Acker Holiday Auction

We hadn't originally planned to go, but some friends were getting a table and this is an easier time of year to make the early start so off we went. Fun times and met some interesting new folks so always good.

• 1981 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Birth year wine! Unfortunately it has seen better days. Just a bit faded and with a very quick finish. Potpourri, leather, dried fruit.

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• 1997 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore

  Always enjoy this wine. Bright red cherries, hints of white pepper. This was a pnp I think and it worked really well. Just in the perfect spot for this wine.

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• 1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  This was really lovely and I liked it a lot although I don't think it lived up to the 1994 that we drank later in the evening (which was prob my WOTN). Black fruits, some spice, hints of vanilla. This is a wine that doesn't jump out at you but stays a bit more austere.

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• 1988 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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

  We were at Beaucastel last month and the person doing our tasting noted how another set of Americans had said the wine was like horse. He was offended and took it as a bad thing, but I'm not sure it is. I get the saddle leather there. Also red currant and bit pepperish. Tasty.

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• 1990 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Similar to the beaucastel I get a bit of the horse vibe but this is that point after a long ride where there's a bit of sweat and leather and all of that mixed together. Well aged but somehow feels to me to be on the backswing (could have been the bottle).

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• 1982 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

  Really enjoyed this one. Drinking window in CT obviously not correct since it was still going quite well. Red currants, well aged, more old world in style. Bit of barnyard. Good wine.

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• 1990 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Drinking particularly well right now. The bottle we had had many more years of life left in it. Very dense and intense. Dark dark fruit. Some pepper. Very good.

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• 2010 Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Cuvée Huet Brut

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant

  Not really in the league of most of what we were drinking it acted more as a lovely palette cleanser if we're really honest. Served the purpose beautifully though. Very light and easy and clean tasting. Not overly complex. Enjoyable.

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• 1967 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  So fun to drink a wine that was made before my parents were drinking wine. This was much fresher than it should be (fresher than the 1990 barolo we drank earlier). Leather and dried fruits and beautiful wine. Paired very nicely with a pasta dish.

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• 2006 Colgin Syrah IX Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  11 years old but man this is still a baby. On first opening there's some heat and it's in your face fruit. We decanted and I had an early pour and then some others later in the night. I think last sip prob my favorite and that was about 4 hours after the decant. Blackberry all over. With time that wasn't the only trait that came through and it calmed down a bit and was less of a slutty wine and more nuanced. I enjoyed all the phases.

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• 1983 Château Cheval Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  This just wasn't this wine's night which is a bit disappointing as I typically really like the Cheval (although first time with the 83 vintage). Last pour at the end of the bottle so way too much sediment and that might be impacting my impression. It just felt a bit gritty and had the library and the barnyard but didn't speak to me. Hard to describe, just know there were other wines during the evening that jumped out more.

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• 1994 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  I am convinced this is a wildly under-rated vintage of La Mouline. This wine is just spectacular. Opened and decanted (and the decant really does help it). Red fruits and pepper and cigar and constantly evolving in the glass. Was a table favorite. Lovely.

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• 1979 Rutherford Hill Pinot Noir

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Tried it blind in this massive heavy crystal decanter. We were all stumped. I think our table guessed everything from Burgundy to Rhone (although interestingly enough a California person at a nearby table pegged it as Cali pretty quickly although thought more cab than Pinot). It's a fun wine. Kindof sweet and amazing how much fruit still there. I could see Pinot but thought maybe Grenache given that. Anyway, fun and tasty.

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• 1997 Dalla Valle Maya

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Opened and coffee filtered decanted. In the beginning wine wasn't really ready for business. It was closed down and mostly just had hints of leather. Fast forward a few hours and I went back and could see it had evolved a bit. Touch more fruit. Touch more pepper. Good wine.

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• 2004 Château Léoville Las Cases

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Had forgotten that we tried this just a week and a half before. The nose is all fruit, but the palette doesn't quite match. Overall a bit muted. It's more earth and barn (like the wood and the hay, not the yard). Still too young.

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• 2004 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Generally I'm not a Burgundy person and I don't totally get what all the fuss is about, but this is a wine that makes me eat those words a bit. It's just interesting and I'm not sure I really have the words for it. Like an evergreen forest but maybe a hint of salinity and almost a meatiness but still a lighter wine and unlike the '02 Burg we had right before it's got a nice balancing acidity to it. Very much of the place. Unlike anything I've tried before. Really enjoyed.

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• 2002 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  Surprised this was a Burgundy. It's not exactly light on its feet. Much heavier flavors. Missing some acidity. Maybe better if paired with food, but not my cup of tea.

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• 2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Coming off the heels of some old world and old world-like wines this was a bang in your face wine. Very fruity. Very intense. What I prototypically think of as California Pinot (red fruits, pepper, low acidity).

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• 2005 Joseph Drouhin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  Bright fruits and branches at this point. It's basic which I think probably just means not really ready to drink. Imagine it will grow into itself, but that prob means at least another 11 years.

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• 1970 Château Certan de May

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Eight years ago there was a note essentially saying this wine's best years were at least 20 years before that. Funny because I'd say it was still drinking fine. It's not a superstar wine and I didn't take as many notes on it as some of the others, but what I had was a bit funky, but nice.

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• 1994 Michel Tête Juliénas Domaine du Clos du Fief

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Juliénas

  Drank blind. Again not really sure although this time I thought maybe an old Burgundy? There's some cherry flavor to the fruit. Interesting wine. Bought for $5 at a sale. For the price, pretty good.

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• 1969 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Clos Vougeot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  So the second wine of the day that made me reconsider my position on Burgundy. This is the wine that burghounds are chasing. Just so very clean and precise and crisp and the fruit (cherry) feels fresh and vibrant. If I had too much of this I'd prob be a Burg person too.

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• 1986 Château Lynch-Bages

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Coming on the heels of a rather transcendent Burgundy but still stands out. Excellent aged Bordeaux. Think '86 doesn't get enough credit as a vintage. Nice library and dried fruit and leather.

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• 1988 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Opened and decanted. Really excellent. In contention for WOTN for me. It's beautiful. Wine tastes young. Lots of fruit - plum, currants, hints of spice. Came back to it again and again throughout the evening.

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• 2006 Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Initially I didn't like it. It felt like more of an alcoholic fruit bomb (similar to the Kosta Browne earlier) and didn't see the need for double the price tag. Left it in the glass and revisited prob an hour or so later and it's a completely different wine. Most of that has blown off and now the fruit is almost in a candied state and a bit more balanced. Really enjoyed.

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• 1975 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Wasn't for everyone at the table, but I was digging this. It's got a higher acidity and a bit less intensity than the average bordeaux. Similar flavor profile with the dried fruit and leather. A wine that perhaps brings to mind more game than steak (like pigeon).

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• 1994 Artadi Rioja Grandes Añadas Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  It's completely unclear to me how Spain can make wines that age like they do. If drunk blind, no idea this has 22 years under it's belt. It's got great fruit, but almost feels a bit young to be drinking. I imagine could hold for at least another 10 years or more.

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• 2005 Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Nahe

  Ask you shall receive. This is getting towards the end of a particularly wonderful but long night of red wine drinking and there was a bit of a desire for a touch of sweet and maybe a bit of something to change things up. Lo and behold someone is offering us a taste of their Donnhoff. One of my favorite producers. Hints of sweet and rock candy and a stone wall. Lovely.

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• 2013 EnRoute Pinot Noir Les Pommiers

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Drank this on the heels of my second go around with the Marcassin (which at that point was singing) and so this had a hard time competing. Just very much the standard Cali Pinot which is a bit too fruit dominated with low acidity.

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• 1985 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

  USA, Washington

  Lavender, violets, dried potpourri. Very interesting wine. Prob the oldest that we've had of the Leonettis (I didn't realize they made wine back into the 80's). Very good.

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• 2001 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

  I think this is a wine that needs a lot of age (think >20 years) for me. It's tasty in that crazy Cali cab way where the fruit is more extracted and deep and intense. Lots of blackberry. I enjoy it, but would love to see what happens when that mutes down a bit.

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• 1999 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Wow - fabulous way to end the night and will have a special place for Rene wines since we visited him earlier this year. This is excellent. Very well balanced, nice fruit (coming on the heels of an HSS this the more muted and standard variety), earth. Wine shines through. Drinking well now but can go for many more years.

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WOTN was the 1994 La Mouline which we opened and filtered and decanted. Loved it. I guess that's happened a few times with me on that wine. Lots of other excellent ones though including 1988 Jaboulet La Chapelle, very interesting Burgundy, old Cali Pinot, 90 Caymus, 75 Palmer... Well - overall, it didn't suck.