Small Plates and Mix of Aged Wines

Craig & Nita's Place
Tasted Thursday, February 23, 2017 by rocknroller with 467 views

Introduction

This was a nice evening of small plates with everyone contributing a dish of some sort and of course several tasty recipes from Nita. The wines were a WTDS theme with a number of older wines that proved to be in good shape.

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 2008 Arthur Marc Champagne Grand Cru 91 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    Light-medium gold color. Drank 1 glass over 20 minutes. Same bottle as Chablis28. Very nice, showing a good balance of crisp orchard fruit, pear, fresh, lighter ginger this time, subtle yeast, and a clean minerality. I liked where this was at. Definitely a step up from last time, which was good too.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • NV Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley 90 Points

    USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

    I only had a small pour of this, but as always I am impressed by the consistency and quality at the price point. Not quite as sophisticated maybe as the Arthur Marc GC before it, but certainly not far behind and holding its own. A rock solid QPR.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 2007 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Meursault 1er Cru 92 Points

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

    Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over an hour plus. Another fine showing. the nose is focused, fresh cut lemon, clementine, saline, and and hints of flowers. The palate follows closely, good depth and energy, just a touch of richness to the lemon and meyer lemon notes. Ironically an offer for this showed up in our email the next morning - too hard to pass up some more. No indication of these fading, so I'm in. 91+ to 92pts.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2007 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 89 Points

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

    Light medium gold color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. Had this side by side with the '07 Chateau de Meursault 1er which is a blend of Charmes and Perrieres. Not so much of a contest on these bottles, with the CdM being much brighter and focused with good freshness. The Bouchard, while i didn't think it markedly premox and certainly not unpleasant, did show early signs of turning south. Citrus, lean, minerals, a bit dull and hints of premox. Apparently Chablis28 was sandbagging us and saving his good bottle for a couple nights later :). Interesting that the next bottle was fantastic. Ahh the crap shoot of White Burgs.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 2007 Domaine Tortochot Charmes-Chambertin 94 Points

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

    Medium red color. This bottle was opened about an hour before serving. Drank 1 glass over 75 minutes. Chablis28 offers a very nice description of this wine. Charming would be an understatement. This was really singing with just a little air. Very pretty nose with cherry, a mix of dried flowers and dried spices, red berries, deep sous bois, mushroom, and earth. The palate matches up well on an elegant, medium bodied frame. The earth and soil signature is so nice, cherry, hints of currants, just great spice notes, well integrated and long. Did I mention I love these '07 Burgs right now.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2005 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Prieur 90 Points

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

    Dark red color. I believe this had gotten a pretty healthy decant before serving. Drank 1 glass over 90 minutes plus. Definitely tight, red berry, earth and mineral with hints of fennel. The palate is earthy, soil, murky dark red fruits, deeply spiced, hints of celery later. Agree wholeheartedly with Chablis28's take on this. Really they just need more time, not real giving yet. 90+(+)pts.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 1978 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Cèdres 92 Points

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

    Dark red color. Slow- O for 2 hours. Drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Same bottle as Chablis28, and I agree that this looked like it was recorked recently as it appeared remarkable pristine if not. The contents however felt the age on the label. The fruit was tailing off, but there was a very interesting mix of secondary and tertiary elements on the nose. Quite complex with an ample amount of sauvage character, strong blood meal, earthy, garrigue, briary, iron, and subtle red fruits make up the nose. The palate is a little more edgy and shows some sharpness, soil, earth, a bit vegetal, red fruits, dried cherry, underbrush, somewhat angular tannins and the sharpness comes around on the finish. A fun wine to drink and try to analyze. I found the nose quite impressive and the palate a showing more age.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2004 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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

    Very dark red color. PNP, followed one glass over 2 hours plus. I usually adore this wine. Tonight however, it wasn't working for me really at all. I'm not sure what the deal was. The nose was green and herbaceous, lots of pepper and spice, dark red fruits. The palate seemed thin to me with faded fruits and again plenty of pepper and spiciness, medium body and finish. This just didn't have the elegance and perfume I expect. I took part of the glass home and it never got any better there either. Score reserved (probably borderline 90), hoping this was just bottle variation.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 5 (2 Notes)

  • 2001 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 91 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Dark red color. Decanted for 2 hours. Drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. This was drinking nicely, open and ready to go. Dried herbs, high toned, dark red fruit, savory nose, some oak. The palate shows cherry fruits with a deeper dark red berry core, along with a rather savory aspect that is quite enjoyable, framed with dried wood and followed by a long, high toned finish. There's a smattering of heat showing on the palate at times, but nothing distracting. There's youthfulness here, but overall this was ready and willing; a nice bottle. 91+pts.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1996 Terreno Chianti Classico Riserva 90 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

    Medium red color, marked bricking. PNP, drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. Just a small taste of this that went with some of our Italian courses. In good shape, cherry, plum, medium bodied, leather notes, hints of tobacco leaf, and some moderate tannin yet.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 6 (3 Notes)

  • 1984 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Dark to very dark red color, subtle 5mm transitional margin. PNP, drank 1+ glass over 2+ hours. After removing the fully saturated cork in 3 large crumbling pieces and filtering an initial taste to check the wine, I knew this was going to be a treat. These older bottles of Mondavi rarely seem to disappoint and they just seem to age effortlessly. This bottle was right up there with some of the best we've had. I could just sit and smell this all night, but the overwhelming urge to savor the elixir will ultimately overcome any patience you might have to keep waiting. A simply glorious, wow nose of perfumed sandalwood and leather scents, pristine graphite wafts about, a hint of mint and such pretty pure red berry fruits soar effortlessly from this 33 year old beauty. When you finally succumb to the nose and immerse yourself in the wine, the complex, ethereal elegance permeates you. The nose translates beautifully to the palate and shows a dried earthy, forest floor, roses hips, dried flowers, red berries, such purity and finesse, well integrated but still giving silky tannins and spice, high toned and pristine, dare I say youthful in a way that implies its vibrancy. You might think this is 20 years old, but I suspect most would be surprised to have the age revealed. Beautiful, long and another testament to the beauty of old Napa and RM in particular. This can continue to give please easily for another 10 years. My WOTN, with a close nod to the '07 Tortochot which delivers a similar experience. 95+ to 96pts.

    Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1975 Château Beychevelle 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Dark red, extremely cloudy. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour plus. Despite the murky color this really was still very good. Red fruits, more to cherry, sour cherry, pencil, cigar, medium full bodied, loamy, mineral, medium finish.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1978 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Very dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. Dark red fruits here, more rustic, more spicy and the wood signature is more prominent, wood spices, a bit angular on the finish.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 7 (1 Note)

×
×