The Inaugural Butcher&Larder Dinner
Butcher&Larder, Chicago IL
Tasted Sunday, November 6, 2011 by KeithAkers with 548 views
Introduction
Many that in the crowd were fans of Mado when Rob Leavitt cooked there. Rob is known in Chicago for being very diverse in his cooking and being a big lover of offal. Though Rob now concentrates on butchering, he is still more than willing to cook for a private dinner on a Sunday night. So, we were able to assemble 12 of us for what was going to be a fun night of wine and food.
Flight 1 (18 Notes)
Closing
There was A LOT of wine. I wasn't able to get to all of it and there was no real flighting to it. Instead, just drink the wine you want to drink. There were 12 of us and I got to maybe 60% of the wines. It was a pure blast and look forward to doing this next year.
2008 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Inflorescence Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine 92 Points
France, Champagne
nose: very fresh and lively nose filled with tones of citrus', bread, white fruits and a lot of pears. Very good depth and slightly on the tight side
taste: well balanced with a real creamy medium/full feel with medium/high acidity that shows off the youth. Well balanced with good depth and tones of fresh picked citrus', bread, white fruits, minerals and some bits of pears
overall: this had a 4/10 disgorgement. Could use some time to fully come together, but very irresistible right now. Was shocked when I was told that this had no dosage
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1996 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé 92 Points
France, Champagne
nose: very well balanced with good depth. This is starting to show some signs of maturity on the nose with more rounded tones of pears, bread, fresh lemons, white fruits and a touch of caramel as well
taste: polished medium feel with a refinement to the feel. Medium+ acidity backs it up with balanced and deep tones of minerals, white fruits, bread, and a good amount of pears
overall: While still youthful, this is starting to turn the corner into maturity. Shows off some of the 96 acidity as it is slightly piercing right now. Well balanced on both the nose and palate with real good depth as well
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2003 Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Honivogl 89 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
nose: upfront, but with nice tones of peaches, creams, white fruits, minerals, lychees, and some pears as well.
taste: a fuller style of gruner with a medium/full feel. Bigger with tones of tropical fruits, lychees, pears and some cream tones as well.
overall: this was drinking as well as it could. Balanced and showing off the vintage with a forward style and lower acidity (though it wasn't flabby).
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1994 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 91 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
nose: wide open from the outset with good depth and classic beaucastel tones of leather, creamed black fruits, spice tones, dark red fruits, garrigue, black cherries and a touch of earth
taste: medium/full bodied with medium acidity and fine tannins. Balanced with melded tones of leather, black fruits, spice tones, garrigue and black cherries
overall: I had this one from magnum. This was showing well from the get go and still has a long way to go. This is a more classic beaucastel and has shown well yet again
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2000 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
nose: briary and dark nose filled with tones of black fruits, garrigue, black cherries, spices and liqueur tones. Very good depth and still wound a little tight
taste: medium/full bodied with chewy tannins along with balanced tones of black fruits, black pepper, garrigue, and black cherries with some liqueur tones as well
overall: this was from magnum and popped n poured. The format helped show the youth of the wine, but it is certainly open for drinking. Real alluring dark profile on this that did take a bit to open up
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1983 Hanzell Pinot Noir
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
nose: very mature but alive nose of dark red fruits, leather, spice tones and bits of dried berries. The nose does start to fade after a little bit
taste: medium bodied with medium acidity but a bit of a clipped finish. Balanced and lighter tones of dark red fruits, leather, and dried berries
overall: This was a nice wine, but had seen better days. It faded after about a half hour, but was fun to drink while it lasted
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1998 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
nose: very fragrant nose of dark red fruits, berries, spice tones and dark red cherries. Still has a tartness to it that you would expect from a cali pinot, but in a more refined way
taste: well balanced medium feel with medium acidity. Plush and restrained at the same time with pretty tones of dark red fruits, strawberries, raspberries and spice tones
overall: This was drinking beautifully. Well balanced and with good aromatics. It lacked a slight bit in depth, but was a very pretty pinot
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2004 Martinelli Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
nose: rich and tart with bigger tones of red cherries, cola, raspberries and rhubarb. Good depth, but rather chunky in the tones
taste: full bodied with big and rich tones of red cherries, cola, rhubarb, and spice tones. It holds the largeness better on the palate, but still a bit blocky
overall: not sure if time will help this. Very much in the big pinot camp, the fruit isn't too over the top but subtle is not a adjective to use for this wine.
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1998 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
nose: beautiful and restrained nose of roasted herbs, spice tones, dark red cherries, roses, tar, and dark red fruits. Very complex and deep, but still quite tight and holding back. This is very easy to get lost in right now
taste: medium/full bodied with very prominent medium/high acidity. The tannins aren't too overbearing and are more silky than anything else. Lush with savory tones of roasted herbs, spices, roses, wild flowers, dark red cherries and some bits of tar
overall: This still needs time. It is starting to drink and is lovely on the young side, but this has room to grow and be a memorable wine
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1999 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
nose: on the more rustic side with tones of brown spices, earth, and dark red cherries. Nice balance with it being on the tighter side as well.
taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and some sturdy tannins. The structure is still on the rougher side with tones of roasted meats, dark red cherries, dark red fruits, and earth tones.
overall: This is still very young. This was only bottle aired, so a true decant could've been used. It is surprisingly rustic for a vosne and comes off more as a NSG.
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2001 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul 92 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
nose: rich with balanced and deep tones of black fruits, spice tones, dark red fruits, dark red cherries, and some liqueur tones. There is some layering as well on the nose with there being a lushness to the tones.
taste: full bodied with good supporting tannins and rich tones of black fruits, spice tones, dark cherries and liqueur tones. There is good depth to this as well with a plushness to it as well.
overall: This is definitely a bigger CdP. It holds the style fairly well and is pretty open to drink right now.
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2000 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul 91 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
nose: upfront with rich tones of black fruits, liqueur, black cherries, spice tones and herbs. There is good depth to this, but it isn't as layered as the 01.
taste: full bodied with a real richness to it. The tannins are more supporting right now with plump tones of black fruits, liqueur, black cherries and herb tones as well.
overall: A quality CdP. This isn't the deepest or layered CdP and it plays more towards a forward style.
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1997 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso 94 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
nose: lovely and savory nose with tones of dark red fruits, dark red cherries, roasted herbs, wild spices, incense and some perfumes as well. Very good depth with some good layering as well.
taste: silky and savory medium feel with good tannins and medium+ acidity. There is some real nice depth and layering with lovely tones of dark red fruits, roasted herbs, incense, violets and spice tones.
overall: A gorgeous brunello that is drinking well right now, but should continue to evolve further and go for a while.
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1986 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
nose: very aromatic and balanced nose filled with tones of cedar, spice tones, dark red fruits, mint, eucalyptus, and floral tones as well. Very good depth with some nice layering as well.
taste: medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and tones of cedar, spices, dark red fruits and some red florals. Nice complexity, but the finish is slightly clipped and the mid-palate just a little thin.
overall: this is a real lovely cab. There is a regal quality to it that makes it extra attractive.
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1986 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
nose: well balanced with very good aromatics and tones of cedar, eucalyptus, dark red cherries, and some bits of dark red fruits as well. There is nice depth to it as well.
taste: medium/full bodied with medium acidity. Well balanced with elegant tones of cedar, leather, dark red cherries, and eucalyptus. It also thins out a bit on the mid-palate and finish.
overall: This was drinking beautifully. Well balanced with an elegant style on both the nose and palate.
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2004 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
nose: balanced with a riper nose of red fruits, provencal spices, black cherries and liqueur tones as well. There is solid depth to it and though it's riper, there is nice purity to it.
taste: medium/full bodied with a plush side to it. Good balance with tones of dark red fruits, black cherries and liqueur tones.
overall: This was drinking well. While it favors to a more ripe side, it also has nice purity to it as well. It's lacking some depth though on both the nose and palate.
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1999 Ridge Monte Bello 92 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
nose: aromatic and balanced nose of cedar, floral tones, dark red cherries, red berries and cassis tones. Nice depth to it and it is wound slightly tight.
taste: very good medium/full feel with polished and balanced feel with tones of cedar, florals, dark red cherries, cassis and some dark red fruits.
overall: This still has some youth to it in the good fruit core. The nose was still a bit tight with the tannins still being fairly firm.
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2001 Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
nose: nice and succulent nose with tones of nectarines, apricots, warm honey, and bits of pears. Nice depth and showing youth on the nose.
taste: delicious medium/full body with medium+ acidity. Plump with tones of nectarines, apricots, and warm honey tones.
overall: Seems very young still. Could use a few more years to fully round into form.
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