Jim's Big 6-0 Bash with Wine of Particular Significance

Jim and Michelene's Place, St. Paul, MN
Tasted Thursday, October 20, 2016 by rocknroller with 430 views

Introduction

This was a very special night hosted by our bday boy himself and his wife and personal chef Michelene. Jim provided the wines, save for the Champagnes (from Dave and Craig), and did a most admirable job of selecting wines from significant years from his life. Michelene did most of the cooking with a couple contributions from the group (Brad's soup and Dave's dessert). Everything was wonderful on this truly memorable and special evening that I was honored and thrilled to be part of.

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    Light-medium gold color. Drank 1 glass with hors d'oeuvres over 20 minutes. This was delightful as usual. I wasn't thinking too hard about it at the time, but it just seems so effortless. There's a subtlety and elegance here that sometimes might go unnoticed, but make no mistake this great stuff. I'm starting to get comfortable with how good it is, and yet this bottle was a bit less flashy than some. 93+ to 94pts tonight.

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  • 2004 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 96 Points

    France, Champagne

    Light gold color. Drank 1+ glass over 30 minutes plus. This bottle was flat out mesmerizing. As good as the '95 Heidsieck was, this just stole the show. Incredibly elegant, lifted, wonderful almond biscotti, biscuit, toast and fresh white fruits. The finish goes on and on. Glorious.

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Flight 2 (3 Notes)

  • 1956 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Haut-Lieu 91 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

    Deep amber gold color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 40 minutes. This was in good shape on its 60th bday. A very enticing nose of white truffle, candied apricot and peaches, orange peel. On the palate, some of the sweetness appears to have faded leaving a more medium bodied wine with apricot, candied peach, and a lighter does of truffle, mild honey and a medium finish. This was a real treat. 91+pts.

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  • 1976 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Auslese 92 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    Dark amber color. PNP, from 700ml bottle. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. Also holding up well, this was showing apricots, candied orange, tropical notes, minerals, and some ripeness and RS that was holding up, no petrol here and a long finish. 92+pts.

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  • 1966 Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Oloroso Vintage

    Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

    Burnt sugar color. Walnuts, caramel, toffee, alcohol, sharp mid and back end. Interesting given the uniqueness, but I can't say I was enjoying it.

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Flight 3 (6 Notes)

  • 2006 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard 91 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Medium red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. I hadn't had this wine in almost 4 years, and I'm happy to say it is still showing well. Cherry, very nice spice notes, sour cherry on the palate with tart berry.

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  • 1996 Philippe Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe aux Moines 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    Light-medium bricked red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 30+ minutes. Lots of funk and earth on the nose and palate, cherry fruits, mineral, tart raspberry, medium body, integrated tannins. 90+ to 91pts.

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  • 1983 Château Cantemerle 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

    Dark red color, minimal bricking at the margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over a hour. This was in a pretty special place with everything right where it should be in a classically aged fine Bordeaux . One of those wines that has stood the test of time and now shows such purity and elegance, feminine grace. The nose is beautiful with pretty red fruits, fine earth, metallic minerality, wood spice, and dried flowers. The palate is perfectly balanced and well integrated, cassis, red raspberry, wood spice, a great silky texture, earthy, integrated tannins. 92+ to 93pts.

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  • 1986 Château Gruaud Larose 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Very dark red color. Decanted for 2 hours, drank 1 glass over an hour and a half. This was a bit slower to come around, but the nose has intense pencil lead from the start, gradually the brooding red and black fruits come through, dried earth, lots of leather, and a bit of smoke. The palate is also brooding at first, but this just kept ratcheting it up over 90 minutes, witht e cassis brightening and the red fruits showing more, earthy, minerally, pencil lead, wood spices and some somewhat firm tannins yet. These seem so young still. The fruit is there so they can hold up. These need more air or more time though to show at peak.

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  • 1990 Château Montrose Flawed

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    Seriously corked. The bottle had been opened the night before and the cork taint was intense and textbook. Bummer.

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  • 1990 Château Montrose 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    With the fist bottle being corked, our gracious host and birthday boy opened another bottle which proved to be everything we had hoped for. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour plus. Wow, holy s&#*, this was just so sexy. One of those noses that is so explosive and so complexly intoxicating that you can't put it down. Incredible perfume of fresh roses, dried herbs, saddle leather, cassis, raspberries, damp earth. The palate is intense and so nicely layered, full bodied and not heavy at all. It glides across the tongue with silken grace. The fruit is amazing for its purity and depth, very bright, earthy, fresh cut herbs, velvety tannins and a long penetrating finish. Wow, spectacular. 98+pts. WOTN.

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Flight 4 (1 Note)

  • 1988 Château Suduiraut 89 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Amber color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 20 minutes plus. This wine has always been a bit of an enigma. You'd expect it to be better given the vintage, but it just has never been great. The nose really is the saving grace here. Orange, orange marmalade, orange peel, spice, caramelized. The palate shows the same basic profile, but the body is thinner and it finishes very sharp and angular.

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Closing

Thanks again to Jim and Michelene for sharing this with all of us. There were many, many great wines, but the stunners were the '90 Montrose and the '04 Tait Comte with the '83 Cantemerle and the '86 Larose in hot pursuit.

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