Guys Wine Night - Bring something you've been saving

6 of us got together at Jason's with instructions to bring something special they've been saving. Well, I think that was accomplished here. The wines were fun to drink, the food was spectacular, and everyone had a blast. Jason is a fantastic cook and host.

Wine of the night was unquestionably the 1990 Pichon Lalande with 16 votes, followed by 2004 Marcassin Marcassin chardonnay with 11 votes, followed by 1996 Joseph Phelps Insignia with 6 votes. I was quite surprised that the Marcassin did so well, as it was not in my top 3.

• 2002 Pol Roger Champagne Vintage Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Drink a good-sized glass over about an hour to start a tasting. There has been bottle variation in these for me, and this one landed in the middle of the distribution. It took a good 20 minutes to get up to temperature and elicit a nice toasty robust nose. Rich baked bread and apple, consistent with Pol Roger's style. There was a bitterness on the end that came and went.

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• 2004 Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Shared a bottle with 5 others. Even at this age, this is one of the biggest and most full-bodied chardonnays that I have had. Having said that, there is also a ton of minerality in it that tries to balance the massive fruit and oak. I found the nose to be better than the palate. It is buttery, woody and has burned marshallow on it. As I expected, it got better as it warmed up. There was some spicy ginger on the palate. Everyone else at the tasting found it to be very complex. I didn't find that, and wonder if my mouth couldn't get past how big it is. There was a small amount of alcohol on the finish, but not much. I liked this the least out of the group, as it was shockingly voted above a 1996 Insignia, 2007 Realm Dr. Crane, 2000 Plumpjack reserve and 2006 Saxum James Berry 32. For myself, it didn't make my top 3, scored 92-93.

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• 1990 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Slow O'd for an hour, this initially seemed to be a science project, with weird funk and alcohol. That all blew off, and it blossomed into a textbook old world, mature Bordeaux. Funk, barnyard, leather, animal, tobacco, some strawberry, currant and cherry. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins. This is downright silky with so much complexity. This wine was a real treat, and every bit as good as the last time I had it.

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• 1977 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Pop and pour, this wine was very much a mixed bag. On the one hand, incredibly nuanced and complex. On the other, maybe a little too mature, downright elderly, thin and slightly raisined. To me, the pluses exceeded the minuses here. In addition, 1 taster absolutely loved this, 3 others found it barely drinkable, and me on the happy side of medium.

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• 1996 Joseph Phelps Insignia 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Pop and pour, drank a good-sized glass over about 2 hours. I didn't think this was breadking down at all. It was plush, with some anise, saddle leather and clove. It did have a dark streak to it. I thought this wine was drinking well.

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• 2000 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  We drank the 2000 Plumpjack Reserve cork wine alongside the 2000 reserve stelvin closure. The stelvin closure was definitely fresher and had less nuance upon first opening. Initially, I could tell them apart with authority. It would be difficult to pick a favorite, more of a preference towards sappy fruit with flowers, cherry and vanilla versus secondary characteristics of tobacco, earth and cedar. After about an hour in glass, the two wines were practically identical, and I could no longer find any discernible difference. I have to say, for 2000, these wines drink pretty well. Silky red fruit, acidity and earth.

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• 2000 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Stelvin Closure) 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  We drank the 2000 Plumpjack Reserve cork wine alongside the 2000 reserve stelvin closure. The stelvin closure was definitely fresher and had less nuance upon first opening. Initially, I could tell them apart with authority. It would be difficult to pick a favorite, more of a preference towards sappy fruit with flowers, cherry and vanilla versus secondary characteristics of tobacco, earth and cedar. After about an hour in glass, the two wines were practically identical, and I could no longer find any discernible difference. I have to say, for 2000, these wines drink pretty well. Silky red fruit, acidity and earth.

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• 2007 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  Decanted about 5 hours. This wine was incredibly plush and silky, but the flavor profile seemed closed. I'm never one to complain about lack of flavor in a Napa cab, finding most of them over the top, but this wine wasn't giving up much. Big, smooth, balanced and mellow, probably closed.

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• 2006 Saxum 32 Month Barrel Age James Berry Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Drank with MZIMBERG and I completely agree with his comments. They threw everything but the kitchen sink at this wine. This is a total Parker wine, meant for those that prefer Rhone blends that need a knife and fork. I can appreciate this style, but gravitate towards something with a semblence of balance. I also found this wine to be quite jammy. Some Saxums have been thick and jammy while others have enough acidity to balance them. This may have been the jammiest Saxum I've had. It was still quite impressive, as Anna Nicole Smith was in her day. If I had any of this wine, I'd hold for a few years yet.

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