Send-off in Style

Some of the DC wine crew put together a great lineup of food at Bourbon Steak, grabbed a private room, and opened up a great lineup of wines to send me out of the country for 6 months in style (to somewhere I'm not going to have a sip of wine). Thanks Gentlemen, I have some great wine memories to tide me over until I return and can partake again.

Notes are abbreviated compared to my normal ones: in the dinner setting I just didn't get the same amount of time with the wines as I would normally take!

• 2010 Kongsgaard Chardonnay The Judge 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Have drank a lot of Chard since the last bottle of this wine, and lots of White Burg especially. Score coming down a bit in context of those Chards.
  
  This is still very good, lemon custard, pear, vanilla, but I pick out much more oak on it this time. Definitely CA Chard.

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• 2011 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Sketch 93 Points

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  One of the surprises of the night. Good stuff, young, tight, lots of acidity. Lemon, tart pears, smell of wet slate rock, hints of brine.

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• 2000 Sine Qua Non The Boot 94 Points

  USA, California

  Very good. Quite a fatty nose, some honey, but very reminiscent of some of the SQN Syrahs. It just smells like SQN to me. All kinds of other things going on here too: roses, honeysuckle, coconut, straw (hay).
  
  Changed my mind about what Marsanne/Roussane can do.

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• 2004 Camille Savès Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé 90 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Tart green apple, almonds, good amount of acidity and could use some age to tame it.

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• 1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Bottle was great to start, but went flat quicker than I would have expected.
  
  While it was there though, the mousse was silky smooth. Notes of heavily toasted bread, red apple, hazelnut are all throughout this wine.

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• 1995 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Great bottle. Ripe red apples, yeasty bread, spices, dirt/earth notes. Very fine mousse.

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• 1990 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cuvée Fleur de Champagne Flawed

  France, Champagne

  Showing a bit too much oxidation.

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• 1983 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile Vendanges Tardives 93 Points

  France, Alsace

  Great mature Riesling. Oily florals, orange peel, hint of apples and pear.

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• 2009 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Again think my palate is just shifting away from this style of Pinot. Cherry coke and cream, spices.

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• 2007 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir East Block

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Kirsch, vanilla cherry coke, think my palate is shifting away from this style of Pinot; just seems overdone.

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• 1995 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Still showing fairly young, with tannins to spare. Distinct notes of coffee, blackberry, eucalyptus, white pepper. Didn't seem up to the level of the other CA Cabs.

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• 1985 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

  Great bottle that was really firing on all cylinders. Funky meat, soy sauce, roses, cranberry, hints of tomato sauce, bell pepper, graphite. Texture was silky smooth, great structure still, with several layers of nuances. Long finish.

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• 1990 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Badly corked.

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• 1978 Château Mouton Rothschild 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Another mature wine. Almost port-like at times, hints of plum/prune, fig, brine, leather, aged red meat.

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• 1978 Château Latour Grand Vin 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Definite mature nose with dusty red fruit, graphite, wet leaves, leather, very noticeable fennel/anise/licorice notes. Shows some other green too; asparagus?
  
  Nice bottle, good experience to sample it!

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• 2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter 94 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast

  Decanted 8 hours, and definitely needed it, but still too young. Leftovers with 24 hours of air on them were better.
  
  Smells like SQN! Black and blue fruit, bacon, chocolate, briney oyster. Huge wine but as always, this is well balanced and carries it own weight gracefully. Will leave future bottles alone for a few more years though...

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• 2010 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT

  Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT

  The only note I got on this wine was 'celery'. Not very helpful I know, but had this wine toward the end of the lineup :)

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• 2007 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes

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

  Somehow didn't get a note on this wine in the lineup.

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• 2010 Saxum Syrah Booker Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Thought this couldn't keep up with the '10 SQN Syrah next to it. Tight, huge and it shows it, black fruit, bacon. Needed a decant but didn't get too much of one, however the leftovers opened up more the next day. Still didn't have the finesse and outstanding balance of the SQN though.

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• 2004 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Basically a pop 'n pour. Bacon fat, smoked meat, plum sauce, black cherry.
  
  Still seems on the young side, but has finesse and balance to last and improve.

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• 2009 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Decanted 10 hours. Very young, but incredibly smooth and balanced. Lighter than expected. Perfumed nose with blackberry, eucalyptus, rose water, blackcurrant, earth.
  
  Finish is easily 60+ seconds. Lots of life left, and am sure this will evolve into something even better. 95+

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• 2007 Progeny Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection Reserve 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder

  Bottles was decanted for 12 hours, and was still very tight. Leftovers were tried the next day, after almost 30 hours of being open, and it was finally ready to go.
  
  Once opened up and rounded by some air, this was silky smooth. Blackberry, dirt, white pepper, hint of florals.
  
  Give this much more time in the cellar, or a very long decant.

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• 2002 Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Solari (Reserve) 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Had some similarities with the '85 Stags Leap, seemed like a younger version in some ways. Green pepper, raspberry, cassis, lavender, very smooth and well balanced. Seems to be drinking well and in a nice place, but most likely can easily last another decade in the cellar at least.

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• 2002 Sine Qua Non Sémillon Mr. K The Straw Man

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  Should be served over ice cream. At 50% RS, this is basically thick, viscous syrup. Good, but too sweet for me! Much preferred the '98 D'yquem next to it.

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• 1998 Château d'Yquem

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Didn't get a formal note on this at the end of the night, but remember it being excellent, and the clear standout of the dessert wines.

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• 1954 Barbeito Madeira Malmsey

  Portugal, Madeira

  Unfortunately didn't get a note on this!

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