Year 3 - Super Tasting 1 of 5 - David does Birth Year Wines

Dave's House, Kitchener, ON
Tasted Saturday, May 23, 2015 by Dave Canada with 443 views

Introduction

I had always liked the idea of doing a dinner where each participant would have the enjoyment of drinking a wine from the year in which they were born so when year three rolled around, I began looking for wines that fit the bill.

Flight 1 - Reception (1 Note)

Paired with Brioche Crustini's, Creme Fraiche and Beluga Caviar

  • 1988 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Cuvée Spéciale Millésimé 88 Points

    France, Champagne

    This is a bit sherried on the nose but still showing some lemon, salt, caramel, brûlée and nutty notes.
    The palate is advanced as well with obvious bruised apple notes but augmented with minerals, nutmeg, clove, lemon and hazelnut.
    Finish is medium and a somewhat singular. This was much more advanced that I would have expected and given that it came from a great cellar...I would say drink up as this is tiring.

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Flight 2 - 1st Course (4 Notes)

Paired with Roasted Quail Breast on Confited Quail Leg and Morel Mushrooms in a Madeira reduction

  • 1988 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

    Nose is very giving right off the bat and quite complex with aromas of leather, animal, sauvage, smoke and a bit of stank but also possessing some pure cherry and raspberry fruit that really makes this quite inviting. Obvious whole cluster fermentation which I am a huge fan of....incense and that stemmy goodness.
    One the palate, you can tell that this is a bit of a leaner year as it is dominated by the ample acidity. The tannins are also a touch austere. The wine is very clean and shows shows tart red fruit, spice, minerals, orange peel and a dominant lactic note but definitely leans to the more rustic side of Burgundy.
    The finish is medium with good complexity. Overall, this is a touch disappointing as the nose showed such promise...

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  • 1985 Tertre Rôteboeuf

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Nose was dominated by blood, beef, salt, iron....this is a really difficult as the saline aspects of the wine really take over. Not a good bottle in my mind so not rated. Very disappointing.

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  • 1970 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    I have had some very majestic vintages of Palmer over the years.....1961, 1978, 1983, 1989, 2000 etc. so have very high hopes when we had a new person joining our tasting group that was born in 1970....
    Needless to say...the 1970 Palmer did not show up to the party. Nose showed some traces of fruit but this was really over the hill with a dominant metallic note. The palate was thin, metallic and boring....what a waste. DOA

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  • 2006 Château des Tours Vacqueyras 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras

    I am a unabashed Rayas fan....so when I can find bottles made by the Rayas winemaker I jump.
    I pulled this to fill in for the previous off bottle assuming that it would provide that classic Rayas profile....this was....interesting.

    If you closed your eyes when smelling the wine...you would have assumed you were smelling an ontario Riesling Icewine.....notes of orange peel fresh cut strawberries, flowers, ripe citrus flavours...this was so aromatically intense.
    The palate showed similar flavours of incense, saffron, orange peel, strawberry and minerals.
    Finish was long and quite complex.

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Flight 3 - 2nd Course (6 Notes)

Paired with Beef Tenderloin in a red wine reduction

Flight 4 - Cheese Course (1 Note)

Paired with Stilton, St. Agur, Roquefort, apricots, figs, dates, honey, roasted nuts and sourdough.

  • 1977 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 96 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Decanted for 5 hours ahead.
    This was gorgeous...and by far the best 1977 port I have ever had.
    Nose was a kaleidoscope of flowers, spice, dark rich fruit, nuts, minerals, figs, spice cake.
    Palate was viscous but at the same time very light and elegant....such precision, focus and integration. Myriads of different dark and red fruits mix with a bouquet of flowers and spicy nutty notes.
    Finish is long, layered and lush. WOW. Pretty.

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Flight 5 - Dessert

Homemade Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Closing

Overall, not the best showing for birth year wines. Provenance, as always is a key and a few of these bottles illustrated this point in a poignant fashion. No great wines...only great bottles.

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