palate has concentrated currant fruits, chocolate and cedar. Tannins melted into the fruit. Delicious! Youthful yet showing maturity and complexity. I was guessing early 90s right bank.

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• 2002 Corté Riva Merlot 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Dark ruby with a purple tint. Aromatic nose of blue fruit, minerals and brown sugar. Palate has concentrated toasty fruits. Sweet dark fruit, chocolate, caramel, vanilla. Tannins provide grip and structure. An intense, mult-dimensioned wine from the attack through the mid palate and into a long finish.

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• 2000 Les Tourelles de Longueville 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Very dark ruby to purple in color with a shy nose dark fruits, tar and mocha. The palate is thin and hard --- though a core of dark fruit appears to be underlying. Notes of tobacco leaf and cedar and interest. After reveal there was some debate as to whether this would ever come around after showing brilliantly in its youth --- given the vintage and pedigree, I'd guess that there are better days ahead.

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• 2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot Vintner Select Mountain Top Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Ruby red in color with an aromatic and enticing nose of sweet red fruit, toast and brown sugar. Delicious and textured in the mouth featuring creamy, sweet red fruits, toasted spices and caramel. Intense concentration rides into a long finish. Outstanding.

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• 1998 Château Pavie Decesse 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very dark ruby in color with a nose of dark fruit, minerals, tobacco and cedar. Tight and unyielding palate has medium concentration of red and black fruits. Some mineral and graphite add interest but this needs significant time.

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Too palate fatigued to take any notes at this point...

• 2000 Bott-Geyl Gewurztraminer Sonnenglanz Vendanges Tardives 89 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

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Thanks to all for the great wines!