Bye Bye Timmy
Convivial - Washington, D.C.
Tasted Saturday, January 9, 2016 by tooch with 959 views
Introduction
This was a fun dinner that celebrated the last 7 years of Tim O'Rourke overseeing Weygandt Wines and Warren Leonard taking over the reigns from Tim. We had a very large group, so the idea was to bring a large bottle of something interesting. Thought the wine showed very nicely, and the food at Convivial was very well done. Their team took great care of us and put up with a 16 top on a Saturday night...so props to them, too.
1981 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne
From magnum. Changed a lot over the course of the evening. At first I thought there was a hint of cork taint, but that seemed to blow off. Then I got the feeling I was dealing with an oxidized bottle as flavors of honey and butterscotch seemed to emerge. Sat the bottle aside, and about 2 hours later revisited it. Much cleaner, and fresher. Florals, pears, and minerals took center stage. Ended up really nice...good balance and depth. Just needed some air, I guess.
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2013 Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Großes Gewächs 92 Points
Germany, Nahe
From magnum. Had this a year ago in the Mosel and this bottle was very similar. Flavors were fresh, layered, and complex. Great minerality, nice flavors of peach, pear, and nectarines. Ageworthy, me thinks.
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1996 Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Liesse d'Harbonville 92 Points
France, Champagne
From magnum. I've got a soft-spot for this wine. Love the toasty/yeasty notes on the nose with some nice citrus in there, too. Palate had great energy and citrus flavor. Probably a tad less exciting than the other bottles I've had in the past, but this still had a lot to love.
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1996 Pierre Paillard Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
From magnum. Another killer bottle of this champagne. Had a real brightness/freshness to it that made it feel younger than it's actual age. Great toasty flavors of hazelnut, brioche, and cream. Palate was zippy, but also had really nice depth.
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2013 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
From magnum. Definitely the case of trying a wine too early. Thought the white florals, tropical fruits, and minerals were a bit muted. I would have liked to try this agin later in the night, but I forgot. Look forward to trying again soon.
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2007 Peter Lauer Stirn Faß 15 93 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
From magnum. I was pretty stoked for this bottle. Loved the cut and precision of the wine - nice peach, melon, and mineral tones mixed together. The palate was pretty complex and I really liked the layers of tropical fruits and florals.
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2013 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
From magnum. Gave this about an hour of air before dinner. No getting around how young this is right now. The lemon zest and saline notes were almost brutish at this early stage. Brutes can be delicious, though, and it's impossible to deny how yummy this was. If I was smart I'd buy more of these to sock away for a decade.
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2009 Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Cuvée Marguerite 92 Points
France, Jura, Côtes du Jura
From magnum. I really loved this bottle. Super bright and fresh, this was just pure lemon/lime/peach/mineral. The great thing with Ganevat is that I think the wines really come alive as they're exposed to air and this seemed to deepen with time. The fruits became a bit more deep and the florals a bit softer and more airy. A great wine.
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1983 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Pèzerolles 86 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
From magnum. Felt a bit simplistic. Had some nice rose and cherry tones throughout, but never had that second gear. I did really like the lithe tones on the nose, but the palate seemed tired.
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1998 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
From magnum. Had the vibrant fruit of 1998, but I thought this was more complex than many 1998s you come across these days. Dark cherries, some earth, or maybe wet leaves, roses, and cranberries on the nose. Palate was juicy and rich (again, not really a surprise). Liked the richness of the red fruit and thought the floral accents were really nice. One of the older Fourrier's I've had - what a treat!
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2001 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
From magnum. Been quite a while since I had this - and, if I had to guess, I think the wine is kinda asleep right now. The flavors seemed a bit blocky and austere. There were some nice tones of tea, cherry, pomegranate, and cranberries. Nice finish on the palate and it has great structure. Definitely decant these...the more air, the better.
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1997 Bernard Faurie Hermitage 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
I don't have a ton of experience with 1997 Northern Rhone, but this seemed to be drinking young. The dark fruit was really intense and the richness of Hermitage really seemed to come through. It had nice spice, olive, and clove notes - with some underlying hints of olive and meat. Probably needs a few more years to really open up. I think it's got a bright future.
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1989 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
From magnum. Just a flat-out great example of California Cabernet. The fruit was still ripe and full, and it had a beautifully rustic element to it. Part earth, part graphite, it was like a liquid time capsule. Felt like the tannins were in a great place, too. Sometimes these wines feel like they're cofermented with the Fountain of Youth, but this seemed like it was in the right place. Lucky us.
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1995 Château Figeac 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Delicious wine with lots of old school Bordeaux character. Nice green pepper, dark fruit, graphite, and smoke flavors mingling together. Palate was in a good spot with good balance. Probably wanted a bit more from this wine, but it was really good nonetheless.
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