Rebecca's Welcome Dinner

Sun Wah and a pile of wine. What's not to like?

• 2010 Savart Champagne Expression Nature 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Bottle 127 of 550, disgorged August 28, 2014. This is one that certainly needs some food to go with it. Basically, it's a pure acid knife. Mineral, lean, and profoundly austere. There's a really nice thread of acidity to it, and while there are plenty of things to admire about this wine, would it really be so bad to add a spot of dosage here to round it out?

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• 2015 Cruse Wine Company Valdiguié Pétillant Naturel Rancho Chimiles 85 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Napa County

  This is super weird, and really, really different than the 2014 version of this wine. This is a lot more red, and shows much more fruit of a somewhat candied quality. Lots of chalky minerality on the palate, as well as some nice acidic cut, but that weird sweet fruit that isn't really sweet kind is really throwing me off. I much preferred the leaner and less-overtly-fruited 2014. On the other hand, maybe if i just let these bottles sit for a few months, that fruit will fade out a little bit...?

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• 2010 Richard Leroy Chenin Les Noëls de Montbenault Flawed

  France, Vin de France

  Corked.

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• 1964 Thomas Frères Romanée St. Vivant Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  Dead. Maybe we should have passed this wine through a brown coffee filter.

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• 2012 Manni Nössing Kerner 85 Points

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Valle Isarco / Eisacktaler

  This is pretty much like most dry riesling. There's a very nice tone of herbaceousness to it, and this is reasonably clean and zippy. However, the fruit just doesn't seem to match up with the rest of the wine, leaving a somewhat disjointed collection of flavours. Certainly an interesting wine to try.

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• 2013 Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos la Néore 93 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  This is gorgeous sauvignon blanc. Heady, dense, and very powerful, with lots of herbal and sweet fruit notes as well. There's a slight hint of high-toned sharpie marker as well. The palate is rich and well-knit, with a lot of raw power and a lovely acidic streak that keeps the momentum going. For whatever reason, this is accessible and indeed enjoyable now -- I'm not complaining.

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• 1978 Domaine Jaboulet-Vercherre Chambertin 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  This had a really odd spice note that, if served blind, I'd call it as syrah. Cue the jokes about these old Burgundies being doctored with Rhone. The palate on this was quite potent, with both red and black fruit showing up here, as well as a bit of tannic heft. I can't help but shake the feeling that this has been slightly adulterated though.

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• 2011 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Meursault 1er Cru Santenots 93 Points

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

  Incredible chardonnay. There's something almost Coche-like about this in its reductive quality and slight popcorn on the nose. This is the way Meursault ought to be made, with that bracing acidity and minerality counterbalanced by that fat density of really acidic fruit. Really exciting chardonnay, which despite the odd designation, isn't too difficult to hunt down.

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• 2002 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Faconnières 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru

  Simply put, this is classic Burgundy. The nose shows a modest amount of earth, balanced with some sweet and ripe red fruit, as well as a touch of spice. The palate shows really good balance, with some very crystalline and clear red fruit, as well as a nice touch of dirt. This isn't blowsy or misshapen; it holds its structure very well for a somewhat overripe year.

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• 2005 Charles Joguet Chinon Clos du Chêne Vert 93 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

  This is a classic example of cabernet franc, showing a really lovely green pepper tone on the nose, alongside a touch of black fruit and earth. The palate is very concentrated, and, although you can't exactly taste colour, this tastes black. The tannins are firm and quite resistant right now, but there's so much on the palate by way of acidity and fresh minerality that you don't care.

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• 1957 Château Margaux 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Ex-Harris cellar. Perhaps this is a touch old, but it's definitely still drinkable. A nose that shows mostly tertiary character at this point, with some red fruits still showing. I didn't pick up any of that Margaux (appellation, not chateau) perfume though. The palate still shows a touch of fruit, although it's getting quite acidic on the back end. There's a silkiness in texture though, that's really pleasant. It's clearly in the last stage of its life, even for this bottle of excellent provenance. Drink up.

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• 2008 Phillips Hill Pinot Noir Beeson Tree 80 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  This has all the elements that I don't like in those new-age wines. Candied red fruit that's so sweet coupled with prickly stems. The red fruit here could have been nice if it hadn't been so confected. The stems don't integrate here... kind of unpleasant, really.

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• 2010 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve 85 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  From magnum. I don't know if it's just me or not, but the oak here pops out really, really loudly. There's a bit too much vanilla on the nose and palate. Some nice red cherry balances it out, but the vanilla here is just a bit too pronounced in the context of everything else.

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• 1993 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant 83 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières-Coulée de Serrant

  I've never liked this style of wine. Oily, rich, waxy, and oxidative at the same time, and although there's so much acidity, it never serves to give lift to this wine. In fact, this just feels like old wine, when everything has started turning into acid. Pass.

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